Magnesium is a necessary ingredient for more than 300 chemical reactions in the human body. It helps manufacture proteins, regulate blood pressure and control blood sugars. Our nerves and muscles depend on magnesium to function.

Oh, and our bodies also need magnesium to produce energy, to develop strong bones and keep our hearts beating ...Read more

I was happy to hear from Sheri, who was my neighbor and friend in a community I moved from several years ago. I was also relieved to hear she is doing well.

At a young age, Sheri was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes—formerly known as “insulin-dependent” or “juvenile diabetes.” This disease destroys a key hormone called insulin that the ...Read more

We just returned from a remarkable trip to our country’s 49th state. Alaska did not disappoint. Besides its spectacular display of oceans, mountains, glaciers and wildlife, this land carries a rich history.

One story that caught my attention (because it’s nutrition-related) involves Alaska’s state tree, the Sitka spruce.

Sailors explored...Read more

This past month has been a whirlwind. Last week we happily invested several days at our county fair to cheer on grandkids who exhibited their livestock. That event came a week after driving across four states to help our youngest daughter move to a new job. And that followed a flight halfway across the country to attend a funeral for a dear ...Read more

I’m sitting in the Denver airport between flights. Good time to read mail.

Rita L. from Omaha writes: “I just read your article in the Omaha World-Herald. Thank you for helping us improve our diets, and telling us WHY things work. I was told that to lower blood pressure, I should do the following: Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Soak them ...Read more

I first heard of the condition while attending a conference several years ago.

Its symptoms matched what my daughter was going through at the time — weight gain, irregular periods and excessive hair growth. Sure enough, after some tests she was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a hormone-related disorder.

Over the years, ...Read more

When I was in graduate school, I’m sure I annoyed my biochemistry professor. I didn’t mean to. It was just that, at that point in my education, I really needed to understand how the complicated formulas he wrote on the board related to human health. Perhaps that’s why his eyes rolled each time I raised my hand.

Although this particular ...Read more