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Vandana Shiva: 1 Billion Go Hungy Due To GMO Farming

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Image: BBC News
The phrase 'tree hugger' was coined back in the seventies when Vandana Shiva, along with a group of women in India, hugged trees to stop them from being chopped down. In the decades since, Vandana Shiva has become known throughout the world for her environmental campaigns. She says a billion people go hungry in the world because of the way greedy international companies go about their business. So is it a naïve world view or could we really end poverty and improve everyone’s life by returning to old fashioned ways of farming?



Credits
Interviewed Guest – Vandana Shiva
Presenter – Sarah Montague

Source: Raw For Beauty

Ancient Remedies Are Modern Natural Cures

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Over the past century, Americans have embraced modern pharmaceutical science and the lifesaving medicines it has produced. In the process, we've relegated to folklore the cures our grandparents relied on. As it turns out, that trove is rich with effective remedies. In fact, even modern medicine relies on plants more than many of us realize, says Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief editor of publications for the Natural Standard Research Collaboration, which evaluates scientific data on herbs.

"Practically all of the most widely used drugs have an herbal origin," Ulbricht says. "The number one OTC medication, aspirin, is a synthetic version of a compound found in the willow tree. Many statins are based on fungi; and Tamiflu originated from Chinese star anise."

Following, you'll find a host of age-old remedies whose remarkable effectiveness has been confirmed by new research. Because botanical medicines can interact with other drugs, tell your doctor when you're taking them. The exceptions are the common food items — onions, parsley, and cayenne — when consumed in natural form and conventional amounts.
Lemon Balm

A BALM FOR THE MIND

TRADITION SAYS: Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented member of the mint family, has long been used to banish anxiety, boost memory, and aid sleep and digestion. It is "good against the biting of venomous beasts, comforts the heart, and driveth away all melancholy and sadnesse," wrote Elizabethan-era herbalist John Gerard in 1597.

RESEARCH PROVES: Got a test, presentation, or other stress-filled occasion coming up? As in days of old, a tea made of lemon balm may help you sleep soundly the night before and keep you calm and focused at the moment of truth, says a 2003 article in Neuropsychopharmacology. Research suggests this plant is effective in extreme situations too. Four weeks of Melissa aromatherapy cut agitation in patients with severe dementia, reports a 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, while 4 months of treatment with an alcohol tincture of the plant significantly reduced dementia and agitation in Alzheimer's patients, according to a 2003 article in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

Lemon balm appears to calm an overactive thyroid (Graves' disease), according to Eric Yarnell, ND, an assistant professor of botanical

medicine at Bastyr University. It also fights viruses; recent studies indicate that lemon balm cream speeds healing of oral herpes lesions and reduces the frequency of outbreaks.

GET THE BENEFIT: For lemon balm's calming effects, try a daily tea made with one-half to one full dropper of tincture or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, says herbalist Linda Different Cloud, a PhD candidate in ethnobotany at Montana State University. Ask your doctor first if you take thyroid medication, as the botanical may change the amount you need. To use Melissa topically, follow the instructions on OTC creams, such as Cold Sore Relief or WiseWays Herbals Lemon Balm Cream, available online or at drugstores or health food stores.
Onion

A DOSE OF PREVENTION

TRADITION SAYS: Onions are considered cure-alls in many cultures. In Middle Eastern traditional medicine, they were prescribed for diabetes. During the early 20th century in the United States, William Boericke, MD, recommended onions for respiratory and digestive problems in his influential medical treatise, Homeopathic Materia Medica. Believing that onions would help improve athletic performance, ancient Greek Olympians scarfed them down, drank their juice, and rubbed them on their bodies before competitions.

RESEARCH PROVES: A stack of new studies has confirmed many old-time uses of onions. Their thiosulfinates (sulfur compounds responsible for their smell) reduce diabetes symptoms and protect against cardiovascular disease. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in onions, prevents the inflammation associated with allergies and also protects against stomach ulcers and colon, esophageal, and breast cancers.

And it looks like the ancient Olympians had it right: A 2009 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that quercetin extract increased endurance — making onions a perfectly legal performance-enhancing substance.

GET THE BENEFIT: Onions may keep the doctor away even better than apples do. Your body absorbs quercetin from onions at least 3 times faster than it does from apples (or from tea, another top source), says a report for the Federation of European Biochemical Societies. To get the most thiosulfinates, choose red or yellow onions. "The more colorful, the better," says Michael Havey, PhD, a USDA geneticist and University of Wisconsin professor of horticulture.

Heat diminishes the thiosulfinates, so eat onions raw or lightly cooked, Havey adds. "Because of differences among types of onions and preparation methods, it's impossible to say how much to eat," he says. "Make them a regular part of a vegetable-and fruitfilled diet."
Cayenne

PAIN FIGHTER

TRADITION SAYS: Columbus is credited with transporting cayenne peppers — also called chiles, after their Aztec name, chil — from the New World to the Old. Consumed in the Americas for some 7,000 years, the fiery-flavored pods reminded the explorer of black pepper, a highly prized — and pricey — spice in Europe at the time. The easy-to-grow chile quickly assumed a central role in traditional cookery and remedies worldwide; folk medicine practitioners used it for everything from pain relief to aphrodisiacs.

RESEARCH PROVES: Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives cayenne its heat, is best known today for pain relief — easing muscle aches, postoperative discomfort, and arthritis. Studies show that it tamps down chemical messengers that transmit pain messages in the brain.

The latest research indicates that the sizzling spice may also assist in weight control. A 2009 paper in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that capsaicin-related compounds helped people lose abdominal fat. Cayenne also appears to control blood sugar. Study participants who ate a lunch containing capsaicin had higher blood levels of a sugar-regulating hormone and less ghrelin, the "hunger hormone," than those who ate a bland meal, reported the European Journal of Nutrition last year.

GET THE BENEFIT: For pain relief, follow package instructions on OTC capsaicin ointments and creams, including Zostrix or Capzasin-HP Arthritis Pain Relief, available in drugstores or online. No dose has been established for weight control; however, cayenne peppers are on the FDA's Generally Recognized As Safe list, so you can add fresh chiles to taste in your favorite dishes (or, more conveniently, powdered cayenne, available in supermarkets). Chop finely, then cook them in soups and stews or add them uncooked to salad dressings.
Plantain

YOUR SKIN'S BEST FRIEND

TRADITION SAYS: Plantain, or Plantago major, a low-growing, oval-leafed plant found all over the globe, is a traditional remedy for skin ailments. Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th-century Benedictine abbess, healer, composer, and eventually saint, suggested applying it to insect bites in her renowned medical treatise, Physica. Native Americans apply plantain poultices to insect stings, wounds, burns, and more, says Different Cloud, who lives on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North and South Dakota. (Note: Do not confuse this leafy plant with a very different, banana-like tropical fruit that happens to have the same name.)

RESEARCH PROVES: The plant's antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties help heal breaks in the skin, researchers have found. Its soothing effects work internally too: Psyllium, the seed of one type of plantain, is the source of the fiber in some laxatives.

GET THE BENEFIT: Plantain is difficult to identify, so you're best off buying it from an herbalist. Different Cloud recommends steeping 1/2 cup of dried plantain in 2 cups of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Dip a clean cloth or compress in the warm liquid and place on skin for up to 30 minutes, changing cloths and repeating as necessary. For poison ivy, try Tecnu Rash Relief spray, which contains skin-calming plantain and the traditional itch-relieving herb Grindelia, available at drugstores or online.

