Genetically Modified Foods

There are many foods that have been changed at their genetic level. However, more research is starting to show the problems this causes in unexpected ways. Take for example Wheat, which started as Einkorn thousands of years ago with only 14 chromosomes and very little gluten at all. Which then became Emmer, with 28 chromosomes. And onto Spelt and Kamut.....and now today's wheat has 42 chromosomes! Not to mention so much gluten that some digestive systems just can't handle it now.

Today's health battle isn't just what food categories we should in and in what balance. But the real question is what quality of food should we eat. Definitely not genetically modified! Who knows the future consequence to our bodies of foods that have been structurally changed.

Map of countries allowing GMOs

But If you'd like a more specific article with some main points....

• The four primary GM foods are soy, corn, canola, and sugar beets.  Derivatives of these foods are present in over 70 percent of food in the grocery store. The main reason the plants are genetically modified is so they can handle higher amounts of herbicide.  Bacterial genes are inserted that allow them to survive doses of herbicide that would otherwise kill them.
• Digestive disorders Laboratory animals fed GM foods developed stomach lesions, intestinal damage, and proliferative cell growth in the walls of the stomach and intestines.
• Unbalanced intestinal bacteria The good bacteria living in our digestive tracts is helpful for digestion and immunity.  Excessive herbicide residues on GM crops may destroy beneficial intestinal flora.  
• Compromised immunity Animal studies with GM foods show delayed immune responses and inflammatory and immune reactions.
• Allergies Soon after GM soy products were introduced in the UK, soy allergies increased by 50 percent.  
• Liver problems The liver is the body’s main detoxifying organ.  Mice and rats fed GM food had significant changes in their livers. In some, livers were smaller and partially atrophied. 
• Reproductive problems and infant mortality

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Sometimes is is difficult to tell with all the labels and marketing ploys. So...here are some to be aware of....



And this is a pervasive problem.

Thoughts on Real food

Six Benefits of Eating Locally

Here's a post from Tiffany at Naturemoms.com about the 6 benefits of eating locally....

Local Foods Are Fresh and In Season. It’s a fact, if you purchase locally grown foods you know that they are in season.  They have to be in order to be grown and harvested. And fresher, in-season foods just taste better and they are better for you as well. Many nutritionists believe that eating with the seasons is the best way to keep our bodies healthy because nature has cycles and it knows exactly what we need to eat.

Locally Grown Foods Have Less Impact on the Environment. Shipping foods across country – even foods labeled organic – can have a negative impact on the environment.  By eating locally grown foods you are significantly lessening the carbon footprint you would otherwise leave by eating foods grown out of state or in another country. Most times you won’t even need to sacrifice organic standards either. More and more small farmers grow their food without chemicals, they just cannot afford expensive certification. Get to know your farmer and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Locally Grown Foods Maintain Farmland. Buying locally grown foods ensures not only that you keep the carbon footprint of your foods as small as possible, but ensures that there is plenty of green space and farmland maintained in your local community in order to sustain the locally grown market.  This is good for everyone who appreciates fresh air and a view of more than city streets and sidewalks.

Locally Grown Foods are Safer. By cutting out the middlemen; those individuals who process and package and ship the food, you cut down on the chance of your food getting contaminated – even inadvertently. Knowing where your food is grown and who grew it tells you something about the food itself, and knowledge, as they say, is power.

Buying Locally Grown Foods Boosts the Local Economy. You were going to buy the lettuce (or spinach or apples) anyway, why give your money to some big chain store or huge agri-business company?  Why not keep that money in the neighborhood where you know it will do some good? If I have a choice between padding the pockets of a big corporation that may use my money to lobby against environmental issues or giving my money directly to a family that needs it.. I know which I would prefer. Purchasing food locally also cuts down on the amount of taxes and red tape involved in purchasing the food; money that would probably come out of your pocket anyway due to price hikes.


