The Way Toward Health - June 27, 1984

June 27, 1984

Large masses of people become so convinced of God’s eventual vengeance and retribution that they begin to plan for it.

Their lives became a way of avoiding pain instead of seeking out pleasure or satisfaction.  This is true of individuals, but it also applies to many so-called survival groups, who congregate in one or another portion of the country, collecting supplies to carry them over the holocaust and to defend their families from those who might steal their provisions.

Most such people expect a period of chaotic time, in which all laws are broken down.  Another version stresses the economic area, foreseeing the collapse of the economy, anarchy, and other conditions that pit one individual against the other.

These people believe, of course, that any given situation will worsen, and be carried to its most disastrous end.  That attitude colors all of their other beliefs and actions.  Some use religious dogma, and others rely upon scientific dogma to prove their cases, but in any case, they are presented with a world of deception and vengeance.

Good mental or physical health can hardly flourish under such conditions.  There are instead most beneficial groups in this country and abroad, who actually, actively, yet peacefully join together to work for worldwide nuclear disarmament, and also tackle such questions as nuclear waste.  Their efforts are directed in other ways also, as they try to convince all areas of the world to share their wealth and foodstuffs equally.

These may be “highflying” goals, however they are positive in nature, aimed toward accomplishment and achievement, and they collect the energies of the people together in a way that stresses cooperation and understanding.

Again, the end does not justify the means – so no amount of war is ever going to produce a meaningful peace.

Such ideas affect every level of life, from the most microscopic onward.  It is not that plants understand your ideas in usual terms – but that they do indeed pick up your intent, and in the arena of world survival, they have a stake.

I do not want to romanticize nonhuman life either, or to overestimate its resources, but nature also has its own ways – and in those ways, it constantly works toward survival of life in general.  Nature may not bail you out, but it will always be there, adding its own vitality and strength to the overall good and health of the planet.

Remember what I said earlier about the connections between disease and nondisease states.  Communication flashes between viruses and microbes, and they can change in the wink of an eye.  Once again, then, ideas of the most optimistic nature are the biologically pertinent ones.

This a good place to bring up again some extreme food practices, such as over-fasting, and an obsession with so-called natural foods.

I am not talking about a natural and healthy interest in the purity of foodstuffs, but of a worrisome overconcern.  This is often carried so far that no food seems perfectly satisfying, and the concentration becomes focused upon the fear of food, rather than upon its benefits.

Behind many such attitudes is the idea that the body itself is unworthy, and that starving it somehow cuts down on the appetites of the flesh.  You usually end up with a flurry of different kinds of diets.

Some concentrate almost exclusively on protein, some on carbohydrates – particularly rice – but in any case, the large natural range of available foods and nutrients are cut out.

This keeps the body in a state of constant turmoil.  Some people are so convinced, in fact, that eating is wrong that they diet until they become ravenously hungry, then overeat and force themselves to vomit up the residue.

Other people, in a well-meaning attempt to watch their weight, skip their breakfasts entirely – a very poor procedure.  It is far better to eat moderate amounts of food in all of the food ranges, and to consume smaller portions more often.  I realize that your social mores also dictate your eating habits – but four light meals a day will overall serve you very well, and give the body a more steady, regulated nourishment.

These food ideas are important, since they are passed on from parents to children, and parents often use food as a way of rewarding a child’s good behavior, thus starting your youngster out toward conditions of overweight.