GMO Alfalfa, a major feed for dairy cattle, was approved by the USDA and is about to enter the food chain.
BT corn is GMO and approved for human consumption(ask your local farmer before you buy!)
About 50% of Hawaian papaya, zucchini and yellow squash is GMO, as well as some tomatoes.
Folks, with all the digestive problems Lyme patients have with abx/TBD treatments, please think about this when you are grocery shopping.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I don't know how these things can be avoided. I think the GMOs have (or will soon) corrupted the whole food chain... I think it's very hard to get truelly organic foods these days. The chemicals & GMOs are in pollen, rain & air...
MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
Certainly it's going to get harder and harder. I imagine corn will always be one of the worst ones, as the plant regularly pollenates through the air spreading the pollen (as opposed to bees or other animals spreading it).
I imagine it is still worth the effort to avoid GMO, but agree that staying clean will be impossible.
It is easy to picture Monsanto employees driving around the world tossing their poison seeds into the air around various farmlands, and laughing like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've heard that all corn is now GMO with the exception of blue corn.
So if you can get blue corn products, they should be OK (for now, anyway)
Posts: 443 | From The Wild West | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
And then there's the other issue of radiation from Fukishima... I like to be conscientious about this stuff but when I heard the news of Fukishima - I sort of gave up.
It's very hard to find "clean" food these days. I don't know how long we can hold off from the "tsunami" of toxins in our food, air & water.
I live near a landromat. I can smell the chemicals in the air all the time. Go figure why someone would wash their clothes with something so strong you can smell it a block away...(?)
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
I buy organic produce as much as possible. But in the summertime I cannot resist the local farm stand for locally grown corn on the cob, peaches and tomatoes. There are just some things I will NOT give up. Plus I think it's good to support local farmers.
I can't go "global" on this and worry about things like fukishima. I have enough problems as it is.
I just do my best to feed my family the best I can. That means organic produce and wild caught fish and quality beef and chicken as much as possible, along with locally grown produce.
IMO, I just can't see "dramatic" recovery from avoiding GMOs. I think these illnesses are a lot more complicated than that. Just my opinion.
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
quote:Originally posted by beaches: IMO, I just can't see "dramatic" recovery from avoiding GMOs. I think these illnesses are a lot more complicated than that. Just my opinion.
I agree. While I do believe GMO's are bad, I know for a fact that I was sick before any GMO's were approved (including before canola oil came on the market)...so I can't see how stopping eating GMO's would result in a dramatic improvement.
That said, I still try to buy organic as much as I can afford, because I don't want to add the GMO's as a complicating factor...
And if they happen to use gluten protein in the genetic manipulation of something that doesn't ordinarily contain gluten, I could have a pretty nasty reaction (I'm gluten sensitive, and suspect I would have developed full-blown Celiac if I hadn't stopped gluten when I did).
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4167 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
| IP: Logged |
MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
quote:Originally posted by beaches: I buy organic produce as much as possible. But in the summertime I cannot resist the local farm stand for locally grown corn on the cob, peaches and tomatoes. There are just some things I will NOT give up. Plus I think it's good to support local farmers.
To each their own philosophy, and if you can't resist the local stuff, so be it. But I for one am no more interested in supporting local pesticide-and-GMO-using farmers than I would be in supporting the startup of two rival heavily-armed gangs on my street. The reasons are the same; having those evils nearby is dangerous for my health. We reap what we sew.
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
Ellen101
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35432
posted
With all we have to pay for lyme treatments, office visits etc, buying organic is a little too pricey for some of us.
Posts: 1750 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2011
| IP: Logged |
gigimac
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33353
posted
Totally agree with Beaches, it is just too much!
I am taking care of a hyper active two yr old by myself and trying to get well, pay for llmd etc. I get so overwhelmed. We eat organic when possible but we are stretched really thin financially.
If I let myself get into that head space of worrying about EVERYTHING, things get bad.
I though white corn was still non gmo, it's what I have been buying. Sigh.
Posts: 1535 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
Conceptually, it's a good thought to try to buy all organic. Large conglomerates are taking over the organic food producing sector, too...
I was just curious & I was reading about Steve Jobs widow. She's involved in a large conglomerate that packages & markets organic foodstuffs. Not that it's bad but it's beng controlled just like all the other food we have access to.
I think it's too expensive & doesn't always taste better than regular produce. In many cases, we don't really know if it is actually "organic". What if they use sewage runoff to water the plants? It's all really dicey.
We have to try to survive as best as we can. I heard they were considering making wanting to eat pure foods into a medical condition... It's all so crazy. We just have to do the best we can.
I used to shop at Whole Foods alot. I think it's gone down in quality lately. I get a better deal at Shoprite. Kind of hard to pass up NJ tomatoes, peaches, eggplant, green peppers, blueberries, etc...
