Natural diuretic foods and drinks stimulate your kidneys to produce more urine, unloading excessive fluid and salt. Although they vary greatly in effectiveness, these foods and drinks allow you to take in healthy nutrients rather than prescription medications (“water pills”). You may be retaining too much fluid if there is … Read More
The Folklore. Sweet potato or yam? Most likely, it’s a sweet potato. The most common varieties of sweet potato in the U.S. have smooth orange or red skin, orange flesh, and a sweet flavor. Yams, which are rare in American grocery stores, have rough brown skin, starchy white flesh, and … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Greens powders have long been a fixture on supplement shelves. With a little help from social media, their popularity has exploded. The market for greens powders is estimated to reach nearly $400 million in the US—that’s double its value since 2018! A lot of us are giving them a try, … Read More
To understand what antioxidants do, you have to start with a little molecule called a free radical. Free radicals are naturally made in your body when your cells make energy from foods you eat and when you use energy during exercise. Free radicals can also occur when your cells are … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Selenium may have caught your attention, as it’s one among many supplements that has been studied for its potential to treat a variety of conditions ranging from asthma and dandruff to infertility. While it’s true that our bodies need this essential to function properly, it takes very little to do … Read More
Products that claim they can detoxify, clean, or clear your lungs can be made from herbal supplements, vitamins, essential oils, or antioxidants. These lung cleansers may come as pills, vitamins, teas, oils, or be inhaled. None of the products are FDA-approved, and neither the American Lung Association (ALA), National Center … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Protein has been the buzzword in every food conversation for a few years now. As more and more people are trying on a plant-based eating pattern, the demand for vegan protein sources has never been higher. If the thought sounds less than exciting, or you’re looking to venture beyond tofu … Read More
Mushroom coffee does not sound like anything you would want to drink, but is actually a drink that tastes pretty much like regular coffee. The idea behind mushroom coffee is to add the health benefits of mushrooms to the health benefits of coffee. What Is Mushroom Coffee? Mushrooms have been … Read More
You may be tired of reading that we need more studies before we can say that this supplement or that nutrient is good for certain health benefits. That is not the case with coffee. There have been lots of studies and there is little doubt that coffee is good for … Read More
The only commodity traded more than coffee is oil. Over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. Tea was once the favored drink of Americans, but that changed after the Boston Tea party in 1773. Today, coffee is America’s favorite beverage. You could say it’s our patriotic duty. … Read More
