DEAR DR. BLONZ: I don't eat much bread, but I do enjoy sandwiches, and I always choose bread made with whole grains. A new bread at the market says it is 100% whole wheat, but it looks more like white bread after opening the package. Does this mean it is a blend of flours, or is something being done to lighten the color? -- B.F., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR B.F.: A bread described as being "made with whole grains" or "multigrain" should not be assumed to be 100% whole-grain. Check the entire label, including the ingredient statement, to find out all types of flour used; whole-grain flour may only be a minority in that loaf.

While looking at ingredient lists on packages, be aware they are listed in order of decreasing prevalence. If it is a 100% whole-grain food, any flour mentioned should be described as whole grain. (Brown rice, oats and wheatberries can also be part of 100% whole-grain bread.)

As for your experience, there is an albino whole-wheat variety that provides the nutrients and fiber of the whole grain in a lighter texture and color. For a slice of information on whole grains, visit the Whole Grains Council at b.link/cvkn6p.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: There is a supplement that boasts it can cause weight loss while we sleep. Is this possible? How many calories are burned while we sleep? -- F.S., Alameda, California

DEAR F.S.: We all burn calories and lose weight throughout the day, including while we sleep. If you think about it, the only time we are not losing is when we are eating or drinking. I don't know the details about this product, what it contains or how it claims to work. But the idea that a dietary supplement alone can help us drop a few sizes while we slumber smacks of a dubious sales pitch, so don't be fooled.

Regarding calories, the rate at which we burn calories depends on our age, diet, body composition and activity level. Activity can burn anywhere from 10% to 30% of the day's calories; another 10% is taken up by the thermic effect of food (TEF), which is the energy used in the processes of eating, digestion and storing food.

The most significant component -- accounting for a whopping 50% to 75% of calories burned -- is our resting metabolic rate (RMR). The RMR is the energy used to keep your body's engine at idle, so to speak. It includes essential functions like breathing, maintaining body temperature, keeping the heart beating, and general cellular housekeeping. A calculator to estimate your RMR can be found at b.link/guy7xf.

Sleep is, or at least should be, the longest period during which the body is idle. Stimulants will increase caloric consumption, but they are not what you want when attempting to nod off. An online calculator to estimate calories burned while sleeping can be found at b.link/avqbr9.

A way to increase calorie burning 24/7 is to be more active during the day in ways that increase your muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active body tissue, which means the larger and more active our muscles, the more calories we burn while sleeping or sitting around doing nothing. As an analogy, think of the greater amount of gas burned by an 8-cylinder car versus a 4-cylinder while idle.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am seeking supplements to help with my psoriasis. One article recommended taking turmeric to get rid of psoriasis, but the article did not go into detail. The piece is no longer online, and I was hoping you could shed some light on this possibility. -- M.S., Charlotte, North Carolina

DEAR M.S.: Psoriasis (sore-RYE-uh-sis) is a chronic condition that affects the skin but can also involve the joints and connective tissue. Our immune system normally protects the body, but when psoriasis is present, certain immune system cells are mistakenly activated to consider our own cells as the enemy, and they begin to attack.

Inflammation results with characteristic red patches or scaly skin lesions, but patterns can vary. Psoriatic arthritis results if the joints are involved, and irregularities in fingernails and toenails can be evident if connective tissues are involved. Nasty stuff. (For more on psoriasis, check b.link/74vhgh9.)

Unfortunately, there is no blood test for psoriasis, but the diagnosis can be made by observing and examining the affected areas. Psoriasis is not believed to be caused by infection, allergy, dietary deficiencies or excesses, or nervous tension, and it's not contagious. Genetics can be involved as it tends to appear along family lines, but this is not a solid link where children of parents with psoriasis are destined to get the condition.

Could turmeric help?

Turmeric (Curcuma domestica, Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family native to southern Asia and is a common spice in Asian cuisines. It has a powerful golden-yellow pigmentation, and this spice is a natural colorant in mustards, Worcestershire sauce and other foods. It stains, which also explains why it is used in hair and clothing dyes and to give a distinctive color to medications.

The pigments and active elements in turmeric have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other potential beneficial qualities, so in addition to its culinary uses, turmeric is also used in herbal medicine. For more on turmeric, see b.link/btmhdxr.

Regarding the use of turmeric for psoriasis, there is no evidence that it can get rid of that nasty element in your life, though its features may help with the symptoms. However, do exercise caution: Adverse effects from using turmeric as a spice or colorant are uncommon, but the larger doses in supplements can raise concerns of interactions and side effects. A partial list of conditions includes those with stomach or intestinal disorders, such as gallstones, bile obstruction, stomach ulcer or hyperacidity, and blood disorders, because turmeric has anticoagulant properties. As for interactions with medications, it is always wise to check with the prescribing physician or your pharmacist. To hint at this complexity, check this link to the drugs.com site that lists medications known to interact with turmeric: b.link/8kgh73x.

It falls upon us to always let our health professionals know what we are taking so they have this information when making decisions regarding our health. It is also a good idea to keep a list so that if an unfortunate emergency visits our lives, others can find out needed information that might affect decisions made on our behalf.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: There is a periodic argument in my circle that our vitamin- and mineral-depleted soil has been worn out from overfarming and the use of chemical fertilizers, resulting in a lesser ability for nutrients to get into plants and the foods we eat. Are the whole foods we eat today providing the same level of nutrition they used to? Are we slowly starving ourselves, and this is the rationale for why we need supplements? I know it sounds suspiciously like a sales pitch, but what about it? -- S.S., Jacksonville, Florida

DEAR S.S.: Plants are genetically programmed to require a specific set of nutrients to enable their growth and reproduction. If these are not in the soil -- or added as fertilizer -- the plant won't grow and reproduce, or it will look sickly (off-color, wrong size, etc.), just like humans don't look well when malnourished.

The "vitamin-depleted" element also must be buried, as plants do not get their vitamins from the soil. Rather, vitamins, along with all beneficial plant phytochemicals, are synthesized in the plant. The amount of a particular vitamin found in a fruit, vegetable or grain is determined by the plant's genes and environmental factors, not by the amount of that substance in the soil. After harvest, vitamin content can decline with time; some are also affected by cooking.

I remain a supporter of organic agriculture and programs such as integrated pest management (IPM). I buy locally and shop at farmers' markets to support local agriculture whenever possible. It also allows me to buy foods that are as fresh as possible. We should all do what we can to encourage farmers to be good stewards of the soil and our environment. And, while I support all forms of sustainable farming, eating conventionally grown produce is better than limiting your intake of fruits and vegetables and counting on supplements to fill the gap.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I read your articles with great interest. My question is: It is my understanding that foods of animal origin have no fiber. How could your body form stool if you ate only animal foods and no plant foods? And if you did, where would it come from? -- K.M., Dover, Delaware

DEAR K.M.: "Fiber" doesn't refer to one substance. Rather, it stands for a variety of indigestible materials that are found in plant foods. That makes you correct in your statement that animal foods have no fiber. It doesn't follow, however, that foods containing no fiber are 100% digestible. The stool would consist of whatever cannot be broken down or absorbed, the sloughed-off cells from the lining of the digestive system that get replaced every three to five days, and any secreted and un-reabsorbed digestive fluids.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.