Stories by Nutrition Diva Monica Reinagel

Carbonated drinks may increase the "hunger hormone" ghrelin, but these hormones are only one of many factors that contribute to our subjective experience of being hungry

Can drinking mushroom beverages really make you more productive, resilient, relaxed or good-looking? 

Learning to think critically about nutrition claims can help make us better consumers of information in general

Fish oil supplements are the third most popular nutritional supplement. But just how firm is the evidence to support their use?

Nicotine, hormones and certain medications can all be delivered through the skin through medicinal patches or creams. Why not vitamins and minerals?

These juicy plant-based burgers could fool even a meat lover. But are they actually healthier for us?

Is an oil-free diet healthier? What are the arguments for and against eliminating oil from your diet?

Is six meals a day the secret to losing weight?

You put raw meat into the freezer and a couple of months later it appears cooked. What's going on? 

Up to 25% of people who take antidepressants report significant weight gain. Is there anything you can do to fight back?

A recent study suggests pesticides in produce may interfere with your chances of getting pregnant. Let's explore its findings

Get the 411 on seitan and its surprising secret ingredient. Is this meat substitute one to try or one to skip?

Nonstick pans allow you to cook with less oil and clean-up is a breeze. But are they safe?

22% of Americans are trying to reduce their sugar intake and more than half are trying to avoid artificial sweeteners like Equal and Splenda. What's the upshot?

Do salty foods make you hungrier? Or do they help you burn more calories? A new study finds that salt has unexpected effects on hunger and weight loss. Learn how this affects you

Mycoprotein is a plant-based source of protein you might not have heard much about. Here's the 411 on this alternative protein source

Research suggests that higher protein meals can help you lose weight, slow aging, and speed recovery. But what if you don't want to—or can't—eat that much protein?

A lot of patient-run websites insist that eliminating gluten is essential for treating thyroid disease. What's the evidence to support this advice?

Fatty liver disease can be a warning sign of bigger troubles ahead.  Fortunately, it’s something that can be turned around with diet and lifestyle changes.

It is true that certain types of potentially harmful chemicals end up stored in our fat cells. What we don’t know for sure is what effects these compounds might have on our health.

Some thoughts on the latest of a growing number of food- and health-related documentaries, along with some thoughts about this documentary genre, in general.

A recent study found that drinking even one diet soda a day may triple your risk for developing dementia. But there's a lot more to the story. Nutrition Diva explains

Is a slow metabolism keeping you from losing weight? Can you do anything to speed it up? A closer look at what we can realistically do to change our metabolism

Healthy diet and lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of disease, but not to zero.  Let's take a more realistic approach to risk reduction