Let Your Voice Be Heard!

It's time to rally!  Join GMO Free CT to let your voice be heard, Wednesday, December 12th at noon in Hartford.  We have a right to know what is in our food.  It is as simple as that.  No corporation should be able to hide the truth from us in order to protect their profits.  The opposition to GMO labeling does not want us to know GMOs are in our food because they realize knowledge is power.  They do not want us to have the power to choose what we put in our own bodies because if we knew that GMOs were in our food, we would not choose to buy it.  Don't you want to be able to make that choice for yourself?

CALIFORNIA, BE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE: VOTE YES ON PROP 37

A lot is being written about GMOs right now.  I could spend every day, all day responding to the propaganda articles being put out there by the opposition to GMO Labeling.  However, I know my energy is better spent educating others about GMOs and fighting for GMO labeling.  However, yesterday in the Wall Street Journal there was an Op Ed piece, Biotechnology on the Ballot, that I just could not ignore.  I submitted the below response to the Wall Street Journal.  They would not print my response in it's entirety and requested that I shorten it to 270 words or less as a Letter to the Editor.  I have submitted an extremely watered down, less effective version of what you can read below.  Whether it gets printed or not is yet to be seen.  But, I needed to share my response with all of you.  Not to mention, I find it infuriating that Alex Berezow, a pathetic excuse for a scientist, is granted the privilege of having his full opinion printed for all the world to see, but I do not get that privilege as I am "just a mom" fighting the good fight.  

For anyone who thinks I do not have a right to know what is in my food, THIS IS FOR YOU!  

I am writing in response to the October 18th Op Ed piece "Biotechnology on the Ballot" by Alex Berezow, the editor of RealClearScience.  I am a concerned mother of three children, a former New York City Prosecutor, and a Certified Holistic Health Counselor.  I am currently leading the group, GMO Free CT, an organization dedicated to GMO education and also advocating for a GMO Labeling bill in Connecticut.   

Given my background, it will come as no surprise that I found Berezow’s Op Ed piece very frustrating. Even if everything Berezow said in his OP Ed piece was true, which it is NOT, it still does not take away from the fact that I deserve the right to know if the food I am eating and feeding my family is derived from seeds that have been grown on this earth for thousands upon thousands of years or derived from products that have been genetically engineered in a science lab .  For Berezow to draw a comparison between eating the naturally occurring bacteria in the soil with consuming the bacterial genes being inserted into the DNA of GMO seeds is absurd and lacks scientific credibility.  What we should be focusing on is the fact that GMOs have NEVER been proven safe.  To the contrary, a recent study out of France, which received very little attention in the US but showed up on covers of magazines and newspapers throughout Europe, showed rats that ate GMOs for two years developed massive tumors, had multiple organ failure and early death.  Why has the burden been shifted onto people like me to try and prove that GMOs are dangerous?  Why is the burden not on our government and the industry making GMOs to prove they are safe?  Typically, you would need long term safety studies before any new drug or food additive is released to the public, but GMOs were granted "generally recognized as safe" or "GRAS" status without following the required protocols or meeting any of the stated requirements. Anyone who looks at what the requirements are to be designated GRAS will notice that GMOs did not meet these requirements.  The FDA's own scientists warned their superiors that GMOs needed further testing before being released into the food supply, but these warning were completely ignored. Where are the long term feeding studies conducted by the United States Government?  Where are the studies from the FDA that prove to me GMOs are safe for my three young children to consume?  The answer is there are none.  It is clear that our federal government has abandoned the citizens of this country, the very people who put them in office, and has instead chosen to support the interests of the industries that fund their political campaigns.  

