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

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @rohinibajekal as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 show links and recommendations, available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

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
• 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…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @the_cognition_dietitian as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

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

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Connect with Desiree

Website: https://desireerd.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desireenielsenrd/

Full show notes, along with episode links and references, available at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

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
• How husband’s plant-forward family helped her reconnect to her plant-forward roots
• What inspired Asha to start Kula on the West Coast
• The health hiccup that crystalized her plant-based path
• The reality of starting a consumer packaged good (CPG) business with a toddler and a pandemic
• The deep lessons Asha has learned through entrepreneurship
• Asha's favourite plant-based eats in Vancouver

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @ashawheeldon as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 https://desireerd.com/podcast/

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 Caving Vegan! Sam also runs an online cooking school called The Ultimate Vegan Kitchen, a subscription meal planner called The Easy Vegan Meal Plan, and you can always find her on her popular blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken where she posts weekly vegan recipes to her millions of readers.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Sam’s very non-vegan upbringing influenced the type of vegan recipes she creates
• The biggest misconception meat eaters have about vegans
• How she started her blog, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
• Real talk on what it tastes to be a successful recipe creator
• The inspiration behind Sam’s new book, Craving Vegan
• Sam’s genius tips for swapping out more expensive or hard to find ingredients in recipes
• Sam’s must have staples for building flavour
• Tips for saving a recipe that doesn’t taste right
• Where Sam likes to eat in Toronto
• The traditional vegan staple that’s primed for the spotlight

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @itdoesnttastelikechicken as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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

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.

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…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @jingtheory as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 www.desireerd.com/podcast

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 and Natasha are owners of the legendary BReD in Whistler and authors of the new book BReD: sourdough loaves, small breads and other plant-based baking.

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.

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…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @eds_bred as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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

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.

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…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @feedyourmental as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 www.desireerd.com/podcast

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!

On this episode we chat about:

• The very un-dietitian-y job Jessie did before becoming a dietitian
• How pregnancy can trigger IBS
• The connection between digestive issues and disordered eating
• Conditions that can masquerade as irritable bowel syndrome
• The different types of bloating
• The most common cause of intolerance-type reactions
• How to “read” your poop
• How to rebuild your food tolerance after elimination 
• Important lifestyle factors that influence motility
• How does a  low FODMAP diet work?
• When low FODMAP can do more harm than good
• Fiber + IBS

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @ibs.dietitian as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 links and recommendations at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

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
• Why Lyndsay has been called a “feminist craftivist”
• The importance of chasing happiness and learning
• How Lyndsay’s art school background translated into cake decorating
• Simple zero-skill tricks to make your baking look cuter
• Why Lyndsay shifted to plant-based baking
• The secrets of vegan buttercream
• Lyndsay’s OTHER super cool creative hobby

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @cococakeland as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

recommendations at desireerd.com/podcast

Are those gut healthy snacks you’re buying legit?

What’s actually in them? And what should you be eating if you really want to take care of your gut? I’m talking all about the basics of good gut health, gut healthy snacks and sourdough with Chicago-based registered dietitian Morgan Murdock on The Allsorts Podcast!

Way back in 2019 I was at Expo West, North America’s largest natural foods expo and as I wandered the aisles upon aisle (there literally thousands of products on display!) I couldn’t help but notice that everything was trying to be a “gut healthy” snack.

Of course, as a dietitian I immediately was checking ingredients to see what actually made these products “gut healthy” and knew that this was going to hit shelves in a MAJOR way.

Fast forward a few years, and we’re definitely in it. So I thought it would be fun to have a little bit of a “dietitian confessional” with fellow gut health dietitian Morgan Murdock, founder of a new, yes, gut healthy, snack brand, Unbothered Foods.

We’re unravelling what makes a food gut healthy or gut friendly like low FODMAP foods vs what we actually look for in foods that promote gut health, such as foods that are high in fibre. 

About Morgan Murdock RD:

Morgan Murdock is a digestive health dietitian turned food founder based in Chicago, Illinois. Morgan is the founder of Unbothered Foods, a gut-friendly food brand that creates deliciously-fermented sourdough crackers. 

Before creating Unbothered Foods, she worked with hundreds of digestive health patients, helping them get to the root cause of their symptoms and create confidence around food again. Her patients are the inspiration for her food brand and she is on a mission to bring fun back to eating through delicious, gut-friendly food. 

On this episode we chat about:

• A perhaps not unsurprising reason many people get into nutrition that few talk about
• How people think nutrition works vs how it actually works
• What eating for general gut health looks like vs eating to address digestive disease
• Why low FODMAP ISN’T a good gut approach for people without IBS
• Gluten and the Low FODMAP diet
• Why is sourdough okay for people eating low FODMAP?
• How do you know you’re getting properly fermented sourdough?
• Is sugar actually bad for your gut health?
• What “gut friendly” means in marketing vs what the science says
• What’s in those gut-friendly snacks, and do they really boost gut health?
• What you need to watch out for in gut-friendly snacks if you’ve got IBS
• What to focus on to build a gut healthy pattern

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

What is it to live a good life? Because it’s definitely not the glossy perfection that is sold to us in movies and Instagram.

