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A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are generally known as recombinant DNA technology. With recombinant DNA technology, DNA molecules from different sources are combined in vitro into one molecule to create a new gene. This DNA is then transferred into an organism and causes the expression of modified or novel traits.

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods produced from GMO that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola cotton seed oil and wheat.


2009-07-15

Going Organic at the Grocery Store  

In the quest to get the healthiest, most nutritious food to fuel our families, many people want to buy the foods that are healthier and purer by buying food that is organic. These foods are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically engineered ingredients.

As for the environment, organic farming helps keep the air, soil, and water clean and natural by not using synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Green and organic are both becoming quite universal concepts in this day and age.

The word "organic" refers to the way agricultural products and foods are grown and processed. Organic food production is based upon a farming system that maintains and replenishes the natural soil without the use of toxic pesticides or fertilizers. It's based upon a completely natural way of working with nature and the environment.

By eating organic foods, you limit your exposure to dangerous chemicals, synthetic insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. In addition you also limit your intake of growth hormones and antibiotics, because organic meat and dairy farmers are prohibited from using hormones and antibiotics. Genetically modified foods are also prohibited from carrying the "organic" label.

On October 21, 2002, the U.S.D.A. put into effect the national organic standards ensuring consistency for all organic products marketed in the United States. Along with the new standards, there are strict labeling rules to help the consumer know the exact organic content of the food they see on the shelf. The "USDA Organic" seal helps you find products that contain at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients.

There are four labeling categories to look for when purchasing organic products as a consumer:

"100 percent Organic". All of the product's content is certified to be organic. These products may display the USDA Organic seal on the label.

"Organic". At least 95% of the product's content is certified organic. These products may also display the seal but may contain some minor ingredients that are not certified as organic.

"Made with Organic ingredients". At least 70% of the product's contents are certified Organic.

Products containing less than 70% Organic contents can only identify the organic ingredients on the ingredient listing on the label.

There are a few grocery stores that have been "certified organic". These stores have taken rigorous steps because to be "certified organic" requires extensive research, planning and commitment to the way that the food is transported, stored and sold.



Autor: Karen Lynch Karen Lynch
Level: Platinum
Karen Lynch is a freelance writer and work-at-home mom who is passionate about many different subjects....

Karen Lynch is a freelance writer who is passionate about saving money for her family. She uses Grocery Coupons, sales and rebates to maximize her savings. She shares her tips and techniques at http://www.bestfreegrocerycoupons.com


Added: July 15, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-14

Food and Farms Emerge As a Key Movement of Our Era  

If all politics is personal, as is widely held, then ultimately not much is more political than our food, and the farms which produce it. Everyone must eat, thus everyone has a vested interest in food.

Just now, early in the 21st Century, foods and farms are emerging as a leading-edge political movement. Thousands of college students are awake to the crucial importance of food and farms, and more are awakening.

With food poisoning scares, the ongoing onslaught of genetically modified food products being surreptitiously introduced to our diets, and the mounting evidence of the health and environmental consequences of large-scale, chemically dependent industrial agriculture, the list of reasons is growing for people to become active and take a direct part in ensuring food quality and food supply.

According to a May 23 story in The New York Times, a new wave of students is heading to farms this summer, in search of both work as interns, and social change. The interest in summer farm work among college students has never been as high.

According to the Times, the students come armed with little more than soft hands and dog-eared copies of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. They are acutely aware of the gross environmental problems caused by mass-scale industrial agriculture; they want to help bring about change, and to know they are doing something to better the world.

Meanwhile, the dietary forces impelling people to recognize foods and farms as a key political issue are mounting in strength and credibility. According to stories in both Time Magazine and Mother Earth News this Spring, we now have solid, scientific evidence that industrial farming is giving us less healthy food. Produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in our grandparents days, the evidence shows it also contains fewer nutrients.

Both articles cite a February, 2009 study entitled "Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition" by Dr. Donald R. Davis published in the journal HortScience, 2009.

