Celebrity Rachael Ray Creates Recipe for Chicago Student Lunches One of USDA’s most important missions is providing healthy meals to school lunch programs across the country.  In a unique partnership, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) agencies teamed up with Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! non-profit organization, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system and Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality to […]

Marking 50 years of Progress … … USAID began with President John F. Kennedy’s vision for foreign assistance. Today USAID continues to save lives and advance opportunity around the world. Celebrating 50 years of Progress For fifty years, USAID programs have saved and improved lives around the world, advanced American values, increased global stability, and […]

Secretary Vilsack Outlines Farm Bill Priorities … … Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has started outlining what he hopes Congress will do in the 2012 Farm Bill. ### About United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Mission Statement  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on […]

Holiday Mail for Heroes – House Card Signing Event … … ### * Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes […]

Can yoga help women suffering from fibromyalgia? Women suffering from fibromyalgia may find some welcome relief in yoga. A new study from York University in Toronto shows that practicing yoga boosts levels of the stress hormone cortisol, helping ease some of the symptoms, which include pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness and depression. Low cortisol has been tied to fibromyalgia, and […]

Avoiding sun exposure may lead to vitamin D deficiency in Caucasians A new Stanford study shows that light-skinned people who avoid the sun are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency than others. As my colleague details in a recent news release: The team analyzed population-base data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected by the Centers for […]

TED Talk looks at the purpose of the brain … … The most complex part of the human body, the brain, is often described as the hub of our vast, complicated communication network. But, University of Cambridge neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert, BM BCh, D. Phil, argues, contrary to popular belief, our brains didn’t evolve to help us think […]

The benefits of the arts to both patient and practitioner A splash of acrylic paint on canvas. An overture from Mozart. A stanza of Rilke’s poetry. Each of these artistic endeavors helps patients heal in a strange environment: the hospital. Studies have shown that patients who participate in the creative arts, whether painting, writing, or listening […]

Cheri Blauwet, former med student and elite athlete, shares her story “Explaining that there’s a “story behind every application,” the Association of American Medical Colleges website has a series of Q&As with people on their journey from med school applicant to student (and beyond). Among those featured is Cheri Blauwet, MD, a Stanford alum and Paralympian wheelchair racer, whose personal story […]

Crowdsourcing nutrition in a snap PlateMate proves the wisdom of the (well-managed) crowd Americans spend upwards of $40 billion a year on dieting advice and self-help books, but the first step in any healthy eating strategy is basic awareness — what’s on the plate. If keeping a food diary seems like too much effort, despair […]