Author:Crystal Di Domizio

Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe: Gluten free

Are you looking for a delicious breakfast or dessert that you can fully enjoy because you know that it's good for you? One of my all time favourite foods is fresh granola with whole milk yogurt and local berries - healthy eating at its best! Store bought varieties of granola are expensive and a far cry from being healthy. They contain rancid nuts and seeds, refined sugars and unhealthy fats. Luckily it's really easy and affordable to make your own, with good quality ingredients! Before we move on to the recipe let's take a moment to look at the key ingredients: Oats -...

Quinoa: The Super Grain

In an effort to eat a healthier diet, most people turn to brown rice as a substitute for white rice. If you’re ready to explore and expand your options beyond brown rice quinoa is a very valuable addition to your diet. Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) hails its super grain status from its rich nutritional content. Grown for thousands of years in the South American Andes it was called “the mother grain” by the Incas. Although commonly referred to as a grain, pseudo grains such as quinoa are actually seeds with grain-like qualities. There are hundreds of varieties of quinoa, ranging in color...

Pesticide Guide: The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen

Are you interested in lowering pesticide exposure in your diet but you aren’t sure where to start? The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health has produced a guide that can help you get started. Based on the analysis of 87,000 tests for pesticides on the 47 most popular fruits and vegetables, the EWG has found that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 80 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides contains the latest and...

Health Benefits of Eating Local

Have you ever taken a bite out of a big red strawberry, only to find that the inside is white and it lacks the rich and juicy flavour that you remember as a child? Chances are this strawberry was grown thousands of kilometers from your home. The main reason for this flavourless phenomenon is that the fruits and vegetables that are shipped from other parts of the world are usually harvested prematurely in order to sustain the long journey around the globe, from farm to plate. When produce is picked before it’s had a chance to fully mature, the nutritional value...

Is Gluten Sabotaging Your Health?

According to new research from the Mayo Clinic, Celiac Disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people. When individuals with Celiac Disease consume gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged. This greatly decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients causing vitamin and mineral deficiencies that deprive the brain, nervous system, bones and other organs of essential nourishment. Continued exposure to gluten creates an increased risk for developing secondary diseases and disorders including certain types of cancer. The development of Celiac Disease involves a combination of genetic, environmental and...

Community Supported Agriculture: Affordable Local & Organic Produce

Inspired to start eating more local and organic produce but don’t know where to start? Joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) might be exactly what you’re looking for! Over the last decade CSA has become a very popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food straight from the farm. How does it work? At the beginning of the growing season (late winter, early spring) the farmer will offer a certain number of “shares” to the public for purchase. In exchange you will receive a weekly box of fresh, organic produce for the duration of the season. CSA helps support local...

Gluten-Free Living: Eating Healthy on a Budget

Has your grocery bill skyrocketed since beginning a gluten-free diet? If you’re living with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity, removing gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley) is an essential first step on your path to wellness. If your goal is to eat a healthy gluten-free diet then these tips are for you! In my experience, the most expensive part of eating gluten-free is the cost of pre-packaged foods which are specifically marketed as gluten-free: cereal, waffles, snacks, desserts, baking mixes, pizza crusts etc. These foods are high in cost and low in nutrients therefore the return on the...

Gluten-Free Coconut Brown Rice Pudding

Breakfast, snack, or dessert? You decide! This delicious gluten-free, dairy-free rice pudding is a healthier alternative to the traditional white rice, milk and sugar. Sweetened with almond amasake and raw honey it’s packed with flavour and nutrients. Amasake is a fermented brown rice beverage that can be used as a natural sweetener and raw honey contains live enzymes that aid in the digestion of carbohydrates. Cinnamon is added, not only for it’s flavour, but also for it’s ability to slow the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Coconut milk provides a...

Coconut Oil: An Essential Fat for Weight Loss

Have you attempted to follow a low-fat diet in hopes of losing or maintaining weight, only to be experiencing low levels of energy and intense food cravings leading you to overeat? Contrary to popular belief quality saturated fat such as virgin coconut oil is essential for weight loss and health. When you eat sufficient quantities of the right combinations of fats you’ll notice that you can go for hours without eating and without experiencing cravings, because your body is satisfied and your blood sugar is stable. When you consistently use coconut oil (along with other healthy fats) you provide essential...

Chew On This: Why it is Important to Chew Food Properly

I can remember as a child my mother telling me to slow down and chew my food. I would sheepishly agree to follow her instruction… until she looked away. What I didn’t know back then was that there is a significant amount of science behind this seemingly silly order by my mother. All I knew was that after food entered my mouth, it travelled to my stomach and then exited out the other end. Does it really matter how much I chew, as long as I get the food down? Chewing is a lost art form in our ever-increasing fast-paced lifestyle....