Corn
sekapporchard.com
Unless it is labeled “organic” or “non-GMO,” around 90% of it is Genetically Modified/Genetically Engineered.
I’ll go further into the reasons why I feel that GMO foods are one of the biggest dangers to our health in a future blog post.
Also good to know: corn isn’t a vegetable. It’s a starchy-grain. Your body recognizes it more like sugar than anything else. It’s pretty much void of any nutrition.
And PS: your pet shouldn’t be eating it either – there are some great “grain free” alternatives out there. Costco actually sells 2 very affordable options.
Corn is also very difficult to digest. As in, it often just passes right through, looking much the same coming out as it did going in. Blech.
Our family has cut corn almost completely out of our diets.
We do occasionally enjoy an organic corn chip or homemade corn bread made from only organic corn. However, it is a rarity, and definitely not a staple.
So, you say “Easy! Just buy organic corn chips right?”
I wish it were that simple.
Corn is in EVERYTHING. Everything processed that is.
The sad truth is, if the majority of your diet comes from prepared foods, you are most likely ingesting a massive amount of Genetically Modified corn every single day. Which means that you are filling your body with a very harmful substance that it doesn’t even recognize as food.
The obvious ones are corn, corn meal, corn chips, corn tortillas, corn bread, high-fructose corn syrup…duh, anything that says “corn”.
But are some of the less obvious places that corn is hidden:
- cereals (even “healthy” ones)
- “healthy” frozen or prepared meals – lean cuisine, weight watchers, slim-fast, nutri-system, zone, etc.
- protein bars
- jar baby food (not all – but read the labels!)
- most infant formula
- chicken nuggets/tenders
- egg alternatives
- salad dressings
- canned soups
- dehydrated soups
- “light” or “flavored” butters
- pre-shredded cheeses – that anti-caking agent that’s mixed in
- anything “enriched” or “fortified” (think breads, pastas, crackers, etc.)
- eggs or chicken – buy only from pastured hens that are not given corn in their feed
- protein powders
- butter alternatives
- many vegan & vegetarian meat and dairy alternatives
- meats – conventionally produced meats are from animals fed corn
- fish – always buy wild fish – farm raised fish are fed corn
- “fat-free” half & half (I mean, this is an oxymoron in-and-of itself!)
- citric-acid or ascorbic acid – often produced from corn
- fast food – it’s in the meat, the bread, the drinks, the desserts…and most likely is the “non-browning” agent on those bags of sliced apples (citric acid, which is often produced from corn.)
- nearly every item on public school lunch menus
- just about anywhere that sugar is listed – Unless it says “organic cane sugar” it’s most likely either made from GM corn or GM sugar beets. SO this means: ketchup, chocolate, fruit snacks, popsicles, “juices,” canned fruits (unless the ingredients are simply fruit & water), candy, dips & sauces, etc.
These are just the ones I thought of off the top of my head. I would love to hear from you the other surprising ways you have found GM corn hidden in “food”.
Alright, so this sounds depressing, but it’s really not. It’s extremely easy to avoid this damaging ingredient.
You simply make your own food.
Because really, the only foods that are a concern are ones that are no longer in their natural state. Cream that has been “de-fatted”, butter that has been “de-fatted”, eggs that have been “de-cholesteroled”, “healthy” frozen foods that are anything but healthy.
Bars, jars, boxes, and bags of “food”…
These are all foods of convenience. And really, they’re no longer much cheaper than healthy food. Thanks to the big Ethanol push for fuel, the price for corn has skyrocketed, which means that food is costing more and farmers are resorting to feeding their cattle candy and trash (no, for real folks).
If you must buy something processed for one reason or another, at least buy an organic option so that the corn you are getting is not Genetically Engineered.
And READ LABELS.
Eat fresh, locally produced foods. Meats from local farmers that don’t supplement corn or grain in their animals’ diets.
Often produce is treated with a corn-based chemical to ripen it, so buying locally grown fruits and veggies avoids this process.
Buy whole, raw milk and cream and make your own yogurt, cream cheese and butter. Ditch prepared cereals and try fresh fruit, vegetables, soaked oats and eggs for breakfast. Forget frozen prepared meals and double homemade recipes in order to freeze the other half for later. Grab an apple instead of a granola bar, kombucha and a boiled egg instead of a protein bar. Make your own chicken nuggets from fresh pastured chicken and a grain-free breading.
You may be surprised at how easy it becomes, and how much money you save.
Shoot me your questions!
live well. be well.
