With the interminable election season behind us, we now deal with the aftermath; who is disappointed, scared and apprehensive and who is thrilled with the results. The good news is…
I am having a passionate love affair with Stanley Tucci’s new book, “What I Ate in a Year.” He is a smart, articulate, passionate-about-food, clever writer who charms with every…
As the holidays come on the horizon in all their twinkling glory, we think about cooking. I confess that I always think about cooking, but that’s me. My passion for…
Not a day goes by (hardly) that I am not messaged, emailed or DM’d about a revolutionary new product that will change the way we think about food, nutrition and…
Be Useful…Use Your Voice; Take Care of Each Other and Vote
We live, day to day, in what can only be called a grand experiment. Our founders were sure that a government by and for the people could succeed. Are we…
I have been cooking all my life, well, almost. I fell in love with the rhythm of the kitchen at the tender age of 4, watching my mother, grandmother and…
It was October and the weather was amazing; perfect autumn, cool at night and warm during the day. We were in Puglia filming my TV series in various locations. I…
It will be steaming hot this summer, ‘punishing,’ I think it’s being called; as summer is known to be these days. Since it gets so warm and often muggy globally,…
When I was a kid, meals were considered sacred time. I always joke that if you weren’t at the dinner table, you’d best be dead. No excuses mattered. Not late…
It’s the season of seashells and balloons. We long to hang outside and take vacations, big or small. We savor every second of the long days and warm nights, making…
It’s May and I don’t know about you, but winter and spring where I am, have been grey and rainy to a degree that everyone is stir-crazy and longing for…
I was sitting in Charles De Gaulle airport, leaving Paris, heading to Rome for work. As usual, I ordered an espresso and my lovely Robert, a tea. Since we were…
I am all about food…and wellness. I love the communal, sensual nature of preparing luscious, healthy foods and enjoying them with people I love. As an Italian, we always joke…
It’s no secret that I adore Italy and that my Italian tours and adventures are very close to my heart and give both my husband and me enormous pleasure…enormous pleasure….
For some of us, the season of ‘peace on earth’ and ‘goodwill to all’ are little clichés that get written on Christmas cards and social media posts. Once the tinsel…
As we move into this glorious month; the month that kicks off the holiday season and allows us to deny the reality of a long, grey winter ahead, we begin…
I have been thinking about civility a lot these days. We seem to have become a society of survival of the meanest, no longer of the fittest, as the saying…
He took my breath away, for the millionth time since I met him. I looked up at his perfect form, his perfect face, broad shoulders, strong legs, ready to take…
I was at the gym the other day, sweating through one of my favorite, rough and tumble classes when the instructor yelled out, “Now is not the time to slack…
Regenerative Agriculture? Conventional, locally grown, CSA, organic…and now regenerative agriculture. Is it just another buzzy term for us to navigate as we try to shop and vote with our dollar…
I was with a dear friend and fellow cooking instructor and health activist having a coffee on a lovely spring day. Our conversation turned to our work; our missions in…
Brain care supplements are really having a moment, but are they worth the hype? Many of us think of this as a concern as we age, but brain health should…
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since high school (yup, I worked out to his vinyl exercise album, the chart of the moves…
My friend and brilliant macrobiotic teacher, Dani Mayor in Barcelona recently wrote a wonderful article on hypoglycemia and how many of us it affects; its impact on our daily wellness…
Cooking has gotten a bad rap in the past decades. From Betty Friedan to talk show hosts telling women that they’re better than the kitchen, we have moved away from…
The articles have been around for a couple of years (many years really…), creating a low-level buzz of discomfort in the cooking community. It seems to have become more like…
It’s February, the month dedicated to hearts, from health to romance. I thought I would take the opportunity to talk to you about my thoughts. On December 20, my lovely…
As 2023 begins to fade from our memory and 2024 looms large, shiny with promise and hope, let’s try something new or at least something we may have forgotten about….
Why You Should Be Packing Your Bags and Traveling to Italy…with Me!