Davis reports that the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in minerals than those harvested just 50 years ago.

Because of widely used chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil. Meanwhile, monoculture, another hallmark of the Big Ag industry, has also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.

What can we do? Follow the examples of the new agrarians of the 21st Century They continue to respond intelligently, creatively, and innovatively in backyards, neighborhoods, and with community gardens and farms across the land.

Changing economic conditions represent yet a third force making it likely many more people will be looking for the practical and political pathways being trailblazed by the new agrarians. For example, a May 24 story in The Hartford Courant told of how in the face of drastically changing economics local growers have begun offering CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares as a survival strategy to keep their farms alive..

CSA describes an emerging agrarian form that has swept the country in 1978, and that is now well established in Connecticut. The number of CSA farms is barely keeping up with demand. As reported elsewhere, CSA farms have increased dramatically in recent years, with more than 13,000 now operating in the USA according to a census taken by the US Department of Agriculture.

We can expect to see more in the times ahead as, of necessity, food and farms come to the forefront of public awareness.



Autor: Steven McFadden Steven McFadden
Level: Basic
Steven McFadden has been an independent journalist for over 30 years. He has authored hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and 8 nonfiction books, including ... ...

Journalist Steven McFadden is the author of hundreds of articles, and 8 nonfiction books including "Farms of Tomorrow" and "Odyssey of the 8th Fire." His work is available at http://www.thecalloftheland.com


Added: July 14, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-12

The Simple Gardening Essentials Nobody Ever Talks About  

Out of the thousands of gardening books, magazines, articles, and websites out there, very few even mention the fundamental elements of growing food. Once you find out what these steps are, you'll realize gardening is easier than you first thought.

There are only a handful of essential things you need to know to be able to grow food in any climate with any soil. Gardening "experts" like to make people think gardening takes years of study to be able to do.

The truth is, the only ingredients you need for a producing garden are good seeds, soil, fertilizer, and water.

Let's start with seeds. The seeds you use don't necessarily need to be heirloom or organic but they must not be genetically modified. It's getting harder to tell which seeds are genetically modified and that's why gardeners are migrating to only organic seeds. One way you can tell if they are GMO seeds is by looking on the back of the seed packet to see if there is a patent number. Lots of seeds you can buy in the super stores like Walmart have a patent number on the back of the seeds packets.

The next important factor is the soil. Soil ranges from sandy to loam to clay. Sandy soil allows water to drain quickly, so plants need to be watered sometimes 10-20 times a day. Clay soil does not drain very well, so standing water around plants can cause disease and root rot. But there is an easy remedy for all soils...

...Compost.

And compost is easy make. It's not cost effective to buy compost at the store but you're in luck, it's easy to make your own. All you need to do is call your local horse or cow ranches to see which ones discard the manure. Once you've transported the manure back to your property, shovel it into a large pile and wet thoroughly with a sprinkler. This will start the process of composting the manure and facilitating beneficial bacteria growth. After one week, turn the compost pile so that the outside is now on the inside, wet with a sprinkler and wait another week.

Using an organic fertilizer that does not harm the soil is important. And you're in luck. All you need to do to make your own fertilizer is fill a plastic bin a third full of compost, fill two thirds with water, and let sit for a day or two.

Supplying the garden with water is important. When a plant shows signs of withering, it's growth has already been stunted. The two easiest ways to water a garden are: (1) with a rubber garden hose and an impulse sprinkler on a stand, and (2) with a drip system. Which ever method you choose, remember to water deeply every couple of days.

Now that you know the essentials for a producing garden, you can start your own.



Autor: Will Randolph Will Randolph
Level: Platinum
Will Randolph is a healthy lifestyle advocate. He runs a health blog called Republic of Health, where he fights for the sovereignty of our immune ... ...

...now that you are more informed, do you want to learn how to make $1000's a day in passive income? To learn how Click Here and change your life today.