Parsley

URINARY TRACT AID

TRADITION SAYS: Parsley root can be used for diseases of the urinary tract, wrote botanist and apothecary John Parkinson in a treatment recommendation he prepared for the Queen of England in 1629. Centuries later, Boericke's Homeopathic Materia Medica recommended parsley for urinary tract ailments, as did The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, a manual of the Eclectics, a group of US physicians who practiced from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s and were famous for their use of North American botanicals.

Of course, after you've eaten all those onions, you'll also need this breath freshener of yore. "The strong smell of onions is quite taken away by the eating of parsley leaves," counseled Parkinson.

RESEARCH PROVES: According to Yarnell's 2002 World Journal of Urology review of several animal studies, parsley roots do increase urine output. The German Commission E, a regulatory body, has approved the plant for cystitis and other urinary tract disorders.

GET THE BENEFIT: If you have a urinary tract infection or a similar discomfort, try drinking three daily cups of tea, each made with 2 g of common parsley (you don't need just the roots), or taking 2 to 4 ml of tincture 3 times each day for the duration of the condition.

To benefit the urinary tract long-term, eat parsley leaves regularly, advises Yarnell. Munch on the sprig decorating your restaurant meal; at home, add chopped leaves to omelets, salads, and hot dishes. One more benefit of eating it: Parkinson's breath-freshening advice will work as well for you as it did for the Queen of England, thanks to parsley's odor-zapping chlorophyll.
Hawthorn

A BOOST TO THE HEART

TRADITION SAYS: From China to Europe to Native America, herbalists have used hawthorn's green leaves, white or pink flowers, and tart red fall berries to strengthen cardiovascular health. "It acts on the muscle of the heart," explained Boericke in the early 20th century; he suggested prescribing it when "heart muscles seem flabby, worn out." Scientists date the use of this shrub to at least the first century, when Dioscorides, a famed Roman physician, wrote of it in De Materia Medica, which became the most influential medical treatise of the next 16 centuries. In Europe and America, hawthorn jams and jellies are longtime favorites.

RESEARCH PROVES: Recent studies back up the old-time uses, indicating that antioxidant compounds in hawthorn relax arterial-wall muscles, increasing blood flow to the heart and preventing or reducing symptoms of coronary artery disease. Studies also show that the flavonoids may both prevent and treat additional cardiac ailments, including congestive heart failure. An analysis of existing studies done in 2008 by Cochrane Researchers found that hawthorn extract increases the heart's strength and exercise tolerance, diminishes its oxygen needs, and reduces cardiac patients' shortness of breath.

GET THE BENEFIT: If you have a cardiac condition, such as CAD, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure, you should be under the care of a health care professional, who can advise you what form to take — tea, tincture, or capsule. Studies showing benefits for the heart used 60 mg doses 3 times a day.

Source: Higher Health
Originally posted on: lifestyle.ca.msn.com

Nearly 80 Teens Hospitalized After Pesticide Exposure

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Remember when farm work was a wholesome summer job for kids looking for a little extra pocket money?

Back in the day, teens could work outside, learn about farming, and do some healthy physical labor without major health risks.  Working on a farm built physical strength, skills, and character.

Now, with the advent of toxic agricultural practices, farm work can be deadly because of exposure to glyphosate and other deadly chemicals.

Nearly 80 teenagers working for

Team Corn, a Princeton, Ill.-based company that contracts for Monsanto were sent to the hospital yesterday after a crop-duster sprayed the field they were working in with fungicide.

The teenagers were detasseling corn when the chemical drifted over them from a plane that was crop-dusting an adjacent field, said Tom Helscher, a spokesman for Monsanto, the St. Louis-based company using the field to produce seed corn. Pesotum is about 15 miles south of Urbana….

 "…Detasselers – commonly teenagers looking for summer jobs – pull the pollinating tassels off the top of corn plants that will produce seed for future planting… 
…The 79 teens were decontaminated by firefighters at the field just outside Pesotum and then taken to the Carle Foundation Hospital’s emergency room in Urbana to be treated for what appeared to be minor ailments, hospital officials said. 
Emergency room director Allen Rinehart said some of the teen workers had irritated skin but that they were all stable and being released to their parents as they were seen." (source)

The media glossed over the incident, emphasizing that the injuries were minor and that the kids were treated and immediately released from the hospital.

There is no doubt this was an unfortunate accident. As long as agriculture practices these highly toxic methods, though, we will continue to see such accidents. There would be no such risk of poisoning on a farm that implemented organic methods.

But considering that people spraying for Monsanto are generally pictured wearing head to toe protection as well as a respirator, and that reported health issues from chemical drift are severe, including cancer, miscarriage, asthma and birth defects, one has to wonder if the real injuries to these teens will show up a few years down the road.

With this direct exposure, will these kids join the long line of victims of Monsanto?

Source: The Organic Prepper

Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor.  Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

The US Government is Monsanto's Top Lobbyist Overseas

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Our tax dollars are being used to aggressively push GMO crops around the world. An in-depth analysis by Food and Water Watch (FWW) called “Biotech Ambassadors” details how the U.S. State Department is engaging in
“a concerted strategy to promote agricultural biotechnology overseas, compel countries to import biotech crops and foods that they do not want, and lobby foreign governments—especially in the developing world—to adopt policies to pave the way to cultivate biotech crops.”
In 2010 Wikileaks released a slew of State Department cables that were never meant for public eyes. FWW analyzed 926 of these cables from 2005 to 2009 containing the words “biotech” or “GMO.” From this we clearly see that the agency mobilized its vast resources to promote the interests of the biotech industry and exclude alternative methods of meeting global agricultural challenges.

This is especially true in the developing world. Monsanto is trying to cash in on the hunger problem in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria by taking over their agricultural systems with GMO crops and chemical inputs. What better way than to have the U.S. State Department flex its might on their governments?

Here are some of the ways in which our taxpayer-funded agency carries out its so-called “science diplomacy":

Hosting and coordinating pro-biotech conferences and public events.

Bringing foreign reporters and opinion-makers to the U.S. to “educate” them on the wonders of biotech so they can help overcome public opposition to GMO in their home countries.

“Protect the interests” of biotech exporters and “facilitate trade in agribiotech products.”

Lobbying countries in the developing world to pass legislation favored by the biotech industry.

Opposing laws that would require labeling of GMO foods.

Working with trade representatives to export biotech foods and crops to unwilling countries.

Helping to create new pro-biotech nongovernmental organizations.

Opposing laws requiring labeling of GMO foods.

Swaying public opinion with pamphlets, radio shows, and DVDs to high schools.

Intervening in commercial disputes on behalf of Monsanto.

The FFW analysis is full of quotes and detailed information on the breadth and depth of the State Department crusade. During the five years the number of biotech related cables more than doubled. Annual cables were sent reminding the foreign offices to “pursue an active biotech agenda.”


In 2009 the State Department created a “Feed the Future” initiative that included a partnership with Monsanto, DuPont, Cargill and Syngenta. The agency continued to advocate specifically on behalf of Monsanto even after the company was caught bribing an Indonesian official and paid a $1.5 million fine under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The State Department routinely uses the same propaganda that Monsanto and biotech companies use for their public relations campaigns. They repeat discredited mantras that GMO crops will reduce chemical use when in fact herbicide use has skyrocketed, or that GMO crops provide higher yields when in fact yields have not significantly improved. The most absurd claim is that GMO crops promote sustainable development. How is it sustainable to make farmers buy new seed every year instead of saving seeds for replanting? How is it sustainable to buy chemical fertilizers and herbicides that must be used for these crops, instead of using successful practices of composting and manure management?

The U.S. State Department is acting in a criminal manner by advocating on behalf of Monsanto and other biotech industry giants while excluding alternative, proven methods of sustainable agriculture.

