Trimming Your Waste- Why It Matters To Stop Trashing Your Food

Getting wasted is growing in popularity. I don’t mean drinking yourself silly and getting trashed. These days getting wasted means becoming more grounded and conscious about the food we eat and utilizing every part of it rather than throwing it out. In other words: Don’t trash your dinner. The United States is an agricultural wonder abundant in food. Stores stock hundreds of products both farm-raised and man-made. Restaurants and food shops are on every block in cities and towns. Yet, we waste more food than we ingest, and more than 46 million Americans are living with food insecurity (lack of food).

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Getting Things Off My Chest: The Sixth Sense in Flavor

In the world of cooking and gustatory pleasure, the sensation of taste can be categorized into five basic categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. The latter is a Japanese term for a savory, stimulating sensation that is meaty but not in the “red meat” meaning of the word. Umami fills your mouth with pleasure. I like to experience all five senses when I eat and I hope to convey them as I improve my cooking ability. But I think I have identified a sixth sense. It’s why homemade dishes you remember as a child tasted so good and why I can’t seem to

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When the Glass Is Greener

I finally took the plunge. After reading about the benefits of juicing from wellness warriors like Kris Carr and Joe Cross, and to prep for my radio interview with Daily Greens Founder Shauna Martin, I decided to give it a try. First I had to find the juicer. David had purchased a Breville when I was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago thinking we (he) would juice my way to better health. I don’t recall ever using it. I forgot we actually had a juicer and tried to liquefy fruits and vegetables in my KitchenAid blender. But there was too

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This Young Mom Kicked Cancer in the (Gr)ass Going Green and Clean

Walking the aisles of the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show this year I was on the prowl to find healthy and delicious foods made by people with an inspiring story and mission. I found it in Shauna Martin, Founder of Daily Greens™. Shauna is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed on July 28, 2004, at the age of 33, the date of her son’s birthday. Just three weeks later her younger sister, Tamara, was also diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31. Two sisters are diagnosed at an early age with breast cancer with no

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How To Eat Like a Greek Goddess

The Greek economy may be in turmoil, but the Greek diet is healthier than ever. International renowned Chef Maria Loi joins me July 13, 4pm EST on Fearless Fabulous You! to discuss her 12 Pillars to eating healthy using fundamental and simple recipes that are fresh and flavorful from her book The Greek Diet. The Greek Diet by Chef Maria Loi and veteran health journalist Sarah Toland offers a path to healthy eating that is not only sustainable but also completely satisfying and enjoyable. A few things I love about Maria’s approach:  Yes, you can, enjoy good coffee and wine, both in moderation, and everything

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Fearless Fabulous You! How Homeopathy Can Help You

I’ve been curious about alternative and complementary medicines after researching my books and studying integrative nutrition.  One that fascinates me is homeopathy, a system of natural medicine dating back over 200 years. It is very common in Europe where its originator, Samuel Hahnemann, created the word “homeopathy” from the Greek words for ‘similar suffering’ referring to the ‘like cures like’ principle of healing.” Ref:  http://www.homeopathyschool.com/. Benefits can alleviate side effects from traditional Western medicine, strengthen your immune system, help healing and reduce pain, among other conditions. You probably have seen all sorts of homeopathic essences, gels, creams and pellets at your local health foods store. But do

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Fearless Fabulous You! Do Your Legs Look Like Road Maps?

As I’ve grown older I’ve noticed so many unwelcome marks on my body: brown spots, red blotches, strange folds and dimples and lines marking their territory. One of the areas that give me grief- and other women as well- are my legs. Forget cellulite! I’m talking spider veins. I’ve tried needles but now I just wear longer shorts and hemlines to cover them up. But, what can be done to avoid or minimize spider veins and varicose veins? I’ve invited Dr. Danielle Bajakian, Director of the Critical Limb Ischemia Program at Columbia University Medical Center, to join me June 22, 9:28pmET on Fearless Fabulous You!

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Fearless Fabulous You! Dr. Karin Hehenbeger, Founder, Lyfebulb- 10 Tips for Living with Diabetes

Living with a chronic illness does not mean your quality of life or your outlook on how you choose to live needs to be compromised. @mightymelanie @lyfebulb #fearlessfabulousyou At age 17 Dr. Karin Hehenberger was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). A competitive tennis player and outdoors woman living in Sweden, Karin kept her diagnosis under wraps for 20 years out of fear and shame of living with chronic disease. As she grew older diabetes impacted her body and Karin under went both life saving kidney and pancreas transplants.  Watch Karin’s story here. Her body may have taken a hit but

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Getting Things Off My Chest: A Social Culture Gone Haywire?

My brain-tenna recently shot up over a New York Times article entitled “Anxious Students Strain College Mental Health Centers.” The article reports that nearly one in six college students has been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety which has now surpassed depression as the most common mental health diagnosis among these students. Many reasons were given for the high anxiety among young people. Some are obvious with academic, financial, parental and social pressures being paramount. One reason that struck a chord was “fear of missing out” (FOMO for short). Now, fear of missing out is nothing new. I remember the fit

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Liquid Diets Are Not My Cup of Tea

Who remembers Carnation Instant Breakfast? You just needed to add milk or water to these nutritious, artificially flavored, sugar laden meals-in-a-packet. My mother drank them before she took off for work. I drank them before I took off for school. We both tolerated the taste in the spirit of fast, nutritious and calorie conscious consumption. It’s still in the marketplace along with an assorted other liquid meal options. Flash forward. Today, I dread the idea of liquid meals. They remind me of being ill or watching my sick father consume Ensure (also a nutrient dense but sugar laden drink) during

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Love the Sun? Love Your Skin and Health More

Summer is a sun lover’s dream. I grew up in the South with a beautiful blonde mother who turned dark golden brown. Unfortunately, I inherited my father’s pale skin which burned and freckled (and later speckled).  Skin cancer is on all sides of my family, and I am vigilant about skincare and sun protection. When I was a teenager no one discussed skin cancer. In high school we gals competed to see who could have the deepest tan. I slathered on the baby oil and my mom’s Bain de Soleil Orange Gelée (I will never forget the scent!). This was

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A Road Warrior’s Travel Health Tips

I’m an adventure traveler. But sometimes the adventure comes with a detour I didn’t plan: getting sick.  I’ve traveled the world and collected some amazing memories and photos for my scrapbooks. But sometimes I picked up a bit more than I wanted. I’ve had a few unplanned trips to doctors’ offices and pharmacies in various locations for an assortment of travel related conditions from food poisoning and many gastro-intestinal ailments to allergies, hives, rashes, nasty bug bites and even (ugh!) worms and scabies. I know! – Too much information! But you can never have to much information when it comes to

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