Keeping GMO products and chemical laced foods out of your diet

[connda]

Enough research has been done to convince me to limit my exposure to GMO products, and other foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that have been grown in an environment using liberal quantities of glyphosate and pesticides. The amount of chemicals I see local fruit and vegatable growers use is rather concerning.

Regarding GMO food, the US is a primary exporter of corn and soy bean product, 90% of which is now GMO. Personally, I don't know how much US exported corn and soy beans are imported to Thailand, nor do I know what processed food products containing US grown corn and soy beans are imported to Thailand. Obviously, nothing is labeled.

The same applies to wheat. Although most US grown wheat is non-GMO, wheat growers routinely 'dry'/'kill' wheat pre-havest using glyphosate, which current research is showing to be toxic. It concerns me because our family eats bread that has been made in Thailand, but I've no idea where the wheat has come from.

Living in Northern Thailand, on our trips to Chiang Mai I routinely buy organic or pesticide free produce from the Rim Ping Market chains. However, most of our time is spent in our village in Lamphun which mean we also buy a lot of locally grown produce. At this point the best I can do is thoroughly wash the local produce as we plan to plant our own 'organically' grown garden this year. But I'm not sure about the local bread products here. Wheat could be imported from China, Russia, India, or the US and Canada. My guess is that the pre-harvest use of glyphosate is pretty well used globally.

Regarding GMO corn and soy. Thailand grows corn and soy crops, but my guess is that they are net importers of soy beans, but I'm guessing. Corn, I'm not sure either. I don't believe that GMO corn or soy are commercially grown in Thailand, so my concern is essentially about imported corn of soy products, like soy powders used in soy drinks as an example.

So I'm looking for suggestion on how other individuals living in Thailand keep GMO products and chemical laced fruits, vegetables, and processed foods like breads out of their diet.

Please keep this on topic and civil. This thread is about how to keep GMO products and products grown with toxic chemicals out of our diets for those of us living in Thailand who do not wish to consume them. This is a personal choice.

Please do not use this thread as a soapbox to debate whether or not GMO or specific chemicals such as glyphosate pose a health risk. If you wish to do that, then please start your own thread. I will ask the Mods to remove posts that stray off-topic in this manner. Thanks!

Edited March 1, 2016 by connda

[GuestHouse]

My advice is ask around your local community, there will be plenty of people growing their own vegetables, raising the chickens and pigs without the use of chemicals of GMO seeds.

[PT4]

1. Paleo Robbie organic fruits, vegetables and natural, pasture-fed meats -- but only Bangkok.

2. Lemon Farm healthy food shops -- only Bangkok (I think).

3. Eden shop, Chiang Mai, Nimmanhaeman Road, soi 12-14, in front of WarmUp bar. (still there?)

4. Good Karma Online Health Food, Phuket -- ships anywhere in Thailand.

Edited March 1, 2016 by PT4

[PT4]

Thank you "connda" for thinking to start this important topic.

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connda wrote: "looking for suggestion on how other individuals living in Thailand keep GMO products and chemical laced fruits, vegetables, and processed foods like breads out of their diet."

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After reading, "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis, I cut out 98% of all wheat and other grains -- the most common sources of GMO. It has not been easy to do. (And once in a while I'll indulge in a chocolate brownie or a British pie. )

I've also stopped eating fruits and vegetables. That's right; you will not find fruit or vegetables in my kitchen. (Other than a few bits of garlic, onion, and spices for seasoning soups.) There are many health reasons for avoiding fruits and vegetables, in addition to avoiding GMO.

Finding chemical-free meats is easy in Bangkok: Villa and TOPS especially. Also easy to find items such as bones from pasture-fed cows to make beef soup. Feel better than ever eating limited foods like this. When I indulge in that chocolate brownie, likely made with GMO wheat, I feel "low" for 2-3 days, but changing the eating patterns of a lifetime is very difficult.

[Hawkup2000]

Avoid cauliflower if you're scared of GMO. All cauliflowers on this earth is from the origin GMO.

[connda]

Avoid cauliflower if you're scared of GMO. All cauliflowers on this earth is from the origin GMO.

I found this article on that family of vegetable. They can be GMO, but historically Cruciferous vegetables were cultivated over long periods of time. Cultivation and cross-breeding is ok in my book. It's manipulation of genetics though natural processes. With calciferous vegetable, I'm more worried about pesticide residue. Bugs like them too.

http://www.ponderweasel.com/broccoli-man-made-food/

[CaptHaddock]

I think it is hopeless. I read of a test of salmon in the US recently that showed that 30% of the supposedly "wild caught" salmon was in fact farm-produced. Hardly surprising. I would have thought the percentage of fraud would be even higher. So, with organic and non-GMO, the consumer has no way to determine whether the food item is fraudulently labeled or not. It seems reasonable to expect that a high percentage is not what it claims to be.

All you really know is that you are paying more.