The Reda Naturals blog will be posting articles on the different benefits that certain foods and herbs have on the body and the soul in order to promote a healthy diet.
Our primary source for both the scientific evidence as well as the evidence from Prophetic Medicine (Islamic medicine) comes from the book Encyclopedia of Islamic Herbal Medicine by John Andrew Morrow, PhD, which you can find on Amazon.
Let’s start with the scientific research on lentils.
Morrow lists two scientific studies which examined whether or not lentils had an affect on reducing risk for cancer.
The first study, by Howard University College of Medicine, was a case-control study of 186 men and women. The study concluded that legumes such as lentils was “negatively associated with risk of colorectal cancer.”
Morrow elaborates on the study’s findings: “Lentils are a good source of dietary fiber and of phytochemical compounds that may play a role in reducing adenoma formation or growth, hence also decreasing the risk of colorectal cancer. Since African Americans are at greater risk for developing colorectal cancer, researches encouraged nurses working with African Americans to encourage consumptions of legumes in order to decrease this risk.”
Another study on lentils and cancer came from the Harvard School of Public Health. For 8 years they followed 90,630 women between the ages of 26 and 46 in order to determine if dietary flavinols reduce breast cancer. Oddly, beans and lentils, which are high in flavinols, had “a significant inverse association” when it came to breast cancer. However, other major sources of flavinols did not yield such promising results for reducing risk of breast cancer. Therefore, further research and evaluation needs to be done on beans and lentils to see if they reduce risk of breast cancer, and for what reason aside from flavinols.
On the spiritual side, lentils are fantastic for softening the heart, reducing arrogance, instilling greater compassion in a person, and ultimately bringing them closer to God.
A narration from the Prophet Muhammad says that “Eating lentils fills the heart with love, washes the eyes of tears, and takes away pride (arrogance).” He is also reported to have said that lentils “soften the heart.”
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq, a great-great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, said that “Lentil porridge removes thirst, strengthens the stomach, contains the cure for seventy diseases, extinguishes the yellow [bile], and cools down the inside.”
When it comes to safeguarding our general health as well as being a great tool for us to become more compassionate people, lentils are a great addition to our diet.
Chances are that after spending $80-$100 on Patagonia, the mostonly sustainable clothing brand on earth that you can buy from to avoid poisoning yourself and the environment from the highly dangerous pesticides used on cotton or the additives used in polyester, you realize that the cost of organic cotton fabric, hemp fabric, recycled polyester (without harmful additives), all made with workers paid a decent living wage, still really doesn’t justify their high price.
Then, just the moment you wish you could find a company that provides natural, eco-friendly fabrics that fairly compensates the workers all at an affordable price, a friend of yours comes along and refers to Patagonia as Patagucci. Your heart sinks. You realize that the iconic brand that prides itself on altruism might fall short of altruism.
Perhaps they are not much different than the conglomerates they seek to be different from, you may wonder, and perhaps you paid the extra premium price just to have that brand name tag that shows you can afford to stick it boldly into the faces of other people about how much you care about the environment.
“Performing actions in secret is better than performing them publicly, except for the one who wishes to set an example.” – Prophet Muhammad (Kanz al-‘Ummal, no. 5273; Mizan ul-Hikmah page no. 851)
We should all strive to leave a merciful footprint on this earth. All what we do and consume should be with the intention to do the least amount of harm. We shouldn’t consume without thinking or asking questions such as where does this come from or how was it made. If enough of us did this, then companies would not get away with putting harmful chemicals in our food, household cleaners, personal care products, and even the clothes we wear. However, to truly do good, it must be coupled with good morals, mannerisms, and attitudes. Showing off is not a virtue.
Whereas Gucci becomes a status symbol for affluent people to show off their wealth, brands like Patagonia have the potential to be used as a status symbol for affluent liberal social democrats to show off their environmentalist street cred, despite the fact that Patagonia’s top employees made friends with Barack Obama, who at the time was Monsanto’s man in the White House and who did just as much to protect polluting corporations as his Republican counterparts.
