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...

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...

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...

Today we’re talking all about milk. In recent years, milk has become the target of many misconceptions, causing people to take opposing sides on the topic. Although there has been a fair amount of research on the subject, there still appears to be very little agreement by the public...

Let’s face it: not everything we read online is true. And while many of us know that, it’s still easy to be taken in by popular ideas we see online or hear from friends. How can we really separate food fact from fiction? Misinformation affects many of my patients, but there is a way to spot this problem and seek reliable facts to solve it. March is Nutrition Month and this year Dietitians of Canada has started a campaign called Take the Fight Out of Food. It’s all about taking the struggle out of making good food choices...

Have you ever wondered why certain herbs and spices are unique to different cultures, and why some countries seem to rely more heavily on them than others? It’s no coincidence that hotter regions like India and the Middle East have historically used generous portions of herbs and spices in their cooking...

Happy 2017, friends! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling optimistic about this upcoming year. I’m sure many of you have already made a mental list of New Year’s resolutions. If I’ve learned anything as a Dietitian, it’s that health- and weight-related goals are typically at the forefront of these resolutions. So as a group, can we decide right here and right now that we will make these goals sustainable for 2017? Let’s decide to leave the fad diets in 2016 and focus on goals that are workable and maintainable...