Organic & Non-GMO, What Are They?

In this post, I’m going to answer all of those questions and concerns and do away with all of the common misconceptions.

Organic & Non-GMO, What Are They?

One of the most rewarding responsibilities that we have as mothers, wives, and homemakers is being the nourishers of our households.

To nourish is to provide food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. And as nourishers, we feed our family's minds, bodies, and souls.

As a young mother, I didn’t realize how important it was to provide this nourishment to my family, it wasn’t something I was accustomed to. To me, food was simply food.

But the truth is, what you feed your family is the building blocks in their ability to learn, in the quality of their mood & temperament, their energy levels, patience, sleep, behavior, growth, and the quality of their overall wellbeing.

Knowing this, as women, we should be mindful, knowledgeable, and intentional when it comes to what our families consume both internally & externally, as it sets the tone for the quality of your home.

With all of this in mind, I wanted to share not only what I’ve learned over the past few years, and also do some more in-depth research to provide mamas with as much information as I can, so that you can make the most informed decisions on how to go about shopping for and feeding your families without all of the overwhelm.

Now, let's get into it...

So...What is Organic?

Organic refers to how food and animals are raised, grown, harvested, and processed.

For a product to be Certified Organic the below requirements must be met:

• No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides were used  throughout the growing, harvesting, and production process. The fertilizers and pesticides that are used must also be all-natural and organic.
• Nothing was fertilized with sewage sludge (yes, I said sewage sludge)
• Nothing was exposed to radiation (some manufacturers use radiation to sterilize food.)
• No chemical additives
• No genetic engineering (Non-GMO).

• Industrial solvents were not used at any point
• In meats, no antibiotics or hormones were used. Animals must be given organic feed and they must be allowed to roam outside for a certain amount of time.

Are There Benefits to Eating Organic?

Yes, 100% YES! The benefits of buying & eating organic are almost endless. I've listed the main ones here:

• Lower levels of toxic metals in the body than in conventional foods
• No antibiotic resistance- when antibiotics are used in animals & plants(GMOs) it stays with them from the farm to your plate until consumed by you. When these antibiotics build up in your system it creates resistance within your body.

• Higher levels of antioxidants in produce
• Higher levels of Omega-3s fatty acids in meats
• A clear difference in flavor profiles in some foods making them better tasting.
• Conservation of soil and water
• Creates healthy soil which produces healthy foods. Food grown in healthy soil are better able to resist disease, survive drought, and tolerate insects.
• Better for the environment and animals than conventional agriculture as it uses renewable resources.
• Supports the local economy as organic food is typically purchased from local farmers.
• Produce is also much fresher
• Eating organic means that you are also eating Non-GMO. I will get to why this is so important later on in the post. 

Why Is Organic Food More Expensive???

I cannot count how many times I’ve heard that the reason people avoid buying organic is because of the price difference compared to conventional food products. The price difference, though inconvenient is for good reason.

• Organic food costs more to grow because there are no pesticides, or they are more prone to pests and other diseases.
• It also costs more to grow & distribute the correct way
• They are often handpicked so it is more labor-intensive which costs more
• They don't last as long as conventional produce

Ultimately you are paying for quality. And with better quality comes higher prices.

I will admit that it was difficult for me at first to begin making this transition. Once I began to budget better and understand that what I was paying for was a better state of our health, I decided that buying anything else was no longer an option. Even if that meant that I had to make sacrifices in our budget, paying more would ultimately be worth it. 

So Then...What is Non-GMO?

GMO or Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms that have been genetically engineered in a lab to change a living organisms’ genetic makeup.

This is typically done by artificially creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria & virus genes that do NOT occur in nature.

The Non-GMO label means the ingredients have been verified by the Non-GMO Project. This verification happens by testing ingredients during processing, spot-checking different points in the supply chain to ensure the GMO-free status of large quantities of products & also eliminating the chances of cross-contamination.

Why are GMOs a Thing?

Oftentimes crops are engineered to withstand the spraying of herbicides(pesticides), produce insecticides, or physically change their appearance. It is also being used to artificially develop unnatural traits in plants or to create new organisms altogether.

Before we get into why this is such a large issue, let's discuss the difference between pesticides & herbicides.

What are Pesticides?

Pesticides are used to eliminate pests in the food & agricultural (farming) industries. This is done by killing or poisoning their target (insects, weeds, mammals, microorganisms, etc.)  

What are Herbicides?

Herbicides are a type of pesticide that is specifically a weed killer, that targets weeds or other specific types of plants and are used in non-organic agriculture.  

Eating an organic diet can be successful at reducing the amount of pesticide residue in your body that has built up over time from your eating habits & the environment around you.

Why are GMOs So Dangerous?

This is probably the most important part of this entire post.

