Genetically Modified Foods - Some are scary!

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First of all, congratulations to all those who participated in the 10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter Program. They took off over 74lbs collectively. Great job!
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Genetically modified (GM) food should not frighten you. We have been genetically impacting food throughout history. In the past, however, it took years to accomplish hybridization and crossbreeding. For example, farmers would identify the healthiest bull and breed it with the cows. By matching the best to the best in the plant, livestock and fishery worlds, we combined the strongest or best genes to yield the desired characteristics.

Today the technique is faster and less haphazard. Researchers can identify the genes responsible for a particular trait and reorganize them or insert them into the cells of another plant or animal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's goals for genetic engineering are to increase production potential, improve natural resistance to pests and diseases and to develop more nutritious plant and animal products.

To date genetic engineering has yielded several great products: ripening-delayed fruits, potatoes that absorb less fat when fried, & squash that resists common plant viruses.

However, I think genetic modification has gone too far in some cases. Monsanto, the company that created the herbecide Roundup™, also developed genetically-modified corn, soybeans and sugar beets that are resistant to Roundup™. Presumably, farmers can plant these seeds, then pour the Monsanto herbecide all over their fields to prevent anything else from growing. I personally do not want to eat this kind of food even though it may be deemed safe.

We are in the infant stages of studying nutrition and are making great strides every decade. My intuition tells me that someday we may find some adverse health effect to herbicide-resistant produce. At that point my paranoia will have served me well. The bottom line: If you are wary too, buy organic when it comes to corn, soy and sugar products.
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http://www.grist.org/article/umbra-plu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
http://truefoodnow.org/

Now let's keep the weight off - Characteristics of Long-time Losers

Congratulations to the 10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter participants! We had a 100% success rate in losing weight…while statistics show a good percentage of the overall population gained weight in the last 2.5 months. I will post details about total weight loss and success stories in the coming week.

Now that we have lost the weight, let’s keep it off. The National Weight Control Registry is a database of over 5000 people who have lost between 30 and 300lbs (average 66lbs) and kept if off for 5 years or more. It is helpful to examine the strategies of these successful people. Here are some of the characteristics of those who successfully keep weight off:

• 78% eat breakfast every day.
• 75% weigh them self at least once a week.
• 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
• 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
• Participants report eating a low-fat (24-25% of total calories) diet.
  

These are great strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. You can read more about the National Weight Control Registry at their website.