Be Afraid Be Very Very Afraid! GMO’s 101

I cannot think of anything more frightening that is happening to our foods today than GMO’s!  I am certainly not trying to play a trick on you.  I can unequivocally tell you that genetically modified foods are no treat.  We, the people of the United States, have become one large science experiment.  We ALL have become human guinea pigs.  Sometimes I truly think I am living in the twilight zone.  Where did the country go that I grew up in?  Maybe if I click my heels three times together and say, “take me back home” I will find myself back in a place where our foods have not been destroyed and our people not paying the consequences.  Let me try……….”take me back home”…………”take me back home………”take me back home!  Ummmm NOPE!  Still here!   Guess I must do the next best thing……

Here is a FACT:  Over 80 percent of the foods in an average grocery store are already genetically modified.   How can this be?  When did this happen?  So what are genetically modified foods?

Genetically modified foods are created when a scientist takes the DNA from one organism and inserts it into another organism to give it a trait it doesn’t naturally possess.   Let me give you an example of something that has already been done.  We all know that tomatoes are a warm weather crop.  The fruit will not thrive if there is a sudden dip in temperature.  Therefore, if scientists can find a way to alter the tomato’s DNA in order for it to be able to grow in colder temperatures, there will be a dramatic increase in the productivity of the tomato.  Hence enter the flounder.  Yes I said flounder as in the fish!  The flounder is a cold weather fish that is able to withstand cold water.  So the idea is to isolate and extract the gene from the flounder that enables it to withstand the cold and insert it into our common tomato.  VIOLA….you now have a tomato that can withstand the cold!  Now you know how FRANKENFOODS are made! 

Man is genius!  It’s amazing how far science and technology has come, especially within the last 100 years.  However, when our food becomes one big science experiment, it’s frightening.  Never before in the history of man have we ever tampered with our food like this.  We are playing with nature with no idea of the consequences!!  Or….maybe you should ask the bats, bees and birds!  When did GMO’s start making their way into our foods, in the 1990’s!  Yes you’ve been eating them for 20 years already!

GMO corn = money

Genetically modified foods ARE NOT LABELED!  This is one of the reasons why everyone is eating them because they are not aware.   If you went to buy a box of cereal and read that it contained GMO soy, for example, chances are you would not buy it.  Monsanto, the company behind GMO’s, has spent serious $$$$$$ so you remain in the dark by lobbying our politicians and government agencies (such as the FDA) to keep this a secret.  Don’t you think we have a RIGHT to know if we are eating FRANKENFOODS!!

Just follow the money trail.......

It takes me one hour to explain GMO’s to my clients.  Their first reaction is shock, and then it slowly dissipates to anger, which was exactly my reaction when I first realized what was going on.  You cannot eat healthy in today’s world unless you know how to avoid GMO’s.  This is NOT an easy thing to do.  Inner Beauty Workshops will teach you the history of GMO’s, how to recognize them in foods and how to avoid them.  If you want to learn more about GMO’s, please read the work of Jeffrey Smith or check out this website:  http://www.responsibletechnology.org/

Trapped in GMO Corn!!

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To Grandmother’s House We Go

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Oneonta to visit our son in college.  On the way, we stopped at a rest area so I can purchase some water.  While standing on the line to pay, I could not help but over hear the conversation that took place between the two older women standing behind me.  One of the women reached over to the candy that was to our left (of course there is always rows and rows of candy on check-out lines) and picked up a bag of M & M’s.  She turned to her traveling companion and said, “I’m going to get these for my granddaughter for her breakfast,” and she laughed!  It took all my strength not to turn around and say something.  At the tip of my tongue was, “Why in the world would you give a growing child food dyes for breakfast!”  But…I kept my mouth shut because it wasn’t my place to say anything…or was it? 

A special thanks to my brother-in-law for being a good sport

Here are the ingredients on a bag of peanut M & M’s:  Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milk fat, Peanuts, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Flavors, Sugar, Peanuts, Cornstarch, Less than 1% - Corn Syrup, Gum Acacia, Coloring (Includes Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Dextrin, titanium oxide.

