Rather Be Healthy

The more we learn about genetically engineered (GE) foods, the clearer the dangers become. I’ve warned you of the potential dangers of GE foods for many years now, as I was convinced that the artificial combining of plants with genes from wildly different kingdoms is bound to cause problems.

As the years roll on, such suspicions are becoming increasingly validated. In recent weeks, we’ve not only learned that GE corn is in no way comparable to natural corn in terms of nutrition, we’re also discovering the ramifications of dousing our crops with large amounts of glyphosate — the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup.

GE crops are far more contaminated with glyphosate than conventional crops, courtesy of the fact that they’re engineered to withstand extremely high levels of Roundup without perishing along with the weed.

A new peer-reviewed report authored by Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant, and a long time contributor to the Mercola.com Vital Votes Forum and Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has fortunately received quite a bit of mainstream media attention.

Their findings, along with the development of another breed of “gene silencing” crops, makes the need for labeling all the more urgent, and the advice to buy certified organic all the more valid.

How Glyphosate Worsens Modern Diseases

While Monsanto insists that Roundup is safe and “minimally toxic” to humans, Samsel and Seneff’s research tells a different story altogether. Their report, published in the journal Entropy,1 argues that glyphosate residues, found in most commonly consumed foods in the Western diet courtesy of GE sugar, corn, soy and wheat, “enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease.” According to the authors:

“Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.”

The main finding of the report is that glyphosate inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, a large and diverse group of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of organic substances. This, the authors state, is “an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals.”

One of the functions of CYP enzymes is to detoxify xenobiotics—chemical compounds found in a living organism that are not normally produced or consumed by the organism in question. By limiting the ability of these enzymes to detoxify foreign chemical compounds, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of those chemicals and environmental toxins you may be exposed to.

Dr. Stephanie Seneff has been conducting research at MIT for over three decades. She also has an undergraduate degree in biology from MIT and a minor in food and nutrition, and I have previously interviewed her about her groundbreaking insights into the critical importance of sulfur in human health. Not surprisingly, this latest research also touches on sulfur, and how it is affected by glyphosate from food.

“Here, we show how interference with CYP enzymes acts synergistically with disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, as well as impairment in serum sulfate transport,” the authors write.

“Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

We explain the documented effects of glyphosate and its ability to induce disease, and we show that glyphosate is the ‘textbook example’ of exogenous semiotic entropy: the disruption of homeostasis by environmental toxins.”

The Link Between Your Gut and the Toxicity of Glyphosate

The impact of gut bacteria on your health is becoming increasingly more well-understood and widely known. And here, we see how your gut bacteria once again play a crucial role in explaining why and how glyphosate causes health problems in both animals and humans. The authors explain:

“Glyphosate’s claimed mechanism of action in plants is the disruption of the shikimate pathway, which is involved with the synthesis of the essential aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. The currently accepted dogma is that glyphosate is not harmful to humans or to any mammals because the shikimate pathway is absent in all animals.

However, this pathway is present in gut bacteria, which play an important and heretofore largely overlooked role in human physiology through an integrated biosemiotic relationship with the human host. In addition to aiding digestion, the gut microbiota synthesize vitamins, detoxify xenobiotics, and participitate in immune system homeostasis and gastrointestinal tract permeability. Furthermore, dietary factors modulate the microbial composition of the gut.”

As noted in the report, incidences of inflammatory bowel diseases and food allergies have substantially increased over the past decade. According to a recent CDC survey, one in 20 children now suffer from food allergies2 — a 50 percent increase from the late 1990’s. Incidence of eczema and other skin allergies have risen by 69 percent and now affect one in eight kids. Seneff and Samsel argue it is reasonable to suspect that glyphosate’s impact on gut bacteria may be contributing to these diseases and conditions. They point out that:

“…Our systematic search of the literature has led us to the realization that many of the health problems that appear to be associated with a Western diet could be explained by biological disruptions that have already been attributed to glyphosate.

These include digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, Parkinson’s disease, liver diseases, and cancer, among others. While many other environmental toxins obviously also contribute to these diseases and conditions, we believe that glyphosate may be the most significant environmental toxin, mainly because it is pervasive and it is often handled carelessly due to its perceived nontoxicity.

…[T]he recent alarming increase in all of these health issues can be traced back to a combination of gut dysbiosis, impaired sulfate transport, and suppression of the activity of the various members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of enzymes.”

Former Navy Scientist Exposes Health Hazards of Glyphosate

Former US Navy staff scientist Dr. Nancy Swanson has a Ph.D. in physics, holds five US patents and has authored more than 30 scientific papers and two books on women in science. Ten years ago, she became seriously ill, and in her journey to regain her health she turned to organic foods. Not surprisingly (for those in the know) her symptoms dramatically improved. This prompted her to start investigating genetically engineered foods.

She has meticulously collected statistics on glyphosate usage and various diseases and conditions, including autism. A more perfect match-up between the rise in glyphosate usage and incidence of autism is hard to imagine… To access her published articles and reports, please visit Sustainable Pulse,3 a European website dedicated to exposing the hazards of genetically engineered foods.

According to Dr. Swanson:4

“Prevalence and incidence data show correlations between diseases of the organs and the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the food supply, along with the increase in glyphosate-based herbicide applications. More and more studies have revealed carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting effects of Roundup at lower doses than those authorized for residues found in Genetically Modified Organisms.”

“The endocrine disrupting properties of glyphosate can lead to reproductive problems: infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, and sexual development. Fetuses, infants and children are especially susceptible because they are continually experiencing growth and hormonal changes. For optimal growth and development, it is crucial that their hormonal system is functioning properly.

The endocrine disrupting properties also lead to neurological disorders (learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Those most susceptible are children and the elderly.”

Warning! EPA Raises Limits for Allowable Glyphosate Residues

Amazingly, just as more independent reports are emerging confirming the health hazards of glyphosate and GMOs, the Environmental Protection Agency5 (EPA) is proposing to RAISE the allowed residue limits of glyphosate in food and feed crops! As reported by GM Watch 6:

“The allowed level in teff animal feed will be 100 parts per million (ppm); and in oilseed crops, 40 ppm. Allowed levels in some fruits and vegetables eaten by humans will also rise.”

Root and tuber vegetables, with the exception of sugar, will get one of the largest boosts, with allowable residue limits being raised from 0.2 ppm to 6.0 ppm. The new level for sweet potatoes will be 3 ppm.

“As a comparison, malformations in frog and chicken embryos were documented7 by Prof Andres Carrasco’s team at 2.03 ppm glyphosate, when injected into the embryos,” GM Watch writes.

Yet despite all the evidence, the EPA rule states:

“EPA concludes that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to the general population or to infants and children from aggregate exposure to glyphosate residues.”
Monsanto has in fact petitioned and received approvals for increases in residue levels for several crops. Why? Because the weeds are getting increasingly resistant, requiring farmers to increase the amount of Roundup they have to spray just to keep up with the superweeds created by the excessive use of the chemical in the first place…
The Rise of Superweeds

A recent article in Nature Magazine8 addressed some of the environmental and societal concerns associated with genetically engineered crops. One of them is the rise in crop-destroying superweeds, as weeds develop resistance to glyphosate. This was yet another possibility that was initially pooh-pooh’d by Monsanto. However, truth has a way of eventually becoming self evident, and now glyphosate resistance is becoming so obvious the facts are hardly disguisable. According to the article:

“As late as 2004, the company was publicizing a multi-year study suggesting that rotating crops and chemicals does not help to avert resistance. When applied at Monsanto’s recommended doses, glyphosate killed weeds effectively, and ‘we know that dead weeds will not become resistant,’ said Rick Cole, now Monsanto’s technical lead of weed management, in a trade-journal advertisement at the time.

The study,9 published in 2007, was criticized by scientists for using plots so small that the chances of resistance developing were very low, no matter what the practice.

Glyphosate-resistant weeds have now been found in 18 countries worldwide, with significant impacts in Brazil, Australia, Argentina and Paraguay… And Monsanto has changed its stance on glyphosate use, now recommending that farmers use a mix of chemical products and ploughing. But the company stops short of acknowledging a role in creating the problem…

Source: Ian Heap, International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds www.weedscience.org/graphs/soagraph.aspx (2013)

To offer farmers new weed-control strategies, Monsanto and other biotechnology companies, such as Dow AgroSciences, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, are developing new herbicide-resistant crops that work with different chemicals, which they expect to commercialize within a few years.”