The hot house ones aren't that good. They sell the farmer's market stuff at the regular supermarket in season. I guess it depends where you live & the supermarket.
Then, there's the issue of transporting the stuff. It's healthier to eat produce that is ripe - not picked, packaged & transported.
There a list of the worst & best foods in regards to pesticides (not GMOs or other factors) -
MannaMe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33330
posted
You can grow a tomato plant or two in a flowerbed or big flower pot. Maybe a few lettuce plants or strawberry plants also.
We made a strawberry tower with a big flowerpot on the bottom filled with soil and a smaller one setting in the middle with a small one on top. We planted strawberries in each pot around the edges.
The children enjoyed watering, growing and eating the strawberries!
Posts: 2600 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
My friend's husband used to manage a huge "truck farm"... he said buying organic is a crock.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
Razzle, I have heard mixed things about canola oil. I used to use it all the time because I thought it was healthier than vegetable oil/corn oil.
I then alternated between canola for saut�ing and olive oil for salad dressings. I now just use olive oil�light olive oil for saut�ing and extra-virgin for salad dressings.
Can you explain why canola is bad? I don�t remember.
And wow, if you�ve been dealing with sickness since before canola came on the market, you�ve been sick a long time. Sorry to hear it. Hope you get better soon.
Being gluten-sensitive doesn�t help. We went totally GF for a year and it didn�t help any of us. The best thing that came out of it was a better appreciation for fruits and vegetables, better eating habits and a lot less carbs.
Ellen, yes, totally agree. With all the $$ that is spent on doc visits, scripts and supplements, it�s difficult to justify buying a pint of organic strawberries for $5 or organic red peppers for $4/pound. I just do the best I can. Sometimes the organic stuff does go on sale.
And like Sparkle noted, there is the dirty dozen and the clean 15. But I do wonder, are we better off not eating apples, peppers, grapes, cucumbers, potatoes unless they�re organic? I don�t think so.
To me the nutrients outweigh the pesticides. I wash produce like apples, peaches, pears, watermelon, potatoes, tomatoes, cucs with soap and water. I peel apples, peaches, pears and cucs. Does washing and peeling make a difference? I don�t know. But I�d like to think so.
Gigimac, absolutely�the �headspace� of this stuff is where we cannot go. Dealing with our life situations alone is enough as it is. We can�t worry about everything. That�s why I said I can�t go �global� on this stuff. Staying �local� in my own household is overwhelming enough.
Sparkle, I have noticed that the big supermarket chains have been offering their own lines of organic produce. I don�t know if this is good or bad.
I don�t know anything about Jobs� widow. Like I said, I can�t go global on this. I don�t think anyone ever claimed organic tasted better. To me it was a matter of avoiding the pesticides.
Who knows if sewage water is used? I don�t have the time or energy to find out. But here, here to NJ tomatoes, peaches and corn, etc.! And thanks for posting the dirty dozen and the clean 15.
Manname, thanks for that suggestion. We used to plant all kinds of stuff. It got old after a while. But if someone has little kids, it could be a very enjoyable and educational endeavor.
Lymetoo, why did your friend�s husband think organic was a crock? Just curious?
And finally, MichaelTampa, I find it a bit odd that you would compare buying locally grown produce to heavily-armed gangs. Wow, I do think that�s a bit extreme.
And, we wear what we sew. We reap what we sow. Sorry, just couldn�t resist that.
And FYI, parents like me don't need to hear "we reap what we sow" from anyone. We are all just doing the best we can with what we have (or don't have but are stretching ourselves to the limit and then some).
Please try to appreciate that as parents we are dealing with sick kids, doctor/script/supplement expenses, hostile school districts, friends & relatives who haven't a clue, financial problems.
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I believe that canola is "bad" because it is genetically modified.
I don't know if it's better to not eat things that are not organic... It's a difficult decision. I got some organic peaches tonight & they didn't taste as good as the regular ones. I don't know which is better?
Systemically, the factory farming is destructive & polluting. So are golf courses & lawns. I don't know the answer... I don't know if it's possible to be GMO free these days. I don't know if it's worth the extra expense & extra effort.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
Hi Sparkle,
Thanks for the canola link. I don't recall that it's bad because of it being GMO but I could be wrong. Geez, where is the memory when you need it?
I'm with you on not knowing if it's better to eat organic. I just try to buy organic produce and poultry as much as possible/practical for my family.
Don't know much about the factory farming. Golf courses are known for their lush lawns. I myself do prefer that my front lawn look nice and be without weeds. The backyard, not so much as long as the grass/weeds are mowed real low.
I recollect that fish/shellfish that is farm-raised isn't good. Wild-caught fish is supposed to be better and that is all I buy.
There are people I know who swear by farm-raised fish. I don't get that. But they're almost 80 and relatively healthy so maybe I should be listening to them.
