If you haven't already been paying attention, my veggie voyagers...everywhere we look there are products coming out suitable for vegans! In a time where only a year ago we would have had a hard time finding something at, say, Fred Meyer (Kroger) or WalMart that was vegan friendly, now we can confidently walk in and see a good handful of vegan products side-by-side with conventional ones.
Makes my veggie heart swell with joy!
Of course - never forget - we still have to be smart in the products we purchase and feed our families. While we are seeing many more products we can cook with going vegan, many of those products are also still loaded with salt, oils, sugar, fat, chemicals, etc...and those are things we still don't want to be flooding our bodies with.
Processed foods, whether vegan or not, are still detrimental to our overall health and well-being, no matter what classification they are.
Whole Foods are best - and I still stand by the premise that refined and concentrated oils are evil on the body. Use organic vegetable broth instead to cook with! Oils simply are not needed to make your foods tasty, and for many other healthy reasons!
Type 2 diabetics - sit up and take notice: Cutting oils and animal fats out of your diet (yes, that includes dairy) will help those receptors "clean" themselves out and start taking up that insulin properly. Don't believe me? Read "Program for Reversing Type 2 Diabetes" By Neal Barnard, MD.
I did it - and you can too.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Awwww, poor sweetie (go to the link posted in this paragraph). I know all too well - from experience - that so many skin conditions and other issues go misdiagnosed (or undiagnosed!) all the time. Baby Deals With Awful Skin Issue
I STILL have a skin issue that no one knows what to do about it, including the specialists I've seen...and nor do they care to try and figure out what triggers these random episodes ("it's all in your head, reduce your stress") - and they STILL tell me "it had nothing to do with your allergy testing..." Really? Because I never had non-raised red spots, hives, rashes OR burning hives with pain in my skin at random times with zero warning until directly AFTER I had allergy testing done.
I STILL have a skin issue that no one knows what to do about it, including the specialists I've seen...and nor do they care to try and figure out what triggers these random episodes ("it's all in your head, reduce your stress") - and they STILL tell me "it had nothing to do with your allergy testing..." Really? Because I never had non-raised red spots, hives, rashes OR burning hives with pain in my skin at random times with zero warning until directly AFTER I had allergy testing done.
The only thing we have found after 6 years of LOTS of research and excruciating trial and error, is that the issue always crops up:
In extreme heat,
When I am exposed to chemicals without wearing protection (like bug spray, cleaning items, solvents, etc...),
Use of pain killers (I can never have ibuprofen or naproxen related products again - that reaction lost me my wedding ring and left permanent damage on my chest),
After eating foods with pesticides on or in them (lips swell, skin breaks out, headaches ensue...though this never happens with the same items in organic form.
So this is one BIG reason I am as non-GMO and organic as possible - that has drastically changed my skin allergy issue just paying attention to these issues alone.
When I am exposed to chemicals without wearing protection (like bug spray, cleaning items, solvents, etc...),
Use of pain killers (I can never have ibuprofen or naproxen related products again - that reaction lost me my wedding ring and left permanent damage on my chest),
After eating foods with pesticides on or in them (lips swell, skin breaks out, headaches ensue...though this never happens with the same items in organic form.
So this is one BIG reason I am as non-GMO and organic as possible - that has drastically changed my skin allergy issue just paying attention to these issues alone.
I will always be cautious and make sure I always get second and third opinions from varying fields of expertise after ANY diagnoses. I've been burned one too many times over flippant attitudes, brush-offs, and condescending behavior making me out to be over-sensitive.
Excuse me, you live with never knowing what will trigger a skin issue that you NEVER want to be up in front of a crowd speaking with! Or not being able to sleep because you have to wait for the pain and reaction to subside. Or, this is a doozie...have a doctor refuse to prescribe you an EpiPen because he believes it's "all in your head, and if you reduce your stress it won't happen anymore"...Really? I beg to differ.
My all-time favorite "what the ?" Moment though: I'm in an ER with a massive breakout all over (this one had red round spots under the skin (they were not raised) and were hot to the touch. No itching, no platelets. I had 4 docs come through, and ALL of them had to thumb through PICTURES in some large medical book and finally could come to no conclusion as to what my issue was. "We'll call it urticaria...that's about all we can tell you"...No kidding...really? I KNEW THAT. Now, tell me how to eliminate it!
Excuse me, you live with never knowing what will trigger a skin issue that you NEVER want to be up in front of a crowd speaking with! Or not being able to sleep because you have to wait for the pain and reaction to subside. Or, this is a doozie...have a doctor refuse to prescribe you an EpiPen because he believes it's "all in your head, and if you reduce your stress it won't happen anymore"...Really? I beg to differ.
