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Are you not as healthy as you might be due to the politics of food? That statement may seem ridiculous, but it might be quite true for many if you are unable to access food you consider to be healthy. And for the American readers here, your food options are about to shrink even further due to politics.

More and more people are rejecting factory farms, conventional mono-crop farming methods and GMO food and are instead seeking to contract directly with farmers that grow the organic produce and raise the pastured meat, poultry, dairy and eggs that they want .

Big Food sees this trend as a threat to their monopoly, and Governments see it as a threat to food safety.

Food is huge business. Everyone needs to eat, and the huge food companies want you to eat their food, so they are doing all the can to stop the growing interest in farm fresh, local food.

Big Food has big pockets and they are influencing governments to pass regulations that will help them thrive.

Provincial and State governments are prosecuting farmers that form food coops and herd shares in order to supply real food to people that want it, under the guise of not having a retail license, and then making it impossible for the farmers to get the license they require. (People want raw milk which the farmer provides, but the farmer is not able to get a license for raw milk for example).

Farmers that are trying to preserve biodiversity are being prosecuted for such things as keeping “feral pigs”, even though this different breed of pig are not actually wild, but are on a farm.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency slaughtered all of Montana Jones' very rare heritage sheep despite lab tests showing her animals did not have scrapie. Autopsies afterwards also verified that her sheep were healthy.

(In an effort to save her sheep against an unjust fate, some other farmers “sheep-napped” them which delayed the slaughter for several months, and currently the suspected sheep-napper farmers are in court for that. I know – hard to believe it is true!)

Over 97% of the population wants GMO food to be labeled, and for years Governments have done nothing about that fact, largely because of the overlap between directors of companies like Monsanto and the US Federal Government. Only now are things beginning to change at the State level.

Big Food is putting millions and millions of dollars into the campaign to defeat Proposition 522 in Washington State, that would require food that contains genetically modified ingredients to be labelled. Big Food won in California by a very narrow margin, defeating that State’s effort to label GMO food.

The Big Food campaign suggests that labelling will increase the cost of food, but these same companies supply GMO labelled and GMO-free food to 64 other countries in the world so it would not be that hard for them.

If GMO food is so safe, why are those companies so afraid of letting consumers know what is in the food? Are you okay with being experimented on without your knowledge or consent?

Why is the GMO issue not being discussed regularly by the mainstream media? Why is it that only after the advent of social media that the issue of GMO food-labeling is suddenly on the radar?

Because the companies that supply GMO food have huge budgets, and they are very willing to sue any media outlet that says anything negative. Companies like Monsanto can’t do much about social media however, so it is up to us to spread the word …

Governments are stopping people from growing food in their front yards. They are requiring permits for kids that set up lemonade stands. They are stopping people from having potluck community events.

Food Coops are being raided at gun-point by SWAT teams. It is way over the top! Rawesome Food Coop in California a few years ago is a good example. Federal agents in full army combat gear were pointing their guns at people in tank tops and flip flops running the till. They confiscated the raw milk in the fridge, and jailed the owners. And this despite the fact that raw milk is legal in California, and can be purchased in grocery stores.

Now in the US, FDA is implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act, which will probably result in many of the country's safest farms being put out of business.

For example, in an effort to control salmonella, the new regulations will make it next to impossible for small farmers to have outdoor flocks of chickens, which research shows is far safer than indoor caged chickens.

Funny they are trying to do this in the middle of a chicken salmonella outbreak from Foster Farms, a huge factory farm that has sickened 278 people in 18 States!

The new regulations unfortunately do nothing to address the real problem with respect to food-borne illness – sick animals living in the filth of factory farms. Check out this W5 video exposing the horrific conditions and abuse of factory farms.

Because the animals are held in such crowded, filthy conditions, antibiotics are part of the feed in the futile attempt to keep the animals healthy. The rise of antibiotic resistance that is affecting our hospitals is the direct result. Some believe we are now entering a world where antibiotics will no longer work, and people will once again regularly die of infections.

If the farms that provide the healthy food are out of business, US citizens will have no option but to eat the unhealthy stuff.

Big Agribusiness and Big Food are using the Government “food safety” regulations to control our food. There is a double standard when it comes to food safety – one for the factory farms, and another for the smaller farms trying to produce nutrient-dense food.

So, the question begs. Is this okay with you? Do you care enough about your health and well-being to do something to protect your food supply? Are you willing to help small farmers survive by going out of your way to seek their food out?

Do you shop at farmer’s markets or participate in community-supported -agriculture programs? Do you refuse to buy conventionally-raised food from big agribusiness sold at your grocery store? Are you choosing to spend your money on food now or on medicine that may or may not work later? Is buying cheap food worth the consequence?

What we choose to purchase will have a huge impact on our environment, food supply and the health that our kids and grand-kids will inherit. Please choose wisely.

I look forward to your comments. If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom of the blog post and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc. If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related tips
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Raw milk, the health authorities, and the right to choose the food we eat
GMO – crossing the species barrier
Factory farms, meat processing and e-coli

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Guest post by Melissa Hathaway

It is no secret that the dietary health problems facing America are beginning to spiral out of control with more people than ever before in history suffering from illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Given the advances in modern medicine and nutritional knowledge, it seems difficult to comprehend how we could be in a situation where we have more medical expertise than ever before, yet have a worsening state of health.

