Category Archives: In the News

Food News: Flashes in the Pan, 4.5.13 Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web.

supertaster

Hidden power. Could you be a supertaster? Find out if you are.

Shaken up. One in 10 US deaths are now being linked to eating too much of this.

Fish tale. A shocking 100% of sushi samples in certain major cities were found to be mislabeled. Find out where, and how to protect yourself.

Strong start. Eating a breakfast rich in this could keep you from unhealthy snacking at night.

Fighting chance. You’ll never guess where obesity is turning up—in fact, they’re really battling it.

Soy joy. Some say too much soy is linked to breast cancer. But this study shows soy could have a surprising health benefit.

Strong swimmers. Could eating this extend your life by more than two years?

Lot of nothing. Is there such a thing as a negative-calorie food? Here’s the answer.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Till Krech

Flashes in the Pan, 3.29.13

rose

Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web:

A Rose by any other… What do names taste like? These unusually gifted people can tell you.
Burst bubbles. Harvard researchers say these cause 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, though manufacturers disagree. What do you think?
Take it back. If you have celiac disease, you’ll want to know about this food recall.
One to grow on. Want free veggies? Try this.
Grape expectations. New evidence nudges this supplement one step closer to being called a fountain of youth.
Tea’d off. All things in moderation. Here’s what happened to a woman who used 100 tea bags daily.
Baby steps. Taking toddlers off this kind of food could prime their taste buds to crave less salt in the future.
Seeing red. What are 9 of the worst foods for inflammation? Find out here.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Net_Efekt

The Dish: 5 Celebrities Who Eat Healthier

GreenSmoo

Which celebrities are eating cleaner? Get all the tasty gossip:

The green juice is loose. How does Jessica Alba detox? With her own green juice recipe, naturally. Alba recently demo’d her special blend of kale, cucumber, celery, ginger and apples on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Should Starbucks (and its juice line) hire her as a consultant?

He eats his greens. We always say there’s no one “right” diet—but in the pages of GQ, Jared Leto said he found his ideal, via 20 years of vegetarian and vegan eating (he says it helps him look and feel young). Wonder if he swears by any of these 6 foods for beauty.

She was caught in the raw. West Hollywood’s EarthBar is turning into the de rigueur destination for health-minded celebs: raw foodist Demi Moore is the latest to be spotted at the “food is medicine” juice bar and supplement shop. Must-try item: the sundae-like açai bowl.

She’s fiercely committed to her health. In her recent cover story for Shape, Beyoncé detailed her flexitarian diet for losing her 57-pound baby weight gain, including quinoa, veggie smoothies, fish and lots of liquids. Get flexitarian restaurant ideas here.

She’s milking her fame. Spicy starlet Salma Hayek recently shot her third milk campaign, “Protein Makes Perfect.” We appreciate hormone-free, organic milk, but it’s also worth trying the dairy-free coconut variety. (Try it in a DIY smoothie!)

Photo by Joanna Verdan

Flashes in the Pan, 3.22.13

donut

Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web:

Hole in one. It’s still fried, but there’s a more sustainable ingredient coming to Dunkin’ Donuts.

Last supper. What does the new pope eat? See his healthy choices here.

Slippery truth. Turns out this fat may increase fullness without increasing waistlines.

Banana piana. Did you know that a banana can do this?

Pop quiz. Does Mountain Dew lower sperm count? Get the facts in this roundup of soda mythbusters.

Hearty cup. These favorite morning drinks may lower stroke risk.

Gut feeling. Need another good reason to eat your greens? Try this.

Water quality. Ever try spirulina or blue-green algae? You may think twice after reading this award-winning article.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Kiran Foster

Flashes in the Pan, 3.15.13

babyapple

Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web:

Drug overdose. Think organic apples and pears shouldn’t contain antibiotics? Then you may want to sign this petition.

Whole truth. Whole Foods will have a surprising new labeling requirement.

In bad taste. They’re banned elsewhere in the world. So why are these 13 foods still allowed in the US?

News bites. What do a past surgeon general, a diet guru, an ice climber, and other health experts eat? Peek at their vastly different diets.

Fish wish. Could selenium counteract mercury in fish? Read the argument here.

Energy chew. Should Wrigley’s be selling gum with this in it?

Weighty issue. Careful if you’re buying gluten-free: packaged g-free items could have an effect you don’t want.

Seasonal affect disorder. Did you know that cholesterol levels tend to be higher at this time of year?

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter  for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Cheryl Reed

Flashes in the Pan, 3.8.13

eggexpiration

Cheap date. Should you be eating expired food? Some people say yes.

Buck, buck. It’s cheaper than eggs, better for chickens, and may be better for the environment. But is this egg substitute better for you?

Not so sweet. Could increasing availability of sugar be the cause behind this pandemic?

