by Tammera J. Karr, PhD For those who live in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the mountainous areas, we are familiar with the holly-like shrub with yellow blossoms and purple berries clusters – Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) or also known as mountain grape, and holly-leaved barberry. As the name might indicate, it is also the […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD Late Sunday night I received an email that announced an Oregon Legislation Policy that impacts your Healthcare Freedom of Choice. Am I an alarmist? When it comes to restrictive dietary wording laws in any state, I would have to counter with no. Over the last five years, we have seen […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD Millions of people worldwide love chocolate in all its many forms. This food of the “gods” comes from the cacao trees. The most common variety of cocoa comes from the Forastero making up 90% of the world crop. The rarest variety Criollo is sought after by artisan chocolate makers. The […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD Many long-time readers of this column know I collect old cookbooks. My oldest cookbook is European and American Cuisine by Gesine Lemcke from 1895. On the title page is the following statement – “Beauty, Health, and Happiness depend upon the kind of food we eat.” This sentiment changed profoundly by […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD It has been a while since I have looked into the world of pet nutrition, so when I came across an article written by Michael Waxman titled “What’s your dog eating?”, It caught my attention. I have been struggling with what to feed our girl dog, Sadie; she has put […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD Open a medicine cabinet, first aid kit or a car glove box, and likely acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol ™), a pain reliever and fever reducer, will be there. It might be a store brand in a pill, gelcap, or liquid. Acetaminophen is found in a startling number of over-the-counter (OTC) […]
Edition 20 -Vol1 2017 What are Lectins and are they bad for me? What are “lectins” and why should you pay attention to them? Lectins are a protein that can bind to cell membranes. Lectins offer a way for molecules especially sugars, to stick together without getting the immune system involved, which can influence cell-cell […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD One of my favorite nuts is pecans for baking and cooking. They are softer and do not cause canker sores in the mouth like walnuts can. The buttery rich flavor of pecans makes them one of the most popular nuts native to American. They are rich in nutrients, minerals, and […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD Many of us grew up with citrus foods being part of the holiday season. I remember not only getting tangerines, pomegranates, and oranges in my stocking but also nuts in their original packaging. Today we wouldn’t dream of putting nuts in their shells and a hammer in the hands of […]
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD One of the magical things about this time of year are the smells – cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, ginger, fruit fillings and festive colors swirled around on cookies. Many of these powerful aromas stimulate memories and affect brain chemistry in positive ways. All of these spices that add to […]