• “Let’s Move” includes the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will invest $400 million to bring grocery stores to “underprivileged” and offer incentives for neighborhood stores to stock up on healthier food options.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture will partner with schools across the nation to initiate guidelines set by the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge Program, which establishes comprehensive standards for schools’ food quality and involvement in meal programs.
• “Let’s Move “ will increase opportunities for physical activity that will address safe routes to walk and ride to school. Parks, playgrounds and community centers where they can play and be active after school, and sports, dance or fitness programs that are exciting and challenging.
• “Let’s Move” intends to help schools put into practice requirements made by The Child Nutrition Act. President Obama announced increase in the federal budget to make healthy meals served at all schools.You can read more about Mrs. Obama’s initiative on a newly launched Web site

                               

STEVIA Calories per tablespoon – 0
Sweetness: 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
What is Stevia: A natural sweet herb sold in granules or liquid form. Ranks zero on the glycemic index and it won’t cause your blood sugar to spike

MIRACLE FRUIT Calories per fruit – 0
Sweetness: Same as sugar
What is it: The Miracle Fruit produces berries that, when eaten, cause sour and bitter foods to taste sweet. After berry is consumed everything you eat including lemons will taste sweet for the next hour or so.

AGAVE Calories per tablespoon: 6
Sweetness: 1¼ times sweeter than sugar
What is it: Agave is a nectar made from a spiky cactus plant called Agave. Taste is comparable to honey but not identical. Low on Glycemic index.
                                       

HONEY Calories per tablespoon: 64
Sweetness: 1½ times sweeter than sugar
What is it: Honey is a thick liquid produced by certain types of bees from the nectar of flowers.
Honey is the most bioavailable sugar substitute and a great antioxidant food that won’t spike your blood sugar.

SUCANAT Calories per tablespoon: 64
Sweetness: Same as sugar
What is it: Sucanat is evaporated cane sugar. It stands for SUgar CAne NATural. Sucanat is a delightful tasting substitute (tastes much like brown sugar) that is a lot gentler on the body than regular white sugar.

Consumer Reports revealed that the presence of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in nearly all of the name-brand canned foods recently tested in their labs, including some that were labeled “BPA-free” and others labeled “organic.” Almost all of the 19 name-brand foods we tested contain some BPA.

The recognizable and trusted brand tested in the Consumer Reports labs was;  Campbell’s. After Progresso Vegetable Soup, Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup topped the list, containing the most BPA per serving of all the products reviewed.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical building block that is used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins which are used in metal can liners. Polycarbonate plastic is commonly found in food storage containers, baby bottles, water bottles, toys, compact discs, dental tooth fillers and medical devices.

The most recent studies show that Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body’s own hormones and may lead to negative health effects such as reproductive bnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.

If you’re concerned about potential risk, you can take simple steps to reduce your and your family’s exposure to BPA:

• Choose glass or BPA-free plastic baby bottles.
• Use glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers for hot foods and liquids.
• Avoid plastic containers with the No. 7 recycling label — they’re made with BPA.
• Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Instead, use glass containers designed for microwaving.
• Reduce your use of canned foods — many cans are lined with a BPA-containing resin.
• If you just can’t do without omitting canned foods from your diet take supplement high in antioxidants to combat free radicals caused by BPA.

The Franken Foods is genetically modified organisms. And chances are  that you had some for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner.

Genetic engineering is a radical new technology, one that breaks down fundamental genetic barriers between species, humans, animals, and plants.

Genetic engineering  artificially tampers with the DNA blueprints. Through genetic engineering, scientists insert the gene of one organism into another in an effort to replicate characteristics in the receiving organism.
 
It is now virtually impossible for Americans to avoid eating genetically modified organisms. Bioengineered corn and soybeans in particular are used as ingredients in a wide range of processed foods, from soft drinks and beer to breakfast cereal. They are also fed to farm animals. Even products found in health food stores, such as tofu and canola oil, often contain GMO (genetically modified organisms).

The rapidly growing biotech industry claims that their crops are more nutritious, flavorful, colorful and pest resistant. Growing number of critics warns of unintended consequences to human health and environmental destruction.

Cornell University researchers reported that monarch butterfly caterpillars in the laboratory fed pollen fom GMO corn died or developed abnormally. Many scientists believe that the effects of GMOs have not been sufficiently studied and consequences might be devastating to our health.

