Ottawa’s Experts in Weight Loss Nutrition, specializing in healthy and sustainable weight loss, digestive issues, hormonal health, and stress
Rachel joined Rosey on CTV Morning Live Ottawa to share tips on adding in more healthy foods this new year (and a shocking fact about fad diets!😱🤯)
If you missed the live segment, not to worry! Watch the recording here:
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2595436
Don’t be Fooled by Fake Foods
Are you fooled?
Ready packaged minute oatmeal – Sure it is convenient and easy to toss some hot water into a bowl and wait a minute, but is the sugar crash worth it an hour later. These products often have anywhere between 12g-18g of sugar and 230-240mg of sodium per serving, and let’s be honest who is having only one of those tiny packages?
Healthier Choice:
Make your own. Although it might sound a little “Little House on the Prairies” but making your own oats (preferably steel cut but minute is better than prepackaged) really doesn’t take much more time and you can batch make it. You can make a large batch and microwave a bowl of it every morning. Adding Cinnamon and maple syrup will keep you happy and allow you to regulate the amount of sugar you are getting.
Oat Bars
Sure they are marketed to be high in fiber and we aren’t saying they aren’t however they are also extremely high in sugar. And the level of sugar in these products far outweighs any benefits to the added fiber.
Healthier choice:
Well homemade is always best once again we get that it isn’t always an option. Strawberry Blonde Bakery makes nut free, soy free, dairy free granola mix where they use agave to sweeten the product. Also made in small batches allows them to control the freshness of the product without adding in preservatives and chemicals so they have a long lasting shelf life. The granola also goes great with yogurt helping to slow down the sugar release and keeping you full for much longer periods of time.
Yogurt with Berries:
We reach for this because yogurt is good for us, it is an easy snack and it will help you to feel full for long period of time because of the fat and protein Fruit flavoured yogurt is loaded with sugar coming in at around 14g per ¾ of a cup.
Healthier Choice:
Plain Greek Yogurt is a better choice coming 2g of sugar per ¾ cup, so adding your own fresh or frozen berries is the way to go, once again you can regulate how much sugar you are consuming and it is coming from a natural unprocessed source.
Fruit Cocktail Redo
RECIPE
Cut up watermelon, apples, pineapple and add in some grapes. Have this instead of something soaking in a “light syrup” and your body will thank you!
Bread:
Bread has received a pretty horrible rap these past few years falling in that non-gluten free category. So in order to win people over they have new marketing strategies, boosting high protein, highlighting grains like quinoa or seeds like flax hoping to demonstrate how much healthier they are, but the truth is it is still just overly processed bread. Most coming in at around 110-130 calories PER SLICE and using fructose or corn syrup to sweeten it really isn’t the healthiest option out there.
Healthier Choice:
Again we are so lucky here in Ottawa with so many great bakeries, as a nutritionist that works clients with allergies and sensitivities I am a huge fan of the Strawberry Blonde Bakery. They make an amazing loaf of Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free bread that tastes like something made at home, but probably most exciting for the gluten free people out there is that it is fluffy and bread like. They also use agave to sweeten the bread.
Orange Juice
Yes the only ingredient in a carton of Orange Juice is oranges, however there is a whole process behind it to preserve it’s shelf life. Fresh squeezed orange juice won’t keep because it hasn’t be pasteurized, so really think of the store stuff as sugar water.
Healthier Choice:
Squeezing your own is the best choice, but we live busy lives so when you don’t have time to squeeze your own and not to mention cleaning the machine after, it is best to source out cold pressed from Urban Juice Press. This form of juice making allows the highest amount of nutrients to survive allowing you to benefit the most. However this being said it is still juice and should be consumed in moderation.
Cane Sugar Beverages:
A lot of drinks are coming out and marketing themselves as the healthier alternative because they are made with pure cane sugar. Sure this is a better choice than aspartame like in a diet cola beverage, but it is still liquid sugar. This jumbo boost of sugar destabilizes blood sugar, encourages the development of type 2 diabetes, mood swings, restless sleeps, etc.
Healthier Choices:
If you are looking for something with a sparkle grab for some sparkling water, but be careful about the added sodium, there are now quite a few brands that don’t load up these beverages with sodium and some even flavour the beverages with natural citrus flavours. Kombucha although there is sugar in this beverage is also a better choice because of the extra dose of probiotics you are getting from the beverage.
Chips:
So I am sure chips are fooling anyone, we know they aren’t great for us we know they have transfats in them, but every now and then they are nice to have as a treat. So we do things like getting the plain chips thinking that because they aren’t full of artificially flavourings they are better for us, and I mean yes they are better than say the rib flavoured chips but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. They are still incredibly high in sodium (170mg of sodium/15 chips) and full of saturated and transfats.