There is a battle going on between the food industry giants and researchers who are trying to highlight the extremely dangerous and addictive additives that are being placed into just about every every pre-packaged and fast food product.

No Legal Protection
The average North American is under the impression that food manufacturers are not putting ‘toxins’ and ‘addictive’ substances into products as there would surely be laws against such things as the government would want to protect the health and wellbeing of the nation.

This is simply not the case, and closer inspection of processed food labels will reveal a whole host of extremely harmful ingredients that have now become standard in our ‘foods’. Here are some details on just a few of the substances commonly found in foods:

Monosodium Glutamate
MSG is present in a whole host of fast foods, chips and crackers, canned foods, and soups. It is a processed chemical additive which is used to enhance flavors, and researchers have discovered that it is a powerful excitotoxin.

These chemicals are responsible for a high level of brain reactivity to the foods being eaten, which is what is partly responsible for their addictive nature. Other bad side effects include possible carcinogenic properties which can have serious health implications if consumed in large quantities over an extended period of time.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
HFCS is a chemically produced sweetener that is made using corn starch as the base ingredient. Food companies use it as a cheap way of sweetening foods, without using natural sugars and it is a product that the body is ill equipped to deal with.

These days HFCS is present is the vast majority of processed foods including salad dressings, bread, fruit juice, sauces, cookies, biscuits, cereal, frozen foods, and soft drinks to name just a few.

There are many negative effects on health associated with high fructose corn syrup including increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes and negative effects on the liver. HFCS is also extremely addictive, with some medical studies concluding that it had addictive qualities comparable to the illegal drug cocaine. It may sound extreme, but the ‘fake sugar’ gives the brain a rush of chemicals and this can become very addictive.

Beating Food Addiction
Food addiction may be a new term to you, but it is well documented in the medical and scientific professions. Just like any drug, the chemicals present in processed foods alter the brains chemistry and cause bodily reactions to its consumption.

Highly altered compounds such as as HFCS can trigger addictive tendencies as the brain enjoys the ‘sugar rush’ that it’s getting, and this can also create addictions to other chemical additives found present in these foods.

People usually associate addiction with smoking, drugs, and alcohol, but one of the biggest addiction problems in the US is actually food addiction.

There are numerous places that people can get help and advice on how to beat food addiction, including many local centers such as one for addiction treatment in Virginia. Centers such as this provide valuable help and guidance for overcoming addiction to food, but the best way to avoid becoming addicted in the first place is to be extremely careful about what chemical additives you consume.

Natural Whole Foods Offer the Answer
By consuming as natural a diet as possible, consisting of large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables and organic produce, you will be limiting the aforementioned addictive chemical additives to a minimum.

Not only will this be beneficial for your short term health and wellbeing, it is also likely to decrease your chances of developing long term diet related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, weight related health problems, and certain types of cancer.

Humans have lived for thousands of years on a natural whole diet, and the correlation between many of today’s most common health issues and the chemical ingredients present in the standard North American diet are clear to see.

If you want to search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related Tips:
Processed food is taking over the supermarket
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My farmer was found guilty of contempt of court this week for producing and delivering an illegal “hazardous substance” to me. The substance in question? Elicit drugs? Assault rifles? Anthrax or other deadly agent? No. The hazardous substance they are spending our tax dollars on preventing me from obtaining is raw milk. If my farmer continues to care for and milk my cows for me and give me the milk from my cows, he will be sent to jail.

To me this seems like Orwellian joke. Who is the victim in this milk crime? Is this a crime that deserves a jail sentence? On the one hand Big Brother is trying to protect me from my milk, and on the other, Big Brother refuses to tell me which foods in the grocery store are genetically modified so I can’t protect myself.

I can buy ground beef, take it home and eat it raw but raw milk, which also comes from cows, is so dangerous it can’t be transported across town and given to me.

So, what is the science with respect to raw milk? Is the government’s position warranted? Independent researcher Nadine Ijaz MSc recently presented “Raw Milk: Myths and Evidence” at the BC Center for Disease Control, examining the recent research on raw milk. Please watch her excellent presentation. What follows is a summary of the points Ms. Ijaz makes in her presentation, and I suggest you watch the presentation to hear about each of these points in more detail. Anything in quotes in the summary below is in Ms. Ijaz’s words.

“Myth 1: Raw milk is more digestible for people with lactose intolerance” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.
A surprise to raw milk enthusiasts, but this is a myth. There is no lactase enzyme in fresh milk.

“Myth 2: Enzymes and beneficial bacteria make raw milk more digestible” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.
There are many enzymes and bacteria strains in milk, but at the present time there is no evidence to describe their role in human digestion. “There is some evidence that the non-harmful lactic-acid bacteria may having a function in holding the pathogenic bacteria at bay.”

“Myth 3: Raw milk is known to prevent cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.
Currently there is very little evidence to examine these questions, and “the existing evidence does not substantiate those particular claims.” Those of us that are raw milk enthusiasts need to be careful that we do not spread unsubstantiated claims, as that reduces our credibility.

“Myth 4: Raw milk is a high-risk food” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.
To determine if a food is risky, we need to know the risk per serving, as well as the rates of sickness, hospitalizations and deaths, along with how risky the food is for immunologically susceptible people, like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is the international gold standard recognized by Health Canada and the FDA for determining pathogenic risk. QMRA studies characterize the risk of a particular food as low, moderate or high.