Patagonia prides itself on pumping millions of dollars into social activism, yet coddles with powerful politicians who only put on the face of environmentalism while continuing the political and regulatory onslaught against organic farming. Which begs the question: does wearing the Patagonia badge on a $100 shirt really represent principled environmentalism (do good), or the illusion of being one (feel good)?
Luckily, there is an alternative brand that offers organic cotton and hemp/flax linen clothing at a far more affordable price, has a brandless design style (so that not only is your environmental impact modest, but your moral impact is too by not having a brand name to showcase), and does not donate to controversial social causes that are unrelated to the environment, ones that many environmentalists might disagree with, such as Patagonia’s support for Planned Parenthood and other population control initiatives.
That brand is called MUJI.
MUJI Ryohin Keikaku, or just simply MUJI, is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of clothing and household items based on the Japanese philosophy of minimalism, recycling, reducing production waste, and of course a no-brand/brandless design philosophy. The name MUJI is derived from Mujirushi Ryōhin, which in Japanese means No-Brand Quality Goods.
Aside from their branches throughout Japan, they have several retail branches in the U.S. in addition to online direct sales.
According to Quartz’s sustainability report on MUJI, the company’s philosophy is what drives its sustainability by de facto. “Counter to the methods of fast fashion, MUJI’s production cycle is slow and purposeful. Instead of outsourcing to the known conglomerate of sweatshops, MUJI has invested in an eco-friendly dyeing and sewing plant in Cambodia and sources products from Kenya and Kyrgyzstan, abiding by sustainability principles set by the UN’s Business Call to Action.”
As of the time of this writing, the majority if not the totality of all MUJI products made with cotton use certified organic cotton. Additionally, many Spring season clothing lines are made with breathable, durable linen (made of either flax or hemp – the Kanji symbol used on their tags is 麻 or “asa,” which means hemp as the Kanji for flax 亜麻, or “ama” is similar in that it has a shared character but the flax Kanji is not used, so it is most likely 100% hemp).
MUJI has a lot of eastern style clothing as well. For those familiar with the “stand collar,” it is similar to the type of shirts worn by Kung Fu martial artists or by Middle Eastern Islamic mystics. The stand collar portrays the virtue of humility on the person who wears it more so than the conventional Western collar style. There are probably many clothing stores that sell clothing inspired by the Chinese/Japanese/Iranian style stand collar, but are likely made out of polyester or conventional cotton. Those who are fans of the stand collar can buy certified organic stand collar shirts from MUJI and not only have it reflect our own personal levels of humility, but its environmental impact reflects a humble footprint on this earth.
How does the pricing compare to Patagucci?
Let’s compare a simple men’s button down collared shirt.
On Patagonia, a simple long sleeve button shirt – the Vjosa River Puma shirt (organic cotton) – goes for $79 normal price.
On MUJI, a simple long sleeve button shirt – the Cotton Washed Gingham shirt (organic cotton) – goes for $29.90 normal price, currently $24.90 sale price at the time of writing this article.
That is a whopping $54.10 difference in price! You can buy two shirts from MUJI and still have $4 left over to spend on some healthy organic food.
The difference between Patagonia and MUJI is like the difference between Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. For the latter, both offer healthy, natural foods with plenty of certified organic options, but one charges you an arm and a leg (and then some!), and the other is affordable for those on a lower income. Many people who first discover the health dangers that conventional fabrics pose in addition to the environmental impact, might first jump to Patagonia in the same way they ran to Whole Foods when they first discovered how Monsanto controls the FDA and deems their pesticides “safe” in highly corrupt approval procedures, only to later find out that they can get the same foods from Trader Joe’s at a reasonable price. MUJI is the same oasis for your wallet in the clothing department as Trader Joe’s was for your food budget.
For the Muslim women reading this article, MUJI also has a big selection of long-sleeved, long-length, loose fitting organic cotton modest dresses at relatively affordable prices. This is refreshing as many Muslim women have to get polyester and other synthetic dresses in order to adhere to modest virtues (the hyperlink in the first paragraph addresses the long-term health risks of the chemicals used in synthetic fibers).
To our knowledge, MUJI does not fund controversial initiatives like abortion.