What the author fails to mention is that some of these new herbicide-resistant crops are being designed to withstand chemicals that could be even more destructive, both environmentally and with regards to human health—especially in light of Seneff and Samsel’s new research.

For example, Dow AgroSciences has developed a new generation of genetically modified (GM) crops — soybeans, corn and cotton — designed to resist a major ingredient in Agent Orange, the herbicide called 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D).

The use of 2,4-D is not new; it’s actually one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. What is new is that farmers will now “carpet bomb” staple food crops like soy and corn with this chemical at a previously unprecedented scale—just the way glyphosate has been indiscriminately applied as a result of Roundup Ready crops. In fact, if 2,4-D resistant crops receive approval and eventually come to replace Monsanto’s failing Roundup-resistant crops as Dow intends, it is likely that billions of pounds will be needed, on top of the already insane levels of Roundup being used (1.6 billion lbs were used in 2007 in the US alone).

Gene Transfer Hazards, and the Latest ‘Gene Silencing’ Crops

Nature Magazine also discusses the spread of transgenes to wild crops. Mexico in particular has reported the spread of GE corn despite the fact that GE crops are not approved for commercial planting in Mexico. It is believed that the transgenes originated in corn imported from the US, and that local farmers may have planted some of the corn originally purchased for consumption, not realizing they were genetically engineered.

Cross-breeding between native and GE varieties may have allowed for the continued spread of transgenic DNA. Sadly, once present, it’s virtually impossible to get rid of these transgenes, which means that native species may eventually be eliminated entirely—a fate that cuts deep into the heart of the Mexican people, where corn is considered sacred.

Latest Breed of GE Crops Can Silence Your Genes… What Then?

Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has developed a type of genetically engineered (GE) wheat that may silence human genes, which could have truly disastrous health consequences.

Last year, University of Canterbury Professor Jack Heinemann released results from genetic research he conducted on the wheat, which unequivocally showed that molecules created in the wheat, intended to silence wheat genes to change its carbohydrate content, can match human genes and potentially silence them. Heinemann’s research revealed over 770 pages of potential matches between two genes in the GE wheat and the human genome. Over a dozen matches were “extensive and identical and sufficient to cause silencing in experimental systems,” he said.

Experts warned that eating this GE wheat could lead to significant changes in the way glucose and carbohydrates are stored in the human body, which could be potentially deadly for children and lead to serious illness in adults. Yet despite the seriousness of these findings, regulators are ignoring and dismissing such warnings. According to the Institute of Science in Society,10 the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved at least five such GE food products already.

Rather than using in vitro DNA modification (which is how Roundup Ready and Bt crops are created), this new breed of genetically engineered crops use a wholly different approach. In vitro DNA modification results in the creation of a new protein, but this new breed is designed to change their RNA content, thereby regulating gene expression within the plant. RNA is one of three major macromolecules, like DNA. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is responsible for regulating more than one-third of human genes. By engineering the plant to produce dsRNA, the plant can be “instructed” to silence specific genes—within itself, and potentially within your body…

A Global Experiment Based on Faulty Assumptions is Bound to Take its Toll…

It is assumed that both DNA and RNA are broken down in your gut when you consume them in GE food, which is why they both have GRAS status (Generally Regarded as Safe). However, experiments dating back to the early 1990’s have contradicted this assumption.11 According to Dr. Mae Wan-Ho12 (for references, see the original article):

“There have been many publications documenting the ability of DNA to survive digestion in the gut and to pass into the bloodstream whenever investigations were carried out with sufficiently sensitive detection methods. DsRNA in particular, is much more stable than single stranded RNA. DsRNA produced in genetically modified plants survive intact after passing through the gut of insects and worms feeding on the plants.

Also, oral exposure of insect pests to dsRNA was effective in inducing RNA interference. Worms can even absorb dsRNA suspended in liquid through their skin, and when taken in, the dsRNA can circulate throughout the body and alter gene expression in the animal. In some cases the dsRNA taken up is further multiplied or induces a secondary reaction resulting in more and different secondary dsRNA with unpredictable targets. Thus, not only are dsRNA mechanisms universal to all plants and animals, there is already experimental evidence that they can act across kingdoms.”

Dr. Mae Wan-Ho also points out research from China, which has demonstrated that dsRNAs can survive digestion and be taken up via the gastrointestinal tract, and that microRNA (miRNA) from food can circulate in the human blood stream and have the potential to turn off human genes.

“The data also indicated that some dsRNAs from plants are found more frequently than predicted from their level of expression in plants; in other words, there may be a selective retention or uptake of some miRNA molecules,” she writes.

Most Consumers Still Unaware of GMO Risks

The biotech industry, led by Monsanto, is increasing their propaganda efforts to reshape their public image, and sway your opinion against the need to label genetically engineered foods. As The Atlantic recently reported.13

“Given its opposition to the labeling of GM foods… it seems clear that Monsanto wants you to close your eyes, open your mouth, and swallow.”

Indeed, many consumers are still in the dark about the very real risks that GE crops pose, both to the environment and human health. This is precisely what the biotech industry wants, even as increasing research demonstrates the many dangers associated with GE foods. For example, one recent study found that rats fed a type of genetically engineered corn that is prevalent in the US food supply for two years developed massive mammary tumors, kidney and liver damage, and other serious health problems. This was at dietary amounts of about 10 percent. Does 10 percent or more of your diet consist of genetically engineered ingredients? If processed foods form the basis of your diet, then you’re likely consuming FAR MORE genetically modified organisms (GMOs) than that…

Unfortunately, you can’t know for sure how many items in your fridge and pantry might contain GMOs since the US does not require genetically engineered foods to be labeled. With the emergence of “gene silencing” crops and the latest findings from Seneff and Samsel, the need for labeling couldn’t possibly be greater.

Keep Fighting for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

While California Prop. 37 failed to pass last November, by a very narrow margin, the fight for GMO labeling is far from over. The field-of-play has now moved to the state of Washington, where the people’s initiative 522, “The People’s Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” will require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. As stated on LabelitWA.org:

“Calorie and nutritional information were not always required on food labels. But since 1990 it has been required and most consumers use this information every day. Country-of-origin labeling wasn’t required until 2002. The trans fat content of foods didn’t have to be labeled until 2006. Now, all of these labeling requirements are accepted as important for consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says we must know with labeling if our orange juice is from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate.

Doesn’t it make sense that genetically engineered foods containing experimental viral, bacterial, insect, plant or animal genes should be labeled, too? Genetically engineered foods do not have to be tested for safety before entering the market. No long-term human feeding studies have been done. The research we have is raising serious questions about the impact to human health and the environment.

I-522 provides the transparency people deserve. I-522 will not raise costs to consumers or food producers. It simply would add more information to food labels, which manufacturers change routinely anyway, all the time. I-522 does not impose any significant cost on our state. It does not require the state to conduct label surveillance, or to initiate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a policy choice, but I-522 was written to avoid raising costs to the state or consumers.”

Remember, as with CA Prop. 37, they need support of people like YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 failed with a very narrow margin simply because we didn’t have the funds to counter the massive ad campaigns created by the No on 37 camp, led by Monsanto and other major food companies. Let’s not allow Monsanto and its allies to confuse and mislead the people of Washington and Vermont as they did in California. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in.
•No matter where you live in the United States, please donate money to these labeling efforts through the Organic Consumers Fund.
•If you live in Washington State, please sign the I-522 petition. You can also volunteer to help gather signatures across the state.
•For timely updates on issues relating to these and other labeling initiatives, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
•Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the Washington initiative.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

As you may have noticed, there’s been a huge surge of awareness in the last couple years at the importance of consuming enough probiotics (friendly bacteria) in your diet, whether those probiotics come from fermented (cultured) foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and other fermented veggies, or whether they come from supplements too.

We’ve already talked extensively in this newsletter about how probiotics have dramatic beneficial benefits to your health, most importantly, your digestive system and your immune system. Balancing your gut flora and crowding out the “bad bugs” with more of the good bugs (aka, probiotics) is vastly important to over 150 different health conditions in your body, going above and beyond just your digestive system and immune system.

However, one of my friends recently asked me this:

“Mike, I just realized that I’m taking a probiotics supplement daily, and also drinking kefir, eating fermented veggies (kimchi or kraut), and also drinking a greens drink that also contains probiotics. I feel GREAT, but how do I know if I’m getting TOO MUCH probiotics?”

This is a great question! Here’s my take on this, compiling information that I’ve researched and also other experts on the topic…

First of all, there’s actually pretty much zero studies on whether you can take “too much” probiotics, because the average person doesn’t get nearly enough in today’s modern world with an overly processed and sterilized food supply, so “too much” is almost never a problem.

