April

We all need encouragement, don’t we?  You can be just doing the best job ever, but somehow it feels even better when someone else acknowledges our efforts or gives us a “good job”, or a “you’ve got this.”   In fact- my favorite sign I saw someone holding while running the Marine Corps Marathon in October said exactly that: “You’ve Got This!”

I had a lot of fear going in to the marathon this past year, in spite of having run the Marine Corps the previous year, and also a half-marathon in between.  My long twitch muscle fibers certainly knew what to do.  However, I literally got one hour of sleep before getting up at 4am, and was getting over a cold with sore throat.  I didn’t know what to do when I was sitting in the hotel room bathroom at 4am…stewing in physical misery.  I thought, “Do I just not go?”  That thought gave me chills.  I’ve never been a quitter.  I decided to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and just see how far that would take me.

(I had to really remember that when I took a taxi to the Pentagon at 5am and discovered I hadn’t brought any money…  Ever seen an irate taxi driver?)

My friend and training coach inspired me by reminding me that all physical pain is temporary, and that you overcome pain…endurance is about mental strength.  This year he was sending me some texts as I was running, and I was only at mile 10 when I wrote to him that my knees were really suffering, and my feet and ankles were throbbing.  He sent back a poignant and simple response, and it reminded me of how I had even managed to arrive at mile 10:  Just. Keep. Moving.

I think this is a great mantra to apply whenever we become paused by fear and doubt.

So, I did.  I kept moving.

“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” – D. H. Lawrence

When you think about your fears and all those negative voices that have been programmed in to your brain over a lifetime, reflect on this idea of self-pity.  When you steep yourself in your fears and your emotions and your doubts, you allow yourself to become a victim of life.  Approaching life as a victim will halt you in your tracks.  We are trained to believe that we are not the masters of our own destinies, but that is misinformation.  There are many things we cannot control, true…but we always control our own perception of events, and our own choices in response to those events.  (We’ve all heard the adage- “life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it”.)

Naturally I use endurance running as a metaphor because that is a force that drives me, personally, but these concepts apply to anything in your life that requires your endurance and perseverance.  Anything.

To quote Eleanor Roosevelt – and this is something I kept reciting to myself on race day: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”

You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

It helps to have words or ideas to focus on when your mind starts obsessing over how you feel.  How you feel is not a reality.  Your emotions are not your identity.  Emotions are transient variations on your perception of reality.

When I was only at mile 10, with throbbing feet, I could have said to myself “I cannot do this, it hurts, I should quit, how will I make it, I’m miserable, poor me…”  (I’m not talking at all about real physical distress, which honestly forces a person to quit.)  Instead, I got out of my head and started appreciating what was going on around me.  It was an amazingly gorgeous day with a solid blue sky and a balmy breeze that was keeping my skin and clothes dry (in fact, I had dried salt crusted on my face and arms).  Conditions were as ideal as they could be (especially since I have heard of past MC Marathons being run in 45F and rain!).  There were wounded war veterans running next to me.  There was a woman running on two crutches and with dragging feet that seemed to barely work.  I saw, presumably, a wife hugging the photo memorial of her KIA husband.  I saw runners pushing disabled vets in wheelchairs.

I was keeping step with two firefighters dressed in full gear.  At mile 20 I commented to one that atleast I could count on him to carry me when I collapsed.  He passionately replied, “No, ma’am!! I can’t carry anybody- I’ve got legs like Bambi right about now!”  I was encouraged to know that I was in the same boat as the tough guys.

I saw the back of a man’s t-shirt that read: DNW->DNF->DNS/ Did Not Win trumps Did Not Finish which trumps Did Not Start.

I realized that everyone there had crossed the same barrier- the mental barrier- that I had crossed.  Whether or not any of us thought we could actually do it, we had all taken the chance and showed up to try.  We had looked fear in the face, and we were doing the thing which we thought we could not do.

Life is greater than any one thing.  Do your best to put negative perceptions to rest, because they aren’t getting you anywhere.  It’s okay to feel things- to feel bad or unsure.  Remember that thoughts don’t have to stop you, though.  You can have the thought or the fear, and then do the thing anyhow.  That’s called courage.

Don’t worry about winning or finishing- just start.

