Qi (pronounced "chee") is like your body's internal battery. A fundamental precept of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the word translates roughly to "life force" or "vital energy," and there are healthy habits that can help ensure your qi remains in tip-top shape. Qi circulates throughout the body along pathways known as meridians, which connect all the…
Vegetable oil is a common ingredient that most of us have sitting on our kitchen shelves. However, there's a lot of confusion about whether or not vegetable oils are actually good for you. While some claim that vegetable oil is a good source of polyunsaturated fats, others point out that it's also highly refined, heavily…
Have you been fooled by advertisements talking about "corn sugar"? Viewer beware — this is just a more angelic but deceptive term for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Manufactured mostly from genetically modified corn, high fructose corn syrup is definitely not natural and definitely not healthy. Chances are all of us have consumed high fructose corn syrup at some…
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…
“MCT,” a healthy type of saturated fatty acid, has been linked to several important health benefits. What is MCT oil good for exactly? As explained more below, MCT oil benefits include improving cognitive function and supporting weight loss/healthy weight management. Coconut oil is one great source of MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) — roughly 62 percent…
Ahh, cornbread stuffing. It's a staple at many Thanksgiving tables (and often the favorite Thanksgiving side dish for many), but it can often be a calorie bomb on a day where there's a ton of food already. If you can't eat grains, forget about it — traditional cornbread is not your friend. That's why my…
You'd think that "self-care" is a series of intuitive actions that are done naturally, but that's not really true, is it? Practicing self-care really requires reflection and motivation. Your self-care checklist may differ greatly from your spouse's, mother's or child's, so it also needs to be customized to suit your needs. But don't underestimate the…
You may never have heard of diatomaceous earth before, but chances are you've consumed or used plenty of products that contain it. What is diatomaceous earth, and does it really work? Diatomaceous earth is a powder that comes from the cell walls or shells of diatoms, or aquatic organisms. It's commonly used by humans to…
Chips, hot dogs, pizza and ice cream are obvious unhealthy foods. They're not considered healthy by most of us, let alone nutritionists. But what about unhealthy foods masquerading as "health foods"? In the food industry, it's long been a practice to sell their foods as healthy despite their foods being anything but. It's called customer…
Often called “wheat protein,” “wheat meat” or “wheat gluten,” seitan (pronounced say-tahn) has a look and texture shockingly similar to meat when it’s cooked, and its alternative namesakes are quite fitting since it’s made from gluten, the main protein found in wheat. Seitan stands out as one of the few meat substitutes completely free of soy. Like its soy counterparts,…
