At Brown Bag, we know that a lot of you have made New Year’s resolutions that include getting healthier and/or losing weight.  We also know that sometimes small changes have big results, and most of the time it’s easier to make small changes—and stick with them—than to make drastic changes.  For example, instead of cutting soda out of your diet altogether, you could cut down to one soda a day.  Pick the time for your soda, look forward to it, and when you get it, savor it.  There’s something to be said for anticipation.  In the meantime, carry a water bottle around with you, order water (or sparkling water) at restaurants.  You’ll get used to drinking more water (which is good for you in lots of ways, not just for cutting calories), and you’ll cut some empty calories (and chemicals) from your diet.  If you decide later, that you’d like to give up soda for good, it won’t be nearly as hard.

There are other small changes you can make in 2014 that will jump start you on your road to better health.  Give some of these a try:

1. Love your orange juice in the morning?  Great! Eat an orange instead of pouring a glass of OJ!  Why, you ask?  Same difference, right?  No, not really.  When you eat fresh fruit you get more benefits than a glass of juice because fruit has more water in it and more fiber, while a glass of juice just has more sugar.
2. Start your meals with a salad—even a small one.  You’ll be getting your veggies and filling your stomach with lots of fiber and vitamins and minerals.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t still have a main course, but it will probably mean that you’ll eat less of the main course, which will likely be much higher in calories and fat than that delicious salad.  No one’s asking you to eat like a rabbit—just to eat your veggies first.
3. It’s cold outside and lots of us are going heavy on the soups right now.  Here’s the trick with soups—choose a veggie-based soup (one with a tomato base, for example) rather than a cream-based soup.  In other words, if you have a choice, choose the Maryland Crab Soup over the Cream of Crab Soup.  You don’t have to eat soups that are veggies only—feel free to add some whole wheat pasta, lean meats or seafood, even a little cheese, just hold the cream (and you’ll be holding the calories).
4. Lots of people are trying diets that cut out carbs (especially the bread and pasta-type carbs), but sometimes, cutting something out of one’s diet completely can make a person crave it even more.  It’s mostly psychological, but if you’re one of those people who always want what they can’t have, you know how this works.  How about reducing your carbs and choosing whole grains instead of refined grains?  Make the switch to whole grain pastas instead of regular, white pastas; brown rice instead of white rice; whole grain bread rather than white bread; and add some quinoa to your meal plan! These changes are less painful than going cold turkey on carbs and offer health benefits, as well.
5. Looking for a late-afternoon snack to hold you over until dinner?  Put down the chips!  We know it’s easy to run to the vending machine and grab a bag, but most vending machines sell nuts or nuts and dried fruit mixes now, as well.  Quick and easy but smarter—less calories, less bad fats, more nutrients.  Or how about throwing a banana, apple or orange in your bag on the way out the door?  All of these fruits travel well and make a convenient snack on the go.

New Year’s resolutions are great but some people find that every year they make these grand resolutions to “change their lives” and the changes are just too big to stick to.  So, start small.  Implement a few of these simple changes.  When you get used to them, when they seem like a part of your regular routine, add another.  Before you know it, you’ve made some pretty substantial changes to your waistline (and your overall health!).  We’ll be here waiting with your favorite, healthy breakfasts and lunches!

Recently, the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association), a trade organization that represents over 300 businesses, sent a letter to the FDA informing them that they plan to petition the agency to allow foods containing GMOs to be labeled “natural.”  You may be thinking, “What?” because that’s the sort of headshake response we had here at Brown Bag.  Unfortunately, the GMA is serious.

Back in December, we told you about some common GMOs that are hiding in plain sight.  In fact, you’re probably ingesting GMOs unwittingly everyday—but at this point, no one’s trying to tell you that they’re “natural;” but if the GMA has their way, that’s exactly what may be happen.  Currently, foods that are labeled “organic” are not allowed to contain GMOs, according the to USDA’s organic certification standards, so there are some labels that are still sacred.  The same cannot be said for “natural.”

In August, we reported that consumers (according to Amy Sousa, senior research analyst at The Harman Group and co-author of the research firm’s Organic and Natural 2012 Report) are looking more and more at ingredients lists because they want their food less processed, more natural.  They don’t want to see ingredients lists that are 20 lines long anymore.  They want their food broken down to its basic components, sans additives. This is what the label “natural” is supposed to be bringing people, but without proper regulations about the meaning of the term, companies can call their products natural and you won’t be any wiser unless you’re diligent about reading ingredients lists.  .

The FDA has no official definition of the term “natural,” but its website gives us this:

“From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is ‘natural’ because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

By this statement, we suppose that GMOs might be considered “natural,” but to most consumers, the word “natural” means more then just the absence of additives.

Currently, legislatures in 26 states are considering whether foods developed from biotechnology should be 1.) labeled, and 2.) whether they should be labeled “natural” foods.  It’s no secret that the growth of natural and organic foods is on the rise, so it’s really no wonder that the GMA is looking to capitalize on labeling, but as a consumer, this is confusing business.  Consider this bit of news from foodsafetynews.com: “By 2018, grocery giant Whole Foods Market will require all foods that contain GMOs sold in its U.S. and Canadian stores to be labeled as such. If FDA allows foods with GMOs to be labeled as “natural,” consumers will likely be confused by two seemingly contradictory labels on the same package.” (Food Safety News)

We’re not sure what the answer is for consumers besides being educated about what’s in your food, staying aware of the latest developments on food labeling, and lobbying for proper labeling.  What do you think about the business of labeling, GMOs, etc.?  Leave us a message on our Facebook or Twitter pages–we want to know!  We’ll be posting more news as we see it develop, but for now check out this article on Food Safety News about the current push by the GMA.

