8 ‘stations of the dining table’ to remember this Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines—For most hearty eaters, Holy Week is a heavy cross to bear. But think about it: Turning your back on the things you’ve been eating the rest of the year might be the one period in your life you might be doing some good to your body.

Here are eight reasons the Holy Week may purge not only the sins of the spirit, but also of the stomach:

1
Fasting is the fountain of youth. Sort of. Inquirer Health has had numerous interviews with doctors and nutrition experts, and the one common link between them has been their observation that those who fasted on a regular basis generally looked younger, and did, indeed live longer. Fasting seems to arrest the aging process, according to Dr. Omar Arabia, medical doctor and integrative medicine expert. Arabia, a vegetarian for more than 30 years, described that a fast would ideally last 24 hours, with the individual ingesting only juices (in a juice fast), water or coconut water, or, as with the more extreme “dry fast,” absolutely nothing at all. He then says that after the fasting period, “even the barest of food becomes yummy enough. And the mind and mental powers become so strong.”

Fasting, however, may not be advisable for everyone, especially for those with diabetes. Those planning to fast for the first time, to any extent, should seek medical supervision.

2
The heart feels young if it isn’t fatty. “We hurt our endothelium by eating fatty foods and animal products,” explains nutritionist-dietitian Blecenda M. Varona, DrPH, MPH, RND. The endothelium is a layer of flat cells lining the closed internal spaces of the body such as the inside of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels (that convey the lymph, a milky fluid) and the heart.

3
You’re a step ahead of chemical contaminants. Foods containing animal and dairy fat are particularly vulnerable to contamination (via carcinogenic pesticides and other industrial pollutants), as pointed out by earth scientist Jane Plant in her book “The No-Dairy Breast Cancer Prevention Program” and by toxicologist Samuel Epstein in “What’s In Your Milk?”; “The Breast Cancer Prevention Program”; “The Politics of Cancer” and the follow-up “The Politics of Cancer Revisited.”

4
Fiber from plant foods helps dilute, bind, inactivate and remove toxic substances and carcinogens in our food supply. Fiber helps prevent colon cancer, and may help against several other cancers as well, Dr. Neil Nedley, preventive medical expert and author of Proof Positive, stressed.

5
Abstaining from eating meat is actually pro-poor, anti-poverty. Food experts have observed that the meat-eating habits of the wealthy around the world support a world food system that diverts food resources from the hungry. About one-third of the world’s total grain harvest is fed to cattle and other livestock, while as many as a billion people suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition, according to Jeremy Rifkin in his book “Beyond Beef,” which quotes data from the United States Department of Agriculture and the World Bank.

6
Shunning the meat is also pro-environment. Environmental destruction and wastage have been documented to be caused primarily by livestock and slaughterhouses. The production system that generates our grain-fed meat diet not only wastes our resources but helps destroy them, cited Frances Moore Lappe in “Diet for a Small Planet.” Some facts that threaten our long-term food security include water costs, soil erosion, energy costs and import dependency.

7
Giving up animal-based food means showing mercy in the days of holy. You may not be aware of it, but every day there is that endless cycle of violence inflicted upon millions and millions of livestock and poultry. Spend just an hour in a slaughterhouse and witness for yourself, if you can bear it.

8
You are not alone. Believe it or not, numerous vegetarian restaurants have been sprouting around the Metro and even in far-flung provinces. You might even be pleasantly surprised with the great-tasting dishes, appetizers and desserts served, guilt-free, as you order them. Check any of the 78 listed Philippine vegetarian restaurants, fastfoods and stores at https://www.happycow.net/asia/philippines/.