Thursday, February 24, 2011

WHAT ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMO’S)?


Scientists have been introducing genetic material into organisms to alter, create and affect changes in living plants and animals. These changes create specific, desirable traits that might never evolve naturally and could be extremely dangerous.

Collectively called recombinant DNA technology, this practice changes the core genetic make-up of organisms. This genetic manipulation gives scientists the ability to create any trait that they wish, or suppress natural traits they don't want.

From bacteria and fungus, fruits and vegetables to animals, genetic manipulation is becoming more and more common in our society. There are several reasons this unnatural genetic manipulation may affect you. One, it is usually not clear which foods have been genetically manipulated. Two, we do not know the long term health effects caused by consuming GMO’s. Initial research has shown that short-term reactions can be severe.

The bio-chemical industry is fiercely going after two crops in particular, corn and soy, because of their high demand for use throughout our processed goods and biofuel industries. But the list of GMO products on the market today is long and growing and the USDA has declared that these products don't need to be labeled with GMO content information unless the product has been determined to present the threat of causing allergic reactions in humans.

In 1996, animal tests (conducted after the danger was inflicted on humans), proved that there was a severe danger from genes spliced from Brazil nuts and soybeans. The danger: allergic reactions so severe that the individuals could suffer anaphylactic shock, possibly leading to death.

HOW ARE GMO FOODS TOXIC?

Genetically modified foods affect the human physiology. A study of people in the Philippines reported that their bodies developed antibodies to Bt toxin] body=[Bacillus thuringiensis: soil dwelling bacteria, naturally produced on dark plant surfaces and in the guts of some caterpillars; it's used as a pesticide.]" style="cursor: pointer; background-attachment: scroll;">Bt toxin (a soil-dwelling bacteria that is used as a pesticide.) What this means is that the human body processed these engineered traits into their guts and reacted to them. These same consumers of the GMO corn in the Philippines also developed a resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin. This antibiotic resistance is something that science hadn't foreseen. This is indicative of questionable experimentation and not enough testing.

HOW TO ELIMINATE TOXINS FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

  • Whenever possible, eat all natural foods. Shop your local farmers market for fresh, locally grown organic foods.
  • Use only organically grown fruit and vegetables. Corn, popcorn, yellow squash and zucchini to name a few are often genetically modified.
  • Grow your own fruit and vegetables if you can.
  • When shopping for meat and dairy products, be sure to look for hormone and antibiotic-free, organic, or free-range information on the label.
  • Avoid canola and cottonseed oil. Instead use organic sources of grape seed oil, virgin coconut oil and olive oil.
  • Check your condiments for organic ingredients.
  • Aspartame is a genetically modified sweetener and is very toxic. It’s best to avoid all products that contain this substance.

Information taken from Global Healing Center, online.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Turkey Tetrazzini


Disclaimer about this photo: This is a 7 inch plate! I've found we all eat less if we use smaller plates.

So, tonight I wanted to use up some of the turkey I had frozen from Christmas (I bought a 24lb turkey, so we had a lot left over!) I was searching the web for recipes and found one I liked and adapted it to Wildtree. It was a real hit with my family; hope you enjoy it too!

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. prepared spaghetti
1/4 C Butter Grapeseed Oil
1 t minced garlic
1/2 C finely chopped onion
pepper to taste
1/4 C unbleached flour
1 1/2 C prepared chicken broth using Wildtree's Chicken Broth Base
1 C skim milk
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 C chopped cooked turkey

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish. Prepare spaghetti to al dente and drain.

Over medium heat, saute onion and garlic with some black pepper. When onions are translucent, stir in flour. Mix in chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until the mixture come to a boil. Add Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.

Mix chicken broth mixture and turkey with spaghetti and pour into prepared baking dish. Grate a little Parmesan on top. Bake 40 minutes or till bubbly and lightly browned on top. Enjoy!

I served this with roasted broccoli. My 8 year old tried it and said it was better than french fries :-) From an 8 year old, that's high praise! Here's how I do it: Toss fresh broccoli with Garlic Grapeseed oil (just a few tablespoons), sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour into a single layer in a jelly roll pan and roast at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

For my family, eating healthy isn't just about eating low-fat. It's about eating all-natural using organic, fresh ingredients. It's easier than you'd think with Wildtree in the pantry!

Bon Apetit!
Stacy