My all-time favorite "what the ?" Moment though: I'm in an ER with a massive breakout all over (this one had red round spots under the skin (they were not raised) and were hot to the touch. No itching, no platelets. I had 4 docs come through, and ALL of them had to thumb through PICTURES in some large medical book and finally could come to no conclusion as to what my issue was. "We'll call it urticaria...that's about all we can tell you"...No kidding...really? I KNEW THAT. Now, tell me how to eliminate it!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Veggies, Camping and Men...
Camping can be a great relaxing experience - or it can be a stressful, tiring one.
Never decide on the spur of the moment, "Hey, lets throw some clothes and food in the travel trailer and go camp out!".... NEVER do this.
We went camping this weekend, and it was relaxing on the mind - the body, however, is a completely different story altogether.
We all know that when camping your options are as limited as you make them. Sure, you can bring a smorgasbord of items to cook and prepare, but if you don't have the room, fridge and electricity to store and use those items then it's never going to work.
We camped in a campground with no electrical hookups, no water and no bathrooms. Yes, we had a travel trailer (thankfully!!), but little to no room to chop veggies and cook (because the travel trailer is small, has no refrigeration, no stove- just a microwave and a gas burner top - and no counter space and it rained off and on all weekend), we were literally left with the standard hot dogs, soy hot dogs (for me), smores and canned food items.
Ouch.
The husband was happy as a pig in slop though, so I guess for Father's Day that was a score-one-for-mom deal.
Regretfully, however, I did not eat all that well this weekend AND my digestive system is definitely getting me back for it.
Ugh...
So moral to this story: ALWAYS research the campgrounds you will be going to and make sure they at least have electrical hookups for travel trailers - and if they don't: FIND ONE THAT DOES.
Carefully plan out your food choices so that you can still eat a healthy, vegan, veggie-packed diet that you do not need to rely on refrigeration or ice coolers for. You do NOT need to rely on soy hot dogs and canned soups if you plan accordingly.
And for the love of all that is holy - NEVER forget your wok/skillet!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Seriously...It's Time Small-Town Mentality Shifts Towards More Information, Less Ignorant Opinion
I realized something today, and, amazingly, it took this long for me to realize ... I come home every summer to visit my small coastal hometown. And I love my hometown. However, the blatant small-town mentality - again - reared it's unending ugly head today in posts Facebook-wide.
Ignorance is NOT bliss...not when you find out the hard unavoidable way that you could have done something had you only had the right information and made the effort to make a difference before your health or life became jeapordized. And to do that, you have to go outside your comfort zone and actually open your eyes to the realities in life. Accept that you are NOT a know-it-all when it comes to things you "think" you know everything about. Accept that everyone else are NOT "just fools that feed off the mainstream media idiots".
There is a huge world outside of the small coastal towns off the Pacific Northwest. We should NEVER be so arrogant to believe we are "armchair experts", sitting in our homes saying everyone else are the fools. No, those who spew ignorance are making themselves the fools for all the world to see. I fear for them if they ever leave that small town and venture out into the wide unknown. It will be a rude, uncomfortable awakening when they realize that they really have zero understanding of what life is REALLY like in the world, that what they thought they knew is actually all a huge misconception warped by small-town mentality, or that for once their friends are not the best source of pertinent information.
The world opened up for me the moment I left a small town and saw the world. Yes, I left the USA and went elsewhere in the world - and a HUGE world it is, with far more to it than any one person can ever imagine. Different cultures, ways of thinking and lifestyles are widespread and very diverse.
It's amazing the things you see, learn and experience when you leave that cocoon of small-town living and mentality.
My world opened up for me even more when I came back to the USA and worked hard towards a college degree. Having that degree handed to me was one of the best, most rewarding moments of my life.
It's time that people look outside their small tightknit communities and really pay attention to what is going on in the world around them, because it is very real.
To put it plainly:
The breakdown of our governmental regulatory commissions are very real. Organic standards that have been, until now, safe and trustworthy are being systematically torn apart by special interests with ties to major agro-chemical industries. FDA has been shown to be much less than trustworthy, and they have since shirked their duties in making sure our food is safe to eat.
GMO dangers are very real. There have been no studies that say GMOs are safe for human consumption or use. NONE. No matter what chem companies and regulatory commissions will tell you. And that is because they are NOT safe. They want to tell us that "in time we will see that there was nothing to worry about". That same sentence was said about smoking. And look where we are now.
But there have been many independent studies done showing GMOs are far from safe, and show alarming signs towards diseases and disorders that we have seen rise significantly since the introduction of GMOs into the food supply.
Agent Orange and the devastation that it caused both in the Vietnam War and still today is very real. We can thank Monsanto and Dow, among others, for those atrocities perpetrated on our soldiers and the Vietnamese people (and both their offspring! But that's a whole other topic...).
