Packed with protein, loaded with fiber, and older than Peru, quinoa is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Francisco Pizarro might have known a thing or two about New World conquest, but he would have made a lousy nutritionist. After toppling the Incan empire in 1532, the Spanish conquistador filled his ships with potatoes and corn–destined become a major part of European diet, unfortunately for him, he had no idea he had neglected the new world’s most nutritious grain, quinoa.

“Quinoa is a true wonder food,” says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. “It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer…

Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House. The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 through 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 percent in 2007, compared with 8.75 percent the previous year.

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The 9.6 percent level represents more than a doubling of marijuana potency since 1983, when it averaged just under…

Long-term heavy use of marijuana may cause two important brain structures to shrink, Australian researchers said on Monday.Brain scans showed the hippocampus and amygdala were smaller in men who were heavy marijuana users compared to nonusers, the researchers said. The men had smoked at least five marijuana cigarettes daily for on average 20 years.

The hippocampus regulates memory and emotion, while the amygdala plays a critical role in fear and aggression.

The study, published in the American Medical Association’s journal Archives of General Psychiatry, also found the heavy cannabis users earned lower scores than the nonusers in a verbal learning task — trying to recall a list of 15 words.

The marijuana users were more likely…

In a recent study covered in the Los Angeles Times, researchers concluded that people who lose weight are more likely to keep it off if they have personal support rather than finding it on the Internet. While we’re not going to disagree with a bunch of doctors, we thought we’d stick up for technology and provide you some Web sites and gadgets that are excellent for shedding some pounds — permanently. Beach season is here, whether you’re ready or not, so check out our list to see if technology can help you.

Send a text message with your cell phone, then get instant calorie, carb, and nutritional information…Eating at a restaurant generally means…

For athletes of all levels, staying hydrated is key to health and performance. A dehydrated body is unable to cool itself, which can lead to heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Dehydration can cause muscle fatigue and loss of coordination. In fact, even small amounts of water loss can hamper athletic performance. To stay hydrated, exercisers should drink before, during and after their workouts.

Things You’ll Need:

* Water
* Sports drink
* 1-quart bottle with measurements

Step1
Make water a steady part of your everyday diet. Aim for a gallon of fluid a day. If that amount sounds daunting, remember that fruits, vegetables, juices and soups are good sources…

“It’s trendy to wear glasses now. I have salespeople come in to get ‘attitude glasses,’” she said. “They’ve done polls that show people think you’re more intelligent and more sincere if you wear glasses.”

Smith, who opened her shop seven years ago, says glasses are basically jewelry for the face.

“It’s the most important accessory because you wear them every day,” she said.

For many, it’s not always easy to choose the right frames. Anyone who isn’t blessed with 20/20 vision has a story about those horn-rimmed glasses, or the ones that made them look like a bug in their high school yearbook picture. So how can a person avoid going down that road twice?

Smith…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new brain-scan study may help explain what’s going on in the minds of financial titans when they take risky monetary gambles — sex.

When young men were shown erotic pictures, they were more likely to make a larger financial gamble than if they were shown a picture of something scary, such as a snake, or something neutral, such as a stapler, university researchers reported.

The arousing pictures lit up the same part of the brain that lights up when financial risks are taken.

“You have a need in an evolutionary sense for both money and women. They trigger the same brain area,” said Camelia Kuhnen, a Northwestern University finance professor who conducted…

Organic distillers, brewers hope eco-sensitive brands will catch on

When sipping that beer or vodka tonic at the next holiday party, take heart: Your revelry may actually be good for the environment.

Or at least that’s the pitch coming from makers of organic tequila, gin, vodka, brandy, beer and wine that are finding their way onto store shelves and fine restaurant menus – all in the name of healthier socializing and being green.

“Sip tequila and save the world, that’s our motto,” said Enrico Caruso, senior vice president of sales for 4 Copas Tequila, a Newport Beach, Calif., maker…

Sex experts are forever saying the key to great sex is all in your head. But for our purposes, let”s look at the other love machine-your body. Mental sex isn”t much good without a body that can deliver the goods the mind has promised itself.

“There”s no doubt that there”s a link between libido and fitness,” says Eric Gronbech, Ph.D., a professor at Chicago State University who researches the link between fitness and libido. Actually, there are two links: First, when you exercise, you prepare your body for better sexual performance. “There”s been evidence to suggest exercise increases your testosterone levels,” says James White, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, and author…