Is taking a diet history a good way to evaluate nutrient status? Many clinicians think it is. While I believe it a good tool for public health assessment of a specific population, and can be helpful in some situations for individual assessment, if you suspect... [More]

We blink with them, sometimes wink with them, on occasion cross them and even roll them (when pushed to the limit) and, of course, see the world through them. Our eyes are a remarkable little pair of organs we often take for granted... [More]

While celebrating my (physically healthy) Mom’s 80th birthday at home this past weekend, I visited with her friend, Janine, an artist. She mentioned to me that her medicine, once helpful for her “sore, stiff hands and wrists,” did not seem to be working as well as... [More]

“Come and get it!”…(Insert ringing dinner bell HERE.) March has been declared National Nutrition Month by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in honor of one our nation’s favorite pastimes—food! Let’s use this celebration as a time to refocus our attention from stampeding the table for a delicious meal, to the… [More]

Think about it, our gut is on the clock 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s charged with the important task of constantly sampling our internal milieu and ensuring our health while maintaining an inventory of all the food, beverages, medications, and environmental... [More]

While you sit around, your gut microbes ferment carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. They also convert dietary and endogenous nitrogenous compounds into ammonia and microbial protein, while synthesizing and activating B vitamins and vitamin K... [More]

“Iron Chef” Mario Batali is showing his concern for the environment. Fans will be interested to know that Mario is introducing a new campaign by the Environmental Working Group to promote “Meatless Mondays.” The idea is to reduce the negative impact of excessive meat consumption by going one day per week without it... [More]