Much of the corn, soy and canola grown in the United States is genetically modified. These three crops are used in many derivative ingredients such as HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) a sweetener found in “processed foods and beverages, including breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments” (source: Wikipedia). Ingredients made from the soybean is also widely used – soy oil, textured vegetable protein, animal feed, etc. Canola oil is a major ingredient in the food industry.

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GMOs Are Unnatural

GMOs are not bred by natural means. Natural means of breeding, like cross-breeding, has been the only way to create new plant varieties until recently and has always involved organisms of the same species. GMOs, on the other hand, are made in the lab and is not limited to organisms within the same species. GMO foods are created by unnatural processes. Despite their wide distribution and consumption – mostly by an unsuspecting public – there have been no studies that track the long term effects on humans. GMO foods have been given a pass from the authorities here in the U.S. without sufficient study as to the possible health effects they may have on the human body or to possible genetic effects in the environment.

Avoid GMO Foods

When you shop for your food, be careful and read all the labels. Currently, there are no regulations that require food producers to label food products that contain GMOs. Any product containing corn, soy or canola food products (such as high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, soy oil or canola oil) can be considered to be genetically modified if they are not organic. The easiest way to avoid them is to buy organic foods. According to the USDA, they certify that organic foods are completely natural and are not permitted to be bio-engineered in any manner.

Consuming GMO Foods May Cause Obesity

Now there is even concern that GMO foods may be the cause of the obesity epidemic in America. In a video at the naturalnews.tv website, a solid argument is put forth that obesity in America may have actually been caused by GMO foods because obesity has been on the rise ever since GMO foods were first introduced into the American food supply in the mid 1990s. You can view the video at the naturalnews.tv website and judge for yourself.

Become Knowledgeable

At any rate, take the time to learn about GMO foods and make sure you are buying good, healthy, natural food – in as natural a state as you can manage. It is true that people lead very busy lives and it can sometimes be a struggle to buy healthy food and prepare it properly. But a lot is at stake. Your health is important and it is important to know about these things for you to stay strong and healthy.

Start by soaking some raw almonds in water overnight (between 12 to 24 hours). The next day, rinse the soaked nuts and add them to a blender along with 4 cups of water, some blue agave nectar and a little vanilla extract. Simply blend it and strain it.

If you make a lot of nut milk, you can buy a nut milk bag. You can obtain one online from many sources at a reasonable cost. It will make the straining step a lot easier and you can reuse the bag over and over.

The main ingredients of this salad dressing are olive oil and red wine vinegar. These are typical ingredients found in Mediterranean foods so I call it “Mediterranean Salad Dressing.” It also has a spicy flavor because it has curry powder, pepper and Dijon mustard. Place it in the refrigerator after mixing and shake it up real good before using it.

Currently, there are some chickens being peddled as “Free Range” which are pretty much meaningless. The term, “Free Range”, does not mean it was not fed with corn laced with chemicals, and the terms “no added hormones or antibiotics” doesn’t mean that the growers didn’t add the chemicals into the food, so caveat emptor, “Let the buyer beware.”

Hormones and antibiotics make chickens grow much larger than they do naturally. Good, healthy chickens that weigh around 3 lbs. or just over that is about as big as they should be. I am suspicious of gigantic chicken breasts being sold as “Free Range.” If the chicken looks too big, it was probably given hormones and antibiotics. I like the chickens from Mary’s Pasture Raised Chickens. They are available locally at Whole Foods Markets.

This is a big reason for cooking your own food. Always try to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and prepare them yourself on the spot. Fresh cooked foods will be at their peak of nutritional value and is one of the main working principles of my eating plan to lose weight. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but please, for your own safety and health,  try to avoid canned foods as much as possible.

In the article Amy Spencer points out these facts:

• Stars hire private chefs
• They buy and cook natural foods

“Stars pay to eat right. And they pay big”, says the writer, who also points out,
“A full-time private celebrity chef earns an annual salary of up to $150,000 plus health benefits; the average rate for such chefs in Los Angeles not on salary is about $350 to $500 per day”

The Importance of Natural Foods for Weight Loss

The writer also quotes Suyai Steinhauer former contestant on “Top Chef” and Bethenny Frankel, a finalist on “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” in 2005. Suyai Steinhauer states, “The higher famous people are on the food chain, the more they spend on the ingredients they eat.” I have found this to be true with our household food bills, but the average person doesn’t require a star’s salary to eat well. We shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It is true that food is generally more expensive at Whole Foods, but if you plan your meals and shop accordingly it is not out of reach for the average person.

In the article Bethenny Frankel points out: “When losing weight can make or break a shot at a role for a client, Frankel steers the star toward a healthy diet rather than a quick-fix fast.” This backs up my point that it is more important to lose weight slowly than quickly. There is always the danger that if you lose weight too fast you stand a greater chance of re-gaining it.

The Importance of Cooking to Lose Weight

My eating plan stresses the importance of cooking. This has always been a missing fact in my earlier attempts to lose weight. In fact, this is one of the secrets to permanent weight loss. In the article, Amy Spencer points out: “Celebrities already have one thing going for them when it comes to making their diets better and healthier: ‘Just having a chef do the cooking makes things seem better tasting than they are,’ Frankel says. ‘At home, I don’t steam greens and make brown rice plates. It wouldn’t taste as good if I made it myself.’”

Well, that might be true for a celebrity, but believe me, your cooking can taste good. Cooking is not difficult and does not have to be time consuming, either.