We are told that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This maxim is simply no longer valid. That “an apple,” as far back as 1914 at the latest, came out from good untainted soil. Thereafter, the modern agriculturists forced this soil under chemical compulsion, to yield more produce than it could naturally produce. It did comply with, in yielding more in quantity so that the champion agriculturists could sell it to a larger number of people to bring an end to their hunger, but they could not get from the soil the quality, which is the desired nutrient and far more important in the produce, unless they stop coercing the soil from producing more, and abstain from tainting it with artificial fertilizers.
Dr. Jason points out that farmers are paid to produce maximum yield per acre but not maximum nutritional value. Therefore, the majority of farmers have got to coerce the soil to produce more. In the 1930s, corn yields of 50 bushel an acre were considered quite good. But these days, farmers are pushing their land to produce corn yields more than 200 bushels an acre.
Therefore, our apple is not the same as earlier apples. With the inception of factory farming and erosion, all other fruits and vegetables, likewise, no longer deliver the nutrients that we need. The apples that came from this sort of factory farming are such that one must eat, no less than twenty-five a day to keep the doctor away. Dr. Jason Calton refers to the USDA in his book, “The Power Nutrient Solution,” stating that our present apple gives us 0.18 milligram of iron, as determined by them in 1992 (96 percent less) while it would have contained 4.6 milligram in 1914, when our ancestors could eat just an apple a day to stay healthy. Iron content in an apple is one example. We are not getting enough of other nutrients like calcium and magnesium in the modern apple and this is almost the same for all other fruits, vegetables and grains.
Danger of GMOs
Gary Null Ph D, the host of the nation’s longest running public radio program on nutrition and natural health unveils the lies that genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) are safe and can help feed the world and save lives. According to him, over the last two decades independent scientists have brought forth challenges to their claims. As the result of their independent investigations, they have stated forty-four reasons to ban or label GMOs. He points out that 91% Americans want GMO labeling. He discovered that 64 countries around the world including Japan, Australia, China and the entire European Union require GMO labeling.
In September 2015, Russia completely banned the production of food using GMOs. This came after Russia carried out independent scientific research of the GMO issue.
The pro-GMO lobby pushes its own research that contradicts the conclusions of independent studies on GMO safety. The Hindustani Times remarked that “There are over 500 research publications by scientists of indisputable integrity, who have no conflict of interest, that establish harmful effects of GMO crops to human, animal and plant health, and on the environment and biodiversity.”
According to a meta-analysis carried out by researchers at Caen University in France, a GMO feed diet contributes to kidney and liver toxicity in rats.
A study published in the Turkish Journal of Biology in December 2014, associates GM corn and soy consumption with several health complications in rats including DNA damage, abnormal sperm, blood changes, and damage to liver, kidney and testes.
A study carried out by researchers at the University of Nebraska showed that an allergen commonly found in Brazil nuts that is used in the creation of GM soybeans, caused an allergic reaction in individuals who consumed soybeans.
Simply handling bioengineered cotton crops caused Indian farmers to develop a range of frightening symptoms, which included, according to one report “allergic reactions in various body parts which included hands, feet, face, eyes and nose, with some having fallen seriously ill.” Similarly, more than a decade of documentation shows that Argentinean agricultural workers who were exposed to glyphosate had developed medical conditions including skin rashes, infertility, cancer and respiratory issues.
The fruits, veggies and grains are in abundance to satisfy our hunger, but our body cells are starving for being deficient in essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fatty acids and amino acids that we require to maintain health. With the declining of nutrients in our foods, diseases started arresting us, and the business of medical profession flourished. While our body cells needed minerals, enzymes, and fatty acids the medical doctors fed us with dangerous drugs to create further complications. A normal human being, at the hands of a doctor, becomes a permanent patient, from whom healing is far away. There is a need to connect the link between the specific illness and the missing nutrients that cause it, but it is not given serious consideration because it is not in the interest of the professionals.
In his book, “The Power Nutrient Solution” Dr. Jason Calton points out, “If someone is deficient in B6, B9, C, D, E and calcium, he or she must be in the grip of high blood pressure. Constipation is often the result of not having consumed enough of vitamin B, C, E and magnesium.” He goes on to enumerate several conditions which are only the result of nutrient deficiency.
Power of Organic Produce
For about the last thirty years, with the increase of environmental awareness, some farmers abstained from using dangerous fertilizers in their harvesting to ensure that their produce were nutritious. When this produce came to the market, they were to be differentiated from those already being sold and were classified as organic. All others came to be known as conventional. So, in the present market if a vegetable, fruit or grain is not organic, it is conventional. The good news is that farmers are encouraged to opt for organic and organic produce is on the increase and there is an increasing consciousness as well that eating organic produce is “healthier.”
A skeptic may ask, however, do organic foods supply sufficient nutrients as well? This question is duly responded by a research published in 2014, in the British Journal of Nutrition that found meaningful differences between organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. The study examined more than 340 studies evaluating the nutritional differences between organic and conventional produce and discovered that organic fruits and vegetables supply between 19 and 69 percent more health improving antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids, than conventional fruits and vegetables. Before purchasing our produce, we are faced with three potential dangers: Pesticide residue, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and irradiation.
