How to Know if Your Food is Organic by Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, DC

Is Your Food Organic?

Make sure you know where your food comes from when shopping. According to Wikipedia, organic foods are made according to certain production standards that allow certain non-organic fertilizers to be used. Ideally, it is best to get your organic produce from your own organic garden. When home gardening is not possible get your organic produce from local farmers who still control their own seed and grow organically.

As an alternative, there is a way to safely shop in a grocery store when buying organic produce. The key is the bar code label. The tiny annoying stickers appear on almost all fresh fruits and vegetables. The stickers actually contain the secret code to whether the fruit is organic, conventional or genetically modified. Only conventional, non-organic fruits and vegetables have  bar code stickers that have only 4 numbers. 
Both the organic and genetically modified bar code stickers have five numbers each.

The key to organically grown fruits and vegetables is they all have a 5 number bar code that begins with the number 9. Organic fruits and vegetables are required to be in separate areas in supermarket. The bar code sticker helps to confirm which type of produce is actually being purchased in case the food item has been put in the wrong location.

There is no requirement that supermarkets inform customers which fruits and vegetables being sold are genetically modified (GM). Genetically modified foods were first marketed in the early 1990’s, and have Monsanto’s RoundupÔ pesticide added to the genes of the plant. If you see a 5 number bar code that begins with the number 8 it may be Genetically modified. 

Reading the bar codes will tell the truth about the source of the fruits and vegetables. This means that a regular banana bar code would be 4011, an organic banana would be 94011 and a GM banana would be 84011.



Use Strong Alkalized Antioxidant Rich Water to remove the yucky pesticide residue. Food tastes fresh picked and can be stored longer. This water is one of the 7 different types of water that an advanced water technology device produces. The drinking water tastes different and hydrates the body easier and faster than other waters. It has a very high level of  antioxidants when it is fresh making it beneficial for the body. 

Get checked by Dr. Sherry Yale, DC at TLC Holistic Wellness in Livonia, MI if you are not sure if your body has an overload of pesticides. Dr Yale uses a simple, non-invasive method called Nutrition Response Testing® to evaluate toxities and deficiencies to determine what your individual body needs and wants.

If you live in any of the surrounding cities of Detroit including Livonia, Farmington, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, Novi, Redford etc. contact Dr. Yale today at (734) 664 - 0339 to schedule your no charge initial consultation and screening evaluation to determine what help you need. 

Take advantage of the opportunity to experience the difference Alkalized Antioxidant Rich Drinking Water tastes during our 21 day Independent Study Trial. Contact Dr. Yale today at (734) 664 - 0339 to learn more and to attend the workshop on Saturday, April 23 at 1pm.

Creating New Holiday Traditions posted on Nov. 9, 2015 By Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, B.S., D.C., N.D.

Creating New Holiday Traditions

This holiday season can be a time of great joy, and sharing many festive foods with family and friends. Join the growing movement of healthier food choices in food preparation. Here is a simple guideline of some specific foods to avoid and why, along with what foods to use instead.

                    Avoid These Foods                                                Replace With These Foods

Junk Food Snacks (contain corn and other GMO foods canola/cottonseed oil) (Corn sweeteners are contaminated with mercury and GMO)	Organic Fresh Fruit or Whole Food Organic Snacks (Read labels to avoid corn or GMO. Look for minimal use of sweeteners.)
White Bread (Contains GMO, rancid oils)	Whole Grain Sprouted Bread
Prepackaged White Flour (rancid, no nutrients)	Fresh Ground Organic Whole Grain Flours
Commercial Soy Products including soymilk, tofu, soy protein and vegeburgers (90% of soy is now GMO)	Organic Almond Milk or Rice Milk or Make your own milk from organic nuts/seeds good filtered water and a blender.
Man-Made Artificial Sweeteners   White Sugar (made from GMO corn), Fructose AKA High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS	Stevia, Organic 100% Cane Sugar, Organic Honey, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Raw Sugar or Organic Maple Syrup
White Table Salt (contains aluminum)	Celtic Sea Salt has 86 minerals (Sea Salt has been refined and has only 23 minerals)
Commercially Prepared Oils, Shortening, Margarine (Usually rancid synthetic oils with added chemicals and food colors) Canola Oil /Cottonseed Oil (from GMO seeds)	Organic Coconut Oil, Raw Organic Butter (both are solid at room temperature - use as shortening) Organic Cold-Pressed Food Oils (best in dark bottles) Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Dried Fruits with sulfur and food coloring (food colors are now mixed with aluminum)	Organic Dried Fruits

Avoid overeating during the holidays, and overindulging in too many sweets. Both of these can cause digestive stress that can linger past the holiday season. If digestive issues remain unresolved, contact Dr. Sherry Yale, DC at TLC Holistic Wellness in Livonia for a no-charge consultation to learn how alternative health care can help solve this problem. Enjoy creating new traditions with healthy food. 

Research Validates Organic is Better posted by Dr. Carol Ann Fischer on August 19, 2015

                                                             Organic is Best!

The debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food may be over, according to results from a $25-million study into organic food -- the largest of its kind to date. The four-year, European-Union-funded study found that:

    * Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
    * Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
    * Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The researchers obtained their results after growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites. They say that eating organic foods can even help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Eating organic produce decreases exposure to GMO seed and pesticides, and increases nutritional intake. Another study published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition showed that organically grown fruits and vegetables contained about twice the amount of beneficial minerals as those grown by conventional methods. 

The power to change the current food supply is in our hands. Every food item purchased is a vote for that type of food. If the food is not organic or locally grown, then it is commercially produced and related to GMO seed. Each organic purchase is a vote against the industrialized food conglomerates. Support organic farms and local farmers. Shop at farmer’s markets and support local farmers who grow and sell organic food.

For better health purchase and eat organic free-range beef, pork and poultry. Free range ensures that the animals and poultry are allowed to roam free to eat their natural diet, and are not given any antibiotics, hormones or drugs. Eat wild caught fish instead of farm-raised fish to avoid consuming additional antibiotics and genetically modified corn. Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible. 

Visit TLC Holistic Wellness to download the 2015 GMO Free Organic Shopping Guide, and information on the best organic sources of beef and chicken. Contact TLC (734) 664 - 0339  for a free no-charge consultation if you are considering a diet change and don't know where to start. 

Sweets for Your Sweetie

By Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, D.C., N.D.

Valentines Day is the one day that we give something sweet to someone we care about. Show your affection by giving the gift of sweets with real ingredients. There are many different types of sweeteners available today, from natural to man-made synthetics.

Man-made sugars are causing health issues and creating hidden food allergies. The three most common food allergens are wheat/gluten, dairy and corn. Many digestive issues, migraines and headaches, brain fog, aches and pains, chronic sinus congestion and asthma/allergies are related to hidden food allergies.

Most processed foods now contain some form of sweetener. Of the three food allergens, corn is the only food that is used to make sweeteners. For those with corn sensitivities, eating sweets made from corn can be the cause of many unwanted health issues.

Corn is used to make sweeteners because it is cheaper and twice as sweet as table sugar. It is absorbed only 40% as quickly as glucose and causes only a modest rise in blood sugar. Corn has been altered to make high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sorbitol, xylitol, fructose, sweet & low, sucrose, maltodextrin, poly dextrose, inosital, and saccharin. The average person today consumes 60 pounds of HFCS, which is approximately 19% of the average person's diet.

This man-made HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages, candy and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, luncheon meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. In 2009 The Wall Street Journal reported that half of the tested samples of HFCS also contained mercury. Mercury is the most toxic substance known to man, and it is now combined with HFCS.

HFCS with mercury were found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand name food and beverage products. HFCS is now the first or second highest labeled ingredient. HFCS alters body chemistry by causing the growth of fat cells around vital organs, setting the stage for heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. HFCS interacts with oral contraceptives and elevates insulin levels in women on "the pill,” setting them up for diabetes. It also raises serum triglycerides significantly and LDL cholesterol levels. HFCS has no enzymes, vitamins, or minerals and robs the body of its micronutrients in order to metabolize it.

Sucralose or Splenda is another man-made sugar substitute that is high in chlorine. Splenda is made by binding three chlorine atoms to a molecule of sugar. When the body attempts to metabolize this chemical sugar it makes dioxin, a cancer causing chemical that can trigger fatigue, headaches, dizziness, brain fog, nausea, depression, digestive issues and joint pain.

Seventy percent of American women consume Sucralose daily. Sucralose is found in nearly 4,000 food, beverage and health-care products, including diet drinks, ice cream, protein bars, salad dressings, over the counter drugs, chewing gum, vitamins and toothpaste

Another man-made sweetener is Aspartame, commonly known as Nutra-sweet or Equal. Aspartame is now present in 6,000 products and used in over 90 countries. It is even registered with MSG, an aspirin derivative and Mercury Thiomerosal by the FDA for use in vaccines. 

Nutra-sweet is manufactured in North America in Aiken, South Carolina in a genetic engineered GMO bacterial factory. The parent company is Monsanto, maker of the popular weed killer, Round-UpÒ. Aspartame consumption through diet pop has recently been linked to MS, Systemic Lupus and Fibromyalgia.

When aspartame is consumed it breaks down into these neurotoxic substances: Methanol (wood alcohol), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid, also found in commercial cosmetics), Formic Acid, (ant sting venom) and DKP (a known brain tumor agent). All of the man-made sugars HFCS, Nutra-sweet and Splenda, along with mercury can accumulate in the body and cause toxicity reactions.

Show your sweetie how much you really care by giving real sweets this Valentines Day. Look for Valentine sweets that are not made from corn with high fructose corn syrup or vanillin flavoring (artificial vanilla), or artificial sweeteners. Good sweets have real flavorings, real sugar and real ingredients. Most of the better Valentine sweets are available in local health food stores and specialty shops.

Disclaimer: The recommendations in this article are not to be taken as medical advice. If your diet or health is not what it should be, consult a qualified wellness consultant to evaluate toxicity levels, determine the cause of your health issues, and for specific recommendations. In Livonia, MI, TLC Holistic Wellness has doctors that are trained to evaluate your sugar handling ability and your toxicity levels from man-made sugars. Call (734) 664 - 0339 to schedule a no-charge consultation today.