Victory: Monsanto drops GE Wheat

I dont even know what to say. I know this is old news but it makes me want to jump for joy, yell from the roof tops and do cartwheels.

I am overjoyed that Monsanto is starting to be put in their place. Hopefully this is just the begining.

Thanks to years of pressure from environmental groups, the consumers, our cyberactivists and Greenpeace, today we can annnounce a victory for the environment following the announcement by Monsanto that they would suspend further development or open field trials of its genetically engineered, Roundup Ready wheat.

"This is a victory for the environment, farmers and consumers," said Pat Venditti, our GE campaigner in Canada. "Strong rejection of GE wheat from virtually every corner of the globe once again showed the resistance to GE foods."

Monsanto announced today that they will defer all further efforts to introduce Roundup Ready wheat, and that they will discontinue breeding and field level research of the crop. This follows a similar announcement in 2003 when the company announced its withdrawal from the development of pharmaceutical crops.

"Let's hope GE wheat permanently joins GE flax, GE tomatoes and GE potatoes in the dustbin of bad ideas. Rather than having to restage this battle in four years time, we hope that Monsanto has heard loud and clear that genetically engineered wheat is a non-starter," continued Mr. Venditti. "The Canadian Government should make a note of this and re-think its devotion to this unnecessary technology."

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Take Action: Stand up for your rice!

Rice is daily food for half of the world's population. Genetically modified (GM) rice, on the other hand, is a threat to our agriculture, our biodiversity and a possible risk to our health.

At present, GM rice is not grown commercially anywhere in the world. But Bayer, the German chemical giant, has genetically manipulated rice to withstand higher doses of a toxic pesticide called glufosinate, which is considered to be so dangerous to humans and the environment that it will soon be banned from Europe.

In just a few weeks, the European Union will decide whether or not this GM rice can enter EU countries, appear on supermarket shelves and end up on our dinner plates. If the EU approves the import of Bayer GM rice, farmers in the US and elsewhere may soon start planting it.

Detox Phase II

Phase I of the detox was the prep. Now I am on to Phase II – Liver detox

My naturopath gave me 21 days of MediHerb LivCo tablets to take 3x’s a day and according to my googling, the LivCo tablets will do the following:

*Aid in the elimination and cleanse the liver
*Enhance the productions of antioxidants in the liver
*Increase the natural synthesis of proteins in the liver
*Support healthy liver function
*Protect again the damaging effects of free radicals

That all sounds pretty good to me. I'm still feeling great from Phase I and am still sleeping better and feeling well rested every morning.

I'm also still drinking at least 1.5 litres of distilled water a day and I have noticed a big difference in my skin and complexion. Almost no acne now (FINALLY! At 31 … geeze) and a more even tone and texture overall.

Again, as before, these are all good things.

I have also started a massive overhaul on my gym routine. Aside from adding in at least 20 minutes of running, I have started working on the circuit training as outlined in the Jillian Michaels’ book MAKING THE CUT. It’s a pretty intense workout based on circuit training, plyometrics and stacking and it’s kicking my ass, literally.

The promise of the plan is to, as you can gather from the title of the book, get cut. And of course, she says that you can make this promise a reality in a mear 30 days. I suppose if you do nothing but work out everyday and follow her routine to a T then sure, you may get ripped in 30 days. Me, I’ll be more than happy to look “cut” by June. That’s me being realistic.

I already hit the gym 3 times a week and so sure, I’m game for adding a few more days in there to make it an even 5, but that’s it. I have a life, school and work to balance outside of the weight room so that’s as much as a commitment as I am able and willing to make.

But just from the last two days, I think that June is more than realistic. I am gonna look ripped, and toned and strong on the beaches of Thailand.

My Fitness Personality

Took a quick little quiz this morning that was sent to me in my weekly Healthy Monday newsletter from about.com and thought it was pretty darn accurate:


Your answers indicate that you tend to be more of a leader than a follower, that you like to be in charge and that you're likely a goal-oriented person. (YUP!) You may enjoy the process of setting goals and mapping out the steps you need to reach them. You're also disciplined and self-motivated, so you may not need a buddy or group activity to keep you supported.

Because of these traits, you're the kind of person who is consistent with exercise and doesn't have a problem committing to a regular exercise program. You may lean towards more athletic activities and you may also have a tendency to get stuck in exercise ruts from time to time, having difficulty changing things up on a regular basis.

