Joy Erdile, MSc, RD

I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the owner of BetterByDesign Nutrition Ltd. With a postgraduate degree in Human Nutrition and a background as a published mental health nutrition researcher, I have been dedicated to supporting my clients' clinical needs since 2008.

I hold active professional licenses in BC (CHPBC), Alberta (CDA), and Ontario (CDO), allowing me to provide regulated Medical Nutrition Therapy across these provinces. My expertise spans chronic disease management, complex digestive health, and therapeutic diets. I am deeply passionate about helping people reclaim their health, rooted in my firm belief that Nutrition is BetterByDesign©.

How Can a Low-FODMAP Diet Improve Symptoms of IBS?

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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

Why Smoothies Aren’t the Same as Eating the Same Food

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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

A Simple Guide to Different Types of Diet and Macros

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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

Why Is Type 2 Diabetes Still Called “a Progressive, Lifelong Disease”?

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[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

Assessing Insulin Resistance – Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA)

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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

What is a Hiatus Hernia and How Can Dietary Changes Help?

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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

Why Grazing Can Look Like a Scene From Hoarders

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This article was written on March 7, 2021, and was reviewed and updated by Joy Y. Erdile, MSc, RD, on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface Most people know that prediabetes and diabetes are associated with “high blood sugar,” but just how much sugar is actually in the human body? And how does “grazing” all day … Read more

Negative Effect of Dietary Carbohydrate on the Gut Microbiome in IBD

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Note: This article was originally posted on January 14, 2021, and was updated and reviewed on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

A Keto Diet is Only About How Much Carbohydrate it Contains

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Note: This article was originally posted on January 4, 2021, and was updated and reviewed on April 24, 2026. Practitioner’s Preface 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 … Read more

One Client Journey – down over 200 pounds

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Note: This article is 1 of 3 an anecdotal accounts of a former client’s personal health journeys. It represents their unique experience and is not intended as medical advice or scientific evidence. Introduction It’s been almost three years since I started working with Karen D. in February of 2018 and in that time she has … Read more

No Underlying Health Conditions – likely assumed not assessed

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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

Food Sensitivity Tests versus Food Allergy Tests

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Practitioner’s Preface One of the more frustrating things that I experience as a Dietitian who works with people with food allergy is when people come to me with a lab report listing foods they are ‘allergic’ to—only for me to get a multi-page report that they paid $650-750 out of pocket for, and which measures … Read more

Stages of Change and Why Most People Regain Weight Loss

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Note: This article was originally posted on November 6, 2020, and was updated on July 12, 2026. What Are the Stages of Change? The Stages of Change were developed in 1979 by James Prochaska and expanded by Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente and include Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse. People want to change, but … Read more

Is a Diet High in Carbohydrate Appropriate for Humans?

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Introduction This post comes out of some recent lively discussion on social media where I was challenged to reconsider my position that a low-carbohydrate or keto diet can put people into remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but does not reverse it, and is not a cure. The discussion centred around whether metabolic diseases may … Read more

The Stereotypical High Fat Keto Diet is Only ONE Type

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Introduction There is a common but mistaken belief that there is such a thing as “THE keto diet” (singular)—which is high in fat of all types, including cream, butter, bacon, and fatty cuts of meat. In fact, there are a wide range of “keto diets” (plural), including several different therapeutic ones as well as those … Read more

The Keto Diet — a potentially dangerous and an unhealthy diet

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Introduction I’ve heard other Dietitians say that the keto diet is potentially dangerous because it focuses on ‘high intakes of processed meat, butter and cream’. Some have said harmful effects were seen years later, including newly diagnosed diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, clinical evidence suggests these conditions often develop years before a … Read more