Shocking Ingredients in McDonald’s French Fries

It would be fair to assume that there are three ingredients in McDonald’s French fries:  potatoes, oil, and salt.  But if you assumed that you’d be far from correct.

Starting last year McDonald’s began a transparency campaign most likely to create a more health- and consumer-conscious image of the corporation.  As a result the company has made their ingredient lists and processing techniques available on their website. Out of curiosity, I had to know exactly what is in those fries.

It turns out that there are 17 ingredients in MickeyD’s French fries!  They contain:

-Potatoes (whew! I’m glad that was the first ingredient)

-Canola oil—Most canola oil is now genetically-modified.

-Hydrogenated soybean oil—Like canola oil, most soybean oil is now extracted from genetically-modified soybeans. Plus the hydrogenation process makes the oil more saturated than it would be in its natural form, and unhealthy.

-Safflower oil—Believed to be a healthier cooking oil, most safflower is unfortunately heated to high temperatures long before it is ever used for cooking, causing it to be chemically-altered from the heat, and a source of inflammation in the body when that is the case.

-”Natural flavor”—McDonald’s natural flavor is apparently obtained from a vegetable source, but the “natural” moniker means nothing since it can even potentially contain the nerve- and brain-toxin monosodium glutamate (MSG).

-Dextrose—a type of sugar.

-Sodium acid pyrophosphate—This ingredient is apparently used to maintain the color of the fries.  On the chemical industry’s own safety data sheets it is listed as hazardous for ingestion, which is exactly what you’ll be doing if you eat those French fries.

-Citric acid—used as a preservative.

-Dimethylpolysiloxane—used as an anti-foaming agent, this industrial chemical is typically used in caulking and sealants and comes with a list of safety concerns.

-Vegetable oil for frying, which is a blend of 7 ingredients, including:  canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), citric acid, and dimethylpolysiloxane.  We discussed most of these ingredients above.  Corn oil, like its canola and soybean counterparts is now primarily made of genetically-modified corn.

TBHQ is a petroleum-based, butane-like (yes, that’s lighter fluid!) ingredient used as a preservative.  It has been linked to asthma, skin conditions, hormone disruption, and in long-term animal studies to cancer and damage to DNA.

Contrary to what McDonald’s may claim in its slogan, I’m NOT lovin’ it!

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Steamy Sex Positions to Heat Up Your Weekend

Interested in some new moves? Here are five we recommend when you want to add some ooomph to your O. You might not love every single one, but hopefully you’ll use birth control, get it on, and have fun trying them out.

On The Edge (also known as the Furniture Position)
Skill level: Simple and laid back
You sit on the edge of a bed, couch, or chair. He gets on his knees, in between your thighs, and you go from there. Bonus: Is it hot out? This is fun to try with you on the edge of a swimming pool.

The Jellyfish
Skill level: Easy squeezie, but good balance is required
This is a face to face, girl on top position. Bonus: This one makes it very easy for you two to sync your movement which could lead to simultaneous orgasms.

The Arch
Skill level: Intermediate
This position proves that sex counts as fitness. Your legs and glutes are going to get a serious workout.

The Reverse Piledriver
Skill level: Intermediate
This is just like 69, but the guy’s on top. Your comfort is very important, so make sure he keeps his enthusiasm in check, if you know what we mean.

Sitting 69
Skill level: Advanced
You’re upside down. He’s holding you up. Warning: He’ll need to be strong enough to safely support you. (It’s all fun and orgasms until he drops you on your head.)

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12 Baby Steps to Better Nutrition

Most of us think that making a  commitment to healthier eating means cutting out our favorite foods and depriving ourselves of the stuff we love most. Actually, the opposite is true. Eating right is all about expanding your food choices, so you bring more options to the table, so to speak, and consume a more balanced (yet still delicious) variety that delivers the crucial nutrients your body craves without depriving yourself, says Lauren Schmitt, RD, a busy mom, registered dietitian, and owner of Healthy Eating and Training, a food counseling center in Los Angeles.

 

Need some convincing? Try some of these sneaky nutrition-boosting strategies, which Schmitt recommends to her clients. Some have to do with shopping choices, others are simple food prep and serving techniques even non-cooks can master. They’ll help you and your family feel fitter, have more energy, and never again equate a healthy diet with deprivation again.

