Enlightened Eater

Tuna gets a bad rap- Canadian tuna, that is. Warnings abound about the risks of eating tuna due to the potential consequences of  ingesting mercury.  Even Health Canada  offers advice on the types of fish that should be eaten less often and tuna is at the top of the list.  Yet somehow Canadian tuna from […]

There’s no better time of year to prepare this dish from my book, The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide. For  maximum taste in this easy yet delicious  combo, use a good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  The grilled vegetables make a saucy and tasty accompaniment to the salmon. And to top it off, there’s […]

While it may be smart for us to follow safe sun practices and use sunscreen, we can still reap the vitamin D benefits of sun exposure. Just eat vitamin D mushrooms. Mushrooms, like humans, produce vitamin D when they are exposed to ultraviolet light of a certain intensity. They are the only naturally occurring plant-based […]

Have you watched little ones as they are slathered with sunscreen? Parents are indeed taking heed of safe sun practices when it comes to their youngsters. But simply shunning the sun may be taking its toll.  There is a second part to this health strategy that’s often overlooked:  getting vitamin D. The sunshine vitamin is […]

Fatty fish such as salmon are one of the only foods that naturally  contain significant amounts of vitamin D with a 3-ounce (cooked) serving  supplying a whopping   450 IU. l Here’s a simple, yet so flavor-packed  way to boost your vitamin D totals while  getting in your heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  The leftovers are […]

Finally after a long winter, the sun’s rays feel oh so good. On some days, they actually feel warm on our skin.  In spite of how good it feels, at this time of year in northern climates, it still does not translate into vitamin D production. Here’s why: vitamin D is produced by the body […]

As I mentioned in my last post on the Canadian Health Food Association Trade Show, CHFA East –making the connection, I did make some fabulous food finds as I ventured through the exhibits. Coconut  products were among the most popular and a definite trends in natural food offerings.  Firstly coconut oil was everywhere – if […]

Nutrigenomics looks at the impact of foods and nutrients on genes that are linked to disease. Do you feel that when it comes to your risk of lifestyle-related diseases, the odds are stacked against you? If you have a strong family history of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers or Alzheimer’s disease and you think your […]