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
Aunt Lynn you posted this topic. Where do you stand on all this stuff?
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
quote:Originally posted by beaches: To me the nutrients outweigh the pesticides. I wash produce like apples, peaches, pears, watermelon, potatoes, tomatoes, cucs with soap and water. I peel apples, peaches, pears and cucs. Does washing and peeling make a difference? I don�t know. But I�d like to think so.
And finally, MichaelTampa, I find it a bit odd that you would compare buying locally grown produce to heavily-armed gangs. Wow, I do think that�s a bit extreme.
And, we wear what we sew. We reap what we sow. Sorry, just couldn�t resist that.
And FYI, parents like me don't need to hear "we reap what we sow" from anyone. We are all just doing the best we can with what we have (or don't have but are stretching ourselves to the limit and then some).
Please try to appreciate that as parents we are dealing with sick kids, doctor/script/supplement expenses, hostile school districts, friends & relatives who haven't a clue, financial problems.
I agree, my comment did come off as extreme, and really more extreme than I would have liked. I was wanting to use some analogy there to make a point, kind of new it wasn't the best one in that sense, but just couldn't think of a better one (nor do I have one I really like in my head now either). I can see how it would have offended, sounds like it did a bit, and sorry about that.
I am on another lyme board with many parents of children with lyme, many also sick themselves, so I am occasionally reminded of how difficult it is to handle all the extra issues that come with that, particularly if the kid(s) are also sick. I wasn't aware when I wrote that comment you were also in that situation. I'll try to keep in mind more that we have some people like this here as well.
I understand completely with the difficulty of going global with so much to deal with in the local situation such as home. Actually, that is part of what got me on that point, somewhat being sick of the pressure I occasionally feel (not here but elsewhere) to think globally, including "buying local". I do feel like that gets pushed too much, and in any event, when sick, it's harder to make that a high priority. So my mind is a little rebelious against this "buy local" thing and focused more on health. On the non-organic food, my point was that supporting that particular type of local business does mean one is supporting poisons being sprayed in the air and on the ground. As it's local, that seems a lot closer to the air you might actually be breathing and eventually the groundwater you might be drinking. Still, I suppose many or all local businesses have their aspects that could be undesirable, and that wasn't front on my mind when I made that post. So, if the buying local feels good to do, and if it results in fresh food that you appreciate, that's great that it's working for you. I'm more concerned with buying local just because someone said so, no matter what it does to your health, sounds like that's not the case in your situation.
By the way, regarding washing/peeling, I'm no expert, but I imagine that helps a lot. I do think much of the spraying does end up on the peels, so you're getting that covered. There probably are still poisons inside, and of course the GMO's have problems related to the body's reactions to the viruses and bacterias and other foreign genes. So, it's not perfect, but it helps.
As AuntyLynn didn't really give her purpose in posting, I can only speculate, but I'm wanting to assume it was in the nature of something to be aware of, in that it is making an impact for some people. I imagine I'm like most in that I don't believe just doing this is going to cure most of us here, or even get us a quarter of the way, our problems are more difficult than that. But it's good to be aware, as there may be a few here where making this change would make a huge difference. For others, perhaps a modest difference, who knows?
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I do think GMO will have long range, epigenetic consequences. I would like to avoid them as much as possible. I do think organic is better in theory but I'm not a farmer dealing with insects or the realities of growing produce & making a living.
This is another issue with canola -
Erucic acid issues Main article: erucic acid
Although wild rapeseed oil contains significant amounts of erucic acid,[34] a known toxin,[35] the cultivar used to produce commercial, food-grade canola oil was bred to contain less than 2% erucic acid, levels that are not believed to cause harm in humans[36][37] and no health effects have been associated with consumption by humans of the genetically modified oil.[35]
Although rumors that canola oil can cause dangerous health problems circulated,[38][39] there is no reason to believe canola oil poses unusual health risks and its consumption in food-grade forms is generally recognized as safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration.[2][36]
---
I guess when you eat something concentrated like oil, nut butter or juice - it's best to go with organic if possible.
I guess "globalization" has it's pros & cons. That a big issue... Alot of "health food" type of stuff is governed by large corporations, too. So - it's hard to get around it all.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
MichaelTampa, thank you for your thoughtful response to my post. And I apologize to you if my comment was rude. I think we all can get our backs up, so to speak. I do understand where you are coming from.
Sorry to hear you are feeling pressure to think globally by others. I don't feel that at all. I just really like the idea that I can go to a farmstand and get corn that was just picked and nice tomatoes and peaches. We have this kind of local produce in our supermarkets during the summertime too.
Totally get that when you're sick, you don't need anybody shoving any concept down your throat. You have to just do the best you can when you can with what you have. I relate to you being a little rebellious. I know that feeling all too well.
