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.

The post Our 10 Favorite Nutrition Blogs appeared first on Andrea Miller MHSc, RD Consulting Dietitian.

Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

My passion for nutrition began in high school as a competitive volleyball player. I became very interested in sports nutrition, specifically, how to properly fuel your body to improve energy and performance levels. During university, I began volunteering with Andrea, writing nutrition blog posts. Andrea has been an incredible role model and her knowledge and dedication to nutrition practice is both impressive and inspiring. Through my volunteer work I was able to develop many skills that would allow me to succeed in the profession of dietetics. This experience further emphasized my desire to share my knowledge of nutrition to better the lives of others.

As a nutrition student, my goal while completing school was to become a Registered Dietitian. To do so, I needed to be accepted into an internship or Master’s program. After four years of hard work, late study nights, and countless hours of volunteering, I began my Dietetic Internship at The Hospital for Sick Children.

During my internship, I completed rotations in different areas of the hospital, including cardiology, the neonatal intensive care unit, nephrology, and diabetes to name a few. I worked closely with dietitians to provide children with appropriate nutrition to support their recovery as well as their growth. Not only did this include information about which foods to eat, but other forms of nutrition support, including those that are used when a child is unable to eat orally. This included initiating nutrition that would be administered through an IV or through a feeding tube. I also had the opportunity to complete a major research project on the use of growth charts to monitor the growth of infants and children with Down Syndrome.

The internship provided excellent practical experience and was an extremely valuable learning opportunity that I will never forget. It was definitely challenging.  However, I would not trade it for anything. I developed wonderful friendships with my fellow interns and found the staff and management extremely helpful and supportive. Once I become an experienced RD, I hope to pay it forward by supporting future interns.  Through this experience I have found my interest lies in clinical paediatrics and I look forward to contributing to the profession. This was an amazing learning experience. I am very excited to begin my career as a Registered Dietitian.

Thank you

We would like to congratulate Dianna on the completion of her internship, and we look forward to hearing about her final steps to becoming a registered dietitian. We value and appreciate all of the work she has done with us. She will make a wonderful RD and will be an asset to the profession.

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The Nutrition Month 2017 campaign is dedicated to helping Canadians Take the “Fight out of Food” by guiding them through a three-step approach to improve their relationship with food, no matter what the struggle.

Eating should be joyful, not a source of everyday frustration and confusion. If you’re fighting with food, try this three-step approach:

1. Spot the problem. Define what’s causing your fight with food first.
2. Get the facts. Use facts from credible sources to decide what needs to be done to solve the problem.
3. Seek support. Put the plan into action with support from a dietitian, family and friends.

Figuring out the best foods to buy, prepare, serve or eat can be challenging. With accurate information and a good support system, you can be better equipped to make decisions about food, and minimize nutrition-related struggles with food.

Did you know that almost half (49%) of Canadians get their food and nutrition information from the Internet, social media or blogs, and this is on the rise? Unfortunately, not all advice found online is accurate. From unregulated health care practitioners talking about nutrition and selling or promoting expensive supplements, to many bloggers and social media personalities with limited or no nutritional education espousing on the topic, there are many more voices in the nutrition space.

Sometimes it’s a struggle to just figure out what to eat. “Food fights” can erupt, either as an internal struggle or as an argument with friends and family, because there’s so much to balance when choosing what to eat. Whether the struggle is about the “right” foods for a health condition, or about feeding a family with food limitations, it’s often hard to separate food facts from fiction, and to know which nutrition advice to trust.

