Posts by Peas and Hoppiness
How to Identify Credible Nutrition Information Online
Learn how to determine if the nutrition information on a website is true and credible or if it’s biased or false. Quick, unofficial poll: how many times have you “Googled” something this week? Heck, how many times have you “Googled” something today? I use this search engine all the time. Unfortunately, its algorithm doesn’t filter…
Read MoreWhy Nutrition Advice Seems So Confusing
Nutrition information seems to contradict. Advice about what to eat is confusing. Here’s why nutrition science is inconsistent and how to figure out the facts. Not long ago, experts agreed butter was bad for your health. Researchers had recently figured out that saturated fat, which is the main fatty acid in butter, contributes to heart…
Read MoreAn Overview of Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are confusing. They have weird names and are metabolized (broken down) by the body into components whose names we’re not familiar with. That makes them scary. So, in anticipation of an upcoming post about the War on Artificial Sweeteners, let’s review the current artificial sweeteners on the market today. The amount of sugar…
Read MoreThe Tale of a Soda Pop
Carbs, glorious carbs! A couple of weeks ago we talked about what happened as a reaction to the low-fat craze of the late 20th century: food manufacturers started taking fat out of all of their products and instead replaced it with sugar. What we didn’t discuss is why this is such a big deal. I’d like to…
Read MoreA Butternut Sonnet (or Three)
As the autumn leaves set fire to the skythe garden now begins to fade away.A tale that tells of summer drawing nigh,kids back in school, no longer out to play. Amongst the dying vines of summertimefall and winter treasures speckle the earth.The vision of these is simply sublime;it’s hard for me to even count their…
Read MorePickles, Sauerkraut, & Preservation
If cooking is a giant chemistry experiment, fermentation is a lesson in biology. Preservation is a happy marriage of these two sciences. Easy Counter-Top Pickles Lately, between the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) basket I purchased for the summer (check out Miller Farms if you live in Northern Colorado!) and a very generous co-worker (THANK YOU,…
Read MoreProbiotics & Yogurt Parfaits
Today we’re going to talk about germs. Or rather, we’re going to talk about yeast and bacteria. These delightful little organisms are often thought of in a less-than-happy light. Yeast infection. Strep throat. Need I say more? But, as it turns out, these tiny creatures live in, on, and all around us — in peace…
Read MoreHealthy Halloween Treats
I haven’t been this excited about Halloween since I was a senior in high school when my parents finally let me dress up and go trick-or-treating for the first time since I was a kid, thus breaking their strict big-kids-don’t-beg-for-candy rule. I deftly talked my way into this by arguing that Halloween was an important American…
Read MoreWine Camp
Good food, good drink, and good people. Three of my favorite things in the world collided last weekend at my very first year of participating in Wine Camp, an annual tradition which I was invited to by my dear Leanna and her mother, Lanette. We spent last Saturday hopping between local wineries sampling the local fare.…
Read MoreShould I Take a Nutrition Supplement?
Of all things nutrition, one of the most obscure and confusing topics seems to be nutritional supplements. Nutritional supplements come in many forms: herbs, vitamins, diet pills, and mineral compounds. They’re recommended by everybody from your favorite chiropractor to your second cousin’s personal trainer. They come with a multitude of health claims – burn more…
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