From Helen Chin Lui’s book, “Digestive Health Secrets: Deactivate Your Sick Genes NOW!” coming out in 2015.

Many clients come to the Healing Place looking for help with digestive disorders such as constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, acid reflux, and Crohn’s disease, and despite everything they do, they are still in discomfort. Most of the time they are on some kind of medication for their digestive disorder and they have not found it to be helpful.  Even though I am not a nutritionist, when I meet a client for the first time I like to know what foods they are drawn to.  I have noticed that people with digestive disorders have food cravings, especially to gluten and sugar products. I decided to look to do some research why the foods today causes such problems in the stomach. One of the subjects I researched is GMO food. Many people have heard about GMOs but don’t know what they really are. It is disturbing and scary how food production has changed over the last fifty years and will continue to change as the demand for food increase. Here is a simple overview.

What are GMOs?
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been a controversial issue since they were introduced to the United States in 1996. GMOs are man-made organisms created in a laboratory by a process called genetic engineering. Governed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a GMO can be defined as an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Objects that have been modified include microorganisms, plants, fish and mammals. The genetic modification includes mutating, splicing, deleting, and changing genes/DNA. How this is done? Extra genes, or new genes or split genes are inserted into another plant’s cell nucleus to create a gene mutation to produce a beneficial crop to produce and feed more people.  The result of new genes would not be found in nature or through any traditional crossbreeding methods.

Although there are many benefits to using GMOs, such as growing enough food for the vast growing global population. GMO plants are designed to be insect-resistant, drought-resistant, and pathogen-resistant and crops can be grown in harsh conditions with less water and produce more vegetable/fruit per acre. Many GMOs plants are also designed to use fewer pesticides and chemicals and to be more disease resistant, but in fact these crops use more pesticides. GMO vegetables have a longer shelf life and are easier to transport longer distances without altering texture and taste. Animals are bred for faster growth, more meat and milk production. (Source: e-how)

Negative Impacts of GMOs
1. Food Allergies – foods that you may never have been allergic to before, but now you are allergic to them.
2. Body toxicity – build up of body toxins, which can lead to many health issues, especially in young growing children. As stated in NaturalNews.com, there are studies that show a link between GMOs and obesity, cancer, antibiotic-resistant pathogens and toxicity.
3. Reproductive issues – There are studies where animals eating GMO foods have become sterile.
4. Digestive Disorders – There are findings that GMOs are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, causing digestive disorders and overtaxing the immune system. Digestive disorders caused by ingesting GMO have caused irreversible affects.
5. Your DNA! – No one knows how GMOs affect human DNA. Think about it! There are cases where rats and mice died within weeks when eating GMOs food products.

Steps you can take to avoid GMOs
1. Know your farmer. Go to farmer’s markets and ask them where they get their seeds and what their farming practices are like. Farmer’s markets are growing in popularity, with new markets popping up every year.
2. Buy a Community Supported Agriculture Share (CSA).  Purchasing a share at the beginning of the year assures you a share of the produce throughout the growing season. Many shares have deliveries in cities and other markets, so that even if you aren’t close to a farm, you can get farm fresh vegetables and fruit.
3. Buy organic. Products labeled organic cannot contain GMO foods.
4. Much of the GMO corn and soy grown today is for livestock feed. Lessen your consumption of animal products by replacing at least one meal per week with a vegetarian option.
5. Buy grass-fed beef, which, in addition to being leaner and healthier for you, isn’t fed GMO feed.
6. If you are in the market to purchase fruit or vegetable seeds ask the company if they develop their own seeds and it not, where the seeds come from. Don’t be afraid to ask about their seed buying practices. Specify that you are looking for non-GMO seeds if that is your desire.

What you can do to get GMO tested and food labeled?
Contact your senator and representatives in your district asking them to support bills calling for mandatory labeling and safety testing of GMOs. Since GMOs have not been tested for safety, ask for safety measures or be taken off the market until proven safe. At this time food labeled with GMO food products are not required in USA or Canada.

References:
Frederiksen K, Rosenquist H, Jørgensen K, Wilcks A. Occurrence of natural Bacillus thuringiensis contaminants and residues of Bacillus thuringiensis-based insecticides on fresh fruits and vegetables. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 May;72(5):3435-40.
Hendriksen NB, Hansen BM. Detection of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki HD1 on cabbage for human consumption. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2006 Apr;257(1):106-11.
Zhou G, Yan J, Dasheng Z, Zhou X, Yuan Z. The residual occurrences of Bacillus thuringiensis biopesticides in food and beverages. Int J Food Microbiol. 2008 Sep 30;127(1-2):68-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2008.06.004. Epub 2008 Jun 12.
Cichosz G, Wiackowski SK. [Genetically modified food–great unknown]. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2012 Aug;33(194):59-63.
Rosenquist H, Smidt L, Andersen SR, Jensen GB, Wilcks A. Occurrence and significance of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis in ready-to-eat food. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2005 Sep 1;250(1):129-36. aling center

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The Healing Place has helped hundreds of adults and children to find long-lasting relief from chronic pain, digestive issues and heal hormonal imbalances naturally.

Helen Chin Lui is a certified Reflexologist, Certified Energy Medicine and Reiki Practitioner. She is the founder and owner of the Healing Place in Medfield. She specializes in helping people with chronic digestive disorders. For her free report “Proven Alternative Ways to Heal Common Chronic Digestive Problems: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Can Keep You From Healing” click here.

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