Research reported at an annual meeting sponsored by the journal Experimental Biology last April gave us chocolate lovers more to celebrate.  Two human trials, exploring the effects of consuming chocolate with at least 70% cacao solids, demonstrated that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the effects on brain function. Improved mood, memory, […]

The current issue of Nutrition Action, the newsletter of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, reports that scientists observed 182,000 women over a 24 year period.  Those who consumed more than 5.5 servings of produce per day [not fruit juice] had an 11% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who ate […]

Anyone who knows me well, also knows that I am what I call a chocolate snob.  My home used to be the location of an annual chocolate tasting, a playful way to educate the palates of family and friends.  Because I am a nutritionist, the only requirement for the chocolate entries was that they be […]

The evidence is growing that eating a plant based diet reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, and certain cancers.  With their abundance of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, plant foods are uniquely suited to provide humans with protective qualities. Then, there is that issue of protein.  Protein is comprised of 20 […]

Impressive research presented at the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition at Loma Linda University in February 2018 consistently linked vegan and vegetarian diets with good health.  These dietary patterns were investigated by the Adventist Health Study2, EPIC Oxford Study, and the Tzu Chi Health Study 1, among others. Reduced incidence of hypertension [high blood pressure], […]

“Eating styles are coping mechanisms.”  This is a statement I often make to my overweight clients in my Latham, NY office, just north of Albany.  I go on to say, “When we are bored, food is stimulating.  When we are anxious, the foods we chose can calm our nerves.  If we are lonely, food gives […]

The US Department of Agriculture recommends adults consume 10 servings of produce daily, each serving being 1/2 cup in size.  Many health experts agree with this goal, yet most Americans do not even eat half the suggested number of servings per day.  Some use the excuse that fresh produce is too difficult to prepare, or […]

In 1961 when the American Heart Association issued the recommendation to reduce our intake of saturated fats to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, few could have predicted that advice would be the mainstay of dietary advice nearly 60 years later.  The concern, then and now, is that saturated fat intake causes the […]

Many newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer are told to avoid eating soy products, causing concern and confusion among those women who enjoy one or two servings of soy products daily.  The Mayo Clinic recently reported reassuring information from the Shanghai Women’s Health Study, analyzing questionnaires from 70,578 women between the ages of 40 and […]

After researching data from nearly 13,000 participants of the Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey, scientists determined that those who did not eat their meals in front of the TV, and who ate most of their meals at home, rather than in restaurants, were less likely to be obese than those who did eat while watching TV, […]