Brain food. Here’s a surprising use for folate and vitamin B1.

Secret ingredient. You’ll never guess what the dairy industry wants to add to kids’ milk.

Bacon bummer. You probably already know that eating processed meats increases heart disease risk. But did you know how little it takes?

Not so fast. This popular new diet may teach dangerous habits.

Oh K. Getting enough of this vitamin could make you significantly less likely to experience cancer.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Mark Turnauckas

Flashes in the Pan, 3.1.13

specialk

Extra-crunchy. Got Special K on your shelf? Make sure your box isn’t part of this recall.

Heart of the matter. Should you avoid this commonly prescribed supplement?

Nothing to sneeze at. You’re careful about what you eat. But what about your cough suppressant?

Under pressure. Has your “fresh pressed” juice been treated this way (and does it matter)?

Hostile takeover. If you’re seeing more corn and soy at the supermarket, here’s why.

Vegetative state. Are you familiar with this many vegetables?

Grape expectations. Could this red grape compound guard against hearing loss?

Starting young. Need another reason to avoid junk food? Here’s what it may do to unborn children.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Ralph Daily

The Dish

4998594527_e8f6046f8c_z

Which celebrities are dining healthier? Get all the tasty gossip:

These seeds are a “Smash” with this starlet. While hosting the Kettlebell Kickboxing Fitness Gala in NYC earlier this month, actress Megan Hilty couldn’t stop gushing about Health Warrior Chia Bars. We also like chia without the added sweeteners, in all these things.

She’s a Whole Food-ie. Paparazzi caught movie star Juliette Lewis leaving West Hollywood’s Whole Foods with her chipper chihuahua mix on February 21. Hope she had an easier time shopping there than she did here.

Now, this sounds palatable. Actress Tamera Mowry has been Tweeting about her quest to take off baby weight with Paleta’s farm-to-table food delivery program. Check out some sample menus.

She eats her greens. Last weekend, Cameron Diaz was spotted brunching with a male friend at NYC’s The Lion, where she noshed on Tuscan Kale Salad garnished with green apple slivers, chili flakes and celery heart sleeves.

Their meeting was meatless. Wonder what’s on the wedding catering menu for Kelly Osbourne and her new fiancé, vegan chef Matthew Mosshart. Osbourne says her leaner body is thanks to a plant-based (but not necessarily meat-free) diet. We think she could thrive even more if she swapped out some of the processed things here for whole foods.

Chia photo by Stacy Spensley; Megan Hilty photo courtesy of Health Warrior

Dear Clean Plates: What is Brominated Vegetable Oil?

gatorade-cup-550

Dear Clean Plates,

PepsiCo recently announced it was removing brominated vegetable oil from Gatorade. What exactly is BVO, and why was it in Gatorade in the first place?

–Confused Sports Drinker

Dear CSD,

Great question. Oil of any kind doesn’t sound thirst-quenching to us, so we were also curious as to what brominated vegetable oil is and why it would be used in a beverage.

The what and why: Brominated vegetable oil is a chemical that contains bromine. It is used in citrus-flavored drinks to keep the citrus flavor evenly distributed (okaaay). Even though it will no longer be in Gatorade, Pepsi has no plans to remove it from Mountain Dew products. It’s also in Fresca, Sunkist Pineapple, Squirt, and Powerade Strawberry Lemonade (check the labels).

The good: Brominated vegetable oil has its place—stopping fires. It’s often found in flame retardant.

The bad: Where do we start? Brominated vegetable oil can cause bromine buildup in tissues, and has been linked to kidney disease, memory loss, hormone disruption and loss of muscle coordination—definitely something athletes and fitness fanatics don’t want. Oh, and BVO is banned in Japan and the European Union, in case you needed more proof that it was bad news.

The solution: Gatorade may be BVO-free, but Pepsi is replacing the chemical with another potentially harmful chemical: sucrose acetate isobutyrate. Your best bet is to keep your body properly hydrated the natural way: with pure, clean water and the occasional coconut water.

Just say no to BVO.

Photo: Fillmore Photography

Flashes in the Pan, 2.22.13

bread

Get your weekly serving of food news from around the web:

Skin saver. Got acne? For better skin, you might try cutting out this.

Steam heat. Kids think veggies taste best when they’re made this way.

Brain food. Doctors may recommend this surprising nutritional plan for Alzheimer’s patients.

Never say die(t). Could a diet do this to you?

Tough pill to swallow. Meat and poultry are getting packed fuller with this unwelcome additive.

Spirited away. Did you realize that cancers of the esophagus, larynx and breast can be related to this?

Horsing around. Even if you can stomach horse meat, you probably won’t like what’s been found in it.

Cup cap. Should New York’s Mayor Bloomberg ban this popular take-out item?

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for your RDA of food news all week long.

Photo by Mark Mitchenall