Joy Erdile, MSc, RD

Last clinically reviewed by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD on April 23, 2026. Introduction The role of diet in metabolic health is well-known, but many people do not realize that hormones, including those from the thyroid, impact that health significantly. The Role of Thyroid Hormones from The Merck Manual of Medical Information (1997) [Image of … Read more

Note: This article was originally posted on July 14, 2022, and was completely updated and reposted on November 3, 2025, and reviewed on April 26, 2026. Introduction When people have blood tests to “check their thyroid,” the test that is performed is a TSH test. TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. Provincial … Read more

Introduction I never planned to write a low-carb bread book, but it came about due to both interest and need.  Beginning in September 2021, I started experimenting with low-carb breads not made from nut flour. By mid-December, I was finally successful and posted the recipe for Low Carb High Protein Yeast Bread, and it turned … Read more

Last clinically reviewed by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD on April 24, 2026. Introduction I have been wanting to write an article about constipation and the role of fiber for a while, but yesterday I saw a cartoon drawn by Glenn McCoy that was the final motivation. (posted with written permission from Glenn McCoy)   … Read more

This article was written on November 5, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface In the last 5 years of my almost 18 years of private clinical practice and my licensure in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, I have seen meat prices rise more … Read more

This article was written on October 11, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface The idea that there is a specific food that acts as the “off switch” for appetite is very compelling. Who hasn’t eaten more food than they planned or wanted? Whether … Read more

This article was written on October 10, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface As a Dietitian who supports people with food addiction, when I was asked to speak at a food addiction summit, the evening before, I was given a list of the … Read more

This article was written on September 1, 2021 and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on August 30, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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] … Read more

This article was written on August 23, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on June 23, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on June 21, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on June 15, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on May 25, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 apolipoprotein B (apoB) has been found … Read more

This article was written on April 23, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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, known as … 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

This article was written on April 13, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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) … Read more

This article was written on April 12, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … 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

This article was written on March 22, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

This article was written on March 14, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more