Fight GMO’s On Your Terms

six_ways_to_fight_gmosThe best way to fight GMO’s is simply not to buy it. That is the capitalist way after all. If we educate everyone about the dangers of GMO’s, then most people will make the correct decision over time. Pushing for labeling regulations and fighting large corporations will only make lawyers and lobbyists rich. I just got yet another email asking for money to put into introducing GMO labeling regulations. What’s the point?! We the consumer just don’t t have the money to contribute to such campaigns. We are exhausted, hurting from the recession and stretched enough as it is. Our money would be better spent on buying better food for own family and using these simple first steps that will be far more effective.

  1. Education
    According to this LA times article on March 23, 2013, genetic engineering is reaching such bizarre proportion that even government regulations cannot keep up. Did you know that Atlantic farm raised Salmon is not only farm raised but genetically modified with a growth hormone from another species of Salmon. This excellent blog has a nice article titled the ” 6 creepiest lies the food industry is feeding you ” . Get on Facebook, Twitter and talk to your friends and family about good food. ask them where they get healthy. When you invite friends, cook good wholesome food and not cheap store bought instant food you cobbled together.  Not only will you get more respect your friends will love you for it.
  2. Get an App
    Want to avoid Monsanto? Well there is an app for that too. Check out this neat little app from buycott.
  3. Read Between the Labels
    This seems like a laughable idea since all the information is not there. The trick is to read between the labels so to speak.  Does it say organic? Does it say natural flavoring because you know natural flavoring is just as bad as artificial flavoring. How many chemical ingredients are listed and find out what each means. More than 5 ingredients? Toss it. Don’t buy it, especially  if you can afford to buy organic. There are sites like the GMO shopping guide that makes that process very easy. You can eat healthy good quality food for a reasonable price. Even Jamie Oliver says you can find good quality food at ethnic stores, at a reasonable price.
  4. Don’t believe everything
    And not all food claims are true especially organic claims. According to Consumer Reports more than one-fifth of 190 pieces of seafood we bought at retail stores and restaurants in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut were mislabeled as different species of fish, incompletely labeled, or misidentified by employees. Chinese stores for example sell good quality wild caught fish, but sometimes it’s worth checking to see if they are selling the real thing. And contrary to popular belief you can get good quality non organic food too. A vegetable grown with some fertilizer maybe OK but genetically modified corn maybe be a bit too much. They key is to be suspicious. Is it really organic? Do you really need organic spices or is that overkill?
  5. Avoid Low Quality Restaurants
    There is a tendency for people to eat at chain restaurants with low quality  and over sized portions, like Applebee’s, Chili’s, T.G.I. Fridays, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, IHop, The Cheesecake Factory  & Chipotle. But the vast majority of small restaurants are no better.  Restaurants by necessity have to use the cheapest ingredients they can find. And if you only knew what they do to the meat you would never eat in a restaurant. You have all seen Ramsey’s Kitchen nightmares right? A good way to find a good quality restaurant is to use an online guide like eatwellguide.org or just go easy on the meat and select from the fresh vegetable menu items. We really need to rethink our entire approach to restaurants and discover how bad American restaurants really are.
  6. Subscribe to Independent Opinions
    Magazines like Consumer Reports, The Dr. OZ Show, Jamie Oliver Food Revolution and Dr. Mercola’s site  provide a wealth of information to protect yourself, although they are by no means infallible either. The FDA, the USDA have been infiltrated and to do the bidding of the big corporations. When they say it’s all right to eat, be suspicious. Very suspicious. The best gauge is to check the social media pulse, which gives you a far more accurate idea of what’s trending in good food.
  7. Go to Farmers Markets
    You meet some interesting people at farmers markets and ethnic markets. Many are sprouting all over the country. We have to wean ourselves of cheap bad quality food and develop better habits. Less is more. Yes, easier said than done, but practice makes perfect. What is the point of the fancy car, the fancy house and the fancy TV if you you are going to suffer from breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and chronic allergies? Have some fun and enjoy some good food like our great grand parents did. But there are organic food scams even at farmers markets. Trust but verify.