One of the biggest controversies surrounding food in recent years is the entry of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into our food system. If you don’t know about GMOs by now, here’s the concept in a nutshell: Genetically modified foods have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering, using advanced techniques to insert foreign genes (from such varied sources as bacteria and viruses) in order to enhance or change certain characteristics of the organism. The most common modified foods are derived from plants such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton, but the list of GMOs also includes hormones given to dairy cattle (rbGH). Now even the animals themselves are being genetically engineered.

Supporters of genetic engineering say that modification of organisms on a genetic level is safe, and is similar to how conventional plant breeding has taken place for thousands of years. They also state that in order to gain efficiency in food production to feed the world, GM foods are necessary. The producers of these GMOs maintain that they are as safe as any other food, and have no negative effect on the people consuming them or the environment.

Critics of GMOs (including me) point out that no true trials or testing have been undertaken in order to prove the safety of these foods. In fact, adverse effects from consuming GMOs have been recorded, and because it’s such a new practice, the full results of releasing these unnatural organisms into the environment still remain to be seen. Since science can measure only what it targets, and the sheer number of variables in our natural environment is enormous, the possibility is great that many unintended consequences will occur through the use and consumption of GMOs.

Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of GMOs and the intermingling of foods in our food system during harvest, storage, and processing, most U.S. consumers have been eating genetically modified foods for years. Even those of us who focus on eating all organic probably have been ingesting these foods if we eat out or dine at someone’s house who isn’t as strict as we are with their food purchases. Some 60 to 70% of the products in a grocery store contain some type of genetically engineered ingredient, with the biggest offenders being soy, corn, canola oil, and cottonseed oil.

So why do companies like Monsanto (the world leader in genetic modification) pursue genetic engineering?

One claimed benefit is that using GM seeds increases crop yields and decreases the use of pesticides and herbicides for food production (hence the claim that GMOs will help feed the world). However, contrary to the information coming from the supporters of genetic engineering, studies have shown that just as many pesticides and herbicides are being applied to GM crops as non-GM crops, and in some cases at even higher quantities. For crops modified to be resistant to herbicides, farmers can spray even heavier without damaging the plants, leading to increased use of herbicides worldwide. These herbicides end up in our groundwater, and may also be present in food even after harvest and processing. A recent study sponsored by the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN), published in Chemical Research in Toxicology journal, found that Roundup (glyphosate) diluted 105 times was toxic to three different human cell types. This level is significantly lower than the currently accepted residue levels. What this means is that every bite of GM food (modified to be tolerant of glyphosate application) will also have toxic residues which may be detrimental to your health.

Another reason given is the possible increase in nutrition from genetic modification (a higher vitamin content, such as vitamin A in so-called Golden Rice). Yet another is the production of pharmaceuticals from GM crops, which is touted as being able to increase the global availability of medicines and vaccines. Still another reason is the production of substances like spider silk in mass quantities (from genetically modified goats that can produce the silk protein in their Pesticides and GMOs milk).

The four major GM crops – soy, corn, canola, and cotton – are engineered to survive the applications of herbicides at levels which would otherwise kill the plants. Almost 70% of GM crops are engineered to be herbicide tolerant. Another trait of GM crops is a pesticide produced within the plant itself (Bt, or Bacillus thuringienses) in GM corn and cotton. Proponents claim that Bt is harmless, and is a natural bacteria, but some studies have shown an allergic reaction, a high immune response, and even damaged intestines.

If you aren’t OK with all of that, then you need to learn how to avoid GMOs in the food you buy. The best way to avoid them is to buy 100% certified organic food always (check the PLU number on the produce). Organic produce has a 5 digit PLU number, beginning with 9. Conventionally grown produce has a 4 digit PLU number. In theory, all GM produce has a 5 digit PLU number beginning with 8, but the critics say that because labeling is optional, not all GM produce will be labeled as such. If you eat meat, buy 100% grass-fed (pastured) beef and go for the certified organic meats. If you read labels carefully, you will find foods that have been labeled non-GMO or GMO-free. If it isn’t labeled as such, and the product contains non-organic soybeans, corn, canola, cottonseed oil, or dairy, you’re probably getting GM varieties in there.

For more info, be sure to bookmark Seeds of Deception and the Organic Consumers Association GM page.

I avoid GM food, and I wouldn’t feed it to my friends or family either. I highly recommend you become a careful label reader and keep it out of your diet as well.

