Diet and Nutrition

Unhappy Meal: 91 Percent of Kids' Plates Unhealthy

The nutritional content of children's food at restaurants should be government-regulated. As I've said before, I believe there's no need to give in to "your whiny brat's tirade." The National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell menu standards, a voluntary initiative, recommends meals for children ... More >>

Dairy Industry Aims to Use Aspartame Secretly

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation want to be able to use aspartame without having to include it on product labels, as is currently required by law. The FDA has been ignoring the petition, which was filed in 2009. Until now. The agency is co ... More >>

Calle Ocho 2013 Report: Hispanics and Diabetes

It's no secret -- Hispanic culture centers around good food. No matter what their country of origin, traditional dishes are a source of pride and familiarity for most Hispanics. But they carry certain health risks.The prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics is high, so high that it borders on an epid ... More >>

No Guts, No Glory: New Book Says Key to Health Is Your Intestines

Searching for the source of your fatigue, chronic illness, indigestion, obesity, or even attention deficit disorder? Go with your gut, proposes Dr. Steven Lamm, MD, the "house doctor" on ABC's The View and author of the new book No Guts, No Glory.No Guts is a relatively short guide that packs a ton ... More >>

SoBeWFF Unkind to Vegetarians

If you didn't get to partake in any of the epic adventures that went down this past weekend at the SoBeWFF - we're so sorry. It was everything we could have possibly imagined -- nothing less than the Garden of Eden; Shangri-La; Nirvana. There were copious quantities of cocktails, edible swag, sauced ... More >>

Martha Stewart Talks SoBeWFF, Love of Florida, and Vegetarian Meals

For more on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, check out New Times' Taste guide, hitting newsstands Thursday, February 21. Martha Stewart is the woman who does it all. Just reading her list of accomplishments -- author of 77 books, host of an Emmy-winning television show, and founder of Mart ... More >>

Miami ING Marathon: Tips for Carb Loading

Miami's ING Marathon is only four days away. I'm counting because I'm running it. These last few days before a race find many athletes stressing out about food. The truth is, no matter how hard you've trained, poor timing and choices in your eating style can sabotage your run. I've experienced this ... More >>

Five Sexy Vegan Valentine's Day Gifts: Edible Body Butter, Candy Lips, and Beyond

When people hear the word "vegan," the last thing that comes to mind is decadence. The first thing is usually an image of a scrawny, pale lady wearing Birkenstocks and hugging a tree. Not exactly the picture of sensuality.But as usual, my aim for this column today is to challenge preconceived notion ... More >>

Sunny LaValle: Eat to Beat the Flu

Like an impending tornado, the flu is circling, looming and ready to strike. The CDC estimates that 128 million doses of the flu vaccine have already been administered as of this month, which is a whopping 95 percent of the total manufacturers planned to produce all year. Boston even declared a publ ... More >>

Minimum Age Requirement To Purchase Energy Drinks?

We all know that chugging down can after can of Monster, Red Bull, or Rock Star ain't exactly healthy, yet some of us chug down multiple doses of energy drinks every day.An adult endangering his or her health is one thing, but how about a kid? Energy drinks have become a very popular drink among tee ... More >>

Focus on Unhealthy Foods Might Help Dieting, Study Suggests

It's a tough battle overcoming the bulge -- especially when you can't quite overcome the binge. A new study published yesterday by the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that individuals trying to diet should pay attention to the unhealthy foods they eat, not the healthy stuff.

How Not to Get Fat at Work: Miami Dietician Lisa Eichenbaum Weighs In

In my first real desk job, I worked as an editorial assistant at a travel company proofreading a thousand-page resort directory, making sure words like "laundry facilities" were spelled and spaced correctly. Yes, that sucked, but it wasn't the worst of it. The worst was having to sit in my cubicle d ... More >>

UMiami Study: Heavy Drinkers Work Out Harder Than Non-Drinkers

You really want that six pack? Maybe you should down a six pack every night. According to a new University of Miami study, people who report heavy drinking habits work out harder than moderate drinkers and non-drinkers. This also might explain why the University of Miami gym is so damned packed all ... More >>

Swedish Study Says Chocolate Prevents Strokes In Men

We love chocolate and for years, researchers have been finding ways for chocolate to love us back. In the past, we've found out that chocolate (the darker the better) is actually filled with antioxidants, has anti-clotting properties (much like aspirin), and can lower blood pressure. Not to mention ... More >>

How to Make Your Labor Day Barbecue Vegan-Friendly

If you're grilling this Labor Day, stats from vegetarian research groups put the odds around 1 in 300 that you'll end up with a vegan at your party. Your chances of having to feed a vegetarian are higher: about 1 in 44. And if you live in Seattle, San Francisco, or Portland, Oregon -- the cities tha ... More >>

Zevia with Stevia: An Office Taste Test

No, this isn't some new Disney Channel show for tweens about twins in middle school. Zevia (with stevia) is a fairly new soda brand, mostly sold in specialty food shops like The Fresh Market. Instead of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, or the laughter of unicorns, Zevia uses stevia as a s ... More >>

