Enlightened Eater

Foods shows are fun – usually.  I get a chance to sample all kinds of offerings while checking out what’s up and coming for local grocery stores or health food emporiums.  So  it was with great anticipation that I set out to explore the  annual grocery industry trade show, Grocery Innovations Canada 2014. Natural and […]

“What is your opinion on the difference between white sugar and things like honey, maple syrup and agave?” asks Enlightened Eater Facebook fan  Karen Jorgenson Cooper. Karen, your question is one that many people are wondering about. Somehow granulated sugar is put into a different category as far as its nutritional rating. But the fact […]

Carb bashing by various self-styled experts continues unabated – despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary. With the popularity of books such as Wheat Belly and Grain Brain, many are being persuaded to once again opt for low-carb diets rather than selecting healthier carbs. Are you among those starting to again question the wisdom of […]

Are you confused by the terms probiotics and prebiotics? If so, you’re not alone.   In part 3 of my posts on our microbiota, the spotlight is on probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics is the introduction of certain  beneficial strains of bacteria through various foods or supplements and it’s a segment of the marketplace  which seems to […]

Fermented foods are  definitely hot as evidence accumulates about the powerful disease-fighting  effects of  populating your gut with beneficial bacteria. Our microbiota, the word which  refers to  the trillions of colonies of  bacteria  or microbes living in our intestines, appears to play a major role in maintaining health. Traditional diets which were based on whole […]

Gluten has become an unwelcome  guest in many kitchens.  Somehow, for a growing segment of the population, banishing gluten from the menu has become synonymous with healthy eating. But many of these people are not gluten intolerant. They have been led to believe that gluten is a major culprit in promoting a long list of […]

Are you contemplating banishing  gluten from your menu?  If so, you’re not alone. Gluten-free diets are definitely hot. Much of the buzz about ridding menus of gluten began when celebrities raved about how avoiding gluten helped them maintain their svelte shape.   But then many also started questioning whether their various ills such as  fatigue,  depression […]

Shopping for food used to be simple.  You would choose from among an assortment of fresh, canned and frozen  goods such as  breads, produce, meat, poultry, fish and  dairy products. Nowadays, supermarket shelves offer thousands upon thousands of choices with the numbers seeming to grow every year.  Just how much was evident at the  recent […]