Tag Archives: GMO

HealthBuzz November 9: Run for NYC, No GMO Labeling, Barack Obama’s Favorite Recipes, and Fall Soup Recipes

We are hours away from the weekend! Get ready with a healthy dose of news. We highlighted this week’s headliners from DIR which are GMO Labeling Losing in California, Marathoners Run to Recover NYC, and Nutristystem’s First Female CEO. Also we have headliners from the Atlantic.com, ABC’s Liz Neporent. Plus, see re-elected President Obama is eating at the White House and a healthy soup recipe from AroundThePlate.org.

GMO Labeling Didn’t Win the Battle in California, but We Haven’t Lost the War

For the past couple of months, millions united to educate the California electorate about GMO and Prop 37. Unfortunately, GMO labeling did not get enough ‘yes’ votes and there will be no law to inform consumers of what they’re eating. But those who were for GMO labeling are remaining optimistic, and we speak with Leah Segedie to understand why.

New York City Marathoners Run Anyway in the Race to Recover

Although the New York City Marathon was cancelled after Hurricane Sandy, runners still ran, but for a whole new cause. Hurricane Sandy left millions without power and a roof over their head. ING has transformed The 2024 ING New York City Marathon into “Race to Recover, which has raised about $2.6 million to assist those in need.

Nutrisystem Names Dawn Zier the Company’s First Female CEO

Female-centric brand Nutrisystem announced its new CEO this week, Dawn Zier, who will become the first female CEO for the company later this month. Zier will begin her new role on November 15, just weeks before “diet season.” It is unlikely that the company will have any major programs announced within the next couple of months, but it will be interesting to see what direction Nutrisystem takes under Zier. (more…)

GMO Labeling Didn’t Win the Battle in California, but We Haven’t Lost the War

What a night! Democracy in action kept most of us up very late on a work night as we watched the results come in for president and the various state issues. Many of us woke this morning with a mix of emotions as some of our policies passed and some did not. One issue in particular that kept us on our toes and saddened us this morning was the vote on proposition 37 in the state of California. As it looks this morning, food will not have to be labeled indicating its inclusion of GMOs, genetically modified organisms that require labeling in more than 50 other countries.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on this issue, stating that 94 percent of precincts had reported and by a narrow margin voters said no to GMO labeling. This was a hard blow this morning for those in the yes movement, but those who have fought so diligently on the campaign are remaining optimistic.

“This is only the beginning of consumer enlightenment and transparency in the food supply. We will prevail now,” commented Leah Segedie, a volunteer with California Right to Know and founder of Mamavation.

As it can be with all political issues, it probably came down to money. Those who were opposing the labeling ballot did so by saying that it would cost the consumers more money if foods were forced to label. This side also had big financial backers. The biotech giants who produce GMOs helped contribute to the $42 million the no campaign raised. Companies such as Monsanto, DOW, and even major food companies like Pepsi Co. all chipped in from their deep pockets to make sure the people do not have the right to know what’s in the food they purchase. Some surprising companies have donated to the “no” side as well. Companies we all deem as healthy and natural such as Horizon Organic, Cascadian Farms, and Kashi all have supported the no labeling vote. This really make you wonder about our “health food” companies. (more…)

HealthBuzz November 2: Halloween Candy Buy Back, GMO Facts, and Halloween Candy Recipes

We are hours away from the weekend, which means it is time for your weekly dose of healthy news! This week we have rounded up stories from Entertainment Weekly, Best Life Diet, and Yahoo! Shine. And while Halloween may be over, we’ve got treats that can be made with your leftover candy.

Eating Healthy on $12 Per Day Food Stamp Budget is Impossible and How the Next President May Make it Worse

With the elections coming up, government programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, could be changed drastically. DIR’s staff writer Lacy J. Hansen tried to feed her family healthy meals on a food stamp budget and barely made it. Read about Lacy’s food stamp project and tell us what you think!

