Christmas is fast approaching. Tis the season to celebrate, spend time with loved ones and feel that child-like joyfulness. However, holiday parties and extravagant feasts often leave people feeling dread and the infamous fear of over-eating. Many of my clients worry about “going off the wagon” this time of year. They stress over how much they eat and/or what is being offered. They become curious about the top holiday eating mistakes.
Let me remind you. Tis the season to celebrate food and togetherness, it’s not the time to get down on ourselves for not following a “perfect diet”. After all, there is NO such thing as a perfect diet....
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(5 Powerful Candy Strategies)
Halloween is fast approaching. This means candy is in abundance or it will be when the ‘Trick-or-Treaters’ come knocking! In my practice, many parents worry about their child’s candy intake. How much is too much? What if they over-consume, become candy-obsessed and their teeth rot out of their little heads? These concerns lead many (well-intentioned) parents to start restricting or ‘police’ treats.
In honour of Halloween, I will highlight why parents must STOP restricting Halloween Candy. The intention of this article is not to blame, but to underscore the importance of eating strategies that build an intuitive eater who is much less likely to binge....
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How's your bowel regularity? This is an awkward question for many, but a common conversation in a dietitian consultation. After all, the foods we eat have a major impact on our bowel movements. Today, I will be sharing 5 foods that help constipation.
Before we get “moving”, constipation means having three or fewer bowel movements per week. You may find yourself straining or passing hard, small, dry stools. It affects 1 in 5 people, with a prevalence higher among the elderly (Clin Interv Aging, 2015).
‘Non-Diet’ Reasons for Constipation
First, it’s vital to discover the underlying cause of constipation. This way, you’ll have the most appropriate dietary and/or lifestyle or...
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September is almost here, which means two things: 1) kids are going back to school and 2) fall is in the air. For many, fall is a time to “start fresh” and get into new "healthy" routines. This may include packing a lunch, going to the gym/yoga or perhaps including more veggies or plant-based proteins in your diet. Today, in honour of “back-to-school” or simply “pack-for-work lunches”, I will be highlighting my favourite 'dietitian-approved' plant-based lunches.
In my private practice, more clients are asking about plant-based options. This comes at a time when Health Canada is wrapping up consultation #2 on Canada’s Food Guide. One of the main media...
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Summer is a time to kick back, enjoy the sunshine and time spent in tranquil destinations. Whether you are staying at a cottage or camping, eating well on these weekends comes with its own inevitable challenges. Raise your hand if, on a cottage weekend, you have felt unwell after eating copious amounts of junk food? Or if you found yourself permanently grazing (and/or drinking) throughout the day? Or perhaps you witnessed yourself forgoing your usual structure and balance at meals? I know I can say yes to all of these things.
In today’s blog, we’ll explore 3 ways to manage cottage-eating pitfalls so that you can relax without...
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{Part II}
Did you know that nutrition can help you better manage stress? It can. Now that you are aware of the 6 ways stress is sabotaging your diet, we can move on to part two where I’ll share 7 eating and lifestyle strategies to help you better manage stress.
Andrea’s Top 7 Ways to Manage Stress:
Make Yourself the PRIORITY:
“You are the most important person in your life.” This was said by the yoga teacher in class this week and made me think that making yourself the priority is not selfish. Instead, it’s a powerful stress-reduction...
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~Mother’s Day Edition~
Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I still haven’t decided what to get my mom. What do you get someone to say thank you for being supportive, affectionate and so influential? Any material gift seems insignificant. Therefore, this year, I am dedicating this blog to her and sharing the 5 most valuable food lessons she taught me. These lessons have not only shaped my relationship with food but have also influenced my food philosophy. I've shared them with many of my clients at Dietetic Directions.
To add context to my 5 food lessons, I'll share a little backstory. I grew up in a food-centric, Italian-Canadian family in Mississauga....
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The Great Debate
Do you have confusion in the salmon aisle? Have you ever wondered, what’s the difference between farmed salmon versus wild salmon? Is one better nutritionally? And what’s the deal with some salmon saying “Pacific” and other salmon saying “Atlantic”? Today, we will be breaking down the science so you know what to buy when fishing for your salmon.
Before we dive in, let’s first talk omega 3’s. Omega 3’s are our heart-healthy fats that have anti-inflammatory properties. Omega 3’s lower risk of heart disease and risk of certain cancers. They are also important in brain, nerve and eye development for infants. They may improve our immune...
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Do you have a picky eater? Are mealtimes a struggle? Do you feel like a short-order cook at the mercy of making WHATEVER your little one will eat? Are you tired of eating “kid-foods” and wish your child was not so darn picky!? If you said yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. In fact, up to 35% of parents describe their children as picky (Dietitians of Canada, 2017). This statistic is not to sound alarm but to inspire us to support our kids to improve their eating confidence so they can develop a healthy (and positive) relationship with food as they grow.
Today, I...
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