Although typical deodorants and any antiperspirants are toxic to skin, antiperspirants are much more dangerous to women. Reports vary as to why; some link the increased risk to the fact that women shave their armpits and therefore cancer-causing substances in antiperspirants are absorbed through razor nicks. Other reports say that women sweat differently and not as effectively on the breast area as men do. The sweat has nowhere to go so it builds up into infectious lumps under the skin around the breasts. These lumps can and often do turn cancerous.

Many so called credible organizations such as the American Cancer Society say that there is no findings or evidence to support this claim. But we don’t really consider them credible, so… We prefer to use common sense. Your body releases much of its toxins through sweat. If you do not allow your body to sweat, where do the toxins go?

It is a little known fact that the very healthy do not have body odor. Believe it or not, your natural smell is a very good indicator of your overall health

Well, it’s getting to be that time of day (night 🙂 when I get to feeling I’ve had enough fun for one day and should be heading towards the ole sack, but I thought I’d leave y’all with this little true story that happened to me a few years back having to do with FrankenFoods.

At one time I was a promoter of Soy Protein Powder as a source of protein especially for some body builders I had as clients, and one day I was queried by one of them as to whether or not it was Genetically Engineered or not. GE had not been talked about very much up to that time and my knowledge on the subject was a bit scarce back then, but I thought I’d better investigate it. One of my friends had done some research on GE foods in general and the findings sent to me were shocking, outrageous, and downright scary.

To be on the safe side, I then decided to investigate this source that all my muscle builders were using, and proceeded to trace back the data trail as to how pervasive this GE thing was and whether or not there was any risk to my personal clients.

I went to our biggest local healthfood store in Clearwater called Nature’s Food Patch and asked the bulk food manager whether or not his Soy Protein Powder was GE or not. He emphatically told me that the Food Patch did NOT sell anything that was Genetically Modified. Absolutely Not! I then asked him what the name of the product was and who was its supplier. He told me it was called Supro 440 and they got it from NOW Foods. Wellllll, I thought this was a good start, as I do business with NOW (still do) as I feel they have the best Vitamin E and COQ10 on the planet at the best price (only a few of the products made by someone else that I am willing to trust and endorse which is why they are on my product and price list).

I then called NOW Foods and asked one of the technical advisors there if the Supro 440 that they were selling was Genetically Engineered. “Absolutely NOT! No way in hell would they sell anything that was GE. Ridiculous!” Welllllll, OK this sounded good so I asked him who the manufacturer was who supplied them with the stuff. He told me it was a company called Protein Technologies and readily gave me their number.

I’m feeling all right and making good headway here, so I next call up Protein Technologies and asked to speak to a technical supervisor there as I had some questions to put to him. I get him on the line and I ask, “Is your Supro 440 a Genetically Engineered product?”. —- Long pregnant pause, and then he returned with, “Well, what exactly do you mean by Genetically Engineered?”. All of a sudden, I wasn’t having a good day and I was starting to feel a little apprehensive. I returned with, “GE, you know, GMO, Genetically Modified Organism???”. He said, “One moment please, and I’ll let you speak to our Head Chemist”. After a wait of about 30 seconds (my apprehension is now building), the Lead Chemist from Protein Tech comes on the line and I ask my question again. He tells me proudly, “Wellllllll, yessss the Supro 440 is GE and most of our soy products are”. I’m feeling a little queasy at this stage and I ask, “do you have any Soy Protein Powder which is Organic and non-GMO?”. He then told me that they did but he had to confess that they used the same machines to process the Organic as they did the GE/GMO and that they did not clean the machines after each usage. The bottom of my stomach dropped about 40 feet but I had one more question, “Is Protein Technologies a solely owned company or is it a subsidiary?”

He said, “The parent company is Dupont.”!

I couldn’t talk for a bit and slowly just hung up the phone, I don’t even remember saying “goodbye” to the man.

I called back NOW Foods, and to their credit, they had the product off the shelf within a week. I then called back the Bulk Foods Manager at Nature’s Food Patch and told him the story. His response was, “Impossible, we sell NO GE/GMO foods in this store”.

Oh well, there are ostriches in this world and he never would believe me or even call up and verify it one way or the other. I then had the realization that one could lose many freedoms through complacency.

And the moral of this bed time story?

LOOK!!! DON’T LISTEN!!!

Yours in Knowledge, Health and Freedom,

Doc Shillington

PS. Since I originally wrote this article back in 2001, the amount of Genetically Engineered Soy products sold in the American marketplace has grown to more than 90%. It is also my conviction that the other 10% is contaminated.  The same goes for all corn products.  You and your family are far safer if you avoid all soy and corn products altogether.  Unless you grow it yourself, or unless you personally know the farmer who’s growing it, ALL SOY & CORN PRODUCTS AND BYPRODUCTS SHOULD BE SHUNNED!

