Food for health — food for thought
This has become sort of an Opinion Page. Oh well.
Omega-3 fatty acid is touted as a natural anti-inflamatory alternative for the various arthritis drugs that have been recalled or are being “watched” (among other health benefits). Tonight’s CBS news segment featured fish oils, mentioning that fish oils can be found at health food stores. So can flax seeds, flax seed meal or flax seed oil.
Flax seed is also a good source for Omega-3.
People aren’t limited to having to eat fish, or take fish oil supplements to get it — any more than people are limited to having to consume dairy products to get calcium. I heard a radio commercial for a particular brand of fish oil that has been processed in such a way as to remove any mercury. What does that say about all the other brands? No one has to worry about mercury, or ways to remove it, from flax seed. Also, various brands or orange juice and soy milk have just as much calcium as milk does. Please take note of this, because the media and others who disseminate health information seem to overlook this!
I can’t find a transcript for tonight’s news segment. But on a search, I did find this
article from the CBS Early Show (1/7/2005) that mentions flax seed oil in the same breath as fish oil.
This article also mentions the health benefits of green tea, chocolate and berries.
The topic of tea brought to mind something else I read, that diabetics shouldn’t drink ginseng tea because it might lower their blood sugar. Huh? What if it does?!
What would happen if a diabetic had a cup of ginseng tea in the morning, before testing his/her blood? If the reading is low, would they be able to go without a shot of insulin — or get by with a smaller dose? What would be so bad about that? Who doesn’t want diabetics to lower their blood sugar in this way — the drug companies who would have something to lose? Food for thought….
While I’m on a roll, here’s another gripe:
The great thing about real food is that there is growing awareness of what various foods are good for, medicinally. For example, cherries may be good for arthritis. But as soon as someone makes a discovery like that, all of a sudden, the real food isn’t good enough. Someone has to patent the substance into a pill, for whatever reason. But profit is probably one of the biggest reasons.
(This is just my personal opinion, based on a few articles I found on the Internet. I am not a doctor. But what’s the worst that could could happen if people tried eating healthy foods that are supposedly good for certain health conditions they might have?)
Here is an excerpt from an Interview with John McDougall, M.D.:
“I think it’s very important that people realize that they can regain lost health. A lot of folks out there think they’re trapped; being fat, sick and dependent on drugs–and that’s not the case. Well over 80% can get off their medication. Essentially all of them can get their weight down, and get to feeling and functioning well again by doing something cost-free: by eating the right kinds of foods. Actually, you can cut your food bill up to 40% by cutting out animal products and processed foods. Add some exercise and clean up your habits and you will get far greater results than any pill could ever give you. If everyone knew they had that option , I would be the happiest doctor in the world.”
One more gripe:
Drug ads!
Like Dr. McDougall, there are few things that would make me happier, than to have people take responsibility for their health. That means choosing a healthy lifestyle, and not asking one’s doctor if yet-another drug that has been advertised on TV “might be right for me”! Let’s become a country that isn’t so drug-dependent!!!! Let’s become a country that doesn’t have to depend on Social Security’s or other government programs’ ability or inability to foot the bill for our diseases that are preventable!… (the same government that also subsidizes the tobacco, meat & dairy industries, and other things people really ought to avoid….)
Here are a few sites that have information about the health benefits of certain foods — with an emphasis on foods that are recommended for preventing cancer:
http://www.vegsource.com/books/eat_to_beat.htm
http://www.vegsource.com/super_eight_foods.htm
http://www.truehealth.org/ahealt10.html
http://www.fitfaq.com/11-super-foods.html
http://psa-rising.com/eatingwell/broccoli_DIM_jan_2004.htm