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Sure, being a parent involves a healthy amount of stress, but what are we supposed to do with the revelation that we have innocently been giving toxins to our children for the majority of their lives? Whether it is peanut butter, cold medicine, leaded toys, hormones in milk and meat, cleaning chemicals, carpet fibers, plastics, immunizations, and now high fructose corn syrup... how is a parent supposed to keep a child safe and healthy these days?
According to two new US reports, high levels of mercury abound in everyday foods that many American children eat. Granted, there are always two sides to every story, but the fact remains that the FDA has supposedly known about the toxins in corn syrup and done nothing about it.
In response to this, I can't help but wonder what is the point of having a Food and Drug Administration to protect us, if they are going to allow unsuspecting Americans to ingest toxins from popular brands such as Minute Maid, Coca-Cola, Hershey's, Quaker, Hunt's, Smucker's, Kraft, Nutri-Grain, and Yoplait?
"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high fructose corn
syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional
source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate
changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury
contamination of the food supply.” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D.,
and a co-author in both studies.
As I said, there are two sides to every story, so are you curious what the Corn Refiners Association had to say about these reports? They maintain that these reports used outdated information and of course their corn products are "natural". Do they take into account that high fructose corn syrup has played a major role in the obesity epidemic in the US? Of course not.
It is my opinion that as parents, we need to protect our children. If you want to prevent your child from becoming a statistic for diabetes, cancer, obesity or anything else, it is critical that you are informed about the dangers that your children face and that you stay updated on current events.
More importantly, it is essential that you make decisions to help keep your child safe, healthy and happy. If you know that something your child is eating could be potentially hazardous to his or her health, you need to step in, explain the situation to your child and provide guidance to teach your child to take responsibility for his or her health in the future.
What actions can parents take with this new information of an incredibly toxic substance that is potentially contained in almost every staple of our children's diets? Stop buying processed foods! We know that our bodies cannot process these ingredients and that they can cause negative symptoms such as hyperactivity, restlessness, irritability and worse.
It is time that we take control of what goes into our bodies and our children's. Grow a garden or buy organic produce and make sure your children get outside to play and be active. Filter your water, choose organic or natural products and avoid refined anything. If high fructose corn syrup has mercury in it, what is next? Protect yourself and serve your family food that is grown from the earth. We are heading into a time where it makes more sense to simplify than to live in convenience. Personally, I would rather grow a garden than have my child undergo chelation treatments for mercury poisoning. Wouldn't you?
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Communication 