I am not in anyway opposed to scientific advancement and believe science has its place, it is even possible that the technology behind GMOs could be perfected at some point in the future, maybe, after decades of long term testing, GMOs could even be proven safe.  But, right now, despite being fed to the American public for twenty years, there is no proof they are safe.  In fact, there is a lot of proof that they are making us sick.  Think about the health of the American public since 1996, which is when GMOs were introduced.  The modern diseases of today, such as diabetes, autism, allergies, gastrointestinal diseases and cancer to name a few, have all increased at alarming rates since 1996.  What Berezow's Op Ed did not point out, is that the vast majority of GMOs today were engineered to either produce their own pesticide or resist herbicide (i.e., roundup) - which means that the same companies producing the GMO seeds sell you roundup to be sprayed in copious amounts on the crops.  Unfortunately for the GMO companies, their technology is backfiring.  The weeds are now becoming resistant to roundup as well, which is creating a need for stronger, more dangerous herbicides such as 2-4D, which was the main component in Agent Orange.  In addition, the worms and bugs that the crops were supposed to kill with the pesticide their engineered cells were producing, are now resistant to the pesticides.  You cannot mess with Mother Nature and we are now creating super weeds, super bugs and super worms.  

The GMOs on the market right now are not drought resistant, are not feeding hungry populations, and are not producing a higher yield than traditional crops.  GMOs are only feeding overfed, under nourished, fat Americans.  GMOs are not in the food in Europe, in Asia or in Africa.  They are grown here and eaten here.  If GMOs are so great, then the companies should be proud to label the products as such.  Instead, when labels are required (as they are overseas in 60+ countries), the companies remove GMOs from those products.  That is the elephant in the room that no one is naming because the opposition is frightened that labeling in America will be the end of the GMO industry and they (being the biotech industry) will lose a lot of money.

Leaders from around the country are currently uniting to form the Coalition of States For Mandatory GMO Labeling.  The fight to label GMOs and have a right to know what is in our food is far from over.  California has the chance to make history and pave the way for all the other states to pass similar GMO labeling laws.  I am begging the citizens of California to vote YES on Prop 37 and be the voice of the people.  Do not allow the industry to mislead you with lies and convince you to vote in favor of their interests rather than your own.  

MRS. OBAMA, PLEASE HELP US LABEL GMOS

From Left: Zofia Hausman (Documentary Film Maker of the Agtivist), Representative Richard Roy (the original sponsor of the GMO Labeling Bill in CT), Ellen McCormick, Tara Cook-Littman, Beth Beisel, Diana Reeves,Whitney Riggs, and Cathie Iaccarino

Below is an open letter written to Mrs. Obama with a plea for help from the women leading the activist movement here in CT and beyond.  We have all heard Mrs. Obama talk about the importance of eating a healthy diet, but not once have we ever heard her speak about GMOs.  A healthy diet that is filled with GMOs is not a healthy diet at all.  PLEASE, Mrs. Obama, talk to your husband and ask him to label GMOs.  We have a right to know what is in our food and be able to choose whether or not to feed our families GMOs.  

OPEN LETTER TO FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA

Dear First Lady Michelle Obama,

We applaud your efforts to feed your family organically and to change the way Americans eat for the better, but we have yet to hear you address the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  We are writing to ask for your help.  We are leaders in an organization in Connecticut called GMO Free CT, a group of individuals educating the public about GMOs and advocating for our right to know what is in our food.   We are certain that you are aware that our food supply is being taken over by GMOs and that the children of this country are paying the price. 

As women ranging in age from 20 to 60 plus, we find ourselves bound together by common purpose and by the overwhelming urgency to secure a safe food supply for generations to come.  Right now over 90% of the processed foods on our grocery store shelves contain GMO ingredients.  Corn, Canola, Soy, Sugar, and Cottonseed along with the hundreds of derivatives made from these 5 crops, have been modified to include genes from other, unrelated species.   These GMOs have been granted “GRAS” status (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA and therefore have NEVER been tested for safety through long term feeding studies. Current research is raising significant health concerns as scientific studies are linking genetically engineered foods to an increase in food allergies, autism, autoimmune diseases, cancer, organ damage, infertility and inflammatory bowel diseases, all of which, are on the rise and increasing medical costs in this country.   GMO labeling is mandated in over 50 countries around the world, yet here in America, supposedly one of the most progressive countries in the world, we are still shopping completely blind.  Currently, voters in California have the opportunity to support mandatory GMO labeling by voting in favor of Proposition 37.   As mothers, aunts, grandmothers and sisters, we deserve to have the right to choose whether or not to feed our families GMOs.  

