Next Steps
How to make the switch to organic and non-GMO
- If you’re feeling inspired, NOW is the time to make a change. The stories of transformation in the film are POWERFUL. We invite you to start making your own transformation today.
- Go at your own pace. You may be the type of person to clean out everything in the kitchen right away and replace it all with 100% organic food. Or you may want to transition slowly, replacing a few items at a time. Whichever route you take, choose the pace that isn’t stressful. Worrying is toxic. Create a new sustainable way of eating and feeding the people you cook for.
- Targeting priorities for making changes. Here are five strategies – pick one and get started:
1. Change the food you eat most frequently. Whatever food you eat the most – switch that food to organic. If you eat a lot of rice, make sure you’re buying organic rice; if you eat a lot of salads make sure all your salad fixings are organic; if corn tortillas are part of every meal, then switch to organic tortillas. Once you’ve switched the main food that you eat to organic, then you can build from there, going to the next one you eat the most.
2. Eliminate GMOs. Focus on eliminating the GMOs. Corn, soy, canola oil, alfalfa (fed to livestock), cotton seed oil, and sugar (made from beet sugar) are the main GMO crops. Try to find the organic versions. If you can’t find that, at least find the non-GMO alternatives. Remember, since alfalfa, corn and soy are often fed to livestock, choosing organic dairy and meat is an important step in eliminating GMOs.
3. Eliminate foods most sprayed with Roundup. The main GMOs (above) are all sprayed with Roundup, but Roundup is also sprayed also on cereals, legumes and other crops. Oats have among the highest Roundup residues. Wheat and lentils are also high. You may want to prioritize switching these foods to organic.
4. Do whatever is Easiest. There are often organic foods that are easy to get. Perhaps they are on sale, abundant in your area, or well stocked at your local farmers market. Start with whatever is easiest, and build from there.
5. Look out for hidden ingredients. By changing your sauces and condiments to organic – such as soy sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings and other processed condiments you put on other foods – you can avoid a lot of hidden GMOs.
- Remember the hidden costs of chemically farmed, non-organic food. So-called conventional food may be cheaper than organic, but often it has fewer nutrients. As a result, you may find yourself eating more because it may not be as satisfying. This may lead to overeating, weight gain and digestive issues. Also, toxins in the food may lead to chronic conditions that ring up expensive medical bills. Therefore, many people find that they save money in the long run by eating organic food, since they often find they eat less, feel better, and have lower medical bills.
- Make it social. Cook with others. Have fun in the kitchen, turn on some music and make it a party – and invite friends over to cook along with you and share an organic meal together. Make being more healthy fun for everyone.
- Get Involved. We are compiling helpful tips and the results of more food tests all the time, so be sure to sign up to receive updates.
How to eat organic on a budget
- Cook for yourself from fresh ingredients. Processed foods are always more expensive than food that you prepare. One of the easiest ways to save money is to cook for yourself from scratch, as opposed to either eating out or eating processed foods. This does take some of your time and energy, but the rewards in terms of better energy and health will out way your investment.
- Reconsider how much you budget for food, and increase the percentage with the recognition that this is an investment in your health, which will save you money in the long run. People in the US spend less on their food percentage-wise than anywhere else in the world. We are famous for “cheap food”, which has been produced by agribusiness, including fast food, But what this doesn’t take into account is the brain fog, lost days at work or quality time with your family, your kids’ lost days at school, the decreased productivity, and ultimately for some the disease that arises from eating this “cheap” and nutrient deficient and often toxic food.
- Look for rewards, coupons and other specials at your local grocery store or health food store. Find out about special discount days, such as senior days or first Saturdays.
- Purchase foods from the bulk bins. Quite often the price is much lower than the same item when it comes in a package.
- Grow your own food. Ferment your own vegetables. When you grow your own food you have the full knowledge of where the seeds came from and how it’s been cultivated. Initial investments in starting a garden can be significant, but once it’s going it’s more an investment of time and energy than money. Fermented vegetables support healthy gut bacteria and are super easy to make at home for a fraction of the cost of store bought sauerkraut.
Where to buy organic and non-GMO foods
- Support your local natural food store. Your local natural food store buys from organic farmers and is doing its best to ensure that you have high quality food available in your area. Many of these store owners have been a part of the organic food industry for years, and they’ve dedicated themselves to help make organic more affordable by educating customers and supporting local organic farmers. Every dollar you spend with them helps the organic movement.
- At the same time, be discerning and read signs and labels. Don’t assume that because you are in a store that proclaims itself as natural and healthy that all the produce is organic. Whole Foods, for example, sells a lot of conventional/chemical produce. Natural Grocers, however, sells 100% organic produce in its more than 150 stores in the United States.
- Shop at Farmers’ Markets. Farmers’ markets provide you with foods grown locally and in season. Typically these foods are fresher and less expensive than organic produce in grocery stores. Although not all food at farmers’ markets are certified organic or non-GMO, you also can talk with the farmers and ask them about their growing practices. You can ask if they use Roundup or other chemical herbicides and pesticides, or where they get their seeds and if they’ve been genetically modified, or what they do to replenish the soil. Many smaller farmers follow basically “organic” practices, but they haven’t gotten certified as that can be an expensive process.
- Buy direct from farms. If you don’t have high quality food available nearby, you may be able to join a CSA. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is when you purchase a share of the harvest from a farm, and you receive a box of food regularly, typically every week through the harvest season. Often farms bring boxes into metropolitan areas for pick up by customers on particular days of the week or month.
- Online stores are popping up to provide food for people who live in “food deserts” where they cannot get high quality food nearby. Thrive Market, for example, offers a wide variety of organic foods, including grass fed meat. A quick web search will show you many options.
- Check out the organic selections at more mainstream grocery stores and even big box stores. You might be surprised to discover how much organic food is now available at places like Trader Joes, Safeway, and even Target or Walmart. Did you know that Costco is the largest supplier of organic foods in the US? Costco provides both fresh foods (vegetables, eggs, meats) and dry goods (power bars, nuts, oils, seaweed, etc.) that are non-GMO certified and/or organic, all at significant discounts. The more we ask for and purchase organic foods from stores like this, the more they will stock them.
Please use the share buttons to alert your communities about the film and encourage them to watch the trailer. You can customize the wording in the email. We’ve just given you a place to start. We are also providing you with a MS Word document that you can customize and send out through your own email service if you prefer. Your friends are more likely to pay attention to a communication they receive if it has something personal from you to them included in it. They are less likely to take it seriously if it feels like a form-letter.
I just watched this incredible new film called Secret Ingredients, and I really want you to see it, too. You can watch the trailer here: https://secretingredientsfilm.com/. In this film I learned about the hidden ingredients in common foods that are harming us without our knowledge. The film follows families and individuals who recover from numerous serious and chronic conditions when they switch to an organic diet. One family alone, for example, recovered from more than 20 conditions. If you’ve got a health challenge or just want optimal health, you have got to see this film.
I just watched this incredible new film called Secret Ingredients, and I really want you to see it, too. You can watch the trailer here: http://SecretIngredientsMovement.com. In this film I learned about the hidden ingredients in common foods that are harming us without our knowledge. The film follows families and individuals who recover from numerous serious and chronic conditions when they switch to an organic diet. One family alone, for example, recovered from more than 20 conditions. If you’ve got a health challenge or just want optimal health, you have got to see this film.
Mysterious health challenge? You have to see this film, Secret Ingredients! It will blow your mind. Watch the trailer here: https://secretingredientsfilm.com/
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