Pesticides, substances used to control unwanted pests, insects, and weeds, are one of the largest groups of toxic chemicals produced, stored, and used in the world. Not only are they designed to control pests through their various mechanisms of action, but they have also proven toxic to non-target organisms - namely humans and beloved pets.
Read this week’s blog to find out how and what you can do about it.
How do you know which aisle to shop in the produce section of your local grocery store? How do you decide if paying a little extra for something labelled “organic” is actually worth it?
This week, I delve into the world of organic vs conventional food and let you know why organic wins out in my book.
Progressively more and more people are becoming aware of the connection between food and their personal health. Perhaps you’re like one of my many clients who has decided to take ownership of optimizing their health now.
Indeed, if my practice is any indication, becoming health conscious is no longer the exclusive domain of new or expecting mothers—nor is it the forté of those looking to overcome an ailment, disease or a condition like I was. Increasingly, individuals who are looking for a business edge or students looking to increase their cognitive performance are also realizing, like many athletes have, that what you chose to chomp on has a direct impact on your ability to perform—be it in the boardroom or the classroom.
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In your efforts to become whole food optimized, I hope that you have discovered kombucha. The health of your gut and the balance of bacteria within your microbiome depends on both the probiotics and prebiotics that you feed it.
This includes delicious fermented foods that the healthy bacteria in your gut love. And what’s more delicious than kombucha? If you are not sure what exactly kombucha is or if you missed my interview with Taryn, a brewmaster from 05 Tea in Vancouver, BC, be sure to read on!
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You’ve probably heard of a doggy mama, or perhaps a fur mama. But have you ever heard of a “SCOBY mama”???
I have, and I’d like you to meet her. Her name is Taryn and I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with her to ask some questions about how to brew your own kombucha
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Your Mood. Your Responsibility.
Eat your way to a happier day without throwing away your health and wellbeing in the process with these 10 delicious and nutritious natural mood enhancers.
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When people talk about dieting, they often talk about cutting calories. But what are calories exactly? Read my complete guide to understanding calories to find out. Who knows, you may not be consuming enough!
You've probably seen various diet plans that promise success as long as you follow their suggested calorie limit.
Calorie-based diets are founded on a simple transfer of energy. You measure how much energy goes into your body, then compare that to how much energy you burn.
While this seems like a sensible plan to get in better shape, many people still struggle when counting calories. Read my complete guide to understanding what calories are and how they affect your health to stay informed about the characteristics of calories so that you can utilize them properly.
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Present-day life has stressful demands, and so to keep up we multitask, aided by ubiquitous technology, we're always ready to tweet, text and email. While our devices have encouraged people to do more tasks simultaneously research paints a different picture and it's that multitasking is actually less productive, reduces performance and devastates the brain and body. If you consider multitasking a buzzword for a state of constant interruption then this shouldn’t land as a surprise.
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If you're having trouble kickstarting healthy habits, it may be time to see a certified nutrition specialist. Here are the benefits of seeing one.
A certified nutrition specialist is well qualified to advise people on their nutritional needs. Prevention, they say, is better than cure. But people sometimes manage to wait until there is a condition to manage.
You know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and you know you should drink 2 litres of water every day. You are slim and your nutrition tips come from your favourite celebrity. Why would you need a certified nutrition specialist? In spite of the availability of knowledge, most people still exceed recommended trans fats and sugar levels. And most beliefs you have about your nutrition are myths.
If you're having trouble kickstarting healthy habits this new year, it may be time to see a certified nutrition specialist. Read on to discover the benefits of seeing one today.
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Health Over Indulgence: It's Time to Choose Health
It's one thing to indulge occasionally. It's quite another to eat a nutrient-poor diet every day. Together, let's choose health overindulgence. Find out how!
As we welcome this new year and all the opportunities we hope it brings, we reflect on what is good in our lives along with what could be better. We abandon the past and hope for only good fortune, peace, and love for ourselves and the ones around us.
We also often think about change. We ponder what has not served us in the past and what improvements we would like to see in the future. A new year provides a new slate and the opportunity to start fresh. To grow. To change. To love better. To live better. To feel better.
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Are you too busy to eat healthy?
Does it feel like cooking healthy meals takes too much effort and you just don’t have time to figure out what to eat?
Do your cravings get the best of you and throw you off track?
Do you have a food allergy that makes it hard to figure out what to eat?
If you’ve tried and failed to get your eating habits in check, then you know how frustrating trying to eat healthier can be. You work so hard but feel exactly the same week after week. You probably wonder, what am I doing wrong?
Undereating, overeating, or failing to properly balance your meals can make it impossible to make progress. Dieting, starving or depriving yourself can do much more harm than good. Choose either an Anti-inflammatory meal plan, one for Diabetes, or one for optimal Cognitive Function.
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Learn 3 easy steps to hack your way through cold and flu season this winter. The first is…
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that quenches free radicals and speeds wound healing, in addition to being necessary for collagen formation.
When we start to feel a cold or flu coming on, vitamin C will give our virus-fighting immune system a boost. It is found in citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemons, mangos, papayas, oranges, and pineapples, as well as in green vegetables like asparagus, avocados, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, and kale.
In supplement form, a buffered vitamin C is unlikely to cause stomach upset, while Ester-C is easily absorbed. In either form, vitamin C helps other antioxidants keep their potency and helps their absorption in the body.
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For anyone interested in switching to a whole-food-based eating plan, it can be overwhelming.
The first challenge lies in giving up some of your favourite foods. The second challenge becomes what you can eat instead.
Whether you have chosen to follow more of a Paleo, ketogenic, plant-based, or low-carb high-fat eating plan or if you are simply looking to improve your overall diet for general health benefits, the healthy food swap guide below should provide plenty of healthier options for you.
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Now that you should have a better understanding of what a detox is, who benefits and signs it’s time for a detox, lets dive into How you come off one, Natural Foods that cleanse the liver every day, and actionable steps you can take to keep you eating clean.
If you need a refresher on why you may want to detox, see Part 1 of my Why Detox? Series.
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Would you believe your inability to lose weight has nothing to do with willpower? Would you believe your food choices are controlled by mechanisms within your hedonic brain? You see, humans evolved in an environment of food scarcity. It is ingrained within each one of us to seek out the most nutrient dense, satisfying foods and eat more than our energy needs require. We actually have built-in biological mechanisms that cause us to seek out high-density nutrient-rich foods to help us survive periods of starvation. After all, hunter-gatherers often experienced stretches of time where no food was available. In order to survive, they would naturally be drawn to nutrient-dense, satisfying food. And when food was abundant, they could eat more than required.
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You might be surprised… In PART 1 of this series, I will explain what it really means to do a nutritional detox, Who should be completing a detox program, and what you could expect during a holistic detox.
irst let me start you off with the basics. A detox or cleanse is a way to help our body “clean house”. Even if we eat a “clean” diet most of the time, we are constantly bombarded by environmental pollutants, EMF, and chemicals in household cleaning agents or skin care products. All these pollutants are toxic to our cells. Thankfully, our bodies are equipped with natural mechanisms to get rid of these foreign invaders. However, should our exposure be greater than our systems can handle, toxins start to build up. If we don’t “flush out the pipes” from time to time, that toxin build-up can contribute to many types of illness.
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