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I absolutely love helping people find answers to their food and health questions. The only problem is that there are so many of you that I can’t keep up.
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860 responses so far
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Thanks, Darya!
I have recently learned that portabella mushrooms are high in vitamin D. However, they also contain a toxin called hydrazine. My question is two parts. 1) Should people not eat portabella mushrooms raw, and cook them?
2) By cooking them does this destroy or significantly lower the nutritional value to the mushroom? Particularly the vitamin D content.
Thank you for your time.
-Andrew Seer
This question is too complicated to answer in 3 sentences, mainly because I’ve never heard of either of your claims before and need to look them up. For more help check out the options above.
My family wants pecan pie on Thanksgiving but Karo syrup grosses me out. Do you know of any recipes or substitutions that could be used?
Hi!
I’m an engineer college student and I want to look out for my health, Sometimes (specially around finals) I need to spend all night at the library and while I pack fruits and nuts and sometimes sandwiches there is an hour during the night that I reaally need something more substancial to keep my focus going. Sugar cookies and chips are something I really want to avoid but are the only thing availabe at the nearest store. What should I do?
Bean dishes are my favorite in those situations. They only take a few minutes to make (add cut up carrots, radish, green onion, olive oil, salt and pepper or whatever else you want), keep well for hours, transport easily and are really satisfying. If that still sounds like too much, why not bring burrito or something with you? Cut it in half and have it over a few hours. Worse things could happen.
What do you think of the candida diet?
Never heard of it. Is it about yeast?
Yeah it’s the diet some people use to eliminate overgrowth of candida albicans. There’s variations of the diet but generally they say to eliminate all refined foods, sugars (including lactose and fructose), yeast and wheat, as well as high GI foods, from your diet until you start feeling better when you can start reintroducing foods such as fruit, dried beans, lentils etc.
At the same time you’re meant to take antifungals such as caprylic acid and oregano oil to help kill any overgrowth faster, and after a while on the diet start taking a high strength probiotic to recolonise the gut with good bacteria.
Doesn’t sound dangerous. With that many healthy changes I doubt anti-fungals would even be necessary.
Is too much soy really a potential problem for women? I eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of edamame almost every day with a salad and am considering a women’s vitamin that contains “soy isoflavones.” My stepmother (who is no doctor) said to beware of too much soy since it mimics estrogen. I don’t eat any other soy-infused products since they’re essentially processed foods.
What are your thoughts? How much is too much?
Here ya go:
http://summertomato.com/soy-healthy-or-dangerous/
Darya, I’m flummoxed over olive oil! I’ve been reading a lot of recent articles about misleading labeling allowing olive oils sold in America to contain non-olive oils, artificial flavors, and other additives that dilute the health benefits of real cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Since I’ve never been to Europe and tasted the absolute real McCoy, how can I determine whether the brand I buy is unadulterated, pure olive oil? I currently buy Costco’s Kirkland Organic cold pressed extra virgin, but when I tried to test its authenticity by refrigerating it, it didn’t turn cloudy or thicken, suggesting that it may not be as pure as I’d hoped. I’m happy to fork over some serious cash for the real thing, but I don’t know what brands to seek out. Suggestions?
I have heard that sprouted grain flour is healthier than other whole grain flours. Is this true? And, if so, how do you know which companies are actually using sprouted grain flour since apparently there is no restriction on the use of this label (per http://www.essentialeating.com/ResourcesSprouted.asp). Thank you.
Dear Darya, I loved your blogg and totally agree with you about tasty food. Have you ever heard of our Yellow Rei melons? We sell them in a lot of Supermarkets in US with a huge success, because of its delicious flavor. I think it really helps if you eat healthy food that really tastes good. The difficulty is to teach children or young people to eat more fruits & Vegs if they do not get the flavour they expect. Regards, Adriana
I want to subscribe to Tomato Slice but I’m concerned about creating another account with my credit card info…why can’t I just purchase a subscription with my credit card info without creating a paypal account?
Thanks
Frank
Happy New Year!
Sorry Frank, I’m it’s a Tinyletter rule. The good news is that PayPal is the probably the safest way to pay for things online. It pays my salary
Hi Darya! You don’t have to respond to this here (probably more than a 3 sentence answer!), but I wanted to see if you got a chance to check out this piece in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=1&src=recg and most specifically what you think of Proietto’s findings that our bodies may enter an altered state that makes weight gain almost inevitable following weight loss. So interesting!
Hi Darya,
I’ve recently tried the blood type diet. I’m an A and have found huge benefits since starting. It’s not down to cutting wheat and dairy either cos I’d cut those previously. Just wondered if you’d tried it at all? I know they say there is no science basis for it but that’s rubbish, if people bother to look into it deeply there is! Also people putting it down probly haven’t tried it.
all best wishes,
x
Hey Darya ,
Can you suggest what is healthy at breakfast time? Or something that will wake me up and keep me going all day?
