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Awesome link! It's a recipe guide to wild foraged edibles.
April 29, 2008
April 24, 2008
The Biofuels Scam, Food Shortages and the Coming Collapse of the Human Population
NaturalNews.com printable article
Originally published April 23 2008
The Biofuels Scam, Food Shortages and the Coming Collapse of the Human Population
by Mike Adams (see all articles by this author)
(NaturalNews) It was one of the dumbest "green" ideas ever proposed: Convert millions of acres of cropland into fields for growing ethanol from corn, then burn fossil fuels to harvest the ethanol, expending more energy to extract the fuel than you get from the fuel itself! Meanwhile, sit back and proclaim you've achieved a monumental green victory (President Bush, anyone?) all while unleashing a dangerous spike in global food prices that's causing a ripple effect of food shortages and rationing around the world.
I think politicians need to spend less time bragging about their latest greenwashing schemes and more time studying The Law of Unintended Consequences. Because while growing fuel on cropland initially sounds like a great idea, any honest assessment of the total impact leads you to the inescapable conclusion that biofuels are largely a government-sponsored scam. With a few exceptions (see below), biofuels produce no net increase in energy output, and they cause food shortages while creating strong economic incentives for the destruction of the very rainforests we desperately need to stabilize the climate!
And now we're just starting to see the early signs of the economic and social insanity that has been unleashed by this foolish pursuit of biofuels around the world: Food rationing in Sam's Club stores in the U.S., rapidly-rising prices on bread, rice and corn, and price spikes at cafeterias and restaurants that depend on these staple ingredients. The price of rice has tripled globally, unleashing riots in Haiti and Bangladesh, and the United Nations has issued warnings that millions of people around the world now face starvation because they can't afford to buy food. Americans are even starting to hoard food once again, after years of avoiding basic preparedness measures. (One benefit to all this, however, is that farmers are actually getting paid decent prices for their crops now, after years of operating on the verge of bankruptcy...)
Most biofuel efforts are a sham
Not all of these price spikes are due to the conversion of croplands to biofuel fields, but much of it is. As a result, it's suddenly becoming obvious to nearly everyone that the pursuit of biofuels, as currently structured, is a grand greenwashing hoax. It doesn't produce more fuel than it consumes, and it drives up food prices to boot!
Now, there are biofuels programs that really do work. The growing and harvesting of sugar cane in Brazil, for example, provides an 8-to-1 return on energy investment. But even that pursuit is tarnished by claims of unsafe work environments and massive environmental pollution (the sugar cane fields are burned before being harvested, a process that releases massive amounts of CO2 into the environment).
The only truly promising biofuels technology available today is based on microalgae. Feed CO2 to a vat of algae, and you can produce biofuels cheaply and responsibly, without destroying the environment. But these programs are only in experimental phases. Nobody is producing biofuels on a large scale from algae farms (not yet, anyway).
And that leaves the great American breadbasket: The corn and wheat fields. It is here that food is now being displaced by crops grown for biofuel processing. So where a farmer used to grow corn as a food source, he's now growing it to sell to a biofuel processing facility which turns the corn into ethanol. Obviously, the laws of economics come into play here, meaning that every bushel of corn used for biofuels production means one less bushel of corn available for food. Factor in the laws of supply and demand, and you can see that the more crops we use for biofuels, the higher the prices will rise for food.
Politicians, it seems, have no understanding of economics. They need to study the basics as they are presented in Henry Hazlitt's Book, Economics in One Lesson, which is a Libertarian-oriented guide that explains basic economics to anyone willing to learn. Economics is focused on the study of human behavior, or more precisely, consumer choice. Now, it seems, consumers are about to be faced with a choice they never wanted to have to make: Should I buy fuel, or food?
In other words: Do I want to drive my car, or do I want to eat?
You can have fuel or food, but not both
Under a biofuels-focused agricultural policy, the same limited resources (soil, sunlight and water, essentially) can be used for only one thing at a time. You can't use the corn twice, obviously (you can't eat the corn and process it for biofuels at the same time), so you've got to make a choice: Will you grow the corn for fuel, or for food?
The more you grow for fuel, of course, the less food you have, and that drives up food prices. But if you swing back the other way and grow more corn for food to ease food prices, the fuel prices go up. Trying to solve both problems at once is a bit like trying to pick up a wet watermelon seed with your fingers: It keeps slipping to the side.
One thing that has become abundantly clear in all this is that the era of cheap food and cheap fuel is over. I've written about this on NaturalNews, where I use the term "food bubble" to describe the most recent era of cheap food. As it turns out, cheap food is only made possible by cheap oil, and with oil now approaching $120 a barrel (a price that virtually no one thought possible just two years ago), food prices are simultaneously skyrocketing. (Modern farming practices use a lot of fossil fuel. So does transporting food across the country or around the world. Eat local, folks!)
Add to this the fact that global climate change is already underway, altering weather patterns and creating floods, droughts and other agricultural calamities, and you start to get the picture of just how bad things might get. That's not even to mention the very serious problem of collapsing honeybee populations due to a mysterious condition called colony collapse disorder that's devastating honeybee populations across North America right this minute. Honeybees, in case you didn't know, pollinate plants that represent about 30% of all the calories consumed by Americans. That's about one out of every three bites of your dinner, and it all depends on the "free" work performed by honeybees -- bees who are apparently going on strike by refusing to keep working for us.
Prepare for mass global starvation
So, to repeat, the food bubble is now starting to implode. What does it all mean? It means that as these economic and climate realities unfold, our world is facing massive starvation and food shortages. The first place this will be felt is in poor developing nations. It is there that people live on the edge of economic livelihood, where even a 20% rise in the price of basic food staples can put desperately-needed calories out of reach of tens of millions of families. If something is not done to rescue these people from their plight, they will starve to death.
Wealthy nations like America, Canada, the U.K., and others will be able to absorb the price increases, so you won't see mass starvation in North America any time soon (unless, of course, all the honeybees die, in which case prepare to start chewing your shoelaces...), but it will lead to significant increases in the cost of living, annoying consumers and reducing the amount of money available for other purchases (like vacations, cars, fuel, etc.). That, of course, will put downward pressure on the national economy.
But what we're seeing right now, folks, is just a small foreshadowing of events to come in the next couple of decades. Think about it: If these minor climate changes and foolish biofuels policies are already unleashing alarming rises in food prices, just imagine what we'll see when Peak Oil kicks in and global oil supplies really start to dwindle. When gasoline is $10 a gallon in the U.S., how expensive will food be around the world? The answer, of course, is that it will be triple or quadruple the current price. And that means many more people will starve.
Fossil fuels, of course, aren't the only limiting factor threatening future food supplies on our planet: There's also fossil water. That's water from underground aquifers that's being pumped up to the surface to water crops, then it's lost to evaporation. Countries like India and China are depending heavily on fossil water to irrigate their crops, and not surprisingly, the water levels in those aquifers is dropping steadily. In a few more years (as little as five years in some cases), that water will simply run dry, and the crops that were once irrigated to feed a nation will dry up and turn to dust. Mass starvation will only take a few months to kick in. Think North Korea after a season of floods. Perhaps 95% of humanity is just one crop season away from mass starvation.
The carrying capacity of planet Earth has reached its apex
The truth about all this, folks, is that the resources on our planet can only support a limited population, and I think we've over-populated the planet to a point where we're wiping out non-renewable resources at an alarming rate. This means a population correction is due. When there are too many people consuming too much food, using up too much water and burning too much oil, you can get away with a rapid expansion for a little while (a few decades, perhaps), but eventually reality kicks in and there's a global population correction that brings the population size back down to levels that can be sustained on the planet.
It's not a pretty picture. We're talking about the loss of a billion human lives, perhaps more. This is what's coming. It's as predictable as the laws of gravity. When you over-populate a planet and use up all the resources, the population eventually finds itself in a resource panic, and mass death ensues. You can observe the same thing with colonies of bacteria on a nutrient-rich petri dish: They will expand at an accelerating rate, multiplying their numbers until there's no more food left in the petri dish, and then they will experience a massive die-off. You might say that human beings are smarter than bacteria, and that's true, but as current events are clearly demonstrating, they're not much wiser! They still doom themselves to the same stupid fate by refusing to look at the long-term implications of their actions.
