Many of us think we are looking after our bones by taking our calcium pills religiously. We drink milk and eat cheese and yogurt, almonds and spinach. Some of us add vitamin D to the mix, hoping that by doing so we’ll avoid osteoporosis.

It’s great that we’re trying to take care of ourselves, but unfortunately we’re missing a most important part of the equation for good bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis and heart disease — Vitamin K_{2.  READ MORE}

I would like to introduce you to the benefits of coconut oil. Yes I would like to tell you that certain “types” of fat in your diet are actually beneficial. Gone are the days where it is believed that eating fat is what makes us fat. The truth is that eating too much food (fat, carbohydrates, or protein), not exercising, and living a crazy lifestyle is what makes us fat. In fact, we actually need fat in our diet to be healthy and coconut oil is one of the friendly fats we can become buddies with. Let’s undress this sexy product to uncover the amazing benefits this 4000-year-old exotic oil offers and some of the incredible ways it can be used. I’ll give you a hint; it’s not just good for cooking with!  READ MORE

My dirty little secret is that behind-the-scenes of a partially-raw, fully-vegan Holistic Nutritionist (in training), I am also a bartender and server. This means that, yes, while I’m learning about circadian rhythms and early-to-bed sleeps, I have to stay up late every weekend to work. Although this throws my system out of whack once a week, I have learned some really interesting things whilst watching the way people eat at a restaurant!  READ MORE

News flash! Fat doesn’t make us fat! Has anyone noticed the fat-free craze that has been sweeping the nation since the late 80’s? It seems like everywhere we look there are marketing labels touting fat-free! As if to make us think that eating dietary fat is what actually makes us gain body fat. It’s time to undress this issue to uncover the dirty truth about this fat madness.  READ MORE

Use the word “menopause” and you conjure up images of forgetful, scattered, crabby (bitchy, really), overweight older women who are constantly fanning themselves. Stereotypes, of course, but where there are stereotypes, there is truth, and the truth is that there are many women who experience some or all of these symptoms. But also, where there are stereotypes, there are many women who defy them.  READ MORE

The other day I was walking through the grocery store in my neighbourhood and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many gluten-free food options. For people who need to be gluten-free, these food products appeared to be an incredible alternative. From bread and cereals to cookies, waffles, and wraps, the options were many. With so many new gluten-free products coming to market it makes you wonder, are more people requiring gluten-free foods, is this just a health fad, are these gluten-free foods healthier or are they healthy at all? Let’s strip away the confusion and undress this issue.  READ MORE

We all know that wonderful feeling when our head sinks into the pillow after a long and productive day. We rest so we can wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for another day that lies ahead.  It is our sense of well-being that is connected directly to sleep.  However, sleeping in darkness is essentially vital to our health.  And truthfully it is not the amount of sleep we receive that’s crucial, but the quality of sleep. READ MORE

Tis’ the season! If you are like me, then the holiday season is the hardest time of year to stick to a healthy diet. However, the last thing we want is January 1st to roll around and to spot a few extra pounds following us around like a bad smell! The good news is that water can be your best friend in helping with fat loss by encouraging healthy maintenance of your bodily functions. Also, simply increasing your water intake can be beneficial to your overall health. READ MORE

Talk about being an outcast! It’s like the cucumber and the bean sprout were part of the popular crowd and then some kid at school spread a nasty rumour about them having head lice and suddenly all the kids avoided them. Only, it’s not head lice, it’s a deadly E. coli bacteria, and it’s not kids, it’s government officials spreading this information. At the end of May a rare and toxic strain of E. coli started to make itself known in Germany and to date, 26 people have died from this outbreak. Thousands more have been infected, not only in Germany but in other European countries, the USA, and Canada. This is not a situation to be taken lightly as it involves one of the largest number of deaths from any E. coli outbreak. READ MORE

Gosh-darn it! I woke up this morning with a wee bit of a cold coming on. It’s rare that I get under the weather, but when I do, it’s usually because I’m burning the candle at both ends. An expression my dad loved to use when I was a youngster. Ironically, this seems to happen leading up to holidays. Between the excitement and cramming too many things in my schedule, my poor immune system has trouble keeping up. READ MORE