Green tea is an acquired taste, but one that you may want to cultivate if you (like me) suffer from mental and emotional overload from time to time (insert picture of frazzled parent here). In a recent study conducted in Japan, people drinking five cups of green tea per day lowered the likelihood of experiencing mental distress by 20 percent. Although green tea contains caffeine (at smaller amounts than in black tea or regular coffee) green tea also contains compounds like L-theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid that has a calming, focusing effect on the mind.

If you shun green tea because of its strong, grassy taste, you might prefer a flavored variety, such as Mighty Leaf’s jasmine green or the kiwi pear green tea from Republic of Tea. Celestial Seasonings has also recently come out with a line of green teas blended with white tea for a smoother taste. A small amount of honey or agave nectar never hurts the taste, either, though it does add calories to an otherwise zero-calorie beverage.

The FDA just announced plans to treat all Gulf Coast oysters harvested in warm months to irradiation … and the Gulf Coast oyster community is in an uproar. Raw oysters have been a part of Gulf Coast culture for hundreds of years, and opponents to the government’s plan launched an online petition right away called Save the Gulf Coast Oyster Industry. (Also check out Raw Oyster blog, which covers the issue.) Opponents to irradiation argue that irradiation itself poses potential risks, and there are so few illnesses and deaths (less than 20 annually, and those are people with already compromised immune systems) from oyster bacteria that the FDA’s measures are unnecessarily extreme and could destroy a local and cultural industry. “Hundreds more [people] die each year choking on hot dogs, thousands more die from eating tainted vegetables and meat,” the petition notes. “The dangers of irradiated foods are just beginning to be studied and there are some health risks for workers at irradiation/processing facilities.”

I’ve just signed the petition because I recently visited Southern Louisiana and New Orleans, and my biggest culinary surprise were the incredible raw oysters at P&J Oyster Company in New Orlean’s French Quarter. Briny and astoundingly fresh, this zinc-rich and eco-friendly seafood was a revelation of pure taste and perfect texture — which I did not expect. (That’s me in the photo at right.) I understand that the government is worried about food safety, but making the raw oyster its target just doesn’t make sense to me; people who might be at risk simply don’t have to eat them. If you agree that irradiation is overkill for oysters, sign the petition.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of vinegar — I have no fewer than 10 varieties in my pantry at any given time, mostly to make salad dressings and as a shortcut to flavorful sauces. Now I’m in love with a new vinegar: A L’Olivier fruit vinegars, recently named the 2009 Outstanding Product Line by the National Association for Specialty Food Trade. I got a sample of the passion fruit vinegar, and I’ve never tasted any vinegar quite like it; it’s thick, complex, rich, sweet and tangy all at once. I used it in a simple salad dressing with extra-virgin olive oil and salt, and it was fabulous. Other L’Olivier fruit vinegar flavors include fig (yum, try it on cheese), raspberry, mango, tomato, black currant, and esplette pepper. It’s pricey — $16 per bottle — but you only use a little bit at a time, and the flavor boost makes it worth it (or makes it a great gift). Look for it in gourmet food stores or on igourmet.com. Here’s an EASY recipe from A L’Olivier:

Warm Passion Fruit Vinaigrette on Seared Salmon

4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons minced shallot (1 large)

4 tablespoons passion fruit vinegar (if you must, you could substitute good-quality wine vinegar mixed with fruit puree or marmalade)

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 cups mixed greens

1. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add salmon and cook about 4 minutes per side, until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

2. Return skillet to low heat; add 1/2 tablespoon butter and shallots. Cook, stirring, until golden, 1-2 minutes. Add passion fruit vinegar, mustard, honey, white wine vinegar, and wine. Raise heat to high; cook until reduced and thick enough to coat a spoon, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in remaining butter. Divide greens and place salmon on top; drizzle with sauce.

On a recent trip to Paso Robles wine country, after saturating our calves in a ruby stain and wondering how we’d successfully remove the lingering hue, we discussed the possibility that these crushed Cabernet Sauvignon grapes could actually be doing our skin some good (perhaps the gentleman who owns the legs shown to the left was a bit less concerned with the matter). As it turns out, the beauty benefits of wine probably do go beyond the rosy cheeks you may get after a glass. Topically applying a product containing red wine is beneficial in the same way that drinking a glass a day is: Resveratrol, red wine’s key antioxidant, and flavonoids fight free-radicals to prevent inflammation that can lead to diseases like heart disease, as well as signs of aging like wrinkles and skin spots. Some natural skin care companies are using red wine or resveratrol in their products already and recent technological advances in Europe are turning byproducts of wine making’s fermentation process into a powder that preserves most of wine’s nutrients and can be used in everything from food and beverages to skin care. more

Lowering cholesterol is no longer just about cutting out bad foods. Adding certain foods to your diet can actually help lower cholesterol levels, according to Harvard Medical School.

The October Harvard Heart Letter says some foods lower cholesterol levels by delivering soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol in the digestive system and carries it out of the body. Other foods have polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. Others contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol. more

Pomegranates may seem mysterious, but they are not to be missed; and they’ve just come into season, from now until about January. Pomegranates are one of my favorite seasonal fruits; they’re juicy, sweet, healthy (loaded with antioxidants), and gorgeous, and they work well in all kinds of dishes. Here’s how to peel a pomegranate:

1. Use a knife to score through the outer skin of the entire pomegranate, into four or six sections (as if you were cutting an orange, but not as deeply).

