My Letter to Times Online UK: GM Soya Beans NOT Healthy

A lot of people ask whether GM foods (like all conventional, non-organic soy and corn nowadays) are really that much of a health risk. Read my previous blog on the subject to learn more about the negatives.

But something that is even more aggravating to me, politically speaking, is Monsanto's stance on labeling foods GM (so we can monitor whether, for instance, the rise in corn and soy allergies is due to these franken-foods), and on public advertising and marketing campaigns focused on proving GM's application to health and wellness. This has gone much too far.

Read my response to the UK branch of Times Online regarding this very subject:

Letter to Times Online Article - GMO Soybean Scam

online.editor@timesonline.co.uk
Times Online, UK

To Whom It May Concern:

In a recent article titled, “GM Bean Could Help Prevent Heart Attacks” by your Science Editor Mark Henderson, I was disheartened to see that in the extensive covering of this new component of our food culture none of the highly controversial and globally debated topics were discussed regarding Monsanto, and their Genetically Modified Foods.

Monsanto’s Vice-President for Consumer Traits, David Stark, was quoted in your article as saying that this new Soya bean is “another reason for consumers to pause and consider whether GM has a role to play.” He thinks that GM Soya does have a role to play, should we allow it, “not only for how we deliver food for this planet, but also for how we protect our health. So, let us pause and consider some of the alternate findings, that have very much to do with our health, outside of the small studies being instituted to fast-track this soya bean into our collective mouths.

Genetically modified foods have been studied extensively in their reactions on both animals and humans. Mice fed GM potatoes had intestinal damage, farmers have reported that pigs and cows have become sterile from GM corn, and a recent study funded by the Austrian government concluded that GM crops threaten human fertility and health safety. This is just a sampling of 65 health risks of GM foods, excerpted from Jeffrey Smith’s research and documentation on the subject (Smith 2007, 21-63). Even more interesting is the fact that in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced, soy allergies skyrocketed.

Monsanto expects this new bean to be ‘cleared’ by the FDA by 2011, but should we trust such an association? A study conducted by eight international researchers revealed a doubt in the reliability and accuracy of European Food Safety (EFSA) and the United States FDA tests to assess the health risks of GMOs and pesticides (Organic Consumers Association, 2009). They were quoted as saying that these committees “systematically overlook the side effects of GMOs and pesticides.” They demanded the publication of the results of tests regarding GMO safety, which are only revealed one-by-one as legal action is instituted.

It is clear to me that one study, with just 33 people, is not sufficient to warrant such health claims and blind enthusiasm for an unknown product and food-like-substance. Nor does it make sense to stop at just 250 volunteers in a research study lead by the same Professor William Harris. We should be asking questions like, what independent, non-biased study has proven the long term effectiveness and safety of this supposed heart-healthy bean? And when there is such strong, diverse, and vast argument opposing this industry and technology, should we not take notice, not only as consumers, but as journalists?

Natalie Anastasio Pescetti, CN, NE
Mount Shasta, CA

Healthy Easter Basket Tips

The fuzzy and fluffy white Easter bunny, the mascot of this coming Sunday morning, represents varying degrees of significance to different people. To me, it is a time of renewal, of shedding off the old unused and outdated parts of our selves, and bringing in the new to bloom. But to my daughter, the Easter bunny represents CHOCOLATE, and nothing else.

Holidays can be hard for parents who want to focus on eating healthy, individually and as a family. But they are also the best time to get festive, and figure out how to create an awesome memory for our child, free from the singular sweetness of commercial candy. Surprisingly, kids actually have many motivators outside the realm of junk food and sweets. 

Here are some simple tips and ideas for making your Easter basket, or Easter egg hunt, more healthy and in line with the true nature of this holiday. Use some or all of the below to make a unique basket stuffed full of goodies that will not send your child into a drunken sugar binge.

