Pregnant or Trying to Conceive....Avoid GMOs!

For those ladies who are planning to become pregnant or already pregnant, diet is of utmost importance. You are what you eat means so much more than it ever did due to foods becoming depleted of nutrients. The soil which fruits and vegetables grow in is not as nutrient dense and now that 75% of foods in the grocery store contain GMOs, it is challenging to have the perfect diet for conception unless you make a real effort to go organic. Read more on the dangers of GMO foods. And more info here.

For starters, you need to identify the top GMOs and cut them out of your diet. These include soybeans, corn, soy oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, sugar beets(made into sugar). The list continues with items that surprised me like zucchini, yellow squash, and papaya. You may have heard of "frankenfish", this could soon mean that GMO salmon is sold. The list continues with more possible additions such as wheat, flax, plums, potato, radicchio, rice, tomato and apples. What is sad is that the US does not have laws requiring Genetically Engineered foods to be labeled while several other countries like Japan, France, UK, China, Australia, and Russia do require labeling.

The most troubling part of growing Genetically Modified food is that crops become overcome with "superweeds" which are resistant to pesticides. That means farmers are having to use stronger, more toxic pesticides on their crops. What do we know about pesticides during pregnancy??? Stay away from them!!! They cause birth defects, increased risk of cancer, and other reproductive problems that could lead to miscarriage or early labor. Read Sandra Steingraber's book "Having Faith" for a glimpse at the dangers in our lives when pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

You can read more at EWG.org. If you donate $10 they will send you a Shopper's Guide to avoid GE (Genetically Engineered Foods). You can also look for the label on boxed/prepared foods that say Non-GMO Project. For fresh fruits and vegetables, it is best to go organic when you are pregnant or trying to conceive. The sticker on the items will start with a 9 for organic, 4 for conventional and an 8 for genetically modified. Food shopping should not have to be this difficult but if we vote with our pocketbooks and go organic, maybe companies will finally listen. This is our health and the health of unborn babies so it must be taken seriously. Now go buy Organic!!!