The next time you reach for the white rice, you may want to reconsider. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently conducted a study that confirms brown rice as the hands-down healthier choice for your dinner grain.

The Health Differences

Brown rice is essentially what almost all forms of white rice looks like before it has been put through a refining process. To process rice into the sparkling white pieces we buy in stores, first the out-side hull and bran is removed. This makes rice lighter and faster to cook.

Rice that has been stripped of its natural wholeness has been stripped of its fiber, proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is commonly known how important fiber is for digestive health and maintaining a healthy weight.

Have you noticed white rice is usually labeled as “enriched?” White rice is usually full of unnatural fortifications and additives. These fortifications are used because the stripping process removes most of the iron, vitamins, zinc and magnesium from the rice. In fact, white rice is so devoid of nutrients that it does not offer the minimum nutritional requirements of the FDA. For this reason, white rice must be chemically altered with vitamins and iron just so that it can be sold in supermarkets.

This is one of the main reasons why brown rice is much higher in minerals and vitamins. Nutritionally, there is no comparison between these two forms of rice.

Continue reading: “8 Reasons Why Brown Rice Is Healthier Than White Rice”

Salt is a wonderful thing. Whether from the far reaches of the Himalayan rock mountains, to the depths of the oceans floor, salt is a beautiful and necessary mineral. It’s an important element in keeping the proper mineral balance in practically all of the earth’s living creatures.

In fact, every cell in our body needs salt. Our bodies rely on salt to keep good bone density, proper circulation and stabilized blood sugar levels. But how could something so wonderful and natural become a poison? Here are a few common misconceptions and dangers of salt.

Salt vs. Naturally Occurring Sodium

“Table Salt” is a manufactured form of sodium called sodium chloride. While similar to naturally occurring rock, crystal, or sea salt, table salt merely mimics the taste of these elements.

Continue reading: “The Health Dangers of Table Salt”

You might already know that I’m not a big fan of certain non-fermented soy products. The results of a newly published study on the effects of soy formula on the reproductive systems of mice only underscores how bad they can be for the body.

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In this particular study, newborn mice were fed soy formula mixed with a plant derived isoflavone called genistein. Isoflavones occur naturally in a number of legumes, including soy beans. And while many types of isoflavones are rich in antioxidants and other healthful compounds, genistein specifically, has been connected to a wide range of serious health concerns such as cancer and, as this article points out, reproductive abnormalities.

Researchers fed the mice a concentration of 50 milligrams per kilogram of genistein enriched formula via pipette in combination with nursing directly from their mother. The control group was fed unenriched formula that contained only trace amounts of genistein and nursed as well. Regular blood samples were taken from both groups to ensure that genistein concentrations were minimal in the control group and comparable to those found in human infants in the experimental group.

Continue reading: “New Research: Soy Formula Affects Reproductive Development in Mice”

I was recently emailed an article that illustrates the obscene amount of perfectly edible food families collectively toss out each day. You probably already knew that humans on a whole are a pretty wasteful species, but it’s still shocking to see just how much we really throw away.

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While the study itself focuses on food waste in the United Kingdom, it is still a good indicator of wastefulness in general. The study uses the massive quantity of apples that are thrown out in the U.K. each day – approximately four and half million – as a key example. Just imagine how many are tossed out in the U.S. on a daily basis?

It’s important to be a responsible consumer. Not just in terms of the quality and quantity of food that you put into your body, but also how much you take home with the intention of using. It’s irresponsible to take more than you’re able to use. Especially when it comes to good food that could feed someone who really needs it. Of course, most of us would never do this intentionally, but that’s not an excuse.

Continue reading: “Study: Families in the U.K. Waste 1/3 of All Food They Buy”

Lately there’s been increasing interest in the effects of lemon juice on the liver. Specifically its effectiveness as a liver detox agent. While there is a good bit of truth to this claim, there’s also a growing pile of misinformation being produced by people who don’t really understand how the human body operates, or the basics of organic chemistry.

Lemon juice naturally contains potent levels of citric acid. When mixed with distilled water and consumed regularly, it can benefit the body in a number of ways.

First and foremost, lemon juice helps break down food in your stomach for better digestion. In part because of its own acidic qualities, and in part because it stimulates the stomach to produce more digestive juices.

Continue reading: “Does Lemon Juice Detox the Liver?”