There has been much controversy about which fats to include in a healthy diet that would help is to avoid or reduce the chances of developing one of the chronic diseases of aging. These would include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, osteoarthritic conditions, autoimmune disease, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is primarily the result of increased brain inflammation. This has been referred to as “the brain on fire.” To maintain our brain health and cognitive abilities, we need to make dietary and other lifestyle choices that will reduce inflammation and put out the fire. Maximizing healthy fats in the diet will optimize brain health.

As more and more of us focus on healthy lifestyles and locally sourced ingredients, the public outcry for non GMO foods gets louder. Of course, we’d all love to have a great garden planted with heirloom seeds, but that’s not always possible. Fortunately, the resources for shopping and avoiding GMO products are growing.

In Ayurvedic herbal treatment, anti aging means principally keeping up a healthy body into herbal treatment and bringing down the operation of aging, degeneration and depreciation. The objective of herbal anti-aging treatment is to aim for a healthy aging mode, and to maintain both mind and body working at optimum level, so the treasures of old age can be relished with peace of mind and vitality.

This is a quick and simple side dish to make for warm summer evenings, as it only requires the briefest time on the stove top. Even better, there’s no need to stress about measuring ingredients – you can let the daily harvest from your home garden, or your favorite farmer’s market be your guide, as well as the number of people you expect to feed. Likewise, you can adjust the basic recipe to your own tastes. Any leftovers can be reheated, served cold, or at room temperature – you can even add some sliced, fresh tomatoes, toss it with your favorite vinaigrette and turn it into a summer salad!

As the world watches the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, we feel a need to respond with any help that we can provide. While several local churches and community centers have coordinated relief efforts, others are helping on an international level. For those who wish to help, we have compiled a few websites. Please note that Merlian News is not equipped to receive donations. Please use the list below.

Who doesn’t love to walk into the garden and pick a summer ripened juicy tomato to eat off the vine or slice up later with basil and olive oil? It’s almost a rite of summer for gardeners. Many summer vegetables that love heat such as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers can be started indoors as seeds in late March to mid April to get a head start on the season. Starting seeds indoors is easy, fun, and you get to watch your creation from seed to plant to your dinner plate….

For many, simply putting food on the table has become a struggle. As reported in the Washington Post, the United States is facing a shortage of up to 8 billion meals in the next 12 months. According to the food bank network Feeding America, the result of soaring hunger amid the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased demand at food banks.

This is a wonderful Fall dish that uses two of our seasonal favorites: Butternut Squash, and Brussel sprouts. The natural sweetness of the squash and onion mellow out the brussel sprouts, and the black beans add enough protein to take this from a side dish to a main course, if you want.

It’s the season for sweets, including pumpkin pie, but professional cook, Nancy Mehagian shares a side dish recipe for Japanese pumpkin that’s fast, healthy and delicious. Nancy has been a massage therapist and Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner in Los Angeles for nearly 30 years. She is the author of the culinary memoir, “Siren’s Feast, an Edible Odyssey”.