A short visit to the grocery store is all it takes to wade, knee-deep, into one of the hugest controversies in the history of food: genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Technically, GMOs include foods, medicines and animals whose genetic material has been scientifically altered to create a totally new and unique form of life. GMO science [...]…
The artificial and natural sweetener markets have been among the most active in the entire food industry. Not only are there media “wars” between the various brands of artificial sweeteners, there are multiple battles among the forces of “natural” vs “fake” sweetening agents. At least as large and important to the industry as the so-called [...]…
The U.S. healthcare scene is in a state of complete uncertainty. The minute President Trump took office, he indicated in his inaugural speech that he intended to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. Within weeks, members of Congress, presidential aides, the courts, the media and big business interests were [...]…
Massage therapy and related “bodywork” techniques are more popular than ever. Since 2010, the practice has grown in the U.S. and elsewhere. As recently as 1990, only about five percent of all U.S. residents had received a massage from a licensed professional. By 2017, the American Massage Therapy Association reports that approximately one-third of the [...]…
In the world of exercise and fitness, each new year brings dozens of new ideas, hot trends, clever brand-name workouts, odd-looking contraptions and old (sometimes ancient) physical regimens disguised as new ones. As 2017 hits its stride, we’ll take a look at the 6 fresh exercise trends that have stuck around for at least a [...]…
The organic food and beverage market is one of the shining stars of the modern U.S. economy. During the past two decades, as most general grocery categories witnessed moderate growth, or stagnation, organic foods, produce and other products have taken off. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that organic product sales have surged [...]…
There’s not a thing wrong with growing beautiful flowers and donating them to senior citizens on your block. But for people who want to make a profit from a backyard garden, it’s time to ditch the roses and start making some real money. The fact is that just about anyone with an average-sized yard can [...]…
Three of the most popular fitness trends to land in the West since the 1960s are yoga, tai chi, and qigong (pronounced chee-goong). Each one has enjoyed peaks and valleys of trendiness over the years, but all have managed to outlive some of their odder, more faddish competitors (remember sauna suits and toning shoes?). Unfortunately, [...]…
Every time a new year rings in, all the experts at various big-name websites come out with their suggestions for how to stay healthy for the next 12 months. It’s no surprise, because most people make New Year resolutions based at least partly on health, diet, nutrition and overall physical betterment. Why spend hours culling [...]…
For all kinds of reasons, Americans are finally catching on to an idea that is common in Europe, Asia and many other areas: Families need to have a disaster-preparedness inventory of food and essential supplies. World War II taught Europeans to be ready for anything, but since the battles were never fought on U.S. soil, [...]…
