My New Year’s resolution last year was to not make any resolutions. And yay for me! I managed to keep that promise to myself for nearly 365 days - a real first. But as I caught up on the year in nutrition research headlines, I began to feel all resolutiony again …

One 2008 study really inspired me: Canadian researchers examined the eating habits of people in 52 countries and found that those who ate diets richest in fruits and vegetables had a low risk of heart attack.

And another finding showed how Japan’s fondness for fish has resulted in lower incidence of heart disease among the nation’s men. Better yet, my oily fish favourites - salmon and tuna - are especially high in the omega-3 fatty acid that provide much of the heart-friendly protection!

So, combining those two findings, I crafted my New Year’s resolution number 1: A brown-bag bentō lunch makeover - a low-key twist on the classic Japanese bentō.

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I grew up in the American South. Now, food down yonder gets a bad rap … for very good reason. Most meals of my childhood were either batter-fried or flavoured by a hunk of salt pork.

However, beneath the batter and beside the pork was often a simple and, yes, nutritious vegetable or legume. One such humble, healthful Southern staple is enjoyed by the potful every New Year’s Day: the tiny black-eyed pea. [Read more →]

This past week, I flew over some 2,000 kilometers of continent - twice. Through my travels, I faced delays, canceled flights, long lines, an unexpected overnight hotel stay comped by the airline, and a sea of unhappy, stressed-out faces.

But one woman’s face really stood out for me. She became THE face of holiday stress and depression. I’ll call her Posh and Pouty. [Read more →]

Well, I just got another reason to keep putting liquor in my eggnog. A lab study, no less.

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Actor Jeremy Piven, Ari Gold on the cable hit Entourage, has apparently had a twice-a-day sushi habit for years. His mega-paychecks probably took care of the mega-cost of noshing on rolls and raw fish everyday, but did no one warn him about mercury toxicity?

The actor recently had to bow out of his role in the Broadway play Speed-the-Plow due to extreme fatigue, neuromuscular weakness, nausea, and dizziness. Turned out, the amount of mercury in his body was at 6 times the upper tolerable limit!

Piven’s predicament may make you stop and think the next time you’re about to stuff a salmon nigiri in your gob. But should sushi get a bad reputation because one actor overindulged? [Read more →]

Health Canada just released its latest recommendations regarding use of over-the-counter medicines for children’s cough and cold symptoms.

In 2007, Health Canada advised that cough and cold medications should not be given to children under the age of two. The new age recommendation is 6 years of age and under. There are two big reasons behind this new guideline. [Read more →]