Now, let’s look up some of these food dyes in the book “What’s in Your Food” by Bill Statham and see what potential side effects are:

RED 40 LAKE – May Contain Aluminum - Linked to Alzheimer’s.

RED 40 – Asthma, hyperactivity; hives, learning difficulties, may affect liver heart, reproduction, thyroid, stomach; suspected carcinogen.

BLUE 1 – Asthma, hives, hay fever reaction, caused tumors in animal studies.

BLUE 2 – Asthma, allergic reactions, heart problems, carcinogenic.

YELLOW 5 – Dermatitis, concentration difficulties, depression, learning difficulties, headaches, skin rash, insomnia, confusion.

YELLOW 6 – Asthma, hay fever, abdominal pains, eczema.

Should a person “mind their own business” when it concerns the welfare of a child?  If I had said something, maybe this woman would have put the bag down or thought about my words.  The child is the victim because he/she does not have the ability to buy and/or prepare her own food.  As parents or grandparents it is our responsibility to make sure our children get fed nourishing/nutrient dense foods when they are in our homes.  The cells of a child demand nutrients in order for the child to grow.  Also when the blood becomes impure with bad foods, the brain CANNOT function to its fullest and best.  The poor child doesn’t stand a chance of growing up to become a healthy successful adult when raised on devitalized foods.  Our corporations have tampered with our food and made it less valuable.  In addition, these same corporations frequently target children in their expensive advertising campaigns.   Please don’t buy into their rhetoric!  Serve only the freshest and most nutritious foods to the people you love. 

Next time I probably won’t “mind my own business.”  Besides…I would never see this woman again anyway.     If you think I’m over reacting to a bag of M & M’s, reread the highlighted area again…..

p.s.  Read the ingredient label before you hand out candy to children on Halloween.  There are better alternatives out there.  Do your homework!

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOP CLASSES ARE FORMING.  PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: WWW.INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR DETAILS OR EMAIL ME AT:  CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM. 

                                                                                             

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References:

Statham, Bill, “ What’s in Your Food?”  Running Press Book Publishers, Philadelphia PA, 2006

Why Worry? Three Simple Ideas for Chasing the Blues Away

“No man is free who is not master of himself” ~ Epicitetus

Health is a condition of the mind as well as the body.  Health consists of not only the right diet and exercise program but also a feeling of well-being and a positive state of mind.  I frequently write about the mind and the body, which may appear to be a separate unit.  However, they are merely aspects of the same thing.  Here’s the reason why:  all emotion, whether pleasant or unpleasant, affects the heartbeat, the respiration, the secretion of digestive juices, the flow of blood through the body, and the chemical reactions in the blood and tissues. In other words, our emotions can have a profound effect on our body and its organs.   Just as we are constantly striving toward a healthy body, we need to put equal efforts into improvement of our mental health. 

Worry is one of our most damaging negative emotions.  It is usually based on some type of fear.  What do people fear?  How about health, jobs, growing old, children…sound familiar?  First, let me start off by saying it’s usually the case that the problems we fret about the most never occur.   I recently read a story about someone who was really “stressed out” about a few things happening in his life.  He wrote all three things he was worried about down on a piece of paper and put it in his drawer.  He forgot about the piece of paper until six months later.   When he found it, he was amazed to see the things that were eating him up never happened or they managed to work their way out….even to the better!  Why don’t you try this and see what happens to your current worries over a six month period?  Secondly, most of the time all the worrying in the world will not prevent something from taking place.  That’s a hard statement to grasp because we usually try to maintain control over situations.  This is sometimes not feasible or possible.  It’s especially the high stress situations where we need to calm ourselves down the most.  While most people cannot automatically switch their emotions on and off, there are things we can do to minimize a troublesome period.

 What can you to do erase worry from your mind or lesson the severity of current stress?  Try these three simple exercises!  These will help keep worry at bay and lessen your overall body tension. 

