Vegetables, the new meat.

     Interesting articles brought to my attention:    
 
     On Aug. 30, 2011 on Food Navigator there was an interesting article with good news.  Euromonitor International states that sales of meat have slowed considerably as the growing trend towards meat-free or meat-reduced diets impacts consumer markets.  They go on to state that low-meat diets are fast becoming commonplace in Europe and North American markets.  Euromonitor predicts a gradual increase in the population of vegetarians, semi-vegetarians, meat-reducers, and 'vegivores' set to consume more meat free foods than ever before.  It called vegetables the new meat.
 
 http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Meat-free-drive-is-impacting-consumer-markets-Euromonitor


     Also interesting was the August cover story in Newsweek Magazine which advises people to just say "NO" to excessive health-care testing and treatments.  "More health care often means worse health."  Dr Steven Nissen, a noted Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, says that we spend almost twice as much per capita on health care (as other developed countries) with no gain in health or longevity.  In a paper in Archives magazine, a panel of physicians announced its first list of tests and treatments that should be dropped altogether for certain patients and ailments:  antibiotics for sinus infections, imaging for low back pain, osteoporosis screening for women under age 65, EKGs and other cardiac screening for low risk patients.  For more info see:

 http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/14/some-medical-tests-procedures-do-more-harm-than-good.html


     I viewed the movie: "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" in which an Australian got tired of years of treatment for an auto-immune disorder and went on a physician-monitored 60 day vegetable/fruit juice fast followed by a permanent life-change to a plant-based healthy diet.  He lost weight and got off all of his meds, as did another man who joined him on this journey to health.  Their stories were fascinating.  He said, "When I scraped my knee as a kid I didn't have to do anything, as long as I got out the way.  It just got better."  I loved that comment.  Maybe we all need to just get out of our bodies' way.