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January 2, 2015
Blog

How to Make Your Resolution Stick!

Welcome to 2015! Have you made a New Year’s resolution? Or do you shy away because you find resolutions too challenging to keep? Today, I encourage you to think of one thing that you want to change and I will reveal three key stategies to help make it stick.   The most common resolutions include: weight loss, increase in exercise, enjoying life more, improving finances, spending more time with family and friends and helping others. However, a sobering statistic is that only 8 percent of people actually successfully achieve their New Year’s resolutions according to the University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology.   Greg S Reid, motivational speaker, says it...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
2 Comments
December 28, 2014
Blog

Avoid the New Year’s Hangover

It is almost 2015 and if you do not want to begin your New Year with a nasty hangover complete with a throbbing headache, nausea, muscle aches and irritability, you have come to the right place.  My blog today will share 7 tips for how to avoid (or at least lessen) your hangover if you plan on drinking this New Year’s.   Please enjoy the evening responsibly:  Have a pre-drinking meal: Before going out, ensure that you have a nutritionally balanced meal with carbohydrates (eg. pasta, potatoes, quinoa, toast, cereal), protein (eg. meat, fish, tofu, legumes, eggs) and veggies. Having food in your belly (especially carbs) slows the absorption of...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
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December 16, 2014
Blog

Don’t just Survive the Holidays… Enjoy them!

We are one week away from Christmas and what better way to celebrate with Dietetic Directions than by having a dynamic guest blogger!  I am excited to feature Chelsea Allen, Registered Dietitian from Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen.  I was first drawn to Chelsea’s website by her flare for food with scrumptious, healthy recipes, along with her restaurant reviews and current nutrition blog.  Chelsea’s Christmas article made me smile and shares the key message that we should all focus on not simply surviving but holidays, but enjoying them!   I know as a dietitian I’m supposed to be writing posts right now along the lines of “10 strategies to survive the holidays”....

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
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December 3, 2014
Blog

Starbucks Holiday Beverages, Exposed!

Season’s Greetings, would you like to try one of our festive coffees?  This is what I imagine the wonderful woman at Starbucks saying to me; instead, she knows that I generally go with the same boring blend.  If you tend to stick with your usual brew, do you ever wonder if you are missing out on a delicious, decadent festive treat?  Or are you certain that you are simply dodging the unnecessary sugar, fat and calories wrapped in a red snowflake cup? Today let’s take a closer look at three festive coffees in the 2014 Christmas lineup.  I will end off with giving you three “healthier” alternatives.   Nutrition for Starbucks Christmas...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
2 Comments
November 25, 2014
Blog

Scoop on Artificial Sweeteners

Canadians are encouraged to limit consumption of added sugar because of the link to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, cancer and cavities.  But is substituting real sugar for artificial sugar the key to better health? Artificial sweeteners do not contain calories and are approximately 200-600 times sweeter than regular sugar; this is bonus for those with a sweet tooth who are trying to cut down on excess calories. However, despite the sweetness of artificial sweeteners, their safety has been a cause for concern for decades now.   If you are interested in impact of artificial sweeteners on weight management read my past blog.     Laboratory studies have attempted to...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
2 Comments
November 11, 2014
Blog

Is Sitting Too Much a Health Hazard?

Do you spend most of your waking hours sitting?  The sobering answer is that the vast majority of us spend more time sitting than we do sleeping!  It is safe to say that sitting long hours is the new norm.  Many of us have sedentary jobs; we sit commuting, we sit to eat and we sit to relax.  However, emerging research may help us re-think our sitting routine by revealing that even if we exercise regularly, sitting for long periods raises the risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2014).  Sitting may be more hazardous to our health than we...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
2 Comments
November 4, 2014
Blog

It’s Diabetes Awareness Month!

Each November brings another month of Diabetes Awareness (with World Diabetes Day taking place on November 14th).  To help us in celebrating, I am honoured to feature two dietitians, and friends of mine, from GetReal Gurls Nutrition.  April Saunders and Michelle Saraiva are both Certified Diabetes Educators who debunk nutrition myths, review products and provide realistic tips and tricks for achieving your healthiest lifestyle on their awesome website.     Some fast facts about diabetes in Canada: Almost four million Canadians have been diagnosed with diabetes, and many more are unaware they have the disease. Diabetes can lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, blindness, chronic kidney...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
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October 20, 2014
Blog

Healthy Halloween?

Halloween is a time where ghosts, goblins and children in funny or scary costumes roam the streets in search of candy, lots and lots of candy!  Trick-or-treaters are in luck since candy is looming practically everywhere.  Did you know that Halloween has more than double the chocolate sales than Valentine’s Day?  In total, $1.9 billion is spent on Halloween candy each year!  That’s a lot of chocolate.  Without a doubt, Halloween can be a very tempting time for children (and adults) to over-do it with small “fun size” treats at about 100 calories per serving.     On a positive note, Halloween is a great opportunity for parents to role model healthy...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
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October 8, 2014
Blog

Halloween Superfood: Pumpkin Seeds

Did you know that the name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’, meaning ‘large melon’?  Similarly, pumpkins are technically a fruit because they contain seeds.  In fact, the average pumpkin contains about 500 seeds.  Today, let’s explore the outstanding nutritional profile of pumpkin seeds!   Truly a yearlong superfood!   DYK pumpkins are technically a fruit because they contain seeds? Click To Tweet   Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are usually green in colour, semi-flat and oval shaped.   They have a pleasant nutty taste and a chewing texture.  Pumpkin seeds are most often roasted and do not need to be refrigerated.  Their outstanding nutrition profile will have you running to...

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by Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD
4 Comments