Recent QMRA studies for raw milk show that “there is a LOW risk for illness or severe health outcomes or hospitalizations from consuming raw milk” for E-Coli, Listeria, Staphylococcus and Campylobacter. We do not yet have a QMRA for salmonella.

To confirm accuracy of QMRAs, outbreak data is used. There has not been a single confirmed sickness from Listeria from raw milk in the last 40 years. There has not been a single death from raw milk since 1998.

One to 6% of foodborne illnesses are attributed to all dairy, raw and pasteurized combined. An extremely small percentage of illnesses and hospitalizations from food-borne illnesses are attributed to raw milk. The rate of hospitalization from raw milk was significantly lower than that from all other foods.

Green leafy vegetables are the most frequent cause of foodborne illness representing 20 percent of all cases between 1998 and 2008. Yet the government has not named green leafy vegetables a hazardous substance.

“Myth 5: Raw milk has no unique health benefits” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.
There is strong evidence “… that the consumption of unprocessed cow’s milk has indeed a protective effect on the development of asthma and allergies”. Ten studies between 2001 and 2010 suggested a link.

The most recent, 11th study that really affirmed this evidence was the GABRIELA study. It was very large – 8000 school-aged children in Europe were studied. Both blood samples and milk samples were taken, and study showed “… that there was an independent protective effect of raw farm milk on the development of asthma, allergy and hay fever by about half.” That is HUGE! There is a suggestion that some of the whey proteins that are sensitive to heat and would be destroyed in pasteurization might be involved.

We used to think that each vitamin or mineral works in isolation, and as long as they are in the diet, all will be well. Now we know that vitamins do not work in isolation – vitamin D works with magnesium and calcium for example.

Many studies suggest that there are not large differences in nutrients between pasteurized and raw milk. Perhaps it is this synergistic action of the nutrients that might explain why even small nutrient changes can make big differences in how the milk works in our bodies. Vitamin A gets concentrated after pasteurization, whereas vitamins C, B and E are decreased. Perhaps the minor alteration in these ratios have major affects on how they work in our bodies.

The recent large Pasture Cohort Study of 2012, (the 12th study if we are counting) showed that pregnant mothers that drank raw milk had newborns with improved immunity and decreased cow-milk allergy. Infants drinking raw cow milk before the age of one had better immune gene expression. The risk/benefit analysis seems to pertain specifically to some of the most susceptible groups.

“Myth 6: Industrial milk processing is harmless to health” Nadine Ijaz MSc.
There are 4 processes of industrial milk production that milk drinkers may object to – pasteurization, homogenization, vitamin D3 fortification, and grain/sillage/soy feeding practices.

Some people are choosing raw milk in order to opt of the industrial process. This is the primary reason I personally prefer raw. Due to the precautionary principle it is reasonable to do so.

Pasteurization or heat treatment has already been discussed.

Homogenization is the process of putting the milk through a fine screen at high pressures to break up the fat globules so the fat won’t rise to the top. This is done to improve shelf life primarily. “Of all the industrial processes milk undergoes, homogenization results in the most profound difference to the structure of the milk, and it might result in altered health properties.” Michalazki Janual 2006: 424. It affects the fat globule membrane and the organization of the proteins.

It has been hypothesized that homogenization might be the reason that raw milk is protective for asthma and allergy.

Vitamin D3 fortification: A recent 2012 review suggests that vitamin D from the sun is quite different from synthetic vitamin D. There is another study that suggest that kids that are taking vitamin-D3 fortified milk have lower serum ferritin (iron) status. Individuals may use the precautionary principle and opt out of industrial milk for this reason.

Contemporary feeding practices: Consumers are looking for grass-fed milk that have a more beneficial fatty-acid profile with higher omega 3 and CLA content.

“Current evidence does not support:
1) An argument that people should choose raw milk.
2) A suggestion that pregnant women should consume raw farm milk
3) A public health recommendation that parents should give their babies and children raw farm milk.” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.

The current evidence does however, support choice.
“It is scientifically reasonable for people, including pregnant women and parents of young children to choose hygienically produced raw milk over industrially processed milk, whether or not they heat it themselves afterwards. It is not scientifically justifiable to prohibit people, including pregnant women or parents of young children from choosing to seek out an important food which may effectively prevent allergy and asthma.” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.

“So what is the role of public health enforcement?
1) Limitations should be proportional to the risk posed by a given hazard.
2) Enforcement should be consistent across foods.” (salad is far riskier than raw milk but is not deemed a hazardous substance).
3) Balance individual rights with public protection.” Nadine Ijaz, MSc.

In the case of our herd share, none of our milk goes into public commerce, so there is no risk at all to public safety.

We need to focus on minimizing risk to reasonable levels.  No other food has a zero hazard tolerance threshold. It is important to realize that pasteurization is no guarantee that the milk will be risk-free.

The evidence no longer supports raw milk being designated as a health hazard. Instead governments should consider regulation, mitigation and education in light of the existing evidence.

I sincerely hope that Nadine’s presentation gets viewed and shared.  If you know any health reporters that can take on this story, please let them know. 

The war on raw milk and on farmers that are trying to feed a community that wants the food they provide, needs to end. Year after year we hear of farmers being prosecuted and forced out of business for providing food to those that want it. Most recently, Wisconsin is threatening to jail farmer Hershberger despite being acquitted of 3 of 4 charges related to his raw-milk coop.

