Schools in Wisconsin are showing kids the dangers of junk food with some unique science class experiments. Luigi Frigo repeats the experiment every year in her second grade class.

The students feed one group of mice unprocessed whole foods. A second group of mice are given the same junk foods served at most schools. Within a couple of days, the behavior of the second group of mice changes. They develop erratic sleeping schedules and become lazy, nervous and even violent. It takes the mice about three weeks on unprocessed foods to return to normal.

According to Frigo, the second graders tried to do the experiment again a few months later with the same mice, but the animals learned their lesson and refused to eat the junk food. (9) Read the article at: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14507.cfm

This video features Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant talking with “In Defense of Food” author Michael Pollan and Google.org’s head of global development, Sonal Shah, on the topic of “Creating a World That Can Feed Itself.”

Pollan found Grant’s confidence about the potential of genetically modified foods troubling, given that high yields have not historically been a strength of genetically modified crops. He challenged Monsanto to join the effort to feed the world on terms that are ecologically and economically reasonable — such as allowing farmers to save seed, which Pollan called critical to food security. Monsanto currently views seed saving as piracy.

PLEASE GO HERE AND WATCH THIS VIDEO! THEN PASS IT ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! We have to educate each other to what is going on with our food supply. There are many places to learn more about Monsanto if you don’t know who they are (and you should if you don’t, learn more about them please.) Here is another video about them. There is so much more going on that I could dedicate an entire blog to just how evil Monsanto is and what they are trying to do worldwide to our food supply. Be educated and buy organic!

Studies have linked pesticides to an astounding array of health problems including:

*     Cancer
*     Fertility problems
*     Brain tumors
*     Childhood leukemia
*     Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
*     Birth defects
*     Irritation to skin and eyes
*     Hormone or endocrine system problems
*     Nervous system damage

Those especially at risk from pesticides are children, whose bodies are still developing, along with pregnant women, whose unborn children are extremely susceptible to damage from these toxic chemicals.

Even low levels of pesticides, consumed over time, can be problematic. A study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, for instance, found that people who had been exposed to low levels of pesticides were 1.13 times as likely to have Parkinson’s disease as those who had never been exposed.

And if you eat produce, there’s a good chance you’re being exposed. According to Hazardous Pesticides in the European Parliament, released October 2007, the eight food samples they tested, which ranged from oranges to strawberries to grapes, contained 28 different pesticide residues, with an average of almost five per fruit.

The pesticides included:

*      10 known carcinogens
*      3 neurotoxins
*      3 reproductive or developmental toxins
*      8 suspected endocrine disrupters
*      2 contaminants classified as “Highly Hazardous” by the World Health Organization

Three of the eight food samples contained pesticide residues so high they were technically illegal to sell, and the oranges contained illegally high levels of imazalil, a carcinogen. By eating just one orange, a 5-year-old would receive 70 percent of the “Acute Reference Dose” for that chemical.

Fortunately, the amount of pesticides you consume is something you can take control of.

How Can You Stop Consuming Pesticides?

There are numerous ways to make sure that the food you and your family depend on is as pesticide- and herbicide-free as possible. The top tips include:

1.      Choose organic produce and animal products (dairy, eggs, meat). By definition, organic producers must “abstain from the application of prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge) for 3 years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license.”
2.      Wash your produce thoroughly using a high-quality veggie wash. Contrary to popular belief, simply washing with water and peeling fruit and vegetables is not enough to protect yourself and your family from pesticides. It will reduce the levels somewhat, but it will not eliminate them.
3.      If you can’t buy organic, choose the least contaminated produce. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not-for-profit environmental research organization, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there, and concentrating on the least contaminated instead, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 90 percent. (click here for a list of the 20 most contaminated and 20 least contaminated pesticides.)
4.      Choose organic varieties of other foods as well. Pesticide use usually centers on produce, but some studies have found wine, bread, wheat and flour products (such as pasta, pizza, cookies, cereal, and more) to contain high levels of pesticides as well.
5.      Make sure your water is pesticide-free. DEET, a chemical found in insect repellants, has been found in some drinking water supplies. The U.S. government doesn’t have standards for DEET in your water, so to find out if your water is safe you can have it independently tested to find out what, if any, contaminants exist.

Once you implement these tips, you may be wondering, will it really make an impact? According to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives, yes!

When kids switched from conventional food to organic food, their levels of pesticides became undetectable within eight to 36 hours.

“Once you switch from conventional food to organic, the pesticides (malathion and chlorpyrifos) that we can measure in the urine disappears. The level returns immediately when you go back to the conventional diets,” said Chensheng Lu, the lead author of the study and a professor at Emory University’s School of Public Health.

The 20 Fruits and Veggies With the MOST Pesticides

These are the ones that you should always buy organic, if possible. If you do buy conventional versions of the following produce, please be sure to wash them thoroughly (organic produce, of course, should also be washed just in case). These are ranked in order by EWG, with the worst of the bunch, peaches, at #1.

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes
13. Carrots
14. Green Beans
15. Hot Peppers
16. Cucumbers
17. Raspberries
18. Plums
19. Grapes (Domestic)
20. Oranges

The 20 Fruits and Veggies With the LEAST Amount of Pesticides

According to EWG, the following produce has the lowest pesticide load, ranked in order with the produce with the absolute lowest pesticides first.

