photo by Lara Ferroni

Cherries are about as all-American as apple pie. Minus the fat and laborious effort to prepare a good crust. And because I’m flat out sick of the exotic berry craze stealing attention from other great super-foods, I’m about to toot some cherry horn.

Like other berries, cherries contain plentiful antioxidants, but that’s just the tip of the iceburg. Researchers at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular center found that cherry-rich diets reduce both cholesterol and inflammation. Also in the study, animals fed cherry-enhanced diets had 14% lower body fat than the other animals.

But my favorite thing about cherries (besides the sweet deliciousness that they are in your mouth) is the sleep-aiding effect they offer. Cherries are one of just a few food sources of an antioxidant called melatonin. Melatonin is usually Read the rest of this entry »

photo by Sarah Severson

I always thought it was funny that it is called Wonder bread. I mean, really, maybe when it first came out, the idea of slices was pretty wonderful. But nutritionally speaking, the way it breaks down in your body, you might as well be eating sugar. Carbohydrates are fuel for our brains. We need them huge. But the kind of carbohydrates we eat are as important as eating them in the first place. If Read the rest of this entry »

photo by reya.

Rosemary is my favorite herb. of. all. time. It is so savory, flavorful, and always a perfect addition to chicken or foccacia. Plus it makes a nice name for an old lady.

Herbs really make or break a dish. You can’t make good guacamole with no cilantro. Or curry with no tumeric. Rosemary isn’t really like that, but I like those examples. Rosemary is just good by itself. Which is why I love it. Plus, the health benefits are fantastic. It is super duper high (for similar herbs in its class) in Read the rest of this entry »

photo by Walt Stoneburner

I started grad school this week. Yikes. Talk about stress. But when it’s over (a mere 18 short months!) I plan on being the best darn health communicator out there. Go me! In the meanwhile, I’m sure there will be some stressful days…like today, and the syllabus shock I’m feeling.

But you all probably have plenty of stressful days too- probably even more stressful than Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by 360Forged

As a child, I thought I could convince my dad to buy me a new dress because “Daddy, I need it! If I dont have it I wont have anything to wear!” Of course 7-year old girls are oblivious to the exercise/>lose-weight-exercise/>weightlessness their arguments hold, and the response usually was something along the lines of, “You want that dress, but you don’t need it, and might I remind you that you will have plenty of things to wear if you don’t have that one.” Pfffft!

Thanks to my dad, I now have some Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Dima Dmitrijev

You know what I just love about nutrition? It impacts almost everything. If you want to fix a problem, you can usually find a food fix for it. Tired? Get iron from protein like steak. Stressed? Get magnesium and B vitamins from whole grains. Confused and forgetful? Boost your memory with blueberries.

But for vanity sake, we’re going to talk about shiny hair, vibrant skin, and strong nails. Basically, your hair, nails, and skin are a reflection of your diet. It’s like accountability times a bazillion. You can’t eat pizza and coke every day for lunch and expect to have Pantene hair and Sally Hansen nails. Sorry. If your nails are chipping or your hair is lack-luster, you might want to start making some dietary changes. That’s not to write off other factors like over processing etc, but for the normal person, a poor diet is the culprit for dull skin and unhealthy hair and nails.

So, your goal is glamour, and now Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Danstorey14

I was reading an article last week that was talking about how the average American consumes about 10% of their calories from high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks. In a vain way, it made me feel above “average” since I rarely drink soda. But then I realized, that just because I don’t drink high fructose corn syrup or get excessive calories from soft drinks doesn’t give me reason to gloat. In fact, what is there to gloat about? Surpassimg an ultra-low standard of health?

Health conscious people need to hold Read the rest of this entry »

photo by mightykenny

Katie e-mailed me this week to ask my thoughts on the new Tropicana “Trop 50.” It was such a great question, that I thought I’d let you all know the answer too. Basically, this new line of Tropicana’s has replaced it’s “Light N Healthy” variety. It has “50% less sugar and calories.” Which is great in theory, but really, they replaced the the pure and healthy sugar from oranges with stevia- a sugar substitute.

Personally, I’ve always thought Topicana’s best feature was their classic 100% juices. Trop 50 replaces Read the rest of this entry »

photo by bookgrl

My good friend from college asked me to do an NFN on nectarines. Can I first just say how much I love it when people make special requests for NFN articles? Second, I’m so nostalgic for the good old days of college. I especially miss the “fearsome fivesome.” We sure threw some mean theme parties. Anyways, where was I…oh yes, requested Read the rest of this entry »

photo by MidtownLunch

Variety is the spice of life, right? Maybe, if you’re talking about exercise, or clothing, or books. But let’s set the record straight. When you’re talking about your plate, unless it’s full of vegetables, variety is not the best option.

A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research finds that the more variety people are offered on their plate, the more overall food they consume. It makes sense too. Think about Thanksgiving dinner. Why is it that you always seem to end up Read the rest of this entry »