June 2009

  • Health Benefits of Blueberries

    By sarajean on 6/30/09 5:17am
    Add Comment

    National Blueberry Month is coming up, but we don’t need that as a reason to enjoy these delicious beads of juicy tartness straight from nature. They’re in season right now (May through October), so they’re sure to be fresh and delicious if you pick some up from the farmer’s market. And like Colin Firth says in Bridget Jones Diary, there just aren’t enough blue foods!

    Though you may love blueberry pie, pancakes, muffins and a slew of other blue-speckled foods (my daughter likes them in her oatmeal), did you know that you’re not only giving your mouth a treat but your body one as well?

    Blueberries are considered a “superfood,” and in fact, one of nature’s perfect foods. Since they’re very low in calories (a cup has about 81) but packed with nutrients and benefits, they’re great as a meal addition, a snack, or a dieter’s food.

    Read more >

  • Are Food Corporations Manipulating our Food?

    By becksta on 6/23/09 6:10pm
    2 Comments

    The Evils of Chocolate Chip CookiesThe Evils of Chocolate Chip CookiesIn New and Creepy Food Information you Probably Didn't Want to Know....

    Dr. Kessler (you may recognize his name as the former FDA chief who had the cajones necessary to take on big tobacco) was inspired enough by his failure to NOT eat chocolate chip cookies on impulse enough to write a book about it: "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite".  In his book, Dr. Kessler examines the reasons for our own impulse eating.

    According to the NYT review of the book, Dr. Kessler believes: 

    "by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full."


    Read more >

  • Ten Skills to Master by the End of the World 12/21/12

    By Printhethrin on 6/23/09 3:24pm
    1 Comment

    December 21, 2012 is less than two and a half years from now. Some say that this could be the end of the world due to certain prophecies fortold by the Mayans, the i Ching, and an Oracle at Delphi. Regardless of whether you buy in to the conspiracy theories or end of days armageddon doomsday theories, more than likely it will be impossible for the media to quell a quasi-panic similar to that of the Y2K scare. Unfortunately, if the end of the world doesn't happen, we may have to deal with panic on the streets, rioting, looting, raping, pillaging and god only knows what other kind of atrocities freaked out suburbanites may commit.


    Read more >

  • The Pistachio Principle: Eating for Better Health

    By lisala on 6/21/09 8:25pm
    Add Comment

    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.

    Read more >

  • Pomegranate Fever!

    By sarajean on 6/20/09 11:17pm
    Add Comment

    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.

    Read more >

  • Food, Inc. Takes on America’s Food System

    By sarajean on 6/13/09 9:24am
    Add Comment

    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.

    Read more >

  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part II: Cheese

    By sarajean on 6/13/09 7:04am
    Add Comment

    We’ve already talked about the health risks of regular dairy milk; now, let’s talk about cheese.

    We all know that many cheeses are full of fat and calories. It’s also high in sodium, and can contribute to allergies and other health problems.

    And if you are a vegetarian, you could still be eating animal products just by eating cheese. Many cheeses contain rennet, or rennin, which is a part of a calf’s stomach and is often used to coagulate cheese.

    Read more >

  • The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

    By sarajean on 6/9/09 10:27pm
    Add Comment

    Earlier this year, lisala wrote a story about the antioxidants found in dark chocolate, as well as the benefits of dark chocolate with red wine. (Talk about sheer decadence for your health! If you haven’t read that article, be sure to find out how much is too much of the delicious duo—and how much you can have in your diet.)

    But did you know that dark chocolate is loaded with other health benefits? A small dark chocolate bar every day can actually help your heart, as well as your cardiovascular system. Here are some great ways that dark chocolate can improve your life—aside from tantalizing your taste buds:

    Dark chocolate can reduce bad cholesterol by up to 10%.

    Read more >

  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part I: Milk

    By sarajean on 6/9/09 12:36am
    Add Comment

    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.

    Read more >