Annette Fenton

When it comes to mushrooms, you either love them or hate them. Personally I love them. Here's a warming plant based cream of mushroom soup that hits the spot on a cold winter day and is super simple to make. Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking. This will make about 3 to 4 servings. * 4 cups of mushrooms, chopped-any variety will do, I like to use Portobello and cremini * 1/2 onion, chopped... * 2 celery stalks, chopped * 1/4 cup of filtered water * 1 can of low fat coconut milk- I like using Thai Kitchen, comes in organic as well. * 1 teaspoon of dried thyme *Salt & pepper to taste Place the mushrooms, onion & celery in a saucepan along with the water. Simmer until mushrooms, onions & celery are cooked, about 10 minutes Add spices along with salt & pepper to taste. Place mushroom mixture along with can of low fat coconut milk into blender and puree until well mixed. Pour mixture back into saucepan. Place on low heat until soup temperature is to your liking. You can add more water if soup is too thick and add any other spices you desire. ENJOY!

Since magnesium is a central part of chlorophyll, eating plenty of leafy greens and other plant foods may ensure an adequate intake of magnesium. But if you think you may not be getting the recommended amount, 310 mg for women and 420 mg men, you might want to consider taking a magnesium supplement. Keep in mind that there are many forms of magnesium such as oxides, citrates, bisglycinate, malate and sometimes a combination of these. The most absorable form of magnesium is magnesium malate. The oxides and citrates tend to draw water into your intestines which can cause diarrhea for some people. Though, if you tend to be on the constipated side you may want to stick to the oxides or citrates.

Are you struggling to lose weight and have tried every diet imaginable? It doesn't have to be very complicated and you don't have to starve yourself either. Make sure you're looking at the nutritional density of a food as opposed to the calories. Focus on natural whole foods the way nature intended such as lots of veggies, fruit, whole grains & nuts & seeds. Have the occasional meat if you like but make sure to stay focused on the veggies which will provide a multitude of ...health benefits and come packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre & other important phytonutrients. No junk or overly processed foods. Also if you're doing all the right stuff and still can't lose the weight, have your doctor check out your thyroid function as well as cortisol levels. Excess cortisol as well as an underactive thyroid can contribute to unwanted weight gain. Exercise and proper sleep are also very important. But remember too much exercise and exercise you hate doing contribute to stress which just increases cortisol levels. Find something you love and will stick to. See more

Tiss the season for squash. My favourite is butternut squash. Makes a great soup plus a lot more. I love making roasted butternut squash sauce that can be tossed over your favourite pasta or zucchini noodle. Super easy. Just take about a cup of chopped butternut squash, drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & bake at 375 F for about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the squash so it doesn't overcook. Once done, toss in a blender and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 small clove of garlic and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. You can heat up slightly before tossing it onto pasta. Also makes a great base for scalloped potatoes.

Everyone is so obsessed about protein and fat these days and overlook the importance of FIBRE. Fibre is critical to the functioning of our gut bacteria which are responsible for our overall health. Without enough fibre in our diet our gut bacteria will actually eat away at our mucosal lining of our intestines and that's not a good thing. When our mucosal lining is compromised our immune system becomes compromised. When our immune system is compromised we are then at risk for all kinds of disease. Make sure to get at least 35 g of fibre each day from natural whole foods not in supplement form. Feel free to contact me for more info.

The terms food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances are often used interchangeably but they're not the same. Food allergies are immediate reactions to a specific food and involve IgE antibodies. Food allergies can also be life threatening. Food sensitivities are not life threatening and can include a variety of systems such as digestive upsets, rashes and joint pain. They usually involve IgG antibodies. Also, just because you have elevated IgG antibodies to a specific food doesn't mean your immune system will react to the food protein and produce systems. Food intolerances are due to a lack of or insufficient enzymes such as lactase for digesting the lactose in milk. Feel free to contact me for more info.

As the weather starts to cool down I love making warming soups. My favourite is curried red lentil soup. Super easy, great source of protein & yummy. Check out this article for more soup inspirations.

Here's a great podcast that offers a great explanation as well as clarification of leaky gut or "intestinal permeability". It's not as clear cut as mainstream media makes it out to be and may not be the main cause of all your health issues.