Fish is often highly-recommended as a source of healthy fats and complete proteins. However, as you might have imagined, it should not be consumed every day. Fish and shellfish contain mercury, often in the form of methyl mercury, which is actually toxic for our bodies. Taking in excess amounts of fish (and therefore mercury) could be very detrimental to one's health.
Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by an excessive intake of mercury. It was discovered in the 1950's in Japan, when over 2,000 people died, along with many of the local animals, after showing symptoms including numbness, muscle
High-Calorie Food: Avoid or Okay?
by Louise December 13th, 2010 | Diet
Ever looked at a food label and wondered how so many calories could possibly be in such a small amount of food? A high amount of calories in a small portion of food is often an indicator of high fat content (because one gram of fat has over twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrates or proteins) or high simple sugar (because they pack densely). However, while many of these foods are unhealthy and should be avoided, others are healthy and are perfectly okay in limited amounts. Here are a few examples:
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- Salad dressing - A salad can quickly become an unhealthy meal when overloaded with
Safe Food Preparation and Storage
by Louise November 15th, 2010 | Diet, Nutrition
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The grocery stores are stocked with an unusually high amount of turkeys, potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing mixes, and pumpkin pies, which will rapidly make their way into many American kitchens. Then, when the holiday passes, the leftovers of these Thanksgiving staples will find their way into most of our refrigerators, to be saved for a later meal. Wouldn't it be unfortunate if improper food preparation and storage caused food poisoning on this happy holiday? Ensure a healthy holiday by taking special care to heed these general food safety rules:
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- Use a food thermometer (inserted into
What’s in YOUR turkey?
by Bea November 12th, 2010 | Diet, Diseases, Health NewsNow that Halloween has passed the holiday season is almost upon us. Before it's time to make all your favorite holiday dishes, let’s take a look at some not widely published information.  Each year the CDC takes a look at the amount of fecal matter found in retail meat.  We will focus on three common viruses found in meat: Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. Coli.
Starting with Salmonella:Â last year the percent of retail meat samples, which included chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops, with the highest positive finding of Salmonella was ground turkey. Â Ground turkey came in
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Complete Proteins
by Louise October 18th, 2010 | Diet
I bet that you have heard of the idea of "complete proteins." Theconcept was first introduced by Frances Moore Lappé in her 1971 bestseller Diet for a Small Planet. Basically, the thought was that by combining two different "incomplete proteins" in one meal, someone who didn't eat animal proteins (i.e. vegetarians, or more specifically, vegans), would be able to form a high-quality "complete protein." The American Dietetic Association and the National Research Council promptly adopted this idea, urging vegetarians to be cautious about eating complementary proteins.
This much is true: Animal proteins (protein from meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and
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This much is true: Animal proteins (protein from meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and