• Art Supplies - New crayons, markers, paint, glitter and glue sticks. All art supply stores are wonderous in their inventory, and stuffing a basket full of these creative items will provide hours of fun throughout the day.
• Stickers
• Stuffed Animals
• Tickets - Buy your child a ticket (or make one yourself if you do not have time to stop by the theater) for a movie, the local ice skating rink, or bowling alley. 
• Books
• Music - My 7 year old loves receiving new, odd music from me that lasts her for days as she discovers new songs.
• Soap, Lotions, or Chapstick
• Bubble Bath
• Socks with cool designs
• Home Made Gift Certificates - Make coupons (with the help of the Easter bunny) that you know will excite your child. Here are some ideas: room cleaning by mom and dad, pick your favorite dinner, breakfast in bed, 1 hour playtime, slumber party, etc.
• Treats - Add something sweet, but only as a sideline (think small). A small organic dark chocolate egg, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (your child's favorite fruit will brighten up that basket!), carob chips in a baggie.
• Flowers - If we love receiving flowers, why wouldn't our children? Just choose a couple stems to enliven the basket. You could even make homemade potpourri with it after!
• Board Games or Card Games
• An Itinerary for the Day - Make a list of all the activities that you will do in the day together. You may want to include art time, play time, craft projects, or events that you will be attending. This is emphasizing experiences, rather than things.

Kids want more than candy, toys, and new gadgets. They want attention, love, and warm experiences. Use Easter as an opportunity to come together as a family, and enjoy the day. Think about those things that you can do, every year around this time, to celebrate the end of the darkness of winter, and the illumination that comes from spring. Family traditions start outside the box of conventional standards, and provide richness and stability that will be held for a lifetime.

I am starting a tradition this year that I am excited about. Every year the Easter bunny is bringing a recipe basket. This basket will be for the whole family, and it will be chalked full of fresh wholesome ingredients, along with a recipe card, for a yummy lunch or dinner. We will read the card, look at each fresh vegetable, herb, and spice and identify it, and make it together. You can even do another basket with the dessert of the day (and forgo the treat in the basket if you would like). I would recommend a raw dessert, made from wholesome ingredients. Rawfoodists are outstanding bloggers, so search away and experiment with their recipes!

A happy, wholesome Easter is just a few steps away with a little preparation. Be creative, make new traditions, and do not forget to add things that fulfill you, inside and out.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter: Oh, Hell Yes I Am Turning the Tub Around!

Years ago, when I was just a wee child, a common staple in my family household was I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (ICBINB). On corn-on-the-cob, cinnamon toast, bagels, pastries, pasta, rice, and steamed carrots. That yellow tub was a familiar friend, and my mother, an amazing and devoted cook, trusted it.

In a sick, yet genius marketing campaign in the 1990's they plastered romance-novel-muscle-clad-Italian-model Fabio Lanzoni in their commercials lubricating the loins of their prime target audience, the stay-at-home and working mother. The campaign was successful and lured the grocery buyer away from butter (and saturated fat demonized for its apparent link to the rising incidence in heart disease) to hydrogenated, trans fatty acid, artery-clogging, vein-hardening vegetable oils.

Now, they are yet again positioning themselves in a campaign to do damage control, aimed at recovering their reputation after the potential genocide of the average consumer's cardiovascular system where the content of their previous version of ICBINB was linked with a host of disorders and dangerous health complications. And we are falling for it again hook, line, and sinker.

The current advertising campaign is using the actress Megan Mullally (you know, the socialite secretary from Will & Grace) in prime time spots dancing and singing the catchy song "Turn the Tub Around", being carried by young male grocery store workers (and they say men are the only ones who fall for this kind of advertising!). Here are the lyrics (but I have highlighted the ones pertaining to health claims to prevent sudden aneurysm):

