4 Ways To Decrease Dependence On The Just-In-Time Food System

August 14, 2013 | By Anna Hunt

Anna Hunt, Staff Writer


Waking Times
Most Americans don’t realize that they are completely dependent on the ‘just-in-time’ food system that brings food from factories, industry farms, shipyards and the like, through a series of warehouses and distribution centers, to the local supermarket and grocery stores. If you’ve ever experienced extreme weather, long power outages or emergency conditions in your town, you know just how quickly the grocery store shelves can become empty. Some items, such as water, milk and bread can go as quickly as in 1-2 days. Since most stores have about 4 days of food supply on the shelves, in more catastrophic conditions, such as Hurricane Sandy, food shortages can become severe.

 “Many people are completely reliant on the delivery of foods to the grocery stores, and their subsequent ability to purchase that food and bring it home. Without a stockpile, if the just-in-time delivery system hits a snag, you and your family could be without food.  Furthermore, you are at the mercy of Big Food, and whatever toxic ingredients they can assemble the most inexpensively. A crisis situation is the time that you need good nutrition the most – the only way to be sure you are supplying premium fuel for your body is by storing it or producing it yourself.” – Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper

As a proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, I’ve had many chances to ask people why they are buying storable food. Yesterday, one of our customers, who was purchasing a six-month supply for his family, shared two very common concerns, although his case was slightly more extreme: 80% of the food sold in his state, Hawaii, is being shipped in. His first concern was that there is no reliable emergency plan on the part of the state nd local government should food deliveries be delayed or stopped all together due to a natural disaster or other emergency. Considering the ever-increasing cost of fuel, this customer was also worried about food prices continuing to rise.

Rising Food Prices

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that retail food prices will increase 3-4% in 2013, giving reasons such as increasing oil prices and the 2012 draught for the increase. In the 2 prior years, prices have risen a combined 5.3%. In 2008, when oil prices skyrocketed due to the financial crisis, retail food prices rose 5.5%. Since 2005 – so in less than 10 years – food prices have risen over 22%! (source)
This is happening while employment costs – made up primarily of wages and other compensation – are only increasing about 2% year-over-year since 2009, on average, down from an average of 3.5%-4% annual increases prior to 2008. (source) Statistics aside, most Americans are still eating rather well – or, more precisely, they have abundant access to ‘food.’ So abundant that they throw away almost 40% of their current food supply every year. (source)

The USDA reports that from 2001-2011, food costs accounted for slightly less than 10% of a household’s disposable income. The problem lies in the fact that major food companies have been working very hard to keep food prices low in the face of increasing costs. Unfortunately, this means lower-quality ingredients, increased use of hormones and food additives, the unethical treatment of animals, and other means of ever-increasing production, all of which results in our food being less-healthy, and even harmful.

Once you start buying healthier organic options, your food bill is likely to increase substantially. In comparison to USDA’s 10%, various online consumer polls put the current average share of food costs closer to 15-18% of household income. When you consider the rise in food prices, many of us might think that food delivery costs are the culprit, bearing in mind the increase in gasoline prices. Yet when looking at the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the entire food system, food transportation from producer to retailer is estimated to be only about 4% of the total (source), with production and processing accounting for a much larger 83% share. As energy prices increase, no matter how closely you are located to your favorite food producers, the prices of the food will nevertheless be impacted.

Taking Control of The Food System

 “Our food system has many flaws. We need more locally grown food. The current system is far too dependent on fossil fuels, is concentrated in too few seed varieties and a handful of corporations, is subsidized toward unhealthy and unwise products, and wastes prodigious quantities of water and nutrients.” Toby Hemenway, PatternLiteracy.com and author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Yes, there are many problems with our food system, and it may feel as though creating solutions to these problems is completely out of your control. You may not realize that you don’t have to be completely reliant on the just-in-time food system we’ve become accustomed to. You can have more control over your food supply. Here are some suggestions:

1. Prepare for Emergencies

If you do some research, you will quickly find out that most states have only a few resources in place to deal with food shortages in case of emergency. The USDA gives lots of resources about keeping food safe in emergency situations, and most states have programs in place to help low-income families that may experience food shortages on a day-to-day basis. But in an all-out disaster, as past events have shown, ‘the state’ can be unprepared, under-prepared, disorganized and limited in resources (it’s hard to forget the debacle following Hurricane Katrina).
Every home should have at least a 5 to 7-day stock of emergency foods, in case of adverse weather conditions, power outage, or even family illness or car breaking down. Similarly to having a well-stocked first-aid kit, knowing where you will get water and food needs to be part of your emergency plan. Emergency preparation classes may also be available in your community – or perhaps you want to organize one for your neighborhood. It is a great way collaborate with your neighbors…and perhaps before you know, you’ve organized a community garden.

2. Store Food

Storing food could mean that you learn how to preserve and can, so when in-season produce are inexpensive and plentiful, you learn how to conserve them for other parts of the year. This also means you learn how to stockpile your pantry, so you’ve got 2 to 3 months of regular staple foods available on hand. If you have some expendable cash, consider buying some foods in bulk… especially grains and other items that last. You could also purchase professionally-packaged storable foods with even longer shelf life.

3. Produce Food

For most of us, producing food means starting a garden. You could start by planting just a few veggies and herbs in pots to put throughout your home. If you have some yard space, you might consider setting up an aquaponics system or replacing the lawn in your front-yard with a nutritious food garden. There are many resources available on permaculture and other methods that make organic gardening accessible to everyone. You can take food production to another level, and, if your city ordinances allow it, raise a couple of chickens or another small farm animal to produce your own eggs and dairy.

4. Take Action

Perhaps you’re not one to stand on the front steps of your capital to protest Big Agra or Monsanto, but you can still take action in improving the food supply system. Stop yourself next time you’re headed to Super Wal-Mart or the large grocery store chain, and consider supporting your local food producers by going to farmers markets and buying from local co-ops. You can help local producers stay in business while regulators, supported by Big Agra, are doing what they can to make buying directly from local farmers illegal. Not only will this make a difference by putting money back directly into your community, you will also be supporting the same people who may be your only life-line during a longer-term food shortage. And frankly, you’ll be healthier for it.

