Want to Save Money?

With grocery prices front and center in the news, who doesn’t want to save a few dollars? Here’s a simple way to save both dollars and your health: Steer clear of the snack aisles. In almost all cases, snack foods are highly processed (i.e., ultra-processed) and provide little in the way of nutrition or, more … Read more

Sunscreen for Dessert? for Dinner? in Your Coffee?

You might remember this post: “Do You Put Antifreeze on Your Skin? In Your Mouth?” That article explained how propylene glycol, an ingredient in anti-freeze, is also used in both cosmetics and food. Since posting that article, I’ve run into a couple readers who mentioned that they were now taking a closer look at ingredient … Read more

It Ain’t Easy! Learnings from a Garlic Party

How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 3: Learnings from a Garlic Party) This is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing that explores why we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment, i.e., “marketing-smarts.” (Find Part 2 in the series here) A few days ago … Read more

What Is an Ingredient Listing? How Do You Read One?

This is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing Shenanigans that explores: How does it happen that when it comes to food, smart people are often not so very smart? It’s because we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment, i.e., “marketing-smarts.” Ingredient Listings: The best defense … Read more

DIY Tip: Make Your Own Ozempic

Ozempic and its many weight-loss cousins are getting a lot of press these days, so here’s some helpful information that I gleaned while researching Dr. Jason Fung’s theories for this article, What If Eating Is the Key to Weight Loss? As you remember, Dr. Fung drew attention to the important role hormones play in terms … Read more

Start in Middle Age to Prevent Dementia in Older Age

MAYBE SURPRISING: Dementia doesn’t just pop up when we get older. “Midlife, not your 70s and 80s, is when brain changes start to occur that can pave the way toward dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline later.”(1) That’s why experts advise taking action in middle age (or probably as soon as possible if you missed … Read more

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Healthy Eating: Answer to a Reader’s Question

After last month’s newsletter with the Creamy Potato Soup recipe I got an email from one of our readers: “I have a question on that soup. I’ve always heard potatoes have a lot of starch and carbs, and since I’m trying to eat really healthy these days, I’d like to hear your thoughts.  I’m guessing you … Read more

What a Coincidence!

Remember all the nutrition warnings we’ve been given over the years: Transfats, excess fats, excess sodium, sugar, corn syrup, refined grains, artificial colors, preservatives, artificial flavors . . . Ever notice where these all reside? In processed foods! For the health of the nation, manufacturers were ordered to reduce fat, eliminate hydrogenated oils, reduce sodium, … Read more

What’s So Bad About Crackers? Conversation with a Nutritionist

I got some panicked responses after a newsletter that included crackers on the list of processed foods that aren’t such good friends on the health journey. As one reader emailed: “Crackers are bad? Say it ain’t so Mary! I’m such a cracker scooper!” Indeed, what could be wrong with crackers? They’re not filled with sugar … Read more

An overeating episode: Was it the chips or the choice of chips?

In a recent newsletter, holistic certified nutritionist Elyse Wagner made a vulnerable share. She described how she had made a super yummy bean dip for the Super Bowl and then proceeded, chip by chip, to eat “HALF yes, HALF of the bean dip before HALF TIME.” As an experienced health coach, Elyse knew she needed … Read more