Even though it is virtually impossible to keep Monsanto and GMO (genetically modified organisms) out of you home there are some steps we can take. It might not be as convenient as ordering fast food or sticking a TV dinner in the microwave, but avoiding processed foods is a critical step to becoming more prepared that most people don’t give a second thought to.
We take every precaution we can to prepare for a disaster, we buy supplies, we store food and water, and we are constantly thinking about TEOTWAWKI events and how to prepare for them. But what if a SHTF event happened tomorrow? Are we going to be physically ready to handle the situation?
Because of processed foods and drinks, and because most of us pass by 5 different fast food restaurants on our way home it has become more convenient than ever to just get a quick bite to eat and trust that the hamburger we are eating is really a hamburger…they wouldn’t lie to us would they?
What are GMO Seed’s?
This article from NonGMOProject.org states the following about what a GMO is…
“GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.”
GMO’s make plants and animals bigger, faster, stronger. They alter seeds to resist pesticides and insects, they feed the corn from these seeds to chickens and cows to make them obese and mature in half the time. A normal chicken that takes 3 months to mature only takes around 6 weeks if they are fed GMO feed.
These cows and chickens are cramped so tightly in that they are literally walking around in their own feces, which can (and do) lead to food borne illnesses like E.coli and salmonella. You can even get E.coli from produce like spinach which was unheard of 20 years ago.
You might hear some people who defend GMO’s, but these are usually the people greasing the wheels for companies like Monsanto. These people have so much money that they can basically do whatever they want whenever they want, and our government is right in the middle of it all.
Even though these big companies like Monsanto, Tyson Foods, and Cargill continue with the propaganda, independent scientific tests prove GMO’s are harmful. 50 years ago big tobacco companies made millions off of our ignorance…what will we be saying about GMO’s in 50 years?
Why They Use GMO Seeds
Proponents of GMO’s will tell you that they are a good thing, we can feed more people, and even offer “humanitarian aid” to other countries. If this is true why did Haiti refuse to use Monsanto seeds after the large earthquake in 2010? Because Haiti knew that once these seeds were planted in their ground, there was no turning back.
Monsanto is the very company who is responsible for Agent Orange, which caused cancer in a large number of U.S. Veterans. The Vietnamese government claims that 400,000 of their citizens were either killed or disabled as a result of Agent Orange, while 500,000 children were born with birth defects as a result of exposure.
Who Need’s God…We Have Monsanto!
Monsanto’s former motto was actually “Without chemicals, life itself would be impossible.” How have we survived for thousands of years without them?
Does everything we eat have GMO’s in them? Up to 80% of processed foods in the U.S. have something that’s been changed by man from the way it would grow on its own. Unless you buy something that says organic on the label, you can bet is has some sort of GMO in it.
Here is a great article from The Organic Prepper about some myths that Monsanto wants you to believe.
Agriculture is Big Business
Think back to 50 years ago when cigarettes were completely accepted by society and anyone who was “cool.”
Our very own government during World War I and World War II gave our Soldiers overseas free cigarettes every day, leading to massive profits for the Tabaco companies, meaning more propaganda.
It seems absurd today, but if you watch old movies or newscasts you are bound to see a cigarette hanging out of someone’s mouth…even in a hospitals.
In true fashion of our government during the 60’s they decided to try and fix the problem they created in the first place through legislation.
Yet another example of how government keeps us dependent, they take no blame for contributing to the problem, and all the credit for trying to solve it.
Because of the global population and our soil being depleted of vital nutrients for growing, the elephant in the room that everyone is ignoring is the fact that when you start messing with nature it’s really a crap shoot when it comes to our future.
Everything boils down to profit, McDonalds, Monsanto and even the politicians who are paid off by lobbyists could care less about the nutrition in our food, it’s all about profit. Our survival means nothing compared to the survival of the system.
How to Avoid GMO’s
Avoid Processed Foods: This might be easier said than done because we can get just about anything we want prepackaged and ready to go. Salad dressing, Soda, boxed meals and fast food are all processed to make it convenient for us.
These foods are designed in a lab before they even hit the market. The better it tastes, the better it will sell. If “approved” genetically engineered additives and preservatives are needed, then so be it.
We crave these foods, that’s how they get us. We eat more food with less nutrition which leaves our bodies craving the nutrition we need.
While it might be impossible for most of us to completely avoid processed foods, we can cut back on them. If you have the time make your own salad dressing (it’s not that hard) or take the extra 20 minutes and cook a chicken breast instead of eating that chicken nugget.
Grow your own: The only way to truly know that your food is organic is to grow your own. Organic food is food that is grown the natural way, cows and chickens that eat grass instead of GMO corn the way they are supposed to be grown.
