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Should patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes be allowed? Our ability to alter the genetic blueprint of animals and plants is in the process of changing many aspects of science and medicine. Many people see this as beneficial others see this as tampering with nature.

But what about genetically-modified (GM) food? Do we want to eat such food? And is it really such a big deal?

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.

A recent GM Nation report concluded that the general public is overwhelmingly against GM technology, with feelings ranging from suspicion and skepticism, to hostility and rejection; there are, it was said, many more people who are cautious, suspicious or out rightly hostile about GM crops than there are supportive towards them.

Anxiety in society over genetically modified food is understandable, fueled by a variety of causes – consumer unfamiliarity; lack of reliable information on the current safeguards in place; a steady stream of negative opinion in the media; opposition by activist groups; growing mistrust of industry; and a general lack of awareness of how our food is produced. The scientific community has not adequately addressed public concerns about GM foods, nor has it effectively communicated the value of the new technology.

The Royal Society, the UKs premier scientific body has pointed out the total lack of evidence that genetically modified crops cause harm to humans. But you’d never have guessed that from the often negative media coverage.

When considering genetic engineering, it should be remembered that almost every living thing that man exploits has been genetically-modified in some way. The crops we use for food, the animals we eat, our pets and the plants in our gardens are radically different from those that existed in the so-called natural state.

Thousands of years of selective breeding have improved the yields of crops, the milk production of cows, the quantity of meat on cattle and the sizes and colours of our flowers and dogs.

But because of commercial interests, the public is being denied the right to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries. GMOs should not be released into the environment as there is not adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health. Genetic pollution could be a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment. Labelling of all products with GE ingredients doesn’t appear to be happening at the moment which is important for those people that want to avoid them.

Now my final thoughts… few would deny the benefits of modern genetic engineering in medicine. The use of genetically-modified bacteria to produce drugs such as insulin has been a revolution in medicine and saved the lives of millions. GM crops have also been hailed as the saviors of developing countries as they can be modified to prosper in dry, arid countries where there is little rainfall. There seems to be both negatives and positives to GE and GM foods….ill let you decide which path you choose!

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The modern U.S. army has a wide array of food products available to them in base camps and in the field. There are a large number of MREs (which are actually quite tasty) and other portable foods available to them when on missions and when stationed in hostile terrain. And when posted at an established base camp, the food that is prepared is also quite good. A large part of this is of course the ready availability of large quantities of any sort of food imaginable in today’s modern environment. In fact, today’s soldiers have the best food ever made available to a fighting force.

But it wasn’t always that way.

Take the Civil War. Civil War food kept the soldiers fed and not much else. Lets take a look at the diet that comprised the typical Civil War food ration. There were several issues that affected the food that was supplied to the Civil War soldiers. These include the organization of the Commisary Department – which was tasked with the acquisition and distribution of food to the soldiers in the field, the season which determined if fresh food was available or if it was preserved in some way and the ability of the food to stay good for long term storage and transportation.

Prior to the war, the concentration of Commisaries was in the North so when the Civil War began, the North had a great advantage as they already had an existing Commisary Department that was already trained in how to acquire and transport food to soldiers in the field. Their job was to work with the troop numbers and schedules and keep a constant supply of foods going to each area where troops were stationed so that the soldiers could keep on fighting without worrying about where their next meal would be coming from. It took the Confederacy several years to develop a working Commisary so being a soldier of the South was more difficult. It required real dedication to be fighting when you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from. Because of this lack of infrastructure, the South had to do a lot of foraging for food between battles until the supply lines were up and operational.

Civil War soldier food was typically very simple fare – often consisting of meat, coffee, sugar and hardtack – a type of dried biscuit. The meat was often salted or dried so it would last a bit longer and fruits and vegetables were rarities on the battlefield. Because the soldiers were often in the field, they needed to carry rations with them. They had a special bag – called a haversack – whihc was made of canvas with an inner cloth bag that could be washed to get food debris cleaned out once in a while. But even with this design, the bags were often quite contaminated and foul smelling. Cleanliness was typically not high on the Civil War soliders priority list.

Union soldiers and Confederate soldiers typically had a different mix of rations. A Union soldier might have salt pork, fresh or salted beef, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, dried fruit and vegetables. And if it was in season, they might have fresh carrots, onions, turnips and potatos. A Confederate soldier typically had bacon, corn meal, tea, sugar, molasses and the very occasional fresh vegetable.