I have personally read Yvon Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing from front to back. In the book, he contradicts himself on the issue of overpopulation. On one hand, he says that it is not fair to blame environmental problems on poor countries with high birthrates. He is right. Wealthy nations consume the majority of the world’s resources and do so completely disproportionate to their population size. Additionally, these developed countries often have low birthrates. The root issue are flawed economic systems that benefit multinational corporations, putting the world’s resources in the hands of a few, which allows them to create artificial scarcity and keep entire nations in poverty, as well as the consumerist culture pushed within these various countries which encourages people to consume far more than what they need, while those in poor countries mostly consume what they need and not much more. The real problem isn’t the population size.
Yet, despite this reality that Chouinard concedes to, he still thinks that population reduction is a solution to environmental problems and vociferously defends Patagonia’s decision to finance abortions via Planned Parenthood. Regardless of what you think of this controversial issue, in practical terms it would be better for Patagonia to remain neutral on this issue as far as their donations to social causes is concerned, as it is clearly unrelated to saving the environment, so that they do not drive away people who may oppose this issue. They could personally and morally support the issue, but taking customer’s money and donating it to divisive and controversial causes pushes customers away and forces customers to prioritize their values, perhaps driving an entire bloc of customers to prioritizing their pro-life values and thus buying clothes from unsustainable companies, in a sense taking away from Patagonia’s mission by giving more business to their eco-unfriendly competitors. Had they remained neutral, they would have a wider customer base which would have positive reverberations on the environment.
For those who are forced to prioritize their morals and principles, MUJI presents a great alternative for environmentalists who may disagree with some of Patagonia’s corporate donations to social causes.
MUJI carries men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing in certified organic cotton at an affordable price. No longer do we have to break the bank to wear clothes that do not harm our health nor our planet.
Chances are that after spending $80-$100 on Patagonia, the mostonly sustainable clothing brand on earth that you can buy from to avoid poisoning yourself and the environment from the highly dangerous pesticides used on cotton or the additives used in polyester, you realize that the cost of organic cotton fabric, hemp fabric, recycled polyester (without harmful additives), all made with workers paid a decent living wage, still really doesn’t justify their high price.
Then, just the moment you wish you could find a company that provides natural, eco-friendly fabrics that fairly compensates the workers all at an affordable price, a friend of yours comes along and refers to Patagonia as Patagucci. Your heart sinks. You realize that the iconic brand that prides itself on altruism might fall short of altruism.
Perhaps they are not much different than the conglomerates they seek to be different from, you may wonder, and perhaps you paid the extra premium price just to have that brand name tag that shows you can afford to stick it boldly into the faces of other people about how much you care about the environment.
“Performing actions in secret is better than performing them publicly, except for the one who wishes to set an example.”
We should all strive to leave a merciful footprint on this earth. All what we do and consume should be with the intention to do the least amount of harm. We shouldn’t consume without thinking or asking questions such as where does this come from or how was it made. If enough of us did this, then companies would not get away with putting harmful chemicals in our food, household cleaners, personal care products, and even the clothes we wear. However, to truly do good, it must be coupled with good morals, mannerisms, and attitudes. Showing off is not a virtue.
Whereas Gucci becomes a status symbol for affluent people to show off their wealth, brands like Patagonia have the potential to be used as a status symbol for affluent liberal social democrats to show off their environmentalist street cred, despite the fact that Patagonia’s top employees made friends with Barack Obama, who at the time was Monsanto’s man in the White House and who did just as much to protect polluting corporations as his Republican counterparts.
Patagonia prides itself on pumping millions of dollars into social activism, yet coddles with powerful politicians who only put on the face of environmentalism while continuing the political and regulatory onslaught against organic farming. Which begs the question: does wearing the Patagonia badge on a $100 shirt really represent principled environmentalism (do good), or the illusion of being one (feel good)?
Luckily, there is an alternative brand that offers organic cotton and hemp/flax linen clothing at a far more affordable price, has a brandless design style (so that not only is your environmental impact modest, but your moral impact is too by not having a brand name to showcase), and does not donate to controversial social causes that are unrelated to the environment, ones that many environmentalists might disagree with, such as Patagonia’s support for Planned Parenthood and other population control initiatives.
That brand is called MUJI.
