There’s an interesting research study in the latest edition of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s on the topic of the connection between diet quality and depression during pregnancy. You can take a look at that article, Longitudinal Analyses of Diet Quality and Maternal Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy: the Kuopio Birth…
Help for the Hangry
Getting “hangry” is something we joke about. That said, it’s also a real thing that you can manage by changing the way you eat. The key is making sure you eat in a timely fashion, and consuming carbs the right way. Here’s some help for the hangry: First things first: regular snacks and mealtimes are…
Cholesterol Confusion
When we’re talking about about cholesterol, we are talking about two different things. It confuses matters a bit…so let’s dispel this cholesterol confusion. Cholesterol is a nutrient that you can find on the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods. It’s a natural substance. It’s necessary for your body. Cholesterol is found only in foods derived…
Chamoy: Bittersalty and Delicious
I first ran into chamoy in elementary school. Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, a significant number of my classmates came from families that had relatively recently emigrated from Mexico. When those kids brought treat to school, it was often imported candies and treats. Back then, they seemed very exotic: chamoy, tamarindo, Pica Limon, saladitos, de…
Vitamin D and Skin Pigmentation
I was recently asked “How much is Vitamin D production reduced by increased skin pigmentation?” I’ve been searched for a while in hopes of finding a more accessible source, unfortunately I haven’t found a review of the evidence that is as thorough as the one in Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (2011),…
Calcium Supplements and Calcium Fortified Foods
Recently I was asked about the safety of calcium fortified foods. The person who asked the question was concerned because their physician had advised her to stop taking calcium supplements, and they were now unsure whether they should have foods that were fortified with calcium. The short answer is, yes, according to the Institute of…
Body Mass Index – Behind the Scenes
Originally for my post on the Body Mass Index (BMI), I wanted to include a BMI calculator directly in the post. I found a WordPress plugin, PHP Code for Posts that allowed me to use PHP code in the post and coded the calculator. Unfortunately, when I tried to put the calculator on the page,…
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index (BMI) is frequently misinterpreted. Looking around the internet you’ll find plenty of articles and blog posts talking about its failures. Often, the key complaint will be that it can misidentify very muscular individuals as being obese. Additionally, BMI doesn’t take frame size into account, which can be another important factor in assessing weight. The…
Test post
This is a test post, it will be gone soon
Magical Rice Preparation?
My wife brought and interesting article in the Washington post to my attention. An undergraduate researcher and his mentor at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka report that they have found a way to reduce the calories in rice. This is the process as stated in the article. Bring the water to a…