Humans are really good at making babies and eating food, but they're terrible at thinking even ten years ahead about the implications of their present-day decisions. That's why the global population control masterminds call people "feeders and breeders," by the way. Those are the two things human beings do extremely well: Fornicate and clean their plate. (Not necessarily in that order, though...)
The economies of our world have, sadly, been based on economic models that strongly encourage this kind of consumption and growth. We live in a "throwaway economy," where people are encouraged to consume and expend as much as possible. No corporation makes money teaching people how to use less. And so we've pushed for aggressive expansion since about the 1950's: Build more, eat more, consume more. We've turned farm lands into housing tracts, and rainforests into biofuel fields. We've over-fished the oceans, over-farmed the soils and over-extended ourselves to the point where a population correction is inevitable. We, the human race, have painted ourselves into a desperate corner, and the simple fact of the matter is that unless we quickly discover some new energy technology that provides the world with cheap, plentiful energy, we are headed straight towards a global population implosion that will leave a billion or more people dead.
And biofuels, of course, are no answer for this problem. You cannot grow enough corn to solve the problems of an expansionist, imperialistic race of beings (that's us humans) who have taken over the planet like a cancer tumor, wiped out countless species, destroyed huge swaths of natural rainforests, poisoned the oceans and rivers, polluted the skies and, at every opportunity, betrayed the very Earth that has given us a home in the first place. Humans can betray Mother Nature for a while, but in the end, we will pay a dear price for our own arrogance, greed and lack of vision. The human race is being sent back to kindergarten, where it needs to learn some basic lessons about living in harmony with the planet. Lessons like: Don't use up all the resources in a few generations. Don't think you're smarter than nature. And never forget how much Mother Nature does for us all for free! (Like pollinating the crops, producing oxygen, cleaning the air, water, etc. Read the book Mycelium Running to learn more...)
In time, we will either learn these lessons, or we will perish. It's really as simple as that. And all these suddenly-popular "save the planet" efforts we've seen by corporations recently are just a joke. We can't save the planet. The planet will be fine after we're gone, folks. What we're trying to save here is human civilization. The very idea that we think we can "save the planet" is arrogant all by itself. All we can do is respect the planet and find ways to live with it as polite guests living on a generous host.
Whether humans survive the next hundred years or not, planet Earth certainly will. And frankly, the planet will do much better without us. With humans gone, the Earth would quickly be restored to a vibrant, pristine state, full of life and abundance. The Earth doesn't need us, folks. But we, of course, certainly need the Earth. The real question is this: Can we learn to play nice and treat the Earth with respect? If not, we won't be around much longer to worry about it.
Nature needs to be granted legal standing
One final thought: I am an advocate of the idea that Mother Nature needs to be granted legal standing. I believe that humans do not automatically "own" nature, and that we cannot simply cut down forests, bulldoze mountainsides, fish the oceans, build dams and engage in other highly disruptive activities without first getting permission and paying royalties to a global Mother Nature Authority that stands up for the rights of the planet. Nature is not ours to own or destroy. We, as the guests on this planet, have no right to simply assume ownership over other living systems on this planet and exploit them for our own financial gain. The "destroy and consume" model of free market enterprise is simply not sustainable, folks. It does not lead us to a happy future; it leads to our own destruction.
Or, put another way, over the last hundred years or so, mankind has committed countless acts of violence against nature. It has pursued a policy of committing atrocities against Mother Nature -- a kind of genocide against anything non-human (animals, plants, fish, etc.). Humans have proven themselves to be, by far, the most violent and destructive life forms to ever exist on this planet. And yet paired with that violence, humans are an infant species, with little or no foresight, with virtually no ability to see the future implications of their own actions. We are, in a sense, the dumbest intelligent creatures ever to walk the face of this Earth.
We can land a man on the moon, but we can't even prevent our own rainforests from being clear-cut by soybean farmers and cattle ranchers. We can develop high-tech medicines, but we can't even openly recognize the more powerful medicines found in a simple dandelion plant. We can create amazing computers and televisions and internet technologies the beam information across the globe at the speed of light, but we pollute those information pathways with corporate ads for useless stuff and dangerous medicines that only make our fellow humans beings less enlightened. We are capable of so much, and yet we have accomplished so little. We are, by any honest assessment, a race of little children, running around the planet with far too much power and not nearly enough maturity. We're like a band of infants with flamethrowers.
Frankly, we don't deserve this planet, and Mother Nature is about to take it away from us. It's time for us to either grow up, or perish. And all these people who say "we have to protect the economy, not the environment" should probably just be rounded up and shipped off to Mars where they can play with the Martian dust all they want until they finally get the picture.
Originally published April 23 2008
The Biofuels Scam, Food Shortages and the Coming Collapse of the Human Population
by Mike Adams (see all articles by this author)
(NaturalNews) It was one of the dumbest "green" ideas ever proposed: Convert millions of acres of cropland into fields for growing ethanol from corn, then burn fossil fuels to harvest the ethanol, expending more energy to extract the fuel than you get from the fuel itself! Meanwhile, sit back and proclaim you've achieved a monumental green victory (President Bush, anyone?) all while unleashing a dangerous spike in global food prices that's causing a ripple effect of food shortages and rationing around the world.
I think politicians need to spend less time bragging about their latest greenwashing schemes and more time studying The Law of Unintended Consequences. Because while growing fuel on cropland initially sounds like a great idea, any honest assessment of the total impact leads you to the inescapable conclusion that biofuels are largely a government-sponsored scam. With a few exceptions (see below), biofuels produce no net increase in energy output, and they cause food shortages while creating strong economic incentives for the destruction of the very rainforests we desperately need to stabilize the climate!
And now we're just starting to see the early signs of the economic and social insanity that has been unleashed by this foolish pursuit of biofuels around the world: Food rationing in Sam's Club stores in the U.S., rapidly-rising prices on bread, rice and corn, and price spikes at cafeterias and restaurants that depend on these staple ingredients. The price of rice has tripled globally, unleashing riots in Haiti and Bangladesh, and the United Nations has issued warnings that millions of people around the world now face starvation because they can't afford to buy food. Americans are even starting to hoard food once again, after years of avoiding basic preparedness measures. (One benefit to all this, however, is that farmers are actually getting paid decent prices for their crops now, after years of operating on the verge of bankruptcy...)
Most biofuel efforts are a sham
Not all of these price spikes are due to the conversion of croplands to biofuel fields, but much of it is. As a result, it's suddenly becoming obvious to nearly everyone that the pursuit of biofuels, as currently structured, is a grand greenwashing hoax. It doesn't produce more fuel than it consumes, and it drives up food prices to boot!
Now, there are biofuels programs that really do work. The growing and harvesting of sugar cane in Brazil, for example, provides an 8-to-1 return on energy investment. But even that pursuit is tarnished by claims of unsafe work environments and massive environmental pollution (the sugar cane fields are burned before being harvested, a process that releases massive amounts of CO2 into the environment).
The only truly promising biofuels technology available today is based on microalgae. Feed CO2 to a vat of algae, and you can produce biofuels cheaply and responsibly, without destroying the environment. But these programs are only in experimental phases. Nobody is producing biofuels on a large scale from algae farms (not yet, anyway).
And that leaves the great American breadbasket: The corn and wheat fields. It is here that food is now being displaced by crops grown for biofuel processing. So where a farmer used to grow corn as a food source, he's now growing it to sell to a biofuel processing facility which turns the corn into ethanol. Obviously, the laws of economics come into play here, meaning that every bushel of corn used for biofuels production means one less bushel of corn available for food. Factor in the laws of supply and demand, and you can see that the more crops we use for biofuels, the higher the prices will rise for food.
Politicians, it seems, have no understanding of economics. They need to study the basics as they are presented in Henry Hazlitt's Book, Economics in One Lesson, which is a Libertarian-oriented guide that explains basic economics to anyone willing to learn. Economics is focused on the study of human behavior, or more precisely, consumer choice. Now, it seems, consumers are about to be faced with a choice they never wanted to have to make: Should I buy fuel, or food?
