As we quickly move out of March, New Year’s resolutions may seem like a distant thought. Despite our best intentions, resolutions can seem impossible to stick to long-term. Why is that? One reason might be that these goals tend to focus on deprivation: no sugar, no alcohol, no gluten. But what if we decided that this year we were going to focus on what we could ADD to our lives to improve ourselves?...
Read MoreMiddle Eastern Oatmeal
I would classify myself as an oatmeal lover. In fact, I like to think of myself as somewhat of an oatmeal connoisseur. However, Tal’s opinion of my oatmeal obsession tends to lean more towards an oatmeal snob. I suppose I can’t blame him seeing how I acted on our last vacation, but really, snob?...
Read MoreA Pinch of Salt
We all need salt to live, but the fact is that we are overwhelmed by the amount of salt found in our food system these days. We know that most Canadians eat too much salt and the claims about excess salt leading to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease are ALL TRUE. So let’s take a closer look at salt and find out where it really makes the difference to cut it out...
Read MoreNo Knead Dark Rye Loaf
love the daylong process of making bread. There is nothing more satisfying than kneading dough with your own hands and watching it rise and develop into a deeply flavorful, chewy loaf of bread. Having said that, there are some days that I just don’t want to put in the work. That’s why I love overnight breads...
Read MoreMindful Eating
Having a good relationship with food is one of the hardest parts of leading a healthy life. The most important lesson that I’ve learned over the years about nutrition and food is that I need to be aware at mealtimes. I’m trained to understand and teach others about the importance of good nutrition...
Read MoreClassic Homemade Bread
There is nothing that compares to the pride you feel when you pull out a freshly baked loaf of bread from the oven. For me, bread was the last frontier. It was a place I desperately wanted to go, but was always afraid to explore. Bread was more than just a matter of following the recipe; there was actual skill involved. That just seemed like too much potential for error for my liking...
Read MoreA Spoonful of Sugar
Let’s take a minute to head back to the time of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Here there are no grocery stores, no prepackaged meals, and no meal delivery services. This is a time where people had to hunt or collect their food in order to survive. During this time, there were only a few types of food that would have given our ancestors that sweet dose of sugar that they craved: fruit and honey...
Read MoreIsraeli Chopped Salad
And…we’re off! Another season, another adventure. And this time, we’ve cancelled fall and extended summer for a few more months. Now I know we asked for sunshine, but I wasn’t exactly ready for this kind of heat! We landed in Israel around 6:30pm only to find ourselves sweating in a muggy 32°C wearing the same clothes that we’d been in for three flights over the last 24 hours...
Read MoreFrozen Yogurt Bites
Hot days make me feel sluggish. I’ll be raring to go throughout the morning, but once the afternoon rolls around, I’m feeling like a hot mess. It’s exactly around that time that I need something tasty to cool me off and perk me up for the rest of the day...
Read MoreBlueberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes
It’s Saturday tomorrow and at my place that can only mean one thing. Pancakes. There is nothing I like more than fluffy, fruit-filled pancakes on my day off. I don’t even mind getting out of bed to make them. I like them THAT much...
Read MoreWhat is Non-Celiac Gluten-Sensitivity?
Going gluten-free has become somewhat of a social status in recent years. Gluten-free foods have become trendy and carry a healthful association, despite the lack of evidence behind the fad. It’s startling that gluten-free foods have become the latest and greatest food choice out there, and more importantly, make people feel like their food choices are supporting a healthy lifestyle...
Read MoreAvocado-Tahini Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
Eep! Make it stop!How is it already the end of June? Somehow I feel like spring decided to end early and gave summer a head start this year. I think I finally realized that summer was on our heels because I tried to go to bed before 10 pm and realized that my eye mask was barely keeping out the daylight that was still streaming in through the blinds.
Read MoreBone Health: Are supplements really necessary?
Today I’m wrapping up the conversation about milk. Since milk is such a great source of calcium and vitamin D, we can’t talk about milk without talking about bone health. Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones, while vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium. Our bodies reach peak bone mass at age 30, at which point our bones start to thin as a part of normal aging...
Read MoreSpring Salad with Asparagus and Green Peas
Spring has finally made its way over to the West Coast! This has been a tough winter for us Vancouverites. Snow and temperatures below zero are not really our strength. I think we were all a bit desperate for some sunshine by the end of it. But fortunately, the cherry blossoms are finally out, the tulips have blossomed, and the vegetables have popped their heads out in the garden...
Read MoreLactose Intolerance: Can we really replace milk with plant-based alternatives?
Cultures around the world have bred cows for their milk for thousands of years. At first, humans were not always able to digest lactose past childhood because they lacked the enzyme lactase, to break it down in their digestive system. That’s why many cultures started by consuming fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir...
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