Turn the tub around, talking 'bout nutrition - Come see what we've found - It's what you've been wishin' - Big transition! - Butter lovers start rejoicin' - 'Cause we got a butter tastin' - Healthier choice in - Hustle over, - pick up a tub and read it - You're gonna find that butter, - don't really need it! - Whoa! - Turn the tub around - Feel the admiration - This is so profound - Healthier formulation - Formulation! - Fresh butter taste - Yes, that's here - No hydrogenated oils - So there is no trans fats here! - Memorize this tub, - then you just gotta grab it! - So, hold the butter, - Lets start a healthier habit! - Whoa Whoa! - Cause a closer looks gonna show - It's got great taste with no cholesterol - Do a nice thing for your body, - yeah, yeah yeah! - And when you compare it to butter, - It's an utter shame that butter's got more saturated fat than in this tub! - Hey! - Turn the tub around - Check each word and letter - How it does astound - Can't believe its better! - Believe its better! - Turn the tub around - Now that you have read it! - Go tell the whole town - Its the time to spread it! - Gotta spread it! - Gotta spread it! - Gotta spread it!



Unilever (ICBINB's parent company) has also bought a whole channel on Dish Network devoted to the nonstop playing of this song, karaoke style with words at the bottom (I petition that this should be used as an instrument of torture, probably more efficient than the BeeGee's). So, with the song obviously promoting the newer healthier formulation of ICBINB is it, in fact, healthy? Lets start with the ingredient list to see what it is made of (green type are my comments):

INGREDIENTS: VEGETABLE OIL BLEND (LIQUID SOYBEAN OIL (genetically modified Omega 6 oil), PALM OIL, PALM KERNEL OIL, LIQUID CANOLA OIL (genetically modified)), WATER, NATURAL SWEET CREAM BUTTERMILK* (exposure to pesticides, rBGH), SALT (90mg per serving), VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, NATURAL SOY LECITHIN (GM), (POTASSIUM SORBATE (may cause irritation to membranes), CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (May cause intestinal upsets, muscle cramps, kidney damage, and blood in urine. On the FDA priority list of food additives to be studied for mutagenic, teratogenic, subsacute, and reproductive effects) USED TO PROTECT QUALITY, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICAL FLAVORS (possible MSG which promotes weight gain), VITAMIN A (PALMITATE), BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

*Adds a dietarily insignificant amount of cholesterol per serving.

Now, the claim that it is less in saturated fat than regular butter, that is true. It is also correct that there are no hydrogenated oils in the label. But read the pointers below to find out what is NOT healthy when you really analyze the ingredients and 'turn the tub around:'

1.  Trans Fats: These unhealthy fats most likely do exist in this product. As long as the content is below 0.5g/serving, they can round down and label it as 0g, thanks to funding given to the FDA by the food industry to keep this loop hole in effect. That means that there could potentially be up to 14.7 grams of trans fat per tub (0.49g x 30 servings). Many people eat a tub a week, and thus are going to be receiving a good amount of cardiovascular disease promoting substances from this product in the long run.
2. Damaged Fats: A majority of the fats in this tub are polyunsaturated (vs. saturated or monounsaturated). Polyunsaturates are the most sensitive, unstable, and vulnerable fats that exist. They are easily damaged and oxidized by light, air, and heat (all the components that go into manufacturing and processing). So, you are eating deodorized, artificially flavored rancid fat when you eat polyunsaturates in processed food form. Get them from the whole food (like the soybean, flaxseed, sunflower seed, corn) and they are beautifully healthy for you.
3. Inflammation: Excess Omega 6 fatty acids (like the ones found in soybean oil) and damaged fats (in the vegetable oil formula above) promote inflammation in the body. It is the inflammatory response that promotes plaque build up and hardening in the arteries, high blood pressure, and a higher risk of heart disease. Inflammation is also linked to other disorders like weight gain, diabetes, arthritis, and auto-immune diseases.
4. Genetically Modified Ingredients: These franken-foods have been linked to immune deficiencies, allergies, and fertility issues. They are not required by law to be labeled yet in the US, so many of us who respond to them negatively have no idea what was the trigger. Read the GM Blog I wrote to learn more... http://wheredidthefoodgo.blogspot.com/2009_12_30_archive.html
5. The Itty Bitties: Toxins in even small amounts can be too much for your body to handle. MSG, or monosodium glutamate, can occur in natural and artificial flavorings. This substance is an excitotoxin that makes your brain think the food tastes good, when it really doesn't. It is also used in laboratories to make mice fat for experiments (because they do not exist in nature). Calcium Disodium EDTA needs attention by the FDA, but has yet to be studied. It is no doubt an at-risk substance to be consuming without proper evidence of its safety. 

