Hard science - notes

Better Nutrition, Jan, 2003 by John Monahan

People commonly ask whether the editors at Better Nutrition actually use the supplements, foods and holistic beauty products that appear on our pages. It's similar to asking a locomotive engineer if he takes the train when he goes on vacation. Yes, if the train's going in the right direction.

Our younger staffers, for instance, don't require menopause potions or heart pills (yet)--and, as I think about it, the only editor who needs everything he can get his hands on is also our eldest. This aging fellow need not be identified, but I can assure you that each morning is a flurry of vitamins, minerals, soy, glucosamine/chondroitin, chlorella, flaxseed oil, creatine, organic cereal, berries, whey protein and numerous other pills and powders that are essential to his continued healthy existence. Vast quantities of distilled water are needed to ingest them all, so he gets his eight glasses of water per day in several big gulps.

Having said this, skeptics who wonder if we're a "do as we say, not as we do" kind of magazine team will be glad to know that 100 percent of us imbibed the organic wines and beers that are the subject of our

cover story. Indeed, the exuberance with which we sampled and re-sampled each one can only be described as an ardent scientific investigation, in the fashion of Thomas Edison. (You recall how he tested thousands of versions of the light bulb until he got it right.) As a result of this inquiry, we discovered that organic wines and beers taste great and are less filling. We highly recommend them for your New Year's Eve and Super Bowl parties.

Besides the personal research, this month we offer stories about the pros and cons of soy (p. 54) and about treating the hardships brought on by seasonal affective disorder (p. 46). There's inspiration, too, with our Snapshot of Connie Payton, wife of the late football great Walter Payton (p. 74). And look for the debut of holistic health expert Kat James' column (p. 68).

So, here's to a healthy New Year. And, as always, this BN's for you.