A Dummies Guide to GMOs

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A farmer holding a basket of GMO-free organic vegetables.In the past few years, the term Genetically Modified Organisms, aka GMOs, seems to have taken over the media. We’ve been blasted with anti-GMO campaigns, bombarded with adverse long-term effects, and scared into buying organic.

If you’re like me (and many Americans), you try your best to buy organic whenever possible but don’t lose sleep over it and don’tknow little about the difference other than that organic products have fewer chemicals.

It wasn’t until I got pregnant with my daughter that I jumped on the organic bandwagon, and the more I learned about the dreaded acronym, the happier I am that I did. I only wished I had done it sooner!

I recently had the pleasure of gaining first-hand knowledge on the topic from a woman who works at ConnFACT (CT Families Against Chemical Trespass), a non-profit organization formed to fight to protect everyday citizens from the hazards of toxic chemicals.

  •  Infants and children are more vulnerable to the dangers of GMOs because they are more sensitive to toxins and chemicals, their immune systems are not fully developed, and they eat more and metabolize their food at higher rates.
  • Unless a food is labeled organic or non-GMO, you can assume it has them.
  • There are nine GM food crops (corn, soy, canola, cottonseed, sugar from sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, some zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and alfalfa used for hay). Derivatives of these GMOs are found in more than 70% of grocery store foods and are fed to animals that provide meat, milk, and eggs.
  • The American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food, including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.”
  • Many of the popular infant formula brands (including Similac) contain GMOs. Check labels, buy organic, or consult the shopping guide to avoid feeding your baby GMOs.
  • CT became the first state in the country to pass a GMO Labeling bill in May 2013 (Thank you, ConnFACT!)

I’ve been more proactive about buying organic and GMO-free foods, but it hasn’t been without challenges. The Stop and Shop in Ridgefield, where I shop, has an organic section, which is excellent, but it doesn’t have everything I want. For example, most cheeses we eat (Feta, Goat, Gouda, Brie) are not organic or GMO-free. I would probably be more successful shopping at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, but that requires a 15-minute trip to Danbury instead of a 3-minute drive down the road. As a mama of a 14-month-old and another due in a month, that drive isn’t always convenient.

I’ve also noticed that my grocery bills are a bit higher. Organic products tend to be more expensive where I shop. And eating out is the biggest challenge of all. You never know what you’re getting at a restaurant, and unless the menu boasts organic or GMO-free, likely, their food is neither.

But…at the end of the day, I remind myself that those little inconveniences are nothing regarding my children’s health. It is up to me to protect them from harm in every way possible, and that’s exactly what I intend to do, starting in the kitchen.

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