The fact is, nobody really knows if “too much” even exists when it comes to probiotics. And I’ve seen some authors and others question that maybe we shouldn’t take “too much” since we don’t know what too much is.

However, I disagree with them, and here’s where you have to use some standard logic about science, so here’s my conclusion…

Throughout all of human history (up until the last 60-100 years or so), humans always ate VERY LARGE amounts of live bacteria in pretty much everything we ate. I’d estimate that our ancestors consumed at least 10x the amount of live bacteria than even avid probiotics consumers do today.

We just simply didn’t have a “sterilized” food supply in the past that’s been canned, processed, pasteurized, packaged, and with added chemicals like we do in today’s industrialized food supply.

Quite simply, everything our ancestors ate contained a LOT of bacteria, and this wasn’t just the purposely fermented foods that are rich in probiotics.

Our ancestors also ate a certain amount of dirt on a lot of our foods throughout human history simply because good methods of thoroughly cleaning foods (other than rinsing with water) weren’t always available like today. Even just getting a tiny amount of fresh dirt on your root vegetables that you pulled out of the ground can give you billions of live bacteria. This was beneficial to our ancestors.

And since refrigeration was pretty much impossible throughout most of human history in parts of the world, fermented foods have a LONG history as a method of preservation, which means humans ate large amounts of fermented foods (WAY more than most modern humans), especially in certain times of year when fresh foods weren’t available. Fermented dairy and fermented veggies have a long history of being staples in so many parts of the world throughout history. In fact, you can read my article on kefir vs yogurt here and how natives of the Caucasus mountains in eastern Europe routinely live to over 100 years old drinking fermented dairy regularly throughout their lives.

So, the way I see it is even for those of us that might end up getting 100 Billion probiotics or more per day from a combination of a glass of kefir, a bottle of kombucha tea, a greens drink, or a probiotic supplement all combined together, I’d be willing to bet that ancient humans probably got well over 1 Trillion probiotics per day in everything that they ate, since the food supply back then wasn’t sterilized like it is today.

In that case, even the most prudent probiotic eaters who take supplements and also eat fermented foods probably still don’t come close to the amount of probiotics eaten by our ancestors.

We live in a germophobic culture these days where we’re taught from childhood to fear bacteria, despite the fact that 99% of bacteria is beneficial for our health… and yet there’s 100 Trillion estimated microbes in our guts (10x the number of cells in our body) that are linked to almost every aspect of our health.

That’s why I personally will NEVER take antibiotics unless I were to end up having some sort of life threatening infection in the future from an accident of some sort. Antibiotics can permanently disrupt the balance of your gut flora, and permanent disruption to your gut flora balance doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. You can even read this article which shows that antibiotics use can increase your belly fat, among other problems.

And remember one of the most important things about your gut bacteria…

It’s those friendly gut bacteria (probiotics) that help to crowd out pathogenic strains that could get you sick. This is one way that probiotics help keep you from getting sick.

The other way is simply that good gut bacteria also form a barrier in your intestinal lining to prevent pathogens from escaping into your bloodstream. It’s when pathogens escape into your bloodstream that you’re more likely to get sick. This is why some people are more likely to get food poisoning than others despite eating the same food as others that might have contained some pathogens. This is also why some people never get sick at all from exposure to harmful germs whereas others get sick from every little thing that they’re exposed too.

The people that have good gut flora balance (from eating large amount of probiotics) have that “microbial barrier” in their gut that doesn’t allow pathogens to get from your digestive system into your bloodstream.

There’s a great new documentary that I watched recently called Microwarriors: The Power of Probiotics that I think is a great thing to watch for every family. I think seeing things in a movie format is a lot more powerful for some people than just reading articles and will make some people take probiotics more seriously.

So to summarize about whether consuming “too much” probiotics is possible… I think we’ve established that our ancestors consumed a MUCH higher quantity of probiotics naturally than even the most avid fermented foods consumers eating a modern diet and/or supplementing with probiotics ever could.

Make sure to read this article below… I show you my exact daily plan I’ve come up with in order to get a huge variety of probiotics from different sources… remember that VARIETY of strains is just as important, if not more important, than just sheer quantity of probiotics.

Daily example plan to PROTECT your gut from pathogens, get perfect digestion, and more.

Also, keep in mind that although I eat a good daily ration of fermented foods in the form of grass-fed kefir, fermented veggies such as kimchi or kraut, as well as yogurt a couple times a week and kombucha on occasion too, I also personally “top off” my probiotics intake with what I feel is the most powerful probiotics supplement I’ve found to date here.

I strongly feel that it’s my close attention to probiotic intake (as well as close attention to levels of vitamin D) that create the immune system such that I never get sick, and never have digestion issues either. Even this past winter, I can remember quite a few flights where sick people right behind me were coughing and sneezing all over the back of my head, and I never got sick from it. I also visited several friends on trips that had sick kids or the whole family was sick, and almost everybody got sick except for me.

Coincidence? Maybe. But I think it’s those little “microwarriors” in my gut protecting me!

Make sure to start focusing DAILY on your probiotic intake of both fermented foods and probiotic supplements, and it’s quite possible that you find that you stop ever getting sick, and that any digestion issues you have start to go away fully.

Here’s to letting those little “microwarriors” protect your health!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Analysis Finds Monsanto’s GE Corn Nutritionally Inferior and High in Toxins

By Dr. Mercola

I’ve warned you of the potential dangers of genetically engineered (GE) foods for many years now, pointing out that such crops might have wholly unforeseen consequences. In recent years, such suspicions have increasingly proven correct.

One of the latest pieces of evidence supporting the suspicion that GE crops are in no way, shape or form comparable to their natural counterparts is a nutritional analysis that shows just how different they really are.

Inherent differences are essentially implied by the fact that GE crop seeds can be patented in the first place. And in many ways, I believe Monsanto is slowly but surely inching its way toward patenting nature itself, in the same way others are fighting to maintain patent rights for human DNA.1

These companies are trying to patent “life,” and they likely will unless they’re stopped by the courts. But it’s quite clear that humans cannot outsmart nature.

The latest nutritional analysis of GE corn couldn’t be more relevant as the recently passed Agricultural Appropriations Bill (HR9332) included a hotly detested provision (Section 735) that places Monsanto above the law. As noted by the featured article:3

“With the recent passing of the Monsanto Protection Act, there is no question that mega corporations like Monsanto are able to wield enough power to even surpass that of the United States government.

The new legislation provides Monsanto with a legal safeguard against federal courts striking down any pending review of dangerous genetically modified crops. It is ironic to see the passing of such a bill in the face of continuous releases of GMO dangers.”

At present, the only way to avoid GMOs is to ditch processed foods from your grocery list, and revert back to whole foods grown according to organic standards.

Analysis Finds Monsanto’s GE Corn Nutritionally Inferior and High in Toxins

A report given to MomsAcrossAmerica4 by an employee of De Dell Seed Company (Canada’s only non-GMO corn seed company) offers a stunning picture of the nutritional differences between genetically engineered (GE) and non-GE corn. Clearly, the former is NOT equivalent to the latter, which is the very premise by which genetically engineered crops were approved in the first place.

Here’s a small sampling of the nutritional differences found in this 2012 nutritional analysis:
•Calcium: GMO corn = 14 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 6,130 ppm (437 times more)
•Magnesium: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 113 ppm (56 times more)
•Manganese: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 14 ppm (7 times more)

GMO corn was also found to contain 13 ppm of glyphosate, compared to zero in non-GMO corn. This is quite significant and well worth remembering.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “safe” level for glyphosate in American water supplies is 0.7 ppm. In Europe, the maximum allowable level in water is 0.2 ppm. Organ damage in animals has occurred at levels as low as 0.1 ppm… At 13 ppm, GMO corn contains more than 18 times the “safe” level of glyphosate set by the EPA.

This is truly disturbing when you consider the fact that in countries like Argentina, glyphosate is blamed for the dramatic increase in devastating birth defects as well as cancer. Sterility and miscarriages are also increasing. This may be due to its similarity to DDT, which is well-known to cause reproductive problems, among other things.

Another health hazard associated with glyphosate is its effect on gut bacteria. Not only does it promote the growth of more virulent pathogens, it also kills off beneficial bacteria that might keep such pathogens in check—both in the soil, and in the gut of animals or humans that ingest the contaminated crop.