Just. Keep. Moving.

Oorah.

Years ago, as I was making my way through college, I quickly began to realize that I had quite a different view of things than most people.  I began to find myself in situations that I didn’t understand.  Remember when you were a child and you would be “in trouble” for something, but you didn’t understand at all how it had come to this?  I often found myself there in young adulthood.  Some time, when I was struggling my way through graduate school, I came across an article in Scientific American that explained how stress from abuse during childhood actually changes the very wiring of your brain.  Physically changes your brain.

Well, that was like the proverbial light bulb going off over my head, and thus began my own personal journey towards enlightenment and creating a low-stress environment for myself.  Ha!  Good luck with that!  Turns out- putting yourself through school, losing loved ones, “attacks on America”, war, almost dying during childbirth and GMOs are all out to crash the party.  And many things in between.

But, I digress.

I turned my attention towards that whole genre of good vibration- the one that includes yoga, meditation and all things holistic.  While I would love to fully immerse myself in to an Ashram or living off-the-grid, it isn’t my reality.  It isn’t a  reality for most, so there really are some tried and true ways at lowering stress and creating inner calm.  It is vital to keep stress at bay, as stress causes us to release cortisol.

Cortisol- while it does play a vital role in our bodies- is detrimental when consistently elevated.  Elevated cortisol levels can weaken the immune system, cause fertility problems, create blood sugar imbalance, lead to weight gain and can cause gastrointestinal problems.  Long term stress and elevated cortisol can also lead to insomnia, chronic fatigue and depression.

Oddly enough, as I am typing this, my husband’s bike tire just burst near my head and sounded like a gunshot.  My entire body is shaking, which has to do with a giant surge in adrenaline and cortisol.  Had it been an actual gunshot- the elevation in my stress hormones would be quite beneficial in helping me to get out of dodge, and quickly.  Unfortunately, as is the case for most of us, we all tend to experience these surges in stress hormone release weekly, if not daily.  For some people it’s traffic that sets them off, for others it’s dealing with children, and for some of us it is exploding bike tires.  While Americans are very fortunate to not be living in a war zone, we still continue to be some of the most stressed out folks in the world (excluding Japan).

Whatever the case, stress needs to be managed, and inner calm needs to be something we actively cultivate.  Meditation has been proven to be an effective tool in stress management.  Meditating has been proven to boost serotonin, which is the antidote to cortisol.  Meditation can ease anxiety, lower blood pressure, increase concentration and reduce anxiety.  I love that saying: “You should meditate for 20 minutes everyday, unless you are too busy…then you should meditate for an hour.”  If you’re anything like me, you struggle to find time to do anything at all, and in this case it is a great idea to try to bring meditation in to your everyday practices.  With focus and intention, washing dishes can become a meditation.  Lucky for us!

Prayer and gratitude are known to ride in the same boat of benefits as meditation.  All increase serotonin by allowing us to become present, positive and to operate with intention.  Physical work can create the same state of inner peace, which is referred to by some as “flow”.  You know that feeling of just losing yourself in what you are doing- there is no time and nothing else exists?  That is flow, and it is quite good for your sense of well-being.  It’s no wonder, for me, that I am a craft artist- hammering metal and knitting can be quite meditative and therapeutic.

Then, of course, we have breathing exercise and yoga.  Yoga is not only great for strength and flexibility, but it is also known to increase serotonin levels.  Breathing exercises are often a part of yoga practices, or you can do breathing exercises alone, any time!  I find I do them in the car quite often!  A great breathing exercise, proven to lower tension, is as so:  breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, hold the breath for a count of 7, exhale through your nose for a count of 8- do this sequence four times.

Oh, man.  Are you calm yet?  If not, there’s something else I’d love you to consider- sound.  There is a lot of information out there on cymatics and things like the healing benefits of Solfeggio tones.  It is undoubted that sound, and the vibration from sound, can have a healing and stress-relieving effect.  I know when I catch a wind chime in a warm Summer breeze that I am absolutely transported to an altered state…a nice, calm one!

