Before the power of commercial lobbies, even the BJP government bows. The partys manifesto took a strong stand against GM foods; ignoring it, the Governments Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) green-lighted genetically engineered mustard in India. GM mustard is known to be more dangerous than GM cotton (which has caused havoc already) and GM brinjal (which was stopped in the nick of time).

Because mustard is used in every household every day in India, its health implications are of special importance to us. GM mustard is an HT (herbicide tolerant) crop. This euphemism means it uses a single herbicide, eventually becoming resistant and necessitating heavy use of chemical herbicide. Such excessive use has been linked to birth defects and childhood cancers. Almost all of Europe has discontinued the GM concept altogether because of health issues.

Why then does India welcome these traps? There are three reasons: The vested interests of politicians, over-enthusiasm of civil servants, and the apparent ease with which watchdogs like GEAC can be compromised. Much of this is facilitated by the worlds most powerful lobbying groups, which routinely influence US government policies. (Barack Obama appointed several Monsanto executives in his governments food and agriculture supervisory bodies).

These lobbies are no less powerful in India. Remember those horrid, heart-wrenching videos of endosulfan victims in Kasargod areas? They are still therepitiably malformed children and men with bloated body parts. Every time such pathetic pictures of human suffering appeared on television screens, people would ask: Why doesnt the government ban endosulfan? And every time Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was confronted with the question, he would say: We need to do more tests to know if endosulfan is harmful. How thick can political skins get?

Insensitive politicians are aided and abetted by specialists in the governments planning bodies. Niti Aayog has argued in favour of GM mustard on the ground that the GM technology will substantially increase yield. This is a myth as UN statistics prove. Non-GM users have the highest mustard yieldGermany, France, UK, Poland, Czech Republic. Way down in the table are GM usersUSA, Canada, Australia. Why did Niti Aayog rely on other self-serving statistics? And why did it ignore social and health issues?

The bigger tragedy is that we cannot be sure of our watchdogs; under pressure, they become promoters rather than preventers of malpractices. India has for long been a victim of this malaise. In 2009, the Food & Safety Standards Authority of India, our only food regulatory body, saw Pepsi and Coca-Cola officials becoming members of panels to judge various technical matters such as sampling methods, additives and flavourings. With a board comprising representatives of the very companies it was supposed to regulate, what safety standards could FSSAI ensure?

Similar manipulations made the GEAC clear GM brinjal in 2009. Monsanto, described by The Guardian of UK as the worlds most hated company, infiltrated the GEAC and also gave various research assignments to field researchers and sundry agricultural scientists in the country. The result was that Monsanto-flavoured research reached the GEAC for Monsanto-flavoured decisions. Activist Kavita Kuruganti publicly charged that the chairman of the Expert Committee appointed to examine the matter was pressurised by the Agriculture Minister, GEAC and the industry to clear GM brinjal. We were saved from it only because an alert minister, Jairam Ramesh, put it safely in Trishanku Swarga.

The lobbyists turned smarter this time. They presented GM mustard as the product of a Delhi University teams research. This was followed by another report: The genes that went into the DU mustard were the property of Bayer, a merged part of Monsanto. Three giant corporations, including Monsanto-Bayer, control both the seeds market and the pesticide market globally. Its a win-win situation for them and Swadeshi scientists, too, necessarily work as their foot soldiers.

The only thing that can be done about technologies based on chemical pesticides is to eliminate them. Reckless use of pesticides in the cotton region of Punjab ruined a generation of farmers. Their tragedy was dramatised by the cancer train that took afflicted farmers daily from Bhatinda station to Bikaner (where the Acharya Tulsi Cancer Institute was more affordable). Biologist Pushpa Bhargava, appointed by the Supreme Court in 2008 to observe the GEACs functioning, was outraged by the manipulations he saw. Whatever Monsanto said was Gods own word, he said and warned: If BT Brinjal is released, it will be the single largest disaster in the country. Larger still will be the mustard disaster.

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With political help, lobbies put chemicals in our diet; BJP must honour its pledge to keep GM food out - The New Indian Express

(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett) Elon Musk may make batteries for a living, but the billionaire entrepreneur once required a shocking amount of caffeine to stay energized.

At one point,the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was reportedly consuming eight cans of Diet Coke and several large coffees in a day to keep himself alert and on top of his grueling work schedule, Inc. previously reported.

