G-M-Oh-Oh (Part 3)

Pretty scary stuff, don’t you think? What I find most disturbing is how quickly GMOs have entered our food supply without proper research and understanding of their long-term impact on our health and well-being. We have already had confirmed instances of harm.

For example, in 1989, dozens of Americans died and several thousands were afflicted and impaired by a genetically altered version of the food supplement – L-tryptophan. A settlement of $2 billion dollars was paid by Showa Denko, Japan’s third largest chemical company.

But that’s not all. There are so many other potential risks we face as a result of the spread of genetically modified crops. Here’s a sampling:

G-M-Oh-Oh (Part 2)

In G-M-Oh-Oh (Part 1), I talked about what Genetic Modification is, and the different methods with which it is done. In this post, we will take a look at the many common foods that have undergone Genetic Modification (GM). Hey, you can eat whatever you choose, but, isn’t it a good idea to know what it is that you’re putting into your body before you reach for it? I think so. If you agree, read on.

The public was first offered a commercially grown GM food in 1994, when the FDA approved the sale of the Flavr Savr tomato. This tomato had been engineered to slow the ripening process, which was supposed to have enabled farmers to let the tomato ripen before harvesting, as opposed to the traditional method of harvesting green tomatoes and allowing them to ripen during transport. It didn’t quite work out as intended. The unfortunately-named Flavr Savr tomatoes actually had very little flavor, which, combined with how difficult they were to transport, led to their being off the market only 3 years later.

G-M-Oh-Oh (Part 1)

GMOs have been in the news a lot lately, so I’d like to talk about what they are and how they impact our lives (hint: it’s a pretty big impact!). And because there’s so much to say, I’ll be dedicating 3 blog posts to this topic. I hope that you’ll share this information, folks, because, at the very least, it’s important to be informed about what you’re putting in your body.

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms.  They are also called transgenic organisms, as well as Genetically Engineered Organisms( GEOs). Sound like something from a futuristic sci-fi movie? Well, it kind of is. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Koo Koo for Coconuts!

Quick, name a drink that is a nutrition heavyweight, tastes great and comes in its very own sterile and portable container. If you said coconut water, you’re right! Not to be confused with coconut milk, which is the product of grinding and squeezing the flesh of mature coconuts, coconut water is the clear, light liquid found inside young green coconuts. In places like India, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, one can buy young coconuts from street vendors, drop a straw into the big fruit and enjoy the delicious and refreshing water right on the spot!

Can-Do Kimchi

What comes to mind when you hear the words “fermented foods”? Do you picture some exotic, oddly colored brew that you’d have to be a little screwy to even think about putting in your mouth? The truth is that a lot of our favorite, tried-and-true foods have undergone the fermentation process. Want to see some fermented foods and drinks that we regularly consume? Just take a quick look around – cheese, bread, chocolate, yogurt, wine. Not so exotic, eh?

Our ancestors were pretty smart cookies. They had to find ways of preserving food, both for journeys, and for storing through bounties into leaner times.  While the exact details of the first fermentation experiments remain a mystery, what we do know is that all over the globe, and throughout human history, people have been letting food “spoil” in order to keep it “fresh”. What we also know is that these “spoiled” foods are chock-full of the good bacteria that we need in order to have healthy and optimally functioning bodies. This is especially critical in modern times, with rampant antibiotic use, not just in medical practice, but also in our food supply. It’s true that antibiotics are handy for killing off bacteria that can cause us great harm. But they are also notorious for being the battering ram that simultaneously lays waste to the good bacteria our bodies need for the proper functioning of the digestive and immune systems. If the gut is depleted of these protector bacteria, we are left open to all kinds of disease. So, it’s critical that we regularly replenish the good bacteria.

Shared Joy is Double-Joy

 

Growing up, all my friends wanted the usual pets – dogs, cats, hamsters, horses. You know, the regular pet arsenal. Me? I wanted a chimp. Oh, did I want a chimpanzee. I had pictures of chimps on the walls of my room, I checked out library books and pored over chimp-related details, I even tried to dress as a chimp for Halloween once. Any time which seemed like the right time (but, in retrospect, clearly wasn’t), I nudged my parents about maybe bringing a chimp home to live with us. To my unending surprise, through all my pleading and well thought-out reasoning, they remained unmoved. Couldn’t they see what a great pet a chimp would make? Still, you had to give me points for my single-minded dedication to this cause.

It wasn’t until years later that my dream was realized. Well, sort of. My partner, Michael, endeared himself to me forever, when early on in our relationship, he displayed an inspired performance for me. Jumping wildly around the room and perfectly imitating the ooh-ooh-aah-aah of my favorite animal, he made me laugh until the tears flowed and won my heart like no other.

Roots and Wings

There’s a new-ish term I’ve been hearing a lot lately - helicopter parents. It refers to those parents, usually mothers, who hover over their children, scheduling every aspect of their lives, and going to extremes to shield them from disappointment and difficulty. No doubt about it, the mothers’ behavior stems from loving and wanting only the best for their children. I, too, share this desire, but my methods are a little different.

We know that exposure to germs in childhood helps strengthen the immune system and protects children from developing allergies and asthma. Ongoing studies are also suggesting that there is an age threshold to this building up of the immune system – lack of exposure during the early years can’t be compensated for in adulthood.