Roundup® recently found in SunChips

I hope you see this before you eat lunch today, especially if you’re a chip lover.

GMO Free USA, a national advocacy group, recently announced that Frito Lay's SunChips tested positive for glyphosate, a popular weed-killing chemical and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup®.

Their testing also showed the chips contained 100 percent GMO (genetically modified) corn, so it’s no surprise that the chips contain glyphosate, since GMO crops are typically sprayed with Roundup® during the growing process.

This creates a serious double-edged sword as far as your health is concerned. 

Here’s why I say that—what you must know about GMO foods and the potential dangers of glyphosate, and what you can do to minimize the risk they pose to your health.

GMO foods—what are they exactly?

Nature has a history of creating different variations of plants through a type of cross-breeding, typically with insects or the wind moving pollen from one plant to another.

This has been going on since the dawn of time and what results many times is a "new and improved" species of plant that may be more sturdy or nutritious than its "ancestors."  This was the initial idea behind GMO crops—to create crops that would be heartier and produce greater yields than conventional crops.

But the problems started to rise when GMO scientists began playing Mother Nature.

Because they're not conducting experiments in a lab sprinkling pollen from plant to plant, waiting to see if the offspring have any advantages over the original plants.

Instead they’re altering the genetic code (DNA) of plants by cutting off bits of a living organism's DNA and splicing them into a completely unrelated species.

This is what's called a GMO--or genetically modified organism.

Why could they be dangerous?

The real potential danger with GMOs is that scientists are NOT splicing plant DNA to plant DNA. 

Instead they’re crossing entire kingdoms of organisms and splicing things like chicken genes into potato DNA or fish genes into strawberry DNA.

 

So for all of you who are allergic to seafood, think about that next time you eat strawberries.

In addition, rodent genes have been inserted into tobacco.  Even bacteria and viruses are being spliced into cucumbers and tomatoes.

What has resulted from this DNA-splicing process is a series of "aliens"--entirely new and foreign life forms that we know NOTHING about.  That includes knowing basically ZERO about their safety, because very few studies have been done thus far that prove they are not harmful.

In addition, these new crops are introducing proteins that are completely foreign to our bodies.  So time will tell how these new “Franken-proteins” will react with our bodies in the long-term.  It is my suspicion (and that of many other holistic practitioners) that we may start to see a rise in immune reactions (like food allergies and sensitivities) as well as eventually even chronic diseases like cancer.

Note the GMOs are not being monitored either.

Neither the FDA nor the US Department of Agriculture requires the biotech companies to prove that GMO foods are safe for human consumption before new modified crops are put on the market.

Currently the most widely-produced GMO crops in the US are sugar, corn, soy and wheat—foods which the average American eats in abundance.

And unfortunately, the evidence is starting to trickle in that these “Franken-foods” are, in fact, harmful…

GMO = Growing massively obese?

As part of a project examining the health effects of GMOs, researchers from Norway studied two groups of rats.  One group was fed food containing GMO corn and the other was given food made with conventional corn.

Over the course of 90 days, the rats eating the GMO corn diet grew fatter and consumed more food than the rats on the non-GMO diet.

The researchers also observed that rats got fatter when they ate fish that had been raised on GMO corn--so there's a chain reaction effect.

They also tried the experiment on salmon and saw similar results--fish eating GMO corn grew faster and ate more than fish eating non-GMO corn.

Plus the salmon eating the GMO corn had a reduced ability to digest proteins, and experienced immune system changes that didn't occur in the non-GMO-fed fish.

Now let’s switch gears a bit and talk about the other edge of the sword…

Glyphosate—so much more than pretty landscaping

Roundup® is a very popular product that is used heavily in the landscaping industry to create pretty rock beds, mulch beds, patios and fence lines, as well as to kill weeds around vegetable plants.

While the manufacturer (Monsanto) insists that Roundup® is safe, a peer-reviewed report authored by science consultant Anthony Samsel and research scientist Dr. Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), reveals how glyphosate can, in fact, harm human health.

They explain that glyphosate residue can “enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease.”  Most notably, glyphosate uses your gut bacteria to help carry out its harmful actions. 

Monsanto has claimed that Roundup® is harmless to animals and humans because it uses what is called the shikimate acid pathway to kill weeds, and this metabolic pathway is absent in people and pets.  However, this particular pathway IS present in BACTERIA, and that’s how it can eventually work to cause bodily harm in both humans and animals—through your gut bacteria.