I get what you are saying about the pesticides being sprayed. We don't live in an agricultural area. In fact, we opted not to because we did not want our family exposed to pesticides. We did not want a home on land that had been sprayed with DDT because that remains in the soil. Instead, we have a home on what was once forest. Lucky us with the ticks and all. We unwittingly avoided one problem to ended up with another. For all I know we'd have been better off on land that was permeated with DDT but we will never know will we?
Because of where we live I don't worry about the air we breathe or the water we drink. But I guess when people live in agricultural areas, that is a concern.
I do think the washing and peeling helps too-at least I hope so! But the GMO's are something I believe we can't control. I remember reading about GMO's years back. I thought there was going to be a regulation stipulating that consumers were to be made aware of whether or not a particular product was GMO. Guess that is not the case.
I am glad Aunty Lynn raised the topic eventhough she hasn't reposted. It certainly is food for thought, isn't it?
I'm with you, I don't believe that going GMO-free will cure anyone. Our problems are so much more complex. Thanks for posting MichaelTampa.
Sparkle I get you and Razzle mixed up. You both have such great names.
Anyway, I agree. No doubt GMO's are so entrenched in our food supply. How could this not have consequences? But like I said before, I thought there was supposed to be legislation that indicated GMO's were supposed to be labelled so the public could have a choice. Apparently we do not.
I agree that organic is better in theory too. But I can certainly see how a small farmer would not be able to make a living by going organic. This is why the big corps are successfully going organic and still able to make a profit.
Thanks for more info re the canola oil.
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I posted this -
- Although rumors that canola oil can cause dangerous health problems circulated,[38][39] there is no reason to believe canola oil poses unusual health risks and its consumption in food-grade forms is generally recognized as safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration.[2][36] -
but I don't agree with it. I think it is dangerous & the FDA is not looking out for the "Average Joe".
We all have to do what we can. Some countries try to ban all GMOs but it's so easy to taint food through pollen or other tactics - like what they have done in India...
The film follows a plucky 18-year-old girl named Manjusha, whose father was one of the quarter-million farmers who have committed suicide in India in the last 16 years.
As Grist and others have reported, the motivations for these suicides follow a familiar pattern: Farmers become trapped in a cycle of debt trying to make a living growing Monsanto�s genetically engineered Bt cotton.
They always live close to the edge, but one season�s ruined crop can dash hopes of ever paying back their loans, much less enabling their families to get ahead. Manjusha�s father, like many other suicide victims, killed himself by drinking the pesticide he spreads on his crops.
---
I don't know if these things can be avoided. We get some of this back when we import products, too. It's complicated.
Here's a list of places that have banned GMOs - I guess one could move there...
beaches
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38251
posted
oh my god I had no idea.
Posts: 1885 | From here | Registered: Jul 2012
| IP: Logged |
lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
i'm glad to see this being discussed...i often think of it as a conspiracy topic that is kept hush hush.
i notice a huge difference in how i feel if i eat processed foods - esp sugar foods.
i dont notice a difference in how i feel if i eat organic or not...i do understand the damage may still be being done...but i'm not aware yet
i have pretty much had to switch to frozen veggies and fruits cuz my hands make it so hard to prepare fresh
i often have to shop in convenience stores cuz i just cant handle the monster stores...farmers markets and roadside stands work too
so-there are problems getting good food for ppl with kids and older/sicker ppl too
i have seen this whole problem coming and i have to say i am glad the children i put on this earth are smart and problem solvers cuz this is all too much for me to try to figure out. i am glad they are here to deal with it and i am glad i will be gone sooner rather than later...it is too depressing for me to think about the future. i just try to enjoy a little life today.
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
Yes, for sure, the story of what GMO's and Monsanto are doing to farmers is a sad one.
Regarding choices and labeling of GMO food, by the way, it has made the ballot in California. This is the first real chance we in the U.S. have of getting rid of GMO's.
It has been said by a higher-up of Monsanto, some years ago, that labeling GMO food would be equivalent to putting a skull and crossbones on it, meaning that labeling it would mean it would come off the market, as too few would buy it. Many on the campaign to label GMO's believe if this passes in CA, that's the end of it in the U.S. When so much production and shipping comes from big corporations, with foodstuffs being consolidated before distribution, it would be a real burden to carry two versions of everything--GMO for most of the U.S. and non-GMO for CA.
One hopes this passes and this speculation is correct, we could be very soon seeing the end of this out-of-control GMO production and sales, at least in the U.S. Of course, much irreversable damage has already been done, as the article starting this link points out.
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Thanks so much for all your thoughtful comments on this.
Beaches - You asked where I stand ...
I have to do what is practical and most economical for me ... but I learned to shop the "outer aisles" of the grocery stores years ago, so packaged mixes and prepared foods have been practically eliminated from my diet for years - and THIS is where one will find the large number of GMO food sources. Soy flour, soy protein or oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil, are generally taboo for my kitchen.
