What is a GMO?

What is a GMO?  I've never heard of that.  I'm eating it?  It's in my food?  Oh, it IS my food!  Hummmm?  Is it good?  Is it bad? 

Those are the questions and comments I hear from people.  I had heard of GMO's years ago and knew about all the research going into them, but somehow I was acutely unaware that we were already eating them!  Actually, I didn't realize we were eating them until a few years ago (and was outraged).  Thus began my research.

Before we begin I want to tell you a true story.  When I was 15 years old (around 1995/1996) I began having severe stomach aches.  So bad, in fact, that at school they would let me go lay down in the hall during class until the tummy ache passed.  The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong because I ate a really healthy diet and didn't have any other symptoms.  All my blood work and tests came back perfect.  These tummy aches were not continual and only seemed to last about an hour (or less) at a time, but they would come on suddenly and leave just as mysteriously.  Most of the time I had them in the early afternoon shortly after lunch or in the evenings just after dinner.  Was there a common thread?  Looking back I would say YES, although at the time the food log I kept did not show a theme.  What do I think the theme was?  GMO's.  Come to find out that GM soy beans, canola oil, corn, potatoes and cotton were introduced to the public in 1995 (without labels or differentiation)...the same year I began having tummy aches!  Our family has been heavily organic for over a year now, and my tummy aches disappeared (we are also a GMO-free home).  Yup, that's my true story.

Now on to what a GMO is.  GMO stands for genetically modified organism.  This is not a hybrid, grafted or cross pollinated seed/plant, but rather it is a seed whose DNA had been changed using science.  Sort of like a Frankenseed.  Wikippedia's definition of a GMO is: A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. 

Photo from EcoChild's Play

For GMO food's the main purpose is to allow the foods to withstand more and more pesticides and herbicides, or to allow the plant (as in corn) to produce it's own pesticide so that when an insect ingests the food it's stomach ruptures!  (Yikes, maybe that explains my old tummy aches)

Image from richardyoung.com

Because these crops kill so many insects not just from ingestion, but simply by flying around the crops in 2006, there was a sudden, mysterious disappearance of honey bees in the United States, Europe and Brazil, and was a reminder of the quote attributed to Albert Einstein, and a wake-up call for mankind.  After all, Albert Einstein said, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live"? (info from Benefits of honey).  Now Monsanto is reportedly trying to engineer a honey bee that can withstand and survive their GM crops.   For more information on the bees you can check out Natural News or Natural Society. 

 

Image from here

 

Guess what?  As of 2012 there were no approved GM animals, but by the end of 2012 GM Salmon was close to being FDA approved for human consumption.  To help stop GMO Salmon for consumption go here.

What do I do?  Well, to avoid GMO's eat Organic or Non-GMO verified products.  Or, grow some of your own food.  Avoid conventional foods that contain any of the following ingredients that may or may not be GMO (you can find out from calling manufacturers, but if they will not tell you then it is most likely GMO) unless organic or Non-GMO verified: (I underlined ingredients you will see a lot.  Remember, fresh foods fruit/veggies do not contain these ingredients; only processed foods.  If you see these ingredients go for the organic or Non-GMO verified alternative.  Also, added vitamins may sound good, but if they are added they are man made, not naturally occurring.  It may be more expensive, but can you put a price on your health?)

Possible GMO Ingredients:

• Aspartame (aminosweet, nutrasweet, Equal Spoonful, Canderel, Benevia, E951), Baking Powder, Canola Oil (rapeseed oil), Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Colorose, Condensed Milk, Confectioners Sugar, Corn Flour, Corn Masa, Corn Meal, Corn oil, Corn sugar, Corn syrup, Corn starch, Cottonseed oil, Cyclodextrin, Cystein, Dextrin, Dextrose, Diacetyl, Diglyceride, Erythritol, Equal, Food starch, Fructose, Glucose, Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, Glycerides, Glycerin, Glycerol, Glycerol Monooleate, Glycine, Hemicellulose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Starch, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Inositol, Inverse syrup, Inversol, Invert Sugar, Isoflavones, Lactic acid, Lecithin, Leucine, Lysine, Malitol, Malt, Malt Syrup, Malt Extract, Maltodextrin, Maltose, Mannitol, Methylcellulose, Milk Powder, Milo starch, Modified Food Starch, Modified Tarch, Mono and Diglycerides, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Natural Flavor, Nutrasweet, Oleic acid, Phenylalanine, Phytic Acid, Shoyu, Sorbitol, Soy flour, soy isolates, soy lecthin, soy milk,soy oil, soy protein, soy protein isolate, soy sauce, starch, steric acid, sugar (unless specified as cane sugar), sweet corn, tamari, tempeh, Teriyaki marinades, textured vegetable protein, threonine, tocopherols (vitamin E), Tofu, Trehalose, Triglyceride, Vegetable fat, Vegetable oil, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Whey, Whey Powder, Xanthan Gum  (Source Nongmoshoppingguide.com)

I have my own feelings about the companies creating GMO products for the demise of the human race, or maybe just because they love the almighty $, but I am not going to list company names here. This is not a finger pointing blog post (although it may seem like it), but rather a place to help people be informed. If you want to know who is behind the creating of GMO's, and WHY I suggest you do some basic research yourself.

What does all of this have to do with my blog name of 'Gifts From Heave'?  I believe that God has given us the tools we need to live a full, abundant and healthy life while we are here on earth.  The tools to be spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically healthy.  One of those tools is in the food He has provided us.  Untainted and natural food from the ground (without the aid of human inventions to help in His process).  I believe His food is a gift to us!  So enjoy it in it's healthy and living form.