You may be conscientious about choosing foods that are good for the earth as well as for yourself – organic, local, minimally processed – but you may still be buying foods that are not earth-friendly. Or people-friendly. Yes, we’re talking about GMO – genetically modified organisms.

What is a genetically modified organism, and what does it mean to you? A GMO is typically a plant into which scientists have inserted altered DNA, which causes resistance to a pesticide, hardiness, or superior growth. This allows farmers to drench the growing plants in pesticides, or it causes the plants to create their own pesticides as they grow. So unless you’re eating USDA Organic Certified corn, soy, meat, and a myriad of other foods, you may be ingesting pesticides.

Doesn’t sound healthy to us!

Even wise shoppers in the aisles of stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, who wince at the very thought of genetically modified frankenfoods, may consume them unknowingly. 90% of corn and soybeans raised in the U.S. are GMO’s. 20% of Trader Joe’s products contain GMO’s. Whole Foods has some, too.

So what can you do? If you buy products such as soy, cotton, corn, canola, sugar from sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, some zucchini, and crookneck squash, make sure they’re USDA Certified Organic. Join the Millions against Monsanto Campaign, and let companies like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s know that they need to clearly label GMO foods, or else go 100% GMO-free.

Contributed by Mina Arasteh