Vanessa Lembo Lost 120 Pounds After Deciding She Was Worth The Change

This week’s true weight loss story features Vanessa from Upstate New York. After Vanessa’s mother’s passed, she knew she had to start living a healthy life. She ditched the bags of Dove chocolate for cardio and weight training. Tell us what you think about Vanessa’s weight loss journey!

Kids Sell Halloween Candy for Cash at Dental Buy Back Programs Across the Country

There is a new trend sweeping the nation – kids selling their Halloween candy back to dentist offices. Tooth decay and cavities are a result of children eating loads of Halloween candy. We found one kid who received $22 for selling his Halloween candy to a local dentist office! This is a neat way to get rid of the sugar high will still giving them a reason to celebrate. (more…)

HealthBuzz October 26: DIR Releases First eCookbook, 57 Types of Sugar, and Halloween Party Food Recipes

It’s the final Friday of the month! The weekend is approaching in a few hours and that means it is time for a dose of healthy news from DIR and our friends. So take some time out of your schedule to read the headlines from this week!

Announcing Baker’s Dozen: Our First eCookbook with 13 Healthier Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

We have launched our first ever eCookbook with 13 different recipes! The eCookbook is filled with healthy and delicious breakfast and brunch recipes and it only costs $1.99! Each dish is fresh, flavorful, and pretty easy to make! Download the eCookbook now because the first 100 get some cool prizes!

John Thompson’s 202 Pound Weight Loss Story

Imagine losing 200 pounds! John Thompson did just that after two years of exercising and eating a healthy diet. A few weeks ago John finished his first half marathon, too! Read more to learn about the small steps John took to achieve a healthy life.

7 Facts About GMOs to Convince You to Vote Yes on 37

Earlier this week I had to explain what a GMO is to 90 college students. It shocked me to see how many people didn’t understand what GMO is and the health risks it poses. If you do not know the facts about GMO then check out our list of 7 things you need to know. Read why voting yes to Prop 37 can help Americans see what they are putting into their bodies. (more…)

Creative Halloween Costumes Inspired by This Year’s Health and Fitness Trends

Halloween is next week and if you’re like many of us you haven’t gotten your costume yet. Fear not, we’ve got some great ideas for you. The world of fitness and health serves as creative inspiration for some of the most relevant and unique costumes. Check out some of our best ideas for “healthy” costumes this year.  We fully expect you to take home the costume prize with these ideas!

Weight Loss Before and After

We’ve all seen the pictures of a former overweight person standing in their old pants, pulling out the gaps in amazement at their former size. If that’s your reality too, flaunt it this year.  Show the world what you accomplished and have some fun with it. Stick some advertising bursts on your clothes stating your weight loss or even a before picture. You did the hard work, get some extra credit at your party this year. Need some inspiration to achieve your own real-life before and after? Check out our True Weight Loss Stories.

Extreme Marathoner

2024 saw a continual growth in marathoning, and the sport got some political notice as well. Dressing as a marathoner could be really fun when you go over the top with sweatbands, water bottles, a lap watch, and of course the big finishers medal. You could also take a poke at vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in your marathoner costume. Runners may never forgive him for saying he ran a sub-3 marathon, when in fact is was over 4 hours. Maybe throw on some Romney/Ryan campaign flare in the midst of the running garb and add a bib with Ryan’s name on it. But it seems like having a clock an hour or so off might really be the clincher. (more…)

Mark Bittman Proposes a Better Food Label

Food labeling is kind of a messy issue right now. On one side you have advocates of “Right to Know” fighting for GMO-containing products to be labeled as such. On the other side you have soda companies and fast food restaurants digging in their heels to fight laws that would require further nutrition information posted on vending machines and menu boards.

From this perspective, it seems there’s plenty of push and pull in this important debate. The worst part, however, is that the consumer is caught in the middle with the simple desire to know what’s in the food they buy and to feel good about what they put in their bodies.

While the discussion of food labeling may have multiple sides and a variety of opinions, an editorial piece by Mark Bittman published in The New York Times Saturday shined some much-needed light on the topic and offered a simple solution: Make labels honest, easy to read and understand, and useful to the health-conscious consumer.

