The world seems to be becoming more aware of the negative aspects of living an unhealthy lifestyle. Government programs like the “Let’s Move!” campaign help to show families the importance of exercise in battling childhood obesity and Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution puts the spotlight on the lack of nutrition provided in our nation’s cafeterias. However, something that hasn’t quite reached the full understanding for many is genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
GMO OMG was a documentary released in September 2013 that shed light on the negative effects of GMOs and how they have seemed to make their way into all corners of the United States. However, for those who haven’t seen the documentary or are unfamiliar with the entire concept of GMOs, Susan Lagrange can offer some great insight based on her own experiences dealing with the negative effects of GMOs.
Lagrange is a Carlsbad, Calif. mother and teacher of 14 years, and is currently working to obtain her degree in clinical nutrition from the Natural Healing Institute in Encinitas, Calf. Lagrange was motivated to change her career path, become a more educated consumer and help others due to her own personal experience with illness. Lagrange shares her story below.
“When my son entered kindergarten,” says Lagrange, “he decided that he was not happy with our healthy lifestyle. He wanted to eat the school food. He secretly traded in his organic healthy lunches for meal tickets or something his friend’s ‘Lunchables.’ By May of that year, he had put on 20 lbs. and he was always hungry. My husband and I suspected diabetes and requested a referral to an endocrinologist. The specialist confirmed that our son was borderline diabetic and with further testing, it truly was diabetes type II. He suffered from severe migraines, fell asleep immediately after having a snack, complained about being thirsty and displayed arthritic symptoms.
My husband said that he felt as though we were missing something, as if we were failing our son. Six years prior to this, I had been diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder that was auto-immune related. Now six years later, I once again formed a blood clot in my lung, even though I was being treated with blood thinners. After a number of medical treatments, they were willing to try chemotherapy but I needed some time to think about whether or not I wanted to chance the side effects. I wanted time to try an alternative type of medicine. One thing I knew about my disorder was that anything that excited my immune system could cause an immune reaction, which for me translated into more blood clots and an immune system that knew how to get around my blood thinners. I decided to cut out all GMO foods after researching different food elements that help to promote immune health, which meant I could only buy organic whole foods.
It has been a little over two years since we initiated our GMO-free diet and my son and I are both doing much better. His endocrinologist officially released him as he is no longer consider pre-diabetic. His joints no longer ache and he is headache-free. I have not been hospitalized since November 2011 and my husband has lost 40 lbs. My daughter is no longer constipated or gassy, her skin and hair look healthier and she no longer has dark circles under her eyes.
When we started on this diet, my problems and my son’s were so serious that it never occurred to me that eliminating GMO’s would be good for us. Our world is already impacted by toxins found in our soil, our oceans and in our drinking water. I do not believe the key to a healthy future is adding more pesticides and chemicals to an already overly-toxic environment. This planet does not have unlimited resources. If we continue to damage our soil, and pollute our water, it is very possible that our children with suffer the consequences of living in a world that is no longer truly habitable.”
Do you have a similar story? Has switching to organic, whole foods improved your lifestyle? Share your story below!