Don't Have a Cow!: How to Thrive in a Post-Cow World

Description

143 pages
Contains Index
$17.95
ISBN 1-896182-63-1
DDC 641.5'636

Year

1996

Contributor

Reviewed by Arlene M. Gryfe

Arlene M. Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

Review

It humorous title notwithstanding, this book on vegetarianism is
(unfortunately) totally serious. The author’s main thesis is that by
relying entirely on plant-based foods, we can heal our lives and our
planet. Hence, all her recipes are free of meat, eggs, dairy products,
and refined sugar.

During a prolonged, painful, and undiagnosed illness, Rayne became
convinced that her body was loaded with “physical and emotional
toxins.” She turned away from conventional medicine and began a major
overhaul of her diet and lifestyle. According to Rayne, when we are
eating “less consciously,” our bodies react with cravings and low
energy; in contrast, we respond with steady energy when we eat with
“conscious awareness.” Moreover, foods have energy properties of
their own. Some, like whole grains, are “balanced” and burn slowly
and steadily, giving a consistent, calming energy. Others are
“expansive” (sugar, caffeine, potatoes) or “contractive” (salt,
cheese, meat), and our bodies are always striving to correct that
imbalance when we ingest them. The author counsels us on how to select
foods that will strengthen rather than stress us.

Rayne uses the fact that our muscles contain minute electrical
circuitry to argue that when food with “a vibration that does not
enhance ... our health is introduced to our energy field, our muscles
become stressed and our electrical circuits short out.” To test this
“vibrational compatibility,” we should hold the food in one hand
near the heart and extend the opposite arm (diagrams are provided). If
the arm drops from gentle pressure of the tester, the food is
undesirable. Instructions are also provided for self-testing, or playing
a pendulum over the test food; the “rate of spin [of the pendulum] is
an indication of how much vitality is in the food.”

The book continues in this vein. In addition to recipes and
unconventional advice, there are misleading statements about complete
and incomplete protein. Should this book not satisfy your curiosity,
there is a resource list indicating where you can obtain related books,
equipment, and information.

Citation

Rayne, Janeson., “Don't Have a Cow!: How to Thrive in a Post-Cow World,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed December 9, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/3919.