http://www.livestream.com/deepakhomebase">Deepak Chopra's interview on Organic and GMO food
A co-teacher trainee from the Chopra Center was kind enough to show this to me. Many have taken the time to watch the documentary Food Inc and be amazed at the backroom politics of the food industry. Bottom line for my patients (and my family including my mother who died of pancreatic cancer) we all have to understand what we are eating. Labeling the foods we buy at the grocery in a carefree manor thinking the grocery has our best interests in mind. Well, just like the pharmaceutical industry, at one point they may have had idea to save lives, now its just to make a big drug that will sell(doesnt have to cure, just sell). Drug companies spend more on marketing than research and development. The government spends more on taking care of sickness than preventing it. This is why the US spends the most on earth on public healthcare (about $5000.00 a person a year) than any other nation but we are ranked 72 in overall health (of 191 countries studied in 2000).
Now people have to be aware, when I encourage them to exercise and diet, the very foods they may be indulging more of (to get off the medicines) can cause another form of illness-toxin induced body aches, autoimmune disease, cancer. You cant just walk into a food store and shop along the periphery. Used to be if you stayed out of the isles of processed foods, you would be eating healthy (this was a 90's concept). Now while in the periphery, you have to read labels, and most of the pesticide/chemical industry that owns the patent on farm seed also has influence on labeling standard for our food products. Organic companies in order to call themselves organic have to pay to get certification on their cows not using hormones, not eating genetically modified feed, not using pesticides in the soil. These small companies have to pay more to the governement to label that they are safer and wont inject your bodies with carcinogens.
http://herbal411faqs.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-it-really-organic.html">Dr Saguil's previous Organic Blog
http://herbal411.blogspot.com/2010/09/genetically-modified-salmon.html">Dr Saguil's blog on Genetically Modified Salmon
It is so hard to shop and be healthy and figure how where to put the paycheck, bills or food? I feel in denial when I pick bills. My mind says I made the right choice because the fruit looks ok, nice and shiny. The veggies appear plump and full with no brown spots. The chicken and fish look like they are clean without cancer spots. The Environmental Working Group has put out a list of the clean 15 and dirty dozen-this is a great starting guide to get you used to making a decision on what to spend the extra money on. If you buy all organic, bless you and most likely you wont be needing to see me in the office or in surgery or in the oncologists office.
I think when people/parents first set the intention to give it a try for a few weeks and live through the change of "stuff" on the kitchen table then it will become do-able for a few more weeks. Off milk onto soy or almond, push away from beef every night and mix it up with poultry fish and legumes. Soon, the belly wont be as fat, the mind will think a little faster and clearer, the body will tolerate more activity or at least recover faster, sleep will come faster and morning will be more rested. Then the exercise becomes something you desire to do (the brain goes from hunting for food to hunting for exercise). Then when exercising more, the body demands or inspires you to shop for better food again the next time you shop. Positive feedback loop. A parent really has to protect the family from the invisible threat. The EWG sponsored a testing of 10 baby cord blood samples (blood from the placenta right after birth) and found an average of 200 chemicals that can cause cancer. These are babies born to moms who follow standard practice of taking prenatal vitamins, avoiding smoke and alcohol and caffeine and only taking tylenol.
Think of how many chemicals are in those adults who don't care about their health. They go onto develop disease, get sick, lose jobs, become financially dependant on the government and there goes our per capita spending again. But having no money is not an excuse, as stated in Deepaks interview, Walmart has even picked up on organic products. Target has also implemented selling organic products. (Although I love Whole Foods Market, you don't have to just shop at WFM to get organic!)
I became health conscious after a series of personal life threats and what unfortunately was the last straw-mom's short battle with cancer. I am down to college weight, have run 2 marathons and plan on climbing Yosemite or Everest Basecamp by my 50th (2012) It is so unfortunate that I just found this feeling inside me now but why worry about the past.