About the Author

Anna Hunt is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in research and editorial writing. She and her husband run a preparedness e-store outlet at www.offgridoutpost.com, offering GMO-free storable food and emergency kits. Anna is also a certified Hatha yoga instructor at Atenas Yoga. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. Read more of her excellent articles here.

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9224240/Why-food-security-is-not-just-a-problem-for-the-Third-World.html
http://www.patternliteracy.com/419-fear-and-the-three-day-food-supply-3
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook.aspx#.UgujopK1Ea4 http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ http://www.wakingtimes.com/2013/06/07/where-are-the-food-shortages-when-we-waste-more-than-40-of-total-food-from-the-global-supply/ http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-expenditures.aspx

10 Signs You Have Candida Overgrowth and What to Do About It

August 16, 2013 | By WakingTimes

Dr. Amy Myers,

Waking Times
You might be wondering, “What on earth is Candida?” Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, a very small amount of which lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption but, when it is overproduced it breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems ranging from digestive issues to depression.

How do you get Candida overgrowth?

The healthy or ‘good’ bacteria in your gut typically keeps your Candida levels in check. However, the Candida population can get out of hand if a round of antibiotics kill too many of those friendly bacteria, you have a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast), high alcohol intake, are taking oral contraceptives or any number of other factors including a high-stress lifestyle. Even a diet high in beneficial fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles, can feed Candida causing an overgrowth.10 Common Candida Symptoms

1. Skin and nail fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, ringworm, and toenail fungus
2. Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
3. Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
4. Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis
5. Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog
6. Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
7. Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
8. Vaginal infections , urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
9. Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
10. Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings

How do you test for Candida overgrowth?

Blood Test

IgG, IgA, and IgM Candida Anti-bodies. These can be checked through most any lab. High levels of these antibodies indicate that an overgrowth of Candida is present. I find in my clinic that these can often be negative even when the stool or urine test is positive.

Stool Testing
I personally find this to be the most accurate test available. This will check for Candida in your colon or lower intestines. However, you need to make sure that your doctor orders a comprehensive stool test rather than the standard stool test. With the stool test, your stool is directly analyzed for levels of yeast. The lab can usually determine the species of yeast as well as which treatment will be effective.


Urine Organix Dysbiosis Test
This test detects D-Arabinitol a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth. An elevated test means an overgrowth of Candida. This test will determine if there is Candida in your upper gut or small intestines.

How do you treat Candida overgrowth?

Effectively treating Candida involves stopping the yeast overgrowth, restoring the friendly bacteria that usually keep them in check, and healing your gut so that Candida can no longer enter your bloodstream.
Getting rid of the Candida overgrowth primarily requires a change in diet to a low carbohydrate diet. Sugar is what feeds yeast, so eliminating sugar in all of its simple forms like candy, desserts, alcohol and flours. Reducing to only a few cups a day of the more complex carbohydrates such as grains, beans, fruit, bread, pasta, and potatoes will prevent the Candida from growing and eventually cause it to die. I would recommend eliminating all fermented foods as well.

Using diet alone could take three to six months before the Candida is back under control. Because of this I use an anti fungal medication such as Diflucan or Nyastatin for a month or longer with my patients. If you are self-treating you can take a supplement of caprylic acid. Caprylic Acid comes from coconut oil and basically ‘pokes holes’ in the yeast cell wall causing it to die. You may read that some people recommend herbs such as oil of oregano. Oil of oregano can be very effective however it can kill good bacteria as well so I don’t recommend it. The anti-fungal medications and caprylic acid are very specific to yeast and will not harm your good bacteria.

It’s a must to restore the healthy bacteria that typically keep your Candida population under control, you should take probiotics on a regular basis. Taking anywhere from 25-100 billion units of probiotics should help to reduce the Candida levels and restore your levels of good bacteria. Finally, healing your gut, by eliminating inflammatory foods that can harm your GI tract and introducing foods that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, will prevent Candida from working its way through your body, and will dramatically improve your overall health.


If you would like to find out for sure if you have Candida overgrowth, consider seeing a Functional Medicine Doctor who is trained in detecting and treating Candida.

7 Reasons Why Genetically Modified Foods Will Never Be Labeled

7 Reasons Why Genetically Modified Foods Will Never Be Labeled And Why It Won’t Matter In The Future

August 16, 2013 | By WakingTimes | Reply

Natasha Longo, Prevent Disease
Waking Times
There are many arguments in favor of mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO). However, corporate lobbyists have been very effective in preventing any GMO labeling legislation from being enacted into law. The public is in favor of the idea, but politicians are only on board until voting polls close after which point they revert back to the corporate ideology preventing people from ever knowing the truth about what’s in their food. In the west, the probability of such laws ever being passed are very unlikely. Hate to be a party pooper, but here are 7 reasons why GMO foods will never be labeled.

At least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling, but the food industry in the EU and US are two different beasts.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently requires labeling of GMO foods if the food has a significantly different nutritional property; if a new food includes an allergen that consumers would not expect to be present (e.g., a peanut protein in a soybean product); or if a food contains a toxicant beyond acceptable limits.

Even though it does exist, the generally accepted science of GMO foods does not clearly distinguish between its nutritional properties and those of non-GMO foods. Allergens are also known to be present in GMO foods, but this is largely ignored by the FDA. Also, now that the EPA has allowed Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide at levels 60 times above toxic exposure for canola, soy, sunflower, flax and peanuts, it’s a free pass to chemically spray most GMO foods beyond acceptable limits.

To government scientists, it’s all the same and they don’t see a difference, not because one doesn’t exist, but because they refuse to acknowledge it.

Monsanto writes “There is no need to test the safety of GM foods”. So long as the engineered protein is safe, foods from GM crops are substantially equivalent and they cannot pose any health risks.” The US Food and Drug Administration waived all levels of safety testing in 1996 before approving the commercialization of these crops. Nothing more than voluntary research is necessary, and the FDA does not even want to see the results. And there is certainly no need to publish any of it. If you remember 1996, the year that the first crops were commercialized, the research scientists of the US FDA all predicted that transgenic crops would have unpredictable hard to detect side effects, allergens, toxins, nutritional effects, new diseases.