The headlines are terrifying: “Travel Nightmare!” “Flight-mare” “Summer Travel in Peril.” Yikes, right? So what are we to do? Believe the fear mongering and stay in our backyards for the…
Consider the summer…from Memorial Day (the unofficial start of summer) until Labor Day, we fill our thoughts with dreams of sunny weeks and weekends unblemished by obligations. We fantasize about…
I wanted to kick off 2022 with some thoughts that I believe are on a lot of minds these days. Our inboxes and newsfeeds are filled with stuff we love,…
As the holiday season shimmers on, I am feeling sentimental this year. My family was big and loud and a bit…pazzo as we say in Italian, but they made me…
I am back in Italy, working in our lovely travel business, hosting gloriously fun groups of tourists from Ravello to Naples, Tuscany to Rome. We are following that fun with…
This Memorial Day will be the second anniversary of an event that changed the life of my little family. A serious health incident rocked us to the core and changed…
I grew up in a pretty wild, outspoken household. I was considered the wallflower because I didn’t yell (still don’t). My Italian and Irish clan was politically diverse and loved…
How are you spending the long weekend? Working? Playing? Finishing up the pandemic house projects we all seem to have started and now want done, done, done so we can…
As light begins to glow at the end of the long, dark tunnel known as the worst pandemic in our lifetimes, I thought I would write about something that has…
I don’t know about you but I am exhausted by grief. Just a few weeks ago, I was working in Italy, hosting groups, filming for Christina Cooks. It was a…
I was watching Bill Maher recently and he said what I have been thinking for some time now. That doesn’t happen often, so when it does, it gets my attention….
2020 was filled with painful challenges, from losing loved ones to losing jobs to losing ourselves in the chaos that filled the year. 2021 wasn’t much better. And now? Good…
I don’t know about you, but I was seriously hoping that Covid-19 would be on the downswing by the time the holiday season rolled in. But with cases still surging,…
I have written about this topic before and I will write about it again, I am sure. I shouldn’t write when I am angry and exhausted from social media’s seemingly…
My grandfather, my mother’s father was the greatest man who ever lived. Period. Coming from Castellemare di Stabia outside of Naples, he knew poverty. He knew want. He knew hardship….
I know that times are hard for so many of us. We struggle with everything from cooking three meals a day, seven days a week to juggling home school or…
I know what you’re thinking. You all come to me for my thoughts on food and wellness, not politics. Well, take a deep breath. This isn’t about party or politics….
After months of lockdown and stay at home orders, it looks like summer might just begin and without masks. Our new normal will dictate the rules but many of us…
2020 has been challenging to say the very least. The pandemic, social unrest and political upheaval can send us right over the edge into the abyss. I figure we can…
‘Fa tutto ciuccio gazzo!’ My favorite Neopolitan slang curse word (look it up) explodes from me as I slam the book shut. I have just finished reading “We are the…
Another month of semi-lockdown and social distancing, no hugs, no kisses. More cooking at home. We may be out of our homes more; enjoying more freedoms, but still… I…
If you’re like me, you’ve had enough of stress recipes, cooking for comfort and indulgence, cooking with pantry staples, cobbling together something that looks like dinner. I’m tired of crossing…
There’s no question. This is bad. Our current struggle (even with a light at the end of this very long tunnel) is out of the realm of imagination for us….
It’s Earth Day. I wanted to write today about something that has been on my mind as I work, cook, clean, exercise and self-isolate with my doll of a husband…
Kitchen failures happen. It’s simply the reality of life when we cook. My very wise macrobiotic cooking teacher once told me that for every great dish there were 100 disasters….
It was during my qigong practice. I was letting go of the realities of life and letting the chi flow freely through my body, softening the tightness in my back…
There’s not one thing I can say that will quiet your fears about the Corona Virus pandemic. I can tell you how to cook healthy meals now that you’re home…
As COVID-19 continues its iron grip on our world and life as we know it continues to change, as it should, I thought I would talk about cleaning. As you…
The novel Corona Virus, best known to us now by its code name, COVID-19 has dug its tentacles into the very fabric of our modern society and left us scared…
I was watching television one night when an ad came on that I simply could not believe I was seeing. Whoever advised Inspira Health that this concept was a good…
My reason to get out of bed every day is to make a difference. My mother raised us with the mantra: “If you’re not serving someone or something somehow…
(From Christina: I read this in The Guardianback in 2019 and my mind was a little more than blown. it still is and is still worth a read. This article…
The New Shows Are Coming! The New Shows Are Coming!
