Italian Take-Away

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating rather than a formal diet plan. It features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, southern Italy and France, and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. More and more research is showing that by following this way of eating we can lower our risk of certain diseases, improve our mood, boost our energy levels and keep our heart and brain healthy. It’s not a coincidence that these guys are living until they are over 100! As a dietitian and food lover I needed to do some research into this so-called Mediterranean diet, so I packed my bags and went to southern Italy for 3+ weeks (hard work – right?)

Winter Wellness

Another 6 more weeks of winter...Cold and flu viruses love this time of year as the dry weather allows them to float in the air and hit unsuspecting victims. Making matters worse - we’re finding ourselves in doors more and in close proximity to each other allowing these nasty colds and flus to hit everyone in our family and in the office. But good news! There are ways to boost your immune system to fend off attacking viruses and some tricks to getting-well faster if you are unlucky enough to be hit by one of these viruses.

Eat Like Popeye before Donating Blood

June 14th is World Blood Donor Day, which means it’s the perfect time to donate blood. However, if you’re anything like me, your luck with being a successful donor might be low. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called the clinic to book my appointment then arrived on time only to be turned away because my hemoglobin was too low? Well, it turns out I’m not alone.

fruits & vegetables, Personal Journey, tipsJessica PirnakMay 31, 2014iron, vitamin C, donating blood

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

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.

Food Jargon Continued

A couple of weeks ago we decoded three similar yet very different food terms. To recap: a food guide serving refers to the total amount of food recommended daily from each of the four food groups. While a food label serving is a specific amount of food that contains the quantity of nutrients listed on the Nutrition Facts Label and last but not least portions can be thought of as the amount of a specific food an individual eats. Following this post, I had a couple of comments regarding reading food labels, so I thought I would touch on this while the topic is still fresh.

tips, vitamins and mineralsjessNovember 27, 2011Canadian Food Guide, fibre, sugar, vitamin C, nutrient table, food labels

Rotten Egg #4 – Vitamin C and the Common Cold

November is probably my least favourite month. The weather is terrible, the clocks fall back, which means it’s dark by 4:30, the only ‘holiday’ is Remembrance day and it’s flu season!!!! Time to indulge in oranges and vitamin C supplements, or so you thought.

rotten egg, vitamins and mineralsjessNovember 13, 2011common cold, vitamin C, mythbusting

Power Couples

Pretend you’re not reading a food blog right now…if I were to ask you to name a ‘power couple,’ what would you say? Brad and Angelina? William and Kate? What about chickpeas and red pepper? Probably not the last one – but I hope after you read this post that the term ‘power couple’ will have a whole new meaning to you.

Two Best Friends - Iron and Vitamin C

Trace minerals such as iron are something people don’t usually talk about, but why? Maybe it’s because as their definition implies, they are needed in such small quantities that they are perceived as not important. However, they are essential for normal development, function, and overall health. So what do I mean when I say ‘small quantities’? In this case I’m referring to 100 mg a day. In fact, all of the trace minerals combined make up less than 1% of the minerals in our body. As the old adage goes, good things come in small packages.

tips, vitamins and mineralsjessJuly 10, 2011iron, trace minerals, vitamin C, donating blood