Unless you are geographically located in a dozen or so countries in the world who have declared GMO (genetically modified organism) bans, then you’re likely eating GMO. It’s almost impossible to avoid all GMO foods, however educating yourself can make a big difference in the percentage of GMO foods you purchase as a consumer.

Although consumers have a right to know what’s in their food, especially concerning products for which health and environmental concerns have been raised, there are 7 reasons why they are unlikely to be be identified on any labeled food products:

1. Mandatory labeling would allow consumers to identify and steer clear of food products that cause them problems. This would cause a ripple effect on the entire food industry causing information campaigns on some of the largest and most successful brands in the world, effectively removing their popularity through incremental education.

2. For religious or ethical reasons, many people want to avoid eating animal products, including animal DNA. More GMO foods are now being engineered with insect DNA and more experiments are taking place with animal DNA. If consumers were more informed through labeling initiatives, it would cause a massive backlash on well known brands of processed foods by these groups. Transgenic animals and crops would also come under fire.

3. Labels on GMO foods would imply a warning about detrimental health effects, which would stir controversy among millions who strive daily to maintain or advance their levels of health and wellness through dietary strategies. There are significant differences between GMO and conventional foods in terms of side effects, allergens, toxins, nutritional effects, and new diseases. Although no nutritional or allergenic differences are acknowledged by the FDA, labeling foods as GMO would immediately place the decision making process back into the hands of the consumer by-passing the regulatory agency’s control.

4. Labeling of GMO foods to fulfill the desires of health conscious consumers would come at a consequence to all food manufacturers who use GMO ingredients. Experience with mandatory labeling in the European Union, Japan, and New Zealand has not resulted in consumer choice. Rather, retailers have eliminated GMO products from their shelves due to perceived consumer aversion to GMO products. Can you imagine what the effect would be in the US?

5. Consumers who want to buy non-GMO foods currently have an option to purchase certified organic foods, which by definition cannot be produced with GMO ingredients. Labeling GMO ingredients would also affect the entire organic foods industry now generating hundreds of millions in revenue. Many consumers would revert back to conventional foods if they learned they did not contain GMO ingredients. This would cause a loss in profits to some large food manufacturers who have organic divisions within their brands.

6. If GMO foods were segregated from non-GMO foods, the food system infrastructure (storage, processing, and transportation facilities) would need to change drastically in a short period of time to accommodate the need for this change. The cost of labeling involves far more than the paper and ink to print the actual label. Accurate labeling requires an extensive identity preservation system from farmer to elevator to grain processor to food manufacturer to retailer. Either testing or detailed record-keeping needs to be done at various steps along the food supply chain. It would be very chaotic and the expense would go down the tubes if the majority of consumers avoided foods labeled as containing GMO ingredients. It’s a process the food industry knows would be extremely painful if it were to ever materialize.

7. If anti-GMO activists won the fight to pass GMO labeling legislation, it would set a precedent to every other highly controversial health topic in the hands of regulatory agencies. What next? Public health agencies would then be at risk at losing their credibility on other hot topics of debate such as fluoride in drinking water or vaccination. If populations were to win one huge battle that would free them from being incrementally poisoned, all government policy would be then be scrutinized and consumer advocate groups would stop at nothing to ensure all toxic public health policy would be dumped. It’s a loss of control and that’s something the cartels of the world are not interested in.

What’s The Solution and What Does The Future Hold?
If you haven’t figured out yet that our governments are not our best health and safety advocates, you haven’t been paying attention. We need to take the control away from the government and put it back into the hands of the people.

Content-based verification requires testing foods for the physical presence of foreign DNA or protein. A current application of this type of procedure is the analysis and labeling of vitamin content of foods. Methods for detecting the presence of GMO components in crops and processed foods are being discussed all over the world.

As the number of transgenes in commercialized crops increases, the techniques for detecting an array of different transgenes are becoming more sophisticated and even portable.
In the not too distant future, consumers will be able to run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, GMOs, pesticides, food safety and more with their smartphones and other hand-held devices.
“Modern biological research is also allowing an extension of laboratory devices on to small computer chips to detect biological information within DNA sequences,” said biotech specialist Dr. Marek Banaszewski. “Bioinformatic algorithms within programs will aid the identification of transgenes, promoters, and other functional elements of DNA, making detection of genetically modified foods on-the-spot and real-time without transportation to a laboratory.”
In a paper published in the journal Lab on a Chip, the team demonstrated sensing of an immune system protein, but the slide could be primed for any type of biological molecule or cell type. The researchers are working to improve the manufacturing process for the iPhone cradle and are working on a cradle for Android phones as well. They hope to begin making the cradles available next year.
Other handheld devices currently in development are portable chemiluminescence detectors, but based on enzyme-catalyzed reactions emitting light. The detection devices for nucleic acids, biotin associated with the target DNA provides the handle for the chemiluminescent detection. The non-radioactive DNA detection chemistry will be able to readily identify single-copy genes in transgenic plants making them suitable for GMO detection.

About the Author

Natasha Longo has a master’s degree in nutrition and is a certified fitness and nutritional counselor. She has consulted on public health policy and procurement in Canada, Australia, Spain, Ireland, England and Germany.

Transformation – Our Deepest Purpose

August 14, 2013 | By WakingTimes 

Linda George, Contributor
Waking Times

What, if not transformation, is our deepest purpose? -Rainer Maria Rilke

One of the reasons we are here, perhaps the most meaningful reason, is to transform ourselves. But what does that really mean?

To transform is to change the shape or character of……. according to my dictionary. I love this definition because it fits so perfectly with my worldview, which, as an evolutionary astrologer, is centered on the evolution of character. This, in other words, is transformation. This is our deepest purpose. And it is a lifetime’s work.

The question then becomes, how do we go about this process of transformation? And it clearly is a process – taking the raw material of youthful and unformed character and, through the gradual acquisition of knowledge and experience over the passage of time – moulding and perfecting it. We are all involved in the work of integrating aspects of our characters and taking them to the higher ground. And boy, are we up against it there!

