Category: Nutrition Science

There’s a good chance that you are more conscious of sugar in your diet than ever before. Between the New York city soda serving size controversy and the recent rise of agave and stevia sweeteners, it seems we’re awash in information about the sweet stuff. But if you’re still confused about which sugars are “natural” and which aren’t, how much sugar is too much sugar, what the glycemic index is (and if you should care about it), and how sugar plays into the Guiding Stars rating system—I’ll be addressing these topics in a series of blog posts over the next couple of weeks and in a free webinar on October 16.

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In Part 1 of our Probiotic Primer, I discussed what probiotics are (“friendly” bacteria that help keep our GI systems humming along in a healthy manner) and where to find them (dairy products like yogurt, kefir and buttermilk, fermented foods and added to a variety of processed foods). Here in Part 2, we’ll take a closer look at what the science says about using probiotics for specific health issues.

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Maybe you’ve seen advertisements for yogurts and other foods that contain bacteria called probiotics and wondered, “what exactly are these ‘friendly’ bacteria, and why would I want them?” It is a little odd to think of bacteria as being good for us. After all, bacteria and other “germs” are generally something we endeavor to keep out of our food, but not all bacteria are created equal.

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We’ve all been sad to say farewell to Lori Kaley as she moves on to Washington D.C., but we’re delighted to welcome Kit Broihier as the new voice of the Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel for our blog. We asked Kit a few “getting to know you questions” and we think you’ll be as delighted with her as we are.

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For years, the dietary message was to eat less fat. That message caused a proliferation of low-fat and fat-free foods on the market and a subsequent stampede of consumers purchasing and eating those foods. Many food manufacturers substituted sugar and other carbohydrates for the fat, however, so the result was that we didn’t lose weight and we didn’t have healthier hearts. Now we know that it is not the amount of fat, but rather the types of fat, that make a difference when it comes to caring for our health.

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At about this same time last year, I started my love affair with cauliflower. I am not sure how it all came about. I remember being at the grocery store and seeing the clean, bright white heads all bunched together and peeking up at me. I thought, wow, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten cauliflower and it’s one of my favorite vegetables. Every time I went shopping, I would tell myself to pick a different vegetable, not to get too attached to cauliflower. Then I would find myself back in front of them again, choosing my favorite one from among their creamy florets.

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You know the saying, Heidi Klum made it famous on Project Runway – “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” Heidi was referring to the world of fashion, and here I am referring to the explosion of interest in food and cooking in America. Fad diets, you are out! Eating healthy and delicious foods, you are in!

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When I think of salads, I think of them being loaded with dark green, leafy lettuces such as romaine and spinach. My favorite is the Caesar salad which consists mainly of romaine lettuce. This salad has had a huge resurgence in recent years because it is both delicious and versatile. It is used as a salad and in wraps, can be a side dish or main course and may be eaten plain or by adding a lean protein such as grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon. If you eat salads to enjoy the nutritional benefit of vegetables without a lot of calories, keep in mind that toppings and dressings can have quite a bit of calories, so add them in reasonable portions such as by the tablespoon or teaspoon.

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