The breakdown of our governmental regulatory commissions are very real. Organic standards that have been, until now, safe and trustworthy are being systematically torn apart by special interests with ties to major agro-chemical industries. FDA has been shown to be much less than trustworthy, and they have since shirked their duties in making sure our food is safe to eat.
GMO dangers are very real. There have been no studies that say GMOs are safe for human consumption or use. NONE. No matter what chem companies and regulatory commissions will tell you. And that is because they are NOT safe. They want to tell us that "in time we will see that there was nothing to worry about". That same sentence was said about smoking. And look where we are now.
But there have been many independent studies done showing GMOs are far from safe, and show alarming signs towards diseases and disorders that we have seen rise significantly since the introduction of GMOs into the food supply.
Agent Orange and the devastation that it caused both in the Vietnam War and still today is very real. We can thank Monsanto and Dow, among others, for those atrocities perpetrated on our soldiers and the Vietnamese people (and both their offspring! But that's a whole other topic...).
And still today, elements of Agent Orange are now approved for use in those pesticides that are sprayed on your food. Not to mention the GMO pesticides that are inserted into your food.
Gluten intolerance is very real. It's skyrocketed since the introduction of more potent pesticides and GMOs.
Chemicals like Red Dye #40, HFCS, and more ARE health hazards. Red 40 has been shown to contribute to higher levels of anxiety and hyperactivity in susceptible children. These things are NOT natural products, therefore the body does not assimilate it the same as it would if it ingested, say, cherry juice - or something similar - used as a color enhancer. Cherry juice or another fruit product used to color foods IS a natural product - Red 40 is absolutely NOT, and neither is HFCS - - again, GMO-laden products to poison the population more and more, little by little.
Chemicals like Red Dye #40, HFCS, and more ARE health hazards. Red 40 has been shown to contribute to higher levels of anxiety and hyperactivity in susceptible children. These things are NOT natural products, therefore the body does not assimilate it the same as it would if it ingested, say, cherry juice - or something similar - used as a color enhancer. Cherry juice or another fruit product used to color foods IS a natural product - Red 40 is absolutely NOT, and neither is HFCS - - again, GMO-laden products to poison the population more and more, little by little.
Shifting to an organic lifestyle is VERY realistic. It's not a "stupid idea", "a fool's notion", or even "a gullible idiot's fantasy"... the dangers we are facing each year as the quality of food production in this country continues to degrade is astonishing. One only has to actually pay attention and do a little research.
Grow your own food, using certified organic seeds and/or starts! COOK!!!! Ditch the processed foods and go back to COOKING for yourself.
Grow your own food, using certified organic seeds and/or starts! COOK!!!! Ditch the processed foods and go back to COOKING for yourself.
In other parts of the world they don't even allow genetically modified organisms in their food supplies. In other parts of the world they live an organic lifestyle with little to no processed foods naturally, without even thinking twice. In those places they don't have the same kind of diseases and disorders that we do here in United States and other rich countries.
In other countries, their citizens literally look at us Americans as mindless fools, overindulgent sloths, and more unflattering terms...(and those are terms exactly as they were said).
It's time this country wakes up, gets their collective heads out of the sand, and take some kind of initiative to take back our health, and our freedom to CHOOSE!
Support labeling GMO! At least then you'll know what your eating and can choose whether or not you want to eat real food or genetically modified food-like organisms.
And NO - labeling foods is NOT going to raise costs, put people out of jobs, raise taxes, make you surrender your first born, etc...NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN. Stop listening to the special interests that are only out for THEIR INTERESTS. They simply do not want foods labeled because they KNOW that then the purchasing power of the consumer will be more powerful, and people might actually *gasp!* become more educated about what goes into their foods! Oh, the horror!!! God help Monsanto when everyone becomes the dreaded "informed consumer"...whatever will Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturer's Association do then?!
When we have entire countries denying import of our foods because of GMO issues - perhaps it's time we start taking more notice to the world around us and the issues we keep trying to ignore at home. Wake up, America.
In other countries, their citizens literally look at us Americans as mindless fools, overindulgent sloths, and more unflattering terms...(and those are terms exactly as they were said).
It's time this country wakes up, gets their collective heads out of the sand, and take some kind of initiative to take back our health, and our freedom to CHOOSE!
Support labeling GMO! At least then you'll know what your eating and can choose whether or not you want to eat real food or genetically modified food-like organisms.
And NO - labeling foods is NOT going to raise costs, put people out of jobs, raise taxes, make you surrender your first born, etc...NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN. Stop listening to the special interests that are only out for THEIR INTERESTS. They simply do not want foods labeled because they KNOW that then the purchasing power of the consumer will be more powerful, and people might actually *gasp!* become more educated about what goes into their foods! Oh, the horror!!! God help Monsanto when everyone becomes the dreaded "informed consumer"...whatever will Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturer's Association do then?!
