Just say no…to GMO

Photo Credit: Lindsay StradtnerSo many readers have been writing in looking for specific product recommendations…which I will provide, promise!  However, today, instead of a specific product recommendation, I need to make a broad product suggestion…And that is...AVOID GMO products whenever you can.

"But the real shock came when the rats started dying. Within three weeks, 25 of the 45 (55.6%) rats from the GMO soy group died compared to only 3 of 33 (9%) from the non-GMO soy group and 3 of 44 (6.8%) from the non-soy controls". (this data is taken from a study conducted by Irina Ermakova, a leading scientist at the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), added GMO soy flour (5-7 grams) to the diet of female rats. Other females were fed non-GMO soy or no soy at all. The experimental diet began two weeks before the rats conceived and continued through pregnancy and nursing).

So, what are GMO's? (which can also be labeled/referred to as genetically engineered organism, or GEO's).

*GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.  Not very natural sounding is it?

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.   But…there is money to be made by those doing it!

There are those who will argue that GMO's are safe…but are they?  *Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

If there was ever a broad recommendation I would have for you, it would be this one…avoid GMO's whenever you possibly can.  *Unfortunately, even though polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public. In the absence of mandatory labeling, the Non-GMO Project was created to give consumers the informed choice they deserve.  (The Non-GMO Project website can be reached by clicking here)

Unfortunately, due to these labeling requirements…finding Non-GMO products can be quite a challenge. So what can you do?  Look for products with "NO GMO" on the labels or packaging. The Non-GMO Project offers a great online tool (CLICK HERE) that will help you find Non-GMO products by category, brand or specific name. 

You may never know when dining out…but you can know what you are putting in your fridge and pantry…so be an advocate for yourself and your family.

Whether you are vegan/vegetarian or not…and whether you believe the research…or think the verdict is still out…I for one, will do everything I can to mitigate the risk!

In the near future, I will be sharing my favorite NON-GMO products here.  So, keep your eye out.

Josh

* Excerpts from the not-for-profit, The Non-GMO Project - CLICK HERE TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

Use your head...

Use your head...

(preferably not in the way this image depicts)!

The agents and I talk often and at length about food. A lot of our conversations revolve around avoiding the unnatural and processed varieties. I don't profess to be an expert of any particular diet or nutrition protocol. Instead, I promote logic. When I first began my own transformation, that became my mantra. If it didn't make sense logically, I generally dismissed whatever it was as simply not true.

Now, I should point out that the agents and those I work with are more "enlightened" than most I know. Some of them were already making good nutritional choices, others knew what choices the should be making; and some are in the process of changing their thought processes all together.

Regardless of where they (or you) are, I will always promote making sensible and logical choices.

I continue to research, learn and in general glean as much knowledge as I can soak up on the topic. However, the more I learn, the more I understand...the more disturbed I become. About what? I'll tell you...

It starts with me looking at my own kids and thinking about our efforts to raise them to "think" or use their heads when it comes to what they put in their mouths. This can be challenging at times. Particularly in the society we live in. Below is an excerpt from a wellness related website on a government campaign intended to combat the ever increasing child obesity epidemic...

You might remember the public service ads paid for by the U.S. Department of Health where Shrek tells kids to, "Get up and play an hour a day." But that's not the only promotional work Shrek was doing that year... You could also see his lovable ugly mug on packages of Snickers, Skittles, Froot Loops, Pop-Tarts and M&Ms. McDonald's put his image on their restaurant windows and food bags. Cheetos made a snack that would turn your mouth green. And the Shrek version of Twinkies had a bright green filling.

Are you kidding me! Nope it's true...and we wonder why there is a problem with childhood obesity. Further adding fuel to my frustration, someone recently told me about a very prominent outdoor magazine listing the "best" workout recovery smoothie. This recipe contained of all things, Nesquik powder....I swear. I wonder how many people read that recipe and actually thought it might be healthful? I'll bet a lot of them. In true agent mode, I just had to find the ingredients of "Nesquik" (which strangely aren't listed on the Nestle website...hmmm)

Here are some of them (taken from The Delicious Truth Blog)

"I was not surprised by the sugar and cocoa, and a couple chemistry lab remnants (tricalcium phosphate and potassium sorbate) caused me no shock. However, I was a little intrigued by the presence of the petroleum-based artificial colorants red 40, blue 1 and yellow 6".

