We’ve taken some creative licence with the word “pantry” to include your fridge and freezer. As to what you need to buy? “I break it down into categories,” says Lisa Tsakos, a registered holistic nutritionist and co-author of Unjunk Your Junk Food. Tsakos divides her pantry into the following items:

• Grains (quinoa, millet, brown rice)
• Flours (brown rice, whole grain)
• Pasta (brown rice, kamut, spelt)
• Dried beans
• Nuts and seeds or legumes
• Non-dairy milk
• Dried fruits
• Herbs and spices
• A selection of sulfite-free vinegars

With these categories in mind, here are some ideas that will provide you with multiple options for healthy meals—and hopefully make you pause before reaching for the phone to order takeout. [read full article]

Published: February 2011

For anyone who has ever struggled with their weight, there is always a new diet readily available, offering quick results. But what many don’t realize is that these fad diets are often just quick fixes that don’t set the dieter up for long-term success. Thus begins the wicked pendulum swing of yo-yo dieting. “Diets that don’t target an individual’s eating habits and behaviour and give them the tools to change, that by definition is an unfair approach and an unfair diet,” says Dr. David Macklin, a family physician as well as the founder and president of Weightcare, a company that tailors weight-loss programs for clients using a multi-disciplinary approach. [read full article]

Published: November 2010

It’s 3 o’clock and all you want to do is march to the vending machine and grab a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. Sure, you’ll feel good for a while. But then, as your body crashes off that junk food high, you’ll come to regret digging around for that spare change. However, there are foods that you can eat throughout the day that will give you a more natural pick-me-up. [read full article]

Published: October 2010