We as individuals should have the right to determine what we want to eat, whether that involves raw milk, or avoiding GMO food. We need help making this a national conversation. If you can help, please do!

If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom of the blog post and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc. If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related tips
Finding quality dairy
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Raw milk, the health authorities, and the right to choose the food we eat

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Do we actually know what we are eating?  Seems like a no brainer, right? What we put in our mouth is our choice. We have complete control over what passes through our lips. Well, I am about to argue that that premise is false, and this is why.

1) Fraudulent labels. The label says one thing, but the food is something else all together.
This is far more common than one would expect. There is the obvious example that recently made the news.

People in Europe coming home from the grocery store with steaks labeled “beef”, only to find out later that what they were eating was horse meat. Horse meat is not dangerous, but I’m sure consumers felt more than a little deceived.

Then there is the ongoing issue of fish in the package not actually being the type of fish on the label. Pay for snapper and get something else.

Over 50 percent of olive oil sold is not pure olive oil. Often it is mixed with another seed oil and sold to us as extra virgin olive oil. Much cheaper for manufacturers, and they charge consumers as if it were actually pure.

You can check the quality of your olive oil by putting it in the fridge. It should turn sludgy. If it remains a liquid, it is not pure olive oil.

2) Ingredients in food that are not listed on the label
Most serious in my opinion, is the lack of labeling of genetically modified food in North America. More than 75 percent of the food in grocery stores is genetically modified. Are you aware you are eating GMO food when, for example, you eat breakfast cereals made by General Mills or Kellogg's?

There is science that suggests that GMO food is cancer-causing and completely alters our gut bacteria.  It does not seem to leave our bodies, which is in my opinion, rather scary.  BT toxins from GMO corn  has been found in the blood of 93% of pregnant women and 80% of umbilical cord blood. The prudent person would probably choose to avoid GMO food, but currently we are eating a ton of it completely unawares, because there is no labeling.

Most foods are genetically modified to either withstand Round-Up pesticide, or they are modified to contain a toxic pesticide within each cell of the plant itself (BT corn), so that when an insect eats the corn for example, the pesticide within each the corn plant's cells will kill the insect. Of course, perfectly safe for humans to eat, they say.

I personally think it would be useful too if all pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc. sprayed our produce were labeled. Each pesticide might be safe alone, but strawberries for example, are sprayed with about 19 different pesticides.

We have no idea how the chemical cocktail of pesticides sprayed on produce affect our biochemistry, but our poor livers are put into overdrive trying detoxify us!

Pesticides are not only sprayed on the plants but also on the soil they grow in, so the plants also take up the pesticides within their tissues. Therefore one cannot really wash pesticides off, not matter how long we soak or how hard we scrub.

Pesticides are usually sprayed by plane, or by farmers dressed in clothing that protects their body, face, nose and eyes so they won’t breathe in the toxic substances or get any on their skin.

Usually fields (and lawns) that have been sprayed have signs on them warning that they are toxic and dangerous. So … it is unsafe to walk in the fields but it is safe to eat the produce from these fields?

Would you be more likely to choose organic strawberries if you noticed a list of 19 different pesticides on the conventional ones?

3) Food labels that say something that isn’t true
If a product label says "0 transfat", is that true?  Probably not. When the transfat in the product is less than 0.5 grams per serving, it can be labeled as 0 transfat on the label according to the FDA. This transfat can add up if one eats more than one serving.

In Canada, whole wheat bread is not whole wheat.  The wheat germ has been removed. Two small examples, but I better stop here or this post will never be done!

For these reasons, the grocery store and restaurants is the primary source of our food, we actually have very little control over the ingredients in our food.  Bottom line is there is no reason to trust a food label.

How we can gain control over what we feed our families
Choosing organic can make a huge difference, but the best way to actually have control over what you feed yourself and your family is to opt out of the commercial food system.

Go barcode-free.  Do not buy any packaged food, and know the source of your whole food.

Grow what you can. Even if you only have a windowsill, you can grow fresh herbs or salad greens.

Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, and get fresh food direct from the farm.  Or join organizations like SPUD, who will deliver fresh food to your doorstep.

Farmers' Markets provide another option. Get to know the farmers, and you will find out if the chickens truly are pastured or if they are in a huge barn running around on the concrete.

It can be cheaper to get together with friends and purchase a side of grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free beef directly from the farmer.

I look forward to your comments! If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom of the blog post and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc. If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related tips
Our toxic body burden
Processed food is taking over our supermarkets
Deceptive food labels
GMO – crossing the species barrier

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Do you regularly shoulder-check when you drive? If not, is the reason you don’t that it hurts, or that you can’t?

I was biking home from work the other day along a not-too-busy street, and I wanted to turn left onto another not-too-busy street. So as usual, I shoulder-checked before making my turn, and was surprised to find I couldn’t turn my head as far as I normally can, and even more surprised to feel a jab of pain at the end of the range.

Taking a hand off the handlebars to allow me to twist my upper back and look further was out of the question because I was slowly cranking up a steep hill, and I needed to pull the handlebars with both my hands.

When slowly biking up a steep hill, the last thing one wants to do is stop completely and put a foot down, as it is tough to get going again.

So while I kept cranking I listened, and not hearing anything coming, I started my turn, only to slam on my brakes as a surprisingly quiet car zoomed passed me.

SHEESH! Okay, my bad. I know, I know. I did a stupid thing, took a chance and got lucky. Sorry mommy, I won’t do it again.

