5 Delicious Protein Shake Recipes

If you do not have time to eat 5 to 6 meals a day, protein shakes are a great filler; these are 5 Delicious Protein Shake Recipes you can try out, whether it is prior to, during, or after working out. Or, if you just need to get a meal in on the go, these are simple shake recipes you will love.

1. Keep it Plain

With a vanilla based protein powder, simply add soy or almond vanilla milk, a few ice cubes, and blend, or shake in a shaker. Depending on the consistency you prefer, the amount of ice (or whether you shake or blend) will vary for everyone. This is simple, you can make it anywhere, and it is going to taste good if you choose the right protein powder supplement.

2. Go Green

With the same base ingredients, you can add in spinach, kale, and your choice of greens. You will not taste these vegetables, and if you want, you can add a few fruits of choice for a sweeter taste. This is a great way to get your vegetables in for the day, without having to cook, plus you are not going to taste them if you are not a big fan of veggies.

3. Add a Coffee Hint

With the vanilla whey powder, soy or almond milk and ice, you can add in a little coffee for a unique taste (brewed or coffee bean); you can also use instant coffee packs if you don’t want to get the beans out, and adding in a 1/2 cup of oats is a great way to create a shake that is a little more filling, and can hold you over for a few hours.

4. Lemon Shake

If you enjoy a citrus taste, you can add 1 freshly squeezed lemon to the protein powder, water (or milk) and ice blend. If you like mixed blends, you can also add orange juice, or other citrus based fruits, in order to give it a little more flavor, and to add the citrus taste that you love.

5. Peanut Butter Blend

If you love peanut butter, add it to your shake. You will simply add one or two teaspoons in to the whey vanilla powder, your milk and ice blend; you can also add in a few blueberries or strawberries (or both), if you want to add a little sweetness to the mix. You can include any additional fruits you want, to make a distinct flavor blend.

There are so many shakes and unique flavors you can create. But always remember, it is best to use a vanilla based whey protein powder, since it is easy to flavor, and you can pretty much add anything in to the mix if you want more flavor, more sweetness, or simply want to create your own unique tastes and blends when you are looking for an extra source of protein. Anyway, I hope these recipes will help you make the tastiest protein shake ever!

[via: Happy Green]

What You (and Your Customers) Should Know About GMOs

In recent years, people worldwide have grown increasingly attuned to genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Nearly 2 million people participated in a global non-GMO “March against Monsanto” last May. More than 20 states now have GMO labeling legislation in the works. And in a game-changing move, in March 2013, Whole Foods Market announced that by 2018 all items sold in its stores must include GMO labeling. “We are putting a stake in the ground on GMO labeling to support the consumer’s right to know,” said co-CEO Walter Robb.

But for many of us, GMOs are still a mystery. What are they? How do they impact our health and environment? And what’s being done to label them? Here’s a quick overview of GMOs from seed to plate.

Made in a lab

There’s little argument over what genetic modification is: Scientists remove a gene from one organism and transfer that gene to a different organism. Unlike traditional methods, where farmers might breed plants from the same species to make a stronger plant, GM technology makes it possible to transfer any gene from any organism into a different one.

For example, Bt corn, developed in 1996, contains a gene from soil bacteria that’s toxic to insects. Scientists first isolate the desired bacterium DNA. “They then use a ‘gene gun’ to shoot [the bacteria] genes into a Petri dish full of corn embryos,” explains Gregory Jaffe, director of biotechnology projects at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “They hope a bit of DNA randomly gets through the corn cell membrane. If it does, scientists take that embryo and grow a plant from it.” The resulting plant expresses the gene—in Bt’s case, an insecticide—in every one of its cells, enabling the corn itself to kill bugs. Needless to say, this scenario would never occur in nature—but as of 2012, Bt corn makes up 67 percent of all American corn acreage.

Spread in a field

Even more widespread than Bt corn are herbicide-tolerant crops that survive glyphosate, the weed killer known as Roundup. (Fittingly, these crops are called Roundup Ready.) Companies that manufacture Roundup Ready corn, cotton, and soybeans claim these crops are the solution to the world’s food problems, insisting that the GMO versions have higher yields, benefit farmers and the environment, and reduce herbicide use.

Anti-GMO activists disagree. “When [Roundup Ready] technology first came onto the market in 1996, most farmers had excellent weed control with only one herbicide application per crop,” says Chuck Benbrook, a research professor at Washington State University who studies genetically engineered crops. “But by 2000, the first Roundup tolerant weeds started to emerge in fields and were surviving a low application rate.” Fighting these progressively more resilient weeds is a snowballing struggle because farmers must incrementally up herbicide use. Since GMOs were adopted, farmers have increased herbicide use by 7 percent.

