In the medical field, sometimes drugs that were developed to treat one condition may be used treat other conditions as well. In some cases, the drugs don’t even work for their original intended purpose. Famously, erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil citrate) was originally intended to help reduce blood pressure. Scientists Read more…
By this point, everyone knows that exercise is good for you. It’s good for the young, the old, the healthy, the sick, the disabled—everyone. Most people, if you ask them, will spout off a number of reasons why exercise is good for you, ranging from weight loss to reducing the Read more…
California, my home state, leads the nation in one very important statistic: it has the lowest maternal mortality rate of any state in the U.S. Between 2006 and 2013, the maternal mortality rate in California fell by 55%. That’s excellent news, and it is a credit to our medical system, Read more…
As we move forward into a new year, I wanted to share one more holiday tradition with you. This one isn’t strictly Italian. It’s more Italian-American, and is not called the Feast of Seven Fishes in Italy. This is a meal that is traditionally consumed on Christmas Eve, consisting of Read more…
The Epiphany feast, known as La Befana, is an important part of Christmas festivities in Italy. La Befana has been an Italian Christmas tradition for much longer than Babbo Natale (Santa Claus), probably dating as far back as the 13th century. La Befana originates from a fairytale about a woman who Read more…
There’s no Christmas like an Italian Christmas! Sure, I may be a little biased, but il Natale (Christmas) is an exciting occasion to cook some well-loved family recipes and dine with friends and family. I’m delighted to share some of our most cherished Christmas traditions with you. Tortellini Bologna is no doubt synonymous Read more…
As I discussed in my last post, Italy is a magical place during the Christmas season. In addition to the Presepio (Nativity), no Italian Christmas celebration would be complete without the the Zampognari (bagpipers). The Zampognari play in Piazzas (squares) around Italy throughout the Christmas season. The tradition began when shepherds came down from the hills to earn extra Read more…
While California is my home, Italy will always have a special place in my heart. To an American, Italy carries an air of romance and old-world elegance. There is no time in Italy more magical than the holiday season, especially Christmas, Il Natale, due to the importance of religion in this Read more…
Now that the holiday season is upon us, I wanted to take a moment to discuss healthy ways to indulge in a time-honored tradition: holiday drinking. The holiday season means parties and celebrations, and parties and celebrations often mean wine or other forms of alcohol. There are simple steps you Read more…
Sometimes it seems like everywhere you look, there’s someone else sprouting advice about how to live a good life. Make money. Don’t focus on material things. Travel. Have friends. Go to church. Do what you love. Don’t do what you love, because then you’ll stop loving it. Apart from cat Read more…