The world we have been born into seems designed to make things as challenging as it can for us.
We arrive here equipped for physical survival – which means we are hardwired to see the world around us as threatening. We are born into fear. This is not all bad, but it does mean we learn to live on our nerves. When you think about it, all the stresses we feel can be related back to one fear or another. Not only does ‘the system’ program us (through its insistence on consumerism and competition) to exist in a state of continual background fear and anxiety, but it is simultaneously bombarding us with assault after assault of pollutants – chemical and emotional. All of this undermines our health and wellbeing, on every level.

As we know, everything has a frequency. We have a frequency that evolved along with the frequency of our planet Earth. Our frequency is compatible with the Earth’s that means. Natural food, clean water and air – all have a frequency that is harmonious with our own. But as most of us reading this are well aware, this is a situation that is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain. Our food, our water and our air are all being contaminated with pollutants. The frequencies, or energy fields we are taking into our bodies, in the form of our food, water and the air we breathe, are disharmonious, chaotic, and disruptive. They disrupt our physical body, and our mental and emotional bodies, through altering our biochemistry. We are vulnerable, multi-dimensional beings, and we are now being assaulted on all levels of our being. This being human is becoming increasingly more challenging as ‘the system’ – controlled obviously by a force that does not have our best interests at heart, accelerates its unspeakable agenda.

Sourcing pure, organic food and clean, un-fluoridated (!) water can be a mission. (I travel 30 km to an artesian water spring, in order avoid fluoridated tap water – and I’m lucky I know to have this resource). It takes time to read labels in the supermarket – but we need to, now more than ever. In short, our health depends on our knowledge. We need to educate ourselves – and time is not on our side.

It isn’t only our food and water – if we live in an urban area, how can we avoid the electromagnetic smog that fills the airwaves? The frequencies being emitted by technology, cell phone towers, mobile phones, wifi, microwaves, x-rays, and heaven help us, smart meters (!) can be nigh on impossible to escape from. These frequencies are steadily undermining our cellular integrity – of that there is little doubt. It is hard not to despair.

And that is the biggest challenge. Overcoming our despair, our fear, our heartbreak – when we see the pain and insanity in the world, through taking back our power – is how we transform it.

In astrology, Pluto is the transformer. This planetary body is associated with not only transforming, and healing, but it is also about all things dark. It symbolises the shadow, that which is hidden – whether it be psychologically, or on another level, physically. Pluto’s domain is the invisible. This is relevant because as members of the human race, we all have Pluto somewhere in our psyche. If astrological terminology puts you off, replace the word Pluto with wound. We all have individual wounds to heal, and we all share in the collective wounds of humanity. At some point, the two merge into one – and it seems we are at that point. Society’s disease has become our disease.

If we are on a mission to transform and heal ourselves, then transforming our world is part and parcel of that. This ‘change in form’ is as much about changing the ‘state of the world’ – disintegrating as it appears to be around us, as it is about changing our inner world. When we change inwardly, the outer form changes too. Our integrity (wholeness) and the integrity of our world are at heart one and the same. Overcoming our despair then depends on us waking up, and helping each other to wake up. That is, we need to grow our awareness, our consciousness – to realize that we are all individual cells in the one body of humanity – a body that is looking pretty sick right now. But we each have the power to change that. The cells in the human body work together for the good of a whole – the rogue cancer cell, an example of the exception. This is what we must do as individual cells in the body called humanity. It is imperative that we see the bigger picture and realize that the healing of our society and our planet must come from our cooperation. This is what happens in the body – 50 trillion cells cooperate to maintain the healthy functioning of the system. As we heal our individual wounds and become whole in body and mind, the world around us will be healed. It is our apathy, our ignorance and the firewalls of our beliefs that must be transformed. There is no power in maintaining the status quo. The only power is in healing and transformation.

Here then are some humbly offered suggestions, to help your transformation……And all power to you!

- Inform yourself. Read as widely as you can on the subject of natural heath and healing, (The time for trusting your health to outside authorities has long past), and what is happening in the world (you can’t trust the mainstream media to tell you the truth on anything of importance).

- Share information. Keep talking and sharing your experiences and discoveries re the above, with others. Sign petitions. Write letters to editors and emails to TV stations.

- Take care of your health by not vaccinating your children or yourself, drinking fluoridated water, eating GMO containing foods, eating processed foods, talking too long on cell phones, living in a continuous wi-fi environment, using microwaves and smart metres, living close to cell phone towers, over-using pharmaceuticals or other drugs.

- Clear your emotional body. Learn techniques, such as breath and body work to release heavy, low vibratory emotions from your system. Live as much as possible in the NOW.

- Move your body. Do physical exercise on a regular basis – even if it is just walking, or gardening. Particularly if it is walking or gardening. Take up yoga.

- Make time to just be. Each day take some time to meditate or just sit and let your thoughts be still. Be in nature for your ‘just be’ time, whenever you can. This resets your internal clock to timelessness – the opposite state to that in which we normally live.

- Connect with animals and nature. And realize the life-force in all things. Minimise consumption of animals and animal products.

- Look within. Consider having your evolutionary astrology chart done, or other technique that connects you with your own psyche and the energies you are working with in this life. Knowledge is power. Power is transformation.

- Drink green juices. Blend organic fruits and greens and drink often.

- Do what you love. You are utterly unique and that is enough. Whatever you love doing is what you are here to do. Create. Express yourself – and most of all ENJOY your days. You never know when they will be up.

About the Author

Linda George is a writer, yogi, and evolutionary astrologer living in New Zealand. She has been deeply involved in astrology, alternative health, spirituality and metaphysics for 35 years. Author of two books on consciousness and astrology – both finalists in the Ashton Wylie Mind/Body/Spirit book awards, she is committed to joining with others in ‘spreading the word’ in these waking times. Please join us. Her blog iswww.acosmicride.wordpress.com

10 Facts About Fluoride You Need to Know

April 30, 2013 | 53,686 views

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

If fluoride is really the panacea for dental disease that it’s been portrayed as, then why is it that the United States is one of the only developed countries that fluoridates their citizens’ drinking water?