Source: realfarmacy.com

Chemotherapy Doesn't Work 97% Of The Time

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Dr. Peter Glidden cites a recent study that concludes better than 97% of the time, chemotherapy does not work. Yet it’s one of the main treatments in the battle against cancer. Dr. Glidden explains why that’s still the case.


iHealthTube.com - Chemotherapy Doesn't Work 90% Of The Time

Transcript:

Interviewer:  Doctor, when you talk about cancer a little bit, various types out there, what are some of the things that you've seen in terms of your patients, and what are some of the things that you've been able to do?

Peter Glidden, BS, ND: A better thing to talk about in relationship to  . . . well, I will talk about that. A better thing to talk about, however, is the relationship between profits and cancer in the United States. There was a study that was published, I believe it was in 1994. It was a 12-year program, 12-year study. They looked at adults who had developed cancer as an adult, not childhood cancer but adult cancer. This is the main types of cancer that we get here in the United States.

They did a meta-analysis of these people all around the world who developed cancer as adults for 12 years and were treated with chemo. They looked at the results, and they published the results in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. And the results? Ninety-seven percent of the time, chemotherapy does not work. Ninety-seven percent of the time, it doesn't work. So, why is it still used? There's one reason and one reason only: money.

If you go to a medical doctor, an MD, with a sinus infection and that doctor prescribes an antibiotic, he gets no financial kickback. Now, if he prescribes 5,000 of that antibiotic in one month, the drug company that makes it might send him to Cancun for a conference, but he gets no direct remuneration. With chemotherapeutic drugs, it's different. Chemotherapeutic drugs are the only classification of drugs that the prescribing doctor gets a direct cut of.

So, if your doctor prescribes chemotherapy for you, here's how it goes more or less: The doctor buys it from the pharmaceutical company for $5,000, sells it to the patient for $12,000, insurance pays $9,000, and the doctor pockets the $4,000 difference, and there ought to be a law. The only reason chemotherapy is used is because doctors make money from it, period. It doesn't work 97% of the time. If Ford Motor Company made an automobile that exploded 97% of the time, would they still be in business? No.

This is the tip of the iceberg of the control that the pharmaceutical industry has on us. Most people have no idea of this at all. I wrote a book. It's called The MD Emperor Has No Clothes. In my book, I have a bulleted list of 10 questions that every cancer patient should ask their doctor. Ten questions. I've had patients kicked out, literally kicked out of the oncologist's office because the doctor was p.o.'d that the patient was asking him these questions, and these are just common-sense questions.

With cancer treatment in the United States, we have lost the war on cancer. We have lost the war on cancer. Why? Because cancer is not a reductionistic phenomenon. Cancer is a holistic phenomenon. When you try to bring a reductionistic methodology like drugs and surgery to bear on a holistic phenomenon, you will completely miss the boat each and every time. You cannot do it.

Medical doctors are like colorblind art critics. They can see that that's a boat. They can see the black and white outline, but they're completely blind to all of the colors and textures that make up the substance of the thing. There's no difference with cancer. The reason that people get cancer in the United States and the reason that we have completely lousy outcomes is because medical doctors are driving the research bus.

When women get together and do a 5K run for breast cancer, all of that money--do you think any of that money goes to nutritional research? Do you think any of that money goes to homeopathic research or acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine or naturopathic research? No. All of it goes to drugs and surgery, which do not work.

Why aren't those women running for selenium? If every girl in this country took 200 mcg of selenium, in one generation we'd eliminate breast cancer by 82%. That's a big number. Why aren't we doing that? Because medicine in the United States is a for-profit industry, and most people are completely unaware of this, and most people bow down to the altar of MD-directed high-tech medicine at their own demise. 

Source: rawforbeauty.com

Signs Your Immune System Needs Help

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Symptoms of Impaired Immune System

"To strengthen the immune system, one must address the needs of the whole body.  A strong immune system is essential for health.  It is a very complex system of the body, involving the skin, intestines, nasal mucosa, blood, lymph and many other organs and tissues.  Factors that impair the immune system include nutrient deficiencies, contaminated air, water and food, unhealthful lifestyles and too much exposure to harmful microbes.  Other factors that weaken the immune system are negative attitudes and emotions and the presence of toxic metals, toxic chemicals and biological toxins in the body.  Others are sluggish metabolism, lack of rest and sleep, excessive stress or too much exercise.  As these causative factors are removed or corrected, the immune system improves." -Dr. Lawrence Wilson

Your immune system needs work if you suffer from two or more of the following:

    THREE OR MORE EAR INFECTIONS IN ONE YEAR
    TWO OR MORE SINUS INFECTIONS IN ONE YEAR
    ORAL ANTIBIOTICS USE MORE THAN TWICE IN ONE YEAR
    TWO OR MORE EPISODES OF PNEUMONIA IN ONE YEAR
    FAILURE TO THRIVE (CHILDREN)
    RECURRING DEEP SKIN OR ORGAN ABSCESSES
    ORAL OR CUTANEOUS CANDIDIASIS AFTER AGE ONE
    HISTORY OF MENINGITIS, OSTEOMYELITIS, CELLULITIS, SEPSIS, OR RECURRENT     HERPES ZOSTER
    HISTORY OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, LYMPHADENOPATHY OR SPLENOMEGALY
    FAMILY HISTORY OF IMMUNE DEFICIENCY
    INCREASE OR SUSEPTABILITY TO INFECTIONS
    CANCER
    SARS
    THRUSH
    DIARRHEA
    HASIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS
    PERNICIOUS ANEMIA
    ADDISONS’S DISEASE
    DIABETES
    RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
    SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
    MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
    MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
    REITER’S SYNDROME
    GRAVES DISEASE
    PSORIASIS
    ECZEMA
    CUSHING’S
    FIBROMYALGIA
    SCLERODERMA
    SJORGREN’S SYNDROME
    DERMATOMYOSITIS
    LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
    STRESS
    CRAVE SUGAR OR SWEETS
    NEED FOR INTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTICS TO CLEAR INFECTIONS
    LACK OF ENERGY
    ILLNESS MORE THAN TWICE A YEAR
    DIFFICULTY DIGESTING CERTAIN FOODS
    FOOD ALLERGIES
    RECENT OF FREQUENT USE OF ANTIBIOTICS
    SORE OR PAINFUL JOINTS
    DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING IDEAL WEIGHT
    SLOW RECOVERY FROM ILLNESS
    EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION DAILY
    POOR RESISTANCE TO DISEASE
    BELCHING OR GAS AFTER MEALS
    FEELING OUT OF CONTROL
    FOOD/CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES
    RECURRENT YEAST/FUNGAL INFECTIONS
    CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
    ASTHMA
    DEPRESSION
    SINUSITIS
    ACNE
    MIGRAINES
    ANXIETY
    INSOMNIA
    HIVES
    BOWEL DYSFUNCTION – CHRON’S DISEASE
    HEPATITIS B & C
    HIV
    SHINGLES
    TB
    ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
    LIVER DISEASE
    SILVER AMALGAMS
    HEAVY METAL TOXICITY
    PARASITIC INFECTIONS
    BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
    ARTHRITIS
    CHEMOTHERAPY
    CORTISONE OR PREDNISONE
    LYMPHOMAS

IMMUNE SYSTEM ASSAULT

Modern living is making it harder to maintain a healthy immune system. Here are just some of the forces working against it.

POOR NUTRITION. Empty calories' is a term that aptly describes the typical American diet. Even a mild deficiency of iron and selenium can cause suppressed immunity and Americans are typically low in both.

HIGH-FAT DIETS. In a 1993 report published in Progressive Food and Nutrition, scientists found that excessive fat intake impairs immunity.

