The Truth about Food Allergies May be Hard to Stomach
Do you remember
when food allergies and sensitivities were almost never heard of? That was before more than 80,000 man- made
chemicals were dumped into our water, air and soil beginning in the 1980s.2 It was before
genetically modified foods hit the supermarket shelves in an estimated 30,000
products.3
Since 1990 there
has been a reported 265% increase in allergy related visits to hospital
emergency rooms. Peanut allergy cases doubled between 1997 and 2002. One in
three children
are diagnosed with autism, and/or ADD related to food allergies.1 It seems like no family is left untouched by
the food reactions epidemic.
Since 1994, Health
Canada has approved the sale of over 81 genetically modified (GM) foods,
including canola, corn, lentils, potatoes, rice, soybeans, squash, tomatoes and
wheat. Our government has deemed many GM foods to be safe, however, no studies
have been done to substantiate this.
Are these foods
safe? Doctors in Quebec discovered that the Bt toxin which is present in
Monsanto's "safe" GMO seeds
and which kills insects by rupturing their stomachs, was circulating in
the blood of 93% of pregnant woman tested and 80% of their unborn babies.
As a Canadian
consumer, you will likely not know if the foods that you buy have been
genetically modified since there is no mandatory food labeling of GM
ingredients. GM corn can be used in many other foods such as cereal, yogurt,
frozen entrees and canned soup. In other
parts of the world like Europe, it is mandatory to label GM foods.4 For
export only, our food industry giants reformulate their products to comply with
non GMO standards.
What can we do
right now to protect our health and reduce adverse food reactions?
1. Eat natural, whole, organic foods
Learn
what labels and produce stickers mean
- A 4 digit PLU code means grown "traditionally" with pesticides.
- Five digits starting with "8" means it is genetically modified.
- Organic produce will have a 5 digit number beginning with "9".
Look for labels
that state "Non GMO" and "Made without genetically modified
ingredients".
2. Avoid eating packaged, processed foods
Avoid packaged foods containing soy, corn, and
vegetable oils (especially canola) artificial and corn syrup sweeteners. Beware
of commercially raised meat, fish, eggs or dairy where the animals have
been fed GM foods as again, long term health effects to humans are not yet
known.
3. Monitor your food intake and note our body's reactions
If you react to only a few foods or chemicals, try abstention to see if your health changes. If you react to many foods or toxins, do not experience change from eliminating them from your diet, or if you have other unresolved health issues that you suspect are food related, then you might seek help from a practitioner trained in an allergy elimination technique.
When it comes to healthy food choices for you and your family, you cannot be too vigilant. As a consumer, you have the right to demand a healthier food supply in the grocery stores.
________________________________
Cathy Lidster, Health Educator/Nutrition Practitioner offers free
nutrition classes monthly (see ad for schedule). She can be reached at Centennial Building
Wellness Centre, 250-819-9041, or cathylidster@gmail.com
References: 1-
Unhealthy Truth, Robyn O'Brien, 2009 Broadway Books; 2- Physicians for Social
Responsibility, www.psr.org; 3 - Dr. Curt Hamilton, CCN, and Science &
Environmental Health Network; Health Canada, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/. 4
-www.eatrightontario.ca
