Category Archives: Health

What’s The Difference? Organic Versus Non-GMO Labels

07/06/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

We are in a golden age of healthy food availability, so why is it so hard to determine the “right” products to consume? Part of the reason is the glut of options. From low-cal and gluten-free to kosher and low-carb, the information overload in the grocery aisles can feel overwhelming.

Two of the most commonly recognized labels — organic and non-GMO — can confuse even the most health-conscious consumer. The two labels often get lumped together even though their meanings are quite different.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of using these terms interchangeably, but that approach is inaccurate. This article will break down the two types of labels to help you understand the differences.

What Qualifies as Organic?

Experts have struggled for years to come up with a definition for this category of food. Fortunately, the USDA has since narrowed down the qualifications.

The primary distinction for organic food is how it’s handled during production. For example, the raw ingredients must never come into contact with synthetic chemicals, such as certain herbicides and fertilizers. For meat products, the animals themselves must not be exposed to antibiotics or growth hormones.

Organic food must not contain any genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In other words, non-GMO is one of the criteria for organic classification, but the term itself has its own definition.

So how do you know what’s organic? Look for the “USDA Organic” seal on a product to know that it’s been certified.

What Is Non-GMO, and How Can You Identify It?

As noted above, non-GMO is not interchangeable with organic. While non-GMO is part of the criteria for organic classification, something that is non-GMO is not necessarily organic.

GMO generally refers to plants and animals that have been genetically modified in non-traditional ways and are not naturally occurring. While crossbreeding technically results in modifications, it doesn’t fall into the GMO category. So how can you tell the difference?

The Non-GMO Project verifies qualifying food products by way of third-party inspections. Rigorous on-site review, annual audits, organic system plan reviews and residue testing help this organization say with certainty whether food is non-GMO. In fact, certification goes so far as to require that the food not even come in contact with other GMO products (animal feed, for example).

Qualifying food products can display a “Non-GMO Project Verified” label to help consumers quickly identify them.

By understanding organic and non-GMO labels, we hope this helps you make informed food decisions for your family. When you grasp the food industry’s complex language, you skip all the guesswork. While organic and non-GMO definitions are fairly straightforward, the food industry is always evolving. Refer to USDA and Non-GMO Project guidance to stay up to date, and consult the accompanying infographic for more details on the differences between the two labels.

organic, non-gmo, food, healthy food, health — https://www.slideshare.net/PacMoore/organic-versus-nongmo-labels

Author bio: Chris Bekermeier is Vice President of Marketing at PacMoore, a food contract manufacturer that offers food processing and packaging services. Bekermeier received his B.S. in Business Management from Eastern Illinois University and his MBA from University of Chicago.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Parenting

Seven Healthy Habits To Teach Your Kids

06/23/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

When you’re a parent, it’s your sole job to take care of your children and help them to be healthy and well-rounded adults. It’s the healthy habits that we instill into our children that will carry them through life, but the problem is that adults have so many unhealthy ones that it’s hard to tell which you should be teaching. Adults aren’t always raised to be unhealthy, but the bad habits that we develop over time are those that we have to avoid teaching our children.
Children are clay to be moulded, unpainted canvases, and they deserve to have the very best start in life. It would help if you were on the ball to ensure that from the day that your child is born, they are shown only healthy and balanced habits that they can take in and imitate. The patterns that children learn early in life will be those that bring the best benefits to them, and as your children will look up to you, it’s up to you to set the best possible example. With that in mind, let’s talk through seven tips that will get your family started on the road to healthy behavior.

habits, health, parenting, kids, healthy — Image Source: Pexels

Embrace Positivity

We are bringing children into a cynical world. Well, let’s rephrase that: a scary world. There is a lot wrong with this planet, and it feels frightening to know that we brought children into a world of war, hunger and fear. The thing is, the world has a lot of positivity, too. You can help your children to develop a positive attitude by merely spinning all things negative into a positive. Yes, there is war, and yes, there are climate issues. However, if you can teach your children to recycle, to look after the world around them, those small movements can be massive. Focus on what CAN be done to help their world and not what can’t. Teach them kindness and positivity. Teach them how to look after the world around them and show them how to be better.

Reduce Screen Time

Health is so important with your children, and part of that will be in reducing the amount of screentime that they have. Blue light technology is something that prevents a good night of sleep and strains the eyes, but growing up in an increasingly digital world is hard enough. Children do not need to be exposed to social media at a young age, but people insist on allowing it. Children and teenager’s mental health is so important, and parents play a significant role in teaching them how to use their screens smartly. Enhancing their daily life with technology is one thing, but overuse can be damaging and addictive. Set limits and be a parent in this; screen discipline is so important.

