Look at this little peanut. Think the 10 billion cells swimming around in her little body. All of the millions of reactions taking place every second to keep her little brain and body running. Her body is making new nerve tissue, bone, connective tissue, blood, and brain matter every day. What type of food do you want to offer as raw material for that growth?
Finding clean, non toxic sources of nutrient dense food is getting more challenging. It is not so easy as sourcing all of your food as organic or even non GMO. The expansive use of glyphosate, also known as round up, has pervaded our food supply. In fact, according to John Bagnulo, MPH, PhD Cheerios have one of the highest levels of glyphosate. It’s also found in foods made with oats, barley and wheat and soy based products. Bagnulo also notes in his presentation, Using Food As Medicine to Support Gut Health as a part of the Arthritis Summit, glyphosate is incredibly harmful to the lining of the gut and the balance of gut flora. Glyphosate also can become concentrated in the tissues of conventional animal protein. If your cows, chickens or pigs are eating glyphosate soaked foods then their tissues are laden with glyphosate. This is also true with dairy products. How can you avoid glyphosate…well, it is difficult because it is so widespread. However, it can be done with some diligence.
Ask your farmer at the farmer’s market if they are using glyphosate products on their produce
Avoid cereal grains (they are the most concentrated source)
Avoid non organic/GMO food products
Choose grass finished meat and dairy
Seek out glyphosate free foods (check the labels, sometimes it is listed)
How can you do this on a budget? Is it possible to feed a family the highest quality food possible? I would argue, yes.
Find a local farmer. Small scale farms are often growing more nutrient-dense and cleaner foods than large scale farms.
Plant a home garden. Focus on riskier crops like greens, peppers, beans, and peas. Use pots or raised beds if your soil quality is poor.
Plant your own fruit trees or berry bushes.
Buy your grass-finished meat in bulk from your local farmer. Ask them about special pricing for bulk purchases.
I recently purchased 35 pounds of grass-finished pork for $4.50 per pound! I store it in an upright freezer in the garage. It will last us about 8-10 months.
Choose cheaper cuts of grass-finished meat. Look for ground beef and roasts. Steaks run very high and cannot be stretched as easily.
Avoid spending a lot of money on nutrient-poor organic chicken breasts. Chicken meat in general is very high in arachidonic acid. The chicken has to be supplemented heavily with grain to grow enough meat.
I would rather spend $5-$7 per pound for grass-finished beef than chicken breasts. Grass-finished beef is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and that is very important to me!
WHAT IS THE TAKE HOME?
My mission is to share the valuable information that I have learned through my studies. We vote with our dollars! We, as moms have the power to tell big food that we are not ok with our kids being fed these chemicals. It is not the easiest choice, it takes planning and time in the kitchen. But, it is worth it. We need to pay attention to what we are feeding ourselves and our little ones.
When you take the perspective that food really can heal or prevent many chronic conditions…. It is a no-brainer. There is nothing more valuable to me than feeling well. I want that for myself and for my kids.
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