Hint: It’s not because the other countries aren’t aware of fluoride’s supposed “miracle” powers for your teeth … it’s because they fully realize that adding a known poison to your population’s water supply is probably not a good idea.

Even in North America, water fluoridation has come under increasing scrutiny; since 2010, more than 75 US and Canadian communities have voted to end water fluoridation, and the issue is heating up as more and more people begin to demand water that does not expose them to this highly toxic industrial waste product.

If you’re new to this issue, and even if you’re not, please take 20 minutes to watch Michael Connett, an attorney with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), summarize 10 important facts about fluoride that everyone needs to know.¹

10 Facts About Fluoride

1. Most Developed Countries Do Not Fluoridate Their Water

More people drink fluoridated water in the US alone than in the rest of the world combined. In Western Europe, for instance, 97 percent of the population drinks non-fluoridated water.

2. Fluoridated Countries Do Not Have Less Tooth Decay Than Non-Fluoridated Countries

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no discernible difference in tooth decay between developed countries that fluoridate their water and those that do not. The decline in tooth decay the US has experienced over the last 60 years, which is often attributed to fluoridated water, has likewise occurred in all developed countries (most of which do not fluoridate their water).

3. Fluoride Affects Many Tissues in Your Body Besides Your Teeth

Many assume that consuming fluoride is only an issue that involves your dental health. But according to a 500-page scientific review, fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can affect your bones, brain, thyroid gland, pineal gland and even your blood sugar levels.²

There have been over 34 human studies and 100 animal studies linking fluoride to brain damage,³ including lower IQ in children, and studies have shown that fluoride toxicity can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including:

Increased lead absorption	Disrupts synthesis of collagen	Hyperactivity and/or lethargy	Muscle disorders
Thyroid disease	Arthritis	Dementia	Bone fractures
Lowered thyroid function	Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)	Inactivates 62 enzymes and inhibits more than 100	Inhibited formation of antibodies
Genetic damage and cell death	Increased tumor and cancer rate	Disrupted immune system	Damaged sperm and increased infertility

4. Fluoridation is Not a “Natural” Process

Fluoride is naturally occurring in some areas, leading to high levels in certain water supplies “naturally.” Fluoridation advocates often use this to support its safety, however naturally occurring substances are not automatically safe (think of arsenic, for instance).

Further, the fluoride added to most water supplies is not the naturally occurring variety but rather fluorosilicic acid, which is captured in air pollution control devices of the phosphate fertilizer industry. As FAN reported:

“This captured fluoride acid is the most contaminated chemical added to public water supplies, and may impose additional risks to those presented by natural fluorides. These risks include a possible cancer hazard from the acid’s elevated arsenic content, and a possible neurotoxic hazard from the acid’s ability--under some conditions--to increase the erosion of lead from old pipes.”

5. 40% of American Teenagers Show Visible Signs of Fluoride Overexposure

About 40 percent of American teens have dental fluorosis,⁴ a condition that refers to changes in the appearance of tooth enamel that are caused by long-term ingestion of fluoride during the time teeth are forming. In some areas, fluorosis rates are as high as 70-80 percent, with some children suffering from advanced forms.
It’s likely this is a sign that children are receiving large amounts of fluoride from multiple sources, including not only drinking water but also fluoride toothpaste, processed beverages/foods, fluoride pesticides, tea, non-stick pans and some fluorinated drugs. So not only do we need to address the issue of water fluoridation, but how this exposure is magnified by other sources of fluoride that are now common.
It's also important to realize that dental fluorosis is NOT "just cosmetic." It can also be an indication that the rest of your body, such as your bones and internal organs, including your brain, have been overexposed to fluoride as well. In other words, if fluoride is having a visually detrimental effect on the surface of your teeth, you can be virtually guaranteed that it's also damaging other parts of your body, such as your bones.

6. For Infants, Fluoridated Water Provides No Benefits, Only Risks

Infants who consume formula made with fluoridated tap water may consume up to 1,200 micrograms of fluoride, or about 100 times more than the recommended amounts. Such “spikes” of fluoride exposure during infancy provide no known advantage to teeth, but they do have plenty of known harmful effects.
Babies given fluoridated water in their formula are not only more likely to develop dental fluorosis, but may also have reduced IQ scores. In fact, a Harvard University meta-analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded that children who live in areas with highly fluoridated water have "significantly lower" IQ scores than those who live in low fluoride areas.⁵ A number of prominent dental researchers now advise that parents should not add fluoridated water to baby formula.

7. Fluoride Supplements Have Never Been Approved by the FDA

The fluoride supplements sometimes prescribed to those who are not drinking fluoridated water have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of tooth decay. In fact, the fluoride supplements that the FDA has reviewed have been rejected.

“So with fluoridation, we are adding to the water a prescription-strength dose of a drug that has never been approved by the FDA,” FAN noted.

8. Fluoride is the Only Medicine Added to Public Water

Fluoride is added to drinking water to prevent a disease (tooth decay), and as such becomes a medicine by FDA definition. While proponents claim this is no different than adding vitamin D to milk, fluoride is not an essential nutrient. Many European nations have rejected fluoride for the very reason that delivering medication via the water supply would be inappropriate. Water fluoridation is a form of mass medication that denies you the right to informed consent.

9. Swallowing Fluoride Provides Little Benefit to Teeth

It is now widely recognized that fluoride’s only justifiable benefit comes from topical contact with teeth, which even the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged. Adding it to water and pills, which are swallowed, offers little, if any, benefit to your teeth.

10. Disadvantaged Communities are the Most Disadvantaged by Fluoride

Fluoride toxicity is exacerbated by conditions that occur much more frequently in low-income areas. This includes:

• Nutrient deficiencies
• Infant formula consumption
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes

African American and Mexican American children have significantly higher rates of dental fluorosis, and many low-income urban communities also have severe oral health crises, despite decades of water fluoridation. FAN continues:

“The simple fact is that poor populations need dental care, not fluoridation chemicals in their water. The millions of dollars spent each year promoting fluoridation would be better spent advocating for policies that provide real dental care: like allowing dental therapists to provide affordable care to populations with little access to dentists. In short, fluoridation provides good PR for dental trade associations, but bad medicine for those it’s supposedly meant to serve.”

