In the second Q&A episode of Nutrition Bites I am tackling three commonly asked questions: 1) Is fresh fruit better than frozen? 2) Should you be worried about mercury poisoning from fish? 3) Which cooking oil is the healthiest? Tune in to hear the answers and learn how to eat what you want AND be healthy. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

'Tis the season of treats: chocolate is practically inescapable, home bakers are whipping out cookies and babkas to no end, and cafés are slinging  gallons of holiday-inspired sweetened drinks. At the centre of all these delicious goodies is sugar. Now sugar in and of itself is not bad for you, but excess sugar added to things during cooking or manufacturing, is not the best for us. Lucky for us, self-proclaimed health gurus have allegedly found a workaround! By substituting white table sugar...

Our diets are complex puzzles. We eat and drink so many different types of things and a lot of the time we have no clue exactly what we’re ingesting. Most people can tolerate a wide variety of foods, but some bodies are a little extra rebellious - causing bloating, cramping and constipation on a regular basis. Due to our diverse diets it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of our digestive woes,  but that's where the elimination diet comes in. Listen now for more details!  Want to...

The keto diet is the #1 most searched diet on Google, but also, one of the worst ranked diets by health professionals. Over the past few years, plenty of people have been sold on this carb-phobic, fat-loving way of eating because of the quick weight loss it’s well known for, but health advocates are getting concerned.  Tune in to find out why. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Terms like “fast” and “slow” metabolism are carelessly thrown around in weight loss and fitness communities. You can categorize yourself as someone who is either able to eat a an excessive amount of food without gaining weight, or easily pack on a pound by consuming just one extra french fry. This terminology can become a cruel way to compare bodies and shame eating habits, and even at an age well past our adolescent anxieties, people still find blame, or pride, in whatever speed they...

Thanks to it's undeniable status as a superstar ingredient salt is found everywhere in our diet. It acts as a preserver, adds texture, strengthens foods structures, and of course, contributes massive flavour. But too much salt is a bad thing, a really bad thing, and with the amount of salt currently hidden our diet, it's contributing to some pretty large scale diseases. In fact, some scientists have even deemed the silent killer. Tune in to learn why. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send...

GMOs have been circulating in our food supply for decades, but the debate around their safety and acceptance is still red hot. Are they a solution to help feed the growing global population? Or are they a hazard to our health and environment? Tune in to find out. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Adaptogens are the latest craze taking over the nutrition world. This apparent cure-all for stress, poor immunity, sexual dysfunction and general malaise is "all natural" and perfect for those on an anti-pharma mandate. But the proof that adaptogens work is...nonexistant. So should you buy into the obsession? Tune in to find out. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

People are becoming more and more interested in where their food comes from, and the idyllic image of a spotted cow chomping on grass in a lush meadow really hits a foodie’s soft spot.  The assumption of better animal welfare is just one of the reasons why many are opting for “grass-fed” meat and milk. Another belief is that this label equals a purchase that is better for the environment and our health. But here’s the catch - these are all assumptions based on our own interpretations of the...

Stress is a biological reaction to a physical or psychological threat - think Moose attack or surprise presentation at work. Our nervous system and hormones work together to morph our body into its superhero form, ready for fight or flight. But what happens when we are stressed out for weeks, months or years on end? Not only is our health impacted, but our eating habits get way out of line. It becomes so much harder to choose healthy foods, and suddenly we're gaining weight. What's going on...

If you've ever experienced a hangover you're sure to have asked yourself the following question "Dear God, how can I make this stop?" A hangover is your body's way of not-so-politely telling you that you've been poisoned. Despite your liver  working overtime to try and clear out all the toxins from your previous night of drinking, sometimes it's just not enough. So is there anything you can do to try to prevent a hangover, or ease the pain the next day? Tune into Episode 16 to find out. Want...

Caffeine is the world’s most popular drug - the majority of the global population consumes it every day!  As a stimulant to the nervous system it can have some pretty astonishing effects on our body like increased alertness and energy.  Now, thanks to  the skyrocketing popularity of added sources of caffeine, such as energy drinks and pre-workout supplements, consuming high amounts of caffeine is easier than ever. But those high doses can come with some pretty terrible effects, like seizures...

One of the biggest drivers of climate change is our food system - over 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture alone! It's clear that what we choose to eat has a HUGE impact on the environment. But what do we need to change in order to stay healthy, eat delicious food, and prevent the planet from warming even further. Tune in to find out more on sustainable, planetary diets.  Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram...

