Longing for purity (was Detox Ideas (from concrete etc))

[Guest guest]

Funny you should mention that longing for purity.

Recently, I keep finding myself wondering whether many of our modern

illnesses might not be related to our tendency to try to

eliminate " bugs " from our food and environment.

I'm talking about eliminating insects/weeds from our lawns and

gardens--to the extent that we faithfully spray them with poisons

every year. This is a big spray time around here.

I'm also talking about our tendency as Americans to want our food to

be sterile so it will be " safe " . Did you all read about what they're

doing in California? I don't have the link, but I read an article

recently about some law (I think) they're preparing to pass to

require traceability to the producers of fruits and veggies. Then

there's the move towards traceability for producers of cattle. (Some

producers say they will quit if such measures pass.) I hate to even

mention the food irradiation proposals that are on the agendas of the

lawmakers.

I'm also talking about pasteurized milk, industrially processed

hydrogenated oils, pure sugar, pure salt, and refined junk food with

a shelf life of *years*.

On the other hand, there was that article in the last week or so,

that reported on research where they said that if you were on

antibiotics, you should eat more raw fruits and veggies. They said

they were beneficial because of the antioxidants, but IMHO it would

be beneficial more due to the natural presence of lactobacteria,

which could then repopulate the gut. (Just don't sterilize the

surface of the fruits and veggies before you eat them!)

The emphasis on " purity " sounds like a slippery slope to me. It

seems to me that the more processed and sterile the food we eat, the

poorer our health is, and the more we will be dependent on doctors,

lawyers, medications, and supplements. Can anybody follow the money

here? In the meantime, what is going to happen to the small

producers of organic food, who are more likely to use compost for

fertilizer? If compost piles are not allowed within a certain

distance of row crops, I guess we're just supposed to rack up more

expense in trucking compost in and out of the area...!?

I expressed an interest in having a backyard garden. DD perked up

and said that we could then sell things at the local farmer's

market. But I understand that you have to be bonded to sell at the

local farmer's market here. Talk about gatekeeping!

On a rant,

--- In , Idol <Idol@c...>

wrote:

> There seems to be an element of human nature that hungers for

purity, but

> frankly the more I read the more I think that fasts and cleanses of

any

> real duration are the tragically misguided results of a

misapplication of

> that part of our nature. My advice to you is to step back and

think long

> and hard about why you're really attracted to harsh purges like

these.

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