The other difference in Civil War food between the Union and Confederate armies was the type of bread product they had available to them. Confederate soldiers had something called “Johnnie Cake” that they made in the field from cornmeal, milk and a few other ingredients. The Union soldiers had hardtack, also referred to as “tooth dullers” or “sheet iron crackers”. Hardtack was manufactured in large factories in the North and was a staple food for the Union soldiers. Hardtack got its name because it was often not used until months after it was made and during that time, it hardened rock solid which is how it got its nicknames.

As you can see, food has come a long way due to the advent of technologies that allow for better preservation of a wide variety of foods. Gone are the days of weevil infested hardtack. They have been replaced with modern vacuum seal technologies that allow foods to stay fresh and tasty years after they have been packages. And since they say an army is run by its stomach, it is no surprise that the modern soldier is the best the world has ever seen.

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Who would have dreamed that using chocolate as a skin moisturizer could ever be popular? Chocolate used to be called “junk food”. As a matter of fact, we used to blame chocolate for a whole host of facial epidermal problems, the best known of course, being acne.

But how quickly things change! Chocolate treatments can be found in boutiques in almost every corner of the globe. Scientific reports now consider dark chocolate to be a health food because of it’s powerful anti-oxidant properties, and something called flavanols, which among other things are said to offer “extraordinary cardiovascular protection.”

Cosmetics manufacturers are now adding chocolate as an ingredient into their skin care products formulas. The chocolate has extraordinary skin softening and moisturizing properties. Chocolate skin treatments have become the latest rage. Chocolate is also used to smooth out wrinkles due to its anti-oxidant high moisture content, thanks in large part to the wonders of cocoa butter.

Most chocolate treatments contain cocoa butter, but it is also used extensively in the formulation of many beauty products.

The anti-oxidant properties in cocoa are said to also prevent free radicals from damaging the skin’s elastin and collagen, which aids in the prevention of wrinkles.

Researchers and doctors have found that the anti-oxidant properties in cocoa is comparable to green tea. Dark chocolate, in particular, has a very high anti-oxidant content. Chocolate is considered dark if it has 35% percent cocoa or more.

What makes a chocolate skin moisturizer? The top 3 ingredients listed on the label will be the most important. Cocoa should be one of those top three ingredients.

However, for cocoa to be effective as an anti-oxidant, it would need to be absorbed and penetrate the dermis which is the lower layer of skin. Many doctors think that cocoa molecules are too big and some doubt that it can penetrate that far.

In spite of all the excitement and hype, further study is still being done. But, while all the benefits of chocolate skin treatments are still unclear, why not enjoy the “forbidden fruit” factor of smothering yourself in the luxury of wonderful dark chocolate?

The Chocoholic Spa Inc. is pleased to announce the introduction of a luxuriously decadent new line of Spa grade, World Class Dark Chocolate-based bath and body products. For sinfully rich dark chocolate based bath and body products, head on over to thechocoholicspa.com thechocoholicspa.com .

Most people are only concerned with how coffee will wake them up to start the day,but contrary to what some health official would have you believe there are studies that show coffee actually has health benefits.

These benefits include the link between coffee consumption & reduced risk of colon cancer, Parkinson’s & diabetes due to the antioxidants in coffee,it can also help enhance your memory & performance. It can also help to relieve mild pain when very gentle exercise has been taken.Coffee has also been found to help with depression.Asthma sufferers have also revealed 25% fewer attacks,obviously these benefits vary from person to person and take into account a daily allowance of a moderate 2/4 cups a day.

Most of the studies are just done with “coffee,” not allowing for how it is brewed,the freshness of the beans etc. The studies may need to be refined to see if the fresher the coffee the more effect,or roast beans over ground coffee.Does it make a difference how long the coffee has been brewed for? We do know that drinking badly brewed coffee is not good for the body.

COFFEE FACTS
Caffeine in 2 cups of coffee takes 30 minutes to take effect and can last several hours.

Coffee has long been used to sober up a drunk person but this is a myth and does not work.

When driving research has shown a 30 min break 1/2 cups of coffee & a 15min nap is the best combination to combat tiredness.

There is no evidence that coffee acts differently on men or woman.

Having 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day can aid liver function.

The effects of coffee are the same whether its espresso,cappuccino or instant.

Adding milk & sugar to the coffee does not have a detrimental affect on coffee.

Coffee can have a protective factor against Alzheimer’s disease.

Coffee can help in the stiffness of joints associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Caffeine in coffee increases alertness and reduces fatigues,improves vigilance and simple tasks that require longer spells of concentration.

So on the whole it is the same old adage “everything in moderation” yes coffee can be bad for the body, bit it can also have a lot of benefits, so do not feel too guilty when having that morning cuppa.

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