April 11, 2023

Fuel Your Brain with the Right Foods

What does food have to do with brain health? Everything. Psychiatrists ask a lot of specific questions to evaluate patients, but they never ask their patients what they eat. As funny as it sounds, we don’t talk about food in medicine and mental health, even though we talk about the compounds in food — omega-3 fats, b-vitamins, magnesium — a lot. Things really shifted for Dr. Drew Ramsey when he realized food presented an incredible opportunity for patient empowerment and added a delicious method in his clinical toolbox, along with psychotherapy, medications, and other lifestyle interventions such as exercise, to […]
March 28, 2023

Gluten-Free Pizza At Home: The Best Mixes

As celiac awareness has grown in recent years, a number of chain and local pizzerias have ventured into the world of gluten-free pizza. Chains such as UNO Chicago Grill, Pizza Fusion, Z-Pizza, Domino’s and Mellow Mushroom have all launched gluten-free pizzas recently. Gluten-free pizza served by pizzerias varies greatly in its quality, and how much it tastes like the “real thing.” We certainly applaud restaurants for adopting gluten-free menus (especially when they take care to minimize cross-contamination risks), and we love the convenience and taste of gluten-free pizza made in a professional pizza oven. But sometimes you really want to […]
March 14, 2023

Try DIY Gluten-Free Granola Two Ways

Before I was diagnosed with celiac, granola was one of my favorite go-to breakfasts. I always kept my favorite brand handy for quick on-the-go breakfasts and was more than disappointed when I realized it had to be eliminated. Not until I began cooking more of my own meals did I realize that I could also create my own gluten-free granola. I began looking up recipes and found a few that have become steady breakfasts around here. They are simple and so delicious that I’d love to share my two favorites. Granola is the quintessential breakfast food. It’s easy to prepare, […]
March 14, 2023

Beets: The Vegetable with Anti-Aging Properties

If you’re past 50, you may be wondering what you can do to return the youthful glow to your skin.  As a dermatologist, I know that there are several things you can use on your skin topically to make it look younger, but the #1 thing that influences the way your skin looks is what you put in your body.  So, I’d like to tell you about a common vegetable with some uncommon skin and overall anti-aging benefits that you can reap today! Look Younger, Protect Your Heart and Brain with Beet Juice Researchers are finding out more and more […]
February 26, 2023

7 Essential Steps to a Gluten-Free Meat-Free Diet

Studies show that people who eat vegetarian diets have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and lower blood pressure than people who eat meat. If you take the steps to make sure you’re eating a healthy, vitamin and nutrient rich diet, eating vegetarian can be incredibly healthy. That said, combining gluten-free eating with a vegetarian diet can be hard, especially because vegetarian meals heavily rely on grains. However, with gluten-free living easier than ever before, this option is much more manageable if you follow a few simple guidelines. Read on for some handy tips […]
February 25, 2023

Soup Recipes Warm It Up for Winter

On freezing winter days, nothing warms you up more than a hot, hardy bowl of soup. Add to that a variety of ingredients that boost your immune system, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect cold-weather meal. While we don’t have the severe winter weather that much of the country has, we do have chilly winter nights here in California.  On those nights, I love to come home and prepare a delicious soup. Here are six of my favorite soup recipes that I hope you will enjoy. Potato Kale Soup Serves 4 This Balkan-inspired recipe has clean, bright flavors that […]
February 16, 2023

Which Oils Are Best and Healthiest To Use?

At the grocery store, there are aisles and aisles full of oils. How do you know which is best to use? Which ones are the healthiest? A variety of oils are popular in different parts of the world and, depending on whether you are sautéing or making a marinade, it is good to know what works best for your meals and is best for your health as well. Here’s the FoodTrients® breakdown for the best, healthiest oil to choose and when. Health Benefits of Oils Oils and dietary fats are essential to the function of all cells and to be […]
February 14, 2023

The Gluten In Your Spice Rack: 3 Surprising Facts

Herbs and spices are simple. They are usually ground, shredded or whole seeds or leaves. No gluten there, right? Well, not so fast. While bottled herbs and spices that contain just one ingredient are almost always gluten-free, there are a few secret sources of gluten that may be lurking in your spice cabinet. Here are 3 surprising facts about gluten in herbs and spices… Asafoetida (hing), a common spice in Indian cooking, nearly always contains wheat flour. Asafoetida is a powder made of dried gum of a root called ferula. It is known for its unpleasant smell and its delicious oniony, garlicky […]
February 14, 2023

Hearty Winter Produce with Superpowers

Even living in sunny California during the winter when the days are shorter and a little bit chilly, I like to prepare hearty winter produce that also happens to fall into the “superfoods” category.  Their many disease fighting and anti-aging properties make them some of my top produce. These fruits and vegetables lend themselves to recipes that serve as comfort foods during the cold, dark winter months, but they have the added benefit of doing great things for your body. Pumpkin You may only associate pumpkins with Halloween, but fresh pumpkins are available from October through February. They contain large […]
February 14, 2023

The Top 50 Foods for Beautiful, Healthy Skin

As winter continues, dry, red, flaky skin abounds in the cold weather. The good news is that diet plays a major role in supporting your skin health. Foods that are good for your skin help to hydrate and guard from environmental damage. Beneficial foods contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in addition to being hydrating and supporting wound healing. Here is the ultimate FoodTrients® list of the top 50 foods for your skin with a holistic view of the many factors that support our largest organ. 1. Arugula This bitter veggie contains nutrients critical for the skin. Arugula is actually a […]
February 1, 2023

8 Ways To Save Money on a Gluten-Free Diet

I vividly remember the first grocery shop I did after being diagnosed with celiac disease. I was in utter amazement at my options and at the fact that there seemed to be replacements for everything that I thought I would really miss. Now that I’ve gone through this a few years, though, I’ve found a few ways to have fun and keep eating tasty, nutritious, gluten-free meals while holding on to my hard-earned cash. Look for foods that are naturally gluten-free. Shopping the gluten-free section is not the budget way to avoid gluten. There are plenty of foods that are gluten-free […]
January 30, 2023

Presto! It’s Pesto To the Rescue

The versatility of pesto can help us all do our very besto when it comes to adding great flavor and big benefits to dishes. Use your imagination and check out the pesto chart along with two of my out-of-the-box pestos that deliver great taste along with powerful nutrients. You can serve these and any favorite pesto over vegetables; pasta; flatbread … whatever you choose! Nettle Pesto At the height of allergy season, incorporating nettles into your meals can be a soothing practice offering relief. With research supporting the use of nettles for seasonal allergies and hay fever, this plant contains […]
January 14, 2023

Gluten-Free Bread That Tastes Like Real Thing?

I’m going to tell you all something that you probably already know. Regardless of the plethora of gluten-free breads and baked goods out there, one thing continues to remain certain: none of them taste all that good. But you may want to start to get excited, because it looks like that may be about to change. Thanks to Italian food scientist duo Virna Cerne and Ombretta Polenghi, your gluten-free bread may soon get a major upgrade. Cerne and Polenghi, partners at Italian-based food company Dr. Schar, have come up with a quality gluten substitute that closely mimicks the real thing. […]