With pretty much the biggest holiday approaching it seems we have another dilemma. One that should be identified and solved promptly. What to eat and how to avoid the lovely chemical concoctions that corporations would tell you are safe. Yet when they do not consume it themselves what are the food that you can safely feed to your loved ones? Well I am hoping by providing the following I can perhaps offer you some options to solve this problem.

According to various sources you can have a better chance if you just pay attention to labels. This means taking a little more time when shopping but look at the rewards for doing that. Barcodes can also provide you with information that can help you to avoid these types of scientific creations. They dare call it food. Well perhaps to a guinea pig it could possibly be called food.

Organically grown food can be your best bet when it comes to avoiding GMO’s. Generally organically grown food has a five digit barcode which begins with the number nine. Many GMO products begin with the number 8. So basically this means that a regular banana would have a sticker that might say 4011, an organic banana would say most likely 94011 and a GMO banana would usually have an 84011. This is not tedious when you consider that this is your health we are dealing with here. Your health and that of your family and friends. That should make it worth your while to take your time shopping and be more careful.

My personal advice is to avoid large stores like Walmart and try finding smaller stores, fruit and vegetable stands by the road, home deliveries of locally grown food. Perhaps try planning to grow your own food for next year.The smaller stores are normally killed off slowly because of the so called convenience of bigger parasitic stores such as Walmart, Target, K-Mart etc. It might seem to be you are saving money but you may be putting your health at greater risk by purchasing food here. Fruit and vegetable stands can offer great alternatives to what is offered in the stores. Home deliveries of organically grown local food an be more cost effective than you think. If there is not one in your area then perhaps you might consider sitting down and writing to local farmers and find out what they grow, how they grow it and if they might be willing to work with you. The universal rule I have found to be most true is that where there is a need there will be a service offered to fill that need.

I can already hear people groaning from the cost of organic foods. Yet consider for yourself the costs of the meal that you need and how much food you have left over. Why not make a smaller meal? Involve the children, family and any nearby friends and put them to work helping you to make things. You could get together with another family to cut the cost in half and try something new. Make new friends and have new holiday experiences rather than the same thing. Leading to the same headaches and possible heartaches. Look at what you spend the most money on and try some alternatives. Or try a smaller portion. A family does not need that much meat in order to get the protein that seems so essential. It is not a one sided nutrient only to be found in turkey etc. You may be surprised at the vegetable sources of protein that are available to you and are much more cost effective in feeding a large group of people.

For example one cup of oatmeal provides 6 grams of protein. One bagel and you get 9 grams of protein. I cup of beans and you get 12 grams of protein. Two tablespoons of peanut butter and you have 8 grams of protein. One cup of lentils can give you 18 grams of protein. The point is that I found this by doing a little research. You can find so much information I think the problem is knowing what to look for. So this is why I am offering you bits of information like this. Such as http://twofrugalfairfielders.com/2012/07/26/frugal-foodie-tip-free-30-day-trial-membership-for-organic-and-non-gmo-foods-from-the-green-polka-dot-box-a-national-food-buying-club/ This is a great little blog that is offering a free thirty day trial right now. Following their link I found myself here https://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/membership/?spon=oca They offer a search to see if the service is available in your area. It can be worth a try to help your health and those that you love.

I think that everyone should keep a diary of what they spend and where. This helps them to determine where they could make some cuts in spending. There is always something that you do not really need and can do without. Why pay for debt consolidation when you can do it yourself. Have a look and see what you can do without. Or what you can stop buying and instead learn how to make it yourself. I think people spend too much time taking on far too much themselves when it comes to this time of year. Put your family to work helping you. It helps to bond you together and to have a common goal. Also if you do not know how to cook and you have the internet then you have the world literally at your fingertips. Here are some links I found.

1. http://allrecipes.com/Info/Videos/ViewAll.aspx

2. http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/index.html

3. http://video.about.com/food.htm

4. http://www.chalutzproductions.com/FeedMeBubbe/FeedMeMAIN.html

5. http://freshtopia.net/

6. http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/

7. http://chicpodcast.mevio.com/?mode=current

8. http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=26735&cmd=tc

9. http://www.downtoearth.org/free-cooking-classes

10.https://www.stellaculinary.com/stella-culinary-school-podcast-index

The point is that you can and should continually learn new things. If you have time for a favorite television show but you are stressed about the holidays looming up ahead then please consider what is important and what can wait. Learn something new it’s fun! You may also surprise yourself with what you can actually do. Do not let your doubts hold you back from trying something new. Trust me I cook with ingredients that only a year ago I looked at and had no idea what it was. So you can too

Now for those of you that love your phones and yes you are out there. Try this! http://www.nextnutrio.com/?p=924 It is an actual phone app that can scan and help you figure out what food is GMO potentially and what is not. I think that some of you that will remain in a hurry despite what I might advise could find this one particularly appropriate and useful.

Common ingredients that are GMO. Corn is one of the most widely used ones. 63% of corn crops contain GMO’s. High fructose corn syrup is one of the most commonly used ingredients in food now. It is not good for you and honestly you would be better off avoiding anything that has that listed in the ingredients. Canola oil is one of the most common GMO’s. Basically you are better off buying food at it’s most basic than risk the processed foods that seem cheaper and faster. They are cheaper and faster sometimes but what is that costing you in the long run?

This is a list that names companies and brands as being proponents of GMO’s. I advise that you have a look.

   http://covvha.net/list-of-gmo-foods/#.UMeJoIPAdHI

IF you take the time to look through the list above and find yourself worrying and wondering what to do. Then go to the following links below and use them as a guide to help you buy things that are not GMO.

1. http://covvha.net/non-gmo-shopping-guide/#.UMeIAYPAdHI

2. http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/download.html

3. http://gefreebc.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/greenpeace-shoppers_guide.pdf

These can help you to provide a happy and healthy meal for your family throughout the year. I really honestly hope that you will take the time to read this and learn more. To protect yourself and the future of our children. This is so important and such an important issue that you really should not ignore this. I want to see a day where there are no more GMO’s. until that day the least I can do is provide a means for you to find that food yourself.

Here are some recipes, opportunities, ingredients list, ideas and so on. These can be resources for you to know what to buy by name. What you can possibly do as an alternative to your normal holiday meal. Resources on where to buy GMO free food. I hope that these help you in your journey to the belly

1. http://www.facebook.com/events/506222196063221/

2. http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/chow/detox-your-thanksgiving-meal-prep-organic-bpa-free-pantry-options.html

3. http://www.gmofreeidaho.com/category/gmo-free-recipes/

4. http://momsforsafefood.net/2011/01/03/eating-gmo-free-on-a-budget/

5. http://nourishedkitchen.com/gmo-free-food/

6. http://gardenoflife.com/

7. http://realandnourishing.mybeyondorganic.com/

8. http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/holiday/deli/index.php

9. http://www.wholepregnancy.org/index.php?id=articles_more&moreid=142

10. http://www.nourishingmeals.com/

I want to wish you and your loved ones a safe and warm holiday season. I wish you health and comfort. Joy and companionship. This world may seem bad at times but I can tell you that there are many things worth living for. There are many things worth fighting for. We shall do this one step at a time. Baby steps and soon you will find yourself at the doorstep of your goal.

Quiescent A. Serpent

©Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance