Top 10 GMO Foods to Boycott

Let's talk about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) . . . also called Frankenfoods (as in Frankenstein monster) because they are created by scientists in a laboratory. Does the name Monsanto sound familiar? 

Poland has become the eighth EU member state to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. You can read more at these two sites:  

• http://www.infowars.com/poland-becomes-the-8th-eu-nation-to-ban-monsanto-maize/ 
• http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/germany-bans-monsanto-s-maize/

My choice has always been to stay away from GMO foods - especially the ones in this picture! Here are some tips:

• Canola Oil - Using first cold pressed, ORGANIC extra virgin olive oil eliminates the GMO worry about oils. So what if other oils are cheaper - what is your health worth?
• Soy - Miso and Tamari contain probiotics and are both fermented and cultured foods. ORGANIC unpasteurized Miso and ORGANIC gluten-free Tamari, are the only soy products in my kitchen.
• Corn is one of the most GMO contaminated foods in the world, it is something I haven't eaten for a few years now. If you check labels on food boxes and packages, you will be surprised how corn has found its way into most of the food chain.
• Rice - Instead of rice, you can easily make your own veggie rice in a food processor using root veggies. And be aware that when rice is labelled enriched it means it has been sprayed with nutrients which may contain wheat (meaning gluten).
• Tomatoes - Do your own taste test. In the summer when local tomatoes are ripe, compare an ORGANIC tomato to a conventionally grown tomato. I have done this and until my own tomatoes are grown and ripened, I buy tomatoes labelled ORGANIC only.
• Potatoes have been off my menu ever since I began my raw food journey. Since raw potatoes are not a good fit, I have never had to deal with the GMO problem. But when eating sweet potatoes or yams (which go well in soups and pates) they are always ORGANIC.
• Papayas fall under the GMO umbrella and are even labelled as such in some stores. Labels with 5 digits starting with an 8 indicate that the food is genetically engineered/modified.
• Peas - ORGANIC peas are simply bursting with flavour and therefore a natural choice. During the summer they are readily available at farmers markets.
• Dairy products have been off my table for many years, and I no longer suffer from  sinus infections. Dairy can raise our cholesterol, deplete our calcium, and place a strain on our heart. Allergic responses in the body as well as swelling that makes us feel and look bloated, inflammation and mucous are finally being linked to dairy. You'd be surprised at the variety of mylks, ice cream, and dairy-like foods that can be easily made by substituting nuts, seeds, and even coconut for dairy.

Abbotsford Farmer's Market

Love going to the Farmer's Market in my area and coming home loaded with fresh Organic goodness straight from the Earth!

Today I picked up Basil to make batches of Pesto that I am going to freeze, huge bunches of Rainbow chard, Beet greens, Dandelion greens, Arugula, Red Russian kale, fresh cucumbers, lots of large zucchini for raw pasta and tasty chips, and 23 pounds of Heritage tomatoes to make sun-dried tomatoes!

Local Organic Berries

My first day back from holidays - and I was in the fields picking berries!

For local ORGANIC blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries I like to go to Warketin farm located on Harris Road on the way to Mission. Call Damon at 604-302-4968 for directions and crop availability.

Today I picked nearly 20 pounds of succulent fruit - blackberries so plump they almost fell off the vines, strawberries to make your mouth water, and sweet juicy plums that I have already eaten!

At home, I just rinse the berries in cool water, lay on a towel to dry a bit, and spread on trays in the freezer till semi frozen. Then they go in ziploc bags into the freezer, ready for use in green smoothies and desserts during the winter months!  

Local Organic Berries

Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC)  http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/  is the main website where you can look up Organic and Bio-Dynamic farmers in your area. Here are just a few farms from their list for Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

Since we can finally start picking, now is the time to consider the health benefits of choosing Organic over commercially grown produce. If the farm sign has a large green checkmark and says Certified, you know the produce has been grown without artificial chemicals, hormones, or genetically modified or engineered organisms (GMOs). All of these pesticides and fertilizers can create an unhealthy toxic build up in your body that may be detrimental to your health. The choice is up to you!

Fresh picked from Warkentin Organic Farm

ABBOTSFORD
Bateman Berry Farm 604-850-0377 - blueberries
Biota Farm 604-859-5959 - fruit, hens, eggs, vegetables (Bio-Dynamic)
Blue Heaven 604-850-2278 - blueberries
Casa Blanca Farm 604-607-0043 - apples, pears, peaches, raspberries
Collin Regehr Farms 604-302-5489 - raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Glen Valley Organic 604-857-0017 - mixed veggies, greens, fruit, berries
Warkentin Organic Farm 604-826-7230 - blueberries, strawberries, blackberries

CHILLIWACK
Forstbauer Family Farm 604-794-3999 - blueberries, veggies, herbs, fruit, eggs, beef (Bio-Dynamic)
Lenz Farm 604-823-6577 - hazelnuts
Ohm Organic Farm 604-703-3200

LANGLEY
Casa Blanca Farm 604-607-0043 - apples, pears, peaches, raspberries, hazelnuts

Organic Fruits, Greens, and Veggies

When in the grocery store produce aisle the other day, a woman asked me a question about the organic bananas I was choosing. "Are these the supposedly organic bananas" she asked in a mocking tone? Her mistrust of the organic labelling process was obvious, so I simply replied that yes these bananas were organic and directed her to the conventional bananas.

As an advocate of organic and biodynamic foods normally I would happily take the time to offer information on the health benefits of organic produce, but in this case an obviously hostile confrontation was not the answer. There are always two sides - some people are ready to discuss openly and some people are not!

I'm grateful to this woman for reminding me that not everyone is aware of the levels of pesticides on conventional foods. Personally I buy as much organic produce as is available, and purchase produce from the dirty dozen Only If Organic (this includes many red bell peppers - but never green bell peppers as they are unripened fruit). So here is some information that I'l like to share with readers of this blog.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Apples                            Peaches

Bell peppers                         Pears

Celery                            Potatoes

Cherries                     Red raspberries

Grapes                           Spinach

Nectarines                      Strawberries

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own lab testing reveals that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables above, that they say you should always buy organic if possible - because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides.

Among fruits, nectarines had the highest percentage testing positive for pesticide residue. Peaches and red raspberries had the most pesticides (nine) on a single sample.

Among vegetables, celery and spinach most often carried pesticides, with spinach having the highest number (10) on a single sample. (For more information on pesticide levels for other types of produce, go to http://www.foodnews.org/ )