taken from C.A.R.E. (communities alliance for responsible eco farming) fall 2013 issue
KICK THE SUPERMARKET HABIT: 10 tips for identifying nutritious life giving foods by susan blasco
this is the second in a series of articles about how to find real food
that brings nourishment to your body,
food that is alive and supports life.
in the first article we covered tip #1: be a holistic shopper.
then i suggested that you try putting the first tip into practice until the next article.
well, how did it go?
how did it feel to be a 'holistic shopper?
where did you shop and what did you buy?
ready for tip #2?
#2 AVOID GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
according to the grocery manufacturers association,
GMOs ARE NOW PRESENT IN 80% OF AMERICA'S PROCESSED FOODS.
so why should you be concerned?
*GMOs are health hazards in many ways.
if you have any doubt about the health detriments of GMOs,
read Genetic roulette by jeffrey smith (author of Seeds of deception)
in Genetic roulette, jeffrey explains,
*gene insertion disrupts DNA.
genes that are isolated and inserted into GMOs transfer to gut bacteria, viruses and internal organs.
80% of your immune system is in your gut in the form of beneficial bacteria.
abnormal gut bacteria means abnormal immune responses (allergies, auto-immune disorders)
and degenerative diseases.
when genes from GMOs incorporate themselves into your organs,
that means that genetically modified organisms become a part of you.
*GM potatoes damage organs is animals...
*Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is linked to several cancers and premature breast development in girls.
*GMOs contain allergens
*sheep died after grazing in Bt cotton fields.
the Bt genes are from bacteria that produce a toxin which acts as an insecticide.
when Bt genes are inserted into a plant (such as cotton or corn),
the plant produces the toxin that kills pests that eat the plant.
this eliminated the need to spray the plants with insecticide.
only problem is, the toxin is in the plant, and you eat the plant!
*cows in germany died after eating Bt corn.
monsanto has confirmed that pests are now evolving to be resistant to the toxin produced by Bt plants.
so now Bt crops need to be sprayed with insecticide to control the pests which are resistant to the Bt toxin.
*twice as many chickens died after eating GM corn as compared to those that ate non GMO corn.
*GMOs have lower levels of nutrients and higher amounts of toxins
than their organic or sustainably grown counterparts.
lower in nutrients because they are mega crops, grown year after year in the same soil,
so the soil is dep-leted of minerals and nutrients.
higher in toxins because they are sprayed heavily with chemicals or they produce their own toxins (as BT crops.
*all GMOs carry a microfungus that causes infertility.
this was brought to light by dr. don huber, a scientist from purdue university
who has done research over a number of years on genetically modified foods.
GMOs are much less prevalent in europe because the european union (EU) tries to keep them out.
in some countries, like the ukraine, a label is used top identify non GMO foods.
the EU does not need to wait for proof of harm before banning GMOs,
as our tort (a wrongful act that results in injury to-in this case-another person) system
requires here in the US.
since the publication of the results of dr. huber's research,
there is now proof of harm.
will this result in adoption of laws or regulations governing the use of GMOs?
if the cigarette industry is any indication of how things might turn out,
perhaps GMOs won't be taken off the market completely,
but it is conceivable that they may be labeled, or carry a warning.
IN THE U.S. GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS DO NOT NEED TO BE LABELED.
assuming that you choose not to consume genetically engineered food,
how do you know what you're getting when you shop in a supermarket?
how can you identify food that is non-GMO?
in the supermarket, you don't have the pleasure of being acquainted with the farmer,
so you can't ask how s/he raised the food.
instead, you must depend on the USDA certified organic label.
but the are some drawbacks to organic:
*the most obvious one is that they are expensive, in the supermarket they're the only alternative.
in a later article, i'll discuss how to find better than organic produce at less than organic prices.
*SOME GENETICALLY MODIFIED ITEMS WERE GRANDFATHERED IN UNDER THE
ORGANIC STANDARDS.
a good example is canola oil, which comes from a genetically modified rape seed.
there is no such thing as a canola plant.
'canola' is an acronym for 'Canadian Oil, Low Acid'.
canola oil was originally used in oil lamps.
later it was used as a lubricant on steam ships.
an article written in july, 2002 by sally fallon and mary enig, phd. outlines the history of canola oil
and explains why it is not organic and should not be consumed,
particularly if it is not used in combination with saturated fats. (westonaprice.org)
*even under the organic standards, some chemicals are still permitted.
just like the factories that make new flavors, chemical companies are
constantly developing new chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
they are used on organic crops before the EPA has a chance to test them.
once the EPA studies a new chemical and finds a harmful effect,
that chemical is removed from use under the organic standards.
but until the studies are done, the chemicals are used, because they have not yet been deemed 'harmful'.
