Pesticides are used to reduce damage to crops from weeds, rodents, insects, and germs, but these chemicals have also been found in our bodies. Whether you buy non-organic or organic food, some form of pesticide has been used to protect the crops. That is why it is important to wash your fruits and vegetables every time you buy groceries.

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When it comes to women’s health, checking for breast cancer is one of the most important annual exams a woman can get. It’s a fact that one in eight American women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Are regular breast exams the most efficient way to check for breast cancer, though? Traditional exams could be doing more harm to your body than good.

The key to survival is all about early detection. When you discover breast cancer in its early stages, 95% cure rates are possible. This is why thermography is the best and least harmful breast exam you can get. Using digital infrared imaging (DII), thermography observes the varying thermal and vascular patterns. To put it simply: each person’s infrared map of his or her breast tissue is like a fingerprint. The camera can find any change or abnormality and actions can be taken from there.

Why Thermography Is Effective

First off, 20% of cancers are not detected by mammography. Mammograms, ultrasound, MRI, and structural imaging tools use radiation. Did you know that one mammogram is equivalent to 500 chest X-Rays? This damages breast and hormonal tissues. Considering breast cancer can be caused by a hormonal imbalance, doesn’t damaging hormonal tissue seem counteractive?

Thermography is logical technology and can detect breast cancer within the first year, as opposed to the fifth year, which is when normal exams detect the cancer. This is because mammograms and ultrasounds look for tumors, whereas DII focuses on blood vessel activity. Just as regular exams are recommended annually, so are thermography exams, but the age at which you should get these exams is different than the recommended age.

Most breast cancer cases are in women between ages 35-45. If the recommended age to get checked is 40, isn’t that a little late? With diets rich in processed foods, chemical additives, and GMOs, teenage girls and boys have been getting breast cancer. Because thermography doesn’t use radiation, it can be done at any age. Exams should begin around puberty or in adolescence because of hormonal changes.

You may be thinking, “Why isn’t this technology more popular?” Well, it gained popularity in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but certain medical professionals bastardized the process. They started performing the procedures incorrectly to make money off people. Doctors started selling these DII cameras without explaining how to do the procedure. The fact is that it isn’t about the camera; it is about how the procedure is conducted.

How the Procedure Works

If the procedure isn’t done correctly, the results mean nothing. The room, which the DII camera is in, needs to be kept at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The room has to be this cold because blood will leave your extremities (fingers, toes, face, breasts), and flow towards your internal organs. If there is cancerous tissue or a tumor in a breast, blood will flow to it and the camera will show that on the scan.

Other Uses for Thermography

With thermography, you don’t have to worry about radiation damaging your body. It is a private, quick and easy scan that should be done sooner rather than later. Early detection is key! Thermography can also scan for prostate problems as well. By scanning the lymphatic system, the practitioner can identify certain referral patterns that are linked to irregularities with the prostate. Additionally, thermography can be used to check for irregularities with the thyroid, back pain, or hormonal imbalances.

There are many thermography places around the country. Make sure that it is reputable and that they are doing procedures correctly. Do your research and you’ll find some great places!

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Supplements have become commonplace in modern day society. From vitamins and minerals to herbal and DIY supplements, a lot of concern is placed on the composition of the capsules themselves. The health and quality of capsules are of equal importance to the ingredients within. Capsules dissolve quickly, they are tasteless, and people have an easier time swallowing them, when compared to other pills or tablets. Capsules offer their advantages, but one must understand the difference between vegetarian and gelatin capsules.

Gelatin Capsules

Gelatin and vegetarian-based capsules look the same, but the notable difference is what each capsule is made of. Gelatin comes from bovine (cattle) or pigs, and the process involves boiling down certain parts of the animal until it is a gel-like consistency. This gel cools and expands when mixed with cold water. The resulting product is an odorless, tasteless gel capsule that most companies use to encapsulate their herbs, powders, and other supplements.

Vegetarian Capsules

For people who have a sensitivity or difficulty digesting gelatin, vegetarian capsules are the perfect option. They are also the optimal choice for those with dietary, religious, or cultural restrictions, and they are better suited for herbs, powders, supplements, and vitamins. Vegetarian capsules are made from forming vegetable cellulose, the most common of which is Hydroxpropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). The source of HPMC will depend on what the company uses when committing to vegetarian capsules.