Pro-Fluoride Group Rewards Minority and Immigrant Groups With Cash Payments for Support

Portland, Oregon, gets its water from the Bull Run watershed, a 102-square mile protected watershed that is so pristine and pure the city was even granted a waiver from having to build a water treatment plant. In May, Portland residents will vote for or against adding risky fluoridation chemicals to their unusually pristine water supply.
Not only will adding fluoride add to environmental chemical pollution and increase residents’ risks of dental fluorosis and other health concerns, it will also raise monthly water bills since adding these industrial waste chemicals costs millions of dollars.
As the vote on May 21, 2013 nears, the pro-fluoride campaign, Healthy Kids, Healthy Portland, has been increasing its “outreach” to gain the votes of minority groups. Not only did the organization recently gain another $325,000 in new contributions, giving them a large monetary lead over the fluoride opponents, Clean Water Portland, but they also reported some eyebrow-raising expenditures to groups working with minorities and immigrants. Among them:

• $20,000 to the Center For Intercultural Organizing
• $20,000 to the Native American Youth and Family Center
• $20,000 to the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon
• $20,000 to the Latino Network
• $20,000 to the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization
• $19,100 to the Urban League

That’s nearly $100,000 “donated” to essentially buy votes from the low-income communities that are among those at risk of being most harmed by water fluoridation. As WW reported:⁶

“ … Healthy Kids has aggressively sought the support of such organizations. That's not unusual. What is somewhat uncommon is rewarding that support with cash payments, which the campaign characterized in its filings as 'grant[s] for outreach services.' Campaigns typically spend their money on advertising, consultants, polling, rent and other direct expenses, not making grants to other groups. Evyn Mitchell, the campaign manager for Healthy Kids, says the grants to minority and immigrant groups are 'a new and different approach.'”

Sacred herb turmeric may make at least 14 pharmaceutical drugs utterly obsolete

Thursday, August 15, 2013 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: turmeric, curcumin, drug alternatives

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041642_turmeric_curcumin_drug_alternatives.html#ixzz2c36sFTCk
(NaturalNews) You may have already heard about the many amazing healing properties of the spice turmeric, which is also sometimes referred to as curcumin. But did you know that literally thousands of published, peer-reviewed studies conducted and compiled over the years lend credence to the notion that turmeric works the same as, or even better than, at least 14 pharmaceutical drugs currently on the market?

It is true, and thanks to the diligent work of GreenMedInfo.com's Sayer Ji in compiling this valuable information, it is now available publicly for the benefit of your and your family's health. Many of the most commonly prevalent chronic illnesses, it turns out, can be prevented, treated, and even cured using turmeric, so you will want to pay attention. Here are seven drugs and classes of drugs that science shows can be effectively replaced with turmeric:

1) Statin drugs for cholesterol. Popular cholesterol drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) and Crestor (rosuvastatin) are completely unnecessary when taking standardized doses of curcuminoids extracted from turmeric, according to a 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D. Researchers found that in patients with endothelial dysfunction, the underlying blood vessel pathology that leads to atherosclerosis, turmeric extract worked at least as good as the drugs at reducing inflammation and relieving oxidative stress in type 2 diabetics.

2) Corticosteroid drugs. Millions of people receive steroid injections every year to treat the inflammation associated with conditions like arthritis and even cancer. But a 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that turmeric's primary antioxidant, curcumin, works just as well as steroid medications in the treatment of inflammatory eye disease. Several studies released in the years following found similar benefits for other inflammatory diseases commonly treated with steroids.

3) Antidepressants. Besides their copious side effects, antidepressant drugs like Prozac (fluoxetine) and Paxil (paroxetine) are extremely risky, as they can actually make depression symptoms worse for some people. But why even bother to use them when turmeric has been shown to effectively reduce depressive behavior the same or even better than these dangerous drugs?

4) Blood thinners. People at high risk of heart attack or stroke, or who require blood-thinning drugs to avoid these and other cardiovascular events, may simply be able to take turmeric instead. This suggestion is based on a 1986 study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung, which found that curcumin has similar anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects as aspirin, the blood-thinning drug of choice for many conventional doctors.

5) Anti-inflammatory drugs. Aspirin is also commonly prescribed for other inflammatory conditions, as is ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and a number of other pain pills. But these may be unnecessary as turmeric was shown in a 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene to exert similar anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity, particularly against cancer cells, as these drugs.

6) Chemotherapy drugs. The cancer industry would have us all believe that chemotherapy drugs are one of the few methods we have at our disposal to treat cancer. But a 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin works just as well as oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) at treating colorectal cancer.

7) Diabetes drugs. Not only is turmeric a viable contender in treating diabetes, a 2009 study published in the journal Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Community found that it works up to 100,000 times better than the popular diabetes drug Metformin at increasing glucose uptake. Turmeric also helps suppress glucose production in the liver at least as well as the most popular diabetes drugs on the market today.

Beyond this, turmeric is a powerful cancer-fighting herb as well, which Ji expounds upon further in his turmeric review. Be sure to check it out at:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com

Sources for this article include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/040330_turmeric_heart_health_curcumin.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-Benefits-of-Turmeric.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041642_turmeric_curcumin_drug_alternatives.html#ixzz2c36jrtSF

The Dangers of Fluoride-Based Antibiotics, Plus Natural Solutions

May 6, 2013 | By WakingTimes | 1 Reply

Paul Fassa, Natural SocietyWaking Times

My wife has recently recovered (slowly) from an unusual infection of her right lung, for which she had to be hospitalized with enforced IV antibiotics and even more after her release. We looked into antibiotic dangers and after effects because she was experiencing mild neuropathy symptoms, insomnia and unusual sensations and pains.

