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          Hey health nuts! In my last post I highlighted the benefits of drinking alcohol. Not too much, not too little. To expand, we’ve often heard of the importance of drinking red wine (and let’s not forget the dark chocolate!). This raises the question… what about beer, liquor, and other alcoholic drinks? As it turns out, the early publicity red wine received was because the French happened to be the population that caused scientists to first suspect alcohol to be beneficial. France maintained low rates of heart disease in spite of a typically high-fat diet; the so called “French paradox.” Red wine was thought to be the reason. As science matured, however, it became apparent that alcohol, and not necessarily red wine, explained the paradox. A number of recent studies continue to reinforce this, showing that people receive the same benefits regardless of drinking beer, wine, or liquor.  What does matter is quantity, and studies point to an ideal consump...

“When the first reports appeared linking moderate alcohol consumption with lower rates of heart disease, many scientists thought that some other habit shared by drinkers, not the drinking, accounted for the benefit. Today the evidence strongly points to alcohol itself. Based on the best estimates available, one drink a day for women and one or two a day for men cuts the chances of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease by about a third and also decreases the risk of having a clot-caused (ischemic) stroke. Like many drugs, alcohol’s effects depend on the dose. A little bit can be beneficial. A lot can eventually destroy the liver, lead to various cancers, boost blood pressure, trigger so-called bleeding (hemorrhagic) strokes, progressively weakening the heart muscle, scramble the brain, harm unborn children, and damage lives. If you don’t drink alcohol, you shouldn’t feel compelled to start. You can get similar benefits by beginning to exercise (if you don’t already) or boost...

       While any given fruit or vegetable has perhaps hundreds of useful vitamins and nutrients, no single fruit or veggie contains everything your body needs for good health. This makes it important to eat from all the main fruit/veggie categories throughout the week. In this blog, as promised, I have provided a list of these major categories. Fortunately, memorizing them is not necessary as the foods within each category tend to be similarly colored. With that in mind, it is often said as a simplified rule to “paint your diet with color.” That is, eat vegetables and fruits of different colors (e.g. reds, greens, purples, and oranges). This will ensure you are eating across the various fruit/veggie categories and in turn getting all the benefits these foods have to offer!  The List Crucifer Family - Includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, and watercress. These are ex...

        Since fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients, they are regarded as an excellent way to meet our calorie needs. What’s more, given their low calorie density compared to many other foods, they can fill you up without fattening you up! This is true with an important exception. In recent years, awareness of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables has manifested into the trend of blending these foods into tasty heath smoothies and shakes. This is excellent in terms of delivering needed nutrients into the body. In terms of total health, however, this is not the best dietary plan as it can translate to weight gain. How, you ask? Simple.             Blending food into fluids usually results in consuming more calories than you would otherwise eat. That is, our bodies have indicators that tell us when we’re full based on calorie intake. However, these indicators are not immediate since our stomachs don’t immediately absorb wh...