Consuming damaged fats, chemicals and flavor enhancers is going to do nothing for your health, other than compromise it. You will age faster, look older, be more prone to weight gain, immune deficiencies, general inflammation, and degenerative diseases.

It may seem a bit daunting to realize that advertising really has nothing to do with the truth. You may ask, "If it were really this bad, would they really be able to sell it and market it this way? Wouldn't someone stand up and discredit it?" Remember the hydrogenated fat revolution that is still going on today? No one stood up for decades, after the damage was already being done. The experts and companies that sold the trans fats products still are not coming forward to take responsibility for false claims and hopes, and for deceiving and endangering the public, despite their own ignorance. Millions of impressionable Americans will buy this product because of the techniques and wordage used above, for no other reason than lack of information, education, and regulation yet to be activated due to profit margin.

If I could be as bold to take a line out of the Unilever book of hymns: Turn the Tub Around, and go tell the whole town!  Lets start a healthier habit!

Here are some healthy fat recommendations:

• coconut oil, unrefined (use in stir fries, and as a butter for toast and other baked goods)
• coconut milk
• olive oil, unrefined (drizzled on toast, rice, pasta)
• avocados
• olives
• raw, soaked nuts and seeds (sesame, sunflower, almond, cashew, macadamia, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans)
  
• raw nut butters
• flax oil (raw)
  
• wild pacific salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, chunk light tuna

Enjoy healthy fats! It is necessary for the vibrancy of every cell in your body, promoting mood, brain, heart, nerve, respiratory, immune, and digestive health.

And do not eat fat out of a yellow tub.

The Special K Weight Loss Scam!

My husband was out of town. And my daughter at a friends. Time for me to have some fun. I decided to do what any self-obsessed, deranged nutritionist would do - go and read labels at my local grocery store! I felt like a detective, elbow deep into the candies, crackers, margarine, and frozen foods, notebook in hand. Quantifying how many times I saw 'high fructose corn syrup' and 'partially hydrogenated' anything. "They still use this stuff?" I said in my head. "YOU still buy it?" I thought, brow crinkled, as a man reached around me to buy a tub of Gold N' Soft margarine. I should get a basket and start throwing stuff in.. you know, just to blend.

I found my way to the candy aisle. So beautiful, colorful, and shiny. A couple steps further and I saw the "diet" section. Sugar-free candies, low-carb crackers, and diet bars. I must be on to something, because diet food, sandwiched next to, and looking a lot like, the junk food? Hmmmm... something is fishy (or more like that smell of 6 month old, oxidized plasticized hydrogenated oil).

My victim of choice - the Special K Protein "Feel Fuller Longer" (yes, this is verbatim what is on the front) Chocolate Peanut Butter naturally and artificially flavored Bar. Why? Because it is one thing to make a candy, and clearly advertise it as that (a treat) but it is another to promote a product based upon its supposed ability to curb your appetite and help you lose weight, when it is actually just a candy bar.

This bar is good. I know because my husband told me. I left this experiment next to the computer by mistake, where my guinea pig partner so bravely consumed it in a feat of extreme hunger (and was ultimately NOT satisfied).

