Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened 
• 1/2 vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• Stevia to taste

Whisk milk and protein powder in a small bowl until all clumps are removed. Add remaining ingredients until well mixed. Place in the fridge overnight. Add Topping. Enjoy.
These nesting bowls would be great to make this recipe in, they are perfect for portion control. Prepare the recipe above in them and top with some plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and you’re good to go! Plus they’re pretty and come with a cool stand!

Variations: (add to the oat mixture)

• Pina Colada: 1/2 cup pineapple and unsweetened coconut flakes
• Blueberry lemon: replace plain yogurt with blueberry and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Carrot Cake: Add 1/2 cup shredded carrot and 1 tablespoon maple syrup, top with coconut
• Chocolate Strawberry: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• Chocolate banana: Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup sliced bananas
• Key Lime: Add zest and juice from 1 key lime and 2 tablespoons of coconut, add stevia to taste

Toppings

• Fruit
• Jam
• Granola
• Coconut flakes
• Chocolate chips

If cold oatmeal isn’t your thing, you can heat it in the microwave for two minutes, stirring once halfway.

Thankfully, I found the “Dirty Dozen.” The Dirty Dozen has become important in my grocery lists and has helped my wallet on weekly shopping trips. The D.D. is a list of 12 items to help you buy organic, healthy foods. It was compiled by the USDA after washing produce with the mother of all washing systems. The produce that made the list still contained high levels of pesticides. The list is as follows:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Peaches
5. Strawberries
6. Spinach
7. Nectarines
8. Grapes
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Cucumbers

98% of conventional apples have pesticides.

The Dirtiest Culprits of the dozen are apples, celery, and sweet peppers. These are always worth the extra cost and luckily, are easier than most to find in your average supermarket.

List courtesy of Environmental Working Group. For more updates on food news check out their website http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/.

A few days ago I posted about new findings regarding GMO’s. I also listed some foods to watch out for. During my research I came across this FREE iPhone/Android app and I just had to share a few notes on this app because I found it pretty helpful!

First of all, its handy because you have a list of foods right there when you are shopping. No more trying to remember what you saw online was GMO. Or, no more wasting paper printing out a list you found online. It can all be right there on your mobile phone!

The app has a wonderful food guide organized by food types and is pretty extensive. There is also a search option so you can just search what you’re looking for instead of looking through the lists. When you click on a category it gives you a little rundown on that type of food and then gives a list of items for that type with whether or not you should avoid them. It goes as deep as brand names of foods and even supermarket store names and what they sell within their stores.

They have 4 simple tips for avoiding GM foods within your diet:

1. Buy organic.

2. Look for Non-GMO labels (if you’re lucky you’ll find these.)

3. Avoid at risk ingredients (corn, soy, canola and cottonseed).

4. Purchase products in this guide and notify True Food Network when you see an item in the store that isn’t in the app.

There is also lots more information about GMOs, supermarkets & GMOs, GM crops, the hormone rBGH, Organic foods, and about the creators of the app. Get this app now for you and your health!

Also, check out these books for more information:

GMO’s are foods that have been altered using genetic engineering techniques. There are many questions raised these days on wether or not they are safe to eat and many protests about food being labeled that its been Genetically Modified. Just today some shocking findings were released in a study regarding genetically modified foods (GMOs) and Roundup (weed killer) sprayed foods.

Scientists in France discovered extreme negative health impacts were found in rats when fed GMO foods and foods that were sprayed with Roundup. They found the rats had increased tumors, multiple organ damage and all of this usually led to premature death. ”During the two-year study, the scientists found that up to 50% of the male rats and 70% of females that ate genetically modified corn…died prematurely. That compared to a 30% (male) and 20% (female) mortality rate among control rats that ate conventional corn without Roundup.” There had been studies done before but this one was longer than past studies, so it got a better view of what will happen over a longer period of time. As soon as 4 months hit, the rats showed tumor growth and it just went downhill from there.

I personally am completely disgusted by this and cannot believe these companies that are feeding us these “poisonous” foods can have a clear conscious with what they are doing.

To stay away from GMO or Roundup sprayed foods I suggest buying Certified USDA Organic. This includes any pre-packaged products. Say you are buying a baking mix to make a cake and it has sugar in it – well, make sure the package says “Certified USDA Organic” and you can avoid the GMO sugar. When shopping for produce, seek out farmers markets where you can ask the farmers directly wether their produce is GMO. But the best thing you can do is to start your own organic garden, if you have the space. I don’t have the space for a garden so I did a little research for myself and wanted to help you out a little by giving a list of foods to definitely avoid when trying to stay away from GMO foods.

1. CORN – Most people know, corn is the most genetically modified food in the US. This is done to create its own insecticide. And corn is in practically everything, so keep your eyes on your food labels if you’re purchasing pre-packaged goods. And keep in mind that if you are a meat eater – the animals that were slaughtered for your food were most definitely eating this corn in their feed.
2. SOYBEAN – Is genetically engineered to resist Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. This includes any soy product: soy milk, tofu, soybean oil, soy flour and can be found in many other products. Check your labels for un-organic soy.
3. ASPERTAME – A synthesized toxic chemical used in many, many products (please check labels). Used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages.
4. SUGAR – From sugar beets. Apparently, Monsanto has been ordered to remove sugar beet seeds from the soil due to illegal approval. They are constantly involved in court cases with the USDA regarding sugar beets. Seek out organic sugar or sugar that comes from other sources.
5. CANOLA OIL – Avoid this – it comes from rapeseed oil which is one of the highest chemically altered foods, and to create canola oil it goes through even more chemical processes. Just NOT GOOD! Could be found in snack foods, baked products and other fried foods, so check labels or ask.
6. PAPAYA – These GMO papayas are grown in Hawaii, they are grown to resist viruses. Check labels on where they are from and buy organic when possible.
7. DAIRY – Always be aware of what you are consuming and where it comes from – for example – milk comes from cows and most cows in the US are shot up with hormones. You drink the milk, you drink the hormones. One fifth of all dairy cows in the US are pumped up with the hormone rBGH (which has been banned in 27 other countries, by the way). If you buy milk, buy organic.
8. MEAT – This includes chicken, beef, pork or any other meat product you consume. These animals that are slaughtered for your food have most likely eaten GMO feed. Plus, like I stated above, they are shot up with hormones usually. Buy organic when you can.
9. COTTONSEED OIL – Found in many products such as fried foods, snack foods, baked goods, and blended vegetable oils. (I cannot stress enough how important it is to read labels.)
10. VEGETABLE OIL – Most vegetable oil and margarine found in restaurant foods and processed foods made in North America are GMO. Unless it says non-GMO or organic, avoid it. Kinda scary eating out if you ask me.
11. VITAMINS – I never knew this but, Vitamins are usually derived from GMO products such as corn and soy. Read labels to see where yours come from.

This is only a handful of products that are genetically modified. Be aware of what you put in your body. This is just as important as following a diet plan to lose weight or halt aging or watch your sodium intake. GMO foods can lead to health problems in the future. I plan to be proactive about my health by watching what I put in my mouth.