GMO – friend or foe?

From our beloved Giants winning the world series to very energized local, state, and national elections, the spirit in this town never ceases to amaze me.

One of the things I love most about Sonoma is it’s care and compassion for doing the right thing. I witnessed this during the past election when so many people came out to support the idea of understanding more about GMO foods. I’m not talking specifically about whether or not people voted for Prop 37, I’m talking about the awareness and concern about the issue. I witnessed many conversations, emails, posts, etc., of people asking great questions, sharing meaningful thoughts and providing well-intended answers. Way to go, Sonoma.

I am a nutrition geek, as most of you know. I have a passion for healthy living and for education when it comes to food quality. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that for the past several years I have become more and more concerned about the effects of GMO’s on our heath. So in light of the recent election, I want to share with you some simple food for thought (pun intended) and resources to help you to understand the serious dangers of GMO foods on our health.

Science has proven that there is a correlation between the increasing amount of food intolerances and genetically modified foods. In the recent documentary by “ Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives,” Jeffrey Smith reveals how the Bt toxin in genetically modified foods destroys the digestive tract of mammals. As a nutrition coach and practitioner who tests people for food intolerances, I have seen big increases of food intolerances over the past 10 years.

According to NaturalNews.com, a staggering 40 percent of the US population now suffers from gluten intolerance in one form or another. Taking into account that gluten sensitivity has risen sharply over the past 20 years, researchers and food safety advocates are now looking into the role that GMO’s play in this dramatic spike.
Many studies reflect an increasing concern over male infertility and GMO’s. Another health related health concern with GMO foods is weight gain. There are several reasons why GMO’s make you fat, including the damage they do to your gut and the presence of food intolerances. The body is way smarter than we give it credit for, and when given something that is trying to “pretend” to be the real thing, the body sees that as a stressor and creates a stress response. The body chemicals involved in stress response create mid-section fat and even insulin resistance over time.

Understand that there is a lot of money and effort going into keeping you from knowing the truth about what GMO’s are doing to our health. Please take the time to find the truth, and to spread the word. There is nothing more important than your health.

Here is what you can do now:

Get informed/educated!

Shop local, organic, and ask questions when you do.

Read labels. Labels on fruits and veggies have a number system. If the item has a five digit number starting with 8, it is genetically modified.

Shop Whole Foods Market, who participates in the No GMO Project by labeling foods that are Non GMO Certified.

Unfortunately, GMO foods make up the vast majority of foods consumed by American’s today. You can avoid them by cooking at home and by shopping for foods that are Non GMO Certified.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to do a food intolerance test or to learn more about how to live a GMO-free lifestyle.

Heather Morgan, MS, NLC, can be reached at [email protected]