The relationship between ultra-processed foods and the brain axis is one that science has reinforced as existing. Have you ever caught yourself reaching for sweets or chips when you’re not even hungry? That right there may be processed food cravings. Several ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are designed intentionally to taste so good. Interestingly, studies have found…
Headlines keep warning about the villainy of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), but you’ll find them stacked high on store shelves. If people are not buying food in this niche, stores are unlikely to stock it. The logic that people are unaware of the dangers of UPFs is out of the question. For one, it is one…
Gluten-free cookies, pasta and bread have now featured prominently on food aisles, but are gluten-free products healthier? ‘Gluten-free’ has served as a selling point for many food brands; meanwhile, some people don’t understand its meaning. Medical research has confirmed the existence of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Consequently, that some categories of people are…
Protein shakes have become wildly popular in recent years, a trend of functional beverages that even Starbucks has hopped on. From probiotic sodas, adaptogen beverages, energy drinks and rehydration electrolytes, these all have one thing in common: they’re beverages designed to confer specific health benefits. There is no arguing that most beverages out there, even…
When modern people learn of the spiritual and religious undertone of monastic cooking traditions, they usually encounter surprises. Contemporary culinary practices and diets differ significantly from those found in the kitchens and dining halls of monasteries globally. Monastic cooking reflects centuries-old practices of not just asceticism, but also culinary minimalism. However, these traditions have outlived…
