Nutrition Wonderland

The Protein Problem: Eating Healthy While Making The Least Ecological Impact

10. March 2010

It would be great if we could just stop eating meat all together. But there's one problem - we need complete dietary protein, and about 60 grams a day of it. This is what I call the Protein Problem: the problem is that we need a lot of protein, nutritionally speaking, but producing it is an ecological nightmare. If you've read my post about why protein is so nutritionally important, you know that meat is simply the best source of complete dietary protein. But is becoming vegetarian and eating tofu the solution to our protein problem? Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

GMOs: Does Regulation Ensure Safety?

17. February 2010

3 Comments

The public's biggest concern when it comes to GMOs is their safety. There are a lot of misconceptions about genetic engineering. When pressed on science of GMOs, I have often heard people fear that the genetically modified material in the foods they are eating will somehow mutate their DNA too. While logically it sounds like that makes a bit of sense, scientifically its nonsense. So how do we test for and ensure that GMOs are safe? Allow me to introduce you to the complex world of genetic technology regulation. Image credit: kevin dolley on flickr.

Where are Africa’s Farming Superheroes? A Look at African Child Malnutrition

15. February 2010

0 Comments

As a part of her African agriculture series, Rachel Zedeck of the Medea Group wants to shift your perceptions of a food crisis away from the image of the starving child (above) to that of new opportunities crucial in changing the way we respond to childhood malnutrition.

GMOs: Frankenfood or Evolutionary Advance?

10. February 2010

0 Comments

Why are crops and animals being modified? What GMOs are currently on the market? What new GMOs are being created? Good questions... (thanks to klar!! on flickr for that cool art.)

Genetically Modified Organisms: The Back Story

2. February 2010

1 Comment

Recently, a reinterpretation of an original Monsanto GMO study was published in the International Journal of Biological Studies which appeared to demonstrate that some aspect of Monsanto's GMO corn – potentially just additional pesticides – was causing kidney problems in their reexamination of the data. But what do most people really know about GMOs? This subject is complex – so complex I have prepared a three part series that helps explain what is going on underneath the heated debates.

The Truth About Organic Farming

22. December 2009

3 Comments

Certified organic sales are now $52 billion/year, worldwide. The large market is fueling a lot of myths out there about organic foods and there is even more propaganda supporting these organic methods that is rarely understood. It's like your mother used to say: just because everyone is jumping off a bridge doesn't mean you should do it, too. I only want to point out that not everything is as it seems. So here are some of the myths of organic produce, and the realities behind them.

Understanding Our Bodies: The Role of Antioxidants

26. October 2009

0 Comments

Are antioxidants good for you? To answer that question, you have to understand reactive oxygen species, or ROS. And to do that, you have to understand how your cells produce energy. In this article, we uncover the processes of oxidation and explain it in the context of your health and well being.

Hawaiian Health and the Coconut

7. July 2009

7 Comments

Hawaii has some of the lowest rates of heart disease, childhood obesity, cancer, and even deaths by Alzheimer's in the US. While part of this might be due to good health care coverage and availability (Hawaii has the second lowest rate of uninsured individuals in the US), it might also have a lot to do with the food. Thanks to Flickr User Bionic Teaching for the awesome coconut shot!

Food Safety – The Small Farm Perspective on HR 2749

1. July 2009

3 Comments

We have heard from some small farmers that the provisions in the latest Food Safety Enhancement Act HR 2749 will cause them great hardship. We asked a small farmer to outline the problems to educate our audience. Below is the opinion of one of these farmers.

Does McDonalds Own Chipotle? – Mailbag

29. June 2009

6 Comments

Hi – I was watching Nightline a couple weeks back and they had a special on Chipotle using free-range animals. Then I remembered that Chipotle is owned by McDonalds [America's #1 buyer of factory farm beef -ed]. Is this true? - James, Minneapolis, MN This is an excellent question we have also heard many times. After some research, the short answer is, no, Chipotle is not owned by McDonalds as of 2009 but it once was. The story is quite complicated actually.

Archive | Controversy RSS feed for this section

The Protein Problem: Eating Healthy While Making The Least Ecological Impact

GMOs: Does Regulation Ensure Safety?

Where are Africa’s Farming Superheroes? A Look at African Child Malnutrition

GMOs: Frankenfood or Evolutionary Advance?

Genetically Modified Organisms: The Back Story

The Truth About Organic Farming

Understanding Our Bodies: The Role of Antioxidants

Hawaiian Health and the Coconut

Food Safety – The Small Farm Perspective on HR 2749

Does McDonalds Own Chipotle? – Mailbag

Subscription Options (Other Options)

The Latest Videos From Our Video Channel

Recent Posts