Taking care of yourself should feel good. And it should be fun. Join registered dietitian Desiree Nielsen and an incredible roster of guest experts as we explore all sorts of nutrition and wellness topics from plant-based nutrition to gut health to diet culture and more. We'll dive deep and get super nerdy about how nutrition and your body works. We'll get curious about the more problematic aspects of wellness and indulge our deep love of all things food.
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Plant-based nutrition for hormone health with Rohini Bajekal MSc
Episode 73
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 • Duration 01:07:25
If you’ve been inundated with people talking about hormone health online, you’re not alone… it’s definitely a big trend.
And in some ways, I am happy it is. As a dietitian, I know how common reproductive issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are and I also know how little we talk about them.
But there is another side to this hormone health trend, one that is a little less helpful. Like the misinformation about how soy affects your hormones. Or, telling us we have to seed cycle in order to get our menstrual cycles on track. The internet is bombarding us with information - some valuable, others downright harmful - and we need a little help setting it straight.
So this week, as the final episode in our miniseries on hormone health, we’re speaking with Rohini Bajekal, a evidence-informed nutritionist and co-author of Living PCOS Free, which she wrote with her mother, an Allsorts Podcast fave, Dr Nitu Bajekal MD.
Rohini generously shares her own experiences with PCOS, her frustrating efforts in trying out online advice, and how she developed a solid, evidence-based lifestyle approach for caring for hormone health.
This episode shines a light on all too common reproductive conditions that often go undiagnosed. We talk about whether or not you can actually “balance” your hormones and what the research says about nutrients and dietary patterns that do - and do not - help you heal.
About Rohini Bajekal MSc:
Rohini Bajekal is a nutritionist with a first class Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences and a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine professional. She is the co-author of Living PCOS Free: How to Regain Your Hormonal Health with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which she wrote with her mother, ObGyn Dr Nitu Bajekal.
On this episode we chat about:
What do we mean by “hormone health”?
Why you need to be incredibly cautious with hormone health info online
How leaving her plant-based home revealed a huge change in Rohini’s health
Mental health and mood in gynecological conditions like PCOS
Keto vs plant-based for hormone health
Maintaining balanced blood sugars with plant foods
The nutrients that matter for hormone health
The link between endometriosis and IBS
The risks of underfueling and malnutrition
Some real talk on supplements
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We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
Our bodies are meant to change…which means the way we care for them might need to change too. For women over the age of 40, who have entered the menopause transition (AKA perimenopause) there are shifts in our minds, muscles and metabolism function that might have us wondering what the heck is going on.
And if so, this is the episode for you. We are welcoming Barbie Boules RD, a registered dietitian with a focus on over 40 nutrition to teach us about how we can transform our nutrition and lifestyle to help us thrive in our 40s, 50s and beyond.
We’re getting real about this important time in our lives, and the significant challenges some women face with fatigue, brain fog and even weight changes.
Nutrition for perimenopause isn’t about doing some restrictive diet, or taking boatloads of expensive supplements. It’s about doubling down on real, transformational nutrition like getting those greens in and paying attention to protein (we talk numbers!!) and showing up everyday to make taking care of yourself a priority.
About Barbie Boules RD:
Barbie Boules is a registered dietitian, certified health coach, and meditation teacher with over 22 years of experience.
Barbie specializes in the unique needs of women over 4o. She focuses on helping her clients achieve optimal metabolic and cognitive fitness without the unnecessary and unsustainable rules of fad dieting, and rather through a genuine understanding of what each client truly needs to transform their health for good.
On this episode we chat about:
The number one killer of women (it’s not what you think)
How hormones actually change in our 40s
The lifestyle factors that actually matter during the menopause transition
Wading through the noise about protein in midlife
Is sugar bad for you? Solo ep with Desiree
Season 2024 · Episode 63
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 • Duration 45:04
Sugar: the stuff of celebratory birthday cakes and wellness myth.
Without a doubt, it elicits some pretty major debate for a pantry staple…and we spend a lot of airspace talking about how sugar affects the body. So, in this week’s episode, I’m going to put on my Registered Dietitian hat and answer all of your burning questions about the sweet stuff, including, “Is sugar bad for you?”
