In the last decade, we’ve seen new sections created in grocery stores, natural product expos and magazines as they cover the latest and greatest in protein powders, shakes and bars. So what’s the scoop? Let’s start by looking at sources, then forms, and finally rationales to determine what’s good for us (and for the environment) versus what falls into my “just because we can (make it, eat it), doesn’t mean we should (make or eat it)” category. Quick Review: What Is a Protein? Proteins...

Lady MacBeth washed her hands after she’d bloodied them.  Diabetics should wash before. Having clean hands is always a smart idea and it’s a particularly good idea to wash up before  you check your blood sugar.   This doesn’t have to do with bacteria or risk of infection since it’s very rare to get an infection at a lancing site, but rather with getting a more accurate blood glucose reading.  We almost all come in contact with sugar during the day, especially those of us who are serving cookies and milk...

I’m immensely interested in cosmology.  Headlines like this one, “The Circular Logic of The Unvierse,” in the NYT are sure to pull me in.   I won’t claim to really understand anything about the universe, though.  I mean, I learned a few things in college, like, despite the claims of Akkadian poetry, Babylon was not – in fact – the center of the universe.  And I know that Aristotle was wrong too; the universe is not geocentric. Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris Vasily Kandinsky, “Several...

While doctors frequently warn about the dangers of high blood sugar readings, a new study suggests many diabetics are suffering needlessly from low blood sugars, according to a recent article published in BBC News. A new study suggests that such events might be the result of doctors treating the disease incorrectly. The study looked at 2,000 people with Type 2 diabetes and found that half experienced a mild low blood sugar event in the last two weeks. Symptoms include sweating, tingling in the lips and a generally “shaky” feeling. The...

The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, nuts, olive oil, and fish yields more weight loss and better glucose control than a typical low-fat diet.