 

1. Rearrange Your Plate

When most of us picture a meal comprised of meat, veggies, and a starch, we imagine meat taking up the biggest portion of the plate. But studies consistently show that eating less meat and more plant food is linked to a longer, healthier life. So flip that image in your mind and start making food grown in the ground your main course. You’ll still be eating the same things, but the healthier ratio will slash calories and fat.
 

2. Go a Little (Wal)nuts

Every time you munch on a walnut, you consume nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids that are believed to protect against cancer and heart disease. Eat them raw, crumble them over a salad or dessert, or buy them chopped and add them to breading for chicken or fish.
 

3. Eat Adventurously

It’s easy to stick to your favorite meal staples—but why not explore your local market and vow to sample an exotic new fruit, seafood, or other product once a week? Grocery stores carry an amazing assortment of choices these days from all over the world and discover new favorites to accompany your old standbys.
 

4. Sneak in Spinach

Raw spinach can go pretty much any place you usually put lettuce (such as BLTs, burgers, salads, tacos), and taste-wise, it’s hard to know the difference. But your body will thank you for the laundry list of powerful nutrients the darker green leaf delivers. In addition to being an excellent source of several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, spinach has been shown to have cancer-fighting properties.
 

5. Sprinkle on Cinnamon

This breakfast-friendly spice is packed with lots of disease-fighting antioxidants and can even cut down on  inflammation associated with body aches and illnesses. Oatmeal, cold cereal, granola, toast, your latte… they’ll all taste better with a little cinnamon dashed on top, but there’s no extra calories.
 

6. Buy Produce That’s Already Prepped

They’re a little pricier, but fruits and veggies that have been prewashed and precut can mean the difference between the good stuff making it into your mouth vs. sitting in a crisper drawer. Containers of cut-up fruits like pineapple, watermelon, and grapes are perfect as snacks or a side dish with your lunch, and kids love them too. Plus, veggies that are already peeled, chopped, and packaged in microwave steamer bags can be added to your evening meal instantly.
 

7. Toss in a Turnip

Making mashed potatoes? Alone, the taters pack vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium, but smashing a turnip into the mix raises the level of vitamin C even higher, plus adds antioxidants and vitamin A. If you chop the greens from the top of the turnip and throw those in to the dish too, you’ll get good-for-you calcium, copper, and iron.
 

8. Make Room for Mushrooms

Next time you’re sautéing ground beef, use a little less meat and fill out the pan with a handful of mushrooms. Not only will you decrease the amount of total fat and cholesterol in your meal, you’ll be gaining Vitamin D—a nutrient that’s relatively rare in food—plus lots of superhero antioxidants. You can also easily sauté mushrooms in olive oil and add them to canned spaghetti sauce or sprinkle a bunch to health up a frozen cheese pizza.
 

9. Do a Dip

If your family is full of stubborn veggie-avoiders, dips are a great solution. Salsa, hummus, guacamole, white bean, spinach, and avocado dips are all made from vegetables or legumes blended in a food processor. When scooped up on tortilla or pita chips, the anti-vegetable crowd won’t realize they’re actually consuming plant food—and reaping the high nutritional content too.
 

10. Cook Carrots Whole

Boosting nutrition doesn’t get much easier than this: Instead of chopping carrots before you put them in the oven or on a stove-top pan, slice them after they’ve been cooked. Researchers in the UK found that doing this will raise their antioxidant content by as much as 25 percent. The reason: chopping them beforehand increases the amount of exposed surface area, and that allows more nutrients to escape during cooking.
 

11. Opt for Organic

The jury is still out as to whether or not eating organic will make you healthier, but most people agree that certain organic fruits and vegetables (apples, strawberries and tomatoes in particular) pack more flavor than their conventionally grown counterparts—and are therefore way more fun to eat. The same goes for farmer’s market produce. If your typical response to biting into a tomato is “eh,” sink your teeth into an organic heirloom one, and you’ll be in for a scrumptious surprise.
 

