January 15th, 2010
If you are like many folks that have set a New Year’s Resolution to lose some weight here are my top 3 suggestions based on the dozens of clients I have seen over the years.
- Understand Portion Distortion
Food researchers suggest that we underestimate how much we eat by 20-40%. “Calories are king” when it comes to managing a healthy weight. Small shifts in daily quantities add up to be big calorie deficits over the long run. If you are trying to lose weight, think about reducing what you are eating each day by a small fraction. Read the rest of this entry »
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December 23rd, 2009
What if I told you that your favourites like beer and wings at the pub on Friday night or devouring a bowl of double chocolate chunk brownie explosion ice cream was just as important to your well being as eating enough fruits and veggies.
What I have learned over the past 10 years of counselling clients, is that when it comes to healthy eating imperfect is perfect. Dr. Brian Wansink, a leading food researcher suggests we make over 20,000 food related decisions each day. How could we expect them all to be perfect? Allowing yourself flexibility and the opportunity to enjoy your favourite treats is the only way I believe you can be successful and committed to achieving good health.
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Posted in CBC News, Healthy Mindsets | No Comments »
December 23rd, 2009
Thinking about making some nutrition and lifestyle changes for the new year? While all of us have unique areas we need to work on, I want to reflect on the most important moves you could consider making to protect your long-term health.
Our country’s report card on health shows a failing grade.
According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes are the leading causes of death — by far. Chronic ailments represent 60 per cent of deaths worldwide and 89 per cent of all deaths in Canada. Read the rest of this entry »
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November 17th, 2009
If you are like many of the clients I have worked with over the years you might find it confusing to know if carbs are good, bad or ugly. Low-carb diet books tell you to cut back on grains and eat more protein but at the same time you hear you should eat whole grains and more fibre. If you’re frustrated, you’re not alone. To make sense of all of this let’s take a look at the science of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates can be simply described as sugar. Fruits, sweets as well as lactose found in milk and yogurt are simple carbs (single or double units of sugar). Complex carbs (long chains of sugars) are found in grains/starches such as pasta, rice, potatoes, breads, cereals.
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November 14th, 2009
Like many kids, my 10-year-old has participated in her fair share of extracurricular activities: piano, swimming, choir, gymnastics, drama. But up to now, we’d managed a sit-down family dinner virtually every night.
This year a trying new schedule took things up a notch. Our family was abruptly introduced to the challenges of “dashboard dining” – meals eaten in the car, on the run.
We’re far from rare. “A lot of after-school activities are taking place right over the family dinner hour,” says Andrea Holwegner, a registered dietitian in Calgary. “That supper meal is a big part of getting all the minerals and vitamins that kids need to grow and be healthy.”
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