Mmmmilk

Reflecting on the last couple of years of being a dietetics student and pretending that someone asked me to pick one message to pass on I would automatically default to calcium. Despite the fact that I obviously view calcium as one of the most important nutrition messages, for some strange reason, I have not written anything about it! There was the one post two years ago on soymilk vs. cow’s milk but that hardly scratched the surface. So, let me finally explain why I think calcium is so important.

Good Morning, Morning!

A quick Google search will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but you probably didn’t need a Google search to enlighten you since this fact can be found everywhere - from cereal boxes to television commercials, or even your mom. So, the next logical question is why? It’s my learning style to understand the ‘why’ before I make any type of behavioural change and assuming I’m not the only one who learns this way I thought I would share this ‘why’ with you.

tips, weight controlJessica PirnakMay 20, 2013breakfast, metabolism, restrictive diet

Spring is in the Air

fruits & vegetables, protein, tipsJessica PirnakApril 7, 2013diets, allergies, spring

Rotten Egg #8 - Cranberries & UTIs

The news media and health care market have been selling the idea that cranberries can prevent and cure urinary tract infections (UTIs) for years. Lucky for us, a huge study was recently released that investigated and reviewed 24 studies (over 4,000 participants) on cranberries’ role in the prevention and treatment of UTIs. So, did the results finally give cranberries their long awaited stamp of approval or was this just another rotten egg? Before we investigate this “fact,” I want to give you some background information on UTIs. According to the National Kidney and Urological Diseases Clearinghouse, UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body and account for 8.3 million doctor visits each year!

fruits & vegetables, rotten eggJessica PirnakMarch 4, 2013myth, cranberries, UTI

My Second & Last Restaurant Review

Remember when I told you I wouldn’t write another restaurant review after my post on Dark Table? Well…I’m breaking my own rule again by telling you my Fable story. A couple of weeks ago it was Reid's and my anniversary, in other words, the perfect excuse to dress up and eat amazing food, so we booked our dinner reservation at Fable.

Holidays, Personal JourneyJessica PirnakFebruary 17, 2013top chef canada, fable, restaurant review

The Muscle of Flour AKA Gluten

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I tried to attend the Gluten Free Expo that was taking place in Vancouver. We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to learn about the up and coming ‘gluten-free’ products we could offer future clients. However, after waiting in line for an hour and a half, we were told we only had another hour and a half to go! So, we decided to get a refund and some brunch. According to the apology email, we were sent a couple of days later, over 20,000 people tried to attend this particular expo! What should we take away from this?

Fibre, organic food, protein, tips, vitamins and minerals, weight controlJessica PirnakJanuary 28, 2013diets, protein, gluten, celiac disease

So Far Not a Happy New Year

Is it just me or is everyone sick right now? Are we thatstressed out during the holidays that are immune systems become more susceptible to these nasty bugs? Or maybe it’s because we’ve been squished together in shopping malls and at family functions allowing germs to easily jump ship? Whatever the case may be everyone is sick! So, despite the fact that I wrote a brand new post for today, I wanted to revisit a post I wrote over a year ago and dedicate it to all the sick people out there. Happy New Year!

Holidays, rotten egg, vitamins and mineralsJessica PirnakJanuary 7, 2013vitamin C, common cold, mythbusting

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

The Lance Armstrong of Yogurt

In August Lance Armstrong stopped fighting the charges the antidoping agency brought against him and in October was stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles. And today it was announced that Armstrong would resign from his cancer-fighting charity Livestrong. You might be wondering why I’m talking about Lance Armstrong on a food blog…well, it’s because Danone pulled a “Lance Armstrong.”

Dairy, drinks, soy, tips, weight controljessNovember 12, 2012probiotics, Soy, yogurt