Q. I read recently that the consumption of caffeine prior to exercise will assist the body in using body fat as fuel, up from 21% to 40%. The remaining fuel comes from stored carbs. Any truth to the story?
A. There may be a grain of truth to the story but not much more. Taking caffeine before exercise has been shown to increase energy expenditure (the number of calories burned) during exercise by around 10%. So if you would normally burn 200 calories in a half-hour, some extra caffeine might help you burn 220. Continue reading “Does Caffeine Increase Fat-Burning During Exercise?”
Q. What’s the deal with nightshades? Why are they supposedly bad? I love eggplants and tomatoes but wonder if I should limit my consumption of this group of foods.
I make a batch of these almost every weekend to get us through the week. They are so much yummier than packaged energy bars! Let them cool completely before removing them from the muffin tin. They’re a little crumbly when they’re warm. 
Q. I would like to hear more about ultra-pasteurization of milk. I have noticed that organic milk does not spoil as fast as non-organic milk. Is it the ultra-pasteurization? And why is organic milk ultra-pasteurized while regular milk is not?
As you may have noticed, whether I’m talking about 
Q. I am a healthy, active person trying to maintain my weight. About once or twice a week I will have a nice dessert at my favorite bakery, staying within my allotted calories for the day. My question is: though I’m keeping calories down, is it still healthy?
I recently received some free samples of a new brand of whole grain pasta, with a request to review the product. Having read through the promotional literature, exchanged emails with the company’s nutrition scientists, and cooked some up to taste, here’s my take.