As time goes on our skin ages; it becomes less elastic, more fragile, and the deeper layers of our skin lose fat. The skin begins to appear looser and the lines become more obvious. Most of us like to avoid the deep crevices of aging skin for as long as possible. Many of us know […]

An October 15, 2013 report in Connecticut College News is causing a big stir in the food industry. Certainly a headline suggesting that Oreos are just as addictive as drugs (cocaine or morphine) is fodder for media and argument. Of course this is not the first time researchers have explored the issue of the possibility […]

Polyphenols are chemically active compounds that are involved in a huge number of roles in the body, including regulating genes, inflammatory and enzyme activity, cell to cell signaling and receptor sensitivity. You don’t really need to know much about the over 4,000 polyphenols; but scientists study them because they seem to be very involved in […]

On Thursday, November 7, 2013, the FDA finally got around to saying that trans fats aren’t safe in foods. Ya think? The FDA gave notice that trans fats will be removed from the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list. It will be the second item to be removed from the list since the list was […]

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; […]

I like the term junk food; it’s so helpful. It gets right to the identification of the item as something that you’re not counting on to nourish yourself or your family. It says, “This is just a treat;” and “Too much of this stuff is not great for my health.” I belong to the Academy […]

When you see the word phytonutrients or phytochemicals, does it just look like a scientific word and your eyes roll back a bit? In September’s issue of RD Today’s Dietitian, Denise Webb PHD RD has written an article called Phytochemicals’ Role in Good Health. The article has given me the impetus to write a short […]

On September 11, 2013 Credit Suisse published a report on the impact of global sugar consumption. You can read a quick summary of their report done by WorldNow and ABC. Because I’ve already written so much about the use of sugar I’m not going to spend much time about the nutritional aspects of sugar intake. […]

In my own family cooking, I shop organic when it is natural, not processed, and not overly price-inflated; but I’m convinced that the term “organic” is increasingly being used to include un-natural substances and to justify increased prices.  A good statement of the Organic Skeptic position is found in the Eden Foods website.  They certify […]

Here in the mountain west, autumn has put her nose under the tent, and like the camel in the old story, will soon nudge herself all the way in. In our town, we blessedly haven’t had frost yet; but up on the mountainside we can see the trees and shrubs beginning to change to their […]