Nothing looks healthier than a cob of steaming hot corn smothered in all-natural butter. However, if you purchased that corn from the supermarket, chances are that it is “not normal,” and for sure, not healthy. It is not really even a vegetable but an imposter.
It has been altered in some fashion at the very root of its genetic make-up. It is GMO (genetically modified). The GMO debate has reached epic proportions with new research coming out that GMOs might not be as safe as once thought. Even other countries have banned such food yet America continues to produce it. The top three GMO crops that are grown in the United States include soy, corn and cotton. Nearly 88% of all corn is genetically modified, 93% of soy and 94% of cottonseed.
Because foods found in the grocery store, unless labeled USDA Certified Organic, do not have to tell us if the ingredients inside the package are GMO, we have no idea what we are eating. Corn and products made with corn are liberally added to many processed, packaged and fast foods. The only way to steer clear of GMO corn is to eat organic food.
A little ancient secret is that the only soybean that is worth eating is one that has been fermented and is not genetically modified. Fermenting soybeans breaks down toxic phytochemicals that cause great distress to the digestive and immune system. Thus eating fermented soy products such as miso, natto, tempeh and soy sauce are actually abundant in health benefits. However, unfermented soy has been associated with problems such as allergies, ADD, reproductive problems and endometriosis. Soy hides under names of hydrogenated oil, lecithin, emulsifiers and even proteins.
Who can pass up the enticing aroma of hot fried potatoes? Wait…. don’t get sucked in. Fried potatoes are also imposters; radically altered and very dangerous to your health. While a potato, left unaltered is healthy in many ways, a fried potato is a recipe for disaster. When potatoes are heated in oil above 120C, acrylamides are formed. They occur in a wide variety of processed foods and are known to be carcinogenic. Boiled or baked potatoes do not produce this harmful substance. If you want a potato, cook it the “old fashioned way” to be safe.
Canola oil comes from the rapeseed plant, a member of the mustard family. Seems innocent enough, right? Think again, canola, which stands for” Canadian, oil low acid,” is a made up word for a genetically modified product. In short, canola oil is industrial oil that is found in soaps, inks, lipsticks and biofuels, to name a few. It is no more food than a circle is a square, although almost all processed or packaged foods contain it. Studies now indicate that rapeseed festers in the body and symptoms of toxicity appear years later and include slurred speech, tremors, nervous breakdowns, heart problems and coordination difficulties.
As scary as all this is, switching to a whole and organic diet and eliminating ALL refined and processed foods from your diet will keep you safe from the imposters.
Have you noticed the “health industry” recommend canola oil as a “healthy” cooking oil? Or soy as a “healthy” meat replacement?
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margie-kelly/genetically-modified-food_b_2039455.html
http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=190