Healthier Option:
The good bean – chickpeas give you the salty crunch you are looking for without all the hydrogenated oils. Or if you want something more suitable for a scoop Urban Juice Press has started using the pulp from their juice making in order to make crisps. They are dehydrated so they avoid the use of any oil and they use pink sea salt instead of processed table salt.
Check out the segment HERE
Tips:
1. Avoid fast food. Remember the sugar from pop spikes your blood sugar and makes you tired which is not good for driving and the fast food will make you sluggish.
2. Be prepared with a cooler bag and icepacks and garbage bag for the car. We love the awesome bags from mythirtyone and they fit lots of food. Find them here http://www.mythirtyone.ca/ashley
3. Focus on getting Protein from hardboiled eggs, grassfed beef jerky, nuts (portion control),roasted chickpeas and protein powders mixed with water.
4. Snack on Fruits and Veggies! Veggies should be the only thing you mindlessly eat because that is what happens when you drive.
– Apples, bananas and berries are great to take with you and give you some natural sugar to keep you going.
3. Drinks: Stick to water, and plain tea and coffee. Don’t add 3 creams and 3 sugars.
It’s good to take pee break every 2 to 3 hours and move around as well!
Below we have a recipe for a super portable energy filled snack.
Recipe for Date Energy Orbs!
Remember 2 of these will go a long way on your trip as a quick pick me up snack!
Ingredients
20 to 30 pitted medjool dates
½ cup soaked almonds or cashews (discard the nut water)
1 scoop Vegan Protein Powder I used Genuine Health Vegan Protein Powder
Garnish
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
pinch of salt
Instructions
Place 20 to 30 pitted dates in a small food processor or blender. Pulse or blend for about a minute or until your dates are chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is combined. You can add more nuts if you find them too moist or more liquid if you find then too dry. You can easily play with the ratios. This should make about 15 to 20 small energy orbs!
Put you hemp and coconut into bowls. Once you have created the balls roll them in a bowls of either hemp OR coconut OR a combo! Store leftovers in the fridge.
Catch the segment here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=667458&binId=1.1487308&playlistPageNum=1
The definition of a pesticide is “any substance used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life”. Pesticides on our food can affect the nervous system, disrupt hormones and cause cancer. It is best to choose organic produce as much as possible! The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) puts out a list every year with the Dirty Dozen (the produce you should definitely buy organic) and the Clean Fifteen (the produce you don’t need to). Keep in mind that choosing organic is always the best for the overall environment, and when you can choose local!
• People who eat organic produce eat fewer pesticides!
• A recent study found that people who report they “often or always” buy organic produce had significantly less organophosphate insecticides in their urine samples, even though they reported eating 70 percent more servings of fruits and vegetables per day than adults reporting they “rarely or never” purchase organic produce
• Several long-term observational studies have indicated that organophosphate insecticides may impair children’s brain development.
• The pediatricians’ organization cited research that linked pesticide exposures in early life and “pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems.”
EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce
• Calculates that USDA tests found a total 165 different pesticides on thousands of fruit and vegetables samples examined in 2013.
• Pesticides persisted on fruits and vegetables tested by USDA, even when they were washed and, in some cases, peeled.
Dirty Dozen:
• EWG singles out produce with the highest pesticide loads for its Dirty Dozen™ list. Each of these foods tested positive a number of different pesticide residues and showed higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce items.
• Apples, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes, plus Kale, collards and hot peppers
• 99 percent of apple samples, 98 percent of peaches, and 97 percent of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
• The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
• A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides
• Single samples of cherry tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides apiece.
The Clean Fifteen™
• EWG’s Clean Fifteen™ list of produce least likely to hold pesticide residues. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides on them.
• Avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes
• Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
• Some 89 percent of pineapples, 82 percent of kiwi, 80 percent of papayas, 88 percent of mango and 61 percent of cantaloupe had no residues.
• No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides
• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.
See the full list at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
Veggie Wash Recipes
If you do purchase non-organic produce form the dirty dozen, to help wash them use the following fruit and veggie homemade wash recipes.
Wash Recipe 1
• 2 cups of cold tap water
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Mix these ingredients well together and pour into a spray bottle. Squirt your produce 2-3 times, let it rest for two minutes on the produce and then rinse off with more tap water before consuming
Wash Recipe 2
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt
This mixture is more concentrated, and should be used as a half-hour soak for your dirty dozen fruits and veggies. The salt will help to draw out the bugs and the vinegar works to cleanse!
Watch the segment here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=614670
To get a head start on the gardening season, sprouting in your kitchen is like having a mini garden in the house year round. Any nuts, seeds, grains, and beans can actually be sprouted.
Check out our segment on sprouting on CTV Morning Live today!
Benefits of Sprouting
Three Methods of Sprouting 
– Jar method (see instructions for the jar method below!)
