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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 […]

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! Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, […]

Sweet potatoes and yams – are they the same? This question is not uncommon to overhear people deliberating. In fact, I have over-heard this exact conversation amongst colleagues in the lunchroom, on television and even in the yoga change room! So today, let’s discuss the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. This way, next time […]

Food is amazing!  Truly it is; if it weren’t for food we wouldn’t be alive today. Yet food (in general) is often met with mixed feelings that are not always positive.  Food is often categorized as either “bad” or “good” and often broken down to its chemical components like macro and micronutrients. Today, in honour […]

How Much Should We Be Consuming? Yesterday, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada issued a new position statement recommending adults and children limit the consumption of added sugars to no more than 10% of their daily calorie intake.  This recommendation equates to 12 teaspoons of added sugar daily, which is less than half of […]

The briskness in the air tells us that back-to-school time is fast approaching.  Parents are already finding me in anticipation of making these infamous lunches and expressing understandable concern that they are packing the right foods to meet the nutrition needed for their growing child.  Today, making healthy lunches will get a whole lot simpler […]

Today we will explore common questions I receive on the need for taking vitamin/mineral supplements versus getting your vitamins through your diet. Question 1: Are supplements as effective as foods when it comes to getting adequate nutrition? The benefit of receiving adequate nutrition from wholesome foods is that you also receive an abundance of other […]

I am thrilled to introduce Kate Park as my guest blogger and Dietitian extraordinaire!  Kate is a self-proclaimed foodie who vibrantly demonstrates that healthy cooking does not mean boring or tasteless. Kate leads interactive cooking classes, makes regular CTV appearances and works at a Family Health Team.  Kate also posts awesome content in her blog, […]

Exciting news in the nutrition world!  This week, Health Canada released proposed changes to nutrition labelling on packaged foods.  The purpose of these changes is to make nutrition labels easier to read and understand.  This is such an important topic since we know that seven out of ten Canadians are looking at the nutrition information […]

What’s the difference between eating for “hunger” versus eating for “appetite”? We often mistakenly use these words interchangeably. Today, let’s focus on getting in tune with our body to distinguish between eating for hunger versus eating for appetite. Knowing the difference will allow you to be a more mindful eater with awareness of what your […]

In a world inundated with nutrition information, and much more misinformation, people are likely to fall victim to diet scams by purchasing products with unproven health claims or even products that are unsafe for human consumption! This is a reality, but would you expect a television physician to be the one promoting these miracle fad […]

Are you growing tired of using quinoa as a rice or pasta substitute?  Are you looking for something new to add to your diet that is not only whole grain but also nutritious and delicious?  Well, look no further than the less famous, but exceptionally wholesome bulgur! Bulgur is made from whole wheat kernels that […]