Gluten or no gluten?

Gluten or no gluten: that’s the question. As a boy, I played in the dirt. What kind of dirt? I don’t know what was in there. It was dirty dirt. I probably cut myself, ate dirt, and swallowed bugs too. There is a good chance I risked my life. One time we were jumping off sand cliffs. I suppose it was insane. One jump I landed on my head. I could have been killed several different ways in my childhood, yet here I am Gluten free.

            I did not know what gluten free means. What is organic? Years ago, two people convinced me that meat was bad for you. We were not meant to eat meat. They said the chemicals and fat in meat will kill you. They also said killing animals for meat was wrong. Hmm… What to do? For a year, I was a vegetarian. I liked it. I lost 70 pounds. Then I got sick. One day I noticed those two-people were taking b12 pills to supplement meat. Really? The insane part is b12 comes from animals and is made by chemical companies. I ate a big mac the same day.

            If you ask me to eat better I will try. If you ask me to change my ways to be healthier I will listen. I want the best me. Yet, I am not a pill guy. I want my immune system to work alone. I don’t really get sick too much. Taking supplement pills to avoid eating meat is nuts. If society falls, people are screwed because chemical companies make pills. They say it’s all natural. If you take away the ability to make pills then all you have is a bull, a carrot, and a farmer.

            Recently, I have noticed that there are signs everywhere telling us to eat right. We should eat organic, gluten free, and sugar free. Also, recently, I read a report that said diet drinks are not healthy for you. I am sighing here. I know that we are raising a soft generation. It seems every piece of food has warnings and restrictions. There is paranoid and paranoid. We are over analyzing and over thinking everything. This will be known as the fearful generation. The soft generation. Playing in the dirt is unsafe and not an option.

            What does God have to say about food? People love to yank on the Bible over Leviticus and the other history books of the Old Testament. They are boring and old. Yet, God said a lot about food. We did not seem to kill animals in the beginning. God provided lists of safe animals to eat. God might even have had a gluten free diet in Manna. However, Paul in the New Testament said drink wine for your health. Jesus said all food is good. Maybe the rule of KISS is all we need: keep it simple stupid.

            This generation thinks because we can make it that it’s safe. They believe that taking out harmful things in food like nuts and gluten will keep them healthy. Yes, I know people have allergies. Yet, as a kid that was rare. Why is it not rare now? I suppose all the toxins we have put in our food, water, and air might have changed us. So that made more people allergic to nuts? It made people need gluten free? I suspect in the end it’s the diet soft drink effect. Someone who owns a company will convince you to eat or drink their product because it’s safe. They will tell you that you need to avoid certain foods. An organic food company will be tops at the stock exchange. Then will come the reports that they were deceiving you. They made money off of you. Why? Because you did not keep it simple stupid.

            Surely, eating chocolate bars is bad? Surely drinking energy drinks is bad? Are these things worse than playing in the dirt? Are they worse than riding a bike without a helmet? When war comes, and it will. Can this generation stomach a fight? Will they rise up and be strong? Or, will they call on injustice, and expect an easier way. War has no easy way. These days our call for change and complaining has been reduced to social media. This society is soft. They expect to be takin care of. Life never works that way.

            I love apocalyptic shows like the Walking Dead. If all hell broke loose the first thing to go will be the soft. There will be no pills. There will be no gluten free. There will be no nut allergy alerts. People are so into bringing down the government. Somehow, they think that will be a good thing. Ask the Middle East if that is working. Ask Africa. Ask Russia. People thought it was hip to fight in the first world war. What they thought afterwards was a different matter. Just 20 years later a far worse world war happened. Do you really want to go down this road?

            During the second world war, some countries tried to play neutral. Some even took sides but refused to fight. We all ended up sucked into that war. Currently, the same discussion is happening surrounding terrorism. What does war and gluten have in common? It’s perception. We believe there are soft, fluffy, and nice ways to be safe. That abstaining from meat will create health. I know one of my vegetarian friends died of cancer. I know Poland is in a war with Russia involuntarily. Putting up warning and signs is teaching this generation to fear, to avoid, to substitute. When real life comes, and it will. Who will be strong enough to stand?

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