GMOs: The Scary Truth & 8 Tips to Avoid Them

With the recent Kashi outrage that went viral, people are {finally} starting to pay more attention to what they’re putting in their bodies (hallelujah!). If you didn’t see it, here’s the gist and follow up commentary from The Huffington Post. Bravo to the Green Grocer for making this transparent to their customers.

I’ve been advocating for real, non-genetically modified (GM) food for some time now, and while I may have seemed crazy at times and likely “unfriended” by some on Facebook who were plain sick and tired of hearing about it, it’s worth it.  Kashi was indeed, the sacrificial lamb. There are MANY other so called “food” companies that use GM ingredients – Kellogg’s, Kashi’s parent company, for one. The worst part about the whole debacle was that customers really and truly felt cheated. Can’t blame them. They trusted a company that cultivated an image of “natural” and “healthy” food and were seriously let down. Another reason to read and understand labels – “natural” means nothing. The silver lining is that it ignited dialogue and momentum that is catching on. This is the tipping point that is needed for change to happen.

It’s safe to say that Kashi’s PR machine has been in overdrive since this hit, and to be fair, they have signed onto the “Non-GMO Project Verification”, currently offer seven (of their 81) products GMO-free, and by 2015, are working to have all new offerings containing at least 70% organic ingredients and be Non-GMO Project Verified. What about 100%, Kashi? If I may be so bold as to say, too little, too late.

This topic has been on my editorial calendar for some time now and other more pressing topics (and toddlers) took center stage. Frankly, this is such a huge topic, I didn’t have it in me to write it all down. But the time has come that I am compelled to share what I’ve learned, why it’s so important, and how you can make simple changes to protect your health.

In order to keep this as simple as possible, I’m going to explain it at a very high level. There are entire websites and books dedicated to this very topic, including my favorite and the most comprehensive, the Institute for Responsible Technology. Definitely check them out.

So what the heck are GMOs?

The Institute for Responsible Technology defines a GMO (genetically modified organism) as:

“The result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic.”

The terms “genetic engineering” (GE) or “genetic modification” (GM) are used interchangeably.

In the food production world, this means that although there are attempts to increase nutritional benefits or productivity (which is still effed up, if you ask me), the primary traits that have been added to date are:

1. Herbicide tolerance

This let’s the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it.

2. The ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide 

This kills/deters insects, eliminating the need to spray pesticide. In other words, the plants themselves are toxic, and not just to insects. Let me repeat that. The plants themselves are toxic.  Frightening, right? 

Why is this bad?

Well, without writing a book (that has already been done many times over), there are a number of health risks and evidence that link GMOs to cancer, allergies, infertility, stomach lesions, new diseases, antibiotic resistance, and nutritional problems, among other things.

Take a peek at the 65 health risks of GM foods, excerpted from Jeffrey Smith’s comprehensive book Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. Or better yet? Get the book here. 

I assure this will scare you into action. It did for me.

The crops that are the biggest GM offenders that are on the market today include: soy, cotton, canola, two varieties of sweet corn, Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and new kids on the block, sugar beets (not table beets) and alfalfa (grown for hay, not seed sprouting).  It should be noted that rice, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, and one of my personal faves, flax, all have varieties that have been genetically modified, but according to the Institute for Responsible Technology, they are not on the market. Thank God.

Ok, not too bad. What if I don’t eat any of those nine crops? And who eats cotton, anyway? I should be ok, right?

Wrong. This is just the beginning of the food chain. Check it:

Products derived from these nine crops are right at the epicenter, including oils (soybean, canola, cottonseed, and corn), soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup (including high fructose), sugar (from sugar beets), among others. Just about every single processed food in the world contains at least ONE of the above. Check your labels. Go ahead, I’ll be waiting.

Ok, ok. I get it. You’re tired. I’ll make it easy for you. Just look at this ONE example of Best Foods Light Mayo. Besides the other questionable ingredients that real mayonnaise should not have, what other GM ingredients do you see? Yes, this is a quiz to see if you’ve been paying attention.

Adding insult to injury, other seemingly safe foods also contain GMOs:

• Meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed (keep in mind the majority of the GM corn and soy is used for feed and now GM alfalfa hay). I’ll withhold my rant that these animals shouldn’t be eating (even non-GM) corn and soy in the first place. That’s best saved for another time.
• Dairy products from cows injected with rGBH (a GM hormone).
• Food additives, enzymes, “natural” flavorings, and processing agents, including aspartame (such as Nutrasweet) and rennet used to make hard cheese.
• Salmon – This “Frankenfish” is relatively new on the GM scene, but recently hit stores with little, if any labeling. Read more here and here. 

If you’ve been paying some attention to the landscape, you’ve undoubtedly heard the name Monsanto.

Who is this, you ask? The devil, incarnate, that’s who.

