If you've heard about the opioid epidemic — which is one of the major contributors to the deaths of despair we're seeing today — but haven't had it personally affect you in any way, take a look at this recent study. It found that fentanyl was detected in the toxicology reports of nearly two-thirds of the 196 people…
In our gluten-free diet world, it’s easy to get tripped up by the number of options. What’s actually good for me? Which alternatives are better left on the grocery store shelf? Corn flour is a gluten-free option that you should know about. There are some caveats — it shouldn’t always be your first choice — but…
Have you ever heard of a pizookie? If not, you're in for a real treat. Think dark chocolate, cacao powder, hazelnuts, ice cream and a homemade butterscotch sauce. Um, yes. My pizookie is completely gluten-free, and it includes natural sweeteners like coconut sugar and healthy fats like coconut butter. I put this recipe up there…
In mid-November 2017, the CDC released new information about a multidrug-resistant salmonella poisoning outbreak across several states in the U.S. Their report contained reports of the infection spanning 15 states, at least 54 people and 17 hospitalizations. So far, no deaths have been linked to this outbreak. However, it’s particularly concerning, because this strain of…
Since its discovery more than three decades ago, gellan gum has become a common additive in the food, beverage, personal care, industrial cleaners and paper-production markets, especially over the past 15 years. According to KP Celco, today the leading global producer of gellan gum, some of its primary functions and uses include: (1) Helping form gel-like…
With an alarming obesity rate the affects well more than one-third of U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we’re all familiar with the dangers of obesity. (1) Large weight gain is associated with an increased risk for almost all major chronic diseases, along with an increased mortality rate. But…
After being demonized for much of the 90s, dietary fats have made a strong comeback over the past two decades. Most people now realize that including healthy fats in their diet is important for many essential functions, but still, this doesn't mean that they are necessarily eating enough of it — especially in proportion to…
The vast majority of adults have been "on a diet" at some point in their lives, usually with the hopes of losing extra weight. One look into the plethora of diet advice and dietary plans available today, and it's easy to feel instantly overwhelmed by information, much of which is contradictory. From diet pills to…
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis. The condition causes pain and stiffness in the back, and over time it can actually cause the bones in the spine (called the vertebrae) to fuse together. It also causes arthritis between the spine and pelvis, and may also affect other joints. Because it is a long-term inflammatory…
In October 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report about a multistate outbreak of Campylobacter infections connected with puppies adopted from Petland, a pet store chain. (1) That might sound a little scary, but did you know that a Campylobacter infection actually affects somewhere around 1.3 million people in the…