In other words: Do I want to drive my car, or do I want to eat?
You can have fuel or food, but not both
Under a biofuels-focused agricultural policy, the same limited resources (soil, sunlight and water, essentially) can be used for only one thing at a time. You can't use the corn twice, obviously (you can't eat the corn and process it for biofuels at the same time), so you've got to make a choice: Will you grow the corn for fuel, or for food?
The more you grow for fuel, of course, the less food you have, and that drives up food prices. But if you swing back the other way and grow more corn for food to ease food prices, the fuel prices go up. Trying to solve both problems at once is a bit like trying to pick up a wet watermelon seed with your fingers: It keeps slipping to the side.
One thing that has become abundantly clear in all this is that the era of cheap food and cheap fuel is over. I've written about this on NaturalNews, where I use the term "food bubble" to describe the most recent era of cheap food. As it turns out, cheap food is only made possible by cheap oil, and with oil now approaching $120 a barrel (a price that virtually no one thought possible just two years ago), food prices are simultaneously skyrocketing. (Modern farming practices use a lot of fossil fuel. So does transporting food across the country or around the world. Eat local, folks!)
Add to this the fact that global climate change is already underway, altering weather patterns and creating floods, droughts and other agricultural calamities, and you start to get the picture of just how bad things might get. That's not even to mention the very serious problem of collapsing honeybee populations due to a mysterious condition called colony collapse disorder that's devastating honeybee populations across North America right this minute. Honeybees, in case you didn't know, pollinate plants that represent about 30% of all the calories consumed by Americans. That's about one out of every three bites of your dinner, and it all depends on the "free" work performed by honeybees -- bees who are apparently going on strike by refusing to keep working for us.
Prepare for mass global starvation
So, to repeat, the food bubble is now starting to implode. What does it all mean? It means that as these economic and climate realities unfold, our world is facing massive starvation and food shortages. The first place this will be felt is in poor developing nations. It is there that people live on the edge of economic livelihood, where even a 20% rise in the price of basic food staples can put desperately-needed calories out of reach of tens of millions of families. If something is not done to rescue these people from their plight, they will starve to death.
Wealthy nations like America, Canada, the U.K., and others will be able to absorb the price increases, so you won't see mass starvation in North America any time soon (unless, of course, all the honeybees die, in which case prepare to start chewing your shoelaces...), but it will lead to significant increases in the cost of living, annoying consumers and reducing the amount of money available for other purchases (like vacations, cars, fuel, etc.). That, of course, will put downward pressure on the national economy.
But what we're seeing right now, folks, is just a small foreshadowing of events to come in the next couple of decades. Think about it: If these minor climate changes and foolish biofuels policies are already unleashing alarming rises in food prices, just imagine what we'll see when Peak Oil kicks in and global oil supplies really start to dwindle. When gasoline is $10 a gallon in the U.S., how expensive will food be around the world? The answer, of course, is that it will be triple or quadruple the current price. And that means many more people will starve.
Fossil fuels, of course, aren't the only limiting factor threatening future food supplies on our planet: There's also fossil water. That's water from underground aquifers that's being pumped up to the surface to water crops, then it's lost to evaporation. Countries like India and China are depending heavily on fossil water to irrigate their crops, and not surprisingly, the water levels in those aquifers is dropping steadily. In a few more years (as little as five years in some cases), that water will simply run dry, and the crops that were once irrigated to feed a nation will dry up and turn to dust. Mass starvation will only take a few months to kick in. Think North Korea after a season of floods. Perhaps 95% of humanity is just one crop season away from mass starvation.
The carrying capacity of planet Earth has reached its apex
The truth about all this, folks, is that the resources on our planet can only support a limited population, and I think we've over-populated the planet to a point where we're wiping out non-renewable resources at an alarming rate. This means a population correction is due. When there are too many people consuming too much food, using up too much water and burning too much oil, you can get away with a rapid expansion for a little while (a few decades, perhaps), but eventually reality kicks in and there's a global population correction that brings the population size back down to levels that can be sustained on the planet.
It's not a pretty picture. We're talking about the loss of a billion human lives, perhaps more. This is what's coming. It's as predictable as the laws of gravity. When you over-populate a planet and use up all the resources, the population eventually finds itself in a resource panic, and mass death ensues. You can observe the same thing with colonies of bacteria on a nutrient-rich petri dish: They will expand at an accelerating rate, multiplying their numbers until there's no more food left in the petri dish, and then they will experience a massive die-off. You might say that human beings are smarter than bacteria, and that's true, but as current events are clearly demonstrating, they're not much wiser! They still doom themselves to the same stupid fate by refusing to look at the long-term implications of their actions.
Humans are really good at making babies and eating food, but they're terrible at thinking even ten years ahead about the implications of their present-day decisions. That's why the global population control masterminds call people "feeders and breeders," by the way. Those are the two things human beings do extremely well: Fornicate and clean their plate. (Not necessarily in that order, though...)
The economies of our world have, sadly, been based on economic models that strongly encourage this kind of consumption and growth. We live in a "throwaway economy," where people are encouraged to consume and expend as much as possible. No corporation makes money teaching people how to use less. And so we've pushed for aggressive expansion since about the 1950's: Build more, eat more, consume more. We've turned farm lands into housing tracts, and rainforests into biofuel fields. We've over-fished the oceans, over-farmed the soils and over-extended ourselves to the point where a population correction is inevitable. We, the human race, have painted ourselves into a desperate corner, and the simple fact of the matter is that unless we quickly discover some new energy technology that provides the world with cheap, plentiful energy, we are headed straight towards a global population implosion that will leave a billion or more people dead.
And biofuels, of course, are no answer for this problem. You cannot grow enough corn to solve the problems of an expansionist, imperialistic race of beings (that's us humans) who have taken over the planet like a cancer tumor, wiped out countless species, destroyed huge swaths of natural rainforests, poisoned the oceans and rivers, polluted the skies and, at every opportunity, betrayed the very Earth that has given us a home in the first place. Humans can betray Mother Nature for a while, but in the end, we will pay a dear price for our own arrogance, greed and lack of vision. The human race is being sent back to kindergarten, where it needs to learn some basic lessons about living in harmony with the planet. Lessons like: Don't use up all the resources in a few generations. Don't think you're smarter than nature. And never forget how much Mother Nature does for us all for free! (Like pollinating the crops, producing oxygen, cleaning the air, water, etc. Read the book Mycelium Running to learn more...)
In time, we will either learn these lessons, or we will perish. It's really as simple as that. And all these suddenly-popular "save the planet" efforts we've seen by corporations recently are just a joke. We can't save the planet. The planet will be fine after we're gone, folks. What we're trying to save here is human civilization. The very idea that we think we can "save the planet" is arrogant all by itself. All we can do is respect the planet and find ways to live with it as polite guests living on a generous host.
Whether humans survive the next hundred years or not, planet Earth certainly will. And frankly, the planet will do much better without us. With humans gone, the Earth would quickly be restored to a vibrant, pristine state, full of life and abundance. The Earth doesn't need us, folks. But we, of course, certainly need the Earth. The real question is this: Can we learn to play nice and treat the Earth with respect? If not, we won't be around much longer to worry about it.
Nature needs to be granted legal standing
One final thought: I am an advocate of the idea that Mother Nature needs to be granted legal standing. I believe that humans do not automatically "own" nature, and that we cannot simply cut down forests, bulldoze mountainsides, fish the oceans, build dams and engage in other highly disruptive activities without first getting permission and paying royalties to a global Mother Nature Authority that stands up for the rights of the planet. Nature is not ours to own or destroy. We, as the guests on this planet, have no right to simply assume ownership over other living systems on this planet and exploit them for our own financial gain. The "destroy and consume" model of free market enterprise is simply not sustainable, folks. It does not lead us to a happy future; it leads to our own destruction.
Or, put another way, over the last hundred years or so, mankind has committed countless acts of violence against nature. It has pursued a policy of committing atrocities against Mother Nature -- a kind of genocide against anything non-human (animals, plants, fish, etc.). Humans have proven themselves to be, by far, the most violent and destructive life forms to ever exist on this planet. And yet paired with that violence, humans are an infant species, with little or no foresight, with virtually no ability to see the future implications of their own actions. We are, in a sense, the dumbest intelligent creatures ever to walk the face of this Earth.
