Sorry folks, I know it’s been a little while since my last post – work, laundry, pulling weeds, and life in general sometimes gets in the way.
I
read a short article today, and was inspired to somewhat elaborate a little bit
more on my last post. Our food
system is definitely broken, and the article I read today scratches the surface
of exactly how broken it really is.
The article can be found through aol.com, tucked way down the page, and
then several clicks later through their health section onto another website,
the Huffington Post.
So what’s my
point?
Well, the article is very important, but most people might
miss it in this slightly obscure location. Here’s a direct link to save you some time: Huffington Post article
The original article appears here: Reuters article
This is a great short article to get the word out. People can get an idea of why they need
to be thinking about the chemicals around them, and the ones on their food.
There are some important points made by this article:
- Thanks to GMO crops, the use of herbicides like glyphosate has at least doubled.
- This herbicide has been found in food.
- There is a study linking this chemical to Parkinson’s, Cancers and infertility.
- The damage is not immediately visible (not immediately toxic), it occurs over time.
Other Points you should know about that are not covered
explicitly by this article:
- There are other herbicides that are being used, like 2,4-D. You may have heard of 2,4-D. It was one of the ingredients in the infamous defoliant known as Agent Orange. As recently as last year (April 2012) the E.P.A., who is supposed to be protecting us, denied a request to ban this chemical, claiming that there was not enough evidence to link 2,4-D exposure to cancer. There is, however, a government website that says the following:
VA presumes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is related to a Veteran's:
§
Exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military
service or
§
Service in Vietnam or in the offshore waters of Vietnam during the
Vietnam Era.
These Veterans do not need to prove a connection between their disease and military service to be eligible to
receive VA disability compensation.
This is acknowledgement by the government that herbicide exposure
and serious illness are related.
And it is further proof that you are your own best advocate.
- The study mentioned in this article is not the first, or the only, and I have a feeling it will definitely not be the last, study that links serious illness with herbicide exposure. Also of growing concern (no pun intended) are the 23+ strains of herbicide-resistant weeds that have been recorded. Farmers will have to douse their crops with more chemicals because their efficacy is declining. And we can’t forget about chemical drift! When you spray, and that nice warm breeze is blowing, it’s a guarantee that not every single drop of that chemical is going to end up exactly where you intended it to be- as at least one Indiana farmer can testify. Some herbicide drift decimated one of his tomato fields. I raise my tomato plants from seed with the utmost care, and I would be willing to bet that other organic gardeners, like myself, would be very upset if they woke up one day and found that their tomato crop had been randomly assaulted by some wandering herbicide. VERY UPSET.
- Pesticide Exposure has also been linked to serious illnesses. (Here’s the spot where we insert that age old story about cockroaches surviving a nuclear blast, well… not exactly) Additionally, there are pests that are developing a resistance to pesticides: once again, more chemicals will be sprayed.
- And when it rains? You guessed it. These chemicals are washing right into the rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater!
Here is a long-term study related to chemical exposure that
everyone should read: Agricultural Health Study
Grossed out yet?
- In the United States, Americans have been eating GMO foods since 1996. And there is still no label mandated by the FDA, despite an overwhelming majority (+90%) of Americans who want to know what’s in their food. (Nope, they’re not looking out for us, but it’s no surprise considering that a former Monsanto Executive is now head of the FDA. This year, they also had the audacity to tack on a section to a spending bill that has become known as the “Monsanto Protection Act.”) You’d be interested to know that last year (2012) 93% of soybeans planted in the U.S. were GM soybeans, 94% of the cotton planted was GM, as was 88% of corn. Keep in mind, this does not account for crops nearby, which may have been cross-pollinated with GM crops via the wind, bees, etc. Here are the top 7 GMOs to avoid, as published in the Huffington Post:
1. Corn: Corn is the No. 1 crop grown in
the U.S. and nearly all of it -- 88 percent -- is genetically modified. In
addition to being added to innumerable processed foods, genetically modified
corn is a staple of animal feed.
2. Soy: 93 percent of soy is
genetically modified. Soy is a staple of processed foods under various names
including hydrogenated oils, lecithin, emulsifiers, tocopherol (a vitamin E
supplement) and proteins.
