Blogs

Addendum on August 18, 2013: Please note that there is more recent data on acrylamide content in common foods - you can view some of this data here: What About Acrylamide In Coffee? Read more

In a previous article on acrylamide, I wrote that potato chips and French fries are best avoided for their high acrylamide content. What follows are answers to a few questions on acrylamide that were submitted by readers:

What other foods are high in acrylamide and should be avoided? - Tyler G. Read more

For me, the most fascinating segment of Morgan Spurlock's documentary on McDonalds, called Super Size Me, involved the man who has become famous for eating almost nothing but Big Macs since 1972. Don Gorske is the Guinness world record holder for number of Big Macs eaten, having passed 19,800 Big Macs as of June, 2004. Read more

Shiitake mushrooms have long been used in traditional East Asian medicine as a tonic to promote longevity. Rich in healthy protein, a number of B vitamins, and dietary fiber, shiitake mushrooms add significant nutrient value, a chewy texture, and naturally smoky flavor to any dish that you add it to. Read more

Originally published in April 2010

In my book, any smoothie that's worth writing about starts with ripe bananas. You can use room temperature or frozen banana slices - both impart natural creaminess like no other fruit can.

Before we get started, here's a quick look at how I like to store bananas: Read more

A study published in the American journal Cancer found that people who frequently had some types of dental X-rays in the past had an increased risk of a meningioma, the most common type of brain tumor.

It should be noted that their data was from a time when radiation doses with typical X-rays were higher than they are today, given that many dentists are moving from traditional film to digital images. Read more

Originally published in March 2009

In the wake of the tragic passing of actress Natasha Richardson, I'd like to share a few details on head injuries that everyone should know about.

Based on what I've read in several newspaper reports, Natasha Richardson died from an epidural hematoma, which medical professionals will tell you is one of the most frightening conditions around because it can be caused by a low force blow to the head, and also because initially, there may be no signs to indicate that a serious injury has occurred. Read more

Over the holidays, we had a chance to visit some old friends at their new Mixed Martial Arts facility just north of Toronto. We had a great time catching up while our boys tore up their massive gym (there's just something that works about letting kids loose in a wide open space covered with premium gym mats). Read more

To experience optimal health, including flexible and healthy bones and teeth, it's vital that you eat plenty of green plant foods on a regular basis. And ounce for ounce, few green plant foods are more nutrient-rich than green peas.

Green peas are naturally abundant in folate, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, carotenoids, tryptophan, vitamin K, manganese, healthy protein, and a number of other health-promoting nutrients. Read more

CAREX Canada is a multidisciplinary team of researchers based at the University of British Columbia that is developing estimates of the number of Canadians exposed to known probable and possible carcinogens in workplace and community environments. The goal is to help develop exposure reduction strategies and cancer prevention programs.

Below, you'll find a list of twelve cancer-causing agents that affect the highest numbers of Canadian workers: Read more