In these months - I shop the farmers markets almost exclusively. There are several during the week within easy driving distance.
But "local" farmers ARE selling BT corn - which is "USDA approved" - but I can usually pick this stuff out. Not a corn-borer in sight, corn that looks more like plastic pearls than milky tender kernals, and overly sweet varieties (not just because I don't like them, but if something tastes artificially sweet, what else are they doing to it?)
I prefer not to ingest a plant that makes its own pesticides. And although BT is considered an "organic" pest control - there's a difference of concentration between what occurs naturally in the soil - and what a plant might be producing to ward off pests! In this case, a farmer who sprays for borers, as opposed to one who plants BT corn, would get my dollars.
GMO proteins have been known to cross over into intestinal bacteria - and I don't think anyone needs that.
So I have begun to challenge farmers at my markets, to ask if their corn is "BT." You will know very quickly where they stand, or whether the vendors even know what they are selling. Unless consumers make demands, they will sell us whatever they want.
I buy or make, salad dressings with safflower oil, and mayo whenever I can afford it.
I wash and peel fruits and vegetables, and am very familiar with that "high pesticide crop" list... as the familiar adage goes; "pesticides don't know when to stop killing."
I don't want to patronize folks who are farming in ways that jeopardize soil fertility, or threatening pollinators (with chemicals bees can't handle), or contibuting to contaminated water from run off.
I am really concerned that certain companies have a corporate agenda, that has already served to extinct a lot of the world's genetic plant material (simply by not propagating them anymore), and that their crops have the serious potential to sully the genetics of natural plant life, with GMO cross-pollination.
Already, farmers who plant "round-up ready" GMOs, are seeing superweeds in their fields.
But do I need to be practical? You bet! I seek grass fed meats (on sale), naturally raised poultry, non-RbH dairy, and the "cleanest" eggs I can find. If a producer is trying to do the right thing, I will try my best to patronize him. But I'm on a budget like everyone else.
I have grown my own organic vegetables, and to my taste buds, nothing compares. As a gardener, it was sometimes a challenge - as you're dealing with weather, bugs and varmints - but when it was a success, the flavors were well worth the effort.
As for the markets, nothing beats fruit that is ripened in season, and has peak nutrients.
What's most important is buying with the seasons which ensures nutrient value and freshness. Planning one's larder around the harvest is a skill that harbors creativity in cooking, and is always more economical.
[ 08-10-2012, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: AuntyLynn ]
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
What I found most surprising about this article, was that doctors and patients reported "dramatic" effects.
One would assume that this group was experiencing allergic reactions that had already driven them to see their doctors.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I guess it's just hard to try to be conscentious all of the time. It's enough work sorting out the accute medical issue I deal with every day & researching everything. I spend so much time doing that.
It's must be so much harder for people with children. I think it's the children who will be effected by this the most. These GMO will effect the human genome in an epigenetic way. It's not just people being picky about food.
I hear you, lpkayak...
I guess in light of Fukishima & other huge environmental issues like chemtrails (not to go off on a "conspiracy" tangent) - we are all being "modified" whether we eat organic or not - unfortunately.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
linky123
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19974
posted
When I go to Whole Foods for my supplement and look at the prices on the organic stuff, I am amazed.
How can anyone afford to feed a family like this?
-------------------- 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' Matthew 11:28 Posts: 2607 | From Hooterville | Registered: Apr 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
This is a great discussion thread. I don't trust corn products anymore and avoid them. Question though....would organic tortilla chips be GMO free or is that not part of the organic discussion?
I truly think GMOs and food additives/preservatives are why we see so many ADHD kids in the classroom these days.
On another note, my husband deals with produce packaging. I remember years ago he told me a story of a very large organic food chain that got caught selling "no. 2s" and passing them off as organic. No. 2s are the ones that don't look so good.
Needless to say, he is very skeptical of the whole organic thing but I really try to go this route as best I can. I encourage my daughter to feed her baby organic unprocessed foods.
The whole connection between Lyme and what we eat is so interesting. Before all this I could eat anything with no problems. Not anymore, it's amazing how simple I have to keep it, but that's okay. If anything good comes of having this it is that we do learn to eat properly.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
| IP: Logged |
Brussels
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13480
posted
Do your own veggie garden. It is not that impossible to have good products without ANY pesticides, fungicides, anti slug pellets etc.
You don't get them all 100%, but you would be AMAZED to see HOW MUCH YOU CAN PRODUCE on your own, to feed your family.
Occasionally, you need to act with some chemical (a bit like we need abx to fight an infection or another), but usually, you can have a free chemical garden without much difficulty.
It is amazing how much you can produce in pots, or in a small field. I use physical barriers against slugs, and mix all plants as I feel (not much experience there).