We can land a man on the moon, but we can't even prevent our own rainforests from being clear-cut by soybean farmers and cattle ranchers. We can develop high-tech medicines, but we can't even openly recognize the more powerful medicines found in a simple dandelion plant. We can create amazing computers and televisions and internet technologies the beam information across the globe at the speed of light, but we pollute those information pathways with corporate ads for useless stuff and dangerous medicines that only make our fellow humans beings less enlightened. We are capable of so much, and yet we have accomplished so little. We are, by any honest assessment, a race of little children, running around the planet with far too much power and not nearly enough maturity. We're like a band of infants with flamethrowers.
Frankly, we don't deserve this planet, and Mother Nature is about to take it away from us. It's time for us to either grow up, or perish. And all these people who say "we have to protect the economy, not the environment" should probably just be rounded up and shipped off to Mars where they can play with the Martian dust all they want until they finally get the picture.
Real ID, a Real Disaster
http://www.republicmagazine.com/magazines/Republic-Magazine6.pdf
*READ FOR FREE* use the above link
ISSUE #6 - Real ID; a Real Disaster!
**Ships May 2nd** Order Now
Learn to protect yourself against this tyrannical national ID card.. which is already LAW!, RFID: Global House Arrest - A Conversation with Katherine Albrecht by Lee Rogers, Biometrics. No Need for Papers - Learn about the government's plans for a national database already underway.. without your consent, VeriChip Rising - A serious look at slavery in the digital age, America’s Lost Right to Travel by Automobile, History of the Driver’s License - It's original intent, Social Security Numbers: Are They Mandatory for Citizens?, Constitutional Discipline - 4th Amendment by Michael Badnarik, Stop the Social Security Surveillance Act, Dinner with the Devil - a first hand encounter with the policy makers who are intent on abolishing your freedom, The Ever Increasing Denial of Citizen Rights and more...
*READ FOR FREE* use the above link
ISSUE #6 - Real ID; a Real Disaster!
**Ships May 2nd** Order Now
Learn to protect yourself against this tyrannical national ID card.. which is already LAW!, RFID: Global House Arrest - A Conversation with Katherine Albrecht by Lee Rogers, Biometrics. No Need for Papers - Learn about the government's plans for a national database already underway.. without your consent, VeriChip Rising - A serious look at slavery in the digital age, America’s Lost Right to Travel by Automobile, History of the Driver’s License - It's original intent, Social Security Numbers: Are They Mandatory for Citizens?, Constitutional Discipline - 4th Amendment by Michael Badnarik, Stop the Social Security Surveillance Act, Dinner with the Devil - a first hand encounter with the policy makers who are intent on abolishing your freedom, The Ever Increasing Denial of Citizen Rights and more...
April 22, 2008
Forgotten Herbs: They May Not Be Sexy, but They Are Effective
NaturalNews.com printable article
Originally published April 22 2008
http://www.naturalnews.com/023076.html
Forgotten Herbs: They May Not Be Sexy, but They Are Effective
by Kal Sellers
(NaturalNews) It is human nature to forget anything that is not sexy, exciting, expensive, tasty and which does not promise far more than it delivers. This character trait is one we shall have to outgrow if we wish to really better ourselves. The predictability of this human weakness puts corrupt leaders in political office, leads away the world after advertisements that will ultimately destroy them and sabotages the best intentions for health and healing.
Sexy herbs are rarely able to do what they are promoted to do, largely because health does not come from herbs, diet or environment. It comes from within, and I am not talking about your blood. Herbs, diet, environment and exercise are tools we use on our journey as we make the change to health. That is all. The best tool in the world is useless if it is not used for what it is made for. It is like using a screwdriver as a toy that you walk around with and scratch and test and poke with. It is a waste.
On the other hand, herbs that can really help the person who is paying attention and who is really working on him/herself, are often overlooked by mainstream health and wellness hype. Thus the true disciple of health and harmony with nature is left with a lot of hype and not a lot of help.
To this end, we shall re-discover a paltry few forgotten herbs that have never quite been in vogue and which have never been given their due and which are not much used, but which are very useful.
These may provide some key elements you have been missing on your road to health and harmony with nature and within. They may show up to help you, right where you really need help. They are not sexy or expensive, but they are real, authentic and offered by nature as help for you.
Elecampane: First on my list because I think that the need for it is greatest. Elecampane (Inula helenium) is rich in inulin, the indigestible (by us) starch that is ambrosia to healthy flora. It is like spreading fertilizer on a rain forest to our flora.
Our flora-bearing surfaces in the bowel, mucus membranes and skin just burst out into huge, protective flora that covers our body in a nourishing, protective coating that heals our immune system, gives us many medicines, nutrients and checks and balances and helps us in dozens of ways not yet understood by science.
Inulin is extracted from the root of elecampane by soaking it overnight in water and then bringing it to a boil. This is immediately reduced to a very low simmer which is maintained for a couple hours. The resultant liquid is fertilizer for your healthy flora. It will help with regularity, digestion, elimination and irritable bowel conditions.
Inulin aside, elecampane contains another interesting and miraculous medicinal nutrients in a natural context. Sodium phosphate cleans the liver and digestive organs; potassium chloride dissolves fibrinous exudations (this means that it becomes very useful for cysts of all types, clusters under the skin, mucus blocks throughout the body, mucus blocks in the elimination systems, clearing debris from interstitial spaces that block lymph flow -- a condition that leads to low oxygen, pain and immune dysfunction) and calcium chlorine is specific to feeding the heart and toning it to normal activity and health.
Elecampane is often used for the lungs because of the way it dissipates and breaks up mucus and strengthens the body's ability to expectorate.
This list is certainly effective enough to keep in my personal apothecary and to be regularly used by me.
Yucca: This herb, particularly the stalk and flowers, gets little attention, and yet I find it consistently to be the very best anti-inflammatory herb I can find. 10 of these capsules of this part of the plant (one must remember it is a food and not an isolated medicine, so you will need more of it) leaves me feeling as good as Aleve used to, and for just as long.
Usually after three or four days of use, the condition changes away from the inflammatory state. This action, where the condition alters and disappears is an herbal action called "alternative."
Kelp: With all the seaweed supplements on the market and all the hype around them, I am always disappointed that the very prolific Kelp does not get included most of the time.
Kelp is, in my opinion, the most valuable seaweed of all. It is uncontested in its ability to protect from radiation poisoning. It stimulates and heals the thyroid (the only caution lies here, if you have an overactive thyroid, kelp should not be used until that condition is healed). It provides all essential minerals and iodine. It detoxifies every system and part of the body and removes heavy metals and liver toxins.
Kelp is a way to protect one's self against radiation and radioactive particles found everywhere today. Kelp also has an affinity for super-toxins (like really poisonous chemicals in our world) and it will bind to them and render them neutral and easy to eliminate.
Mallow: Any malva or mallow species will work to soothe irritated tissues wherever they are. This herb is so good that just holding the tea in your mouth will cause softening and healing of the mucus membranes.
If I were treating Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome or fistulas of the bowel, I would use mallow in great quantity. This herb puts the fire out, heals the bowel and pulls out toxins that prevent healing.
Mallow root is generally taken in capsules at doses of 8-12 capsules one time daily to create a healing poultice for the colon.
In addition to this, mallow is so nutritious that it is on my list of teas that can replace mother's milk (well, make no mistake, there is no replacement for mother's milk) in the event that the baby cannot nurse. This herb will make a thick tea (full of nutrient-rich mucilage) that will feed the baby and fill them up as good as mother's milk and will keep them soothed and calm and healthy.
Apples: An apple per day really might keep the doctor away for more reasons than we have space to address.
Apples dissolve mineral deposits, improve or remove fibromyalgia, carry vast amounts of oxygen, kill cancer, heal the liver and all vital organs, heal deep injuries to the emotional heart and support normal flora.
Apples will destroy any pathogenic microorganism and will feed and heal the immune system.
Apples flush stored fat and fatty toxins out of the body so that a person on an otherwise healthy program can begin eating one apple in the morning and one before bed after all food has digested and will lose excess weight.
