The media ran a story concerning red meat and cancer a
couple of days ago. The may point of concern was, red meat could be a major
contributor to cancer cases. The advice then, which I believe has to be branded
on butcheries and packaging material of the red meat, “excessive consumption of
red meat can lead to cancer.”
This scientific discovery is quite timely and of course
carries more weight than any other discovery. Yea, it offers solution to a
field where there is none. It also has a ring of truth. Statistics show that
cancer cases have been on the rise. A quick glance of the number of butcheries
in a certain hubbub answers all your questions.
History of meat
consumption
The thought of red meat being a murderer had me thinking, it
took me to the time of Abraham, a man who was known to roast meat, read lamb,
even when there was no reason to. This guy had an insatiable appetite for
lambs. Yet he died peacefully as predicted by God. I thought of my ancestors,
they too could eat this meat with relish and they lived to see the bad manners
of today hence creating the adage, today’s generation is spoilt.
Among the Agikuyu, lamb roasting was a notch higher, a man
of the house would select a lamb for fattening. He would put this lamb in his thingira
(a man’s house) where it will be fed, given water and tended like a lactating
woman. In short, he would make obesity out of the lamb.
When the occasion called, for example ordaining of men who
were fit enough to join the kiama (council of elders), these lambs will be
unleashed. The elders would then go to feast in the forest on these delicacies
for a number of days depending on the number of the new recruits who are
joining the kiama. Mark you this was an occasion of feasting and nothing else was
to be taken with the meat.
Let us assume we had 12 recruits, that brings our number of
fattened lambs to 12! Now that’s cancerous feasting! The men would come out of
hiding fattened with their bald heads, a good mirror!
What is this fuss
now?
It would then sound selfish for someone to tell me to avoid
red meat. It’s either that person is selfish or a vegetarian! The latter am
sure of it. Better come up with a better idea. All this fuss and terror should
be thrown out the window.
Avoiding red meat alone will have adverse effects, on the
economy and on the families of those who are employed in that sector. Now do
the calculations and stop that thought of rebuking the most eaten delicacy ! the Maasai know better.
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