If growing your own is not an option you can always buy organic food at the grocery store, although organic food is about double the price of “regular” food.
It helps me to think about the fact that I am supporting some of the real farmers and not a big corporation when I buy organic food.
Animal that are possessing by these large companies are not only fed GMO’s to fatten them up, they are forced to live in horrid conditions. I have no plans on becoming a vegetarian, and I understand that taking an animal’s life give me life, But that shouldn’t excuse the conditions these animals have to endure.
Ask yourself this: Would you rather live in solitary confinement for 30 years, or live free for 1? I feel worse when I eat chicken from the store than I do when I have to process one of mine, at least my chicken got to be a chicken while it was alive.
Buy at Farmers Markets: Buying your produce from a local farmers market is a great way to get quality food, and support local farmers at the same time. The FDA would like you to believe that these smaller farmers and ranchers food is more dangerous, but I drank unpasteurized milk as a child and I’m still around. I even drank from a garden hose, and walked home alone from school…Gasp!
Don’t eat anything that has a commercial: If a company wants to make a profit they need to sell you something, commercials are how they do that. They need to talk you into buying it and therefor are going to tell you what you want to hear.
Just like commercials about cars, they want you to feel good about purchasing from them and forget about what goes on behind the curtain.
What are Heirloom and Hybrid Seeds?
Rather than try to explain this myself I am going to quote a couple of paragraphs from BonniePlants.com which goes over Hybrids, GMO and Heirloom seeds.
Heirloom: “Heirlooms come from seed that has been handed down for generations in a particular region or area, hand-selected by gardeners for a special trait. Heirloom vegetables are open-pollinated, which means they’re pollinated by insects or wind without human intervention. How experts define heirlooms can vary, but typically they are at least 50 years old, and are often pre-WWII varieties. In addition, they tend to remain stable in their characteristics from one year to the next.”
Hybrid: “A hybrid vegetable is created when plant breeders intentionally cross-pollinate two different varieties of a plant, aiming to produce an offspring, or hybrid, that contains the best traits of each of the parents. Cross-pollination is a natural process that occurs within members of the same plant species.”
I am no expert when it comes to gardening, as a matter of fact this is only the second year I have taken it seriously. Ever since I built my greenhouse last year and reading about how much more healthy home grown vegetables are, it has become something I plan on doing every year.
I have however reached out to a few bloggers who have a little more experience than I do. Melissa K. Norris has a great article about how to save and store seeds to use next year and Common Sense Homesteading has an article about starting seeds and pest control. Check out Pint Sized Farm and find out how to get free seeds.
Does Long Term Food Storage Have GMO’s?
We hear all the time about how we need long term food storage, but isn’t long term food also processed food, and do they have GMO’s in them? Yes and no. The only long term food storage company that claims to be GMO free is Legacy Foods (have a look at this chart.)
The fact that these meals are ready to eat dehydrated meals means they are processed. I feel that in a situation where you are eating these on a regular basis, you probably have more pressing issues than what you are eating…like eating in the first place.
You can avoid these processed meals and save some money (if you have the time) by making yor own long term food. You can use Mylar bags and buckets, or canning is also pretty popular and you can find articles about canning like this one everywhere.
Is Eating healthy more expensive?
So the million dollar question (or Billion if you ask Monsanto) is eating organic and avoiding GMO’s going to put you in the poor house? That all depends on how you look at it. If you are thinking just about money spent at the grocery store, then yes.
If you think about this long term it could actually save you money just because you are healthier. Less trips to the doctor’s office, less prescription costs and you will be physicaly prepared to handle any sort of disaster situation.
You can save money here and there by not eating processed foods because you make everything yourself. Another benefit is you know exactly what is in your food, a down side (depending on how you look at it) is the time it takes to make homemade meals.
Everyone looks at the price of organic vegetables and says “I’m not buying that, it’s $1.50 more” but we don’t give it a second thought when we spend $3 on a soda and bag of chips.
What We Are Doing…
Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Rock Star energy drinks…well not any more. I have decided to take fast food and any food that comes in a box, bottle or can out of my diet. Instead of relying on the convenience of a boxed meal I make dinner like my grandmother did…from scratch.
Because I am not a big fan of vegetables I decided to buy a juicer and drink my veggies. This is by no means a diet, I still love my chocolate cake, the only difference is that if I want cake now I have to make it.
I’m not going to quit eating meat either, although I do think about GMO’s every time I buy chicken or ground beef.
I am however looking into buying beef from local ranchers. This would mean buying a large quantity or a side of beef and storing it. This will be expensive up front, but I will save money and have stored meat in the long run.
I know this isn’t possible for everyone because of time and finances, but I’ll bet all of us can do a little more than we are right now. What are you doing to keep GMO’s out of your home?