What Dherbs Capsules Are Made Of

The reason Dherbs uses vegetarian capsules is because they contain no animal byproducts, and there are no known potential risks of taking them in a long-term scenario. Dherbs’ capsules are 100% natural and non-toxic and can be stored for up to three years in a cool, dry place without the risk of bacterial growth, when compared to traditional tablets. The capsules themselves are manufactured from the following materials:

• Hydroxpropyl methyl cellulose
• Purified water
• Carrageenan
• Potassium chloride

Dherbs Capsule Allergen And Gluten Statement

For the empty hard shell vegetarian capsules that Dherbs uses, there are no raw materials, including additives, that are used during the production process. No raw materials that are listed as allergens in EU Directive 2000/13/EC or its amendments that have their origin in cereals, crustaceans, peanuts, gluten, eggs, fish, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, sesame seeds, mollusks, wheat, mustard, corn and/or lupin are in the capsules. The capsules are also free of sulfur dioxide or sulfites at concentrations of more than 100 ppm. The vegetable capsules that Dherbs uses are free of the specified known allergy stimulating substances.

Dherbs Non-GMO Declaration

Dherbs’ vegetable capsules are guaranteed not to contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms) as defined by the EU “Organic” Regulation 2093/91 and UKROFS, the Soil Association Standards for Organic Food and Farming (new Section 2.4) prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms* (GMOs) and products derived from them in organic production systems and organic products. These capsules are not derived from or produced using GMOs or their derivatives, and the capsules never come in contact with any genetically modified substances.

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Hybrid foods are either viewed in a positive or negative light. They cannot naturally occur in nature; humans have to intervene and crossbreed two different plants to yield a hybrid plant. Hybrid foods, however, are not recent news. The ancient Mayans altered plants in order to produce a sustainable and long-lasting crop. Let’s tackle the topic of hybrid plants below.

What Are Hybrids?

Crossing two different varieties of a fruit or vegetable with each other will yield a hybrid produce item. A common hybrid food is the grapefruit, which is a hybrid of a sweet orange and a pomelo, and it was crossbred on plantations in the 18^th century. The important thing to understand is that hybrid foods can occur both in nature and on a farm or plantation.

Open Pollination

Open pollination happens when an insect, bird, wind, or other natural mechanisms cross-pollinate two different species of plant. There are no restrictions between the flow of pollen, which is why open-pollinated plants are genetically diverse. Open pollination causes a greater variation within plant populations, and this can change with the climate and time of year.

Hybridization

This is a more controlled method of pollinating two different plant varieties or species. Human intervention is necessary for this to happen. It is important to note that a hybrid plant is genetically unstable, meaning that the seeds cannot be re-used after the initial harvest. The hybridized plant will produce a higher and larger yield than the parent varieties because they will have a higher carbohydrate makeup. The nutrients and phytochemicals from the parent varieties are diluted in the hybrid plant.

Corn is probably the most infamous example of a hybrid food, given that new corn hybrids were produced in the 1930s, so that farmers could easily cultivate the crop. The other reason was so that it could grow more easily and be more resistant to insects and drought. Milford Beeghly perfected a breeding technique to obtain hybrid seed corn that grew taller and produced higher amounts of ears. Since the days of Beeghly, corn has transitioned from being a hybrid food to a genetically engineered crop.

GMOs vs. Hybrids

A hybrid plant is crossbred and is not genetically modified, according to the NonGMO Project. Scientists combine different DNA genes, viruses, and bacteria from different species of plants and animals to create genetically engineered foods, which are typically patented, for example, the Honeycrisp apple. In a genetically engineered plant, the genes have been altered to continually produce specific traits that don’t change when hybrid plants are replanted. GMOs change the genetic makeup of the seed so that the genes from other species and organisms are inside the plant. The seeds also contain chemical pesticides to ward off insects. This is why GMO foods are not the same as hybrid foods. This is also why GMO produce items are available throughout the year.

Having Said All That…

Hybrid foods can become genetically modified and patented, but they do not inherently contain GMOs. Certain hybrid foods contain a lot of essential nutrients and beneficial enzymes, which are better and easier for the body to absorb than synthesized nutrients that are created in a lab and come in pill form. People have the right to be wary of hybrid foods because certain hybrid wheat, for instance, is bred to have triple the gluten. The goal of avoiding this hybrid should be because of the increased gluten percentage, not because it is a hybrid. As a consumer of produce, it is difficult to know if the nutritional content of your hybrid produce is low, medium, or high. Concerning yourself with the location and growing conditions of your produce is the best way to know the nutritional content, and an easier way to know if GMOs were used or if it was an open-pollinated hybrid.