Slippery elm: Why in the world this herb has fallen out of use is beyond me. In some circles it is still used. Slippery elm is great for the immune system and for mucus membranes. It has anti-carcinogenic effects and has the ability to heal areas of the body that have been violently damaged due to injury or surgery.
Slippery elm is another of my baby foods and all of my children get this as part of the weaning process and for food when they are away from momma for some reason.
The recipe for slippery elm gruel is available for free from (www.KalsSchool.com) to registered users (registration is free) from the downloads page under the title "Preparations Printout."
Slippery elm helps with earaches and sore throat and such and is very pleasant to taste. In a weak person who can hold down no food, slippery elm will almost always stay down with ease.
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum): This herb deserves about as much praise as elecampane for some things. Boneset cleans out the stomach and liver and the reproductive organs. It gets its name because it helps with boneset fever. This means that it turns a failing (and potentially harmful) fever, into a successful one -- successful because it provides struggling areas with the needed nutrients and immune activity.
This means that a fever can become your friend much easier with this herb. An old natural healer said, "Give me a fever and I will heal anything." This statement comes from the fact that under a fever, if the system is fed wisely, the body almost becomes fetal in its activity, able to regenerate, change or reset any system, disease or body part in a few hours. High fevers also destroy cancer cells (they die at 105 F, human tissue, in a healthy fever, is not damaged until 107 F).
Boneset is also very good for night sweats and is somewhat anti-periodic (a big word that means it helps with any condition that seems to appear and disappear with regularity, such as night sweats, PMS, rheumatism, etc.).
Boneset also improves bile flow through the liver and the gall bladder, meaning that it cleans and clears them and helps the liver detoxify because that flow is occurring and the liver is not constipated.
Carrot tops: While the whole carrot is useful for the pituitary, the top is a specific food for all the master glands in the brain, but especially the pituitary.
It has been noted that drinking fresh, raw carrot juice every day for two weeks takes an average of 10 years off the face and appearance of the person who does it. This is partly due, no doubt, to the pituitary action and the resultant HGH (human growth hormone) that naturally occurs and regenerates vitality to a more youthful state.
These and other forgotten herbs are well to know because they are inexpensive, safe to use and very helpful.
Until next time, Kal Sellers, MH
About the author
Kal Sellers, MH is a lifelong student and practitioner of the natural healing arts.
Kal is a Master Herbalist, a Massage Therapist, Technician of the Rolf Method of Structural Integration, Iridologist, Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner, Mental Re-programmer, Life Coach, Natural Nutritionist, Reflexologist and more.
Kal is currently attending Life University in preparation for chiropractic school.
Kal currently operates and maintains www.KalsSchool.com an on-line school for natural healing and herbal medicine.
Kal also maintains www.BestFoodist.com as the website for the distribution of his and his wife's books on natural nutrition and companion recipe book (Traci's Transformational Kitchen Cookbook and Traci's Transformational Health Principles).
Kal and Traci have five children, the last three of which were delivered at home, the last by Kal. They live now in Powder Springs, GA where they maintain live classes on food and medicine for anyone choosing to master medical independence and life-long optimal health!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml
Originally published April 22 2008
http://www.naturalnews.com/023076.html
Forgotten Herbs: They May Not Be Sexy, but They Are Effective
by Kal Sellers
(NaturalNews) It is human nature to forget anything that is not sexy, exciting, expensive, tasty and which does not promise far more than it delivers. This character trait is one we shall have to outgrow if we wish to really better ourselves. The predictability of this human weakness puts corrupt leaders in political office, leads away the world after advertisements that will ultimately destroy them and sabotages the best intentions for health and healing.
Sexy herbs are rarely able to do what they are promoted to do, largely because health does not come from herbs, diet or environment. It comes from within, and I am not talking about your blood. Herbs, diet, environment and exercise are tools we use on our journey as we make the change to health. That is all. The best tool in the world is useless if it is not used for what it is made for. It is like using a screwdriver as a toy that you walk around with and scratch and test and poke with. It is a waste.
On the other hand, herbs that can really help the person who is paying attention and who is really working on him/herself, are often overlooked by mainstream health and wellness hype. Thus the true disciple of health and harmony with nature is left with a lot of hype and not a lot of help.
To this end, we shall re-discover a paltry few forgotten herbs that have never quite been in vogue and which have never been given their due and which are not much used, but which are very useful.
These may provide some key elements you have been missing on your road to health and harmony with nature and within. They may show up to help you, right where you really need help. They are not sexy or expensive, but they are real, authentic and offered by nature as help for you.
Elecampane: First on my list because I think that the need for it is greatest. Elecampane (Inula helenium) is rich in inulin, the indigestible (by us) starch that is ambrosia to healthy flora. It is like spreading fertilizer on a rain forest to our flora.
Our flora-bearing surfaces in the bowel, mucus membranes and skin just burst out into huge, protective flora that covers our body in a nourishing, protective coating that heals our immune system, gives us many medicines, nutrients and checks and balances and helps us in dozens of ways not yet understood by science.
Inulin is extracted from the root of elecampane by soaking it overnight in water and then bringing it to a boil. This is immediately reduced to a very low simmer which is maintained for a couple hours. The resultant liquid is fertilizer for your healthy flora. It will help with regularity, digestion, elimination and irritable bowel conditions.
Inulin aside, elecampane contains another interesting and miraculous medicinal nutrients in a natural context. Sodium phosphate cleans the liver and digestive organs; potassium chloride dissolves fibrinous exudations (this means that it becomes very useful for cysts of all types, clusters under the skin, mucus blocks throughout the body, mucus blocks in the elimination systems, clearing debris from interstitial spaces that block lymph flow -- a condition that leads to low oxygen, pain and immune dysfunction) and calcium chlorine is specific to feeding the heart and toning it to normal activity and health.
Elecampane is often used for the lungs because of the way it dissipates and breaks up mucus and strengthens the body's ability to expectorate.
This list is certainly effective enough to keep in my personal apothecary and to be regularly used by me.
Yucca: This herb, particularly the stalk and flowers, gets little attention, and yet I find it consistently to be the very best anti-inflammatory herb I can find. 10 of these capsules of this part of the plant (one must remember it is a food and not an isolated medicine, so you will need more of it) leaves me feeling as good as Aleve used to, and for just as long.
Usually after three or four days of use, the condition changes away from the inflammatory state. This action, where the condition alters and disappears is an herbal action called "alternative."
Kelp: With all the seaweed supplements on the market and all the hype around them, I am always disappointed that the very prolific Kelp does not get included most of the time.
Kelp is, in my opinion, the most valuable seaweed of all. It is uncontested in its ability to protect from radiation poisoning. It stimulates and heals the thyroid (the only caution lies here, if you have an overactive thyroid, kelp should not be used until that condition is healed). It provides all essential minerals and iodine. It detoxifies every system and part of the body and removes heavy metals and liver toxins.
Kelp is a way to protect one's self against radiation and radioactive particles found everywhere today. Kelp also has an affinity for super-toxins (like really poisonous chemicals in our world) and it will bind to them and render them neutral and easy to eliminate.
Mallow: Any malva or mallow species will work to soothe irritated tissues wherever they are. This herb is so good that just holding the tea in your mouth will cause softening and healing of the mucus membranes.
If I were treating Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome or fistulas of the bowel, I would use mallow in great quantity. This herb puts the fire out, heals the bowel and pulls out toxins that prevent healing.
Mallow root is generally taken in capsules at doses of 8-12 capsules one time daily to create a healing poultice for the colon.
In addition to this, mallow is so nutritious that it is on my list of teas that can replace mother's milk (well, make no mistake, there is no replacement for mother's milk) in the event that the baby cannot nurse. This herb will make a thick tea (full of nutrient-rich mucilage) that will feed the baby and fill them up as good as mother's milk and will keep them soothed and calm and healthy.
Apples: An apple per day really might keep the doctor away for more reasons than we have space to address.
Apples dissolve mineral deposits, improve or remove fibromyalgia, carry vast amounts of oxygen, kill cancer, heal the liver and all vital organs, heal deep injuries to the emotional heart and support normal flora.