After a six-year hiatus, I’m coming back home to national public television. Taking the time to travel, teach and write a new cookbook, I think it’s time to come back…
What the Heck Is Fast Fashion and Why Should We Worry About It?
Those of you familiar with me know that I rarely (okay, never) talk about fashion; not trends or styles. Heck, most of my clothes consist of workout gear, kitchen clothes…
I grew up in a wild, passionate Italian and Irish family. Food was the glue that bonded us and quality of ingredients reigned supreme. My Irish father worked as a…
I have practiced a balanced vegan lifestyle for over 35 years. Lately, several young vegan influencers (whatever that means to you), are bailing on the lifestyle because they lost their…
I grew up in a wild, passionate Italian and Irish family. Food was the glue that bonded us and quality of ingredients reigned supreme. My Irish father worked as a…
Backache,headache, sore knees, whatever ails you, pain is a game-changer and we are impatient to be rid of it once it parks itself on our doorstep. Before reaching for…
As I…mature…I am always looking for ways to keep my skin supple and vibrant, naturally. I had been hearing about this ancient skin massage called “gua sha” and decided to…
Every holiday season I struggle. I struggle with gift giving. Do I simply make a large donation to a worthy cause in all my loved ones’ names? Do I make…
It’s that time of year. Our hearts warm (while the rest of us is chilled) and we begin to count our blessings. You do count your blessings, right? I try…
It’s that time of year. Our hearts warm (while the rest of us is chilled) and we count our blessings. You do count your blessings, right? I try to count…
It’s that time again: Chestnuts roasting on open fires (if you’re in Italy anyway), parties, family gatherings, feasts decorating, and shopping. The pace of our lives is fast day in…
It’s National Vegan Month, which got me to thinking, as these various month-long commemorations often do. Sometimes they evoke a rant from me and sometimes, I want to just ruminate….
When we think of the Mediterranean we think of azure blue seas and leisurely days. I think of robust feasts served in olive orchards on one of our many trips…
In the past few months, I have had more phone calls from people I love asking for advice about cancer (and diabetes and heart disease) than I care to think…
My husband is simply mad for Life Extension, using a number of their products and reading their magazine. Over the years I have fallen for this company as well, with…
Discover a Younger-Looking (and Feeling) You…in the Kitchen
In the spring, we all talk about giving our homes a ‘facelift.’ We clean closets, wash windows, de-clutter and get rid of the ‘cobwebs’ of winter. But what if…
Wait…what? You can…vape…Vitamin B12? Like…vape? When I first heard about this new product idea, I was…unsure, shall we say. I wondered if it was hype or smoke and mirrors…
We live in challenging times. Our political system is in upheaval; our food supply is under assault by big business interests who care only for profit, not for quality. Our…
Each January, we commit to getting healthy and fit. Then winter doldrums set in and we set our deeply-felt resolutions aside and curl up under a blanket on the sofa….
