When it comes to nutrition, the first question is often: How do we sift through and make sense of conflicting and often confusing messages about what to eat? The good news is that nutritional researchers are doing amazing work to shine a light on the best practices to optimize our health. In my work, I am guided by scientific evidence, which tells us that eating a whole food, plant-based diet, high in nutrients and fibre, sets us up for success. I focus on restoring gut health and insulin balance, as well as issues and inflammatory symptoms that can arise when these systems are not functioning optimally.

High insulin or insulin resistance precedes pre-diabetes and type two diabetes often by many years or decades. During this time insulin resistance can have significant effects on the body which can increase the risk, for example, of cardiovascular disease. Simple blood tests can determine insulin levels. Dietary changes can help to correct insulin resistance which is the cause of diabetes.

Inflammation in the gut can result in bowel disorders such as, constipation, diarrhea and acid reflux as well as a host of seemingly unrelated symptoms, such as, brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, impaired cognition, memory issues, insomnia, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain and auto-immunity.

Damage to the gut lining and an imbalance in the microbiome, or dysbiosis, are key drivers of inflammation in the body and the autoimmune process, as 70% of our immune system resides in the gut. Chronic inflammation resulting from damage to the gut, ultimately increase the risk of autoimmune diseases.

Repairing the gut and restoring insulin sensitivity, through the food we eat, is critical to resolving a wide array of inflammatory symptoms and conditions in the body.

What we eat can be very personal and bring up different feelings. Sometimes we are depleted and don’t have the energy to cook. Or, we’re not sure how to expand our food choices without going over budget. Maybe we have struggled with disordered eating in the past and are worried about being overly restrictive in our eating. Or, we wonder how to fit new foods into our own cultural or traditional cooking. And for these reasons and more, we can feel unsure about making changes to what we eat. It is important to fit the program around each persons needs, to provide a comfortable and relaxed approach to making nutritional changes.

My approach:

To begin, we’ll have a call to get a sense of your goals, as well as for me to recommend some specific blood testing. Over our sessions, we will talk through various foods to emphasize to help restore balance to the body, as well as some simple recipes. Some of the areas we will cover will be about insulin and blood sugar, fibre and the microbiome, gut health and digestion, inflammation, immune system balance, optimal amounts and type of carbohydrates, fat and protein, the most nutrient dense foods and meal planning and prep. I’ll provide informational write-ups to make sure you can review these concepts after each session.  My approach suggests changing one meal at a time.

I work with some clients over a period of three months, while others I work with over a longer period of time, particularly if their health requires changes be made on a more gradual basis or the healing process takes longer, as in the case of inflammatory bowel disease.

I don’t advocate for portion control, calorie counting, low-carb diets, or labeling food as “good” or “bad.” I don’t focus on fad diets, some of which have been shown in scientific research to have short periods of success followed by major issues. My approach is about eating whole nutritious food – not about dieting or losing weight – and meeting people where they are at. We want to feel joyful about our food, that the food we eat is delicious and resonates positively with our body; and that we can eat with abundance and feel satisfied, while promoting our health.