Blog
What Is an Ingredient Listing? How Do You Read One?
This is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing Shenanigans that explores: How does it happen that when it comes to food, smart people are often not so very smart? It's because we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food environment,...
How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 2: Test Your Marketing Smarts)
This post is part of a continuing series on Food Marketing Shenanigans that explores: How does it happen that when it comes to food, smart people are often not so very smart? It's because we need a different kind of smarts to stay healthy in an unhealthy food...
How Does This Happen to Smart People? (Part 1)
Are you a smart person? What kind of question is that?!! Of course we're all smart people. So how is it that when it comes to food, we're often not so very smart: Uncritically trusting what food companies tell us about their products. Trusting that if something is on...
Did I miss a critical piece of your support team?
A previous post talked about the importance of good eating support. The underlying point was this: If you want to be a healthy eater, you'll get very little to no support from our food culture. But you'll get plenty of support and even powerful encouragement to be an...
Recipe: Super Easy Seasonal Skillet–Italian Zucchini Skillet
Sometimes it's almost silly how easily a yummy, health-giving meal can be assembled. Of course, it always helps to have some leftovers on hand. In this case it was some leftover shredded beef from a roast prepared the day before. But easy-to-use hamburger (or ground...
Feel like the Lone Ranger on the healthy eating frontier?
Earlier this summer I had a classic "post-college-finals crash." After closing a big house sale, I turned into a pile of mush, unable to do much besides stare out the window. Of course the workaholic part of me demanded that I get up and do something productive. But...
What Good Are Recipes?
I love sharing recipes for whatever dishes I happen to be making at a particular time. But do I think you're making them all? Not at all! So what good are recipes and why do I keep sharing them? In a word: Inspiration! If you should make one of my recipes, that's...
Recipe: Summer Vegetable Pad Thai
This recipe may look fairly long, but not to worry: It makes an entire meal in one dish! Step 1: Cook Pasta 8 oz. whole grain brown rice pad thai (or fettuccini) noodles (Tinkyada is a good brand) ½ tsp. sea salt Cook and drain pasta according to package instructions,...
Recipe: Cucumber Dill Soup
This soup calls for cooking the cucumbers, which may seem odd, but once cooked they blend nicely for a velvety smooth soup. Also, if you have trouble eating raw cucumbers you may be able to enjoy them if they are cooked first. Can be served at room temperature or...
The hidden health risks of a 5-Minute Kitchen: Mary in the News
In the healthy eating world, most of the conversation revolves around what's healthy and what's not. Great starting point, for sure, but once you figure out what's healthy, where do you go? The kitchen of course, because we've already established that most ready-made...
Do You Put Antifreeze on Your Skin? In Your Mouth?
While writing the previous post on ultra-processed foods, I received an email from Naturopath Darin Ingles with the subject line: "What do antifreeze and cosmetics have in common?" Turns out, they both contain propylene glycol, a synthetic chemical derived from...
Should You Hang Turnips Over Your Front Door?
This is the last article in a series devoted to ultra-processed foods or UPFs. I've written about them for a while because I feel so strongly that they are the root cause of our healthy eating deficiencies. Hopefully, you can see their dangers and feel motivated to...