I recall sitting on a New England beach when I was 9 months pregnant.  I sat in front of the surf one day for two hours, eyes closed, and just absorbed the intensity of the sound of waves moving in and crashing on the shore.  I imagined how soothing that was for little Bodhi, as it had a profound influence on me.  I can still close my eyes and conjure that experience and use it to create inner calm.  If you watch the YouTube videos on cymatics- where the sand on a metal plate organizes itself in to geometry with different sound frequencies- there is no doubt that sound can create order in all things.

Anecdotes aside- the “thing” I have found to be most beneficial is being able to be open to the moments in life- the small moments that come to you in your everyday.  These practices mentioned above are important in creating an environment of peace for yourself, but the crucial part has to do with allowing yourself to be open to things as they come to you.   We need to allow ourselves the space to be really affected by how that sunlight is spraying through the branches, or how the wind sounds so delightful rustling the leaves.  How often do you go out of your way to stop, look up and enjoy the stars and moon?  Or watch a dog sleeping?  Or listen to a child laughing? This is life- it’s made up of all these beautiful little moments.

No amount of yoga, prayer or meditation can heal if we are not open and ready to receive.  For myself, nothing has opened me so much as motherhood.  The love I have for my child has created a space in me that allows me to be more open and loving in the world.  I accept it.

My wish for all of us is not the absence of stress, for that is simply part of life, but the intention and willingness to breathe in to it…to be able to find calm and rest in any way that suits us!

I really try to do my best to keep healthy, homemade snacks and treats on hand!  The reason for this is that we all have moments where we need a snack or just really want a treat, but the tendency to grab something less than healthy is high if you have nothing readymade.  I am not a fan of store-bought, packaged snack foods because the ingredients are almost always sub-par or less than ideal.  Everything I pick up (that my son asks me for when we are grocery shopping) has something in it that I would prefer he didn’t eat…canola oil, too much sugar, unsprouted wheat, carageenan, guar gum…  No thanks!  My personal belief is that if there is not nutritional benefit to a food- why eat it?  My body is my temple, and I don’t like for nonsense to cross the threshold…that goes double for my son!

Anyhow!  When we tire of plain nuts or fruits…these are a fun treat!  They are full of nutrition and the ingredient list is simple.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a food processor (fitted with the “S” blade), place…

1-1/4 cups sprouted hazelnuts

1-1/4 cups dried figs and dates

2 tbsp maple syrup

Blend until smooth and dough-like.

Roll this into balls and place on a parchment lined baking tray.  However big you like your balls, but not too big.  A spoonful should do.

In a double boiler, place…

Your favorite dark chocolate bar (hopefully fair trade), broken (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

(add 1/4 tsp hazelnut extract if you have it, or try almond)

(remember that if your chocolate pot touches the boiling water…it will burn.  Keep it above the water and just stir until melted.  Turn off the heat once the chocolate has melted.)

Then…

Using a spoon, swirl your balls in the melted chocolate.  (The ones you just made in the food processor.  Don’t anyone write to me that you burned yourself.)  Place them back on to the parchment when they are coated.  When you’ve finished the tray- place your balls in the freezer for half an hour.  Then remove and store in the refrigerator.

The ingredients of a trail mix in a delightful ball!

My symptoms were becoming so severe that I even started to fear the C-word:  I had been losing some hair, had a bad case of acne, was getting rashes, had night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, swollen and painful tonsils, multiple sinus infections and was not losing any weight despite running two marathons and eating (I thought) well.   What gives?  I know it is not normal to feel like crap all the time.  Meanwhile, while all this was going on with me, I had a friend that suddenly experienced acute kidney failure and was diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease.  At first I concluded that it was due to the high level of endurance sport-induced stress that he put on his body (which stresses the adrenals and kidneys), and also GMOs.  This was my health coaching no-brainer.  However, as I started to research his disease more- in an effort to be any help that I could- I stumbled upon the world of autoimmunity.

The more I read about autoimmunity- the more I understood what was going on with me!

You see, in this country, there are no autoimmune specialists.  You have to wait until you have a specific auto

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I forgot to say “Good Morning” to my husband this morning.

It’s something I like to do.   I say “Good Morning” to both my husband and my son.  I suppose I was already busying myself with getting my son ready for school…but, I like to give a decided greeting to everyone as we wake and embark upon a new day.   It’s an intentional and abbreviated way to convey the message of- “I see you, I acknowledge you, I am happy you are here.”