MUJI Ryohin Keikaku, or just simply MUJI, is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of clothing and household items based on the Japanese philosophy of minimalism, recycling, reducing production waste, and of course a no-brand/brandless design philosophy. The name MUJI is derived from Mujirushi Ryōhin, which in Japanese means No-Brand Quality Goods.
Aside from their branches throughout Japan, they have several retail branches in the U.S. in addition to online direct sales.
According to Quartz’s sustainability report on MUJI, the company’s philosophy is what drives its sustainability by de facto. “Counter to the methods of fast fashion, MUJI’s production cycle is slow and purposeful. Instead of outsourcing to the known conglomerate of sweatshops, MUJI has invested in an eco-friendly dyeing and sewing plant in Cambodia and sources products from Kenya and Kyrgyzstan, abiding by sustainability principles set by the UN’s Business Call to Action.”
As of the time of this writing, the majority if not the totality of all MUJI products made with cotton use certified organic cotton. Additionally, many Spring season clothing lines are made with breathable, durable linen (made of either flax or hemp – the Kanji symbol used on their tags is 麻 or “asa,” which means hemp as the Kanji for flax 亜麻, or “ama” is similar in that it has a shared character but the flax Kanji is not used, so it is most likely 100% hemp).
MUJI has a lot of eastern style clothing as well. For those familiar with the “stand collar,” it is similar to the type of shirts worn by Kung Fu martial artists or by Middle Eastern Islamic mystics. The stand collar portrays the virtue of humility on the person who wears it more so than the conventional Western collar style. There are probably many clothing stores that sell clothing inspired by the Chinese/Japanese/Iranian style stand collar, but are likely made out of polyester or conventional cotton. Those who are fans of the stand collar can buy certified organic stand collar shirts from MUJI and not only have it reflect our own personal levels of humility, but its environmental impact reflects a humble footprint on this earth.
How does the pricing compare to Patagucci?
Let’s compare a simple men’s button down collared shirt.
On Patagonia, a simple long sleeve button shirt – the Vjosa River Puma shirt (organic cotton) – goes for $79 normal price.
On MUJI, a simple long sleeve button shirt – the Cotton Washed Gingham shirt (organic cotton) – goes for $29.90 normal price, currently $24.90 sale price at the time of writing this article.
That is a whopping $54.10 difference in price! You can buy two shirts from MUJI and still have $4 left over to spend on some healthy organic food.
The difference between Patagonia and MUJI is like the difference between Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. For the latter, both offer healthy, natural foods with plenty of certified organic options, but one charges you an arm and a leg (and then some!), and the other is affordable for those on a lower income. Many people who first discover the health dangers that conventional fabrics pose in addition to the environmental impact, might first jump to Patagonia in the same way they ran to Whole Foods when they first discovered how Monsanto controls the FDA and deems their pesticides “safe” in highly corrupt approval procedures, only to later find out that they can get the same foods from Trader Joe’s at a reasonable price. MUJI is the same oasis for your wallet in the clothing department as Trader Joe’s was for your food budget.
For the Muslim women reading this article, MUJI also has a big selection of long-sleeved, long-length, loose fitting organic cotton modest dresses at relatively affordable prices. This is refreshing as many Muslim women have to get polyester and other synthetic dresses in order to adhere to modest virtues (the hyperlink in the first paragraph addresses the long-term health risks of the chemicals used in synthetic fibers).
To our knowledge, MUJI does not fund controversial initiatives like abortion.
I have personally read Yvon Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing from front to back. In the book, he contradicts himself on the issue of overpopulation. On one hand, he says that it is not fair to blame environmental problems on poor countries with high birthrates. He is right. Wealthy nations consume the majority of the world’s resources and do so completely disproportionate to their population size. Additionally, these developed countries often have low birthrates. The root issue are flawed economic systems that benefit multinational corporations, putting the world’s resources in the hands of a few, which allows them to create artificial scarcity and keep entire nations in poverty, as well as the consumerist culture pushed within these various countries which encourages people to consume far more than what they need, while those in poor countries mostly consume what they need and not much more. The real problem isn’t the population size.
