7 Tips for Making Changes and Sticking to Them

Written by Hilary Rock BSc, Nutrition

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

It is no secret that changing your lifestyle can be very challenging. Part of making changes, has to do with how you approach change. Changing your habits is a process that involves several stages and it may take some time before the changes become new habits. Use these tips for setting healthy eating and active living changes you can stick to.

A New Habit for a New Year-Make Prunes Part of Each Day

Written by: Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

DISCLAIMER: This post was developed in sponsored partnership with the California Dried Plum Board ; however, as always, all opinions are genuine.

Happy New Year! I hope the holidays brought you peace, rest, and happy memories with friends and family.  As we ease into a New Year, many of us begin by making resolutions to improve our health. I love this idea and often set annual health and nutrition goals for myself. One of my favourite nutrition goals and one I encourage for my clients, is to add a new and healthy food to their daily routine. This year, I am going to make that new food California prunes. Eating just one daily serving of 5-6 California prunes supports bone health, heart health and digestive health.

Easy Slow-cooker recipes!

Created by Sharon Charles BSc Nutrition (Candidate)

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

As the days get colder here in Canada, all you may want to do is snuggle up in a blanket and keep yourself warm. Well, a healthy and nutritious way to keep yourself cozy this season is by warming up to some meals made in the slow cooker! Here are two recipes which I can personally say are crowd pleasers and will have you eagerly awaiting the next time you can whip up a batch.

Autumn Eats: A Trip to the Farmer’s Market!

We welcome our newest student volunteer, with this blog post.

Please join us in welcoming Sharon Charles BSc Nutrition candidate, to our team

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

As the leaves begin to transform into bright colorful shades, so does the produce that is beautifully displayed at local farmer’s markets! There are so many benefits to eating foods from the farmer’s market, some of which we will explore!

Back to School Nutrition

Written by Hilary Rock BSc, Nutrition

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

Before you get into the busy routine of going back to school, add nutrition planning to your schedule. By making nutrition a priority and being proactive in planning ahead, you can avoid the excuse of “not enough time” to eat healthy. Eating a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks helps to keep you and your children healthy and ready to learn. Whether you are going back to school yourself or your children are, use the following tips to minimize stress and maximize time management for a successful school year.

Our 10 Favorite Nutrition Blogs

Written by Erika Martin BSc Nutrition Candidate

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

Here are a few of our favorite Canadian nutrition bloggers. They all have something unique to offer and so many recipes to share. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

  1. Abbey’s Kitchen – Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian whose colorful blog features many healthy recipes, nutrition advice and fun, informative videos. This blog is so quirky and easy to navigate, with all recipes organized into categories; vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, low-carb, you name it!
  2. Osinga Nutrition – Nicole Osinga is a Durham Region-based Registered Dietitian whose blog is geared towards individuals with special diets such as vegetarian, vegan and plant based eating, as well as those with digestive health issues. She provides healthy recipes and great nutrition tips, and uses her own personal experiences with food to create relatable content.
  3. Desiree Neilson – As a Vancouver-based Registered Dietitian, Desiree Neilson offers a blog focused on plant-based and anti-inflammatory nutrition. This blog has easy access to many recipes fitting this category, as well as health tips and tricks, interviews with other health advocates, and fun music playlists created by Desiree herself.
  4. Simple Bites – Run by Aimée Wimbush-Bourque, a wife and mother of three, this blog explores the concept of meals that the whole family can enjoy, and offers healthy recipes that are sure to be a hit with the kids. She has an interest in urban homesteading and often shares tips and tricks on that as well.
  5. Sarah Remmer – Sarah Remmer is a Registered Dietitian focused in child and family nutrition, who posts many recipes and recipe videos for kid-friendly meals and snacks. Her blog contains information on nutrition for moms and dads, pregnancy, babies and toddlers, as well as tips and tricks for dealing with picky eaters.
  6. Blueprint Nutrition – This blog, run primarily by Registered Dietitian Rosanne Robinson, aims to close the gap between education, inspiration and motivation in nutrition. In addition to offering many recipes and nutritional information, it also provides inspiring posts to help change our perspective on eating.
  7. Health Bean Nutrition – Registered Dietitian Selena Devries runs a blog primarily for those living with celiac disease based on her personal experience living with celiac disease. She posts recipes that are celiac-friendly, answers questions for those who are newly diagnosed, and provides tips for emotional wellbeing.
  8. Home Grown Life – Run by Registered Dietitian Lisa Halliwell, this blog has so many healthy recipes accompanied by beautiful, artistic images that will have you salivating. She also offers posts about understanding food, such as information on bone health, lactose intolerance and much more.
  9. Euphoria Nutrition Charlene Pors, Registered Dietitian and writer of Euphoria Nutrition, is a sports nutritionist and provides recipes that are aimed to increase power and performance in the body. She also includes information on staying motivated at the gym, and which foods are the best post-workout.
  10. Marie-Ève Caplette – For those of you who speak French, this blog is run by Registered Dietitian Marie-Ève Caplette, which offers simple, healthy recipes for breakfasts, snacks, dinners and vegetarian meals. She posts articles offering tips and tricks on living a healthy lifestyle, all written in French.

Ceci est un blog en français, écrit par Diététiste Marie-Ève Caplette. Elle offert les recettes pour les plats santé, qui inclut le déjeuner, les collations, les entrées et les plats végétariens. On peut trouver aussi des trucs pour améliorer vos habitudes alimentaires.

Probiotics – Supporting a Healthy Gut

Written by Evita Basilio BSc Nutrition

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

The Science of Our Gut
Humans are hosts to huge numbers of bacteria ~100 trillion all through our body. The gut flora is our largest organ of immunity. The composition of each person’s microflora is as unique as your fingerprint and what we feed our flora determines which bacteria are found in our gut.

10 Healthy Barbecue Tips

Written by Hilary Rock BSc, Nutrition

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

Warmer weather, longer nights, barbeque season has arrived! Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and start using the grill more. This summer think beyond the typical steaks, hamburgers, sausages, and hot dogs. Try grilling fish, fresh fruit, and even tofu for a change!  First things first, remember to heat up that grill for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking to kill off bacteria and other pathogens leftover from past grill sessions to reduce the chances of foodborne illness. Below are ten tips to remember to make this barbeque season a healthy one:

Whole grain vs. Whole wheat: A Review

Written by Erika Martin BSc, Nutrition Candidate

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

We would like to welcome one of our new Nutrition undergraduate volunteer students, to our practice. This is Erika’s first blog post, for us.

Canada’s Food Guide states that half of our daily servings of grains should be whole grains. Whole grains provide us with more fiber, vitamins and minerals, than refined grain products. It is important to understand the difference between whole grain and whole wheat.