It’s important to understand that the glyphosate actually becomes systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. It’s inside the plant. And once you eat it, it ends up in your gut where it can wreak total havoc with your health, considering the fact that 80 percent of your immune system resides there and is dependent on a healthy ratio of good and bad bacteria.

An additional disturbing piece of information is that GMO corn contained extremely high levels of formaldehyde. According to Dr. Huber, at least one study found that 0.97 ppm of ingested formaldehyde was toxic to animals. GMO corn contains a staggering 200 times that amount! Perhaps it’s no wonder that animals, when given a choice, avoid genetically engineered feed.

Next Up: Genetically Engineered Apples, Using New GE Technique

Besides so-called Roundup Ready crops, genetically engineered to resist otherwise lethal doses of glyphosate, there are other types of GE food crops. Another equally troublesome one is Bt crops, engineered in such a way as to contain a toxic protein within the plant itself. These were created by inserting a foreign gene into the plant in question.

Now we’re looking at yet another type of genetic engineering technology: RNA interference (RNAi), also known as post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS).

According to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA),5 apples modified using this technique are slated for approval by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sometime this year. The apple will not require approval by the FDA, which is responsible for human food and animal feed. It only needs approval by the USDA, which is responsible for protecting agriculture from pests and plant diseases.

The new GMO Arctic® Apple does not turn brown when sliced or bitten into. For the cosmetic “advantage” of these genetically engineered apples, you get to be a test subject for yet another untested genetic modification technology. How’s that for a bargain?

According to OCA, non-organic apples are already among the most pesticide-laden foods sold. In the Pesticide Action Network’s analysis of the most recent USDA data, apples tested positive for 42 different pesticides, including two endocrine disrupting pesticides (organophosphate and pyrethroid). The additional risk of untested tinkering with the RNA is not a step in the right direction if we want safer, healthier foods. The OCA writes:6

“[U]nlike the case with GMO corn or salmon, scientists aren’t injecting pesticides or genes from foreign plants or animals into the genes of apples to create the Frankenapple. While most existing genetically engineered plants are designed to make new proteins, the Arctic Apple is engineered to produce a form of genetic information called double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The new dsRNA alters the way genes are expressed. The result, in the Arctic Apple’s case, is a new double strand of RNA that genetically ‘silences’ the apple’s ability to produce polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that causes the apple to turn brown when it’s exposed to oxygen.

Harmless? The biotech industry, OSF and some scientists say yes. But others, including Professor Jack Heinemann (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), Sarah Agapito-Tenfen (from Santa Catarina University in Brazil) and Judy Carman (Flinders University in South Australia), say that dsRNA manipulation is untested, and therefore inherently risky.

Recent research has shown that dsRNAs can transfer from plants to humans and other animals through food. The biotech industry has always claimed that genetically engineered DNA or RNA is destroyed by human digestion, eliminating the danger of these mutant organisms damaging human genes or human health. But many biotech scientists say otherwise. They point to evidence that the manipulated RNA finds its way into our digestive systems and bloodstreams, potentially damaging or silencing vital human genes.”

OCA also points out the indirect health consequences. The chemical compound used in the RNA manipulation process is one that also combats plant pests. So what might conceivably happen when you compromise the fruit’s ability to fend off insects? As noted by OCA, most likely, growers will have to start using more pesticides—on a fruit that’s already among the most heavily sprayed. In the end, all those pesticides end up in your body and, certainly, avoiding toxic exposures is important if you want to protect your health.

Despite What You Are Told GE Crops Are NOT the ‘Most Tested’ Product in the World

It’s important to realize that genetically engineered (GE) foods have never been proven safe for human consumption over a lifetime, let alone over generations. Monsanto and its advocates claim genetically engineered crops are “the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen.” What they don’t tell you is that:
a.Industry-funded research predictably affects the outcome of the trial. This has been verified by dozens of scientific reviews comparing funding with the findings of the study. When industry funds the research, it’s virtually guaranteed to be positive. Therefore, independent studies must be done to replicate and thus verify results
b.The longest industry-funded animal feeding study was 90 days, which recent research has confirmed is FAR too short. In the world’s first independently funded lifetime feeding study, massive health problems set in during and after the 13th month, including organ damage and cancer
c.Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta rarely if ever allow independent researchers access to their patented seeds, citing the legal protection these seeds have under patent laws. Hence, independent research is extremely difficult or nearly impossible to conduct. If these scientists get seeds from a farmer, they sue them into oblivion as one of their favorite tactics is to use the legal system to their advantage. Additionally, virtually all academic agricultural research is controlled by Monsanto as they are the primary supporters of these departments and none will risk losing their funding from them
d.There is no safety monitoring. Meaning, once the GE item in question has been approved, not a single country on earth is actively monitoring and tracking reports of potential health effects

Middle School Student’s Brilliant Experiment

Speaking of research; while there’s no research to support the long-term safety of GMOs, studies do show that organic foods are safer than their conventional counterparts in terms of toxic exposure, and likely far more nutritious as well.

Three years ago, middle school student Ria Chhabra created a science fair project to help settle a debate between her parents, revolving around whether or not organic foods have merit. Now 16 and a sophomore at Clark High School in Plano, Texas, Ria’s continued research into the effect of organic food on fruit flies has earned her top honors in a national science competition, and her work was recently published in the respected scientific journal, PloS One.7 As reported by the New York Times:8

“The research, titled Organically Grown Food Provides Health Benefits to Drosophila Melanogaster, tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce.

While the results can’t be directly extrapolated to human health, the research nonetheless paves the way for additional studies on the relative health benefits of organic versus conventionally grown food…

The difference in outcomes among the flies fed different diets could be due to the effects of pesticide and fungicide residue from conventionally raised foods. Or it could be that the organic-fed flies thrived because of a higher level of nutrients in the organic produce. One intriguing idea raises the question of whether organically raised plants produce more natural compounds to ward off pests and fungi, and whether those compounds offer additional health benefits to flies, animals and humans who consume organic foods.”

While the scientific merit of organic food continues to be studied and debated among scientists and laypeople alike, the issue has been settled in the Chhabra household. According to Ria, all the fresh produce the family buys is now organic.

Keep Fighting for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

While California Prop. 37 failed to pass last November, by a very narrow margin, the fight for GMO labeling is far from over. The field-of-play has now moved to the state of Washington, where the people’s initiative 522, “The People’s Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” will require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. As stated on LabelitWA.org:

“Calorie and nutritional information were not always required on food labels. But since 1990 it has been required and most consumers use this information every day. Country-of-origin labeling wasn’t required until 2002. The trans fat content of foods didn’t have to be labeled until 2006. Now, all of these labeling requirements are accepted as important for consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says we must know with labeling if our orange juice is from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate.

Doesn’t it make sense that genetically engineered foods containing experimental viral, bacterial, insect, plant or animal genes should be labeled, too? Genetically engineered foods do not have to be tested for safety before entering the market. No long-term human feeding studies have been done. The research we have is raising serious questions about the impact to human health and the environment.

I-522 provides the transparency people deserve. I-522 will not raise costs to consumers or food producers. It simply would add more information to food labels, which manufacturers change routinely anyway, all the time. I-522 does not impose any significant cost on our state. It does not require the state to conduct label surveillance, or to initiate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a policy choice, but I-522 was written to avoid raising costs to the state or consumers.”

Remember, as with CA Prop. 37, they need support of people like YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 failed with a very narrow margin simply because we didn’t have the funds to counter the massive ad campaigns created by the No on 37 camp, led by Monsanto and other major food companies. Let’s not allow Monsanto and its allies to confuse and mislead the people of Washington and Vermont as they did in California. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in.
•No matter where you live in the United States, please donate money to these labeling efforts through the Organic Consumers Fund.
•If you live in Washington State, please sign the I-522 petition. You can also volunteer to help gather signatures across the state.
•For timely updates on issues relating to these and other labeling initiatives, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
•Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the Washington initiative

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Students from the University of Karachi explored the numerous health benefits of papaya and discovered a few interesting details about it. In their research, Marian Naseem as well as Muhammad Karam Nasir, students Agriculture and Agribusiness Department at Karachi University, found out that the fruit as well as its seeds have numerous benefits to the human body. According to them, the different nutrients in the fruit and its seed can boost health. Their research even cited how some countries across the globe use papaya to cure diseases and strengthen their immunity.

Eating papaya has a lot of benefits
Nasir said that papaya contained a huge amount of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium, potassium, iron as well as thiamin and magnesium. He also added that papaya contains the enzyme papain that can give relief to those suffering from gastric problems and indigestion. Likewise, he noted that the chemical integrate carpain can help in curing certain kinds of diseases.

