Science has discovered that the heart is so much more than a mechanical pump. It has its own brain and a nervous system, and constantly changes what it’s doing based on its perception of your internal state. It turns out that love doesn’t just feel good — it can actually protect your heart from damage and disease, too.

Feeling uninspired in the kitchen? Just about any plant-based recipe, new or tried-and-true, can be easily taken to the next level by adding a tasty and wholesome homemade sauce. Below we share some tips and tricks for crafting homemade sauce recipes that will inject inspiration and plenty of flavor whenever you need it. Plus, we’ll leave you with 7 of our favorite homemade sauces to add to your sauce recipe repertoire.

As the earth’s human population tops eight billion, we need to figure out how to feed all those people without destroying the planet itself. In recent years, pea protein has emerged as a promising alternative to animal sources of protein, like meat and dairy. But is pea protein, a processed food, really better for us and the environment?

We’ve known about the vitamin antioxidants for a long time: vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene leap to mind. Recently, other phytonutrients such as lycopene and resveratrol have been having their day in the sun. But there’s one antioxidant that may be the most important of all, and it hasn’t really received the amount of attention justified by its impressive benefits. In this article, let’s get to know the dietary antioxidant glutathione.

Many of the phytochemicals that give whole, plant-based foods their natural pigment offer heart-healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that foster good health and boundless vitality. Red foods, in particular, have been found to support heart health. In this article, we share seven of the heart-healthiest red foods to include in your diet, along with a variety of recipes to ensure you get plenty of this passionate color that will leave you feeling radiant from the inside out!

Buckwheat is an ancient grain that deserves more and better press than it gets. It’s gluten-free, chock-full of nutrients, and tasty. Plus, it retains its whole grain qualities even as a flour. While buckwheat is a common ingredient in some Asian and Eastern European cuisines, it hasn’t yet made much of a culinary or nutritional splash in the West. So what is buckwheat, and why should most people eat more of it?

Whether your appetite has you yearning for savory or sweet, toast can surely satisfy. A versatile and nutritious food enjoyed by millions across the globe, toast works morning, noon, or night since bread goes well with a wide array of whole food, plant-based ingredients. Yet, with so many types from which to choose, differentiating between the most and least nutritious is essential. Gluten-free? You’ve still got options! In this article, we’ll provide our top tips for creating tempting, whole food plant-based toast, along with seven tasty toast recipes that you can enjoy any time of day.

Beans are one of those foods that you either love or loathe. If you’re in the latter camp it’s probably because you had an experience where you tried to love them, but they didn’t love you back. In this article, we will make our best attempt to show you that beans are a food to love due to their nutritional value, culinary versatility, and economic benefit. And, of course, we will also discuss the various ways of preparing beans so that they love you back by being kind to your belly.

If you or anyone in your home loves coffee, then here’s some good news: It can bring joy and value even after all cups are empty. Coffee grounds can be reused in many different ways, including while gardening, baking, cleaning, and a few other surprising options. In this article, you’ll discover how to keep coffee grounds out of landfills while performing a bunch of useful functions around your home.

Feed a cold, and starve a fever. Or is it the other way around? It can be hard to separate fact from well-meaning fiction when it comes to preventing and recovering from colds and flu. But science has been busy, and now we have simple and powerful strategies to keep from catching a cold — and to suffer less and get better faster if we do. Here are five lifestyle strategies and seven superfoods proven to help keep you well during cold and flu season.