Goin' All Ivy League on Ya

I'm constantly in search of well-researched and well-written online sources for nutrition information.

By now I shouldn't be surprised by the amount of misinformation that's circulated on the internet, but somehow I still am. I'm especially shocked at the number of writers claiming to be nutrition experts, and there are days when I simply throw up my hands in confusion and disgust at the contradictions and hidden agendas of so many "expert" opinions.

So imagine my delight when I found TheNutritionSource.org and learned that it is actually a division of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Some of my favorite features on the site include:

• The Healthy Eating Pyramid: a new take on the old government-issue food pyramid (which means that industry & special interest groups didn't have a chance to tinker with it)
• What Should You Eat? : a la Michael Pollan, this section offers 8 tips on how to choose healthy foods (not what foods to avoid!)
• a full page of recipes to try at home

An article that I've found especially helpful is "Choosing Healthy Drinks." I don't know about you, but sometimes Topher & I find it hard to come up with things that we like to drink (i.e. taste good) that aren't sugar-laden or alcoholic. Sure, there's milk and water, but those can get pretty boring after a while -- or downright painful, if you're lactose-intolerant. This article offers some good alternatives that won't inflate your daily carb/calorie intake.

And finally, "Fish: Friend or Foe?" is a great read about the benefits and possible risks associated with eating seafood on a regular basis. I never shy away from sushi, fried flounder, crab cakes, steamed shrimp, or raw oysters on the half, but some people do have serious hang-ups about eating anything from the ocean. The bottom line: "Fears of contaminants make many unnecessarily shy away from fish" and miss out on its numerous perks, which include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, selenium, and protein.

Happy reading, and eating!