How much sugar should my family have a day and how can we cut back? The tricky thing about sugar is that there is no government recommended daily intake limit like there is for sodium or fats. This is in part because sugar has not been proven to be linked to a specific disease. It’s [...]
My child is constipated. What are some good sources of fiber, and how can I incorporate them into my child’s diet? Fiber is crucial to your digestive system's functioning by keeping things moving through the digestive tract. There are 2 types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a sort [...]
What’s a good substitute for butter? For starters, I’m not opposed to butter. It’s a product that comes from nature, and it’s ok to use in moderation. The important thing to keep in mind is that butter has a high saturated fat content, Earth Balance spread is a great alternative to butter (http://www.earthbalancenatural.com) [...]
Should I go gluten free? 10 years ago, most people had never heard of gluten, but today gluten (or its lack thereof) is a buzzword in the food world. The “gluten-free” seal is on all sorts of packaging, and people saying it’s a good diet for weight loss. But what IS gluten, and should I [...]
Is coconut oil good to bake and cook with? Coconuts to be used to make coconut oil (from wikipedia.com) Coconut oil has received a bad reputation over the years because of its high levels of saturated fat—beginning in the 90s, it was seen as the enemy of oils. However, a growing body of [...]
I’m considering going on a juice fast. What do you think? Is it safe? Juice fasting is trendy and incredibly controversial, and I hope I can dispel some of the myths surrounding that controversy. The most important thing when considering any new type of dietary adventure is to make an informed decision. So let’s look [...]
My husband has heart disease and we are thinking about going vegan. Do you think this will help? It’s a little bit of an extreme move for us. This is a great question, and I think the answer will interest a lot of people. Veganism is certainly a major lifestyle adjustment for most people, especially [...]
Is dairy ok to eat? I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about milk, and that we should not be drinking it or eating dairy. How much milk do you really need? (www.gotmilk.com) There is nothing inherently unsafe about consuming dairy products. Dairy has plenty of nutritional value: calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, [...]
Is it too late to compost at home? And, if not, how do I get started? It’s never too late to start composting at home! Compost is an organic fertilizer that can be made from everyday kitchen scraps, like fruits and veggies, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, grass clippings, leaves, dead plants and paper [...]
I keep hearing bad things about GMO foods – how do I avoid them? A couple of weeks ago I debunked the myth about the differences between organic, conventional, and local foods. But GMO is yet another piece of that puzzle! WHAT IS GMO? GMO food is food that contains GMOs (genetically modified organisms). These organisms’ [...]