The REAL Truth About Potatoes: 5 Things that May Surprise You
They come in practically all the colors of the rainbow, and are a favorite comfort food for many people. No matter how you fix them - mashed, baked or roasted - potatoes are yummy and... oh so comforting. But why do potatoes get such a bad rap? Could it be that the potato itself is innocent, but what we...
Six Surprising Facts About Your Immune System and How to Boost it Naturally
The immune system is a complex compilation of protective and disease-fighting cells that help keep us from getting sick. And while it may be something we take for granted, the immune system, much like the other systems of the body, is constantly at work keeping invaders at bay. Here are six surprising facts you may not know about the...
Eat Low-Carb Versus Low-Fat To Cut Risk Factors For Heart Disease
The age-old debate over which diet is “better”, low carb or low fat, continues to wage on as researchers examine the effects of both on patients with type II diabetes. These individuals are often at a greater risk for developing heart disease than non-diabetics as the condition is associated with increased inflammation levels. Recently, scientists from the University of Sweden...
The Importance of Dietary Fiber: Are You Getting Enough of the Right Type?
Dietary fiber has been a popular topic in regard to weight loss and health for quite some time, so you probably already know at least some of its benefits, but you may not know just how important it really is – or which types of foods you should be eating to get it. Most people think that by eating whole...
Beat Blood Sugar Spikes With Exercise “Snacking”
The recommended 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity is a breeze for some while for others, it’s a torture session. While endurance fiends thrive on logging long hours either in a gym, on the road or in a pool, to others thirty minutes is about 28 minutes too long. But it turns out that shorter bouts of intense...
Smash Your Cravings and Soothe Aching Joints with Mace Spice
One noteworthy spice that is much lesser-known than everyday parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme is mace. However, due to its potent nutritional benefits, it is definitely worth a place among your most prized kitchen spices. Mace spice is actually derived from the red coverings of nutmeg seeds. These seeds grow on the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), which is native to...
Niacin is Critical to Good Health: Are You Deficient?
Niacin is one of eight B vitamins and is important for helping to convert carbohydrates into glucose, metabolizing fats and proteins, as well as ensuring the nervous system functions properly. It also helps the body produce sex and stress-related hormones as well as to aid circulation and optimize cholesterol levels. Niacin plays a part in over 50 metabolic processes within...
3 Reasons Why Your Diet May be Toxic
Even if you think your diet is healthy, you might be surprised to find that many of the foods you’re consuming can actually be toxic to the body, harming your physical and mental health. Sugar Sugar exists in many different forms – not just the white powdered kind sitting on the grocery store shelf. Sugar, including corn syrup, evaporated cane juice,...
4 Reasons You Need More Salt
In recent years, salt has been demonized as contributing to adverse conditions including heart disease and hypertension, and many a health-conscious individual has developed the mindset that meals should contain little to no salt. While an overabundance of processed salt can indeed be detrimental, sodium is essential to the human body, so the key is the type of salt,...
Harvard Researchers Develop Biodegradable Plastic from Shrimp Shells
Our reliance on plastic is one of our biggest environmental issues. Plastic bags, bottles, packaging and more can take centuries to break down, and accumulate by the ton in oceans and landfills worldwide. Plastic is usually made from petroleum, the drilling of which also causes significant harm to our Earth. Harvard University Wyss Institute researchers have recently developed an innovative...