He also noted that papaya can be very effective in combating several diseases such as diabetes and even cancer. He said that papaya can help control and stop diabetes. He further noted that eating papaya daily can help in combating and even eradicating cancer as papaya contains chemical integrates like lycopene.

Aside from helping combat serious health illnesses, Nasir also identified the other benefits of eating papaya. He added that eating papaya every day can help reduce weight. He also noted that papaya can help reduce the chances of heart attack. As such, he suggests that patients who have hypertension problems include papaya in their daily meals.

Nasir also cited that papaya is a natural body cleaner because it helps in the maintenance of the internal body system. He also added that papaya can help improve a person’s eyesight as it contains vitamin A. For both men and women, he said that papaya can boost their fertility.

Nasir also noted how papaya helps stop blood clotting in people’s feet, especially those who have sedentary jobs. He also said that papaya helps address acne problems as it contains magnesium.

The researchers also added that papaya can help eliminate constipation as well as nausea. It may also help in preventing the formation of emphysema for those who smoke. But aside from the fruit, its seeds have a number of health benefits as well.

Amazing seeds
Naseem, Nasir’s co-researcher, said that the juice of papaya seeds can prevent the kidney from becoming dysfunctional as it contains flavonoids, which can prevent germs from causing diseases.

She also noted that papaya seeds can protect people from several infections and that they can even rid the body of intestine insects. According to Naseem, around 76.7 percent of Nigerian children got rid of intestine insects by simply drinking papaya seed juice for seven days.

She also cited that the Japanese believed that taking in a teaspoon of papaya seeds can protect their liver from some diseases. Likewise, she said that papaya seeds contain a special compound that helps stop the formation of tumors. She also added that such seeds can cure hemorrhoid kind of diseases and that papaya seeds can be used alongside milk to prevent typhoid disease.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.dnaindia.com

http://www.cereforce.com

Aaj Ki Khabar

About the author:
Sandeep is an avid rock climber, Mountaineer, runner, and fitness coach. He shares his tips for staying in shape and eating healthy on several fitness sites.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to stop selling drugged meats

There is a very real public health crisis looming on the horizon, and its origins stem from the common food industry practice of force-feeding antibiotic drugs to cattle in order to bulk them up and rush their meat to market as quickly as possible. And a major consumer advocacy group is calling on the popular grocery chain Trader Joe’s to step up and stop selling meat and poultry derived from animals raised in this manner, which is causing widespread health problems and antibiotic resistance.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, recently ran a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times (LAT) petitioning Trader Joe’s to be an industry leader on this important issue. Since Trader Joe’s has already forged the way in taking a stand on other important health and food safety issues in the past, Consumers Union hopes Trader Joe’s will once again do the right thing and nix conventional meat from its product lineup.

You can view Consumer Union’s full-page ad here:
http://notinmyfood.org

“Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used by the meat and poultry industries so factory farm animals can grow faster and tolerate crowded and unsanitary conditions,” reads the Consumers Union announcement. “As a progressive retailer that has already demonstrated care for their customers’ health by saying no to GMOs, artificial colors, and trans fats, Trader Joe’s should take the obvious next step by helping move the livestock industry in the right direction – towards healthy animals raised without drugs.”

Sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to stop selling drugged meats
Though Trader Joe’s admittedly sells a variety of organic, grass-fed, and antibiotic-free meat and poultry products, some of its food offerings still contain conventional varieties of these same meats from animals raised in typical CAFO conditions – CAFO stands for concentrated animal feeding operation, and represents the typical format in place at most factory farms. With an increasing number of informed Americans interested in safe, antibiotic-free meat and poultry, it only makes sense for Trader Joe’s to take action now and lead the way towards improved meat production standards.

“It’s critical that we do everything possible to curb the growing public health crisis of antibiotic resistance,” says Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union. “Virtually every respected medical and public health organization agrees that we must reduce the use of antibiotics in healthy livestock in order to preserve the effectiveness of these drugs to treat disease.”

According to a recent press release, Consumers Union launched a campaign last year called Meat Without Drugs that aims to convince all grocery stores to scrap antibiotic-raised meats, starting with Trader Joe’s. You can learn more about this vital campaign, and sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to be the first to take this important action, by visiting:

Meat Without Drugs

“Continuing to sell meat from animals that are routinely fed antibiotics contributes to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance,” adds Halloran. “As a company that has taken socially responsible stands on other issues, Trader Joe’s could make an important contribution to improving public health by carrying only meat and poultry raised without antibiotics.”

To learn more, visit:

Meat Without Drugs

Sources for this article include:

http://www.consumersunion.org

http://www.latimes.com

http://notinmyfood.org

Meat Without Drugs

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Mike Geary Vail, Colorado, United States

My dad has always been in pretty good shape most of his life right into his 60’s. He’s always been a hard worker (he built our house that I grew up in with his own 2 hands) and very active with outdoor activities most of his life.

And he’s also always eaten a pretty healthy diet with a lot of wild game meats, wild caught fish (he’s a super fisherman), and lots of home grown produce that he grew himself in his huge garden. But in addition to those super healthy foods, he’s also had a lifelong addiction to cereals, breads, pasta, and ice cream (we’ll talk more in an upcoming newsletter about what we found out about what all these grains have been doing to his health over the years)

About a year ago, my pops and I were talking about one of my clients that had great results and had lost a good amount of fat. So he asked me,

“Mike, I’ve always been in good shape, but I’ve had these love handles my entire adult life for at least 40-50 years now” (he’s 66 currently)

My response to him was something like this,

“Dad, you eat healthier than 90% of the population because of all of your wild game, fish, and garden produce, but I honestly think that you eat far too many grain-based foods with your daily bowl of cereal for breakfast, the bread you have during lunch, and the pasta or noodles you have several times a week at dinner… oh, and all that sugar from the ice cream every night for dessert. I think if you reduce the grains and sugars, you’ll have no problem getting rid of those love handles that you’ve had your entire life”

My pops nodded and stored the advice away, but didn’t change his daily eating habits yet at this point. Fast forward another 6 months or so, and I gave him a copy of the book Wheat Belly, which talks not only about the effects of wheat in your body on blood sugar and body fat, but also the numerous health effects of eating too much wheat. It was some of those health effects of eating too much wheat, such as the increased risk of heart disease, that finally got my pops to drastically reduce his wheat intake.

He went from eating cereal 7 mornings a week, bread 7 days a week, and pasta 2-3 days a week, to basically only having 1 day a week now that he eats these types of wheat based foods.

Fast forward another 6 months, and we just went back to visit my parents for the holidays last week. After 6 months of dramatically reducing his wheat intake (and replacing those calories with healthy fats from more nuts, avocados, grass-fed dairy, etc), he looked noticeably slimmer…

In his own words, “Mike, I took your advice and cut down my cereals and breads to only 1 day a week, and those love handles I’ve had for 50 years… GONE… completely GONE!”

Not only that, but he also told me this surprising side benefit, “Surprisingly, once I stopped eating so much wheat, all the joint pain I’ve had for years is almost 100% GONE!”

Pretty cool huh! This doesn’t surprise me, and I’ve heard similar results with other clients of mine that have dramatically reduced their grain foods.

I’m not saying reducing grains is the miraculous cure for everything under the sun, but as you’ll see in this article, there are at least 11 reasons why too much wheat in your diet can be harming your body.

I think my dads results with reducing wheat in his diet prove some pretty powerful benefits to his body! He didn’t even fully eliminate wheat… he just drastically reduced his intake from 7 days a week to 1 day a week. And his love handles and joint pain he’s had for as long as he can remember are completely GONE!

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

The hottest thing in nutrition over the last few years is the “Paleo” style of eating (aka, Paleolithic nutrition). In some ways, it’s a simple concept, and it’s common sense… eat a similar hunter-gatherer diet like our ancestors did for over 1.9 Million years, and since this is the diet that the human digestive system is most adapted to during 99% of our existence, good health will follow, and getting a lean body becomes easier.

Some paleo authors though forbid even tiny amounts of grains and dairy in their recommendations, while other mainstream health authors and experts just aren’t convinced yet (or haven’t been explained the science yet) that whole grains can possibly be bad for you in any way.

My thought on this is that not all grains are necessarily bad for you, but some are a LOT worse than others… this is where I see “paleo” nutrition in a slightly different light than some very strict Paleo authors that advise to 100% eliminate ALL grains. I don’t quite see it that way.