Added: July 12, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-10

Why Light Ice Cream is Not a Healthier Choice  

Foods like light ice cream are just one of the many reasons our bodies are so unhealthy.

These frozen sweet treats may claim to have less fat or fewer calories, but most of the time they are really hiding the truth. And even if they're living up to parts of their claim, most likely the taste won't be what you're expecting.

Most companies who claim to have a better version of the stuff just can't live up to its name no matter what the ingredients may be. The main reason why companies are trying to make a healthier version of this treat is because of its fat content. Simply put, fat is not good for you. And because practically everything we eat has some form of fat in it, we're getting fatter with each and every bite. So companies try to mimic the real stuff. Yet, the results are disastrous.

Because it's very difficult to make a lighter version that tastes just as creamy, companies must use unnatural ingredients like mono and diglycerides. They use artificial sweeteners, dyes and other synthetic ingredients to try and cover the bland taste. And to make the product even creamier, they have now resorted to using genetically modified ingredients like protein cloned from a fish, which is approved by the FDA.

If that doesn't make you stop and think, many lighter ice creams have as much as 85 grams of sodium, 20 grams of cholesterol, 22 grams of carbohydrates and 150 calories per cup. That's pretty scary if you're concerned about heart disease and diabetes.

If you really must have a frozen sweet treat, why not try frozen fruit? If it's the creamy texture you crave, look for your favorite dessert that uses soy milk rather than dairy. And be sure to enjoy it in moderation. One serving should be about cup. If you're dishing out more than that, you better be adding more exercise to your lifestyle as well. Keep things simple and eat naturally, and your body will thank you for it.



Autor: Harold M Stokes Harold M Stokes
Level: Platinum
Harold M (Mike) Stokes is living the "Jimmy Buffet" lifestyle after a few years of setting up Internet Marketing systems. Stokes Media LLC is the ... ...

Harold M Stokes is an expert on eating healthy, living healthy and natural vitamin supplements such as can be found at http://www.seaaloes.com/. SeaAloe is a natural whole food nutritional supplement containing over 80 nutrients. SeaAloe is the original Seasilver formula.


Added: July 10, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-09

Preview of BioShock 2  

There was a big announcement recently coming from 2K Games. They are going to release a new kind of multiplayer game. This is none other than the second installment to the great BioShock franchise. The developers of the online software will be Digital Extremes.

So many players and followers of the massive series are looking for multi player capability. That is why the company simply responded to these pleas. The president of 2K games announced that Bio Shock 2 will have everything that made the first original Bio Shock a success. However all this will be mixed in a massively multi player universe that every body is certainly looking forward to. Both hardcore fans of the series and new comers are promised to be satisfied by the developer's high quality technical principles.

There is much to be excited about in the storyline as well. The new game is going to explore in depth the narrative possibilities that the first game's storyline unfolded. The setting of the new game is during the so called fall of Rapture era. The games point of view is focused on a Plasmid experiment for the fictional Sinclair Solutions company. The company is the main producer of tonics and the popular plasmids. Thus they hold a place of power in the city called Rapture, found hundreds of leagues under the sea.

A player will need to have full master of all Bio Shock details and tools in order to get through all the game play. It is a more refined game now and the translation into a multi player platform is flawless. The city of Rapture feels like home.

Here is an outline of the main elements in BioShock 2:

- The Genetically modified shooter will change systems. You can get more points in the game in order to get more plasmids, tonics, and cool weaponry. These can all be utilized and combined to form different cool moves. You can thus make your own highly stylized character.

- The story of Rapture will definitely be much richer. Origins of the city and the social events that are significant to its fall will be unearthed. You can even get to see the city while it was still in its glory days. Cool new combat areas are in line for you to romp and explore along with other players.

This game is definitely going to be one of the hottest this year. Anticipation for its release has reached its peak. The FPS people who are credited with other successes are spear heading the multiplayer aspect so you can be sure about its quality.