Sometimes we need to step back and analyze the foods for what they are. Were they grown with chemicals? Were concentrated toxins sprayed on the crop? Are there nutritional deficits? These questions need to be answered when it comes to your decision about eating or not eating hybrid foods. We aren’t advocating for them, but we aren’t against them. We are merely telling you to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. Be wary of the GMO-laden foods, though!

A Hybrid Food List

• Pluots
• Broccolini
• Angello
• Black Galaxy Tomato
• Grapefruit
• Limequat
• Pineberry
• Carambola
• Seedless Grapes
• Pineapples
• Seedless Watermelons
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Seedless Persimmons
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Kiwis
• Seedless Citrus Fruit
• Several Date Varieties (like Medjool)
• Cashews
• Beets
• Seedless Apples

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In a world of processed foods, added sugars, trans fats, chemical additives, and GMOs, it can be hard to know if what your eating is vegan or not. There are actually lots of foods, which people think are vegan, but actually have animal products in them. We don’t want you to be in the dark about these secretly non-vegan foods, so we did some digging and found some pretty surprising results. We hope this helps in your quest to keep eating a healthy, vegan diet.

Frozen French Fries

It’s hard to believe that these aren’t just potatoes. Some, not all, frozen French fries are cooked in animal fat before they are frozen. Make sure you read the label to find out if they were. It will be beneficial to cut these out of your diet because they are loaded with chemical additives and processed ingredients.

Worcestershire Sauce

This classic sauce is notoriously made with anchovies to achieve its flavor. There are, however, brands that don’t use anchovies, which make it vegan friendly.

Chip

While this isn’t true for all chips, a lot of chips are made with pork enzymes. If you glance over the ingredients, you might miss “porcine enzymes.” Be on the lookout for this ingredient, especially in brands like Doritos and FritoLay.

Orange Juice

This may be a shocker to anyone on a vegan diet. Some orange juice brands usually enhance their OJ with omega 3, which they derive from fish. You can actually get omega 3s from plant-based ingredients. When you freshly make your juices, though, you’ll never have to worry.

White Sugar

First off, stevia and agave syrup are way healthier options than regular sugar. Refined sugar is not naturally white; rather, bone char, which is often labeled as “natural carbon,” is used to give sugar the white color.

Honey

Veganism means that you don’t consume anything that is a product of the animal kingdom. Since honey is a product of bees, it is technically not vegan, although some choose to overlook that.

Breath Mints

Altoid uses gelatin in the production of its mints. Ingredients may not be the first things you look at when you buy breath mints, but companies can use animal products in many things. Altoid does make a vegan-friendly breath mint called “sugar-free smalls.” It probably isn’t the only brand that uses gelatin, so be on the lookout.

Pad Thai

If you order Pad Thai at a restaurant, it is probably made with fish sauce because that is a classic ingredient in the dish. If you make Pad Thai at home, you can easily omit the fish sauce without compromising the flavor.

That’s a pretty surprising list, right? In addition to the above foods, marshmallows, Jello (obviously), some bagels and bread, dark beer, Caesar dressing, and French onion soup all have animal products in them. Make sure you double check for animal products when you’re buying food.

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In honor of National Corn on the Cob Day, we’d like to talk a little bit about GMO’s. Let’s have the excellent website No GMO Project give us a primer:

What are GMOs?

GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.

Are GMO’s safe?

Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

Are GMOs labeled?

Unfortunately, even though polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public. In the absence of mandatory labeling, the Non-GMO Project was created to give consumers the informed choice they deserve.

So, how then can you celebrate National Corn on the Cob Day? Well, the simplest way is to buy organic. “Organic” is a legal term that means you can enjoy your food chemical and GMO-free.

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Recently, the USDA authorized the production of a new type of genetically engineered apple, called Arctic Apples. This new, chemically laced apple will be fabricated with an additional gene that halts the oxidation process of the fruit. In other words, these apples will  “brown” at a much slower rate than normal. This entails that lab-developed fruits will be produced and sold to consumers, despite the fact that these apples are genetically modified with ingredients that could never be found in nature. This landmark pronouncement will increase the availability of GMO (genetically modified organism) products in the produce aisle, which currently only offers a limited quantity of GMO foods.