In order to answer that question, we’re going to have to dive DEEP. Starting with what the heck sugar actually is and how the body metabolizes it. We’re going to dive into the science and physiology of sugar, with a detour to cover alternative sweeteners like aspartame in order to arrive at the destination: how we should approach sugar in our everyday lives.
I hope you love this solo episode, our first of 2024! As always, we’ll start with 3 of Desiree’s current obsessions and close with a question from our community.
On this episode we chat about:
What is sugar, and how is table sugar different from the sugar in our bodies?
How is the sugar we eat metabolized by our body?
Is it okay for blood sugars to rise?
Glycemic index vs glycemic load
Is sugar inflammatory?
Does sugar cause diabetes?
Aspartame and cancer
What you NEED to know about that erythritol and heart disease study
How many added sugars should we eat daily?
What about fruit?
How to beat sugar cravings
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I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod as well as in our .
Culture, Connection and Community with Asha Wheeldon
Episode 62
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 • Duration 45:16
Growing up, life happened around my grandparent’s kitchen table. Food formed the rhythm of our days…so I feel a special connection to others who share that love of connecting over a meal.
And a few years ago, I had the pleasure of connecting with our guest, Asha Wheeldon, over a meal that she co-hosted with a mutual friend.
Especially at this time of year, I think we are all acutely reminded of just how deep our feelings about food are…it’s why certain foods give us so much comfort perhaps because a parent used to make a certain dish anytime we were sad or under the weather. Or how around the holidays, so many of us make the same dishes over and over again and give side eye anyone tries to come up with a modern twist on those beloved meals.
Which is why I’m so excited to talk to Asha Wheeldon today. Asha is the founder and CEO of Kula Foods; it was Asha’s love of the Afro-Caribbean flavours she grew up with in Kenya and Toronto that inspired her to start her own Afro-Vegan food business.
We talk about the role that food played in her early family life in Kenya and the transitions her family made when they immigrated to Canada and then again when Asha headed to the West Coast. I’m so excited to share her story of food, community and entrepreneurship with you all.
About Asha Wheeldon:
Asha Wheeldon is a community builder, entrepreneur and mother of two who is all about amplifying Black owned businesses and bringing people together.
As the Founder and CEO of Kula Foods and Co-founder of Chop It Up! she is on a mission to connect communities through nutritious, 100% plant-based food that’s reflective of her multicultural experiences.
On this episode we chat about:
The food ways that grounded Asha’s childhood in Kenya
What it was like to experience Canadian food culture for the first time
How her health changed once she adopted a fully North American style diet
Feed Your Cravings with Sam Turnbull
Episode 61
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 • Duration 44:29
If you’re one of those folks who shies away from vegan food because you love all the eggy, cheesy, meaty goodness of omnivore life…well, I get it. I was a vegetarian for a looooong time because I couldn’t imagine not eating cheese.
I think that’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions about vegans and plant-based eaters: no one goes vegan because they just don’t like the taste of cheese and steak. They do it for their health. Or the animals. Or the environment. And when they crave all of those flavours and textures they grew up with, they turn to Sam Turnbull for her highly craveable recipes.
Sam is the creator, recipe developer and cookbook author behind It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, a mini online empire of teaching people how to eat the foods they love, plant style.
Sam grew up in a house of hunters, butchers and chefs and she thought she was the last person on the planet who would ever go vegan. And as she started exploring the world of plant-based eating years ago, she realized that there was a lack of hearty, protein-forward recipes that would satisfy her tastebuds. So she did it herself. Vegan steak? You bet. Vegan Eggs? No problem!
Sam creates an incredible world of flavours and textures using whole foods like nuts, legumes, tofu and seitan…and if you don’t know what seitan is, we’ll cover that too.
Sam has a new cookbook out, called (you guessed it!) Craving Vegan so I had to take this opportunity to grill her for all of her best advice on building flavour so delicious that even a meat eater will sit up and take notice. There are TONS of good cooking tips in this episode, along with a behind the scenes look at what it really takes to be a successful creator.
