Health

Can Food Get You in the Mood? A Guy's Guide to Aphrodisiacs

Hey, you guys… listen up. Valentine’s Day is this weekend. If you're in a significant relationship, this is the one day every year when you’re expected – no, mandated – to express your undying devotion to that person in your life whom you love more than…
(a)  beer
(b)  pizza
(c)  your dog
(d)  your mother
(e)  all of the above

This is also the day, every year, when there is extra pressure to, um, “perform” like the stud-muffin that you are. In other words, Valentine’s Day would be the wrong time to fall asleep early in front of the TV, dressed in your wife-beater undershirt and ketchup-stained boxers.

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The 10 Best Foods You Probably Aren't Eating... But Should: Here's Six through Ten

Before we get to the remaining five foods on the list of the 10 most healthful foods that we probably don’t eat, but definitely should, let’s review the first five: cabbage, beets, guava, Swiss chard, and cinnamon. We learned that cabbage boosts our production of sulforaphane, which is a powerful cancer-fighter; beets reduce the level of artery-damaging homocysteine in our blood; guavas are the best source of lycopene, which is key to maintaining prostate health; Swiss chard contains powerful carotenoids, which help keep your retinas young; and cinnamon helps to stabilize your blood sugar.

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The 10 Best Foods You Probably Aren't Eating... But Should: Here's One through Five

The most e-mailed story on the New York Times website last week was The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating. It’s a list of the most healthful foods that we should, but probably don't, regularly eat.

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What Kids Eat in School Cafeterias (WARNING: Don't read if you don't want to pack their lunches every day)

Two articles that I’ve read recently have convinced me to never again let my children eat a school lunch.

The first, published in October by the New York Times, chronicles the flawed U.S. meat inspection process, and how an E.coli-infected hamburger permanently disabled Minnesota resident Stephanie Smith.

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Grass-Fed: Something to Chew On

Conscientious omnivores of the Michael Pollan variety champion grass-fed beef. It is claimed to be better for the cattle themselves than grain-finishing, since they eat what their rumens are evolved to digest (grass and legumes) instead of what fattens them quickest. Plus, they get to graze open pasture instead of being confined to a feedlot for the final four to six months of their lives. Grass-fed enthusiasts also claim it’s better for people because grass-fed meat is leaner and has a higher proportion of omega-3 fats than grain-finished meat. Some even argue that it’s better for the environment, since you don’t have huge piles of feedlot manure to manage; the cattle deposit their manure on grass, as they naturally would, and it ultimately nourishes the soil.

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A Guide to Buying Organic Food

 Kate NG SommersPhoto Credit: Kate NG SommersPerhaps you shop at the local coops and look for that label on all of your purchases. But with a limited budget, maybe you’ve wondered what makes the most sense to buy organic. As a nutritionist working with people to improve the quality of their diet, I get asked this question a lot. So here are six suggestions for prioritizing your spending to maximize your dollars and your health.

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Smart Ways to Pick Your Fish

Fish is good for you! It’s low in saturated fat, good for your heart, and tastes great. It’s true that large ocean predators are high in mercury and chemicals from plastics. But the benefits of fish are bigger than the risks, according to studies. So we should eat it, right?

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Bill Marler: Taking on E.coli, BigAg, Raw Milk, Conspiracy Theorists, and the USDA - Continued

Bill Marler in his Seattle law office.Safe-food advocate and attorney,
Bill Marler, in his Seattle law office.
                       


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Our Resident Nutritionist Loves Vegetables and Shares Her Favorite Holiday Recipes

I love vegetables. My family and friends make fun of me, but when I look at their kaleidoscope of colors and shapes, they delight my senses in ways I can’t explain. So imagine my joy when I opened my CSA box yesterday and pulled out this Romanesco cauliflower!

Now I’m a registered dietitian and have been touting the benefits of eating your veggies for years, but I had never seen anything like this fluorescent green head of swirling spirals. I actually squealed with surprise when I pulled it out of the box. My husband and daughter came running to see what all the excitement was about. They both burst out laughing when they saw the thrilled look on my face, although you’d think they would be used to my exclamations by now.

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