Choosing Healthy Foods

It is almost that time of year again. Educate Your Palate , our end-of-the-year culinary extravaganza, is now less than one week away! On Thursday, April 23 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, International Village Dining will be transformed into a completely redesigned dining space for a culinary adventure circling the globe! We can't divulge too many details – we wouldn't want to ruin the surprise after all – but we hope that you'll be able to take some time on your reading day to join us for a dinner that you won't soon forget. If you weren't able to come to last year's Educate Your Palate, dubbed A Spoonful of Spring (or just want to relive the event again), take a look at our photos from the event and check out the menu that was served, including locally harvested oysters, freshly pan-fried kimchi and tofu dumplings, and a carving station with grilled leg of lamb. We hope to see you there!

We all know that getting more exercise is good for us, but that may not be enough. While moving more is good, being sedentary less often is also important. Some health experts are even calling sitting the new smoking. So, if you went to the gym this morning, don't use that as an excuse to sit around the rest of the day. What's wrong with sitting? New evidence suggests that too much sitting, such as working at a desk, watching television and  other low energy activities, is a risk factor by itself for poor health. While the research is still in the early phases and the exact reasons why sitting isn't good for us aren't fully known yet, there is almost no downside to moving more. So for now, even if the only benefit you get from sitting less is feeling less stiffness at the end of the day, it is worth giving it a try. How much do we need to move? Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Spe

If you've heard the recommendation that we should eat less salt, then you've also probably heard the counter-argument that salt is not a problem. With conflicting reports, it may be hard to decide what you should do with the salt shaker. Salt or Sodium Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably, but they do in fact mean different things. When it comes to health, sodium is what we are concerned with. What we typically refer to as salt, is actually a mix of sodium and chloride. Sodium is found in a variety of the foods we eat, and even in some drinks both as part of the food’s natural make up or from salt that is added during preparation or processing. How much is too much? Despite the appearance of a controversy about sodium intake and health, there is strong evidence, with widespread agreement, that most of us are taking in too much sodium. The average American takes in about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. The recommended limit for healthy adults is 2,300 mg per day. There is