When plums are dried, they have the deep crevasses that often grace the faces of the elderly. In a society that idolizes youth, something that is wrinkled as …… well, a prune, doesn’t have much of a chance for popularity. Years ago the California Dried Plum Board changed the name of prunes to dried plums; […]

Some years ago, I enjoyed a conversation with a school food service director from the city in which my family and I lived. I’ve never forgotten her explanation of the challenges she faced in taking advantage of using the whole foods available from the USDA surplus school nutrition commodity program. She explained that when she […]

Last week I read a story about a fruit breeder in Kern County – a rural part of California where I enjoyed shooting the rapids, floating down the Kern River and exploring the mountains during my preteen and teenage years. One on my numerous childhood memories of the ‘50s and ‘60s was the drive to […]

I know that case studies are not powerful; statistically speaking that is. But I must confess that I really enjoy reading case studies of those who have lost weight – made lasting change to their eating style. Besides the joy of reading about someone’s success, what cases do offer are ideas about what might work […]

Have you noticed an increase in problems with flatulence (gas)? It seems that people immediately think of beans, cabbage, bran and milk. But maybe you’re overlooking a relatively new cause of gas – fiber additives using inulin, aka chicory root fiber, Frutalose, or other aliases. The big food processors are more and more often turning […]

None of your friends are chatting at the party about today’s subject; but surprisingly it ‘sits’ at the top of the United States trending health issues on Google. People are searching for information to help them manage hemorrhoids, but don’t really want to converse about hemorrhoids in mixed company. If you’ve been blessed not to […]

I periodically talk to people and they tell me that they don’t like vegetables. It seems to me that more often the ‘people’ are men, but sometimes they’re women; and, of course, it’s almost classic that kids frequently don’t like veggies. If you’re one of those who don’t really like veggies, is the constant reminder […]

Last week I read one of the most interesting research-based articles that I’ve read in a long time. It is interesting on many levels, the unexpected; the science; wondrous nature; and even the anticipation for a reservoir of humor, awaiting exposure. It all began with a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine […]

Here we are at the beginning of the school year again. For me it’s a time much like New Year’s Day; a time to assess how things are going. I ask myself, “Are there things that need improving upon? The answer to my question has never been, “No, there’s nothing to improve upon.” If a […]

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my favorite poet/writers said, “The glory of the farmer is that, in the division of labors, it is his part to create.” He goes on to say, “The food which was not, he causes to be.” Emerson, of course, lived in a different time, but I very much believe that […]