Blog

Digestive Health: Exploring the ‘Gut-Brain’ Connection: It is well known that signals from our brain impact our stomach or gut. Think back to a time where you were extremely worried about a looming presentation and then felt butterflies in your stomach, a lump in your throat and noticed a change in your bowel movements. This […]

Curbing your Mindless Eating: Thanksgiving Edition: There is a very intricate (and fascinating) science behind why we eat what we eat and why we eat the amounts we do! Without even realizing it, we are inundated with subtle environmental cues, which cunningly lead us to eat more than we otherwise would. Brian Wansink is a […]

I am pleased to introduce my guest blogger, Renu Arora, a fellow dietitian and friend of mine. Renu specializes in heart disease, diabetes and weight management with practices in both Mississauga and Etobicoke. Today, Renu will be exploring a hot, new nutritional topic on vitamin D fortified b-fast cereal! We’ve heard a lot about Vitamin […]

Now that you are familiar with the emerging chia seeds and hemp heartsfrom my past blogs, we are ready to ‘dig in’ and compare these super seeds to the famous flax seed. Today, we will compare chia seeds to hemp hearts and flax seeds. We will discuss what these seeds have in common as well […]

Do you remember the chia pet phenomenon back in early 90s? With that catchy jingle and those captivating commercials where the chia pet would sprout before our eyes?  Well, little did we know that those little chia seeds were an ancient dietary staple for Aztec civilizations which would later emerge in North America as a […]

The concept of a ‘super-food’ is an emerging phenomenon and encompasses foods with an extraordinary nutritional profile along with associated health benefits. Hemp is considered one of the world’s most nutritious plants and definitely a ‘super-food’ you want in your pantry! What is Hemp? Hemp is a tall plant; in fact, the hemp plant can […]

Meal planningcan be a daunting task considering our hectic work schedules, our children’s sports or extracurricular activities and not to mention the parental task of ensuring homework is complete and the kids are to bed at a decent time! Nevertheless, if you (and your family) are looking toeat less processed foods, eatmore fruits and vegetablesin […]

It’s time for the fun game of nutritional comparison! Comparing Peanut Butter (PB) to the popular Italian hazelnut spread Nutella. This topic comes suggested to me by a busy couple in Waterloo seeking dietary guidance for their family. To answer this question, let’s take a look at the ingredient lists for both products and then […]

Contrary to popular belief, our bodies burn slightly more calories adapting to cold temperatures than we do adapting to warm weather. When our bodies produce heat, we burn extra energy aka extra calories. Therefore, in cold environments, our body adapts quickly by stimulating smooth muscle contractions (i.e., shivering) in order to generate heat. Shivering requires […]

Circadian Rhythm: We all have an‘internal clock’which regulates our body’s functioningby usingenvironmental signals. If you find yourself naturally more alert at certain times of the day (10am) and more sluggish at other times, you have experienced your owncircadian rhythm. The problem; however, comes when daily tasks throw off this internal clock. During the summer months, […]

It seems widespread that omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial for heart health; however, clients are often concerned about the amount of mercury in fish leading to birth defects or learning disabilities. Mercury is a toxic, global contaminate that does not break down in the environment and can build up in living things. Today’s blog […]

In my last post I explored the ‘Forgotten Mineral Magnesium’ and the numerous health benefits. Now that you understand the importance of magnesium, let’s explore the best dietary sources to increase your magnesium intake! Percent Daily Value= (% DV) is the percentage of the recommended amount of a vitamin or mineral in your diet. 1. […]