Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Nutrition Conversations

Research shows that adipose (fat) tissue isn’t just stored energy—it plays a critical role in metabolism, inflammation, and disease risk. Biological, environmental and nutritional factors contribute to differences in how people store fat and develop conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Kafi Ealey is an assistant professor in the School of Nutrition at Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Ealey obtained her MSc and PhD from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral training at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Yokohama, Japan, as well as in the Department of Translational Medicine at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children Research Centre. Dr. Ealey’s research is focused on understanding the biological and cellular processes that govern the diverse functions of metabolic tissues to promote overall health. Her work employs a range of experimental models to determine how nutrition can affect fat storage, the immune system, and how the body uses energy, and helps us better understand how to prevent or manage chronic metabolic diseases. Dr. Ealey is particularly passionate about examining the biological variations in metabolic systems that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of obesity-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes. In this episode, Dr. Ealey discusses how fat storage and metabolism vary across individuals and populations, and why these differences matter for health.

Older adults are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada, yet gaps in care persist, including limited healthcare access, social isolation, and rising cognitive decline. Addressing these challenges through diet and physical activity is key to promoting healthy aging and quality of life. Dr. Lora Giangregorio is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Bone Health and Exercise Science. She leads the Bone Health and Exercise Science Lab, also known as the BonES lab. The BonES lab team leads research on physical activity for older adults and people with osteoporosis. Dr. Giangregorio is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council for Osteoporosis Canada and was on the leadership team that developed the 2020 Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines. She also led the Exercise Working Group for the 2023 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Osteoporosis and Fracture Prevention in Canada. In this episode, Dr. Giangregorio discusses the vital role of exercise in supporting mobility, bone health, and muscle strength in older adults.

Sodium is essential for our bodies, but too much can have serious consequences for our health, including raising blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease. Dr. JoAnne Arcand is an Associate Professor and Registered Dietitian in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ontario Tech University. She leads a research program that explores evidence-based approaches to the implementation of nutrition policies and interventions to enhance population-wide strategies aimed at supporting healthy eating, including dietary sodium. Her research addresses behavioural nutritional risk factors across the lifecycle, from children to older adults, for both the general public and people affected by chronic diseases. Her work is recognized by awards such as a Heart and Stroke Foundation National New Investigator Award, Hypertension Canada Young Investigator Award, and a CIHR-INMD New Investigator Award. In this episode, Dr. Arcand discusses the role of sodium on our health and strategies to reduce its intake.

The world's over-65 population is expanding rapidly, and the risk of malnutrition is prevalent in this population. Meeting nutritional needs is a recognized strategy to reduce and address multiple debilitating adverse health outcomes associated with malnutrition. Dr. Agnes Siew Ling Tey, Senior Lead of Clinical Science & Nutrition at Abbott in Singapore. Her research centers on pioneering dietary strategies to prevent and manage malnutrition, cardiometabolic diseases, and obesity. With over 50 contributions to international peer-reviewed journals, and an evidence-based position statement for the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, Dr. Tey is also an esteemededitor and reviewer for various scientific journals. Prior to joining Abbott in 2016, Dr. Tey was a Research Fellow at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). At Abbott, she has provided scientific leadership as the Study Chair and Lead Scientist for the Strengthening Health In ELDerly through nutrition (SHIELD) study on elderly nutrition and has led several randomized controlled trials in diabetes. Her broad expertise includes clinical research on malnutrition in older adults and cardiometabolic diseases in populations who are overweight or living with obesity. In this episode, Dr. Tey discusses the role of nutrition in healthy aging with a focus on the Strengthening Health in Elderly through Nutrition Study. This podcast episode is sponsored by Abbott.

Alcohol is regularly used to relax after a long day at work, at dinner, and on the weekend as well as in connection with social events or to mark special occasions; however, we have learned that even low levels of regular use increases health risks. Dr. Erin Hobin is a Senior Scientist at Public Health Ontario, an Associate Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a Collaborating Scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. Her research program focuses on developing and evaluating population level interventions for chronic disease prevention, specifically in the areas of alcohol control policy and consumer product labels. Dr. Hobin has served on several scientific advisory committees focused on alcohol policy, including for the World Health Organization, Eurocare, Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, and the 2023 Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Report focused on substance use health. In this episode, she will be discussing the role of alcohol on our health and how policy can promote healthier decisions.