Shoulder-checking is something we all need to be able to do, especially if we drive, bike, ski, skate, snowboard, race, play team sports etc. Many sports like golf, tennis, and baseball require being competent at twisting. And not being able to shoulder-check can actually be dangerous – I can attest to that!

Our neck should be able to twist 60 to 80 degrees, and our thoracic (rib) spine should be able to twist about 30 degrees, so that gives us between 90 and 110 degrees of available rotation. 90 to 110 degrees!!!

So if we keep our ribs still, we should be able to turn our head until our chin is almost lined up with our shoulders, and if we twist the ribs too, we should be able to see something pretty much directly behind us, thanks to our peripheral vision.

The lumbar spine is not meant to twist, and twisting the low back while rounding it can cause injuries, so if you are twisting, make sure you have an arch in your back!

So, how well can you twist? Can you twist the same amount to each side?

If we have pain with twisting, it is worth seeing a manual therapist – a chiro, physical therapist, massage therapist etc. to address the cause our pain.

If we do not have pain, then to improve our range of motion we need to do a variety of twist stretches and mobility exercises, both from the top down and from bottom up.

Make a goal of improving your ability to rotate, and work at it each day. No equipment is needed, and you can do it in your pajamas, so as Nike says, “Just Do It!” If you need help, find a competent corrective exercise specialist or trainer. If you are in Vancouver, come see us!

Please do keep the comments coming on my blog.

If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc.

If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

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Lots of recent news on the genetically modified food front. First the good news. Whole Foods Grocer will require all GMO food to be labeled by 2018, and will encourage food companies to switch to non-gmo ingredients. Consumers demanded it, and Whole Foods listened. This could be a game-changer. Should other grocers follow suit, GMO labeling will expected everywhere. As usual, governments bow to companies, but consumers are the ones that truly have the power.

Now the bad news. The US government just passed the “Monsanto Protection Act” which as Food Democracy Now put it, ” …strips judges of their constitutional mandate to protect consumer and farmer rights and the environment, while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, citizens and the environment.”

Genetically Modified Organisms are NOT produced by cross-pollinating two wheat varieties in order to create a type of wheat that is hardier, nor by breeding two kinds of horses in order to encourage off-spring with certain desired traits such as speed or hauling ability.

Cross-breeding or hybridization also happens naturally without human help, as the wind and insects carry pollen, and well, animals will be animals. But dogs and cats cannot interbreed, corn cannot hybridize with rice, and fish can’t produce offspring with sunflowers.

Genetically modified, genetically engineered or transgenic organisms are creations made in the lab, where genetic material from one plant or animal is inserted into a totally different species in order to "improve" the species in some way, and to give the company the ability to patent and control the new life-form.

Patenting genes is a huge business which prevents farmers from saving seed to plant the following year. Instead they must buy new seed each year putting them at greater financial risk should their crop fail.

Monsanto goes after farmers for patent infringement if their fields are accidentally contaminated with GMO plants. Percy Schmeiser is a Canadian canola farmer who was sued by Monsanto because the wind blew some Round-Up Ready GM canola onto his non-gmo field of canola. He fought Monsanto all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada, where the Court ruled that he did not owe Monsanto anything.

The benefits of the genetic modifications are questionable. For example, GE soybeans were altered with the genes of brazil nuts in order to improve the taste of the soybeans.  The idea sounded good until those with nut allergies unknowingly ate them. (Nut allergies can be fatal).

Most of the genetic modifications are designed for pest control with toxic results.  Round-Up Ready Canola for
example, is modified to withstand Round-Up Ready insecticide, which pretty much kills anything but the GMO crop, rendering the soil infertile.  This modification encourages more pesticide use, particularly as the pests adapt and become more and more resistant to the insecticide.

Corn is modified so that every cell in the plant contains BT toxin. The leaves, the stems and yes, the kernels that we eat.  The BT toxin is meant to destroy the guts of the bugs that eat them. But those bugs have become resistant to this modification as well.

So instead of solving the pest problem, these genetic modifications have created resistant "super bugs", rendering the modifications useless.

Monsanto said BT toxin would be destroyed in the guts of humans, but research now shows that that is not true. BT toxin has been found in the placenta blood of pregnant women.

Rats that have been fed GM food for their entire lives suffer huge cancerous tumors.

GMO agriculture tends to promote monocrops, which decreases biodiversity, which in turn impacts food security.

Monsanto also created a “terminator gene” in 1998, which would stop a crop from producing viable seed. If this technology gets to market it will ensure the farmers need to re-buy each year.

Many farmers initially believed that they would benefit from higher crop yields by switching to GMO crops, but found that any marginal benefit they may have gained was wiped out by the fact that instead of being allowed to save seed from the previous crop, they were forced to re-buy GMO seed each year.

Monsanto, the major player in GE foods, also created a “terminator gene” in 1998, which would stop a crop from producing viable seed. If this technology gets to market it will ensure the farmers need to re-buy each year.

As you have probably observed, crops tend to be grown outside, with access to wind and insects. I find it frightening to think that this "terminator gene" may naturally hybridize with non-GMO crops. We don’t really know what might happen, but it seems at least possible that we may accidentally destroy our food supply if this gene were to get out of control.

Genetically Engineered food is a huge experiment in which we are the unknowing guinea pigs. Of course those involved will say it is safe – they have a vested interest. But the bottom line is we simply don’t know how safe it is for us or the planet.