When we have entire countries denying import of our foods because of GMO issues - perhaps it's time we start taking more notice to the world around us and the issues we keep trying to ignore at home. Wake up, America.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Amazing! Yes, I'm back online!
It's been a few months, yes...I'm painfully aware of the fact that little information has made it from my brain to this page. So much has been going on, and many life changes have occurred to bring me right back here where I belong!
On to posting...
As many may be aware - GMO-Free Oregon is fighting to get a labeling initiative on the ballot in November! WE NEED YOU! Make your voice heard, get out there and spread awareness of the dangers of GMO, Monsanto's bullying tactics and the increasing likelihood that our Organic food system is in danger of being flooded with chemicals that we have zero control over.
Connect with one of these fantastic organizations today!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Becoming Vegan: Easy? Hard? It All Depends On How You Approach It.
Original post here - by The Conscious Vegan: http://www.theveganwoman.com/my-biggest-difficulties-in-becoming-vegan-and-how-i-overcame-them/
The four stages of learning
If you are new to veganism, it can be helpful to understand the four stages of learning that apply to learning anything.
1. I’ve just bought my first carton of soya milk.
Wahey! This first stage is known as ‘unconscious incompetence’ – you make the decision to go vegan without realising you know so little about the vegan lifestyle. This new found decision is often accompanied by feelings of excitement and lots of enthusiasm. You are going to change the world – all by yourself!!
Mastering the vegan lifestyle: you might find yourself reading labels a lot at the first stages of your journey.
You may feel a little (or a lot!) disconnected from non-vegans, but you don’t care. You may start preaching at and/or mocking all non-vegans at this stage too and feel incredibly self-righteous.However, preaching, mocking, self-righteous superiority, and hasty vegan tattoos saying “I hate necrovores” blazoned across your forehead are not obligatory and can be omitted according to taste…
2. I really miss [insert animal-based product here].
This second stage is ‘conscious incompetence’. You realise how little you actually know about the vegan lifestyle and may still crave some non-vegan foods. Yikes!!! You may realise with some sadness that many foods and products that you used to love are not going to be part of your life anymore. You might try some recipes that don’t work out as well as you expected (cue “vegan cake hell”), etc.
Many people feel bad about their mistakes, cravings, and screw-ups, doubt their ability to stick with it and give up at this stage. Trial and error is the most challenging but most important stage of learning. Be kind to yourself. Get plenty of support and education – The Vegan Woman is here to help!
3. I’m finding it alright, actually, this vegan thing.
Congratulations, you are a fully-fledged vegan hero! Your vegan lifestyle is second nature, effortless, and fun!
The next stage is ‘conscious competence’ – you learn how to live a vegan lifestyle, but it still takes some active focus (you find yourself reading labels a lot). You are actively searching for vegan alternatives to your fave things and having successful results (cue “vegan cake heaven”!). You are learning about the ethics and far reaching impact of veganism and making many vegan connections with others. You may well feel a sense of warm and fuzzy love for your fellow vegan buddies, and the urge to slap people who ask you “where you get your protein?” is much easier to control now.
4. I’m a fully-fledged vegan hero!
‘Unconscious competence’ is the last stage. Congratulations, you are a fully-fledged vegan hero! Your vegan lifestyle is second nature, effortless, and fun! You will probably find that your palate completely changes and you no longer crave any of the foods you used to “love”. You know how to seduce omnivores with your delectable vegan delights, you can knowledgably answer questions calmly – most of the time – and you can’t believe you were ever not vegan.
Remember why you are vegan. Veganism is a constant process of education and adventure. Every step we take enables us to learn, grow, and develop in all kinds of unexpected ways.Each one of us saves innocent lives every day, and motivation to change doesn’t get any better than that.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
AGENT ORANGE – Monsanto’s Roundup and Birth Defects - Report
People need to realize - effects of chemicals we ingest daily, especially a form of Agent Orange (RoundUp), will not be seen immediately in most cases and instead rear it's ugly head in our offspring and our older age - haven't we learned this from Vietnam? Sad....
I am amazed at the amount of people who really are not aware of the effects of Agent Orange even now.
My father was over in Vietnam - TWICE - and that crap was sprayed constantly.
Even today, children of Vietnam War-era parents and their children over in Vietnam are dealing with health issues, birth defects and more...and they are even finding that issues with children and grandchildren of Vietnam soldiers likely may be linked to exposure and inheritance of Agent Orange exposure from Vietnam War family members.
For instance, my father is in his 60s, but has the veins of a 96 year old man. He's had a major heart attack and a stroke. He's also had muscle and joint deterioration not representative of his age. These are not inherent problems in our family. He's now had the VA determine that his heart, vein, joint and muscle issues are a result of Agent Orange exposure.