*certification requires daily record keeping.
crops must be counted every time they're transplanted or thinned.
surprise inspections can be staged and fines imposed for non compliance.
it's an expensive and time consuming game for small farmers.
*the fines for violations and fees to become certified are too expensive for the small farmer.
large companies can absorb these costs.
some hire specialists just for the purpose of overseeing compliance with the organic standards.
but small farmers don't have the resources or the time to maintain compliance.
Organic Standards are in constant flux.
large companies continuously lobby for more relaxed standards
and consumer advocacy organizations push back.
the winner is often determined by who has the deepest pockets.
over the years the trend has been toward more relaxed standards.
there is no guarantee that the organic food you buy today was produced under the same standards
that were in place yesterday;
nor that the food you buy tomorrow will be produced under the same standards as today.
*and finally, some countries have standards for importing foods.
THE EUROPEAN UNION TESTS FOOD FOR NUTRIENT CONTENT
BEFORE IT GOES TO MARKET.
the nutrient CONTENT MUST MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS.
under a nationalized health care system, they strive to control costs by ensuring
that citizens have access to high quality food to increase the likelihood that they remain healthy.
japan has a similar arrangement for certain food items.
foods that don't measure up are returned to the country of origin
or sent to another country where there are no standards in place.
THE U.S. HAS NO STANDARDS IN PLACE.
some large organic companies in the US export their products.
some of them test their foods privately for nutrient content,
and export the highest nutrient valued food to the countries with standards that require it.
until GMOs are labeled or banned, what can we do to look out for ourselves and our families
without going broke buying certified organics?
in addition to the GMOs, we must also be on the look out for
artificial flavors and colors,
pasteurized foods,
processed foods,
high fructose corn syrup,
refined carbohydrates,
canola oil
soy beans and all products made with them...
where is hope?
we will explore answers to these questions in my next article.
in the meantime, keep shopping holistically and avoid genetically modified foods as best you can.
susan blasko, NTP
board certified nutritional therapist
...another article...Community - tom maurer, vice president, CARE board of directors
every time i write a column, someone gets disturbed.
maybe that's a good sign for at least it means i'm getting someone's attention.
in every endeavor, your success depends, in large part, on your ability to get peoples' attention.
i have been thinking about this in preparing a presentation for a meeting tomorrow evening.
a raw milk dairy farmer is having a get together for his customers.
one of the reasons for the meeting was to give his customers a more in dept look at his operation.
the second was to address a recent incident at the farm.
in mid july PDA took samples of his milk.
two weeks later, the state contended that the test results were unsatisfactory
and shut him down with the typical radio and newspaper fanfare.
his permit was reinstated two weeks later, yet no one made any effort to advise the public
that the alleged problem had been resolved.
what else is new?
what's wrong with this picture?
first, PDA presumed its sampling and testing were sound and accurate.
second, PDA had not received any complaints about the milk prior to or in the three weeks between
when the test was taken and when PDA provided the test results.
(incidentally, for a food establishment you need two complaints from two unrelated customers
before you have a reportable incident.)
third, the milk that had been tested and allegedly contaminated,
had already been consumed, digested and excreted before the farmer was advised of the test results.
(a little like locking the barn door after the horse was stolen.)
i sell this farmer's milk in my store and my sales have not suffered since this incident.
in fact, if anything, sales have increased.
i started this column with the statement that my comments are not always well received.
these responses often say,
'I BECAME A C.A.R.E. MEMBER TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY FOOD,
NOT (TO) GET INVOLVED WITH POLITICS'.
HELLO!
food, health care, immigration, jobs, education, energy, the environment, you name it,
are all politically driven issues.
if we do not or are unwilling to understand this,
we will not only lose control of our food and food choices
but the government will take control of everything
and dictate what we can and cannot do.
if you don't believe this, open your eyes.
look around and ask yourself - do i have more freedom and control of my life than my grandparents had.
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
buying food, making other choices that impact your lives and assuming responsibility for those choices,
is not a privilege graciously bestowed upon us by a self serving government.
they are our inherent rights.
(note: not many realize that we have no INHERENT rights.
we receive everything we have from God...unmentioned in this otherwise informative article.
when we turn our backs
-i am referring to myself and any other person who would identify them self as one who has the life of Christ-
the nation we live in will be ultimately destroyed beyond recognition.
only HAVING Christ (john 8.36)...that is OBEYING Him (v.32)...sets a person...
and to a degree, those around him..free ie. not to do what they want but what they ought..in the sight of God)
we need to start acting like we value them.
you often hear people say, 'doing the right thing is complicated'.
that's baloney.
doing the right thing may be difficult, but it's never complicated.
we know what's right.
why are we accepting less?
another article, not quoted, is on the dangers of PESTICIDES in food...
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