Did you know that weight loss programs aren’t regulated in Canada, so it’s important to be able to tell the difference between a healthy program and a fad diet!  A fad diet is a popular diet that usually promises weight loss. A fad diet often sounds “too good to be true” and does not follow healthy eating guidelines that support good health. Your weight loss program may be a fad diet if it:

• Promises weight loss of more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week.
• Does not provide support for long-term weight loss success.
• Restricts you to less than 800 calories a day.
• Is rigid and does not fit into your lifestyle or state of health.
• Cuts out major food categories (like gluten or carbohydrates) and stops you from enjoying your favourite foods.
• Forces you to buy the company’s foods or supplements rather than show you how to make better choices from a grocery store.
• Uses “counsellors” who are actually salespeople. Weight management counsellors should not make a commission from anything you buy.
• Gives you nutrition advice that is based on testimonials rather than scientific evidence.
• Promotes unproven ways to lose weight such as starch blockers, fat burners and colonic cleanses.
• Does not encourage physical activity.

Fad diets that are too low in calories may mean you won’t get enough energy to do the things you love. By cutting out major groups of foods, you won’t get the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. If you lose weight too quickly and there is no support to help you keep the weight off, you could get stuck in a cycle of weight loss and weight gain. This yo-yo dieting is stressful for your body.

Here’s what you need to look for to help you choose a healthy eating program that is safe and leads to long-term health.

• Does the program encourage a gradual weight loss? Hint: Losing 2 pounds (1 kg) or less per week is gradual, healthy weight loss.
• Does the program encourage vegetables and fruit, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats and meat alternatives and small amounts of healthy fats?
• Is the program flexible so that you can eat the foods you like? Can you eat foods from your culture? Does it allow you to eat out?
• Does the program encourage you to be active and have a physical activity plan with tips on how to get started?
• Does the program support your long-term health goals?

You are more likely to be successful with a healthy eating program, if it fits into your regular routine.

• Does the plan suit your lifestyle and health?
• Can you see yourself following the plan?
• Do you have details about costs, possible risks and the amount of time needed to reach your goals?
• Are the lifestyle changes realistic so that you can continue them after the program?
• Will you enjoy the change in your lifestyle or just endure it?

Need help figuring out how you an take the “fight out of food”, this nutrition month? Call or email us to schedule an appointment. Your work insurance policy may cover the cost of our services.

References: Eatright Ontario.

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Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

As a dietetic intern I recently had the opportunity to work with, counsel, and provide dietary advice to individuals in an eating disorders outpatient program.  In light of Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 1^st – 7^th, I would like to share some of my experience working with this population.

In a society where Lady Gaga is criticized for having a “flabby” belly after her Super Bowl half time performance and continuous focus on diet and appearance, it is not uncommon for many to suffer from low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. Along with social media, a combination of biological, psychological and environmental components all contribute to an individual’s mental health. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses with life-threatening physical and psychological complications. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: 5th Edition (DSM-5), identifies four main diagnoses: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Each diagnosis has specific criteria related to diagnostic criteria, physical and psychological complications, and treatments.

The motivation for diet changes can vary amongst individuals. It can include life events, cultural and societal pressures, genetics, stress, emotions, psychological health difficulties and many more. Some of the general signs and symptoms include marked weight loss, gain or fluctuations, failure to gain expected weight associated with growth and development, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and compensatory behaviours (dieting, fasting, excessive exercise, etc.) The physiological consequences of an eating disorders effects the entire body from the brain, heart, and bones.

Something that stood out to me when working with this population was the severe anxiety that food brings to these individuals.  Eating is something that we do every single day to give us energy, meet vitamin and nutrient requirements, socialize, and most importantly survive.  Someone with an eating disorder exhibits high levels of fear and stress associated with certain foods and eating. An eating disorder is not a choice but a serious illness. These individuals require support and treatment to rebuild a health relationship with food and normalize eating patterns and behaviours.

I also had the opportunity to do some research on orthorexia nervosa. (ON). The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) identifies ON as an unhealthy obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy in order to obtain optimal health. ON is not currently recognized as a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-5. However, the NEDA believes this eating style can be considered as a psychological disorder due to its physical, psychological and social consequences. Orthorexics are concerned about where their food is produced, how it might be processed, and how it is packaged, all of which may affect the food “purity”. This leads to restrictive diets including only foods that are deemed healthful to the individual in hope of preventing these illnesses and diseases. Orthorexic behaviours may eventually become so restrictive that one eliminates entire food groups and consequently becomes malnourished as critical nutrients are eliminated from the diet.

