Spring Cleaning Time for GMOs

May/01/2012 02:05 AM

Ok so when I shared the craziness yesterday about GMO's and genetically engineered foods, I wasn't planning on there being a "part 2", but ugh, I couldn't NOT share this one more thing.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine publicly condemned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply, due to their serious health risk. Although the evidence against GMO's is alarming, and the government and food industry are keeping a lid on it while ignoring and denying scientific findings and silencing those who speak up... one thing is for sure. The same foods (GMOs) that are killing lab animals and farm animals and causing serious reproductive disorders, liver problems, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and changes in major organs are being pumped into our food supply big time. "More than 70% of the foods on supermarket shelves contain derivatives of the eight GM foods on the market- soy, corn, oil from canola and cottonseed, sugar from sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and a small amount of zucchini and crook neck squash. The biotech industry hopes to genetically engineer virtually all remaining vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans (not to mention animals)." Want to know more? Here's a really excellent article on the Big GMO Coverup, and here's "GM Crops- Just the Science" prepared by researchers and scientists, written in plain English for the general public.

The AAEM "called on the US government to implement an immediate moratorium on all genetically modified (GM) foods, and urged physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients." Much of Europe and other developed countries already have them banned.

In the mean time, why not do a little Spring Cleaning in your pantry, overhauling the GMOs? If you want to stop being part of this experiment, cast your vote with your wallet! The four simplest tips include:

1- Buy organic foods!
2- Look for "Non-GMO Project" verified seals (shown to the right).
3- Avoid at-risk ingredients including soybeans, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sugar from sugarbeets, especially when not buying organic food.
4- Buy Products listed in the Non-GMO Shopping Guide (This is a great resource with handy tips to make you a more informed shopper... they even have a handy downloadable phone app!)

Here's the official non-GMO Project website, which is a neat project immediately providing customers with an informed choice without dependency on government action! You can search through verified products to make an informed choice, or even make a product verification request for a food product you like. Either it's already verified (great!) or your request will let the company know that non-GMO verification is important to you! Let your voice be heard! Until the FDA requires labeling (join over a million other Americans who've signed the petition HERE), this is a way YOU can directly show companies that their consumers want GMO-free foods.

(source)

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No Way Jose!!

Apr/30/2012 11:10 PM

You know how I've shared a couple things for eating healthier this year? Like... My Top Choices of Cookbooks to ROCK your SOCKS off, and the freaky picture of a McDonald's meal to nudge you away from processed food?

Well, I have another doozy for you! Let's say you ARE trying to make reasonable decisions when buying food for your family. What you may not realize is that there are lots of chemicals in foods that WEREN'T THERE when we were kids. You surely wouldn't feed your kids insecticide, would you? Well, did you know that corn is now regulated by the EPA as insecticide? That's because it's been genetically modified produce its own insecticide internally and to withstand increasing doses of weed killers.

Let me introduce you to "genetically engineered foods" and "genetically modified organisms."

Here in the US, unlike most other developed countries, we have no laws requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. And they're pretty common. This means that we aren't able to make an informed choice. If you think you have the right to know what you're feeding your family, tell the FDA to label GMOs (it's quick & easy). Visit www.justlabelit.org to find out more about it!

I also watched a video that I just had to share! It's about thirty minutes long, but I'd really highly recommend taking the time to sit down and view it. Trust me on this one, K?

You know if I'm putting in a plug for it, it has to be worth your time. Especially since the last time I did that was... well... never.

Let me know what you think!

(*update: See PART TWO of this post HERE: "Spring Cleaning Time for GMOs!")

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Just in case you need a little nudge...

Jan/24/2012 09:03 PM

Hey guys, remember about a week ago when I posted my Top Choices of Cookbooks to ROCK your SOCKS off?!? Well, I hope you're all rockin' it out making some healthy food. But just in case you aren't, I HAD to share this little bit of extra motivation with you, that I just came across. Don't worry... it won't take long. And perhaps it will give you the extra nudge you need to cut back on the processed foods.

Are you ready to be grossed out?

You know how real food goes bad? Over time it decays... it molds... and it stinks. Man-made "processed food" doesn't do that. I once heard of someone forgetting that they had a box of McDonald's nuggets sitting on top of their refrigerator for a long time- several months or maybe a year. When they found it, the nuggets looked totally normal, they hadn't molded or decayed at all!

