December 2009

  • January is Oatmeal Month

    By sarajean on 12/31/09 1:13pm
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    Mmm…oatmeal. Yeah, it’s the stuff of retirement, stubborn bowels and baby experimentation. But it’s also a quite delicious, hearty, filling, warming breakfast food that can help get you going in the morning. Think not? Then you haven’t been eating MY oatmeal!

    For starters, we use plain Quaker rolled oats in our breakfast. Boring, I know! That’s why we add honey, cinnamon, and flaxseed—and yogurt if we have it in the house—for a delicious, nutrient-packed treat that tastes like we’re eating dessert for breakfast. Yum! And if we want to jazz it up or skip the cinnamon for the day, we use frozen fruit—usually blueberries—or banana slices instead. Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

    If not, here are a few more ideas to jazz up that heart-healthy breakfast. Enjoy!

    Add hot cocoa powder to make it into a chocolaty treat.

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  • Coping With Holiday Overindulgence

    By erika on 12/27/09 6:48pm
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    Even the most well intentioned of healthy eaters can't help but feel a little "urpy" by the time we make it to the other side of the holidays.  We know well what to NOT eat at this point - if I ever see another cream sauce, it will be too soon - but here are some foods and beverages which can help set you right again.

    Whole Grains

    Whether baked into bread, or as part of a nutty granola cereal, whole grains can be a big help for post-holiday "regularity issues."  I don't think I need to spell it out any further, do I?  

    There are a lot of yogurt commercials which promise to help with these problems, and the bacterial cultures in fresh yogurt can definitely help.  However, whole grains provide the bulk and broom-like cleansing power that some people really need, after several days of eating meals which are low in fiber but high in (e.g.) cheese.

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  • The Health Benefits of Olive Oil

    By Niki Fears on 12/23/09 11:02am
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    olive oilolive oilOlive oil not only offers a great taste to a variety of dishes including pasta, chicken, and even salads, but it also has many health benefits and is a great substitute for high fat and sodium content items such as butter or oils made from animal fat. Here are just a few of the health benefits that you can get from adding olive oil to your diet.

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  • Give the Gift of Chocolate

    By sarajean on 12/16/09 9:28am
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    Having a hard time coming up with that perfect gift? With only nine days left until Christmas, you’re getting down to the wire! No worries, though—if you can’t come up with the right appliance, toy, outfit, or other gift, why not give something that everyone can enjoy—chocolate!

    If your loved one hates chocolate, of course, ditch the idea.

    However, if he or she is like most people, the gift of sweet chocolate would be much appreciated. Here are some ideas; of course, if he or she has a favorite (we always get my dad his much-loved M&M’s), go with that.

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  • Junk Food = Heroin?

    By sarajean on 12/15/09 5:12pm
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    According to the Scripps Research Institute, junk food is just as addictive as heroin to humans.

    When given scrumdillyumptious foods like Cheetos, gummy bears and chocolate cake, the brain actually responds the same way it does when given the hard drug. The junk food creates the response of an addict. When rats in a scientific study were given junk food to eat, they exhibited the same response and behaviors as the rats in the study who were given heroin.

    (I have to pause and wonder at this—who is paying for these mice’s coke addiction? Are we actually manufacturing cocaine to be tested on mice? Or is that where the police drug bust spoils go? Just curious!)

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  • Only 7 Foods The Experts Won't Eat? Really?

    By erika on 12/11/09 6:17pm
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    I was prepared to completely blow off this article, "The 7 foods experts won't eat," as being a silly fluff filler piece for Yahoo's content network.  Until I saw that it was written by the Editor-In-Chief of Prevention magazine, who ought to know better!

    Vaccariello spoke to seven experts and asked them "What foods do you avoid?"  The answers are unsurprising if you have been following the latest health news.  Non-organic potatoes and non-organic apples are known to carry a heavy pesticide load, and we have been talking about the Bisphenol A in can liners for ages.  


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  • Vat Meat, Coming Soon to a Christmas Dinner Near You?

    By erika on 12/9/09 4:13pm
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    Scientists recently announced limited success in creating "in vitro meat," known also as IVM.  This vat grown meat is being hailed as one of the greatest accomplishments of modern society, an end to animal suffering, an answer to our carbon footprint woes, and a boon for the boutique meat market all in one.  But is it really?

    The claim: IVM is more humane than factory farming.  

    On this count, the IVM fans are absolutely correct.  Vat grown meat does not have nerve cells, and therefore cannot feel pain.  And being simply a collection of muscle cells, it has nothing that even approaches consciousness.  Factory farming is one of the greatest atrocities of the western world today, and anything that hastens its demise is a benefit to the world as a whole.


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