‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, and all through the supermarket, all the hosts were fretting which foods to target.
Gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free, Paleo, Keto, pescetarian, vegetarian or vegan...We could spend hours deciphering how to successfully accommodate each kind of guest for dinner, but because we live on the West Coast and 40% of us identifying with following a vegetarian or vegan diet we will zero-in on how to accommodate a plant-based eater this holiday weekend.
According to Food Allergy Canada, over 2.6 million Canadians self-report having at least one food allergy! It is important to note that people can be allergic to any food, but some allergies are more common than others. Eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, seafood, sesame, soy, sulphites, tree nuts, wheat and gluten are all listed as priority allergens by Health Canada, and actually have specific labeling requirements attached to them.
Read MoreHere on the West Coast, nothing says summer more than fresh, local salmon on the BBQ with some corn and new potatoes! But unfortunately, our oceans are facing a number of threats including overfishing, so how can we, as fish lovers, guarantee the seafood we are consuming is sustainable? The secret, is knowing where our food comes from, so with that being said, I would like to introduce you to my fish supplier and brother-in-law, Mike. Mike is the fisherman in the family and is obviously patient enough to answer all my weird fish questions about where his fish come from. Enjoy our interview!
Read MoreOn a chance encounter, I was e-introduced to Julie Covey, one of the owners of Double G Cattle Company, the company behind XY Ranch in 150 Mile House/Caribou region in British Columbia. This Ranch is doing everything right! I was so inspired and touched by their story and mission that I needed to share it with you. Take this for their mission statement: to naturally and humanely raise a true grass fed to grass finished cow using ZERO grains, antibiotics, or growth hormones. As consumers we need to step it up and support local farmers to send our message that animal husbandry standards and sustainability matter. Let your wallet do the talking - every purchase counts! Now sit back and relax and enjoy my interview with one of the G’s in Double G Cattle Company - Graham Covey.
Read MoreThe headlines warned us years ago that sitting was the new smoking, but even as awareness of the problem grows, our behaviour still has not changed! Why? Is it because of workplace culture? Uncomfortable standing shoes? Or nonspecific recommendations regarding how long we should sit for? We could sit here (no pun intended) for hours debating the inner workings of our society but the question still remains what can we do about it? Could a standing desk be a solution to our problem?
It's time to take care of our largest organ - our skin! This amazing organ does so much for us: it is our first line of defence against microbes and pollution, it regulates our body temperature, protects us from the sun's potentially cancer-causing ultra violet (UV) rays and it's a great diagnostic tool for overall health. Did you know that how you eat and drink can affect your skin? Here are our top 4 foods for healthy, glowing, and vibrant skin.
Read MoreThere are plenty of great reasons to switch your diet to a more plant-centered one. For starters, it’s better for your health, and it shows compassion toward animals.
But what about reducing your carbon footprint?
With that in mind, here are four tips to consider when filling your plant-based grocery cart to keep its environmental impact at the lowest possible.
Read MoreIrritable bowel syndrome, IBS, is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea...just think the alphabet of symptoms A, B, C &/or D! Unfortunately, as many as 13-20% of Canadians at any given time are affected by IBS and the lifetime risk for a Canadian to develop IBS is 30%! That’s a lot of people!
The humble banana is anything but basic! This inexpensive, versatile fruit might very well be the next sports drink according to a recent study out of the Dole Nutrition Research Lab. The study compared the effect of consuming a banana versus a 6% carbohydrate drink on cyclist racing a 75 km event and found that the both groups of cyclist had similar results when it came to performance, blood sugar levels, inflammation and immune levels.