A couple things that I keep in mind in terms of deciding on the healthiest paleolithic nutrition plan:

1. For people that are extremely active such as long distance bikers, runners, and athletes that do intense activity for several hours per day, the extra calories from starch that grains give can be useful. The extra calories and carbs from grains can also be useful to those looking to build muscle mass.

However, there’s no reason at all that these types of people can’t fuel their carb needs with potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, squash, quinoa, and other non-grain carb sources, and still get the calories and carbs they need without getting all of the gluten and other problematic anti-nutrients that are in many popular grains.

2. Some grains are worse than others. For example, rice and oats still have anti-nutrients, but have a lot less anti-nutrients than wheat does. Rice and oats also don’t contain gluten (unless they contain traces from processing machines that also processed wheat or barley), and as you know, chronic gluten intake can irritate the gut and cause internal inflammation in a large majority of us, even if we’re not Celiac.

This means that rice and oats are more “neutral” than wheat is, and if you’re extremely active and burn boatloads of calories with hours of exercise each day, then rice and oats can be a reasonable source of calories, although still not necessarily the “best” carb source per se.

However, if you’re an average person that exercises a couple days a week, and not daily for hours each day, there’s really no need for the extra calories and carbs that even “neutral” grains provide.

3. It’s important to know that grains are NOT “essential” to the human diet in any way. After all, before agriculture started approx 10,000 years ago, grains were just a very tiny % of the human diet, dating back almost 2 Million years.

Currently, it’s estimated that the average modern day person obtains 67% of their total calories come from only 3 foods — wheat, corn, and soy and their derivatives.

However, ancient paleolithic humans most likely only consumed about 1 or 2% of their total calories from wild grains that they could have gathered. Mass produced grains to make bread, baked goods, and pasta that are modern day staples simply didn’t exist back then.

This means that for 99% of human existence, humans only ate grains in a very tiny fraction of their total calories, and for the last 1% of human existence, we now eat 67% of our total calories from wheat, corn, and soy alone (although technically, soy is not a grain…it’s a legume, but soy has it’s own health issues as well).

Ancient paleolithic humans were very active hunting and gathering each day (and probably fighting off predators too in most locations!), yet somehow us humans managed to “fuel our bodies” for almost 2 Million years without the need for large amounts of grains like modern day athletes resort to as the go-to carb source.

Although I’m not personally a competing athlete in anything, I’m a very active skier, mountain biker, hiker, and weight lifter. But I don’t fuel my body on grains, and I don’t necessarily fuel my body on primarily carbohydrates either. And I feel amazing every single day!

I tend to prefer to fuel my body primarily from healthy fats like avocados, nuts, egg yolks, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter and cream. But I still also fuel my body with small to moderate amounts of carbs each day from eating loads of veggies, raw honey in my morning or afternoon tea, maybe a few potatoes or sweet potatoes each week, squash, and one or two pieces of fruit a day. This type of plan replicates the ancient paleolithic hunter-gatherer diet much more closely than these modern plans loaded with grains at every meal.

I’m sure we’ll talk more about this topic in upcoming newsletters, but let’s look at the big picture here…

The way I see it is that you can probably find a lot of examples of people you know that eat a lot of grains and yet remain lean, and seemingly healthy. This doesn’t mean that gluten and other anti-nutrients they are consuming daily aren’t causing at least some form of moderate internal inflammation, blood sugar problems, or minor digestive problems though in many of these grain-eaters.

I personally don’t avoid grains altogether, but I would say that I only eat grains about 1 day per week, and I try to get variety when I do instead of only one type of grain, so that I’m not always consuming the same types of anti-nutrients which might affect specific minerals from being absorbed in the body. This can lead to some mineral deficiency with over-consumption of certain grains too often.

With all of this said, I think the nutrition community is starting to become more acutely aware of some of the health problems of eating too much grains, specifically modern-day hybridized wheat and GM corn (which is 90% of the corn products in the store). The articles below will help you explore some of the problems that scientists are finding with too much wheat and corn intake:

11 Ways that “whole wheat” can harm your body (including joint problems, skin problems, visceral fat, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and more)

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Are you afraid that trying to eat healthily will drain your wallet? Not to worry — some of the healthiest foods in the world are actually very, very cheap. Planet Green lists a number of foods that are great for your body but won’t break the budget:

Kale

It’s loaded with vitamin C, vitamin B, and calcium, and costs just over a dollar a bunch.

Broccoli and Cabbage

These low-cost cruciferous vegetables neutralize toxins in your liver.

Winter Squash

It’s just a few dollars a pound, it’s a good source of vitamin B6 and folate.

Sweet Potatoes

They’re full of fiber, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans contain some of the highest levels of protein of any variety of beans, and they also contain high levels of potassium, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and manganese.

Black Beans

These are a good source of folate, dietary fiber, manganese, protein, magnesium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), phosphorus, and iron.

Sunflower Seeds

Raw sunflower seeds contain 76 percent of the RDA for vitamin E.

Almonds

Almonds are good for heart health and loaded with vitamin E.

To see the rest of their cheap superfood selections, along with a recipe for each food, click on the link below.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

It’s impossible to talk about health without coming back to the basics, namely food. The state of your physical health is the result of what you put into your body, and how you live your life. Unfortunately, the financial situation of most people is strained these days, to say the least. But that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain good health through your diet.

It’s a common misconception that buying pre-packaged processed foods is less expensive than eating fresh and cooking from scratch, but don’t fall for this notion. When you consider the nutrient value of fresh versus processed-to-death denatured foods and the subsequent health consequences of each choice, it’s quite clear that you can eat well and improve your health and still not spend a fortune.

Health Starts with Your Diet

Your body was designed to maintain equilibrium of health, and one of the basic cornerstones is your diet. Unfortunately, most Americans are flat out delusional about what constitutes healthy eating.

When you’re misinformed about what foods are actually healthy, then even the strictest adherence to your diet will get you nowhere.

I think part of the problem is that a lot of people do not understand what “processed food” means. They keep thinking they’re eating healthy because they leave the lettuce on their Big Mac’s, and they choose vitamin water over soda and eat microwaved veggies with their dinner…

One key aspect of eating healthy is eating non-adulterated foods—foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. If you do that, then basically everything you eat is a “superfood.” You need nutrients—all of them—and nutrients are found in abundance in fresh, raw foods.

Still, lists like the one by Planet Green above, and mine below, can be helpful to steer you in the right direction. Just remember that broccoli, for example, will likely not be a superfood any longer if you buy the pre-packaged, sauced-up variety that comes in a microwaveable bag… Ditto for canned health foods like beans and vegetables, and irradiated and pasteurized almonds.

In order for any of these foods to impart the health benefits you’d expect, they must be eaten as close to their natural state as possible. If you don’t understand (and implement) this key point, you’ll never experience the truth of your diet being your number one health insurance policy.

Eating for Your Personal Biochemistry

Another important factor is that we all have different nutritional needs. Everyone needs the basic nutrients of fats, protein and carbohydrates, but the ratio of these will vary from person to person based on their personal biochemistry, or simply “nutritional type.”

There is no one-size-fits-all diet—even if you’re only eating healthy foods.

A simple way to ascertain how well-suited your diet is for your constitution is to evaluate how you feel after eating. If you feel hungry, irritable, sleepy or sluggish after you eat, it’s a sign that you’re likely not giving your body the fuel that it needs to do its job properly.

I outline the details of nutritional typing in my book Take Control of Your Health, but I’m pleased to now also be able to provide the entire online nutritional typing program for free to everyone. We’ve previously charged $29 for this program that we’re now offering free of charge. It’s such an important factor, I urge you to take advantage of this offer to improve your health.

Take a fresh salad, for instance. On the surface, this is a healthy meal. Yet, the same salad is not ideal for everyone. Your body may do best with some chicken, olive oil and onions added. Or you may feel better by adding some grass-fed steak, and using spinach instead of lettuce.

Additionally, while vegetables have potent medicinal qualities, the amount and type of vegetables you should eat daily will also depend on your nutritional type.

For example, Swiss chard, as well as collard greens, kale, and regular lettuces are typically too high in potassium for protein types and will tend to cause biochemical imbalances, whereas these veggie varieties are on the recommended list for carbohydrate types. Protein types tend to do better with vegetables that are lower in potassium, such as cauliflower, green beans, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and celery.

So, although some foods may not be deemed a “superfood” in general, if they’re right for your constitution, then they are superfoods for you (again, provided they’re not processed or cooked into oblivion).