This bar is basically hydrogenated candy, injected with soy-sludge by-product protein. Here is the list of ingredients with my usual sarcastic comments in green:

COATING (SUGAR (the first ingredient, meaning there is more sugar in this bar than anything else), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL (hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, have been linked to excess weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and have been proven to be harder to burn off, or lose, than healthy fats )†, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE (a synthetic wax), SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (possible MSG), POLYSORBATE 60), SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, HYDROGENATED RAPESEED AND COTTONSEED OIL (hydrogenated oils have also been linked to lower testosterone levels, and immune deficiencies), SALT), CORN SYRUP (a sugar that turns into fat faster than any other sweetener, linked to obesity), INULIN (FAKE fiber), FRUCTOSE (3rd type of sugar), SUGAR (4th type of sugar), RICE STARCH (5th sugar, because processed, white grains and starches turn right into sugar in your body), POLYDEXTROSE (FAKE fiber), RICE CEREAL (RICE, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR (6th sugar listed), DEFATTED WHEAT GERM (all the healthy oils, and some vitamins, have been taken out), SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (7th sugar listed), WHEY, MALT FLAVORING, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B1], FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12) - (synthetic vitamins are put back in, not because the food manufacturers feel guilty, but because they are legally required to), DEXTROSE (8th sugar listed), CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL WITH TBHQ (an antioxidant that actually can be damaged very easily, and small amounts have caused nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium and collapse - 5 grams is a fatal dose) FOR FRESHNESS, GLYCERIN, SORBITOL, SALT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (possible source of MSG), ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SOY LECITHIN, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES (similar to trans fats), XANTHAN GUM, POLYSORBATE 80 (a toxic emulsifier that has been linked to infertility), D-ALPHA TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN E), NIACINAMIDE, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), ALMOND FLOUR, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR (stripped of its healthy oils and vitamins so it lasts longer on the shelf), WHEAT STARCH, VITAMIN B12, FOLIC ACID, BHT FOR FRESHNESS, VITAMIN D.
† LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING

Sugar, in its many forms and disguises, is the real component of this food (3.5 teaspoons worth in each!). If you were to grab all these ingredients and mix them up in a bowl at home, it would be a gooey mess of sugar-laden oils. And why does that not promote weight loss? Here are a couple reasons:

1.  Blood Sugar Spikes - When consuming the above processed sugars (did we count 8 different types?) we get an immediate energy lift, followed by a deep and depressing low. This is what is one of the significant reasons why people feel out of control with food. Their blood sugar levels are so low after the body's insulin as shuffled the dangerous amount of sugar into the cells, that they are more hungry than before, and reach for yet another snack without regard for source. These fluctuating blood sugar levels are the cause of the classic binge eating sessions.
   
2.  Nutrient Depletion - Another downside of sugar-obsessed foods like the Special K Protein bar, is the lack of proper nutrients. If your body were a bank account, every time you eat free sugars like this you would be taking out a withdrawal of energy and resources, rather than adding in a much needed deposit. That is because the body has to give up vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, that were supposed to come along with the food, to digest the flux of artificial substances. You end up more empty than before you started (you know, like Goodfellas roughing you up for money, and you always leave broke). You can see that they try to add in synthetic vitamins, but because they are not in the whole food form, your body does not respond to them as it would to the naturally occurring life-giving substances in a regular, alive food.
3. Inflammation - That full-on assault from excess sugar causes inflammation in the body. Your immune system goes on high alert, trying to kill off or repel the dangerous food you have just eaten. This can cause premature aging (along with those trans fats), energy depletion, skin disorders, and eventually it can lead to degenerative diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. What is the point of losing weight, if you are old, tired, and cranky all the time?
4. Cravings - The more you eat these bars, the more your body gets used to excreting the hormones in response to the sugar spikes. The result? You end up craving more sugary, processed foods than before you began!
   

How could a product containing mostly chemically-derived and produced food-like substances, that all have been linked at the forefront to increased appetite and obesity rates, be marketed as a diet food??

