December 11, 2017

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Perk Up Holidays

Nothing says it’s holiday time like peppermint – candy canes, peppermint ice cream, and now. . .Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies.  Chocolate and peppermint are a perfect pairing and will brighten up any holiday celebration. If you’re not keen on cold treats in the winter, the chocolate cookies are delicious on their own. This recipe is from Delicious Living Magazine, which suggests that you can substitute mint chocolate chip or mocha frozen yogurt or ice cream, if you prefer. You’ll have lots of ice cream left over to enjoy with another dessert. Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies Yield: 12 1 cup whole-wheat pastry […]
December 5, 2017

The Beauty and Health Benefits of Biotin

You may have heard of biotin supplements for hair and nail growth. But does it work? And what is it anyway? This vitamin underdog is in fact a B vitamin – B7 – and is critical for other reasons lesser known but important to the body, hair growth aside. Why do we believe biotin creates silky locks? What else is it used for? Where do we find it? Read on to learn what you need to know about biotin. Medicinally, biotin is used for: ·         Treating biotin deficiency ·         Brittle nails ·         Diabetes ·         Peripheral neuropathy Biochemically in the human […]
December 5, 2017

The Cancer-Diet Link Is Getting Clearer

In August 2016, the New England Journal of Medicine published a striking report on cancer and body fat: Thirteen separate cancers can now be linked to being overweight or obese, among them a number of the most common and deadly cancers of all — colon, thyroid, ovarian, uterine, pancreatic and (in postmenopausal women) breast cancer. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added more detail: Approximately 631,000 Americans were diagnosed with a body fat-related cancer in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of all cancers diagnosed that year. Increasingly, it seems not only that we are losing the war on cancer, but […]
November 29, 2017

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Bread

For those of you who need (or want) to be gluten-free, one of the hardest things to give up is bread and pastries, especially cinnamon rolls. So we have a recipe for you that combines both of these favorites and it’s gluten free! Ingredients: For the Bread 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (TRY: Cup4Cup) 1 Tbs. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1½ cups milk ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 tsp. vanilla extract FOR THE SWIRL ⅓ cup brown sugar 2 Tbs. unsalted butter (melted) 2 tsp. ground cinnamon For the Glaze ½ cup powdered […]
November 27, 2017

Eat Up! Form Follows Functional Food

In today’s food-conscious world, many of us want to get more benefits from the food we eat. Functional foods provide just that. A functional food is a natural food or manufactured food that has benefits beyond basic nutrition and calories. According to Mayo Clinic nutritionist Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D., “All foods are functional because they provide varying amounts of nutrients and energy to sustain growth or support vital processes. However, functional foods are generally considered to offer additional benefits that may reduce the risk of disease or promote optimal health.” Functional foods can also act like health supplements. For […]
November 20, 2017

Tart Cherry Juice Drinkers Could Gain An Hour of Sleep

A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study reported recently in the American Journal of Therapeutics found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice extended sleep time by an average of 84 minutes in older patients with insomnia. “Insomnia is quite common among older adults and it can lead to a range of health issues if left untreated,” observed lead researcher Jack Losso, who is a professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge. “However, many people are hesitant to resort to medications to help them sleep. That’s why natural sleep remedies are increasingly of interest and […]
November 14, 2017

Tips to Keep Eating Healthy at 50 And Beyond

A balanced diet is an integral element of a healthy lifestyle for men, women and children alike. According to the National Institute on Aging, simply counting calories without regard for the foods being consumed is not enough for men and women 50 and older to maintain their long-term health. Rather, the NIA emphasizes the importance of choosing low-calorie foods that have a lot of the nutrients the body needs. But counting calories can be an effective and simple way to maintain a healthy weight, provided those calories are coming from nutrient-rich foods. When choosing foods to eat, the NIA recommends eating […]
November 14, 2017

The 10 Best Muscle Building Foods

Like many of my over-40 patients, you’re probably trying to stay healthy and active as you get older.  Great! Yet, many of you may not know that once you pass the over-40 milestone you can lose as much as 8% of muscle mass every 10 years.  That means by age 60, you could have lost as much as 16% muscle mass! And it accelerates even further after the age of 75.   But this doesn’t have to be the case if you take measures to prevent it. Let me tell you about the 10 best foods that can make a big […]
November 7, 2017

Say Gracias! To the Superfoods of Mexico

There are a couple of ways to look at Mexican ‘superfoods’. First, if you eliminate the tortilla chips, full-fat cheese and beans cooked with lard, much of the basics of Mexican cuisine are quite healthy. Beans (cooked, but not refried) and rice, fresh seafood, chicken, lean beef, tomatoes and avocados are all highly nutritious foods that provide plenty of benefits. And many of these foods qualify as ‘superfoods’—nutrient dense and high in healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein. The other way to look at Mexican superfoods is to seek out indigenous foods that have been staples of the traditional […]