Author:Rich Ralph

Does Coffee Have an Impact on Blood Sugar?

  While some research has indicated that moderate amounts of caffeine may be beneficial in the prevention of type II diabetes, recent literature has indicated otherwise, especially if intake of caffeine is high. A recent article published in Diabetes Care 2008; 31(2):221-2, examined blood glucose levels in those with type II diabetes over a 24 hour period; test subjects were given caffeine pills equivalent to about four cups of coffee per day versus placebo. Those taking caffeine pills showed a significant impact on glucose regulation causing an overall net increase of glucose level over 24 hours of 8%; caffeine also resulted in a significant...

Advantages to Eating Organic and Local Vegetables

One of the most common misconceptions about eating organic is that it is expensive. Yes, some organic items may have a higher price-point than conventional food, but can you really afford NOT to eat organically? If you are willing to invest a little bit more money now, you could save mountains of money that may otherwise be spent on prescriptions, medication, cancer treatment, and medical bills that can result from the accumulation of toxins in your body from years of eating unhealthy foods. I will admit that it can take some time to adjust to the differing prices. I can remember...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Are Our Kids Trying To Tell Us Something?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been a hot topic in the pharmaceutical industry over the last several years. And rightfully so. There is an alarmingly high rate of children being diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, there are even adults being diagnosed in recent years! So what’s going on? Is it really possible that such a high percentage of our population has always had these issues, but the medical community is just beginning to recognize it? Or perhaps it’s more plausible to consider that ADHD was essentially non-existent a few decades ago? I’m not going to try to debate the possibilities surrounding why...

Is Sugar Preventing Your Weight Loss?

It’s no big surprise that junk food is not good for us. Why else would it be called ‘junk’? We know sugar and refined foods can make us fat. Have you ever wondered about the mechanism inside us that makes this happen? Hopefully this post will shed some light on what our bodies are doing when we eat those sweets and encourage you to cut back or eliminate refined foods completely. Refined carbohydrates are essentially no different than pouring pure sugar down our throats. When refined, the vast majority of the fiber is removed, which means the carbohydrate is broken down...

3 Tips to Boost Male Fertility

As my wife’s prenatal business, PrenatalCoach.com, continues to grow, so too does my exposure to fertility issues. When couples begin preparing for conception, there is often an unequal amount of pressure placed on the woman and her fertility. If there are difficulties conceiving, the onus is typically taken on by the mother-to-be. Her health is scrutinized, her fertility is questioned, and her confidence is shaken. It is becoming much more apparent and accepted that the woman’s fertility may not be the only issue. After all, men must contribute half of the genes in order to produce a healthy fetus. Male fertility is...

Agave: Too Good to be True?

We all like to indulge with a rich, sweet dessert every now and then. And most of us know that most of the sweets we buy or order are full of refined sugars to appeal to our taste buds. But all these heavily processed sugary foods haven’t always been around. Big corporations are well aware of the addictive effect sugar has on people and take full advantage of this by creating foods that have virtually no nutritional value, but keep us reaching for more. In recent years, a variety of natural and artificial sweeteners have developed in hopes of breaking...

The Superfood Dilemma: Mangosteen

Pomegranate, Noni fruit, Acai Berry, and now the Mangosteen. Some days it feels like the latest superfruit trends change faster than iPhone upgrades! What is it about tropical fruit that makes us believe we can’t be truly healthy without it? I write on a regular basis about the value of the incredible local fruit and vegetables we have around us and their exceptional health benefits. I decided it was time to put one of the latest exotic food fads up against a typical local food so we can make an educated comparison for ourselves on the nutritional values. On one hand we...

How do Athletes Benefit from Good Nutrition?

When I was younger I used to think athletes had vastly different, mysterious, intense nutritional protocols in order to compete at their level. It is true that an elite athlete’s body typically has a much higher metabolism and increased demand for nutrients. However, the fundamentals of proper nutrition still need to be in place. Many people think that in order to become a great athlete, they need to drastically modify their diets right away. The tendency of many is to run out and purchase excessive amounts of protein powders, bars and shakes. I believe that in order to truly perform...

How Strong Are Your Bones?

  It’s no secret that calcium is the essential mineral required for strong, healthy bones. North Americans consume more dairy than any other country on the planet, with the exception of India. The women in our country have been consuming an average of 2 pounds of milk each day for the better part of their lives. Why, then, is osteoporosis and bone degeneration so prevalent in North American society? The answer to this is not clear, but there are various theories. One thought is the role Vitamin D plays with respect to our bodies ability to absorb calcium. Vitamin D is produced in...

Fitness Goop’s Top 12 Food Films

Documentaries have always been an effective method used by film makers to shed some light on various subjects that may otherwise go unnoticed. In the past, however, documentaries have often held a misconception of tiresome, mono-toned narration and boring cinematography. Fortunately, as the real food movement continues to build in momentum, and as the filming technology evolves, many critically acclaimed documentaries have been produced and popularize in the mainstream. With the ever-increasing number of food documentaries being produced, I thought it was time to take a moment to acknowledge my top picks of must-see Foodie Films. These films cover a...