In a day and age when industrial food manufacturers bring us 100% orange juice that’s not really 100% juice, or shredded cheese packed with wood pulp, is it any surprise that when you pay $4.99/lb for a supermarket turkey (even an “organic” one), you’re actually buying a “bird” that’s typically 40% salt water?
7 Anti-Aging Supplements to Grow Old Gracefully
For those over 40, and especially those over 55, taking the right supplements can make a huge impact on your long-term health. When we’re younger, we feel invincible, and our bodies can be quite forgiving. As we age, it becomes ever more important to make sure we’re giving our bodies the nutrients they need to…
Big-O Organic Eggs
Industrialized agriculture is no stranger to organic food. Sadly, organic standards in some areas (particularly egg production) do little to produce a more nutrient-dense egg from an authentically happy hen. Industrial organic egg producers take advantage of the letter of the law to violate its spirit and cheat consumers out of hard-earned dollars by asking them to pay premium prices for eggs that are essentially the same as any other.
Your Coffee Has Ground Up Bugs In It
I’ll never forget the day I heard an NPR interview with entomologist Dr. Douglas Emlen about dung beetles. He broke the story in a live interview that most pre-ground coffee has ground cockroaches in it. Apparently, it’s a not-so-secret industry secret.
Should You Take Fish Oil?
These days, fish oil is all the rage. Everyone has a reason to take some. Depressed? Moody? Anxious? Take some fish oil! At risk for a heart attack? Take some fish oil! Eat too many Omega-6 fats? Take some fish oil! Perfectly healthy? Take some fish oil!
Is fish oil really all that good for you? The answer is complicated. Yes, fish oil can be a helpful supplement. But it should be taken with caution. In this case, there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
How to Tell if Your Olive Oil Is Fake
Ever since journalist Tom Mueller broke the story about how more than 70% of the extra-virgin olive oil sold in the world is fake (cut with cheaper oils), olive oil lovers the world over have been scrambling to find authentic, 100% real olive oil. But how can you tell if your olive oil is fake or not? Does the fridge test really work? What about the oil lamp test?
Should You Use Sunscreen?
Deciding whether or not to use sunscreen, or which sunscreen to use, is a hot topic among the health conscious community these days. After all, most varieties are full of toxic chemicals, so why would you want to use sunscreen liberally on your skin? To address this, many “all-natural” alternatives have sprung up on the market. Consumers can still use sunscreen without feeling guilty!
Or can they?
What to Do When Breastfeeding Isn’t An Option
When I started nursing my first child nearly nine years ago, I couldn’t turn to my my mother for advice. That’s because she, like many in her generation, had been told by her doctor that she couldn’t make enough breastmilk for her kids to thrive. So, like many of her peers, she stopped nursing and switched to commercial formula.
Instead of relying on the age old wisdom passed down from mother to daughter for generations, I had to do something scary — wade through vitriolic internet forums about breastfeeding on mothering boards. Thankfully, I’m a good researcher, so I could glean useful information even from some of the snarkiest contributors to the Mommy Wars.
The truth is simple enough. My mom’s doctor? Probably wrong. The vast majority of women can successfully breastfeed given the right circumstances.
Kombucha Health Benefits Backed by Science
By now you’ve probably heard of kombucha, the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir.” It’s a fermented tea that’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. But are these health benefits backed by science?
Made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (a SCOBY, a.k.a. “mother” because of its ability to reproduce, or “mushroom” because of its appearance), kombucha didn’t gain prominence in the West until the past couple of decades. Now it’s gained an ardent and addicted following — so much so you can buy it in most airports and grocery stores in the US.
Ferment Your Own Country Wine
Find yourself with an overabundance of fruit and want to make a fun drink for your guests? Country wine is a general term for wine made from fruit except for grapes. Wow your guests with your wine-making skills!