So when does “healthy” eating become a concern? Healthy eating becomes a concern when enthusiasm transforms into obsession. This is apparent when the focus on healthy eating is consuming an inordinate amount of time and attention in an individual’s life. Also, deviation from the diet is often associated with guilt and self-loathing. As an individual begins to eliminate more foods from the diet and the list of foods deemed acceptable decreases, the risk of nutritional deficiencies, social isolation and psychological disturbance increases. Ultimately, one of the main warnings signs begins when the desire to eat healthily interferes with daily living, social activities, and relationships.

It is evident that eating disorders are multi-factorial diseases. Recovery form an eating disorder involves overcoming physical, mental and emotional barriers in order to restore normal eating habits, thoughts and behaviours. From my experience I have learned that eating disorders are not a quick fix. They require extensive support, time, effort, determination and rehabilitation; however, it is without a doubt worth the weight.

For more information on eating disorders, we recommend the following websites:

NEDIC

Kelty

NIED

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Reviewed by Andrea Miller MHSc, RD

Looking for a reliable evidence-based nutrition book can be a huge challenge. Walk into any major bookstore and head to the nutrition and cookbook section and you are faced with literally hundreds of choices. Books written by celebrities, yoga masters, medical doctors, counsellors and ‘health coaches’ line the shelves. Trying to navigate through the countless choices, to find something that is both relevant, and reliable, is a bit like looking for Waldo.

Here is a small selection of books that we often recommend, that are reliable, evidence-based and widely available.

Mindless Eating – Brian Wansink

Summary: Discusses reasons individuals may overeat without knowing it, due to environmental factors. Looks at the psychology of eating.

• Easy to read, light humour, very understandable and relatable
• Explains processes such as our body’s metabolism and why under eating can actually make it harder to lose weight.
• Provides realistic recommendations on how to make losing weight easier by altering our environment, rather than our thoughts and our mindset (ex: use tall, thin glasses rather than short, wide ones)
• Provides motivation/encouragement
• Uses a wide range of research studies.

Recommendations: Good for someone trying manage weight, or someone discouraged because eating better/exercising more isn’t working for them, and they want to try something else.

Unmasking Super Foods – Jennifer Sygo

Summary: Discusses particular “super foods” and why they’re popular (or unpopular), the science and research behind them, their nutritional value, and provide an evidence-based take away message

• Can look up one specific food of particular interest
• Gives overall message that you don’t need to spend lots of money/fall into fads to be healthy
• Lists benefits of simple, whole foods and explains myths/truths
• Credible, based on reliable research

Recommendations: Good for individuals wanting to learn more about specific foods and the nutrients they provide. Also helpful for individuals who want to avoid getting caught up in food fads.

Dietitians of Canada Cook! – Mary Sue Waisman

Summary: Provides recipes with a particular focus on Canadian families cooking together, eating together, and teaching the next generation how to cook from scratch, especially with local Canadian foods.

• Intro provides cooking tips, and strategies to get family members involved in cooking, general nutritional tips
• Good focus on local foods grown in Canada
• Provides nutritional information alongside the recipes
• Good mix of easy and more complex recipes- for every level of cooking skills

Recommendations: A great cookbook, for families. Encourages us to eat more locally.

What to Eat – Marion Nestle

Summary: Goes through a grocery store section by section to talk about healthy choices and explain related nutrition concepts (ex. talks about produce section and topics such as organic, freshness, etc.)

• Easy to read yet informative
• Intro discusses food, marketing, how to eat healthier – very interesting
• Good overall message of “eat less, move more, eat lots of fruits and vegetables”
• Author includes many anecdotes
• In depth but divided nicely into sections (based on grocery store aisles)

Recommendations: Good for someone who struggles with grocery shopping or label reading. Can focus on certain sections that are relevant to the individual.

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