Luke McMullan, a great person, friend, and owner of Branches Ecological Designs www.branchesnc.com, answered my plea for help in getting to the root of the organic vs. non-organic produce debate. He generously took the time to give me his thoughts. Thank you so much, Luke! You are helping many people!!

Here are Luke’s thoughts:

Laura asked me to talk about plant uptake of heavy metals so that is sort of what I will do. It is generally assumed that organically produced food is relatively non-toxic, while we need to worry about the toxicity impacts of conventional food. Guess what? Worrying is a waste of time, but if you’re going to worry you should worry about both. We know that chemical fertilizers contain significant levels of potentially toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, zinc, and arsenic, which in turn accumulate in the soil and are taken up by plants. What you don’t usually hear about are the organically approved natural fertilizers such as composted manure, rock phosphate, greensand, guano, and fish emulsion, which

• contain the same heavy metals
• accumulate in soil
• are taken up by crops.

The difference? This time the chemicals end up in the body of someone who thinks they are eating something healthier.

Several studies in Europe show that levels of heavy metals in organic food are sometimes twice as high as levels found in conventional food, yet there seems to be fairly dramatic variability. The species and variety of plants have a somewhat significant role in determining the potential levels of heavy metals per unit of nutrient; however, there are some other far more important factors to take into account, foremost being the level of heavy metals in the soil.

Several decades ago we knew very little about the toxicity of many of these metals or their potential to end up in our food supply, so agricultural pesticides loaded with lead and arsenic were dumped into the soil. These pesticides along with deposits from other industrial chemicals ended up leaving their heavy metals in the soil and there they remain until some plant picks them up to escort them into the food chain. This can happen either by eating a stick of celery grown in contaminated soil or a hamburger from a cow that ate grass or grain grown in contaminated soil.

Ugh. So what is a consumer supposed to do? When food is from a factory (grocery stores stock mostly factory farmed food) we have no idea what we are getting. But that does not have to be the case for you. A good start is to know the people who grow your food and the land where it is grown. Or better yet get to know the soil where you live and produce a portion of your food sustainably.

More thoughts from Laura

Luke is going to help my family prepare to grow some of our own food. He is a talented organic farmer and landscape designer who focuses on creating beautiful, healthy gardens that require little maintenance and produce wonderful food. Luke offers in-person consults, over-the-phone coaching and a monthly newsletter. You can reach him at: branches.landscapes@gmail.com to sign up for his newsletter or inquire about services.

Related posts:

1. Harmony Farms – prevention for the healthcare crises.
2. Healthy eating on the road – tips from complementary medicine practitioners.
3. WARNING: massive food recall by FDA

• Premenopause
• ADHD
• Exhaustion
• Memory problems
• Osteopenia (precursor to Osteoporosis)
• Excess Weight
• Allergies, Eczema, Asthma and
• More

What –Learn to eat great food, save money and save your life! Food tasting included.

Why – If you don’t feel better every year of your life you are doing something wrong (in almost all cases). The Feel Better workshop will introduce you to the key actions and foods that can help you avoid the standard, overwhelmed American life of aches and pains that begins around age 40.  Instead you can be on your way to the energetic, vibrant and healthy life you should be living.

Take the time to change your future.

When – January 26, 2010 (Tuesday) from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where – Calm and Sense, 2603 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27608 (next to Harris Teeter).

How Much – $30

Contact: Calm and Sense by phone 919-787-1799. Pre-registration required.

About Laura – My health, as well as that of my husband and son, has accelerated to incredibly amazing, surprising and fun levels because we overcame all of the health problems above. I feel better at 43 than I did at 38. You are supposed to feel great at 40, 60 and beyond and I am on a mission to help you find your way by making simple changes in the food you eat.

Email: movingstronglyforward@yahoo.com

Blog: www.movingstronglyforward.typepad.com

Phone: 919.460.7092

Related posts:

1. Simplifying the Body’s Complexities – the 4 R’s

In a time of so many food villains, coconut oil has undeservingly topped the charts again. While the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) does great work, they have a totally misplaced anti-coconut oil emphasis that I just can’t understand: Two ‘Thumbs Down’ for Movie Popcorn.

Instead of bashing coconut oil they should, at a minimum, add some qualifiers to their bashing then bash the actual popcorn instead. Virgin, unprocessed coconut oil is an incredibly healthy fat source. It ramps up the metabolism and helps burn fat, not create it. It is high in omega 3 fatty acids, decreases inflammation and helps combat heart disease and cancer! It is anti-microbial and can kill viruses, bacteria and fungi.

