Author Archives: crtoews

Acai berries are in the news again. Yesterday, CTV news reporter Avis Favaro told us “Canadian clinical trial looks to acai berries in hopes of preventing severe cases of COVID-19.” The health food store clerk and I discussed this as I bought my “Organic Traditions Acai Berry Powder,” in the hopes it would help meContinue reading “Hangry August 31, 2020 Health claims questioned”

In about grade five or six, my son’s class raised mealworms to the beetle stage. They held Field-Day-style races and learned how to feed and care for these very tiny livestock. According to Cindy Quarters, “They will eat oatmeal, cornmeal and other grains crushed into meal such as wheat and milo. In the wild, theyContinue reading “Hangry August 23, 2020 Extremely tiny livestock”

Regenerative Agriculture has been in the news a lot lately. “The World Food Prize winner says soil should have rights. Soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal digs deep into the power of soil to sequester carbon, mitigate climate change, and the need for a Clean Soil Act,” by Virginia Gewin, July 16, 2020. “ ‘Biggest LittleContinue reading “Hangry August 17, 2020 Nutrient-dense, humanely-raised”

My 95-year-old mother-in-law lives with us, and was very independent until March. Then she started weakening, having trouble getting up from a chair and walking, started speaking word salad. Just in the past few weeks, she is sleeping all night and all day, with very little speech and eating less and less. We got herContinue reading “Hangry August 3, 2020 Protein and pressure sores”

On Thursday, I wrote on my list of things to do “Fix institutional food,” complete with a little square box to check. My butcher shop has started selling locally grown produce, including fresh beets.  I bought some and dreaded peeling them – but I found a recipe that avoids peeling until after they’re roasted, whenContinue reading “Hangry July 27, 2020 Beets cure what ails ya”

Kaeli Swift, my new best friend introduces herself (at https://corvidresearch.blog/about/): “I’m Kaeli Swift, Ph.D. Since I was a kid I’ve loved wildlife—especially birds—and asking questions about animal behavior and cognition. While an undergrad at Willamette University (2005-2009), I discovered that crows and other corvids offered the perfect marriage of these interests, and I have beenContinue reading “Crows are Cool”

My mom would have turned 87 yesterday, she died in late summer last year. I cooked for her whenever I was in Manitoba to visit. I didn’t like the food she got in the Assisted Living place, but my sister often had her over for supper so she got good meals there. My mom’s dadContinue reading “Hangry July 18, 2020 An apple a day”

I joined a Dementia Caregiver support group on Facebook. My 95-year-old mother-in-law lives with us and sometimes exhibits word salad, has trouble getting up from a chair (dehydration! Water cures it) and other stressors. It’s a great group, very friendly and helpful and a good place to rant and vent. A few days a go,Continue reading “Hangry July 13, 2020 Already known: Diabetes increases the risk of developing dementia”