Food and Recipes

September 14, 2014 In Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Crystal Di Domizio

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...

September 12, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food and Recipes, Holistic Health, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Smart with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Knowing what foods to avoid can be just as crucial to your comfort as knowing what foods to eat if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). And if you are one of the 10–15% of Americans who have IBS, then this article is for you. There are several different subgroups of IBS, and many people with the condition react to foods differently as well. For instance, dairy products may upset the stomach and bowel movements of someone with IBS-D (with diarrhea) or with IBS and lactose intolerance, while dairy may be helpful for bowel regulation for someone with IBS-C (with constipation). Although...

September 10, 2014 In Eliminating Toxins, Food, Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Eating Ayurvedic: A Diet For Everyone

The concept behind food as medicine is that food is a spectrum between nourishment and healing, and given the very large spectrum of foods, there many valid approaches to diet. But when we talk about diet, we need to understand the difference between a diet that nourishes, and a diet that heals. We need to understand how the different qualities of food impacts our health, for good and for ill. There is no such thing as a wrong food, with perhaps the exception of highly processed, refined foods, but only because they are biologically inappropriate (e.g. microparticles). But almost all...

September 7, 2014 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight, Uncategorized By Vancouver Health Coach

Get Healthy This Fall. Introducing the Vega One Starter Kit

Are you looking to get healthy this fall season? Kickstart your health with 5 days of Vega One. Made from natural, plant-based, whole food ingredients, Vega One is packed with the complete foundational nutrition your body needs to build your day on. Each packet in your starter kit contains: 50% daily intake of vitamins and mineral 15 g protein 6 g fiber 1.5 g Omega-3 3 servings of greens Antioxidants Probiotics And all with less than 150 calories! Vega One is dairy, gluten and soy free, and contains no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. Use as a delicious,...

September 6, 2014 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Food and Recipes, Green & Healthy Living, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Spud Delivers Affordable, Organic Food Right To Your Door

Combine a modern day on-the-go lifestyle with the task of grocery shopping for a healthy, well balanced diet and you have what most would consider a stressful situation. This is why it’s no surprise that organic grocery delivery services have become increasingly popular in cities such as Vancouver. With organic grocery delivery services such as SPUD (a delivery service offered in the lower mainland, Vancouver Island, Calgary and parts of the U.S.) your shopping worries can be put at ease with this service that allows you to choose your items online in a virtual grocery store. Once you have chosen your items, you...

September 5, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Fermented Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Although I generally don’t eat desert, with a family of three kids and a wife, my mostly dessert-less perspective on the issue is seldom shared. So, yielding to the demands of the masses, I included an alternative to regular cake, made from quinoa, in my book Food As Medicine. Many people with celiac disease and sensitivities to gluten find that they can tolerate quinoa much better, but even still, quinoa may contain the same prolamins as wheat, and in sensitive people like celiacs, can cause a negative reaction. One way to avoid this issue is to ferment the quinoa, by soaking it...

September 4, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Vegan Diet: Benefits for Inflammatory Conditions

The vegan diet is a subset of the vegetarian diet whereby any animal byproducts are avoided completely. Strict vegans extend this ideology to a philosophy and lifestyle which excludes the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Recently, investigators from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm found that a gluten free vegan diet was beneficial for not only the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but also their hearts. The study reflected other research which indicates that healthy nutrition plays an important role for those with rheumatoid arthritis; these individuals are often known to be more prone to heart...

September 1, 2014 In Food and Recipes, News, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Move over Berries. Seeds are Making a Comeback

If there is one miracle worker when it comes to health, whether it be for weight loss purposes, disease prevention, anti-aging, energy, beauty or longevity - the seed deserves ultimate recognition. We are very fortunate that we have such superfoods available to us, especially since all seeds boast their own unique health benefits. They are powerful little guys when it comes to your health and can be used therapeutically to aid with certain health ailments and concerns. I’ll give you the run down on the unique benefits of a few celebrity seeds, but I’ll also tell you what all seeds...

August 31, 2014 In Editor's Picks: Must Haves for Staying Healthy, Food, Food and Recipes, Spotlight By Vancouver Health Coach

Protein Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe

Fall season calls for plenty of root veggie recipes. Last week I gave you the low down on pumpkin seeds, so here are the benefits of pumpkins themselves! One of the first things we tend to recall about pumpkins are their glowing bright orange colour which indicates they are high in an important cancer fighting antioxidant, beta-caratone. A component of vitamin A, this micronutrient is oh-so important for your immune system, the health of your eyes and your skin. Vitamin A has also been shown to support digestive healing, which suggests it may be effectively used with ulcers and other areas...

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

Being Healthy About Your Health

Everyone has their own idea on how to be healthy. There are so many different variables: age, culture, gender, lifestyle and values. These all create different opinions on what health means. Health is unique to the individual. But sometimes, I feel like people become a little unhealthy about being healthy. Striving to do our best, we often get caught up, losing balance. I don’t believe that counting calories, or balancing ratios of protein, fats, or carbohydrates is healthy either. It’s an unhealthy way to look at food. Food is so much more than a science, just as we are more...