Are those gut healthy snacks you’re buying legit? What’s actually in them? And what should you be eating if you really want to take care of your gut? I’m talking all about the basics of good gut health, gut healthy snacks and sourdough with Chicago-based registered dietitian Morgan Murdock on The Allsorts Podcast! Way back in 2019 I was at Expo West, North America’s largest natural foods expo and as I wandered the aisles upon aisle (there literally thousands of products on display!) I...

What is it to live a good life? Because it’s definitely not the glossy perfection that is sold to us in movies and Instagram. How do we navigate the cards we’ve been dealt - and find that balance between consciously creating our world and allowing ourselves the grace to just be? I don’t know that I am very good at this myself. My anxious mind tends to flicker between worrying about things to worrying that I am worrying about things and not just enjoying the moment…but I am slowly getting...

I don’t know about you…but I thought a LOT less about my food choices before I had kids. And I am a dietitian, so that’s saying a lot! Navigating baby’s first foods can feel a bit overwhelming because there are so many differing opinions out there: finger foods vs purees, baby led weaning, sippy cups or no…with our first born, we invest so much energy in learning the ropes! We read the books. We go to the group sessions. We swap advice with other parents. And there is SO much advice. There...

Oh hi! It’s me, Desiree, and today on a solo episode of the pod, we’re going to answer that burning question, “why am I bloated?” Before we get going, you need to know that it is TOTALLY NORMAL to get bloated from time to time. Eat a 3 bean chili? We all get bloated. Holiday feast? Yep, all that food takes up space. Part of a healthy digestive system is occasional variations - like how most of us get constipated for a day or two while we travel or how collard greens will loose up the...

How do you know if you want to have kids? As far as adulting goes, having children is the biggest commitment a human can make. I mean, you can change careers, sell that condo, move across the planet or even get help in caring for elderly parents…so it’s kind of interesting that there is relatively little dialogue about the decision to have children. Yes, humanity requires procreation to survive. But at 8 billion souls and counting, the planet isn’t running out of humans any time soon. And...

Are plant proteins really incomplete? Can your body actually tell the difference between amino acids from plants and amino acids from animals? If you are at all curious about whether you can get optimal protein on a plant-based diet - or if you’ve ever heard that plant protein is incomplete - this week’s episode of The Allsorts Podcast is a must listen (or watch)! There is a strong trend on social media right now that is trying to position plant-based protein as somehow inferior to animal...

I was not exposed to Thai cuisine much in my childhood, growing up in smaller Canadian towns in the 80s + 90s. But in my early 20s, I spent some time backpacking with my then boyfriend (now husband...yes, we've been together my whole adult life) throughout South East Asia from Singapore up through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and to say that I fell in love with Thai food is an understatement.  A cuisine that celebrates vegetables, lavishes dishes with coconut milk and a liberal use of herbs...

We all know - and perhaps dabble with - not drinking during Dry January or Sober October but the rise of the “sober curious” movement over the last few years has really invited us to start the conversation about our relationship with alcohol and how we use it - and abuse it - across all aspects of life, from “mommy wine” culture to quarantine cocktails. When the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released their updated alcohol guidelines earlier this year, it rocked a lot of...

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most misunderstood - and overlooked - endocrine disorders affecting women and those assigned female at birth. For example, did you know that as high as 3 out of 4 women with PCOS will NEVER be diagnosed? Or, that PCOS is a close cousin of type two diabetes? My social feeds are being flooded right now with talk of nutrition for hormonal health so I wanted to explore evidence-based strategies for caring for our reproductive system - and hormonal...

As a dietitian, I hear time and time again that healthy eating is too expensive. And these days, with food prices skyrocketing - at times out of alignment with inflation - it is getting harder to feed yourself well on a budget. One of my first pieces of advice for eating well with less money is to eat more whole plant foods such as legumes and whole grains. Plant-based eating can seem expensive if you are drawn to plant-based meat substitutes or fancy superfood snacks. But legumes and...

Whether you’re 22 or 62, we all have one thing in common: inhabiting a physical body without which we could not live, work or even experience the sights, tastes and sounds of life. And yet, most of us walk around as if our body is an afterthought: nothing more than a fleshy carrying case for our brains…that is, of course, until our bodies decide to assert themselves in an injury or disease state. Even though I’m in my early forties, I notice it. Like how I get sore after a workout I didn’t...

Curious about anti-inflammatory nutrition? Well prepare to get nerdy in this solo episode, because host Desiree Nielsen RD is going to tell you everything you need to know about the anti-inflammatory diet. Over a decade ago, the idea that chronic inflammation may be one of the root causes of - or exacerbating - chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease or even skin conditions like acne and rosacea - was considered controversial. Now, it’s well accepted that most...

