Obesity: the making of an epidemic

Not just in the US, all around the world, obesity and related problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes are at levels we’ve never before seen. More people are now overweight than underfed. Surprisingly, a person can have normal weight yet still be over fat—still have excessive fat inside their body surrounding their organs. Why is this bad? Because the deep fat—the intra-abdominal or visceral fat as it is called—also becomes a sponge for toxic chemicals. The concentration of fat-stored toxins can be 1000’s of times higher than that circulating in your blood as demonstrated by my dear … Continue reading

Sunscreen & Bug Spray—Oh My!

Summer is just far too short! It is that rare time when we Alaskans get to slather on the sunscreen and bug repellent and … hold the presses! Sunscreen and bug repellent?! Sure, I understand the evening mosquito warfare problem; and getting some summer sunlight is pretty important, but isn’t there a better way? Before it’s too late, let’s take apart the Vitamin D, sunlight and bug spray myths once and for all: Myth #1. Sun exposure is bad for you. Truth #1: Direct sunshine is healthy. Although overdoing it and burning your skin is most definitely a bad idea … Continue reading

Stevia: Friend or Foe?

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Given the massive consumption of sugar around the world, and the now-not-debatable link with obesity, diabetes, renal failure of metabolic syndrome, and probably cancer, we still search for the Holy Grail of sweeteners: is there some sweet treat that doesn’t cause inflammation and weight gain like cane or corn sugar? Or that creates that delight without being so high calorie while providing no nutritional value? Is stevia the answer? Heck, we’ve even assumed man’s best friend needs sweet treats and begun imposing feeding them “low calorie” “diet” grain-based (that say “no empty calories”) pet foods sweetened with stevia. A type of plant native to Central and South America, Stevia … Continue reading

Coconut Milk Nutrition

coconut milk nutrition

Wondering about the great nutrients in a cup of coconut milk? Do we need to dispel false data that says coconut is anything but amazing? Here’s the list and why I use it in everything from Coconut Milk Kefir to Coconut Milk Yogurt to Coconut Curry Seafood Stew. Oh, almost forgot, Chocolate “Moose” cakes. You really have to try these. Yum. There is a world of good in a beautiful coconut… 240 mg of coconut milk (one cup serving) contains: Calcium Approximately 40 mg of absorbable calcium (perhaps more important than the amount of calcium in a product is whether … Continue reading

Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Edibles for Summer Fun!

It is summer! What started out as a simple request for child-friendly and healthy, portable snacks for little league became a quest to also solve no-refrigeration snacks for a sea kayak trip, cabin camping, and we still have a few backpack trips planned. So, some time has passed since I posted anything on this blog—and I realize the bad blog manners here, apologies—anyone living in Alaska will understand what happens in May and June though… Oh, back to the topic: the need for healthy and portable snacks for our summer adventures. The good news is that we have some great … Continue reading

What you really need to do about radiation…

While it is true that several United States EPA air monitors, including Anchorage, are now detecting above normal radioactive iodine levels following the Fukushima nuclear plant incident in Japan, these levels are still far below the levels of public health concern and we do not expect harmful levels of radiation in our state. For a full map of detection sites and reports please visit here: (http://www.epa.gov/japan2011/) As explained in an earlier report, taking iodine as a preventive measure is not a wise choice and can cause serious health problems, even though some fear-driven reporting has recommended doing so. Not to … Continue reading

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