POLLUTION. A recent report published in Environmental Pollution and Neuroimmunology stated that the combined influence of various factors (chemical agents, radiation, stress) may lead to immunodeficiency in the form of respiratory and inflammatory disease. Hundreds of studies show that toxic chemicals impair immune defenses.

STRESS. Stress releases biochemicals that suppress immune function putting us at higher risk for bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Our emotional landscape impacts immunity. One study reported in a 1997 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine stated that post-traumatic stress suffered after Hurricane Andrew had dramatically reduced killer cells in test subjects. Prolonged stress weakens or impairs immune response, making us vulnerable to infections, auto-immune diseases and even cancer. In a recent study published in a 2000 issue of Psychological Medicine, researchers reported that episodes of serious stress experienced early in life may predispose a woman to breast cancer.

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE and 'SUPER BUGS'.Once considered miracle drugs, antibiotics are now abused to the point they pose a major health threat worldwide. Bacteria are now outwitting potent antibiotics creating the risk of global infections that won't respond to the best of the high-tech drugs. In a June 12, 2000 press release the World Health Organization announced that almost all major infectious diseases are slowly becoming resistant to existing medicine. In a June 12, 2000 press release the World Health Organization announced that almost all major infectious diseases are slowly becoming resistant to existing medicine.

LOW NATURAL KILLER CELL LEVELS. NK (natural killer cells) provide our first line of defense against invaders. A low NK count means a much higher risk of disease and tissue degeneration. Today we are able to measure the number of natural killer cells, and the news is not good. In addition, the constant barrage of free radicals, alcohol, tobacco, dieting, international travel, eating disorders, prescription drug side effects, day care, food additives, aging, lack of sleep, poor digestion and elimination continually weakens our natural immune defenses."

Source: oawhealth.com

8 Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon

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8 Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon

Summer is the time to indulge in fresh, succulent juicy melon when they are in season and deliver an array of nutrients, vitamin and minerals. It is also incredibly hydrating (up to 92% water!) and is naturally low-fat. Make this melon a part of your daily diet and you will reap amazing benefits that range from improving cardiovascular health to nourishing your eyes and revving up your immune system. Read on to discover 8 amazing health benefits of watermelon!

Cardiovascular & Bone Health

The lycopene in watermelon is especially important for our cardiovascular health and is now being recognized as an important factor in promoting bone health. Consuming large amounts of watermelon has also been correlated with improved cardiovascular function because it improves blood flow via vasodilation (relaxation of blood pressure). Dietary lycopene (from foods like watermelon or tomatoes) reduces oxidative stress which normally reduces the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts (the two major bone cells involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis) – this means stronger bones for those consuming lycopene-rich foods. Watermelon is also rich in potassium which helps to retain calcium in your body, resulting in stronger bones and joints.

Reduces Body Fat

The citrulline in watermelon has been shown to reduce the accumulation of fat in our fat cells. Citrulline is an amino acid which converts into arginine with help from the kidneys. When our bodies absorb citrulline it can take the step of converting into arginine if so required. Citrulline, when consumed, has the ability to (through a series of steps) block the activity of TNAP (tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase) which makes our fat cells create less fat, and thus helps prevent over-accumulation of body fat.

Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant Support

Watermelon is rich in phenolic compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids, and triterpenoids. The carotenoid lycopene in watermelon is particularly beneficial in reducing inflammation and neutralizing free radicals. The tripterpenoid cucurbitacin E is also present in watermelon, which provides anti-inflammatory support by blocking activity of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes which normally lead to increased inflammatory support. Make sure you pick ripe watermelons, because they contain higher amounts of these beneficial phenolic compounds.

Diuretic & Kidney Support

Watermelon is a natural diuretic which helps increase the flow of urine, but does not strain the kidneys (unlike alcohol and caffeine). Watermelons helps the liver process ammonia (waste from protein digestion) which eases strain on the kidneys while getting rid of excess fluids.

Muscle & Nerve Support

Rich in potassium, watermelon is a great natural electrolyte and thus helps regulate the action of nerves and muscles in our body. Potassium determines the degree and frequency with which our muscles contract, and controls the excitation of nerves in our body.

Alkaline-forming

Watermelons have an alkaline-forming effect in the body when fully ripe. Eating lots of alkaline-forming foods (fresh, ripe, fruit and vegetables) can help reduce your risk of developing disease and illness caused by a high-acid diet (namely, meat, eggs and dairy).

Improves Eye Health

Watermelon is a wonderful source of beta-carotene (that rich red hue of watermelon = beta carotene) which is converted in the body to vitamin A. It helps produce the pigments in the retina of the eye and protects against age-related macular degeneration as well as prevents night blindness. Vitamin A also maintains healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, and mucus membranes.

Immune Support, Wound Healing & Prevents Cell Damage

The vitamin C content in watermelon is astoundingly high. Vitamin C is great at improving our immune system by maintaining the redox integrity of cells and thereby protecting them from reactive oxygen species (which damages our cells and DNA). The role of vitamin C in healing wounds has also been observed in numerous studies because it is essential to the formation of new connective tissue. The enzymes involved in forming collagen (the main component of wound healing) cannot function without vitamin C. If you are suffering from any slow-healing wounds, up your intake of vitamin C heavy fruit!

Source: live love fruit

There are no words to describe what you're about to see.

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There are no words to describe what you're about to see.

 

 A Son asked his father, "Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?" The father who, despite having a heart condition, says "Yes". They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons. The father always saying "Yes" to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, "Dad, let's join the Ironman together." To which, his father said "Yes". For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together! Please Share :) -

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Breaking News: Bradley Manning found NOT guilty of aiding the enemy.

Today is a big day. Bradley Manning found NOT guilty of Aiding The Enemy. The only other problem is that he may face 19 other charges. But let's focus on the good for now. What's your opinion of this young man?





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Top 30 Flowers For Bees

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Bees are vital. Without them, pollination of crops doesn't occur. Bees work tirelessly to provide us with our food, but are struggling in the wild. In recent years it has become apparent that bees, not just the honeybee, are under threat and some have already gone extinct. Find out on this lens which flowers to grow for pollen and nectar that will feed them and help them to increase their numbers. Insects and plants must now be taken care of by gardeners if they are to survive.The private garden is now a better place than the countryside for wildlife, since much agricultural land is now devoid of the diversity of flowers insects need to give them their 'five a day'. It is now thought by scientists in the field that insects need as much variety in their food as we do to get all the trace minerals and vitamins to keep them healthy, so go on, plant flowers for the bees!

HA= Hardy annual   HHA =Half hardy annual   P = Perennial   HB= Hardy biennial   HS= Hardy shrub