12. Pop Open a Can of Pumpkin

Check the very back of your cabinets—you probably already have a few cans of pumpkin left over from last  Thanksgiving. By adding a cup of the low-calorie, fiber-rich puree to any pancake or muffin batter, or even using it to replace half the oil in brownie batter, you’ll be scoring Vitamins A, C, and E, plus multiple disease-fighting antioxidants. And pumpkin flavor gives a nice natural sweetness kids love.

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5 Crazy Facts About Semen

If you’re getting it on with a guy, you’re dealing with semen. Why not get to know it better?

1. Mood
There are a ton of mood-enhancing chemicals in semen and the vagina can absorb them. Cortisol increases affection. Estrone and Oxytocin elevate mood. Prolactin and Thyrotropin-releasing hormones are natural antidepressants. Melatonin helps regulate sleep. And Serotonin makes you feel happy. But please don’t try to fight depression with it. It doesn’t quite work like that.

2. Flavor
Smoking can make semen taste bad. Eating too much cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, garlic, onions, meat, curry, and fish can make it taste bitter or salty. Even coffee and beer can throw the taste off.

To make semen taste better, a guy should drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially pineapple, celery, watermelon, apples, kiwi, cranberries, blueberries, plums, parsley, and papaya.

3. Calories
A man will ejaculate about 18 quarts of semen over his lifetime and the average volume per ejaculation is about one teaspoon. That amount contains approximately 5 to 25 calories. And 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 sperm! (Another reason why you should use birth control every single time you have sex.)

4. Smile
Semen contains zinc and calcium, both of which prevent tooth decay. But don’t use it to whiten your teeth. That’s a myth and it won’t work.

5. Babies
When a guy ejaculates, the average speed of his semen is 31 mph and it shoots about 7 to 10 inches. Semen contains sperm. Sperm can live up to 5 days in your body. When his sperm reach your egg, it’s possible to make a baby. If you’re not ready for a baby, there are lots of birth control options for you.

And remember that semen can carry HIV and STIs. Before he lets loose, have a talk about your HIV and STI status, and make sure your birth control is fully functioning too.

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10 Useful Garlic Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

“Since garlic then hath powers to save from death, Bear with it though it makes unsavory breath.”
Salerno Regimen of Health (12th century)

• Raw, freshly minced garlic has the most health benefits. If you cannot stand the smell and must cook it, you need at least four and a half cloves to get the same effect.
• Although garlic is sometimes called “the stinking rose,” it can actually cure your rose plants from aphid attacks. Simply mix crushed garlic with water and spritz the leaves and flowers with the spray.
• Drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon will stop bad garlic breath.
• The flavor of garlic is most intense just after it has been minced.
• Garlic applied on wounds can heal them faster. During World War I, this healing quality of garlic was harnessed intensively by British soldiers.
• A crushed clove of raw garlic, gently rubbed on skin, can zap a pesky pimple. The secret: a powerful compound called allicin, which makes garlic among the most antioxidant-rich foods on earth.
• Sprouted garlic loses some of its health benefits, but can still be used.
• A Pennsylvania University research found that a compound called Diallyl disulfide in garlic could shrink bowel cancer cells. An important Washington State University study has conclusively proved that this compound is 100 times more effective than other antibiotics in easing bacteria-borne digestive ailments.
• What’s the ideal dosage of garlic for you to derive all its amazing health benefits? The University of Maryland Medical Center, recommends daily 2 to 4 g of fresh, minced garlic clove; 600 to 1,200 mg daily if using aged garlic extract; two 200 mg tablets three times a day if using freeze-dried garlic; 4 ml daily of fluid garlic extract; 20 mL daily of garlic tincture or 0.03 to 0.12 ml three times daily if using garlic oil.
• Not all is good about garlic and it is certainly not for everyone. Those on blood-thinning medication must not take garlic, because it inhibits the clotting of blood. For the same reason, garlic should not be taken before a surgery.

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The Shocking Truth About Protein Bars, Shakes & ‘Enhanced’ Foods

“Protein-enhanced” is the new catch-all phrase by food and beverage manufacturers. Everywhere I turn I see another product boasting that it contains protein. But is this growing trend actually beneficial? Not only is it not beneficial, it may actually be harmful, for multiple reasons.  Here are nine reasons to be cautious of protein bars, shakes, and other protein-enhanced foods:

1.  Adding protein to a food changes its natural composition.  If it was a whole food to start with it really isn’t any longer.  If it was a processed food then it goes through an additional stage of processing.