The most commonly modified foods are canola, corn, soy and cottonseed.  If you want to avoid genetically modified food, read labels and avoid any products that contain these ingredients, or choose organic.

GMO food is a complex topic encompassing many important ethical issues. For more information, see the movie The Future of Food, and to look up GMO issues in your part of the world, go to www.gmcontamination.org to research by country, crop and year known GMO incidents caused by contamination, illegal release, or negative agricultural side-effect.

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A guest tip on natural pest control – an important topic that never would have occurred to me to write about. I hope you like it.

Coexisting with nature is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t mean you have to allow critters to take over your home. Pest infestations can impact your family in a number of undesirable ways, creating an environment that’s unhealthy and, in many cases, downright intolerable. Fortunately, you don’t need to saturate your home with chemicals in order to keep pests at bay. By practicing natural pest control, you can encourage would-be intruders to live somewhere else while keeping your home, health, family, pets and the earth safe.

Negative Effects of Pest Infestations on Your Health

Stress: When you know your home is infested with rodents or insects, it’s hard to stop thinking about them. Your skin might crawl at the thought of bed bugs walking on you as you sleep, or you may start to feel phantom ants crawling across your arms. It’s normal to experience stress when your home is infested, and some homeowners still feel anxiety even after a pest control company has taken care of the problem. When you practice natural pest control, which focuses on prevention, you’ll find peace of mind in knowing you’re doing all you can to keep pests out.

Diseases: Rodents are notorious carriers of diseases such as the bubonic plague, Hanta virus, salmonellosis, tularemia, rat bite fever and leptospirosis. The scary thing is that a rodent doesn’t need to bite or touch you to pass on an illness. Simply being exposed to its droppings or nesting site can make you fall ill with, for example, the Hanta virus. Some of the diseases rodents carry present like the flu, making them initially difficult to properly diagnose until the illnesses are in their advanced stages.

Discomfort: What do mosquitoes, fleas and bed bugs have in common? Their bites make you feel itchy. While most insect bites are more annoying than harmful, scratching itchy spots can lead to a secondary infection.

Asthma triggers: Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in children and adults, and up to 60 percent of asthma sufferers are allergic to cockroaches. Merely touching a roach’s exoskeleton, which the bug can shed, can trigger an asthma attack. Using chemicals like toxic baits, fumigators or sprays to get rid of pests can trigger asthma symptoms and possibly make them worse than usual.

Toxic bites: Most spiders are harmless and meek, but there are a handful that can do major harm if they bite you. These include the recluse varieties, hobo, black widow, brown widow and red widow spiders.

Pest Prevention Tactics

The best way to practice natural pest control is by employing simple prevention techniques. These natural methods, when used regularly, can help you keep infestations at bay better than any toxic repellents. For example:

• Don’t leave food out in the open.
• Store pantry items in lidded glass or thick plastic containers.
• Eliminate sources of standing water in and around your home.
• Seal holes and cracks along the exterior of your home.
• Use lids on your trash cans.
• Keep your landscape mowed, pruned, weeded and manicured.
• Clean your house regularly and keep it tidy.
• Keep wood piles high, dry and away from your house.
• Inspect your luggage for signs of bed bugs after traveling.
• Inspect guest rooms for signs of bed bugs after you’ve had overnight visitors.
• Plant insect-repelling plants and flowers around the exterior of your home, including mint, pennyroyal, petunias, tansy, rosemary, geraniums, marigolds, citronella and wormwood.

Home Infestations: What to Do

Pest infestations can happen in even the cleanest homes. The trick is quickly taking care of the problem by calling a green pest control company that practices Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM involves using knowledge of pest biology (with a bit of common sense thrown in) control pests. For example, technicians will identify the pests, get rid of their nesting sites, make it harder for the pests to access your home and use other natural pest control techniques to give you a healthy, critter-free environment. Green pest control companies use natural techniques whenever possible – in large part because they’re more effective both immediately and in the long term – and will choose the least-toxic treatments available when an application is necessary.

If you have a pest infestation, or think you have one, call a natural pest control company to schedule an inspection and learn personalized tips for keeping your home pest-free.

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This post was contributed by Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, the leading integrated pest management company in Western Washington and Oregon and serves both residential and commercial customers.

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Part 3 in this series of movements I think we should all be able to do. Part 1 and Part 2 are here. So, what is your assessment? Can you do them all? Let me know in the comment section.

Sit up from a reclined position

How do you get out of bed? Do you sit up in bed then swing your legs over the side and stand up? Can you sit up without using your hands to help?

This is also a basic movement that we should all have the strength to do, but I find many are not able to do this. If one is lying on the floor I think one should be able to sit up, then push oneself onto one's feet into a squat position and stand up.

That said, there are many reasons why this movement might be unsafe for some people. Anyone diagnosed with osteoporosis should avoid flexing the spine, and anyone with a disk problem would do well to avoid it also. Anyone with a back problem should check with their physio or doctor to be certain this movement is safe.

Also I have noticed in my practice that many people's bellies "tent" up along the center line as they attempt an abdominal curl. Any ab curl, crunch, or sit up would be a bad idea if this is happening. There should be no abdominal bulging along the center line of the belly while doing any activity.

This abdominal bulging is an indication of a rectus diastasis, or a splitting of the fascia down the midline of the abdominal wall. Doing anything that creates that bulging is might make the split worse, potentially requiring surgery.