·  1
Cosmos (HHA) is an annual flower easily raised from seed. It’s also one of the very best for the bee. Grow it in groups, making the collection of pollen easier for the bees, who won’t have to fly as far to find their food. Cosmos grows 2-5ft tall, the majority reaching about 2ft. It’s from Mexico, so a half hardy annual. Plant out after all danger of frost has passed, and deadhead to keep them flowering continuously through the summer. These open, flat flowers will delight you as well as giving the bees a feast.
·  2
Aster (HHA) ‘Compostion’ or Michaelmass Daisies. Many modern hybrids have little or no pollen. easy to grow, colorful and late summer to autumn flowering, they provide food late in the season. Important if honeybees are to be well fed to get through the winter months.
·  3
Sunflowers (HA) are a great choice, available in many heights and colours to suit your garden space. Choose yellow or orange over red, which bees don’t like. Varieties exist now for the allergic gardener, containing no pollen. Obviously avoid these when wishing to attract bees.
·  4
Calendulas or marigolds (HA) are great for bees, especially the original single flowered pot marigold. Dead head regularly for a longer flowering period.
·  5
Primulas. (HP) The native primrose, (primula vulgaris), primulas of all kinds, even the drumstick ones are great early food for bees. Cowslips (primula veris) are also good members of this extensive family of perennial plants.
·  6
Rudbekia (HHA) are an extensive group of cone flowers from the aster family. A wide variety of heights, mostly available in yellows and oranges, sure to brighten your border and feed bees. There are also a few hardy perennial ones, of which ‘Goldsturn’ is my personal favourite. All are easy to grow from seed.
·  7
Scabious or cornflowers (HA), another aster family member, are mostly blue flowered and bees adore them. Dead-headed regularly, they’ll flower all summer long.
·  8
Lavender (HHS) There are plenty of lavenders to choose from, all needing plenty of sun and well drained soil, but they’ll reward you with plenty of fragrant flowers for cutting and drying. Just watch them get smothered in bees when they come into flower.
·  9
Bluebells (bulb) Another early food supply. Just a note of caution for UK growers. The native English bluebell in now under threat from the Spanish bluebell, which outcompetes and crosses with it. So please ensure you are planting the native bluebell to ensure you don’t endanger a bluebell woodland near you.
·  10
Hellebores (HP) The Christmas rose! A lovely flower to have in your garden from late winter to early spring, this plant will tolerate some shade and moist conditions, though not wet. When bees emerge from hibernation they need food fast. This one gives them a snack when there’s little else around.
·  11
Clematis (Perennial climber) The majority of clematis will provide pollen, and I’ve watched bees happily moving from flower to flower gathering their crop. Always plant clematis deeper than they were in the container, as this gives more protection against cleamits wilt. These plants are hungry and thirsty, so add good compost to the planting hole. They also like their roots in the cool and heads in the sun, so once planted I place either a thick mulch or a pile of stones or gravel around their roots, keeping them cool and conserving moisture.
·  12
Crocus (bulb) Early flowering, plenty to choose from, and planted in the autumn to flower year after year. These are great value and cheer me up as well as the bees!
·  13
Mint (HP), especially water mint, is loved by bees. It’s great in your cooking, too. Easy to grow, it can be a bit of a thug, so either grow it in a container or prevent its escape around the garden by burying a bucket (with holes in the bottom for drainage) and plant your mint into that.
·  14
Rosemary (HHS) A mediterranean herb, rosemary likes well drained soild and full sun. It flowers around April/May. A great culinary herb, bees will take advantage of the pollen as long as you prune it correctly. This is best done straight after flowering, as most of the flowers will appear on new wood. Don’t prune rosemary back to old, bare wood as these are not likely to regrow. Depending on where you live and soil conditions, rosemary can be short lived, so take some cuttings each year so you can replace the old plant should it dsie or become too leggy.
·  15
Thyme (H to HHS)) There are now quite a few varieties available, tasting slightly different to each other eg lemon thyme. However, I’ve noticed that the wild thyme (thymus serpyllum) attracts a lot of bee visitors and tends to flower more profusely. But they are all worth growing. Give them the same growing conditions as rosemary and lavender.
·  16
Hebe (HH-HS) This extensive group of shrubs have wonderful flowers for bees. Plenty of pollen, all on one flower and plenty of flowers on one shrub. They vary in height, are mosly blue or pink and tolerate most soils. They dislike too much wet, so a well drained soil is best. Water well, though, until established.
·  17
Borage, the bee herb. (HA) Borage is blue flowered, simple to grow and in fact one type grows wild in the UK, though originally from Syria. Easy, prolific and the bees love it.
·  18
Echinacea, the cone flower. (HP) Now available in a variety of colours, all of which will attract bees. Echinacea Tennesseensis will attract birds, bees and butterflies.
·  19
Mignotette. There are HA, HHA and Perennial members of this family. They are sweetly scented and will attract and feed your bees, especially Reseda lutea.
·  20
Thrift, or Sea Pink (HP) is a great plant for a rock garden, trough or wall. Holding its bright pink flowers well above the grass-like foliage, it will cheer your garden and make the bees come back for more! Give it well drained condiitons and lots of sun.
·  21
Sedums are also excellent plants for rock gardens and walls. There are many to choose from, but avoid Sedum Spectabilis Autumn Joy if you’re planting for bees. Biting stonecrop and English stonecrop (sedums acre and anglicum). are natives, and great for bees.
·  22
Sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus) (HB) are fantastic flowers for bees. An old cottage garden favourite, bees are attracted to the pink or white flowers and we love the perfume! They are members of the dianthus family, as are Pinks and Carnations, all of which are good for the bees.
·  23
Monarda (Bergamot) (HP) This is the herb that flavours Earl Grey tea, but the bees love its flowers for pollen and nectar. Its folk name in the Uk is bee balm. It likes a moist but not wet soil and can cope with a bit of shade. Share it with the bees! Bergamot tea is a herbal treat in itself. Just pour boiling water on the leaves and allow about ten minutes before drinking.
·  24
Cornflower (HA) Easy to grow, cheap and cheerful, cornflowers are another cottage garden favourite. Thier blue flowers act like a bee magnet. Grow in as large a group as you have the space for. This makes it easier for the bees to spot them and saves them flying around more than necessary. It’s easy to save seed from one year to the next, too.
·  25
Poppies (HA-HP) All poppies are attractive to bees, and are laden with pollen in nice open flowers. Very easy to grow, especially the annual kinds, and easy to save seeds to sow next year. Enjoy their delicate petals while your bees enjoy a feast.
·  26
Verbena Bonariensis (HP) a tall, delicate looking perennial with purple/mauve flowers that add a tropical feel to your borders. This is easy to grow from seed and sown early enough will flower in its first year. One not to do without!
·  27
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) (HHA) Plenty of choice in heights and colours. Have you ever watched a bee enter and leave a snapdragon? Their weight pulls the lower part of the petal down so they can get inside for their food, and you can hear them buzzing while they are in there. Lovely to watch.
·  28
Ageratum (HHA) Easy to grow, with heads of blue flowers and another member of the compositae family, so lots of food on one flower head. This is one of my favorite annuals in the garden. Just don’t plant out until all danger of frost has passed and dead head for more flowers.
·  29
Echinops (globe thistle) (HP) This lovely blue thistle is very ornamental, even when not in flower, standing about 36″ tall. Bees and butterflies love the flowers which provide plenty of nectar. Easy to grow from seed and will come back year after year.
·  30

Digitalis (foxglove) (HB) Foxgloves make great food for bees. As they are poisonous, protect children from them and handle wearing gloves. As long as these precautions are taken these are wonderful plants for the garden and the bees. A woodland plant, they’re useful for a shady spot.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Top 10 Reasons To Grow Your Own Organic Food

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1. Get The Nutrition You Need and Enjoy Tastier Food!
Many studies have shown that organically grown food has more minerals and nutrients that we need than food grown with synthetic pesticides. There’s a good reason why many chefs use organic foods in their recipes—they taste better. Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and, ultimately our bodies.

2. Save Money
Growing your own food can help cut the cost of the grocery bill. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars and month at the grocery store on foods that don’t really nourish you, spend time in the garden, outside, exercising, learning to grow your own food.

3. Protect Future Generations
The average child receives four times more exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. Food choices you make now will impact your child’s future health.
“We have not inherited the Earth from our fathers,
we are borrowing it from our children.”
– Lester Brown

4. Prevent Soil Erosion
Soil in developed nations is eroded several times faster than it’s built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. However, in conventional farming, the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized. As a result, many farms worldwide are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.

5. Protect Water Quality
Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three-fourths of the planet. Pesticides – some cancer causing – contaminate the groundwater an can pollute the primary source of drinking water.