One doctor set this "processed food" on her counter since 2010 and 2011 just "to show people what they're putting in their bodies.....

Pasted Graphic

... This is man-made "processed-food," not "real food."... it has kept its original size, shape and texture. Your body has to work harder to break down and digest this stuff over real food."38

Um, if that doesn't gross you out to eat fast food, I don't know what will. Blech! Ugh. Realize that this is coming from an ex-McDonald's LOVER. Love. Er. I loved it. Past tense. I mean, it does still taste good, but since I've come to the realization that it's not actually food... well... things have changed a little. Actually, my husband and I "quit" cold turkey after reading Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock... the guy who did the movie "Super-Size Me." It was like ripping off a bandaid. A really painful one. But I diverse...

If you're interested in healthy eating, then be sure to check out my Nifty Nutrition page. I have helpful resources to show you WHY and HOW to change the way you eat, along with enemies to your health to be aware of. I've also got good resources for cooking, kids nutrition, and even a link to where you can find nutritional info for most any restaurant you can imagine. (Just don't order a bloomin' onion. Ever.)

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My top choices of cookbooks to ROCK your socks off!!!

Jan/17/2012 10:15 PM

Being the first of the year, I imagine a lot of us have resolved to make healthier decisions. To do that, I have FOUR FABULOUS cookbook recommendations for you. But first, let me just tell you a little about how I roll. If you've visited my nutrition page, which includes both HOW and WHY to change the way you cook & eat... you know that I do care about making food that's reasonably healthy and not complete junk. I'm not into all the packaged, processed, hydrogenated junk that turns us into chunky monkeys. But, my family likes regular food like pizza and enchiladas and I will forever be a mac & cheese lover. So where does that leave me as the main meal preparer?

Well, I can tell you one thing... if I'm going to the trouble of MAKING food for my family to eat instead of getting take-out, it better TASTE GOOD or else it's not worth my effort! I'm not the kind of gal who eats rice cakes. I like real food with fresh ingredients. I don't want to diet or weigh out serving sizes. I just want a collection of do-able recipes that are yummy and nourishing too.

If you're interested in changing the way you cook and eat, you're ready to wean yourself from excessive processed junk that makes you gain weight and feel sluggish, but you don't really know where to go from here... then perhaps my cookbook recommendations will help. I've kindof bumbled around a bit in this area for a while, trying to find that happy balance between "healthy" food and "yummy" food... finding a recipe here and there that was fabulous, simple, and healthy. Now I finally feel like I have a couple of good GO-TO sources for recipes that fit my nutrition approach AND taste great.

Click HERE to see my Four Top Picks of Recipe Books of All Time.
They are pretty much LEGEND.
(This page is currently being featured at HERE, at Veronica's Cornucopia!! Thanks, V!)

Click HERE to visit my Nifty Nutrition Page, which also includes:

WHY & HOW to change the way you cook & eat

ENEMIES to your health

Meal planning choices

Guide to Kids' Nutrition

Mommy-made baby food

Enjoy! And have a happy, healthy new year!!!

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Mommy-Made Baby Food

Sep/30/2011 03:59 PM

I updated my "Mommy-Made Baby Food" page! Now that I'm making it for my second baby, I've tweaked my system a bit and made it even better

If you've got any interest in making fresh purees for your wee ones, check it out HERE!

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Paper Back Swap!!

Nov/02/2010 08:21 PM

Nifty and Thrifty!

Check out Paper Back Swap!! You can "swap" your books that you no longer want, for books you do want! You can swap paperback or hardcover, even audio books, but they must all be in good condition.) After you've listed at least 10 books, you receive 2 free credits so you can go ahead and receive 2 books to get started. Each book costs 1 credit (books on tape are normally 2 credits). You pay no money for the books you receive - but you pay the postage (usually $2-$3) to mail a book media mail or the cheapest rate (when someone requests one of your books). They even have a handy 2-page mailing-label page to print out - and you can wrap it around your book and not even pay for an envelope! Or you can print out one page with the mailing address and attach it to a larger mailing envelope.

This is a great way to get a lot of books for your family! They also have two sister sites for swapping CD's and DVD's, and you can transfer your credits between the various sites.

If you do sign up, I'd appreciate it if you tell them I referred you (put "spunkytigrr" in the referral box)! Thanks!

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