Apples will destroy any pathogenic microorganism and will feed and heal the immune system.
Apples flush stored fat and fatty toxins out of the body so that a person on an otherwise healthy program can begin eating one apple in the morning and one before bed after all food has digested and will lose excess weight.
Slippery elm: Why in the world this herb has fallen out of use is beyond me. In some circles it is still used. Slippery elm is great for the immune system and for mucus membranes. It has anti-carcinogenic effects and has the ability to heal areas of the body that have been violently damaged due to injury or surgery.
Slippery elm is another of my baby foods and all of my children get this as part of the weaning process and for food when they are away from momma for some reason.
The recipe for slippery elm gruel is available for free from (www.KalsSchool.com) to registered users (registration is free) from the downloads page under the title "Preparations Printout."
Slippery elm helps with earaches and sore throat and such and is very pleasant to taste. In a weak person who can hold down no food, slippery elm will almost always stay down with ease.
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum): This herb deserves about as much praise as elecampane for some things. Boneset cleans out the stomach and liver and the reproductive organs. It gets its name because it helps with boneset fever. This means that it turns a failing (and potentially harmful) fever, into a successful one -- successful because it provides struggling areas with the needed nutrients and immune activity.
This means that a fever can become your friend much easier with this herb. An old natural healer said, "Give me a fever and I will heal anything." This statement comes from the fact that under a fever, if the system is fed wisely, the body almost becomes fetal in its activity, able to regenerate, change or reset any system, disease or body part in a few hours. High fevers also destroy cancer cells (they die at 105 F, human tissue, in a healthy fever, is not damaged until 107 F).
Boneset is also very good for night sweats and is somewhat anti-periodic (a big word that means it helps with any condition that seems to appear and disappear with regularity, such as night sweats, PMS, rheumatism, etc.).
Boneset also improves bile flow through the liver and the gall bladder, meaning that it cleans and clears them and helps the liver detoxify because that flow is occurring and the liver is not constipated.
Carrot tops: While the whole carrot is useful for the pituitary, the top is a specific food for all the master glands in the brain, but especially the pituitary.
It has been noted that drinking fresh, raw carrot juice every day for two weeks takes an average of 10 years off the face and appearance of the person who does it. This is partly due, no doubt, to the pituitary action and the resultant HGH (human growth hormone) that naturally occurs and regenerates vitality to a more youthful state.
These and other forgotten herbs are well to know because they are inexpensive, safe to use and very helpful.
Until next time, Kal Sellers, MH
About the author
Kal Sellers, MH is a lifelong student and practitioner of the natural healing arts.
Kal is a Master Herbalist, a Massage Therapist, Technician of the Rolf Method of Structural Integration, Iridologist, Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner, Mental Re-programmer, Life Coach, Natural Nutritionist, Reflexologist and more.
Kal is currently attending Life University in preparation for chiropractic school.
Kal currently operates and maintains www.KalsSchool.com an on-line school for natural healing and herbal medicine.
Kal also maintains www.BestFoodist.com as the website for the distribution of his and his wife's books on natural nutrition and companion recipe book (Traci's Transformational Kitchen Cookbook and Traci's Transformational Health Principles).
Kal and Traci have five children, the last three of which were delivered at home, the last by Kal. They live now in Powder Springs, GA where they maintain live classes on food and medicine for anyone choosing to master medical independence and life-long optimal health!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml
April 16, 2008
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, heart diseases, cholesterol levels, weight loss, kidney problems, digestion, metabolism, high blood pressure, immunity, dental care, diabetes, bone strength, HIV and cancer. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.
The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system.
Coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easy converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.
Health benefits of coconut oil include the following:
Hair Care: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion. Regular massage of head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged air. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as a hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams.
Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head helps in removing mental fatigue.
Skin Care: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil is also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care.
Premature Aging: Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.
Heart Diseases: There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including heart burns, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL and HDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.
Weight Loss: Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest due as it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are not fat, obese or overweight.
Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also useful in treating pancreatitis.
Digestion: Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Immunity: Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Healing: When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. The curative properties of coconut oil are useful in healing as well. It speeds up the repairing of damaged tissues.
Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.
Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.
Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.
Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.
Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.
HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients.
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
April 1, 2008
book recommendation!!!!!!!!!
"The Hundred-Year Lie"
How Food and Medicine are Destroying Your Health
http://www. hundredyearlie. com/
they library rules.....order it...read it.....get pissed......then let our children magically deal with this mess, heh
Codex Alimentarius EVIL EVIL EVIL
By Julia Griffin with Rima E.
Laibow
In 2004, Dr.
Rima Laibow left her successful medical practice to battle Codex Alimentarius, (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp) an international legal organization that controls food legislation. Codex’s legislation limits supplements, allows pesticides and GMOs, and irradiates all foods that come into the United States. In this interview, she explains Codex’s agenda, the value of nutrition and changing the future.
Julia: You have to be incredibly devoted to your cause.
What awakened this passion?
Dr. Rima: I had watched Codex by reading the text and observing their process for about 10 years. Although it is invisible, it is not secret. Codex was clearly poisoning the world food supply; it was also increasing its pace, intensity and scope at an accelerated pace. I could not remain silent. In my ethical system, if an evil is being perpetrated and you do nothing, then you become a perpetrator.
At that time, I healed people through natural non-toxic means including diet, dietary supplements, detoxification and other profound technologies. I did not use drugs in my practice, either psychiatry or medicine. I finally decided that I could no longer sit at my desk, with my nice life and a nice practice, while having the joy of curing one person at a time, when I knew that a cataclysm was heading for the world.
So in December of 2004, my husband, General Stubblebine, a two-star general, and I closed the practice within three weeks to take on this global evil. We want to turn it into an opportunity, as the chaotic birthing matrix of the new paradigm of the pro-health, clean unadulterated food, high-potency nutrient approach to staying well or getting well. That is what we believe can come out of the tremendous assault on our health and health freedoms.
Julia: What is Codex Alimentarius? Who are the corporations behind it and how real is the risk?
Dr. Rima: Codex is a United Nations program that is run and administered by the Food and Agricultural Commission (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is allegedly a food standard organization for international trade of food which has three mandates: (1) to protect health of consumers; (2) to facilitate the free trade of food; (3) to standardize the environmental regulations for governmental and non-governmental organizations. In fact, Codex is a playground for the multi-national corporations which are interested in food and health. The five constituents that benefit from Codex are: big Pharma, big Bio-Techna, big-Chema, big Medica, and big Agra biz.
Behind that, it is about illness. The United States, shamefully, is the driver of this five engine juggernaut. The United States is the bully, the dominant dog in Codex. Whatever the United States wants, it has achieved.
Julia: Why was Codex created initially? What is its purpose?
Dr. Rima: Codex is a pharmaceutical initiative that stems from the German death camps. Its history is quite interesting. The system employed in the German death camps was created and implemented by I. G. Farben (Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie, also called I.G. Farbenfabriken). I. G. Farben was a German conglomerate of companies during World War II, the great Nazi combine that included pharmaceuticals, chemicals, munitions, mining and other heavy industries all combined under a single directorship.
The over-manager of I. G. Farben, Fritz ter Meer, and twenty-six other I. G. Farben employees were deeply involved in what the Germans called “the killing of useless eaters” or people who had lives not worth living. They provided the chemicals that were injected into the hearts of death camp prisoners, as well as having manufactured the gas, Zyklon B, used to kill them.
After World War II, they were incarcerated for four years by the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. While imprisoned, Fritz ter Meer hypothesized that food was the answer to gaining world power. He concluded that “he who controls food, can control the world.” He later became the head of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and he called together the executives of former I. G. Farben, suggesting a letter to urge the United Nations take over the regulation of world food. Fifteen years after they were convicted in the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, this actually happened. In 1962, the Codex Alimentarius Commission was formed.
Fritz ter Meer, Bayer, BASF and Hoechst again became the main designers of the schemes that would profit from human suffering. The deceptive title “Codex Alimentarius” is no accident. It was devised by the same companies and indeed the same individuals, who gave the Auschwitz concentration camp inmates the deceptive slogan “Arbeit mach frei” (“Work makes you free”).