We know a lot of you are very concerned about GMOs and their current lack of labeling in the US.  Let’s face it, there’s not much information about the possible long-term effects of eating these foods, so a lot of people are wary of putting them on their plates.  The problem: They’re not so easy to spot because the US currently has no regulations about labeling GMOs.  All over the world, lots of other countries have restrictions (and occasionally bans) on GMOs, and other places (namely Europe) require that they be labeled.

Since you live in a country without such requirements, how are you to know?  You can’t.  But you can know which foods are genetically modified most often and go from there.  So, here’s a list!

Corn:  Almost 85% of corn in the US is genetically modified so it’s pretty tough to avoid.  The corn is usually modified to protect itself from a specific herbicide that kills weeds.

Soy:  This is another big offender.  In fact, it’s the biggest.  Soy is the most genetically modified food in the country.  In 2010, a new kind of soybean seed was approved which is supposed to have a high level of oleic acid (naturally found in olive oil), a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid.  If you know anything about oleic acid, then you know that it may lower LDL cholesterol levels when you replace other fats in your diet with it.

Milk:  Cows are often given rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to increase milk production.  This hormone has been banned in many countries, including Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the European Union, but it’s still legal here.

Canola Oil:  This little doozie is considered one of the most chemically altered oils in America.

Cotton:  I know, I know.  You don’t usually eat your clothes, but this refers more to cotton oil.  Cotton is generally altered to increase yield and to help it resist disease, like most other things.  Cotton oil form India and China are considered the riskiest varieties.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash:  If you’ve ever tried to grow squash, you know that there are some pesky bugs that love it, so scientists have come up with a toxic protein to make it more resistant to pests.   Unfortunately, these proteins have also been found in the blood of humans, so rather than being broken down and excreted, they’re hanging around our bodies. Not so good.

Sugar: Genetically modified sugar beets were introduced to the US market in 2009.

Papaya:  Genetically modified papayas have been grown in Hawaii since 1999.  They were engineered to resist a specific virus, as well as to delay their ripening, so they’ll have more time to make it to market.

These are obviously just some of many genetically modified foods that are commonly part of our lives every day.  Now you know, but still, it’s not always easy to get around their consumption.  Think of the myriad ways corn and soy make their ways into our diets.  If you want to do something about this, consider advocating to have GMOs labeled in the US.  Whole Foods has said that they will have all GMOs labeled in their stores by 2018.  Maybe the rest of the country should follow their lead.  What do you think about GMOs?

Our last two blogs have all been all about our favorite swimming snacks that you should avoid for health and/or environmental reasons.   Today, we’re going to finish that list up for you.  We felt like it was important to post these blogs because, if you want the best and healthiest fruits and veggies and you’re following the Dirty Dozen list of those things every year, shouldn’t you know the best and worst of some of the other foods you eat?  This is a list you don’t hear about too often, so we’re glad that Prevention Magazine published it.  Hope you find it helpful!

Sharks:  Eating sharks has far-reaching effects—and not just on your health.  While sharks are very high in mercury (a good enough reason to say pass the veggies, please), our oceans really pay the price for the decreasing number of sharks.  Sharks are at the top of the aquatic food chain, right?  So, what happens when there aren’t so many sharks anymore?  All the way down the food chain, the balance shifts.  The numbers of fish and other animals that sharks eat will increase (like rays and jellyfish).  Rays and jellyfish enjoy eating things like scallops and other fish that humans like, and that some people, especially those in coastal areas depend on for their livelihoods.  Eating sharks is an environmental disaster waiting (or starting?) to happen.

Orange Roughy:  This is another one that’s high in mercury, so beware.  Even more important though is their long term survival considering their life cycle.  Orange Roughy have a difficult time rebounding from over-fishing for a couple of reasons.  First, they can take between 20 and 40 years to reach full maturity, and second, because they reproduce late in life.  Some restaurants refuse to serve it, and even though you may still find it in some grocery stores mislabeled as “sustainably harvested,” don’t believe the hype.  According to Prevention, “There are no fisheries of orange roughy that are considered well-managed or are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council…”

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna:  We’ve mentioned mercury twice in just this blog, but we’re about to mention it again.  According to an analysis by The Neew York Times, Atlantic bluefin tuna has the highest levels of mercury of any other tuna.  Yikes!  And as if that wasn’t bad enough, these fish have been harvested to near extinction.  According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Atlantic bluefin tuna are “critically endangered.”  That’s a problem.  Prevention suggests giving up tuna for Alaska wild-caught salmon or choosing American or Canadian (they argue strongly against imported tuna) albacore tuna which are harvested young and doesn’t have such high levels of mercury.

Chilean Sea Bass:  We know you don’t want to hear it, but put down that Chilean sea bass! It’s another fish that’s high in mercury and is near extinction.  Prevention reports that most Chilean sea bass sold in the US are caught illegally.  Apparently, the US Department of State says the number of illegally caught fish is declining, but even still there’s a problem.  Greenpeace says that unless people stop eating this fish all together, they may be commercially extinct in five years.  No more Chilean sea bass for us.  How about you?

We know fish and seafood are really good for us and we would like to eat more, but clearly we all need to pay attention to which fish are on our plates.  Eating just isn’t as simple as it should be these days, but being informed could save you and the planet a lot of trouble.  Are there other Dirty Dozen lists you’d like to see?  Leave us a comment on our Faceback page or send us a tweet and let us know!