FINALLY, some answers.
Additionally, I have near-blind eyesight and I have had this issue since birth. I also recently found out last year that I have a muscle & joint degenerative issue, and I was only 38 at this point - this is something that does not generally happen in women my age at this extent, especially when my Vitamin and Calcium levels are optimal.
We don't have these issues in our family genetically - and it's only recently that doctors have been seriously looking at my and my father's link to the Agent Orange issue.
If you are the offspring of a Vietnam vet, and have health issues that are not normal to your age or family - contact your local VA hospital. You may or may not be eligible to have them sit down with you and perform some tests and research.
(and additionally - going Vegan literally has saved my life in regards to these issues - helping to eliminate my late-onset type 2 diabetes by cleaning out my clogged cells and helping drop the weight, cleaning out my arteries and veins and having my cholesterol drop significantly, and alleviating the muscle and joint pain: my doc was right - animal proteins are not good for the body (maybe not for everyone, but for many), and me kicking them out has proved this for my own body)....
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
GMO Awareness IS Important, It Should Not Be Taken Lightly.
Below in non-bold type is a section of editorial from Dr. McDougall's website (below) - then afterwards is my response in bold ~ ModifiedVegan
"Current epidemics of obesity, and related diseases, like type-2 diabetes, were on the rise long before the introduction of GMO foods fewer than two decades ago. For example, the rate of obesity in the US has steadily increased from 15% before the 1980s to over 35% currently. This shift has been accurately attributed to the dramatic increase in the consumption of sugars and oils, as well as, meat and dairy foods, during this time period.
Fear-mongering over GMO foods with inflammatory statements like “It is the most dangerous thing facing human beings in our generation” are distracting the public, and our political attention, away from the most important food-related threat to human health: livestock (chickens, cows, pigs, etc.).
Livestock act as vectors for the transfer of many harmful substances to people. Sensational food scares, such as Mad Cow, foot and mouth, E. Coli, Listeria, and bird flu infections, and dioxin and melamine poisonings, have dominated the news over the past two decades. Important to note is that, in contrast to plant food-based GMO products, all of these (animal-food-delivered) agents have caused real human diseases, albeit only a few cases for each.
Lurking in the background behind sensational headlines, like the elephant in the room, are the epidemics of obesity and illness caused by eating too many animals and insufficient plants. Major medical organizations, including the World Health Organization and the US Burden of Disease Collaborators, have identified consumption of meat and dairy products as the leading cause of illness and death in Western countries. Heart disease and stroke top the list of diet-induced illnesses worldwide.
Cut GMO Production by at Least Half, Now
Switching people from an animal food-centered diet to one based on starches (rice, corn, wheat, potatoes, beans, etc.) would dramatically, and almost overnight, reduce the farming of GMO foods. This shrinkage would be a direct consequence of eliminating animal feed, used to make bacon, beefsteak, and Brie. Worldwide the number one use of GMO foods is to provide feed for livestock! Approximately 80 percent of all corn and 70 percent of soybeans grown in the United States are consumed by cows, pigs, and chickens destined for people’s dinner tables.
With this long-overdue change in people’s diets (from animal-sources to starches), a glut of corn and soybeans would flood world markets and the need for GMO food production would be more than halved. Over the next few months, pastureland could be replaced by farmland, further escalating food safety and accessibility for planet Earth. (Consider that one acre of land will produce 17 times more calories growing potatoes than growing beef cattle.)
There is no denying that the current epidemics of obesity and sickness in Western civilizations are not caused by GMO foods. Our future depends upon us taking actions based upon today’s facts and not upon tomorrow’s fantasies. Efforts refocused off of the GMO distraction and on to reducing livestock production have the potential to save billions of lives from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—long before the first case of “human GMO disease” is ever reported."
Below is my response to this ~ MV
"We should still be very wary of GMO food items and work to make sure they are eradicated and made to be the inferior choice for consumption - we don't know the inherent danger that they possess & that is the problem. For over 20 years we have watched health decline in this country, and I think it can be directly related to the combination of the huge rise in GMO's, big boom of unhealthy livestock production (factory farming), and overall lack of care for our own health by eating worse, depending on pharmaceuticals over healthy foods, and lack of care for our environment and the life within it.
We are in a society that is heavy on meat and dairy, and it's very unhealthy for our human bodies because the meat and dairy of today is not like it was 20-30-40 years ago. Now, much of it is laden with hormones, pesticides and antibiotics that have no business being in our meat, dairy, fish or eggs for human or even animal consumption.
While I agree that it's a mixture of problems that have brought us to the state we are in now, I don't necessarily agree with everything stated in this section of the editorial from Dr. McDougall's website. I do believe much of the GMO movement is NOT a distraction and GMOs ARE an inherent problem, especially when you mix them with antibiotic-laden factory farming rampant in this country.
