Healthiest YOU Series – Part 1: Inflammatory Foods

Welcome to the Healthiest YOU, a 10 Part Series to EMPOWER YOU to create HEALTHY HABITS and eliminate ones that compromise your health and well-being. PART 1 -  Inflammatory Foods to Eliminate from your diet Inflammatory foods can be confusing because they're not a one size fits all. What’s…


Supplements That Boost Your Brain Function – Part 3

B VITAMINS B Vitamins have been known to maintain brain function by way of supporting healthy moods,  stress management and energy production. Deficiencies in B Vitamins include symptoms that are observed in psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychosis. B Vitamins are vital…


FERMENTED FOODS AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Fermented foods have been at the forefront lately but they have been around for centuries, so why this renewed interest in them now? Research exploring these live products and their effect on gut, brain, and body health has revitalized public interest. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium are but a few…


WHY YOU NEED SALT!

For ages Doctors have been telling us to reduce salt intake for a healthy heart and to help reduce blood pressure.   Research now shows that salt has little do with heart disease and reducing high blood pressure. In fact some studies indicate salt restriction does more harm than good. What we…


Top 10 Ways to Curb Overeating

The key to successful weight control is learning to listen to your body’s cues. You want to eat when you feel hungry, but not famished. Feeling overly hungry can trigger overeating. The following tips can help you get in touch with the signs of hunger and satiety to prevent overeating: Stick to a…


REACTIONS TO OUR 3 DAY WARM DETOX

Here at Healthy Habits we've been busy with our latest 3 day warm and gentle detox.  We've had an overwhelming response and participants couldn't believe the wonderful changes that took place in just 3 days! First, let me start by saying that our detox is composed of real, whole foods. No…


Practicing Healthy Habits During the Holidays

Love the parties, love the treats and of course love the presents! But how do we manage the social mayhem of Christmas and not gain weight or spark up inflammatory reactions from festive foods that make us feel stiff and rickety? Here are a few of our favorite strategies to help you cope: 1) BROTH…


Daily Detox: Part Three – Detoxing the Yard

Not only are cell membranes and the internal cellular system important to detox but the cell matrix, the yard that surrounds the cells is vital to keep clean as well. The extra cellular matrix is prone to damage from both toxins and disease. The cell matrix thickens and loses fluidity which slows…


Daily Detox: Part Two – Cell Membrane Cleanse

By incorporating daily habits that allow for cellular function to upregulate improving your metabolism and elimination of toxic by-products we can all strive to improve our mind and body.  This 3 part series is an in-depth collection discussing what foods detoxify your body and their beneficial…


Daily Detox to To Optimize Focus and Fitness

By incorporating daily habits that allow for cellular function to upregulate improving your metabolism and elimination of toxic by-products we can all strive to improve our mind and body.  This 3 part series is an in-depth collection discussing what foods detoxify your body and their beneficial…


10 Reasons Why We Need to Eat Saturated Fats

The lipid hypothesis is a theory that directly relates saturated dietary fat with heart disease mortality. Saturated fats are coconut, butter, lard, tallow and palm oil. Nature’s nutrients lampooned as the culprit of modern day illness. The idea was that of Ancel Keys, a brilliant student of fish…


Frequent Eaters Beware

4-6 Meals per Day: There is a much publicized idea regarding frequent eating plans. Meals scheduled every three to four hours are meant to help maintain body weight, keep hunger at bay, and balance blood sugar levels which affect hormones, such as insulin. Success for the frequent feeder is less…


Belly Size versus BMI

  Just stepping on the scale doesn’t tell you much about your future health.  That is why health professionals use a variety of measures to help predict a client’s risk of heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems and premature aging and/or death.   Commonly the Body Mass Index (BMI) is…


Do You Need to Be On a Statin?

We have been talking a lot about heart disease lately.  First we were thrilled with the scientific findings linking heart disease to sugar, have a look at our blog from February 14, 2014.  Because we firmly believe that it is the sugar, not the fat, that is killing us.   Last week we focused on…


The Benefits of Walnuts and Walnut Gremolata

For the February blahs try something new in the kitchen.  Gremolata is a traditional Italian condiment with the main ingredients being Italian parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and coarse salt.  Other ingredients that may be added are olive oil, mint, anchovies, rosemary and/or sage.  It is usually…


Alkalizing Your Diet

If you have been following our blog you will notice that we are not scared of meat and we are not scared of saturated fat.  We believe that a natural diet of meat, poultry and fish along with full-fat dairy, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils like coconut, butter and olive oil should be…


Supplementing the Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D has been getting a lot of positive press over the last 5 years causing health care practitioners to recommend vitamin D supplements to just about anyone.  It seems that many Canadians are not getting enough and when tested show a vitamin D deficiency.  It takes only 10 to 15 minutes in…


Warning! Sushi Can Be a Danger to Your Health

Recent research has linked sushi to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  This warning comes from a study published in the Journal of Risk Research.  This is not good news!  But how can anti-inflammatory, so good for you salmon, mackerel and tuna (commonly found in sushi) cause such a…


A “New” Healthful Oil – Camelina

From Saskatchewan there is a “new” healthful oil on the market, camelina. Although camelina is an ancient oilseed originating in Northern Europe it is new to North American cuisine.  There is much excitement around this “new” oil because it is very good source of Omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) and…


Palm Oil (and Orangutans Too)

If you read my book The Last Tango with Butter you’ll see that I’m a promoter of palm oil as well as lard and coconut oil.  Tragically the myth that these oils contribute to heart disease is firmly entrenched in today’s health care system and Canada’s Food Guide.  It is a sham. So forget what you…


Can I Eat My Fruit Basket?