Ian “Doc” Shillington N.D.

The Department of Agriculture clearly defines “natural” when applied to labeling. For meat and poultry, it means minimal processing, no artificial or synthetic ingredients, and no added hormones.

But the Food and Drug Administration says it has no plans to define natural or to restrict its use in labeling.

With no clear definition, confusion and controversy have been generated. Consumer groups are urging the FDA to restrict use of the word “natural” and they demand that food manufacturers stop freely using it until the government acts. This spring, one organization threatened legal action against a popular soft drink, “100% Natural” 7UP.

“Natural means nothing,” said Urvashi Rangan, a toxicologist and a senior scientist at Consumer Reports , which has urged government action. “You have to flip the box over and examine the ingredient list. You’ve got to do your homework. But there’s no requirement for what the ingredients have to be, to be considered natural.”

Courtesy of The Organic Consumers Association.

Keep in mind, while it’s very important to read ingredient labels, it’s even more important to consume whole, raw, fresh vegetables and fruits which, provided they are organic, are as “all natural” as it gets.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., well-known for his environmental activism, is also known for his staunch belief that the government has conspired to cover up the connection between vaccines and autism (as well as other neurological disorders). In his June 2005 article, Deadly Immunity, which was published on Salon.com and Rolling Stone.com, Kennedy reveals that leaders from the CDC, the FDA, the World Health Organization, and major pharmaceutical companies met in 2000 to discuss the correlation between the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal and the overwhelming rise in autism, a fifteen fold increase from one child in every 2500 to one in every 166.

Kennedy writes, “But instead of taking immediate steps to alert the public and rid the vaccine supply of thimerosal, the officials and executives at Simpsonwood spent most of the next two days discussing how to cover up the damaging data. According to transcripts obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, many at the meeting were concerned about how the damaging revelations about thimerosal would affect the vaccine industry’s bottom line.”

The original data from the study that sparked the meeting was, of course, lost and could not be replicated. And though the study was said to be slated for immediate publication, it was not released for three years. By then, the author had begun work for a pharmaceutical company. His published article no longer linked thimerosal and autism.

Kennedy’s article shows more than a cover-up; it reveals the on-going disregard for human life and health. Though American pharmaceutical companies began to phase out thimerosal, they continued to sell off their backlog of dangerous vaccines. In addition, the CDC and FDA bought vaccines, which included thimerosal, for export to developing countries and allowed the preservative to remain in some pediatric flu shots and  tetanus shots.

Click here for Kennedy’s full article, which also explores other avenues of political corruption regarding this issue. or listen to an audio version

In February of 2009, three rulings against parents seeking damages for vaccination injury were touted in the press as being the definitive answer to the vaccination and autism link. Kennedy and David Kirby wrote an article published in the Huffington Post refuting that claim. In their article they stated, “…an explosive investigation by CBS News has found that since 1988, the vaccine court has awarded money judgments, often in the millions of dollars, to thirteen hundred and twenty two families whose children suffered brain damage from vaccines. In many of these cases, the government paid out awards following a judicial finding that vaccine injury <sic> lead to the child’s autism spectrum disorder.”Click here for the full article.

In addition, Kennedy wrote a June 19, 2007 blog: Attack on Mothers regarding efforts by the government and the media to vilify mothers of autistic children who are fighting for vaccine awareness.

Also, be sure to these articles on vaccines.

EasyBloom is a great tool for the gardener—especially one born with a black thumb. This little device tells you if your plants need water, diagnoses ailing plants, and makes plant recommendations (based on real conditions) as to which plants will thrive at a particular site.

To begin using EasyBloom, plug the device into one of your computer’s USB ports and choose which of the three functions you want to use: recommend mode, monitor mode, or water mode.

• Recommend mode—provides plant recommendations for a particular site, indoors or outside.
• Monitor mode—gives expert advice in caring for an existing plant.
• Water mode—provides immediate feedback on whether a plant needs water.

Once the mode is set, unplug the device from your computer and connect it to the sensor base. I chose the recommend mode and stuck the EasyBloom into a shady site in my back yard. Twenty-four hours later I plugged the device into my computer to receive my recommendations.

EasyBloom analyzed the site, providing the relative humidity, average temperature, and sunlight, then recommended a list of plants that should thrive in that location. To my surprise, it also gave me the opportunity to add pictures, take notes, and store the information in an archive section called “my readings.”

I also tried EasyBloom in its water mode. In this mode the device beeps when your plants need water. Unfortunately, none of the pots were dry at the time. I have not yet tried the monitor mode, which is designed to aid in diagnosing the problems plaguing an ailing plant.

