Pop, soda, or soda pop, whichever name you prefer, let’s face it, is an American icon. I, like many of my patients, grew up with it and couldn’t get enough of that ice cold blast of sugary delight hitting the back of my dry throat after playing outside on a hot summer day. Who can forget all those rainbow colored, knee-high glass bottles of soda with the delicious fruity names and flavors? Years ago, soda was considered a once in a while treat. Today, it’s become a staple in our refrigerators. Americans consume an incredible 160 gallons of soda a […]
By Lisa Truesday A trip to the library changed Luann Alemao’s life—and the small city of Cedar Falls, Iowa—forever. While browsing the new-book shelf a few years ago, Alemao found The Blue Zones (National Geographic, 2012) by Dan Buettner, a New York Times best seller showcasing five locations in the world with the highest percentage of people living well into their 100s. Alemao, a former Family and Consumer Sciences educator, remembers feeling more than a little amazed. “I thought, wow, this is everything I used to teach, like food and nutrition, marriage and family and consumer education, plus all the […]
Our Stone Age (Paleolithic) ancestors subsisted on whatever they could catch, gather, pluck or hunt. Animals that they caught for food were naturally grass fed, lean and high in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and cancer-fighting selenium, yet low in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Much of today’s “factory farmed” animals for food are fed grain and pumped with antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones, all of which can be toxic in certain amounts. Eating wild game is a delicious experience. Meats like venison, elk, bison, wild boar, rabbit and ostrich are highly flavorful, lean and full of FoodTrients. Here are just […]
It seems as if we’re hearing more and more about inflammation and how it causes disease. What is inflammation
Modern medications can be necessary and life-saving – many illnesses demand their use. But what happens when our reliance on powerful pharmaceuticals blinds us to their risks? Painful side effects and dependency are common, and adverse drug reactions are America’s fourth leading cause of death. In MIND OVER MEDS: Know When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better – and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own, by bestselling author Dr. Andrew Weil alerts readers to the problem of overmedication, and outlines when medicine is necessary, and when it is not. Dr. Weil examines how we came to […]
There are certain foods I always have in my pantry and refrigerator because they are delicious, versatile and full of great nutrition. By keeping these around as staples, you’ll always be able to boost the FoodTrient value of whatever you’re preparing. Both of my award-winning books, The Age Gracefully Cookbook and my newest one, The Age Beautifully Cookbook, would not be complete without these culinary essentials: APPLES Loaded with fiber, eating an apple a day has been associated with reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, asthma and diabetes. A key ingredient in apples is a flavonoid that a 2001 […]
Turns out our mothers may have been onto something when they told us to eat our vegetables – especially our
Black pepper is a household staple that is likely sitting on your kitchen counter right now. One of the most widely used and common spices in the world, it is a well-known flavor in many types of cooking. But it also has some medicinal and topical uses as well. The active compound, piperine, has shown promise for health benefits when eaten, and also when used as an essential oil. There is evidence that black pepper was used in kitchens dating back to 2000 BC in India. Reference to this spice also shows up in Greek and Roman texts. It has […]
You may have noticed collagen being sold in supplements, in protein powders, and taken as a boost to
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 […]