Yet, despite this reality that Chouinard concedes to, he still thinks that population reduction is a solution to environmental problems and vociferously defends Patagonia’s decision to finance abortions via Planned Parenthood. Regardless of what you think of this controversial issue, in practical terms it would be better for Patagonia to remain neutral on this issue as far as their donations to social causes is concerned, as it is clearly unrelated to saving the environment, so that they do not drive away people who may oppose this issue. They could personally and morally support the issue, but taking customer’s money and donating it to divisive and controversial causes pushes customers away and forces customers to prioritize their values, perhaps driving an entire bloc of customers to prioritizing their pro-life values and thus buying clothes from unsustainable companies, in a sense taking away from Patagonia’s mission by giving more business to their eco-unfriendly competitors. Had they remained neutral, they would have a wider customer base which would have positive reverberations on the environment.
For those who are forced to prioritize their morals and principles, MUJI presents a great alternative for environmentalists who may disagree with some of Patagonia’s corporate donations to social causes.
MUJI carries men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing in certified organic cotton at an affordable price. No longer do we have to break the bank to wear clothes that do not harm our health nor our planet.
A neuroscience PhD candidate explains what sugar does to your brain in this informative and entertaining educational video.
This video will make you rethink the leniency our society shows towards the overconsumption of sugar.
Standing on an elevator to head to this year’s Expo West natural products trade show, I was sharing the elevator ride with a family. The mother complained to her son that all the cologne he sprayed on himself was giving her a headache. The prime opportunity presented itself. I humbly asked the stricken lady “have you ever tried natural perfumes? Some people are allergic to all perfumes, but mostly it is synthetic perfumes that bother people so badly.” She said that she hadn’t. I suggested that she look online for some recipes and try making her own and see if it helps. We all got off at the ground floor and parted ways.
Fragrance allergies are common these days. WebMD has an article dedicated to understanding this phenomenon:
“Scent sells. So not only are there definitely more fragranced products in the world, the fragrances themselves are also more complex. And for many people, repeated exposures can bring about a constellation of symptoms,” says Tracie DeFreitas Saab, MS, a human factors consultant with the Job Accommodation Network at West Virginia University. DeFreitas frequently works with employers and employees on work environmental issues.
Those symptoms, she tells WebMD, can range from classic “allergic” reactions, such as sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes; to headaches, inability to concentrate, and dizziness; to respiratory issues, such as breathing difficulties and wheezing; to skin reactions, such as itching, hives, and other rashes.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), fragrances are considered the leading cause of cosmetic contact dermatitis. As a health problem, this sensitivity alone affects more than 2 million people, and studies suggest that sensitivity is on the rise.
I may be mistaken, but it is safe to say that most people get their perfumes from the mall or from the Axe spray aisle at Target. Needless to say, they are all made out of synthetic chemicals which are harmful to the human body in one way or another. These corporations do not care about human life and the ingredients they use are most often not properly tested for safety.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), in conjuncture with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, issued an eye-opening report entitled “Not So Sexy: Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne.”
“Widespread exposure and a long-standing culture of secrecy within the fragrance industry continue to put countless people at risk of contact sensitization to fragrances with poorly tested and intentionally unlabeled ingredients (Schnuch 2007),” the report stated.
Laboratory tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and analyzed by Environmental Working Group revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 name brand fragrance products, topped by American Eagle Seventy Seven with 24, Chanel Coco with 18, and Britney Spears Curious and Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio with 17.
The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label. Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.
What people are spraying themselves with, whether they get it from the mall or from Target, has not been properly tested for safety and is not even legally required to appear on the ingredients list on the perfume labels. “Also in the ranks of undisclosed ingredients,” the report continues, “are chemicals with troubling hazardous properties or with a propensity to accumulate in human tissues. These include diethyl phthalate, a chemical found in 97 percent of Americans (Silva 2004) and linked to sperm damage in human epidemiological studies (Swan 2008), and musk ketone, a synthetic fragrance ingredient that concentrates in human fat tissue and breast milk (Hutter 2009; Reiner 2007).”