1
In 1963, as a result of this, standards and guidelines began to be promulgated for everything that goes into your mouth: milk, food, oil, nuts, water, vitamins, or minerals. If it goes into your mouth, then there is a standard for it.
No one paid any attention until 1994 when the World Trade Organization was created. The World Trade Organization was given the power to levy trade sanctions to countries that were creating a barrier to trade. Codex then applied to be the standard system by which food disputes were settled between nations. The World Trade Organization has three times rejected Codex and said there are other standards and organization. The best standard is science.
Julia: If Codex is an international organization, then how are we affected?
Dr. Rima: Codex is about international trade, but all countries are encouraged to adopt the Codex regulations as their domestic law, which means poisoning food doesn’t just affect the international trade but all foods grown in your own country. This set of standards will affect the health of everyone in the United States; it is not just nutrients and supplements, but all food…everything that goes into your mouth.
The United States is currently building 200 radiation plants to irradiate every bite of food that we eat. The American food supply is laced with genetically modified foods. In July of 2007, the Codex committee on pesticides brought back seven of the nine deadliest known pesticides in the world because this sells more for the pesticide companies.
Food cannot be kept out of the border because it contains deadly amounts of the pesticides. This will have tremendous impact on fetus, children, adults and early, unnecessary death through chronic and degenerative disease. The literature and the clinical understanding of the damage that these chemicals do to us and the environment are very clear. Codex is not interested in this.
People say, “I will just grow my own food.” The answer is No! The United States plans to implement Codex so that a number will be necessary to grow your own tomatoes or chives. This number obligates you to follow the Codex regulations in any food that you grow. Even your own food will be contaminated or illegal.
Julia: What will be the result of under-nutrition?
Dr. Rima: Mandating global under-nutrition will kill 3.5 billion people within the next 20-25 years through the preventable non-communicable diseases of nutrition, defined by the World Health Organization as cancer, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. These are the leading killers in the United States and other developing countries. The estimated number of people who will die because of the under-nutrition mandate passed in 2005 comes from the WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and other national organizations who monitor the nutrition of the people. Joint reports by these agencies on preventable diseases state that by the year 2020, these diseases of under-nutrition will account for 89% of the world’s deaths.
If Codex is the world food standard, and these diseases are preventable, if Codex supports and monitors the nutritional systems of the world as its first mandate is health, then why does it pass these disastrous guidelines? For instance, all cows used for dairy must be treated with Monsanto bovine growth hormone. Why? Because the basic thrust is that as many people as possible must be sick, have no access to natural remedies (another Codex activity) and have only pharmaceutical options available to them as they suffer and die from these degenerative diseases.
Healthy people who eat healthy food do not become sick as often as people who eat adulterated and degraded food; therefore, they are bad customers for the pharmaceutical industries. Codex was created out of a pharmaceutical initiative. Codex is about degrading the world food supply so that people can become ill and support the illness-care industry. The illness-care industry profits from the sickness of people who eat degraded food.
Codex is like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland where everything on the table is toxic. As Rolf Grosklaus said, when chairing the Codex committee on food for special dietary uses, “Codex is about trade. It would be nice if it could offer health. It is about trade, and that is the bottom line.
”
Julia: Please explain Codex’s role with vitamins, minerals and supplements.
Dr. Rima: We can avoid pasta or cookies or other prepared foods, because there is no way of knowing how much irradiation the ingredients have been subjected to or how much GMO product is in it. If it contains soy, corn, corn oil, fructose, or canola oil, then it has GMO. If you don’t buy organic or cook your own food, then you are asking to be toxic. NEVER eat fast food or frozen dinners.
FDA research and other research have consistently shown that if consumers know that food is genetically modified, then they will reject it. The FDA feels that this is an error, so therefore in order to prevent the consumer from making the wrong choice, the FDA believes that truthful labeling would be false and misleading. It is tremendously important to avoid the prepared food supply.
If you don’t think it makes a difference, then look at this study. Children were fed a regular diet, but for five days with organic pasta and organic vegetables. The pesticide residue in the bodies of those children, who are much more susceptible to pesticides and harmful chemicals, was undetectable within the five days of organic diet.
We can take control of our health. We can find out who provides organic food and buy that food. We can take supplements. We can get rid of the poisons. We can take high potency nutrients.
Julia: What can we do about our food and nutrition?
Dr. Rima: The individual has a great deal of power and freedom if s/he would only see it. People can activate themselves. Every voice counts. When the powers that be have the spotlight of public attention turned on them, and when people start protesting, and countries start feeling the wrath of their consumers, public policy changes, and these forces that come against us, back off, every single time.
Donations are essential. The other side has more money than God. We have no corporate support. We have only the support of the people who believe that this is their battle. We need people to volunteer and to organize locally. It has been buried under absolute silence. National Public Radio has a corporate policy of absolute silence, of never mentioning Codex.
We meet with the press and Codex representatives. We meet with heads of state and consumer representatives. We take the story to other countries and teach them about the 2 step Codex, as well protecting their food and their people. Because we have no sponsor or corporate support, they listen. We give away all of our information freely. We give scientific dossiers on the issues.
The natural solutions foundation (our organization) is also suing the FDA.
There is a legal action called a citizen’s petition which people can join by going to our website: www. healthfreedomusa. org and signing the petition. It would be nice if they would get everyone that they know to sign it too. We have over 100,000 people who have signed saying to the FDA it is illegal three times over to harmonize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients under Codex standards.
You can also go to www. healthfreedomusa. org, take the political action steps and make a donation. Spread this information to friends and colleagues. If they are health professionals, therapists, or healers, they need to make sure that every one of their patients and suppliers knows about this. A lecture called Nutricide is on the website. People can watch that lecture, buy the DVD and show it at their churches, practice and schools.
Becoming active is incredibly important. Let’s get everyone up on their feet and roaring.
1. Remark made by the Dr.
Rath Health Foundation, www4. dr-rath-foundation. org Rima E. Laibow, M.D. is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1970) who believes passionately in the right of Americans to choose their own health paths. She has practiced drug-free, natural medicine for 35 years by seeking the underlying cause of every illness and ailment and treating that root cause.
She believes in using nutrients and other natural options to find, define and treat the problems which underlie degenerative, chronic diseases and poor aging while supporting the immune and other crucial systems. She has enjoyed remarkable success with a wide assortment of cataclysmic problems.
More information: www. healthfreedomusa. org
Laibow
In 2004, Dr.
Rima Laibow left her successful medical practice to battle Codex Alimentarius, (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp) an international legal organization that controls food legislation. Codex’s legislation limits supplements, allows pesticides and GMOs, and irradiates all foods that come into the United States. In this interview, she explains Codex’s agenda, the value of nutrition and changing the future.
Julia: You have to be incredibly devoted to your cause.
What awakened this passion?
Dr. Rima: I had watched Codex by reading the text and observing their process for about 10 years. Although it is invisible, it is not secret. Codex was clearly poisoning the world food supply; it was also increasing its pace, intensity and scope at an accelerated pace. I could not remain silent. In my ethical system, if an evil is being perpetrated and you do nothing, then you become a perpetrator.
At that time, I healed people through natural non-toxic means including diet, dietary supplements, detoxification and other profound technologies. I did not use drugs in my practice, either psychiatry or medicine. I finally decided that I could no longer sit at my desk, with my nice life and a nice practice, while having the joy of curing one person at a time, when I knew that a cataclysm was heading for the world.
So in December of 2004, my husband, General Stubblebine, a two-star general, and I closed the practice within three weeks to take on this global evil. We want to turn it into an opportunity, as the chaotic birthing matrix of the new paradigm of the pro-health, clean unadulterated food, high-potency nutrient approach to staying well or getting well. That is what we believe can come out of the tremendous assault on our health and health freedoms.
Julia: What is Codex Alimentarius? Who are the corporations behind it and how real is the risk?
Dr. Rima: Codex is a United Nations program that is run and administered by the Food and Agricultural Commission (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is allegedly a food standard organization for international trade of food which has three mandates: (1) to protect health of consumers; (2) to facilitate the free trade of food; (3) to standardize the environmental regulations for governmental and non-governmental organizations. In fact, Codex is a playground for the multi-national corporations which are interested in food and health. The five constituents that benefit from Codex are: big Pharma, big Bio-Techna, big-Chema, big Medica, and big Agra biz.
