GMOs: An Unexpected Dinner Guest

What’s for dinner at your house tonight?  I bet you don’t even realize it, but you may be serving up some Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  That’s right.  They may taste better than they sound, but these lab engineered foods can cause a whole lot of damage in the human body!   It is a sad reality, but this scientifically engineered food has taken over the food industry!

• How did we get to the point where what grows in the ground isn’t even natural?
• Why are we now eating plants that are crossed with other plant and even animal viruses, bacteria, and DNA?

It all began with one single supreme court hearing.  This court decision changed the lives of millions across the United States and abroad.  In this hearing, approval was given for patenting live organisms and their commercialization.(1) This meant that seed companies who had created genetically modified plants in their labs not only owned the right to those seeds, but were free to market them for human consumption.

From 1997 through 1999, over ¼ of the crops in America were converted to GMO varieties.(2)  This has continued to climb over the past 13 years.  Now, the United States produces over 50% of the worlds GMO crops!(3)  This is a staggering amount of food that is produced void of its natural genetic makeup.

Although these genetically modified foods have been on the market for the last decade, most people had no idea they were eating anything different.  This is because there are no  GMO labeling laws in the United States.

Your natural corn, soybeans, sugar, rice, tomatoes, potatoes and other common foods were swapped out for genetically modified versions – right under your nose!  If this seems sneaky and manipulative to you, then it most certainly is!

GMOs and Clones for Dinner

Surprisingly, many people argue that GMO foods are perfectly safe and nutritious.  However, they are under the delusion that there is no difference in the quality, nutrition, or safety of GMO foods in comparison to natural foods.

Plants that have been around since the beginning of time are being replaced by scientifically enhanced versions. And it’s not just plants that are being modified!  Genetically modified animals are now becoming the next big thing! The Enviropig was a genetically engineered pig designed to excrete less waste.  Luckily, the plug has been pulled on the pig research, so GMO bacon won’t be an option any time soon.

However, if you smell something fishy, you’re onto something. GMO salmon has been approved for sale for human consumption.  AquaAdvantage salmon, as it’s called, grows year round and at a much faster rate than wild salmon.  This new salmon will not be labeled GMO, so you will have no idea if you’re eating it or not!  The FDA did perform testing using just six fish in the study.  They noted an “increase in allergy potential,” but still gave it their seal of approval.

Scientists have performed hundreds of experiments by genetically modifying animals. Cloning, once looked at as science fiction, can legally occupying grocery shelves, as well. Because no labels are required for clones, you could be eating cloned food without ever knowing it! The FDA food safety chief Dr. Stephen Sundloff stated,  “Meat and milk from cattle, swine, and goat clones are as safe as the food we eat every day.” I personally think Dr. Sundloff is off his rocker!  And I am not the only one.

The Centre for Food Safety disagrees with the FDA’s approval stating, “Without mandating further study it is clearly arbitrary, capricious, and irresponsible.”(4) Most clones die soon after birth due to genetic defects.  Scientists have found genetic defects in clones that have never been found in normal animals.  Arguing that clones are a perfect genetic copy and perfectly safe just doesn’t hold up.

Safety Concerns of GMOs

So, are GMOs really safe? The FDA, as well as the big corporations who manufacture GMOs, want you to believe that they are no different then those foods found in nature.  Unfortunately, proving that these genetically modified organisms have an effect our health will be a big challenge.  That is because the companies that manufacture them have to give their approval for the testing.  Hence, the lack in research and long term studies clearly and concisely pointing to the dangers of GMOs to our health.

It is really a guessing game as what the long term effects of consuming these genetically engineered foods will really be. Physicians and scientists have begun stepping forward to challenge GMOs safety.  One Harvard trained physician, Dr. Bernhoft, claims his patients have improved once GMOs were taken out of their diet.  These patients had a wide array of diseases.  Dr. Bernhoft stated, “In all of the animal studies that I’ve read, there’s always damage to gut integrity. Is the same thing happening in humans? I don’t know, but asthma, food allergies, autoimmunity—all of those things have gone up logarithmically since GMOs have been introduced.” (5)

The only human study that was conducted demonstrated that genes from GMO soy “jumped” into the human intestinal bacteria DNA.  This means that even after you have eaten GMO soy and excreted it out of your body, its genes still remain in your intestinal tract!!  Many are speculating that Bt corn could possibly create a similar scenario.  If this is true, your intestines would be continually producing pesticides inside your body even after the corn is gone!

Bt corn was created by genetic engineers who took the toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, and inserted into corn as a built-in pesticide.

