In a recent article about why Waist Circumference and Waist-to-Height Ratio is so important, I explained that a meta-analysis from 2012 which pooled data from 300,000 adults of different races and ages found that the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and shorter lifespan was associated with a Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR) of 0.5. That is, we … Read more
Note: This article was originally posted on May 22, 2018 and was updated on November 25, 2025. Note: for clients who were asked to read this article to measure their waist circumference and hip circumference, please drop down to where the first red asterisk (*) is, and read all three sections marked with a red … Read more
There are some things that people should not do on their own and one of them is to begin a very low carb (ketogenic) diet without first consulting with their doctor, especially if they take certain types of medication. Medical supervision is necessary before a person substantially decreases their carbohydrate intake if they are taking; … Read more
INTRODUCTION: In the first article in this series on carbohydrates, I explained that Glycemic Index (GI) is a way to rate carbohydrates based how easily they raise the blood sugar of healthy people and that some carbohydrates are better than others when they cause much less of a rise in blood sugar. I wanted to know how would … Read more
Introduction In Part 1 of “Are Some Carbs Better Than Others”, I explained that Glycemic Index (GI) is a way to rate carbohydrates based on how easily they raise blood sugar. Low GI foods (those with a value of 55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolized and cause a lower and slower … Read more
Introduction Not all carbohydrate foods (“carbs”) are created equal. Some are broken down very quickly into simple sugars, while others are broken down very slowly. In the past, the terms “simple sugar” and “complex carbohydrate” were used to imply this concept. There are newer terms that enable us to know how much eating these foods … Read more
This article is Part 2 in a two-part series on concerns with Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils. Part 1 can be read here. There are a few key things about polyunsaturates vegetable oils that need to be understood to understand this article, so I’ll keep the science simple. There are two class of polyunsaturated fats; (PUFAs); omega 3 … Read more
INTRODUCTION: Both the US and Canadian Dietary Guidelines encourage us to limit saturated fat in order to reduce the risk of heart disease and to eat unsaturated fat, including polyunsaturated vegetable oils instead but what are these fats, where do they come from and what role might these play in development of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and even … Read more
The Diet-Heart Hypothesis The diet-heart hypothesis is the belief that eating foods high in saturated fat contributed to heart disease was first proposed in the 1950s by a scientist named Ancel Keys who believed that by replacing saturated fat from meat, butter and eggs with newly-created industrial polyunsaturated vegetable oil (such as soybean oil) that heart disease and … Read more
Yesterday, in preparing to begin a new series of articles on the relationship between polyunsaturated vegetable fats to obesity, I came across an old, yellowed sheet titled “Comparison of Dietary Fats” that I was given as an undergrad Dietetic student at McGill, in 1989. It was designed to help us teach consumers how to choose the “healthiest” dietary fats. … Read more
A year ago, I found out from a fellow Dietitian that a recently published article in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that the sugar industry had secretly funded a group of renowned Harvard researchers to write an influential series of articles which downplayed, discredited or outright ignored research known at the time, … Read more
Note: This article was originally posted on March 1, 2018, and was edited on November 23, 2025 This article is based largely on a lecture given by Dr. Donald Layman, PhD – Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois (Nutrition Forum, June 23, 2013, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) [1]. People understand it’s important for children … Read more
Previous to today, I never gave the reliability of blood glucose monitors a second thought. I assumed that if they were sold in Canada, they were reliable. Not all are as good as others, it seems! Yesterday morning, as I always do, I tested my morning fasting blood glucose with my glucometer. As someone with Type … Read more
Many people (including me) are sick with the flu and many are sipping soup, because it is warm and comforting and provides them with some protein, vitamins and minerals. I’m drinking chicken soup, made from my grandmother’s recipe and this isn’t any chicken soup, as you will soon find out. Whenever someone in my family is sick, … Read more
Introduction Since 1977, the dietary recommendations in Canada and the US have been for people to consume a diet with limited fat and where ”complex carbohydrates” (starches) comprise the main source of calories. Unfortunately, this has not been without consequence when it comes to rates of child and adult overweight and obesity, and Type 2 … Read more
A low carbohydrate high fat ketogenic diet supplies adequate, but not excess protein and low levels of carbohydrate that is naturally found in foods such as non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and certain fruit. A low carb high fat ketogenic diet enables our bodies to burn our own fat stores quite efficiently for energy, while making the glucose needed by our blood … Read more
Long before the ‘hybrid car” there was the human body – a hybrid ‘machine’ perfectly designed to use either carbohydrates or fat for energy. Like a hybrid car, we can run on one fuel source or the other at any one time. If we are eating a largely carbohydrate based diet, we will be in ‘carbohydrate … Read more
This delicious low carb high fat Matcha Smoothie may help you lose abdominal fat. The science behind it, the recipe & the nutritional info in this article. Green tea is the unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and contains several biologically active compounds called catechins of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) makes up ~ 30% of the solids … Read more
Introduction Many people look to Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) as the ”measuring stick” as to whether they are eating a healthy diet, but did you know that over the years, CFG has changed dramatically? Canada’s first food guide, the Official Food Rules, was introduced to the public in July 1942. This guide acknowledged wartime food … Read more
In 1972 the prevalence of obesity (BMI > 30) in those over 19 years old in Canada was only 10% but by 2011, it was 26%. In 1972 <8% of men were obese whereas obesity rates have TRIPLED in men since then and also increased for women. In this blog I tackle how changes in the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide has paralleled these huge increases in obesity statistics.
People often assume that the answer to the question why do we gain weight is obvious and it is because people eat more calories than they burn; the old ”calorie in, calorie out” paradigm. That is, calories not used in some form of exercise are converted to fat and stored. If we assume that the cause of weight gain is that simple, then the solution must be equally simple; eat less and exercise more, right? But is it?
Based on a meta-analysis of studies, it has been found that people can lose ~ 3 pounds in a 12 week period (making no other dietary or exercise changes) by consuming 1 – 4 tsp of green tea (matcha) powder per day. The effect of green tea catechins contained in matcha powder on body fat composition is great even when weight loss is small (i.e. ~5 lbs in 12 weeks), Total amount of abdominal fat decreases 25x more with green tea catechin consumption & the fat just below the skin of the abdomen decreases 8x more than when green tea catechins are not consumed !
