The quirky eating habits of kids can drive parents to distraction. Their appetites and desires vary from day to day. But many children are also naturally curious about where their food comes from and how it’s prepared. And, when left to their own devices and presented with an array of healthy foods, kids can actually self-select a reasonably healthy diet. Read more »

Most people don’t need an excuse to party, but in case you need an official reason to celebrate, February doesn’t disappoint. Sure, there’s the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day, but we’ve also got Groundhog Day and President’s Day, and – in case you didn’t mark your calendars – February is also National Heart Health Month. You probably don’t want to celebrate this holiday with pizza and buffalo wings – so instead, why not show everyone that you’ve got a heart of gold by preparing a delicious heart-healthy meal? Read more »

It happened again the other day. I was teaching a class, and a student dismissed the health benefits of fruit because, as she put it, “it’s full of sugar”. This idea that fruit is somehow a bad thing to eat came into full swing with the low carb diet craze a few years ago. But the myth persists. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear someone tell me that they avoid fruit because it’s “all sugar” or “loaded with carbs”. So, I’m here to set the record straight and come to the defense of some of the world’s healthiest foods – fresh, whole fruits. Read more »

Can turning up the thermostat be making us put on weight? A recent review article¹, suggests that it just might. Thanks to thermostats and indoor heating, we’ve reduced our exposure to the cold, which means that we may be relying less on our body’s natural mechanisms to keep us warm – mechanisms that would normally burn calories. Read more »