Ocean Robbins

If you believe the hype, CoQ10 is a wonder supplement that can do everything from helping athletes recover faster to giving tired people more energy to slowing down the aging process. But how much science is there to back up these claims? What does CoQ10 do in the body, and what happens when it’s in short supply? And can we get it from food, or is supplementation the way to go?

Granola is known both as the ultimate hippie food, and as an expensive upscale breakfast found in fancy supermarkets. But you might be surprised to learn where this classic food got its start. And you might be surprised by the truth about granola, too. So is granola good for you? And how can you make your own granola with healthy and high-quality ingredients?

When the conversation turns to weight loss, calories often take center stage. But is counting calories the only — or best — way to balance energy intake and expenditure? Or can focusing on calories confuse or disempower you, and distract you from what really matters when it comes to food choices?

Vegan comedian Myq Kaplan’s podcast is called “Broccoli and Ice Cream,” because he wants his output to be as good for you as broccoli and as enjoyable as ice cream. While it’s true that broccoli delivers a powerful health punch, it’s also a delicious vegetable in its own right. But what is so darn healthy about broccoli? And how can we prepare it to make people forget about being forced to eat mushy, discolored broccoli when they were little?

People have been stuffing ingredients into other ingredients from time immemorial. It’s a great way to cook fun, satisfying, and impressive looking meals with relatively little time and effort. While stuffing originated as a way to add grains, veggies, and seasonings to animals, plenty of veggies can be stuffed as well. In this article, we’ll look at the wide and wonderful world of stuffed vegetables and share some of our favorite stuffed vegetable recipes.

There’s overwhelming evidence that a well-constructed vegan diet is one of the healthiest ways to nourish your body. Unfortunately, negative myths about plant-based diets persist; some of them deter people from trying, while others lead people to go about the transition in unhealthy ways. In this article, we’ll explore vegan myths and facts, so you can make an informed decision about reducing or eliminating animal products from your diet.

Okra isn’t one of the most popular vegetables around, thanks largely to some bad press about its slimy interior texture. But the bright green pods offer amazing flavor, powerful nutritional health benefits, and opportunities for culinary adventure and creativity. Let’s explore the past and future of this unique plant food.

We’ve known for a long time that mushrooms are good for our physical health. They support immune function and can help fight cancer and slow aging, among many other benefits. We’re now discovering that mushrooms can also help alleviate depression and anxiety, and can even reduce symptoms of PTSD and help recovery from addiction. Can common button mushrooms and traditional adaptogens help us to live happier, more fulfilled lives? Here’s what the research says about mushrooms for mental health.

Most plants manufacture compounds to protect themselves from predators. Some of these chemicals act by limiting the plant eater’s ability to fully absorb the rest of the plant’s nutrients. Called “antinutrients,” they’re the subject of heated controversy. Should we avoid foods that contain antinutrients, or do those foods offer more and greater health benefits than potential downsides?

People around the world love Chinese food, especially stir-fried dishes served over noodles or rice. As traditional Chinese cuisine was adapted to appeal to Western tastes, however, many Chinese restaurants in the US ended up serving stir-fried dishes high in animal products, oil, sugar, and salt. The good news is, you can quickly and easily create stir-fries in your kitchen that are not only healthier than most takeout, but are also more delicious.

The industrialized food system is great at providing cheap commodity items at scale — until something threatens global supply chains. It’s great at employing millions of people — but gives them little or no voice in company policy. It’s great at shipping goods around the world — but terrible when it comes to compensating local growers and producers fairly. For all these and many other reasons, food co-ops are a valuable, community-based, principled alternative. But what is a food co-op? What does co-op stand for? And why might you want to join (or shop at) one?

Prunes and plums have vastly different reputations, despite being the very same fruit. Many people associate prunes and prune juice with constipation, which doesn’t exactly bring captivating culinary delights to mind. And considering how delicious fresh plums are, they’re surprisingly not nearly as popular as many other fruits. In this article, we'll answer common questions about plums vs prunes: What are prunes? Where do prunes come from? What are the benefits of eating plums and prunes? Plus, we’ll look at whether prunes and plums deserve to be part of your diet and some ways to enjoy them that you may not have considered.