Since August, I’ve been meaning to write about a study published in Lancet, Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The study has been sitting on my desktop, staring at me for all these weeks/months. Procrastination is not generally one of […]

Have you started watching the little video on the Internet that tells us that the biggest danger in the American diet is lectin? I did. It just zaps my strength when I read or watch this type of bizarre information. It’s especially discouraging when I read that a medical doctor (Steven Gundry is supposedly a […]

I was extremely fortunate to attend the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. I say that because it took many in public health nutrition thirty years to finally get the recommendations that my professors shared with me clear back in the 1980s. The issue of dietary cholesterol and fat was taught fairly differently between […]

This is one of those days that I need a little extra motivation to get to writing on the subject that I’ve chosen. It’s a little de-motivating to realize that 72 percent of the American public consider coconut oil a health food; after all the effort that nutritionists/dietitians like myself have spent for decades trying […]

Today, I think I’ll start with a confession; staying hydrated has been a long-time challenge for me. This is not a lack of understanding; this is just a habit problem. I’m a strong proponent for the idea that we can build new habits. I’ve done much better in the past few years on hydration, but […]

Cocoa originated over 5000 years ago in Central America, but it frequently remains in the news today. The latest – chocolate has been linked to a lower risk of AFib (atrial fibrillation); see for yourself – The British Medical Journal – BMJ. Since an estimated 2.7 to 6.1 million people in the United States have […]

The lead author on some research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on 22 February is Dagfinn Aune Ph.D. Before today, I was entirely unfamiliar with Doctor Aune. He is an associate professor at Bjorkness University College, Oslo, Norway and also a Research Associate at the Imperial College in London. After reading a little […]

Is my glass half full or half empty? I was working on a continuing education unit; (CEUs are required to keep my registration status current.) a catchy concept was presented that eating four foods would significantly reduce heart disease. Of course, that really perks up the attention of a dietitian/nutritionist. Wow! Only four foods! I […]

In my life I’ve had some interesting effects resulting from my immune system. During my paid career, I used to directly supervise dietitians and dietary technicians in California. When an employee would get sick, I would often go to see them; and they’d say; “Don’t get near me, I’m so sick.” I’d almost always say; […]

I’m well aware that many self-proclaimed experts say that salt/sodium is not a problem in health. But my advice is to stick with the Surgeon General, the American Heart Association, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; which all advise us to cut back on salt intake. In addition, I like the results of […]