News — Health

From Rodale, the top 15. #2 is Chinese cabbage like bok choy, a personal favorite. All of the top 15 are also leafy greens. You just might see watercress and collards on the menu. "What's a powerhouse fruit or vegetable?  Any food providing 10 percent or more of a single daily value of a nutrient is considered a "good source" of that nutrient. But, to earn the title of "powerhouse," fruits and vegetables need to be considered a good source of 17 key nutrients, from vitamin A to zinc." Bok Choy from our garden. Read More from Rodale. . . .

Most of the vegetables that we buy at the supermarket have been bred for some desirable trait, but usually not its nutritional value. Here's an interesting story in the NY Times discussing this aspect of nutrition that is overlooked."Studies published within the past 15 years show that much of our produce is relatively low in phytonutrients, which are the compounds with the potential to reduce the risk of four of our modern scourges: cancer, cardiovascular disease,diabetes and dementia. The loss of these beneficial nutrients did not begin 50 or 100 years ago, as many assume. Unwittingly, we have been stripping phytonutrients from our...

You can go back to eating butter. Well, I've never really stopped. I abhor nonfat dairy products, and have no fear of butter, cream and fat in my diet. New York Times columnist and former food writer Mark Bittman holds forth on our folly of avoiding fat for 40 years and how the American diet and waistlines have suffered.  "Since the 1970s almost everyone in this country has been subjected to a barrage of propaganda about saturated fat. It was bad for you; it would kill you. Never mind that much of the nonsaturated fat was in the form of trans...

You are what you eat as they say.  The nutritional profile of your food; the soil that your vegetables are grown or the feed that chickens, pigs, or cows consume really affects this profile and by extension your health. The following is an article from John Brady at the Menuism blog on the difference between grass fed beef and animals raised in factory farms. "it’s common knowledge that most feedlot beef cattle are fed low doses of antibiotics to keep them from getting sick on their totally un-natural diet of grains and poor living conditions. What are the health risks for...

Eating clean, is a major movement, spurred by people from all walks of life, who want to feel good about what they’re putting in their bodies. They're changing their eating habits and are working to replace processed foods with fresh and natural foods. I pay a lot of attention to what I cook and serve our clients, as well as what I eat myself. If you are struggling to improve your diet, this short article from Health.com will provide some inspiration.  Read more from Health.com