In the health industry there is a debate about the merits of fruit in the diet.  Some diets designed to improve digestion and rebalance gut bacteria eliminate fruit.  Many diets geared towards weight loss eliminate fruit as well. But there is much research showing that fruit is rich in vitamins…


The Paleo Diet – A Review

You probably know it as the Paleo diet, but it has also been called the Ancestral diet, the Primal diet, the Original diet, the Evolution diet and the Caveman diet. At Healthy Habits we stress the importance of an anti-inflammatory, natural, whole foods diet.  We’ve talked about it with you in…


Healthy Snacking

You’ve probably noticed that if you go too long without eating your mental clarity fades and you become physically tired.  Your will power also plummets leaving you vulnerable to too much sugar, refined foods, and caffeine.  In order to keep you on track with healthy eating, and to keep your energy…


Maintaining Muscle For Seniors

There is some interesting research coming out of McMaster University regarding muscle mass and seniors.  The old saying ‘use it or lose it’ holds true but there is another aspect that is often forgotten…nutrition. Muscle is constantly breaking down and rebuilding (as are other tissues in our body).…


Summer Bean Salad Recipe

This week I thought I’d share an easy bean salad recipe that I love to make in the summer.  What I like about this recipe is that the dressing contains no sugar (unlike the traditional recipe that my mom makes).  Aside from the fact that this recipe is delicious, here are six other reasons why you…


Omega-3 and Beef

In an earlier blog (see Inflammation – An Epidemic posted on March 31, 2013) we discussed the importance of purchasing organic whenever possible to minimize our exposure to chemicals and reduce chronic inflammation in the body. When we purchase non-organic Canadian meat we are not only getting…


Taking Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet Wherever You Go

This blog is sixth in a series on implementing an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (If you’d like to start at the beginning please see Inflammation – An Epidemic posted March 31, 2013).  Now that you know more about how to eat to fight chronic inflammation it’s time to put your new diet into practise.…


Anti-Inflammatory Part 5 – Fats

This blog is fifth in a series on implementing an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (If you’d like to start at the beginning please see Inflammation – An Epidemic posted March 31, 2013).    The typical North American diet is full of inflammatory fat.  And I don’t mean the ‘bad’ saturated fat that…


Our Love Hate Relationship with Dairy

North Americans love dairy.  Cheese, cheese sauces, milk, yogurt, and ice cream are commonly found in the majority of food diaries that I see…and lots of it.  Many people eat cheese 3 meals a day as a main source of protein (bagel and cheese, pizza, pasta and cheese).  Others are drinking milk like…


Is Gluten-free Just a Fad?

For the last couple of weeks we’ve been focusing on inflammation, a chronic condition that is the underlying cause of many of today’s common health conditions and illnesses.  To tackle inflammation we are trying to keep our buckets from over flowing (see Inflammation – An Epidemic posted March 31,…


Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time of renewed energy, I like to use the changes of the season to re-examine my routine and check to see that everything is in balance.  Like exercise, if you aren’t in balance you may find yourself working hard but not achieving the results you want to achieve. Exercise with your body…


Coconut

At Healthy Habits we are big fans of coconut.  It is frustrating that main stream health information lumps all saturated fats together, declaring them unhealthy.  Coconut is full of short and medium-chain saturated fatty acids that are not harmful to health.  To the contrary, the fatty acids found…


Fermented Foods – A Condiment for Good Health

Many diets from around the world include foods that are fermented, a chemical process activated by bacteria or yeast by which sugars are converted to alcohols and carbon dioxide.  In the past it was a way to preserve food and increase or develop flavour.  We know today that fermented foods offer a…


Leucine and Weight Loss

Here at Healthy Habits we like to stress the importance of a diet low in carbohydrates for weight loss.  Often we see clients who need to significantly reduce starchy carbohydrates, especially the processed white stuff, and increase good quality protein in their diet. There is much research to…


Salmon for Your Heart and Brain

The average North American does not get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) in their diet.  Omega-3 essential fatty acids are ESSENTIAL, your body cannot manufacture them.  Omega-3 essential fatty acids are known to block disease-related inflammatory responses to protect your heart and…


Beat the Winter Blahs with a Strong Immune System

It’s that time of year…when many of our colleges, friends and family are out of commission with a bad cold or even worse, the flu. Here are a healthy habits to help you keep your body healthy and immune system strong: Exercise Moderate exercise (approximately 30 minutes 3 – 4 x a week to start) is…


Coconut Popcorn

Yesterday I was served this delicious popcorn at my child’s school. The coconut butter and oil used in this recipe is packed full of lauric acid that boosts immunity and destroys harmful bacteria and viruses.  Because of this medicinal property coconut butter and oil aids in digestion, destroying…