On meeting slender, vivacious pescetarian Mary Weaver, owner of Newport Cooks, you’d never guess that her father helped “write the book” on commercial poultry production. While having breakfast together one morning, she told me the fascinating story of her family history in chickens. Her grandfather, William D. Weaver, raised chickens the “old fashioned way” on a poultry farm in Gloucester, VA. Her father, William D. Weaver Jr., grew up on that farm, but left left farming to study it in college, eventually becoming a professor of poultry science at Virginia Tech. During the years that he was …

Here in the United States, the artichoke is a harbinger of spring. Nearly the entire domestic crop is produced in California. Artichokes are a nutrient superstar because they provide more than 15 percent of your total recommended daily allowance (RDA) for four or more different vitamins and minerals. One medium artichoke has only 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrate (including 7 grams of fiber), and 4 grams of protein. It’s a good source of Vitamins C, K, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese. Cooked artichoke hearts are the highest ranking vegetable in …

This winter the weather in Rhode Island has been unusually cold, alternating between biting dryness and soaking storms. The days are also shorter in this cold season, and we’re generally less active, burning fewer calories. We often notice a natural tendency to want to sleep more or be less active. It is a time for slowing down a bit and conserving energy to handle the cold. Because of the dryness of the cold air outdoors and the heat indoors, our bodies can become very dry. In response to this dryness, we tend to produce more mucus to keep the body’s moist tissues and delicate membranes …

According to the research, kids who regularly eat breakfast score better on standardized tests, get sick less frequently and are less likely to become obese later in life. And yet 30-48 percent of American children skip breakfast every day. When I asked a few Portsmouth students why they didn’t bother with breakfast, I wasn’t particularly surprised by their answers. Generally, they said that either they weren’t hungry or they didn’t have enough time in the morning to make one. I hear the complaint about not being hungry in the morning a lot in my practice. When I probe a little deeper, I find…

Easing out of the cycle of holiday bustle, stimulation and over­indulgence into deep winter can be a difficult transition. It is a natural time for turning inward and slowing the pace of our lives. If we've been overindulging in fine food and drink for the extended winter holidays, however, this healthy, natural tendency can manifest in things like mild depression, uncomfortable weight gain, persistent cravings for sweets or other heavy carbs or just general lethargy. If you find yourself in this predicament, one remedy is to undertake a gentle, deep winter "cleanse" to launch the new year. …

I am the recipe designer and co-author for a new series of unique cookbooks with my friend and cutting-edge nutritionist, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. We launched the series a couple of years ago with The Healthiest Meals on Earth. It was Dr. Jonny's first cookbook and was well received by his readers. As a result, we wrote a series of four new books, the first of which released in the first week of December: The Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth. We wrote this book in answer to the pleas of families and singles desperate for new ways to prepare healthy meals in a hurry. The average …

Here it is, early December, and we find ourselves smack in the middle of the biggest holiday season in our culture. It typically begins with Halloween (and a sugar binge) and rolls through Thanksgiving (the biggest meal of the year) right on into Christmas (cookie time with all the trimmings), Hanukkah (eight nights in a row of sweets and treats) or other food-filled December celebrations. Many of us emerge in early January, blinking sleepily, loosening our belt buckles and wondering what happened to our healthy routines. This is not the way it has to be—it is fully possible to maintain …

As the weather grows steadily cooler and the leaves are dropping in earnest, it's time to start planning for the winter holidays. Thanksgiving lands on Nov. 25 this year and Portsmouth's Green Grocer (www.thegreengrocerri.com) is standing ready to help you prepare.  If you are looking for a natural or organic turkey to help you celebrate Thanksgiving, they have what you need. There are a few different options to choose from, including fresh and frozen birds. If you know you'd like a fresh one, try to place your order by the 20th, but they can accommodate last minute add-ons up to a couple of …

Halloween is just around the corner and the pumpkins are rich, heavy, and ripe for the pickin'. The place to find the perfect sugar pumpkin or choose a soon-to-be Jack-o-lantern in Portsmouth is Quonset View Farm at 895 Middle Road. Quonset View Farm is owned by David and William Cotta and has been in their family since 1915. They also grow gorgeous, creamy potatoes, summer strawberries, and Christmas trees on their 140 acres. You can pick your own pumpkins on the weekends all through October between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., but it's a good idea to call ahead to be sure their stand is open: (401…

We are very blessed in Portsmouth to have several local farms producing some of the best fresh corn you can find. My favorite place to get sweet corn is Mello's Farm stand at 364 Boyd's Lane (http://mellosfarmstand.com/). For several weeks now, the corn has been so good that you can eat it raw, right off the cob. Art and Laura Mello have been running their farm stand for the past 21 years. They produce tree fruit, a variety of vegetables, a broad range of delicious heirloom tomatos and, of course, corn, on their 20-acres of leased farmland. They are currently in the certification process with…

Summer is barbecue season, and our grill in Common Fence Point is getting a workout almost every night. My family loves a great burger, but everyone knows that too much red meat isn't heart-healthy. One solution? Go grass-fed. What is grass-fed meat? Grass-fed meat comes from animals raised more naturally on pasture, eating the grasses and other plants that make up their native diet. Conventional beef comes from cows raised in feedlots on a diet of grains –a food their stomachs aren't designed to digest. They are kept out of the sunlight in very tight quarters, and given regular doses of …