Feb 1, 2014

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • The central concept here can be adapted for a great many scenarios. Consider this: One person’s focus may be kindness to children. Another may feel strongly about wireless technology, going GMO-free or perhaps recycling. Yet whatever their focus, that same person can sit down to a chicken dinner or host a beef barbecue...

Jan 1, 2014

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • As part of red blood cells, iron plays a central role in transporting life-giving oxygen to cells and carrying away the metabolic waste product carbon dioxide. Iron deficiency is the primary nutritional deficiency worldwide, especially for women of childbearing age, infants and teens. At the same time, we want to avoid...

Dec 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • With 1% of the population having celiac disease, 0.1% having a true wheat allergy and an estimated 0.5 to 30% – depending on the estimator – having gluten sensitivity, holiday meals can pose a challenge. The hearty, flavourful entree below will be welcomed by the vegetarians on your guest list as well as everyone...

Nov 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • Has the staff of life become a pain in the gut? It would seem so for a growing number who have difficulty with the protein complex that is present in wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, barley and triticale. About one percent of the population has celiac disease, an extreme autoimmune reaction with gastrointestinal (GI) damage,...

Oct 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • Bonnie was thinking about going vegan. Of all the dietary choices she had considered over the years, this made perfect sense and fit her values. Yet she wanted to be certain her new way of eating would provide every essential nutrient. The women in her family were blessed with slim figures, but cursed with frail bones...

Sep 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • After his partner Sue adopted a plant-based diet, Pete decided to give it a try. He thoroughly enjoyed the hearty, nourishing meals that Sue prepared on weekends and the environmental and ethical reasons behind this diet made sense to him. Yet on weekdays he found that his own vegetarian meals or the ones he ate in...

Aug 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD, and Nancy Callan • Vancouver is the first Canadian city to embrace “Meatless Monday,” an initiative encouraging residents to forego meat one day a week for the sake of the planet and their health. In terms of restaurants and cafes, whether you choose all-vegetarian or a mix, our fair city offers many options for...

Jul 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • When people talk about hospital food, they don’t often use the adjective “good.” In fact, I don’t recall ever hearing those three words in combination. However, I recently had a stay at UBC hospital for hip replacement surgery and I had a change of mind. Overall, I was blown away by my thoroughly positive...

Jun 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • We’re into barbecue season and while we may have fond memories of summer events with meat sizzling over the coals, there are good reasons to cook up something else for summer get-togethers. Recent information from the Harvard-based Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which observed 37,698 men for more than a dozen...

May 1, 2013

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • When people consider going green, their focus is often on buying a vehicle that guzzles less gas, riding their bike more or eating local. Yet we hear from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions – more than all forms of...