6. Save Energy
Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming a significant percentage total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate and harvest crops. If you are growing your own food in the city, you are cutting down on transportation and pollution costs.

7. Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate
In the United States, many pesticides approved for use by the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) were registered long before extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases had been established. Now the EPA considers 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides carcinogenic. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 4 million cancer cases among Americans. If you are growing your own food, you have control over what does, or doesn’t, go into it. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can also harm humans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutations.

8. Protect Workers and Help Small Farmers
A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had six times more risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an average of 14 percent a year since 1973 and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in the state. Farm worker health is also a serious problem in developing nations, where pesticide use can be poorly regulated. An estimated 1 million people are poisoned annually by pesticides.

Although more and more large-scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small, independently owned family farms of fewer than 100 acres. It’s estimated the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted that half of this country’s farm production will come from 1 percent of farms by the year 2000, organic farming could be one of the few survival tactics left for family farms.

9. Promote Biodiversity
Mono-cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year. While this approach tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. To replace the nutrients, chemical fertilizers are used, often in increasing amounts. Single crops are also much more susceptible to pests, making farmers more reliant on pesticides. Despite a tenfold increase in the use of pesticides between 1947 and 1974, crop losses due to insects have doubled—partly because some insects have become genetically resistant to certain pesticides.

10. Help Beautify Your Community
Besides being used to grow food, community gardens are also a great way to beautify a community, and to bring pride in ownership.

Sources: Prevent Disease
realfarmacy.com 

10 Myths About GMOs That You Need To Know About

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Monsanto and their biotech buddies would have you believe that they are super-heroes, set on saving hungry children from starvation wearing a dazzling fake-green cape. In fact, in a recent attack on activists, Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant said that because critics “can afford” organic food, we don’t care about the plight of those who can’t afford it. “There is this strange kind of reverse elitism: If I’m going to do this, then everything else shouldn’t exist,” said Grant. “There is space in the supermarket shelf for all of us.”
Even Monsanto’s website is on the defense, with page after page attempting to justify what the biotech industry is doing to our food supply. It must be true if even leading “philanthropists” (and I use this term loosely) like Bill and Melinda Gates are behind the distribution of Monsanto crops across the globe. Right?
Actually, it’s all about the public’s perception. The push for acceptance of GMO foods has, thus far, been all about which team has the most money. Monsanto and their ilk can afford more television ads and more PR than anti-GMO activists can. Because the biotech companies, Big Food, and Big Agri can pay to spread their message, many people are convinced by their pure propaganda that GMOs are a necessary evil if the Third World is to avoid millions of slow, agonizing deaths by starvation. Because biotech is able to afford to blanket the media with their perspective, their view point is accepted as the correct one because that is the only perspective that many people ever hear.
But just because they shout the loudest, that doesn’t make it true.
How we address these misconceptions can mean the difference between swaying people to examine these claims more closely or causing them to stick their fingers in their ears and sing, “lalalalala…” to block us out. Here are some of the most common myths that Monsanto and friends would like you to believe about the wonderful world of GMOs.

Myth #1: No one has ever proven that GMOs are harmful to people.

Monsanto mouthpieces have been quoted time, time, and time again stating the untruth that genetically modified organisms have never been proven to harm people. It seems that they believe, like Joseph Goebbels, the uncontested King of Propaganda, that if you repeat a lie often enough, and with enough conviction, that it becomes the accepted truth.
The reality: Just a few of the results of a GMO diet (based on peer-reviewed studies) are: grotesque tumors, premature death, organ failure, gastric lesions, liver damage, kidney damage, severe allergic reactions, a viral gene that disrupts human functions…you can read more HERE.

Myth #2: GMO crops are the only way to solve world hunger.

The most common pro-GMO argument that you will hear these days is that genetically modified crops are the only way to feed the worlds burgeoning population. Without them, proponents claim that hunger will claim the lives of millions over the next decade. In the gospel of biotech, GMOs are the answer to world hunger. If you protest against GMO technology, you are cast as a cold-hearted elitist and the deaths of all of those suffering children in ***** (pick-a-3rd-world-country) rest firmly on your doorstep.
The realitySustainable agricultural practices are the answer to world hunger. GMO farming practices are not sustainable. Farmers who plant GMOs are not able to save their seeds from year to year due to patent infringement and poor fertility in the seeds. Therefore, after getting the first year of good harvests, the following year they must continue buying seeds, leading to perpetual debt and enough financial despair in India (the Bt Cotton scandal) that an Indian farmer took his own life every 30 minutes, after becoming the indentured servant of Monsanto and drowning in insurmountable debt. Well over a quarter of a million farmers died by suicide before the country banned the sale of Bt cotton seeds.
Real Change News agrees that biotech farming methods are not the answer to world hunger. They recommend “agroecology”:
Numerous reports from nonprofit, governmental and international organizations have concluded that food can be produced sustainably by bringing ecological principles to agriculture through a practice known as agroecology. The practice supports small-scale, traditional methods of farming and promotes crop diversity over a single-food crop, often referred to as a monoculture. Practicing agroecology also enables farmers to become independent and self-sufficient producers of natural, healthy foods.

Myth #3: GMOs need less pesticide spraying.

Monsanto claims that their Bt products require less spraying. It’s right HERE on their website (emphasis mine):
Crops with a Bt trait have been modified to produce a protein that is toxic to various forms of insect larvae. Bt proteins have long been used as topical sprays in conventional and organic agriculture because they are effective and can be used safely. Crops that are genetically engineered to carry the Bt trait allow farmers to protect their crops while eliminating or significantly decreasing the amount of pesticides sprayed.
The reality: Unfortunately, the best laid schemes of mice, men, and Monsanto often go awry. The Cornucopia Institute reports that was true for the first couple of years, but then use of pesticides and herbicides increased dramatically. (This, of course, resulted in a hefty profit for the producers of those chemicals who are…yep, you guessed it, Monsanto and the other biotech companies who produce the seeds.)
But a new study released by Food & Water Watch yesterday finds the goal of reduced chemical use has not panned out as planned.  In fact, according to the USDA and EPA data used in the report, the quick adoption of genetically engineered crops by farmers has increased herbicide use over the past 9 years in the U.S.  The report follows on the heels of another such study  by Washington State Universityresearch professor Charles Benbrook just last year.
Both reports focus on “superweeds.” It turns out that spraying a pesticide repeatedly selects for weeds which also resist the chemical.  Ever more resistant weeds are then  bred, able to withstand increasing amounts – and often different forms – of herbicide.
At the center of debate is the pesticide glyphosate, the active ingredient in MonsantoMON +2.23%‘s Round Up.  Food & Water Watch found that the “total volume of glyphosate applied to the three biggest GE crops — corn, cotton and soybeans — increased 10-fold from 15 million pounds in 1996 to 159 million pounds in 2012.”  Overall pesticide use decreased only in the first few years GE crops were used (42 percent between 1998 and 2001) and has since then risen by 26 percent from 2001 to 2010.
Other organizations concur and even the mainstream media has been forced to report that pesticide and herbicide usage is on the rise.  Check out these recent articles from Huffington Post and Reuters for more information.

Myth #4: GMO technology  is comparable to the cross-breeding that our ancestors did to create hardier versions of heritage crops.