This was back when Musk was working 100 hoursper week during the launch of his companies.

I got so freaking jacked that I seriously started to feel like I was losing my peripheral vision, Musk told Inc. He claims hisoffice now has caffeine-freeDiet Coke.

Sure, we're all guilty of craving acoffee pick-me-up, but thatis a ton of caffeine.

Most adults can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine each day. Diet Coke has 42 mg of caffeine in each can(more than any other type of Coca-Cola),whichmeans he was consuming 336 mg in just soda drinks.

Adding coffee into the mix likely put him over than 400 mg max. Atall coffee from Starbuckshas about 260 mg of caffeine per cup.

Musk isn't alone in his unhealthy eating habits.

Warren Buffett, who is 86 years old, has a McDonald's breakfast sandwich every day. On days when the market is down, Buffett claims he is more frugal and opts for the $2.95 Sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese. On good days, he'll order the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit for $3.17. Every morning, he tells his current wife, Astrid, to put the exact change in the center cup holder of his car.

When Buffett arrives at his desk at Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, he sits down to eat his breakfast with a glass of Coke.He drinks five Cokes per day.

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Elon Musk once drank 8 cans of Diet Coke and a ton of coffee every day - Yahoo Finance UK

Norm Groot, For The Salinas Californian 3:01 a.m. PT June 11, 2017

When a consumer goes into to the supermarket to load up their basket with fruits and vegetables, amongst other items, little thought is given to where those products are grown. Shoppers typically look for the best price, either conventionally grown or organic, and then make their choices. Most shoppers dont stop to look at where the product is grown or how far it traveled to get there.

With the globalization of our food supplies, we are seeing more seasonal crops on a year-round basis. Peaches used to be an anticipated season each year when I was a kid; now we can find peaches, and most other stone fruits, year-round on the grocery shelves. Along with blueberries and strawberries, we consumers are spoiled in having once seasonal choices now year round.

And now we are moving into more convenience items in the produce aisle. Not only are we seeing complete salad packages (with dressing and other items like croutons), complete meals are being packaged for dinner using fresh vegetables grown in our local fields, and including a protein. Consumers are looking for simplicity in their meal preparations and local producers and processors are responding!

We are fortunate that there is an abundance of fresh berries, veggies, and leafy greens grown in our area, and that the local grocery shelves are stocked with items that traveled only a few miles to get there. This is the best possible outcome of eat local anyone could ever find!

Yet, there are items that we dont grow in Monterey County that must travel farther to make it onto our grocery shelves. This cant be avoided as weather and climate play a big part in where crops are grown, as well as seasons of the year. While we may locally produce our veggies and fruits nearly year-round due to the moderate climate we all enjoy, other regions must deal with more drastic seasonal fluctuations and the annual cycle of growing stone fruits, grains, and other staple crops.

Consumers have choices beyond what our grandparents could have ever imagined. I remember as a kid going to the small town grocer with my grandmother as she shopped for dinner items, one or two days at a time. It was a big deal when the first ears of corn came in, or the first blueberries showed up on the shelves. We actually looked forward to those seasonal fruits and veggies as a treat!

Now, we are confronted with so many choices its almost impossible to plan for a meal with a special item and not find it on the grocery shelf, no matter the season. We, as consumers, have trained our supermarkets into providing the widest set of choices ever, simply because we can demand fruit year round from all areas of the world. Our global economy has turned the seasonal expectations inside out and the newest generation of consumers has never experienced a grocery shelf not filled with choices year-round.

But back to the emphasis on local; the trend from the foodies is to have local fruits and veggies available as a way to minimize our impacts due to transportation and other energy consumption. But in reality, during the winter months, local fruits and veggies in New York come from our Salinas Valley, as well as the Imperial Valley, as these are the only regions producing during those months. So local is a relative term when it comes to the seasonality of crops.

Whether you shop at a farmers market, big chain supermarket, or local grocery store, you are most likely purchasing products produced here in the Salinas Valley. We remain one of the most significant growing regions in the world and local residents enjoy the benefits of this local bounty. Safely produced, under the strictest of all food safety measures, and at an affordable price, we are blessed with a multitude of local choices on a daily basis.

Local farmers have been doing this for decades and have continued to renew their local resources to continue this bountiful production of fruits and vegetables. Everyone is looking to eat healthier these days, and Salinas Valley farmers are the ones providing that healthy diet, locally.

