Get to know GMOs

Fall. What a beautiful time of year. My favorite actually! The cooler weather and colorful leaves often evoke feelings of reflection, indicating a time for change. Nothing could be needed more when it comes to the US food supply, particularly regarding GMOs.

Serious health problems linked to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food are skyrocketing. Since 1996 Americans have been eating genetically modified ingredients (GM) in most processed foods. GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola have had foreign genes forced into their DNA in order to increase food production.

The inserted genes come from species such as bacteria and viruses, which have never been in the human food supply. GMOs have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of diseases, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied. The methods used to genetically engineer plants are imprecise and extremely dangerous.

80% of food sold in North America already contains ingredients made of GMOs that have not been adequately tested for safety. In contrast, we want healthy, happy whole foods, just as they are straight from the earth - like what you see in this picture of me from my recent trip to Italy. When the tipping point of consumer concern about GMOs was achieved in Europe in 1999, within a single week virtually all major food manufacturers committed to removing GM ingredients.

There is a movement toward the same change in the US. Visit websites such as Seeds of Deception or The Institute for Responsible Technology to learn more and find out what you can do to help put a stop to this issue. It's critical for our own health and that of others. There is no substantiated evidence that GMOs are safe or help feed the worlds hungry; to the contrary, they're contributing in large part to the lack of safety in our food supply and catastrophic disease.

My intention as a health counselor is to bring awareness to this issue to effect positive change. I invite you to join me in this cause.