The bacteria in your body outnumber your bodily cells by 10 to one, and every tiny bacterium inside of you has the shikimate pathway--so they can all assist in the harmful actions of glyphosate!

Glyphosate causes disruption of the bacteria’s ability to function.  What’s makes this worse is that glyphosate prefers to affect your beneficial bacteria, thereby allowing dangerous pathogens to flourish and overcome your friendly microbes.  At that point, you become a candidate for any number of viruses, infections and diseases to fester.

Plus glyphosate has been linked to certain cancers, including lymphoma, and to DNA damage, premature births, birth defects, and ADHD, according to previous research.

In addition, Dr. Seneff has explained that glyphosate can also eventually destroy the villi in your intestinal wall, and reduce your body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals.  This can make you a high risk for deficiency diseases as well as obesity.

Minimize your risk!

The bottom line here, my friend, is you have to be careful and smart and minimize your risk of the dangerous effects of GMOs and glyphosate.

First and foremost, if you eat GMO foods, you are a human guinea pig, period.

And know that it’s very likely that unless you are eating mainly organic foods, you are exposing yourself to GMO ingredients as well as glyphosate.

But here’s how you can help minimize your risk with these five steps:

1) Become a careful label reader

There's no need to panic and avoid buying produce and missing out on all its awesome health benefits.

All you need to do is when shopping for produce look closely at the little stickers on the items.  Here's what they mean:

• 4 digit code: It’s your regular old traditionally grown (non-GMO) produce
• 5-digit code: Look at the first number.

·       If it starts with a 9, it's organic and safe. 

·       If it starts with an 8, it's a GMO!

2) Avoid processed foods

GMO crops (and their glyphosate residue) are also slipped into in packaged/processed foods, and the labels don't need to spell that right out for you.

For example, most snack chips are made with GMO corn.

So the more you avoid buying processed or packaged stuff to begin with, the better off you are.

But if you wish to indulge in a snack or convenience food, make sure it's organic (see number 3 below). 

3) Buy organic whenever you can

Organic foods by their very definition do not contain GMO ingredients. 

So if you want corn chips or other packaged foods, at least opt for organic brands.

And try to buy as much organic meat and produce as possible.   

If you're on a tight budget and can't afford to go 100% organic, here are the produce items which have the largest amounts of pesticide and herbicide residue and are most important to buy organic:

·       Celery

·       Peaches

·       Strawberries

·       Apples

·       Blueberries

·       Nectarines

·       Bell Peppers

·       Spinach

·       Cherries

·       Kale/Collard

·       Greens

·       Potatoes

·       Grapes (Imported)

4) Eat real foods & have good digestion

When you eat real foods and have efficient digestion, you are significantly minimizing your chances of taking in GMOs and glyphosate, and you also help nourish your body the way Nature--NOT the biotech industry--intended.

Not only will this help regular BMs become YOUR morning glory, but you'll be less likely to overeat and gain weight (unlike the unlucky rats and fish in the studies above).

And of course, good digestion can help mean less acid reflux, gas and bloating too!

All you need to do is follow a reliable program that will show you how to structure healthy, easier to digest meals and guide you on making REAL foods that are positively scrumptious.

And that, my friend, is what Great Taste No Pain and Great Taste No Gluten will do for you.

Both programs show you what foods you should eat together to help encourage better digestion that will help leave you feeling great and loaded with energy.  Eating this way will also help counteract the harmful effects of a not-so-great diet that you may have had in the past.

And the recipe books in each system are both loaded with delicious dishes featuring REAL foods that will nourish your body and make your taste buds dance.

5) Help your gut bacteria recover

If your friendly gut flora have already taken a hit from glyphosate or other harmful factors (such as antibiotics, antacids, smoking, stress or a nutrient-poor diet) supplementing with a high quality probiotic can help repopulate the helpful bacteria in your gut and bring your flora balance to a healthier level.

And Super Shield is as good as it gets.

Super Shield's 13 strains of quality, potent friendly bacteria are eager to line your intestinal walls, crowd out the harmful bacteria, strengthen your gut wall, sharpen your immune system and help keep digestion smooth.

And that means you can start feeling much better...fast!

It’s all up to YOU

Remember YOU alone are responsible for your health--not biotech companies and food companies. 

Don't offer yourself up as a guinea pig, jeopardizing your health while you help to grow their bottom lines.

When it comes to real health, Natural is ALWAYS best, my friend.

And I can help guide you every step of the way.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

PS:  Always be sure to let your doctor or healthcare provider know what supplements you are taking.