This corn was designed to kill insects and can wreak havoc not only on your gut, but also your immune system.  Government research in Italy found both gut damage and autoimmune responses in mice fed Bt corn.(6) The potential damage is massive. GMO foods can lead to health issues, such as:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Cancer

One of the biggest issues with the consumption of GMOs is autoimmune reactions.  Your body is designed to recognize natural foods and process them as such.  However, when you change the genes of a natural food, your body begins to react to that engineered food as if it’s a foreign invader!   This creates an inflammatory reaction in the body that can lead to chronic autoimmune diseases like MS, fibromyalgia and Lupus! Liver damage can also be a result of consuming GMOs. Animal studies using GMO corn, canola, potatoes and soybeans all resulted in some sort of liver issues.  These damaging results ranged from liver inflammation to actual lesions in the liver!(7)

Hidden GMOs in Your Life

Maybe you’re saying, “I eat really healthy. I’m not worried about GMOs.”  Well, think again! Something as innocent as your morning cup of coffee can be brimming with genetically altered ingredients. Let me break it down for you.

Maybe you like your coffee black. But millions love their lattes, breves and cappuccinos.  Unless you use organic dairy products, your milk, half and half, or cream comes from cows given the growth hormone rBGH or rBST.  These growth hormones are genetically engineered and can lead to milk containing hormones. These milk cows are also fed grains composed primarily of GMOs. Maybe you go dairy-free.  That can be even worse if you use soy milk!  Soy is the #1 genetically modified plant in the United States.

And the sugar you use to sweeten your coffee?  Most sugar beets are GMO now. Even sugar cane is genetically altered.  You also better put down that sugar-free blue packet!  Aspartame (Nutrasweet) is made from genetically altered materials and packs a plethora of potential side effects. And if GMOs weren’t enough, unless your coffee is organic it is probably covered in pesticide residue!  All that sure makes your morning cup of Joe look a lot less innocent now, doesn’t it?

If just a cup of coffee can be saturated with unnatural genetically modified ingredients, what do you think lies in your kitchen cabinet?  It likely that you have thousands of genetically modified organisms hidden away in the boxes, cans and jars in your home.

How to Avoid GMOs

Going GMO-free is easier than it seems.  There will be a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, but once you get it down, it will be second nature for you. Learning to look at labels is the most important thing in avoiding GMOs. There are four specific labels you want to look for when searching for packaged foods that indicate they are GMO-free.

1. 100% Organic – This means EVERYTHING in the product is organic, therefore GMO-free.
2. Organic – Something has to be at least 95% of it’s ingredients organic to call it organic.  The other 5% still has to be GMO-free.
3. Made from Organic – This means the product contains at least 70% organic ingredients.  The remaining ingredients have to be non-GMO, as well.
4. Non-GMO – The ingredients may not have been grown organically, however there are no genetically modified ingredients in the product.

If what you are buying doesn’t not have one of the labels above, you will need to read the ingredient list.  Identifying the most common GMO foods is the first step while reading ingredient lists.

Top 8 GMO Foods to Avoid

1. Soybeans – 94% of the soy in America is GMO.  Soy hides out in most processed foods.  It is also the main ingredient of tofu and soy sauce.
2. Corn – 88% of America’s corn is GMO.  Not only the sweet corn that we eat is GMO, but the corn used for animal feed is GMO, as well. Corn hides out in many foods in the form of cornstarch, corn oil, and corn syrup. And let’s not forget the dreaded high fructose corn syrup that is contained in most of our soda!  Even ketchup contains corn products!
3. Canola – 90% of canola is GMO.  Don’t let the industry fool you!  Canola oil is not healthy and is toxic to the body!
4. Sugar Beets  – 90% of sugar beets are now GMO.  White sugar alone is bad enough. Now that it is genetically modified, sugar tips the scale when it comes to unhealthy food.
5. Cottonseed – Cottonseeds are culled from cotton, and then used for vegetable oil, margarine or shortening production, or frying foods, such as potato chips.
6. Dairy products – Most dairy cows are injected with genetically altered growth hormones to encourage and increase in milk production.  This results in the consumption hormone tainted milk products.  These hormones make their way into our bodies.  These can result in hormonal complications in growing babies and children.  Look for milk that is either organic or rBgh free.
7. Papaya – 75% of the Hawaiian papaya crop is genetically modified to withstand the papaya ringspot virus.
8. Zucchini and yellow squash – Closely related, these two squash varieties are modified to resist viruses.

