By Andrea Sarjeant, Holistic Nutritionist Am I eating properly? Is my diet balanced? Am I missing anything? Am I getting the nutrition I need? What diet is right for me? What should I eat?     These are some of the questions that you may be asking yourself. In fact, these are some of the most common questions that I’m asked by clients. […]

by Andrea Sarjeant, Holistic Nutritionist Fall is great and all, but it’s also the season of temptation. We have the beautiful and bountiful harvest that is Thanksgiving, followed by the candy bonanza that is Halloween. Then we do it all over again over the holidays. You may wake up in the morning with good intentions. Maybe you have a light breakfast of just fruit and then a light salad lunch, but by the time 3 pm rolls around, you are starving and lacking any sense of the willpower that you had when you woke up! So when you finally eat that sweet, you’re so hungry that you hoover the first sugary treat you see. When we eat refined foods that have no fibre such as many of the baked goods and candies that are making their office rounds, our blood sugar rises quickly. What goes up must come down and we will inevitably experience a crash. Since glucose (sugar) is one of the main sources of fuel for the brain, when we crash, our brain sends the signal that it needs more sugar… and so it’s a vicious cycle. […]

by Andrea Sarjeant, Holistic Nutritionist Thanksgiving is the time of being thankful and surrounding ourselves with loved ones. But it’s also the time of big plates and heavy foods that can leave us feeling less than wonderful with every additional bite we take. I’ve put some tips together to help lighten your Thanksgiving table.        1. Load up on veggies      2. Lighten up your mashed potatoes      3. Go au naturel with your stuffing      4. Buy a natural, pasture-raised bird      5. Resist the urge to go back for more      6. If you’re choosing dessert, make it a homemade and healthier option […]

The change of seasons is an important time in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  This is a time to consciously shift gears and to prepare your body, mind, and soul for the next season. Summer is a ‘yang’ season, which is associated with energy, growth and creativity.  In contrast. autumn is a ‘yin’ season where our vital energy contracts and moves inward. As we move into autumn and the weather changes, instinctually our desires and preferences change.  We are drawn to warming, hearty foods such as soups, stews and roasted vegetables, rather than salads and other cooling foods that we tend to enjoy in the summer. Autumn is a time of harvest, and we begin to gather our crops, can our vegetables and pull energy inwards.  The change of season is natures way of preparing us for the stillness of winter. Diet, lifestyle, pace and energy should all be considered at this time of year.  By understanding the next season we can make the transition easier and provide the support that our body needs to stay in sync with the seasons. […]