Once you know which foods your body needs (and which you do better without), you will truly be on the road to increased energy, an upbeat mood, and a decreased risk of chronic disease. In short, you’ll be on your way to reaching optimal health.

Diet as “Health Insurance”

While the Green Planet article above focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy on the pocketbook, I want to redirect your attention here to foods rich in nutrients that can help stave off a majority of health problems—foods that really give you lots of value. Some of these foods would not make the ‘Most Inexpensive’ list, but their value to your health is tremendous.

As I’ve discussed on numerous occasions, one of the primary risk factors of diseases of all kinds is chronic inflammation in your body. Low inflammation levels and a strong immune system typically go hand in hand, and together these two factors lay the groundwork for robust health.

Some of the foods below are both inexpensive and highly nutritious while others do cost a bit more but can go a long way toward healing your body of chronic inflammation and boosting your immune system naturally, without resorting to either supplements or drugs.

Some of these foods are also excellent detoxing agents, which is yet another important factor to consider as most of us are exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis, even when we actively try to avoid them.

Optimal Health “Superfoods” that Harness the Innate Power of Your Immune System and Quench Inflammation

Unpasteurized grass-fed milk — Raw organic milk from grass-fed cows contains both beneficial fats and bacteria that boost your immune system. An outstanding source of vitamin A, zinc, and enzymes, raw organic milk is not associated with any of the health problems of pasteurized milk such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea and cramps. Although raw milk availability is limited in the US, depending on where you live, you can locate the source closest to you at RealMilk.com.

Whey protein — Even if you don’t have access to raw milk, you can use a high-quality whey protein derived from the milk of grass-fed cows to receive much of the same health benefits. Whey protein contains beta-glucans and immunoglobulins, which protect your immune system and support your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Fermented foods — If you are serious about boosting your immunity, then adding traditionally fermented food is essential. One of the most healthful fermented foods is kefir — an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food full of friendly microorganisms that balance your “inner ecosystem” and strengthen immunity. Besides kefir, other good fermented foods include natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, and olives.

Raw organic eggs from free-range chickens – Raw, free-range eggs made it to my 2008 list of the 10 Healthiest Foods Under $1, and they’re still an inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. A single egg contains:
•Nine essential amino acids.
•Six grams of the highest quality protein you can put in your body. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones.
•Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes).
•Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems.
•Naturally occurring B12

And as long as you have a good source for fresh, organic eggs, you need not worry about salmonella if you choose to eat them raw. To find free-range pasture farms, try your local health food store, or go to http://www.eatwild.com or http://www.localharvest.org.

Grass-fed beef or organ meats — Grass-fed beef is very high in vitamins A, B12 and E, omega-3 fats, beta carotene, zinc and the potent immune system enhancer CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid). But don’t confuse “organic” with grass-fed, since many organically raised cows are still fed organic corn, which you don’t want. However, most grass-fed cows are raised organically.

Coconut oil — Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts in your body to monolaurin – a compound also found in breast milk that strengthens a baby’s immunity.

Its medium chain fatty acids, or triglycerides (MCT’s) also impart a number of health benefits, including raising your body’s metabolism and fighting off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. Additionally, a very exciting and recent discovery is that coconut oil may serve as a natural treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, as MCT’s are also a primary source of ketone bodies, which act as an alternate source of brain fuel that can help prevent the brain atrophy associated with dementia.

Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain GM ingredients.

Berries — Blueberries and raspberries rate very high in antioxidant capacity compared to other fruits and vegetables. They are also lower in sugar than many other fruits. Other good ones include natural cranberries, which have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli, and have been found to decrease total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in animal studies. Unsweetened cranberry juice has also been traditionally used to successfully treat urinary tract infections.

Broccoli – Broccoli is also on Green Planet’s list, and for good reason. This humble vegetable is indeed a superfood with near miraculous powers of healing and disease prevention. It contains the highest amount of isothiocyanates, a cancer-fighting compound, of all the crunchy vegetables. Isothiocynates work by turning on cancer-fighting genes and turning off others that feed the disease.

Other vegetables containing isothiocyanate include:
•Brussel sprouts
•cauliflower
•cabbage
•arugula
•watercress
•horseradish

Research has shown that eating cruciferous vegetables can significantly reduce your risk of breast, bladder, lung and prostate cancer. Best of all, you don’t need to eat massive amounts of these veggies to take advantage of their health benefits. Studies have shown that just 10 spears a week (5 servings) can make a difference in your health.

Chlorella – A superfood if there ever was one, chlorella is a single-cell freshwater algae that acts as an efficient detoxification agent by binding to toxins (most of which promote chronic inflammation), such as mercury, and carrying them out of your system. The chlorophyll in the chlorella helps you process more oxygen, cleanses your blood and promotes the growth and repair of your tissues. (For more information, please see my interview with expert, Ginny Banks.)

Tea – As for beverages, clean pure water is a must for optimal health, but if you want another beverage, a good choice with added health benefits is high quality herbal teas.

Matcha tea is the most nutrient-rich green tea and comes in the form of a stone-ground powder, completely unfermented. The best Matcha comes from Japan and has up to 17 times the antioxidants of wild blueberries, and seven times more than dark chocolate. Tulsi is another tea loaded with antioxidants and other micronutrients that support immune function and heart health.

Is Organic Worth the Price?

Last but not least, when shopping for fresh foods, do you have to buy everything organic?

I’ve noted a few instances in my list above where organic is essential, such as when buying eggs, dairy products (including milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter) and meats. Ideally, you’ll want these to come from free-range, grass-fed animals that have been raised organically. If you can’t afford to buy everything organic, focus your attention on these instead of organic vegetables. They will actually give you the greatest health benefits for your money.

This is because conventionally-raised animal foods, which are given pesticide-laced feed, tend to have higher concentrations of pesticides. Non-organic meats can have up to five times more pesticides than non-organic vegetables! Conventionally-raised animal products also contain inferior nutrition.

That said, most fruits and vegetables contain unacceptable and unsafe levels of pesticides, so it’s a wise choice to buy organic produce as often as you can. Alternatively, and perhaps even preferably, look for fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables that are in season, as oftentimes locally grown foods are raised according to organic standards at a more affordable price.

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One of your most basic health principles is to eat a diet of whole, nutritious foods rather than processed fare. Cutting out grains and sugar (particularly fructose) — which happens more or less naturally once you ditch processed foods from your diet — will take you a long way toward normalizing your weight and improving your health.

But what are the best foods to eat in place of foods you shouldn’t eat?

In her new book The Drop 10 Diet, Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, describes how focusing on so-called “superfoods” might change the way you look at weight loss. And she certainly has a good point.

Feeding your body the right nutrients rather than stuffing it with “empty” calories will beannot only help you lose unwanted pounds, it’s a key ingredient for living a long and healthy life. Believe it or not, many people who are obese area actually profoundly malnourished.

“At the end of the day, you invest in your wardrobe and your hair and your car and everything else. So invest in your body. Because it’s supposed to last for 100 years,” she recently told CNN Health.1

According to the featured article, the term “superfood” was coined in 2004 by Dr. Steven Pratt, author of Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life. He, like Danziger, points out that this kind of eating goes beyond the idea of dieting. It’s really a way of life. “It’s the non-diet diet. It’s food you can eat for a lifetime,” he tells CNN.2

According to Pratt, a superfood fulfills three qualifications:
1.Are readily available
2.Contain nutrients known to enhance longevity, and
3.Have health benefits backed by peer-reviewed, scientific studies

Pratt’s website SuperFoodsRx.com lists a total of 20 examples, which include:
1.Wild-caught salmon
2.Broccoli
3.Spinach
4.Berries, and
5.Green tea

Four “Superfoods” that are Actually Best Avoided…

While I agree with the vast majority of Pratt’s selections, especially the five listed above, I disagree with the following four, as I believe these may have more harmful than beneficial effects for most people:
1.Beans. The primary concern with beans is that they are relatively high in carbohydrates and are loaded with lectins that may be incompatible with many people. It is also high in phytic acid which is a potent mineral chelator. If you are going to use beans they need to be soaked for 24 hours or longer and frequently changing the water. They are not perniciously deadly foods, but they in no way shape or form qualify as a superfood.
2.Low-fat yoghurt: Not only is the low-fat ideology completely false, low-fat yoghurt is also pasteurized and typically loaded with added fructose. Taken together, these three factors put commercial low-fat yoghurt squarely on my list of items to avoid.

