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A newspaper called the St. Petersburg Times commissioned testing of apple juice from major brands, and found arsenic in more than one-quarter of the samples that surpasses the Food and Drug Administration's "level of concern" for toxic heavy metals in juice . The most likely culprit is arsenic-based pesticides used to grow the apples. According to an article in the paper, more than 60 percent of the apple juice from concentrate sold in U.S. stores comes from China, and most of the rest is grown in Chile, Argentina, Turkey and other countries. A recent University of Arizona study found similar results with both apple juice and grape juice, according to the story. Two years ago, the FDA discovered high levels of arsenic in pear juice from fruit grown in China. The consumption of arsenic over time has been linked to cancer, diabetes, organ damage, hormonal problems and brain development issues. That it's found in juice is particularly troubling because many children dri...

Have you ever noticed that eating too much movie theater popcorn can make you feel a little sick ? That's because it probably is making you a little sick. Popcorn may seem like the one snack available in a movie theater that's potentially healthy enough to make the Spartan Diet cut. After all, popcorn is just corn, a whole grain. If you ask for it without butter, it's healthy Spartan Diet-worthy, right? Well, no. Not even close. As you probably know, some theaters buy pre-popped popcorn, which is warmed up using lights in the theater. Pre-popped popcorn is typically cooked in unhealthy trans fat oils, and flavored and colored with artificial ingredients, often including MSG. And because this kind of popcorn is popped first, then stored for an unknown amount of time, it has preservatives added. A bag of popcorn popped in the theater typically contains four individual concession stand supply products, including the popping corn, cooking oil, "butter" and seasoning s...

Mercury is a toxic metal. Very small quantities are harmless, and it's eliminated in about a year. However, if too much mercury enters your bloodstream before previously ingested mercury is eliminated, your health can be affected. Coal-fired power plants emit mercury into the air, which settles to the ground. Rain washes the mercury into creeks and rivers and eventually into oceans. Once in water, the mercury is transformed into methylmercury. Tiny sea creatures ingest the methylmercury. Then larger fish eat those animals, and ever larger ones eat those, right up the food chain. Nearly all seafood contains methylmercury. However, some accumulate very high quantities, and others do not, depending on their diets. You should never eat the high-methylmercury fish like king mackerel, shark, swordfish or tilefish. Always choose low- methylmercury seafoods, which include catfish, salmon and shrimp. The best commonly available fish to eat is fresh, wild salmon, because it is low in methylm...

A new study reports that some types of beer contain a lot of silicon, which may counter some age-related bone degeneration. The study, carried out by the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, resulted in the kind of simplistic " beer is good for you " headlines and lazy reporting we've all come to expect. The truth is more complex -- and interesting. Beer is an ancient beverage, dating back at least 9,000 years. By definition, beer is a drink made primarily from water and grass seeds (otherwise known as grains). Alcoholic beverages always need a source of sugar. In the case of beer, that sugar is normally supplied by the grain, which has starch that's converted into sugar during the brewing process. Most beers are made with malted barley. The malting process is little more than taking whole barley grains, and sprouting them -- starting the growing process, called germination -- then drying the grains in an oven once the sprouts ...

A new, nine-year study by the Mayo Clinic found that even relatively thin people can suffer the ill effects of obesity. They even came up with a name for it: " normal weight obesity ." Researchers believe as many as 30 million Americans may fall into that category. The problem stems from a body-mass index out of whack. When people have low muscle mass, and some fat, their muscle-to-fat ratio can mirror someone with much more muscle mass and a lot more body fat. And the health effects can be similar, including increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a collection of familiar lifestyle diseases including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and so on, as well as an increased risk of heart disease. The Mayo researchers pointed out that dieting to lose weight can make you lose both fat and muscle, and leave your muscle-to-fat ratio largely unchanged. That's why the Spartan Diet is so perfect for anyone who wants total health. It's not a fad weight loss diet. In...

Amira Elgan, the main creator of the Spartan Diet and co-author of the upcoming Spartan Diet book has been working with the owners of an innovative eatery to introduce menu items that adhere to Spartan Diet principles. The restaurant is called Backyard Bowls , and its one location is in Santa Barbara, California. Backyard Bowls has introduced Spartan Muesli , and will soon roll out other Spartan Diet foods. (We'll keep you posted as new items are added to the menu.) Backyard Bowls itself is a wonderful place to eat. If you live in, visit or even find yourself passing through Santa Barbara, you must experience Backyard Bowls. If you can imagine an entire menu where just about every item and even every ingredient is a fresh, whole superfood, then you can imagine Backyard Bowls. Most items on the Backyard Bowls menu are cold, blended fruits and/or other ingredients in a bowl, topped by fresh fruit, nuts, fresh-ground flax seeds, bee pollen, and other ingredients. They also have smooth...

Consumer Reports will publish a ground-breaking study in the December issu e showing that many canned foods, and other packaged foods, contain a synthetic estrogen called Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA, which was invented in the 1930s as a synthetic estrogen, is used to make the plastic and epoxy resins used in all kinds of food containers, including the lining of food cans. Consumer Reports found the substance in canned foods of all kinds, including those labeled "BPA Free" and "Organic." The human body responds to BPA as if it were estrogen, which feminizes men and increases the risk of breast cancers in women. It disrupts the body's hormonal system in other, less predictable ways as well. Some studies have linked BPA to obesity, heart disease, early puberty in girls, aggression in toddlers and other problems. Another study found an association between the presence of BPA in the bloodstream and the both the quantity of sperm production and the amount of DNA damage to...