Best Exercises for Your Personality

You tend to go solo when it comes to fitness and, because you're so disciplined, it's easier for you to stick to a more regimented routine. You might enjoy activities where you're in control -- of your movements and your schedule -- rather than following along in a fitness class or video. Just a few ideas:

Walking, Running or Cycling
Any one or all of these activities might appeal to you because you're in charge of these kinds of workouts. There's no instructor to follow, no rules -- you create your own workouts and move at your own pace, which is just how you like it. These activities also offer opportunities to improve; you can go faster, find bigger hills and increase your distance. Tracking these things might help keep you motivated.

Training for Races
Beyond basic running or walking programs, training for a race (whether it's 5K or a marathon) may be a good goal to set for yourself. Training for a race requires specific, timely steps which may appeal to the goal-oriented part of your personality. You may also like to get your competitive juices flowing.

Strength Training
While strength training is good for all of us, it might appeal to you more than the average person. Lifting weights is a solo activity that requires a specific plan as well as a specific list of exercises for each muscle group. You might enjoy the act of creating your own program just as much as carrying it out and keeping track of your progress.

Martial Arts
Though more of a team activity, martial arts offers many aspects of training that fit your personality. The moves you learn are regimented, require regular practice and you also have the ability to earn different belts and move up into more complicated training programs. Because you may prefer to exercise alone, pursuing something with group interactivity may actually be good for you, helping you learn how to rely on and support others. (I did LOVE boxing when I was training with my PT and am dying to do more ... does that count?)

What to Watch Out For
Because you're smart and self-disciplined, there are some downsides to that personality type that could cause some problems. Just a few things to watch out for:

•Being inflexible. You like routines and habits, but they may turn into ruts if you don't make changes now and then. Make it a point to take stock of your situation every few weeks and make changes in your schedule, workouts or activities to keep things fresh.

•Being afraid to try new things. You're good at a variety of things, but you may also have a tendency towards perfectionism. That may stop you from trying new things, since it's hard to be perfect on your first try. Test your boundaries every so often with new activities and allow yourself to be bad at them.

•Being a know-it-all. You may spend time researching exercise and fitness. You may also have a lot of personal knowledge about fitness, which can keep you from having an open mind about new ideas. Listening to what others have to say, even inexperienced exercisers, can teach you more than you realize.

Detox Update

Its been a week since I started my first ever cleanse/detox, whatever and I have to admit I am feeling pretty darn good.

The first few days I was met with "flu like symptoms" such as a bit of a stuffy head, a tad groggy and a little throat irritation, all of which are apparently very normal for the first time detoxer.

They passed within a few days and since then I have been feeling great.

I also seem to be sleeping better and have far more energy than before.

Oddly enough, with the sleeping thing, I seem to actually be needing less sleep then before and am no longer waking up feeling tired and groggy. Last night for example, I went to bed at 10:30pm as per usual, read for a bit and then attempted to drift off to lala land. But I couldn't fall asleep. I wasn't fidgety, or over tired. I wasn't uncomfortable or achy. I just wasn't tired.

So I laid there until 1:00am trying to fall asleep, dreading the alarm going off in just 6 hrs. However, when 6:35am arrived and P got up and hit the showers I woke up and was STUNNED to realize I felt fine. Sure, I didn't have to get up for another hour, but I was very aware of the feeling of rest that I had with only 5 hrs sleep behind me. I dozed off again and got up an hour later when my alarm sounded. Again, the feeling of restfulness was unexpected but warmly welcomed.

And this has been the case for a few days now, starting on Sunday.

An odd but not at all bad effect of cleansing the body.

Another fantastic side effect has been some very unexpected weight loss. Not loads, just 5 lbs, but to have dropped that in a week is unreal.

I have not changed my diet other than to remove sugar and have added in a ton of water (1.5 liters a day or more) and exercise wise I am still at the gym 3 times a week. I've switched up my routine a bit and have started to do 20 minutes of running, followed by about 30 minutes of weights (chest and shoulder presses, curl squats, triceps curls and leg presses).

The loss is most noticeable in my gym pants (which are starting to fall down as I run!) and my work pants (the butt is getting baggy and I'm back to my original belt loop!)

So clearly something is working and I am loving it.

I wonder what kind of results I will see after moving to Level II of the program next week ...