Thanks,
Charlie
I like eggs, muesli and other whole foods. Check my breakfast recipes for more. Be sure to get some protein in there: http://blog.zocdoc.com/is-breakfast-the-most-important-meal-fact-vs-myth/
Hi Darya,
I was wondering if you know of any good detox or cleanses that you can recommend…
Thanks!
As I mention in today’s post, I don’t do cleanses. Check out the post for a better option.
hello
I want ask you how can to somebody
Weighing up to 120 kg to work to lose weight, which can not afford to continue the Diet, you can take herbs or other drugs??
I would be very grateful….
hello
Darya
Hi Darya,
What do you listen to when you work out? Thanks!
I have the most ridiculous workout mix. Mostly hiphop, but other music as well. Sometimes I listen to a podcast or audiobook, but my best workouts are always to upbeat music with lyrics (related: I kick ass at karaoke because I know the words to everything).
Thank you so much Darya:) Any examples of what you listen to?
Hi,
My wife and I are trying to get back in shape and lose weight. We recently started having smoothies made with kale, apple, banana (one half), spirulina, and a carrot for breakfast and one with dinner (16oz serving each time).
Are we consuming too many calories if we have a smoothie WITH our dinner or is it no big deal because its fruit and veg only?
J
Hello Darya.
First of all, sorry if my english is not very good, but it’s not my native language.
I’m a vegetarian, mostly because I really don’t like any kind of meat, but reading you amazing blog I’ve learned the benefits of eating fish and the dangers of not eating it. Even if I liked it, here in Mexico good fish is not easy to find and it’s not affordable for me, so I’ve been thinking about taking fish oil supplements, but given that supplements usually doesn’t work as well as food, my questions is, ¿is there any point to that?
Hi Darya,
Itunes U has a lot of nutrition courses in the Food & Nurition section. Can you recommend any? What is your got feeling about them?
Thanks
Jonas
My husband and I are planning on getting a high-end bread machine for our 8 year anniversary in Feb because we want to do away with sliced bread forever. What ingredients (flour, etc…) do you think makes the healthiest bread?
Hi Darya,
I would like a good primer on basic nutrition. Do you have any recommended reading for the lay man? I’m primarily interested in healthy living, and how nutrition affects fitness and exercise.
I feel like there is so much junk science out there regarding nutrition, I would like a solid, bare-bones, here’s-the-facts nutrition read. When I thought of where to look for this info, I thought who else but Darya!
Thanks so much, Tucker
Eat, Drink and Be Healthy, by Walter Willett is a great place to start. It’s slightly dated, but a good beginning. Check my goodies shop for more
Hi Darya,
What are some of your favorite audio books? I am planning to walk to school and looking for some recommendations!
Thanks!
Most of the books I read are via audiobook, but sadly there aren’t a lot of nutrition books available there. Here’s my public profile at Shelfari http://www.shelfari.com/daryapino
Thanks:)
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?section
Darya, was wondering if you saw the Princeton HFCS vs Sugar and had any thoughts. Especially if there is enough to evaluate what they did as valid.
Writing about that tomorrow on Zocdoc!
Excellent! Please link when you do. I know the original article was quite short, but figured you might be able to find more detail with your resources.
Thx!
At what age do you recomend kids start to eat meat and diary products (other than milk).?
(I once heard that if your baby has blue or green eyes and you don’t feed them meat the first 3 years they don’t change color.)
Hello
I’m pretty new to the website but have thoroughly enjoyed the insight into food nutrition and the science involved.
I am however confused about a couple of points which I’d appreciate maybe a little clarification on.
In the article posted about Asian people eating a lot of rice there a numerous comments about white rice being as healthy if not more (possibly) than brown, partly due to brown rice blocking nutrient consumption (?). I was just wonderring what was your general thoughts on the benefits of white vs brown rice?
My second issue has been more of my own lifestyle. Trying to get my 5-a-day I’ve found that orange juice is one of my easiest and favourite forms of fruit consumption, however reading the labels theres orange juice that has upwards of 25% RDA of sugar! This suprised me and, as reading of your opinions on sugar, I was wonderring whether this is generally a poor form of fruit consumption and whether you should generally steer clear of fruit juices?
Thanks for your time
Steve
The paleo folks who are commenting on the rice believe grains are bad because they contain antinutrients (phytates) that prevent some vitamin and mineral absorption. I think this is true but don’t think it is relevant in developed countries. I still prefer brown rice. Orange juice has many problems. If you’re juicing it yourself it takes like 6-7 oranges to make a cup. You can do the math and see why there’s so much sugar in there. Store bought OJ, even when it says 100% is highly processed and flavors are added. So no, I don’t really recommend fruit juices at all except on rare occasions. http://summertomato.com/6-things-to-consider-before-buying-a-juicer-other-tips-for-fruit-vegetable-juicing/