Holistic Nutrition

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RECIPE - Croutons

March 02, 2023

This seedy sourdough bread, with a crunchy crust, complemented our home-made vegetable soup perfectly. Bread, made from scratch at a local bakery using fresh, local and ethically sourced ingredients, and soup made almost completely with vegetables from a local farm created a comfort meal perfect for a winter storm. What to do with the leftovers? Not wanting any of this amazing bread to go to waste, the stale leftovers became crunchy croutons. Croutons add texture and flavour to salads and soups, scrambled eggs, hot baked dishes (as a topping for a cheesy green bean casserole, for example), and offer a bit of crunch on a charcuterie snack board. Crouton Recipe Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For every 4 cups of bread cubes: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Seasonings of choice: Salt and pepper Dried herbs Onion and garlic powder Nutritional Yeast (I used a no salt blend that contains a large variety of herbs and spices, and then I added nutritional yeast.) How to: Using a bread knife,

Smoothie Bowls

April 10, 2020

Photo Credit: Jessica VanDyk Rethink breakfast with smoothie bowls. Think of a fun version of the more traditional smoothie, served in a bowl, and instead of sipping with a straw, the thick texture of a smoothie bowl requires a spoon. In a too rushed world, smoothie bowls make us slow down a bit to enjoy flavourful hearty toppings held up by the dense consistency of a creamy base. Toppings like granola and nuts add crunch and texture while providing sustained energy, healthy fats, and protein to keep you full throughout your morning. To make the base, blend any frozen creamy fruit or try a combination of tropical fruits such as: sliced ripe bananas dragon fruit, also known as pitaya or pitahaya (white, red, or yellow) mango chunks Before blending, decide whether you want to add some protein to the base. Healthy choices include (choose one or two): Photo Credit: Jessica VanDyk cacoa nibs or powder peanut butter or PB2 (powdered peanut butter) protein powd

Eat the Seasons ~ Spring Dandelions

May 26, 2018

What's in Season? ~ Dandelions Taraxacum officinale "Fairy Clock" My favourite flower bouquet from my girls, picked with love. Nature gives us dandelions just when we need them most. A fresh spring tonic to help our bodies transition from winter to spring. The long winter can leave us feeling dull, lethargic, fatigued, and heavy. Introducing bitter and pungent foods may aid digestion, detoxify the kidneys and liver, and stimulate bile flow from the gall bladder to support healthy cholesterol levels. Dandelions are a natural detoxifier and spring cleanser. Pick tender green leaves that have not been sprayed with chemicals. Choose leaves with thin stems and avoid yellowing, limp leaves with larger, thicker stems. Use the leaves the way you cook with spinach, either raw (added to salads) or steamed. Juice the leaves or add to a smoothie. Enjoy a cup of organic dandelion root tea. Freshly picked dandelion leaves can be rinsed in cool water, dried thoroughly, a

Storage Wars

April 04, 2011

While driving through the city, I keep noticing new self-storage facilities being built. While there are legitimate reasons to require extra storage, Storage Wars on A&E demonstrates the fact that often people later realize they really do not need the "stuff". In fact, they often simply stop paying the rent and leave the items, or do not bother to sell or reclaim the storage items if they no longer can pay the rent. Similarily, Hoarders on A&E and Hoarding: Buried Alive on TLC explore the psychology behind the compulsion to accumulate nonessential items. The Mayo Clinic's definition of hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. While we may not all hoard excessively, we may still be overwhelmed with clutter. Clutter is energy constipation ~ draining our energy, and adversely affecting our health, congesting our body and mind. Like hoarding, constipation may reflect a person's inability to let go . Accordi

You Are What You Eat ~ Doctrine of Signatures

November 16, 2010

Bleeding Heart ~ Lamprocapnos spectabilis (formerly Dicentra spectabilis) An ancient doctrine, The Doctrine of Signatures , suggests that plants were given a "signature" or "mark" and their shape, color, texture, habitat, and taste were a clue to the plant's healing properties. For more information ~ Doctrine of Signatures, Deborah Treijs, MH . For example, Tomatoes are red and have four chambers like a human heart. They contain lycopene, an antioxident, that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Walnuts resemble a human brain with a left/right hemisphere, upper/lower cerebrums, wrinkles/folds like neocortex, and contain omega 3, which is essential for normal brain function. Carrots , when sliced, resemble the human eye, with pupil/iris/radiating lines. Carrots contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an important nutrient for eye health. Grape clusters are heart-shaped, and individual grapes resemble blood cells. A

School Lunch Solutions

October 28, 2010

Is your child tired all the time, unable to focus in school, constantly whining, constipated, experiencing headaches or suffering from chronic colds? If so, your child may have a nutrient deficiency that can be easily corrected with a proper diet. A holistic nutritionist can help you plan lunches that will enable your child to concentrate in school, have the energy to participate in sports, build their immune system, as well as improve their mood and behavior. A child's lunch needs to include several key nutrients: Proteins ~ Children require protein to repair muscles damaged during play and sports, to boost the immune system, and to keep hair, skin, nails, bones and organs healthy. Sources include meat, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, nut butters, cheese and yogurt. Carbohydrates ~ Children require carbs for energy. Complex carbs elevate blood sugar levels slowly and provide a longer lasting form of energy than simple carbs (candy, soft drinks, fruit juice, white