1.       Get Busy! -  The busier you are, the less worried you will be.  Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time!  For instance, I want you think of the color orange.  Now, I want you to think of the color green.  Did you forget about the color orange?  I bet you did!  If you are worried, try doing an activity that requires concentration, like putting together a puzzle or reading a book.  If you are tired of cleaning the house, don’t do it!  It will make you more stressed because while you’re body is occupied doing household tasks, your mind is still free to think.  It must be a MIND ACTIVITY.  Try it!

2.      Sing a Song! – Yes…I wrote Sing a Song!  Put on your favorite music and just sing.  Do this for 15 minutes and you will feel less worried.  Please choose an upbeat song that you like, no sad or depressing songs.  Did you know that there is karaoke on YouTube?  Do the karaoke version of your favorite song.  It’s pretty funny!  Try it!

3.      Positive Affirmations – Keep a notebook or journal and write in it your favorite affirmations and read it when you are worried or stressed.  Please include quotes on gratitude.  When all else fails, this will definitely work.  How can you be worried when you read quotes such as these:

~  A smile is a curve that sets everything straight – Anonymous

~ Every day is a new life to a wise man – Anonymous

~ Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful - Buddha

Aaahhh…Don’t you feel better already!

References:

Carnegie, Dale, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,” Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York N.Y.: 1984 (originally published 1944)

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The Whole World Is In Our Hands

 

The Whole World Is In Our Hands......

By the end of the year, President Obama is slated to make a decision about the fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which is proposed to run from Alberta Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.  This pipeline will carry tar sands oil, which is one of the dirtiest and most expensive oils to refine into Texas.  The refining process could send potentially dangerous levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere creating an overload of greenhouse gases which could possibly devastate our planet.    Currently, scientists and other intellectuals are waging ongoing debates whether human activities are causing a rise of these greenhouse gases.  Since there is no current consensus in the scientific community, doesn’t it make sense to err on the side of caution?  Shouldn’t we limit obvious pollution first while our scientific community comes to a consensus regarding climate change?  After all, isn’t the stakes way too high?  We have a responsibility not only to each other, but to our lower kingdoms (plant and animal) as well.  Shouldn’t what’s at stake carry substantial weight in the decision making process?  Don’t we have a responsibility as citizens of this Earth to preserve the quality of life received to us from our ancestors?

 We, the citizens of the 21^st century, must preserve and protect our environment for future generations.  It is our obligation to do so.  Where would we be today if our ancestors had polluted our atmosphere or depleted our natural resources?  Where would we be today if weather patterns caused by the human activities of our predecessors significantly changed our standard of living?  Would we be able to enjoy our modern conveniences?  Would we be able to sit at a desk for hours surfing the internet or make telephone calls while grocery shopping?  Would we be able to have everything at the touch of a button? How could we possibly enjoy our current amenities if rising temperatures caused chronic monster storms that flooded our homes, communities and businesses?   Our ancestors fought many battles for us, explored the world for us, invented many conveniences for us and wrote them down so we can live as we do today.  We don’t have to reinvent them all over again because we have learned by their mistakes and successes.  We are fortunate that our predecessors did nothing catastrophic to this planet; our stars and clouds, our moon and sun, our forests and seas.  As a society, we have overlooked how great our debt of gratitude should be toward past generations.  We must consider, if we destroy the earth’s atmosphere, we are leaving quite a feat to our successors.  How are they going to fix it?  It is not likely that we will be leaving them an instruction manual. Will they say to themselves, “What in the world were they thinking?”   Here is another thought…have we even remotely considered what this would do to future generations in our lower kingdoms such as animals and plants?  Aren’t they the unfortunate innocent victims of our recklessness?  Remember, they don’t have a voice.  Shouldn’t they factor into the equation?

We, the citizens of the 21^st century, need to think of the earth like a wagon wheel that we have inherited from our ancestors.   It is our obligation and responsibility to take care of it while it is under our domain and pass it along when our time is done.  If during the cause of our ownership, one or many of the spokes becomes damaged, it is up to us to repair it.  If not, the wheel could potentially spiral out of control.  It is also not prudent to put too much pressure on the wheel because it could smash and break.  Just like a disease we don’t know that we have, we may not notice the effects of our actions until it is too late.  Therefore, it is strongly incumbent upon us to protect and preserve our inherited wheel and pass it along to future generations in pristine condition without defects or injury. 