3. Cottonseed:
According to the USDA, 94 percent of cotton grown
in the U.S. is genetically modified. Cottonseeds are culled from cotton, and
then used for vegetable oil, margarine or shortening production, or frying
foods, such as potato chips.
4. Alfalfa: Farmers feed alfalfa to dairy cows, the source of milk, butter, yogurt, meat and so much more. Alfalfa is the fourth largest crop grown in the U.S., behind corn, soybeans, and wheat (though there is no genetically engineered wheat on the market).
5. Papaya: 75 percent
of the Hawaiian papaya crop is genetically modified to withstand the papaya ringspot virus.
6. Canola: About 90 percent of the U.S. canola crop is genetically modified. Canola oil is
used in cooking, as well as biofuels. In North Dakota, genetically modified
canola has been found growing far from any planted fields, raising questions
about what will happen when "escaped" GE canola competes
with wild plants.
7. Sugar Beets: More
than half -- 54 percent -- of sugar sold in America comes from sugar beets.
Genetically modified sugar beets account for 90 percent of the crop; however,
that percentage is expected to increase after a USDA's decision last year gave
the green light to sugar beet planting before an environmental
impact statement was completed.
Source: Huffington Post,
“Top 7 Genetically Modified Crops”, Oct. 30, 2012
As
you may have noticed, some of these, like corn and soybeans, are very
insidious. Think about it, corn
syrup, high fructose corn syrup (this one is so pervasive that it now has it’s
own acronym on social media sites: HFCS), corn starch, citric acid; try finding
stuff on the shelf that doesn’t have any of these on the label – not easy.
Unfortunately, to
compound this problem, there are some other ingredients/additives to avoid:
Aspartame,
Hydrolyzed protein,
Autolyzed yeast,
The notorious MSG
(monosodium glutamate),
Potassium bromate,
brominated vegetable
oil (used as a flame-retardant for plastics. Yes, it’s in your food. Disgusting
isn’t it?),
BHA and BHT,
trans fats (most
people have probably heard of this via the fast food debacle of 2006, Center for Science in the Public Interest v. KFC),
and last but not least, Artificial Colors (many are made from petroleum extracts – Eeew!). Ingredient
list source: citizens.org
You can read more about these additives, where they are, what they are & how to avoid them here: the top ten additives to avoid
Reading your food labels is so important that there is a whole day
dedicated to it! April 11th is (was, as of this blog post, and looking
forward to next years!) National Read Your Labels Day. So read your labels!
Those are some of the major points that are related, but not
covered in the article. All this
can be a bit overwhelming, but it’s important that you know this information because
only then can you defend yourself and your family. I have written this to help everyone understand the
importance of being aware of the food you eat; what’s in it and what’s on
it. Yes, there are only so many
things you can do each day, but the important part is that you recognize the
changes that you can make for your health and your family’s. That’s what I’m hoping to do here, is help everybody: to give you some
knowledge, resources and inspiration to make your life better.
Now, here are a couple of resources to help you make sense of all
this so you can grocery-shop in peace and not in pieces:
Both of these also have apps in the app store on iTunes that you can download and take with you. Remember: anything that is certified organic cannot contain genetically modified ingredients. Organic is your best bet: go organic as much and as often as possible. If you can’t get organic, which is sometimes the case, it’s helpful to know that you can look for the adorable little orange butterfly in the blue square. This logo means that the product has been certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project.
Here is another resource that I love!
You can punch in your address, and it will show you all the farmers markets and farms with stores that are right in your own backyard! Buying local is the best. Not only are you supporting your local farmers & economy, you can be sure that what you are getting is delicious! You can also buy organic and heirloom seeds here from many different, independent, small farmers. Trust me, I’ve ordered seeds from here – they grew, and produced amazing veggies! (There will be more posts on gardening later.)
If
you don’t have a lot of space, you can still have a garden on your terrace or
even on your kitchen counter. Some ideas for people who live in smaller
spaces are available here: Back to the Roots
This is just a bite to get you started. Don’t be afraid to read and research on your own. The best way to defend your health and
your family is to educate yourself.
The more you know, the better off you’ll be.
Here’s to healthier living & happy gardening!
