Food to Fit Nutrition Inc.

Myth: sugar is toxic. This statement is problematic on so many levels, it's hard to know where to start. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that includes: glucose, fructose, and galactose. Simple carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly due to their limited number of bonds. In comparison, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, but are eventually broken down into simple sugars (glucose) and become a source of energy for the body.... Depending on the person touting that sugar is toxic, it may include fruit sugar and all other carbohydrates, or they may refer only to "refined" sugars such as those added to food and beverages. So the room for error is huge based on the subjectiveness of this first detail. Then we have to consider the definition of the word "toxic" - a poisonous substance. A "poison" is capable of causing illness or death. To date, we have no scientific studies showing exactly how much sugar is too much for any health endpoint and no studies support the idea that sugar is "dangerous" to human health. While studies suggest excessive intake in sugar is ASSOCIATED with adverse health outcomes, association doesn't mean that sugar causes these things, nor that sugar is toxic. Just like any food, when we consume excess amounts of one food, we tend to miss out on diverse intakes of other types of foods. So while high sugar intake may be linked to inflammation (very loosely I might add), elevated triglycerides, and poorer blood sugar management, these connections don't make it toxic, bad, or poisonous. If you feel that you consume "too much sugar", before you or someone else lays on the guilt trip over it, reflect on whether you feel the sugar you currently consume is problematic and why? THEN, we can unpack that relationship and move forward with curiosity, compassion, and a much clearer perspective on things. #nondietdietitian #antidiet

Fudgy, frozen treats - I'm here for it! https://foodtofit.ca/blogs/post/coconut-fudge-pops

There are many reasons why we eat that go beyond health and nutrition. I love how Vincci Tsui describes this in her resource, 'The Mindful Eating Workbook'. We eat to: Fuel: food literally energizes us and keeps us alive! Even when it seems imperfect. Satisfy: although diet culture tells us otherwise, it's okay to eat even when you're not hungry, it's okay to have a craving for something, it's okay to eat for pleasure and it's okay to eat for social reasons, connecting with o...thers through food. Soothe: we eat food to comfort ourselves sometimes. Although the girl crying over a box of ice cream is such a stereotype, and diet culture has placed a lot of shame around "emotional eating", all food can boost "feel good" chemicals in our brain, lifting our mood. When we consider other possible coping mechanisms, emotional eating is a pretty normal and safe way to soothe strong emotions at times. Distract: Who eats when they're bored? In this case we're trying to distract from the discomfort of being bored. Our society values fast paced, busy lives so it makes sense to feel that something is missing when we're not distracted with work/raising kids/making meals/rushing around. All food and eating serves a purpose. Next time you eat, reflect on what the reason is?

For Part 3 of the bloating series, let’s discuss possible causes of lower abdominal bloating (ie. in the intestines). 1. Constipation. Whether this relates to chronic functional/ideopathic constipation or IBS-constipation (IBS-C), it's a common cause of lower abdominal bloating, distention and discomfort. Constipation includes having dry and hard bowel movements or fewer than three bowel movements per week. ... 2. Carbohydrate Intolerances (e.g. highly fermentable carbohydrates). Bloating relates to inability to digest certain carbohydrates that may travel to the large intestine where they undergo fermentation by resident bacteria. 3. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Bloating caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This is usually a side effect of a bigger issue that requires careful assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Due to the complexity of SIBO and how much it overlaps with other symptoms (e.g. IBS), it's usually something that is considered later on, after other treatment modalities are trialed first. 4. Malabsorption Bloating (e.g. celiac disease). This is when your body is not able to take in many of the nutrients from the food you eat which can contribute to bloating. So as you can see bloating is complex and requires careful assessment and treatment considerations. A dietitian experienced in gut health will help you peel back the layers relating to your bloating, to better understand possible causes, why you're struggling, and how to manage the bloating based on the root cause.

If you experience chronic upper abdominal bloating (ie. in the stomach), there are many possible causes, including: 1. Aerophagia (swallowed air & excessive belching). 2. Functional Dyspepsia (tightness, pressure, pain or nausea). 3. Classic Indigestion (acid reflux or burning sensation in stomach).... 4. Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying). 5. Abdomino-Phrenic Dyssynergia (abnormal coordination of muscle movements causing distended, pregnant-looking belly). Upper abdominal bloating originates in the stomach and can have many causes followed by nutrition management and treatment options. #bloating #abdominalbloating

What has diet culture stolen from you? This quote by @chr1styharrison conveys so much about the reality of living a life exposed to anti-fat messaging, and food and body preoccupation. - * Diet culture prevents us from being fully present in our work or relationships;... * Diet culture takes our money; * Diet culture steals our youth when children as young as 8 years old start dieting and/or hating their bodies; *Diet culture fills our time with worry or even obsession about carbs, calories, or macros when that time could be utilized doing something that brings us pleasure and personal growth; Your life's work is so much more than the pursuit of weight loss.

