Chocolate and The Love Connection The symbolic connection between chocolate and love was originally established by the Mayans of Mexico where, in addition to serving chocolate as a celebratory beverage at betrothal and marriage ceremonies (much like expensive French champagne), the bride and bridegroom exchanged cacao beans during their wedding vows to signify their bond. […]
Omega 3 Rx: Quick & Easy Broiled Sardines
One of my all-time favorite Sicilian dishes is Bucatini con le Sarde (bucatini, being a fat, long, hollow pasta, with sardines, currants and pine nuts….mmm!). While I don’t eat wheat- or gluten-based foods these days (including, sadly, bucatini), I still love and appreciate the deliciousness of sardines. These small, oily fish are a concentrated source […]
“Feeling” Your Way to a Healthy Heart
The heart wants what it wants. Follow your heart. A loving heart is the truest wisdom. Kind-hearted. Pounding heart. Heartbroken. The heart been long been regarded as an organ of emotion. The heart is not only central to our emotional system; it affects—and is affected—by what we feed our body (food, drink, movement) and our […]
The One Nutrient Your Heart Loves…
Can you guess which nutrient your heart loves—and absolutely needs? If you guessed “chocolate”, you’re close…but no cigar! It’s the mineral, magnesium, of which dark chocolate (with at least 70% cacao content) contains an abundance. Why is magnesium so vital for heart health? Magnesium works synergistically with other important nutrients that support heart health, including […]
Banana-Cacao Green Smoothie
This delicious green smoothie is packed with fiber and flavor. It is also chockfull of the mineral, magnesium, from 3 sources: the banana, raw cacao nibs and raw greens. I favor using wild arugula in this smoothie, which gives this smoothie a unique but flavorful slightly bitter edge. I usually don’t add a Medjool date, […]
7 Tips to Improve Men’s Health
Attention: MEN (and the women who love them). If you want to feel confident living life on YOUR terms, read this to the end … June is Men’s Health Month. And, for all you men, I have some bad news…followed by really good news. (So, stay with me!) First, the bad news: Your health is at risk. And […]
Protein Power: Five Spice Duck Breast Salad
For some people, the slightly gamy flavor of duck may be an acquired taste. I happen to love it! Duck is also a stellar source of protein—1 cup of diced duck contains approximately 30 grams of protein (although I prefer sliced duck breast—not “diced”!). It’s also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that support […]
Walking to Better Health: 11 Anti-Aging Benefits
If you want to lose weight (and keep it off), improve your overall health and slow down the aging process, what’s the one thing you can do right now? Move more. Movement is essential for optimal health. The human body is designed to move. For most of evolutionary history, our ancestors were in constant motion—sprinting, climbing, […]
7 Ways to Feed a Healthy Heart
In addition to Valentine’s Day, February is Heart Health month. Heart disease remains the #1 cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. We need to show our heart some love. Yet, (often conflicting) health headlines can leave us confused about the best ways to prevent heart disease. For example: Do you […]
Show Me the Love! Ultra-Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
Want to show your love? Give me chocolate—the darker, the better (I like 85% cocoa content or higher). Or…you could make these brownies! Why does chocolate = love? We have to credit the Mayans for creating this symbolic connection. In the 7th century, the Mayans migrated from Guatemala to the Yucatan peninsula, where they established […]