We, the citizens of the 21^st century, are laying the bricks for the life of those who shall live in our places.  Let’s carry the torch so future generations can look back at us and be proud that we did the right thing.  Let’s not have them look back in shame.  How can we expect future generations to enjoy our achievements and innovations if the world is crumbling down upon them?  Collectively, we all have a responsibility while we are here on Earth to uphold the laws of nature.  For each of us is a link in the entire chain of life.  This chain is joining together in Washington D.C. on November 6th as people circle around the White House in protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline.  Join us because we must come together to stop unnecessary pollution and preserve our planet for future generations.  (http://www.tarsandsaction.org/)

The Whole World Is Watching....

*DRESS ORGANIC BAMBOO (http://www.midorilinen.com/index.php/)

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOP CLASSES ARE FORMING.  PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: WWW.INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR DETAILS OR EMAIL ME AT:  CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM. 

                                                                                             

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Common Courtesy – A RANT!

“We owe each other truth and courtesy – though truth is sometimes a real constraint and courtesy inconvenient.” ~ Max De Pree

Just call me “Rip Van Christine.”  I’ve been asleep for 20 years.  Well…not really, but I was raising my children, spending my time on the family and home.  Now that my children are well adjusted and away at college, I decided to enter the business world.  I can assuredly say that things have most definitely changed in the last 20 years – and I’m not just talking about technology.  What am I talking about?  What I see as a lack of professional or common courtesy in the business arena.  More specifically, when a company or individual issues “no response” to someone that has taken the time and effort to reach out to them. 

I am amazed at the amount of letters, emails and phone calls that go unanswered.  In the world I grew up in, it was common courtesy to respond if someone took the time to contact you.  At the very least, an acknowledgement of some sort should be sent.  What has happened to our society that we throw someone’s hard work and effort into the trash without even an acknowledgement?  I’m sure there are so many of you out there that know exactly what I am talking about or can relate.  (Please feel free to share your experiences in the comment section of this post.)  Let me ask you, “How long does it take to answer an email that someone has written you?” Possibly one minute or so?   Maybe I just don’t understand human nature today as much as I think I do.  Thank goodness this doesn’t happen 100 percent of the time.  There are some exceptional people out there who bend over backwards to help.  They should be commended.  Common courtesy is good etiquette and it is important we show by example to our children.  If our children turn out lacking common courtesy, we have no one to blame but ourselves.  If we don’t practice it in our own lives and don’t teach our children to be courteous, how can we expect the next generation to do otherwise?  We must remember that our children are very much what we make them.

A friend of mine told me her son applied to countless jobs.  He took the time to fill out the applications, only to hear back from one company (Ace Hardware) saying that they would keep his application on file if something turned up.  Only ONE company had the decency to respond to this young adult who spent countless hours filling out tedious job applications!  What is company protocol today?  They probably have someone read the applications, select a few candidates, and then toss the rest in the garbage.  All the while, the young adult is anxiously waiting some kind of response which never comes.  It is good public relations to respond to each applicant.  It is a poor reflection of the person or the company who doesn’t devote the time to acknowledging the efforts of others.  Can you blame our younger generation for being disillusioned?  It’s no wonder our younger generation have taken to the streets in protest (Occupy Wallstreet)…

Occupy Wallstreet

“Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” ~ Matthew 7:7

So I guess I shouldn’t be expecting a response to my correspondence.  However, I won’t let this deter me.  In the art of life, we must be self-starters.  We cannot wait for a golden ticket to arrive in a candy bar.  We must learn by our misfortunes and figure out a way to preserve and be proactive.  So…I will keep on trucking.   My hope is my friend’s son will do the same…..

Stop!!  Oh Yes, Wait a Minute Mr. Postman.....

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