Dealing With Stress-Eating

How do I stop stress eating? The silver lining in this cloudy situation is the fact that you recognize you are stress-eating.  This gives you more power over your behaviour than you might think. While your question targets eating as the source of your concern, the underlying problem is stress.  If you deal with the…

Is Junk Food Healthy in Moderation?

​Is junk food in moderation healthy for you? I assume you use the term “junk food” to refer to foods that are high in fat, sugar and/or salt, which are also not nutrient dense. Doritos corn chips could be an example. A 1 ounce serving of Doritos is about 11 chips. How many people do…

Artificial Sweeteners: Sweet Poisons?

You’ve heard the expression “pick your poison”.  When it comes to sweet stuff, you need to do just that.  Sugar, consumed to excess, can be toxic and lead to conditions such as diabetes.  But what about artificial sweeteners? Commonly consumed sources of artificial sweeteners include the packets and pills used in place of sugar to…

The Health Impact of Unsweetened Carbonated Drinks

This article originally appeared as an answer to a question on Quora. Do unsweetened carbonated drinks affect your health? I assume that by describing these drinks as “unsweetened”, you mean they do not include artificial or natural sweeteners. Carbonated drinks can contribute to your body’s hydration. The potential for other harms and benefits depend on other…

GMOs: Are There Health Risks?

George Noory’s Coast To Coast show has featured a segment on the topic of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Concern about GMOs has been highlighted in the news media more than usual this month.  It turns out that October has been designated Non-GMO month, in an effort to draw attention to the risks associated with…

The Cholesterol Puzzle

I’m sure this seems like a straight-forward question but from a medical perspective, it is not. The connection between cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis arose from the finding that arterial plaque has a lot of cholesterol in it. The medical reasoning that came about based on this finding was that if there was less cholesterol in…

Adverse Reactions to “Detoxes”

What are the symptoms of die-off during a detox? The symptoms caused by die-off due to a detox or treatment with antimicrobials are known as a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction[1]. The symptoms can include: fatigue, cognitive effects (brainfog, irritability, difficulty concentrating), nausea, diarrhea, bloating/gas, constipation, body aches, mild fever, itchiness and rashes, and sugar cravings[2] .  Although many articles…

Summit’s Supplement Guide

Many people assume that if they experiment with supplements and natural substances that this is safe for them to do.  It may not be.  If you already take certain supplements, or medications, randomly adding additional medicinal substances could really get you into trouble, so do yourself a favour: consult a health practitioner (MD, ND, or…

What are other nutrients?

When you hear the word “nutrient”, you probably think of vitamins and minerals, but there are other nutrients too. Dietary components such as fiber, water, and anti-oxidant chemicals are examples of nutrients that are not vitamins or minerals. While these components benefit health, some of them can also be contraindicated with certain medications, or under…

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Fats are built from component pieces known as fatty acids. The omega 3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids with some distinct properties. They are especially known for having anti-inflammatory effects, and for supporting the development and ongoing health of the nervous system and brain as well as cardiovascular health. There are…