Food and Recipes

October 7, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News By Vancouver Health Coach

Food Bars and Shakes vs. Regular Wholesome Lunch: Video Interview with Keri Gans, Registered Dietitian

Here is a video interview with Registered Dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet, Keri Gans on how a busy person can eat healthy. The video interview was broken into 3 parts. Here is part 1 on food bars and shakes versus a "regular wholesome lunch". About Keri: Keri M. Gans, MS, RD, CDN - Keri Gans is a Registered Dietitian and has had a private practice in Manhattan for over ten years. She is a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association Spokesperson (ADA), an ADA Delegate for New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA) and a Past President of NYSDA. Keri...

October 7, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Trying the Raw Food Diet? Raw versus Cooked Food

A few months back I addressed the issue of veganism in my blog, and provided a series of snippets and references from my book, suggesting that a long term vegan diet – especially in women and children – can be dangerous. This post generated a fair amount of reaction by vegans, but it also opened up the possibility of a more nuanced, well-reasoned approach to this issue. Today I want to continue this debate, by addressing the issue of raw foodism and the raw food diet. The following is taken from my book, Food As Medicine, and is a compilation...

October 6, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Celiac symptoms in children

Are there common childhood symptoms in undiagnosed children with celiac disease? Do boys and girls present with different signs and experience a different set of symptoms? The answer to all three of these questions is YES. If you think your child is at risk for celiac disease read on. Celiac disease is the most under diagnosed, chronic pediatric disease in the U.S. affecting one in 100 children and one in 22 for those associated with risk factors. Amazingly, 95% of all cases are undiagnosed. The disease is a genetic intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. When...

October 6, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food and Recipes, News By Crystal Di Domizio

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...

October 5, 2014 In Food, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

A Question About Pea Protein…

I recently posted an article to the urbandiner.ca website on the subject of the legumes ("Beans, beans, the magical fruit?"), in part taken from a chapter of my upcoming book "Food As Medicine" The Theory and Practice of Food". In the last part of my blog I discuss the issue of the vegan protein powders that seem all the rage these days. I have spent some time on medline researching these ingredients, chief among them being pea protein isolate. If you do a google search on it, most of the "information" is marketing, about how it's well-tolerated, well-digested and hypoallergenic....

October 3, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Supplements By Vancouver Health Coach

Seasonal Affective Disorder – Natural Alternatives

SAD is a condition affects about 2-3% of the general population and describes those who have clinical depression only during the autumn and winter months. Symptoms include depression, difficulty sleeping, poor appetite, difficulty concentrating and functioning at work, extreme fatigue and even suicidal thoughts. Reduced exposure to sunlight has prompted the recommendation of phototherapy as a means to treat SAD. Phototherapy provides broad-spectrum light that includes wavelengths between 280-320 nm which allow the skin to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is known to be very common in North America and recent media attention has highlighted the need to supplement with...

October 2, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

5 Ingredient Plantain Pancakes

  If you’re in search of a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and grain-free but off-the-hook delicious pancake recipe, look no further. Plantains are becoming increasingly popular by many who experience food sensitivities and discomfort when eating grains. They are similar to a banana, although starchier and less sweet. Being slightly higher in calories they contain more minerals than a banana and can be enjoyed in several different ways. This recipe is fool-proof and you will not be dissapointed. Unlike some, these pancakes are easy to flip and stay together. Make them as obnoxiously large as your pan or as tiny and cute as you’d like....

October 2, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Crystal Di Domizio

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...

October 1, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food and Recipes, News By Vancouver Health Coach

Animal fats: The Joys and Pain of Eating Meat

Through the year, Vancouverites enjoy a multiple array of restaurants to choose from with which to satisfy their culinary appetites.  Foodies and those who simply love to be “out and about” will often try a new restaurant weekly, sampling a variety of foods from exotic India, spicy Thai, or succulent Mediterranean. While Vancouver boasts a large number of vegans and vegetarians, there are those amongst us who are die-hard meat lovers.  For those in the latter category, a juicy steak is simply heaven!  While their taste buds are no doubt tickled to fulfillment, what is often not considered, is the effect...

September 28, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

Does the Label Organic Deliver on its Promise?

What does the word “organic” conjure up for you in your mind? For me, ten years ago before I began to research food, “organic” meant over-priced, blemished fruits and veggies. I certainly didn’t understand why anyone would pay extra for what I thought must be subpar produce. Of course, I had never seen an organic apple at that time - I just believed they would be full of worms, since no pesticides were used. Later, after I’d actually gone into a store that sold organic produce, and found my first organic apple to not only be blemish free, but also to...