Norm Groot is the executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau. Contact him at Norm@montereycfb.com.

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Fasting during Ramadan is an important component of Islam. However, patients with diabetes who decide to fast need to observe certain precautions. Some do worry about how to do this safely, and how to fulfill this religious obligation without creating health problems for themselves. For this reason, it is important to understand what really happens to your body when you fast and what you can do to keep your diabetes under control during Ramadan.

Patients with diabetes fall under two categories, depending on the level of risk associated with fasting. Patients with Type 1 diabetes are in the high-risk category. The chances of them suffering from hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia when fasting are higher as compared to patients with Type 2 diabetes. All patients with diabetes however should consult their doctor before they undertake the Ramadan fast so that they are aware of all precautionary measures they need to take to make fasting a safe experience.

Keeping track of blood sugar levels all through the day during a fast is very important. Patients with diabetes should be aware of common signs and symptoms that could arise as a result of fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. Hyperglycemia, that is high blood sugar level, is accompanied by a dry mouth, increased thirst, fatigue, hunger, nausea, dizziness, headache and blurry vision.

If hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) occurs, patients could experience feelings of shakiness, higher heart rate, sweating/chills, anxiety, intense hunger, nausea, numbness and drowsiness. Other complications that could arise include dehydration, diabetic ketoacidosis and formation of blood clot in the blood vessels. If you experience such symptoms or know someone who does, contact your doctor at the earliest to prevent what could be a medical emergency.

Include whole-grain bread, whole-grain low-sugar cereals, beans and lentils in your daily meals to maintain a balanced intake of nutrients. Ensure a good serving of fruit and vegetables with your meal, to avoid dehydration and improve your fibre intake. It is also advisable to include protein rich food in your diet, as it causes a feeling of satiety, making you feel less hungry while you fast. Try to keep consumption of carbohydrates and fatty food to a minimum. Drink sufficient water and avoid indulging in packed fruit juices.

Remember that fasting during Ramadan is a personal choice, but one that must be taken after consultation with your doctor. Making any self-alteration in your medication is highly discouraged; any change in medication needs to be discussed with your doctor to avoid possible fatal complications. Being aware of your condition and staying in touch with your medical team throughout the holy month will ensure that you observe a healthy and safe Ramadan.

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What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan

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What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan - Huffington Post India

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the U.S. dairy industry. At $27 billion annually, its impact on the American economy and diet is immense, and at its core, the sector is completely dependent on the health and productivity of cows.

Americans drink more than 6 billion gallons of milk per year, and another 10 billion gallons are used to produce cheese, not to mention the milk that goes into products such as ice cream and yogurt. Yet, its safe to say, most consumers take the well-being of dairy cows for granted. But the countrys 65,000 dairy farmers dont they cant afford to.

One of dairy farmers biggest concerns is the vulnerable and important period for the dairy cow that extends three weeks before and three weeks after calving. Her metabolic needs increase dramatically, and how she copes with this high-energy transition period influences how well she performs during the rest of the lactation.

During this transition cow period, diseases can result in milk yield decreases of 5 to 10 pounds per day at peak lactation,a considerable economic loss for the producer. And research has shown that there is a domino effect: when a cow suffers from one transition disease, she is more likely to develop another, such as mastitis, ketosis or postpartum metritis.

Field surveys done by Penn State Extension show that more than 50 percent of cows will experience one or more metabolic or infectious disease following calving.

So, dairy-nutrition researchers such as Penn States Alex Hristov have been experimenting with various dietary supplements to bolster the immune systems of transition cows. A professor of dairy nutrition in the College of Agricultural Sciences, he has concentrated on the effects of spicing up the diets of transition cows feeding them phytonutrients and essential oils that are known to boost and support the immune systems of other species, including humans and gauging the cows health response.

Phytonutrients and essential oils bioactive compounds that act as antimicrobials and antiseptics are not required by dairy animals, but ingesting the compounds could make cows healthier, according to Hristov. Some examples are allicin from garlic, thymol from thyme and oregano, capsaicin from hot peppers, eugenol from cloves, pinene from juniper berries, limonene from dill, cinnamonaldehyde from cinnamon, and curcumin from turmeric.