New research is adding tomatoes to this list. GMO tomatoes were created to have a longer shelf life.  However, this may have consequences.  Several of the animals in a study that were fed GMO tomatoes died within just two weeks.(8) These GMOs may be easy enough to identify, but there are a plethora of “hidden” GMO products on the market, as well.  The engineered foods can hide under these names:

I hate to see that vitamin C on this list, but it is true.  Most vitamin C is made from corn and most corn is GMO.  Luckily, health enthusiasts are speaking up and manufacturers are starting to listen.  Source Naturals, one of my favorite supplement companies, now only uses non-GMO vitamin C. If this list above is overwhelming, a quick and easy way to remember is to download the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide.  http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com There is also a non-GMO phone app for easy reference that can be used when shopping or out and about!

Asian GMO-Free Cooking

I love Asian food, but it is usually packed with GMO ingredients.  Soy, a top GMO food product,  is one of the key ingredients in Chinese, Korean, and even Thai food.  Luckily, if you cook from scratch, you can still enjoy delicious Asian foods, without the GMO ingredients! Soy sauce is a staple of most Asian dishes.

There is a great soy sauce alternative on the market made with coconuts.  It is Coconut Secret’s Organic Coconut Aminos.  It looks and tastes almost identical to soy sauce and can be purchased at your local health food store or on amazon.  You can replace soy sauce in your marinades and Asian dish recipes with this non-GMO organic sauce. Another great way to replace soy sauce  is to make it yourself!  Below, I have a delicious and incredibly healthy soy-free sauce.  It makes a great soy sauce replacement and is packed with trace minerals and healthy spices.

• Pinterest

Soy-Free Asian Sauce

• 1 cup of organic or homemade beef stock (If homemade, use grass fed beef)
• 1 tsp of organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
• ¼ tsp of freshly grated ginger
• ¼ tsp of freshly grated garlic
• Dash of black pepper

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and let it cool.  Store in a glass container in the refrigerator to use as needed.  It should stay fresh 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Fried rice is one of the most popular Asian dishes.  Loved by millions, this simple dish, unfortunately, has GMOs.  Most Chinese restaurants use canola or soy oil for stir frying, then they add soy sauce.

This is a recipe that can easily be made non-GMO by swapping out a few ingredients.  It is great for a quick dinner and is also gluten-free for those who are gluten intolerant!

Gluten-Free and GMO-Free Fried Rice

• 4 tbsp of coconut oil
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 green onions chopped
• ¼ cup diced yellow onion
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• ¼ cup diced water chestnuts
• ¼ cup diced asparagus or organic frozen corn
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ pound of organic or free range ground chicken
• 3 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 tbsp of soy-free Asian sauce (recipe above) or Coconut Secret’s Organic Coconut Aminos

Heat your wok or frying pan over high heat and add 2 tbsp of coconut oil.  Add the ginger, garlic, green onion and yellow onion.  Stir constantly for about 2 minutes or until the onion starts to turn slightly golden. Add in your carrots and water chestnuts and cook until your carrots are softened to your preference. Add in the asparagus or corn continuing to stir for 2 more minutes.  Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pour them into a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the saucepan over medium high heat and add the ground chicken. Cook until browned and then add it to the bowl of veggies. Add the last tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan and add the rice. Stir rice and cook for a couple minutes until warm and glossy.  Drizzle the rice with the mock soy sauce, tossing until coated.  Add in the veggies and chicken and toss until hot and thoroughly mixed.

Going Back to Nature

Nature is the best medicine and GMOs are far from natural! Your health is truly in your hands. Turn back to nature and turn your health around by eliminating GMOs from your diet.   Start incorporating fresh, organic, and natural foods into your life.  Genetically modified organisms don’t belong on your dinner plate.  Your body is not a science experiment, but a beautiful natural design.  Say no to GMOs!

The toxic chemicals you absorb through GMO foods may swamp you ability to detoxify, giving you skin, respiratory and GI problems. By applying what you have learned about GMOs, you can regain your health and shed the sensitivity to toxins. Now, help your friends think straight and share this article with them!

 

References:
(1)  http://www.bustpatents.com/chak.htm
(2) http://www.raw-wisdom.com/50harmful
(3) http://www.foei.org/en/media/archive/2009/gm-crops-feed-biotech-giants-only
(4) http://okgovwatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/cloned-meat-gmo-and-pink-slime.html
(5) http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-content/dr-oz-show-introduction/dr-oz-interview-with-robin-bernhoft/
(6) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/07/genetically-engineered-foods-hazards.aspx
(7) http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/genetically-modified-foods-toxins-and-reproductive-failures/
(8) http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-content/genetic-roulette/section-1/1-2-gm-tomatoes-proven-safe/