Southern California is a great place to live if you’re a vegetarian. There are literally hundreds of restaurants and specialty stores that cater to virtually ever type of vegetarian sub-set: lacto vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, raw foodists and vegans. A few months ago I was invited to a business lunch that took place at an organic, vegan restaurant. Although this isn’t my preferred form of eating, I relished the opportunity to experience such a meal. Ultimately, I opted for a delicious plate of sun-dried tomato hummus with a side of sliced avocado. Instead of the pita chips it normally comes with, I asked for cucumber slices and washed it down with a cup of organic white tea. Was it the most satisfying meal I’ve ever had? Certainly not. But I managed to derive a good amount of nutrition and pleasure from it, given the circumstance. Read more »

Many conventional nutritionists and physicians pass along a standard piece of advice with regard to managing heart disease via diet: follow the guidelines set forth by the American Heart Association (AHA). After all, who better to offer guidance than an organization that specializes in matters relating to cardiovascular disease? My health tip of the day is to discuss different, and I think, more promising, dietary options with your health care team.
Read more »

I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

This past weekend I was catching up with my parents. They mentioned that they had attended a women’s health seminar hosted by a local physician. One of the points made by this particular speaker was that calcium supplements should never be taken with coffee. She went on to explain that coffee impairs the absorption of this essential mineral and could be counterproductive for anyone attempting to support bone mineral density. Since calcium supplements and coffee are prevalently used these days, I decided to take a look at what the medical literature has to say about this timely topic.
Read more »