I believe both are big problems, but one without the other can still be a huge issue - there have been many many people in many groups that have said simply by cutting out the GMO's from their diet, that their health improved, skin conditions improved, stomach conditions improved, many different things improved physically - and in many of the cases, just by switching to organic foods. They didn't even cut the meat or dairy out of their diet, they just switched to completely organic and many grew their own vegetables as well.
Is this the result of a scientific study with lots and lots of data? No. This is simply by talking to many different people with many different health problems about their habits and food intake, all who subsequently agreed to adopt a completely organic diet and see what happened over time.
Others I talked to also agreed to go off meat and dairy and adopt a plant-based vegan diet saw even more positive beneficial results.
Myself? I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I was then told by my doctor to go on a plant-based vegan diet with no nuts, no oils, no high-fat vegetables, and no refined sugars or flours.
I did this and within five months my Type 2 completely disappeared.
Yes, gone.
My A-1C was lower than a normal healthy person's A-1 C. My blood sugars were fantastic, my cholesterol decreased, and my weight started to come off naturally.
No meds. No daily blood sugar testing.
That was over a year ago. Today, I am still living an organic plant-based vegan lifestyle. And I will continue to help educate people on the benefits of diet and lifestyle over pharmaceuticals and costly treatments that do nothing but exacerbate situations.
I honestly believe that kicking the meat and dairy is what saved my life, in addition to going completely organic and as GMO free as possible - it has also helped other elements of my body: my eyesight has improved, my skin, my hair, my fingernails have all improved and my aches and pains have all decreased. And I have not changed my physical fitness level other than instituting a daily walk. I plan to do more, like light yoga or Pilates as soon as my knee pain decreases enough to do the bends.
I honestly believe that all these things work together to cause our health to deteriorate, and the more we can go back to a natural lifestyle - truly natural lifestyle - the healthier this country will become, WITHOUT Big Pharm.
I will continue to fight to get GMO's labeled and to educate society on the dangers of genetically modified organisms. The fact that we have no idea what they will do is even more complicated by the fact that we essentially don't even know how they are made and what the future impact on our bodies and the development of our maturing childrens bodies will be.
Example? BT corn. In order to make this corn, it's inserted with a bacteria and an insecticide so when bugs and insects eat it, their stomach essentially explodes. Now, do you think enough of that eaten by humans is safe? I'm sorry, I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig for that sort of test on my body - nor would I knowingly do it to my children. Essentially, we have no idea what it would do to a developing child whose body still hasn't matured yet. Why have the rates of child gluten allergies skyrocketed in recent years? Why is it that a child can eat a non-organic meal and start to feel inflamed itchiness in their mouth and lips, or have stomach pains...yet then eat that same type of meal another day made only with organic foods and have no reaction? This needs further research, without bias.
This is why GMO labeling is so important.
These are genetically modified organisms that we are talking about - this does not occur naturally in nature, nor do I feel that nature would want it to occur to begin with. It should be labeled on our foods so we can make our OWN decision on whether we want to ingest them or not, not be FORCED to do so because we "just don't know" that they are in our foods.
You're putting this in a child's body and that body is still maturing and developing - eating genetically modified foods is going to change the make up of their body, no matter what scientists want to say of how safe it should be. There's no "definitive scientific true studies" that can positively say that they are completely 100% safe. No one can speak for 100% of the world's population because every body is different - we all react differently to different things.
Allergies are another big barometer - allergies develop when the body's histamine responses go haywire with foreign bodies invading our systems. And allergies are skyrocketing all over. To what, you might ask? To anything, and it's random these days. And I honestly feel that messing with nature and genetics has caused a lot of allergies to rise in numbers.
Let's face it, screwing with nature is a really bad idea."
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Hormones and GMO in our Food Supply - All Unnecessary
@OrganicLiveFood posted:
How in 1993 #FDA approved #Monsantos rBGH #hormone known 2b linked2early puberty in girl &hormone imbalances in women (below article referenced)
@CompleteSkin answered:
@OrganicLiveFood It's obvious since girls are starting to go through puberty at 8 and 9 instead of 15 when I was a child.
http://seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-foods/hormones-gmos-harms/
Hormones and GMO in Our Food Supply
America one of the most advanced and wealthiest nations on earth is also one the sickest nations. But how could that be possible and what has happened along the way that the health of a nation has been comprised for the sake of few corporate elites and profit?
How come all of a sudden it has become normal to accept the increasing number of chemicals, pesticides, wastes and toxins in our food supply, water and cosmetics? And how did we as a nation started to accept the scam of agribusiness industry to secretly genetically modify our foods or add harmful chemicals and factory wastes to our water and food supply or cosmetics?
