Day 140 - Tomatoes

“Tomatoes were first brought to Europe from Mexico by Cortez and were first cultivated for food in Naples. The English regarded them as poisonous until the 1700s. They were introduced in America as an ornamental garden plant in 1808, but were not eaten as they were believed to cause stomach cancer and appendicitis.

The botanical name for tomatoes ‘Lycopersicon’ means ‘wolf peach’ and refers to the association between werewolves, witchcraft and nightshades.

Then, in 1820, Colonel Robert Johnson defied the advice of his physicians (”You will foam and froth at the mouth and double over”) and ate tomatoes on the steps of Salem Courthouse, New Jersey, in front of a crowd of 2000 witnesses, the local sheriff waiting to arrest him for suicide. He survived and people began slowly to accept tomatoes as food.

In the US and Northern Europe they really took off as food with the introduction of canning and canned soups and then rose again with the expansion of consumption of pizza and pasta in the past 30 years.

However, the chemical and energetic qualities of tomatoes (and other nightshades) produce extreme, expansive effects which can expand and weaken the bones, joints, teeth, gums, and all body organs, especially for those who are sensitive and allergic to them.

In a study published in the Journal of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine, of the 5000 arthritis sufferers who eliminated Nightshade, seventy percent reported relief from aches, pains, and disfigurement.”*

*http://www.organicfoodee.com/inspiration/craig/nightshadefoods/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KWZ/is_5_4/ai_111734421/

Being half Italian, tomatoes are a requirement for most of my dishes. I have now had to exclude pasta al sugo from my diet and, very sadly, pizza.

I haven’t found it particularly difficult to give up nightshade foods for their taste per se, rather have been struggling with replacing my usual dishes with other equally tasty ones. I have, however, been introduced to a number of intriguing recipes and previously unexplored foods (such as sweet potatoes - see Day 136 - Potatoes).

Despite these minor complaints, I would do anything to make my headache go away, and if this involves simply giving up a few foods (which I have now discovered are very unhealthy anyway) then so be it.