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How to Pick (and Use) the Healthiest Oils

Good fats. Bad fats. How do you know the difference? How do you know which oils are the best for you? Here are some tips to help you pick out the best oils for your health (and for flavorful cooking)! First, the basics: you want to get around twenty percent of your daily calories from fats and oils. Yes, that sounds like a lot. But a deficit of good fats can lower your vitamin E intake, keep your good cholesterol from rising, and send your triglycerides through the roof. And some studies have shown that your body absorbs antioxidants and … Continue reading →

Reading Beauty Labels: What is Stearic Acid?

Normally, I’d say it’s a bad idea to put any kind of acid on your face or body. But if you start reading the labels on your favorite health and beauty products, you’ll probably run into this one: stearic acid. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid, also known as octadecanoic acid. (That’s a mouthful and a half, so I’ll stick with calling it “stearic acid” thank you very much!) Fatty acids are a good thing for the body. They are the acids produced when fats are broken down. Fatty acids are not highly soluble in water and can be … Continue reading →

Ice Cream Can Eat Your Brain

It sounds like a horror movie: you move carefully through a dark kitchen until you reach your goal. The light from the freezer blinds you for a moment! The last thing you see is the ice cream carton, grown ten times its original size, opening a gaping, sharp-toothed mouth to take a bite out of you. Ice cream can’t REALLY eat your brain. But researchers from the UT Southwest Medical Center in Dallas, Texas found a particular fat in ice cream (and other foods) can get into your head and mess with your appetite. Palmitic acid — a fat found … Continue reading →

Soothing Dry Eyes

Dry eye syndrome (also known as DES) is surprisingly common; it is one of the top reasons Americans visit the eye doctor! Symptoms of dry eye syndrome include: Stinging red eyes Blurry vision Sensitivity to light If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, your eyes aren’t producing enough tears to keep your eyes lubricated. Over the counter eye drops (also called artificial tears) can help bring relief, but it can be a pain to always be reaching for the eye drops! Your eye doctor may also provide a topical steroid eye drop or cream that can help your eyes retain … Continue reading →

Ease Hot Flashes with Flaxseed

You can never have enough remedies for those hot flashes! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a good look at flaxseed in a recent study. A quick look at the study participants: Twenty-one post-menopausal women None using hormone therapy All of them experiencing fourteen or more hot flashes per week The study participants were asked to take four tablespoons of crushed flaxseed daily. They could eat it pretty much any way they wanted to. Some sprinkled it on yogurt or cereal. Some mixed it into juice or water. I’ve never tasted flaxseed myself, so I’m not sure what kind of … Continue reading →

Will a Special Diet Help Your Child?

Parents of children with special needs often get recommendations from other parents about putting their kid on a specialized diet. “I took my son off all artificial colors and additives and his hyperactivity went away,” or, “When my daughter stopped eating processed foods, her ADHD improved,” or “No more sugar for my son. It makes him lose focus,” etc. Some people swear that hyperactivity is caused by food allergies. It can be confusing for parents of newly-diagnosed children to know whether or not to pursue some of these dietary suggestions, and if so, which ones. The Brain Thrives on Good … Continue reading →