Food Renegade

How to Tell if Your Olive Oil Is Fake

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:07:00 +0000

Ever since journalist Tom Mueller broke the story about how more than 70% of the extra-virgin olive oil sold in the world is fake (cut with cheaper oils), olive oil lovers the world over have been scrambling to find authentic, 100% real olive oil. But how can you tell if your olive oil is fake or not? Does the fridge test really work? What about the oil lamp test?

7 Anti-Aging Supplements to Grow Old Gracefully

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:42:00 +0000

For those over 40, and especially those over 55, taking the right supplements can make a huge impact on your long-term health. When we’re younger, we feel invincible, and our bodies can be quite forgiving. As we age, it becomes ever more important to make sure we’re giving our bodies the nutrients they need to...

Your Coffee Has Ground Up Bugs In It

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Sat, 09 May 2026 01:19:00 +0000

I'll never forget the day I heard an NPR interview with entomologist Dr. Douglas Emlen about dung beetles. He broke the story in a live interview that most pre-ground coffee has ground cockroaches in it. Apparently, it's a not-so-secret industry secret.

Should You Take Fish Oil?

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:54:00 +0000

These days, fish oil is all the rage. Everyone has a reason to take some. Depressed? Moody? Anxious? Take some fish oil! At risk for a heart attack? Take some fish oil! Eat too many Omega-6 fats? Take some fish oil! Perfectly healthy? Take some fish oil! Is fish oil really all that good for you? The answer is complicated. Yes, fish oil can be a helpful supplement. But it should be taken with caution. In this case, there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Is Kombucha Safe When Pregnant or Nursing?

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Sat, 02 May 2026 16:07:00 +0000

If you're a new or expectant mother, you may want to know whether or not it's safe to drink kombucha when pregnant or nursing. Ask enough people, and you'll get a myriad of answers. Here's mine: Yes, kombucha is safe when pregnant or nursing. With qualifications. What are those qualifications?

Overcoming Health Anxiety

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:44:46 +0000

Health anxiety plagues everyone from time to time. We all wonder if that shooting pain in a random part of our body means something is seriously wrong, or if it’s a random fluke. These are usually little things we contend with and then think no more of, but for some people, this anxiety can get...

Overcoming Anxiety: Therapy & Supplements

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 01:03:52 +0000

Anxiety used to be a thing that happened to other people. But then a few years ago, it started happening to me. Monthly. I had no tools in my tool belt to deal with it. I was a stranger in a foreign land, looking for intelligible signposts. It turns out, anxiety can be a monthly...

Easy Ways To Make Your Yard Look Great All Year Round

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 17:34:06 +0000

Most of us enjoy spending time outside in the warm, bright summer months, but it’s more difficult to make the most of our gardens in the winter. One of the main problems is that it’s harder to maintain outdoor spaces when it’s cold. If you’re hoping to use your yard and garden more this winter...

Why I’m Not A Vegan

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 22:56:53 +0000

Oh, there are too many reasons to go into them all here. The one I want to explore today, though, isn't about health or wellness or tradition. It's about life. It's about the undeniable truth that all life comes from death. Many turn to veganism in an attempt to "do no harm." A lovely, poetic, beautiful idea. Those who embrace it through veganism want their life to be from that which is freely given; they don't want to know, deep down, that their own place in this world came at the cost of another sacred life. Yet it does. All life does. Let's begin by looking at the root of all life -- the soil.

Black Seed Oil Health Benefits

Kristen Michaelis CNC — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:50:00 +0000

The first time I heard about black seed oil, I was at the Fancy Food Winter trade show in San Francisco. I thought the oil was tasty, but wondered why anyone would cook with it. “Oh I don’t cook with it,” the person behind the booth said, “I take black cumin seed oil medicinally. About...