About Sam Turnbull:
Sam Turnbull is an award-winning, and 2x bestselling cookbook author, and recipe blogger. Known affectionately for her sunny personality, she will brighten your kitchen with delicious plant-based meals that everyone loves (vegan or not)! She is the author of Fuss-Free Vegan and Fast Easy Cheap Vegan and now her latest cookbook Sam also runs an online cooking school called , a subscription meal planner called , and you can always find her on her popular blog where she posts weekly vegan recipes to her millions of readers.
Expanding palates...and minds with Jing Gao of Fly by Jing
Episode 60
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 • Duration 43:30
If you’re at all into food - calling all Bon Appetit groupies and Snaxbois - you probably already have a jar of Fly by Jing’s Sichuan Chili Crisp in your pantry…so you can understand how absolutely stoked I am to be talking with Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao today on the pod.
We’ll learn how Jing built a business, reclaimed her name and made everything taste better with her namesake jars of deliciousness.
While you already know I’m a big nutrition nerd, I’m also a bit of a nerd for food brands. My first job as a dietitian was for a chain of health food stores so I cemented my interest in discovering new brands pretty early in my career.
So much so that when I travel, I always go to a grocery store or two to bring back things I can’t find at home!
And on one of those trips, I brought back Fly by Jing’s Sichuan Chili Crisp. Jing has cracked open the food world here in North America with her namesake line of condiments - more than just chili crisp by the way - bringing exceptional quality and flavour with a side of serious style.
Her journey from business school graduate to CEO of all things flavour is a story of reclaiming identity, and living your passion that is so incredibly inspiring.
And today’s conversation is going to take us all sorts of places, from Jing’s nomadic childhood to working for Blackberry in Beijing (remember people had blackberries?!?) to the flavours of Chengdu’s kitchens to the tradeshow floor in Los Angeles.
We’ll learn about what makes Sichuan cuisine so unique, what it’s actually like to start a food brand via kickstarter and more. Jing shares how food became a vehicle for reconnecting to her cultural identity and how she’s on a mission to elevate consciousness through flavour.
Jing also has a brand new book filled with gorgeous recipes, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, that you’ll want to read cover to cover. I know you are going to love every moment of this conversation, whether you’re interested in food, entrepreneurship, or self-discovery.
Sourdough, a love story, with Ed + Natasha Tatton of BReD
Episode 59
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 • Duration 01:03:49
There are few things that unite us as much as a good loaf of bread. Humans have been consuming the stuff for thousands of years, starting with the the preparation of simple flatbreads from wild grains to the large scale production of breads from domesticated wheats in ancient Egypt…quite literally, bread in all its forms, from tortilla to naan to baguettes, is one of the foundations upon which our civilization has sustained itself.
And there is something magical about making bread at home, especially sourdough. With just flour, water and salt - and a little help from the helpful lactic acid bacteria that are all around us - you can create something so delicious that you might just forget that it is inherently vegan…which brings us to today’s guests, Ed and Natasha Tatton.
Ed’s Bred is legendary in these parts so I am excited to introduce you to Ed and Natasha and in this episode we talk about everything from how these two ended up opening a vegan sourdough bakery halfway across the world from their birthplace to what its really like working with your significant other and a few of the surprises they encountered with the North American palate…this episode is filled with so many funny moments. Even if you’re not a bread nerd (YET) you’re going to love it!
About Ed and Natasha:
Ed Tatton is a professional chef who has been to culinary college and worked in high-end kitchens in the UK, Australia, New Zealand as well as Canada, but now specializes in making organic naturally leavened sourdough. As co-owner of BReD–Organic Sourdough with his wife Natasha, Ed leads a small bakery team, making and baking bread, pizza dough, and other small baked goods. These days, Ed’s food is compassionately 100% plant-based, a movement he is passionately excited to be part of and help grow for the benefit of people, the planet, and animals. He lives in Whistler, BC.