I am so fascinated by athletes and have to admit, hold them up as something quite magical. Who are they? What motivates them? Where did they get their superpowers? And that is why today’s conversation is such a treat. I am speaking with Olympic silver medal cyclist, Dotsie Bausch…who smashes all preconceived notions about who an athlete is and how they are made. Dotsie is proof positive that change is possible. While other athletes might get their start when someone puts a golf club in...

To take a page from the legend that is Oprah, if there is one thing I know, it’s that being well is not just about the food we eat. Which is why I called this The Allsorts Podcast…because I wanted to talk about all sorts of things! I truly believe that our sense of purpose, connection to community and a belief in something larger than ourselves impacts how we perceive the world around us, and ourselves. Which is why I’ve been thinking about doing this episode for a while now. We’re going to...

When the pandemic hit, our relationship to our homes changed because we were spending more time in them than ever before…and even as we’ve moved forward, I think we’ve realized the impact that our homes can have on our lives. Especially as we enter the dark days of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought that this was the perfect time to talk about how to create a safe, cozy and happy environment within our four walls. If you’re Danish, you know this feeling as hygge. And what better...

Something I’m passionate about is that cooking for yourself is one of the most important steps you can take in your personal wellness. When you cook at home, not only do you control what goes into your food but you’ll save a LOT of money, helping ensure that healthy eating is sustainable for you and your family. Especially with the cost of food rising globally, knowing how to coax more flavour and enjoyment from simple, budget-friendly ingredients is a skill every single one of us should...

If you’re ready for a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood gut health conditions on the planet, you’re going to love my conversation about small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, AKA SIBO, with registered dietitian Ayten Salahi. I discovered Ayten’s work a while back on Instagram, and let me tell you, it’s rare to discover a practitioner I am so aligned with so it’s exciting for me to introduce you to her wonderful work! She dives deep into topics around irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO...

With cold and flu season upon us, I know that most of us are looking for every advantage we can find to try and keep our immune system strong and our bodies healthy over the winter season. Which is why you’re going to want to listen to this episode: we’re talking about how the gut microbiome actively supports immunity and how it can help keep you well! I am so excited to welcome back gastroenterologist Dr Robynne Chutkan MD to the podcast, who has a brand new book out today - The Anti-Viral...

Stressed out? You’re definitely not alone…we seem to be very good at upping the ante on life at every single turn. So, you’re probably curious about whether there are any good supplements for stress. And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about during the solo episode - the first of season 3! In my own life, I’ve noticed that life just seems to get more intense with each passing year, even though my kids aren’t tiny anymore. Part of that could be my own response to my environment, but...

It’s 2022, can hustle culture just go away now?  Now, more than ever, we need to learn how to slow down…sounds easy,  but it actually takes a lot of courage in our always on society. The courage to reject the idea that you need to be constantly productive. That taking care of yourself needs to look a certain way. That wellness is just something you buy. Slowing down isn’t about giving up - although in this episode we do actually talk about how giving up isn’t always a bad thing - it’s about...

One of the MOST important aspects of evidence-based nutrition practice is a commitment to looking critically at the science of nutrition as it evolves and allowing your practice to evolve with it. And it has always struck me that some of what we call evidence-based nutrition is actually just professional consensus. For example, why do we gender the recommendations for fibre…when the guidelines are clearly based on energy intake? The more you need to eat - which is mostly determined by your...

I remember when I first went vegetarian as a teenager in the 90s. There were no recipe or nutrition blogs. If I wanted information, or a sense of community, my main outlet was Vegetarian Times magazine. I poured over the pages, even buying my first ever cookbook, The Vegetarian Times cookbook, that I could not have fed myself without. So I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Ann Esselstyn when her husband, Dr Caldwell B Esselstyn Jr made the discovery that a whole food plant-based...

Life is meant to constantly evolve: we are not the same person we were yesterday. Aging is a part of this human existence that each one of us experiences. I mean, the alternative is literally no longer living. No thanks. And yet, so much of the narrative around getting older is one of fading into the background. As a member of the over 40 club, I reject it entirely. But we also have to acknowledge the transitions inherent in aging and support each other through them. Which is why I am...

Will oils cause heart disease? Are omega 6 fats inflammatory? There are few questions as hotly debated, even amongst health practitioners, as the subject of which oils - and how much - are beneficial, or even safe to eat. But is it REALLY a controversy in the research? Maybe not…and what the science says might actually surprise you. Which is why I asked my fave nutrition science communicator, Dr Matthew Nagra ND, to break down the latest scientific evidence on oils and fats in human...

What if every moment of every day, you are choosing your future? How would you spark change in the world - and in yourself? Could you learn to trust your inner knowing? I couldn’t think of a better person to explore these questions with than the one and only Joanne Molinaro, the Korean Vegan. To me, Joanne is proof that the internet can make the world a better place. Her work radiates compassion, and it creates a safe container for the important conversations that need to take happen. Plus,...