If you’ve known me for more than three seconds, you know I love coffee, from the shape of the sexy little beans to the seductive aroma that calls me by…
Do you feel sluggish in the afternoons? Light-headed or suffer with brain fog and fatigue? If your health if generally good, you might be confused by this. You may just…
I spent a few weeks working in Italy this past summer and fall and was struck by how healthy Italian living feels with its slower pace and relaxed lifestyle. Italians…
By Dr. Miranda Graham | The Vegan MD The healthiest food you can get will always be from the produce section at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. However,…
Okay, I admit that Halloween was always my favorite holiday. It involved dressing up in costume, lots and lots of sweets and…it kicked off the holiday season with glitter and…
It’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Childhood Obesity Awareness Month so let’s talk about our kids and their wellness, shall we? I’ll start this article by saying that I…
This month, we celebrate men. According to the internet, June is dedicated to helping men to find their way to wellness. It reads: “The purpose of Men’s Health Month…
It’s May and the height of spring. We’ve done the cleaning, decluttered our lives and now it’s time to refresh our fitness routines. How? Get outside and play!…
Arthritis and its associated aches and pains plague the lives of millions of people in this country…and the world. New statistics tell us that one in five American adults have…
Each year, we make the same promises to ourselves. This is the year that you’ll get healthy, eat right, get fit, get more sleep and take care of yourself. …
Perimenopause and You I get asked about this life condition a lot so I thought I would take the time to do some research and get you some good information…
Every year around this time, the bombardment begins. Every expert pushes each and every one of us to get a flu shot like our lives depend on it. It starts…
It’s October, girls, so gird your loins! We’re about to get pinked! You’ll see the color everywhere from tee shirts to ribbons, kitchen appliances to running shoes, all designed to…
Women spend a staggering $426 billion on beauty products each year: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, dry shampoo, face wash, facial scrubs, tea tree oil, shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, whitening toothpastes,…
We all know the power and magic of a smile. We have all basked in the warmth that radiates from someone’s grin when directed at us. A smile…that silent…
There’s an official day to make life beautiful. The official description of this lovely idea reads: “It is a day dedicated to encouraging and celebrating men and women who are…
The days are long, the sun high, the weather is hot, hot, hot. I’m sure you’re fit and fine, psyched for the fun, the sun dresses, tee shirts and shorts…
It seems that each month, we work to create awareness of another illness that is plaguing our modern lives. We host runs, walks and any number of events to raise…
When I heard that it was International Mediterranean Diet Month, it made me stop what I was doing and reflect on that for a minute or…10 (as they would in…
As April showers are replaced with May flowers, many of us rejoice at the thought of spring being fully sprung. And then there are the more than 50 million Americans…
Our skin…soft, smooth, dewy—our pride and joy or the plague of our beauty regime. Never is this more obvious than in the spring when our winter-weary skin must face the…
When I began my vegan macrobiotic practice 35 years ago, my life was on the line. I changed everything about my life to regain my health. I walked away from…
I don’t know about you, but as spring begins to spring, my thoughts turn to dirt. Yup, dirt. I think about my little city garden and how may flowers and…
I grew up with a mother who was seriously proud to be Italian. Seriously proud. She loved the cliché that there were two types of people in the world: Italians…
I bet you’re thinking I’m talking about spring, right? Hah! While that most glorious season begins on March 20 and I wait breathlessly for the first buds to sprout, it’s…
Many of you have heard me say that when that candy bar in your desk drawer is calling your name at snack time…well…there’s a better choice. For many of us,…
We may think of February and picture Valentines, but since 1963, this short month has been celebrated as American Heart Month to urge Americans to join the battle against heart…
I don’t know about you, but where I live, when the bone-chilling cold of winter sets in, it feels like it will never thaw. Steel grey skies, cloudy days and…
It’s the New Year. You’ve made the decision to clean up your eating habits and get fit. Maybe you’ve made this resolution before, but what if it could really “stick”…
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” -Dalai Lama Sitting with my godson in an ancient Franciscan monastery in Italy,…
If you watch television for more than 30 seconds, you’ll see an ad for a diabetes drug, with discouraging language for people trying to manage this lifestyle disease on their…
At the time of year when we are thinking about gratitude and compassion, this weighs heavy on my mind. I was talking to someone I love and adore, respect and…
I know what you’re thinking. How boring. Brown bagging lunch every day to the office and sitting at your desk while you eat it. No way, baby. Homemade is far…
I love (she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm) reading all the “healthy Halloween” tips that flood our inboxes and magazine covers this time of year. Not only impractical and…
In the kitchen, one can be a lonely number. There’s leftover fatigue or the sad bowl of cereal for dinner – again-rather than cooking. On top of that, spending time…
The Care and Feeding of Our Breasts: Series Post 2 of 2
Could it be that the key to minimizing our risk of breast cancer begins in the kitchen? While I have talked about this for years, research is beginning to prove…
The Care and Feeding of Our Breasts: Series Post 1 of 2
We hear about it every day. Women are diagnosed with a cancer that attacks the very symbol of our womanhood. From the rich and famous to the not so much,…
It’s a big day in my world–bigger than a lot of the days on which we celebrate various conditions and causes. We’re celebrating women’s health and fitness. Today we ask…
It’s true-70% of non-athlete college students gain between 10-15 pounds their first semester, and it just grows from there. Yikes! While my days as a college student are long behind…
I spend a lot of time in Italy, where the summers simmer, I would do some investigating into natural ways to beat the heat. As many of you know, Italians…
It’s that time of year. We hop in the car or head to the airport to enjoy some well-earned downtime to chill with friends and loved ones…a time to refresh…
It’s that time of year. As I type this, I am looking out my window into my little city garden just overflowing with life. A couple of days of seasonable…
The stories vary, like any legend, I guess (true or not; legend or not…). Some accounts say Coca Cola was introduced on May 6, 1886 and some say June 6,…
By Bill Caradonna, R.Ph., N.D. (Note from me: As many of you know, I am a deeply committed advocate of Vitamin B-12 and have written about my own experiences…
I began my plant-based macrobiotic practice 36 years ago when I was terminally ill. Given about nine months to live, all my attention moved to healing and what I had…
I love The Environmental Working Group. I have found that their research is impeccable and they do not resort to simple scare tactics. But they also don’t shy away from…
Multiple Surfaces That Needs Cleaning? No Problem!
