The holiday season has begun and nothing puts me in a festive mood more than the aroma of something sweet baking in the oven. For many of my friends, cinnamon is what puts them in a holiday state of mind. Made from the ground bark of a genus of trees called Cinnamomum, the top cinnamon producing countries are Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. There are two main types: Ceylon cinnamon, produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean, and cassia cinnamon, which comes mainly from Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Cinnamon is one of those delicious spices that also […]
Aging is a key risk factor for a variety of devastating, chronic diseases, yet the biological factors that influence when and how rapidly cells deteriorate over time remain largely unknown. Now, for the first time, a research team led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has linked the function of a core component of cells’ machinery — which cuts and rejoins RNA molecules in a process known as “RNA splicing” — with longevity in the roundworm. The finding sheds light on the biological role of splicing in lifespan and suggests that manipulating specific splicing factors in humans might […]
By Marissa Hermanson Standing in the produce section of your local grocery store, you have a choice. It seems like a small one: Which carton of strawberries to purchase, the conventional or the organic? But, in that moment, you’re making a choice that can have a big impact. As research increasingly supports the benefits of choosing organic, surveys reveal people are purchasing organic products more than ever. According to a Gallup Poll, 45 percent of shoppers actively try to include organic foods in their diet. And organics don’t just appeal to one type of shopper. The Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) […]
When it comes to dietary fat, what matters most is the type of fat you eat. Contrary to past advice to eat a low-fat diet – which contributed to over-consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates – newer research suggests that certain types of fat are beneficial and necessary for health. But although we’ve theoretically left the low-fat era behind, it appears many Americans have yet to fully shake off the shackles of fat phobia. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that, rather than adopting a low-fat diet, we should focus on eating foods rich in healthful unsaturated fats while limiting […]
New Year’s Eve happens to be my birthday, so I was born to celebrate holidays and special occasions with friends. Every year, when I’m in town, I like to have a big party on New Year’s Eve. My friends know that when I entertain, the food matters because I put a lot of thought into the menu and the evening’s entertainment. Whether you plan to host a small gathering of friends or a large party during the holidays, you can start the evening off right with some enticing appetizers. When people are drinking alcohol, it’s a good idea to serve […]
If you’re like me, you’re interested in foods that can give you high-density nutrition, protect you from chronic disease, help reverse disease, and even defy the aging process. And what better time to focus your attention on these important qualities of food than the New Year! Every New Year, I resolve to expand my knowledge of healthy, anti-aging foods and create new, easy, and delicious recipes to share with my family and friends. This year, a few unique and promising foods have already piqued my interest: goji berries, camu camu, spirulina, and mangosteen. All of them contain FoodTrients—my word for nutrients […]
Add a modest amount of zinc in your diet to reduce ‘wear and tear’ on DNA, suggests a study. The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Research Institute (CHORI) show that a modest 4 milligrams of extra zinc a day in the diet can have a profound, positive impact on cellular health that helps fight infections and diseases. This amount of zinc is equivalent to what biofortified crops like zinc rice and zinc wheat can add to the diet of vulnerable, nutrient deficient populations. CHORI Senior Scientist Janet […]
Here in Southern California, just about every yard and neighborhood has citrus trees heavy with fruit. I have a number of fruit trees myself and always marvel at how plentiful and tasty the oranges, lemons and limes are this time of year. Just about any variety of citrus is at its best in the winter months, but there are some new and unusual varieties that are pretty spectacular. Along with great taste, all citrus are high in vitamins A and C and fiber, while naturally low in calories. Grapefruit Red grapefruit varieties such as Flame, Ruby, Rio Red and Star […]
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is a very important holiday for me. Although I was born and raised in Southeast Asia, my father was three-quarters Chinese and my mother was half Chinese. We always celebrated the lunar new year by making special meals full of symbolism. For instance, we made a sweet sticky rice cake called tikoy because it symbolizes unity and togetherness and good luck that is supposed to stick to you all year long. We also cleaned the house and bought new clothes to wear on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. And […]
Prebiotics are the fuel that feed probiotics and make them effective in supporting human health – especially gut health. But what are they and where do you find them? Questions abound about this frequently talked about but often misunderstood component of food that all of us need for good health. Do not get prebiotics confused with the very similar-sounding probiotics. Prebiotics exist naturally in food as non-digestible component that supports good bacteria in your lower gut. They are a type of carbohydrate that cannot be broken down. Prebiotic food compounds pass through the small intestine undigested so that good bacteria […]