This worries Benbrook. “The sheer volume of glyphosate has led to soil changes that reduce a plant’s ability to draw up various mineral micronutrients [like zinc, chromium, and manganese],” he says. This also renders plants vulnerable to bacterial and fungal attacks. The downside? Lower crop yields, less nutrition, and more fungicide spraying.

Plus, a whole host of negative effects result from massive Roundup use. Most recently, a study published in the scientific journal Entropy suggests that long-term exposure to glyphosate residues could be linked to a suite of human health issues, including gastrointestinal disorders, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers. As weeds continue to become even more resistant, heavier glyphosate use and more precarious herbicides (such as 2,4-D, an ingredient in Agent Orange) lurk on the horizon. Frighteningly, these higher-risk chemicals have a nasty habit of drifting.

Just label them

The Grocery Manufacturers Association estimates that a whopping 75 percent to 80 percent of conventional processed foods now contain GMOs. Even foods that don’t list corn, soy, or canola as a main ingredient can still be GMO-laden because of sneaky additives like ascorbic acid, maltodextrin, sugar from beets or corn, lactic acid, and more.“Products with seemingly low risk ingredients often have ones that could contain GMOs,” says Courtney Pineau, assistant director for the Non-GMO Project, a certification organization. “It’s surprising where GMOs can pop up, and it’s changing all the time.” Translation: If you’re not buying USDA Organic (which, by definition, excludes GMO ingredients), you’re probably eating GMOs.

Non-GMO proponents insist that labeling foods containing GMOs is paramount. While nearly 60 countries, including Australia, Japan, and the EU mandate GMO labeling, the United States does not, so you have no way to know what you’re eating or feeding to your family.

That doesn’t sit well with a lot of people. Since Whole Foods announced its labeling initiative, the Non-GMO Project has fielded a surge of inquiries from natural manufacturers wishing to attain the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. “A lot of this interest has to do with the impacts of the Right to Know movement, efforts from the Just Label It campaign, state initiatives, and increased outreach and education from Non-GMO Project Verified companies,” says Pineau.

The FDA maintains its position that GMOs are harmless, claiming there’s no evidence to substantiate adverse health effects. But the opposite is also true: There’s inconclusive evidence to show that they’re safe. According to a growing base of scientists, food experts, and citizens, you have the right to know what’s in your food and to choose or avoid products based on that knowledge.

[via NewHope360, Delicious Living]

Why to Support Labeling GM Foods

Many U.S. states have mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods on their legislative agendas. Survey after survey shows that more than 90 percent of us want GM foods to be labeled. Now is the time to contact your elected representatives and let them know you’re concerned about genetically modified food.

Genes form the building blocks of all life. Genetic modification — the technological shuffling of those building blocks among unrelated species — has been heralded since the 1990s as a potentially powerful agricultural tool. But pretty much all the genetically modified (GM) foods that have come to market so far have been crop varieties engineered to resist herbicides or produce insecticidal compounds (so farmers could, theoretically, apply fewer chemicals), and milk from dairy cows given a GM growth hormone that forces them to give more milk. Some countries have adopted these products, but others have banned them because the actual benefits of GM varieties remain unclear, especially as pests adapt to the traits upon which the technology relies.

Both benefits and downsides for consumers are controversial. In 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that GM foods were “substantially equivalent” to their non-GM counterparts. That ruling has been under fire ever since, but the government has failed to require new safety testing. Meanwhile, thousands of foods containing GM corn and soy have been introduced into our food supply (see the chart at How to Avoid Genetically Modified Food to learn how to avoid GM foods).

Recent studies have escalated public concern and renewed demands that GM foods be labeled. Studies have linked genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to cancer, deterioration of liver and kidney function, stomach inflammation, and impaired embryonic development.

Whether you’re for or against GM foods, one thing’s for certain: The science is incomplete.

A GMO labeling initiative on the 2012 ballot in California failed by 53 to 47 percent. Proponents of labeling spent $7.3 million; Big Ag and food processors spent $44 million. Labeling GM foods is about much more than just food safety. It’s about our right as consumers to know what we are eating. But labeling is also about how dominant we are going to allow Big Ag to become. Some of us don’t want to eat GM foods or feed them to our livestock. Others push for labeling because we want to make sure our food policy isn’t set by a handful of multinational corporations.