2.  Most of the “protein” added to everything from bars, shakes, cereals, and even water is actually a form of protein called a protein isolate, many of which contain the harmful toxin monosodium glutamate (MSG)—a well-documented neurotoxin. Russel L. Blaylock, M.D., neurosurgeon, author of Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, spent years researching the effects of MSG and discovered its link to many diseases.

3.  Products like protein bars and cereals often contain added protein in the form of textured vegetable protein (TVP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or hydrolyzed plant protein, all of which usually contain MSG. Additionally, most of these food ingredients are derived from genetically-modified (GM) soy, which is drawing increasing attention as a possible contributor to health problems. Discover more about the problems of genetically-modified soy from the book Seeds of Deception.

4.  Even water can’t seem to escape the “protein-enhancement” trend. As absurd as it sounds to add protein to water, it is becoming common, particularly in flavored water.  Adding protein to water usually means masking the flavor with an artificial sweetener and flavor, neither of which is suitable for consumption. Water, in its natural state, should be alkaline so it can help rehydrate our body’s cells and help flush the kidneys. Flavored, “protein-enhanced” water is acid-forming, causing the kidneys to work harder to eliminate the excess acidity and chemical ingredients. There’s a reason flavored “protein-enhanced” water doesn’t flow through our lakes and rivers.

5.  Most protein bars and protein-enhanced cereals contain soy protein isolate, the problems with which I’ve already discussed.  Additionally, manufacturers usually add more sugar or artificial sweeteners to mask the taste.

6.  Most protein bars that contain nuts or seeds already contain protein in its natural form—as a whole food.  Adding more protein is redundant.

7.  Protein-enhanced breads are often spiked with extra gluten and/or protein isolates.  We already discussed some of the issues of protein isolates but gluten is also a problem for many people and is linked to digestive disorders, celiac disease, and autoimmune disorders, to name a few.

8.  The average American eats 248 pounds of meat every year, or about 40 percent of his or her total caloric intake.  Our much healthier ancestors, by comparison, ate only 5 percent of their calories from animal protein.  Most nutrition experts agree that we are eating excessive amounts of protein in our diet.  We certainly don’t need more added to foods and beverages.

9.  And, what do you think happens with excess protein in our diet?  It converts to fat.  There aren’t too many protein-pushing corporations telling people that. But, it is part of nutrition 101.

While not all protein bars, shakes, and other food products are harmful, many are, so it is best to read labels and stay informed about many of the problems linked to them.  There are some excellent ones that rightfully deserve their place in a healthy diet but many do not.

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Is Chocolate Good for You?

There’s so much research out there saying how healthy chocolate is. I believe the research did not take into account all the sugar added to the chocolate treats that most people eat. This means that not only are we eating sugar that will depress our immune system, but we are adding fattening calories.

It’s true that cocoa powder in the dried form has beneficial effects:

1. Increased vascular reactivity.
2. Improved arterial compliance.
3. Increased HDL-C levels.
4. Decreased oxidation of LDL.
5. Reduced insulin resistance.

(According to Clinicaltrials at the University of Utah)

Notice this refers to cocoa powder which has no sugar of any type in it.

More Cocoa Health Benefits:

1. Lowers cholesterol, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2003. (The white chocolate consumers, the control group in this study, experienced no health benefits.)
2. It is good for your skin; the flavonoids found in dark chocolate offer some protection from UV damage.
3. May improve your ability to see in low-contrast situations, such as poor weather according to study, from England’s University of Reading in 2011.
4. The fiber in chocolate has been shown to reduce the rate of colorectal cancer. It may even slow dementia.
5. Cocoa has anti-clotting, blood-thinning properties (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
6. It has been shown to repair liver cells after alcohol consumption!
7. It has been shown to help stimulate insulin, thus stopping the insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes.
8. The ingredient phenylethylamine that gives chocolate the reputation of being the ‘love food’ raises serotonin and dopamine level, which stimulates the nervous system, and even raises libido.
9. Could keep you from coughing, according to doctors at the British National Health Service.
10. Chocolate helps with Math, according study in Northumbria University in the UK.
11. Women who ate more than 45 grams of chocolate a week had a 20 percent lower risk of stroke than women who treated themselves to fewer than 9 grams of the sweet stuff, according to a 2011 Swedish study.
12. Chocolate eaters have lower stress levels finds Live Science Stress Study.

