In reading up about GM foods to prepare last month's newsletter, I learned that 75% of refined foods contain GM ingredients!  It's no wonder that more people are being referred to me with food "allergies" of all kinds.  In an article online, THE TRUTH IS OUT ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS AND IT'S NOT PRETTY, "the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on 'Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods... They called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling. AAEM's position paper stated, 'Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,' including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.  ... In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.
    "... Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt-produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis-has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control.  ...The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.
    "...According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are 'a consistent feature of all the studies.' Even Monsanto's own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn.  ...GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor-a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy.  Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.
    "...In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.  ...Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.

    "...Worst finding of all-GMOs remain inside of us
    "...The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.
When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.
    "...stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives (corn starch, corn syrup...), cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets-unless it says organic or 'non-GMO.' There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well. ...If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food industry will likely respond as they did in Europe-by removing all GM ingredients. Thus, AAEM's non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US food supply.

Sylvia on TV 0C16 with Sonia,
October 18th from 7-8am.   

Global on www.oc16.tv 

OCT 18th, TUESDAY MORNING

7AM - 8AM (call in your Q's)

Sonia Fabrigas' Peace of the Rainbow hour on Radio Tiny

Raw Food Classes Cancelled till Next Year
We've got more KCC farmer's markets and a slight change in staffing.  So we're revving up the Licious machine for more and better challenges in the near future.  

Regarding the Green Smoothie Grab N Go.  
Due to the perishability of the Green Smoothies, we have decided that unless there are left over ingredients from Meal Plan 3, we will not have Green Smoothies as a Grab n Go.

 

New Brochure/Meal Plans 1 and 3 Revised