These are the little choices we thread in to every day that are so easily taken for granted, overlooked, dismissed as not important, seemingly cliché- but it is what weaves the entire fabric of our lives.  It is what manifests the things in your life.

Take a deep breath.   Look around you- wherever you are.  Every inch of every thing that you see before you is part of the fabric that you wove together with every choice you’ve ever made before and up to this moment in time.   There may be some holes in your fabric- perhaps the fabric was torn by choices others have made.  However, any person in your life that you have allowed to tear holes was also part of a choice you made.   Same goes for any areas beautifully embroidered by another.

It is all yours.

Will you wear it?  Store it away with moth balls?  Air it out?  Deconstruct it and refabricate it?  Patch it up?  Give it away and start a new one…?

If this is too metaphorical for you, we can apply this concept literally to our physical bodies.

Your body is much like a fabric- it is largely a result of choices you make from day to day.   Most of us were given the standard issue body at birth, and then our parents chose to nurture its growth, and then we became responsible for it.   Much like the world around you (your reality) has much to do with your choices, the world that houses your being- your body- also has much to do with your choices.  The circumstances of life around all of us have to do with the choices we make, or allow, in our society.

Many people don’t like this concept, or they diminish its reality.  However,  if you choose healthful foods daily, and exercise daily- you have a much different result than if the opposite choices are made.   It may seem harsh, or viewed as “blaming the victim”, but the simple truth is that most cases of obesity (which is a disease) are simply a summation of choices that were made every day.

The point is- life isn’t really just happening to us.   We are the key players in our own lives, and regardless of all the reasoning and psychology behind our choices, mathematically speaking- we are the sum total of many choices made.   Physically, spiritually and emotionally.

This is not to confuse choice with control.   So many things are beyond our control, but we have choice over how we receive and act upon our own lives.

So, what’s it going to be today?  Will you drive through some fast food restaurant- which is really a choice to support factory farming and poor food quality, or stop at a farmer’s market- which supports local farming?   Will you take a walk- which is a choice to help your blood circulate well, aiding in detoxification of your body?  Will you reach out to someone you care about- which is a choice to not only be kind and compassionate, but is good will that will come back to you?

Good Morning,

Firstly, let’s clearly establish that genetic engineering of food is not the same as selective breeding.  Selective breeding is the process of breeding together specific plants or animals in order to achieve specific desired traits.   Selective breeding is the process that has led to the hundreds of different dog breeds we see today.  Crossbreeding certain plants has led to things like the pluot (a plum and an apricot), or the rainbow colored cauliflower.

Farmers, or animal breeders, select from populations with desired traits, and they continue to breed and select, breed and select- until the desired trait arrives.  This process, though it may also have its share of problems, also has its benefits (the orange cauliflower, for example, has 25 times the beta carotene as regular cauliflower; however, many dog breeds are also fraught with physical problems, like hip dysplasia).  The process of selective breeding still relies on natural law.  The natural processes of reproduction are still at play.

The biotech industry thinks that natural reproduction is a game of roulette when it comes to achieving desired traits, as well as being too time consuming.  They would rather force the issue.  And, I mean force both philosophically and physically.  The process of genetic engineering mixes genes from totally unrelated species- like putting human brain cells in to pigs (true), or crossing a fish with a tomato(true).  Potatoes have been developed that glow in the dark when they need to be watered.  Have farmers actually been failing to water their potatoes for all these thousands of years?

There have already been field trials in which they have injected human genes in to corn, rice, and sugarcane. I don’t know any person that actually wants to consume corn with human genes in it…although the Monsanto people seem to think it’s okay.  This starts to beg the question of- what is cannibalism?  And, if we were to eat food containing human cells, what would be the outcome?  Where are they getting these human cells- from what humans?  How do we know the human cells they chose to use are free from disease or genetic mutation? We know what happens when cows are fed cow meat- they develop Mad Cow Disease.  Perhaps someday we will see a Super-Mad-Human-Disease.  I would argue that we are already seeing it- what’s with all the school shootings?  No one can ignore the increase in cases of autism, ADD, food allergies, and the fact that infertility rates are at an all time high.