The answer lies in the legalities surrounding health claims on food products. When you go to the Special K website, they specify that this protein bar is a part of a specific diet, consisting mostly of these nutrient-depleted products, in small amounts. Their disclaimer states: Diets high in protein and fiber may aid weight loss. Yet we know that the fake fiber that they inject into the food does not have the same weight-loss, cholesterol-lowering effects of their whole food counterparts, and that the added sugar content does quite a doozey to the declared formula. Here are their instructions for being successful with the plan:

Meal 1: Start your day with a bowl of Special K, 2/3 cup of skim milk.
Meal 2: Replace the second meal (lunch) with a bar like above.
Meal 3: Eat a regular meal like you usually do for dinner
Snacks: Enjoy 2 Special K snacks (like the bars above) a day.
And lose up to 6 lbs. in 2 weeks!

Here is the link to the above: http://www.specialk.com/challenge/instructions

This works only because it decreases the amount of calories consumed. It only can be advertised this way because the FDA allows health claims that are shady, at best, with many assumptions hiding behind the food companies websites and promotional materials, that no self-respecting consumer would spend time researching and reading.You could very well add any food into the above formula for that matter (lets say... a bag of Circus Peanuts) to replace Kelloggs products and come up with the same results: Weight loss for those who are desperate enough, followed by energy and nutrient depletion, and subsequent metabolic breakdowns, leading to added rough weight.

It must feel frustrating for people trying to lose weight. Eating candy bars along with a bowl of cereal makes them only more hungry and depleted, and lacking radiant health more than ever before. My empty basket lays lonely in the aisle, as a woman swoops by me, darting to grab the Strawberry Protein Meal Bar (hey, I would have chosen the chocolate peanut butter, hands down). Unfortunately, the only form of nutrition education that the average American receives is through television and print advertisements, in which case this woman made the most informed decision she could. But I believe that we can do a lot better, in no time.

Subway - Not So Freakin Fresh

Ahhhh, the wonderful brilliance of marketing and advertising. We look at this logo and think, "fresh, crisp, and healthy." We think "green" must mean full of life! But little do we know that the secrets lurking underneath this subway, like the mice scurrying through the underground tunnels of New York's Transportation System, are not so... fresh.

First of all, one thing I want you to always remember, is that eating out is rarely the smart thing to do when it comes to your health. You are paying for all that you see - the rent, the bills, the waiter, the cashier, the cook, the preparer, or at the very least (in the case of these substitute sandwich franchises) the immense advertising campaign. On top of that you have no idea what you are getting (unless, of course, you have a orthorexic friend like me), and let me tell you from experience, more often than not, it is not what your grandmother would have in her cupboard.

So, fresh. Fresh can mean different things to different people. Maybe the marketing executives at Subway eat out of a trash can, and consider that edible goods. Jared, their spokesperson for weight-loss inducing sandwiches, was not concerned with the quality of the food, only the caloric impact. But for most of us, especially ones that seem to read what a company is communicating as their image (refer to above logo), we care. The general definition of the word "fresh," means something that "has its original qualities unimpaired." Hmmm, well, that makes sense. So, naturally we would assume that the majority of the Subway food products (or their sandwiches) would still be in their original, natural state. 

What you may find quite interesting is that out of the 55 individual components that are available to make a sandwich at Subway, only 6 of them could be considered fresh. And based upon the fact that it is snowing in Northern California right now, I am assuming that the tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, olives, and onions are not from my back yard. They most likely were showered with pesticides, herbicides, sewage sludge, and synthetic fertilizer that is standard in conventional farming, and then traveled hundreds of miles in a truck to get here.

