Portion Control or Counting Carbs Won’t Solve Your Problems
I am going to explain why you haven’t achieved your healthy eating goals. It is because the common advice is completely wrong. Have you heard statements like these? Losing weight is all about portion control – just eat less. Carbs are the problem you are fat. Limit your carbs or go keto and you don’t […]
10 Signs Your Health Guru Is a Quack
We are all suffering from information-obesity. We are flooded with constant information from emails, websites, and social media. This makes it hard to know who to trust, especially for something as important as what to eat. In a previous article, I described 10 factors for knowing who to trust for nutrition advice. But this time […]
Reflections on Turning 50 (10 lessons I wish I had known when I was younger)

In 50 years, I have learned a lot about myself, and how to be happy and healthy. Below are some of the most important lessons I learned. Lesson 1: High LDL cholesterol may kill you. About 1/3 of all humans die of heart disease even though it is almost completely preventable. More women die from […]
Liquid Candy

If I had to pick one food or drink[1] that was the worst for health, longevity, and maintaining a healthy body weight, it would be sugary drinks. These include soda, energy and sports drinks, flavored milk, lemonade, fruit drinks, tonic, flavored waters, teas and coffees flavored with sugar or syrup, milkshakes, and frappes. The World […]
Complex Versus Simple Carbohydrates

I am going to try and clear up a misunderstanding about carbohydrates. Some people refer to junk foods, refined grains, and foods high in sugar as “carbs”. This creates a lot of confusion as it is not the carbs in these foods that cause health problems. Carbohydrates are formed by green plants from carbon dioxide […]
The Cause of the Obesity Epidemic?

In my previous articles we looked at how fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and oily fish are the healthiest foods.[1] They reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic kidney disease. To make educated decisions about choosing healthy foods it is important to also […]
The Most Important Nutrient Americans Are Deficient In
Most people have heard about the substances we are eating in excess, such as added sugar, salt, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol. But not as many are aware of the nutrients we need desperately to consume more of. Each version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes “nutrients of concern.” These are the nutrients we […]
Isothiocyanates, Isoflavones, and Phytosterols: Cruciferous Vegetables and Soy Foods
This is part four of why the phytonutrients in plants are so beneficial to our health. Two of the nutrients we will look at in this article are found predominantly in cruciferous vegetables and soy. Cruciferous vegetables are often called the most powerful food for protecting from cancer, and some argue we should avoid soy […]
Polyphenols in Blueberries, Purple Grapes, Chocolate, Coffee & Tea
Phytonutrients are the nutrients found mostly in plants that are not classified as vitamins. Last time we reviewed the carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin. Now let’s look at polyphenols and how they are silently guarding our health. Polyphenols are one of the most researched categories of phytonutrients and are the most abundant antioxidant in the […]
Phytonutrients, Part II: Carotenoids and Eye Health
Last time we looked at what phytonutrients are. Now let’s start digging into some specific phytonutrients and how they improve our health. Carotenoids Carotenoids are the yellow, orange, and red colorings made by plants. There are more then 750 naturally occurring carotenoids. The most common carotenoids in the North American diet are alpha carotene, beta […]