Picnics seem like a celebration of summer, a season with a little more freedom; freedom to roam onto the back deck, backyard, the local park, along a highway, and beyond. It’s exciting for the children to break with their everyday schedules. Picnics offer an inexpensive way to bring a little interest and variety to a […]

Once in a while I stumble upon some really clear graphics that clarify thoughts about otherwise hard to observe trends. Finding a study based upon the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the graphics published by National Public Radio (NPR) on June 8, 2012 was one of those times. Of course the title got my attention […]

Mary Ireland discusses bone health and an alternative to bisphosphates and calcium supplements.

I received a beautiful new ring as an anniversary gift; and on Friday I went to have it sized down to fit my right hand ring finger. The jeweler asked if I knew my ring size, I answered, “Yes, size 4. It used to be 3½, when I was younger.” He said, “That would be […]

Elizabeth Sloan PhD, is president of Sloan Trends, Inc., a San Diego based consulting firm providing trends, insights and predictions for modern foods, functional foods, nutritional supplements and nutraceuticals for the food service and food processor industry. The term ‘modern foods’ well fits Sloan’s audience, but the positive spin food processors put on it (“Better […]

Yesterday, I was at the market picking up a few items, including a few golden beets; and the checker asked what could a person do with beets. So I quickly explained how I like to make them – roasted in the oven. I told her that I cut them from the greens and scrub them […]

Mary Ireland discusses a new “nutritional” product for children.

A rose by any other name is good and beautiful – Let a thousand of them bloom! There are diets and eating plans of all stripes. Some are fad diets designed to get quick results and make money off your anguish.  You soon yo-yo back up in weight as your body rebounds from feeling starved […]

Much of the recent ‘sugar toxicity chat’ started with an April 1, 2012, 60 Minutes report. Did you miss the 60 Minutes, CBS report, “Is Sugar Toxic?” with Dr. Sanjay Gupta? It’s not too late; you can see the video or read about it.

In his blog, Is A Calorie A Calorie?, Mark Bittman writes about his interview with Marion Nestle, author of a new book Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics (California Studies in Food and Culture). The blog post makes interesting reading and of course the answer to the calorie question is not a simple yes […]