C'mon people...chocolate powder/syrup with red 40, blue 1 and yellow 6...oh yeah get me some!

I could obviously go on and on. Without appearing to be a natural/organic food evangelist, I'll leave you with this. There are a lot of choices when it comes to diet and nutrition. From low carb to high carb, vegetarian, vegan, raw, raw vegan and the list goes on. Those who are close to me, know that today I may be a bit more extreme when it comes to my own nutrition. But, I also understand that what I do (which is a very "clean" diet overall), isn't necessarily reasonable to most.

My suggestion...make logical choices. Think about what makes sense, especially with what you put into yourself. One thing I DO know a lot about is change. It doesn't always come easily, and often it comes over time. Just start making them. One at a time, one after the other. The more you make, the easier they do become.

Josh

Meet Agent 007 - Chef Wendell Fowler

I wrote about Wendell a couple of years ago. At the time, through a business introduction, he and I had become friends. We had both gone through some "life altering" experiences to say the least. And, we were incredibly aligned with our approach to nutrition, balance and overall wellness. Back then, I used to call Wendell my "organic fundamentalist" friend. More recently I saw him referred to as the "shock jock of nutrition". He is unique, wise and, (be forewarned) no holds barred...but incredibly entertaining at the same time.

Josh

Here is Wendell's story (taken from his website www.chefwendell.com)

"Second chances are a rare commodity.
I took advantage of that."

In 1998, between bites of KFC, 300 pound Chef Wendell was informed he was dying, 'Get prepared.' After a healing miracle, Chef Wendell devoted his podium to nutritional literacy and revealing the shocking truths about reckless Big Food's toxic, ethically-malnourished food-processing methods.

He discovered what you eat becomes part of you; who you are. Good-bye dead food, booze, cigarettes and sloth; hello active lifestyle and the Universal Apothecary.

He went through it and got-down to it.

"Eating from the nutritionally bankrupt Western 'Industrial' Diet of dead food, I blunted my innate skills. Eating foods from the sun-drenched Universal Apothecary released my potential to bloom and grow."

After waltzing out of ICU, Fowler waved good-bye to his 'balanced diet' of Krispie Kremes, gravy, cheeseburgers, excessive cocktailing. He embarked upon a 20 year Hippocraterian mission to study and experience how addictive 'Big Food' products diminish mental clarity, immune response, energy & stamina plus priceless career skills.

His entertaining, often scandalous discoveries from behind the closed doors of the irresponsible food industry is illuminating, transcending and life saving.

I've always said...

Something I have always been concerned with (and said to many), was that I did not trust caloric values on packaging or as published by restaurants, fast food chains or coffee houses. There are many who need to count calories, and there are those of us who may not. For those that do count as part of their nutritional regimen, be careful. What you see may not be what you get.

I am big on whole foods. Although, in today's fast paced world, packaged goods and eating out are nearly unavoidable. Part of my concern was actually based upon the different shape and size of so many "packaged" foods. How could it be possible that each and every piece of say almond nut clusters be identical in caloric and nutritional values. They can't. So, I always look at nutritional values as a "guideline", an average. Whole foods are no different, unless in a laboratory, how could one actually identify the calories in a banana? Is it small, medium, large? What is the weight in grams? Is the skin thicker or thinner and what does that weigh.

Now, don't make yourself crazy either. Be sensible.

Below is a link to a recent study published (very interesting read, specifically what these discrepancies can mean over extended periods of time) in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association, prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than their package labels own up to and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more. Worse still, as far as Food and Drug Administration regulations are concerned, that's perfectly O.K.

My advice, eat whole foods as often as possible, understand how to use labels and make sure you are getting a good balance of different nutrients.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100106/hl_time/08599195179800

Josh