It’s been nearly a year now since Neil and I learned what the definition of “Healthy” means and what it does not mean. One full year of research, label reading, recipe creating and a crash course on Genetically Modified Organisms. Looking back, I was as blind as the rest of the world. I had no idea what GMO meant or why I should be concerned with it. It says “all-natural” so it’s healthy, right? They wouldn’t put any harmful on the store shelves…..right?
Now, every chance I get, I share with those around me why I eat such a radical diet. It’s really a shame that my diet is even called “radical”, because in reality, it’s not. I eat foods that are organic, non-toxic and non-genetically modified. I also don’t eat gluten, animals or any fast food. Well… putting it like that, I guess I can see why the standard American would feel I’m radical. Isn’t it ironic that the acronym for Standard American Diet is SAD?
Today, when I logged on I saw a news headline that read “Pepsi Forks Over $9 Million Settlement, Agrees to Stop Calling Naked Juice ‘Natural”. I was instantly mad and then felt defeated. Sometimes I feel like I will never absorb all the “what not to do’s” that are being thrown at me. There are a lot more cleverly hidden and government-backed GMO’s out there on the shelves than I could possibly know of. Why would I naively expect the government to be concerned with my family’s health and well-being when money is involved?!
I can’t.
I did drink the Naked juices (on occasion), but have since eliminated them from my diet. That’s the thing with avoiding GMO’s in your diet. It’s a constant, ongoing, evolving process. When Neil and I started our quest for a better, healthier lifestyle a year ago, we didn’t know much about GMO’s, organic foods, parent companies or government funded-research on food. It took us months of reading overwhelming articles and infographics (some are scary) to finally get the grasp of what the labels meant.
I encourage you to read up on what the different labels (all-natural, Organic, USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Verified) mean and why they are important to your diet.
What does “all-natural” mean? Read the FDA’s description here
Definition of USDA Certified Organic Here
Non-GMO Verified Label information here
While we hardly know everything we need to about our food system, we know enough to feel confident in what we are purchasing and supporting. We will continue to research, daily, ways to improve our lifestyle, habits and ultimately our physical, spiritual and mental health. From one health nut to another, don’t panic when you feel there is nothing you can buy that isn’t contaminated while standing in the grocery store. I have had a few moments where I threw my hands up and said “I can’t keep up!!”.
Here are a few tips that helped ease us into this health-conscious life we live:
1. Start small. Do your research on labels, ingredients and food companies, starting with the foods that are in your pantry every week. Slowly convert to Organic foods over time. You may be tempted to throw everything in your pantry away and start over. Take a breath, relax and realize this transition to a healthier diet is a work in progress, not a extreme-one-time-overhaul.
2. Pay attention to labels. Look for foods that are labeled USDA Certified Organic or food labeled with the Non-GMO Project Verified label.
3. Skip the big box stores. This was a big wake up call for us. Since we don’t eat gluten, that eliminated about 70% of the aisles in the big stores. We also stay away from processed foods, refined sugar, additives, dyes and toxic chemicals found in most hygiene products. So, that leaves meat & seafood (my hubby still eats it), produce, herbs and some gluten-free grains. This meant we could support local organic farmers, small markets and organic shops that offer items more in line with our lifestyle.
4. Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen. When we first started switching over to organic, my weekly food budget took a hit. Some people debate that you get what you pay for and others argue that buying organic is too expensive. It all comes down to personal preference. I would rather eat my medicine than eat junk and pay for medicine later. The Clean 15 have the lowest amount of pesticides used, so if you have to you could buy these items non-organic. The Dirty Dozen are the highest in pesticides and should only be purchased organic.
and lastly, I would add you should avoid buying the top high-risk for GMO crops. Buy these items USDA Certified Organic only.
- Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
- Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
- Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
- Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
- Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)
This information was taken from The Non-GMO Project. For more information go to www.nongmoproject.org.
At the end of that day, having a filter is key to a healthy lifestyle. Filter the garbage out of your life. Filter what you read. Filter what you buy.
As with anything in life, what you put in is what you will get out. Garbage in, garbage out.