Pesticide residue is a big issue. According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), pesticides can cause health problems like birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that can appear later in life. The next are GMOs, that are very unsafe from the toxic point of view. They also pose serious health hazards including endocrine (hormone) disruption, DNA damage, birth defects, neurological disorders, and even cancer. Irradiation is a process of exposing food to radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses. But on the other hand, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, irradiation destroys vitamins, nutrients and essential fatty acids. He is corroborated by the Food Commission of Britain stating that the food irradiation can result is loss of nutrients. The best way to protect ourselves is simply to buy organic. Organic produce protects us from toxic pesticide residue, and it also gives assurance that our food is not genetically modified and has not wasted its nutrients because of irradiation which is the third pitfall we want to escape in purchasing produce. (Reference is made to The Power Nutrient Solution by Jason Calton, PhD).
Natural Healing
Gary Null, Ph D., Winner of more than 22 awards, and author of over 50 books unfolds his anti-aging techniques in his book, “The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing.” He says, “The more toxic we are, the faster we age.” He stresses the need to detoxify ourselves, that is, to clean ourselves up from the inside. Detoxification is the process of eliminating chemicals and built-up toxins from the body. Accumulated toxins spoil the body’s function and overall health. Normally, toxins are first processed by the liver. Then they are eliminated from the body through the bowels, lungs, and skin. Accumulated toxins may cause the liver to become overloaded and therefore, impair the elimination process. This can cause serious health problems and therefore aging. Dr. Null suggests juice fasting as the method of detoxification which can benefit people from a one-day or two-day fast of freshly squeezed juice, protein drinks, pure water, and herbal tea. He advises to drink about eight 10-ounce glasses of juice a day. Then coming off a fast, one should eat gradually and slowly. Dr. Null advises to begin an all-juice diet, alternating between carrot/apple, pineapple/sprout, tomato/lemon.
Sometimes, a person feels temporarily unwell when fasting. This is called a healing crisis, and usually occurs around the third day. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but rather a sign that the body is releasing toxins. After some time, the discomfort will disappear, and the system will be newly recharged. This experience would be great in the month of Ramadan.
For the anti-aging diet, Dr. Null points out that the foods we eat should keep us balanced – not too acid or alkaline. One way to keep our system stable is to place a pH strip in a urine sample each morning. The ideal result should read approximately 6.8. Downward deviation indicates too acidic and upward too alkaline. Acidic foods are especially harmful as they contribute to numerous diseases. Changing eating routine and eating lots of fruits and vegetables will support the body.
Nina Anderson, author of “Over Fifty, Looking Thirty”, stresses the importance of minerals and enzymes as two key health factors. Minerals are found in every part of our body. They are in our tissues, blood, and bones. They assist in hormone production, nerve transmission, as well as balancing our energy. Very little will work properly without them.
Even more important are enzymes, which are catalysts that stimulate all cellular processes, essentially making everything happen. Unless enzymes function properly, vitamins and minerals cannot do their job
Gayle K. Wood, in her book, “Eat and Heal”, extols garlic that plays big part in maintaining health. It combats cancer and protects us from heart disease. She points out that just one serving of garlic bread can do this and more. Crushed garlic produces a powerful penicillin-like compound called allicin. Alicin, in turn, breaks down to create several sulfur compounds plus a substance called ajoene. These compounds, which give garlic its distinctive smell, fight the bulk of the battle against heart disease. Garlic acts as an important antioxidant to protect us from damaging free radicals and is a good source of selenium, an important trace element.
In a book claimed to have uncommonly effective cures from the editors of Bottom Line, the “Uncommon Cures,” a wise advice appears. “Chew More, Eat Less, Live Longer.” We should chew more. A lot more. Most of us chew our food on average of only seven times before swallowing. If we chew each mouthful 20 or 30 times, our average calories in take could be cut from more than 3,000 calories per day to closer to 2,000 or 2,500. And we would feel full on less food, which means a lot less resultant weight and brighter prospects for longevity as well.
Power of Prayer and Diet Together
According to Gayle K. Wood, it is best to believe in the power of prayer to heal and prolong life in which even the medical experts are finding a place in their scientific research. Even science has been supporting what many people never doubted. Our faith can make us healthier and could even help us live longer.
And we do not have to be a devout mosque/church-goer to reap the benefits of prayer. One study on more than 4,000 people age 65 and older found that those who did not pray were 50 percent more likely to die during the six-year study than those who prayed just once a month or more.
An invocation taught by our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu Alayhi wassallam is great to ensure that nothing can harm, if one says it three times in the morning and evening: Bismillaahil-lathee laa yadhurru ma’asmihi shay’un fil-’ardhi wa laa fis-sammaa’i wa Huwas-samee’ul-’Aleem.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
(In the Name of Allah, Who with His Name nothing can cause harm in the earth nor in the heavens, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.) (Abu Dawud 4/323, At-Tirmithi 5/465, Ibn Majah 2/332… )
A very aged Bullochi zahid (95-year-old) in good health was asked by a curious person what the secret of his long life was. The zahid replied, “do not get ill.” The inquirer said that it was not in every body’s control to escape illness. The zahid said, “do not put, even the minutest thing or food morsel, or a single drop of liquid or water in your mouth without saying, bismillah-irrahmaan-irraheem. In so doing, God Almighty would become your protector and give you the insurance against diseases.” A friend of mine explained this to me. Allah knows best.
