Simple satisfying soups

 The fourth of February was Homemade National Soup Day. To celebrate this, I will be looking at the value of adding homemade soups to your meal planning, how you can easily increase your vegetable intake, as well as lifestyle and health benefits of soup. I firmly believe that good food does

Versatile oats are good for your heart and so much more!

 Above: Gluten free, vegan, banana-oat smoothie!  (PHOTO: Dmitrii Ivanov, istock) January is oat month and although February is just around the corner, I feel there is still time to celebrate the importance of oats. So, this week we are be looking at the various ways to integrate oats into our diets, the health benefits

Make life simple and healthier — pull out that slow cooker!

 This week we will look at the practical and health advantages of using a slow cooker. For those of who don't already own one, the ease of preparing a meal in the morning in a one-step preparation — doing all the chopping, cutting, and measuring, setting the timer — and then

5 Tips for creating a healthier nutrition plan for your family

 Making the switch to healthier foods that won't break the budget can be challenging, especially with little ones' tastes to please! Here are our 5 top health tips to keep everyone in your family's tummies well-fed and happy. Good nutrition helps our bodies function optimally, maintain a healthy weight, and

Tips and tricks for eating healthy during the holiday season

 Although this holiday season will be like no other we have ever had there is still a strong sense of wanting to celebrate. We are looking forward to the holidays with its festive foods and taking time to connect with friends and family, even though we will be forced to do our

The health benefits of spelt — a forgotten grain

 When we think of grains with regards to our health and well-being, we tend to focus on the same ones, so this week I wanted to discuss the health benefits of using an alternative grain such as spelt in your diet and how this can support your health and the

Mushrooms: An amazing source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

 With the fall well and truly with us, there are many foods that nature provides us with before the cold of winter. One of these foods which are not often talked about is mushrooms. Although you will find mushrooms amongst the fresh produce in the grocery store, they are not a

3 simple ways to improving your blood sugar levels

 Our bodies are constantly requiring energy to function, our main of energy coming from carbohydrates (sugars). We often hear people talking about needing a sugar ‘boost’ or ‘rush’ when they might be tired or about to tackle a difficult and long project. However, what if instead of having that burst of energy followed by

The health benefits of baking with coconut flour

 Coconut flour I find is one of those ingredients that people know of but do not know what to cook with it. There are so many advantages and health benefits of cooking with coconut flour that I am surprised that it is not more popular, although it appears to be

Fabulous fibre is good for your gut and your overall health

 Previously, before we were able to refine foods and process them, fibre was found in nearly everything we ate, from fruits and vegetables to whole grains, and legumes. However, today these foods are often refined and processed with the fibre being removed and if we eat too much of these foods, we often

The beauty of seasonal and fresh raw vegetables

 Above: Locally grown vegetables are available from farmer's markets across Ottawa. (PHOTO: ROCHON GARDENS) As we make our way through the summer heat, no one really what to spend time in a hot kitchen, so this is a time of year when our family eats more and more salads and

Summer fasting — a natural way to control your weight

 The word fasting often conjures up ideas and feelings of constantly being hungry, feeling deprived or even worse starved. However, this could not be further from the truth, as there is a difference between fasting and starvation. Fasting is a choice of voluntary abstinence of eating food for a certain amount of

Chocolate – the food of the gods

 July 7th was World Chocolate Day, and as we know there are now so many different types of chocolate available, from milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with fruit or other fillings, the list goes on. However, in acknowledging the variety of choice out there it is also important to understand

Get to know healthy sugars and enjoy the sweet things in life

 Are you someone who is trying to cut down on sugar and would love to have a sweet treat, but you are not sure what you can eat? Is the sweet treat aisle of the grocery store daunting because of the labelling of foods? Is the treat with “no added

Watch out for residual sugars in your summer drinks

 Lockdown has resulted in many changes to how we live, one is the blurring of our work with week with the weekend, which was previously marked on Friday evening with friends and a drink. However, these blurred boundaries have the result for some in drinking during the week as well

Tower Gardens — an interview with urban farmer Becky Black

 As Canadians have kept to themselves this spring, and have thought more about their groceries and eating habits, some have been buying Tower Gardens to grow herbs, vegetables and more at home. Local representatives, Becky Black, grew up on a Southern Ontario dairy farm; she says she’s glad to know

Choosing the right diet for you

 When working with clients, the question regarding the best diet often comes up. It is not always about the best diet but more about your objectives and health issues and then identifying which diet is most likely to help you achieve your goals, it could also be a blend of

Cow-free milk — favourite non-dairy alternatives

 This week saw World Dairy day look at the value of dairy in our daily lives and health. For those of you that are lactose intolerant or are just looking for other options, then this article is for you. When looking at the world around us, we are some of

Juice up your meals and your health with lemons

 Lemons are often underrated when it comes to the kitchen and our health. They are an amazing fruit packed full of so many properties, that you will want to use more in your recipes. This week, I will discuss the various properties of lemons, some conditions which they can help with,

Low calorie and high fiber: The beauty of beans and legumes

 As we slowly head into spring, I find that the way that we eat starts to change as we are looking for lighter, cooler meals that are easy to digest. It is a time of year when I start to increase my intake of legumes. This week, I will be

Cut through the confusion — get to know carbohydrates

 Last week, we looked at proteins and what they are made of; this week, we are examining carbohydrates: what they are, their role within our body, and our health. What foods are considered carbohydrates, and what is the difference between refined carbohydrates (sometimes referred to as simple carbohydrates) and complex

The vital role protein plays in the health of your body

 During this time when a lot of us are spending more time at home, I have noticed that people are paying more attention to what they are eating and are often looking to improve their nutrition, as we know more and more that nutrition has a huge impact on our

Get nutty for nuts — the health benefits of this superfood

 Growing up, nuts were not really part of my diet other than eating them in a trail mix or at Christmas time. However I have found that in the past few years, I have learned to use them in other ways and really appreciate what they have to offer for

From pantry to table

 During these uncertain times, we are doing our best to keep our families safe and healthy. In just a few short weeks, we have adapted how we go grocery shopping. I think most of us are not going to the grocery store as often as we normally would, or we

Boosting your children’s immunity

 With the world we are living in today it is more important than ever before, that we really start to look after ourselves, not just by staying home but by improving what we eat. If you think about it, no athlete will go into a competition without some sort of