Scrumptious Non-GMO Corn & Diabetic Food Fallacies

Yum! I just polished off two ears of the sweetest yellow corn I've ever had! It was so good I literally sucked the juice from the cob until is was so dry and clean you could have made one of those corn cob pipes from it! It is truly one of the joys I always look forward to every year. As I relished the last piece, I realized I should share this with my readers on my "Reverse Diabetes Naturally" blog and I'll explain why below.

There are so many food fallacies out there that diabetics get drawn into. A good example is that "carbs are the enemy." While it is true that the modern American diet and the modern diet of other industrialized nations consists of far too many LOW QUALITY carbs, the food group of carbs is NOT what has caused the type 2 diabetes. It is very important in fact for those who want to cure their diabetes to eat plenty of fresh vegetables. It's best to eat a lot of green leafy vegetables (especially those in the kale family like all forms of kale, collards, mustard greens, and cabbages) and a wide variety of other veggies in every color: yellow, orange, red, purple, and white.

All the attention shown on suggesting low-carb diets for diabetics has taken the attention away from other food topics that diabetes should be far more concerned about: topics that concern what actually causes diabetes and what foods can cure it.

This is what I mean by diabetic food fallacies.

If you are serious about curing diabetes for good and/or avoiding it to begin with, there is information about food you definitely need. Lowering your intake of carbs and making sure your carbs have high nutrient density is important but it is actually less important than other food topics that I seldom see discussed in diabetes education circles. Sometimes I find myself shaking my head in disgust when I read through such literature.

So, let me get back to my scrumptious corn and tell you why I want to talk about it.

First, I want to talk about the importance of avoiding genetically modified foods (GMO foods). As a diabetic, this is most definitely one of the most important changes you can make to your diet. You need to get REALLY serious about avoiding ALL genetically modified foods. There is research that shows GMO foods play havoc with all your internal organs, cause metabolic problems, and they increase insulin resistance.

This means avoiding processed food, fast food, and even certain "fresh vegetables" if they are conventionally grown -- and definitely conventionally grown corn because it is almost all genetically modified corn if you purchase it in the United States! The only way to avoid this in the U.S. is buy CERTIFIED ORGANIC corn or corn from a trusted local farmer who verifies he or she uses non-GMO seed (this is almost alway organic seed but the land they grow it in may not be certified so they can't label it "organic"). A good source is farmers markets and local food co-ops that purchase from small local farmers.

One of the most commonly eaten GMO foods is corn and it is very toxic, especially for the diabetic. GMO corn is used to make high fructose corn syrup and various forms of it serves as fillers in many processed foods (and pet food too by the way) and fast food. In fact, more than 80% of all corn grown in the US is GMO corn, some say as much as 90%. In other words, it is grown using patent protected Monsanto seed that has been genetically altered with genes from a bacterium to resist herbicides (so they can spray the heck out of it with Monsanto's Round Up without killing the commercial crop of GMO corn) and to make it less tasty to bugs.

Yep, that's right.... when you're eating GMO corn, you're eating corn that even the bugs won't eat and has an herbicide built right into the corn itself, i.e. you are essentially eating herbicide!! That should tell you something. Sometimes I wonder just how smart we humans really are :-)

This means if you go to the store and buy some "farm fresh corn" or "locally grown corn" (food marketers really know how to make this toxic GMO stuff sound great), odds are very high that you are purchasing GMO corn!! It may look natural and healthy but don't be fooled! It is toxic. And please... don't be lured into buying it because of ridiculously low prices!! You need to stay away from it, especially if you have diabetes or have any propensity for developing it. In fact, everyone should stay away from this stuff as it causes all sorts of health issues.

Remember: the only sure fire way to avoid buying GMO corn is to buy certified ORGANIC corn. For produce to be labeled "organic" one of the rules is that it can not be GMO. And.. you can talk to small farmers directly at farmers markets and ask them if they use GMO corn seed.

The corn I just ate was non-GMO, i.e. non-Monsanto corn, i.e. it was NOT genetically modified corn!  How do I know? Well, it was ORGANIC corn from a trusted organic farm in the region where I live. Knowing this makes me savor each delicious juicy sweet bite all the more!!

Please understand that I do not recommend non-GMO corn as a frequent staple in a diabetic diet but there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying some on occasion. Don't let those low-carb diet claims for diabetics take away all the joy of summer veggies! In fact, I get a craving for good ol' corn on the cob a couple of times a year and I do indulge and my blood sugar doesn't suffer for it, thank you very much! Yellow corn that is non-GMO corn does have nutritious value, maybe not as much as a big helping of kale, but it adds to the diversity of your diet with antioxidants and other micronutrients, and it is healthy for you in moderation as long as it isn't GMO.

I also love corn bread on occasion with some yummy bean soup. I always use organic corn meal to make it so I know for sure I'm not eating GMO corn. There's nothing wrong with someone who has cured their diabetes through natural means to partake of organic corn mill occasionally. In fact, this can be healthy.

AND... to drive my point home more clearly:

Staying completely away from GMO food is far more important to the diabetic than indulging in non-processed fresh organic veggies that have carb. In fact, unless you have a corn allergy, I'd say those carby veggies are part of a healthy diet. By the way, most people (and pets) who have a corn allergy find that non-GMO corn doesn't bother them!

AND... one more important point:

The locally grown non-GMO corn that I ate today was also drenched in melted butter -- no, not "pretend" butter-like spread or the industrialized (i.e. full of trans fat) "food" known as margarine but REAL organic butter made from milk from pasture raised cows, i.e. cows that graze on organic green grass and ingest a few bugs in the process. Real butter made with milk from pasture raised cows contains a descent amount of omega-3 because pastured cows get their omega-3 from the green grass and bugs they eat and this is passed along in their milk.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you should eat tons of organic butter from pasture raised cows either but it is one of the healthier fats you can eat as long as you don't overdo it. It is far better for you than the so called "heart healthy" artificial stuff I see lined up on most grocery shelves which is always very sad to see!!! It's certainly better than canola oil, another GMO food to stay completely away from.

And remember, omega-3 is one of the most important things you can eat if you are trying to cure diabetes.... in fact, it is lesson #1 in my opinion in "how to cure diabetes" (click on the red button at the top for more info!). Eating plenty of omega-3 is also very important in preventing diabetes and in making sure type 2 diabetes doesn't return. Of course, there are many other food lessons you need to learn to cure diabetes for good and one of the best resources I've found for teaching you how to do so quickly is this one.