Most people should be able to work on this movement, but use common sense. If you are not sure, consult a doctor.

Walk 2 blocks carrying 2 bags of groceries that weigh at least 10% of your body-weight in each hand (I don't figure you need a video for this one.)

For most people, this is probably adequate for comfortable living, but depending upon what one enjoys doing, one may need to be able to carry heavier amounts.

Children are the perfect graduated weight-training program! They grow and get heavier, and they squirm, which can make carrying difficult.

Carrying heavy things for a few minutes from one place to another (from the store to the car, or from the car to the door) is something we often need to be able to do, so if you are injury-free, practice walking while carrying something heavy frequently enough that you remain strong enough to do it.

There you have it! Six movements that you should be able to do. Can you do them?? If not, get some help! If you live in Vancouver, contact us by replying to this email. We will figure out what level you are at, and build you up from there.

If you don't live in Vancouver, buy the Anti-Aging Exercise Solution DVD. The movements are not identical but should improve your flexibility and strength, and there are 3 levels to choose from depending on your ability.

If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc.

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Related tips
6 movements you should be able to do (Part 1)
6 movements you should be able to do (Part 2)
How many ways can you get up off the floor?
10 positions we should all find relaxing
Squatting and the knees

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Here are a couple more movements that should be no problem at all if we have adequate flexibility and strength. If you have difficulty with either of these – you simply cannot do them or you have pain, perhaps these can be goals for your fitness/movement program, and as you improve, marvel how they make life’s activities easier. If you missed Part 1 of “6 movements we should all be able to easily do”, click here.

Watch the videos, but please use your common sense with respect to trying the movements. Hire someone to help you learn to do these movements properly as technique is key to avoiding injury. A planned progression can be created to help you regain your ability if you know you cannot do them. And these movements may not be appropriate for everyone.

Kneel to stand

This movement should be easy if you can do the tripod split squat, but involves more balance due to the transfer of weight to the forward leg. This movement involves moving forward as well as up, so it is easiest to imagine a trajectory of about 45 degree angle as you get up.

One starts with one knee and toes on the ground, the other foot forward and on the ground. Bring the pelvis forward so your body-weight is over the forward foot, then push down through the floor with the forward leg, and push the body forward with the back toes to stand up. The work should be felt in the buttocks and upper hamstrings of the front leg.

It can be helpful to have a walking pole, or even pretend to use a walking pole in the opposite hand to the forward leg. As energy is exerted by the forward leg to stand up, the opposite arm is pushing down and back through the pole (or imaginary one).

Getting up from the ground in this manner is one of those basic movements that everyone should always be able to do easily with both legs. This movement would also ensure the ability to step up onto a high step or rock, or step over a small fence.

The movement can be made easier by putting a step or small platform under the back knee, and can be made harder by putting a step or small platform under the front foot.

Lift something that weighs at least 20% of your bodyweight out of the trunk of your car

Twenty percent of your bodyweight is an approximation – the amount of weight that you need to be able to lift depends on your needs.

What do you need to be strong enough to lift, to make your life easy? Do you lift big bags of dog food, kitty litter, cases of wine, or a cooler of food out of the trunk of your car? How much do these items weigh? Is it a struggle, or can you manage these lifts easily?

If you travel frequently, consider how much your suitcase weighs, as you need to be able to lift it off the conveyor belt without injuring yourself. The conveyor belt adds a rotational force to the lift as well, making this activity risky if you are not strong enough.

Lifting technique is important to preventing injury, and taking advantage of your body weight to help with the lift can make the lift far easier. Practicing deadlifts in the gym can help teach you the technique.

First bring the object as close to you as possible. The key to this movement is keeping the spine neutral, arms sucked into their sockets. Reach the buttocks back to the point one feels a slight stretch in the back of the legs, then grasp the object, keeping it close to the body.

Anchor the heels to the floor, feeling the connection up the back-leg line to the sit-bones of the pelvis, and use that line-of-pull like a guy-line on the top of a tent pole, to pull the wheel of the pelvis around until you are upright.

There is no efforting by the low back to lift the object. Although the spinal muscles will be active, the effort comes from the back of the legs. By reaching back into the back-leg line in order to counteract the weight of the object being lifted, the body almost acts like a teeter-totter. Get enough body-weight behind, and the object is lifted quite easily.

Knees are slightly bent, shins remain vertical, and the butt reaches back to the point of slight stretch. Spine remains neutral, arms stay sucked into the arm sockets, and as the pelvis-wheel rolls around to upright, it also moves forward to take its place under the ribs again.

It feels like a strange contradiction. Even though the weight is heavy and effort is required to lift it, when the mechanics are right there is an ease about the movement. There is effort, but the movement flows and just feels right.

Remember that training movements is far more important and useful for good function than training muscles. Getting stronger by getting good at these different movement patterns will translate into more ability to do what you want day-to-day.

If you are in the Vancouver area and want us to assess your movement patterns, descend the movements to the point you can do them correctly, and then build them back up from there, please contact us by replying to this email. If you are not in the Vancouver area, consider purchasing the Anti-Aging Exercise Solution DVD. It covers some of these movements and variations on others, and is a great place to start.

Please do keep the comments coming!

If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc.

