Enlightened Eater

OK- I must really be out of touch. I had never heard of oil pulling – an ancient practice where you swish oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes. It is supposed to not only give you whiter teeth and better oral health but also help you to detoxify – leading to better […]

“I am hearing friends commenting on coconut oil and claiming it has cholesterol- lowering properties. What about it? It seems to be the new Big thing – is it? Any real benefits using this oil? I have always favoured canola, and olive oils. Am I wrong? Thanks for any info you can provide on coconut […]

Canada’s Food Guide has long been a source of heated discussion. The latest controversy comes courtesy of a debate entitled, “Does Canada’s Food Guide promote weight gain?”. Ottawa’s Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute, squared off with Dr. Hasan Hutchinson, Director-General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion at Health […]

Enlightened Eater Facebook fan Linda Searle McCarthy  writes about her confusion when looking at labels on various Greek yogurts.  She says, “My question concerns Greek yogurt. I buy plain, 0%, either Liberty or PC. They both contain only skim milk and bacterial culture, but the ingredient %’s differ substantially. They both say 18g protein, but […]

This sign is hanging in a small eatery in Siem Reap in Cambodia.  My daughter,  Alyssa Schwartz,  snapped this photo while she was there on assignment  (she’s a writer). You might look at it and think: well, of course food is an important part of a balanced diet. But if you really consider it, it’s […]

Somehow the more unusual sounding or expensive  a nutritional supplement may be, the more certain  people may be intrigued and be willing to pay big bucks for it. The directions on the bottle are then followed almost with a religious zeal. But then there are your everyday supplements such as vitamin D that many may […]

Processed foods  have a bad reputation. Some, though,  may offer nutritional benefit and convenience at the same time. But occasionally  you have to wonder just what is going on. This is the case with shelled or dehulled flaxseeds. Flaxseeds are a powerhouse of nutritional goodies:  omega-3s, both soluble and insoluble fibre and  anti-cancer lignans.  But […]

“Flour! It used to be simple but now I’m seeing white whole wheat flour products.  What is that? And I bake a lot of healthy muffins, cookies, pizza dough etc and use whole wheat flour, but as I try to buy whole grain breads, I was thinking that my whole wheat baking isn’t whole grain. […]