Water is essential for life. All life on this planet got its start in water.

We need clean, fresh water to live. We need it to grow our food, to support livestock and wild creatures, and to sustain our wild plants and forests. The health of our water is directly related to our own health. Thankfully, we have groups of people who are defending our water every day. We, of course, get to do our part in turn.

Humans have had a relationship with alcohol for a very long time. That relationship has been both healthy and unhealthy. This week we will explore the relationship between alcohol and both physical and mental health. Just as with sugar, alcohol itself is not evil or bad, but an imbalanced relationship with alcohol can have life altering, or ending, consequences.

This week, we will cover added sugars and the harms they cause to our personal and societal health. The history of sugar is a tragic one that is often overlooked. By the end of this article, you will strongly wonder why U.S. tax dollars are used to subsidize this harmful crop at the expense of our health, economy, and public safety.

Fiber is an unsung hero of our health. Increasing our intake can prevent disease, treat disease, and help us maintain a healthy weight without sacrificing our appetite or our taste buds. This week, let’s discuss what fiber is, the different types of fiber, what fiber can prevent, what it can treat, and how to incorporate more fiber into our diet without uncomfortable bloating or embarrassing gas.

In this week’s article, we will cover the following topics:

What are carbohydrates in general, and what are the different kinds of carbohydrates?

Why do we need carbohydrates?

How many carbs do we need?

What happens if we eat too many or too few?

What are healthy food sources of carbohydrates?

Gluten - what about gluten?

This week, we will explore protein. What is protein and why do we need it? What is a complete protein? How much protein do you need? What are good food sources of protein?

This week, I summarize two great lectures on food and its role on inflammation and your health.

This week, we will explore the topic of fat.  This group of nutrients has gotten a bad reputation in the name of unwanted weight gain and heart disease.  While certain types of fat are associated with poor health outcomes, others are necessary for life.  By the end of this article, my hope is that you will have a better understanding of and relationship to fat. 

Are organic products healthier? How much healthier? Are there different kinds of organic? What about those other labels, do they mean anything or are they just marketing?

My goal is to help make all of this a bit easier to understand, so you can know what you’re getting yourself into the next time you see these labels.

Vitamins and minerals are natural substances found in food that are needed for life, development, and healing. This week we will touch on the diseases that can result from severe deficiency of each of the major vitamins and minerals as well as a few additional essential nutrients.

Some medical situations result in nutrient loss or a higher need for nutrients. This week we will look at a handful of more common medical conditions and medications that can cause this. I’ve also included a link to a website where you can evaluate your medications to look for nutritional gaps.

Let’s look at some of the most popular eating plans out there. We will look at their claims, weigh the research, and look at some of the risks for each. This will help you as you evaluate your eating habits. We will start with a consideration of how food is more than nutrition and what to do if you find yourself obsessing over food.

Nutritional supplements get a lot of play in the world of alternative medicine, yet they do not receive much scrutiny.  A supplement is anything that you take that isn’t food or a medication, and are often purchased in grocery stores and online.  Others are purchased in stores devoted exclusively to selling supplements like Vitamin World or GNC, and still more are sold directly by members of your community in the form of MLMs like Juice Plus, Herbalife, Doterra or Young Living.  In these settings, supplements are being sold and advice is being given by people whose only training comes from the companies they are selling for.  This gives the illusion that supplements are safe for just about everyone.

With all the heroic claims made about some supplements, people’s desire to turn to what they perceive as more natural options, and a lack of guidance from their medical doctors regarding nutrition, it’s no wonder people find themselves the victims of some pretty slick marketing strategies.  

Let’s do a deep dive into understanding how our bodies turn the food we eat into the nutrients we need. We will review what healthy digestion looks and feels like, the different steps along the way, and common areas where things can go wrong.

When we think of nutrition, it’s easy to imagine spending time reading food labels, counting calories, and bottles of vitamins crowding our cabinets and counters.  Let’s look past this more commercial and weight loss focused version of nutrition to see it for what it really is.

Another warming and stimulating ginger family spice to enjoy!

This week, we will continue our exploration of culinary herbs with Cinnamon.  This readily recognized spice has a long history of use and trade.  The earliest writings about cinnamon date back to 2700 BCE in China.  Cinnamon being used as an anointing oil by Moses is recorded in the Judeo-Christian bible.  Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in their cooking as well as embalming practices.  Pliny the Elder in the 1st century CE wrote of cinnamon as having 15 times the value of silver. (1)  This is quite the setup for a spice associated with pastries and pumpkin pie!

"Peppermints" by LabyrinthX-2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

This week, we will continue our exploration of tasty culinary herbs that bridge the herb/food gap with Peppermint.  The seasonal aisles are full of peppermint flavored candies, peppermint scented candles, and seasonal inspired peppermint tea blends.  Let’s get to know this tenacious plant a bit better including it’s history, medicinal uses, key components, growing habits, when to avoid it, and a few ways to incorporate it into our daily lives. 

Warming, drying, and stimulating ginger is potent medicine. Use it for pain relief, to fight infections, as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, to treat nausea, and for overall wellness. Grab a tasty beverage and let’s get to know ginger better shall we?