As always, before starting to work with a new client, I ask them to first send back a fairly comprehensive medical and lifestyle (diet and activity) survey. Alice (not her real name) wrote that her goals were to lose weight and eat better — she wanted to feel better about what she was eating....
Susan Burke March

Five myths about testosterone: No, it didn’t cause the 2008 market crash
By Rebecca M. Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis Testosterone has a fascinating double life: A molecule with a precise chemical structure, it also has an outsize cultural presence, winning praise and blame for a wide range of characteristics typically associated with masculinity. Many of the...
Wines of the Languedoc – Minervois, Corbières, and more
By Giovanni Cambizaca Burgundy, Bordeaux, the valleys of the Loire and the Rhone, these are some of the most famous French wine regions, but France’s more obscure vineyards can also produce excellent wines. The Languedoc-Roussillon region produces vast amounts of wine, and although much of it is...
The end of plastic? New plant-based bottles will degrade in a year
By Jillian Ambrose Beer and soft drinks could soon be sipped from “all-plant” bottles under new plans to turn sustainably grown crops into plastic in partnership with major beverage makers. A biochemicals company in the Netherlands hopes to kickstart investment in a pioneering project that hopes...
The world depends on one country for its pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements: China
By Shirley Chan "Millions of Americans are taking medicines, generic drugs made in China and made with ingredients from China," said Rosemary Gibson. "We're so dependent, if China shuts its door on exports, after a number of months our pharmacy shelves would become pretty bare." Gibson is a senior...
Really? Low-carb fights the pandemic?
By Ted Kyle Like a dog with a bone, Nina Teicholz is not ready to let it go. She has a point to make and a book to sell. It’s all about pushing everyone to eat a low-carb diet. No matter what the problem, we find her telling us that low-carb diets, with plenty of saturated fats, are the answer....
How do you check out and debunk conspiracy stories? By fact-checking
By Jack Goodman and Flora Carmichael Speculation about a future coronavirus vaccine is ramping up and social-media posts from anti-vaccination campaigners are gaining more traction online. We've been debunking a few recent claims. Why the microchip rumours don't stack up First up, a conspiracy...
Everything you should know before making your own dog food, straight from a vet
By Emily Weaver If you're a dog owner, you know it's one of the most rewarding experiences, but it comes with some rather large responsibilities, the most important being determining what food your four-legged friend should be ingesting. Between other duties like proper grooming and exercise, it...
Vitamin D for immunity? Additional info and a great graphic
Editor's Note: Marion Nestle, Ph.D (molecular biology), and emeritus professor of nutrition at New York University writes one of my favorite blogs, "Food Politics." In my recent column about immunity and vitamin D, I explained that it is necessary to obtain sufficient vitamin D from food and from...
The Languedoc: From Cathars to Cassoulet
By Giovanni Cambizaca The last time I was in France, I stayed in a small village in the Haute Garonne, midway between Toulouse and the Pyrenees. One morning, I had an early start to take some friends to catch a train in Narbonne, and on the way back I decided to visit the Cathar castle at...