Italian Take-Away

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating rather than a formal diet plan. It features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, southern Italy and France, and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. More and more research is showing that by following this way of eating we can lower our risk of certain diseases, improve our mood, boost our energy levels and keep our heart and brain healthy. It’s not a coincidence that these guys are living until they are over 100! As a dietitian and food lover I needed to do some research into this so-called Mediterranean diet, so I packed my bags and went to southern Italy for 3+ weeks (hard work – right?)

Winter Wellness

Another 6 more weeks of winter...Cold and flu viruses love this time of year as the dry weather allows them to float in the air and hit unsuspecting victims. Making matters worse - we’re finding ourselves in doors more and in close proximity to each other allowing these nasty colds and flus to hit everyone in our family and in the office. But good news! There are ways to boost your immune system to fend off attacking viruses and some tricks to getting-well faster if you are unlucky enough to be hit by one of these viruses.

Happy Belated Vitamin D Day: 3 Ways to Eat Your Vitamin D

November 2nd has been declared Vitamin D day and the fact that this vitamin has its own day just shows how important it is! Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium and phosphorous for strong bones and teeth, it protects us against infections and may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Vitamin D can even ward off seasonal affective disorder by keeping our mood elevated. Health Canada recommends adults get a minimum of 800 IU of Vitamin D per day, either through food or a supplement. Here are three tips to getting your recommended amount of Vitamin D.

Holidays, vitamins and mineralsJessica PirnakNovember 23, 2014vitamin D, milk, salmon, supplements

Would you like Yam or Sweet Potato Fries with that?

Answer: sweet potato fries only because yam fries don’t exist! I know I know you had some last night with your burger but the restaurant tricked you since ‘yams’ are seldom seen in mainstream North American markets. That sugary, moist, orange tuber found in grocery stores is actually a sweet potato. So why the confusion? In the 1930’s a marketing campaign in the States started labeling sweet potatoes as yams – was this by accident or on purpose? I guess only those mad men will know!

The Muscle of Flour AKA Gluten

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I tried to attend the Gluten Free Expo that was taking place in Vancouver. We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to learn about the up and coming ‘gluten-free’ products we could offer future clients. However, after waiting in line for an hour and a half, we were told we only had another hour and a half to go! So, we decided to get a refund and some brunch. According to the apology email, we were sent a couple of days later, over 20,000 people tried to attend this particular expo! What should we take away from this?

Fibre, organic food, protein, tips, vitamins and minerals, weight controlJessica PirnakJanuary 28, 2013diets, protein, gluten, celiac disease

So Far Not a Happy New Year

Is it just me or is everyone sick right now? Are we thatstressed out during the holidays that are immune systems become more susceptible to these nasty bugs? Or maybe it’s because we’ve been squished together in shopping malls and at family functions allowing germs to easily jump ship? Whatever the case may be everyone is sick! So, despite the fact that I wrote a brand new post for today, I wanted to revisit a post I wrote over a year ago and dedicate it to all the sick people out there. Happy New Year!

Holidays, rotten egg, vitamins and mineralsJessica PirnakJanuary 7, 2013vitamin C, common cold, mythbusting

The Baby Vitamin

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Don’t you just love this holiday? Or maybe it’s just me… So, how many people were blaming the turkey last night as they were falling asleep on the couch? If that sounds familiar then I invite you to take a trip down memory lane to my Thanksgiving post last year…but if you don’t have time let me just remind you that it’s not the Turkey.

Holidays, tips, vitamins and mineralsjessOctober 8, 2012Canadian Food Guide, Folate, Folic Acid, Pregnancy

Rotten Egg #7 - Rice

Happy September Everyone! I hope you all had a great summer and are somewhat looking forward to getting back to reality. September has always been my January and I’m looking forward to this New Year with many Food Yourself resolutions. To start, I promise to use Twitter more! Also, as I was glancing through my previous posts, I realized I haven’t done a “rotten egg” since February, so I thought now would be as good of a time as ever. Without further ado please sit back and enjoy this 51st post.

rotten egg, vitamins and mineralsjessSeptember 9, 2012B vitamins, cooking, Washing rice

The Magic Number 23

20-35% of your total daily calories should come from fat because in addition to providing flavour, texture, and energy, dietary fats supply fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K). Because fats are more energy-dense than carbohydrates and proteins, they also help us to feel full and satisfied after eating a high-fat meal and may help us lengthen the time between meals.

fat, protein, tips, vitamins and minerals, weight controljessJune 24, 2012full, Olive oil, almonds, Heart healthy fats