1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn (Frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas (Frozen)
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Papaya
13. Blueberries
14. Cauliflower
15. Winter Squash
16. Watermelon
17. Sweet potatoes
18. Tomatoes
19. Honeydew melon
20. Cantaloupe

Ok, I have 2 rants on my mind this week:

One is ever present and if you have ever got me on the subject you will know how passionate I am about my disdain for one of the most evil companies in this world. I fear for our future as long as the Monsanto corp. carries the power and resources it does. The government loves them, the pharmaceutical companies love them (they are also owned by them), the pesticide companies love them (oh yea, they own those too). They are intimately involved in everything evil having to do with ruining our environment, poisoning our food and water supplies, and making it a goal to make us all die of liver failure from taking their “life saving” drugs. I could honestly go on and on, but the great Dr. Mercola has often addressed this subject and has a lot of great information on Monsanto on his website www.mercola.com so you can read more there. What I want to share with you all is a very important documentary that has been released. I want everyone in the world to see this video, I feel it is so important for everyone to at least be informed that there are companies like Monsanto lurking out there and slowly taking control of your health from every aspect. There are links to 2 videos about Monsanto, PLEASE WATCH THEM BOTH! But be prepared, they will make you furious, but share your information and eventually we will get enough aware consumers that maybe we can someday take down this Goliath!

Watch \”The future of food\”

Watch \”the world according to Monsanto\”

Ok, Now on to rant #2:

I don’t know if you noticed a tiny little article towards the bottom of yesterday’s front page in the Arizona Republic, but the title reads “cholesterol drugs being touted for some children as young as 8″. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? My blood pressure shot through the roof when I read that. Do a google search for “cholesterol drugs for children” and you will find hordes of sites talking about it. Most of them act like this is a great idea, and a wonderful way to help our obese children. One thing that really struck me was that the doctor quoted, Dr.Daniels, now serves on the nutrition committee of the American Academy of pediatrics. But before the recent research came out that declared “cholesterol drugs are generally safe for kids” he worked as a consultant for Abbott labs (hmmm, maybe he also took part in that “research”) then he also “consulted” for Merck Pharmaceuticals (hmmm, can anyone say kick backs for pushing cholesterol lowering drugs to a new population?) It makes me crazy. There is such corruption in the “health” industry, this kind of stuff happens every day…

So, bottom line, if you have or even don’t have a history of heart disease or high cholesterol in your family, FEED YOUR CHILDREN WELL! Don’t drug them because you don’t have the ability to tell your children “no, we aren’t going to eat that because it doesn’t help your body be strong and healthy”. Take the time to feed your family well, don’t resort to cheap packaged products and fast food because we are too busy doing other things in life, our children have to be more important than that! Studies have suggested that the newest generation of children will be the first to have a lifespan shorter than their parents. I choose to let that statistic not apply to my children, I hope you do to! If you need more information, read all I have posted here, sign up for my newsletter for important updates, take natural health classes, educate yourself, and then take what you have learned to help others, we have to help each other learn more about living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.

End of rant, thanks for reading…

Genetic engineering is the largest food experiment in the history of the world. We are all the guinea pigs.

There are about 40 varieties of genetically engineered crop approved for marketing in the U.S. As a result, 60-70% of the foods on your grocery shelves contain genetically engineered (GE) components.

Genetically engineered foods contain substances that have never been a part of the human food supply. They are not subjected to rigorous pre-market safety testing. And THEY ARE NOT LABELED.

By now, most of us know that we should try to avoid genetically engineered (GE) foods. What comes to mind? Corn? Soy? Although it may seem easy to avoid corn or soy, the extent to which GE foods are found in everyday food is astonishing. And even more shocking is the fact that GE foods are NOT labeled! Unsure of exactly what genetically engineered food really means and how to steer clear of it? Read on.

Genetic engineering is the process in which DNA, an organism’s blueprint, is modified. In the food industry, companies use this technique to insert DNA from one organism into that of another. This trend started about ten years ago with the tomato. Tomatoes do not survive the frost. Genetic engineers have solved this problem by inserting the DNA of an arctic fish (which can survive the frost) into the tomato, lengthening its shelf life. Sounds great, right? Actually, there are many detrimental consequences of genetically modified foods. Most importantly, no long-term side effects have been studied, leading us to wonder how our bodies will be affected by these completely foreign, unnatural foods in the future. We are the first generation, and therefore guinea pigs, consuming foods that humans have never been exposed to.

Genetically engineered food is also associated with food allergies. Fish genes, for example are often used in genetic engineering. Guess what? Fish is also one of the top eight food allergens.

This would not be so problematic if you knew which foods had been genetically modified. There is almost no way, just by looking at a product, to determine whether or not it contains GE ingredients. Organic foods are the only foods with guidelines that expressly prohibit genetically engineering.Luckily, there are a few resources to find out if the other food that you are eating has been genetically modified. One of them is True Food Now!, a comprehensive website that lists common brands that employ genetic engineering and those that do not.