When you think of nutrients, do you think of vitamins and minerals?  These are essential components of a healthy diet — and best consumed in whole food form, rather than from supplements in most cases.  Something else we don’t always think of as a nutrient, but is just as critical to health, is dietary fiber.

One of the key markers of a highly-processed diet is trans-fatty acids, or trans fats.  These abnormal fats are a result of either deep frying or a process called hydrogenation, which is used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods.  Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, French fries, or almost any fried fast food are rich sources of this insidious killer.

Summer has arrived:  Backyard barbecues, swimming, hiking, cycling… and, of course, mosquitoes.  The bites of those little critters are not only annoying and itchy, but may carry harmful viruses, such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus.  Outside of the U.S., mosquitoes may carry even more dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Once upon a time, grains (wheat, rice, millet, etc.) were the darlings of nutrition:  plant-based, full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  They formed the base of the old food pyramid, with recommendations to eat 6-11 servings per day.  But like a plot twist in a Christopher Nolan movie, grains have become vilified over the last 10 or 15 years:  empty calories,

Gluten-free eating has gained popularity recently.  It’s not for everyone; however, there are specific health conditions that benefit from avoiding gluten.  Gluten is actually a baking term for the group of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye; the main protein is called gliadin.  Some folks have a genetic intolerance to gluten/gliadin called celiac disease —