Encourage Reading

Children are blessed with an imagination beyond anything else. When you sit and read with your children, not only are you embracing their passion for reading, you’re showing them a whole world that they can immerse themselves in. Reading gives them the chance to explore and discover, but it also gives you a chance to discuss and bond. You can talk to them about their own imagination and their hopes and dreams, too. When you teach your children to read, you teach them to embrace a new way of thinking and being. It teaches them social and emotional skills that are all going to build them into the best possible human being that they can be.

Make Meals Fun

Almost all children go through a fussy stage in their lives. They find it hard to try new things and eat fresh foods. Children have far more taste buds than we do, and encouraging them to try new things is essential. You can make meals as colorful as possible and encourage healthy habits with food. Fruits and vegetables from an early age can help your children to grow and feel good on the inside. Juices from goodnature.com/ can help your children to get the right nutrients as early as possible. With a plate filled with color, your children can have the right minerals, vitamins and the best start in life, and as a parent, it’s all you want.

Eat A Family Breakfast

Sitting together as a family every day for breakfast is one of the most important lessons to teach your kids. It’s the chance to sit and eat a balanced meal in each other’s company, and it’s going to teach your children how to keep their table manners. A protein-loaded breakfast will keep them fuller for longer, and it will mean that your children develop great morning habits when they watch you do it, too.

Embrace Exercise

As a family, you can workout together without making it a focus on working out. Cycling together, going to trampolining sessions, introducing martial arts and even taking a walk every day. It would help if you thought about all the ways you can incorporate activities for your children that get them off of Netflix and out into the world. Children can tire quickly, so keep it to around an hour at a time to avoid cranky behavior as a result. There’s bound to be something out there that they will enjoy doing!

Encourage Great Sleep

Children are continually growing and developing. If they can see that you have a healthy sleep routine, it will be easier for them to follow one for themselves. When you ensure that your children are comfortable in their room, you can ensure that their sleep is just as comfortable and makes them feel energized. A pleasant sleep environment is essential for your children, as is using the same techniques so that they can learn from you. Routine is vital, and you can keep the same routines, too. Teach your children to rest well, and you will teach them how to remain balanced and focused.
Children need you to be healthier and happier – start today and watch them grow up happy!

Going Healthy, Health, Life

Why Persistence Pays Off When it Comes to Health Living

06/19/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

When it comes to the task of looking after your health, persistence is one of the factors that’ll have the biggest impact on your success or failure. It’s vital that you take the time to Consider how your own persistence will help you or hinder you. If you’re not sure why it matters to your health and your ability to lead a healthy lifestyle, we’re going to explain in much more depth below. Read on to find out more.

health, aging, healthy living, fitness, exercise — Image Source – CC0 License

Things Don’t Change Overnight

When you want to make a change in your lifestyle to become healthier, you need to understand that you won’t see huge changes and progress overnight. Big changes simply don’t happen that fast. And when people expect quick results, they often get very disappointed and downhearted when they don’t see those results. Which is why things like Suboxone treatment for opioids, alcohol treatments and therapies for eating disorders aren’t always 100% effective. Being persistent is necessary in order to keep pushing forward.

It Takes Time to Drop Bad Habits That’ve Been in Place for Years

It’s especially difficult to drop habits that you’ve formed over many years or even decades. For example, something as simple as trying not to bite your fingernails is incredibly difficult if it’s a habit that you’ve had since childhood. The same is true for eating habits and even more so for things linked to physical addiction such as smoking or drinking.

Sometimes, a Simple Test Doesn’t Tell You Everything About Your Health

It’s important to find out more about what tests and health exams really do. For example, you can learn more here about how hearing tests don’t always pick up the hearing problems that you might be experiencing. That’s why you sometimes have to be persistent regarding your health. A simple test might not tell you what you need to know and you might have to push to learn more.

Short-Term Fixes Don’t Result in Long-Lasting Outcomes

When you choose a short-term health fix, you won’t necessarily receive all the benefits that come with taking a longer view. For example, you should always choose a sustainable, healthy and realistic diet over a crash diet that’s going to result in failure within a few weeks. Short-term fixes always sound appealing but they don’t achieve the results you’re really looking for.

All Good Things Require Hard Work and Effort

When you’re on the path to losing weight and you want to keep that weight off once it’s gone, you need to put in hard work. All good things demand some degree of hard work and effort, and that’s just a fact of life. It doesn’t only apply to your health. You should remember that when you’re looking after your health and trying to achieve health goals.

Whenever you’re looking to make progress with your health, the effort you put in and the level of persistence you show is going to make a big difference. You should always push yourself further and be persistent if you want to achieve the very best long-term outcomes for yourself. It’s the only way to make progress.