Childhood Obesity, A Heavy Burden As a pediatrician who treats children and adolescents with obesity, many parents have asked me, “Why is my child obese?” I have to admit that I don’t have a good answer to this question. It’s not as simple as an imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. The…
Understanding the WHO Statement: Are Red and Processed Meat as Evil as They Seem? Social media was alive with ravenous carnivores (and smug vegetarians) after the WHO released a statement on the carcinogenic effects of red and processed meat. This prompted many news outlets to run headlines comparing red meat to cigarettes. Some serious…
Food For Thought: The Role of Food in Irritable Bowel Symptoms “Food For Thought” is a recurring column on bellyblog.ca, where we will share a well-curated collection of high quality, thought-provoking pieces, usually about food, diet, nutrition, and the gut. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a complex syndrome characterized by abdominal pain…
Think smoothies are always healthy? Think again! How many times have you reached for the bottled smoothie, thinking you were about to consume something “healthy”? Most store-bought smoothies have a large amount of added sugar in them – up to 54 grams per bottle. That’s like drinking two cans of regular soda! …
Vegetarian? Let’s Go Shopping! Are you a vegan or vegetarian, and considering nutritious meals for the whole family? A plant based diet has many health benefits, but can be accompanied by deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and protein. Here’s a checklist for some nutritious options the whole family can enjoy. CALCIUM (non dairy…
Yogurt Got You Wondering? So in Part 1, we talked about probiotics – what they are and what is their job-description within the body. The next question is – what does this mean for you, and should you be taking them. Here are a few important things to keep in mind about probiotics:…
No Bugs About It. Probiotics are everywhere. Drug store, health food store, and even in your breakfast. But what are they, and do they actually do anything?? The intestine is like a big garden hose that runs through the body and contains a ton of bacteria. We commonly think of bacteria as a…
Celiac Disease and Gluten – Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation of the small intestines. Gluten may play a role.
Toward the end of the Second World War, researchers at the University of Minnesota began a legendary experiment on the psychology and physiology of human starvation — and, thus, on hunger.
Do you really need 8 glasses of water per day? If there is one health myth that will not die, it is this: You should drink eight glasses of water a day. It’s just not true. There is no science behind it.
