Reaping What We Sow

Balance is one of my life themes. Born under the sign of Libra, it has set the tone throughout my life. Down through the years, I have been called to careers and practices that focus on restoring balance: psychotherapy, shamanic healing, Reiki, massage therapy, conscious cooking. I am able to sense when people, situations, even foods are out of balance, and I am doing much better at sensing it within myself. One lesson I have learned about balance is that it takes work to maintain it; we will reap what we sow, or another way of putting it, the effort we put into it will yield results that are equal to that effort.

There are many ways in which our Western world works that collaborate to throw us out of balance—with ourselves, others, nature. We often engage in practices that result in consequences that may not serve us. One example is with food. Hunting and gathering cultures did not experience the health conditions we do today. They lived simply, ate fresh, whole foods that were available in that season, had not been contaminated by pesticides, and were not processed for convenience. Well, to me, it is quite inconvenient to experience the dis-ease to person and planet that can result with tilting the scale away from nature for our foods.

Pesticides are toxins, designed to kill living organisms—pests. However, we, as humans, are not left unscathed. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will concede that, depending on the pesticide, exposed people can experience: effects with our nervous or endocrine systems, irritation of our skin and eyes, or exposure to carcinogens. However, they maintain that the residue left on our food is of “reasonable certainty of no harm.” On the other hand, independent studies have found the opposite to be true. Along with the aforementioned concerns, those exposed to pesticides have been found to experience headaches, dizziness, nausea, system dysfunction, embryonic development disruption, fatigue, attention deficit disorder, and more. Endocrine system disruption can lead to infertility, and the carcinogens have created cancers including leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, brain, bone, breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular and liver cancers. The impact is seen sometimes years after exposure.

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has identified the “Dirty Dozen”—the twelve most contaminated fruits/vegetables. It is suggested you buy these produce items organic to protect from pesticides. The “Clean Fifteen” least contaminated are also listed.

2014 “Dirty Dozen” Most Contaminated

·    Apples

·    Strawberries

·    Grapes

·    Celery

·    Peaches

·    Spinach

·    Sweet Bell Peppers

·    Nectarines (Imported)

·    Cucumbers

·    Cherry Tomatoes

·    Snap Peas (Imported)

·    Potatoes

2014 “Clean 15” Least Contaminated

·    Avocado

·    Sweet Corn

·    Pineapples

·    Cabbage

·    Sweet Peas

·    Onions

·    Asparagus

·    Mango

·    Papaya

·    Kiwi Fruit

·    Eggplant

·    Grapefruit

·    Cantaloupe

·    Cauliflower

·    Sweet Potato

Pesticides are not the only problem we have created with our food. Studies show 90% of the food Americans eat is processed, vs. eaten in their whole, natural, nutrient-rich state. That is a lot of canned, boxed, bagged, and fast food. These foods have been proven to contribute to chronic health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is hard to restore balance in this area because processed foods are readily available, cheap, and flavorful, which seems to trump low calorie, nutritious, and whole.

  

Another issue with processed foods is that they are chock full of additives. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of three hundred food additives, but maintains that they do not create risk in the quantities used. Tell that to the people with countless anecdotes of reactions to monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the form of numbness, tingling, burning, chest pain, headaches, nausea, weakness, and more.  

A more recent concern  has emerged with processed food. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are being widely used in our food supply. According to The Non-GMO Project, GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food in the United States. What is the issue? GMOs are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. They do not occur naturally, or from a natural cross-breeding. The long-term effects are unknown of creating new organisms and using them in such a widespread fashion. There is a growing body of evidence detailing impacts on the environment, the rights of smaller farmers and consumers, and our health. Once we fully open the door to Frankenstein food, it is impossible to re-close it—the monster is loose to wreak havoc on Earth Mother and her children. 

It’s easy to assert that if consumers stop buying GMOs, companies will stop using them, and farmers will stop growing them. However, it is difficult to always identify GMO products; they are not always labeled. The Non-GMO Project maintains an extensive list of verified products that do not use GMOs, which you can find at http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/.

Finally, as we proceed further into autumn, a season of harvest, let us consider taking steps to restore balance to our person and our planet. What is it that we want to sow into existence? Most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold. Much of it is genetically modified. This may be the ideal time for you to start gardening, and creating your own food supply. If not, at the least, we can start to buy local. Check the website for the Natural Resources Defense Council and you can plug in your state and the season, such as early October, and they will list the foods that are local for you: http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/. By choosing to spend our resources on local and organic produce grown by farmers who do not use GMOs, we can cut down on global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, take a stand to protect our natural food supply, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty nutritious food! That’s a win-win consequence—nurturing our environment while nurturing ourselves.

Working together, we can do our part to restore balance and sow a better, healthier future for ourselves and our earth, and reap the benefits for years to come.

To find out about my holistic offerings, visit my website at www.mindbodyandspiritworks.com. To tune in to my radio show, Mind, Body & Soul Food, visit www.blogtalkradio.com/tonyaparker.