This week we define a calorie – both literally and comparatively. We know that all types of calories are not alike, but why is that?

This week I mention a web MD article on tips to burn calories in the winter. The link is here.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions for future podcast episodes.  my contact page can be found on my website contact page.

We all know that the best way to cut down on the calories of our favorite dishes and save money at the same time is to make it ourselves.
But how easy is that?
Well it can be that easy. Today, I run through 3 quick examples of how you can put together 3 sample meals based on the "One from Column A, one from Column B method.
I mentioned a few types of pasta that can be ordered on Amazon.
The link to the organic udon noodles is here.
The link to the Mantovo pasta on the Italian meal is here.
I also mentioned a brand of spices that are contained in magnet jars that stick to your refrigerator. The link is here.

The link to the Italian recipe is here.
The link to the Indian recipe is here.
The link to the Chinese recipe is here.

You can contact me through my contact page on my website.
OR:
you can email me at [email protected]

Since nearly no one wants to talk about carrots and zucchini during the holiday season, I have decided to have a few storytelling episodes with no nutritional Value whatsoever.
This story is about my trip to the New York City medical center to be screened for a new possible treatment for my neuromuscular disease.

I mentioned a few songs in this episode that pertain to New York.
The 1st is simply called "New York" and it was sung by Gene Kelly in the movie On the town.
The 2nd song was called the 59th St., Bridge song. It was sung by Simon and Garfunkel.

In my 2nd installment of my 3-part storytelling episodes, I tell 2 stories about what I believe to be energy transfer moments.

In this "season to be jolly", could it be possible to intentionally transfer positive energy to a non-believer?

Today I am venturing outside the box a bit more than usual in telling the story about the day I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Recently I was asked about this day, and more specifically what I actually did in response to this diagnosis.

So I'm asking the question... Is our behavior in such a situation more a factor of our genetic makeup, or what our parents taught us, or some undecipherable combination of the two?
Spoiler alert... I still don't have a clue, but I'm just asking!

Potatoes have been getting a bad reputation over the past decade or so because of their high glycemic index (a numerical value related to the degree to which the food increases blood sugar).

But truth be told, that really only pertains to white potatoes eaten without the skin.
Sweet potatoes (or potatoes that are rich in color), either red, orange or purple, are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

This week I discuss the nutritional content of different varieties of sweet potatoes (for more information, click here).
But prior to that, I bring people's attention to the mold infestation in Ireland that caused the Irish potato famine in 1845. You can read more about that by clicking here.
The problem in Ireland was transformed into a tragedy because of the lack of genetic diversity in the potato crop. Could Monsanto's control of the seed supply create a similar disaster?
One thing that has been made crystal-clear this year is that anything can happen.

And perhaps we could prevent that disaster by purchasing a variety of organic food.

In the novel "Catcher in the rye", JD Salinger invents a character named Holden Caulfield, who struggles with his angst and alienation.

Perhaps this is a fitting time to revisit why this character was so relatable to teenagers and adults, both in the 60s and in the present.

I could not resist the temptation to use this opportunity to talk about the nutritional content of rye grain, which is actually pretty good.

I also mention here that, after a brief period of time to re-group, I plan to continue my efforts to put a fruit, vegetable, and herb garden in every school in America.

And I will need your support, if you're interested.

You can reach me on my website, or email me at [email protected].

Today's episode is really an excuse to tell my hocus-pocus story.
But I eventually get around to talking about super foods, i.e., what it takes to be in this category.
I mention the American Heart Association website, which can be reached here.

Today I follow up with discussion from the last episode about ways we can reduce our consumption of meat – both for our health and for our planet.

I mentioned a recent episode of the podcast "Stuff you should know" about fish fraud. You can find it here.
I also made a reference to my previous episode on the cost (environmental, nutritional, and humanitarian) of producing so much beef around the globe. The podcast that I reference can be found here.

Here comes the sad truth about the impact that worldwide beef and dairy consumption has on climate change. The greenhouse gas emissions include methane gas (cow belching), carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide.

Here comes the happy truth: we can do something about it.

In the episode I mentioned an NPR website that discusses this.

The FAO has an opinion on this subject. Their website can be found here.

If you would like to try some vegetarian recipes, I have an e-book on Amazon Kindle with 30 blogs and recipes.  It's called "Green on the inside" and can be found here.

Feel free to contact me with questions or comments on my website contact page.