– Tray method
– Soil method
How can you use sprouts?
In almost anything!! Smoothies, salads, wraps, sandwiches, snacks and more!
How to Grow Sprouts – Jar Method
Good sprouting technique doesn’t take a “green thumb”, just paying attention to four factors: the right amount of moisture, the correct temperature, the free circulation of air, and minimal light. By rinsing them a couple of times daily, you keep them moist. You also wash away carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes that could cause souring or spoiling. Using cool water when rinsing ventilates and cools the sprouts to prevent overheating. Proper draining prevents excessive moisture that can cause mold and rot. The ideal sprouting temperature depends on the seed, but generally lies between 70 and 85 degrees. To protect the tiny growing things, keep sprouting containers away from cold drafts, direct heat, or any light. For free air circulation, at least one-third of the container must be empty. Sprouts expand 6 to 10 times over a few days, so give them plenty of room to grow. Sprouts are very light sensitive and need to be covered during the early stages of the growing cycle.
THE SIX RULES OF SPROUTING
1. Rinse Often.
2. Keep them moist, not wet.
3. Keep them at room temperature.
4. Give them plenty of room to breathe.
5. Don’t put too many in any one container.
6. Keep them covered – no light.
Jar Method
Step One: Soaking
For a quart-sized jar, start with 1 ½ tablespoons seeds inside the jar, screw on the fine mesh lid & partially fill the jar with warm water, not hot. Swirl it around to clean the seeds, then pour out. Refill with warm water to cover at about 3 times their depth. & let soak overnight, away from light.
Step Two: Draining & Starting
Pour off the soak water. Find a location that is not exposed to direct sunlight. Place drained jar propped at an angle to allow any extra water to drain out. Turn the jar to spread out the seed. Cover the jar with a dishtowel and leave for 3 to 4 hours.
Step Three: Rinsing
Rinse sprouts with cool, fresh water 2 or 3 times each day until they are ready to eat or refrigerate. When they begin to throw off the seed hulls, let the jar overflow with water and the hulls will float out the top through the screen. Turn the jar to spread out the seed each time you rinse.
Step Four: Harvesting
Pour the sprouts into a pan or sink of clean water. Skim off any remaining hulls that float to the surface. Other hulls will fall to the bottom of the container. Pull out the sprouts, gently shake off excess moisture & drain in a colander.
Step Five: Greening
Clean the jar and lid. Place sprouts for greening back into the jar. Place in indirect sunlight. Near a kitchen window is fine. After the sprouts have greened with chlorophyll and carotene’s for a day or so, rinse, drain & eat or refrigerated.
Step Six: Refrigerating
Sprouts will stay fresh & hearty for a week or more when refrigerated, if you rinse them every day or two. You can even give the green sprouts an extra hour of sunlight after rinsing to keep them at their nutritional peak.
Caution: Since sprouts are frost sensitive, don’t place sprouts near the freezer compartment.
Try this delicious recipe once you’ve sprouted some lentils!
Lemony Sprouted Lentil Tabbouleh
Ingredients:
3 Cups green lentil sprouts
1 Bunch green scallions, tops included
2 Bunches parsley, chopped
1 Small bunch celery, chopped very fine
1 Cucumber, finely chopped
3-4 Medium tomatoes finely chopped
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Sea salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
Special thank you to A.Vogel for providing us with their amazing sprouting kits!! Check out their website here for more information: BioSnacky Sprouting Kits and Seeds
Although many have avoided coconut oil because of it’s high saturated fat content, these saturated fats are not like the others. Containing over 50% lauric acid, the MCFA (medium chain fatty acids) are a wonder for your health!
Check out our live segment on CTV Morning Live here!
Some (of the many!) Benefits of Coconut Oil
What to look for when purchasing?
Here are some brands that we like: Ojio, Artisana, Maison Orphee, Nutiva (only glass bottle), St. Francis.
Practical Uses for Coconut Oil
1) Beauty: Oil Pulling for dental health/hygiene, body moisturizer, natural deodorant
2) Baby Care: natural diaper cream, great for eczema and cradle cap
3) Kitchen Use: Cooking, baking, adding to smoothies, or even eat tbsp as snack!
Try this delicious recipe!
Raw Coconut Lime Macaroons
Makes 10-12.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup almond flour
1 3/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp GF vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lime
Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the almond flour and shredded coconut (reserving ¼ cup for rolling in).
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, lime zest and salt until well blended.
3.Add the honey mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
4. Using a rounded teaspoon measure, roll rounded scoops between your palms until spherical. Gently roll in shredded coconut until well coated and place on a tray in the fridge overnight (or at least 3-4 hours).
5. Store in the fridge or freezer for a quick, nutritious snack on the go!
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This program will not only help you reach your goal but will also educate you so that you will live diet, and stress free for the rest of your life!