Come on SANET, wake up and get a life. We have had a good dialog
going on nutrition, food systems, and health. We have had some new people
join in. We all believe in diversity, right?
I am going to try to balance the bad energy from HJOSEPH with
another post -- see below -- that was sent to a person on SANET privately
(not me), in response to our recent dialog. This post is from a person with
diabetes. It is a powerful and important post, and while the author did not
wish to share it (for obvious reasons, knowing the lack of discipline on
this list), I felt it was important for everyone to see it and thus obtained
permission to post the excerpt below. Please read it. Please, especially,
read the P.S. and think about what it means/says. I can think of some
obvious agricutural parallels. And then imagine how rich SANET would be if
this person felt safe to post it for everyone's benefit.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Hi,
>
>As a recently diagnosed type II diabetic, I enjoyed your post. Since my
>diagnosis, I have changed my diet completely...I'm now eating mostly
vegetables, with some meat, fish, and small amounts of starches like barley
(I'm allergic to wheat) and legumes, and fresh
>fruit or homemade yogurt for dessert.
>
>What I'm discovering is that once you've weaned yourself from the taste
>of sweet and fat (which is not easy, but the threat of going blind or
>losing my limbs was enough to get me started), in fact, a fresh apple
>tastes better than apple pie. I no longer crave apple pie. I know it
>would simply taste very sweet. The apple has wonderful overtones that the
>pie does not. It's like the difference between a Stradivarius violin and
>the sound of a synthesizer.
>
>In the past, I found apples dull. The only ones I liked were the very
>sweet ones like Pound Sweet or Blue Pearmain. Now I find I can
>distinguish different flavors from apples from different trees, even
>though they're the same variety. Sometimes I try to imagine a person who
>had never tasted a real apple, or a peach, or a blueberry, but only Apple
>LifeSavers, Peach Soda, and Blueberry JellO. How would you describe the
>incredibly complex flavor that comes from real fruit? Think how those
>people would envy you, with access to these rich flavors. Yet we all have
>access to them every day, even in the winter.
>
>Maybe this would help some of your clients. Tell them that yes, it's hard
>to get started on a new way of eating. But once you're there, or partway
>there, you may make taste discoveries that amaze you. I used to eat out
>of habit, out of boredom, and didn't get much enjoyment from my food. Now
>I eat because I'm hungry, and I enjoy every bite.
>
>best wishes,
>
>[deleted, to protect the brave]
>
>PS What I find astounding is that my doctor has never once asked me what
>I'm eating.
Charles Benbrook 202-546-5089 (voice)
Benbrook Consulting Services 202-546-5028 (fax)
409 First Street S.E. benbrook@hillnet.com [e-mail]
Washington, D.C. 20003 http://www.pmac.net