Did you know today is Canada's Agriculture Day? I was helping to celebrate on Saskatoon Morning News and demonstrated an amazing Red Lentil and Havarti comfort soup made with Canadian ingredients. Check it out.. https://twitter.com/i/status/1364220730976649220

Hi friends! On Wednesday, I will be giving a virtual presentation on healthy food relationships for the U of R. All are welcomeyou do not have to be a student ...to register. If you’re at all interested in expanding your definition of health, assessing for disordered eating, and learning how to foster a positive relationship with food/body, I’d love to have you! Link to register is here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfGoksDKoF0evZ3u3/viewform

Read Brooke’s most recent article for Canadian Food Focus - the role of nutrition in fuelling for and recovery after exercise https://canadianfoodfocus.org//what-to-eat-before-during-/

Team dietitian, Dayna Berry, (and colleague Amy Pickering) interviewed on this podcast by UofS students as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week! Check it out... https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fkhoUQAbynabZVNjUCZRG

I haven’t had a chocolate muffin in forever! Came across this recipe by fellow RD @hannahmagee_rd and they were so tasty! Almost like a brownie - Thanks for the inspo Hannah! It’s fun to get out of our comfort zones in the kitchen and try something new - Sometimes I’ll challenge clients to find a recipe that looks tasty to them and make it without looking at the nutrition facts, or calorie count, or macro profile. If the thought of this makes you incredibly uncomfortable it’s possible, as @willowlanden.rd mentioned yesterday, that your rigid approach to eating may be clouding your interoceptive awareness and that this relationship to food may be worth exploring

In times of stress, utilizing a variety of coping mechanisms can help, and this includes eating and finding comfort in food - Carbohydrates impact our stress response by managing blood sugar levels and giving your body an easy (and preferred) source of fuel for the brain, muscles, and body systems (eg. We need glucose to make red blood cells!) - Low carbohydrate diets and starvation diets (ie being hungry all the time) can trigger cortisol because the body has to work harder ...to get glucose/energy from protein and fat. The body increases cortisol because it doesn’t have enough glucose to support metabolic functions - Overall, the types of carbs that best support blood sugar stability include: Pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils) Whole Fruit Root veggies (beets, parsnips, turnip, potatoes, sweet potato, plantain) Whole grains (Whole grain wheat, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, brown/wild rice) - Although sweet foods and potato chips can cause blood sugar spikes and dips, you can minimize this by enjoying these foods with other foods that contain fibre and protein (ie. not on an empty stomach). So by all means, reach for those comfort fun foods too at times See more

Happy Friday! No doubt it's been a stressful week for everyone (whether COVID, election, or otherwise related)! I'm sure we can all use an easy, colourful, delicious dish filled with nutrition (or maybe you're feeling like a bowl of comfort poutine, haha, and that's okay too)... take care this weekend. https://foodtofit.ca/blogs/post/greek-quinoa-salad

Putting my supper menu together for next week and pulled this cozy recipe from the archives! https://foodtofit.ca/blogs/post/cabbage-roll-casserole

This week we have nutrition student Ken Mullock with us as he progresses through his internship and prepares for a career in nutrition! Check out a few of Ken's Youtube posts with awesome recipe ideas... (PS. this amazing work has nothing to do with F2F, we simply love the clips!) https://youtu.be/7NvUsLkcbhc

Brooke’s latest article for Co-op is up on the Blog! https://www.food.crs//detail/nutrition-during-cold-and-flu

Pumpkin season isn’t over yet! https://foodtofit.ca/blogs/post/creamy-pumpkin-mac-n-cheese

Whether you were deprived of food or certain foods due to dieting, forgetting to eat, or a short-term elimination to assess food triggers, it’s NORMAL to eat All. The. Food. when it’s available again - The idea that eating a lot of food that was either: a) missed out on earlier in the day, b) off limits due to your diet’s rules, or c) you’re trying to avoid because it might be triggering bodily discomfort, when you’re exposed to food (or certain food you’ve been avoiding), is so often touted as a negative thing, or something shameful. But in reality, this is a normal, human physiological response to deprivation - Don’t feel badly for binging, but do reflect on the root cause. It’s possible that what you were doing or trying to achieve simply didn’t serve you well and a change is necessary. K?