GMO Corn Snuck into Your Lunch

A couple weeks ago, word hit the street that Panda Express, a popular fast-food chain, is replacing eggs with corn in their fried rice.

Here’s a link to a video on the story.

Think about this next time you’re power-walking through the mall and someone offers you a sample of their chicken while you stride through the food court. Just keep on going before their succulent sample lures you into a nasty surprise.

They’re replacing a solid source of protein and healthy fats with lousy corn. And you can bet it’s genetically modified organism (GMO) corn.

The reason they gave for the switch?

A nationwide egg shortage due to bird flu.

Now… let’s put the bird flu stuff aside and focus on the nutritional aspect of this story. (I know we’ve got some readers ready to fire away some articles about how it’s a government conspiracy… as if the government’s competent enough to construct such plots… Well, maybe some puppet masters are, but anyway, I’m trying to stick to health here!)

It’s another example of a company choosing to save money over using quality ingredients. Now, I don’t have a problem with that. If consumers demand a cheap product, they can expect to get just that. Imagine the uproar if Panda kept using eggs but bumped their prices up instead.

I buy my eggs from a local farm. No shortage there. No animals stuffed with grains either.

But every now and then, I succumb to the convenience of eating out for lunch. Here’s how a recent conversation went between me and a co-worker when he saw me eating some Hunan beef:

Co-worker: “That stuff is loaded with sugar.”

Me: “*** **** it!”

Somewhere, buried in my subconscious, I knew. But my taste buds outvoted my brain (a common occurrence with most other parts of me too).

Think of it this way:

Whatever cheap-ish dish you grab for lunch has to go through just about all of the following:

  1. Ingredients purchased in bulk (that are available year-round).
  2. Able to withstand a cross-country or overseas journey without spoiling.
  3. Cheap to purchase.
  4. Easy to assemble.
  5. Be waiting, hot and fresh, within a few minutes of you ordering.
  6. Make a profit for every link in the supply chain.
  7. Taste good enough for you to want more.

… Do you really expect the convenient fare you get at a chain store to fulfill all the requirements above and STILL be healthy?

Don’t count on it. Because in lieu of the higher prices required for better-quality ingredients, purveyors of convenient food have a couple tricks up their sleeve:

  1. Excitotoxins — these chemicals fire up the pleasure centers in your brain. MSG is probably the most commonly known. Others are aspartame and any other noncalorie sweetener in diet drinks. But excitotoxins can show up in the sauces of main dishes as well.
  2. Processed carbohydrates, like sugar — again, I have to hate on sauces here. They’re the perfect place to sneak in spoonfuls of sugar to ensure any meat dish you order tastes delectable. It’s the real reason spice combinations are top-secret.

You’re especially in danger at a restaurant because you can’t readily examine the ingredients list.

So if lifelong health and staying trim is something you want for yourself, make the majority of your meals at home.

The problem with this is even grocery stores and food companies can fool you with the harmful (but tasty!) ingredients they sneak into products. Or spray on products. Or feed the animals that eventually create the products.

Does this concern you? And would you be interested in a handy guide you can take with you to the grocery store so you can tell exactly which foods are healthy and which are merely pretending to be?

With this guide, you could scan any label and instantly pick out the hidden, potentially harmful ingredients. Even the ones that sound healthy (food companies do this to fool you).

If you’re interested in a guide like that, write to us at livingwelldaily@lfb.org. We’ve got something in the works, but we’ll move forward on the project only if there’s enough reader response.

Until then, make your own food as much as possible. At least you’ll (sort of) know what’s going into it.

Nate Rifkin
Underground Health Researcher

Nate Rifkin

Written By Nate Rifkin

Nate Rifkin is an obsessed health and mind-power researcher and author. To hear more from Nate, sign up to receive Living Well Daily for free, here.

View More Free Articles

Olive Oil Compound WOWS Researchers

Olive oil has been getting some well-deserved attention the last few years. So it would be easy to assume that the golden oil’s status as a health food was recently earned. But the truth is, olive oil has been considered a healthy staple in the human diet since it was first developed 600 years ago....

Read This

NEW Medicinal Mushroom Benefit UNCOVERED

I’m a big fan of medicinal mushrooms. Almost everyone has eaten a standard mushroom on a pizza or in a spaghetti sauce, of course. But most folks have yet to experience medical mushrooms’ power to improve our health. Medicinal mushrooms are already used to treat heart, liver, and brain conditions. They can boost the immune...

Read This

[SENIORS] Cellular GLITCH Discovered?!

Aging isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure. But hey, I always remind myself the alternative is FAR worse! Besides, when you sit back and take stock, you’ll realize that a life well lived – like your own – is something to be proud of. But those accomplishments, unfortunately, don’t reduce your risk of suffering the...

Read This

Overlooked Diabetes Risk Drives Up Blood Sugar

If you’re concerned about diabetes, you’ve probably done your research. You likely focused on all the common problem areas to ward off rising blood sugar: the grocery store… the gym… and the bathroom scale. And those ARE all great places to start! Eating better, exercising, and losing weight can go a long way toward bringing your...

Read This

Boredom BUSTING Hack Keeps You Sane AND Healthy

This time of year, I start to feel a little stir-crazy. Cabin fever sets in as I tire of the cold and snow. And I start thinking about the warmer weather that’s right around the corner (but still feels SO far away). You see, I enjoy walking, hiking, and running outside. It’s good for both...

Read This

Loneliness Linked to THIS Startling Side Effect

Before the pandemic, we didn’t talk much about being lonely. But when the virus locked us down in our homes, the issue of isolation could no longer be ignored. Some of us were experiencing that kind of loneliness for the first time. But the truth is social isolation has ALWAYS been a common problem for...

Read This

MAILBAG: Ease Prostate Problems NATURALLY

“Are there any natural solutions for an enlarged prostate?” -Mike from Summerville, South Carolina Hi Mike, There are many things you can do to improve your prostate health. Eating better is the first step. This means loading up on nutritious foods, including plenty of fresh organic vegetables and lean meats. (And yes, that DOES mean...

Read This

Ditch Depression WITHOUT Drugs

You think that when you reach “your golden years,” you won’t have much to worry about anymore. After all, many of life’s major stressors, like work, kids, and relationships, are pretty much settled by the time you hit your sixties. So why the heck are we all so darned depressed then?! According to a recent...

Read This

The Ovarian Cancer Risk You NEVER Saw Coming

Cancer research is nothing new. In fact, we’ve been studying this killer since the 1800s. Yet despite all that investigating, there’s still so much we DON’T know. That’s why each time we reach a new milestone in our understanding of cancer, it should be celebrated. And a recent study has helped us make another large...

Read This

Weird Supermarket Secret BEATS Sunburn

In the winter, we tend to ignore the importance of protecting our skin from the sun’s powerful rays. But where I live, in Colorado, I see many folks come down from the ski areas with “raccoon eyes.” This happens when skiers’ faces burn, but the areas around their eyes remain pale because they wear goggles....

Read This