by Melissa Diane Smith

Consumer demand has led to the growth of gluten-free personal care products.

If you’re gluten intolerant, you’re well aware of the need to avoid ingesting this problematic protein. But what about topical applications? Nearly all doctors, researchers and organizations in the celiac community will tell you that external application of a product that contains gluten is completely harmless because gluten is not absorbed through the skin. But many everyday people are rejecting that information and seeking out gluten-free products for their face, skin and hair.

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Maybe you’ve never heard the term “GMOs.” Maybe you’ve heard the term but don’t know what GMOs are, how they are created, or how they got into some of our foods without our knowledge. Or maybe you know what GMOs are, but have sketchy information about them and would like to hear more details so you can make up your own mind about them.

If any of these is the case, you’re in luck: I’ll be speaking about GMOs – genetically modified organisms and genetically modified foods – in the first-ever class in Tucson about GMOs, “Do You Know What’s Hidden in Your Food? A Primer on GMOs” from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Catalina Foothills High School.  To attend, you need to register ahead of time for the class by phone at (520) 209-7551. For more details on the class or for details on how to register in person, by mail, or online, visit the Catalina Foothills Community Schools Current Offerings.

Copyright © 2011 Melissa Diane Smith

by Melissa Diane Smith

How to avoid genetically modified organisms when you also avoid gluten.

When Marcia Popp, a 50-year-old graphic artist, began a nutrition coaching program with me last year, she had numerous health problems, including multiple food and environmental allergies. She also had been diagnosed in 1990 with a systemic immune condition known as eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), which she developed after taking tryptophan supplements that were later found to be tainted.

Marcia had already cut gluten out of her diet nine years earlier, so I advised some different dietary changes to cater to her other food intolerances. I knew that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were implicated in allergies – and that the tryptophan that was linked to EMS had been produced using genetically modified bacteria – so I also recommended that she avoid the eight major genetically modified (GM) foods to see if it made a difference in her condition.

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by Melissa Diane Smith

Quiz yourself with these eleven True-False questions.

Many of us have heard the term, GMOs. But how much do you really know about them, their health risks, and how to avoid them? There’s no better time than now, National Non-GMO Month, to find out. Take our quiz and test your knowledge, then pass the test onto others to raise awareness about this timely topic.

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