The motive behind creating the Arctic Apple is to reduce waste by making all apples more visually appealing. By altering the structure to prevent “browning,” consumers will be more likely to purchase apples that may not be as fresh, but have the appearance of freshness. The “browning” of an apple is a main gauge for making determinations on the freshness of an apple, and the Arctic Apple will NOT require to be labeled. Not only does this deceive consumers into believing they are consuming a fresh apple, when in fact they are eating apples close to being rotten, but it also can lead to health ailments, such as food allergies, digestive issues, and even potentially serious diseases and disorders that have been connected to GMOs.

In addition, the gene also helps protect against harmful pathogens. The modification of the gene results in apple trees being more vulnerable to bacteria and antibodies, and therefore requiring additional pesticides chemical additives that can negatively impact consumer health and the environment.

These genetic changes to our apples are not only unnecessary, but also hazardous to our health. The potential risks of GMO apples far outweigh any aesthetic benefit. As consumers, we have faith that the food we consume is safe, accessible, and sustainable, and this decision by the USDA violates that trust.

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Hybrids tend to be vigorous growers, uniformity of shape and earlier more sustained flowering, larger flowers or vegetables, or larger fruits.

Heirloom or Open Pollinated (OP) plants are simply varieties that are capable of producing seeds that will produce seedlings just like the parent plant. Not all plants do this.

Plant breeders cross breed compatible types of plants in an effort to create a plant with the best features of both parents. These are called hybrids and many of our modern plants are the results of these crosses.

While plants can cross-pollinate in nature and hybrids repeatedly selected and grown may eventually stabilize, many hybrid seeds are relatively new crosses and seed from these hybrids will not produce plants with identical qualities.

Anyone can select and eventually stabilize their own seed or even hybridize new plants, but plant and seed companies have recently begun patenting their crosses so that only have the right to reproduce the hybrids they’ve developed. Monsanto is at the forefront in this capacity.

Hybrid Foods

Today we are inundated with hybrid foods, whether we are aware of this fact or not. Hybridized foods also fall under the category “products for convenience”.

Now ask yourself, “Is the majority of what you’re eating being shipped (to a market)?” If so, there’s a great chance the food or product contains hybridized ingredients.

Characteristics

Have you ever seen a watermelon that is shaped more like a basketball rather than a traditional oblong shaped watermelon? Well, this kind of watermelon-like creation is a hybrid. It’s not an actual watermelon. It’s watermelon-like!

Real or actual watermelon has seeds in it, black seeds at that! It is oblong in shape, and not oval-shaped like a basketball. Believe it or not, you will even find this kind of watermelon-like product at so-called health food stores.

Hybrid foods are created by cross breeding multiple foods within the same species. By breeding two parent samples of a particular food, a superior food can be made. Hybrid food has become increasingly popular because it provides food supply increase and hardiness and increased nutrition. The most common hybrid foods include vegetables, fruits, and rice.

Some common hybrid fruits are:

• Grapefruit
• Boysenberries
• Lemon
• Orange
• Pineapple
• Apple
• Nectarine, and
• Cantaloupe

Common hybrid vegetables include:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Corn, and
• Potatoes

Common hybrid nuts and seeds include:

• Cashews
• Oats
• Rice, and
• Wheat

Brown, white, and “wild” rice are hybrids. Commercial “soft” wheat is a hybrid. Alfalfa sprouts and most commercially available legumes are hybrids.

Genetically Engineered Foods

Using the latest molecular biology techniques, plants have been modified to enhance desired traits. In comparison to breeding, genetic engineering can create desirable looking plants in a shorter time with more accuracy. A specific gene can be isolated and transferred from one plant to another.

Many herbs (plants) are genetically engineered, as well as grafted. Some are also sprayed with harmful toxic chemicals allegedly to protect them.

Common hybrid herbs include:

• Peppermint
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Peach Leaf, and
• Spearmint

Disadvantages

Many herbs are no longer natural and because there is a heavy demand for these particular herbs, these herbs are man engineered and harvested, herbs such as Echinacea, Goldenseal, Comfrey, and St. John’s Wort to name a few. Their original strains may have been natural, but today, many of them are unnaturally grown.

Seaweeds like chlorella, spirulina, and blue green algae, as nutritious as they are, are harvested in man-made lakes and ponds and cannot be found in the wild. Harvested foods are far safer than genetically engineered and grafted foods.