Things grow depending on many factors, but you'll be surprise how much an unexperienced person can get from own produce.
Just one vine can give enough for many houses. One middle size apple tree, for the great part of the year consumption.
Few tomato plants, beans, potatoes, salads, pepperoni, zuchinis, cucumbers whatever. It is amazingly nice and tasty to eat from your own garden.
I was born in a big city and thought it would take me a HUGE area to meet my needs, but it isn't true. Very small places can produce, even at your veranda.
We almost have no choice otherwise. The last years are hauting me to start produce the meat I consume.
The animals here in Europe consume the GMO corn. I suppose maybe one or two sheep or a couple of rabbits would be enough?
It is a way of life, more than fighting lyme. BUt I feel sometime that we are pushed to that extreme situation. Since I have not anymore lyme to fight, I have time to make a small veggie garden.
I am trying stevia this year, it grows so easily! No more expensive stevia products to buy and the plants cost me only 5 dollars!
Posts: 6200 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
quote:Originally posted by koo: [QB] This is a great discussion thread. I don't trust corn products anymore and avoid them. Question though....would organic tortilla chips be GMO free or is that not part of the organic discussion?
Koo-
If it's USDA Certified Organic (with the round green seal) - it is NOT GMO!
GMOs have never been allowed under the organic standard! So this is a consumer's ONE guarantee that they are not eating GMO food.
However, as we all know, organic comes at a price.
But please consider this ... when I was a kid growing up there was NOTHING but fluffy WHITE bread on our grocer's shelves. (Save for the occasional rye or pumpernickle, which even to this day, is more loaded with food coloring than whole grain flours.)
Then, non-mainstream health advocates started educating the American public to the dangers of white flour, and the benefits of eating whole grains. We started seeking out whole grain breads - and gradually, commercial bakeries, and now even cereal millers, have been forced to meet our "consumer demand."
This is why I think it is important - a moral decision, as well as a health decision - to "vote with my dollars" whenever possible.
When consumers DEMAND a product, industry will eventually be forced to comply - and the prices go down, as supply goes up!
BTW, I have a girlfriend who is deathly allergic to shellfish. Years ago, she was eating a bag of corn chips and had a violent asthmatic response. It was later revealed that some "StarLink corn" had infiltrated the commercial food supply, even though it had never been approved for human consumption. StarLink has a gene from SHRIMP!
Therefore there is a PRESSING NEED for Labeling GMOs! California is the first state to place a public question on this November's ballot to require labeling. Please SUPPORT it! Because if California requires labeling, the food industry will be FORCED to label everything!
When Europe required labeling, the consumers changed everything - by shunning GMOs. Jeffrey Smith, who has written extensively in this area, and founded The Institute for Responsible Technology, has done some wonderful work in educating the public to this growing health threat:
Newly approved GMO foods that are about to come to YOUR dinner table?
GMO Salmon (grows triple the normal size!) GMO Alfalfa (common feed for dairy cows)
[ 08-15-2012, 08:52 AM: Message edited by: AuntyLynn ]
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Sparkle7 - Thanks for those links about the tragedy in India surrounding GMO cotton! This awful story is a testament to the exaggerations and outright LIES that Monsanto (and other GMO developers) disseminate about the alleged benefits of growing GMOs.
Not only has GMO cotton failed miserably (it did not thrive to produce the projected yields), but when farmers fed the SILAGE waste from their cotton plants to their farm animals - a large number of them DIED within DAYS!
So not only did Monsanto Cotton fail in the fields, it destroyed more of the farmer's livelihood by poisoning their farm animals!
Farmers take out loans for seed and the patented pesticides that are compatible with the plants - GMOs seeds and sprays are much more expensive than those of standard crops.
When the crops failed, there was no way for Famers to repay their debts - which carries a heavy social onus in India. So the "easiest" way for a farmer to free his family from the debt, and the stigma that accompanies it, is to take one's own life.
There have been nearly 2,000 suicides in India since Monsanto's GMO cotton has been marketed there. For me, this scenario illustrates one more "moral" reason why I would not want to willingly patronize GMO technology.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
In reality, we have to feed a LOT of people and we have to have healthy crops (for us and for our animals) which are attacked all the time by bugs, funguses, etc.
Thus we used chemicals sprayed on our plants.
But, I do see the tide turning...slowly.
Look closely at the more "natural" cleaning products that contain ORANGE oil or LEMON oil, for example.
A lot safer, IMO.
Researchers have RECENTLY genetically modified a mosquito which interferes with the malaria protozoa/protozoan which kills so MANY people.
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Marnie -
Are you aware that the government is on the verge of approving GMO crops which are compatible for AGENT ORANGE? Please imagine how this will affect the ecosystem and HUMAN health!
Sorry but I simply don't buy that old "we have a lot of people to feed" apology that is offered by Monsanto et al.! The allegation that GMOs produce higher crop yeilds is negligible, at best! Case in point: the Indian cotton disaster.
