The Hype It has been called the most powerful herb on the planet. Basically, turmeric has been long hailed for both it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant capabilities. Suffice it to say that if you suffer from it, turmeric can help! ’Nuff said… The Science Turmeric is the plant (curcuma longa), and curcumin is the yellow/orange chemical…
The Hype: Coconut oil is seems to be having it’s heyday right now. Good for your body, good for your skin, good for your hair. Their are also many health claims associated with coconut oil. It has reached super-food status. So, how does it really break down? The Science: Coconut oil is a medium-chain…
The Hype Currently being hailed as “the world’s healthiest diet”, the Paleo (caveman, stone age, primal, etc.) is one of the fastest growing diet trends in America right now. It appears to be marketed primarily toward men, “Eat like our ancestors did” and “Be strong like a caveman” with many pictures of beefy muscle men…
The Hype Recently, I have been hearing all kinds of, shall we say, ‘interesting’ things about soy. So interesting, in fact, that I felt the need to write about it. For years, I have been aware of a lot of research supporting the myriad health benefits of soy. The soybean contains phytonutrients called isoflavones…
The Hype You’ve heard it so many times over the past several years: our environment is toxic! Our food is toxic! Our water is toxic! Industrial chemicals are inside our bodies making us sick and we must detoxify ourselves to safeguard our health. Then you hear the diet and product claims: Rejuvenate yourself, kick start your…
The Hype: On one hand, there are pro-GMO people, scientists, and large biotech corporations producing the genetically modified foods. Their point of view: -GM foods will save the environment and promote sustainability by using less herbicide and pesticide, thus lowering water pollution and lowering greenhouse gases. -GM foods will solve the world hunger crisis, by…
The Hype Some say it is poison. Some say it’s as addictive as cocaine. Some say it is the root cause of obesity and diabetes. My favorite: “The floozy of the sugar world”(1). It is man-made and cheap. It is in A LOT of processed foods. Is it toxic or harmless? What is the real…
The Claims: We are hearing and reading about all kinds of stuff that can disrupt the gut: medicine by-products and antibiotics, stuff in our water supply, chemicals and pesticides in the ground that leech into our fruits and vegetables (or sprayed directly on them), chemical additives and preservatives in processed foods, hormones and antibiotics in…
The Hype: Energy drinks are marketed for increasing one’s physical and mental performance. They are very popular on an international level. When I checked out some popular energy drink websites, I realized that I could really become the next superhero or rock star daredevil, if only I drink this stuff. How exciting! But then, alas,…
The Hype There are companies that sell ‘Alkaline Water’ and push the alleged many health benefits of drinking it. Searching the web for a few minutes, I found websites purporting that alkaline water fixed everything from knee joints to diabetes to ‘neutralizing the body’ to bowel issues to “improved hydration”. Interestingly, these websites seemed to…
