Keep Calm and Get Your Organic On!

So it's the day after voting day and most of America is waking up with a post election hang over. Whether you were really into the presidential portion of it or had a proposition that has a personal impact on your life election day can be both exciting and full of let down. 

I know many Californians who are saddened by the news that Proposition 37 did not pass. I myself am one of them. I was a huge supporter of this proposition for so many reasons- The non-existent testing on GMO affects, the evil corporations that were bankrolling the opposition of labeling, and the fact that I just choose to refrain from consuming un-natural substances and sharing them with my family. I don't care if GMO's are grown (that actually is a huge lie! I wish there were outright banned!), I just feel that as consumers we should have the right to know what we are eating. My GMO article published on NaturalNews.com on election day and I was hoping it would help to provide a little boost to anyone who might still be on the fence with their vote. 

Unfortunately, It appears that due to A LOT of misinformation surrounding this proposition (thanks to the No on 37 group, which is currently under the investigation by the FBI for misrepresenting the FDA and creating fraudulent quotes) the masses voted no. Perhaps it's because many people are so disconnected with their food and don't see the correlation between it and health or too many people were scared that it would raise taxes (a myth which has also been debunked). Whatever the reason, this post is to share with you how to avoid GMO with our without labels. (barring any major cross contamination that may occur in the future- God forbid!) 

Top GMO offenders: 

• Almost all conventional processed foods are GMO.  If it contains corn, soy or sugar (with the exception of 100% sugar cane) in the name- Sorry Charlie, but its been genetically engineered. Soybean oil, fructose, glucose, caramel color, soy lecithin, corn startch- Yep! All been genetically modified. Favorites such as popcorn, most salad dressings, Cheerios and highly processed honey all contains GMO. When you begin to read most labels you will see that its in about 80% of foods on the market. 
• Canola/Rapeseed oil- Canola is a GMO food derived from the rapeseed, which is in the same family as mustard gas! Canola is 80% of Canola has been genetically modified. This oil is cheap and most commonly used in restaurants (along with cheap corn and soy oil) which is why it is virtually impossible to stay GMO free when going out to eat. 
• Many conventional dairy, eggs, meat and any other animal products. This is because the animals diet consists of GMO corn and soy. It is also important to ensure that your dairy is rBGH-free- A GMO growth hormone created by Monsanto to increase milk production by up to 15%. 
• Farmed seafood has a higher GMO risk because most farmers feed their harvest cheap GMO meal so it's best to stick to wild caught.  
• Most fruits and veggies are GMO free (even conventional produce) with the exception of corn, soybeans, beets, zucchini, raddichio, Hawaiian papaya and yellow summer squash. 

Best Ways to Avoid GMO:

• Limit eating out. By cooking at home you can control what you put into your body. I cook about 6 days of the week for my family (3 meals a day) and we eat out about once a week, occasionally more if something pops up. It sounds hard at first, but with enough planning it becomes more manageable, rewarding and fun!
• Buy organic meat and dairy products that say the animals were 100% organic fed or grass fed/finished. 
• Shop at Farmer's Markets or your local Coop and support local farmers. Also avoid non-organic versions of the top GMO crops listed above. 
• Stick to organic grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. Many healthfood stores have great bulk sections!
• Avoid processed and packaged foods and see how easy and delicious making your own is! Stay tuned because in the next few weeks I'm going to share some yummy salad dressings, breakfast bars and kids snacks that promise to be good, healthy and easy-peasy! 
• Buy food labeled 100% Organic or look for the Non-GMO project label- the ONLY label that right now guarantees that something is 100% GMO-free. 
• Grow your own food as much as possible. It can be a fun project for the family!
• Shop GMO free by checking out this GMO free shopping list

I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love for you to share how you avoid GMO's if you have any other ideas to add to the list I would love to hear them!  

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.