What are blood sugar regulators? The answer to this first question is pretty straightforward: fat and fiber. Some of the foods you’ll especially want to consider are avocados, almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, legumes, edamame, cinnamon, peas, and quinoa, along with all of the dark leafy greens. (Dark leafy greens nearly always make an appearance on healthy food lists, don’t they?)

A reader recently asked: what does your plate look like? Great question, and one I can answer in a word — veg-centric.

Quick! What herb comes to mind when I say appetite-stimulating, digestion-aiding, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, heart-healthy, brain-healthy, AND detoxifying? Ok, you guessed because of the title. But did you know all that about dear old humble parsley?

Wondering what kind of fish to eat (and not to eat) and how to prepare?

From a health standpoint, if you are open to eating fish, by all means, do! And if selection and preparation are holding you back from cooking fish, then follow me into my kitchen and let’s dive in :)

“Inflammation” is one of those health words that is bandied about all the time… but do we really know what it means? We think of swelling and the color red… we know it’s not a good thing, and that we want less of it… but the rest is a bit mysterious.

When we cook for ourselves, our friends and our family, everything about our life slows down.It’s like living in a Frank Lloyd Wright home, where the kitchen is right in the middle, comfort and communications central. That’s where everyone wants to be! Aromas emanate, from morning coffee to mouth-watering soups, to veggies roasting, to cookies baking. A place to create, to savor, to taste, to reconnect with our food, our health, our family. Ourselves.

Yesterday 500 guests joined me in my kitchen (the most I’ve ever had!) for my first live, online Kitchen Chat, and it was wonderful.

The topic was Fighting Cancer -- with Food! and we kind of went over a bit, and one hour stretched to an hour and a half... and I think we all could easily have stayed all afternoon, there’s just so much to discuss. And so many questions!

Food has the capacity to bring joy.

Regardless of where anyone is on the continuum of cancer -- metastatic, going through treatment, doesn’t have cancer, has another disease state, or is “healthy,” quote, unquote -- food has the capacity to bring comfort and joy into our lives, sometimes in the middle of painful circumstances, in the smallest and most treasured ways. Food can have a powerful effect on our quality of life, right here and right now. It can be one bite that shifts your life. And we’re not talking about just surviving; we’re talking about thriving!

What is it about the Mediterranean diet that is SO healthy?

Study after study reveals notable benefits of the Mediterranean diet for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s  -- so many chronic diseases. This breast cancer prevention study zeroed in on olive oil. And while the olive oil is most certainly effective, I’m equally sure that it’s only part of the reason. We Americans always look for the one magic bullet to solve our problems! But the beauty of the Mediterranean “diet” is that Mediterranean cultures have orchestrated the whole health package: diet PLUS lifestyle.

If you’re a meat-eater, you may be feeling a bit anxious following the World Health Organization’s release last week of a monograph evaluating consumption of processed and red meats.

ep·i·ge·net·ics
noun

1. the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.

I find it empowering to think that the food we eat can have an effect on our gene expression.

Hold on! You mean what I eat… can affect my genes?

Yes, indeedy! Quite an eye opener. Certainly caught my attention. In fact, I believe I am the first cookbook author ever to have a section on epigenetics, in my book The Longevity Kitchen.

Are you in fight or flight?

Recently I got an SOS call from someone whom I adore who is quite ill.  She has CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and is recovering from pneumonia. The pneumonia is not a great sign. When someone in my friend’s situation gets pneumonia it’s an indication that the CLL is rearing its ugly head. She has dropped a tremendous amount of weight and she’s starting chemotherapy at the end of the month. The SOS call was understandably...panicked.

You know how marvelous you feel when you discover something spectacularly useful? Well, if you don’t know about my Magic Mineral Broth yet, hold on to your soup ladle! And if you know and love it already, here’s some of the history and magic mystery decoded.

It all started with a raisin.

My challenge at a recent seminar at Stanford University Hospital was to convince a room full of scientists, oncologists, nurses, and registered dietitians of the important role food plays in helping people navigate through cancer treatment. While the science is clinically relevant, I knew that we needed to reach their taste buds.