Autor: Dane Del Valle

For Gaming News, Reviews, Discussions and more check out http://www.notinthere.com/


Added: July 9, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-07

The Incredible Edible Egg  

As a whole food eggs are an inexpensive and low calorie source of nutrients such as folate, riboflavin, selenium, choline and vitamins B-12 and A. They are also considered a source of very high quality protein.

The controversy with egg consumption comes the confusion of the increase of coronary heart disease (CHD) because of the amount of cholesterol found in the egg yolk.

The truth is that extensive research has failed to establish a definitive link between dietary egg yolk consumption and the progression of the disease.

Egg protein is helpful in weight training in that it has a high biological value (best matches what is needed by your muscles). It inhibits the breakdown of the muscle, post work out (PWO) when protein is desperately needed, especially after a weight training workout.

The best eggs to choose are those that are organic. Organic eggs are always free-range eggs, but free-range eggs are not always organic. If you choose to go organic, make sure the carton has the USDA organic seal on it. USDA organic have the strictest food production standards in the world.

Here are the qualifications for organic eggs.

Certified organic farms are required to follow the strict production rules of the USDA's National Organic Standards (www.ams.usda.gov/nop) and are regularly inspected by an independent third party for compliance.

  1. Organic hens are allowed access to the outdoors, and never kept in confinement cages, providing many benefits such as better quality of life for the animal, superior animal health, and greater nutritive value in food derived from the animal.

  2. Hens are fed only certified organic feed, grown on land not treated with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides for a minimum of three years.

  3. Organic animals must not be genetically modified and cannot be fed food from genetically modified sources.

Organic eggs right now are about $3.19-$4.25/dozen. I can't really tell you how much regular eggs are right now because I can't tell you the last time I bought them! If it's not worth it to you, then by all means, skip this section, but remember, garbage in, garbage out.

If you choose regular eggs, then it would be wise to avoid the yolk because this is where all the garbage that they treat and inject the hens with is concentrated the most. I don't like my kids to eat regular eggs because as growing children, protein is so vital for their growth and so therefore have a high rate of absorption and if you think about it, by the time they reach your age, they would have many built up toxins.

Protein is essential for building so many things in your body--you may as well make it a good source. Do it for yourself. You're worth every penny!



Autor: Velma Garnes Velma Garnes
Level: Basic PLUS
Velma Garnes has been a fitness enthusiast most of her life. In her school days, she ran track, flirted briefly with gymnastics, and settled on ... ...

Velma Garnes M.S, NASM-PES, CPT is a fitness professional and writer who resides in Gahanna, Ohio. She helps clients reach their weight loss goals by teaching a variety of classes including SPINNING, Ashtanga Yoga, and BootCamp classes and trains clients. To access more of her writing and free information and access to a FREE report if you sign up for her informative FREE monthly e-zine (full of informative tips and the latest health information) visit her website at http://www.focused-fitness.org


Added: July 8, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-06

Organic Maple Syrup Review  

Organic maple syrup is just one of the products that have become "organic", but do people really know what it means for a product to be "organic"? Usually, products are warped or added with something, usually GMO or genetically modified organism, either for a longer shelf life, or to give it a better taste. Ultimately, it's for the manufacturers to produce a better yield, to maximize the time on their hands to produce more in less time for more profit.

But the downside is that the long-effect of these genetically modified products to the consumers, that's why large companies who want to make a difference and want to prove that they can make healthier products that won't compromise their target profit have come up with organic products such as maple syrup, which turns out not only are healthier, but proves to have better, richer taste.

Organic maple syrup during the manufacture, undergoes a tremendous amount of labor to be able to produce pure syrup from the sap of maple tree. It's ultimately a labor of love, and that's why naturally it's a little bit more pricey compared to "non-organic" maple syrup. But I found out that Kosher is selling organic maple syrup that's easy on the budget, and that proves to be distinctly tasteful. It has a richer taste than other brands on organic maple syrup, and the most affordable so far. I'm impressed with the combination of quality and affordability of Kosher's organic maple syrup and I think it's the best in the market so far.