You may think that the bread that they make in house would be considered fresh, right? Think again. Here is a list of the ingredients for a piece of their 9 Grain Bread, which sounds oh-so-hearty. I highlighted some of the more obvious, un-fresh items, in red, and my annotations are in green:

Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, barley malt, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) (anytime a flour is enriched, it means that the food manufacturer has stripped the flour of nearly all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so they are legally bound to introduce back in the synthetic vitamins) , water, yeast (source of MSG, and a common allergy), high fructose corn syrup (need I say more? a cause of blood sugar imbalances and weight gain), whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of the following: oat fiber, soybean oil (Genetically Modified), salt, wheat bran, rolled wheat, rye nuggets, dough conditioners (DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate), yeast nutrients (calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), degermed yellow corn meal, rolled oats, rye flakes, caramel color (contains cancer-causing nitrates, and is GM), triticale flakes, parboiled brown rice, refinery syrup, honey, barley flakes, flaxseed, millet, sorghum flour, azodiacarbonamide (Use of azodicarbonamide as a food additive is banned in Australia and in Europe. In Singapore, the use of azodicarbonamide can result in up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of $450,000.), natural flavor (another source of MSG) (maltodextrin, natural flavor, silicon dioxide, lactic acid). Contains wheat (uhh, yeah, among other things).

Well, we all know that bread products are not always fresh. But the meat must be, meat, right? Wrong (boy, am I having fun at this!)! Their Oven Roasted Chicken Patty is a great place to start:

Oven roasted chicken with rib meat (conventionally produced with growth hormones, pesticides, antibiotics), water, seasoning (corn syrup solids, vinegar powder [maltodextrin (GM sugar syrup, source of MSG), modified corn starch & tapioca starch, dried vinegar], brown sugar, salt, dextrose (a sugar derived chemically from starch), garlic powder, onion powder, chicken type flavor [hydrolyzed corn gluten (MSG!), autolyzed yeast extract (MSG!), thiamine hydrochloride, disodium inosinate & disodium guanylate]), sodium phosphate. 

That chicken sure went through the ringer, didn't she? Bathed in MSG (a flavor enhancer that is the chemical used to make mice obese- because they do not exist in nature- for diabetes trials in labs). Lathered in sugar.

Well, the last hoor-rah has got to be the vegetables. What on earth could they do to vegetables to make them, not-so-spanking-new? Let us evaluate the Jalapeno Pepper Slices:

Jalapeno peppers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, natural flavorings (MSG), calcium chloride (salt), sodium benzoate (preservative linked to hyperactivity and accelerated aging when combined with.... drumroll please.... FD&C Yellow #5!), natural flavors (MSG), polysorbate 80 (a preservative which has been linked to infertility), FD &C Yellow #5 (has been linked to asthma attacks and hives, thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, and hyperactivity in children).

As you can see, Subway's products are not fresh, as they claim. Even the best of us think that this is a healthy alternative, (husband, take note!) but do you see that it only seems that way because of the advertising techniques? None of the dozens of products, and the combined-sandwich-outcome, could be fresh, even if you tried. It is a false claim, and one that I think is criminal. Every ingredient seems to be chalked full of synthetic chemicals, flavor enhancers, cancer-causing nitrites and nitrates, monosodium glutamate, sugar, and genetically modified ingredients.

Let me ask you something. What is one of the easiest and most convenient things to make at home? What could your 5 year old prepare and stack together with minimal effort, without the need to tip or pay a teenager with plastic gloves? A sandwich!

Take the anti-Subway challenge and make a sandwich on your own!

Anti-Genetically Modified Foods Are Not Just For Hippies!

I must preface this by saying that I do not have hairy armpits, and I wear deodorant. I love nice clothes, and although my father was a political activist, I have yet to be someone who tacks a sign to her chest and lays in the middle of the boulevard, or lives in a tree (although I think all of the above are admirable, minus the body odor - anyone can do that). Oftentimes people feel that, to become informed and stand up against something that is becoming massively accepted by society, that we must become "hippied-out." Perhaps we think that we have to start wearing Birkenstocks, become a progressive Democrat with Kucinich signs glued to the back of our car, or quit our job and move to Costa Rica to start a healing center.

But real change starts with just a couple of sentences, and the use of your dollar power, and all that you have to believe in is your right to be healthy.

Did you know that genetically modified food (GM) is dangerous to your fertility, your immune system, is hazardous to our ecosystem, and is hidden in food products in your pantry? Maybe you would find it even more interesting that the company that creates this type of altered food is trying to keep it under raps? 