We need to be aware of genetically engineered foods.Our state of optimal health and wellbeing depends on it. Nothing we eat or could eat is safe or spared from possibly containing genetically engineered ingredients. Consider the following:

Eating genetically engineered (GE) foods may cause defects (imbalances) within the human body. Because the molecules of hybrid and GE plants are altered, it stands to reason that the molecules of the human makeup also become altered and this altering manifests in human behavior, actions, and thoughts in the form of defective or faulty behavior, actions, and thoughts. After all, you are what you eat.

Addiction

Genetically engineered foods also help the business of addiction. The greatest addiction on our planet is sugar addiction so it’s no wonder why hybridized fruits are real sweet, sweeter than what Nature intended.

But it doesn’t just have to be sugar to cause an addiction. Anything hybridized can lead to addiction of the hybridized product.

Dherbs has warned people for years that tobacco used in cigarettes and other tobacco-based products contain GE tobacco. The modern day tobacco strains are ten times more addictive than the tobacco used in earlier times.

Soy

Health conscious individuals who are vegan and vegetarian need to be very conscious about consuming soy products.

There is no other food (or crop) that is more genetically engineered than soy, well, perhaps with the exception of corn.

The less soy one consumes, the better. However, the only soy that should be consumed today is one that has a label on the product with the word “non-GMO” written on it. This means the product contains no genetically modified food organism, at least to the knowledge of the manufacturer. So, the product may contain non-GMO soy, but it may contain ingredients that are GE simply because these ingredients were sourced from some other company who may have used GE ingredients.

This is why food-labeling laws for notice of GMO ingredients are necessary and very important. All companies should take responsibility and inform customers and consumers of what they are eating. If GE and GMO foods are so safe as is claimed by GE and GMO proponents, why not give the people notice of these kinds of foods and/or food ingredients in certain products.

Pesticides

Whether the pesticide is sprayed on the crop or genetically engineered into the crop, it will eventually end up in the bloodstream. Consider the following:

“In 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) looked at pesticides in the blood of ordinary citizens. Of the thirty-four pesticides tested, the average person had thirteen in his/her bloodstream, and blood levels of chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate pesticide banned for residential use in 2001 because of its negative effects) were found to be twice as high in children as in adults. The CDC report showed that children and women of child-bearing age carried the heaviest pesticide burdens – which is alarming, because pesticide exposure in the womb and during the first three years of postnatal life has been found to lower birth weight, increase the incidence of birth defects, and hinder normal neurological development and reproduction.”

Source: Lipski, Elizabeth. “Digestive Wellness For Children.” California: Basic Health Publications, Inc. (2006), p. 22

Heirloom Open Pollinated Plant vs. Hybrid Plants

The difference between an heirloom open pollinated plant and a hybrid plant is that an open pollinated plant has one parent and a hybrid plant has two parents.

Hybrid seeds are seeds that result from the cross pollination of two inbred pollination plants.

Many health conscious individuals who decide to grow their own crops by purchasing seeds may not know that many seeds sold in packets, sold from nurseries and even sold from mail order are F1 hybrids.

You can always tell a hybrid fruit or vegetable because they are usually very large. The tomatoes you see nowadays are much larger than what you saw back in the 1970s. Tomatoes in supermarkets are much larger than the tomatoes you will find in your natural garden and that’s because they are hybrids.

Hybrids vs. Genetically Modified Organisms

Hybrids should not be confused with Genetically Modified Organisms or (GMOs) which can be any plant, animal or microorganism that has been genetically altered using molecular genetics techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering. Plants like corn that has the pesticide Bt engineered into its genetic makeup to make it resistant to certain pests are GMO crops. Bt is a natural pesticide, but it would never naturally find its way into corn seed.

If you’re thinking about starting your own organic garden, make sure you get informed about the seeds you will use to start and maintain your garden.

Recommendations

Hybrid foods are everywhere so if you eat you’ve got to be eating some hybrids.

If you want to make eating hybrids work for you, David Wolfe recommends that you eat small amounts of fruits and vegetables. Mix bananas with fat (avocados, nuts, olives) and it will lessen the hybrid effect on the system.

If you eat more green-leafed vegetables and avocados, nuts, or olives with hybrid sweet fruits or vegetables it will decrease their effect on the blood sugar and increase the utility of elements in the food.

Hybrid grains, and legumes should be soaked and sprouted, and absolutely never cooked.

As long as they are raw, the body can draw nutrients from them and can deal with them.

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