Busting Wellness Myths about Anxiety with Dr Nicole Lippman-Barile PhD
Episode 58
Tuesday, October 17, 2023 • Duration 51:19
Feeling anxious lately? I don’t know about you…but my mental health went down the toilet in 2020. I’ve always been anxious by nature but since turning 40 - which was followed closely by the pandemic - I’ve had to make my mental health more of a priority and I know I’m not alone: according to the world health organization, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a whopping 25% in the first year of the pandemic. So, um, maybe we should talk about it?
It’s so hard to tease out which feelings are totally normal and expected given the current state of our world and which are a signal that something more serious is going on. And, what to do about it.
First things first: I’ve gotta say it, TALK TO YOUR DOC…but I also know that when something goes wrong, so many of us turn to the internet for answers. And it’s the wild west out there, with all manner of opinions on what is causing our anxiety…and what to do about it. If you’ve ever seen a post on regulating your nervous system, activating your vagus nerve and eating to beat anxiety…you might want to listen to this episode.
I’m speaking with Dr Nicole Lippman-Barile PhD, clinical psychologist, to talk about anxiety through the lens of wellness. I started following her a while back because she’s very good at calling BS on all the things wellness gets wrong about mental health.
And there is some pretty shady advice being doled out on the internet about the role of diet and anxiety, the gut brain connection and the microbiome…you name it, so I wanted to ask Dr Nicole to set the record straight about some common myths as well as evidence-based strategies for improving your mental health.
About Nicole Lippman-Barile PhD:
Dr. Nicole Barile is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the intensive outpatient treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. She is extensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and utilizes elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eastern philosophy.
Understanding the IBS basics with Jessie Wong RD
Episode 12
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 • Duration 51:25
Hold on to your knickers: the number of people with irritable bowel syndrome is now roughly 11% of the world’s population. Yep, you read that right.
This is something that a LOT of people are dealing with, and as a gut health dietitian with IBS herself, I see everyday how much confusion and misinformation there is out there about what IBS actually is, and what to do about it.
Like, is the low FODMAP diet something everyone should try? How long should you do it? How do you know if your poop is healthy? It’s the reason why I focus so much on gut health nutrition in my practice. But also, it’s why I wrote Good For Your Gut…because I know that as much as working one-on-one with a registered dietitian is the best, most effective course of action, it’s not always available or affordable.
So I thought I would invite a fellow IBS dietitian, Jessie Wong RD, to the podcast to talk all about IBS, what it is - what it isn’t, how best to care for the condition and of course, nutrition for IBS!
Jessie is a Seattle-based dietitian with over 5 years of experience in caring for people with IBS. She takes an evidence-based, whole person approach to IBS management, with training in low FODMAP nutrition from Monash University. I really enjoy all of the supportive, informative content she is putting out there on her platforms and I just know you’ll learn so much from hearing her teach!
This episode is all about the IBS basics, and we talk about what causes IBS and how it should be diagnosed, including the different conditions that can look like IBS as well as the big differences between diarrhea-predominant and constipation-predominant IBS. And of course, we talk about all the ways that nutrition might be involved…and how sometimes, it might not be your main strategy!
If you’ve got IBS or have been having difficulty with your gut and are trying to get more information to inform your discussions with your doctor, this is a great episode to check out!
Making Art, Chasing Joy and Baking Plant-based Cakes with Lyndsay Sung
Episode 56
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 • Duration 49:02
If there is one thing that makes people happy, it’s cake. And if anyone knows how to make a cake that is guaranteed to bring people joy, it’s Lyndsay Sung.
Lyndsay is the baker and creative mind behind Coco Cake Land, the blog and instagram account filled with cute confections that are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Since the early days of blogging, Lyndsay’s kawaii (that’s Japanese for cute) cakes have gone viral more than a few times but one of the things I love most about Lyndsay is that she actively chooses to build a life that chases fun, beauty and connection.
For example, she’s a bass player in not one but TWO bands. She’s got degrees in both gender studies and fine art, leading some to call her a “feminist craftivist”. She even picked up soccer a few years back, just for the heck of it.
