My daughter called to tell me she was sent home from work when she told her boss she was not feeling well. “I hope I don’t have the ‘virus’,” she said. (She doesn’t.) Still, in motherly fashion, I reminded her to follow her physician’s instructions to stay home until she was well.
A column I wrote last May about whole milk dairy foods generated quite a response from a reader in Illinois: Read more
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of death in cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The colon is the final part of your digestive tract. Since it's part of the digestive system, the food you eat is an important factor in the health of your colon. Read more
Yay, it’s March! I even heard birds chirping this morning. And it is also National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign created by the largest organization of nutrition professionals in the world — the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme: “Eat Right, Bite by Bite.” Let’s con… Read more
Heart-healthy food plans often focus on what you should eat. Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, created a plan that reminds you of what to avoid. He calls the plan, “The Four A’s of Food for Heart Health.” Read more
My recent column on carrots brought these letters. And they piqued my curiosity to get more information: Read more
Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts can help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet. Read more
February brings us to Valentine’s Day. And it’s also American Heart Month. Quick, it’s time to give something special to someone you love this week. And surprise, some of our favorite Valentine treats can also be good to our hearts. Read more
These questions came in from a student journalist in Canada: Read more
Some people are funny about sharing recipes. And I get that, especially if it’s something special. So l was extremely pleased when I asked Gabe Georis from Pescadero restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, if I could share his yummy guacamole recipe with my readers. He said, “Go ahead a… Read more
How do you know when a carrot is dehydrated? Why should we care? I found the answer plus other interesting facts about my favorite vegetable in a recent article by registered dietitian Bethany Oxender in Food & Nutrition magazine, a publication of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. … Read more
Gary from Carmel writes, “You have helped me out in the past so thought I’d get your opinion on this. On a recent show, a doctor was talking about which foods to eat and which to avoid. He said that you should be eating nuts, but don’t eat cashews, as they are not a nut, but rather a seed, a… Read more
What “healthy” means to each of us is very different — and is what we often discuss when developing recipes for, or talking about, eating to feel good. Read more
The Food and Drug Administration has updated the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales were required to switch to the new label … Read more
Here it is — a new year and new decade to boot. This could be the perfect time to change our not-so-healthful habits. Are we ready? Read more
As I write this column, I’m looking out on snow-covered hills listening to “White Christmas” on the radio. Not that I’m even near ready for the holiday. Until yesterday, I still had pumpkins and Thanksgiving turkeys all over the house. Read more
We tend to classify them all together, but winter vegetables are not always the same as root vegetables. Nevertheless, these veggies deserve our attention during these cold winter months. Read more
And here we are in December. I don’t understand it, but this year — for the first time in a long time — my Christmas shopping has been extremely easy. So far, I’ve happened upon gifts that are handmade or personal ... and not too expensive. I love when that happens. Read more
We see amazing sights from our home in the country. Last week as I drove into town, I came upon a flock of wild turkeys, plump from their diet of berries, insects and special treats from a neighbor's corn field. Read more
There seems to be a lot of clamoring to replace real meat in the marketplace. Here are some things to consider: Read more
What does diabetes have to do with heart disease? A lot, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read more
"I don't know if you answer questions," a reader wrote recently. I assured her I do, as time allows. Read more
Her opening statement caught our attention: "We start with a glass of wine and then we start the lesson." With that, Chef Anna and her assistant proceeded with our cooking (and wine-tasting) class at the historic Villa Casagrande in the Tuscany region of Italy. Read more
Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? I hope so, because my trees are groaning with hundreds of these beauties this year. Read more
Italians call it "olio d'oliva" oil of the olive. And their rich use of olive oil may be one of the secrets to the renowned health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Read more
At a recent nutrition seminar, my friend, Kristin (another registered dietitian) and I were intrigued to hear an update about a new product on the market called A2 milk. Read more
It was a great finish to a perfect day. After snapping pictures of buffalo on our drive through Custer State Park in South Dakota, my cowgirl friends and I arrived at Legends Steakhouse in the old mining and gambling town of Deadwood. Read more
We're fast approaching the last big national grill day of the year, I was reminded recently. Time to break out the barbecue. Read more
We could avoid about 3 of every 10 common types of cancer if we would change certain diet and lifestyle habits, says the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. A good place to start, they recommend, is to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and stay away fro… Read more
ATLANTA It's no secret that cupcakes in the break room provide little nutrition. But a new report reveals that many Americans might be overindulging in snacks. Read more
Thank you, readers, for your comments and questions. Here are a few that caught my attention: Read more
Some things never change. My daughters still think I drive too slowly. Yet some things do change, especially in the field of nutrition. For example, we used to think that deficiencies of vitamin B-12 were rare except among strict vegetarians or people with an autoimmune disease called pernic… Read more
I hope I'm not the only one to find the recent news about artificial sweeteners more than just a little confusing. Here's my snapshot on this topic: Read more
I was at a national conference in 1994 (yes, I'm that old) when a speaker from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told us big changes were on the way in the field of dietary supplements. How right she was. Read more
I certainly am one of the 62 percent of Americans who drink coffee on a daily basis especially when I haul it around in my new d.stil thermal tumbler that keeps it hot and doesn't drip on my chin. Besides its caffeine content to wake us up, several new studies suggest that for many of us … Read more
You see the labels out there organic, cage-free, natural but what does it all mean? Read more
Healthy living can be harder than it sounds. You know you should exercise more and eat more nutritious food, of course, but did you also know that just because a food calls itself "healthy" doesn't mean it is? Ditto calling something vegan or calling it carb-free. You have to look beyond the… Read more
A friend who knows I love corny jokes especially those about food sent this one to me: "What did the chick pea say when it was sick?" Pause "Falalfel." Read more
Foodies beware: A recent study has shown that the habit of dining out may raise your risk of cancer. Read more
It's that time of year when this Irish-descended nutritionist paints her toenails green and makes sure she has currents and caraway seeds to make Grandma Quinn's famous (in the Quinn family, anyway) Irish soda bread. I also look for funny limericks, like this one from www.pun.me: Read more