By Roberto Tostado, M.D. This pandemic has exposed our human fragility and compromised immunity from a steady diet of processed foods and a medical system that manages disease with drugs instead of healing with nutrition. We are vulnerable to infection, disease and death from this affliction of bad food and bad medicine. However, our quarantined existence can give us pause to reassess our habits and choices to create a healthier lifestyle for ourselves and loved ones and not consent to chronic disease and poisoned foods any longer. We have been weakened and debilitated by our own industries with chronic illness […]
This month FoodTrients writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin begins her four-part series on vitamins. Part 1 explores the pros and cons of taking supplements. If you have questions about supplements, we’ve got answers to this complex and sometimes confusing topic. The world of supplements is regulated in unique ways that can very much affect your health and pocketbook, too. Some companies offer health promises about supplement products that sound enticing but understanding what’s evidence-based and what isn’t can be a huge challenge. FoodTrients® is here to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of the supplement world, if any […]
Here in Los Angeles, with our access to plentiful produce and a pervasive interest in healthy eating, we have a long history of plant-based cuisine. In 1885, a newspaper called The Daily Alta California reported on a popular vegetarian brunch item, “Quartered alligator pears with the pulp spread on slices of grilled bread and seasoned with salt and pepper.” Today we know this delicacy as avocado toast! When Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1906, it highlighted the exploitation of workers and unsanitary conditions in the meat packing industry in Chicago. The novel inspired a minor craze for vegetarian restaurants […]
This is Part -2 in our 4-part series on dietary supplements. This week we take a look at FDA regulations, certification, and other safety considerations. If you’re going to take supplements, it’s important to know what to take and what’s safe. Dietary supplements aren’t regulated in the same way as prescriptions and food in the US but that doesn’t mean they’re innately unsafe. There are ways to find quality supplements including looking at the raw products used to create your vitamins, seeking certain third-party certifications, and making sure what you are looking at is safe for your unique needs (like […]
This month FoodTrients writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin continues her four-part series on vitamins and supplements. Part 3 explores vitamin deficiencies and what you can do. Despite what the supplement industry may have you believe, in a balanced whole food-based diet you will get most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. You’ll also get other health boosting ingredients such as phytochemicals, fiber, and antioxidants. However, there are times that supplementation can be beneficial but how to tell what you need can be confusing and complex. Overt signs of deficiency can be hard to assess without lab testing and […]
This gluten-free recipe is so versatile, you can use just about any fresh fruit and it will taste wonderful. I’ve used blueberries, plums, pears, apples, peaches, mangoes, and even cherries. You can also use all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free. This cake can be served warm or cool. Benefits: Blueberries are full of antioxidants, most notably anthocyanins, which improve blood flow to capillaries, helping the brain and skin to be healthy. Almond flour and eggs both add choline, which helps balance your brain chemistry. The almond flour also contributes vitamin E for beautiful skin, hair, and nails and for healthy brain function. […]
Strawberry Almond Cake This almond cake recipe works well with gluten-free flour. I prefer the taste and texture of Cup4Cup flour. I also use monk fruit sweetener, which works beautifully as a sugar substitute. I recommend buying a brand that has been blended with erythritol so that you can replace it 1:1 with white sugar, like Lakanto, which makes both a classic variety and a Golden variety that substitutes for brown sugar. It’s available on Amazon, in Walmart, or in health-food stores. This cake is delicious even without the whipped-cream topping. Benefits: Monk fruit sweetener is made from the juice […]
BEAUTY FoodTrients that promote beauty help lead to vibrant skin and hair, and help keep eyes healthy. Recipes that include beauty-promoting ingredients are below. For more Beautiful recipes, click here. Certain foods like melons, citrus, Chile peppers, fish, and whole grains are full of FoodTrients that promote beautiful skin, shiny hair, and strong nails. Watch this video to learn more, and read about the compounds that promote beauty in this story: Beauty Foods Help You Look Younger. Learn more about the FoodTrients’ foods for Beauty from our nutritionist Ginger Hultin: Beauty Is So Much More Than Skin Deep FoodTrients recipes […]
Indian Sheet Pan Chicken with Chickpeas The spices in this dish are inspired by Indian cuisine. The acid in the yogurt marinade helps tenderize the chicken. The sugar helps brown the chicken skin and caramelize it as it roasts. Be sure to toss the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and cauliflower florets occasionally, coating them in the chicken fat as it renders. Benefits: Chickpeas contain fiber which aids digestion, increases satiety, and helps lower blood cholesterol. The iron in chickpeas helps transport oxygen properly throughout the body. The zinc they contain may play a role in reducing your risk of macular degeneration. […]
The change in season is such a wonderful time, even in temperate Southern California. Yes, the days can be hot, but the sun sets earlier and though it may still reach 80-plus degrees at 2:00 pm, evenings are cool, and thoughts turn to comforting, fallish foods, including vegetables. Most fall vegetables are available in winter, too, and most vegetables, for that matter, are available year-round thanks to farmers in Mexico and Central America. The key is that typically fall vegetables are at their peak this time of year, so take advantage of them at their best. Here are some vegetables […]










