The document tells the story of Maja Kostova and her choice to lead a healthy lifestyle through consuming organic and non-GMO foods. She grew up eating foods with real flavors but notices foods today lack taste due to overuse of pesticides. While GMO foods may increase crop yields, they have detrimental health effects and lead to soil pollution. Maja grows her own organic foods and preserves them to eat year-round. She educates her nephew on healthy choices and rejects GMO products in favor of a lifestyle that promotes her and future generations' well-being.

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“Healthy meal – healthy choice”
- A story about keeping up with healthy food practices in urban areas
Written by: Maja Kostova
Project Assistant at NGO Eco Logic
www.glasproject.wordpress.com www.ecologic.mk

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My story starts with a negative attitude, but I promise it will get better.
When I was growing up, apples actually tasted like apples and the tomatoes like tomatoes. I did not
pay attention to what older people around me used to say: “Enjoy the real flavors kid while you still
can”. Slowly but surely I am starting to realize what they were trying to tell me. Unfortunately today
we are living in a time where we can’t actually distinguish apples from tomatoes with regards to their
taste.
In my country there is a city called Resen, famous for its apples. Pesticides from the green list are
expensive for the farmers, so they choose the cheaper option, which unfortunately is much more
dangerous. The scariest moment is that these apples are treated with pesticides 20 or more times per
year, which drastically increases the allowed limit of it in the fruit. I am aware that this increases the
apple production, yet, I still think that this contradicts the idiom “One apple a day, keeps the doctor
away”.
What happened?
Did we get to that point where we slowly but surely are becoming victims of GMO?
I can note that people still don’t understand completely the meaning of that term. I am not sure that
they understand the consequences GMO can cause both for them and their children.
Here is an example where we can clearly see the difference between GMO and organically grown
products.
The difference is more than obvious. What
would you choose?

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The World Leading Corporation for chemicals, agrochemicals and genetically modified seeds will start
its new branch in our country. Yes, this will open new jobs (which, in fact, is great), but for what cost?
New scientific research indicates that GMO is not the best option as its proponents tell us. The main
purpose of introducing GMO, supposedly, is to eliminate world hunger. But I can’t accept the fact that
these same corporations that have patented GMO are the same ones who are producing pesticides and
herbicides on which most of the GMO products are resistant. This last point opens a whole new
environmental topic, like the problem of soil pollution.
Changing the genetic material of our food (an essential prerequisite for life) leads to a change and
modification of our genetic material, as well. Surely, this may be the reason for many serious health
problems.
Healthy way of living and consuming healthy food in Macedonia, however, is still only a theory which is
rarely used in practice. There are healthy food campaigns, which, as mentioned previously, are just
theory. Here is an example for a healthy food campaign in Macedonia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETv9Jlkj1IE

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Every one of us has the right to choose the type of food they will consume, I choose food which is not
genetically modified and I will tell you my short story.
Consuming healthy food is a way of living and it is a personal choice.
I can’t say that I am consuming healthy food all the time, but I am trying to make it my first choice.
In the grocery shop, together with my nephew, we focus on the
fresh fruits and vegetables market corners. In my opinion, it is very
important for children to be thought to choose what is healthy
and good for them.
I myself was growing up with healthy organic food and I think
that is equally fair to give the same chance to the new
generations.
Alongside the benefits, life in big cities also has a big number of cons. We are busy most of the time and
it is not uncommon to leave our homes early in the morning and come back late at night. This kind of
lifestyle promotes eating processed food – not the best choice for us. But if we put some effort we could
still eat healthy food.
It happened so that my family and I have decided there is still a way to consume healthy food, besides
the fuss that life in big cities brings. On a small land parcel we chose to grow and breed our own
organic food (instead of constructing a big house).
From the beginning of April till the end of November we are eating fresh organic food grown by
ourselves.
We do not apply pesticides or herbicides, hence we are not polluting the soil, and by that our fruits and
vegetables are healthier for consumption than those on which pesticides were applied. From that
point we could be sure that what we eat is healthy and GMO free.

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Picking up fresh carrots. Healthy and fun all wrapped
in one. Even in late December we have fresh organic veggies.
This is the part of our garden where we plant
deferent kind of peppers and lettuce.
On this photo you can see our wine yard where
we have different types of grapes such as cardinal,
hamburg and afus ali.
Unfortunately these photos are not showing the real beauty of gardening, and how it looks when
everything is green and full with deferent fruits and vegetables, but as soon as the first signs of spring
appear, I will share them with you. 

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The rest of the months we have our winter supplies of preserved food that we prepare on our own – so,
in winter, we can enjoy prune juice, apricot kompot, peaches, sour cherries, cherries, green and red
peppers, eggplants and different kinds of homemade jam. The process of preparation of all these food
categories involves no additives, no extra sugar and minimal thermal processing, so that vitamins and
minerals are preserved.
In winter, we select only fresh fruits and veggies from the local market that are locally grown. It is well
known that local products are tastier, genetically cleaner, and in general are healthier for ourselves,
and besides they are environmentally friendlier since no boxes and storage containers are being used.

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Besides fruits and veggies, we also pay attention of the quality of meat, eggs and dairy products we
use on a daily base. We prefer meat from animals fed with organically grown crops, breaded in local
farms.
We consume poultry and eggs from our own chickens. They are fed with additive-free food, and they
are not kept in cages. They grow in a healthy and clean environment.

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Apart from the healthy food I obtain from my land parcel, I also enjoy nature together with my friends,
with a cup of coffee or tea, fresh air and the inevitable smile on our faces.
I’ve chosen healthy food and have rejected GMO products that show detrimental effects on my health
and the overall health of today’s and future generations.
What choice did YOU made?
Context Message
 A story about making healthy choices
 Staying healthy by choosing healthy food
 The significance of organic food
production
 Taking care of our future generations
 Detrimental effects of GMO
consumption
 Taking care of the environment
 Promoting local farms and green
markets
 Stop soil pollution with pesticides and
herbicides
 Education of children about the healthy
food concept
 Changing our way of life into a healthier
direction
- This biographical story is produced as part of the activities of the project GLAS – ,,Good Life
and Sustainability”, an international collaboration between organizations from Germany, Estonia,
Italy and Macedonia. The project is supported by ERAZMUS+ Programme.