Valley Health Magazine

by Susan Andresen

Salt is the world’s oldest food additive. Some say that salt is the favorite ingredient of Americans, and many have acquired a taste for a high salt diet. Would you say it is as valuable as your salary? In Tibet, Marco Polo noted that tiny cakes of salt were pressed with images of the Grand Khan and used as coins. Salt is still used as money among the nomads of Ethiopia’s Danakil Plains. The word “salary” was derived from the word “salt.” Salt was highly valued and its production was legally restricted in ancient times, so it was historically used as a method of trade and currency. The word “salad” also originated from “salt,” and began with the early Romans salting their leafy greens and vegetables.

by Stacey B. Thacker, MA, LMFT & Michael C. Roubicek, Ph.D., LCSW

Many of us have tried losing weight, repeatedly. At times we succeeded and even kept it off for a time; and then inevitably, the weight returned, plus more. Some had gastric bypass surgery, lost weight, and found the weight started creeping on again. When the weight returns, we beat ourselves up and often say critical things to ourselves like: “If only I had more will power, self-discipline or wasn’t so lazy; what’s wrong with me; why can’t I do this”…

by Amy Dieu

We’ve all been there. The moment you wander into the produce section of your grocery store with the intention of purchasing wholesome fruits and vegetables that pack a mighty one-two vitamin-mineral punch at a low-calorie cost, you’re instantly faced with an entirely different dilemma: is organic worth the price?