Author: Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes' most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, NPR, and in the nation's leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
I recently had an episode about the difference between powdered cacao and cocoa powder. But the day AFTER that episode was released, Consumer Reports published their findings that many popular brands of dark chocolate contained concerning amounts of lead and cadmium. You can also listen to that episode by clicking this player while you keep reading. My inbox filled up with emails from listeners asking how to evaluate or avoid this threat. So today, in light of the inbox and the upcoming Valentine’s holiday, I have part two of my unplanned series on the benefits and risks of chocolate. Specifically,…
In the final Nutrition Diva podcast episode of 2022, I reflect on how we in the health media communicate about the topics, trends, and research that we cover—and why it matters. One of the challenges that I face in covering nutrition science is putting “breaking news” into a larger context so that you can put it in perspective. Despite the tendency to position every new development as a breakthrough or game-changer, the truth is that nutrition science (and, really, most science) moves incrementally. New findings may add more data points that confirm a prevailing hypothesis. Or, just as often, the…
A History of Science-Based Tips Over the last many years, the Nutrition Diva podcast has discussed the effect of cholesterol on overall health many times. Today, we bring you some of the most impactful, data-based and diva-delivered information on the subject. We’ll touch on foods like coconut oil, oats, and eggs before wrapping things up with a lesson on how to raise your good cholesterol. We kick things off with the Nutrition Diva discussing the impact – if any – that coconut oil has on cholesterol. How does coconut oil affect cholesterol? I have a good listener question for you…
Thanksgiving is not a day to diet, but with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can avoid ending up as stuffed as the turkey. Nutrition Diva explains. Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and family, be grateful for all we have, and stuff ourselves silly. I’m not that concerned about the long term consequences of this. As I’ve said before, a single day of excess isn’t going to make you gain weight any more than a one-day juice fast is going to make you lose weight. Nonetheless, it’s no fun to push yourself away from the table…
I got an email this week from a listener who wanted to know if I’d ever done an episode on the blood type diet. “I recently ran across a quick mention of the blood type diet and wanted to hear your take on the legitimacy of it. If you’ve previously talked about it, I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me to that episode.” In fact, I talked about the blood type diet way back in 2009, toward the end of my very first year doing the podcast. You can listen to that here. After I sent this…
If drinking red wine gives you a headache, you’ve probably had someone tell you that sulfites are the likely culprit. Perhaps you’ve been advised to stick to white wine, organic wines, or wines made in Europe on the grounds that these will be lower in sulfites. Let’s clear up some of the most common myths and misunderstandings about sulfites, wine, and headaches. What are sulfites? First, a little background: Sulphur dioxide (or SO2) is a chemical compound made up of sulfur and oxygen. It occurs naturally in foods but it can also be produced in a laboratory. Sulfite has also…
Q. When it’s “that time of the month” I feel like my stomach is a bottomless pit. I can eat and eat. I also crave sweets. Is this normal? A. In a word: Yes. It’s very common to experience an increase in appetite or cravings for certain foods just before or during your period. The idea that getting one’s period causes an uncontrollable desire for sweets is so heavily reinforced in our society that it could easily become a self-fulfulling prophecy. But how much of this is biological or physiological and how much of it is in our heads? After…
Do you need minerals in your water? A lot of people are concerned that fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they used to be because the soil has become depleted of minerals. I don’t think we need to worry about declining mineral levels in produce, but mineral water still sounds like a good idea—sort of like a vitamin supplement you can drink. Are there health benefits of drinking mineral water? Are there any risks? I don’t think we need to worry about declining mineral levels in produce, but mineral water still sounds like a good idea—sort of like a…
Recently, a listener posted a question about powdered milk on my Facebook page. She was wondering whether it’s okay to use dried or powdered milk in place of fresh milk. Powdered milk is, of course, less expensive than fresh milk. It’s relatively non-perishable, lightweight, and portable. Many include powdered milk in their emergency food stores. In terms of nutrients like calcium, protein, and potassium, dried milk is comparable to fresh milk. Like fresh milk, dried milk is usually fortified with Vitamin A and D. You can add dried milk to powder to breads and other baked goods, soups, sauces, smoothies,…
Nutrition Diva listener John recently asked me to weigh in on a new FDA approved weight loss drug called Gelesis100. The drug is not yet available to the public, but it will probably be coming onto the market very soon as a prescription-only drug under the brand name Plenity. I bet it’ll be hard to miss it when it does become available; there will probably be a huge advertising and marketing push. But is this new drug going to be the one that turns the tide against obesity? Previous pharmaceutical approaches to weight loss have all had major drawbacks. Stimulants…