Nov 9, 2013

OOTD: Sunday Best

One of my favorite things about fall is that I can start bringing out my flat, tall boots for church on Sundays.  They are so comfortable, and if I forget to shave my legs....oh well, nobody can tell anyways! :)  I love it!  
 






XO,
Amber

Nov 1, 2013

Organic? GMO's?

My Aunt was recently talking to me about organic foods and recommended some sites to visit.  I've researched and read countless articles online about the food we eat, all the pesticides, chemicals, and genetically modified organisms (GMO's) that are in the foods we eat....in the past.  I've also read a few articles stating that organic food is no better than regular produce at the grocery stores.  I've always kind of been on the fence about the whole thing.  Mostly because I didn't want to fork out the extra money for organic food.  I've always felt that I couldn't afford to pay extra.
Also, I've wondered about GMO's.  The FDA and USDA has stated that the pesticides, and GMO crops are safe for consumption.  Of course, there are other scientists that state differently and say that GMO's have been linked to a host of diseases and ailments, even cancer.  I often have felt frustrated not knowing which side to believe....until I read THIS article. 
Another friend of mine shared his opinion on GMO's and related it to the idea of survival of the fittest.  He feels that, sure, many people will adapt to the GMO's they consume and will not have any side effects, because their bodies are strong, and then also at the same time, that many will have side effects because their bodies were not strong enough.
I tend to agree with this.  I obviously don't think everybody is going to become sterile, but I believe that there is the potential for some to be affected this way based on the studies that Dr. Hubert conducted and countless other articles that I've read.
How can putting anything (glyphosate in GMO crops) poison into your body, ever be good for you?  I'd rather not risk it.
With that said....changing the way my family eats feels overwhelming, almost like an impossible feat.  If I remember correctly, the soy produced in the US is  up to 95% genetically modified to be round up resistant.  There are all sorts of differing stats, so go look them up if you are interested.  This stat (95%) tends to be on the higher end.
Anyways, back to soy.  Soy is found in SO MANY products at the grocery store.  Read THIS article to find out what other names soy goes by in the ingredient list on your products label.  If I were to cut out soy from my family's diet, we would have almost nothing to eat!!
As any loving mom does, I worry about my children and what they eat.  I try to limit the amount of crap that they consume.  Sometimes I fail miserably.  Pre-packaged snacks (almost all of which contain soy) are an easy choice for busy mamas.  When my children were a bit younger, and my life was a LITTLE bit slower, I used to watch other moms shove that pre-packaged crap at their kids, and wonder how they could feed them so much crap.  Hahaha!  The jokes on me.  I fell into that same trap.  When you feel overwhelmed, and you are so tired of fighting with your kids to eat healthy, you start to think....ah, let them have a snack that they enjoy!  And when your kids start school, it is just too easy to throw in a bag of chips, pre-packaged apple sauce and sandwich and send them on their way.
After evaluating what we eat at my house....I think a couple of the biggest problems we have (considering GMO's) are cold cereal (for my son who asks for cold cereal at least 10 times per day), and snacks (graham crackers and tortilla chips are big at our house).
So my goal is going to be to start small.  I always run faster than I can, and end up falling flat on my face.  I am looking for alternatives to cold cereal and snacks to start off....SLOW.
I went to Trader Joe's the other day and bought a TON of organic stuff, including 3 bags of corn tortilla chips.  As far as the cold cereal goes, I think I just have to "wean" my son off of it.  He has at least 1 bowl every single day.  But if there is no cereal in the house, he'll have to find something else to beg for, right? 
Right now, I have the urge to throw everything out that contains soy, but I will refrain.  In reality, I'm too cheap to do that.  We will finish up our food, and start out slowly modifying our diets and what we buy.
Keep in mind that soy, corn and cotton are some of the highest GMO offenders out there.  Read your labels (if you care to do so), and do your own research.  You'll be amazed at all the information out there.  Some of which is ridiculous, of course.  You'll have to study it out for yourself.  As for me, I feel content with my opinion on GMO's....finally. 
Now if I could only decide if raw or homogenized, pasteurized milk is better for you?!  Got any input?

XO,
Amber