by Jean Farrar

August, 2001

People are self-administering their own diseases through the air we breathe and the food we eat.

At the root of the prevalent food poisonings in our country lurks a roster of prominent pathogens: bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can produce symptoms from diarrhea and stomach upset to life-threatening diseases like Anna's.

The most common pathogen is bacterium, found primarily in poultry, which is the leading cause of diarrhea in the US because of hormone injections that weaken the chicken's immune system.

Nearly as common is salmonella, a contaminant that shows up frequently in eggs. The FDA believes there are 200 additional diseases caused by food pathogens, with many as yet undiscovered. One way to protect against salmonella is to use rubber gloves while handling eggs.

From Bad To Worse

Pathogens in the food supply aren't the worst threat. The pesticides are just as dangerous and even more widespread. Farmers dump more than 1 billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides onto their crops every year, and in countries such as Mexico and Peru, where there are no regulations, the situation is worse. The Viva brand cantaloupe from Mexico has been linked to deaths in La Quinta, CA. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in D.C. found that more than 1 million of America's kids are consuming potentially dangerous levels of pesticides every day.

Studies have shown that over time, residues in foods kids eat a lot of--such as grapes, apples, and peaches--can impair the central nervous system, and cause cancer and other diseases.

Also disturbing is the risk we face from new technologies meant to protect us. The government has looked increasingly to irradiation against contamination as a magic bullet. The thinking is that exposing food to high doses of radiation kills pathogens. Supporters contend that the technology is safe and effective, but a mound of studies suggest otherwise. Radiation has been shown to change a food's composition, for example, producing toxic by-products with food such as tomatoes. At approved doses which vary depending on the food, radiation is not even a reliable germ-zapper, because it is useless against viruses and doesn't destroy 100% of bacteria.

Every person in the world deserves safe food. No one is doing nearly enough to ensure that.

The Organic Consumers Association, a pure food group in Little Marias, Minnesota, agrees that all indications are that the food supply is even more contaminated than it was in the early 1990s, when major outbreaks occurred. The resurgence of outbreaks in 2001 proves that government agencies are not
protecting the people. The responsibility is now on the people.

How can you help? Buy LivingRight.com products.

How LivingRight.com Makes Food Safe

LivingRight.com maintains a commitment to health. Products such as the EcoWater Distiller and Waterwise Distiller help by filtering out the bacteria and viruses that poison our water, making the water safe for families. The EcoWater Distiller removes up to 99% of most tap water contaminants, including lead, nitrates, bacteria, sodium, chlorine, turbidity, cysts (protozoan), arsenic, barium, mercury, and many more. You only spend pennies per gallon, especially compared to the $2.50 bottle of water in the grocery store, to produce your own pure water. When you buy products like the EcoWater Distiller and encourage friends to buy them too, you are fighting the spread of disease.

LivingRight.com also recommends the use of nontraditional food products like
wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is all natural, organic, and is 70 percent crude chlorophyll. It is not mass-produced. Wheatgrass growers do not use pesticides, herbicides or irradiation. This is one of the reasons why wheatgrass cleanses the body of toxins and helps fight allergies. Read about the amazing benefits of wheatgrass.

You can buy wheatgrass from your local health food store, or you can grow your own wheatgrass using one of our wheatgrass sprouters, such as the Mini Vertical Garden, which produces 8 ounces of wheatgrass juice per day. Growing your own wheatgrass gives you a great alternative to commercially grown vegetables, especially since drinking two ounces of fresh wheatgrass juice is like drinking 3 pounds of commercial or organic vegetables.

Another way to bypass the contamination in the produce department is to grow organic sprouts that you can add to salads, sandwiches and entrees. Ann Wigmore first reported the healing benefits of sprouts, such as detoxification, easing arthritis pain, weight loss, and rejuvenation. Sprouts contain their most nutrition four or five days after germination, so you can get the most benefit out of sprouts grown in your own kitchen or backyard. Also, using a multi-crop sprouter, such as the Food Pantrie Hanging Dryer and Sprouter, allows you to grow your own vegetables, wheatgrass and sprouts at the same time. When compared to fighting your way through a crowded produce section and battling long lines to plunk down your hard-earned money on vegetables that may make you ill, sprouters are a dynamic and delicious alternative.

At the same time that you're keeping yourself healthy, don't forget to keep your friends and community healthy too. You may be able to sell those homemade veggies, or donate them to a local food bank or homeless shelter. Choosing health is up to you, and Open Chute makes the choice easier.

 

OTHER RESOURCES:

Arm yourself with information. We've provided a list of resources that can help you fight the diseases in our food supply. Protect yourself and your children.

Jean Farrar has lectured on nutrition at Eisenhower Hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, and the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. She is a regular health correspondent for LivingRight.com.