In the United States, we expect food to carry a label that tells us what’s in it. We require that our orange juice reveal if it is made directly from oranges or “from concentrate.” We require labels to tell us if salt, sugar, MSG, artificial flavors or colors, vitamins, or other ingredients have been added. We require meat labels to reveal when it has been pumped with up to a 12 percent saltwater “flavor solution.” And we require milk to indicate whether it is skim, 1 percent fat, 2 percent fat or whole. GM foods should be labeled; there is simply no good argument against telling consumers the whole story.

Monsanto and big food companies like to claim that genetic engineering is essential to feed the world’s ever-growing population. That’s nonsense — most hunger is due to economic inequality and systemic corruption that prevents food from getting to where it’s needed, not due to food shortages. And on the note of the “world’s ever-growing population,” it’s time for society to recognize that unlimited population growth is not sustainable to begin with. We need to choose a wiser course.

Survey after survey shows that 90 percent or more of us want GM foods to be labeled. The GMO-labeling initiative in California almost passed last year, despite the oceans of money pouring in to defeat it. Nearly half of U.S. states now have mandatory GM labeling on their legislative agendas.

If you’re concerned about labeling GM foods, now is the time to contact your elected representatives.

[via Mother Earth News]

Eating in Season: 5 July Superfoods to Boost Your Health

It’s hot, and also the time of year for vegetable gardens to be producing bountiful goodies. You likely already know the best method for consuming produce is by growing your own, and you probably know that eating in season is preferable. But whether you have your own supply or shop locally at a farmer’s market, definitely make a point to purchase these 5 summer superfoods while they are in the midst of their peak season.

Garlic

While it’s not a staple in all gardens, it should be a staple in all kitchens. Not only is it versatile for cooking, garlic has numerous health benefits—making it a true superfood. It has heart-protective qualities, can help with iron metabolism, includes anti-inflammatory benefits, may reduce your risk of cancer, and has both anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Peaches

We are right in the middle of peach-season. And if you can find them from a local orchard, you are in for a sweet treat. Peaches are a great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. They may also be effective in fighting metabolic syndrome—a set of symptoms like obesity and inflammation that can lead to serious issues like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Tomatoes

If you (or the farmers around you) were able to get their tomatoes in early enough, you should be enjoying plenty of these sun-ripened, summer superfoods right now. These are a summertime favorite as you can almost taste the sun in each one. Tomatoes have numerous health benefits including the anti-cancer properties of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. They are also rich in vitamins C, A, B6, E, and K.

Chard

While many leafy greens can’t take the heat, chard varieties are tolerant and have a long growing season. Whether you like Swiss or Rainbow chard, the health benefits are many. According to WHFoods, chard leaves contains at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants—which have the ability to help with everything from blood sugar regulation to cancer protection. Chard also supports bone health and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Watermelon

It wouldn’t be summer without watermelon. It’s chock full of water so is a great way to keep kids (and adults) hydrated while playing on hot days. But watermelon benefits don’t stop there; it’s also a good source of vitamins A and C and includes both lycopene and beta-carotene.



Summer is a great time to boost your fruit and vegetable consumption. These foods can provide the fuel you need to keep active in beautiful weather and provide a wide range of amazing benefits. Also, the summer flavors give you one more reason to enjoy this time of year

[via Natural Society]

Celery Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally and Effectively

While most doctors prescribe powerful hypertension drugs that cause numerous side effects, there is a simple way to reduce blood pressure and balance cholesterol levels, and it doesn’t come in a bottle. Celery has been used for centuries to treat everything from urinary tract infections to skin conditions, but it is most profoundly useful as a treatment for hypertension. This is due to its high concentrations of a substance called 3-butylphthalide, described by researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center as a chemical that both reduces blood pressure by relaxing the smooth muscle lining of blood vessels, and purifying the blood of toxins.

The study abstract concluded with:

“Conclusions: The results from this pilot study suggest that celery seed extract may have clinically relevant blood pressure–lowering effects, indicating that additional clinical research is warranted.”

Eating or juicing just four stalks of celery a day prompts a decrease in both blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition to this health-giving benefit, celery is also full of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, so it is a great post-workout replenishment. Celery is also 90% water so it is a very alkalizing food. During the Roman Empire, celery was fed to livestock to help de-acidify their diets. It also helped to cure the effects of feasting heavily, and was eaten the morning after a glutenous night of binging.

One of your favorite pale green vegetables, celery (Apium graveolens), is even mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey in 850 B.C. and by Chinese healers alike as a powerful healing food. Celery has also been used by Dutch healers since the eighteenth century and Chinese herbalists since the fifth century.