Check out this condescending blurb, straight from the horse’s …ummm….mouth (the Monsanto website):
Want to hear something extraordinary? Chances are, almost everything you’ve eaten in your entire life was genetically modified. The same was true for your parents…and your grandparents.
For more than 10,000 years, mankind has selectively bred plants and animals.  The cows you see in farmer’s fields bear little resemblance to the ancient Aurochs from which they descended. And the corn you eat is the domesticated version of a wild grass called teosinte.
The reality: What our ancestors did, and what responsible farmers do, is cross-pollination of different varieties of the same plant. It is a low tech method that can occur naturally – but they just gave it a little bit of help in order to bring forth the desirable characteristics, like the drought-hardiness of one type of wheat combined with the shorter growing season required for another type of wheat. This is selective breeding. Genetically modifying seeds is a whole different ballgame, however. Here’s a great explanation from the Food Renegade website:
Unlike hybrid seeds, GMO seeds are not created using natural, low-tech methods. GMO seed varieties are created in a lab using high-tech and sophisticated techniques like gene-splicing.
Furthermore, GMO seeds seldom cross different, but related plants. Often the cross goes far beyond the bounds of nature so that instead of crossing two different, but related varieties of plant, they arecrossing different biological kingdoms — like, say, a bacteria with a plant.
For example, Monsanto has crossed genetic material from a bacteria known as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) with corn. The goal was to create a pest-resistant plant. This means that any pests attempting to eat the corn plant will die since the pesticide is part of every cell of the plant.
The resultant GMO plant, known as Bt Corn, is itself registered as a pesticide with the EPA, along with other GMO Bt crops. In other words, if you feed this corn to your cattle, your chickens, or yourself, you’ll be feeding them an actual pesticide — not just a smidgeon of pesticide residue.
What’s even worse is that biotech has the ability to produce their seeds with a built in “terminator technology.” This means that the seeds cannot be saved from one year to the next (unlike the cross-pollinated seeds with which they try to claim kinship). Monsanto has patented the technology (called gene use restriction technology) but claims not to use it. This would produce sterile, lifeless seeds that could not be reused, leaving the farmers utterly dependent on the biotech companies for future crops while providing an ongoing stream of income for those companies. At this point they maintain their monopoly through a series of contracts and patents that require the repurchase of seeds annually.

Myth #5: If the FDA and the USDA allow GMO’s, they must be safe to consume.

Organizations like the FDA, the EPA, and the USDA all wear a shiny halo. They receive their power and influence from the mere fact that the public believes that their number one priority is the health and safety of the citizens they are supposed to be serving. All of the agencies vow that they are there to protect the public on their websites:
The FDA:
FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring that foods (except for meat from livestock, poultry and some egg products which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture) are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled; ensuring that human and veterinary drugs, and vaccines and other biological products and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective.
To expand economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve and conserve our Nation’s natural resources through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.
The EPA:
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.  EPA’s purpose is to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work…
The reality: All of the above is just feel-good, warm and fuzzy rhetoric. Perhaps there are employees that truly believe in what they’re doing, but the leadership is as sickeningly tainted as Bt Corn.
Part of the reason Monsanto has been so successful in the courtroom has been the company’s incestuous ties to the US de facto government. Despite the blatant conflicts of interest, Monsanto executives have held Cabinet, judicial and policy-making positions in the Bush, Clinton and Obama administrations. When you’re sleeping with the enemy, the enemy tends to get away with all manner of crimes.
  • Michael Taylor: VP of Monsanto > Deputy Commissioner of the FDA
  • Roger Beachy:  Director of the Danforth Plant Science Center (paid for by Monsanto) >director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
  • Elena Kagan:  Obama Solicitor General (when she famously took Monsanto’s side against organic farmers in the Roundup Ready Alfalfa case) > US Supreme Court justice.
  • Clarence Thomas:  General Counsel for Monsanto > US Supreme Court justice.
  • Margaret Miller:  Monsanto supervisor > Deputy Director of Human Food Safety
  • Donald Rumsfield: Board of Directors for Monsanto’s Searle Pharmaceuticals > US Secretary of Defense
  • Ann Veneman:  Monsanto Board of Directors > US Secretary of Agriculture
  • Linda Fisher: Assistant Administrator at the EPA >VP of Monsanto > Deputy Administrator of the EPA
  • Dr. Michael A.Friedman: Deputy Commissioner of the FDA > Senior VP of Monsanto
Make no mistake, the commissioners, directors, and secretaries of these agencies are put in place for a reason. That reason is to grease the wheels for the wealthy biotech firms (and drug companies and Big Food companies and…well, you get the idea). Through an abuse of trust placed in them by the American people, they abuse their power and practice deception on the grandest scale imaginable.
If the FDA, USDA, or the EPA approve something, you might want to view it with more suspicion than acceptance. If they can say that radiation and pesticides are acceptable in your food, but that raw milk isn’t acceptable for consumption…well, there’s something incredibly wrong here.
(Read more about the abuses and deceptions of the EPA and the FDA.)

Myth #6: There is no nutritional difference between GMO’s and non-GMO’s.

Biotech will tell you that there is absolutely no nutritional difference between genetically modified food and its organic counterpart. They will cite the calories, the fiber, and all of the macronutrients, pointing out that they are identical. They will scoff and roll their collective eyes at the “ignorance” of people who pay double to triple the price to avoid GMOs in their kitchens. Even television’s Dr. Oz came out on his show in support of the nutritional equality of GMO foods, saying that organic food was “undemocratic”.
The reality: A shocking report released on the blog Moms Across America last March revealed that the nutritional differences in GMO vs non-GMO corn were astounding. The report was from the non-GMO corn company De Dell, in Canada. Not only are the nutritional values different, but the levels of poison in the corn are toxic:
GMO Corn has 14 ppm of Calcium and NON GMO corn has 6130 ppm. 437 X more.
GMO corn has 2 ppm of Magnesium and NON GMO corn has 113ppm. 56 X more.
GMO corn has 2 ppm of Manganese and NON GMO corn has 14ppm. 7X more.
Look at the levels of Formaldehyde and Glyphosate IN the corn! The EPA standards for Glyphosate in water in America is .7ppm. European Tests showed organ damage to animals at .1ppb (.0001ppm) of Glyphosate in water. Our water levels allow glyphosate 7,000X higher than what has been shown to be toxic in animals. This corn has 13 ppm! 130,000 times higher than what is toxic in water!*
In a study that Dr. Huber reported, on Elizabeth Dougherty’s Talk Radio,  .97 ppm of formeldehyde showed to be toxic in ingestion to animals. This corn has 200X that! That is why the animals , given a choice will not eat it at all, they can smell the formeldehyde!
There is more evidence of higher nutrient levels in non-GMO, organic foods:
  • A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry confirmed that tomatoes grown by organically contain more phenolic compounds. (source)
  • A German study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown apples had a 15 per cent higher antioxidant capacity than their conventional counterparts. (source)
  • A review by the AFSSA (France’s version of the FDA) concluded that “organic plant products contain more dry matter and minerals — such as iron and magnesium — and more antioxidant polyphenols like phenols and salicylic acid.” (source)

Myth #7: GMOs are impossible to avoid.

It’s true that GMOs lurk in over 70% of the processed foods that line the grocery store shelves. Even the mainstream media has reported on the omnipresence of genetically modified ingredients. This makes it very difficult to avoid them.  The biotech companies have spent millions and millions of dollars in the fight against GMO labeling in an attempt to convince the public that the grocery costs will go up without their seeds.
The reality: It’s difficult but not impossible! Here are some tips to banish GMOs from your kitchen once and for all:
  1. Avoid all processed food. Every single bit of it. You don’t know what all of those scientific sounding ingredients are – and many of them are derived from things like GMO corn, soy, and canola.
  2. Spend one week cooking from scratch to help identify the places that processed foods are sneaking in. Use only single ingredients for one week: flour, rice, oats, organic milk and yogurt, grass-fed meat, organic fruits and vegetables, and basic pantry supplies (yeast, baking soda, etc.).
  3. Buy organic dry items like wheat, rice, and oats, in bulk.
  4. Grow your own. No matter where you live, make an effort to grow as much of your own food as possible. Even a salad garden in a sunny windowsill is a start. This is the only way that you can truly know what you are eating.
  5. Search out sources of real food near you. The next best option to your own garden is making friends with a local farmer at the market (find one HERE) – you can purchase many things in bushels at a much better price than the 1 pint baskets. 
  6. Learn to preserve food. By canning, freezing, dehydrating, and root-cellaring, you can preserve your healthy harvests so that you are not hostage to the grocery stores in the non-growing months.
  7. Know what ingredients are most likely to be GMO.  Over 85% of soy and corn in North America is GMO.  That means that if an item is not labeled “organic” and contains one of those ingredients (in its many different disguises) that you are consuming somebody’s science experiment.

