An educated consumer is the food industry’s worst enemy.
The food industry is beginning to sound like a foreign language to us consumers, between all of the pretty packaging, new terminology and misleading marketing it is enough to leave us totally overwhelmed when it comes to grocery shopping.
Below are some of my tips and tricks for navigating this crazy food industry. Providing explanations as to what some of these more common labels actually mean, and also sharing insight on what some non-negotiable organic products look like for my family.
One of the things I spend time on with clients is education. Specifically on food labels, ingredients and the correlation with their symptoms. The food industry is overwhelming and often the foods that are marketed as “health foods” are some of the worst offenders. Between genetically modified, bioengineered, antibiotic free, organic, glyphosate free- we consumers are bombarded with all this new terminology without even understanding what is being said by the label.
Today, I am providing insight to what those labels mean, the dangers of certain conventional foods and most importantly educating consumers on how to choose the best products for our bodies and our budgets.
I start by saying this, do the best you can with what you have.
If zero organic food is in your budget right now, but you are working to consume mostly whole foods (fruits, veggies, meat, eggs) then you are already way ahead of most! Please don’t let any of this discourage you from a solid foundation, I am also sharing some of my favorite places to find inexpensive organic foods as well. There are a few stores that occasionally offer discount organic products, it is always important to compare prices- sometimes the cost difference is just pennies.
What does organic even mean? Is it healthier?
The short answer is, yes. Organic food is healthier because it is produced without conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Meaning, the standards are higher and more regulated. Therefore, there are less toxins, pesticides and antibiotic use in organic products.
This also means less toxins that we are consuming when digesting these products, which reduces our toxic load – this is something we can all afford to do in today’s world. There is sufficient research that indicates glyphosate (the most widely used pesticide in the USA) “Roundup” has neurotoxic effects to the brain as well as some other major health concerns and illnesses. Corn, soy, wheat and oats retain a certain level of glyphosate residue, and we ingest it when consuming those products. After digestion takes place, this toxin changes the composition of our gut, impacting our microbiome. Leading to things like, IBS, leaky gut, and autoimmune conditions. This is significant when addressing things relating to repairing our gut brain axis.
Cancer patients often show increasingly elevated levels of glyphosate as well. Glyphosate can even show up in our meat, it is equally important to be cognizant of the diet of the animals we are eating; this is why I advocate for reading your labels and learning about your purchases.
Cereal, oats, oat-based snacks, and wheat products are some of the worst offenders. These are some of the non-negotiables for my family.
This is where it can get to be a bit overwhelming. So, here is my suggestion:
Look at the foods your family is consuming the most of, consider boosting the quality of those foods first. If you are flying through eggs every day, look into a local farmer's high quality eggs or spending a few extra dollars on organic, pasture raised eggs.
Some of our non-negotiable organic products include:
Dairy is a big one for my family. Specifically, milk.
Conventional milk is shown to have higher levels of growth hormones (rBST) and antibiotics. rBST is one of the major reasons I began eliminating conventional milk from my family’s diet. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBST) is potentially linked to increasing the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer.
If milk is top item on your family’s consumption list, consider researching the differences in organic, raw and conventional dairy and exploring the options.
Oatmeal / oat products
Oats for the reasons mentioned above. They retain glyphosate and that can have some damaging effects on our health. My family has oatmeal often, so this is a product I always go out of my way to purchase organic. Some of my new favorites even have a glyphosate residue free label, this label is backed by a third party.
Oranges, apples, bananas - these are some items we consume quite a bit of, whenever I am buying something every grocery trip regularly, I try to budget for bumping up the quality and reducing our toxin exposure. Another tip for when I am unable to get organic; apples for example, I will always peel them after washing. This way any toxins on the skin of the apple won’t be getting digested.
Chicken- Organic chicken is fed 100% organic feed, has healthier living conditions and no use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Not to mention that conventional chicken has even been shown to contain concerning levels of arsenic. As a family, we eat a bit of chicken, so this is another non-negotiable for us. I also like to make broth from chicken bones, and I like to make sure my broth is the best possible quality considering we use it as a healing food.
This is just scratching the surface of the truth of the food industry, but it is a great place to start. Continue to read your packages, educate yourself and others around you. An educated consumer is the food industry's worst enemy.
Key Takeaways
Understanding these labels on our foods lays the foundation for truly knowing what we are purchasing. Check below some of the common labels and a brief explanation as to what they indicate.
Becoming aware of high glyphosate containing foods and conventional meat and dairy products along with their dangers is a great way to start addressing symptoms and prioritizing your health.
Little changes like the suggestions above, as well as some education goes a long way in becoming an educated consumer. If we knew better, we would do better.
It may seem like something so small, but this alone is taking stress and toxin exposure off the body, creating a foundation for healing. Starting small is optimal at creating habits that will contribute to your healing and last a lifetime.
Here are a few common labels you will see when shopping and a brief explanation as to what they mean.
Bioengineered- This is a new one that we are starting to encounter more and more. It is a form of genetic modification. Not to be confused with GMO(Genetically Modified Organism). Although these words have similar meanings, bioengineered is a little more specific and new laws (as of Dec 2021) require it to be on products that contain one bioengineered ingredient. The bioengineered label indicates that one or more of the ingredients was created in a lab in a way that is not able to be recreated in nature.
While GMO is more broad, it indicates any form of gene modification to alter the DNA. Technically, this could even include things like cross breeding, hybrids etc. Hence why this new label (bioengineered) was created to be more direct with consumers and product labeling.
You may also notice NON GMO Project verified labels when shopping. This is only relating to the testing of GMOs, not pesticides or anything to do with being organic. This is when labels can become misleading. Another thing to be cognizant of is the marketing of products. A lot of product packaging is designed to be perceived as “natural” or organic without actually having any of those standards or labels visible. Always check for labels and read those ingredients, this will prevent us as consumers from getting taken advantage of.
USDA Organic- This is typically the most common organic label we see here in the US, this is a certification that indicates verified organic farming practices, pesticide regulations and more.
Glyphosate Residue Free- This is one I am starting to notice a little more, specifically when shopping for things like oatmeal. The label is intended to confirm consumers that a third party has done testing to verify that there is no glyphosate residue on the product.
Last but not least- A few of my favorite budget friendly organic finds are from Big Lots, Aldi, and Walmart. Always check weekly ads online as well. I have found some great deals on produce by spending a few minutes checking weekly ads online prior to shopping.
SOURCES
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300483X14000493#fig0045
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