At first, Hristov and other animal scientists considered phytonutrients and essential oils as a way to improve or alter rumen fermentation with naturally occurring compounds rather than commercial additives or antibiotics. The objective in altering rumen fermentation is to reduce methane gas production and increase propionate and butyrate production, resulting in more efficient fermentation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But in recent research, Hristov has been looking beyond the rumen. In a series of papers, including an invited review published this spring in the Journal of Dairy Science, he and postdoctoral scholar Joonpyo Oh focus on the intestinal effects of phytonutrients in dairy cows, especially capsicum oleoresin from chili peppers. Oh, who conducted the research as part of his doctoral thesis, concluded that phytonutrients appear to have positive physiological effects on the immune response in ruminants, and in lactating dairy cows in particular.

The novel thing about this research is that we have shown that these phytonutrients can have downstream effects after the rumen, Hristov said. For the first time, we have shown that these compounds can bypass the rumen, which means they can avoid microbial degradation in the rumen. So they can be absorbed, through specific receptors, in the small intestine, which allows the cow to benefit from their physiological effects, including improvements in immunity, oxidative stress and insulin regulation.

He explained that the regulatory effects of phytonutrients on cytokines, acute phase proteins, blood immune cells, and oxidative stress status, including lipid peroxidation and endogenous antioxidants, seem to be beneficial for immune suppression of inflammation disease in dairy cows.

Although more research is needed to confirm results of Penn State studies, Hristov believes phytonutrient supplements such as capsicum oleoresin in the feed of transition dairy cows could have an impact on the dairy industry. The transition period is the most critical period in the life of a cow, so anything that can decrease metabolic diseases during that time could prove to be significant, he said.

Anything that improves animal health and immune response in these cows is important. And in previous studies we even saw an increase in milk production. That kind of direct impact, if proven, would be very important.

Follow-on studies are unfolding in Hristovs lab in collaboration with a Swiss company to develop a rumen-protected capsicum product to reliably deliver the benefits of phytonutrients to cows immune systems. Researchers are using capsicum oleoresin, Hristov noted, because after investigating other phytonutrient compounds, the peppers had the most pronounced affect on cows health.

But do cows like having their diet spiced up? From the several experiments we conducted, they dont seem to mind it, Hristov said. Cows consumed the spicy diet the same as the control diet. Perhaps, like some of us, they like it.

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Spicing up diet of transition dairy cows may be good for their health - ScienceBlog.com (blog)

EVER wondered what effect Marios mushroom diet is having on his health?

Wonder no more.

Fitness app Lifesum has partnered with theoretical physicist Dr. Matt Caplan to analyse the exercise and dietary habits of iconic video game characters.

Theyve done dietary assessments, fitness analyses and calorific calculations for household names like Mario, Sonic, and LaraCroft.

Turns out that Mario is clinically obese, Master Chief would need to eat more than a full adult males daily intake for each hour of intense combat and Zeldas Link would have to chow down on a fairy corpse every half-hour to sustain his calorie expenditure.

Heres a breakdown of your favourite characters.

First up is Sonic.

The Blue Blur has long been famous for running at the speed of sound(around 770 mph).

If Sonics metabolism is anything like that of a human, who burns roughly 150 calories per mile run, then he could burn 33 lbs (15kg) in an hour, Dr Matt explains.

1991, Sega

23.98 million copies

100cm (33)

35kg (77.2 Ibs)

Body Mass Index: 35

Core diet: Chili dogs (296 kcal/ dog)

Key activity: Running (for humans, 150 kcal/mile)

This means that Sonic can eat as many chilli dogs (his favourite food 296 calories per dog), as he wants with a clear conscience.

Hes known for munching 300 in one sitting, according to a comic book he features in equalling about 88,800 calories.

This would take an average human 500 hours of medium-pace walking to burn however, despite his BMI indicating that his metabolism is considerably worse than that of an average human, Sonic naturally moves considerably faster than a medium-pace walk.

Next, its Crash Bandicoot.

According to the nutrition experts, Crash, a large, upright bandicoot (typically a small-to-medium-sized marsupial native to parts of Australasia) has a healthy Body Mass Index of 21.1.

In his attempt to rescue his girlfriend Tawna (who is reportedly based on Pamela Anderson) from Doctor Cortexs experiments, he collects wumpa fruit.

Wumpa fruit is similar to apples(95 calories in an average size), which helps explain Crashs healthy BMI.

