If you are going to be healthy eating good healthy foods is critical. Yet so many of our foods contain toxic pesticides, and herbicides as well as so many foods are genetically modified (GMO).
I will discuss the concept of GMO foods and why they are dangerous to your health in this blog.
GMO foods means that the foods are genetically modified in a lab and also implies that to grow them these crops and foods must be exposed to the herbicide Roundup (this contains the very dangerous component called Glyphosate). Roundup is known to damage all systems of the body as well as our DNA. Additionally, Roundup has been proven to destroy your good healthy gut bacteria called probiotics or the microbiome.
Your microbiome is so critical to your entire health and immune system that anything that negatively impacts the microbiome is unhealthy. Thus we know that Roundup is VERY hazardous to your health despite claims to the contrary by its manufacturer Monsanto (recently bought out by the drug company Baer). The first lawsuits against Roundup manufacturer Monsanto are now in the US courts due to severe life threatening actions it has on those exposed to it.
90% of soybeans and corn crops are GMO exposed. Other significant GMO crops include apples, canola, papaya, potatoes, sugar beets, summer squash and zucchini.
Because Big Food manufacturers know the stigma of a GMO label they have lobbied the government to substitute the term Bioengineered or BE which appears on the labels.
The other greatly misunderstood term is organic. Organic means that the crop has not been exposed to chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. These foods, when exposed to these chemicals, are incorporated in the foods and consumed when eaten. Because these chemicals kill weeds and bugs they by definition kill human cells and should be avoided. That being said the following foods are safe without being organic:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Sweet peas
- Pineapple
- Eggplant
- Papayas
- Mangoes
- Cantaloupes
- Kiwi Fruits
- Onions
- Honeydew Melons
- Avocados
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
The following foods contain significant pesticides and should only be eaten as organic:
- Apples
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Pears
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Hot Peppers
- Peaches
- Nectarines
These foods containing high levels of pesticides are called the Dirty Dozen.
It is very difficult many times to detect if a food is organic or not. The label should read a 5 digit # starting with 9 for it to be organic while a label with 4 digits is not organic.
The following guide lines when purchasing foods will assure you of the healthiest non-toxic foods:
1. Avoid soy, corn, processed vegetable oils (e.g. margarine, vegetable oils like canola)
2. Significantly decrease sugar consumption especially high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners
3. Eat organic versus non organic as described above
4. Buy from local farmers versus foods from large commercial farms. Smaller local farmers generally do not use pesticides although they cannot afford to apply for federal organic status and cannot label their foods as organic even though they probably are. It is best to talk with the local farmer to find out the organic status of his/her food
One of the biggest secrets to health is to eat healthy foods grown in a healthy (organic, non GMO) fashion. Consuming a healthy nutrition without poisonous ingredients such as pesticides year round is well worth the extra expense. Better health, more energy with an absence of illness awaits those eating healthy and follows basic guide lines to only put in your body what will result in health.
Unhealthy foods which are filled with toxins and are highly processed is a sure way to undermine your body’s healthy functions.
Enjoy the Journey,
Vital100 Wellness Team