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Cooking For Health

With Sioux Chef, Native Americans Rediscover Indigenous Foodways

By Ana Maria Puente, Contributing Writer

With a restaurant and catering company called Sioux Chef, an Oglala Lakota chef named Sean Sherman is helping Native American communities–and many other non-Natives–to discover the original indigenous foods of North America. Many native foods–things like cattail shoots, prairie turnips, choke cherries, prickly pears, rabbit and bison–are extremely healthy.

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Wholesome Rx: Prescribe Produce, Not Pills

By By Ellen Kanner, Contributing Writer

“Eat more fresh produce.” It’s an easy bit of medical advice to give. Yet it’s advice millions of Americans aren’t able to follow, even if they want to. A non-profit group called Wholesome Wave is working to make it a little bit easier for both practitioners and patients, by creating a system that allows doctors to literally prescribe produce for patients and their families in underserved communities.

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A Taste of African Heritage Offers Culinary Path to Wellness

By Ellen Kanner, Contributing Writer

Sweet potatoes, peanuts, black-eyed peas, lima beans, collard and mustard greens, sorghum, millet…. these and so many other healthy foods originated in Africa and the African diaspora. Reconnecting with these foods offers the opportunity to make Black History Month a celebration of wellness as well as a celebration of culture.

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Okra: An Unsung Super-Veggie

By Lucy Ruetiman, MS, Contributing Writer

Mention okra to someone you generally get one of two reactions – a passionate declaration of undying love, or a repulsed face followed by a dismissive reference to its sliminess. Strong reactions aside, there’s no denying that okra is a very healthy vegetable with some interesting medicinal properties.

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Coconut Oil: From Food to Medicine and Back

By Kristen Schepker | Contributing Writer - Vol. 15, No. 2. , 2014

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples in tropical regions have recognized the vast nutritional and medicinal value of the coconut palm. Referred to as the “tree of life” among tropical cultures, virtually all parts of the coconut palm have found use in traditional foods and medicines.

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In Praise of Alligator Pears

By Erik Goldman

There are many reasons to love avocados: they’re tasty and satisfying; they’re packed with healthy fats, B vitamins, potassium. lutein and zeaxanthin; and they fit nicely into a wide range of culinary styles. But did you know that inclusion of half an avocado in one’s lunch can markedly increase satiety and reduce the desire to […]

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Meet the Meatles(s)–A Guide to Vegetarian Meat Substitutes

By Kristen Schepker, Contributing Writer - Vol. 13, No. 1. , 2012

From the now common veggie burgers, “not dogs,” and “chicken” nuggets to innovations like meatless buffalo wings and scallops, the selection of faux-flesh delicacies is almost as wide as that of an actual meat market. With such a great diversity of options, how can vegetarians and other meat-conscious consumers make informed, nutritionally-sound choices?

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How Healthful Are Raw Food Diets?

By Kristen Schepker, Contributing Writer - Vol. 13, No. 1. , 2012

As the blossoming raw foods movement spreads throughout the US, it raises many questions. How can healthcare providers best guide patients interested in exploring a raw foods lifestyle?

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