The government has not even stepped up to the plate to do its basic job of environmental and consumer protection, which is not surprising, since industry lobbyists have weaseled their way into top positions at the FDA and EPA. “The federal government is equally uninformed. A review of government records shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not assessed the vast majority of these secret fragrance chemicals for safety when used in spray-on personal care products such as fragrances. Nor have most been evaluated by the safety review panel of the International Fragrance Association or any other publicly accountable institution.”
“Fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. By taking advantage of this loophole, the cosmetics industry has kept the public in the dark about the ingredients in fragrance, even those that present potential health risks or build up in people’s bodies. To make matters worse, FDA lacks the authority to require manufacturers to test cosmetics for safety, including fragranced products, before they are sold to consumers. As a result, people using perfume, cologne, body spray and other scented cosmetics like lotion and aftershave are unknowingly exposed to chemicals that may increase their risk for certain health problems.”
To me, these synthetic fragrances don’t even smell good. So why are we harming our bodies in order to douse ourselves with cheap, nasty smelling perfumes?
The cost is not worth it. “The Campaign commissioned a laboratory analysis of men’s and women’s fragrances as well as scented products marketed to teens of both genders; all products tested contained a range of ingredients associated with health concerns, such as allergic sensitization, and potential effects on the endocrine system or reproductive toxicity.”
While some people are allergic to all perfumes, synthetic or natural, it is clear that harmful chemicals in synthetic perfumes are the cause for a large portion of modern day fragrance allergies.
This not only affects us, but it affects babies in the womb.
When sprayed or applied on the skin, many chemicals from perfumes, cosmetics and personal care products are inhaled. Others are absorbed through the skin. Either way, many of these chemicals can accumulate in the body. As a result, the bodies of most Americans are polluted with multiple cosmetics ingredients. This pollution begins in the womb and continues through life.
A recent EWG study found Galaxolide and Tonalide, two synthetic musks, in the cord blood of newborn babies (EWG 2009). Both musks contaminate people and the environment worldwide, have been associated with toxicity to the endocrine system (van der Burg 2008) and were identified in the majority of products tested for this study. Similarly, a pregnant woman’s use of some fragrances and other cosmetics frequently may expose her growing fetus to diethyl phthalate (DEP), a common perfume solvent linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys and sperm damage in adult men (Washington Toxics Coalition 2009). New research also links prenatal exposure of DEP to clinically diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder in children (Engel 2010). This analysis found DEP in 12 of 17 products tested, at levels ranging from 30 parts per million (ppm) to 32,000 ppm in Eternity for Women.
These corporations do not care about human life, therefore they do not deserve our hard-earned income. We should not degrade ourselves, our health, and the health of others by purchasing synthetic perfumes that are harmful to human health.
The EWG article concludes with a call to action to all people of conscience. “People have the right to know which chemicals they are being exposed to. They have the right to expect the government to protect people, especially vulnerable populations, from hazardous chemicals. In addition to required safety assessments of ingredients in cosmetics, the laws must be changed to require the chemicals in fragrance to be fully disclosed and publicly accessible on ingredient labels.”
More than that, companies have to create alternatives to synthetic perfumes. That is why we at Reda Naturals offer all natural perfumes and body oils. They are 100% natural, plant-based, and free of synthetic ingredients. We offer both unique men and women’s blends based on Middle Eastern herbal traditions, giving it a lush, mystical tone.
To answer the question of this article, yes, it is more than due time to ditch synthetic perfumes. We can smell great without harming our health.
Eat the lawful and good things Allah has provided you, and be wary of Allah in whom you have faith.
Qur’an 5:88
Our bodies are an endowment upon us by our Creator, as is the planet and the environment we live on. The more we are attached to this worldly life, the less we care about the quality and the ethics behind that which we consume, especially food. In a society that promotes apathy, we don’t care what we put in our mouths.
Our consciousness level has been so dumbed down that we just wolf anything down. We also don’t seem to mind the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve which drives up the costs of food and energy, which are conveniently left off the inflation index. It’s no wonder that healthy, organic food cost so much, whereas the crops that are essential to junk food (such as corn, wheat, and factory-farmed meat) are heavily subsidized by the government, lowering their prices for consumers, thus incentivizing unhealthy living.
Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, the above verse from the Qur’an has a universal meaning that we can all understand. It says to eat the lawful (halal) and good (tayyeb) things God has provided to us. However, this English translation is a butchery of the true, deep, and spiritual meaning behind the original Arabic.
