When a person starts learning about food, the first lesson is often to understand fats, proteins and carbohydrates — the macronutrients. The next topic is usually about micronutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals). For many people this is as far as the nutrition education goes, which is a shame because these two topics alone imply that it doesn’t matter where […]
Have you heard about the antioxidants in blueberries and green tea? Wait, that’s a silly question because I know you have. The better question is: do you have any idea what an antioxidant is and why it really matters? And perhaps the best question is: did you know that too many antioxidants can also cause […]
In my recent posts about constipation and diarrhea, I told you that one possible solution to both problems is more fiber. That may seem counter-intuitive that problems on the opposite ends of the same spectrum could have the same solution, but it’s true. And I promise you will be perfectly clear about how this works […]
Baby, it’s cold outside! And I am looking for ways to warm up! That means staying indoors a lot more, drinking loads of herbal tea, and eating foods that heat me up from the inside out. (This is the one time of year that I hesitate to have my smoothie for breakfast as I end […]
Cancer. What a terrifying word. And with good reason. In 2015, the National Institutes of Health estimate that 1.6 million new diagnoses of cancer will be made in the U.S. 1.6 million. That’s about 0.5% of the U.S. population. I get it doesn’t seem like a large percentage of people. And it may not be […]
Finally we have arrived into the season of abundance and harvest. Although, plenty of food is available, the categories are leaning towards savory foods like vegetables rather than the sweet foods like fruits that were plentiful in the summer. Of course, this is part of the series about seasonal eating. If you landed here out […]
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. […]
Although it doesn’t seem like a series since the posts are 3 months apart, this is the second installment in the Seasonal Eating posts. (The first one about spring is here and the third one about fall is here.) As I always do, I want to give you some information about seasonal eating for summer […]
Potassium is the 3rd most abundant mineral in the body behind calcium and phosphorus, which makes it really important. (Not that the other micronutrients aren’t also important. I’m not showing any favorites here!) There is a lot of information here and it can be kind of confusing because some of the symptoms for too much […]
Since we’ve covered all of the macronutrients, we’re moving onto the micronutrients. And we’re starting with the minerals because so many of us are deficient in them. (Women, especially, are familiar with the need for calcium, but the other minerals are just as important and often lacking as well!) Magnesium makes up ~1% of body […]