WHAT IS A GMO??

 

 

I know many of us have been cruising the supermarket aisles and noticing packages boasting that they are Non-GMO foods....Great....but do you know what it means??????  If you are like so many of us...let me provide you some brief facts so you can get it on the conversation.
GMO stands for "Genetically Modified Organisms".  They are basically any living organism whose genetic material has been artificially changed in a lab somewhere by a "white lab coat" wearing person by means of genetic engineering.  Sounds yummy doesn't it!!!!  What this process does is it creates unstable combinations of animal, plant, bacterial and viral genes (not the blue ones we love!!) that do not naturally exist in nature. Why do they do this you may be asking??  Well, they do this so that the product can withstand direct application of herbicide and or to produce an insecticide. They claim that a GMO food may offer increased yield, help promote drought tolerance, and get this....enhanced nutrition (What???).  How do we know if a food we purchase contains a GMO you ask??  The answer....we have no mandatory labeling policy in place!!  That's why we are seeing more food items in the supermarket with lovely labels bragging that it is  "NON GMO Project Verified".  If you can believe this......80% of conventional processed food in our very own stores contain GMO's!!!
So now you have the basic skinny on it....I wanted to keep it light, but we will talk more about GMO's for sure!!!!



FEED YOUR BODY, BUT DON'T FORGET TO FEED YOUR SOUL

 

 

 

It's very interesting... we all constantly speak about feeding our bodies with the best nutrition possible on a daily basis, but how many of us feel it is just as important....if not even more important at times than to feed our souls??  I'm sure we all have a very different answer as to how we go about doing this....it could be a walk, it could be just reading a good book, it could be watching a baby in a store, or it could be watching our children smile.  There are a million answers to this question and they would all be correct because it is a very personal answer for us all. 

 

I just returned from a beautiful vacation with my family.....

 

But guess what....I didn't have to go on an airplane to find peace and you don't have to either!! As a dietitian, I always discuss healthier eating habits.......but it's not always all about what is going into your body, but rather....what is going on in your mind.  Find some peace within yourself every day!!!!  Go outside and listen to nature, watch a sunset, listen to the ocean and the laughter of children.....just find what brings you peace and BREATHE!!!

 

No food talk today folks...............just please don't forget to feed your soul and you'll be amazed at how it might change you!!!





WANT A ROCKIN 4TH OF JULY RED, WHITE, AND BLUE TREAT!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 4th of July to you all!!!  Any opportunity I can take to make some kind of themed trifle....I get so excited!!  Trifles are so cool because they look as if you've slaved in the kitchen all day baking something truly special for everyone to enjoy, but in reality they are so easy and fun to make.  O.K....I am no Martha Stewart...I start with a boxed cake mix (yeah...so what!!) or even better, your local supermarket always has some fresh baked pound cake or angel food cake ready for you pick up and take home.  You can make a trifle in a big glass trifle dish or even more fun, you can use small plastic "clear" cups for individual trifles.  Ingredients are easy....start the bottom layer with cubed angel food or pound cake. Next layer, add vanilla pudding (Jello brand already prepared is my favorite!).   Then, add a layer of blueberries and another layer of cake.  Last, add a layer of whipped cream (I like Cool Whip!!) and then top with strawberries or raspberries.  Yum, Yum!!!! Now dig in and enjoy this tasty treat guilt free.  If you do make a large trifle.....a sparkler inserted in the middle when serving makes quite the scene!   Remember, life is about BALANCE.....not SELF DEPRIVATION!!!  Celebrate our Independence!!