Malnutrition in Canada is an overlooked health issue that can have a huge impact on individuals and the health care system. When it comes to pediatric malnutrition, the stakes are even higher, calling for urgent transformation in how we address and prevent it. . The Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, a group of clinicians, researchers and decision makers, has been advancing nutrition care research and education to address the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition across many health sectors. Dr. Jessie Hulst is a staff physician in the division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Hospital for Sick Children, and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Nutritional Sciences of the University of Toronto. She previously served as a Staff Gastroenterologist at Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam, Netherlands (2011-2018). Her PhD focused on nutritional assessment in critically ill children, development of a nutritional risk screening tool (STRONGkids), and she has authored > 100 peer-reviewed publications. She has been involved in the implementation of the Dutch Malnutrition Taskforce pediatric malnutrition pathway and mandatory National Hospital Quality Indicators and is the co-chair of the pediatric working group of the Canadian Malnutrition Taskforce. Daina Kalnins is a registered dietitian and Director of Clinical Dietetics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, which includes the Breastfeeding Program. Daina is a strong advocate for supporting evidence-based practice and has engaged her Clinical Dietetics team in caring safely practices, as well as quality improvement initiatives. She also works in the CF clinic and the lung transplant program, and has authored/co-authored over 16 publications and chapters related to CF, as well as several books on infant and children’s nutrition. In this episode, Dr. Hulst and Daina discuss transforming pediatric malnutrition care.

L'alimentation et la nutrition sont des sujets populaires dans les médias et sur les réseaux sociaux. L'omniprésence des médias sociaux a créé de nouvelles opportunités pour les experts qualifiés ou accrédités de la communauté scientifique de communiquer avec leurs clients et le public. Elle a également créé des défis. Dre Sophie Desroches est professeure titulaire et diététiste à l'École de nutrition à l’Université Laval et chercheuse au Centre NUTRISS de l’INAF. Ses travaux de recherche visent à identifier des stratégies de transfert de connaissances en nutrition et à favoriser leur implantation dans les pratiques cliniques des diététistes afin d’améliorer l’adhésion aux recommandations nutritionnelles. Les plus récents travaux de recherche effectués dans son équipe portent sur l’utilisation des médias sociaux comme stratégie de transfert de connaissances dans les domaines reliés aux habitudes de vie incluant la nutrition. Dans cet épisode, Dre Desroches discute de la désinformation en nutrition sur les réseaux sociaux. / Food and nutrition are popular topics in the media and on social networks. The ubiquity of social media has created new opportunities for qualified or accredited experts in the scientific community to communicate with their clients and the public. It has also created challenges. Dr. Sophie Desroches is a professor and dietitian at Université Laval's School of Nutrition, and researcher at INAF's Centre NUTRISS. Her research is aimed at identifying strategies for transferring nutrition knowledge and implementing them in dietitians' clinical practices, in order to improve adherence to dietary recommendations. Her team's most recent research focuses on the use of social media as a knowledge translation strategy in lifestyle-related fields, including nutrition. In this episode, Dr. Desroches discusses nutrition misinformation on social media . Please note that this podcast has been recorded in French; however, you may view the script in English.

Most of us are familiar with vitamin and mineral supplements, but did you know that there are foods and drinks on the market called “supplemented foods”? These products have added ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and caffeine. While they can offer additional nutrients, some can pose a risk to your health if consumed excessively or by vulnerable groups (e.g. pregnant individuals). Elaine De Grandpré is the Manager of Knowledge Translation and Exchange in the Bureau of Data, Science and Knowledge Integration of the Food and Nutrition Directorate at Health Canada. She is an innovative and energetic leader with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors and has extensive knowledge of public health nutrition, behavioural science, food and nutrition policy and regulatory development and evaluation, stakeholders’ consultation & engagement as well as education. Elaine is also a professor at the University of Ottawa in the Food Policy and Regulatory Affairs program. In this episode, Elaine discusses Health Canada’s new Supplemented Foods Awareness Labelling Initiative. You can learn more about supplemented foods at www.canada.ca/supplementedfoods.