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Empty Calories Comic: The GMO Trick in Halloween Treats

See more Empty Calories right here in the blog as we poke fun at the lighter side of dieting and weight loss. (more…)

Major Organic Brands, Like Kashi and Naked, Funding Anti-GMO Labeling Campaigns

It’s natural to assume the good in someone, or something. In this case, a brand. Brands like Kashi, Naked, Alexia, Larabar, and Silk have spent millions in marketing and packaging so that we’re comfortable with their do-gooder, earth-friendly, clean and organic food brand personas. These brands are the nemesis of classic grocery store junk. But they just may be the nemesis of conscious eaters everywhere, too, according to a new infographic produced by Cornucopia.org.

The vote in California next month on Prop 37, which would require labeling of GMO and GE food products, is as hot as the presidential election. That vote there, while only immediately effecting California, has the potential to create a new labeling standard across the country. As you can imagine, a GMO labeling law would require transparency where these brands have been able to slip under the radar previously. As well, where companies are the most concerned, it will cost them quite a bit of money to update labeling.


Right there in red and green, you can see which previously assumed supporters of natural, organic, clean foods are just a front for more secrecy behind the label. Dean Foods, parent of Horizon and Silk, has spent a quarter-million dollars to prevent labeling GMOs. Coca-Cola, with their Honest Tea and Odwalla brands, has spent 1.1 million dollars. Something about that doesn’t feel so honest. (more…)

Speak Up! Vote to Label GMOs on California’s Prop 37

There are several big changes proposed for this November’s ballot. Our country could see a new president elected, the government could feel a major party shift, and health care reform may be turned on its head. One issue that is so important to many of us is the labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). This issue hasn’t gotten as much national press as other hard-hitters, but it has made its way onto California’s ballot. In November, Californians will have the chance to change history and promote national change for our food, and ultimately our health. Proposition 37, calling for the labeling of all GMO foods, will be in the hands of the voters this fall.

This issue earned a space on the ballot after the CA Right to Know Campaign submitted nearly a million signatures declaring a desire for food labeling. Currently there is no way to know if the food you are purchasing is a GMO because the law in this country does not require it.

Stacey Malkan is the Media Director for the California Right to Know 2024 ballot initiative. She explained to us how the US is not keeping with the international trend of food labeling. “More than 40 other countries already require labeling of genetically engineered food so this is not anything out of the ordinary and is not rocket science — it’s about our fundamental right to know.” (more…)

Weight Loss and Better Health With Guidance from “Wheat Belly”

A few weeks ago my friend Michelle McNally tweeted a link to this interview with Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly. I was impressed with Dr. Davis, so I put it on my hold list at the library and started discussing it with people I respect. Michelle had already made several dietary changes for her family after her daughter was diagnosed with multiple (17) food sensitivities, but she changed her own diet even when her daughter was not around after reading this interview. Beyond wheat free, Michelle’s daughter is also sensitive to yeast, which eliminates some wheat-free choices in addition.

Hazel Walker is an author, speaker, and personal mentor. She states, “at age 55 I am looking closely at the cause and effect that some foods are having on MY Body. I had already given thought to wheat being an issue, this just confirmed what I thought.” Hazel has committed to 31 days wheat free. She taught me that gluten free, does not always mean wheat-free.

What really caught my attention was the quote from Dr. Davis, “what you are being sold called “wheat” is really not wheat at all, at least nothing like the wheat of 1950 that our mothers and grandmothers had. Modern wheat is the product of extensive genetics experiments conducted during the 1960s and 1970s to increase yield.” Eliminating partially hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup were my first steps to purifying my diet, and I have made every effort to avoid genetically modified foods. The thought that there may not be non-genetically modified wheat available in the United States any longer is frightening to me. I normally promote a balanced diet, avoiding processed foods but not any foods in particular. Cutting out wheat sounds very drastic, but as Dr. Davis says, “I don’t think that modern wheat should even be considered food…Modern wheat is not a creation of nature. It is the creation of geneticists.” (more…)