Woodford Files: Thelma and Louise captured the mood of our times

My favourite lines in the movie Thelma and Louise are spoken as they’re running from the law and headed for the Mexican border. They’ve been driving all night to evade capture. As they speed down the highway, wind blowing through their hair, Thelma turns to Louise and says:

“I feel AWAKE. I feel really awake. I don’t ever recall feeling this awake. You know? Everything looks different now.”

I think this captures the mood of our times. People are waking up.

And what they are seeing with new eyes is a world in which big oil is running our government, big banks are running our economy, and big pharma is running our healthcare system. For decades, the slick propaganda machines of well paid ‘mad men’ have lulled us into a fog of complacency. Don’t worry, everything is fine. Don’t make trouble. Go back to sleep.

But now that fog of illusion is lifting, despite the best efforts of corporate spin doctors, and we’re shaking ourselves off and realizing it’s time for change. Already there are many awakened souls taking action. In the U.S., customers of big banks are withdrawing their savings and moving money to small regional credit unions that serve the interests of local communities. In Canada, voters have installed the Green Party in the federal government for the first time ever. And in the healthcare arena, people are seeking alternatives to drug-based medicine like never before.

This month, Helke Ferrie gives us a peek inside the world of fraudulent research aimed at making vitamins look dangerous. In Dietary Supplements Increase Mortality Rate in Older Women, piece by piece she tears apart the veil of illusion created by one particular ‘researcher’ who cleverly manipulated test results in order to arrive at an intended outcome. What I find intriguing is not so much the deception inherent in this junk science, but the fact that the test results were splashed all over the news headlines without any journalists questioning the integrity of the research. Makes you wonder what other ‘news’ is simply a regurgitated press release from some corporation or other.

And those who may have harboured illusions about the safety of happy pills like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft will find themselves rudely awakened when they read Dr. Rona’s feature, Treating Depression Naturally, on the dangers of chemical antidepressants. Of greatest concern is the increased risk of suicide carried by these drugs. (I still wonder if the sudden deaths of hockey players in the past year might be connected to their use of prescription antidepressants.) Thankfully, Dr. Rona also presents us with a list of the most effective natural herbs, vitamins, and lifestyle strategies for nourishing mental health and relieving mild to moderate depression, none of which carry the side effects of medication.

Truly, these are interesting times. If you’re looking to fuel your own awakening about the important health issues of the day, check out lawyer Shawn Buckley’s talk on Nov. 27 at the upcoming Whole Life Expo, entitled: “Occupy Your Body! A National Protest Against Regulations That Force Natural Health Products Off the Market and Restrict Personal Health Freedoms.”

We too are part of the 99%.

Julia Woodford, Editor ~ Vitality Magazine