Truth vs. Hype in the Barley Juice War

By Chet Day

Whoa, the world's greatest green drink salesman and Genesis 1:29 Diet promoter kicked the fire up about fifty notches in the Barley Juice War in his May 2003 newsletter when he attacked Andrew Foote, one of his most vocal former supporters, and did everything but slap Andrew in the face with a mackerel.

I mean, seriously, when I read the good Reverend's newsletter I couldn't believe a minister of the gospel was so viciously attacking the loyal follower he used to introduce with glowing praise, a huge smile, and a full- body hug to an auditorium full of fellow health ministers!

It looks like we're observing yet another ugly episode in the history of the Genesis 1:29 Diet Movement.

You see, this pastor - a consummate salesman who has earned millions selling processed barley powders that he promotes as the most important food I put in my body each day - wrote of Andrew Foote's comparison of BarleyLife and BarleyMax, the powders in question in the Barley Juice War:

… he [Foote] attempts to scare people by saying on his Website that the growing fields of BarleyMax are contaminated with radiation. The truth is, that the fields where BarleyMax is grown are among the most pristine and radiation free areas in the country. If Andrews's allegations were correct, the United States government would not allow the growth of food crops on this land.

Wait a minute, Rev.

Time for a reality check.

I think it's wonderfully patriotic (though also wholly incredulous) that this pastor who rails against the pharmaceutical industry and the government's support of it, believes the same politicians would never allow American foods to be grown on anything but pristine soils, but, alas, his BarleyMax product is grown in Utah.

Yes, Utah.

You know, the state that ranks second among all fifty states in the amount of toxic substances released into the air and under the ground. More details on this in a Utah Deseret News story that reports on findings of the Environmental Protection Agency, which you can read by clicking here.

I know my memory at age 55 isn't what it was thirty years ago, but I do vaguely recall the state of Utah being the ground zero and -- probably even more important for possible ground water contamination -- below-ground-zero testing area 40 years ago for approximately 1000 nuclear tests, tests that apparently occurred 150 miles away from where BarleyMax is grown.

Almost one-third of these tests (and nearly 100 of them were above ground explosions) were more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to government figures in another Deseret News article, which you can read by clicking here.

I mean, seriously, if approximately 1,000 nuclear bomb tests produce "the most pristine and radiation free areas in the country," I'll personally treat the entire Mormon Tabernacle Choir to a night at the opera!

For more details about the government's documented radioactive history of Utah, the nuclear wasteland of America where BarleyMax is grown, click here.

Radiation and nuclear testing aside, it was also painfully obvious in his newsletter of last week that some color photographs revealing the bacterial count of his product upset the Reverend. Click here to check out these disturbing images for yourself.

But don't worry about a little bacteria!

You see, the Rev's salaried, in-house researcher assured loyal Genesis 1:29 Dieters that

The beneficial bacteria are not killed, and there is no risk from the bacteria present in BarleyMax.

What a detailed and meaningful explanation! Can you believe such rigorous science comes from a researcher who has a PhD from Cornell University? I just wish this researcher would explain how his product's manufacturing process is sophisticated enough to kill potentially dangerous bacteria while leaving beneficial bacteria intact. And what beneficial bacteria is he talking about, anyway?

Alas, if you're like me and uncomfortable with overly simplified and "trust us" assurances given out by the same people who are profiting from selling the product whose bacterial count they're discounting, you must click here to examine the pictures and explanations.

After you read and think about both sides of the story, then you can decide who and what you want to believe about quality control, product purity, and bacterial counts in these competing green drink powders.

But let's put radioactivity and bacterial issues aside and move to something much more important.

I don't know about you, but I find it unconscionable that the Reverend and his research scientist are devoting so much time to hyping their green juice powder when they still haven't acknowledged or explained the fact that we now have two documented cases of babies that have been injured because their mothers followed the deficient Genesis 1:29 Diet.

For those of you who haven't yet seen it, click here to read the sad story of Andrew Foote's baby, who at almost two years of age still hasn't spoken a word.

Instead of hyping their privately-labeled green powder in comparison to their competitors' green powders, wouldn't you like to see the Reverend and his research scientist explain why two babies that we know of (at this point) have been neurologically damaged because their mothers followed the strict vegan Genesis 1:29 Diet while pregnant and nursing?

And, please, Reverend and researcher, don't insult the intelligence and faith of those who trust you with the usual facile, disingenuous, and wholly insufficient explanations like,

• "Oh, those mothers weren't taking a quality B12 supplement or they didn't take enough of it" or
• "Those mothers weren't following our diet correctly" or
• "Those mothers needed more Udo's oil."

Strict vegan and Genesis 1:29 Dieters deserve a detailed, scientific explanation as to why two innocent babies and their mothers have had their lives impacted so terribly by a diet that the Reverend, his assistant, and his research scientist continue to zealously promote as "God's Ideal Diet" not only for everyone on earth but also for expectant mothers, nursing mothers, babies, and children, an at-risk group who require whole, clean, unprocessed foods from both plant and animal kingdoms to get all the nutritional factors they need for health and proper development.

Let's hope the Reverend and his staff will spend more time on their knees seeking wisdom and courage to tell the truth about the diet they promote and less time on their feet preaching the superiority of their barley juice powder.

Click here for many more articles on the Genesis 1:29 Diet in particular and Biblical nutrition in general.