Celebrate Non-GMO Month and Demand Labels
GMO is a four-letter word.
Sure, you may be eating right, reading labels, shopping local and skipping products with ingredients you don’t recognize. But why are you still eating genetically modified organisms? It’s not natural, it’s not healthy and it’s time to take a stand against these nasty little things that exist in over 80 percent of U.S. grocery store products. October is non-GMO month, so we're here to remind you what all the fuss is about.
GMO a Go-Go
Decades ago, while we tossed and turned about whether or not to eat fat, (and then whether or not to eat carbs) scientists were in their labs playing with the DNA of corn and soybeans. The result? You guessed it ... GMOs. They touted these puppies as the solution for world hunger and the answer to our agricultural problems.
What a load of hogwash...
The government waived GMOs into our food system without even bothering to test their side effects on humans. (Gee, thanks!) Thus began one of the most unexposed human food “experiments” to date.
Lacking Labels
There is still no requirement for labeling GMOs, despite the fact that they’ve been linked to the rise of allergies, food intolerances, infertility issues and auto immune diseases. While most GMOs come in the form of corn or soy, seven other GMOs are on the store shelves as well: alfalfa, cotton, flax, papaya, rice, sugar beets, zucchini and yellow squash.
Those goals of ending world hunger, helping farmers succeed and reducing pesticide use have not only failed, but we're also eating crap that's making us sick. Go figure.
Shopping Smart
So what’s a healthy bitch to do? Until laws are passed that require companies to label products that contain GMOs, you're gonna have to be a savvy shopper. Read labels carefully, specifically looking for:
- Certified Organic (USDA) label. By definition, a product with this label was not created with GMO seeds in farming practices.
- Non-GMO Project label. This non-profit is helping to identify foods and dietary supplements free of GMOs.
A word of caution: if you don’t see one of these labels, you just don’t know what the hell you're eating. Even if you see organic ingredients listed individually, that doesn't mean the whole product is organic; the ingredients that aren’t organic could be GMOs. Use your head, honey.
But Wait! There’s More You Can Do
Because every worthy cause deserves a moment in the sun, October is now officially non-GMO month. If you want out of the science experiment as much as we do, it’s time to tweet, Facebook, plead, speak and petition your way to freedom. The Right to Know March, which takes place on the east coast from October 1 to 16, will gather the support of hundreds of health-conscious individuals who want transparency in food product labeling. Click here to learn more and get involved.
Demand to know what you’re eating and where it comes from. After all, labels do matter.
Have a question for Ashley? Write it in the comments section below and we'll get your questions answered.
Ashley Koff, R.D., Resident Dietitian
Named among the Top 10 Registered Dietitians in the U.S. by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, Koff appears regularly on national media outlets, including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health, CNN, AOL and E!. Koff is also the dietitian for espnW, and the featured dietitian on the CW’s “Shedding for the Wedding” and Lifetime’s “Love Handles.” Koff maintains a private practice, regularly lectures, and works to improve the quality of food choices on the sets of popular shows such as Private Practice, CSI: New York, Big Love, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Bones. Her book, Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House, 2011), hits stands later this summer. For more information please visit AshleyKoffRd.com.
