Some people just accept their genetics as something that they can’t change, but what if you had the tools and knowledge to improve your own situation and reverse your ‘genetic lottery’. These were questions that Cyndi O’Meara, creator of the documentary ‘What’s With Wheat?’ asked.
Cyndi is a member of the largest haemophilic family in the world, originating in Iowa, USA. Six of her mother’s brothers and sisters had the condition, while another sister was a carrier. Tragically, most of them died young, although it was not the disorder that killed them. Instead they were treated with blood infected with the HIV virus, which caused them to contract AIDS and eventually die.
Cyndi’s family has had more than its fair share of illness, thanks partly to the hemophilia, and subsequent generations suffered from autoimmune diseases, cancer, hepatitis, brain hematoma, leukemia, diabetes and haemophilia.
There was no history of haemophilia in her family until the 1930s. This was a time when farmers started using chemicals to control pests, disease and weeds across the United States, including the corn fields of Iowa, where her family lived and worked. At that time large-scale spraying of chemicals like DDT and arsenic were common. These toxic substances have since been linked to a range of health conditions, including the possible mutation of the gene for haemophilia.
In her recent TEDx Wilmington talk, Cyndi discusses how her family history drove her to understand the connection between chemicals, food and the environment triggers that affect a person’s health, as well as how people can improve their health by making dietary changes. She also discusses how ‘the story of wheat is the story of food’ and the devastating effect wheat is having on the world’s health.
You can watch the full video now – remember to ‘like it’ in You Tube to help spread the word so we reach more people!!
The What’s With Wheat Team