It was truly a trip down memory lane. After more years than I wish had gone by, we revisited the small town in northwest Colorado where—during my college years—I had spent summers on my uncle’s ranch.

Driving through this familiar country was more emotional than I had expected. Although the ranch is no longer in our family, it is still ...Read more

Joan G reads this column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and writes: “I'm always eager to learn about nutrition from an expert versus the people trying to push products. Speaking of products, do you have any knowledge about Ka'Chava? I was wondering if you would recommend it?”

I did some digging and this is what I’ve learned. Ka’Chava (...Read more

It’s been called “an ancient art and a modern miracle” for good reason. Feeding a newborn with mother’s milk has been around for a long, long time. And the more scientists learn about this traditional way of feeding babies, the more divinely inspired it appears to be.

Research continues to confirm that breast milk is the ideal ...Read more

A recent column on processed meats generated more questions. Cheri M. from California writes: “Your article…made me wonder. Does processed meat include whole roasted chickens and turkeys and hams that we eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas? We eat a whole roasted chicken about every two weeks.”

Most recommendations to avoid excessive intake...Read more

Valerie M. from Monterey, California, sent me an article that stated how Americans are eating fewer potatoes than ever before. She writes: “I read this about potatoes, and it made me sad. I love potatoes and wish people understood they are not bad. I hope the farmers don’t pull back on growing them…”

Don’t despair, Valerie. Potatoes ...Read more

Every four years, I relapse into an Olympic couch potato. What the human body must endure to win a medal is a wonder to watch.

What goes into these finely tuned bodies to support the speed, endurance and precision required for such intense competition? Much of that is determined for American athletes by the nutrition sports team of the United ...Read more

LS from Richmond, Virginia writes: “I know that processed lunch meat is not a good choice. Is freshly sliced meat bought in the deli section of the store a better choice, or does that have a lot of the same additives as packaged lunch meat? Thank you!”

Dear LS: It depends on what type of freshly sliced meat you choose. Items like roast beef...Read more

In response to recent columns about counting calories, a few readers responded with their own suggestions:

Karen K. in Dallas (who notes she’s the daughter of a dietitian) writes: "As an alternative approach for those who don’t enjoy counting calories, simply cutting portion sizes does essentially the same thing. Portion sizes in the U.S. ...Read more

I recently had the opportunity to sample a new brand of white wine. It was excellent. As good, in fact, as any nice sauvignon blanc I’ve enjoyed.

What caught my attention, however, was the bottle. It touted a nutrition facts label. We don’t often see nutrition labels on alcoholic beverages because alcohol is not regulated by the Food and ...Read more

Note: Soon after finishing this piece, I was shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating fire that destroyed thousands of acres in and around the picturesque mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico. My prayers are with all the people involved in this disaster.

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Each time I visit my home state of New Mexico, I know why it’s called “...Read more

After hearing from a reader with diabetes and dry mouth who was searching for hard sugar-free candy with no sugar alcohols, I replied that if there are any products without these types of sweeteners, they did not come up on my radar.

I soon received a note from Mary O. in Richmond, Virginia: “It took me a few seconds to find candy free of ...Read more

Over the years, in numerous circumstances, I’ve treasured the wisdom of others, especially when it comes to living a healthful life. Some has come from personal friends, others from those in the public eye…some serious, others witty.

Hippocrates, for example, was an ancient Greek physician who is often referred to as the “father of ...Read more

Seems we are still not finished with comments regarding two recent columns on counting calories. Interestingly, these two letters arrived in my inbox on the same day.

Dee V. from Santa Cruz wrote: “I too have found that plain old fashioned counting calories is the easiest and most reliable way to achieve a goal and stay there. I don’t do ...Read more