On Sunday night (4th November 2012) the Twittersphere went ballistic with hundreds of Tweeters critiquing and poking fun at celebrity chef Pete Evans’ daily diet which had appeared in Sunday Life, a supplement of The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald. The item that came in for most derision from the My Day on a Plate feature was activated almonds. In fact it was so popular it had its own hashtag #activatedalmonds. So what are activated almonds and do they have any health benefits over and above ordinary almonds?

Back in July an article I posted called Milk Permeate – The Unfiltered Truth caused quite a stir. This article was a factual article explaining exactly what milk permeate is and why it is added (with the blessing of the Foods Standards Code) to the milk we buy in the supermarket. At the same time I also wrote an FAQ on the topic called What is permeate and how is it made?

Gluten-free is the trendy food darling of the moment. I’ve never seen a wider choice of gluten-free pasta, bread, muffins, shortbread and muesli bars. Even gluten-free pizza and cookies. But if you don’t have to avoid gluten for medical reasons, I don’t believe these speciality foods will help you lose weight or digest your food better.

Milk permeate is an issue which is running hot in the TV, Newspapers and Social Media at the moment. So what’s the whole truth and what’s the “filtered” truth and more importantly from my point of view, what’s the REAL issue here.

Over 70 per cent of Australians want to know more about what's in their meals when eating out, including nutrition and transparency of ingredients, according the a new survey entitled the "World Menu Report".

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently launched its new healthy eating awareness tool - the MyPlate icon. This easy-to-understand icon replaces the more complex and less helpful MyPyramid. The MyPlate icon which allows American families to understand what they should be eating at a single glance is part of an awareness package that was developed to encourage healthy food choices based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

From 1 February 2011, all major NSW fast food chains were required to display the kilojoule (calorie) counts of their food with the same prominence as the price. For instance, the Grand Angus has 2780 kilojoules (see picture right). This “in-your-face” information is designed to make consumers take stock of what they, and their children, are eating.

There's been a lot of publicity about fish oil in recent times but how much is fact and how much is hype? How useful are they and do you really need to take them? I've prepared a handy eGuide to Fish Oil and Health to help you decide whether or not you need to take them. Here in one handy document are the answers to the most frequently asked questions on fish oil.