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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

Introduction 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 IgG … Read more

Note: This article was originally posted on November 6, 2020 and was updated and reposted on November 27, 2025. Introduction Historically, studies have shown that more than half of weight loss is regained within 2 years, and more than 80% of weight loss is regained by 5 years [1]. Recent data indicate that within 1 … Read more

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

Introduction In addition to the several types of therapeutic ketogenic diets, such as the Classic Ketogenic Diet (KD) used in the treatment of epilepsy, there is another type of therapeutic ketogenic diet used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight loss. This is referred to in the clinical literature as a Very … Read more

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

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

Introduction The recommendation to lower the consumption of saturated fat in the diet to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been a central theme in both the US and Canada since 1977. However, a landmark report published by the American College of Cardiology has stated that there is no beneficial effect on either … Read more

Introduction WorkSafeBC has released the requirements for regulated health professionals, such as Dietitians, to safely run an in-person clinical practice in British Columbia during the COVID-19 outbreak. These protocols are much more involved than initially imagined and are in addition to obligations prescribed by our professional college and the provincial health officer. Understanding the Risk … Read more