Photo: Kristin Smith

The gap between the rich and poor is nowhere more evident than in the difference between what each group is able to put on the dinner table. This one thing has a major impact on people's health, in a country where rates of Type II diabetes and heart disease are skyrocketing. Yet many people are unable to afford putting organic food and meat on the table on any sort of regular basis. Why is this?

Is it merely that food produced on an industrial scale can be grown more economically, or rather that organic farms deliberately make their products more expensive in order to increase their profits on the backs of those stupid enough to pay for it? It's neither of these. There are actually two main reasons...

Blueberries, together with broccoli, red peppers and brazil nuts, are often described as a "superfood." Packed with antioxidant anthrocyanins, they have been found to help ward off infection, decrease aging in the brain, and lower cholesterol levels. In fact, blueberries are widely used in herbal medicine for their effectiveness in repairing damaged blood vessels and have been shown to be more effective at lowering cholesterol than some commonly prescribed drugs for this purpose. Blueberries contain a potent chemical called pterostilbene, which has been found to protect against the development of cancer. They are also a good source of manganese, which is important for healthy bone growth. A single serving of 100g of berries contains 25% of your recommended daily amount of vitamin C and only 57 calories.

Guest writer Linda Miller reports on the health benefits of cashews.

University of Montreal doctors have found that cashew extract may be useful in treating diabetic issues.

A new study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research indicates cashew seed extract may play an important role in both preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.

There is some good news in the fight against breast cancer! Sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli, may help in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer by targeting cancer stem cells which fuel the growth of tumors, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

This is nuts! (Sorry, couldn't resist)

A recent study has found that eating only 2.4 ounces of nuts every day lowers total cholesterol levels and also improves the ratio of good HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol. Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, the kind that help to lower cholesterol. They are also a rich source of protein and contain fiber and phytosterols which have been shown to reduce cholesterol.

Getting off the sugar rollercoaster can be tough. At least it always has been for me. Our recent research into the glycemic index got me thinking about my sugar consumption again, and I came to the same conclusion I always have: it's too much. I don't have a terrible sweet tooth like my husband, who can eat carbohydrates and nothing but carbohydrates and not even notice it (nor does he gain weight!).

Bring on the jalapeños! This morning I was greeted by the cheery news that my long-time addiction to hot chile peppers may be good for my waistline.

Still thinking eating healthy means putting up with extra work or so-so taste?

After watching the movie "Food Matters", I had a mixture of reactions. I felt they were pushing the vitamin thing a little too far, Thousands of times the RDA of vitamin C is purported by some to cure cancer, but reviews of the evidence are highly controversial. What I took from it for myself is that it is certainly not harmful for me to take a multivitamin every day, and it might be helpful. So I started taking my vitamins again.

A recent article on NPR.org reported on a major nine-year ten-country European study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute investigating the link between the incidence of cancer and the intake of vegetables and fruits.