My husband and I have begun joking that oatmeal is a “tantrum starter.” No matter how we doctor that oatmeal to make it more filling (adding nuts, coconut oil, organic butter, fruit, organic yogurt, pumpkin puree, etc.), our children seem to have more tantrums on the mornings they eat oatmeal. Even after nights of good sleep and mornings that start out well, it seems like oatmeal can ruin everything. They struggle to follow directions, dress themselves, and brush their teeth. Then I noticed that I get body aches after eating Trader Joe’s gluten-free oatmeal. All arrows point to the oatmeal but until recently, we laughed at the possibility – how could our innocent oatmeal be causing these problems? Hasn’t oatmeal been around for centuries? Have you noticed any of these side effects after eating cereal or oatmeal?
While ceral and oatmeal have been dietary staples for generations, a new pesticide in them is wreaking havoc: glyphosate.
Recently, I was at Trader Joe’s when I heard a mother with a cart full of three kids announce loudly, “Put back the cereal — it causes cancer!” Her children sulked as she browsed the breakfast cereals.
“Are you talking about an ingredient?” I asked her.
“No, I’m talking about glyphosate,” she told me. “My children have a friend – a little kid – dying of cancer right now. And their uncle, too. And now we know that the Cheerios they both ate every day for breakfast caused their cancer.” She shook her head, disgusted. “Cheerios! Using a chemical that causes cancer! Can you believe it? And it’s in all these cereals.” She waved at the boxes lining the aisle.
I had heard about this before: General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, allows its cereal to be saturated with glyphosate – the toxic chemical in Round Up – far beyond levels considered safe by any scientists. Since learning about glyphosate, I hadn’t allowed my children to eat conventional wheat products – but, busied by the demands of mothering and life, I hadn’t researched glyphosate in several years. Over time, we had replaced wheat with oats and other grains.
Then it occurred to me: Could there be glyphosate be in the gluten-free oatmeal I was serving my kids?
That night, I researched glyphosate. Here’s what I found:
– The use of glyphosate has increased exponentially in the past several years. It’s no longer just in wheat; glyphosate is now used in oats, corn, soy, potatoes, beets, almonds, sunflower seeds, canola, lentils, peas, and most grains.
– The United States allows levels of glyphosate significantly higher than other countries.
– Exposure to glyphosate can actually cause symptoms that mimic celiac disease, explaining the unusual rise in Americans who are now gluten intolerant.
– Glyphosate has been strongly correlated with attention disorders like ADHD, autism, thyroid and hormonal dysfunction, infertility, birth defects, colitis, depression, diabetes, ALS, MS, brain cancer, breast cancer, other cancers, and more.
– Due to aerial drift during spraying, glyphosate is now contaminating many American crops, even organic.
Since glyphosate is strongly correlated with ADHD, autism, and depression, it seems reasonable that the current levels in breakfast cereals and oatmeal could, at a minimum, cause tantrums and inability to focus. Have you noticed that your children have more tantrums after consuming non-organic cereal, oatmeal, and other products made with wheat, corn, soy, and other ingredients treated with glyphosate?
At our house, we’re trying something new: Can we have a breakfast free of glyphosate every day?
Eating breakfast in America without consuming glyphosate is surprisingly hard to do, considering that even chickens scratching in glyphosate-soaked American soil are laying eggs that test positive for glyphosate. But we’re trying. We’re starting the day with organic fruit, organic veggies, probiotics from kombucha or yogurt from grassfed cows (not GMO glyphosate-laced feed), and/or sauteed vegetables served with eggs from chickens who have been pastured and fed organic non GMO feed (conventional animal feed contains glyphosate).
What about you? What’s your favorite glyphosate-free breakfast?
Sources:
NYT Article: Reports Find Controversial Herbicide in Cheerios and Quaker Oats
Article: Many Surprising Foods Found To Contain Monsanto’s Deadly Poison
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/05/03/glyphosate-food.aspx
Study: Glyphosate Causes Adverse Neurologic and Neurobehavioral Developmental Effects In Children Born to Applicators
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241196/
Expert: Glyphosate Linked To Chronic Illness, Infertility, and Birth Defects
NYT Article: Safety of Weed Killer Is Doubted
NYT Article: Monsanto Sued Over Glyphosate
Top 70 Crops Sprayed With Glyphosate
Eco Watch: 15 Health Problems Linked To Monsanto Round Up
https://www.ecowatch.com/15-health-problems-linked-to-monsantos-roundup-1882002128.html
Growers Sound Alarm Over Aerial Drift of Glyphosate and GMO Concerns
Categories: Breaking Health News, Causes & Crusaders, Changing Your Behavior, Diet, False Advertising, Fertility, Uncategorized
Leave a Reply