With the popularity of books like The China Study, Forks Over Knives, and Vegan Before 6 (VB6), lots of people are choosing to be vegetarian or vegan at least part of the time. Recently several people who have reduced or eliminated animal products have expressed to me concerns that they are not getting enough protein. […]
I hate to admit it, but it makes me happy that I hear fewer people talking about calories. (I hate to admit it because it means I’m a nutrition nerd! Ha!) However, there are still way too many people who think “a calorie is a calorie” and that weight maintenance happens when calories in equal […]
Ah… carbohydrates. Probably the most controversial and possibly the most misunderstood of the macronutrients. So let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this vilified nutrient… What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are organic compounds (ie, they contain carbon) that are soluble in water (think of how sugar dissolves in water, but oil does not) […]
While everyone seems to agree that protein is a necessary component of a healthy diet, there is still loads of controversy about fat. Should we eat it or not? Are there good kinds and bad kinds? Does eating fat make us fat? It’s really important that we understand fat because it is a critical component […]
Although water counts for 45 – 70% of the weight of an adult human body and is the most essential nutrient for survival, protein seems to me to be the critical macronutrient to keep the body functioning. Our muscles, organs, blood cells, enzymes, hormones, and other bodily components are made of protein. Given this fact, […]
If you were inclined (which I suspect you aren’t) to look up the definition of food (noun, \ˈfüd\) in the on-line Merriam-Webster dictionary, you would get the following: material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy inorganic […]
Curious if you should feel guilty after your Christmas dinner? Here’s some good news about all that yummy food… Turkey is almost all protein which is the building block of almost all body tissues. It is also great source of the amino acid tryptophan (which makes you sleep well) and has selenium (a mineral essential for […]