I love this simple to make multi-surface cleaner. I use it for just about every surface in my house, from the dining table to granite counters to wooden cabinets. It…
Spring cleaning. It’s that gorgeous time of year when we throw open the windows and air out our homes after a long winter. Just like our bodies want to hit…
As we move into spring have you noticed your appetite change? Do you want less food? Do you crave lighter fare? Mother Nature guides us season to season with…
We asked and you answered! As a long-time advocate of healthy eating and natural living, I sometimes feel like I live in my own little world. Living the way I…
It’s finally here…spring. The breezes are growing warmer, wafting through our open windows with the perfume that tells us the chill of winter is behind us and it’s clear sailing…
I hear it all the time. Thank goodness February is short. It’s the most unpopular month. It’s dark and cold, snowy and grey. There’s nothing special about this beleaguered month…
Waking Up and Smelling the Toast As humans, we have taken ourselves so far from what is natural for us that we don’t know what natural is anymore. We think…
Look out, kids. It’s cold and flu season! We’ve seen the ads and they make colds and flu seem as terrifying as anything Stephen King can imagine. Simple…
One Healthy Thing Week 4: Be Nice and Eat Your Lentils! As January moves along, we are getting healthier every day. As we choose to add one healthy thing each and…
Radiance, beauty…that elusive glow that we all seek to achieve. I would venture to say that we would rather look good than feel good. Unfortunately, you can’t have one without…
It’s almost the middle of January and look at you! You’re glowing with the spark that comes from becoming a proactive creator of your own health and wellness. With you…
See? That wasn’t so bad. One healthy thing, each day, and you already have 4 days of making healthier choices under your belt. Just look at you! You’re glowing…with…
I know what you’re thinking. This is the one where she gives us that tired old advice of exercising daily. And while that is essential to heart health (really…
Very informative interview by Alicia Silverstone with experts she trusts…including me. What kind of formula should a vegan baby drink? Christina: Well, first, I have to say that the best…
They Don’t Call Them Essential Fatty Acids for Nothin’
The year was 2003. Living a plant-centric lifestyle for more than twenty years and teaching healthy cooking and eating macrobiotically for more than fifteen years, I thought I had it…
In our house, 1998 has a pet name…the year from hell. Everyone has them…those years that you literally count the days until they end…even living a macrobiotic lifestyle does not…
Who doesn’t want to live a happy, healthy life? But who’s got the time? We are tired, overwhelmed, struggling to just get through the day. Well, there’s a better way….
Food is merely the foundation upon which we build the rest of our lives. We live in a world where it is quite difficult to maintain a natural balance. Everything…
As a cooking teacher I get asked a lot of questions about food and health. My conclusion? People are so confused. Each day we hear statistics that are scarier than…
We all want a great night’s sleep. Just about every expert will tell you that many of the ills plaguing modern society have some roots in sleep deprivation. Study after…
It’s that time of year again…time to start spring-cleaning! And I’m not talking about the usual scrubbing, dusting and mopping, though I do enjoy a tidy nest! It’s no secret…
On a crisp Thuirsday in January of 2012, I had the privilege to testify before the USDA with my friend and colleague, Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of the…