In genetically modified organisms, the DNA structure- the very basic coding for our cells, has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.  The very DNA structure of a plant is broken and forcibly injected with cells carrying the desired traits, however, they usually need a carrier- or mule- and this is often a bacteria or virus.  In the case of genetically engineered food crops, they have been using the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV).  It can be compared to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Let me interject and make something very clear.  Injecting new DNA is not like injecting something in to your blood stream.  It is more like taking out your blood cells and actually changing what the blood cells are (by forcibly injecting foreign DNA into the cells, then allowing those cells to mutate), and then putting that in to your body- and expecting that blood to still function as your old blood.  It is no wonder that there is rejection, and that a whole host of unknown mutations, superviruses, and antibiotic resistant disease can now occur.

And what about the proliferation of these plants?  Once they are out in the world- the seeds are free to move through the air and via bird droppings, free to mix with wild and traditional plants.  These genetically modified plants cannot be recalled.  They cannot be undone.

Have you heard of (one of) the farmer who was sued by Monsanto- because his canola crops became contaminated with their genetically modified seed?  GMO seed was being planted by some nearby farmers, and the GMO canola mixed with his heirloom canola (which he had been growing for generations).  The farmer didn’t want their GMO seeds!  He called Monsanto to ask them what to do about it, and they not only encouraged him to purchase their chemicals to kill off his own plants (any plants left standing after the chemical assault would clearly be Monsanto’s GMO plants, because they are engineered to withstand the chemical sprays), but they then launched an investigation of this man’s farm, and eventually sued him in court for patent infringement (since he was not authorized to grow their seed).  Here is the MOST disgusting part—clearly the judge was not human, because Monsanto (a billion dollar company) won the lawsuit against the independent farmer!  Everyone knew quite clearly that the seed had unwittingly spilled or drifted onto this farmer’s land!  It’s so outrageous that I just cringe every time I think about it: http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/schmeiser.cfm.

This was the first lawsuit of many by Monsanto against a small farmer.

Here you can watch the first ten minutes of a great documentary that illustrates what is going on with the food industry: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html

When were GMOs invented?

In 1953, two researchers- J. Watson and F. Crick- decoded the structure of the double helix of DNA, which, in 1962, led them to winning the Nobel Prize.  This was the beginning of molecular biology, and GMOs were first created in the 60s, which was also the time when Monsanto became interested in this new technology.  In 1972, a scientist named P. Berg managed to combine two pieces of DNA from different species, and thus began a new era where the “species barrier” was no longer there!  Research really began to take off, and there was a great boom in the creation of biotech companies.  Two decades later, genetically altered food was brought to market.  (source: http://www.combat-monsanto.co.uk/spip.php?article222)  According to Susan Wright, a sociologist, “The dawn of genetic engineering coincided with the emergence of a new ethic, one profoundly shaped by commerce.”

Why do big food companies welcome the use of GMOs?

They claim:

In addition to the visual perfection that GMOs boast, proponents claim that they have more profound advantages as well:

-GM crops can be made resistant to viruses, fungi and bacterial growth.

-GM crops can be engineered to grow faster.

-GM crops can be engineered to be naturally pest-resistant, undermining the need for pesticide chemicals.

-GM crops can be engineered to tolerate extreme weather conditions, such as cold fronts or droughts, allowing for a geographically diverse range of growth sites.

-GM crops can be engineered with added vitamins and minerals, which is potentially beneficial in third world countries dealing with malnutrition.

Unfortunately, none of this has been proven true!  In the case of viruses and pests- it has only been found that these new engineered crops create super-bugs and super-viruses!  The pests are simply becoming bigger and badder, thus it takes bigger and badder chemicals to kill them.  The biotech companies are, in fact, now creating what they call “stacked trait” seeds to combat the new resistant weeds and bugs (according to www.themindfulword.org).  They are splicing more than one set of DNA into plants to contain many levels of resistance.  We are on a genetic engineering treadmill…where does it stop?

No GM crop has produced more nutritious food, and they have not managed to end world hunger.  The surplus of foods has actually gone in to the huge growth of the packaged food/processed/junk food industry.  Completely useless “foods” have been created simply as containers for the excess GM corn, soy and sugar.