During his last campaign, your husband pledged to require labeling of GMOs. Instead, he hired a former Monsanto executive (Monsanto being the company that stands to benefit the most from the proliferation of GMOs), Michael Taylor, as his food safety czar. Mrs. Obama, we need your help. We need a strong, caring and intelligent mother like you to stand up for the welfare and safety of America’s children.  Over one million Americans signed a petition to the FDA asking for GMO labeling, fifty five US Senators signed a letter to the FDA asking for GMO labeling, professional polls show that 95% of Americans want GMOs labeled, and 19 states, including CT, are introducing GMO labeling legislation.  The FDA refuses to act. We need you to stand up for democracy and for freedom of choice. Please talk to your husband on behalf of your children, our children and America’s children. Ask him to make good on his campaign promise to label GMOs. California’s ballot initiative to label GMOs needs the support of the Obama family. Please speak out in support of GMO labeling so that America’s families can have the ability to choose clean, unadulterated food.

Thank you very much for your personal attention and reply to this letter.  We can be reached at gmofreeconnecticut@gmail.com.  We would very much like to visit with you to discuss this very urgent matter.  It is a complicated issue and we are aware of the political implications as well.  We would like to hear back from you directly.  The health and safety of our families, future generations and our fragile environment are at stake.

Sincerely,

Beth Beisel
Tara Cook-Littman
Cathie Iaccarino
Ellen McCormick
Diana Reeves
Whitney Riggs
Elaine Titus   

GMO FREE USA: RIDDING THE WORLD OF GMOS ONE COMPANY AT A TIME

Diana Reeves, Founder GMO Free USA

After the Connecticut GMO labeling bill was killed this past May at the end of the legislative session, there were a lot of angry people.  Within hours of the demise of the bill, the lead activists in CT were brainstorming about how to turn things around and how to turn a frustrating, bad situation into something positive and productive.  One of those activists was Diana Reeves, the founder of GMO Free USA and someone I feel extremely privileged to call my friend.  Diana immediately had a very clear vision and had a deep sense that GMO Free USA could have a major impact.  Diana's concept became a reality very quickly.  She wanted a group of at least 5000 people on Facebook and/or yahoo to join together with the common purpose of selecting one company at a time to boycott and start a phone, e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter campaign to demand that these companies remove GMOs from their products.  GMO Free USA is now a powerful group with thousands of like-minded, passionate individuals wanting to make a difference and let their collective voices be heard.    


On July 23rd, GMO Free USA kicked off their first campaign against Kelloggs.  Thousands of people have been bombarding Kelloggs with phone calls, e-mails, tweets and Facebook posts.  I personally spoke with a customer service representative who listened carefully and took notes on our entire conversation.  Kelloggs has sent a response to some members of GMO Free USA with the following content: 


"Thank you for contacting us about biotechnology ingredients. We truly appreciate your opinion and are grateful that you have taken the time to express your concerns. 

Almost all domesticated animals and crop plants have been genetically modified over thousands of years by human selection and cross and/or selective-breeding. This new method differs in that it is the direct manipulation of an organism's genes. In traditional breeding the organism's genes are manipulated indirectly. GMOS are viewed with concern because of public debate over the safety of the products and the fear that GMO foods represent a type of "biological" pollution. The battle has been particularly intense in Europe, where GMOS have been banned since 1998

We value the opinion of consumers such as you who are passionate and interested about the foods you buy. We want you to know that we hear you and, like you, want only the best ingredients to go into our products. It's important that we capture your viewpoint so that we can share it with our team in helping to gauge public opinion about biotechnology. 

