Monsanto Lobbyists in Charge of Food Safety?

By sarajean on 7/22/09 8:37pm
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Isn’t that akin to Ringling Brothers setting zoo standards—or John Wayne Gacy being put in charge of child care center laws? Maybe it’s not that bad, but it’s funny—I was just telling a skeptical uncle of mine (he’s a conservative who never bleeds along with my liberal heart, apparently) about the dangers of Monsanto foods and how there’s about as much pesticide sprinkled in his potatoes as parsley—and lo and behold, this message was in my inbox today.

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Brain Food: Eating to Get Smart

By sarajean on 7/21/09 6:42am
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From listening to Mozart to doing Sudoku puzzles, there’s plenty of things out there that we do because they make us smarter—or, at least, because we think they make us smarter.

But there’s something even more simple we can all do that’s been scientifically proven to help increase our brain power (or protect it), and that’s eat our way toward better mental function. Here are just a few foods hailed as “brain foods” that you may want to add to your diet.

Cinnamon: Not only is cinnamon one of the most delicious spices ever (OK, at least to me, it is), its scent also helps to stimulate your brain. Maybe the reason I’ve chewed Big Red gum all my life is because it betters your memory, attention, visual-motor speed, focus and recognition—or maybe it’s just because the flavor rocks.

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Fixing health care starts at McDonalds

By Anonymous on 7/17/09 1:05pm
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American health care is in a state of crisis.  Medical costs have risen so much, the present system is breaking down.

It would be nice to think administrative changes could actually provide some sort of fix.  But tinkering with the present system may make things worse – because the administrative side of health care is not the problem.

The problem isn’t the insurance companies.  It’s not the doctors or the rest of the medical community.  It isn’t malpractice attorneys. 

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Nitrate Rich Meats Linked to Disease: Another Reason to Avoid Pork & Unhealthy Meat?

By Niki Fears on 7/16/09 10:19am
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The recent increase in the number of patients being diagnosed with a variety of illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Diabetes, and Parkinson's Disease may be linked to a nitrate compound found in many of the unhealthy meats that people are consuming such as hot dogs and bacon.


 While researchers certainly do not believe that these nitrates are the only cause for such diseases which are a result of a combination of factors it is clear that nitrates do have a negative effect on human health. The link between nitrates and various forms of cancer have already been established; however, researchers are now studying the effect that these compounds can have on the human brain that may lead to disease. 

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The Pistachio Principle: Eating for Better Health

By lisala on 6/21/09 8:25pm
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I used to buy locally grown California pistachios, roasted and salted, at the farmer's markets on a regular basis. They were perfect for getting me though alt="Image of pistachio kernals" hspace="3" vspace="3" align="left">long slogging writing or grading projects without making me feel like I was eating junk food. Pistachios are, in fact, about as far as one can get from junk food, and may even help a dieter diet. Although you can get pistachios in all sorts of flavors, as well as unroasted, and unsalted, and even those horrible dyed ones, I'm going to be writing about roasted salted pistachios in the shell. The "in the shell" part is important, by the way, and I'll get to that in a little while. First, I want to talk about just why pistachios are a good source of nutrition as well as treat.

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Pomegranate Fever!

By sarajean on 6/20/09 11:17pm
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It seems like everything is flavored with pomegranates these days, from juices to teas to gum. The round, reddish fruits are even being hailed as one of the latest superfoods. As tasty and gorgeous (and messy) as this voluptuous fruit is, just what is the entire buzz about pomegranates about? Are they that great of a health food for you?

Indeed they are. Not only are pomegranates a good source of vitamin C (providing about 16% of your daily requirements) as well as vitamins A, E and B5; they also provide lots of potassium, fiber, calcium, folic acid and iron. They also contain antioxidant polyphenols, which may help fight free radicals in the body.

An entire pomegranate—and these are massive fruits!—has just 105 calories, making it a delicious and healthy snack that packs a punch.

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Food, Inc. Takes on America’s Food System

By sarajean on 6/13/09 9:24am
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America’s food system doesn’t just have a negative impact on our health as a society. It also effects our economy, environment, and worker’s rights. Considering the old adage “you are what you eat,” it’s no surprise that the issue of food is connected to so many others.

The new film Food, Inc. examines these connections and shows just how the food we get from the supermarket really gets there. Debunking the sweet animals-on-the-farm myth that children are still taught, it shows how animals today are produced mainly through factory farming, and how the hormones and pesticides used on animals and the plants they—and WE—eat can be very harmful.

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Dairy Alternative Month, Part I: Milk

By sarajean on 6/9/09 12:36am
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Just for June, just this once, why don’t you try a little experiment—just for kicks!—and go alterna-dairy for the month. There’s no extra piercings, no spiked jewelry to don, and no black eyeliner to smudge on. There are just the health benefits you get from saying no to milk—and the chance to simply say you did it.

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The Incredible, Edible Egg

By sarajean on 5/19/09 9:50am
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National Egg MonthNational Egg MonthMay is National Egg Month, and while many of us believe that eggs, with their high cholesterol content, are one of the supreme evils of the world (alongside Freddy Krueger and diet soda), having an egg a day really isn’t bad. In fact, it’s a good idea.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, the cholesterol in eggs isn’t nearly as bad for you as the saturated fat in cheese, butter and meat, which all impact your serum cholesterol level much more aversely than an egg.

He recommends eating eggs as part of a healthy diet. It makes since, considering that eggs have the following benefits:

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Sneaking in Those Superfoods

By sarajean on 5/14/09 7:16pm
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Superfoods are all the rage, and why shouldn’t they be? Packing a powerful punch against cholesterol , cancer, heart disease, and even depression, they’re cheaper than drugs and doctors and help with other things, too—you know, like getting your hair to grow and providing the makings for dinner. Like super heroes, they can possibly save your life—and unlike them, they’re really real.

But not everybody loves beans and spinach. Most would even admit that green tea is an acquired taste. So how do we get ourselves to stomach the stuff we don’t like—let alone get our kids to—for the sake of health? You could try mind over matter—that can work. However, there may be an easier, more un-up-chuckable way. Here are a few easy tips and tricks to sneak in those superfoods into your family’s diet.

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