Autor: Erika Ayala

For more information, check other Organic Maple Syrup reviews.

Erika Ayala works part time for a consumer review company.


Added: July 6, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-05

How to Have Sustainable Agriculture  

Substantial agriculture will give the fine results of healthy food. The method and the process used for agriculture will give rise to delivery of healthy food to the consumers. Sustainable agriculture system helps in generation of environmental safe and healthy farming and food production.

There are a lot of things that help in this safe production of food such as fertility of soil, good quality seeds and the technique that is used in the process of production. The fertility of the soils needs to be constantly maintained and improved for the fertility of the product. A good water supply will also help you in enhancing the production process. It's important to maintain and protect the bio diversity of the land (farm), the workers working in the farm and all other factors that link in the food chain for the production of healthy food.

You should also take necessary steps for reduction in the waste and adverse environmental conditions. There is no body or organization that has been formed for a certification process in terms of Substantial Food and Agricultural system but the process involved like Organic and Bio Dynamic Food and Agriculture systems have their own certification standards.

The certified organic food is a term used to certify that the production of food is not done with the help of harmful pesticides or artificial fertilizers. It also certifies that the food product is not affected by any of the industrial waste, food additives, ionizing radiations and is not being genetically modified. To get the certification done you will also have to take extra care that the p[lace where the livestock's are grown and kept, the place should be free from antibiotics and is done without using the growth hormones.

The Bio Dynamic Food certification is about the artistic way of agriculture. This takes a systematic approach to agricultural farming. Each of the farm components are taken into consideration to view it affects the others. It includes an approach which includes the use of retention of nutrients, dynamic sprays, crop rotation, plants pests, weed control and also the recycling of the waste products to the maximum. In terms of the live stock production, it's all about the animal's nutrition, decomposition of the waste products and rotation of the animal species. It also involves the minimization of the pasture borne parasites.

There are numerous ways of having Sustainable Agriculture, but the final choice remains yours. You can study about the different ways to maximize the production of food products and keep them healthy too. A complete knowledge and information will help you a great deal in the field and also help you getting maximize results in the same field.



Autor: Desial Davidson

You can get more information about these through internet; the highly recommended websites you can get information from are http://www.EarthAttic.com and http://www.EarthAttic.com/dignews/, they can help you get the most appropriate information. You can get a solution to your questions regarding having substantial agricultural system and how to increase the production too.


Added: July 5, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-03

The Unhealthy Bran Muffin  

Ask almost anyone and they'll more than likely tell you that a bran muffin is considered a healthy food. That's great news for those of us who are staying in shape and keeping our bodies healthy, right? Not if they're purchased from your favorite food store or fast food restaurant.

You see, most manufacturers want you to believe that their muffins are healthy even when they're really not and so do many fast food places. They know about the health craze, but they also know that bland doesn't sell. So, just because there's a healthy word in the title doesn't mean it's healthy for our bodies.

Most muffins are loaded with all sorts of unhealthy ingredients and can be extremely high in fat and calories. They're also high in fat, which makes you a target for everything from heart disease to high blood pressure and diabetes.

So every time you reach for one of those bad boys, you're submitting yourself to processed ingredients like sugar, flour, saturated oils, corn syrup, preservatives and other unnatural additives.

You already know what sugar can do to a body, but did you know that corn syrup could be even worse. While corn syrup may seem innocent enough since it's processed from corn, it's actually a genetically modified food. It's been linked to anemia, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Preservatives are loved by the food industry. They're what allow manufacturers to keep a food product on the shelf for months at a time. In reality foods such as muffins begin to go bad after a few days when they're made from Mother Nature. That's because they're not pumped full of chemicals that alter the foods so that they practically last forever.

Preservatives were something Mother Nature never intended for man to create, but they did it anyway. As a result of this chemically created process, studies have shown an increased risk of ADD & ADHD symptoms. And if that's not enough to scare you, some preservatives that are used in our foods can actually cause a deadly allergic reaction.