Evolution of Hormones in Our Food Supply
Majority of livestock in the states are fed synthetic hormones that can increase the amount of estrogen that we consume in foods. Estrogen is an important hormone for female reproductive system and development of female sexual hormones. Estrogen also helps to control bone growth and cholesterol levels. Too much estrogen has been linked to breast, prostate and endometrial cancer. Humans are exposed to synthetic hormones when they consume animal’s meats that are injected with rBGH or rBST growth hormones. Hormones can increase the chances ofcancer, thyroid disease, diabetes, obesity, infertility, asthma and allergies.
Hormones also find their way into our food supply via crops that are sprayed with pesticides or chemicals. They also exist in form of hormone plastic additives in baby bottles, infant formulas and food packaging. No wonder why we see an epidemic of hormone imbalances in women and young girls.
Somehow girls at the age of 5 or men in their 40s are now growing breast! The recent studies show that young girls at the age of 10 are developing puberty.
Heavy Metals Including Flouride, Arsenic, Chlorine, Mercury in Our Food Supply
You might not be surprised to know that arsenic is constantly added to chicken’s diet by food industry.Fluoride and chlorine are both added to water supply and all farmed fish or even wild fish excluding wild sockeye salmon have high levels of mercury and toxins in them.
Toxic additives including high fructose corn syrup added to almost every processed food contains mercury. Lead, mercury and harmful chemical wastes are even added to cosmetics, sprays and makeup.
Bisphenol A is a toxic chemical used for plastic water or baby bottle and 93% of humans contain BPAendogenously.
Genetically Modified Organisms in Our Food Supply, Many Of Them Secret.
Foods are genetically modified when the genes of one specie is inserted into DNA of another specie. In order to genetically modify foods you need to create non-equilibrium to artificially manipulate, modify or change foods in their cellar levels. By all means creating a non equilibrium can change and mutate over time. No one has really done any research to find out the endless possible reactions between genetically modify organisms and rBGH growth hormones in our body. The results might not be predictable at the moment and over time can even result in change of bone structure and DNA of human beings.
How Should You Know If You Are Purchasing Pesticide Ridden Foods or GMO?
Purchasing certified organic foods or finding a local farm that applies organic practices is the only way. The good news is that the organic industry has been growing in the last decade and more and more people are becoming aware that the foods that they are eating are making them sick. So why not joining the organic movement today and enjoy a life drug and pain free?
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Most Audacious and Notable Quotes About GMO (Yes, These Were Actually Said).
Still thinking that Genetic Engineering and Biotech is benefiting the world? That theyre out to "save it"? yeah...I smell profit and income, not humanitarianism.
I don't know anyone else but these things said in the media and another publications should really make the world population really take pause...Read On:
"What you are seeing is not just a consolidation of seed companies, it's really a consolidation of the entire food chain" - Robert Fraley, co-president of Monsanto's agricultural sector 1996, in the Farm Journal. Quoted in: Flint J. (1998) Agricultural industry giants moving towards genetic monopolism. Telepolis, Heise.
"People will have Roundup Ready soya whether they like it or not" - Ann Foster, spokesperson for Monsanto in Britian, as quoted in The Nation magazine from article "The Politics of Food" by Maria Margaronis December 27, 1999 issue.
"'It's important for countries around the world to adopt a uniform standard' of acceptable levels of contamination" - Lisa Dry, Biotechnology Industry Association.
"People will have Roundup Ready soya whether they like it or not" - Ann Foster, spokesperson for Monsanto in Britian, as quoted in The Nation magazine from article "The Politics of Food" by Maria Margaronis December 27, 1999 issue.
"'It's important for countries around the world to adopt a uniform standard' of acceptable levels of contamination" - Lisa Dry, Biotechnology Industry Association.
"The hope of the industry is that over time the market is so flooded [with GMOs] that there's nothing you can do about it. You just sort of surrender" - Don Westfall, biotech industry consultant and vice-president of Promar International, in the Toronto Star, January 9 2001.
"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." - Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994
"The total acreage devoted to GM crops around the world is expanding. That may be what eventually brings the debate to an end. It's a hell of a thing to say that the way we win is don't give the consumer a choice, but that might be it" - Dale Adolphe, biotech booster and President of the Canadian Seed Growers Association and previous president of the Canola Council of Canada (Western Producer, 4/4/02).
"The total acreage devoted to GM crops around the world is expanding. That may be what eventually brings the debate to an end. It's a hell of a thing to say that the way we win is don't give the consumer a choice, but that might be it" - Dale Adolphe, biotech booster and President of the Canadian Seed Growers Association and previous president of the Canola Council of Canada (Western Producer, 4/4/02).
"Maybe we weren't aggressive enough. . . . When you fight a forest fire, sometimes you have to light another fire." - Phil Angell, Communications Director, Monsanto - when asked about a Monsanto advertising campaign in the UK that increased opposition to genetically engineered food.
