IT’S HOT—LET’S GO GET SOME ICE CREAM
….But can ice cream be harmful?
GMO Article #3
As promised, in our continuing series about Food as Medicine and the world of Genetically-Modified Organisms, this week’s article covers Milk and Meat. Hang on to your saddle…we’re going for a ride!
First, A FEW WORDS ABOUT MEATS—Some Positive Progress
As reported in our first article in this series, several countries have banned American meats due to the presence of various chemicals and GMO’s. All this pressure is causing some positive actions.
The Agriculture Department has now approved a label for meat and liquid egg products that includes a claim about the absence of genetically-engineered products. It is the first time that the department has approved a non-G.M.O. label claim, which attests that the meat certified by the Non-GMO Project (more later) came from animals that never ate feed containing genetically engineered ingredients like corn, soy and alfalfa.
We pay the little extra for organic meats. We just don’t eat as much as we used to, but that’s OK. There are so many tasty veggies out there. Why not get more of our nutrition from plants, which are one step closer to the source of energy —the sun. “How many veggies can we fit in our salad?” is one of our biggest debates each week.
Second, MILK DOESN’T DO A BODY GOOD
I think most of us have at least heard and are aware of rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), but do we think about that when we have that urge for ice cream? rBGH is one of the earliest Genetically Engineered products on the market, approved by the FDA in 1993. Yet another Monsanto creation, it is an injected hormone which super-stimulates the cow’s production of milk. The effects on the cows include pus and bacteria in the milk due to inflamed and infected bladders. This causes heavy use of antibiotics, contributing to the army of new super bugs like MRSA, which took the lives of way too many people in the last few years.
RBGH has been banned in several countries—in Japan and the European Union, for example. You guessed it….not only does it make cows sick, it hurts us humans.
rGBH MILK’S EFFECTS ON US
Just spend 30 minutes on Google, and you’ll get a brain full…but you may not want to fill up on ice cream for a while. I’ll list just a few nasty “effects” or rBGH on humans from one article I read: http://healthimpactnews.com/2011/raging-hormones-a-look-at-the-effects-of-rbgh-in-our-food-supply/:
· All the use of antibiotics (80% of the supply is used on our livestock!) is a huge contributor to the growth in super bugs like MRSA, and the latest scary one (VRE) that reportedly kills 50% of those it infects. rBGH is not only messing with the cows, it’s negatively affecting OUR immune systems too!
· Kids are going thru puberty at younger ages than ever.
· Breast Cancers being linked to rBGH
Thankfully, many small dairies are coming out of the woodwork. In the Bay Area of California is the Stauss Family Creamery. In the Denver, Colorado area, you’ll find Morning Fresh Dairy. If we look around here, we’ll find our local sources too. In the meanwhile, there’s the national scene….
Trumpets are Sounding the Sweet Success!!!!
Last week, Ben & Jerry’s announced their intention to remove GMO’s from 200 products by end of 2013.
This is BIG news too because the parent company, Unilever, was a large contributor to killing the recent GMO-labeling initiative in California. Apparently this corporate giant is hearing a rumble of discontent in enough customers to make them spend money on fixing the problem. The tide may begin to turn. Is it “too late”? Well, we see a lot of patients who have been told they would never walk, never heal etc. Guess what? The human body/mind can be far more resilient than we think! So too, I believe, can the earth and its foods. But it will require action! One action I will take is to buy a Ben & Jerry’s when the products have a non-GMO label. Ice cream can be an occasional and very satisfying treat.
So, are you looking for non-GMO-ice cream to satisfy that summer-time, cool-down urge and splurge? Maybe you’ll want to make your own Maple Nut Ice Cream. It’s in our Recipe section below!
Wishing you Well from Vacation in Colorado, and the office is still open limited hours to serve you until Dr. David’s return later this month. Just give us a call and Amanda can schedule you in with Dr. Evan Mahoney, Christine, or Dave Maile.
Dr. David & Deb Martin
Lotus Blossom Clinic
(239) 277-1399