Fluoride-Based Antibiotics Everyone Should Avoid

Most natural health advocates know that antibiotics deplete friendly probiotic bacteria, thus requiring some heavy probiotic intake after antibiotics. But there is a silent mini-epidemic among several people now who have experienced very severe consequences from a particular type of antibiotic that is too frequently prescribed for even minor infections.

Some of those fluoroquinolone antibiotics are: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Levaquin, Avelox, and Tequin. An initial video report, including YouTube reports from victims and a PBS News Hour report on this issue was posted on Health Maven: Escape from the Medical Mafia Matrix, linked here. These drugs contain fluoride as a central part of the drug. A known toxic substance, fluoride reduces your IQ, is carcinogenic, and has been tied to numerous other health issues.

Much like the silent Lyme’s Disease epidemic, fluoroquinole victims have been abandoned by mainstream medicine, which prefers to act as though nothing ever happened and continues to manufacture and prescribe these antibiotics for minor infections.

So these victims have been forced to go it alone via forums on the internet. The adverse effects from these antibiotics are often as severely neurological as the adverse effects of Gardasil and other vaccinations, with one exception: death. Apparently, no one has died directly from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, but a few have committed suicide to escape the extreme pain and paralysis. One group of victims probably has the largest site for publicizing fluoroquinolone issues, advice, and case histories. It was taken down once for daring to endanger Big Pharma’s money makers, and it’s up again. But the forum itself is closed to outsiders now. It’s called Surviving Cipro. There may still be other forums, but probably none as informative and comprehensive. Here is the first part of the video report mentioned earlier:

A Hub of Hope

The Surviving Cipro site, hyper-linked earlier, contains a plethora of advice for avoiding and treating adverse effects from fluoroquinolone based antibiotics and general anesthetics. If you are undergo an operation, make sure you get to see the labeling on whatever they use for an anesthetic. After enough blow back from the public and the one time national TV report, the FDA finally forced a “black box” warning on fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Black box warnings are meant for physicians’ eyes, which are not always open!

By the way, fluoroquinolone adverse event sufferers call themselves floxxies who’ve been floxed by a fluoroquinolone antibiotic or anesthetic on forums. The word flox is taken from Ciprofloxacin.

Some Natural Treatment Possibilities

Almost all mainstream medical practitioners will tell you or a loved one who’s been floxed that it’s all in his or her head. Don’t bother unless you are fortunate enough to know a holistic or integrative physician who understands neurological issues and knows of the fluorquinolone crisis.

• Otherwise seek alternative therapies and avoid processed foods. Go organic whole grains, fruits and vegetables and cold pressed vegetable (not canola) oil. Veggie and fruit juicing with a slow speed masticating juicer is also recommended.

• It is also helpful to increase omega-3 intake for the nervous system. Ground flax seeds or chia seeds (not ground) are high omega-3 sources and so are fish and krill oils, which are the best options for people suffering from debilitating issues. Daily consumption of strong high quality probiotics are essential for recovering from any period of antibiotic use.

• An antioxidant found in every cell of the body, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) has been clinically tested with positive results in Israel and Russia on neuropathy sufferers. Neuropathy is the crux of fluoroquinolone sufferers or floxxies. Many consider R-alpha lipoic acid superior to standard ALA supplements.

• Vitamin B complex along with ALA is often used as well. Vitamin B12 needs to be added separately by injection or patch or sublingual (under the tongue). B12 supplements have a hard time traveling through the stomach. Only use the methylcobalamin type of B12 supplements.

• CoQ10, especially as ubiquinol, magnesium chloride, and magnesium citrate are beneficial in assisting almost any treatment. A few of the “floxed” victims have had results from properly administered food grade H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) or ozone treatments.

Since neuropathy is an inflammation of nerve tissue, properly consuming and cooking with turmeric or curcumin can also be quite beneficial. Be wary of pharmaceuticals. Big Pharma doesn’t care about you. It cares only about big profits.

5 Reasons Why More Americans Don’t Protest Against The System

July 17, 2013 | By WakingTimes | 58 Replies

Sigmund Fraud, Staff Writer
Waking Times

Having recently celebrated their nation’s independence on July 4th, Americans were invited to recall the spirit of protest, rebellion, and revolution that marks the popular myth of the birth of the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence still stands as an important example of how the tolerance of any man can be exceeded by the actions of an over-bearing and intrusive government. Yet, 237 years after the signing of this document, one has to wonder what has happened to the spirit of fearlessness and rugged self-determination that set the American experiment in motion.

As a form of redress of grievances by a people to it’s leadership, protest is as much of a historical part of democracy as voting is. A near-last resort when the populous is bereft of political power, publicly voicing dissent in an organized, peaceful, and constructive manner is a critical and vital sign of life for a society that wishes to be free. Yet, when a ruling elite and political class become too intrusive, parasitic or too dangerous to the population, protest is often a precursor to violence, therefore the outcome of rebellion and protest is never certain and often disastrous. However, the fate of a people without the will to resist the suffrages of an encroaching tyranny is just as foreboding.

While giving credit to the Occupy movement, those who engage in protest at global summits and party conventions, growing national actions like the Tar Sands Blockade and Idle No More, and growing localized activist movements, the nation has no formidable popular mass-movement for dissent. Apparently the American people have little interest in expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of leadership we have in America today.

Why are the American people so permissive of government abuse, intrusion, waste, corruption, cruelty, and stupidity?

Here are 5 reasons reasons why more Americans don’t protest.

1. Protest is Unwelcome in the Matrix

The matrix cannot function properly when people are in the streets speaking truth to power, therefore, protest is an unwanted inconvenience for the economy, the media and the government.

For this, the government is engaged in squashing domestic protest and the media makes every effort to marginalize and ignore popular dissent. Increasingly, protest and civil disobedience are also being viewed as security threats to be met with near-military force. ‘First amendment zones,’ event permits, and laws that equate protest with terrorism all assist in dissuading Americans from participating, while tricks like agent provocateurs, police intimidation, arrest and assault are used to shut protest events down.

The modern American protestor faces regulations, intimidation and physical threats from military crowd control technologies like flash-bang grenades, the LRAD acoustic weapon, pepper sprays, surveillance of all modern types, and even the prospect of microwave pain ray technologies.