"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.'s job" - Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.
"Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety" - FDA, "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties" (GMO Policy), Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 104 (1992), p. 229
"Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety" - FDA, "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties" (GMO Policy), Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 104 (1992), p. 229
"The thing I'm most proud of is the industry's impeccable environmental and safety record" - Robert Fraley, Monsanto's technology chief
"Stark denials in the face of documented evidence to the contrary have been corporate policy at Monsanto and GE for decades" - Eric Francis, author of Conspiracy of Silence, speaking on the safety of GMO
"I have the feeling that science has transgressed a barrier that should have remained inviolate" - Dr Erwin Chargaff, biochemist and the father of molecular biology in his autobiography
"For years, these guys said PCBs were safe, too. But there's obviously a corporate culture of deceiving the public" - Mike Casey of the Environmental Working Group
"That is what drives a lot of people crazy. The scope of the fraud, if you will--I know that's a harsh word--the scope of the fraud that's being sold to the American public about this technology is almost unprecedented" - Interview with Dr. Charles Benbrook on GMOs
"For years, these guys said PCBs were safe, too. But there's obviously a corporate culture of deceiving the public" - Mike Casey of the Environmental Working Group
"That is what drives a lot of people crazy. The scope of the fraud, if you will--I know that's a harsh word--the scope of the fraud that's being sold to the American public about this technology is almost unprecedented" - Interview with Dr. Charles Benbrook on GMOs
"Genetically engineered food constitutes a massive experiment on the planet, with potentially devastating effects on human health and the global environment" - Adam Kapp, Columnist for the Penn State Digital Collegian, Nov. 7, 2002.
"I'm not a religious person, but I think there's something just inherently wrong with this-that they can take different species and combine 'em the way they wanna combine 'em" - Phil Geertson, who runs a small seed business in Idaho.
"Genetic Power's the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid who's found his dad's gun.... and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunch box, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it" Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park
"I'm not a religious person, but I think there's something just inherently wrong with this-that they can take different species and combine 'em the way they wanna combine 'em" - Phil Geertson, who runs a small seed business in Idaho.
"Genetic Power's the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid who's found his dad's gun.... and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunch box, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it" Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park
"I recognized my two selves: a crusading idealist and a cold, granitic believer in the law of the jungle" - Edgar Monsanto Queeny, Monsanto chairman, 1943-63, "The Spirit of Enterprise", 1934.
Juicing Challenge - Days 5-9
Juicing still going strong - but hubby caved, and had to eat something he could chew. ;-)
BUT - The one positive that has come out of this is my husband has now converted to a modified plant-based diet and that means plant-based (aka: vegan) with no oils, no refined flours or sugars. So now it is MUCH easier to cook around here! (Now, if we could just get the child to NOT love cheese and pick fruits and veggies over crackers and cheese sticks...life would be perfect! She is so resistant to anything without flour! We've tried everything to get her interested in fruits and veggies over processed stuff...ugh!)
We are both still juicing, but I am eating fruits and vegetables in addition to my juicing and my husband is now eating some grains, fruits and vegetables ...very simple things.
The important thing to take away from this is that we are not eating any junk food or processed foods anymore, vegan or not...so we are feeling so much better - better moods, better skin, better hair, more energy!!
Next week I start incorporating whole grain quinoa, rice, and other healthy grains back in my diet but in very small quantities - as well as some legumes.
Juice On!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Juicing Challenge - Day 4
Here we are - day 4...we have hit the "I'm-over-this-juicing-thing phase...lol!
But seriously though, we are still faring well. As of today - we have added in fresh fruit and veggies though to supplement - mainly because our docs recommend it.
And we both need to feel fuller. We are still feeling great, and have noticed great changes in our skin, eyes, hair and even weight. My husband lost 5 pounds already, and I will be weighing in on Sunday to see how I have done. But my clothes are looser, so I think that's a positive sign!
So, keep on juicing...but if you even feel like quitting - DON'T. Just add in fresh fruits and veggies in their natural form and it will help with the hunger and jitters (if you get them)
And, always remember: JUICE AND EAT ORGANIC!
But seriously though, we are still faring well. As of today - we have added in fresh fruit and veggies though to supplement - mainly because our docs recommend it.
And we both need to feel fuller. We are still feeling great, and have noticed great changes in our skin, eyes, hair and even weight. My husband lost 5 pounds already, and I will be weighing in on Sunday to see how I have done. But my clothes are looser, so I think that's a positive sign!
So, keep on juicing...but if you even feel like quitting - DON'T. Just add in fresh fruits and veggies in their natural form and it will help with the hunger and jitters (if you get them)
And, always remember: JUICE AND EAT ORGANIC!
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