Quotes like "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and "don't eat past 8 p.m." are popular pieces of nutrition advice - but how true are they? In our busy and fast paced lives we often skip meals or eat at odd hours of the day, and that may, or may not, have an impact on our health. Add to the mix our genetics dictating whether we are an "early bird" or a "night owl" and you have a recipe for confusion. Tune in to find out the truth behind when you actually need to be eating your...

In the first Q&A episode of Nutrition Bites I am tackling three commonly asked questions. 1) Is fruit from sugar really bad for you? 2) Which chip option is the healthiest? 3) Butter vs. margarine - which one should I choose? Tune in to hear the answers and learn how to eat what you want AND be healthy. Want to recommend an episode topic or ask a question? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

"Superfood" is a term that get's thrown around a lot, especially by wellness-focused food brands. But the actual definition of a superfood doesn't exist. It's a marketing term that applies to specific foods thought to boost our health - but how truthful is that? And why do some healthy foods miss out on their turn in the spotlight? Tune in to find out the fact, fiction, and history of superfoods.  Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram...

Sports drinks are beverages that are specifically geared towards athletes and people engaging in physical activity. Packed with added sugar and electrolytes they are designed to rehydrate lost fluids and replenish nutrients used during  exercise. But with the a bottle of Gatorade packing the same amount of added sugar as a can of Coke, does your "regular Joe" really benefit from these drinks? Well it all depends on how much you sweat...and that...is complicated. Tune in to learn more! Want...

Nutrient claims are phrases like "good source of fibre" or "low in calories" found on a wide variety of food packages. They are  bite-sized pieces of information about a specific nutrient in one serving of food . These claims are highly regulated and fairly simple to understand but they don't tell the whole truth about a product. Just because a food is "low in sugar" doesn't necessarily mean it's better for you. So how much should you pay attention to these claims? Tune in to find out. Want...

Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years,  and while these tangy, funky drinks and foods  have been a staple of so many cuisines they’ve only recently gained traction in the Western market. That’s because some items, like kombucha and kimchi, have been associated with health claims like boosting immunity and improving digestion. So should these preserved products be hailed as health heroes  or is it just another flash-in-the-pan wellness hoax? Let's find out. Want to...

Dairy is part of the global food culture, but there’s been a growing rumbling that this food group is on the outs. The popularity of plant-based milk is skyrocketing and new diets are popping up that exclude dairy entirely, claiming that it's bad for our health. But when we’ve been raised to think that we need to consume dairy it’s hard to know what’s true. Let's take a peak into history, biology, and nutrition to find out the answer. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on...

Protein is arguably the hottest macronutrient around. With diets like paleo dominating the health scene,  and high-protein snacks and drinks available at every gas station, coffee shop, and local gym, it's safe to say that many people are thinking about this nutrient. But there’s a lot of misinformation and questions surrounding protein - some that even scientists still disagree about. How much do we need? What are the best sources? How important is it really?  All the answers and more, in...

Intermittent Fasting is now the top diet in America, and with all the hype and celebrity allegiance it's hard not to be swayed into try this new way of eating. But are all the claims, from weight loss to improved focus to anti-aging, really true? And how does it even work? All the answers and more, in this episode of Nutrition Bites.  Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcast Credit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Good sleep is such an important part of functioning like an actual human being, but over a third of North Americans are not getting enough shut-eye. Apart from causing mood swings and fatigue, poor sleep has a BIG impact on our long-term health and short-term food choices. Why do we lose all will power when it comes to eating healthy after a poor night of sleep? Can we change our diet to help improve our sleep? All the answers and more, in this episode of Nutrition Bites.  Want to recommend...

If you are focused on trying to eat a bit healthier you've probably seen the label “natural” dominating grocery store shelves. You may be drawn towards purchasing "natural" products because after all, a natural food made with natural colours and flavours must mean it's healthy right? The problem is that "natural" doesn’t have anything to do with the nutritional value or health of the food. So what the f*ck does "natural" really mean, and should you be spending your money buying...

Juice cleanses have been around for years but they've become even more popular thanks to online influencers who promote this fad diet as a gateway to detoxing your body.  It’s the health world’s version of a “get rich quick scheme”- it’s not based on fact but it is so well marketed. In this episode we dive deep into why our bodies never need a detox, and how juice cleanses can actually do more harm than good. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram...