The Double Down

Most of you have probably heard about the “Double Down” sandwich that was launched in Canada recently. This is KFC’s newest attempt at trying to kill us prematurely. It is 540 calories, 30 grams of fat and 1700 mg of sodium. It is made up of two breaded boneless chicken breasts, bacon and processed peper jack cheese, sause (what ever that is?)…there is no bun although I’m sure you will need a bun to lap up all that fat. Please do not eat this, ever! In fact, let’s make a pact to not eat fast food ever! Today Rob told me they announced on the radio that 350,000 have been sold so far, what’s up with that? He also made a good point and suggested we go back to calling it Kentucky FRIED Chicken instead of KFC which somehow has convinced everyone this food is okay for you. Very clever marketing!


On a way better note!

One of my clients brought me some Kiwi’s on Thursday but not just our regular green kiwi’s but also gold kiwi’s which to be honest I never even knew existed. Did you know that the kiwi is named the number 1 for nutrition and awarded SuperFood status? Just one serving of kiwi fruit contains more potassium than a banana, the Vitamin C of two oranges, and all the fibre in a bowl of bran cereal – a most amazing fruit.

10 Great things about Kiwi’s!

1. Vitamin C - One serving of kiwifruit has 240% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! This flu-fighter also wards off the effects of aging and stress, and powers up the immune system.

2. Fiber - Rough makes you smooth – two kiwifruit contain more fiber than a bowl of bran cereal. Fiber promotes

a healthy heart, regular digestion, and helps lower cholesterol levels.

3. Potassium - A serving of kiwifruit has more potassium than a banana. A great fit for active lifestyles, potassium

maintains fluid and electrolyte balance and releases energy during exercise.

4. Low Glycemic Index - Kiwifruit is an excellent addition to any weight-conscious diet as well as being diabetes friendly. With a low glycemic index (52), this low-fat, low-carb fruit makes a satisfying snack.

5. Antioxidant - Kiwifruit is an antioxidant all-star! Antioxidants attack free radicals and harmful by-products in your body, reducing your risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

6. Folate - Kiwifruit contains close to 10% of the recommended daily value of folate, vital for the health of mother and child during pregnancy, and for the prevention of birth defects.

7. Magnesium - Two kiwifruit have a healthy 30 mg of magnesium, which powers up energy levels and improves nerve and muscle function.

8. Lutein - This phytochemical found in kiwifruit helps to prevent age-related blindness and protect eyes against environmental stress and high-energy light.

9. Zinc - Important for boys and men because it helps produce testosterone. Everyone else needs the zinc in kiwifruit for healthy hair, skin, teeth and nails.

10. Vitamin E - Kiwifruit is one of the few low-fat sources of this potent cleanser and antioxidant. It also helps to lower cholesterol and boost the immune system.

I stopped writing my blog just now and went to try the gold kiwi and it was amazing more tropical fruit tasting – sweet, like a mango. Then I ate the green one and now I’m so full…all that fibre. Did I mention I shared both with my dog Lexi, she seemed to enjoy both ;) LOL

My mom told me a good story on Thursday evening. Mom always takes the stairs where she lives; she lives on the 3rd floor. This is terrific and so good for her leg strength and of course her cardio. She told me she bumped into another woman on the staircase that day and she was 93 years old!!!! I thought it was an encouraging story and it just shows you are never too old to exercise - which brings me to my next point, you can’t join a gym for 3 months or 6 months… this is forever people, this is just something you have to do all the time and some how you just have to carve it into your day... every day. 45 minutes of exercise release 6 HOURS of those feel good hormones in your brain….and who doesn’t want to feel good and look better!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Label Decoder: Buying Chicken

Dr. Oz decodes 4 popular, sometimes misleading, labels being applied to America’s chicken. Get the facts. Determine what’s necessary from what��...

I'm back!

What’s renting space in your brain? One of my new clients said this in a recent appointment I had with her and I almost fell off my chair. I had to steal it from her as it totally resonated with me. So many things are “renting space” in my mind these days and I thought what a great way to get back into the swing of blogging. I had to take some time off from my blog as I found myself with too many other commitments and felt I needed a break.


For those of you who don’t know I was off for some time during the summer as my Appendix perforated and caused me to have emergency surgery. That’s a long story and I won’t get into it all here but it has been a long journey to regain my strength, endurance and stamina. The only thing I will add to that is thank god I was healthy going into that experience as I know my body had to depend on my good health through that whole process to survive. Enough said, I think you know where I’m going with this!

Some of the things “renting space” in my brain currently: How amazing the colours of the fall truly are. How much I love Christmas and thinking about my list of things to buy for my kids. How I will push myself to do Yoga 5 days a week and keep the balance in my life. How much I love my dogs...mostly Lexi, I know that's terrible to have a favourite but I.   How I had major surgery and lost 10 pounds but Rob didn’t have any surgery and lost 20+ pounds…damn those men and their bigger calorie burning muscles!!!!

We now know that good nutrition is what is key in the prevention of a slew of disease. See below a list of foods that help with the prevention of cancer. Try to incorporate them into your life daily. The biggest complaint I hear as a nutritionist is that “it is too many vegetables to eat in a day”. These foods with their rich colours and high fibre content and abundance of nutrients help in the prevention of disease. This is the most important food group and a serving is less than you think. Try to eat 7 to 10 servings a day. I eat: 1 banana, 1 cup of mixed berries (blue, black and raspberries) 1 apple and vegetables at lunch and dinner each day.

1 Serving looks like this:

Fresh, frozen or canned fruit or vegetables = ½ cup

Dark leafy greens raw = 1 cup

Cooked greens = ½ cup

Juice = ½ cup (no fibre)


Anti-cancer Foods


Fish

Flounder (sole)

Haddock

Halibut

Herring

Mackerel

Salmon

Sardines

Tuna



Fruits

Apples

Blackberry

Blueberry

Cherries

Clementines

Cranberries

Grapefruit

Lemon

Nectarines

Oranges

Peaches

Pomegranate

Raspberries

Red grapes

Strawberries



Herbs & Spices

Basil

Black pepper

Cinnamon

Flaxseed

Garlic

Ginger

Ginseng

Lavendar

Licorice root

Nutmeg

Oregano

Rosemary

Sesame seed

Tarragon

Tumeric



Legumes

Lentils

Lima beans

Soybean

Sword jackbean

Tofu (soft, firm, dried, fried), miso, natto

Mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms

King oyster mushrooms

Maitake mushrooms

Matsutake mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms

Reishi mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms



Nuts

Cashews

Chestnut

Pine nuts

Sesame

Walnuts



Seaweed

Arame

Dulse

Kombu

Mozuku

Nori

Wakame



Shellfish

Cuttlefish

Oysters

Sea Cucumber

Shrimp and prawn

Squid and squid ink



Vegetables

Artichokes

Beets

Bok choy

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Cabbage (red, savoy, white)

Carrots

Cauliflower

Chard

Endives

Kale

Mustard greens

Olives and olive oil

Onions

Parsley

Parsnip

Peppers

Pumpkin

Radishes

Salsify

Scallions

Shallots

Soybean sprouts

Spinach

String beans

Sweet potatoes and yams

Thistle

Tomatoes

Turnip and their tops

Watercress

Winter squashes



Other

Dark Chocolate

Green Tea

Maple Syrup