There is hope, though, and it is in everyone’s hands to be free of the effects of these toxins.

   

First, it begins with educating ourselves and connecting the dots. What we put in our mouth or on our body, what is used to clean our home or clothes, what’s in the yard or gardens—it all matters. If we eat pesticides or genetically modified foods like bleached bread products, or spray bug spray around the home, we are just poisoning ourselves.

   

Maybe we do not notice the effects initially, but later experience a headache, stomachache or weird cravings. Maybe we get a rash or the sniffles, and we think it is normal. Maybe we get tired or can’t think straight and wonder why. It is likely because what we ate or put on our body or used in our home is making us sick.

   

Second, we should be voting with our money—using it in wise ways to eat organic produce and local, organically raised meats and dairy. It means we stop buying soda, artificial sweeteners and packaged products that contain preservatives and chemicals. Don’t use scent plug-ins or chemical shampoos—on loved ones or pets.

   

Longer-term issues, like cancer and further harm to our ecosystems, should be a huge wake-up call. We can get cancer from spraying chemicals like Roundup around the yard. Plus, this also kills the ants, the bees, then the birds—and now our food supply is not getting pollinated. That means less food and the prices go up. One small thing does have a ripple effect around the world.

   

For men and boys, it means a drop in fertility, growth disorders, more mental illness, under-achieving in school, more autoimmune disorders, more suicides and cancer.

   

It isn’t surprising that we get sick when one billion pounds of pesticides are sprayed on our foods annually. We cannot keep poisoning the Earth and think we are not poisoning ourselves. Pesticides run off into our water supply, and the wind also carries the spray over the country. The people who do the spraying are dressed head-to-toe in hazmat suits; shouldn’t that alone make us wonder?

   

If, every day, we shave, bathe, put on lotions, creams, deodorant, take medications and eat processed foods that are genetically modified, the amount of toxins pile up inside a person. We could be living in a moldy house or working at a place where chemicals are used—allowing more toxins to seep in.

   

Truly, we should all be outraged at the lies we have been told—how GMO foods will save the planet and chemistry will heal us. We know those are falsehoods. We must be accountable to ourselves and our loved ones and start eating smartly, avoiding or outlawing pesticides and growing organic, non-GMO foods. Making wise choices can help us protect ourselves and our families.