30 Rebecca Street, Stratford October 2015 Issue KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = POWER

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1 30 Rebecca Street, Stratford October 2015 Issue KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = POWER October is non-gmo Month Non-GMO Month - The Non-GMO Project Celebrates Increased Awareness about Non-GMO Choices! You have the right to know what s in the food you eat and feed your family. Most governments agree nearly 50 countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, Russia, China and all of the EU member states, have either banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) completely, or require that food containing them be clearly labeled. The experimental technology of genetic engineering forces DNA from one species into a different species. The resulting GMOs are unstable combinations of

2 plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional breeding. GMOs have not been adequately tested, and have not been proven safe for human consumption. Non-GMO Month was created by the Non-GMO Project in October 2010 as a platform for raising awareness on the GMO issue. An annual outreach campaign engaging consumers across North America, retailers who participate in Non-GMO Month have access to a free, turnkey program designed to help them empowering shoppers to make reliable Non-GMO choices. Non-GMO Month 2014 was an overwhelming success with over 2,000 stores participating in communities across the United States and Canada. With thousands of products verified as compliant with the Non-GMO Project Standard, and the verification seal visible in stores in the US and Canada, Non-GMO Month provides an opportunity for consumers and retailers alike to celebrate our right to choose non-gmo! Interested in learning more? Visit th e Non-GMO Mon th website Look for the butterfly on many of our products as we slowly switch and replace products to that of which is non-gmo. The Shocking Difference Between Organic & Non-GMO Labels It s Huge! By Food Babe There s a lot of confusion and debate about what non-gmo and organic labels really mean. The labels are very different! It s crucial to understand the difference if you want to pick out the

3 healthiest and safest food for you and your family. Every time we decide to buy a product, we are supporting so much more than our bodies. We are shaping the landscape of the entire food system everything from the environment, land, air, water to the farmers themselves. And this is why it is important to know the truth about the Non-GMO label and what it really means. What exactly does the Non-GMO Project label mean? The Non-GMO Project label only verifies that a product doesn t contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients (or technically less than 0.9% GMOs). While that is good, it s not the whole story about what the product contains, how it was produced, and where it came from. TIPS FOR AVOIDING GMOs Tip #1: Buy Organic Certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients. Buy products labeled 100% organic, organic, or made with organic ingredients. You can be doubly sure if the product also has a Non-GMO Project Verified seal. Tip #2: Look for Non-GMO Project Seals Products that carry the Non-GMO Project Seal are independently verified to be in compliance with North America s only third party standard for GMO avoidance, including testing of at-risk ingredients. The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to providing consumers with clearly labeled and independently verified non-gmo choices. Look for dairy products labeled "No rbgh or rbst, or artificial hormone-free. Tip # 3: Avoid at-risk ingredients If it s not labeled organic or verified non-gmo: Avoid products made with ingredients that might be derived from GMOs (see list). The eight GM food crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya (most) and a small amount of zucchini and yellow squash. Sugar If a non-organic product made in North American lists sugar as an ingredient (and NOT pure cane sugar), then it is almost certainly a combination of sugar from both sugar cane and GM sugar beets. Dairy Products may be from cows injected with GM bovine growth hormone. Look for labels stating No rbgh, rbst, or artificial hormones. Information above quoted from non-gmo Shopping Guide website. Download Shopping Guides Use either IRT s new Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure or redesigned Non-GMO Shopping Guide to help you identify and avoid GM foods. We devote an entire page in each guide to help you uncover hidden GM ingredients on food labels that often read more like a chemical periodic table. If you have an iphone, download their ShopNoGMO guide for free from the itunes store. Download their non-gmo Shopping Guide here.

4 Learn to decipher the labels on your food! Sometimes it can be tricky to know what you re serving yourself and your family. GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) have not undergone long-term testing. The fact is, by changing the DNA of the food we eat, we are most certainly impacting our bodies. Foods that are certified as organic by the USDA contain no GMOs and are also grown to meet organic standards, ensuring that you aren t consuming a variety of pesticides on your produce or growth hormones in your meats. When it comes to you and your family s health, it s better to be safe than sorry. You can also download the app Sc an Life with which you can scan any UPC barcode (universal product code) or QR Code (Quick Response) and access the information that is embedded in the code on the spot. Above information from:

5 The Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods Are Unclear Unlike the strict safety evaluations required for the approval of new drugs, the safety of genetically engineered foods for human consumption is not adequately tested. There have been NO long-term studies conducted on the safety of genetically engineered foods on humans. The issue of GM food safety was first discussed at a meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and biotech representatives in The "substantial equivalenc e" concept was proposed in early The adoption of the concept of substantial equivalence allowed permission to market and sell new foods without an y safety or toxic ology tests as long as they were not too different in chemical composition to foods already on the market. [FDA GRAS proposal] To decide if a modified product is substantially equivalent, the product is tested by the man ufac turer for unexpected changes in a limited set of variables such as toxins, nutrients or allergens that are known to be present in the unmodified food. If these tests show no significant difference between the modified and unmodified products, then no further food safety testing is required. Above information is from:

6 We have too many NON-GMO products to mention below! Simply keep an eye out for the NON-GMO Project Verified label on the products and signs throughout the store. Whole Earth & Sea Products Whole Earth & Sea formulas use Farm Fresh Factors and other whole food sources. We process nutrient-dense plants raw to create a vital bioenergetic blend vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients. For more information on this Canadian company and their entire story, check out Natural Factors. MegaFood Products From their website: "MegaFood is committed to real because we like the way real makes you feel. And we like the way it makes us feel. We like the feel of working with real organic farmers and real local natural retailers of being a small, honest, rooted-in-real New Hampshire company. We like the feel of being real, using real, making real. Thinking about what goes into their supplements is not something many people do.. but fortunately for you, that s all that we think about! Our mission is to feed your body and nourish your soul so that you feel your absolute best self: prepared for the day, fueled with energy, and filled with confidence."

7 Sunflower Kitchen Sunflower Kitchen is a family owned business committed to fulfilling the promise of creating delicious, wholesome, ready to eat dishes for you and your family. All soups are packed full of wholesome vegetables, beans and whole grains and are low in fat and high in fiber. Healthy never tasted so good! Their pestos are never cooked. Made with raw fresh herbs, sunflower seeds, dairy free and no nuts added. They are a delicious and simple way to get your healthy greens! Their many hummus, dips and babaghanouj offerings make healthy, energyrich snacks that are all a great source of fiber, protein and minerals. Earth Island Vegenaise Made with only the highest quality non-gmo and expeller-pressed oils (extracted without chemical solvents), the Vegenaise product is a heart healthy vegan spread in rich, satisfying flavours. For example: Pesto Vegenaise The elegance of fresh basil meets the creaminess of heart-healthy, soy-free Vegenaise. Pesto Vegenaise Gourmet will inspire you to take your favourite recipes to the next level. Mark YOUR Calendars Imagine a room filled with practitioners and exhibitors all focused on sharing information with you! The 3rd Annual Radiant Health Expo opens its doors to the public at 10am on October 24th. There will be door prizes to be won and a variety of mini-sessions available throughout the room (for a small fee). Down the hall, we will be offering lectures. You could spend all day sitting in on the lectures and browsing through the Expo to gather information from all the practitioners and exhibitors. It is going to be an exciting day for all! For a list of exhibitors and the speaker schedule go to Rawsome Nutrition Energy.

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