1996, Naughty Dog/Sony

6.8 million copies

146cm (48)

45 kg (99.2 lbs)

Body mass index: 21.1

Core diet: Wumpa fruit (95 kcal/fruit)

Key activity: Somersaults (463 kcal/hour)

This combined with Crashs spinning, somersaulting and jumping makes his calorie-burning akin to that of gymnastics, which Lifesums data shows burns 463 kcal/hour.

His well-developed upper torso suggests he might be adding some high-protein insects to his diet too.

Toadstool loving Mario isnt faring quite so well.

Youd think that munching mushrooms all day would make you thin as a rake.

But its not the case for the Italian legend.

The plumber has an unhealthy Body Mass Index of 39.5.

That said, considering he only consumes one primary food-type, mushrooms, his diet is relatively nutritious.

The common mushroom is a good source of both Vitamin B and essential minerals such as copper and potassium according to Lifesums nutritionists.

1985, Nintendo

47.58 million copies

155cm (51)

95kg (209 lbs)

Body Mass Index: 39.5

Core diet: Mushrooms (25 kcal/100g)

Key activity: Running (752 kcal/hour), Swimming (742 kcal/hour), Jumping (618 kcal/hour)

American ethnobotanist Terrence McKenna went as far as to say that mushrooms were a crucial component of human evolution.

Marios tireless running, swimming, and constant jumping over nefarious turtles and Venus fly traps on his journey from the Super Mario Bros. start point to the final castle is an excellent exercise routine.

During a quick playthrough, he runs 3.4 miles in around 17 minutes at a 5.5mph pace (burning 213 kcal); swims at high intensity for another 3 minutes (37 kcal), and jumps throughout (206 kcal). He would burn 456 kcal in one playthrough, which in mushroom terms equates to burning off about 150 large fungi.

What about lusty game fans favourite, Lara Croft?

The tomb raider is actually borderline unhealthy too, as she is under the recommended BMI for women.

1996, Core Design/Eidos

7.5 million copies

175 cm (57)

52kg (114.6 Ibs)

Body Mass Index: 17

Core diet: Venison (116 kcal/100g)

Key activity: Climbing (668 kcal/hour)

1996, Core Design/Eidos

7.5 million copies

175 cm (57)

52kg (114.6 Ibs)

Body Mass Index: 17

Core diet: Venison (116 kcal/100g)

Key activity: Climbing (668 kcal/hour)

Known for hunting and eating deer, she could live for at least a month on the venisonof one doe.

In search of forgotten artefacts and lost sites, Lara can be found climbing mountains, traversing ruins, and scaling crumbling towers.

Lifesums experts endorse climbing as an excellent exercise for the entire body, helping burn 668 calories an hour.

When Angelina Jolie starred in the 2001 movie version of Tomb Raider, she went through an intense 10-week programme to achieve the same fitness levels as Croft.

The programme included ballet, diving, kickboxing and a multitude of fighting drills, with a diet of lean proteins and steamed vegetables.

Comparing Lara from the video games and Angelina Jolie, the former has a healthier BMI of 20.7, in contrast to Laras 17.6, which is considered underweight.

Then theres Link, from Legend of Zelda.

1987, Nintendo

6.51 million copies

161.5 cm (53)

70kg (154.3 Ibs)

Body Mass Index: 29.9

Core diet: Fairies (360 kcal/fairy)

Key activity: Fencing with & throwing the Master Sword (433 kcal/hour)

His morbid diet of tiny, winged creatures is probably not particularly nutritious.

Academic James Cole calculated that a whole, full-sized human cadaver would yield 81,500 calories.

Working with the measurements of the average garden-variety Disney fairy (12cm tall, equating to one fifth of a human arm: 1,800 calories, according to Cole), each winged creature consumed supplies Link with 360 calories.

Unfortunately (should you be Link, or have a taste for fairies), human flesh has little nutritional value when compared to that of animals.

Its surprising that Link sustains such a high-intensity routine for his entire quest; his swordplay alone burns 433 calories an hour, which requires ingesting 1.2 fairies every sixty minutes.

Other characters includeJohn-117, known as Master Chief, with a BMI of over 30 and Street Fighter IIs Chun Li.

You can check out other characters in the Lifesum blog.

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Nutritionists work out what Lara Croft, Sonic and Link's diets would be like in real life and they might surprise you - The Sun