If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related tips
6 movements we should be able to easily do (Part 1)
How many ways can you get up off the floor?
10 positions we should all find relaxing
Squatting and the knees

To subscribe go to www.wellnesstips.ca

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These are movements that should be no problem at all if our body is functioning well. If you have difficulty with any one of them – you simply cannot do them or you have pain, there are body dysfunctions that should be addressed.

Our bodies are meant to move, and when movement becomes a problem due to a lack of strength or flexibility, our lives can close down as we find ourselves no longer capable of doing the things we want. Stairs become a problem, getting in and out of cars or chairs difficult, or we have trouble carrying groceries home.

Training movements is far more important and useful for good function than training muscles. One can strengthen the quadriceps on a leg extension machine, but that teaches the brain nothing useful about how to use that strength. Getting stronger by getting good at these different movement patterns will translate into more ability to do what you want day-to-day.

Most often the reasons people have trouble with these movements is they have lost the flexibility to do them. As that flexibility improves, there is more range-of-motion to strengthen.

Please watch the videos, but use your common sense with respect to trying the movements. Hire someone to help you learn to do these movements properly, and create a planned progression to regain your ability if you know you cannot do them.

This is exactly what we do in my business, Wellness Works Integrated Health Services. We assess your movement patterns to figure out where you are having a problem. We descend the movements to the point you can do it correctly, and then build them back up from there.

If you are in the Vancouver area and want help improving your movements, please contact me by replying to this email. If you are not in the Vancouver area, consider purchasing The Anti-Aging Exercise Solution DVD. It covers some of these movements and variations on others, and can be a great place to start.

Instead of making this post super long, I thought I’d break it up into three posts over the next three weeks, so today I’ll cover the first 2 of the 6 movements I think we should all be able to do.

Squat to floor and stand up again

This is a movement that we used to do daily to poop, from the time we were able at about age 1, until the time we died. The invention of the toilet ended that. Many of us are no longer able squat that low due to a lack of flexibility, or we can’t get up from there keeping the trunk parallel to the lower legs (chest higher than the butt) on the ascent.

The usual cheat is to lift the butt up first so the trunk is parallel to the ground instead of the lower legs, and then straighten up. If lifting the butt first is the strategy being used, that indicates a lack of strength in the front of the thigh muscles (quadriceps).

Being able to do this movement correctly ensures adequate slack in the myofascia which would likely reduce the incidence of low back, hip, knee and ankle pain.

One would have adequate strength and range-of-motion to do most day-to-day activities, like climbing stairs, getting out of chairs and even low car seats.

The key to success in this movement is to keep the front of the hips and the front of the ankles soft throughout the range of motion. Simply ensure that your centre of gravity is right over the feet and lower yourself down with ease, bringing the trunk between the knees to ensure that center of gravity is maintained.

If the front of the ankles are firing, your weight is too far back, so bring your knees and body forward until the ankles quieten.

If the ankles are soft, feet relaxed, it is okay if the heels are not firmly on the floor. As you push through the feet to stand up provided the ankles are soft, the myofascia on the bottom of the feet will soften onto the floor as you come up.

Contracting the anterior lower-leg muscles (tibialis anterior) to force the heels down will cause a tug-of-war over the knee cap, as lower leg would then be pulling the knee cap down towards the ankle as the quad is pulling the knee cap up the leg.

The knee cap, being pulled in both directions would end up being scraped over the fold of the knee joint – ouch! So keeping the ankles and feet soft is key.

This movement should be done with a sense of ease. The descent is more an “allowing” than a battle. The ascent is accomplished with a push down through whatever part of the feet are on the floor. It should not feel “effortful”. Good movement is efficient, not difficult.

Start with a height that is manageable (a chair?) and slowly work towards lowering the height over weeks and months of practice, until it is possible to squat fully to the floor.

We find stackable stools work great for this purpose. Every time you succeed in reducing the number of stools for your sit to stand, you have gained that much more flexibility and strength.

In my humble opinion, being able to squat all the way to the floor with no added weight is far more useful in terms of improving function than squatting to the point where the thighs are parallel to the floor with added weight. I know many people that can do half squats with lots of weight, but are not capable of squatting to the floor with just their body weight.

I would not advise squatting with added weight lower than one can keep the back neutral. A flexed (rounded) spine under load is more vulnerable to injury.

Tripod split squat to overhead lift

This movement is particularly useful for lifting items off the floor, as it keeps the back neutral making it less vulnerable to the weight lifted.

This movement requires excellent flexibility in the toes, ankles, knees and hips, as well as adequate strength to get up from the low position while carrying whatever needs to be carried.

It is important to be able to do this movement equally well leading with either leg in order to maintain good muscle balance between the two sides of the body.

Straddle the object to be lifted, and from the squat position above, drop one knee to the floor and sit on the heel of that foot. This position is comfortable and stable as you have created a triangle on the ground with the points being one knee, the toes of the same leg and the other foot.

From here, maintain neutral spine as you grab the object, then holding it close to your trunk, stand straight up again, keeping even weight through both feet.

The common mistake here is to lower the back heel down just when beginning the lift. Stay on the back toes until almost completely upright.

If the weight is kept close to the body on should also be able to lift it over the head and put it on a high shelf.

Next week I’ll discuss two more movements I think we should all be able to do, and that I’ve noticed many people have difficulty with.

If you want to share this article, scroll to the very bottom and click the “share” icon to post on Facebook, Twitter etc.

If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

Related tips
How many ways can you get up off the floor?
10 positions we should all find relaxing
Squatting and the knees