Originally published January 23 2014
Four healthy reasons to be optimistic in 2014
by Scott Morefield
(NaturalNews) At times, the road to waking the world up to a paradigm of natural health can be a rocky one indeed. After all, Big Medical and Big Pharma seem to have all the resources at their disposal and every motive to crush any notion of a non-profitable solution to the problem of chronic disease in our society, a problem which continues to worsen, ironically, as our knowledge of medicine has supposedly improved. Oftentimes it's easy to get discouraged in the face of defeat after defeat, forgetting the small victories that add up over the long haul. So, let's review a few recent victories, victories that show that our cause is gaining more traction than we might think.
Here are four reasons to feel optimistic going into 2014!
1.) General Mills stops peeing in our Cheerios
Indeed, it is true - bowing to pressure from activist and consumer groups, General Mills has made the decision to source only non-GMO ingredients. Spokesman Mike Siemienas, while mentioning the decision was made "many weeks" ago, also wrote, "We do value our Cheerios fans and we do listen to their thoughts and suggestions." This is especially good news, not only because Cheerios are one of the first solid foods given to many toddlers, but also because it demonstrates the power of positive public pressure, as the group Green America had made the decision to specifically pressure General Mills to remove GMOs from Cheerios a year ago. Clearly, it worked!
2.) The FDA finally bans trans fats
We've known for years that trans fats kill. Finally, the FDA has chosen to do something about it, recommending that foods containing partially hydrogenated oils be classified as "not generally recognized as safe." While the comment period has been extended to March 8, 2014, it looks as if US food makers will no longer be allowed to knowingly include these dangerous ingredients in our food supply.
3.) Maine and Connecticut pass GMO labeling laws - more to follow?
Undaunted by the narrow defeat of Proposition 37 in California, GMO labeling advocates pressed on in 2013 to victories in Maine and Connecticut. Other proposals are under consideration in 26 more states. While not on the books yet (the laws depend on other neighboring states to follow suit), the Grocery Manufacturers Association is already looking for relief at the federal level, authoring legislation that would supersede the states and make all GMO labeling voluntary. Whether or not they succeed, the GMO cat is definitely out of the bag and in the public eye now more than ever before.
4.) Fluoride is on the run!
In city after city, town after town, the fluoride debate is heating up. Here's one humorous but notable example. Quoting a 2012 landmark Harvard study that proves the negative effect of fluoride on children's IQ, the Kansas Republican Assembly voted to ask the city of Topeka to turn off the city's fluoride valve while legislators are in session in order to protect them from the potential loss of IQ. This story brings two things to light: 1.) removing fluoride and keeping it out of water supplies is increasingly becoming a legitimate issue, and 2.) anything we can do to improve the IQ of politicians is a noble thing indeed. Perhaps our next focus should be on removing the fluoride from Washington!
As in any societal paradigm shift, those who take the long view of history are destined to win in the end. This war won't be won by winning one giant battle, but rather by gritting out 10 thousand small ones, one person, one community, one city, one state at a time. May we all do our part!
Sources for this article include:
http://www.usatoday.com
http://msue.anr.msu.edu
http://www.foxnews.com
http://news.nationalgeographic.com
http://rt.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu
About the author:
Scott and his wife, Kim, live in East Tennessee with their four small children, all of whom make excellent fodder for their blog A Morefield Life (connect with them on Facebook and Twitter), where they also write about marriage, parenting, nutrition & recipes, healthy lifestyle, homesteading, and many other topics. In addition to Natural News, Scott's articles have appeared on WorldNetDaily, A Biblical Marriage, The Liberty Crier, Infowars, The Daily Sheeple, and many other websites.
Scott and his wife, Kim, live in East Tennessee with their four small children, all of whom make excellent fodder for their blog A Morefield Life (connect with them on Facebook and Twitter), where they also write about marriage, parenting, nutrition & recipes, healthy lifestyle, homesteading, and many other topics. In addition to Natural News, Scott's articles have appeared on WorldNetDaily, A Biblical Marriage, The Liberty Crier, Infowars, The Daily Sheeple, and many other websites.
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