To reap the benefits that real yoghurt can provide, opt for homemade fermented yoghurt, using either raw, ideally pastured organic raw milk, full fat organic milk (not low fat or skim).
3.Soy: If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I strongly believe you would reach the same conclusion as I have — which is, the risks of consuming unfermented soy products far outweigh any possible benefits. Furthermore, genetically engineered soy pose additional health hazards over and beyond the damage caused by unfermented soy itself. The only type of soy I recommend is traditionally fermented organic soy products
4.Dried fruits: While whole fruits are excellent sources of nutrients and antioxidants if consumed in moderation, they also tend to be high in fructose, and dried fruits even more so. If you are in the minority of people who are not struggling with insulin resistance, then small amounts of dried fruit would probably be fine, but if you have type 2 diabetes, are pre-diabetic, obese, hypertensive, or have symptoms of heart disease, you’re better off avoiding dried fruits until your weight and insulin levels have normalized

Four Commonly Overlooked Superfoods

Avocado made Pratt’s list, and its status as a superfood cannot be overemphasized. Besides being rich in potassium (twice as much as that of a banana), avocados are a great source of healthful monounsaturated fat, which is easily burned for energy. This makes it an excellent replacement for grain carbs and other sources of sugar. Remember, when cutting out carbs, you need to replace those calories with healthy fat, which is actually a far better source of energy for your body and brain than carbohydrates.

Four additional superfoods not on Pratt’s list, which I believe most people could benefit from, are:
1.Coconut oil: 50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid that your body converts into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which produce a whole host of health benefits, including stimulating your metabolism. MCFA’s are also immediately converted to energy — a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates — so like avocados, coconut oil is an ideal replacement for unhealthy grain carbs.
2.Bone broth: Simmering leftover bones over low heat for an entire day will create one of the most nutritious and healing foods there is. You can use this broth for soups, stews, or drink it straight. The “skin” that forms on the top is the best part. It contains valuable nutrients, such as sulfur, along with healthful fats, so just stir it back into the broth.
3.Fermented vegetables: Almost everyone has damaged gut flora these days, unless you’re part of the minority that eats a strict organic whole foods diet and avoids antibiotics. Fermented vegetables are one of the most palatable fermented foods that can provide you with a robust dose of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, which are critically important for optimal physical and mental health. Additionally, fermented foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of toxins and heavy metals, including some pesticides.
4.Raw macadamia nuts are a powerhouse of a nut, containing a wide variety of critical nutrients,3 including high amounts of vitamin B1, magnesium, manganese and healthful monounsaturated fat, just to name a few.

Gastrointestinal Cancers Likely Reduced by Consumption of Green Tea

In related news, green tea has once again demonstrated why it deserves being ranked as a superfood. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition4 found that regular green tea consumption, defined as drinking green tea at least three times a week for more than six months, was associated with a 17 percent reduced risk of all digestive cancers combined.

The study included approximately 75,000 middle-aged and senior women enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. Mean follow-up was 11 years. The digestive cancers most strongly reduced by regular green tea consumption were stomach/esophageal and colorectal cancers. (Women who had ever smoked or who drank alcohol were excluded from the study.)

Women with higher rates of consumption, drinking two to three cups per day, had an even greater risk reduction — 21 percent — for for all cancers of the digestive system, and, those who had been drinking green tea for at least 20 years had a reduced cancer risk totaling 27 percent.

“These results suggest long-term cumulative exposure may be particularly important,” lead researcher Sarah Nechuta, Ph.D., MPH told Medical News Today.5

This certainly isn’t the first time green tea has been associated with reduced cancer risk. Previous tests of one of the active ingredients in green tea, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), showed it could kill cancer cells in samples of skin, lymph system, and prostate tissue taken from both humans and mice, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Previous studies have also indicated that EGCG may be helpful in preventing:
•Dementia
•High blood lipid
•Arteriosclerosis
•Cerebral thrombus
•Pain and inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis

Green Tea Lowers Blood Sugar Spikes and May Aid Weight Loss

Yet another study, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research,6 found that EGCG found in green tea had a significant impact on blood glucose levels in rats when consumed in combination with starchy foods. Blood glucose levels in rats given the equivalent of one and a half cups of green tea for a human were about half as low as in the controls that received the same food but no EGCG. Interestingly, the compound was most effective when given simultaneously with corn starch. No effect was seen when administered with glucose or maltose.

The research raises the possibility that green tea might help you control blood sugar spikes associated with starchy foods when consumed simultaneously. Keep in mind that adding sugar to your tea will likely negate this beneficial effect. And, besides that, no amount of green tea in the world will ever negate the overall detrimental impact of donuts and bagels…

That said, green tea has repeatedly been shown to have a beneficial impact on weight by improving fat burning and metabolism. A couple of the proposed mechanisms for this effect include the activation of hepatic lipid catabolism, which involves the release of energy resulting in the breakdown of complex materials, and increased levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis, where your body burns fuel such as fat to create heat.

My personal favorite is Matcha green tea, as it has a wonderful flavor and superior nutrient content as it has not been damaged through processing. The best Matcha green tea comes from Japan and is steamed, rather than roasted or pan-fried. As a result, Matcha green tea retains all the nutrient-rich value possible from the tea leaf.

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Two large honey packers, including one of the nation’s biggest – Groeb Farms of Onsted, Mich. – have admitted to purchasing millions of dollars’ worth of honey that was falsely labeled.

National Public Radio reports that the goal of this mislabeling, which has been suspected of taking place within the honey industry for some time now, was to “acquire cheap honey from China.” This, despite the fact that Chinese honey is subject to strict “anti-dumping” duties the United States imposed in 2008, “after U.S. honey producers complained that Chinese exporters were selling their honey at artificially low prices,” NPR said.

To get around those anti-dumping restrictions, however, Chinese exporters began using middlemen to move honey in countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, where it was re-labeled as a local product before being sent on to the U.S. Also, Chinese exporters used another tactic; they would label containers of honey as something else, like rice syrup.

We’ll play by the rules this time, we promise
Both companies are now facing criminal charges, but NPR reported that they have struck deals with the government to avoid immediate prosecution:

The companies are promising to play by the rules and to set up programs to ensure that all the honey they buy in the future comes from legitimate sources. Groeb Farms also replaced its senior management last summer.

“This is a huge deal for the industry. This is the first admission by a U.S. packer, the actual user,” that they were knowingly importing mislabeled honey, Eric Wenger, chairman of True Source Honey, an industry consortium that has set up an auditing and testing system to guarantee the true origin of honey, told NPR.

The consortium was set up in 2012. Wenger says True Source-certified honey now accounts for at least 25 percent of U.S. honey consumption.

In an email to NPR, Jill Clark, vice president for sales/marketing at Dutch Gold Honey in Lancaster, Pa., which helped establish the program, said that the recent indictments are “just another reason why we felt it necessary to verify ethical sourcing of honey.”

In reality, there is much more to this than just dumping of honey. The bottom line has more to do with Chinese food production standards or, rather, the lack of standards.

From TreeHugger.com:

When Chinese consumers stopped buying IKEA meatballs when they learned they were made in China, there was an obvious inference that Chinese-made and Chinese-grown foods face an uphill battle when it comes to consumer confidence.

Also, it was a reminder that absent proper traceability of the food consumed in the U.S., as well as transparency in how it is processed and transported, it simply is not possible “to ensure food safety or sustainability no matter where a product originates from,” the website noted.

The answer is, of course, food freedom
In a statement, Groeb Farms said the company has come to an agreement with the Department of Justice that includes a hefty fine – $2 million – as well as the implementation of a “comprehensive compliance program.” In addition, the company said senior executives who were allegedly responsible for the purchasing decisions have had their contracts terminated.

“We take full responsibility for and deeply regret any errors that were made in the past regarding the import of honey,” said Rolf Richter, the new Groeb Farms CEO. “I would like to clarify that there are no allegations regarding the safety of our products. I can assure you that operating in a safe and ethical manner in all aspects of our business is a top priority for our new team. We are all committed to ensuring that we continue to deliver safe products that are of excellent quality, pay all duties and fees, and meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

That’s great, TreeHugger.com said, “but it does beg the question for consumers – if all this monitoring and regulatory oversight is necessary to keep the multi-national food giants on the straight and narrow, why not just buy from the beekeeper down the road?”

What? Food freedom? Why didn’t we think of that?

Sources for this article include:

http://www.npr.org

http://www.treehugger.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/025322_honey_Chinese_FDA.html

http://www.groebfarms.com

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