What Will Age Fifty Bring?

Today’s my birthday! And since it’s the last one before I hit the half-century mark next year, I couldn’t help but wonder, what will I need to know about my health at the Big Five-O? After a dive into my self-health education resources, I made a list of subjects I plan to spend some time […]

Missing the Green Papaya Salad

The first time I ordered a green papaya salad I was out to lunch with some coworkers. It was a hot summer day and a salad sounded good. But when it arrived, I was mystified…where was the papaya? The waitress explained that the white thin strips were the papaya. Hmm. It wasn’t what I was […]

My Favorite Edible Weeds: A Lesson in Nutrient Dense Wild Foods

Are you one of those eccentric people who’ve earned the title of “health nut” or some other such name that puts you outside of the mainstream? If you are, your eating choices probably include whole grains, grass-fed beef, and pastured eggs. And if you’re a true health nut, I guarantee that at some point in […]

Salmon Nicoise Salad with Herbed Dijon Dressing

It’s been a weird year for growing edibles in my part of the world. Between the hailstorms we had at the beginning of the season, midsummer cold snaps and atypical rain, and dicey air quality thanks to the many ranging fires, this may be the strangest growing season I’ve ever seen. Obviously a psychic fairy […]

How to Chew Like a Pro

The act of chewing doesn’t seem very complicated. Open your jaw, close your jaw, open your jaw, close your jaw. Do that until the chunks of food in your mouth are small enough to swallow and make it to your stomach, and you’re golden. Next task, please. Not so fast! It turns out there’s more […]

8 Ways to Start Taking Better Care of Yourself

These days, it feels as though we’re all in the midst of a self-care crisis. “Me time” almost always means looking after other people, focusing on workplace projects, or dealing with issues that aren’t related to our emotional, physical, and mental needs. In fact, we constantly tell ourselves that we don’t have enough time for […]

Mango Avocado Salad Rolls with Crunchy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Salad rolls, spring rolls, summer rolls, crystal rolls. Whatever you want to call them, I call them delicious! Honestly, I don’t know if there is a “correct” English translation for the name of these colorful, crunchy concoctions. I’ve referred to them as all of the above, sometimes within the same week. For today’s post, however, […]

How to Get Unconfused About Nutrition

One of the habits I’ve developed in my self-health venturing is browsing online headlines for nutrition-related topics. As I was doing just that this morning, I couldn’t help but notice how confusing the subject of nutrition continues to be for anyone trying to figure it all out. For instance, there was a bevy of conflicting […]

Antinutrients: Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Them

There seems to be a lot written about “antinutrients” in the diet-blogosphere these days, especially by those who have aligned themselves with ancestral or low carb diets. Usually antinutrients are discussed in terms of why they should be avoided. I mean, really, they’re called antinutrients, aren’t they? If nutrients are good, then it’s obvious that antinutrients […]

5 Energy-Boosting Alternatives to Coffee

Do you schedule your day around your access to coffee? Does your energy crash after your caffeine hit, making you desperate for an afternoon nap? Well, we have five healthy, energy-boosting alternatives that will keep you moving. But first let’s discuss why you might want to make changes to your coffee habit. How Much Is […]

Fruit Galette: Pie’s Free-form (and Much Less Fussy) Cousin

I’ve always been a pie person, ever since I was a kid. In fact, when I was growing up, much of my family preferred pie over cake, and it was not uncommon to have “birthday pie” in honor of someone’s special day. I always ate mine with milk poured over it, an unusual custom I […]

Isn’t Sweating the Pits?

It’s summer. It’s hot. And you’re sweating. At some point your inner voice may pose a very serious question: “Isn’t sweating the pits?!” You may be thinking that was rhetorical, but there actually is an answer to the question, and it’s twofold. In one sense, yes, sweating is the pits, though not nearly as “pittish” […]

GRIEF: There’s Sunlight After the Storm (Healing Remedies for Sadness)

We often regard conversations that deal with sorrow, sadness, or grief as negative and unpleasant. However, we all experience grief at one time or another. And although it’s no bowl of cherries, it’s nevertheless a normal part of an emotionally healthy life. Yes, understanding and processing this emotion properly is vital to an overall happy, […]

Buttermilk Fried Chicken: Elevate Your Summer Picnic with a Healthier Version of a Classic

Few foods are as American, or picnic worthy, as fried chicken. Yet most people never even consider making it at home. I get it. Deep-frying is daunting. It can be messy, smoky, and dangerous if not done properly. Plus picking up ready-made fried chicken at a store or restaurant is just so darn convenient. Outsourcing […]

How to Step Up Your Walking Game and Get in Shape Faster

While some people think walking is too simple and doesn’t offer the same benefits of a more challenging workout, this activity can be a real fat burner if done properly. Plus there are many ways to step up your walking game, so you can get in shape even faster. Here are just a few ideas […]

Summertime Hot Dogs

It may already be August, but we still have plenty of hot, sunny days before summertime is officially over. Like any other season of the year, summer brings unique pleasures and potential hazards for our four-legged family members. Just like humans, dogs can get sunburned from excessive sun exposure. However, some dogs are more predisposed […]

Fresh Figs and Ricotta with Thyme Honey and Cracked Pepper: An Easy, Elegant Ending to a Summer Meal

I grew up on a little island in British Columbia. Life there was, and still is, different than my life in the “real world” down here in Colorado. There they have a thing called island time, where everyone seems to just amble along without much rush. It sometimes drives my type-A personality bonkers, but nevertheless […]

Learn How Healing Tonics Can Energize, Tonify, and Boost Your Immunity

Have you ever stood in front of your fridge only to realize you’re not even hungry and have no interest in cooking? Do you find yourself eagerly searching the shelves but nothing piques your interest? If you’re anything like me, a dismal mental slump may accompany this moment of the blahs! Even the health-minded among […]