Empty Harvest. Understanding the Link Between Our Food Our Immunity and Our Planet.

by Bernard Jensen

Book by Jensen, Bernard

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Science, Food

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most profound things I learned this year was how nutrient-depleted our food supply is in the United States. It's not just the processed food that is obviously depleted of nutrients and then left with substances that just steal more nutrients from your body. No, it's also even the "whole foods" you buy at the grocery stores, too. Compare nutrient density of produce of the past and produce of today and you will see a shocking difference. It's no wonder that Americans eat MORE calories than they did before . . . their bodies are screaming out for the nutrients their bodies are so lacking; the nutrients their bodies need in order to function to preserve health in the ways they evolved to do. This is the root of our disease and dysfunction. This is the root of our obesity. This is why organic matters.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information in this book. It is a little bit daunting to face the reality of all of our earth’s pollutions and how it affects our health, but we need to be informed and find ways to detoxify and be proactive. I especially liked the chapters on soil, our immune system and what causes disease.

[Marilyn Robbins · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was written over 30 years ago and much of the information is out of date. Plus, the author advocates some radical ideas regarding personal health and use of medicines/drugs.

[Dree · Rating 2 out of 5]

p 12: "It [DDT] is found in the tissue of penguins in the North Pole."
p 14: "...or into the liver of a penguin in the North Pole."
p 131: "DDT has been found in the livers of penguins in the North Pole."
p 159: "...so they were not tempted to eat devitalized food: ...liquor (except a little homemade wine),..."

Really?

It is hard to take a book seriously when they say--three times--that penguins live in the North Pole. It is hard to take it seriously when they apparently don't know the long tradition of alcoholic beverages--from beer and wine to koumiss.

Though I firmly believe that the diet of chemicalized food does make us sick (influencing cancer, depression, diabetes--not that these did not exist before processed foods), I do not believe their theory that even a cold or flu is caused by "diseased tissue" being attacked by our own bodies. These guys claim that no virus or bacteria would want to attack us, or a plant, or an animal--that our bodies welcome them to help clear diseased tissues caused by something. That's weird. Why wouldn't a bacteria or virus "attack" us? Does a shark eat a fish, a cutworm a plant? That's just part of nature.

But I do believe that a poor diet and stress can make us more vulnerable to more common illnesses.

Also, though the authors go on and on about how more people die of cancer and heart disease than one hundred or 5 hundred years ago, they do no mention that people live longer. What did the elderly die of one or two hundred years ago? There are records in some places, it would be very interesting to see.

[Horus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the few books in my life that I have put down before finishing and likely the only I threw down. It started with a rather Victorian introduction, not surprising considering the age of the author; which in many ways was intended to justify his knowledge of the subject. Once into the meat of the book, I was saddened by the lack of citations or footnotes, but realized that this is more the flaw of this attempting to be a "popular" book rather than an academic treatise. However, I stopped reading initially when he told me that the toxins humans produce end up in Penguins in the *North Pole*! I sat for a minute and thought that it must have been a mistake not caught by editors, and slowly proceeded on. Within two pages he again asserted that Penguins live at the North Pole. It was at this point that I dropped the book.

Really? How does such excreable stuff get published? Free speech sure, but doesn't anyone check facts anymore? This was printed in 1990 in tha day where publishing houses still could afford editors and proofreaders who know their job. The rest of his facts become questionable in the light of his not knowing basic geography/ecology. Since his whole book is related to our health and relationship to the planet, anything he says cannot stand in the face of such a basic mistake. It is a sad waste of a tree.

[Breeana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skimmed through this book because I didn't have very much time to read it. But everything I read was very telling and interesting!

Knowledge is power. We need to know what we put into our bodies... and this book paints a pretty sad (but accurate) picture of the food we eat as Americans.

Jensen talks about the importance of soil, and what it takes to have good, healthy soil that food will grow from. Today, the soil that crops are grown on is so depleted that nothing will grow in it unless you force the growth with chemicals.

So the soil is chemically treated, our seeds are genetically modified, the plants are sprayed with harmful pesticides, and then sold nationwide.

Most foods available to us are completely void of nutrition at all because they are so genetically altered.

Why are we a sick, tired, and fat nation? Not just because of the fast food restaurants, but because none of our food is properly grown, cultivated, and harvested.

We're malnourished. Grow your own garden. Buy organic (even though organic standards are not very high). Eat Sunrider.

Treat your body (and your loved ones' bodies) with integrity.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every person with half a brain needs to read and understand the intense global message in these pages. Mark Anderson and Dr. Bernard Jensen are true messengers carrying a torch that too few people receive the healing light from. The broad topics range from the poor American diets that are causing chronic disease, commercial farming, soil and air contamination water toxicity, etc., and what we can do to make changes here and now. Sadly, this book is already 20 years old...and we are still facing the same issues in 2009. Please pick up a copy, read it and make a short list of what you will be changing today. We can make a difference in what we can control, and many of us can use the solutions in this book to do our part.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was written years ago, it is incredibly relevant. If only the decisions-makers in this country would have been required to read this a decade ago, perhaps we could have dodged a few genetically-modified corn bullets. A must read for anyone concerned with the environment and what's in their food. This book explains why organic agricultural practices have far-reaching ripple effects!!

[Dr NSCA-CPT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Must read if you are interested in health and nutrition. I highly recommend this book.

Makes excellent and intelligent points on the importance of healthy soil to grow healthy food. Describes some of the proven nutritional methods of Dr Royal Lee, the founder of Standard Process supplements.

I read this book a second time and liked it even more. Great book. Anyone that is interested in improving their health should read this book.

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1989. "understanding the link between our food, our immunity, and our planet." Includes the work of Royal Lee and Dr. Weston Price. The background and details of all that I have been learning with Dr. Schmidt. Very good. depressing. Wishing there could be a 2014 follow-up, talking about what positive changes there has been since then, and also the negative.