It is estimated that Americans spent more than 5 billion dollars on hypertension drugs in just the past five years alone. Celery is an inexpensive way to treat this disease without side effects that accompany drugs like Adderall or Celexa, Cipro, and Hydrocodone. Why would anyone want to suffer from nausea, dizziness, loss of sexual appetite, light headedness, insomnia, and other unpleasant side effects when celery provides only life sustaining nutrients and a natural hypertension solution?

Just be sure to purchase your celery organically, since it is listed as one of the dirty dozen, which is a list of fruit and veggies that contain high levels of pesticide residues when purchased conventionally.

[via Natural Society]

Plants for Your Office

Adding a touch of green to your work space carries proven wellness benefits, from boosting productivity to purifying the air. But windowless cubicles and wacky watering schedules can bring most plant varieties to an early demise.

Avoid getting stuck with a sad plant cemetery on your desk by choosing one of these air-cleaning, mood-boosting varieties that are also nearly impossible to kill.

Spider plant

Perfect for high shelves and hanging baskets, the low-maintenance spider plant thrives in partial sun or shade – making it ideal for your cubicle or windowless office.

As an added bonus, spider plants carry loads of benefits for improving indoor air quality and reducing stress at work, as noted by researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

A report published by the university’s Cooperative Extension Service cited the humble spider plant as one of the top varieties for removing VOCs and other pollutants from indoor air.

Air-cleansing plants also boost relative humidity and decreases particulate matter (aka dust), which can have a relaxing effect on workers and reduce common allergy symptoms, according to the report.

Care instructions: Plant your spider plant in a size-appropriate pot or hanging basket with rich potting soil. This pick is resilient enough to withstand infrequent watering and thrive with little more than fluorescent light. But if you notice droopy or brown leaves, simply move your plant to a brighter location for a few days to bring it back to its full glory.

Lemon Balm

Super-fragrant lemon balm plants can tolerate full sun or full shade, meaning they’ll be happy even if the nearest window is all the way across the office. In addition to being seriously hardy, research suggests that having a lemon balm plant around may also improve your mood and boost workplace wellness.

An Ohio State University study showed that while the scent of lemon doesn’t carry the medicinal healing properties touted by some aromatherapy proponents, its sweet smell did show a clear mood enhancement. So, for the often stressful office environment, it certainly couldn’t hurt.

Care instructions: Plant your lemon balm in a size-appropriate pot with good drainage and rich potting soil. Your plant will thrive in almost any light conditions but it should be kept moist, so don’t forget to water it!

Philodendron

The lush and leafy philodendron is nearly impossible to kill and research from the University of Technology, Sydney – one of Australia’s top tech institutions – indicates this pick may also be good for your health.

Researchers from the University’s Centre for Environmental Sustainability listed philodendrons as one of the top varieties for freeing indoor air of VOCs and excess carbon dioxide, which can be harmful to human health.

The study cites all-day exposure to VOCs and high CO2 levels (even at imperceptible levels) as a frequent cause of headaches, drowsiness and loss of concentration. So, adding an air-cleansing variety like this one could go a long way to boosting productivity at work, researchers concluded.

Care instructions: Plant your philodendron in a pot or hanging basket with rich, loose potting soil. Keep the soil fairly moist by watering about two times each week.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies love the shade, so they’ll do just fine even far away from a window. This eye-catching variety is also one of the best plants for improving indoor air quality, according to NASA research.

A 1989 study published by B.C. "Bill" Wolverton, an environmental scientist working with NASA and the U.S. military, concluded that peace lilies removed more VOCs from the air than nearly any other houseplant.

Since then, its cleansing properties have been recognized by researchers at the University of Minnesota, Penn State University and National Chin-Yi University of Technology in Taiwan, just to name a few.

Care instructions: Plant your peace lilies in rich, loose potting soil, and make sure the pot provides adequate drainage. Check the soil every few days and water as necessary. To ensure healthy leaves and frequent flowering, never allow the soil to dry out.

Golden Pothos

Golden pothos was also noted by NASA researchers as a top air-cleaning plant, and it’s famously low-maintenance to boot.

Its lovely heart-shaped leaves removed up to 73 percent of VOCs and other pollutants from sealed chambers as part of the NASA study, and the plant experts at Better Homes & Gardens called the variety “one of the best indoor plants for low-light situations” – making it perfect for your desk.

Care instructions: Plant your golden pothos in a size-appropriate pot or hanging basket, and keep the soil slightly on the dry side. Don’t worry about re-potting as the plant grows. This pick actually enjoys being slightly root-bound.