Myth #8: Monsanto has our best interests in mind.

All you need to do is read Monsanto’s website and it becomes clear. These people are the benevolent saviors of all mankind and their genetically modified seeds are the vehicle with which all of the world will be fed. Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant writes:
The sustainability of agriculture is also central to our three-point vision—produce more, conserve more and improve lives. But it isn’t just a vision. It’s the heart of our business. Whether that is through our work in the field with farmers, or in the communities where we operate around the world, it is core to our global operations and is a priority for how we steward our business every day.
Five years ago, Monsanto laid out an ambitious set of goals in sustainable agriculture focused on these key areas where our business could help to make a positive impact for farmers and broader society. We committed to support agriculture’s ability to produce more on the same footprint of land while conserving other natural resources. At that time, we also committed to help improve lives by supporting new tools and approaches to help lift smallholder farmers out of poverty and improve their overall prosperity. Today, the more than 21,000 men and women of Monsanto around the world continue this important work.
At the risk of your breakfast, click HERE to learn more about Monsanto’s commitment to integrity, dialogue, transparency, sharing, benefits, respect, acting as owners to achieve results, and creating a great place to work.
The reality: A German magazine, Sustainable Pulse, views it a little differently. Last week they came out with an article that outlined the mysterious mishaps that have been befalling activists and researchers across Europe. Here’s a link to the enlightening article (English version). Last month, just days before researchers were to present a damaging study, their computers were attacked by sophisticated hackers. The scheduled press conference had to be cancelled.
However, there are studies which show that the product may damage plants and animals and the latest study shows that many large city inhabitants now have the field poison in their bodies, without knowing it.  Exactly what the spray can trigger in an organism is, as with so many things in this field, disputed.
Two days before the study across 18 countries was set to be published, a virus disabled the computer of the main organiser, Adrian Bepp. There was a threat that press conferences in Vienna, Brussels and Berlin would be cancelled. “We panicked”, remembers Heike Moldenhauer from BUND. The environmental activists were under extreme time pressure.
Moldenhauer and her colleagues have widely speculated about the motives and identity of the mysterious attacker.  The genetic engineering expert at BUND believes the unknown virus suppliers wanted in particular to “generate confusion”.  Nothing is worse for a study than a cancelled press conference: “we did ask ourselves at the time if we were seeing ghosts”, said Moldenhauer.
The article above also speculates that the US government itself is on board with spying on anti-Monsanto activists…it’s a must-read.
There’s more. This do-good company has hired the notorious mercenaries from the former Blackwater to help deal with activists. An article by Jeremy Scahill of the Nation explains that Monsanto has already given them over half a million dollars to help deal with activists:
According to internal Total Intelligence communications, biotech giant Monsanto—the world’s largest supplier of genetically modified seeds—hired the firm in 2008–09. The relationship between the two companies appears to have been solidified in January 2008 when Total Intelligence chair Cofer Black traveled to Zurich to meet with Kevin Wilson, Monsanto’s security manager for global issues.
After the meeting in Zurich, Black sent an e-mail to other Blackwater executives, including to Prince and Prado at their Blackwater e-mail addresses. Black wrote that Wilson “understands that we can span collection from internet, to reach out, to boots on the ground on legit basis protecting the Monsanto [brand] name…. Ahead of the curve info and insight/heads up is what he is looking for.” Black added that Total Intelligence “would develop into acting as intel arm of Monsanto.” Black also noted that Monsanto was concerned about animal rights activists and that they discussed how Blackwater “could have our person(s) actually join [activist] group(s) legally.” Black wrote that initial payments to Total Intelligence would be paid out of Monsanto’s “generous protection budget” but would eventually become a line item in the company’s annual budget. He estimated the potential payments to Total Intelligence at between $100,000 and $500,000. According to documents, Monsanto paid Total Intelligence $127,000 in 2008 and $105,000 in 2009.
Monsanto is taking surreptitious action against the movement, whether on their own or through the use of “contractors”. They have engaged in a social media war against activists.  Mysterious things have been occurring on the social networks: posts have disappeared, some posts are hidden from the timelines of readers, and trolls abound on pages like March Against Monsanto and Occupy Monsanto. Readers often have difficulty sharing pertinent anti-GMO articles on social media. The internet war is ON.

Myth #9: GMOs are not harmful to the environment.

Biotech would have you believe that the farming of GMOs is as green an industry as organic farming, bringing prosperity and abundance to all.
The reality: We need look no further than the island of Molokai in Hawaii to see the horrible environmental damage wrought by Monsanto. Air quality and water quality are deadly because of Monsanto’s almost-2000 acre test facility. The story of the island is heartbreaking: people are dying horrible deaths, infertility is rampant, and other farms are being tainted by cross pollination from the frankencorn growing there. Workers wear head to toe protective gear during spraying, including respirators. Nearby residents, however, are not provided with such equipment and have no option but to breathe in the toxic dust that comes from the fields. This is not merely anecdotal to the small island – worldwide, many areas around GMO farms report horrific bloody skin rashes, an uptick in asthma, and toxic pesticides that leach into the groundwater.

Myth #10: Get used to it. GMOs are here to stay.  

Biotech wants you to believe that there is no sense in fighting them. They want you to just accept what they have to say and eat their tainted products. They hope that people feel like they are too powerful to fight and like the battle has already been won.
The reality: There is a war against GMOs and we, the resistance, are gaining ground. By sharing information like this and informing the public of the poisons that are being grown in our own back yard, we can fight back against biotech. By using the power of social media, by organizing and demonstrating like millions of people did during the March Against Monsanto, we can say no.
By refusing to purchase any products that contain GMOs , by refusing to consume GMOs at restaraunts, and by spreading the word about the dangers, we can make a difference. By educating the public and letting them know that we have been deceived by the biotech industry, by Big Agri, and by Big Food, and that we have been betrayed by the elected officials and the agencies of our own government, we can stand united against these monolithic companies. We can remind them that the only way they will stay in business is if we, the consumers, purchase their products, and that we, the consumers, will not allow them to poison our families and our environment anymore.

Become a grocery store revolutionary.

This is war. If something could mean the difference between life and death for your children, between health and disease, between fertility or barrenness, wouldn’t you do anything to keep them safe? That’s why we can’t just sit there and watch this go on from the sidelines, shaking our heads.
It really is as simple as just saying no to GMOs but we all have to do it. We have to refuse to eat these so-called foods and we have to let people know why. We have to publicly expose these myths for the fiction that they are. We have to use social media, talk to our friends, demonstrate, write letters to the editor…we have to shine the light on the lies. Education and information are the weapons for this fight.
Make no mistake – the encroaching takeover of our food supply is an extinction level event. Will you just watch it happen?
Credit:  Thank you to the wonderful social media community that generously contributed to this article! Your activism makes the fight possible!
Excellent resource: Earth Open Source offers a deeply scientific analysis in their own report, GMO MYTHS AND TRUTHS REPORT

Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor.  Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

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