A couple weeks ago I started reading a book about aging and longevity. These topics are front of mind because of my health history. I’m a cancer survivor and I’ve made it my life’s mission not only to heal myself, but to also help others on the journey. I don’t want others to suffer needlessly like I did.

As I started reading, I got totally engrossed in the book. It was hitting all of the points I nerd out about – science, history, evolution of species, food, withholding of food (fasting) – I was in my happy place.

Toward the end of the book I started to feel a bit nervous. There was a lot of discussion about difficult topics – end of life, healthcare, sick-care, sickness, who should have access, what they should have access to. I started to feel uneasy. Would I be “one of the lucky ones”? Would I be able to live a fully productive and sufficiently long life?

I’ve already had my existential crisis. I’ve already stared death in the face. (Actually, I looked away.) As I had this discussion first with my husband, then with a close friend, I just want to live MY full life. I don’t want this thing to have stolen any of my precious years, months, days, or even minutes! And just how long is that? I don’t know. But if it was given to me in the beginning, I want it.

Since the book was mostly about aging and longevity, I was wholeheartedly onboard with everything the author was saying. Give me the supplements! Where do I get ’em?! A one-month supply is equal to a car payment? No problem (the kids aren’t going back to college anyway)! I should do intermittent fasting? Done! I (and everyone else) should eat genetically modified foods so we could sustain 20 Billion people on the planet?

Nope.

That’s where I draw the line. He had me in the palm of his hand the whole time! And then…. there it was, his unequivocal endorsement of genetically modified foods! I can’t get on board with that. If that’s what it takes to see the next century, then I guess I may not. If that’s what it takes to sustain 20 Billion people on this planet (at one time), then maybe…

Mae West said it best, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” If we commit ourselves to living the best, fullest, and most vibrant life now, maybe we don’t need centuries to feel happy and accomplished in what we’ve done. Maybe we can stop worrying about aging and longevity and just live.

Here’s my problem with GMO foods (and there are many), some of which I discuss in the video above.

1. GMO foods can have genetic material from plants, animals, or bacteria.
2. Genetic material from these “other” sources can further disrupt our ability to transcribe our DNA (genetic material), creating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and poorly functioning or non-functioning proteins, resulting in problems with human function.
3. Bacteria can hijack human cells to produce toxins that the bacteria would normally produce, further disrupting human function.
4. GMO crops are not the answer to feeding an increasing world population because they do not consistently and reliably produce a given yield. It varies, just like with non-GMO crops.
5. GMO crops kill insects by doing damage to them internally, and they do the same to us via gastrointestinal hyper-permeability (leaky gut). In the case of the insects, they die. In our case, disruption of our gut barrier allows unrecognized molecules to be absorbed resulting in food sensitivities and/or allergies.
6. GMO crops are one of the reasons for dying bee populations, which will ultimately result in no food, because bees pollinate 75% of plants allowing for food to exist. In the video I mention a province in China where bees have been eradicated from pesticides and people are forced to pollinate each flower by hand with a tiny paintbrush to have a harvest. You can read about it here.
7. Creating a GMO crop gives ownership of that seed to a company (the one that created it). Farmers are sold those seeds and the pesticides used to spray them with at exorbitantly high prices. Many farmers can’t afford to make profits or enough to live on and ultimately lose their farms.
8. The pesticides used to spray these crops are causing many farm workers to get cancer because they are toxic.
9. GMO foods and pesticides have been shown to cause animals to change sex. You can read about it here.
10. Scientific studies are doctored to show these toxic chemicals and GMO products are safe for consumption.
11. Scientists that find adverse information and speak out about it are silenced with bribes and death threats.

So am I willing to risk cancer or other diseases, to make life worse for other people sharing this planet with me, to drive animals to extinction? For what? For how long? Would I want to still live in that world?

I don’t support GMO foods and if people thought they were safe and problem-free, and the answer to our not-enough-food-to-feed-the-people-woes, there would not be a movement to turn away from GMO foods. There would not be organizations certifying foods are non-GMO.

You need to do the research. You need to do it for yourself. You need to make sense of it for yourself. And I hope you do.

1. Lifespan. Sinclair, D.A. Atria Books, 2019.
2. Seeds of Deception. Smith, J.M. Yes Books, 2003.
3. Genetic Roulette. Smith, J.M. Yes Books, 2007.