All of this already makes protest and dissent seem rather unpalatable to the average American, but, the media further demonizes protest by highlighting and focusing in on any violence that may occur, while downplaying the peaceful moments where intelligent people come together to articulate valid grievances with an out of control system.

The media tarnishes the image of any protest movement to take advantage of the fact that most people are natural followers, not natural leaders, and that most people are watching the protest in relative isolation at home, separated from friends and neighbors. Creating the perception that protests are dangerous events involving un-American, un-patriotic and irresponsible people who are likely to get hurt, helps to prevent popular support on any single issue from reaching critical mass by convincing the average person that it is too complicated and too risky to get involved.

2. Conflict Consciousness – Divided We Fall

Are you a liberal or conservative? Democrat or Republican? Are you on this team, or that team?

It doesn’t matter at all really, but, we’ve been brainwashed into dividing ourselves into an inescapable prison of bi-polarized pigeon-holes.

We blame our neighbors, friends and families for the mismanagement in the world. We blame those different than us, those in different countries, those with different color skin. We trust in authority, those with matching uniform shirts and batman belts, while we distrust and fight amongst each other. We have become culturally programmed to argue, compete, fight, and win for no real purpose. Winning, and being on the winning team has become more valuable than learning, gaining wisdom or uniting.

In this climate, with a social atmosphere so rigidly divided and so pointlessly competitive, any energy for consensus and widespread concerted action is sapped in inter-personal and tribal-like conflict. We are missing great opportunities for compromise, reciprocity, healing and growth. The consciousness of conflict ensures our self-destruction.

3. Higher Priorities… Work and Play

The American Dream of personal freedom and the opportunity for prosperity as a reward for hard work has been transformed in recent decades, influenced by an ongoing sales pitch about what life should be like for the average person. Convenience, ease, comfort, entertainment, excess, escape, work, money, debt. These are the values most available today.

Americans are working harder than ever, if they’re working at all. The economy is in terrible shape and in decline, and the American lifestyle has become so heavily invested in consumerism and debt that the average person is too dependent on continuity of income to risk even a single paycheck. Protesting is at the bottom of the list of things to do on vacation day.

Outside of work, life for most people has become a screen. Television, movies, the internet, work, handheld devices, iPads, Kindle, whatever. A new version of reality has emerged in the delivery of media and the sophistication of entertainment. Our priorities have evolved to put entertainment and escapism at the top of the list, and increasingly less value on honest government, human rights and justice.

Life is also still very good in America for most in the middle class. Food is easy to come by, credit still widely available. Charity, welfare and government assistance in some form are available to most if sought.Drone strikes and IED‘s are not yet to be seen in the homeland.

Commitment to protest and social change requires personal sacrifice. In our social atmosphere of extreme busyness and dumbed-down priorities, participation in social causes is now too risky, too inconvenient, and insufficiently fun. Our natural and historical energies for rebellion and protest are effectively expired in the office, at the bar, or at the movies, or projected onto a character on a screen.

Life has become a hamster wheel of superfluous labor and deliberate distraction.

4. Mindset of Fear, Apathy, and Resignation

Mindset is everything in our quantum-world, and our emotional under current governs how we relate to and participate in the world. Regarding politics, participatory democracy, and protest, the typical American mindset generally falls into one of three categories:

Fear - We are heavily propagandized to approach life from fear-centered consciousness. Life is to be viewed as a threat. America has already become a police state, and is heavily invested in the combination of fear and security. To the average person, the prospect of facing militarized police and possibly being beaten, gassed, dispersed, arrested and perhaps even criminally charged for voicing dissent is certainly an adequate deterrent.

Brutal, violent oppression of dissent works famously well to stop a protest, and for this, people logically fear getting involved.

Apathy - Apathy is another symptom of our cultural decline, and a mindset that keeps most people from participating in civics or protest. Apathy is a nearly-conscious choice to remain ignorant and distracted about something while pursuing the path of least resistance. Apathy seems to be the number one byproduct of our culture of convenience. People don’t care about the quality of our world enough to become involved.

Resignation - Many Americans understand all too well what is happening to constitutional and lawful government and realize that until a much more massive awakening occurs and far more people take interest, there is little to be gained from protesting. This resignation has led many to focus instead on preparing for the worst, including for scenarios like economic collapse and social unrest. Storing food and developing emergency plans is now seen by many as a more productive use of energy than attempting to influence acorrupt political system by participating in politics or protest.

While there are signs that Americans may be slowly waking from the dream-like state that is preventing any unified form of mass protest, it appears that for now, the formerly American qualities of courage, independence and self-determination have been replaced with fear, apathy, and resignation.

5. People Approve of the Status Quo

Americans, by and large, are still happy to enjoy the lifestyle that the status quo delivers, even if it means further forfeitures of privacy and essential human rights. Additionally, the lack of public opposition in mass is also a de facto approval of the political and economic status quo.

‘It is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission,’ goes the saying, and by not objecting to any scandal or violation, no matter how offensive, the majority of America consents to being governed by this domineering logic.

Whether actively or passively, the majority of America supports any and all actions by our government and the corporate status quo.

Conclusion

America is a wonderful place with a vast and breath-taking landscape and a rich culture of ingenuity and creativity. Americans are interesting and generous people. It is difficult to grasp the contradiction between the beautiful and comfortable aspects of American life and the troublesome developments emerging from our leadership. It not easy to understand the gap between the values extolled in still celebratedDeclaration of Independence and the lack of public will to hold the government accountable to even the simple Bill of Rights.

Why don’t more Americans protest things like government spying, endless wars, the fraudulent banking system, the growing police state, the destruction of the environment, genetically modified foods, the assault on natural health, or even torture?

While the above 5 reasons are merely one person’s observations and generalizations about American culture, the patterns that emerge here are useful in helping to recognize opportunities for our own personal and collective evolution.

Please add any additional you thoughts you may have in the comments section below.

About the Author

Sigmund Fraud is a survivor of modern psychiatry and a dedicated mental activist. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com where he pursues the possibility of a massive shift towards a more psychologically aware future for mankind.

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.