In the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard a lot about so-called “pink slime.” Otherwise known as “lean finely textured beef trimmings,” pink slime is a processed meat byproduct found in 70% of packaged ground beef in the United States. Rather than being made from muscle tissue, this meat-ish byproduct is created from connective tissue and treated with ammonia hydroxide [...]

Energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster have become increasingly popular – especially among adolescents. You’ll see the high-adrenaline advertisements everywhere – and, since energy drinks are still new to the market, much of the marketing is ahead of the science. It all begs the question: Are energy drinks bad for you? The FDA limits the caffeine in a can [...]

While packing for Thailand yesterday (my flight leaves in just a few hours!), I found some time to get lunch with a friend. We ate at a lovely restaurant in downtown Toronto known for their fresh, healthy ingredients. I had a delicious, homemade veggie burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes and sprouts. It was sandwiched in a rich, whole grain bun [...]

I love peanut butter. And I bet you do, too. Because peanut butter is high in fat and calorie dense, it gets a bad rap. But calories and fat, as I’ve mentioned before, don’t tell the full story. Peanut butter has a similar overall fat to saturated fat ratio as heart-healthy olive oil. It’s also high in protein, fiber – [...]

No shocker here: Pork bacon isn’t particularly healthy. Elsewhere in the world, pork bacon is usually cut from the back or sides of the pig. In the United States, it’s often cut from the belly as it contains less meat, but more fat and flavor. The meat is then cured using large quantities of salt. Needless to say, it’s far [...]

Did you know that March is national nutrition month? It’s a good reminder to take a critical look at what’s on our plate – and the changes we can all make to support a healthier lifestyle. At ChooseMyPlate.gov, the government recommends dividing your plate into the following combination of diary, protein, fruits, vegetables and grains. Notice, there’s not a spot [...]

We know that diet soda isn’t as healthy as marketers would like us to believe. Sure, diet soda doesn’t have the 10 (yes, 10!) spoonfuls of sugar found in traditional soft drinks. But diet soda consumption has been linked to weight gain (it causes you to crave other sugary foods), tooth decay (due to the acid), insomnia, headaches and depression. [...]

Which meat is the healthiest? Chicken is the obvious answer – but it’s not always true. While organic, pasture-raised chickens are extremely healthy, most of the chickens sold in modern supermarkets are raised differently. Today’s chickens are grown with increased fat and decreased protein. In fact, according to researchers at the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London [...]

We’ve talked about the differences in organic vs. conventional foods, and that people often mistakenly assume that organic means healthy. It doesn’t. You can find organic variations of almost any food – and it’s not an indication of calories, fat, sodium, etc. Moreover, numerous studies have found that organic produce doesn’t contain any increases in vitamins or nutrients. And the [...]

A few months ago, I went out to dinner with a very healthy and very picky friend. While I do my best to uphold a relatively healthy diet, this friend makes me look like Ronald McDonald by comparison. We met up with two of his friends – and shockingly, their diets were even more restrictive! At one point, the waiter [...]