We take seriously the trust placed in us to provide healthy, nutritious, and safe food. We will continue to evaluate our ingredients, suppliers and product formulas to provide the best products possible.

Sincerely,

Jonathan W.
Consumer SpecialistConsumer Affairs"   


This is what I would like to say to Kelloggs:  


"Dear Consumer Affairs Specialist, 
Thank you for being so respectful in your response, but get GMOs out of your food NOW.  Our campaign will not stop until you do.  If you are serious about providing "healthy, nutritious, and safe food" as you say, then you would begin removing GMOs from your products immediately.  The debate over GMOs goes way beyond the fear that GMO foods represent a type of 'biological' pollution" as you say, but rather that GMOs are slowly poisoning the America people and are causing a whole host of diseases and health problems such as immunological disorders, gastrointestinal disease, infertility, and cancer to name a few.  The FDA, who is supposedly protecting the American people, has allowed GMOs into the food supply without any proof that GMOs are safe, yet Kelloggs allows GMOs into your food despite your statement that you "take seriously the trust placed" in Kelloggs. Well, I am sorry to inform you that Kelloggs no longer has my trust.  Kelloggs has the chance to be a leader and gain back the trust of the America people.   Remove GMOs from all your products just like you have done in Europe and announce to the world that Kelloggs cares about the well-being of the American people. 


Best,
Tara Cook-Littman
Protective Mom of Three Children" 


Diana Reeves is feeling great about how the Kelloggs campaign is going and had this to say: "The Kellogg's campaign is going well. We have been sending a steady stream of emails to Kellogg's executives all week long, as well as filling Kellogg's facebook pages with posts and making phone calls. The campaign will continue until Kellogg's responds to our request that they make all of their products GMO free, as they do in countries that require labeling." 


Diana also shared the exciting news that she will be hosting a new internet TV show called GMO Free TV.  Diana is going to invite Kellogg's to appear on the pilot of GMO Free TV, but she "fully expects that they will decline the invite and decline to comment."


If you have not already joined GMO Free USA please JOIN NOW.  Also, please join the Kelloggs campaign and start telling Kelloggs to get GMOS out of their food NOW!  Sending an e-mail or posting on Facebook will only take a minute. You can also SIGN the petition telling Kelloggs to go GMO free.  GMO Free USA needs your support. Things will never change unless we use our voices and let them be heard.  Jeffrey Smith, the country's leading spokesperson on the dangers of GMOs calls this the Tipping Point, we in GMO Free USA can create that tipping point.  GMO Free USA has 7000 members right now and is growing by the second, but the truth is, we should stand millions strong against the industry that is destroying everything in it's path.


Thank YOU Diana for bringing all of us together and for your vision and perseverance to make things happen!  

JEFFREY SMITH COMING TO CT TO SPEAK ABOUT GMOS!!!

If you ask anyone where they learned about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the majority of people will tell you Jeffrey Smith taught them.  Anyone who did not learn about GMOs directly from Jeffrey in all likelihood learned about GMOs from someone like me, a disciple of Jeffrey Smith.  Jeffrey is the best selling author of two books on GMOs, "Seeds of Deception" and "Genetic Roulette".  Both books are a must read if you want to educate yourself on GMOs.  Jeffrey is also the Executive Director of the instititute For Responsible Technology, the country's leading organization educating the world about GMOs.  Jeffrey will be in CT on August 8th for three very important events.  You are invited and encouraged to join him at all three events.

(1) Jeffrey Smith addresses the special GMO Labeling Task force - At 10:00 AM at the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Jeffrey Smith of the Institute For Responsible Technology, will address the task force and answer their questions about GMOs.   It is very important for our legislators to see that their constituents care about our right to know.  

(2) Jeffrey Smith Strategic Planning Session - Immediately following the task force meeting, Jeffrey will be meeting with GMO Free CT, ALL OF US, to help us plan and strategize for the future of the GMO Free movement and labeling efforts in CT.  

