 |
| How to keep your children GMO-free |
In Canada,
we currently grow 4 types of GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms:
- Sugar beets (white)
- Corn
- Canola
- Soy
And
while some of you may think that your kids are safe out of harm's way
because you don't eat corn or soy on a daily basis, think again. If you
buy just about anything in a supermarket from within the aisles - things
like cereal, granola bars, chocolate, chips, crackers - chances are
your kids are ingesting GMOs on a regular basis.
It is also worthy to note that most animals are fed a diet of corn, which is, you guessed it, made from genetic engineering.
Some may
believe that GMOs are safe for human consumption otherwise the
government wouldn't allow them, others firmly believe that the refusal
to label GMOs and the lack of adequate testing alone prove that there is
something bigger going on. Something that is going to be quite
dangerous in the long run.
Why won't they label GMOs?
According
to GMO makers Monsanto and DuPont - two chemical companies that are
producing food - there is no need to label GMOs on food because they are
essentially as safe as the real thing. As well, they made the public
believe that if labeling were required,
food prices would become sky high.
But what makes that a moot point is the fact that a lot of food items
are now labeled as "gluten free" and that didn't cost any companies a
dime and didn't have any effect on food prices.
Even
President Obama promised to have genetically-modified foods labeled in 2007, but that never happened because
the Federal Government and Monsanto have a revolving door of employees.
I
thought that the real reason GMOs were not being labeled was because
these companies were afraid that their bottom line would take a hit, but
I later came to discover that that is not the reason at all. The real
reason why GMOs are not being labeled is this:
If all the food
you ingest is being correctly labeled when it contains GMOs, then if
(and when) you become ill, we will be adequately able to track why you
became sick and these massive corporations could be held liable.
INTERESTING FACT: The White House and Monsanto's cafeteria feed their staff only organic food.
And
because Monsanto knows that at some point food WILL have to be labeled
(if simply because every other country besides this one is doing it), a recent GMO bill called the "
Monsanto Protection Act" (HR-933) was approved by congress in the U.S.
Apparently it was "snuck in" to the bill and most of Congress was not
even aware of it. That, in and of itself, is quite frightening, but I
digress.
What this bill essentially means is that, even if we
discover that GMOs are indeed making our children sick, causing
allergies, or resulting in long-term health issues, we would not be able
to halt them from planting more seeds or continuing to create crops.
How do we know that GMOs are dangerous?
Back in September 2012, a French scientist named
Gilles-Eric Seralini conducted an independent GMO study on rats
(the first ever of its kind since Monsanto and friends have never
provided their patented seed to any independent scientists to formulate
any conclusions on their safety or efficacy) and his findings were
shocking.
The study lasted for 2 years, a far cry from the
3-month study that Monsanto had done on its own, and the rats experienced everything from cancer to severe organ damage and many of them died prematurely.
As
well, the fact that they are so adamant on NOT labelling food that
contains GMOs is disturbing at best. Why not? What do they have to hide?
Think about your children's health
Monsanto provides farmers with RoundUp ready seeds for planting every year. RoundUp is the herbicide glyphossate that is sprayed on crops
to kill the pests around them but ensure that the crops remain intact,
as they are resistant to it. What happens is that if an insect ir other
pest attempts to eat the crops, their stomachs will implode. Now, if
this is what the crop is doing to an insect, what do you think is doing
to the insides of a human being?
GMOs have been around since
1996 so your kids have likely been ingesting them since day 1 - and yes,
GMOs are also found in baby formulas and baby foods.
Our diets have changed immensely, no doubt, what with all these convenience foods and our need to save time.
But if you knew that what you were giving your child would eventually
wreak havoc on their health, would you make the change to go organic and
join the
non-GMO project?
How to protect your children from GMOs
I will be the first to admit that keeping your kids away from GMOs 100% of the time is nearly impossible. From birthday parties to restaurant outings - you will notice that you are faced with GMOs on a daily basis.
But you can limit their exposure by:
Reading labels
You will begin to notice that almost every boxed product contains some sort of corn or soy derivative and, unless it is specifically noted, there is a 90% chance that it's GMO.
Limiting processed foods
Try to keep processed foods like cereals, cereal bars, chocolate, chips, popcorn to a minimum. If you must buy these products (but let's be realistic, nobody really NEEDS these food-like products) try to go the organic route.
Talking to your kids
Tell your kids about these ingredients. Educate them about the foods they are eating so that they can make informed choices. And yes, you can start as young as 4 years old.
Eating fresh, whole foods
Going back to the earth is what it's all about. Organic is best no doubt, but if it's just way too expensive for you, then you should at least
avoid the dirty dozen of pesticide-laced and potentially GMO food imports.As well, consider this: if you think avoiding GMOs is expensive, wait until your health starts to fail. That is going to be way pricier.
Staying informed
It seems like there are new developments with GMOs every day, so do your best to stay up-to-date on new happenings. And don't depend on mainstream media for your news - do your research, be more vigilant. No one is going to take care of your kids for you - it's up to you to do that.
Contacting the companies
I send out about 2 emails every day to companies like Kellog's and Uncle Ben's asking them if there are any GMOs in their foods. The objective is to let them know that we are waking up and we are not happy with the stance that the food industry is taking with our health. Especially our children's health.
Voting with your dollar
Every time you buy a product, you are essentially voting with your dollar - if you want to send a clear message as a parent, then stop buying the very products that are harming our kids. Steer clear of GMOs as often as you can.