So how do we know our favorite bran muffin is healthy? We don't unless we're willing to make them from scratch. Mother Nature is best, so why are we still choosing something that isn't even real?



Autor: Harold M Stokes Harold M Stokes
Level: Platinum
Harold M (Mike) Stokes is living the "Jimmy Buffet" lifestyle after a few years of setting up Internet Marketing systems. Stokes Media LLC is the ... ...

Harold M Stokes is an expert on eating healthy, living healthy and natural vitamin supplements such as can be found at http://www.seaaloes.com/. SeaAloe is a natural whole food nutritional supplement containing over 80 nutrients. SeaAloe is the original Seasilver formula.


Added: July 4, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-02

Diabetes - Why Are Natural Cures Being Hidden From Us?  

In today's business environment, companies only do things that either increase their sales, or decrease the cost of production. An example would be the outsourcing pandemic that we see before us today. Why are thousands of companies laying off millions of American workers to outsource the job in another country? Wait for it!...... Because it's cheaper!!! Big businesses will always make their decisions based on profit, because they have a legal obligation to their share-holders to increase profits.

So how are big pharmaceutical companies any different? Do you think that they genuinely want to cure your diabetes? Lets pretend for a moment that you are a big company who sells insulin to diabetics. Would you be excited to hear that someone discovered a natural remedy that cured a person of diabetes so they never had to buy your insulin ever again? Do you think that natural cure for diabetes would ever be made public?

The answer is undoubtedly "No." Not because its untrue, but because these companies spend billions of dollars every year advertising their drugs to keep the population in a money spending frenzy.

Health care is defined as the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases; so diabetes can easily fall into this category. So long as diabetics are sick, and people in general, there are billions of dollars to be made every year. If every person with diabetes was able to find a natural cure, the pharmaceutical companies that sell insulin would go out of business over night.

Virtually all drug companies and corporations involved in health care view you as nothing more than a customer - and so long as you are sick, you are a good customer.

So, again, what financial incentive do they have to let everyone know of a natural cure for diabetes? Health care is the most profitable industry in the world so long as people are sick, fat, depressed, etc. And so long as they can keep secret the cure for diabetes, they can keep raking in billions of dollars.

There are virtually only two reasons why we get sick, are ill, or have disease:

1.) We "catch" something that our body can't fight off (germs, bacteria, virus', etc.)

2.) We develop it over time, i.e. an imbalance in the body that causes something to not work right or work against itself in genetically weak areas.

So why are we, in the Western world, so riddled with diseases if we are going to the doctor more, taking more drugs, exercising more often, etc.? Could it be that the drugs we are consuming don't actually cure us of ANYTHING? That our dependence on them only re-insure repeat business through newly developed problems?

Really think about it!

You don't catch cancer, you don't catch diabetes, you don't catch a back-ache, you don't catch a head-ache, allergies, arthritis, impotence, PMS, depression, fibromyalgia, heartburn, obesity, etc. They are all developed over time by extenuating circumstances. Drugs are not the answer as they only suppress the symptoms, not treat the CAUSE.

So what is the root cause of diabetes?

The root cause of diabetes is rather simple if you look at it objectively. It is the pancreas' inability to produce much insulin, if at all, that the cells require to bind to the specific receptors located on them - which would then allow the glucose to be absorbed by the rest of your body.

What can you do to naturally cure diabetes?

I know it may seem unreasonable to completely change everything you've been doing your entire life. But realistically, everything you have been doing for your entire life has developed for you nothing but complications and diabetes.

Major changes in your life, as you've recently discovered, are necessary to not only control your diabetes, but to also completely reverse it. You may be thinking that you are stuck with injecting yourself with insulin for the rest of your life, but the reality is that you can naturally cure your diabetes through two incredibly simple things:

Diet and Exercise

But its going to take some work.

The importance of diet and exercise cannot possibly be explained in a single article as the information is not only complex, but shocking as well.