Three Cool Raw Vegan Soups for the Hottest Days of Summer

A few months ago, before temperatures skyrocketed, I received a copy of Eat Raw, Eat Well, a cookbook by Douglas McNish containing 400 raw, vegan, and gluten-free recipes. I took a look at the cover - it pictures swirls of colorful raw vegetable "pasta" shaved from the original plants, an effect sur ... More >>

Miami's Top Five Veggie Burgers

​Want access to our Best Of picks from your smartphone? Download our free Best Of app for the iPhone or Android phone from the App Store or Google Play. Don't forget to check out the full Best of Miami® 2012 online at bestof.voiceplaces.com.Unlike their meatier namesakes, veggie burgers are a mor ... More >>

The Vegan & Vegetarian Guide to Miami Spice

Miami Spice begins August 1. Like New York's Restaurant Week, it lets diners indulge in prix-fixe menus at the city's best restaurants at deeply discounted prices. We Miamians are actually even luckier than our friends up north, because our opportunity to "Spice" up our diets on a budget lasts ... More >>

Seven Super Cheap, Healthy Vegan Foods

When adopting an organic plant-based diet, people fear the expense. But nutrient-rich, disease-preventing, obesity-fighting plant foods will save you money on medical bills in the long run (and make you feel better right away).Certainly, organic produce is more expensive than the standard type becau ... More >>

Veganism Safe for Kids, Says Lisa Dorfman, Director of University of Miami's Nutrition Program

Last week, I reviewed Vegan Is Love, a children's book that explains the reasons behind the choice to go vegan. It contains a page dedicated to the health aspect of the lifestyle, but most of the book is devoted to outlining the ethics of veganism -- how animals are treated on the dairy farm, at the ... More >>

Dating Vegans: Enlightening or "Very High Maintenance and Kind of Annoying?"

I ran into an optometrist we'll call "Richard" at Ultra and then a month later at Arkadia. Thanks to his unrelenting persistence, I agreed to go out with him. But I knew we might have some issues when he told me he was working on eating healthier by consistently ordering the chicken sandwich with th ... More >>

Pink Slime and Now Mad Cow? Skip the Beef, Opt for a Homemade Veggie Burger Instead

Emily CodikVeggie Burger from Green Gables CaféOn Tuesday, the USDA confirmed the detection of Mad Cow disease in a California dairy cow. Even though the agency also announced that American beef and milk continue to be safe for consumption, reports have already surfaced of countries like Indonesia ... More >>

Babies Don't Want Vegan Mommies? What a Load of Baloney

This past weekend, the LA Times published an editorial suggesting pregnant women who adhere to a vegan diet and subsequently raise vegan children are irresponsible. The writer, Alexandra Le Tellier, was responding to the release of Vegan Is Love, a new children's book that explains and advocates a v ... More >>

Main Street Vegan: How to Go Vegan in the Real World (Book Review)

When I first read about Victoria Moran's Main Street Vegan, I thought the book was beneath me. After all, it's primarily a guidebook for aspiring vegans, and I've been on the vegan wagon for a few years now.In reading it, though, I learned some powerful new things about the ethics of veganism (and h ... More >>

Vegans Have Better Sex in Miami (Interviews)

​PETA recently launched a (typically) controversial ad campaign that features a battered-looking woman walking down the street, complete with neck brace and sling. We discover she sustained her injuries as a result of her boyfriend's recent conversion to veganism and his resulting new animalistic ... More >>

School Lunch: French Fries Still a Vegetable, But New Rules Are Better

​Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama ate a cafeteria lunch at a local D.C. area elementary school as a sign of support (and photo op) to mark the new USDA nutritional standards for public school lunches. These rules, which must be implemented by July, 2012, aren't perfect (French fries are still ... More >>

Four Ideas For New Nutrition Labels, From Stars to Traffic Lights

​"The grocery store has become a Tower of Babel," said Louis Sullivan back in 1990. "Consumers need to be linguists, scientists, and mind readers to understand the many labels they see."Sullivan at the time was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and he instructed the FDA to ... More >>

A Post-Holidays Juice Fast Can Help If You Ate A Few Too Many Christmas Hams

​Did you stuff your face to the point of bursting this Christmas? Yes, of course you did. But it's okay; it's not too late to turn things around in time to fit into a slinky dress for New Year's Eve. What's the answer? Juice fasting. Not only will your reduced calorie intake help you shed a few qu ... More >>

Health Drink Kombucha: Fermented Tea to Get Your Guts in Order

Kombucha is fermented tea crawling with live and active cultures. And it is taking up ever more shelf space in the beverage aisle at Whole Foods. Why? It may help restore health to your digestive tract and give you an immune boost.Probiotics are not just for yogurts anymore. In fact, they haven't be ... More >>

Probiotic Supplements: Should You Be Popping Bacteria Pills?

