Enlightened Eater

Vitamin D has been linked to a defence against a growing list of illnesses including various types of cancer. But many people have been quick to point out that the association has been just that – a connection and that may be it. For example, those individuals with low levels of vitamin D in their […]

  You’re not alone if you think that almonds and peanuts are roughly the same nutritionally as their butters.  But according to accumulating research, you would be wrong.  (Of course, I’m talking about natural almond butter or peanut butter, not those with added fat and sugar that may bear little resemblance to the real thing.) […]

This past week marked the 22nd anniversary of the introduction of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid by the Boston-based think tank, Oldways.  The introduction of the pyramid took place in the midst of fat phobia. The pyramid  was a model of healthy eating based upon the traditional eating pattern which included healthy fats. Healthy fats? Olive […]

The grain bashing continues. If you’ve given up or are now considering forsaking grains for health’s sake, think again.   If it’s refined grains you’re banishing, be my guest. But here’s the latest in a very long list of studies showing the health perks of whole grains. According to a just published report, eating more whole […]

For the past week, my Facebook feed has been full of articles about clean eating along with clean eating recipes. If clean eating has made your resolution list, here’s a radical idea: cross it off your list. Are you surprised that I, as a dietitian, would say this?  First, let me clarify: I haven’t suddenly […]

We’ve long known that eating fruits and vegetables promotes good health. Do you anyone whose mother didn’t tell them to eat their fruits and vegetables?  Over the long term, they may provide us with an arsenal of weaponry against a range of diseases.  But a new study, out of New Zealand, evaluated the effects of […]

Does it seem to you that when scientists identify a particular substance in food with  disease-fighting power,  it becomes a hot commodity in the form of a supplement?   Consider that we are spending billions on dietary supplements but somehow we keep forgetting what they really are. Many believe that what’s in a pill  bottle  can  […]

It used to be that when I came across scientific research, the best way to begin judging the merits of the study was to look at whether the investigation was published in a peer-reviewed journal. This means that a group of scientists with knowledge about the specific topic of the study would assess how it […]