The bottom line is that everything we've been eating and drinking has been genetically modified, processed, produced with pesticides, or have chemical additives in it. This not only leaves the body malnourished as the food we consume has less nutritional value than it did 100 years ago, but also creates profound "stresses" on the body!

When the body is "stressed" like this, two things happen:

1.) The immune system is increasingly suppressed, making you more susceptible to disease.

2.) The alkaline pH levels of your body go from normal, cancer fighting levels, to acidic: in which the likes of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes can develop.

There are over 15,000 toxic chemicals that have been allowed to be added in our food without being listed on the label. Before you put it in your mouth you have to ask yourself: "Is this what nature intended?" A good rule of thumb that your doctor will most likely refuse to advise is this: If it's man-made, comes in a box, couldn't be created 100 years ago, or stored in a can - DON'T EAT IT!

Which leads me to exercise.



Autor: Benjamin P.

We are the only machines on the face of this earth that break down from the lack of activity like a car engine with no oil. Enjoying an active lifestyle, along with PROPER nutrition, are the single biggest factors that is able to naturally cure all physical ailments, including diabetes.

It's important that we arm ourselves with as much true, unadulterated, information as possible. Head on over to Fat-Proof.com/Diabetes for the next step in naturally curing your diabetes for life.


Added: July 2, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

2009-07-01

Is Your Food Genetically Modified GM - How to Tell  

As reported by Maria Gallagher, in the June 26, 2002 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer, by reading the PLU code, you can tell if the fruit was genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides.

Here's what to look for. Look for the labels (stickers) stuck on your fruits and veggies:

* A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.

* A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.

* A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's GM.

The numeric system was developed by the Produce Electronic Identification Board, an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association, a Newark, Delaware-based trade group for the produce industry. As of October 2001, the board had assigned more than 1,200 PLUs for individual produce items.

Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering. What this does is create food that is better suited to withstand environmental forces such as drought and bugs. In the US, by 2006 89% of the planted area of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% maize were genetically modified varieties.[1]

GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. The first commercially grown genetically modified whole food crop was a tomato (called FlavrSavr), which was modified to ripen more slowly by Californian company Calgene.[2] The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.

Here is how some of these foods become GM. Let's take soybeans for example, my father-in-law is a large scale farmer in Iowa. The corn and beans he purchases have been soaked in RoundUp. RoundUp is a commercial weed killer. When the weeds grow they spray the entire field with RoundUp and the crops are resistant to the weed killer, and only the weeds die. The farmers know this is a problem, but here's the catch, they can only purchase RoundUp ready seeds.

The issue with GM food lies with a problem called Gene Transfer. This happens when genetic material from the crop can be found in the human.

Currently there are only a few dozen peer reviewed studies completed on the health effects of genetically modified foods. The results of many of these studies strongly challenges the industry and government standard of substantial equivalence. As of January 2009 there has only been one human feeding study conducted on genetically modified foods. The study involved seven human volunteers who had their small intestines removed. These volunteers were to eat GM Soy to see if the DNA of the GM soy transferred to the human gut bacteria.[3] Researchers identified that three of the seven volunteers had transgenes from GM soy transferred into their gut bacteria. "This transgene was stable inside the bacteria and appeared to produce herbicide-tolerant protein... In the only human feeding study ever conducted on GM crops, long standing assumptions that genes would not transfer to human gut bacteria were overturned.

It's a catch 22, clearly millions of people around the world would die if we didn't produce food on a large scale, but the side-effects are still largely unknown. I choose to avoid GM food as much as possible. The fact is if you live in America, the chances of you consuming GM is great.

[1] Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. USDA ERS July 14, 2006

[2] Martineau, Belinda (2001). First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Foods. McGraw-Hill. pp. 269. ISBN 978-0071360562.

[3] Netherwood et al., "Assessing the survival of transgenic planic plant DNA in the human gastrointestinal tract," Nature Biotechnology 22 (2004):2.



Autor: Dr. MJ Wegmann
Added: July 1, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/