I wrote this review of a study a few years ago as part of an application. Then I thought I would publish it, but I… Read More »Surprisingly, The Intuitive Eating Scale-2 Isn’t Inclusive – Here’s Why.
I started On Wednesdays We Wear PINK in October because it’s such a special month for me. It also happens to be breast cancer awareness… Read More »5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Reduce Your Risk Of Breast Cancer
Did you know that understanding the food date label can save you lots of food and money? Have you ever bought a food item in a hurry to get out of the supermarket holiday hustle, then realised at checkout, or worse when you got home that the expiry date is less than a week away? Well, I have – it’s frustrating!
There is so much information on a food label. Some would argue too much or say it’s confusing! If you’re accustomed to zooming through the supermarket, you may not notice the date labels. Don’t worry, I’ll share how I’ve improved my food waste and grocery budget by understanding food date labels much better.
Read More »Understanding Food Date Labels – What You Need To Know To Avoid Food Waste This Holiday Season
Yesterday was World Mental Health day and with everything happening in Barbados, I was more than happy to take a few moments yesterday to enjoy the sound of the pouring rain on my roof. Talk about some therapy!
Mental health speaks to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Mental health has an impact on and is affected by how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It is just as important as physical health and the absence of physical illness, at every stage of life. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
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Intuitive Eating isn’t just eating what you feel like when you feel like it, though some people think it is.
Many people question if it’s just another weight loss management programme too. With numerous apps like Noom and WW (Weight Watchers) promoting lifestyle change as a means to weight management, I can’t blame you for thinking this is just another of those movements!
To answer the question, we need to understand why weight is often targeted as a health marker to change over others.
Read More »Intuitive Eating – Just another weight loss diet for millennials?
Though we’ve all heard about iron, the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia is still high around the world. So what more do we need to know about it? Today we welcome back John-Paul from My Passionista, who is becoming a regular feature writer here on Nourish by CH. He shares a bit more insight into how much iron we usually need and why it’s important.
In his last post, John-Paul clarified many myths about carbohydrates and exercise. He’s also just started his own nutrition-related Instagram, Light Wave Fit where you can see him in action teaching us a few techniques with the kettlebell and more exercise and nutrition tips.
So let’s get into it!
Iron is an important micronutrient and has role in producing red blood cells and carrying oxygen to the muscles and the rest of the body. Iron is sometimes known as a ‘trace element’ and is denoted by its chemical symbol ‘Fe’.
Iron in food can be classed as either animal or plant, also known as ‘haem iron’ or ‘non-haem’ iron, respectively. Animal sources of iron tend to be more bioavailable and more easily absorbed by the body. However, if you’re vegetarian of vegan, you can boost absorption of plant-based iron by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to your meals or consuming orange or grapefruit juice with your cereal as this contains vitamin C, known to increase the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is an iron enhancer.
Read More »Iron: What You Need And How to Avoid Deficiency
Last year, in October, I observed Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW) with other healthcare professionals in the USA, Canada, and the U.K. You may wonder why that’s important. Simply put, malnutrition can lower our quality of life and life expectancy.
On hearing the word, Malnutrition many of us will conjure up images of starving children in war-stricken countries. However, malnutrition is a global issue that affects more people than you may recognise.
Food provides our bodies with the energy and nutrients important for growth, repair and staying active. However, for many of us, access to affordable, nutrient-rich foods is a challenge. Nutrient-dense foods such as fish, fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds can be unavailable, inconvenient or unsafe. Pockets of food insecurity exist even in the most developed countries, which we have seen throughout the pandemic.
Read More »Malnutrition, the double-edged sword that could be decreasing our quality of life
What is that annoying voice telling you not to have any cookies before dinner? Judging your current pants size… comparing your size to your very active cousin. No, it’s not your mother, despite her comments can be a part of the problem too, but it’s diet culture. The dieting and weight loss industry in the USA alone is worth around $72 billion and yet over 80% of diets fail!
Dieting and weight shaming is everywhere and was especially hard-hitting from the advent of lockdowns in 2020. Queue the social media posts and challenges suggesting that we needed to “use this time to become better” by learning new languages, skills, starting a business and losing weight. How rude! Living a healthy lifestyle is important, but not defined by the number of a scale. And, with everything that has happened last year and this one, you’d think we would have learnt to address people and health much differently.
I’m personally a fan of snuggling up at home, watching my favourite shows and enjoying a giant bowl of popcorn and too many Oreos to count. Lockdowns and the anxiety that came with it made many of us seek more comfort in these small things. While 2020 was an unexpectedly strange and tough year for all of us, just like years before, our problems don’t just go away because someone tells us they should.
Read More »If it Quacks like a Diet…guess what? It’s Diet Culture
I came across this really interesting study on fast food consumption among adolescents (12-15 years) from 68 countries and its association with food insecurity (Smith et al., 2021). And reminded me that I was due to write about food poverty and food insecurity for a hot minute🤦🏽.
Persons experiencing food insecurity may turn to high-calorie fast foods as a filling meal, but there is often little they can do at the individual level to free themselves from the cycle. Food insecurity is the inability of individuals or households to have reliable access to adequate, affordable, nutritious food.
Read More »Who is the Face of Food Insecurity?Today’s post is a bit different from what I normally would post about, but I think it’s really important to share the nutrition space with other passionate nutrition professionals. And while I wish I understood Sports Nutrition better, I understand it’s better to be a master of just a few skills, rather than all. Plus how fun is it to learn about other people’s specialties! Today’s contributor is JohnPaul Paganini, an MSc Human Nutrition student majoring in Sports Nutrition who aims to provide evidence-based nutritional advice upon graduation. You can check out his lifestyle blog: https://www.mypassionista.com or follow him on Twitter @jppaganini or Instagram @streetsdesirejohnpaul. I’ve also written an article on his blog about low-cost Spring gardens so please, head over to his site and show it some love. Contributors are also welcome on his blog!