I loved the design of the battery casing. A band encircles the battery which allows for easy removal and a means to easily disengage the battery when the device is not in use.

The EasyBloom website is user friendly, offering videos to help you learn to use the device and contact information for customer service. It also contains a database of more than 5000 plants with planting and care instructions and a feature that allows you to choose and store a listing of your favorite plants.

EasyBloom is a great device. Even though it does not analyze soil (I do so wish it would at least give me the ph), it is an excellent gardening aid, especially for the novice gardener. Coupled with the online resources, it is well worth its $60.00 price tag.

http://easybloom.com

Many desk workers struggle with neck or back pain, shoulder strain, headaches, repetitive strain injury, or have trouble focusing, even with an ergonomically correct setup at work. Susi Hately Aldous, Yogi, author, kinesiologist, and founder of Functional Synergy, has created a specialized program, Yoga for the Desk Jockey™ for desk workers.

Here, she shares a few very simple techniques for the desk worker (or anyone dealing with stress). These easy, two-minute exercises alleviate pain and reduce tension through easy stretching, breathing, and overall movement of the body.

Finding Calmness in a Sometimes Complex World

By the middle of the day, does your mind feel overworked?  Do your shoulders ache or your neck cramp?  Or does that familiar feeling of tension enter into the space between your shoulder blades?

If, at that moment, you take time to consciously breathe, stretch or move your body, not only will your body feel better, but your mind will clear, your creativity will rise, and your work output will improve. Better yet, your connections with colleagues, customers, and clients will strengthen.

1. Sitting with feet on the ground, breathe.
2. Inhale, roll your shoulders to your ears.
3. Exhale, pull your shoulder blades together and down your back.
4. Repeat 10 times, keeping the jaw, eyes and tongue relaxed.

Flow fact: Moving your body helps unwind the “jumbled” feeling in the head that comes with overwork and stress. You’ll become clearer, calmer, and more creative.

Release Your Hips

The hips, especially in women, can hold a concentrated amount of tension whether you’re sitting for extended periods of time or standing on your feet for hours at a time. “I am really keen on enabling people to find a sense of ease and evenness during workdays, no matter what deadlines or curveballs occur,” says Susi. She suggests doing this hip release exercise to balance any tension held there.

1. Stand and hold the wall, the back of your chair, or your desk for support.
2. While standing, lift your right ankle onto your left knee.
3. Gently bend your left knee. Breathe through your nose.
4. Relax your jaw and shoulders, and breathe easily for 5 to 10 breaths.
5. You may feel some leg strengthening as well as hip releasing.
6. Be sure there is no knee pain. If there is, ease up to a position where you feel no pain.
7. Switch sides.

Flow Fact:  By releasing your hips you can reduce back pain, improve leg strength, and build pelvic stability.

Twist It Out

The core area of the body may oftentimes feel stress from nervousness or digestive problems that can hit anyone morning or night. “I love this particular twist when I am spending my day working on the computer,” says Susi. “It helps wring out tension in the back, neck, and shoulders.”

1. Sit tall, feet firmly planted, sitting bones equally positioned on the chair.
2. Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand behind you on your chair seat.
3. Inhale, and as you exhale, twist to your left. Be easy – don’t go to your maximum.
4. Take two more breaths and then switch direction.
5. Be sure you can breathe easy and your jaw is relaxed.

Flow Fact: Nervous tension in the belly can lead to back pain, eye strain, and general uneasiness. Releasing the associated muscular tension can bring much ease, calmness, and clarity.

Chest Release to Ease the Neck, Shoulders and Back

Whether you use a laptop, BlackBerry, or desktop computer or whether you drive, fly, or sit at a desk for most of the working day, the tendency after a few hours of work is to slouch – spine rounded and head poking forward. When this type of posture is held for a period of time, the muscles in the chest and neck tighten. The following exercise releases the muscles of your chest to reinvigorate and rejuvenate:

1. Sit at the edge of your chair with equal weight on your sitting bones.
2. Feel your feet planted on the floor. Relax your toes. Breathe.
3. Gently fist your hands, with thumbs pointing up to the ceiling.
4. Move your arms backward – you may feel this in your chest and/or your arms.
5. Relax your jaw and keep your shoulders relaxed and moving down your back (don’t let them round forward).
6. Breathe four or five times, then release. Repeat three to five times, slowly and easily.

Flow fact: Releasing the muscles of the chest can ease tension in the neck, jaw, and back.

Your body changes from day to day and you alone know your body best. Please be responsible with it – move with awareness and in your pain free range of motion.