(3) Fundraiser at the Greenwich Audubon - That evening at 7:30 PM, the Greenwich Audubon will be hosting a fundraiser for Jeffrey Smith.  It should be a fantastic evening with food provided by NON GMO vendors from around CT.  We are expecting Senator Richard Blumenthal to be in attendance.  In addition, the documentary film maker, Zofia Hausman, will be in attendance at all three events that day.  We are thrilled to have Zofia joining us in CT!  The event is $75 per person and while I realize this can be cost prohibitive for many people, I ask that you please keep in mind that the work Jeffrey and his organization are doing is critical.  They can not continue to do their work without funding.  For more information and to RSVP click HERE.   

CHANGING OVER YOUR PANTRY: GET RID OF THE CRAP!

I want to come into your home right now, throw out everything, and replace it with all the items listed below.  I have performed several "pantry makeovers" and, every time, I leave with a sense of accomplishment.  You know that you have thought about cleaning out your own pantry and starting all over again.  But, something stops you, maybe it's the guilt of throwing food away or maybe it is just simple laziness.  Whatever may be holding you back, it's time to throw that in the garbage along with all the crap sitting on those shelves.  Just open up those cabinets, get the garbage bags out, and start dumping.  Don't tell yourself you will wait until everything gets eaten and then you just won't replace the items.  We all know that is the lie we tell ourselves but then nothing ever changes.  Carpe diem, seize the day, begin your path toward health and wellness today!  Goodbye overly processed, health damaging foods and hello to a healthier you.  Below you will find a list of some wonderful items to get you started and to keep in your pantry.  Items that may be less familiar to you are followed by a brief description.  Watch for more recipes in the near future that include these items.

CONDIMENTS
ORGANIC KETCHUP AND MUSTARD
BRAGGS LIQUID AMINO ACIDS - A wonderful flavor enhancer for salad dressings, marinades, and also is a great replacement for soy sauce.
NAMO SHOYU UNPASTEURIZED SOY SAUCE OR ORGANIC WHEAT FREE TAMARI
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - The best vinegar to use in salad dressings.
NUTRITIONAL YEAST - A rich source of vitamins and a tasty topping for vegetables or popcorn.
CELTIC SEA SALT OR PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
HONEY - Must be raw and local is best.
ASSORTED DRIED HERBS - Basil, Cumin, Thyme, Cinnamon, Ginger, Rosemary, Mint, Turmeric, Paprika, and Pepper.
KELP FLAKES - A good source of iodine and can be sprinkled on your vegetables or salads for a little extra flavor.

COOKING AND BAKING

ORGANIC OLIVE OIL
ORGANIC GRAPESEED OIL - Grapeseed oil replaces your genetically engineered (GMO) oils such as soybean, corn, canola and vegetable oil.  Unlike olive oil, grape seed oil can be heated at high temperatures and is good for sautéing, roasting, or baking.

COCONUT OIL - A wonderful oil to use for baking and also for stir frys.
COCONUT MILK - A very tasty addition to sautéed vegetables
REDUCED SODIUM VEGETABLE STOCK - Rather than using abundant amounts of oil or butter when cooking on a stove top, add vegetable stock for flavor and to reduce the amount of oil.
RICE, ALMOND, OR HEMP MILK - Replaces milk and is very useful for smoothies and baking.
MIRIN - A Japanese rice wine that is excellent to add to dressings and sauces and also to sautéed vegetables.
NORI - Nori makes for a great crunchy snack on its own or wrap it with some vegetables inside like cucumber, avocado, and peppers and you have a fast vegetable sushi roll.
KOMBU - A Japanese sea vegetable that should be added when cooking beans and grains for aiding in the digestibility of the grains or beans and also adds minerals to the food.
ORGANIC TOMATO SAUCE

ORGANIC RAW CACAO - Cacao is chocolate in it's natural state.  In the winter, warm some cacao with honey and rice milk and you have a delicious and nutritious hot chocolate.

