During the colder, winter months our bodies crave comfort foods – foods that ‘stick to your ribs,’ making you feel full and satisfied, but why? Unfortunately, the verdict is still out on this one; but some say it’s related to our serotonin levels, which are at their lowest during the winter months. Serotonin is a brain chemical that regulates mood, appetite and sleep. So, eating a carbohydrate-rich meal or snack will increase your brain’s production of serotonin making you feel better…at least temporarily. Now what to do when you’ve eaten too much?

fat, Holidays, protein, tipsJessica PirnakOctober 31, 2016protein, coffee, full, Portion, water

Bonking

One of my favourite authors wrote a whole book on bonking; however, she was referring to a different type of bonking then what I’ll be talking about today. Sorry to disappoint! Bonking in the sporting world is when an athlete ‘hits the wall’ or becomes exhausted and exhaustion can happen in endurance events lasting over 2 hours when the body has depleted all its carbohydrate reserves. Here’s how to prevent bonking:

exercise, fat, proteinJessica PirnakMarch 30, 2014diets, myth, athlete, exercise, plant-based athlete

Frappuccino Anyone?

Happy (belated) Canada Day! Well, it’s official, summer is finally here – the kiddies are out of school, the sun is shining and as a bonus it’s actually hot outside. But before you start complaining that it’s too hot and abandon your outdoor adventures I thought I would break down the nutritional information on your favourite refresher. Lucky for you there are now three fast food chains that pretty much make the same delicious iced coffee – we have Starbucks’ Frappuccino, Tim Hortons’ Iced Capp and now McDonald’s Frappe. So, if you had to pick one based on nutritional information alone, which one would you choose? Before you check out the table below please note that I tried to make the sizes as equal as possible and used the regular/whole milk option with no whip cream.

drinks, fat, sugar, tipsJessica PirnakJuly 2, 2013Coke, light, sugar, iced coffee

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

*Spoiler Alert* Remember Dorothy’s disappointment when she finally got to meet the ‘wonderful’ Wizard of Oz? Well, Dr. Oz is falling down the same rabbit hole...different children’s story, but you get the idea. Earlier this year Dr. Oz made a berry premature claim by stating that raspberry ketones are “the number 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat.” So, where did this claim come from?

fat, fruits & vegetables, weight controljessDecember 16, 2012diets, false health claims, raspberry ketones

Health At Every Size

Food. How can I put into words how much I appreciate and love food? To have someone prepare food for you is such a wonderful treat, to share that food with people you love is a priceless experience and it’s magical to see how many different ways the same vegetable can be prepared. However, I am so disheartened when I hear stories of people struggling with eating disorders. And now there’s new research to suggest that middle-aged and older women are suffering from body dissatisfaction…this is not a young persons disorder anymore! What is wrong with our society? Here’s a new perspective on dieting.

exercise, fat, weight controljessAugust 26, 2012dessert, diets, HAES, fad diets

Butter or Margarine – are we just talking semantics?

I’m ten years old, standing in my grandparents kitchen watching my mother’s facial expression change as she observes my grandmother spread butter on her burnt toast. My mom looks utterly disgusted! I knew, from that moment on, that butter must be bad for me…but is it? My grandmother looked amazing – she was healthy, had a ton of energy, and looked about 45 years old, so again I asked the question is butter really so bad? Maybe I should eat more butter when I’m 75?

fatjessJuly 22, 2012Canadian Food Guide, Butter, Margarine, Heart Health

The Magic Number 23

20-35% of your total daily calories should come from fat because in addition to providing flavour, texture, and energy, dietary fats supply fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K). Because fats are more energy-dense than carbohydrates and proteins, they also help us to feel full and satisfied after eating a high-fat meal and may help us lengthen the time between meals.

fat, protein, tips, vitamins and minerals, weight controljessJune 24, 2012full, Olive oil, almonds, Heart healthy fats

Pill Poppers Anonymous

I know you’re out there…all you pill poppers who love to take endless amounts of vitamins and minerals…but the question is are they all necessary? A couple of weeks ago we talked about omega 3 supplementation and I promised you a post on multivitamins, so here it is. Plus this also gives me the chance to tackle a reader’s question on protein powder.

Here Fishy Fishy

Now that you know heart-healthy fats exist, adding flavor and texture to your food while providing energy and vitamins to your body, I thought this would be a good time to introduce you to my two friends omega-3 and omega-6. Both of these guys are essential fatty acids. ‘Essential’ means you need to eat foods containing these two fatty acids because your body is unable to make them by itself.

fat, protein, tips, vitamins and mineralsjessFebruary 5, 2012cardiovascular disease, fish, Olive oil, Omega, protein