2. Get a large bowl of water, or fill your sink halfway.

3. Hold the pomegranate underwater and break sections apart; this way, the crimson juice won’t splatter and stain your nice apron.

4. Bend sections back to release the red seeds, called arils. The seeds will sink while the skin and white membranes will float.

5. Discard skin and membranes; drain water and eat the seeds.

Of course, if you’re not worried about the red juice (which does stain), you can dispense with the water and just peel the sections back slowly and gently.

Check out DL’s archive of pomegranate recipes; the seeds are fantastic in salads, and the juice is yummy in dressings, marinades, and sauces. (It’s even easier to buy pomegranate juice; look for it in the refrigerated section of your natural market.) I’m going to try this easy, nutritious recipe for a POM Morning Shake, courtesy the people at POM Wonderful.

POM Morning Shake

TIME TO TABLE: 10 MINUTES

Makes 2 servings

Juice from 2–3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates* or 1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

3/4 cup vanilla soymilk or regular low-fat milk

2 ice cubes

1 large banana, peeled and broken into chunks

2 tablespoons slivered or sliced almonds

2–4 tablespoons protein powder (optional)

1 teaspoon honey or to taste

1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice* (or use bottled).

2. In a blender combine the pomegranate juice with soymilk, ice cubes, banana, almonds, protein powder (optional), and honey to taste. Cover and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve immediately.

* For 1 cup of juice, cut 2–3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

Nutrients Per Serving (11-1/2 oz., with protein supplement): 283 calories, 11g protein, 51g carbohydrate, 6g total fat (.5g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 102mg sodium, 824mg potassium, 43mcg vitamin A RE, 15mg vitamin C, 1mg riboflavin (B2), 1mg manganese.

If you are what you eat, then my husband is at least one-third burrito (I might be more like one-eighth). For years he has scarfed down egg, potato, and chili burritos from Phil’s Fresh, a Colorado company that uses wholesome ingredients and brings awesome taste to what could need a whopping dollop of salsa to make it palatable (it doesn’t). Now Phil Anson of Phil’s Fresh has teamed up with former founding partners of Bear Naked Granola, Tom Spier and Brendan Synnott; they’ve boosted their flavor profiles and are taking the burritos national with a cool new frozen burrito line, Evol Burritos, now available in natural product stores such as Whole Foods.

Brendan, who yes by-the-way was a cast member of Survivor: Tocantins, dropped by the Delicious Living offices the other day—Panini press and a box of the 11 flavors in hand—to give us a taste for ourselves. All we can say is … YUM. “Who wants to eat something with gross cheese and no taste?” Brendan asked in reply to our question, “Why Evol burritos?” The freezer section lacks burritos with real taste, he said, and Evol’s here to change that.

Key to taste is quality ingredients. Check out this cool interactive tool that tells you a little bit about key ingredients, like antibiotic-free beef. What I love? That the burritos come in 6-oz and 8-oz (his and her?) versions. Though come to think of it, my husband may not like that so much since he usually happily cleans up on anything I don’t eat. (Stay tuned for Evol mini-burritos, great finger food for parties and kids.)

Favorite flavor? Hands down the Egg & Green Chile. But the Tofu & Spinach is also tasty, and I hear the Chorizo Sausage & Egg is pretty killer too. I may not be on Survivor, but watch for me on the Vail web-cam this winter, scarfing down an Evol burrito en route to the slopes.

Have you ever considered the environmental impact of your pet? A new book by Robert and Brenda Vale may change that. In, Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living, the authors explore the environmental impact of – among other pets – cats and dogs.

That furry creature lying on the floor by your feet makes a pretty big dent in the landscape. According to the authors a Toyota Land Cruiser’s eco-footprint is less than half that of a medium-sized dog. The majority of our pets’ impact comes from the production of pet food and the toll our pets take by spreading disease and…. uhm…. Poop.

So what’s an eco-conscious pet owner to do?

• Change their diet so that they eat less meat-based food

• Don’t walk your dogs in natural habitats of wild animals

• Keep cats in at night (they are more predatory at night)

While I am not about to give-up my dog, I will start considering how both of us can be more eco-conscious.

This week the FDA expressed concern about Smart Choices, an industry label claiming that certain foods (including highly processed, sugary foods like Froot Loops, Cocoa Crispies, and Fudgsicles) are “better” choices. According to the FDA, such voluntary nutrition labels could be misleading. In response, Smart Choices officials announced that they will postpone further action. However, products that currently have the label will continue to use it. What does this mean for you? As a consumer, you have to be more aware than ever before of the many labels making numerous health claims (better! healthier! smarter!). Really think about what you’re looking for in your food and what labels really mean–then you can make your own smart choice in the grocery store.

Here’s some truly green living news reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: Your health and happiness could directly relate to whether you live by a green space. The study evaluated 300,000 Dutch children and adults and the results showed that the subjects living near these areas had lower rates of various health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, chronic neck and back pain, asthma, and migraines. However, the greatest connection was between green areas and lower rates of anxiety and depression. Stop rolling your eyes. I know you can’t just break your lease or take over your neighbor’s much more pristine backyard. But in addition to the better air quality, researchers think the relationship has to do with getting more exercise and cooling off from city life. You may not be relocating anytime soon, but you can be conscious of where you spend your free time. Get out to a nearby park to exercise and take a break from daily stressors–it’s not a stretch to think you may see improvements in your mental and physical health.