November 7, 2023

What To Eat At Any Age to Fend Off Alzheimer’s

Put down the fork. Step away from the buffet table. UC Davis nutrition expert Liz Applegate wants us to think about exactly what we’re shoveling down our throats. Not just to lose weight but to protect our brains. “Brain food is real and it really does matter,” said Applegate, an author, professor and director of sports nutrition at UC Davis. She’s an advocate of the MIND diet, a combination of two long-studied diets that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. We talked with her recently about so-called “brain foods,” their impact on […]
November 6, 2023

Pumpkin Seeds Offer Amazing Health Benefits

While most people only think of pumpkins on Thanksgiving or Halloween, the seeds of this fruit offer an impressive cocktail of health enhancing and disease fighting compounds, vitamins, and minerals that can be consumed year-round. In addition, they are packed with tryptophan and essential fatty acids. Emerging evidence indicates that pumpkin seeds represent a potent functional food in the battle against heart disease, osteoporosis, bladder dysfunction, anxiety, and arthritis. Pumpkin’s History Native to North America, pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) were first embraced by Native Americans for their multi-purpose properties before the fruit’s seeds were passed along to European explorers and spread throughout Europe. Pumpkins, and […]
November 6, 2023

The Superstar Benefits of Quinoa & Kale

I like to frequently use an ancient Socrates quote to my patients when I try to drive home the importance of eating the right foods to both preserve and heal their health.  The saying, roughly, goes, “Let your food be your medicine” and with these 2 nutritional powerhouses, that I’m going to tell you about here, old Socrates couldn’t be closer to the truth.  These 2 simple foods are quinoa – an ancient super-grain – and the beautiful kale plant.  They not only taste great but I’m going to tell you how they can actually save your life. The Amazing Health Benefits […]
November 6, 2023

Want To Know How NOT To Die? 12 Tips

The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but not so good at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of premature death—illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and others—claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn’t have to be the case. In Dr. Michael Greger’s book, How Not to Die, there’s lots of advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, to help you live better and longer. You will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle habits to change in order to prevent […]
October 25, 2023

Celebrate Halloween with GF Pumpkin Recipes

Happy Halloween! In the past we’ve written about how careful you need to be on behalf of your little ones to make sure their trick-or-treating ends safely. For example, double check at home to make sure everything is sealed and gluten-free. While you could argue it is safer with better gluten-free labeling in 2014, never rest on your laurels and assume what has always been gluten-free still is: check all labels for any potential changes! But instead of talking about safe trick-or-treating, this year we wanted to celebrate Halloween with a more positive approach and talk about three awesome gluten-free pumpkin recipes that […]
October 23, 2023

How To Get Fit for Fall Eating Season

The fall and winter seasons, combined with the upcoming holidays, mean the re-emergence of those comforting classic dishes: Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a plethora of pastries. Many of the typical comfort foods are filled with calories and fat, plus the potential to overeat these dishes during the colder seasons is always tempting; but if you’re smart about it, you don’t have to deprive yourself, said Karen Bright, adult and youth nutrition outreach instructor for the WVU Extension Service. “The biggest thing people have problems with that I’ve noticed is portion size,” she said. “During the holidays and colder […]
October 10, 2023

5 Really GOOD Foods with Really Bad Raps

There are some foods out there deemed ‘bad’ that have gotten this label somewhat unfairly. Calling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is also misleading – food is FOOD but some of it can support our health while others may hurt it if consumed in excess. Check out these 5 foods that have a bad reputation and see the FoodTrients discussion on how to incorporate them into any healthy diet! Eggs Research has undeniably changed on dietary fat and cholesterol in recent years, finding that fat and even cholesterol that we consume may not have the adverse effects once thought. Eggs are […]
October 10, 2023

Mining the Herbal Medicine in Your Kitchen

Did you know there’s a powerful herbal medicine chest in your kitchen? Imagine being prepared for that next cold, scrape, headache, digestive issue, stressful day, or sleepless night with simple ingredients from your cupboard. Instead of pills, reach for: Cinnamon Tea to soothe your throat . . . Garlic Hummus to support your immune system . . . Ginger Lemon Tea for cold and flu symptoms . . . Cayenne Salve to relieve sore muscles . . . Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Cake for heart health . . . A glass of Spiced Cold Brew Coffee as a powerful antioxidant . […]
September 24, 2023

Savory and Satisfying Dishes with Mushrooms

Most people either love or hate mushrooms. But hear me out: the beauty of mushrooms is that they take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. They become Asian cooked in a soy or teriyaki-style sauce. They’re Italian sauteed in olive oil, garlic and fresh basil. Sprinkle middle Eastern spices on them such as zaatar or sumac and they become Moroccan or Lebanese. For those who want to cut down on eating meat, a portobello mushroom grilled and placed in a hamburger bun is very satisfying.  Mushrooms provide that ‘fifth taste’ (joining sweet, salty, sour and bitter), umami, which […]
September 24, 2023

Top 50 Foods That Can Help You Sleep

Sleeping well is one of the most critical things we can do for our health. Working out and eating right can only take you so far if your body is stressed from lack of sleep. It is needed to calm stress hormones like cortisol, to support the natural immune system, for repair and for cleaning out the brain – yes, that happens each night when you sleep! Foods that contain critical nutrients for sleep (including magnesium, calcium, B3, B6, B12, certain amino acids, antioxidants and melatonin regulators) top the list of 50 foods that support great sleep and should be […]
September 11, 2023

Back to School? Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas

Preparing school lunches for our gluten-free kiddos is no simple task. While kids can often times be picky eaters making mealtime complicated no matter the location, school lunches introduce even more factors: Will the food keep until lunch time? What if his lunch is different from everyone elses and he is embarrassed? What if the other kids make fun of him? What if he doesn’t understand the severity of his intolerance and is buying school lunch without telling me? Read on for tips on how to navigate this process, and suggestions for gluten-free lunch ideas that your munchkins will love! […]
September 10, 2023

Optimize Your Health with Superfoods

There is so much talk around superfoods lately and the health benefits of including them in your diet. As a doctor who specializes in anti-aging strategies, I can truly say that the addition of superfoods to your daily food intake will totally optimize your health and lower the risk of disease. That’s why I make it a priority to recommend green foods to all of my patients. Since whole foods and greens have recently become popular many questions about them still remain unanswered, so here’s a brief but informative insight to help you know more about how these foods can […]
September 10, 2023

What Foods Can Help Improve Your Mind?

What foods can you eat to improve your mind? Watch the video to find out. Learn more about brain-boosting foods in these articles: MIND Diet Could Help Prevent Dementia Diet for the Mind Fights Memory Loss     Buy our new cookbook, Anti-Aging Dishes From Around the World, to find Mind-enhancing recipes like Brain-Boosting Berbere African Spice Mix Maple Herb Roasted Tofu Moroccan Brownie Bites Marrakesh Spice Mix Blueberry Upside Down Cake Egg Salad with Turmeric