New Year Health Challenge Week 6: Skip the Alcohol

Welcome to Week 6 of the ten-week New Year Health Challenge, courtesy of Christine Kling of Body Basics LLC in Boise ID.  Though there has been recent research link heart benefits with alcohol consumption, the risks/dangers far outweigh the one benefit. Take a look for yourself. The Bad News Calories. Since alcohol is caloric dense at 7 calories per gram, […]

Fear of Gluten: Justified or Hyperbole?

T-shirt by John Warfel  The anti-gluten movement reminds me of the low-fat craze that took hold in the early eighties. Like fat was, gluten now seems to be the root of all evil. But is it? Science or Hoopla? Even when fads are based in science, there are many manufacturers waiting in the wings to […]

ABCs of Nutrition: Learn How to Cook

A fundamental (but maybe not obvious) way to improve your health and well-being is to learn how to cook. In fact, that’s why I wrote a book about it. After all, how can you possibly count calories or grams of fat if someone else is always making meals for you? Buying and preparing your own […]

Paleo: Diet or Lifestyle?

The Paleo Diet is based on whole foods presumably consumed by hunter-gatherers during the Paleolithic era, specifically animal protein and plants. It consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Many tout this diet to be advantageous for weight loss and […]

The “health-o-meter” approach to eating

This weekend,  turned to me and said, “Mom, I wish I could invent a health-o-meter, a machine where you could input a DK Donut and something healthy would come out.” Though he might make millions if he could invent this sort of contraption, I’m not sure what a donut transformation might look or taste like! […]