Potatoes are bad for heart health, according to recent research. The United States Department of Agriculture released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, a little bit late–on January 31, 2011. And according to the Harvard School of Public Health, the recommendations are behind the times as well. The new USDA guidelines emphasize a diet rich […]
Checking radiation levels. Will potassium iodide work? When I wrote a Green Prophet article in the summer of 2009 dealing with research into a vaccine to protect against the effects of radiation sickness, I never realized that this topic would be as relevant as it is today. This is due to the ongoing crisis of […]
National Geographic "isn't just about animals": that's the message the Editor-in-Chief of the Arabic version intends to convey.
The Israeli government wakes up to concerns about hormones and antibiotics in drinking water. Last week at Green Prophet, we wrote about how an increase in breast size may be connected to hormones in the water supply. Estrogens in the environment or in our food are implicated in lower sperm counts and higher rate of […]
The latest research out of Israel hints to pregnancy prevention via antioxidants. It’s a tale with two endings, a conundrum for consumers of antioxidant-rich foods, drinks and facial products. What has been touted as a natural way to slow the aging process by minimizing cell damage via oxidation may be one culprit in female infertility. […]
Are soy products increasing women’s health risks? Miriam takes up the debate. Hannah’s thoughtful post on increased breast size in modern women made me think of the effect of soy on hormone stimulation. The theory that genetically-modified, unfermented soy products stimulate estrogen flow production is gaining ground, paired with what we know about GM foods’ […]
Care for wild edibles as if you’d grown them yourself, and they’ll come back year after year. The Jewish springtime Tu B’Shvat festival is just around the corner on Wednesday night, the 19th of this month. The flowering of the almond trees on that day also signals new green growth on Israel’s dry soil. It’s […]
Somewhat belatedly, Turkey bans the procurement and use of asbestos throughout Turkey. Asbestos was once considered the darling of building materials given its extraordinary resistance to heat, its absorbent qualities, and its tensile strength. Commonly used in roofing, tiles, paper production, ceiling and floor tiles, in packaging, and in gadgets, asbestos became popular in the […]
From Aztecs and A-list celebrities, the ancient healing practice of cupping has such a diverse fanbase and illustrious history that it’s hard to credit one culture with its conception. The practice is believed to date back to thousands of years with evidence of the method amongst medicinal traditions of the Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks. The […]
Amirim, a unique vegetarian village in northern Israel, offers gorgeous views… and mediocre food. Once upon a time (according to the owner of the bed and breakfast that I recently stayed at in Amirim), a young group of idealistic vegetarians gathered in central Israel and decided that they needed to get away from all that […]
Dead Sea Herbs resurrects ancient Hebrew medicine practices to keep your skin beautiful. Sometimes, with our abundance of tools and technological devices that make modern living easier, we forget that somehow people got along just fine without them a few generations ago. It may be hard to imagine how our parents ever went to school […]
Within Islam there are many herbs, plants and fruits that are believed to have medicinal and healing properties. Olive, pomegranate, dates and figs are amongst those that are directly mentioned in the Quran as blessed foods. However, there is only one that can stake a claim as a super food and that is black cumin, fennel flower, or 'Habbat ul Sawda' as it is known in Arabic.
The recent salmonella outbreak in the U.S. provoked a debate: are local eggs really safer than eggs from industrial farms? Over this past summer, half a billion eggs were recalled in the U.S. due to salmonella contamination. Salmonella, a debilitating and potentially life-threatening illness, is caused by the salmonella enteriditis bacteria. The eggs came from […]
Are you sure you want to cook etrog jam this year? Make sure it’s organic, first. In my parent’s old-fashioned cookbooks are recipes based on the beautiful, fragrant etrog (citron): etrog jam, etrog cake and cookies, even an etrog souffle. As tempting as it is to make jam out of the attractive yellow fruit after […]
Watching TV and sitting at the computer is fattening, if you eat in front of the screen. It’s time to examine our eating habits and consider how best to repair them. Most people agree that eating in front of the computer or TV leads to overeating. We unconsciously reach for another handful of that salty […]