Nutrition Diva Podcast

Below are summaries of my weekly “Nutrition Diva” podcast. Complete transcripts and audio are available on the Quick and Dirty Tips website. You can also subscribe on iTunes or with the free Stitcher Smart Radio smartphone app.

Hippocrates was ahead of his time

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on May 8, 2012

Back when Hippocrates counseled his followers to let food be their medicine, he wasn’t really advising an alternative course; he was stating the obvious. Back then, dietary cures were about all that doctors had to offer. In today’s there’s-a-pill-for-that medical culture, of course, Hippocrates’ advice takes on a different tone. And although it’s not really how he originally meant it, it’s still pretty good advice–especially when most of today’s chronic illnesses are caused by dietary excesses and indiscretions.

Regular readers know that I always advise getting your nutrition from foods, not supplements. Case in point: a recent study finding that, while vitamin E-rich foods offer lots of benefits, vitamin E supplements are largely useless. On the What’s Cooking blog this week, I’ve got the top foods for vitamin E, along with some delicious ways to enjoy them. Meanwhile, following last week’s good news about nitrate-rich vegetables ability to lower your blood pressure, I included some additional information about how to put this research to work in this week’s Nutrition Diva newsletter.

For those taking blood-thinning medications, this week’s Nutrition Diva podcast explains why people taking these drugs are sometimes instructed to avoid broccoli, spinach, and other super-nutritious vegetables. I’ve also got tips on how to enjoy the benefits of these great foods without interfering with your anticoagulant therapy.

Of course, it’s also possible to over-estimate what foods can do for us. On the Quick and Dirty Blog, I respond to a reader who wonders whether she should be eating more brown rice in order to get the benefits. Can you guess what my answer is?

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Nutrition Diva goes to McDonald’s (but not to eat)

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on May 3, 2012

The McDonald’s fast food emporium supplied lots of food for thought this week. In my weekly Nutrition Diva podcast, I answer a listener’s question about whether the benefits of eating fish are cancelled out if it’s a Fishwich. (Don’t miss the debate on the evils of moderation in the comment section!) On the Quick and Dirty Blog, I consider whether the “healthy” treats at the high-end organic food stores are really any better for you than McDonald’s new line of pastries. From my weekly newsletter: Guess which cereal is more nutrient dense: Oatbran or oatmeal? Finally, in view of last week’s findings on the health benefits of beets and beet greens, here more delicious ways to prepare both!

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Pink Slime, foods for ADD, benefits of beets, and omega ratios

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on April 24, 2012

Can beets lower your blood pressure?

After some prominent Harvard scientists sniffed that the idea of an optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is “a myth with absolutely no data to support it,” I devoted an episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast to a quick review of this “non-existent” data. On the Quick and Dirty Blog, I check into rumors that foods high in choline might offer help for kids with ADD and in my weekly newsletter, I field questions about beets and blood pressure. On our monthly Smart Nutrition segment on WYPR-FM, Tom Hall and I unpack the Pink Slime controversy and on the What’s Cooking blog, I’ve got tips on foods that help protect your skin from UV damage without interfering with Vitamin D production.

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Perils of arsenic in baby food, raw dough, and licorice tea

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on April 16, 2012

This week’s off-site posts addressed a range of potential perils in common foods but also included good news on a food that’s often unfairly maligned. In my Nutrition Diva podcast, I explain what you need to know about arsenic levels in apple juice, brown rice, and baby formula. On the Quick and Dirty blog, I explain why it’s really not a good idea to eat raw cookie dough–even if it doesn’t include raw eggs. My weekly newsletter included a Q&A on the possible appetite suppressing effects of licorice tea–as well as the possible dangers of consuming it every day. And finally, on the What’s Cooking blog I offer 5 reasons to stop avoiding the dark meat.

Happy reading!

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Breakfast fixes, fake sweeteners, fruit faux pas, and more

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on April 10, 2012

Is eating fruit with other foods a no-no?

This week’s off-site posts didn’t have a theme (that I could see) but offered a little something for everyone.The Nutrition Diva podcast reveals how most “healthy” breakfasts fall short. On the Quick and Dirty Blog, I tackle the urban legend that fruit should always be eaten by itself , explain what can happen if your diet is too LOW in salt, and also reveal why so many diet drinks contain phenyalanine. On the What’s Cooking blog on Recipe.com, I offered some tips on how to cut your grocery bill by reducing food waste. And finally, I did a fun myth-busting segment on Fox NEWS.

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Are Industrial Chemicals Causing Obesity?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on March 26, 2012

Some researchers believe that environmental pollutants and industrial chemicals are to blame for the obesity epidemic. This, of course, bucks the conventional wisdom that our increasing girth is simply the result of eating too much and exercising too little. What’s the evidence to support the idea that chemicals are the true cause of our ever-expanding waistlines? Find out in this week’s Nutrition Diva podcast.

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Losing weight, healthy skin, miracle cures, and the fight against aging

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on March 19, 2012

I don’t know if this is good or bad but the topics of this week’s off-site posts read like the cover blurbs on a popular magazine! This week’s Nutrition Diva podcast reviews a product that claims to keep you from losing muscle tone as you age (and offers tips on how to stay strong). Over on the What’s Cooking blog, I review an amusing research study finding that adding 3 extra servings of certain fruits and vegetables to your diet can give you a rosier, healthier looking complexion in just a few weeks. On the Quick and Dirty Blog, I tackle claims that eliminating grains will cure, well, everything. Finally, the Huffington Post picked up my piece on how to break a weight loss plateau.

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Homegenization, Vitamin D, Processed Foods, and more

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN on March 12, 2012

Beverages seem to be the theme this week: In my weekly Nutrition Diva podcast, I take a look at claims that homogenized milk is linked to heart disease. On the What’s Cooking Blog, I have an important tip for people who avoid dairy products. And on the Quick and Dirty Blog, we’re talking about which reusable water bottles are best.

Meanwhile, on the Nutrition Diva Facebook page, we’re talking about everything from pasta portion sizes to late night eating, from whether “alkaline water” is a scam to whether pollutants are to blame for obesity. Come join the discussion!

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