What Foods You Should Avoid

According to a recent article published inGreen American magazine, 93 percent of Americans believe that genetically modified foods should be labeled. However, only USDA-certified organic products cannot intentionally contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), so identifying GMO foods and products in a typical U.S. grocery store is difficult. The following information can help.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that large percentages of the nation’s crops were genetically modified in 2011: 94 percent of conventional soy and soy products; 90 percent of cottonseed, a common ingredient in margarine, salad dressings and oils; and 88 percent of corn, contained in breakfast cereals, corn flour products such as chips and tortillas, high-fructose corn syrup, soups and condiments. More than 90 percent of the U.S. canola crop also is now genetically modified.

The Independent, one of England’s leading newspapers, reported in 1999 that the artificial sweetener aspartame has been made with genetically modified bacteria since 1965. Aspartame, inconclusively linked with numerous health risks, is present in more than 6,000 products, including diet sodas. Two other ubiquitous artificial sweeteners, Nutrasweet and Equal, also contain aspartame.

The USDA further lists 95 percent of the 2009 U.S. sugar beet crop, used to produce conventional sugar, as genetically modified. NonGMO alternative sweeteners include pure cane sugar and honey from organic farms.

Source: GreenAmerica.org

Best Snow Removal Tips

For homeowners in colder regions, winter calls for snow removal. Driveways and walks need to be cleaned off for function and safety with as much ease as possible. Here are some tips from OldHouseWeb.com that can help.

Clear the snow early in the day and then let the sun’s radiant heat warm the surface to keep it safe and dry. Be kind to yourself—shovel before the snow reaches more than a few inches high. Removing relatively low layers several times is less taxing on the body than waiting and trying to deal later with a higher pile from a major storm. Make sure to bend at the knees and keep the back as vertically straight as possible when shoveling, to avoid back strain.

If opting for a snow blower, an electric machine is cleaner, quieter and easier to maintain, especially if it has solar panels. For more power, consider a dieselpowered unit that uses bio-diesel fuel. As a step up from old-fashioned fossil fuel machines, Honda makes a hybrid model with emissions 30 percent lower than Environmental Protection Agency Phase 2 standards.

Putting down some sand or black wood ash on dry surfaces will effect more traction during snow removal, plus help melt and evaporate some snowflakes when they land. A green option is EcoTraction, made by Earth Innovations from hydrothermal volcanic materials that absorb water. Sand should be used sparingly because it can clog local storm drains and create excess silt in waterways.

When considering ice-melting agents, be careful and wise. Many products claim to be green or eco-friendly, but contain harmful chlorides or acetates. Salt is bad for pets, grass, plants and vehicles, and will pollute local waterways. Products containing acetates are generally less corrosive than salts, but recent research has shown that potassium acetate, often used at airports, is toxic to marine life.

Health and Safety are Question Marks

MELINDA HEMMELGARN

The food industry tells consumers that genetically engineered foods are safe. On university campuses, agriculture students learn that such genetically modified organisms (GMO) are both safe and necessary to feed the world. The Council for Biotechnology Information, a biotech industry-supported nonprofit, even created a coloring book to teach children about the many benefits of GMO crops, including improved nutrition.

Most GMO crops have been genetically engineered to withstand spraying with herbicides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup-Ready soybeans, or to produce their own pesticides, such as “Bt” corn and cotton. Bill Freese, a science policy analyst at the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, warns us to be leery of simplistic claims that don’t take into account unintended consequences. For example, he points out that, “GMO crops have nothing to do with feeding the world, because almost all genetically engineered crops are corn and soybeans... used to feed livestock in rich countries, or to feed automobiles.” Approximately 40 percent of corn currently is used to make ethanol.

How to Sizzle, not Fizzle

DEBRA MELANI

As millions of Americans ponder quitting newly launched fitness resolutions after finding it tough to squeeze in toning workouts or sweat off a few extra pounds, researchers implore: Don’t give up. Just pump out 20 minutes a day of any kind of exercise—take a brisk walk, jog, lift weights—and stop sitting so much. Results can bring a healthier, more youthful feeling of well-being, akin to what explorer Juan Ponce de León sought in the Americas long ago.

In a recently completed study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers followed up with more than 18,000 middle-aged men and women that had been tested an average of 26 years earlier for cardiorespiratory fitness via a treadmill test. They compared those results with the individuals’ current Medicare data at the Cooper Institute Clinic, in Dallas, Texas.