Purchasing Locally Grown Foods Create a Sense of Community. When you purchase food from a local grower it connects you to that person; through their land and the attention they have given to their produce, and how many of us want a connection to some big uncaring chain store?  Making local connections instills a feeling of belonging and of community.  People get talking, they share themselves with you, and with others, and everyone is better off.
If you are interested in more healthful living, in sustainability for your local farms, and in creating a sense of true community between yourself and those with whom you share your area, eating locally grown produce is definitely the right decision to make.

Canned Food linked to PBA

BPA levels in families who ate fresh rather than canned or plastic-packaged food for three days dropped by an average of 60 percent, according to a study released today by the Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute. Bishphenol A (or BPA), which is used to line food cans, has been linked to breast cancer, infertility, early puberty and other health problems.


The five families in the study, which was published in Environmental Health Perspectives, avoided canned foods and drinks and meals prepared outside the home in lieu of freshly prepared organic meals in glass storage containers. During the three days that the families ate the fresh food, their BPA levels dropped on average by 60 percent. When families returned to their regular diets, their BPA levels climbed back to the higher levels.

The Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute offer the following suggestions for reducing exposure to BPA and DEHP:

• Cook at home with fresh foods
• Avoid canned foods. (The Breast Cancer Fund found that BPA especially leaches into canned foods that are acidic, salty or fatty canned foods such as coconut milk, soup and vegetables.)
• Choose glass and stainless steel food and beverage containers.
• Never microwave anything in plastic. Use ceramic or glass instead.
• Eat out less, especially at restaurants that do not use fresh ingredients.
• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables when possible, and frozen if not.
• Soak dried beans for cooking (you can make extra and freeze them).

Keeping BPA Out of Food and Beverages

In addition to the potential health risks, there are many more reasons to reduce your use of plastic food containers, dishes and cutlery. Plastics consume resources that are largely nonrenewable (crude oil and natural gas), their use contributes to needless waste, and their production and degradation create pollution. Here are a few BPA safety tips for food and drink.

• Can the cans. “Canned foods are likely to be the highest contributor to BPA in our diets, not plastics,” says Vandenberg. Also, she says parents should buy powdered rather than liquid infant formula, because the former has less exposure to the BPA lining the can.
• If you use plastic wrap, try to find one that doesn’t contain BPA. Vandenberg says the trouble is that companies are not required to tell you what’s in plastic wrap, adding, “Studies show that many stretch wraps contain BPA and other endocrine disruptors.”
• Warm and store food in ceramic or glass containers. The label “microwave safe” on a plastic food container only means that the plastic won’t melt. If the product contains BPA, it will leach into your food faster when warm.
• Make sure baby bottles, pacifiers and toys for infants and toddlers are BPA-free.
• Avoid bottled water, especially in plastic bottles. According to Food & Water Watch, bottled water is more expensive and no safer than tap water. In fact, it is often bottled tap water.
• Use metal or wooden utensils when you cook. Use wooden rather than plastic cutting boards, and clean thoroughly after use.
• Bring your own, BPA-free containers for leftovers and take-away foods.
• Recycle. Plastic containers and packaging are clogging our landfills and leaching endocrine disruptors into groundwater, plus marring the landscape and injuring wildlife.

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How to Avoid Phthalates

Avoiding phthalates is challenging because manufacturers aren’t required to list them as product ingredients.

• Look for “phthalate-free” on the label of personal care products (especially nail polish). For information on product ingredients, check the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website.
• Use fragrance-free detergents, cleansers and personal care products. Artificial fragrances commonly use diethyl phthalate (DEP).
• Avoid products made of vinyl plastic usually labelled as No. 3 (raincoats, shower curtains) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC pipe, other building materials, some lawn furniture, and some children’s and pets’ toys).

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/Safe-Plastics-Endocrine-Disruptors-BPA.aspx?page=4#ixzz1JE5zPQxX

For additional tips or to download a shopper’s guide, visit www.breastcancerfund.org, and check out our guide to safer plastics and Natural Home & Garden’s Five Steps to Avoiding BPA.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-home-living/eating-fresh-food-drastically-reduces-bpa-levels-study-finds.aspx#ixzz1JE2UJJKo