Posted on

5 Foods You Didn’t Know Were Genetically Modified

Surprising GMOs in your fridge and pantry GMOs, plants and animals whose genes have been manipulated in a laboratory, have become something of a boogeyman in recent years. But a report from the advisory group the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has determined that GMOs are safe to eat and no different from regular crops. That’s good news for food production-nearly 90 percent of corn and 94 percent of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified to resist weed killers.

Corn, soy and other GMOs are commonly used to produce everyday foods. Read on to learn more about genetically modified organisms-and five surprising kitchen staples that are produced with GMOs.

Ice Cream

Ice cream is basically just milk and sugar whipped into frozen deliciousness. Sounds simple, but there’s a good chance the ice cream you reach for on a hot summer day is made with genetically modified ingredients. More than half of the sugar produced in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, most of which are genetically modified to resist herbicides. While some brands, such as Ben and Jerry’s and Dreyer’s, have moved away from GMO ingredients, other brands still use them.

Wine

Call it Frankenwine if you will. Researchers are working on genetically engineered grapes that are more disease-resistant and grow in non-native areas, but so far wine industry groups and consumers have opposed them.

Salmon

When most people hear the term “GMO,” they usually think of crops like corn. But in November 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first genetically modified animal: salmon. Known as AquAdvantage, it’s an Atlantic salmon modified with genetic material from Chinook salmon and ocean pout that grows to market size twice as fast as unmodified Atlantic salmon. It won’t be imported from its Panama-based farms, however, until the FDA finalizes labeling requirements for the fish.

Baby Formula

Baby formula is the safest, most effective way for mothers who can’t or don’t want to breastfeed to ensure their babies get the nutrients they need. And while many formula brands offer wholly organic lines of product, many others contain vegetable and soy oil that could be genetically engineered.

Condiments

Where would summer barbecues be without mayonnaise, ketchup and barbecue sauce? Many common condiment brands use GMO ingredients. Mayonnaise is soybean oil-based, while ketchup and barbecue sauce contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Even many types of commercially available salsa contain sugar, often derived from sugar beets.

Even though the study I mentioned earlier stated that GMOs are safe to eat, I still recommend eating as many whole foods the way God created them.

Posted on

5 Foods To Avoid Before Bedtime

Foods to Avoid Before Bedtime
Chocolate, wine and more of your favorites could be stealing your sleep. If you thought your diet and nightly slumber were unrelated, you thought wrong. In fact, the food you eat before hitting the hay could be sabotaging your sleep.

Though late dinners are occasionally unavoidable, studies suggest evening meals and nighttime snacking, regardless of what you munch on, are associated with poorer sleep quality. Some foods, however, are worse than others. Knowing which foods to avoid before bed could mean the difference between a restful snooze and a night full of tossing and turning.

Chocolate

Dark chocolate can be good for your heart, but, this creamy, bitter treat may not be conducive to a good night’s sleep.

The antioxidants found in dark chocolate, many of which come from cocoa beans, are responsible for heart health benefits like increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels and healthier blood vessels. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the greater the benefits-and the more caffeine it contains. One ounce of 70 percent cocoa dark chocolate holds 40 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as half a cup of coffee. It’s no wonder munching a morsel before bed might make sleep a lofty dream.

Fatty Foods

There’s a time and place for fatty foods in a healthy diet, but that time is most certainly not before jumping into bed.

Red or processed meats, fried treats and greasy junk food like potato chips all contain high levels of fat. Fat can aggravate heartburn, a symptom of acid reflux in which stomach acid makes its way into your esophagus. Heartburn can make falling asleep difficult, and the pain can cause you to wake throughout the night. If you’re going to indulge, do it at least three hours before hitting the sack.

Alcohol

As anyone who’s knocked back a few too many can tell you, alcohol makes you drowsy. But this sleepy feeling doesn’t necessarily translate to a restful slumber. Alcohol can inhibit restorative sleep, aggravate existing breathing problems and cause you to wake up several times throughout the night.

One review of 20 studies suggested the more alcohol consumed before bed, the greater the negative impact on sleep quality. And while a sleepless night or two won’t send your body into shock, interrupting your nightly slumber with a cocktail could result in more fatigue and stress.

Spicy Foods

Fiery cuisine won’t cause nightmares, but it could disrupt your dozing. For some, spicy food aggravates acid reflux, which can cause heartburn and damage the esophagus. If your esophagus is already damaged by reflux, it can be irritated even further by eating spicy food.

To make matters worse, symptoms of acid reflux may worsen when lying down, and sleep troubles, like insomnia, are more common among those with acid reflux.

A spicy curry dish may also interfere with sleep in other ways. At least one small study suggests men had more trouble falling and staying asleep after consuming a meal with hot sauce and mustard.

Ice Cream

As you lay your head to rest, you might regret the heaping spoonful’s of ice cream you enjoyed during your girls’ night or ate in hopes of mending a broken heart.

Ice cream is loaded with fat and sugar; one cup of chocolate ice cream, for example, contains 14 grams of fat and 34 grams of sugar. Both are associated with lighter and more interrupted sleep, one study suggests.

Another study links poor sleep to cravings for junk food, meaning the process could be cyclical-and even worse for your waistline.

Still hungry? Try these instead: an apple paired with a low-fat string cheese or whole grain crackers and organic nut butters.