THE | DIET DETECTIVE^®

If there's one thing that Americans of all political viewpoints can agree on, it is that the actions in Washington give us indigestion. Whatever it is that you hope for from Congress it is pretty certain, unless you're a lobbyist it seems too few spend way too much to make whatever the problems are worse.

It is no wonder that we have a National epidemic of reflux and the policies go beyond emotional reactions when they define what manufacturers can feed us. 

Some people still hold the belief that government policies at the USDA and FDA provide protection from harmful elements in the foods.  If we stop to think about it for a minute, we realize that many indicators that this isn't the case are all around us. 

From the fast foods and soft drinks, that we all know are bad for us, to those science terms that make long lists of unpronounceable ingredients, there are signs that the food is often, less than healthful.  We know that and the list of possible side effects, of a bad diet that touches on every element of our health.

Deciding to eat some junk food, that may give you indigestion, is very different from eating something that is meant to bee good for you and having the potential for negative health effects hidden.  The hidden effects in this case are the foods genetically modified to express a pesticidal protein known as Bt.  It works by destroying the gut of the target organism.  In practical terms what that means is when the poor little corn boer or similar pest, eats the food, it kills them by eating away the stomach lining.

Is there a chance that by eating enough of the Bt toxins the stomach lining of a human can be damaged as well?  You bet there is but it is a huge obstacle to selling the gmo corn and soy that the agribusiness giants rely on so they don't study the negative effects.  The USDA and FDA work with a revolving door to the biotech companies. 

The policies established for the science foods from the beginning in 1994 created a framework where these companies test and assure safety without oversight so no official independent government study is done.  That leaves private science to find the money and the talent to hunt the problems themselves.

Despite the limitations and small number of studies, there has been research into the effects of Bt on people and the results appear to indicate that in time our tummies will be as unhappy as the corn boer.  Can I prove beyond any doubt that's giving anyone reflux?  Absolutely not, but if we look at the wisdom of our bodies natural mechanisms it is clear that indigestion is Nature's way of saying you swallowed something bad. 

Maybe it is time to try your own test and take the toxins out of your diet and see if the gmo corn, soy and white rice weren't giving you a taste of bad policy.  There's not one easy answer to the problems with our health or our Congress, but by getting back to basics we can help make the problems and solutions clearer and easier to manage.  Remember that every purchase has power; there is no voice that is heard more clearly than the American consumer.  Appreciate your power and choose foods that add to that strength, every way you slice it!!