Heart Health
Berberine: the power of color and bitter flavor
Published June 30th, 2024
By Tammera J. Karr, PhD, BCHN, CNW, CDSP, CGP
How often do we connect flavor, color, and historical use of foods and herbs to wellness? Our choices are frequently unconscious, reflexive and based on convenience. For centuries, cultures have utilized natural compounds daily or seasonally for wellness. In Asian gastronomy, the selection of spices and [...]
The Love of Chocolate
Published February 14th, 2021
By Tammera Karr PhD
The cacao tree, aptly named Theobroma cacao, by the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus. The cacao tree only grows within twenty degrees of the equator in the tropics’ damp conditions. Once mature, the tree will produce small, white flowers that can [...]
The Nutrient Power of Beets
Published June 15th, 2020
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD, BCHN, CNW, CGP
In my home, we had canned and pickled sugar beets with a side of greens. For me, the beet greens were (and sometimes still are) the only edible part of the plant, but many people love beets in all their forms.
The first significant benefit of beets [...]
Box of Crayons
Published December 5th, 2019
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
Nature is filled with color, and as I watch the vibrant changed to trees and plants, my thought turn to crayons, which lead to making choices. Do you remember when you got that first box of crayons? The first box of crayons came out in 1903 and contained eight [...]
HIDDEN TRUTH ABOUT HEART DISEASE AND SUGAR
Published November 17th, 2018
By Tammera J. Karr, PhD
As we move full swing into the Christmas season, we are exposed daily to a barrage of messages – messages for the newest drugs, insurance companies, commodities, and festive food and beverages representing joy, happiness, acceptance, and security. Sugar is a significant player in the holiday foods that fuel memories [...]
Eating Spring Foods ~ Asparagus
Published May 15th, 2018
By Tammera J. Karr, PhD.
©2018
With spring weather comes seasonal foods like asparagus. This is one of those foods harvested from fields and meadows across Greece to Ireland, providing critical food-based nutrients for many with methylation challenges. Today we are learning more about the MTFHR gene that approximately 40% of the nation’s population. [...]
Artichoke – a thistle bud for health
Published April 2nd, 2018
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
Why do people eat artichokes? Is it a love for mayonnaise dip? Boy I hope not, what about the opportunity to have warm garlic butter dripping from your fingers? …. Hummm maybe. Artichokes are a native to the Mediterranean region, and they play a major role in the regional cuisine. [...]
POMEGRANATE – TOP THREE SUPER FOOD
Published February 21st, 2018
by Tammera J Karr, PhD
I love pomegranates, they are one of the few foods I can eat every day for months and never get tired of the flavor. When I was a kid, pomegranates were only available during the Christmas and New Year season in rural Eastern Oregon. Today they are available in fresh, [...]
Chocolate – more than Candy
Published March 12th, 2017
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 [...]
Stepping Into The Hornets Nest – Elder Care part 4
Published July 17th, 2016
By Tammera J Karr, Ph.D., FAAIM, BCIH, BCHN ©2016
Many of you may have childhood stories like my husband and father of baldfaced hornet encounters. When these stories are being told, there is always someone who steps in the nest first who walked away relatively unscathed, while others are repeatedly stung and attacked.
Dealing [...]