Author: Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS

Sandy writes: “Have you studied whether raw mushrooms are safe to eat? I’ve heard a few well-known doctors say there are toxic compounds in them that are destroyed by cooking. I’ve been avoiding raw mushrooms at the salad bar for some time now. What say you?” Prior to getting Sandy’s email, I was eating raw mushrooms in blissful ignorance, completely unaware of their toxic potential. Having now educated myself, I’m ready to answer Sandy’s question and let you know whether you have anything to fear from eating raw mushrooms. What’s in Raw White Mushrooms? A few clicks on Google led me…

We hear a lot about the microbiome these days—the trillions of probiotic bacteria that live on and in us. As we are learning, these microbes contribute to our health in myriad and previously unimagined ways. The beneficial bacteria in your intestines, for example, aid digestion, manufacture nutrients, protect against food-borne pathogens, and even appear to play a role in regulating your body weight. These helpful creatures can be wiped out by antibiotics and other drug therapies, colonics, or even a bad case of diarrhea. When this happens, you want to restore those beneficial intestinal flora as quickly as possible. In…

Q. “What do you think of tuna or salmon in pouches? I like adding them to my salads as the protein. Compared to lunchmeat, it seems a lot less processed and it’s much lower in sodium. Is it OK to eat this kind of fish 3-4 times a week?” A. Whether fresh, canned, or in pouches, fish is a fantastic alternative to processed lunch meats. Not only is it lower in sodium and other additives, it’s a good source of omega-3 fats and a great way to add protein to your lunch!  Compared to canned fish, the vacuum-sealed pouches also have a fresher…

The pizza looks delicious, bubbling with cheese and studded with pepperoni. And then you see the caption: “A 165-pound woman has to jump rope for 45 minutes to burn off the calories in two pieces of pepperoni pizza.”  Four more slides show similarly decadent foods and the exertions required to negate their caloric content. These arresting images accompanied CNN.com’s coverage of a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. As CNN reported, “The number of calories in a food or beverage item doesn’t mean much to many folks. But showing people how much activity they would have to…

Q. Thank you for your recent podcast episode on artificial sweeteners and their possible effects on gut bacteria. You mentioned that stevia may be a good option but what about erythritol?  A. You’re not the only one to wonder! Many new sugar-free sweeteners are a blend of stevia and erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol. Many listeners wrote to ask whether the effects of erythritol are known. Although stevia may support beneficial bacteria, it appears that erythritol promotes neither “good” nor “bad” intestinal bacteria. Researchers found that erythritol is resistant to fermentation by a range of microbiota from human guts. This is…

Q. Hello! My family just returned from Hawaii, and I was excited to try a recipe for Kalua Pork until I saw liquid smoke listed in the ingredients. Is liquid smoke safe? A. Liquid smoke is made by passing wood smoke through a chamber where the vapor is captured and condensed. Along with authentic smoke flavor, the resulting liquid also contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be carcinogenic. The amount of PAHs in liquid smoke depends on the type of wood and the smoking temperature, but the amounts are all quite small. Although I wouldn’t drink the stuff, I…

Stephanie writes, “If you need to overhaul your diet, are there some principles that are more of a priority? What’s the best order to tackle the changes needed to rebuild a healthy diet?” I love this question because it shows that—even if her diet needs a total overhaul—Stephanie understands three very important things: 1) building a healthy diet is an ongoing process, not just a decision; 2) trying to change everything at once is likely to backfire, and 3) some things are more important than others. It’s also a great topic for us to explore. Of course, it’s a little…

Nutrition Diva listener Jeffrey writes: “I feel like I get plenty of fiber, but I recently heard that blending fruits in a smoothie destroys the insoluble fiber. Am I defeating my health goals by blending the fruit?” This is a question I get a lot–which is not surprising when you consider the popularity of smoothies and juicing. But I get an equal number of emails from listeners who have heard that blending fruits and vegetables ruptures the cell walls and makes the nutrients more absorbable.  So which is it? Does liquifying your fruits and vegetables make them more nutritious or less?…

Nutrition Diva reader Thomas writes: “Some people claim that the body can’t absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein at a time. Others insist that your body utilizes all the protein you take in. Who is right? Is a post-workout shake with 50 grams of protein a waste?” This idea that the body can only utilize a certain amount of protein at one sitting has become widely accepted nutrition lore.  But is there any validity to the claim? It all comes down to what exactly you mean by “utilizing” protein. This notion about protein seems to have gotten started on…

Q.  In your article on decaffeinated coffee, you say that “Almost all decaffeinated coffee is produced using a Swiss water process or carbon dioxide extraction, both of which are quite harmless.” I have heard that Starbucks uses a chemical process to decaffeinate their coffee and I understand this is harmful for us and the environment.  What are your thoughts on this? A.  After receiving your email, I got in touch with Starbucks and was surprised – and disappointed – to learn that they do, in fact, use a solvent called methylene chloride to produce all but two of their decaffeinated coffees.…