Without writing a complete bio, Monsanto’s most despicable and toxic claims to fame include: manufacturing DDT and Agent Orange in the early days, moving onto genetically modified crops, herbicides (Roundup), bovine growth hormone, and aspartame in the 80s, and rounding out their portfolio by jumping into pharmaceuticals in the new millennium. In addition to poisoning and killing millions of innocent people, they also filed lawsuits against many farmers in Canada and the U.S. citing patent infringement, specifically the farmers’ sale of seed containing Monsanto’s patented genes. In many, farmers claimed the seed was unknowingly sown by wind carrying the seeds from neighboring crops. These lawsuits have (and continue to) create a flurry of farmer suicides around the world, upwards of a quarter of a million over the last 16 years. Think about that for a second – 250,000 hard-working famers trying to keep food on the table for their families have taken their lives because of Monsanto’s vile business practices.

If that’s not evil enough, Monsanto also has its teeth sunk deep into the U.S.government, including high-ranking posts on the FDA, the EPA, and U.S. Supreme Court; spending upwards of $9 million in lobbying and over $180,000 in political contributions during the 2008 campaign. Read the deets here.

I highly recommend adding The Future of Food to your movie queue. It’s a well-done documentary that made its debut in 2005 that tells this tale with truth, transparency, and inspiration. This is where it all began for me. So if you want to be as crazy enlightened as yours truly, definitely watch it.

Now What?

So what’s a human being who eats food to do? Besides getting really angry and wanting to share the hell out of this blog post with everyone you know (sharing is caring, after all), believe it or not, there are lots of things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.

8 tips to avoid GMOs

1. Avoid processed foods

This is where most GMOs are lurking because just about every processed food known to man (with the exception of some) contains corn, soy, or canola. Again, read those labels. Opt for real, whole, fresh unprocessed food as often as you can.

2. Download the non-GMO Shopping Guide

Download the Non-GMO Shopping Guide or get the app on your iPhone here. This lists the foods and companies that have taken the Non-GMO Project Pledge.

3. Shop Non-GMO

Look for “Non-GMO” labels on your food. Trust me, when I say a smart company will exploit the hell out of this if it is true of their product. Why shouldn’t they? I would.

4. Buy organic 

Buy organic when possible, especially if you are unable to completely eliminate the aforementioned processed food from your diet. Not only is organic waaaay better for you and the environment, organic by law, is not allowed to be GM.  Of course, you must sift through the lip service that companies are marketing to you (100% organic vs. “made with organic ingredients”). This resource will help you. 

Disclaimer: Take this with a teeny tiny grain of salt. Due to the inevitable wind carrying, cross-pollination of GM crops with organic crops (if they are in close vicinity), organic varieties can in fact, have traces of GMOs.

5. Eat out less

This goes hand-in-hand with becoming healthier (and wealthier). For the most part, the oils, sauces, dressings, and general ingredients most restaurants use include the top four offenders: soy, cottonseed, canola, or corn oil. When you do eat out, ask your server or chef how the dish is prepared and use your new-found knowledge to be super high-maintenance, request modifications, and pray you don’t get a “sneezer” in your entrée. This guide will help you immensely.

Personally, I prefer not to eat out for all of the above reasons plus I’m a super control freak and would rather spend my hard earned money on quality non-GMO ingredients to prepare healthy food in the comfort of my own home. Plus, it’s BYOB every night in my house. Wine by the glass gets expensive, no?

6. Choose high-quality meats, fish, eggs, & dairy

Buy wild-caught fish and grass-fed, pasture-raised meats, eggs, and dairy products – the feed given to animals on feed lots and factory farms (including fish) is GM {soy and corn, mostly}. If you eat animal products, you eat what they eat. The end.

7. Avoid products with aspartame

Not only are these incredibly toxic to your body and can actually CAUSE obesity, recall the above link between Monsanto and aspartame? G-M-Os.

8. Plant a garden

If you garden, buy seed from dealers that have taken the Safe (non-GMO) Seed Pledge, especially if you’re going to plant the ever-popular corn on the cob, zucchini, and summer squash. I bought from Johnny’s Selected Seed and have been very happy so far. Then again, this is my first attempt at starting from seed. Talk to me mid-season when my bounty is in full-swing or a miserable failure {and this is due to my gardening skills, not the seed}.

So there you have it – my brain dump on GMOs and how you can really and truly just say no to GMOs (catchy, isn’t it?). This was in no way, a “feel good” post. My apologies. I’ll put the rose-colored glasses back on next time, promise. In the mean time, I want you to get fired up and inspired to do something about it TODAY. Knowledge is power, sharing is caring. Go forth and spread the gospel, my friends!

Tell me, what have you done to reduce you and your family’s exposure to GMOs? What tips would you add? Please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear! 

Source: Institute for Responsible Technology