Diet

How Does Psychology Affect Organic Food Consumption?

Image by Jerry Gorecki @Pixabay A group of researchers investigated how a person’s psychology affects their organic food consumption. The investigation was to uncover whether or not a person’s Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) was a factor in their propensity to purchase organic food. Consideration of future consequences Sales of organic foods have increased in […]

Diet

What Are Endocrine Disruptors?

Image by Choktiniti Khongchum @Pexels What we know about endocrine disruptor chemicals Endocrine disruptors are chemicals present in many everyday products, including food.  They can mimic hormones and alter their activity, leading to several biological effects. We know these chemicals cause harmful effects on animals, but we don’t know much about their effects on humans.1 Understanding […]

Diet Health & Fitness

Endurance Exercise and Heart Damage

Photo by Sopan Shewale @Unsplash The previous ideology was that endurance exercise can protect the heart from damage. However, current research shows the protective factor of endurance exercise may not be true. With the growing popularity of endurance and ultra-endurance sports, finding the connections between endurance exercise and heart damage is crucial. While regular exercise […]

Diet Mental Health

What is the Microbiome?

Image by CDC @Unsplash Your microbiome and disease risk are linked. Trillions of bacteria live in our bodies in a symbiotic relationship.1 So, what does this symbiotic relationship look like? This relationship is one in which bacteria rely on our bodies to exist, and we support each other’s health and daily needs. For example, our […]

Diet

The Innate Immune System: Advancing Understanding

Image by Arek Socha @Pixabay Our body’s natural disease and infection-fighting resources make up our immune system. These defence mechanisms involve special types of cells and bodily substances that work together to keep us healthy.  Our immune system protects us from dangerous organisms called pathogens by recognizing and removing them. Some common pathogens include viruses […]

Diabetes Diet

A Superfood to Fight Disease?

Image by AselvadaAna @Pixabay Widely regarded as a superfood, pomegranate is a vibrant red fruit linked to health and wellness. But can pomegranates help fight disease?1,2  The benefits of pomegranates are attributed to their high levels of antioxidants, even beating out green tea and orange juice for antioxidant content.1,2   Increasing antioxidant intake may help prevent […]

Diet

Taking Multi-Nutrient Supplements

Photo by Ivabak @Pixabay The COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for nutritional supplements by 17%-45%, with the majority (52%) of consumers looking to boost their immunity.1  These types of supplements can be single or multi-nutrient and are commonly used to add missing components to a diet.2,3  The nutritional products most purchased ranged from single to multi-nutrient […]

Diet Health & Fitness

Total Cholesterol Levels Matter Most

Image by Mohamed Hassan @Pixabay Cholesterol levels are used to determine certain disease risks during a check-up. Typically, only certain lipids in a lower cholesterol range indicate a healthier patient. But it’s the total cholesterol levels that matter most, especially for people of colour. What is cholesterol?  Cholesterol is a steroid hormone made up of […]

Diet

Genetic Wellness Testing: Hype or Hope?

Photo Credit: Jacob Colvin. Genetics is the code of life. Genetics can reveal a myriad of information about our bodies. Genetic wellness testing is a powerful tool with medical and non-medical applications.  Genetic testing can tell us whether we’ve inherited specific genes from our parents. Some of these genes make us more susceptible to developing […]

Diet Uncategorized

A Link Between Exercise and Skin Health

Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov Exercise helps to nourish skin cells by increasing blood flow that carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Besides the conventional benefits, studies have revealed a link between skin health and exercise. Deep skin benefits of exercise At a molecular level, skin cells contain mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles that produce the […]

Diet

Natural Treatments for Constipation

Constipation is a relatively common gastrointestinal problem that impacts approximately 16% of the world’s population and is why natural treatments for constipation are sought out.1 It is more prevalent in the elderly than the young and in females than males.1,2 The reduced frequency or lack of normal bowel movements linked to constipation can be caused […]