Chronic conditions such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease are major public health concerns and on the rise worldwide. Dietary interventions that include foods such as fruit and vegetables may help improve health outcomes, but what about adherence? Could providing foods directly to people as part of health services be a solution? Dr. Dylan MacKay is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Chronic Disease in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Internal Medicine Section Endocrinology at the University of Manitoba. He has a background in Human Nutritional Sciences, with training and experience in clinical trials and patient-oriented research. He is also a person who lives with type 1 diabetes and his work focuses primarily on glucose metabolism, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Dr. MacKay also has a strong personal connection with type 1 diabetes research in which he is both a researcher and a person with lived experience. In this episode, Dr. MacKay discusses the nutritional strategies such as home delivery of foods for chronic diseases such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Mentorship, often described as the art of guiding and nurturing, holds a special place in the fabric of human development. From ancient traditions of apprenticeship to modern-day corporate mentorship programs, the practice has evolved, yet its essence remains unchanged: the passing down of wisdom, experience, and support from one generation to the next. Dr. Sharon E. Straus is a geriatrician and clinical epidemiologist who trained at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. She is the Director of the Knowledge Translation Program and Physician-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation and Quality of Care and has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications and 3 textbooks in evidence-based medicine, knowledge translation and mentorship. She has received national awards for mentorship, research and education and was named to the Order of Canada in 2021. In this episode, Dr. Straus discusses the art and science behind effective mentorship, exploring strategies, challenges, and enduring rewards that define this practice.

Food and nutrition literacy are concepts that may be important factors in supporting healthful dietary habits. Building these skills and knowledge at a young age is important for skill retention, confidence in food practices and supporting lifelong healthy eating habits. Dr. Maude Perreault is a Registered Dietitian and Assistant Professor at Université de Montréal. Her clinical and research interests are centered around family nutrition, and how we can support children and parents to have healthy eating behaviors. Dr. Perreault has also supported parents through her online private practice, with a focus on helping parents team up and tackle “picky eating” with their toddlers. More recently, she has developed an interest for food literacy as a way to explore the skills required to feed ourselves in the complex food system, and where inequalities might lie. Through her research and clinical work, Dr. Perreault’s mission is that everyone can enjoy eating, with autonomy, for their own well-being and that of their community. In this episode, Dr. Perreault discusses the emerging results around food literacy and considerations when it comes to teaching kids about it as well as in the context of chronic health diseases requiring dietary changes, namely celiac disease.

On March 8, 2024 we celebrated International Women’s Day where the theme was to “Inspire Inclusion”. Over the past 20 years, studies have shown persistent gaps in gender representation at the top levels of parenteral and enteral nutrition societies. Why does this matter? It's not just about numbers; it's about equality, opportunity, and the ability for all voices to be heard.

Dr. Carla Prado is a Professor and Registered Dietitian at the University of Alberta, and a Campus Alberta Innovates Chair in Nutrition, Food and Health. She is the Director of the Human Nutrition Research Unit and expert in assessing nutritional status through the precise measurement of body composition and energy metabolism. Dr. Prado is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and has received the title of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100. She is also a Clarivate™ Highly Cited researcher.

Dr. Leah Gramlich is a gastroenterologist and physician nutrition specialist who works at patient, provider and systems levels to understand and enhance the impact of diet and activity strategies to improve health and reduce disease at the University of Alberta. She is the Founding President of the Canadian Nutrition Society and a CNS Fellow, an honour bestowed upon a CNS member by their peers in recognition for outstanding contributions to nutrition science and/or practice.

In this episode, Dr. Gramlich and Dr. Prado will discuss sex disparities in parenteral and enteral nutrition societies and gender equity in clinical nutrition.

