iron

Frankly, with words like chia, flax, probiotics, goji, and more making the rounds, it’s understandable to become sick of the whole bandwagon of health food and stick to a normal diet instead.

Protein powder has been controversial in the past few years, not necessarily because of what it does—provide a solid dose of protein for post-workout nutrition or those who struggle to get in adequate amounts for various reasons—but because of how it’s made and, more specifically, what it’s made from. 

Squash (the winter species) is native to Central America and evolved around the same time as flowering plants, approximately 350 million years ago. However, it was not until 13,000 B.C.E. that man began using squash to make cups, containers, and floats for fishing nets. It was one of the earliest cultivated plants, first farmed in 10,000 B.C.E., but because of its bitter taste was not used as a food source until several thousands of years later when squash was bred to have a sweeter taste.

You might not believe it, but the foods you eat affect more than just your body weight: They affect your appearance. Certain foods are great for your skin, while others are great for your hair. Have you been suffering from dry, brittle hair? What about oily, frizzy hair? Whatever the case, buying another toxin filled shampoo might not be your best solution. You might just need to change your diet. I say this because certain foods are loaded with nutrients that hair needs to stay happy and healthy.

September is often the time to reminisce on summer enjoyed and a fall to come; it’s that transitional month where kids are going back to school, schedules are picking back up, and the summer heat is finally beginning to dissipate. While you might not associate September with the best of what the garden has to offer, in many ways it’s actually the prime month for seasonal foods. Here are five surprising seasonal foods you should be trying now (and what, exactly, you should do with them). Happy eating!

I’ve been on a dandelion tea KICK lately. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I do like the taste of it, believe it or not. So when I’m hankerin’ for a cup of joe, I’ll reach instead for my roasted dandelion root tea bags. The result is a hot, almost chocolate-y brew that is so satisfying first thing in the morning.

Did you know that iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of nutritional deficiency? Though it is most common among young children and pregnant women, men are also at moderate risk.

One of my favorite summer fruits is the beloved and magical fig. My grandmother had a huge fig tree in her backyard and every summer we would make fig and ginger jam. I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this jam was. And how wonderful the smell of the cooking jam was. I used to eat it on toast and straight out of the jar by the spoonfuls. 

As a young girl, I just enjoyed the delicious flavor of figs and had no idea how healthy figs are for you.

As a writer, and as a health enthusiast, I have learned about a great many supplements, treatments, and healing modalities in my lifetime.

Every season is amazing, but summer is my favorite by far. That's probably because there's so much that grows in the summer, especially fruit! Out of all the seasons, summer hosts the most fruit and I cannot get enough of their juicy goodness. Just pop by any farmers market and you will see exactly what I mean.