Behind that, it is about illness. The United States, shamefully, is the driver of this five engine juggernaut. The United States is the bully, the dominant dog in Codex. Whatever the United States wants, it has achieved.
Julia: Why was Codex created initially? What is its purpose?
Dr. Rima: Codex is a pharmaceutical initiative that stems from the German death camps. Its history is quite interesting. The system employed in the German death camps was created and implemented by I. G. Farben (Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie, also called I.G. Farbenfabriken). I. G. Farben was a German conglomerate of companies during World War II, the great Nazi combine that included pharmaceuticals, chemicals, munitions, mining and other heavy industries all combined under a single directorship.
The over-manager of I. G. Farben, Fritz ter Meer, and twenty-six other I. G. Farben employees were deeply involved in what the Germans called “the killing of useless eaters” or people who had lives not worth living. They provided the chemicals that were injected into the hearts of death camp prisoners, as well as having manufactured the gas, Zyklon B, used to kill them.
After World War II, they were incarcerated for four years by the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. While imprisoned, Fritz ter Meer hypothesized that food was the answer to gaining world power. He concluded that “he who controls food, can control the world.” He later became the head of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and he called together the executives of former I. G. Farben, suggesting a letter to urge the United Nations take over the regulation of world food. Fifteen years after they were convicted in the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, this actually happened. In 1962, the Codex Alimentarius Commission was formed.
Fritz ter Meer, Bayer, BASF and Hoechst again became the main designers of the schemes that would profit from human suffering. The deceptive title “Codex Alimentarius” is no accident. It was devised by the same companies and indeed the same individuals, who gave the Auschwitz concentration camp inmates the deceptive slogan “Arbeit mach frei” (“Work makes you free”).
1
In 1963, as a result of this, standards and guidelines began to be promulgated for everything that goes into your mouth: milk, food, oil, nuts, water, vitamins, or minerals. If it goes into your mouth, then there is a standard for it.
No one paid any attention until 1994 when the World Trade Organization was created. The World Trade Organization was given the power to levy trade sanctions to countries that were creating a barrier to trade. Codex then applied to be the standard system by which food disputes were settled between nations. The World Trade Organization has three times rejected Codex and said there are other standards and organization. The best standard is science.
Julia: If Codex is an international organization, then how are we affected?
Dr. Rima: Codex is about international trade, but all countries are encouraged to adopt the Codex regulations as their domestic law, which means poisoning food doesn’t just affect the international trade but all foods grown in your own country. This set of standards will affect the health of everyone in the United States; it is not just nutrients and supplements, but all food…everything that goes into your mouth.
The United States is currently building 200 radiation plants to irradiate every bite of food that we eat. The American food supply is laced with genetically modified foods. In July of 2007, the Codex committee on pesticides brought back seven of the nine deadliest known pesticides in the world because this sells more for the pesticide companies.
Food cannot be kept out of the border because it contains deadly amounts of the pesticides. This will have tremendous impact on fetus, children, adults and early, unnecessary death through chronic and degenerative disease. The literature and the clinical understanding of the damage that these chemicals do to us and the environment are very clear. Codex is not interested in this.
People say, “I will just grow my own food.” The answer is No! The United States plans to implement Codex so that a number will be necessary to grow your own tomatoes or chives. This number obligates you to follow the Codex regulations in any food that you grow. Even your own food will be contaminated or illegal.
Julia: What will be the result of under-nutrition?
Dr. Rima: Mandating global under-nutrition will kill 3.5 billion people within the next 20-25 years through the preventable non-communicable diseases of nutrition, defined by the World Health Organization as cancer, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. These are the leading killers in the United States and other developing countries. The estimated number of people who will die because of the under-nutrition mandate passed in 2005 comes from the WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and other national organizations who monitor the nutrition of the people. Joint reports by these agencies on preventable diseases state that by the year 2020, these diseases of under-nutrition will account for 89% of the world’s deaths.
If Codex is the world food standard, and these diseases are preventable, if Codex supports and monitors the nutritional systems of the world as its first mandate is health, then why does it pass these disastrous guidelines? For instance, all cows used for dairy must be treated with Monsanto bovine growth hormone. Why? Because the basic thrust is that as many people as possible must be sick, have no access to natural remedies (another Codex activity) and have only pharmaceutical options available to them as they suffer and die from these degenerative diseases.
Healthy people who eat healthy food do not become sick as often as people who eat adulterated and degraded food; therefore, they are bad customers for the pharmaceutical industries. Codex was created out of a pharmaceutical initiative. Codex is about degrading the world food supply so that people can become ill and support the illness-care industry. The illness-care industry profits from the sickness of people who eat degraded food.
Codex is like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland where everything on the table is toxic. As Rolf Grosklaus said, when chairing the Codex committee on food for special dietary uses, “Codex is about trade. It would be nice if it could offer health. It is about trade, and that is the bottom line.
”
Julia: Please explain Codex’s role with vitamins, minerals and supplements.
Dr. Rima: We can avoid pasta or cookies or other prepared foods, because there is no way of knowing how much irradiation the ingredients have been subjected to or how much GMO product is in it. If it contains soy, corn, corn oil, fructose, or canola oil, then it has GMO. If you don’t buy organic or cook your own food, then you are asking to be toxic. NEVER eat fast food or frozen dinners.
FDA research and other research have consistently shown that if consumers know that food is genetically modified, then they will reject it. The FDA feels that this is an error, so therefore in order to prevent the consumer from making the wrong choice, the FDA believes that truthful labeling would be false and misleading. It is tremendously important to avoid the prepared food supply.
If you don’t think it makes a difference, then look at this study. Children were fed a regular diet, but for five days with organic pasta and organic vegetables. The pesticide residue in the bodies of those children, who are much more susceptible to pesticides and harmful chemicals, was undetectable within the five days of organic diet.
We can take control of our health. We can find out who provides organic food and buy that food. We can take supplements. We can get rid of the poisons. We can take high potency nutrients.
Julia: What can we do about our food and nutrition?
Dr. Rima: The individual has a great deal of power and freedom if s/he would only see it. People can activate themselves. Every voice counts. When the powers that be have the spotlight of public attention turned on them, and when people start protesting, and countries start feeling the wrath of their consumers, public policy changes, and these forces that come against us, back off, every single time.
Donations are essential. The other side has more money than God. We have no corporate support. We have only the support of the people who believe that this is their battle. We need people to volunteer and to organize locally. It has been buried under absolute silence. National Public Radio has a corporate policy of absolute silence, of never mentioning Codex.
We meet with the press and Codex representatives. We meet with heads of state and consumer representatives. We take the story to other countries and teach them about the 2 step Codex, as well protecting their food and their people. Because we have no sponsor or corporate support, they listen. We give away all of our information freely. We give scientific dossiers on the issues.
The natural solutions foundation (our organization) is also suing the FDA.
There is a legal action called a citizen’s petition which people can join by going to our website: www. healthfreedomusa. org and signing the petition. It would be nice if they would get everyone that they know to sign it too. We have over 100,000 people who have signed saying to the FDA it is illegal three times over to harmonize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients under Codex standards.
You can also go to www. healthfreedomusa. org, take the political action steps and make a donation. Spread this information to friends and colleagues. If they are health professionals, therapists, or healers, they need to make sure that every one of their patients and suppliers knows about this. A lecture called Nutricide is on the website. People can watch that lecture, buy the DVD and show it at their churches, practice and schools.
Becoming active is incredibly important. Let’s get everyone up on their feet and roaring.
1. Remark made by the Dr.
Rath Health Foundation, www4. dr-rath-foundation. org Rima E. Laibow, M.D. is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1970) who believes passionately in the right of Americans to choose their own health paths. She has practiced drug-free, natural medicine for 35 years by seeking the underlying cause of every illness and ailment and treating that root cause.
She believes in using nutrients and other natural options to find, define and treat the problems which underlie degenerative, chronic diseases and poor aging while supporting the immune and other crucial systems. She has enjoyed remarkable success with a wide assortment of cataclysmic problems.
More information: www. healthfreedomusa. org
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