Joy Erdile, MSc, RD

Introduction For as long as I can remember, type 2 diabetes has been called a chronic, progressive disease and people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have been taught that (1) the disease will persist (i.e. is chronic), (2) will only get worse (i.e. is progressive), (3) that medication to manage the disease is inevitable, and … Read more

Introduction A new consensus report from an expert panel made up of representatives from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), and Diabetes UK [1,2,3] has proposed a standard definition for remission of type 2 diabetes. This article outlines the different factors involved in that definition, as well as … Read more

Introduction Green tea which is high in the catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) has been associated in two meta-analyses with a reduction in body weight and body fat — especially abdominal fat [1,2] and matcha powder is especially high in EGCG. Catechin Concentration in Matcha Catechins make up ~30% of green tea’s dry weight and while … Read more

Introduction This morning, I posted on social media about the extreme heat wave that the Vancouver area will be having over the weekend, with temperatures hitting as high as 40°C or higher, which is almost 105°F. One of the people that follows me on social media mentioned the risk of leaving clear water bottles in … Read more

Introduction This week, the weather forecast for the Vancouver area is for hot and hotter, so I thought it would be good to revisit a wonderful summer drink that I enjoy to help cool off and replace fluids. This week’s weather forecast – hot and hotter (from the Weather Network) Most people know that when … Read more

Introduction The human body can use carbohydrate, fat, or protein to generate energy, only carbohydrate and fat are major fuel sources. Protein’s role in the diet is mainly to provide amino acids needed by the body to make its own proteins, for structure and function. How the Body Generates Energy During digestion, carbohydrates, fats, and … Read more

Introduction There continues to be a reliance on LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) as the main means to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, despite the fact that apolipoproteinB (apoB) has been found to be a much better predictor. This article looks at why total LDL cholesterol is inadequate to assess cardiovascular risk, what apoB is, and why … Read more

Introduction FODMAP is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols which are the types of carbohydrate that are fermented by the microorganisms that live in our intestines know as the ”microbiome“, resulting in increased gas production (methane), abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, or sometimes a combination of both. The carbohydrate fermented by … Read more

Note: This article was originally posted on August 13, 2023, and was updated and reposted on November 25, 2025. Introduction In the interest of time, many people throw a cup or more of fruit, some green veggies, and maybe some protein powder into a blender to make a smoothie for breakfast. But most people don’t … Read more

Introduction A therapeutic diet is used to treat a medical condition, and when prescribed by a Physician and implemented by a Dietitian, it is referred to as Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) [1]. Therapeutic ketogenic diets are a form of medical nutrition therapy using a specific ratio of fat to protein plus carbohydrate. These diets are … Read more

Introduction People on social media argue about which is the “best diet” for humans — vegan or carnivore? Low carb or keto? Vegetarian or vegan? I avoid these “diet wars” largely because I don’t believe there is a “best” diet for everybody. Some diets are preferable over others for a variety of reasons, including religious … Read more

[NOTE: This is a combination Science Made Simple article and editorial, expressing my opinion.] This past Wednesday March 24, 2021, Dr. James Muecke, a South Australia ophthalmologist who was the 2020 Australian of the Year, posted on Facebook that Diabetes Australia reworded their webpage from ”Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition” to ”Type 2 … Read more

Introduction In November 2018, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) released a Position Statement [1] which identified four separate disease stages associated with an abnormal glucose response, including Type 2 Diabetes: Stage 1: Insulin Resistance Stage 2: Prediabetes Stage 3: Type 2 Diabetes Stage 4: Vascular Complications — including retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy The … Read more

Introduction More than half of middle-aged people have a hiatal hernia (sometimes referred to as a “hiatus hernia“), but most people are only diagnosed when their symptoms become problematic, or inadvertently when having medical tests for something else. A hiatal hernia is where part of the stomach bulges up through the space (called a “hiatus”, … Read more

Introduction When people come to me because they think they may be allergic to certain foods, the first thing I ask is if they have an allergy to any trees or grasses. This may seem like a strange question, but some people who are allergic to tree or grass pollen may have symptoms when eating … Read more

Introduction Most people know that prediabetes and diabetes is having “high blood sugar,” but just how much sugar is actually in the human body? And how does “grazing” all day long, rather than eating set meals, affect this? An adult has 5 liters of blood circulating in their body at any one time. A healthy … Read more

Introduction I often hear the question, “how much protein is best?” but that depends for whom. Different people have different protein needs. A healthy man or woman seeking to build muscle has a different protein need than an older adult wanting to reduce the risk of sarcopenia (muscle loss) or someone simply wanting to prevent … Read more

Note: This article was originally posted on February 16, 2021, and was updated on November 10, 2025. Introduction More than a hundred years ago, Dr. Russell M. Wilder and two Dietitians from the Mayo Clinic wrote a 69-page book titled A Primer for Diabetic Patients – A Brief Outline of the Principles of Diabetic Treatment, … Read more

Introduction People come to me with different goals concerning type 2 diabetes. Many people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes come to see me to help them put their diabetes into remission, so they no longer meet the criteria for diagnosis. As stated throughout this website and on my forms, I do not … Read more

Introduction I was excited when I saw a thread on social media over the weekend about Diabetes Canada’s new 7-day Low Carb Meal Plan. After all, last May they released a Position Statement summarizing the evidence for the role of low carbohydrate diets (<51-130g carbohydrate/day) and very low-carbohydrate diets (<50g carbohydrate/day) in the management of … Read more

Introduction Several recent studies have found a relationship between the species of bacteria and fungi that live in our large intestine, carbohydrate intake, and Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease. This article elaborates on how this knowledge may help improve symptoms for those with IBD. The Gut Microbiome & Mycobiome The … Read more

Introduction The myth persists that a “keto” diet followed for weight loss or improved metabolic health is all about the fat…bacon, heavy whipping cream, and fat bombs. It’s about adding butter and MCT oil to coffee, about eating fatty cuts of meat and lots of avocado. It isn’t. What makes a diet “low carb” or … Read more

Introduction News outlets highlight when someone has died of complications of COVID-19, stressing that the person “had no underlying health conditions“, but the problem is that this is often assumed, not assessed. Just because a person wasn’t diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure does not mean that they have no underlying health … Read more