As I mentioned earlier, crops are often genetically engineered to resist certain herbicides, more specifically Glyphosate. Glyphosate, also known as RoundUp, is the worlds leading weed killer as seen in hardware/lawn stores. It is a known carcinogen(a cancer-causing substance) and although it is used as an herbicide, it is patented as an antibiotic. Yet 4.5 billion pounds are used in farming and lawn care globally on an annual basis.

Over 80% of GMO crops are engineered to tolerate being sprayed with glyphosate. Over 90% are soybeans and over 85%  are corn. And SO much of our food, especially processed foods contain either corn or soybeans at its base.

This is done so that the herbicides can coat both the crops (the food we intake daily) & weeds, killing the weeds but leaving the crops alive.

This is NOT a good thing.

What are the Health Risks of Eating GMOs?

The issue with this is that the same poisons that are toxic to the plants and pests(remember, it kills them) are also toxic to the humans and animals that consume them.

Since glyphosate began to be distributed as an herbicide to conventional agriculture in the 90s, illness has increased significantly(and I mean SIGNIFICANTLY). Spikes have been recorded in autism in children (1:5000 in 1995 to 1:36 in 2021), Parkinson’s disease in women, dementia in men, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, asthma, Crohn’s disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, increases in mental health disorders, antibiotic resistance, numerous cancers, endocrine diseases, among others.

Because foreign genes are inserted into GMOs, this can cause adverse effects in humans (like allergic reactions) as these genes may also carry along allergens. This process can also cause new allergies. Studies have also shown that GMOs are known to cause:

• Falling fertility rates
• Birth defects
• Changes in childhood brain development
• Proven to disrupt the gut microbiome
• Hypertension
• Heart disease
• Breaks down the barriers of kidneys, brain causing neurological issues in children and adults
• Pre-cancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, small intestines
• Damage to the immune system
• Higher mortality rate
• Poor mental health

I think it's safe to say, that if you take a good look around at the state of health in our country, you would see a clear correlation between it and what we are consuming daily.

When we are out and about and want to grab a quick bite to eat, more times than not...GMOs.

When your littles are in the school cafeteria enjoying their lunch...GMOs.

Grabbing a snack at your favorite sports events, music festivals, amusement parks, airlines...GMOs.

More times than not we are consuming them and don't even realize it. We are surrounded by food that is negatively affecting us in more ways than I was able to include here. And not only is it impacting us, but it's also impacting the environment around us. 

What are the Environmental Risks of GMOs?

• Bad for the soil & crops
• Overuse of herbicides resulting in excessive extinction of wild plants from farmland.
• Creates superbugs as they grow resistant to insecticides
• The Mississippi River connects 80% of RoundUp that will then evaporate & goes into the air you breathe and then into the rain, spreading throughout the US & which we are breathing in without ever noticing.
• Cross-contamination
• Harms the wild animals who consume them
• Etc. etc. etc.

Can Something be Non-GMO But Not Organic?

Yes, a Non-GMO label simply prohibits the use of certain herbicides that contain GMOs, but it does not necessarily stipulate that Non-GMO products must be grown organically. They may be grown using non-gmo methods. So I always recommend going Organic unless it is necessary that way you’re covering both bases every time.

Summary

Once I began learning just how much what we are eating affected us, I knew that I had to start making some big changes to the way I grocery shopped. 

Although it is nearly impossible to know for certain that everything you are eating is 100% organic unless you are growing the food yourself; I choose to err on the side of caution & do my best to give my family the absolute best for their bodies.

Reading Food Labels

So you've decided that you are ready to start making changes but you're not sure how to go about reading the food labels. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

When dealing with processed foods, even if a product is marked Organic & Non-GMO, that does NOT mean that the product is automatically healthy. Processed foods can still be high in sugars & other ingredients and preservatives that are not good for you. So I make sure to read our labels before purchasing. The tip I was taught is that if you can pronounce all of the ingredients on the back and if you know what they are then nine times out of ten you are in good shape.

Just because a product says organic does NOT mean that it is 100% organic. I learned this when I was looking at a box of Organic toaster pastries and when on the label I realized that only the ingredients that were certified organic had an (*) beside it, while the rest of the ingredients were not. It was Just enough organic ingredients in the box for it to be considered an organic product. This is also something worth paying attention to.

It can seem like a lot of work initially, but we should all want to know exactly what it is that we are putting into our bodies, to me that makes it necessary. So do some research, if you see an ingredient and you have no idea what it is, look into it and its risks. Once you start doing this it gets easier. Take it one product at a time and begin making substitutions. Sometimes that means saying goodbye to some of your favorite snacks/foods. But there are PLENTY of healthy substitutions for you to choose from!

In everything you do, always do the very best you can! Your family will appreciate you for it!

“Identifying the problem is so much of the solution.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below to keep the conversation going. If you'd like to reach me directly you can do so here.