Stories
What is in your food, in plain words.
On scorching days in Niger, it is not uncommon for a mother to give water to her infant. After all, she is thirsty so her baby must be, too. But in a nation where sanitation is poor and clean water a rarity, this…
2 min read
Although still common in some developing countries, wet nurses are a relic of years past in the United States. Or are they?
1 min read
The adoption of electronic health records (EHR) in the U.S. is proceeding at an unprecedented pace: primarily due to the HITECH Act. As I have mentioned previously, the Academy has participated in the activities…
3 min read
The spectrum of nutrition implementation in Electronic Health Records (EHR) is both vast and highly inconsistent. A member recently reported that, as a private practice RDN, the physician's office she worked for did…
2 min read
From rumors of hormones in milk causing early puberty in girls to lurking residues of antibiotic and cancer-causing agents, milk's wholesome reputation has been rattled in recent years : giving rise to the organic…
7 min read
Fermented foods are having a big moment, prompted in part by a flood of new research on the human microbiome : the ecological community of microorganisms living in the human body : and the benefits of probiotic…
4 min read
A staple in many tropical cultures, the plantain is a surprisingly versatile fruit that appears in everything from appetizers to desserts. Plantains may resemble bananas, but their starchy flesh is less sweet, more…
5 min read
Sweet-tart berries deliver fiber, vitamin C and a delightful taste of summer. Berries are an important source of phytochemicals including anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which may help defend against heart disease and…
3 min read
Rhabdomyolysis (also called "rhabdo") is the death of muscle cells. When muscle is damaged under duress, it releases the protein myoglobin : a protein that stores oxygen in the muscles : into the bloodstream. High…
1 min read
When I think of cherries, I picture a bountiful harvest on a cool, pleasant day : puffy white clouds in powder blue skies. Cherry-picking children overflow their wooden baskets without missing a single mini-stone…
2 min read
Baking is fun for the little ones because they get to help create something they can enjoy. (And what kid doesn't like to mix up gooey batter?) But letting them help in the kitchen also teaches measuring, counting…
2 min read
When we say that a dessert is addictive, we usually mean it’s very delicious. To those who study the physiological and neurochemical aspects of substance abuse, however, “addictive” is a term with serious health…
3 min read
I don't bake a lot in the summer due to the heat. But the weather had cooled down a bit, and I was itching to bake something tasty and wholesome. I didn't have any flour, so I decided to go with a staple I always…
2 min read
I love ripe bananas, and so do my 4-year-old girls. They used to call them 'nanas…and sometimes still do just for laughs and giggles. As much as we love them, we sometimes have more than we can consume; the shelf…
2 min read
I sometimes forget how lucky I am to be living in what is known as the "bread basket"-a 400-mile stretch in California that grows nearly one quarter of the country's produce. Having this much fresh, local produce at…
3 min read
We've had a spell of cooler weather here in North Texas. I say spell, because it will be short lived. I am confident in my statement due to the fact that this is Texas after all and tomorrow it may snow, freeze,…
6 min read
There's really no better place to reflect on the year than driving a combine. That's because, as fun as it is, it leaves you plenty of time to look over a field and think.
3 min read
HARVEST:THE VERY WORD MAKES YOU THINK OF FARMERS IN THE FIELDS , the abundance of crops, and hands eagerly picking the bounty from gardens. My harvest memories start in England, where I was born, and travel all the…
2 min read
Nogales, Arizona, is a small and busy city. Following the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, the northern part of Nogales became part of the United States of America. The southern part became part of Mexican state of Sonora.…
6 min read
While scrolling through my inbox one day in May, I was excited to see the SmartBrief for Nutritionists email headline "Why Dietitians Are Important for the U.S. Olympic Team." I recognized many parts of the story. I…
7 min read
Long before probiotics became the darlings of the microbial world, cultures throughout history and across the globe were celebrating fermented foods. Born as a preservation method and used for millennia, the…
5 min read
