We acquire carotenoids from eating certain plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and squash. What are carotenoids? They're fat-soluble nutrients, which means we absorb them best when we eat them along with a source of fat, such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, coconut or avocado. Why do we need carotenoids?…
The appearance of hair plays an important role in people's physical appearance and self-perception, so it can be devastating to experience hair loss, especially when there doesn't seem to be anything you can do about it. But did you know that there are vitamins for hair growth? In fact, poor nutrition, including vitamin deficiencies, is…
Eating seasonally may feel a bit tougher to pull off in the winter — however, the benefits of this approach by eating winter fruits and vegetables are still the same, including a higher intake of certain nutrients, help supporting local farmers, plus better taste and value. While farmers markets open in the spring, summer and…
Historically, the shallot has been used for both for its nutritional and aromatic properties in Indian, Asian, French and Mediterranean cooking. Are shallots good for you? You bet. They not only add a sweet and pungent flavor to recipes, but they also come loaded with antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and some important minerals, too. The shallot…
Every one of us has both free radicals and antioxidants present inside of our bodies at all times. Some antioxidants are made from the body itself, while we must get others from our diets by eating high-antioxidant foods that double as anti-inflammatory foods. Our bodies also produce free radicals as byproducts of cellular reactions. For…
Lavender essential oil is the most used essential oil in the world today, but the benefits of lavender were actually discovered over 2,500 years ago. Because of its powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, sedative, calming and antidepressive properties, lavender oil perks abound, and it's been used both cosmetically and therapeutically for centuries. The Egyptians used lavender for…
Although most of us rarely eat offal — aka organ meat — this nutritious ingredient is actually jam-packed with important vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that can have a huge impact on your health — and organ meats actually are organ-nourishing foods as well. Interestingly enough, organ meats are far higher in nutrients than the muscle…
Whether you're using canned pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin bread or toasting pumpkin seeds after carving one at home, you might be curious about what type of pumpkin nutrition benefits there are. Considering it's one of the greatest sources of vitamin A, plus rich in other antioxidants and nutrients like fiber, pumpkin benefits include the ability to…
As Thanksgiving rolls around, most of us eagerly await the holiday staples, like pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. However, the real star of the show is, of course, the turkey — Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be complete without a big hunk of turkey breast sitting on your plate. Still, many people wonder: Is…
Mushrooms have been consumed for centuries as part of diets promoted in folklore and Eastern medicine practices, including Traditional Chinese Medicine. The ancient Egyptians considered mushrooms, such as cremini mushrooms, to be a food that promoted immortality and were worthy of being included in diets fed to royal leaders. Still, to this day, mushrooms are…
