This is the first year for us to harvest raspberries from our very own vines. In all honesty, it’s a bit of a workout, especially if the sun gets up earlier than I get picking. But those beautiful, organic, sweet red rubies are a wonderful treasure incentive. We’ve been liberally blanketing our cereal with a […]

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 […]

Certainly, we’ve written plenty about the benefits of pulses, beans, and legumes; three of the words that represent a very healthy group of foods central to the Mediterranean-style of eating. This exceptional group of foods, including beans, lentils, and peanuts is finally getting some excellent press; and for that I’m grateful. It always makes me […]

Yes, I know nutrition news, with its conflicting and rapid changes, can be confusing. Yes, I’ve heard hundreds of times that there are so many confusing pieces of nutrition advice. But not all of it comes from reputable scientific studies. Let me try to make some very complex new opinions and research as understandable as […]

Many of you are striving to increase the frequency of consuming plant-based menus. For some it is a matter of protecting the environment; for others it is based upon health decisions and for a third group, it’s both the environment and health. One food that is probably not being fully utilized by any of these […]

Before leaving for vacation, I left a note for myself upon return to write a few words about the goal to keep sodium under control. While in India, I got an unpleasant reminder of this goal – a kidney stone made itself known (in a most unpleasant fashion.) Why was this a reminder? Because among […]

How often do you think science finds a relationship with food or a style of eating being associated with a reversal of unhealthy markers that already exist? I’d say rarely – or nearly never. But that is exactly what was found in the PREDIMED study. This relatively rare instance was published in the Canadian Medical […]

Were potatoes one of your past standard fares that bit the dust? I realize that, at our home, we don’t eat white potatoes very often. We’re more likely to eat sweet potatoes or other starchy vegetables, brown rice or quinoa instead of white potatoes. But since white potatoes are the most consumed vegetable in the […]

On February 23, I attended a Continuing Professional Education webinar called: Through the RD’s Lens: A Look at 2017’s Nutrition. One of the top trends forecasted for 2017 is clean eating. There is really no consensus definition of clean eating; but you can read some of the popular factors in Eating Well’s article 10 Tips […]

The mountain west endured an especially snowy winter. Being a native of sunny southern California, I must say, the weeks of cloudy, snowy, grayness became a little monotonous, especially when the clouds were right up to the windows for days at a time. As many of you know by now, gardening is my hobby. Walking […]