In this episode, we’re going to talk a LOT about cakes, of course (Lyndsay has just released her second book, Plantcakes: fancy and everyday vegan cakes for everyone!) but a clear throughline of this conversation is staying open and curious about life and going after what makes you happy or brings a smile to your day.
…so I hope this episode will do just that!
About Lyndsay Sung:
Lyndsay is a self-taught baker, cake designer and cookbook author! She is also a mom, a cat mom, and a lover of snacks! When she’s not whipping up a flour storm in the kitchen, Lyndsay can be found playing bass guitar in her mom punk band or plugging away like a teenager posting to her YouTube channel! (Yes, she is in her 40s and not a tween.)
On this episode we chat about:
How Lyndsay got her start in baking
The cookbooks that shaped her
How Lyndsay found community and a career in the early days of blogging
Navigating weight balance as estrogen declines
How the internet distracts us and keeps us in an effort/failure loop
Getting serious about the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as we age
What is the MIND diet?
Barbie’s Four Pillars for better health
Support the Pod!
We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
Full show notes including episode links and recommendations at desireerd.com/podcast
About Jing Gao:
JING GAO is a chef, entrepreneur, and renowned expert on Chinese cuisine, and she’s on a mission to bring uncensored Chinese flavours to the global table. She was born in Chengdu, Sichuan. Gao founded Baoism, an award-winning modern-Chinese fast casual restaurant in Shanghai, before founding her successful premium Chinese food company Fly By Jing. Her culinary innovations have been featured in leading magazines and food sections, her personal story as a cultural ambassador and entrepreneur has been seen on the BBC and CNN, and she has been featured in the pages of Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Fly By Jing began as a direct-to-consumer ecommerce brand and can now be found in stores across North America.
On this episode we chat about:
How Jing’s nomadic childhood impacted her sense of identity and place
The “fly” restaurants of Chengdu that inspire Jing’s food to this day
How a corporate job posting in Beijing lead to Jing’s immersion in the food world
What makes Sichuan cuisine so special
The suitcase of ingredients Jing packed for her pop up dinners around the globe
What it’s really like to start your business with kickstarter
Jing’s mission to change perspectives and biases about Chinese cuisine
How Fly by Jing gave her the strength to reclaim her birth name
Support the Pod!
We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
Natasha Tatton is an English teacher turned bakery manager, animal rights advocate and co-founder of BReD–Organic Sourdough, a 100% plant-based café/bakery in Whistler, BC. Natasha has taught English all over the world but now leads a small front-of-house team of cashiers and baristas. She taught English and ventured into various food and beverage roles, nurturing her desire to establish a vegan eatery to provide more compassionate food choices for people.
On this episode we chat about:
How Ed and Natasha met and ended up halfway across the world in Whistler, Canada
Ed’s path from chef in Michelin-starred kitchens to sourdough nerd
How a yoga studio helped Ed and Natasha launch their bread business
Why Ed and Natasha were nervous about letting others know they were vegan
What we get wrong about vegan flavours
Some of Ed’s favourite vegan baking substitutes
Why you should try making your own sourdough (don’t be nervous!)
Why zero waste matters to Ed and Natasha
Our no-holds-barred (!) discussion of cream cheese icing
Ed and Natasha on being partners in life and work
Support the Pod!
We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
including
On this episode we chat about:
The difference between a feeling of anxiety and an anxiety disorder
Whether there’s been an increase of anxiety disorder in the general population or not
What we actually know about the gut-brain connection
Is there any good evidence that diet CAN cure a diagnosed anxiety disorder?
The difference between gut-derived serotonin and brain-derived serotonin.
How the pandemic made Nicole realize she had to un-learn the nutrition misinformation she was taught in school
What the RECENT research really says about seed oils and inflammation
Why individual differences need to be considered when applying mental health or nutrition solutions: If something works for an influencer, does that mean it’ll work for you?
The role of therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy in the effective treatment of anxiety
Do lifestyle changes like exercise, mindfulness, and social support aid therapy in the treatment of mental illness symptoms?
A solution that ISN’T talked about a lot online: how to problem solve what may be causing your anxiety … and approach the things you’ve been avoiding
Support the Pod!
We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
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