(Ocean Robbins) In 1976, a man named Xavier Roberts attended a local craft fair, where he discovered the creation of Martha Nelson, a Louisville art student. He saw a marketing opportunity in her one-of-a-kind “Doll Babies,” with their distinctive chubby faces and puckered expressions, along with individual birth certificates and adoption papers. Roberts convinced Nelson to allow him to manufacture and sell the doll babies in a different market, but after a dispute, Nelson rescinded her permission. So Roberts created his own version of the homely little dolls, which he called The Little People, and tried to license them to the big toy makers and distributors.
food revolution network
Healthy Morning Drinks to Start Your Day Off Right
(Ocean Robbins) Once upon a time, there was an Ethiopian monk with a problem. According to legend, he just couldn’t stay awake during prayers, which made him look bad to his monastic brothers. One day he was traveling through a field when he happened upon a strange and wondrous sight — a pirouetting shepherd and a herd of capering goats.
Vitamin E Benefits: Why it Matters & the Best Places to Find It
(Ocean Robbins) Henry Albright Mattill was obsessed with the possibility that milk was the “perfect food.” The professor of biochemistry ran a series of experiments, starting in 1920, in which he fed a group of rats nothing but cow’s milk for their entire lives. Aside from the grim monotony (no 31 flavors here), the rats appeared to thrive. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)
What is Amaranth? History, Benefits, and Uses
(Ocean Robbins) The late comedian Mitch Hedberg observed that “Rice is great when you’re really hungry and want to eat 2,000 of something.” Had he known about amaranth, a tiny staple food about the size of a poppy seed, he might have amended the joke to “Amaranth is great when you’re really hungry and want to eat 100,000 of something.” And not just any something — amaranth delivers a powerful nutritional profile, has a distinctive, nutty flavor, and looks fabulous while growing.
Healthy Winter Vegetables & the Best Ways to Enjoy Them
(Ocean Robbins) If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’re familiar with the motto of House Stark: “Winter is Coming.” In the context of that fantasy world, it means that life is about to get cold, hard, and mean.
What are Food Allergies — And What Can You Do About Them?
(Ocean Robbins) When I was a teenager, I spent some time backpacking in Malaysia. One night, I woke to the sound of chewing close to my ear. Instantly full of adrenaline, I leapt to my feet and, clad only in my underwear, did my best warrior impression. Brandishing a pocketknife and a flashlight, I attempted to intimidate what I thought was some sort of monster that had invaded my hut.
What Are GMOs or Bioengineered Foods? And Are They Safe?
(Ocean Robbins) Before you get too excited, I want to make it clear that I’m referring to the phenomenon of sexual reproduction. That’s the incredibly cool process that creates variety, diversity, and new life.
Does Science Support the Blood Type Diet?
(Ocean Robbins) In the 17th century, the European medical world was abuzz with the possibility that blood could be transfused from one organism to another. The British had done some dog-to-dog transfusions, and their archrivals, the French, decided to up the ante by transfusing lambs’ blood into human beings. The court physician to King Louis XIV, an ambitious experimenter named Jean-Baptiste Denis, tried in 1668 to cure an infamous Paris “madman” by giving him serial transfusions. When the second procedure proved fatal, with the subject shaking in a violent fit and dying the next day, Denis was arrested. After a trial and inquiry, the practice of transfusion — even human to human — was prohibited, and it remained a rare occurrence for the next 150 years.
Transform School Meals to Nourish Kids and Create Opportunities for Farmers
(Kari Hamerschlag) As California’s schools prepared to reopen earlier this year, protecting children’s health should have been a top priority. One surprising way to achieve this, along with rigorous COVID-19 protocols, is to make school food more accessible and healthful. Two bills in the state legislature could provide a booster shot in that direction.
What Are Flavonoids? And How Are They Good for Your Health?
(Ocean Robbins) One day in the spring of 1831, 74 members of the British army’s 60th Rifle Corps began marching across a bridge spanning the Irwell River, near Manchester. Their commander was Lieutenant Percy Slingsby Fitzgerald, which I mention only because his name is so perfectly suited to the story that it seems like it was made up by a bad Victorian novelist.
Healthy Starters and Appetizers for All Occasions
(Ocean Robbins) The appetizer is making a comeback! For a long time, appetizers were mainly for fancy, multi-course sit-down dinners — and as finger foods at cocktail parties. For most of us, they weren’t part of our everyday life. But just as many of us are consuming media in smaller and smaller chunks — and getting our news in “soundbites” — many people are taking a liking to the sampling of lighter and more convenient food fare. And while decreased attention spans might not be anything to celebrate, the move toward lighter and more varied meals can be good for our enjoyment of life and our health — if we make those appetizers healthy.
What is Miso? Introducing a Longevity Food of the Blue Zones
(Ocean Robbins) It’s a comfort food that’s good for you… A salty food that may improve heart health… A peaceful culinary offering to the West from the son of an impoverished warrior… If these sound too good to be true, allow me to introduce you to the delicious, versatile, and wonderful Japanese condiment called miso.
What Are Adaptogens & How Can You Benefit from Them?
(Ocean Robbins) It’s no secret that eating plants is good for our health. Even unglamorous veggies like potatoes and ordinary fruits like apples are nutritional powerhouses, providing us with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and multiple forms of fiber. But there are a few plants credited with “above and beyond” powers of healing. Known as “adaptogens,” their popularization in recent years came via wellness-minded celebrities. And adaptogens are gaining momentum in the west as solutions to many of the problems of modern living: low mood, stress, anxiety, depression, and a compromised immune system. Adaptogens are often promoted as safe and natural alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs, although they work complementary to Western medicines as well. So the big question is: Are adaptogens the real deal, or just plain old plants with a big marketing budget?