Franken foods are found to be unnaturally high in sugar, starch, and off in mineral ratio. So when we eat these foods our body will be deficient in minerals, and body’s Ph balance will be off.

Some common Franken foods are: Corn, tomatoes, & potatoes with built-in pesticides. Corn and peas engineered for a prolonged shelf life.
Genetically engineered rennet (chymosin) used to make cheese.
Tomatoes injected with the gene of a flounder to give the tomato a longer growing season.

There is a way to differentiate the good from the bad in the stores, despite the fact that the F.D.A. does not require that G.M. (geneticall modified/engineered) foods be labeled in any way that would be easily understood.

When you buy fruits and vegetables individually, there is usually a small sticker on them. This sticker will include a ‘PLU’ number. The first digit in that number is significant.

The Meaning Of  The PLU First Digit

3. The product is likely genetically modified (G.M.O.), and almost any chemical may have been used on it, at any time.
8. The product is definitely genetically modified (G.M.O.), and almost any chemical may have been used on it, at any time.
4. The product was grown with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers being fed to it. It was ‘conventionally’ grown. Make note that the new generation of pesticides cannot be washed off because these pesticides are fed to the roots, and infuse into every cell of the plant. These foods have approximately 1/10th of the nutritional value of equivalent organic produce, and are less flavorful.

9. This is the highest quality food, the most nutritious, the most natural, and the most safe. The product is organic  and it was grown without any pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or chemicals whatsoever. These are truly all-natural. When you see a PLU number beginning with 9, think purity and extremely high nutritional value.

2. Use a natural appetite suppressant to overcome food cravings and the urge to eat.

3. Sleep. Inadequate sleep triggers food cravings. Get your full eight hours each night, and go for a 20-minute walk every day – sleep and exercise get your body working optimally.

4. Maintain your blood sugar level, by eating whole grains, green vegetables and fruit, and don’t leave long gaps between meals. When your blood sugar levels are low, you’ll experience cravings.

5. Eat foods with plenty of fiber which fills you up, and keeps you going for several hours.

These five tips will help you to eliminate food cravings, and lose weight fast.

A food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food such  as sugar, carbohydrates, or alcohol.  An enormous percentage of women crave particular foods. In most cases, these food cravings are signs of hormonal imbalance caused by a lack of healthy nutrition.

Food cravings might also mean that the body has its signals mixed up. When we are exhausted or blue, we have low blood sugar and/or low serotonin, and the body signals the brain that it needs a pick-me-up. This signal causes a sugar or carbohydrate craving.

In her “Fat Flush” book Ann Louise Gittleman nutrition specialist explains why we crave particular foods and what triggers that craving.

She explains that the cravings are directly related to reactive foods. When body’s immune system releases the antibodies in response to signal from reactive foods such as dairy products, wheat, sugar and yeast.

The body is processing these foods as foreign substance or invaders, and your immune system goes into high gear in response to reactive foods.  The white blood cells are too busy to move serotonin to the brain because they are fighting invader.

As your supply of endorphins dwindles, you are uncomfortable the craving of the same reactive foods strikes again.

Second your adrenal glands release epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, which gives you burst of energy, and mood lift. When these hormones are depleted, fatigue and irritability set in, and cycle starts all over again.

Third, your insulin levels become destabilized, which lowers your blood sugar levels. Cells are starved for this energy booster, and you are weak and starved for food, especially carbohydrates.

These disruptions in hormone levels severely affect your metabolism and make putting on pounds so easy.

• Invest in a wrap dress. A wrap dress will instantly make you look slimmer and will sculpt your body.
• Wear a V-Neck top. The neckline narrows as it plunges the lower , the better emphasizing the length of your neck and giving the illusion of a slim line.
• Avoid pleats as this will make you look bulky. Stick with simple shapes.
• Dress all in one color. Wearing dark in any hue of colors such as black, charcoal, indigo or brown will give you  streamline effect.
• Keep pant hems long. Straight leg- cut gives the appearance of a lean, long legs.
• Wear heels with pants. They will make you stand straighter while lifting your behind and elongating your legs.
• Wear vertical pattern, they lengthen your figure because eye naturally follows the pattern.
• Accessorize with long necklaces and bold pendant that pulls the eyes downward.
• Skirt hems should fall just above or just below your knee.
• Choose clothes that fit just right. Baggy outfits only add to the volume and too tight clothes emphasize your weight.

