What’s the Difference between Whole30 and Keto?

For a lot of Americans, new year means new diet—bringing terms like juice cleanse, sugar fast and healthy eating to mind. Two modern options in particular, Whole30® and ketogenic, are on trend. But what are they? Should you try one? Below, here’s a bite-sized look at the question of what’s the difference between Whole30 and keto!

Fresh produce for a post on keto vs Whole30 eating // go eat your bread with joy
Photo by Dose Juice on Unsplash

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: if two people come to a dinner party, one on Whole30, one on the keto diet, what do you serve–carrot sticks? The fact is, these buzzwords are two of 2019’s hottest food crazes–labels that have inspired an entire selection of newly launched diet-specific Chipotle bowls. And, given that it’s January, a month known for resets and resolutions, if you aren’t currently trying either Whole30 or a keto diet, you probably know someone who is.

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Let’s Talk about Matcha Tea Benefits

It’s an alternative to coffee, loaded with antioxidants, said to deter diseases and reported to boost metabolism and aid weight loss. So are the matcha tea benefits worth all the hype? What can you honestly expect if you start drinking it—and where should you buy it so you can? Here’s a look.

It’s not hard to understand the mass upsurge in matcha interest over the last few years. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a beverage that offers 60 times the antioxidant levels and nine times the beta-carotene of spinach? That’s naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial? A morning brew that one writer said “aided my digestion, helped my skin and got rid of jitters”?

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Reviews on Brandless: Part 2, Some Updates

UPDATE December 2019: Brandless no longer sells food! I still recommend their diapers ($11), to-go beverage cups ($3) and kitchenware.

Last January, I posted the first of my reviews on Brandless, the $3 grocery that sells everything from organic coconut oil to disposable paper products sans branding. One year later, here’s a fresh analysis: the company’s added new products, developed a referral program and now offers coupon codes to save you even more dough. Read more below!

Reviews on Brandless: part 2 - why buy from the $3 online grocery (a reevaluation)

It’s been almost a year since I first learned about Brandless, the online food retailer that eliminates unnecessary markups by going without a brand and selling direct to customers. For a company known by ditching branding, its products are remarkably consistent in packaging and style: they all feature the same simple font, white label and essential information that customers need to understand what’s inside.

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Shirataki Miracle Noodles: Are They Worth Trying?

If you’ve ever wished for a noodle with zero calories, zero carbs, zero gluten and a neutral flavor profile ready to absorb spices, you’ll understand why shirataki noodles are called a miracle. Also known as shirataki miracle noodles, miracle noodles or keto noodles, these slippery, watery, initially fishy noodles are similar to the ones you find in Asian stir-fries, soups or curries. Some people use them like pasta. Are they worth trying? Do they taste good? In the following post, I find out.

Shirataki miracle noodles, also known as konjac pasta, made by the Miracle Noodles brand
Two bags of Miracle Noodles brand shirataki noodles in the fettucine cut, two for $5 at Whole Foods Market in Nashville

In January 2017, I wrote an article for Vitamix about how miracle noodles were becoming mainstream. Nonetheless, almost two years later, 73% of you polled on Instagram said you still haven’t tried them. And, despite researching that blog post two winters ago, I’ll admit I’m with you. Read More

One Week with an Instapot 6qt Multi-Cooker

For the 77% of you who, recently polled on Instagram, said you wanted faster ways to make dinner, the Instapot is intriguing. Would it save you time? Should you buy one? To investigate, I borrowed an Instapot 6qt model from a friend for a week. After three dinners, one breakfast, a dessert and some extras, here’s what I found.

one week with the instapot 6qt
Savings tip: While the Instapot 6qt retails for about $80, dented (but perfectly working) models like the one pictured go for a discount.

Advertised as a 7-in-1 kitchen appliance, the Instapot is supposed to be the cooking device that does it all: pressure cooking, slow cooking, making rice, making yogurt, sautéing or searing, steaming and warming food. For most people, though, Instapot means pressure cooker, the task the device is most famous for and the one that puts the “insta” in its name. Read More

Do You Buy All Organic Produce or Do You Follow the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15?

In an informal Instagram survey, a reader recently wanted to know more about grocery sources. Her question: “Do you buy all fruits/vegetables organic, or do you follow Dirty Dozen/Clean 15?” So here’s a look at these labels, which get updated each year, and how you might use them when you grocery shop.

dirty dozen/clean 15 2018
Photo by Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash

In 2018, most Americans know about pesticides, those substances used to kill pests, such as weeds or insects, on plants, as well as the associated risks of using them. Read More