Moreover, Dr. Vandana Shiva has proven that organic crops can out-produce factory farming methods in many instances. She is the former nuclear physicist who decided to start a "seed saving" operation in her native India, when she saw how foreign agribiz was destroying the genetic diversity of India's native food crops - by crowding them out of production.
Fact is, if we didn't use MONOCULTURE farming methods so widely, we wouldn't be INVITING so many pests to our fields! Moreover, these methods do nothing to increase crop resistance to pests. Our use of "hot" petroleum based fertilizers fries soil, and the organisms in it that promote plant growth. It also burns up what little plant matter may be in the soil, which greatly increases the need to water!
Building soil with animal waste and compost - the organic method - has been lost to this country! One reason being that animal farms are geographically distant from our crop farms - and what might have been used for soil enrichment, now contaminates our aquifers instead.
Here is an interesting Opinion article that appeared in the New York Times last Wednesday, wherein a college professor expresses the hope that crop losses from this year's drought might result in needed changes to how America farms.
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
quote:Originally posted by Marnie: Right or wrong to genetically modify (GM) an insect?
Time will tell.
And what if "time will tell" that the genetically modified mosquito (created with the help of an antibiotic) has begun to spread an antibiotic resistent form of dengue fever or malaria?
Once these organisms are released into the natural world, there is no guessing what type of domino effect can follow.
One of my biggest problems with GMO plants is this: The "gene switch" that allows the insertion of foreign genes is left WIDE OPEN ... which means these plants have the potential to crossbreed with any other plant in the world!
Once Pandora's box has been opened ... then what?
[ 08-11-2012, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: AuntyLynn ]
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Good luck with this. I don't want to get all political, but this administration has appointed a Monsanto executive and lobbyist as food safety czar.....irony anyone?
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
Every day I see more & more evidence of how this stuff is making us all ill. I don't know if there's a way to stop it. Little by little & blatantly "they" are introducing these things into our world. I don't know who "they" are but the information is there if you look.
I think we are all being genetically modified whether we eat organic or not. It's pretty shocking & is being done without our consent. All of this stuff will end up in our air, water & food regardless if we choose organic or not.
I don't know what the answer is. This is probably a big reason why so many of us are ill & why we don't have proper care.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Sparkle ... It would be easy to throw up our hands and just resign to lots of things ... but I'm not willing to do that in the case of GMOs.
It is not really difficult for me to avoid commercial salad dressings, or soy anything.
If we stop buying GMOs, there will be no profit in them.
The key is to get them labeled, so we CAN make a choice!
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
quote:Originally posted by koo: Good luck with this. I don't want to get all political, but this administration has appointed a Monsanto executive and lobbyist as food safety czar.....irony anyone?
Yeah - just like EVERY ADMINISTRATION Before Him!
Maybe if we could ban corporate contribution$ to political campaigns, this could change.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
Brussels
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13480
posted
I agree with AuntyLynn. Just don't drop your arms and let them do whatever they want to with all of us.
It does not take a lot to TIP and make them change. The more people avoid GMOs, the more they will catch the message.
there will be less mouths to feed if we fall even sicker and sicker.
The tipping point against GMOs.
Posts: 6200 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
Yeah, I know... I do avoid most everything in the supermarket. I don't consider it edible... I can't afford "all" organic but I try to do the best that I can.
I live in an apartment & I don't have a yard. I have a window box & I grew some basil, peppermint & spearmint - you actually do get quite alot from a small windowbox.
I was thinking it would be nice to try to start a community garden someplace but I don't know if I have the energy for it now.
I hate to say it but check out some of these transhuminists... like Ray Kurtzweil, etc. Take a look at where they are going with all of this synthetic biology & nanotechnology... I just got a bit depressed about it.
All this stuff we are going through now is just the beginning. I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but I got a bit overwhelmed with the potential future of all of this. The expantion is exponential.
Still - I agree that we have to keep trying. I do avoid as much as I can but the problems are in the air & water, too. You can't stop breathing & drinking water... The plants & animals need these things as well - even if they are raised organically.
re: there will be less mouths to feed if we fall even sicker and sicker.
Sad to say but I think that's the purpose...
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Breaking! Jeffrey Smith just released a trailer for his new movie:
"Genetic Roulette"
I will post it in a new thread, along with some other short vids of his, that describe just HOW GMOs are made, and why many believe they are so dangerous!
Thanks for joining in this discussion!
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
beaches... I'll ask my friend. Maybe he knows of truck farms that were supposedly "organic" and he knew they really weren't.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Or Tutu, maybe he makes a living selling "non-organic" vegetables and wants to bad mouth the competition!
Monsanto and other agribiz giants have huge publicity budgets to disseminate their opposing views. (Archer Daniels Midland immediately comes to mind.)
