In a previous article, we looked at how to make healthier bread choices. I discussed how refined flour is stripped of its nutrients and then “enriched” with lab-created versions of the nutrients. I also shared how flour can spike blood sugar levels and suggested some healthier bread choices. In this newsletter, I’m going to look at traditional starch options like pasta, rice and potatoes to see why pasta comes out as the best choice. I want to talk briefly about why the Glycemic Index is a helpful guide (but not an absolute rule) and look at how it applies to [Read More]

Recently, a study claimed that taking vitamins has no merit. It’s not new news: pharmaceutical-funded studies have been claiming this for some time (because vitamins can’t be patented and if you take them, you might not need their drugs.) While the study says vitamins in isolation don’t work (I agree), it also claims that multivitamins have no merit (I disagree: synthetic multivitamins have no merit, but whole food multi-vitamins have been shown to have health benefits.) The debate isn’t new. One of the most vehement arguments came a few years ago when Reader’s Digest called vitamins “a scam” and said [Read More]

An estimated 102.2 million Americans have cholesterol levels above 200, which is considered borderline high, according to the American Heart Association. About one-third of those have cholesterol levels over 240, which is considered by today’s test standard to be in the high-risk zone. And a new study just released showed 41% of Canadians have high cholesterol levels. We have been told that high cholesterol is bad, that it causes heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.), that we should all be tested for it, and that high levels must be treated, usually with statin drugs. With those [Read More]

Now that you are bringing home the best food possible, how can you make sure you’re getting the most nutrients from that food? As we learned in the fruit and vegetable series, the nutrient value of today’s food is dramatically diminished. Remember the reference to peaches: In 1951, two peaches would supply a woman’s Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin A, but today she’d need to eat 53 to get the same nutrients? So with reduced nutrient value, it’s more important than ever to ensure that you get all the nutrients you can out of the food you cook–and that you [Read More]

When I worked for a leading online women’s wellness company (helping women balance their hormones through all stages of life), one of the biggest challenges we saw facing women today was increasing exposure to toxins known as endocrine disruptors (And guys, they are just as big a concern for you!) Most of us know that eating foods with artificial flavors and colors, dyes, chemicals and preservatives is not the best strategy for fueling a healthy body. But despite the fact that many of us are now choosing organic and local, grass fed and hormone-free, if you shop at your local [Read More]