A great example of a useless food, which sees millions in sales and is marketed as a healthy food for our children, is the “lunchable”.  This product is an actual trash bin for cheap, excess genetically modified corn and soy, with a dizzying dose of chemical additives to boot.  With a fat, sugar and salt content being off the charts for recommended daily dose, it only contains about 1 gram of fiber.  In the example of the “Mess with Your Mouth: Turkey & American Stackers”- the turkey alone has 14 ingredients.  Call me a radical, but I think the only ingredient in turkey should be TURKEY!  Let’s put it this way, if I had to chose between feeding my child a Lunchable for lunch, or nothing…I would go with the nothing  (assuming I am able to give my child breakfast and dinner, and not approaching the subject of child hunger).  Products like these (and they are products, not food) were simply created to make money for the company (this one being Kraft Foods, who is also strongly opposed to labeling of GMOs).  They are created with high fat, sugar and salt content in order to addict people, and contain more food-like substances and chemicals than actual quality food and nutrients.

What are the concerns of growing & consuming GM foods?

There are many concerns involved with the creation of genetically engineered plants- from environmental concerns, involving issues of superweeds and superbugs, to human concerns involving consumption of unrecognizable proteins.  The following is an excerpt from:  http://www.themindfulword.org/2012/gmo-genetically-engineered-food/

“In addition to Roundup Ready GE crops, biotech companies such as Monsanto have also bioengineered crops that contain a slight variation of a naturally occurring pesticide, called BT toxin. BT stands for bacillus thuringiensus. This bacteria naturally occurs in soils and secretes a toxic substance that protects it against other soil organisms. Monsanto has taken this substance secreted by b. thuringiensus and modified it to increase its potency thousands of times. When the gene that codes for Bt-toxin is spliced into GE seeds the plant systemically (throughout the whole plant)produces Bt toxin in a modified and increased concentration than what is naturally found in soil frombacillus thuringiensus.

Bt-toxin in this synthetic and concentrated form has no research or studies to prove its safety for human consumption. It’s one thing for bacterial poison to exist in the dilution of soil and quite another for a variation of this poison to be artificially and systemically produced in a plant in extremely high concentrations and then directly consumed by humans.

Many experts and lay people are particularly concerned about the health and environmental impacts of cross-species genetic engineering. In the case of the gene for Roundup Ready resistance and Bt-toxin, genetic material from bacteria is being inserted into plants, a process that would likely never occur in nature. Biotech companies argue that there is no need to worry because it is only one gene being spliced into the seed. But other scientists argue that even one gene spliced into a seed creates relatively massive collateral damage in how other genes in that plant will function. Genes code for proteins, which perform all sorts of functions in our bodies. With aberrant genetic coding, anomalous proteins are produced, which have unknown and potentially devastating effects on our health and in the environment, most notably allergic reactions in humans. GMO-induced allergies are a primary concern among health experts and scientists critical of GMOs.”

“With the development of Roundup Ready resistant weeds and Bt-toxin-resistant worms, we arrive at the current situation where DowAgroscience and Monsanto are awaiting approval of their new stacked corn variety that’s both Roundup resistant and 2,4-D resistant. 2,4-D is the highly controversial and potent herbicide comprising about half the volume of the cancer-causing defoliant used in Vietnam, Agent Orange. If the corn variety is approved, this means that each year GMO farmers will now spray hundreds of millions of pounds of Roundup and 2,4-D on their new generation GMO crops.

‘Many studies show that 2,4-D exposure is associated with various forms of cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, nerve damage, hormone disruption and birth defects,” Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, told Reuters reporters. “USDA must take these significant risks seriously and reject approval of this crop.’ “

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine doesn’t think GMOs are safe, either.   They’ve reported that animal studies have shown health risks such as infertility, inability to regulate insulin levels, immune deficiencies, accelerated aging, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.    One of the biggest concerns is that GM foods can create symptoms that are difficult to detect or relate to their source, such as allergies, new diseases and nutritional deficiencies.  (source:http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers)

Scientific findings have shown:

• Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants
• Mice eating GM corn for the long term had fewer, and smaller, babies
• More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, and were smaller
• Testicle cells of mice and rats on a GM soy change significantly
• By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies
• Rodents fed GM corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity
• Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen
• Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced
• The stomach lining of rats fed GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.
• Studies showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas cells, changed enzyme levels, etc.  (also from www.responsibletechnology.org)

Companies like Monsanto go to great lengths to hide information like this.  They spend millions of dollars on campaigns against labeling, and assert that labeling of GMOs is not necessary- that they are completely harmless to us.  If this is the case- if GMOs are completely benign and of no concern- why do they go to such great lengths and spend so much money preventing the labeling of GM foods?  If GMOs are so great, then why aren’t they advertising it on labels?  The truth is- they work very hard to deceive us because that is what is good for their sales.  Companies are driven by sales, and corporate food giants are out of control.

They say that there are no human clinical trials of GM foods, so there is no way to conduct safety evaluations.  However, the horrific truth is that we all are part of the greatest human biological experiment ever conducted, partly without our knowledge, and wholly without our consent.  We are the trial- because GMOs are already a large part of our food system (80%), and they are not required to be labeled- so people are consuming these untested new organisms, and we do not know the full potential of the outcome.  That is what I call an experiment.  It is one I don’t want to be a part of, and I especially don’t want my child to be part of.

What foods contain GMOs?

You can without a doubt be assured that if you are consuming a commercial brand packaged food that contains corn (that includes high fructose corn syrup), sugar (from sugar beets), soy or canola- it has been genetically modified.  The most commonly genetically engineered food crops are corn, soy, sugar beets, canola, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, tobacco and some zucchini and crookneck squash.   Surprisingly, wheat and potatoes are not yet genetically engineered, but I would still recommend organic.  It is especially important to consume organic potatoes, as they grow in the ground and absorb toxins and pesticides directly from the soil.

Another thing to look out for is meat and dairy.  Cows are injected with genetically engineered hormones, so it is in their milk and meat.  They are also fed genetically engineered corn (which they should not be eating, and raises a whole other issue).

How do I avoid GMOs?

There are numerous health reasons to avoid packaged and processed foods, and right now I think the biggest one is in avoiding genetically modified organisms.  Aside from avoiding packaged/processed foods, chosing organic foods is another assurance.  Organic labeling laws do not allow the use of GMOs, so if your food is labeled organic- it is GMO free.  You can also look for the new “GMO verified” label on your foods.  You can read more for them here:http://www.nongmoproject.org/

There is also a new “grassroots alternative” to the certified organic label.  It offers an option to farmers who simply cannot afford the cost of organic certification, or do not meet every last criteria, but  otherwise have good agricultural practices and do not use genetically modified seed.  So, start to look for the “certified naturally grown” labeling.  You can learn more at their site:http://www.naturallygrown.org/

There is a great instructional on how to avoid GMOs here: http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Genetically-Modified-Foods

How do I get involved?

The most immediate way to fight against the use of GMOs, as well as to avoid eating them, is to fight with your dollars.  Don’t buy it!  Encourage everyone you know not to buy it.  Buy organic or verified-GMO free foods.  Start cooking at home.  Talk to people- tell your favorite restaurants that you enjoy their food, but you aren’t going to be eating it anymore until they stop serving GMOs.

Read more.  Keep reading about what’s going on with labeling laws and what anti-GMO groups are doing.  Read your labels!  Here’s a site that has some of the latest headlines on GMOs:http://wakeup-world.com/category/health-wellbeing/gmo-genetically-modified-organisms/

We need to Keep Fighting for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods!

To sum it up- if you understand what a GMO is, you can plainly see for yourself that it is not a good thing.  The research that is out there is not good.  Other countries have completely banned use of GMOs, or they have strict labelling laws.  We need to all do our part to get the government to pay attention to this very serious situation.  Signing petitions and writing letters is great- but the greatest and most impactful thing you can do is very simple- DON’T BUY GMOs.  If the market demand were not there, they wouldn’t make them.  But Americans are blindly enabling this industry.  Armed with a little knowledge and a bit of resignation, you can avoid GMOs.  Cook at home, buy local and organic foods, look for certifications on your food that they do not contain GMOs. We absolutely need to remember- you really are what you eat.