What in the world is a transgenic organism? Ever notice the phrase, "Non-GMO" on the food items you pick up at the grocery store? Do you know what it means? GMO actually stands for "Genetically Modified Organism", or in scientific terms, a "transgenic organism". A transgenic organism is one that has been genetically-altered in the lab by inserting mutations into the genes through bio-engineering, thus creating a plant with new characteristics. So, a "non-GMO" food item, then, is one that is occurring in its natural state, the only way foods were ever sold up until recent years and, in my opinion, the only way food was meant to be eaten.

Have you ever wondered why food is being genetically modified in the first place, and why such a push toward transgenic organisms? I've often wondered about this, and have done much research on the topic. From what I've learned, seed crops are quietly being altered in such a way that potent weed killers, pesticides, and insecticides can be applied to the growing plants without harming them; This is called herbicide tolerance. In other words, the weed killer will eradicate any natural, Non GMO plants and weeds growing in the field, but the weed killer will not harm the GMO crops, which are then to be transported to us to eat. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't really like the idea of consuming all those pesticides and weed killers along with my daily food. Since a transgenic plant has been modified at the DNA level, that means that the resulting plant—its leaves, fruit, or vegetables—will all contain those same alterations.

I happen to have a basic appreciation of food. I see a strong connection between the quality of what we eat and the quality of our health and well-being. Are you familiar with the expression, "Garbage in, garbage out"? It's true of the connection between food and health, too. You can't put junk food in and expect vibrant good health and well-being to come out. Just as you would not think of putting a low-grade fuel into a finely-tuned sports car and expect to get great performance out of it, neither can our bodies operate indefinitely on "fuel" that is not high quality without breaking down. Food is the fuel we provide for our bodies, and I for one don't want my food/fuel contaminated with lots of toxic by-products that put a heavy burden on my body.

There are a growing number of people out there speaking against these changes which are insidiously being made to our food supply. The science of transgenic plants is such a new field, that there has not been sufficient time for long-term research to determine what effects it will have on a whole generation of people. In actuality, the average person is the guinea pig in this experiment.

There is strong belief among many that the changes to our food supply could be one of the contributing factors in the recent surge we've been seeing in the amount of auto-immune and degenerative disorders in the United States and elsewhere. It is an interesting fact to note that many European countries have been very careful in the past about GMO foods and products coming from genetic engineering, taking a stance that it's better to be on the side of caution until sufficient proof has come out demonstrating the safety of genetically modified crops. How come the United States isn't showing that same level of concern for its citizens?