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Month: April 2022

I’m Sweet Enough 7-Day No Sugar Added Challenge 2022

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail No Sugar Challenge

I can’t believe a year has gone by since the I’m Sweet Enough 7-Day No Sugar Added Challenge.  That means it’s time to do it again!

This Challenge is FREE as well as sugar-free and I only offer it once a year.  So if you were thinking of joining in the fun last year but couldn’t make it, now is your chance!  Registration closes Thursday May 5th and you can sign up right here right now!

There are many, many benefits to reducing added sugar in our diets (click here to read my blog post from last year for more on this).  But sugar is everywhere, so it is very easy to slide down a sugary, slippery slope and have it more frequently than is good for us.  Especially after fall and winter holiday feasting, chocolate on Valentine’s Day and spring holidays like Passover, Easter and Mother’s Day.

So I time the I’m Sweet Enough 7-Day No Sugar Added Challenge to come after these holidays but, perhaps more importantly, before the hot summer weather when we start peeling off our extra layers.  😉

The I’m Sweet Enough 7-Day No Sugar Added Challenge is a lot of fun.  We go on an expedition to climb back up that sugary, slippery slope that we’ve just fallen down (and learn a little about summiting Everest on the way).  And it’s free to join in, so what have you got to lose – besides maybe a little weight?

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Stuffed Peppers…Deconstructed

  • Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Stuffed Peppers DeconstructedSpring is in the air!  It’s the perfect time to renew, refresh and be creative. And to spring clean, declutter and simplify.

So in the swing of spring spirit, I want to try something new going forward.  Rather than a themed menu, I thought it would be fun to focus on a single recipe and delve a bit. Call it a recipe deconstructed (in this case Stuffed Peppers…deconstructed).

I might deconstruct the recipe either …

  • literally/physically, as I am doing this month with these Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers or
  • metaphorically, where I dive a little deeper into one or more aspects of the recipe.

For example, I might …

  • focus on the ingredients (their provenance, nutritional value, appropriate substitutions),
  • discuss the cooking method,
  • offer some shortcuts or
  • suggest ways to repurpose the recipe for another meal.

I hope you enjoy my Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers and the new format. As always, any and all feedback is welcome!

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Dishing It Up on Forgetting

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Dishing It Up on Forgetting

The theme of this month’s Dishing It Up newsletter evolved rather organically. First, as my level of busy-ness and business ramped up, I found I was forgetting to write the newsletter. Then, during a Pilates class, my instructor mentioned something about gluteal amnesia which piqued my interest since my glutes are certainly forgetting they exist. And there have been a few times in recent memory when I was sure I’d added certain items to my grocery delivery order but, it seems, I did not. I’ve either been forgetting things yet again or Fresh City is messing with my head and removing things without telling me.

So this month I thought I’d post a few items on forgetting and how to improve the situation. And I hope that, if and when you have some time this weekend, you’ll remember to read it. 😉

 

Dishing It Up on Forgetting

  • Optimal dose and type of exercise to improve cognitive function in older adults
  • Gluteal amnesia, aka ‘dead butt syndrome’
  • Sitting all day can cause ‘dead butt syndrome’. These exercises can help.
  • The best brain food to start your morning off right
  • Your brain needs you to focus on one thing at a time
  • Sleep, mental health and memory

Read on for a bite-sized summary and links for each story …

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