Frankenfoods – Modifying Your DNA

Tuesday, May 6th, 2014 http://steppingstonesliving.com/frankenfoods-modifying-your-dna/ 

Frankenfoods is a name that has been coined buy the true “foodies” in reference to GMO (Genetically Modified) foods.  GMO seems to be in the news everywhere and many people know that it is not good for them but do they really understand what a GMO food is?  Try asking someone and you will be met with “ahhh” and “ummm”  or “its a food that has been modified genetically”.  Great!  You are on the right path but to have a clear understanding of what GMO means you also understand the dangers associated with it.  Because food is the foundation of our health it is important to have a firm foundation-  let’s dig deeper.  What does healthy eating really mean?
I became a true foodie in 2006 when I had my 3rd recurrence of cancer.  It was at this point that I decided I had better start paying attention to my temple.  The bible tells us that our body is the temple of God and we are to treat it that way.  Feeding it sodas and mini donuts were not going to cut it.  My entire family began to make the change as I was seeing health issues with my then 3 and 5 year old children.  We began to train them about food.  They got it.  One particular story comes to mind in relation to my daughter.  She was 3 years old and our neighbor agreed to take care of our children while we were at a church meeting.  When we returned our neighbor told us that she had given our children macaroni and cheese with applesauce for dinner.  When she placed it in front of my daughter she said “Is this organic?”   Our neighbor asked her if she knew what that meant.  She smiled and quickly said “Raised with out chemicals and no GMO.”  Our children can teach us about the important things in life very quickly.  I believe God knew that children would be an example when he told us to have faith like a child.
So back to GMO foods.
Thirty years ago GMO plants were not on the horizon.   In 1987, the first field testing of tobacco and tomatoes that had been genetically modified arrived.  In 1992 the Calgene’s Favr Savr tomato was approved for commercial production.  Also in 1992, the FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are “not inherently dangerous” and do not require special regulation.  According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, today, more than 54% of the American crops contain GMOs and approximately 70 percent of processed foods contain at least one genetically modified ingredient.
What does it mean to “genetically engineer” something?
It is a process where you remove the genes from one organism- like a plant, animal or microbe – and then transfer that gene into another one.  Genes are blueprints or codes that tell the cell how to make proteins.   Our bodies are built upon proteins in order to create healthy DNA and RNA.  So adding foods that have been modified and are not in the form as God intended can only spell disaster because these altered proteins become part of our DNA.
In researching for this article I came across an interesting list of 65 Health Risks from GMO Foods on the Institute for Responsible Technology’s website.  A quick scan of this list will show you that our species is headed for disaster if this continues.  As you  review the data on the page  labelled “Health Risks” you will see that GMO’s cause allergies, liver damages and infertility.  Rats fed GMO foods were rendered infertile within 3 generations.  I recommend that you spend some time reading and learning on this website.  It may sound cliche but our children really are our future and this will destroy them.
Since the beginning of time man has believed that they are somehow more skilled than our creator in determining our true needs.
Proponents of GMO proclaim the benefits of  the process of genetic modification to have the potential for greatness in terms of addressing problems like food safety, malnutrition, security, and  efficiency in agriculture. Genetic modification can also be used to enrich crops through the introduction of nutrients and vitamins.  The need for enrichment has come from our overproduction and lack of care of the land that would normally be rich in nutrients that would provide the plant with nourishment that would be transferred to the foods.
With the list of GMO foods growing rapidly,  the best way to avoid them is to shop at local farmers markets and get to know your farmer.   Ask them if they use heirloom seeds and if their farming is sustainable.  You should also  purchase as many organic products as possible.  Some of the top GMO products to be avoided are canola oil, corn and corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, infant formula, margarine and shortening (use real butter!), papaya and soy / soy lecithin.
It’s time that we get back to the way that God instructed us to live.  He did not do this to deprive us of enjoyment but rather to give us an abundant life.  In a future blog I will share how we can see through science and the Bible that our body is the temple of God.  The more I learn the more amazed I am at the order of our creator.