Have you heard the latest? Turns out, those backyard barbecues we’ve been enjoying so much all summer could be contributing to increased cancer risk. (Doesn’t it sometimes seem as if scientists are just out to ruin all our fun?) Fortunately, minimizing the risk is easy…and can even make your meats more tender and flavorful. I’ve got 5 tasty ways to make your barbecue safer in this week’s podcast. Read or listen to it here.
This week, answers to some listener questions about olives and olive oil. Grace asks whether all the different kinds of olives are the same nutritionally or whether some types are particularly good for you. Meanwhile, Tania wonders how olives compare to olive oil in terms of health benefits. I’ve got these answers and lots more olive lore in this week’s Nutrition Diva podcast. Read or listen to it here.
That pain in your neck? Another case of nutrition whiplash, I’m afraid. Earlier this year, the USDA’s new Dietary Guidelines for Americans made the need to reduce sodium intake one of its primary messages.
Then, just last week, a new Cochrane Review concluded that “cutting down on the amount of salt has no clear benefits in terms of likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease.” Continue reading “Forget Salt. Focus on Potassium.”
If you’ve dabbled around in nutrition, you’re probably familiar with the 4-4-9 rule, which says that carbohydrates and proteins each contain 4 calories per gram, while fats contain 9 calories per gram. However, this is really only a rough approximation. Making matters worse, manufacturers are legally allowed to fudge the calorie counts on their labels in certain situations. If you’ve ever wondered why the calories on the label don’t seem to add up to the carbs, proteins, and fats listed there, this week’s podcast explains it all. Read or listen to it here.
Natural…local…unprocessed…it all sounds good, but what do these terms really mean?
Unlike the term organic, which is defined according to standards established by the USDA’s National Organic Program, words like natural, local, and unprocessed have no standard definitions. Continue reading “Natural, local, processed? What do these labels really mean?”
A listener recently wrote with a question about herbal supplements such as St. John’s wort, which is sometimes recommended as a natural treatment for depression. “I know you aren’t a big fan of vitamin supplements,” she writes, “but what about herbal supplements for specific disorders?”
Generally speaking, herbal supplements aren’t used as a source of nutrition but as a concentrated source of bioactive compounds or chemicals that affect the body’s function. I think you need to use herbal supplements with as much care and caution as you would use a drug. In this week’s episode, I have three questions you should ask before taking any herbal supplement. Read or listen to it here.