Anyone who’s ever tried to change their food and eating habits knows it’s not easy. You may do okay at first when you’re being really careful, but once your attention wavers, your old habits often come right back. I started thinking about why this is so hard after listening to an episode of the Science Friday podcast. The episode didn’t have anything to do with food, but it did have to do with the brain. The episode included an interview with Mary Frances O’Connor, author of

I’ve started watching a new show from the Food Network called The Julia Child Challenge. In it, the competing home chefs have to make dishes that are inspired by Julia Child, and they also see snippets from episodes of Julia’s cooking shows. And it’s clear that while Julia did not write the cookbook The Joy of Cooking, joy was certainly what she felt in the kitchen. But I know that’s not the case for a lot of people. For many, cooking can feel like a chore, especially for tho

I’ve been reading the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May, and while I’m enjoying it all around, one part about food caught my attention. Early in the book, May talks about having a mysterious illness that doesn’t get diagnosed until later as a problem with her gut. And while most of the time, we think of a healthy diet as one including lots of fiber-rich foods, she had to do the opposite for a few days. “I spend three days eating

I don’t know about you, but to me, it feels like spring is in the air. Yes, we may still get occasional snow, but at least it melts quickly. And even if you may not feel very peppy this morning due to Daylight Savings, pretty soon you’ll get used to the new hours and enjoy the warmer temperatures and longer daylight. I’ve also always thought this is a much better time of the year to change habits than early January. When you want to start a new habit in springtime, it feels l

Like many, I’ve been thinking a lot about the situation in Ukraine this past week. I’ve been reading about and listening to all kinds of reports and stories of the situation, including ones about food. And that makes sense, because in a crisis you go back to the basics, just trying to make sure you have clothes, shelter, warmth, food, and water. After all, without food, no one can fight. Without food, no one can flee for safety. We all know that food is essential to our survi