ORGANIC APPLE SAUCE - Very useful in baking.  Buy apple sauce with NO sugar added.  

ORGANIC BAKING SODA AND ALUMINUM FREE BAKING POWDER

ORGANIC WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

ORGANIC GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

RAW AGAVE NECTAR

MAPLE SYRUP

GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS AND BEANS
RAW SESAME TAHINI - Tahini is great when added to salad dressings, stir frys, and hummus.
RAW ALMOND BUTTER - I can eat this by the spoonful.
BROWN RICE
QUINOA - Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is gaining popularity.  It makes for a great side dish or main dish.  It cooks easily like rice with 1 cup of quinoa to two cups of water.  Quinoa is also Gluten and wheat free.
WILD RICE
BROWN RICE PASTA or QUINOA PASTA- We all want pasta once in a while and I highly recommend you try these options as a healthier alternative to regular white or even whole wheat pasta.
ORGANIC ROLLED OATS
GROUND FLAX SEEDS

CHIA SEEDS - A superfood, chia seeds are high in vitamins and minerals, protein, omega 3's, and fiber.  Add chia seeds to your yogurt and smoothies.
HEMP SEEDS - A delicious add on to salads.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
PUMPKIN SEEDS
GOJI BERRIES - Goji berries are a wonderful replacement for cranberries in a salad or are delicious on their own as a snack.
RAW VEGETABLE OR RICE BASED PROTEIN POWDER
BLACK BEANS (dry or canned)
GARBANZO BEANS (dry or canned)
LENTILS (dry or canned)

REAL LIFE MEDITATION

Are you one of those people who can sit quietly on the floor, palms to the ceiling, with your eyes closed and ohm your way to peace and serenity?  If you are, I am envious as I am not one of those people . . . yet.  Quiet meditation is certainly something to work toward, but for now, I am still that person at the end of yoga class when everyone else sprawls out on their back for 5 minutes of relaxation during Shavasana who jumps up and heads out the door for my next activity or errand.

Does this make me a bad person or mean that I do not live a conscious life?  I say absolutely not.  If you can quietly meditate, then by all means continue what you are doing.  But, if you are more like me, find ways in your every day life to raise your level of consciousness and allow your inner most, sacred thoughts to surface.  A few months ago I attended a joint talk by Kris Carr, author of "Crazy, Sexy Diet" and Gabrielle Bernstein, author of "Spirit Junky".  You can guess who is the yogi and who is the health nut.  Of course I related to Kris Carr, who shares much of the same beliefs about food as I do.  Someone in the audience asked Kris Carr if she meditates like Gabrielle Bernstein.  Bernstein answered for Carr and said that Carr "meditates during her every day activities".  Of all the things these two amazing ladies talked about that night, this simple statement is what resonated with me the most.

I may not spend 20 minutes or even 5 minutes a day in quiet solitude alone with my thoughts in a meditative pose, but throughout the day I am raising my level of consciousness and living my life with purpose.  It is in my every day activities that I am able to invoke a feeling of connection to myself, to those around me and to my actions.  I am by no means saying that every moment of my life is filled with meaning and purpose, I am human after all, and certainly have many moments of craziness where I completely lose all sense of where I am or what I am doing.  But, what I am saying is that I meditate during many of my daily activities.   When I am running outside, I let my mind drift where it wants to and allow thoughts and ideas to flow freely.  I write most of my blog pieces in my mind, including this one, while running because that is when I find inspiration and think most clearly.  When I am cooking dinner for my family, I am aware of every ingredient that goes into that food, I pay attention to the smells in my kitchen, and I pour all my love and care into the dishes my family will eat.  When I am sitting on the couch with my children reading them a book and cuddling, I am conscious of the love and peace I feel at that moment.

Those who practice one form or another of traditional meditation may be thinking I have no clue what meditation is truly about.  But, when you are mindful of the activities you are engaging in and how they make you feel, I believe that is a form of mediation that everyone can practice all day long.  What daily activities can you participate in with a new level consciousness and intent?