Food and Recipes

May 18, 2012 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Cucumber, Mint & Blueberry Smoothie

Celebrities seem to dictate food trends for weight loss: low-carb, gluten-free, vegan and now juicing. And juice bars are sprouting up in every major city across America. So what really is the buzz? Just like any healthy diet, it is about eating more fresh plants in their natural state. I love the idea of juicing but not the cleanup and I don’t live near any organic juice bars. My solution? Smoothies of all colors: green, pink, yellow and today purple, made quickly in my blender at home. This invigorating Cucumber, Mint & Blueberry vegan smoothie delivers not only taste but also...

March 28, 2012 In Food, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Ayurvedic: A Diet for Balancing Kapha

The diet to balance kapha corresponds to the many of the low-fat, mostly vegetarian diets out there including that recommended by health and wellness guru Dr. Dean Ornish, as well as those who advocate for raw food veganism. This diet is proportionally rich in antioxidant and anti inflammatory nutrients, and typically low in protein and fat. In Ayurveda this diet is suitable for people that have a sluggish metabolism, that tend to gain weight easily on a rich, nourishing diet. This diet is also an excellent choice to promote detoxification, by shifting energy balance in the body towards elimination. As...

March 7, 2012 In Food, Food and Recipes, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Ayurvedic: A Diet for Balancing Vata

The diet to balance vata is similar to the many of the high-fat diets out there, including the Atkins, Weston A. Price, ketogenic and Paleolithic diets. In Ayurveda a high-fat diet is used to help regulate a fast metabolism, to help put on weight and balance the nervous system. It is useful to nourish the body, enhance fertility and prevent aging. High fat diets are also useful to slow a strong appetite, and when eaten with lots of vegetation can be an effective weight loss strategy for some. Here is a sample of a vata-balancing diet, taken from Food As Medicine:...

January 18, 2012 In Food, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Raw & Vegan Coconut Oil Recipes for Health: Energizing Coconut Peach Melba Smoothie

How can you easily incorporate coconut oil into your daily diet and enjoy its health benefits? Try this raw and vegan Coconut Peach Melba Smoothie. Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of healthy medium chain fatty acids, which help stimulate your body’s metabolism, aid in weight loss, improve cholesterol levels and protect us from disease due to the oil’s anti-microbial properties. To reap the numerous health benefits coconut oil has to offer, the recommended daily intake is 1-3 tablespoons. One of the easiest ways to consume 1 tablespoon per day is in a smoothie. This energizing vegan Coconut Peach Melba Smoothie...

November 16, 2011 In Family Fitness, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Benefits of coconut oil for pregnant mothers

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a powerful anti-microbial fatty acid that protects the immune system of the fetus and newborn. Pregnant and nursing mothers should eat coconut oil to increase the quality of the womb environment and breast milk. There has been a lot of research lately discussing how the environment of the womb can affect the long term health of the baby with respect to autism, allergies, asthma, food sensitivities and other chronic conditions. In past blogs we have talked about the health benefits of coconut oil but not specifically its protective properties for pregnant and nursing mothers. A healthy diet...

October 17, 2011 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

5 favourite gluten-free grains

There was a time in my life when eating gluten-free was mandatory to ensure the safety of my wife. Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity affects more people today in North America than ever before. There are several theories about why this may be happening, but I will save that subject for another day. I believe that the hybridization of wheat over the last 70 years has resulted in a grain with higher levels gluten (some have suggested that wheat today has 50 times more gluten than it did 100 years ago). Gluten is a very sticky protein and is difficult...

October 12, 2011 In Family Fitness, Food and Recipes, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Is your child at risk for Celiac Disease?

Below is a 15 question screening tool to help identify if your child is at high risk for celiac disease. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete and score but can make a lifetime of difference in the health of your child and your family’s quality of life. How accurate is the screening questionnaire? Research has concluded that the questionnaire is 87% effective in identifying children at high risk for celiac disease. However, the questionnaire results are not a medical diagnosis and the screening program does not replace a comprehensive exam by a trained physician. Does the questionnaire recommend treatment? No, the celiac...

September 23, 2011 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Colon cancer cold spot: Africa

Present day North America, unfortunately, is a hot spot for a variety of diseases - no need to depress you with names you know too well. Luckily, there are places in the world that can teach us how to reverse such sickly trends, as they are disease “cold spots.” Enter Africa: cold spot for colon cancer, with only 1 case in 100,000 (1). African Americans are affected at 60 in 100,000 (1), with Caucasian Americans not far behind at about 50 in 100,000 (2). This is a disease of the West, affecting all ethnicities, ironically though hitting the people of...

August 24, 2011 In Fitness, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Lisa Virtue

Fruitarian athletes are thriving and breaking records

It’s a challenge keeping up with vegetarianism these days; there’s ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, vegan and pesca-vegan. To add to these options, we also have fruitarianism. Like the title suggests, followers of this diet eat fruit. Some fruitarians eat a fruit only diet, while most also enjoy plenty of leafy greens, some vegetables and small quantities of nuts and seeds. Take note: tomato, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, avocado, okra and eggplant are all botanically fruits! It is also implied that the food be consumed raw. Thus the terms: fruitarian, raw foodist, and raw vegan are sometimes used interchangeably. To mainstream western society, this...

July 6, 2011 In Fitness, Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight, Supplements By Vancouver Health Coach

Does Total Calories Lead to Muscle Growth? Or Is It About Protein?

The concept of taking massive amounts of protein to gain muscle and weight has been going on for years.  There are arguments for and against the total amount of protein you would need.  On one end, there is the argument that large amounts of protein will help build muscle.  On the other end, there is the argument that it is all about the total amount of calories.  Both arguments make sense.  But to understand the arguments, one first has to understand where protein is coming from. All proteins are composed of something called amino acids, which are your basic building blocks...