To read about the great benefits of coconut oil, check out these links:

The Latest Studies on Coconut Oil

A New Look at Coconut Oil

Canola Oil

CSPI then goes on to give a gentle nod to canola oil, made from the rapeseed plant. This article gives a strong rebuttal to the CSPI recommendation: The Great Con-ola. In short, canola oil is a highly processed, toxic, health depleting oil. And…much of North American rapeseed is genetically modified, which opens a whole other Pandora’s Box. GMO Compass reports the following about Genetically Modified Rapeseed:

GM rapeseed has been grown in Canada since 1996. In 2007, GM rapeseed was grown on 5.1 million hectares, which made up approximately 87 percent of Canada’s rapeseed crop. GM rapeseed is grown to a lesser degree in the US and in certain states in Australia.

All of the GM rapeseed grown throughout the world is herbicide resistant, which enables a more efficient and effective approach to weed control.

A quick note about GMO Compass. They are an organization that was partially funded by the European Union (EU) but the EU is not responsible for the content. The website is certainly worth more exploration: GMO COMPASS – Information on genetically modified organisms. The most amazing part of this site that I have found so far is the listing of plants that are undergoing GMO testing: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/. This database explains when and where the testing is occurring and the likelihood of use.

Corn

The USDA reports that 60 percent of corn is genetically modified in the U.S. : ERS/USDA Data – Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. In addition to the concerns about it being genetically engineered, it can wreak havoc on an unhealthy person’s. Corn feeds the yeast that is overgrown in the body, causing increased toxins to be released, causing increased inflammation in the body, which can lead to cancer, heart disease, injured brain function, and so much more. Almost the entire American population suffers at the hands of inflammation causing foods such as grains, sugars, and dairy. The widespread amount if illness in this country clearly reflects that the American diet kills.

What’s the Problem with Genetically Modified Food (GMO)?

The Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology report many of the problems here: http://www.psrast.org/newsheadin.htm

Another problem that may be potentially linked to genetically modified food is Morgellon’s Disease. Those afflicted report crawling, itching biting feelings under their skin, with multi-colored fibers eventually extruding from skin sores. The fibers are not related to any human condition and are not killed by any parasitic medications. You can learn more here: http://www.morgellons.org/. The Centers for Disease Control has awarded funding to Kaiser Permanente to study the disease.

Dr. Vitaly Citovsky, a professor of biochemistry and cell biology at the State University of New York Sunnybrook linked Agrobacterium, found in genetically modified food, to the fibers of Morgellons sufferers. Dr. Citovsky discusses his work here: Morgellons Watch » Clarification from Vitaly Citovsky.

How is the U.S. Government responding? With an insurance rate reduction (regarding crop damage) for farmers who grow GMO: This link is to the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education, a pro-GMO organization. http://fbae.org/2009/FBAE/website/news_08_08_fcic.html. Here is a link from a safe food advocacy organization, written when the pilot program to encourage GMO growth was established: Say ‘bye’ to BYE: Monsanto GM Corn to be subsidized by USDA …

Insurance for injury and liability caused by GMO crops is not of heightened concern in the U.S. and is treated as any other liability issue. How are other governments responding to the insurance issue? Here is a 2003 report from the Australian government discussing how injury and liability were being addressed in other countries: Liability Issues Relating to the Unintended Presence of GM Crops … This paragraph is especially relevant:

Currently, Austria and Germany appear to be the only major countries to have addressed liability issues relating to GMOs through specific legislation.  Both these countries impose strict liability for particular types of loss caused by GMOs.  Under Austrian law, in the event of an accident involving GMOs, the releasing company will be liable for any harm to health, property, or the environment, and must return the property to its “original” state.  Companies must also obtain liability insurance sufficient to meet their liabilities.    German law imposes liability for injury to property or human health “caused by characteristics of an organism created in a biotechnological process”.  German regulations place liability at the “manager” level of the installation, which is likely to expose GM farmers (as installation mangers) to liability exposure.  German law also makes liability insurance mandatory for GM operators.

South Africa is exploring its position on this issue.

Conclusion

Monsanto and other GMO producing firms pretty much rule North America when it comes to food. Unfortunately and tragically I believe the adverse health consequences of their products will grow.

What does that mean for your movie popcorn? Embrace virgin, unrefined coconut oil and avoid the actual popcorn and fake butter. Then you should be fine.

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