Steve Bui, M.S.A much more popular part of the diet in East Asian countries, soy has been slowly increasing in popularity in the western diet as well. The soy bean is part of the legume family and can be grown in many different environments. Once mature, soy beans can be converted into a wide variety of other forms including: tofu, miso, oil, flour, meat substitute, and milk.Soy beans are considered to be one of the most nutritionally dense foods available. The Food and Drug Administration has o...

Wendy Gapinski, M.S.You may have heard a lot about omega-3 in the news recently. But, what really is omega-3? Well, omega-3 is a category of fatty acids that are most commonly found in marine and plant oils. Fats often get bad press but this type actually provides health benefits. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3s, are often easily identified by their ability to stay a liquid at room temperature. Saturated, unhealthy fats typically stay solid at room temperature.  While some of the mec...

Kyle Levers, M.S. CSCSThe popularity of coconut water has increased significantly over the past decade due to its nutritional composition and rehydration capability. Natural coconut water is the clear liquid found inside of a young, green coconut, not to be confused with the white liquid typically squeezed from the coconut’s outer layer, known as coconut milk.  A growing number of nutritional advertisements promote the use of coconut water over other well-established sports drinks, su...