With each passing year, our understanding of nutrition evolves, driven by scientific research, cultural shifts, and changing consumer preferences. As we enter 2024, we find ourselves at the forefront of a nutritional revolution, where sustainability, personalization, and mindful eating take center stage. Nishta Saxena is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Vibrant Nutrition, a full-service clinical nutrition and nutrition education practice. She is also a proud mother of two, living the strategies she preaches to families across the globe. Her years of specialty expertise in paediatrics and family dynamic nutrition has positioned her as an authority in paediatric nutrition and feeding issues. She is also known as a “nutrition myth-buster,” promoting evidence-based nutrition rather than diet trends. Nishta regularly appears on CTV as a nutrition health expert and shares her expertise on her Instagram page @nishtasaxenard. In this episode, Nishta discusses what nutrition topics are trending, how nutrition pop culture and trends drive science and how people are trying to incorporate these in their own lives.

In 2023, Manitoba opened Canada's first public facility for egg research, education and training. Eggs are a low-cost and nutrient-dense whole food that is an important source of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and choline. Egg consumption has regained global popularity in recent years as they are recommended as a healthy component of diets when consumed in moderation. Dr. Jim House is a Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba and has served as Past-President of the CNS, is a CNS Fellow, and recently awarded the Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein with the mandate to lead strategic research priorities attracting investment in the Manitoba protein sector for long-term economic growth. In this episode, Dr. House discusses the nutritional profile of eggs, their role on our health, and the new facilities for egg research at the University of Manitoba.

Sports Supplements are Natural Health Products, such as plant extracts, sports drinks, protein powders, sports bars, fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals, that are frequently used by many athletes worldwide to enhance sport performance and recovery. According to recent data, the global sports nutrition market and supplements was valued at about 27 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and expected to increase in value to over 37 billion U.S. dollars by 2027. Dr. Mojtaba Kaviani is an Associate Professor in the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP). He is also the lead of the sports nutrition group providing nutritional support to all Acadia University varsity teams. His research focuses on the effect of nutrients and food components alone or in combination with physical activity on whole body physiology and health status as well as sport performance in athletes. Dr. Kaviani also investigates the effects of sport and dietary supplements on health and performance outcomes and has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Acting Department Chair and Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism. Dr. Bazinet and his team are currently taking a kinetic and biochemical approach to studying the mechanisms by which dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate the metabolism of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids within brain phospholipids. He is also former President of the International Society Association for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Oil Chemists’ Society as well as the French Society for the Study of Lipids. In this episode, Dr. Bazinet will discuss the role of DHA in the developing brain and its impact across the rest of our lifespan and life stages. This podcast is supported by Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition.

WHAT we eat and HOW we eat includes determinants such as the environment and genetics, which influence appetite and body weight control, metabolic health and eating behaviours in children and adults. Dr. Vicky Drapeau is a professor in the Département d’éducation physique at Université Laval, a dietitian, co-founder and co-ordinator of the Clinique de Nutrition and Scientific Director of the sustainable health consultation committee at the university. Dr. Drapeau’s current research is supported by CIHR, SSHRC, and Dairy Farmers of Canada. In this episode, Dr. Drapeau will discuss the role of certain foods in body weight management, metabolic health, and eating behaviours.

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This podcast is sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Whole foods and meal combinations need consideration in the control of postprandial glycemia and appetite. There is also a need to improve nutritional quality of highly processed plant-based substitutes for dairy and other animal products. Therefore, it is important for nutritionists and consumers to understand that caution is required when selecting plant-based processed products and that regulations and labelling also need attention. Dr. Harvey Anderson is a Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Physiology Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. He is Director of the NSERC University-Industry Program in Food Safety, Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs (PFSNRA) and past-Director of the Child Centre for Nutrition, Health and Development.In this episode, Dr. Anderson will explore the role of the food matrix and meal combinations in metabolic health and appetite control. ---This podcast is sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Maintaining muscle mass is one of the key elements of longevity. As we age, our protein requirements increase, but that is only part of the picture. Exercise is a key ingredient too. Dr. Stuart Phillips is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health, Professor of Kinesiology at McMaster University, and Director of the McMaster University Physical Activity Centre of Excellence. In this inaugural conversation, Dr. Phillips will dive into aging, muscle loss and the increased importance of dietary protein and exercise.