Tayyeb has a multi-dimensional meaning to it, including ethical, pure, wholesome, etc. God wants us to be cognizant of what we put into our body. Not only do we destroy our health by eating poor diets, we also destroy the planet too.
Aside from polluting the groundwater, Monsanto’s RoundUp has been declared a carcinogen by the State of California and the World Health Organization. While the ad hominem derogatory slur of “pseudo-science” gets thrown around a lot (sometimes rightfully, as many so-called ‘natural health’ bloggers really jump the shark and discredit the entire field by making baseless claims), the real pseudo-science is when multinational corporations strongarm their way into silencing, manipulating, and/or slandering independent scientific investigations into whether or not their products are safe for the people and the planet. Such is the case of Monsanto colluding with the EPA to stifle a study into whether or not Roundup is carcinogenic. Where in middle school science classes do they teach that a step of the scientific method is if you feel the results of a study might come out negative towards your bottom line as a corporation, use your vast material resources and government cronies to stifle said research?
The irony is that Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who has a big pro-Monsanto streak, made an episode of Cosmos where he decried the corporate-government-research collusive relationship, using the example of how lead was removed from gasoline (unleaded). The government’s main science expert, according to the episode, worked for a research institution funded by the oil and lead industries, most likely through intermediaries such as the Rockefeller Foundation if I remember correctly. An intrepid independent scientist thought there was something wrong about the increased lead levels in the ocean and air, and since lead is hazardous to human health, he found that the source came from the leaded gasoline. He was mocked in the same way that people who question Monsanto’s perverse use of crony capitalism are mocked today.
As long as corporations can strong arm the government – or more realistically, the government welcomes such corrupt collusion without any coercion – into approving their products as safe, then we cannot say that the science is settled on issues like RoundUp. Only when trust and impartiality is restored, and intimidation tactics are punishable by law and the corporate-government revolving door is closed, then with freedom of scientific inquiry respected we can let the research fall as it may and determine whether these substances are safe or not.
One just has to look at Monsanto’s history of providing the US government with chemical weapons materials that were used in atrocious war crimes. Agent Orange, used on Vietnam, still has its gruesome and tragic effects seen to this day. White phosphorous, which burns flesh to the bone and gives leukemia to people in the regional area in the aftermath, was used by the U.S. in its wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan, and by Israel in its wars of aggression against Gaza and Lebanon.
Does this sound like a company that cares about human beings? Farmers in India and Iraq often complain about the iron grip Monsanto has over their freedom to farm as they please, such as saving seed and other time-honored agricultural practices.
That is why it is so important to care about what we eat. Doing so respects our bodies as well as our minds and our souls. Getting sucked into the material world makes us docile and zombie-like. We were made to live as dignified, rational, and spiritual beings. Our bodies have a right upon us. While there is a lot of injustice in the world, which we should try our best to reform and rectify, the biggest impact we have is that which is in our immediate vicinity. We must change ourselves first before we can change others. If we are unjust to ourselves and our families, we cannot be just anywhere else. Practicing health justice will allow all other aspects of being a just human being will emanate from that.
We know it is unjust that much organic food costs a lot. Some of it is due to gimmicks, such as Whole Foods, but there is also the factor of inflation and the lack of government subsidies to healthy, sustainable agriculture.
Here’s a pro-tip: to save on healthy food, go to Trader Joe’s and Costco. They offer many organic and non-GMO products at lower costs than Whole Foods. Additionally, when we buy organic, we send a signal to the market that consumers want organic, therefore more organic food is produced, and the increase in supply means the price will lower over time. Not only are we investing in our health and avoiding massive medical bills (of course nothing causes immortality, it is just better to be healthy than to not be), we are investing in future savings by shifting the market and increasing the supply of healthy foods.
As the article started with a Qur’anic verse about eating healthy, let us close with a Bible verse to balance it out.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Follow our blog for more informative, fact-based articles on healthy living.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Reda Naturals products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Reda Naturals will be posting articles on the different benefits that certain foods and herbs have on the body and the soul – today’s focus is on frankincense.
