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Have you ever struggled to stop eating certain foods because you know they aren't healthy for you?

But no matter how many times you commit to change your ways you find yourself eating them? Or do you feel out of control around certain foods? This can be a bit of a dicey topic because there can be so much shame wrapped around issues with food. There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's all about learning about yourself, what triggers you and steadily making progress. 

Full confession I had a serious problem with sugar. I was so hooked on it that I thought about it all the time. In fact at one point I used to eat chocolate bars a day. Yikes!

Fast forward a few years later and I was really struggling with my hypothyroidism symptoms. My brain fog was out of control, I was really depressed plus I had gained close to forty pounds. Not that weight is the be all and end all of health but I didn't feel good in my body.

Even then I couldn't stop having sugar. It was a vicious cycle. I would...

How much do you know about your gut?

To be honest before I started working as a nutritionist I gave no thought to gut health. It wasn't something that entered into my consideration. Turns out many people are exactly the same way. 

Two years ago I dove into gut health though. I've been living with an autoimmune condition since 2014. I had done everything I could to get my health to a more stable place. But I hit a plateau. Then I stumbled on research between gut health and autoimmune conditions. Let's just say the rest is history.

What's the gut got to do with it?

All disease begins in your gut, including autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately the standard Western diet does a number on your gut health. Compromised gut health affects your immune health because 70% of your immune system lives in your gut. Change your diet, change your gut microbiome, improve your immune health.

Poor immune health makes your susceptible not only for COVID-19 but also to any other viruses or bugs that...

The holidays are usually stressful for many people as it is. This year everyone is feeling the stress more than usual. Right? Right.

The current state of the world is so far outside of our control. What you and I can control is how we respond to the stresses that we're all collectively facing. Times like these are when having a wellness practice is your best ally.

Over the years I've tried many practices. I've found that doing a few simple basic things daily help me the most when it comes to being able to handle the highs and lows of life. These are practices that have served me well during some of the most challenging times in my life. Making my health a priority has been my ace card. Here are some of my daily routines for optimal health.

Meditation

I've sung the praises of Meditation many times before. And I'm doing it yet again! Meditation truly is a bedrock practice that can help you move through the daily challenges of life.

Some of the benefits of Meditation include a...

Two chocolate bars a day to keep the doctor away?

There was a time when I subsisted on two chocolate bars a day and meal at a fast food restaurant. Let's say I was fairly ignorant of nutrition and quite oblivious towards the effects that food choices had on my health. 

My parents never taught me about eating healthy foods. What did they know about food? Nothing. They were immigrants trying to carve out a new life in Canada. The food in our home was traditional South Asian cuisine which is loaded with butter, oil and dairy.

Outside of home, the foods I chose had more to do with the influence of advertising and my friends at school than anything else. It remained that way until I started a regular yoga practice. My time on my mat taught me to tune into my body. That was when I initially shifted the way I was eating. I stopped having so much fast food and sugar, preferring to focus in on fruit and whole foods.

It's a process.

No change happens overnight. It took me years of...

How much does weight have to do with health?

It's actually only one part of the whole. There are many aspects to health that matter more than weight. It's important to focus on those on the way to creating better health.

There are health risks associated with obesity. However that's not what I'm talking about in this blog. I want to talk about the problems associated with trying to live up to impossible beauty standards and the danger of diet culture. 

In my late twenties I was unhappy with my weight so I hired a personal trainer and embarked on a plan to lose weight. The amount doesn't even matter now when I think about it. After six months I managed to lose a bunch of weight. I was getting compliments on how I looked. Finally I was able to wear clothes that made me feel sexy. I could go to auditions without feeling self conscious.

But I was miserable! I was obsessed about every calorie on my plate. I thought about food all the time. Talk about torture!

When I embarked on my...

Food is just food right? It's all the same isn't it?

Not exactly. There are many foods that are a part of the modern diet that are lacking in nutrients. The obvious culprits are fast foods and processed foods. However outside of that it helps to also seriously think about where you get your fruits and vegetables.

In this blog I'm going to focus on produce. I'll cover meat and dairy in a subsequent blog.

The vegetables and fruit you get at the farmer's market or your garden are vastly different from what you get at the store. Why? Simply because of how food is transported, stored and brought to market.

Where It All Begins

Produce is at its freshest and most nutrient dense when it's first picked. Unfortunately in North America often times produce gets picked, then trucked to a warehouse. From the warehouse it eventually makes it to the grocery store. Then you drive to the grocery store to purchase vegetables and fruits.

Once you get your groceries home chances are that most of the...