What is Cocoa and Where Does it Come From?

Cocoa comes from the Theobromo cacao evergreen tree which grows well the tropical rainforest. It is a small tree of 4–8 meters and does well in the shade of the larger trees.

Half of the cocoa bean is made of fat in the form of cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is the edible non-fat part of the cacao bean. Most of the fats in chocolate are saturated, but it also contains lots of the “good” fats: oleic and linoleic acids.

Nutritional Benefits of Cocoa:

• Has one of the highest antioxidant concentration of any foods, in the form of the flavonoids: catechin and epicatechin.
• Contains insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels.
• Full of magnesium, which helps soothe the nervous system, relax muscles, reduce PMS, and build teeth and bones.
• Contains copper.
• Has vitamin E and vitamin B.

Chocolate’s History:

• Ceramic vessels containing cacao beverage residue have been found by archeologists dating back to 1900-900 BC. One such vessel found on the Gulf Coast of Veracruz, Mexico dates as early as 1750 BC.
• 500 years ago cocoa was called the nectar of the gods.
• Aztec Emperor Montezuma in the 16th century was an admirer of cocoa, calling it the divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue.
• “A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk a whole day without food” ~ Hernan Corte’s/1519.
• Later cocoa became a luxury item in Europe as an exotic drink and later used with sugar to make solid chocolates.
• Cocoa was used as medicine for a long time; it wasn’t until 1930s that cocoa and chocolate became a sweet treat.
• What I have found in my travels is, the European chocolates are darker which means they are richer in cocoa phenols than those made in North America.

I have “Chocolate Concerns.”  Is Chocolate as Healthy as Claimed?

We know that dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate due to its higher polyphenols and lower sugar content. Still, it is made with fat and sugar and those ingredients, as we know, are not good for the body. We regularly test individuals for dark chocolate and it always tests as energy draining.

Do not replace healthy foods such as fresh fruits with chocolate. One raw apple is only 52 calories and has added health benefits. A 100 gram serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 531 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You could eat 10 apples!

The serotonin and dopamine boost by chocolate is only temporary. Like any “high” it will come down, and it is better to enhance your mood with overall good nutrition and lifestyle.

“Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate…and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate,” says Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome.

Most cocoa studies are funded by chocolate manufacturers because that industry wants to sell you chocolate by convincing you of all the health properties of cocoa.

Most chocolate products are made with GMO cocoa beans. Make sure your chocolate is GMO free.

Today’s chocolate is made with a high fat and sugar content; this is what makes it not at all healthy. There is much evidence that the combination of fat and sugar is toxic to the body. It can cause insulin resistance, diabetes, inflammatory disorders and obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This combo has been found to activate the same receptors in the brain as cocaine. This is why there are so many chocoholics. It is addictive.

What Kind of Chocolate to Eat:

• If buying chocolate, check the ingredients; do not buy it if it has refined sugar such as cane sugar, brown sugar, or fructose.
• Also, stay away from chocolates made with sugar alcohol or artificial sweeteners; these have many toxic side effects.
• Even the chocolate made with healthy sugars and fats is best taken in moderation.
• Chocolate can fit into a healthy eating plan, but it is best to make your own chocolates for optimum health benefits.
• Lastly, but extremely important: buy fair trade chocolate. There is “…a vast gulf between the children who eat chocolate on their way to school in North America and those who have no school at all, who must, from childhood, work to survive. The children who struggle to produce the small delights of life in the world I come from have never known such pleasure, and most likely, they never will.” – From Bitter Chocolate, by Carol Off

I have been making my own chocolate with healthy ingredients for a few years now and never buy or eat the commercially made stuff. Even the chocolate in health food stores is filled with unhealthy ingredients. All of my chocolate recipes are made with healthy sugars in small quantities.

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