This herb has been used for many years as a medicinal and energizing tonic in the local regions where it grows.  It is also praised as “Immortality” Herb, because it grows wild and has many health-giving qualities and anti-aging effects.

In the last 30 years, extensive research has been carried out around the world, and more than 300 scientific papers on jiaogulan have been published in respected journals. This makes jiaogulan one of the world’s most well-researched herbs.

Many herbalists consider jiaogulan to be the most potent herbal adaptogen. This term refers to plants that can increase the body’s resistance to everyday stress, trauma, anxiety, and fatigue. Adaptogens accomplish this by a unique two-way balancing action on neuro-endocrine and immune function.

Jiaogulan is found to function as both an adaptogenic herb and as an antioxidant herb, containing many health-giving saponins (chemical compounds having a soapy characteristic), as well as trace minerals, amino acids, proteins, and vitamins.

Jiaogulan has been shown to:
•Provide superior adaptogenic support to keep the body in balance
•Maintain normal, healthy immune function
•Act as a powerful antioxidant
•Fight against the effects of aging
•Enhance physical and mental energy

Today you don’t have to travel to China to get your Jiaogulan. Thanks to “Free Life International”  this incredible herb is now available in a form of a tonic under a brand name of “Jule of the Orient”.

The tonic includes 21 other phytonutrient-rich superfoods such as; Goji Berry, Açai Fruit, Japanese Sophora Bud, Amalaki Fruit, Aronia Berry, Astragalus Root, Camu-Camu Fruit, Cranberry, Elderberry Frui, Ginger Root, Jujube Fruit, Luo Han Guo Fruit, Pomegranate Fruit, Rhodiola Root, Blueberry, Lychee Fruit, Schisandra Berry, Bilberry, Longan Frui, Codonopsis Root, Cherry Juice.

All of this in just one to two ounces per day will deliver smooth, long lasting energy that you can really feel!

 Hormones in the water are blamed for a doubling of cases in just a year of gynecomastia, a hormonal-induced growth in men’s breasts.

According to surgeons, the male breasts examined are similar in structure to those of women and are not simply fat deposits caused by overeating.

They believe the condition, called gynecomastia, is caused by traces of the female contraceptive pill in tap water and hormones used to promote the growth of farm animals.

Yannis Alexandrides, a surgeon at the Kosmeticos clinic in Harley Street, central London, carried out one male breast reduction a month four years ago but is now doing one a week.

“Hormones contained in the food we eat, particularly fast food, may be one of the reasons why we are seeing this increase,” said Alexandrides.

Alan Kingdon, a cosmetic surgeon and medical director of the Cosmetic Surgery clinic in London, has witnessed a similar increase in demand. He has studied the material removed from men’s breasts and has found mammary gland tissue usually found only in women.

“We are seeing a group of male patients who have glandular tissue growing in their breasts that are feminine in appearance,” he said. “This group of patients appears to be on the increase.

The World Health Organization identified project to help reduce the incidence of obesity and diet-related disease. The initiative include efforts to reduce, trans-fat, salt, and sugar content of processed foods, change food labeling that would set the guidelines for foods that should or should not be advertised to children.

Other countries are paving the way in protecting the health of their citizens and offer examples of how we can follow suit:

• In Japan, waistlines of citizens over 40 is checked annually, and those considered overweight are referred to diet counseling. Failure to slim down can lead to fines.
•  New Zealand has rules excluding overweight people from immigrating to the country.
•  Germany spends $47 million on healthy eating and sports programs and is setting tougher nutritional standards for school lunches.
• Denmark limits the amount of artery-clogging trans-fatty acids in restaurant foods.
•  In an effort to prevent overweight in school children, a community approach that started in two towns in France has now expanded to 200 towns in Europe under the name “Together let’s prevent obesity in children.” The program encourages children to eat better and exercise.
•  Mediterranean countries are practicing a healthier way of eating, by enjoying traditional diets that feature whole unprocessed foods from nature such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil, and red wine.
•  No other nations in the world permit the advertising of prescription drugs to the public except the United States and New Zealand.