There are a lot of articles out there that go into the specifics of the real threat that is a potential with GM foods, but let me give you a quick run down on what GM foods are, and how they may affect your health.

GM food is essentially food that has been altered by man in a laboratory down to the level of the  DNA. Scientists inject genes from another plant, or even another species, like a spider or a fish, to achieve a particular result. It was thought that doing this would give us the power to achieve pest and disease resistance, temperature and chemical tolerance, and better nutrition in our crops. Monsanto (insert satan's horns here) is the corporation that is creating, patenting, and selling these products. Their mission statement on their site is hilarious and disturbing. They believe they are helping feed the planet.

Boy were they wrong. Here is a list of the disadvantages so far from GM foods.

• Harm to the Ecosystem that Supports the Food in the First Place: A GM Corn that was injected with a gene from a bacterium that is lethal to insect larvae seems to be killing off the monarch butterflies. Also, because nature does not rely on man (I wonder if those idiot scientists ever read my blog?) the wind and insects are carrying these GM seeds to other fields and infecting our food supply, and then Monsanto sues the farmer that ends up with this crop. 
• Guinea Pig Science: These guys do not know what they are doing! In 1989 the FDA recalled supplements of L-tryptophan that was from a company in China that was utilizing genetic engineering to alter the molecular structure of the protein supplement. In doing so, a fatal blood illness was seen in those ingesting it. This is what many critics now say is happening in our food supply; unknown byproducts are being produced that are small and seemingly immeasureable by science, but hold extreme significance to our body's level of homeostasis.
  
• Allergies: There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a potential or new allergen to those susceptible, like children, immunodeficient individuals, and the elderly. And with the above example, those of us who are not prone to allergic response may have one anyway, when the body is exposed to a tomato, lets say, with the splice of a spider gene (hey, that confuses me, I cant imagine what it does to the cells in my body). This is where labeling comes into play - why not label foods that are GM, so we can track if we have negative responses? Because Monsanto believes it will affect their bottom line. Their mission statement should be, "Feeding the world, whether they get sick from it or not."
• Infertility: A recent study came out in Austria that showed those mice who were fed GM corn developed a damaged reproductive system and offspring. Speaking for GM Free Cymru, Dr Brian John said:  “This work will do huge damage to the GM industry worldwide, since it shows that a crop — Monsanto’s maize line NK603 x MON810 — which has been approved as safe by EFSA, and given consent for use in food and feed by the EC, is in fact dangerous to health.  It demonstrates that the approvals process is at best inadequate and at worst corrupt. "
• Immune System Damage: The Italian government's National Institute of Research on Food and Nutrition published in 2008 a study that showed mice who were fed GM corn had "significant disturbances" in their immune system. The T and B cells were decreased in those fed the GM corn, which is a bit like being in Hollywood when the bodyguards and bouncers do not show up in town. Ick. Chaos.   

It is no surprise that many people are up in arms about Monsanto and GM technology. I no doubt predict that more of these studies will arise as time passes. Here are a couple tips to stave off the franken-foods from your pallet, and keep that libido, immune system, and longevity up to its potential:

1. Go Organic: Organic food is legally bound to not source any of their products from GM varieties of food. In other words organic cannot equal GM. And by purchasing organic you are also eating food free of herbicides, pesticides, sewage sludge, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones, or other drugs.
   
2. Avoid Processed Foods: Up to 75% of the ingredients that are on the packages in your grocery store are GM. Eat out of boxes, cans, and bags a lot? Down goes the crazy fake-food.
   
3. Read Labels: Soybeans and corn byproducts are the most widespread GM crops. Avoid their ingredients like corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, soy lecithin, margarine, and tofu.
4. Produce Stickers: Every produce item at your grocery store has 4 digit number if it is conventional (4130), prefaced by a 9 if it is organic (94130), or a 8 if it is GM (84130).

If you could only do one thing for your health, and for your moral conscience, do the above.