​Gut bacteria: Those are two nasty words. But the one quadrillion microorganisms in your intestines are a beautiful thing, when they're kept in healthy balance.Together, they can work just like another organ in the digestive system, breaking down unused food particles, fending off or thwarting gro ... More >>

Former Vegan Chef at Red the Steakhouse Does Tofu Three Ways

​There's a perception that the vegan diet, which excludes all animal products, is incompatible with fine dining. In this new series, the Beet Reporter aims to see whether Miami's tastiest restaurants are prepared to feed vegans with something more than boring garden salads.I doubt many vegans have ... More >>

Tudor House Gives Damn Good Vegan

​There's a perception that the vegan diet, which excludes all animal products, is incompatible with fine dining. In this new series, the Beet Reporter aims to see whether Miami's tastiest restaurants are prepared to feed vegans with something more than boring garden salads.Celebrity chef Geoffrey ... More >>

Vegan Dining at The Forge: Veggie Canneloni and Tomatoes Brulee

​There's a perception that the vegan diet, which excludes all animal products, is incompatible with fine dining. In this new series, the Beet Reporter aims to see whether Miami's tastiest restaurants are prepared to feed vegans with something more than boring garden salads.I hadn't been to The For ... More >>

Derek Tresize, Vegan Bodybuilder: Meat Grows Muscles and Cancer

Derek Tresize has an unreal body. The 24-year-old has been bodybuilding on a plant-based diet for five years. This summer, he took third place in his class at the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation competition, his first contest.He grew up a multitalented athlete in San Diego. At age 19, ... More >>

Restaurants Lying About the Amount of Calories in Their Food? You Don't Say

​I knew it! Some restaurants, both sit down and fast food are downplaying the amount of calories in their menu items, according to an article at Time.com. Susan Roberts, who directs the Energy Metabolism Laboratory of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University, says that "healthy ... More >>

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead Shocks, Scares, and Inspires

​Americans spent about $40 million last year on weight-loss products. If you count the rest of the world, that jumps to about $60 billion. Let's hope the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead will change those numbers a bit.The reason we spend so much money on diet books, weight-loss supple ... More >>

Vegan Juice Jam Ends Mass Fast at Choices Cafe (Video)

Camille Lamb Raw vegan Marie Jorgensen and Amanda Resto, the raw vegan chef at T.H.R.I.V.E. on Miami Beach, get goofy on juice.​In the world of puritan health foodies, Welch's grape, Capri Sun, and even Tropicana are not acceptable examples of "juice." The word, and associated terms like "j ... More >>

Musings On A Year Without Cheese

​A quick recap: I went vegetarian in '94 and over the years phased out eating gelatin, buying leather, and cut way down on eggs and dairy. Toward the end of 2009 I decided to stop making excuses to myself and just go vegan. Never imagined I'd do it, but it's now 1.5 years later and I've settled in ... More >>

The Six Worst Fast Food Burgers

The McDonald's Angus Burger -- the "best" of the "worst."​In honor of National Burger Month, Short Order featured some great burgers in Miami, but, thus far, has totally ignored the way most people get their burger -- at the drive thru. Yes, there are wonderful places to enjoy a quality bur ... More >>

The ANDI Scale: Thrive vs. Burger King

via ThriveTreats at Thrive.​A friend and I recently lunched at Thrive (1239 Alton Rd., Miami Beach). We split two entrées and a fresh juice. Our bill came to about $32. For $16, we each had half a portobello mushroom "pizza" topped with cashew nut cheese, a half portion of sweet potato and black ... More >>

Victor Diaz is No Austin Powers

​Victor Diaz's Modjo, doesn't guarantee you'll get the girl -- but he does hope it will help you live longer and look younger. So technically at least, you are upping your chances. Along with his wife Patricia, the Chicago native is taking on the beverage industry giants with a new line of thirst ... More >>

From Oreos to Zagnuts: Ten Foods Vegans Eat to Scrape By

Oprah and 378 staffers recently took a one-week vegan challenge.​Or, "How to Succeed at Veganism Without Really Trying."Vegans are humans too. Like most Americans, we have only so much time to dedicate to food preparation. So it is an error when outsiders ponder the vegan lifestyle and automatical ... More >>

T.H.R.I.V.E.: Vegan/Raw Food Eatery Deeply Hidden in South Beach

Lee KleinRaw burger made from...um...​T.H.R.I.V.E. is the name of this little vegan/raw food/juice bar at 1239 Alton Road on South Beach, but you won't see any indication of it existing if you walk by. Even knowing the address won't help, and if I tell you that it is within the Garden Center, you ... More >>

Foods to Fight Stress

Web MD​Vacations have come to an end. The kids are back to school. The lazy, hazy days of summer are over. You're ready for mother's little helper. But don't succumb to temptation. Nor should you gobble down nutrition-less bowls of rubbery mac and cheese or your fave guilty pleasure from the drive ... More >>

Vegetarian Valhalla

On South Beach, something new, something Guru

Is "Healthy" Food Healthier than "Fast"? Not Always

Is "Healthy" Food Healthier than "Fast"? Not Always

Best Health Food Store

Whole Foods Market

Best Frozen Yogurt

Yocream