[via Earth911.com]

Top 10 Worst GMO Foods

Genetically modified foods (GMO foods) have been shown to cause harm to humans, animals, and the environment, and despite growing opposition, more and more foods continue to be genetically altered. It’s important to note that steering clear of these foods completely may be difficult, and you should merely try to find other sources than your big chain grocer. If produce is certified USDA-organic, it’s non-GMO (or supposed to be!) Also, seek out local farmers and booths at farmer’s markets where you can be ensured that the crops aren’t GMO. Even better, if you are so inclined: Start organic gardening and grow them yourself. Until then, here are the top 10 worst GMO foods for your “do not eat” GMO foods list (in no particular order).

Corn

One of the most prominent GMO foods, avoiding corn is a no-brainer. If you’ve watched any food documentary, you know corn is highly modified. “As many as half of all U.S. farms growing corn for Monsanto are using genetically modified corn,” and much of it is intended for human consumption. Monsanto’s GMO corn has been tied to numerous health issues, including weight gain and organ disruption.

Soy

Found in tofu, vegetarian products, soybean oil, soy flour, and numerous other products, soy is also modified to resist herbicides. As of now, biotech giant Monsanto still has a tight grasp on the soybean market, with approximately 90 percent of soy being genetically engineered to resist Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. In one single year, 2006, there was 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate sprayed on soybeans alone. According to one report, "[a]fter feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups."

Sugar

Sugar from genetically modified sugar beets hit the market in the U.S. in 2009. They were modified by the Monsanto Corporation to be resistant to the company's Roundup herbicide. In 2010 a group of Oregon farmers sued to stop planting that year of Monsanto's genetically altered sugar beets over fears the crops could cross-contaminate other nearby fields.

Aspartame

An artificial sweetener found in a number of products, aspartame - discovered by accident in 1965 by a chemist testing an anti-ulcer drug - accounts for as many as 75 percent of adverse reactions to food additives reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to some reports. Some seizures and even some deaths have been blamed on aspartame.

Papayas

This one may come as a surprise to all of you tropical-fruit lovers. GMO papayas have been grown in Hawaii for consumption since 1999, designed to combat the Papaya Ringspot Virus. Though they can’t be sold to countries in the European Union, they are welcome with open arms in the U.S. and Canada.

Canola

This is probably one of the most misunderstood, misguided "healthy" food choices out there right now, but there is little about canola - and similar oils - that is good for you. Extracted from rapeseed, canola oil and others must be chemically removed from the seeds, then deodorized and altered, in order to be utilized in foods. They are among the most chemically altered foods in our diets.

Cotton

Considered a food item because its oil can be consumed, cotton - in particular, genetically modified Bt cotton, common to India and China - has damaging consequences. According to recent Chinese research, while Bt cotton is capable of killing bollworms without the use of insecticides, its decreased use has increased the presence of other crop-harming pests. Also, Bt cotton production has been linked to drastic depletion of soil nutrients and lower crop yields, as well as much higher water requirements.

Dairy

A disturbingly high number - as many as one-fifth - of dairy cows in the U.S. today are given growth hormones to increase milk production, a figure that has been rising since the FDA approved a genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone known as rbGH or rbST for use in dairy cows in 1993. While said to boost production by 5-15 percent, scientists have expressed concern that the increased levels of IGF-1 (insulin growth factors-1) from hormone-treated cows may boost the risks of colon and breast cancer. Since 2008, Hiland Dairy has stopped using milk from dairy farmers who inject their cows with growth hormone.

Zucchini

It goes without saying that many biotech companies say genetically modified foods are safe for you, but as GMO science expands, reseachers are finding more evidence that such foods can harm your health. One of those is zucchini. While not as potentially harmful as other GM foods, zucchini is nonetheless "engineered" to resist some strains of virus.

Yellow squash 

Like zucchini, yellow squash is also a fast-rising GMO crop in the U.S., and as such, should cause you concern. If you like squash - and scores of Americans do - check out a farmer's market that doesn't sell GMO squash or grow your own using non-modified seed.

The dangers of some of these foods are well-known. The Bt toxin being used in GMO corn, for example, was recently detected in the blood of pregnant women and their babies. But perhaps more frightening are the risks that are still unknown. Even while these foods should be on your GMO foods list so that they are avoided, you can buy 100% organic to be safest.

With little regulation and safety tests performed by the companies doing the genetic modifications themselves, we have no way of knowing for certain what risks these lab-created foods pose to us outside of what we already know.

The best advice: steer clear of them altogether.

[via Real Farmacy, Natural News]