Eating to Prevent and Treat Chronic Illness

The USDA Scientific Panel on New Dietary Guidelines has drawn criticism because more than half the members of the scientific panel considering changes to the nation’s blueprint for healthy eating have ties to the food industry.

The scientists leading newly created subcommittees on pregnant women, lactating mothers and toddlers have ties to the baby food industry.

Some groups have criticized federal officials for omitting questions about red meat and salt consumption from the 80 diet-related questions that panel members were charged with considering. Government watchdog groups have questioned the panel’s objectivity.

Amid a pandemic of chronic illnesses made worse by malnutrition that is hitting the country, you would think that the Federal Government could find nutrition experts that have nothing to do with the processed food industry. The malnutrition created by processed foods is a major contributor to the chronic illnesses of over 230 million people in this country with over 135 million chronically ill suffering from autoimmune disorders. Minority communities, who only have access to the processed artifacts of nutritious fresh foods containing next to zero nutrition, also suffer the most from this pandemic of malnutrition.

Americans have stopped being watchdogs over their own food supply. Over 100 years ago, with the birth of the FDA, we handed that responsibility over to the government and the food industry. They, in turn, have fundamentally transformed our food supply and it’s making us and our children sick. Not only are we losing our health to food related illnesses like cancer and heart disease, but we are also losing our freedom. Did you know that the government and the food industry have already chosen your dinner for you? In fact, the government nudges you to pick the foods they want you to eat. They’ve been doing it your whole life.

When you take responsibility for your choices, optimal health and abundant energy are achievable. Disease is reversible. Boundaries and limitations no longer exist. But you must choose. Will you choose to be stuck in sickness, sadness and victimhood, eating processed foods or will you choose maximal health, happiness and freedom that comes from eating whole foods? The choice is yours.

Most Americans consume at least 75% of their calories from processed foods.

Examples include cereal, crackers, cookies, chips, T.V. dinners, pizza, lunch

meat, and soda. This category also includes fast food and restaurants.

These foods typically contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which "are organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally." This technology is also referred to as "genetic engineering", "biotechnology" or "recombinant DNA technology" and consists of randomly inserting genetic fragments of DNA from one organism into another, usually from a different species. For example, an artificial combination of genes that includes a gene to produce a pesticide protein (commonly known as Bt toxin), originally found in Bacillus thuringiensis, is inserted into the DNA of corn randomly. Both the location of the transferred gene sequence in the corn DNA and the consequences of the insertion differ with each insertion.

Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods by the FDA has been based on the idea of "substantial equivalence" such that "if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food." Franken corn. However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signaling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system.

Preservatives: Preservatives are used by food manufacturers to extend the shelf life of foods and to prevent food products from spoiling or going rancid.

Benzoic acid and its salts are commonly used in food production as preservatives and stabilizers, despite known risks to human health. Benzoic acid is used to prevent decay in common foods such as reduced-sugar products, certain meats, cereals, and beverages. Potential adverse effects for benzoic acid and its commonly used salts, sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, and calcium benzoate, include temporary impairment of digestive enzymes and depleted glycine ( an amino acid) levels, as well as allergenic triggers for hay fever, hives, and asthma. Through its strong antimicrobial properties, benzoic acid reduces the number of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract including many beneficial strains that could potentially affect digestion and the immune system.

Parabens: Many health-conscious U.S. consumers may likely remain unaware that paraben is used as a food ingredient and that it has been for over four decades. A study in 2012 analyzed 160 breast tissue samples from forty women with breast cancer for five different parabens. Parabens were detected in a whopping 99 percent of samples. WTF?

Propyl gallate: Propyl gallate has been shown in studies to damage DNA,to inhibit and kill the cells that line the blood vessels, as well as cause everything from allergic reactions such as dermatitis and depigmentation of skin to liver damage..

The list is never ending and includes TBHQ, BHA, and BHT are all required to be listed on food packaging which are all carcinogens.

Some studies show that the sulfites regularly added to wine can trigger wine-induced asthma. Research has also linked sulfite exposure to an increased risk of liver disease due to the oxidative damage it can cause.

Aspartame: Aspartame is an excitotoxin; that is, ingesting too much aspartame can stimulate overexcited neurons to the point of cellular death, which is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems or young children who do not have fully developed blood-brain barriers. In fact, the EPA officially listed aspartame as a "chemical with substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity" on its database of developmental neurotoxicants. There are at least ninety-two side effects of aspartame ingestion that have been reported to the FDA, including headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, memory loss, fatigue, dizziness, vision changes, rashes, The list goes on and on.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weed killer, has been found in extremely high levels in some of America's most popular food products. Roundup is the most heavily used chemical weed killer in agricultural production in human history, because of the widespread adoption of genetically engineered crops now grown on more than 175 million acres in the United States.

 Scientific evidence shows that probable harm to human health could begin at ultra-low levels of glyphosate e.g. 0.1 parts per billion (ppb). Popular foods tested for glyphosate measured between 289.47 ppb and some levels are as high as 1,125.3 ppb.

Testing and analysis performed by Anresco Laboratories, San Francisco, an FDA registered laboratory that has performed food safety testing since 1943, found that well-known products tested for glyphosate such as Original Cheerios, measured levels as high as 1,125.3 ppb. Other high levels of glyphosate were found in familiar products such as Oreos, Doritos, and Ritz Crackers, among the 29 foods tested.

Since the latest research shows that Roundup causes liver and kidney damage in rats as reflected in changes in the functions of 4,000 genes at only 0.05 parts per billion. WHAT, the Cheerios I feed my kids has 1,125 ppb.

It is important to understand that glyphosate cannot be removed by milling or washing and is not broken down by cooking or baking. Glyphosate residues can remain stable in food for a year or more, even if the food is frozen or processed.

Now, it’s your choice. Health is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Freedom is a choice. You can choose to create health, happiness, and freedom for yourself. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is responsibility for your own decisions. That's where your power lies!

Take it one step at a time. The first step is wanting to move. Then create a clear picture in your mind of your healthy, happy energetic life looks like. Then make the shift from low quality processed foods to high quality processed foods. Foods that include foods that are still prepared and packaged for you but are a step up in quality. Examples include: processed foods that are organic or do not contain GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, additives, artificial or natural flavoring or coloring, GRAS chemicals, artificial sweeteners or hormones.

 The next step includes a diet of whole fresh foods. Then take the last step up to organic whole foods and then on to growing some of your own food. By taking baby steps away from the negativity of the government’s endorsed diet plan you can move towards the health and happiness that eating well can bring you. And maybe if enough people quit buying the low-quality processed foods, the big corporations that are motivated by money will change the way they do business.

The Truth is Out There,

                                                     Shawn

Resources:

1.         https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/health/diet-nutri tion-guidelines.html

2.         Salatin, Joel. BEYOND LABELS: A Doctor and a Farmer Conquer Food Confusion One Bite at a Time (p. 34). Kindle Edition.

3.         World Health Organization. (lnternet).(2002). Foods derived from modern technology: 20 questions on genetically modified foods. Available from: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/inde.xphp

4.         Smith, JM. Genetic Roulette. Fairfield: Yes Books.2007. p.10

5.         Amy Dean, D.O. and Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. Genetically Modified Foods Position Paper AAEM

6.         Adams, Mike. Food Forensics: The Hidden Toxins Lurking in Your Food and How You Can Avoid Them for Lifelong Health . BenBella Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.