Chemical Detox and Spirituality-How Advertising Fools Us
What has television told us about our "needs" and how is this affecting our health -and ultimately our spiritual well being? There is no doubt that television advertising along with radio and even billboards along the highway have plenty of information that they want to get across to us. Even a visit to the doctor not only has magazines filled with adds that tell us what medications to ask for, now many of them have television sets set to a channel filled with"health information". What are some of the strong messages we are being told? There are many products we are told we NEED in order to be healthy and even relaxed when in fact these products are breaking down our bodies and sick bodies rarely provide a good temple for healthy spiritual growth. Let's take a look at a few of the facts about some of these products being advertised.
How many of us have seen adds for various toothpastes that can"whiten and brighten our smiles. They even have kits now to help whiten teeth in seven to fourteen days. Without even delving in to what is in our tap water, bottled water is now being marketed to children with happy colors that spell out, "extra flouride added" to make parents think this is a good thing for their children's teeth and bones. Here are some facts about flouride. Flouride is a byproduct of the aluminum and fertilizer industries. It is a component of nerve gas, and it causes flourosis of the teeth which means chalky white patches that make your teeth brown and brittle. The flouride in drinking water and toothpaste causes damage to the central nervous system and may cause some cancers. Dr. William Hirzy, with the national Federation of Federal Employees (neuro toxic Division) states, "studies show a causal link between flouride/flouridation and cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment and bone pathology. Of particular concern are recent epidemiology studies linking flouride exposures to lower I.Q. in children."
But white teeth are not the only thing we as Americans have been told we need to have shiny and new! Clothing and linens are also advertised in every way as needing to be bright and white! Just watch daytime television any weekday and the detergent adds will overwhelm you. Go down the grocery store aisle and there are so many brands of laundry detergent it is blinding. Not to mention fabric softeners for both the washing machine and the dryer. The truth is our bodies are time-released chemical patches. Our skin absorbs the chemicals left on our clothes from washing them. Laundry detergents and softeners are filled with chemicals. Here is an experiment I learned from a friend who recovered from cancer by changing her diet along with everything else. Take one wash of clothing to a front load machine in a laundromat. Don't add anything but your clothes to the machine. Let it run it's course. Watch the door when the machine spins. You will see soap. That soap will be there even though we all think our washers and dryers have gotten it all out! It is there and our skin is absorbing those chemicals.
Although the list could go on to include things like hair dye to nitrates in pork products and even the danger of plastic and plastic diapers we will look at one more example and then summarize how this topic affects us spiritually. I would like to take a quick look at some common foods that most the United States uses everyday and explain what is hazardous to our health as a result of eating them. To start with, remember the "Happy Cows" we see on TV in California? Well the truth is those cows in California are raised in factory farms just like any other cows. When a lawsuit was brought against the farming industry by PETA about these adds it was determined that since they are a part of the government agencies of California these factory farms were exempt from prosecution for "lying to the public about the "Happy Cows". (See GoVegan.com) Cow's milk and anything made from it is filled with bovine growth hormone (which causes young girls to develop years before they should among a list of other things). Antibiotics used excessively in livestock which are causing us to become immune to antibiotics that used to kill simple bacteria and consequently are giving rise to super-bugs that are anti-biotic resistant. Soy, most of which has been genetically enhanced and contains far to much protein than it should is causing allergies. Peanut mold found in the shells of peanuts clings to the nut and is then used in peanut butter among other products is a strong allergen. Wheat gluten which makes the blood sticky and is being found to not only cause intestinal issues but now may be responsible for the overwhelming amount of fibromyalgia that has recently developed and contributes to heart and heart related disorders. Wheat gluten is in almost every bred and pasta product on the market and is also found in vegetarian burgers. Caffeine, and sugar products which most of us know is unhealthy causing stress on liver, kidney and adrenal glands.
So, how do these things affect us spiritually. We all know that a healthy body helps create a healthy mind. We are learning from teachers such as Abraham-Hicks, Neale Walsh, the Secret and the yogis have been saying it for thousand and thousands of years that we must get control of our thoughts..we must move them in a positive direction. When you body is reacting to chemicals and preservatives that do not belong in it there are symptoms. some of these include:
being easily frustrated, inability to focus, short attention span, sudden angry outbursts, mood swings, unable to sit still, constant nasal congestion, migraines, sleep disorders, nightmares, fatigue, stomach aches ringing in the ears (tinnitus), not to mention the bigger diseases like cancer, heart attacks and so on.
How do we get our bodies still and our mind's quiet when all this is going on because of what we are taking into them through food as well as our water and other ways chemicals can be ingested? One can work form the inside out or from the outside in...In other words, keep doing your spiritual practices and at the same time start working on your diet. Become a label reader. Look for hidden chemicals in food. If it says "high fructose corn syrup" it is sugar. Natural flavorings is also a way to disguise MSG and a load of other preservatives. Then slowly move away from heavy laundry detergents. I use white vinegar instead of laundry soaps. It is wonderful and leaves clothes looking fantastic. In no time at all your body starts to cooperate better in meditation, aches and pains you thought were age begin to clear up and a new sort of joy creeps into your life. This is spiritual living in action..or as the yogis might say..a branch of karma yoga.