Do organic farmers use pest control? Yes! But only those that are approved for organic crops!
Many release insects that prey on the destructive bugs attacking their crops (like ladybugs!) - still others do their best to avoid such a problem, by planting "companion" crops that repel the pests. (F'rinstance, marigolds tend to chase away a lot of unwanted bugs.)
Mild soap or pepper sprays are also an option.
But when a plant is fed all the nutrients it needs to thrive, pests or fungus are far less of a problem - as the plants build their own resistance, to say rust or mildew problems.
Planting hundreds of acres of ONE CROP which is known as "monoculture" is an invitation to pests! There is just so much crop to attract the type of pest that enjoys it, it is easy to find. This is why monoculture usually REQUIRES the need for pesticides. And why, when you have planted thousands of acres of ONE crop - that is particularly susceptible to drought - a farmer can lose EVERYTHING he planted, in a bad season!
Please go to my new thread that was to have been a companion to this one... it has been moved to "General Support." Where you can see several short films that I have posted on GMOs and sustainable agriculture.
In the last film in that post, Dr. Vandana Shiva talks about how biodiversity in farming, which is a traditional farming method, helps to guarantee that a farmer will have SOME crops that will survive even during difficult growing seasons, such as in a drought.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
There is a documentary on one of the premium movie channels. The main topic is obesity in America but it talks extensively about farming.
If I listened correctly, growers of corn, wheat, soy, etc. are subsidized whereas growers of fruits and vegetables are not.
Also, if I listened correctly, fruits and vegetables only account for 2-3% of American agriculture? Bad, bad, bad.
The bottom line for farmers is profit/acre. We do have to be realistic and I do understand this. One line that scared me though talked about how growers don't consider any of this food, but $$.
From what I gather, there appears to be a huge effort to get local produce to local markets without losing half of it to rot. I am not sure why the idea of refrigerated trucking is new.
When I visit Italy the thing I love most is that you eat what is local and what is in season. Such a simple concept.
The American consumer has put demands on the market to have whatever they want whenever they want. Strawberries in December with the consistency of styrofoam? No thank you.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Food is a business. The purpose of business is profit.
Aw come on - I've bought styrofoam strawberries -especially for Valentine's Day! When was the last time you had a "native" strawberry? I'm sure you would remember it if you had. I go WAY out of my way to get them in season - as they are so worth it!
Point is, when California and Florida growers are pumping out strawberries year round, people aren't so likely to seek a farmstand in June when they want them. So the local farmer stops growing them.
This is what Dr. Vandana Shiva is talking about when she says that commercial crops are crowding out the traditional food crops. Indians are encouraged to grow green beans for European markets, instead of lentils for their own tables.
I'd love to visit Italy. But I can get a LOT of their exports right here in my own neighborhood - where the Italians settled heavily here around the turn of the last century. I can get nitrate free Prociutto de Parma at my local Shop Rite, or aged Ricotta (which is dry, hard, and salty!), or fresh figs in season (some people grow fig trees in their front yards, here!). Imported pastas and Dry cured olives and hundreds of imported olive oils. But I'd really love to see the country!
Europeans shop for food daily. It's their tradition. I shop about every 2 or 3 days, because I don't like frozen meat or fish, and I cook "fresh" for each meal. I think it makes a difference.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Thanks for linking that thread, Tutu!
I think anyone who watches those three Jeffrey Smith videos, will understand why many scientists believe that GMO foods are a serious threat to human health.
BTW Ken Burns has a new series coming out this fall on PBS - about the Dust Bowl. I watched a preview online. For ten years farmers didn't have crops to sell. Even so, when the government tried to convince farmers that they needed to "rotate" crops, and/or plant cover crops, many still resisted the change.
It was not until the gov't offered financial "incentives" to farmers who used good land management methods, that enough people "got with" the soil conservation program.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I don't know a huge mount of info on this - it's a big topic... I believe that the corn & soy are mostly grown for feed for animals. The corn can also be used for high fructose corn syrup, oil, & biodiesel.
Cotton is another crop that is highly modified - this goes toward clothing. I bet the modification can be absorbed through the skin.
I think alot of this goes back to the "Farmaid" days when alot of small family farmers lost their land. The face of agriculture has been changing for a while.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
AuntyLynn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35938
posted
Sparkle -
Corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal - they are all used for human food, and as the trailer for the movie says, 88% is GMO. And yes, they feed it to farm animals - the kind we eat.
Cotton does NOT just go to clothing! Take a closer look at some of those packaged mixes, or even sauces on FROZEN veg! Cottonseed oil is in our foodstuffs too - even in candy sometimes!
Now soy - is ridiculously pervasive! And 94% of all American grown soy is GMO? Gimme a break!
If you know what foods are GMO you can attempt to avoid them.
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic