To be able to create nourishing meals that are delicious, pleasing to the eye, and made from ingredients that are safe for us to eat should be a societal right. Sadly, our food supply has suffered contamination along with the environment.
We find ourselves facing the challenge of finding new ways to obtain wholesome produce, grains, fish and meat sources. But rather than taking a grim stance on the alarming state of affairs regarding our food, we can take the opportunity to use the power of our choices in the way we select our foods to nourish and heal ourselves, and improve our ecosystems in the process.
What’s Really in Our Food?
Genetically Modified Foods (GMO’s) are one the most pressing issues within our food supply. Most processed food in the U.S. has been made from genetically modified corn or soy products and includes chemically altered ingredients that are also harmful. Genetically modified crops have been engineered to have greater resistance to weed killers and to incorporate insecticides directly into the plants themselves.
GMO products like “Roundup”, made by Monsanto, contaminate not only the plants, but gets into the whole surrounding eco-system, thereby having a detrimental effect on the whole food chain. Agribusiness has grown so powerful and heedless that it has put lowering the cost of food production far above producing high quality food that is safe to eat and safe for the environment.
Chronic illnesses and food allergies have soared since the introduction of GMO’s into our diet. Research has shown that GMO foods can cause any number of acute and chronic diseases including organ damage and premature aging. In fact, physicians have been urged by The American Academy of Environmental Medicine to tell patients to use non-GMO foods in their diets.
Getting the Best Possible Food for You and Your Family
Investigate your local CSA or Community Sponsored Agriculture programs. These programs give consumers access to locally grown harvests directly from nearby farms, either by direct delivery or by picking up your vegetables, eggs, cheeses, and other foods. These local farms use organic and bio-diverse practices that protect and improve the quality of produce. The Food Evolution supports its local farm organization, Rockland Farm Alliance.
Choosing certified organic foods will help ensure that your meals taste better, are made from safe ingredients, and have a minimal impact on the environment. Organic products are free from genetic modification and antibiotics and hormones are not used.
If you can, grow your own food using organic seeds. Home food gardening is not possible for every lifestyle, but as any gardening enthusiast will tell you, the rewards of spending time in the garden and tasting a fresh-picked harvest are beyond compare.
Food choices matter: if we stop buying contaminated food products from big agribusiness, our chances of having an increased supply of safe, tasty, nutritious, and organic food will improve greatly.
Lastly, make your voice heard. Write to political representatives and to food manufacturers, demand food labeling and just say no to GMO.