The Chinese have been growing and eating jujubes for over 4,000 years. Jujube, or Chinese date, trees are shrub-like with thorny branches. The fruits are shaped like small apples that are green when unripe and turn brownish red. As they ripen and age they wrinkle and shrink to the size of a large date. The flesh of the fruit is most like an apple when it’s unripe. As it ripens it becomes soft and spongy. Asians generally steep slices of jujubes in hot water and make a jujube tea. Sometimes they reduce the tea on the stove and add sugar, […]
Like many big projects, writing a cookbook requires years of preparation, hard work and worry, culminating with that moment when you present your ‘baby’ to the world. I was excited to officially introduce my cookbook, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook to members of the press and culinary, health and wellness experts on a recent evening at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. My book is a collection of illustrated recipes that incorporate ingredients, which I call FoodTrients, that help you look and feel younger not only on the inside, but also on the outside. All of my recipes are the […]
Working night shifts can be strenuous under even the most standard conditions. So, when you flip the switch on daily life to battle through a night shift, things can really get tricky.
I was sitting in my friend’s lush, tropical-style garden recently, admiring her beautiful collection of flowering bromeliads. These are very exotic looking plants with spiky leaves and red, pink or golden elongated flowers reaching out from the middle. They are native to the tropics of Central and South America and West Africa. In a colorfully glazed pot there was a miniature ornamental pineapple. I remembered that pineapples are also bromeliads and this got me thinking about how much I enjoy pineapple and the wonderful things pineapples do for your health. Pineapples are second only to bananas as Americans’ favorite tropical […]
In the last year alone, scientists from three different laboratories have published studies that demonstrate how polyphenol molecules derived from apples extend life span in various species by as much as 12%. These researchers are unraveling the various mechanisms of action that give apple polyphenols such promise as anti-aging nutrients. Initial findings show that apple polyphenols modulate multiple signaling molecules to delay the onset of age-related disorders. They may also mimic the actions of calorie restriction, a known antiaging technique. One polyphenol, phloridzin, which is heavily concentrated in the skin of the apple, also potently suppresses several processes leading to glycation, […]
Probiotics have formed a vital part of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets for thousands of years, in the form of fermented milk and vegetable products such as yogurt and pickles. They are credited, in part, for the relatively low rates of
General Observations: New Flavors – spicier, more international dishes More Exotic Ingredients (Moringa, Ashwagandha, Baobab, Crickets, Hemp) More Superfood ingredients Earth- and Cause-conscious Simpler, Cleaner, Fresh Ingredients. Even the labels have clean, simple designs. Coconuts are everywhere – in waters, fruit drinks, snack bars, jams and sauces. This superfood is multiplying like crazy and being reimagined in lots of new ways. Protein bars just keep coming – with more exotic flavors and ingredients Kale may not be the “darling” of the food industry but it is now a hugely featured ingredient in many products. Turmeric is popping up everywhere, too, […]
Vitamin “A” may protect children against the mosquitoborne malaria parasite, a study said. “Our research found that children who received vitamin “A” supplementation were less likely to become infected with malaria,” said study leader MariaGraciela HollmDelgado, postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Khaleej times reported. Vitamin “A” appeared to be more protective under certain circumstances, including when administered during the rainy season, as well as when given to older children and when more time had passed since supplementation. The researchers were looking for possible links between malaria rates and several types of childhood vaccines as well as […]
I (John Cannell, MD) recently learned that I have the Broad Autism Phenotype, or what some people call mild autism. Learning about this was like “coming out of the closet.” It explains so much of myself to me, especially my tendency to get obsessed with things.
Every morning, many of us sip our coffee with no real thought given to the beans behind the brew. But coffee beans are extra-ordinarily complex fruits containing over 1,000 compounds – only a handful of which have ever been individually investigated by scientists. Not only is coffee packed with antioxidants, but it is the greatest source of antioxidants in the American diet. The average American coffee drinker consumes about 3.1 cups of coffee a day,5 but extensive research has found that higher volumes – as much as 4 to 12 cups daily – can help prevent most major killers, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. […]