Food, farming, and flu
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h5768 (Published 29 October 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h5768
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We have a love-hate relationship with food. We love to eat, but we hate to shop, cook, and clean up. And of course, we worry about our weight. Why is this? Perhaps food reminds us that life is not only fun, but also fragile, frustrating, frightening, and mystifying.
Life is a metabolic mystery. No matter who we are or what we do, we all have to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. But how and why the food we eat transforms itself into life, and ultimately waste, is a mystery that science cannot fully explain.
It's hard to live with such mystery. So we distract ourselves with sweets, fast food, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and entertainment, while we ignore the biological basis of life - especially the connection between food and waste.
However, farmers can't ignore this connection. They understand the cycle of life, and know that crops depend on compost and manure. They keep us alive, and we owe them our gratitude.
We owe a special debt of gratitude to organic farmers. They know that crops should not be genetically engineered or contaminated with toxic chemicals, and that farming must be safe for the farmer, consumer, land, water, and animals. They are pioneers for health and ecology.
You can also be a pioneer for health and ecology. First, support organic farmers and local farmer's markets. Second, support health food stores and encourage supermarkets to carry organic products. Third, share your knowledge and experience with family, friends, physicians, and public officials. Your health and your planet depend on you.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Food is live medicine. Medicine is dead food.
In recent years, healthcare has become so complex, that it is almost incomprehensible. Many physicians have a hard time keeping up with their own specialty, let alone other specialties. There are 24 medical specialties and 88 sub-specialties. How can the average person choose or afford so much healthcare?
There are three kinds of healthcare: traditional medicine, alternative medicine, and complementary medicine. Complementary medicine (integrative medicine) combines traditional medicine with alternative medicine. All three kinds of healthcare use drugs.
Traditional medicine uses prescription drugs, such as antibiotics, tranquilizers, vaccines, and chemotherapy. Alternative medicine uses over-the-counter drugs, such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, and enzymes. Complementary medicine uses both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. So all healthcare uses drugs, and patients have no real alternatives.
Drugs are a mixed blessing. They prolong life, but they also shorten it. This is because drugs are toxins and addictions that fool and block the body’s biochemistry. This is why drugs have so many side effects and adverse reactions. In contrast, nutritious food, which is free of toxins and addictions, fuels and builds the body’s biochemistry. This is why food is live medicine, but medicine is dead food.
Competing interests: No competing interests