How do we navigate the cards we’ve been dealt - and find that balance between consciously creating our world and allowing ourselves the grace to just be?

I don’t know that I am very good at this myself. My anxious mind tends to flicker between worrying about things to worrying that I am worrying about things and not just enjoying the moment…but I am slowly getting better. I think that time and hindsight are gifts that allow us to heal the parts of ourselves that need embracing and then of course sometimes, you need need to pack it all up and go to Paris.

It is this and many, many other ideas that I explore on this episode of The Allsorts Podcast with Jackie Kai Ellis, pastry chef, designer, author and host of the new advice podcast, You & I.

I’ve followed Jackie’s work for a long time now and from afar, always appreciated her ability to create beauty and romance in the everyday, whether it was taking a moment to eat a perfectly flaky croissant or arrange your space just so.

And yet Jackie is not one of those highlight-reel only people.

In her memoir, The Measure of My Powers, she dives deep into some of her most vulnerable and harrowing moments, from her battles with depression to the stark realities of a perfectionist trying to open a business.

If you are new to the loveliness that is Jackie Kai Ellis, I am sure that after this episode you will be as smitten as I am.

About Jackie Kai Ellis:

Jackie Kai Ellis is a designer, author, entrepreneur, pastry chef, advice columnist, lifestyle & travel writer, award-winning host of the TV series, House Special, and the advice podcast, You & I. 

She is best known as the founder of Vancouver’s Beaucoup Bakery, for her design of APT La Fayette in Paris, and her bestselling memoir, “The Measure Of My Powers.” She lives in Vancouver and Paris.

On this episode we chat about:

• Embracing your scars and struggles as part of your path
• How Jackie’s upbringing shaped her desire to succeed
• Parenting and your own inner child
• The question you need to ask yourself before starting any new project 
• How Jackie found herself living in Paris
• The moment when Jackie’s greatest fear opened her up to a deeper connection with others
• The role that chocolate chip cookies played in changing Jackie’s life path
• Why Jackie was worried she wouldn’t be a good parent
• How Jackie became an advice columnist, the second time around

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and a huge thank you to our incredible new sponsor, FODZYME! FODZYME is a unique blend of 3 enzymes that help folks with FODMAP intolerance enjoy food with fewer symptoms.

This product is helping me so much that I asked them to partner with us…and they said yes!! FODZYME is giving our podcast community 20% off of their first order with the code DESIREERD.

Just visit fodzyme.com to learn more about this incredible breakthrough for those of us with IBS who react to lactose, fructans and GOS in their food.

Please show FODZYME a little Allsorts love!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @jackiekaiellis as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 recommendations and links available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

If you’re the proud owner of a pair of ovaries, and you’re “of a certain age” you may have noticed that things are starting to change. Could it be…perimenopause???

It can be hard to talk about perimenopause and the menopause transition…not the least of which is that there is still such a ridiculous stigma about women getting older. Like it’s a “use by date” in society and as a woman in her mid-40s, I want to help contribute to a mindset shift around this important transition in our lives. 

We need to educate ourselves about how are bodies are changing and how we can best facilitate that change, so I’m thrilled to welcome Dr Nitu Bajekal MD, a UK-based OBGYN BACK on the pod, in honour of her newest book, Finding ME in Menopoause.

Dr Nitu is an advocate for reproductive health for all humans, and this episode is a deep dive into what perimenopause and menopause actually is, the signs and symptoms to discuss with your physician as well as a look at evidence-based lifestyle medicine - sleep, movement and nutrition - that complement traditional care.

Hormone health is definitely a trending topic - filled will all sorts of wacky ideas about how to care for yourself during this transition so we’re going to cover everything from how perimenopause presents itself to why hormone tests are generally useless during this time as well as the confusing around hormone therapy and why the microbiome is so important for hormone balance!

On this episode we chat about:

• Perimenopause vs Menopause
• How perimenopause shows up in the body
• Dr Bajekal’s own experience with early menopause
• What we get wrong about menopause hormone therapy
• Brain health: is it perimenopause or your lifestyle?
• Why you probably don’t want to do a hormone test
• How the gut microbiome affects your hormone balance
• Why soy is so important for hormone health
• The question of weight gain in menopause

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics. Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @drnitubajekal as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

I don’t know about you…but I thought a LOT less about my food choices before I had kids. And I am a dietitian, so that’s saying a lot!

Navigating baby’s first foods can feel a bit overwhelming because there are so many differing opinions out there: finger foods vs purees, baby led weaning, sippy cups or no…with our first born, we invest so much energy in learning the ropes! We read the books. We go to the group sessions. We swap advice with other parents. And there is SO much advice.

There is something about bringing another little human into this world that galvanizes our desire to take the best possible care and makes us second guess what should be a totally intuitive activity.

Starting solids with your baby can amplify those feelings tenfold, but it doesn’t have to! This week, we are talking with Nita Sharda RD, co-founder of Happy Healthy Eaters and mom of 2 to help us navigate the world of feeding our wee ones so we can be more confident and relaxed and enjoy the process.

About Nita Sharda:

Nita is a Registered Dietitian, mom and an absolute foodie. Her interest in food was sparked when she was a little girl. She would often spend time in the kitchen admiring her mother’s touch with Indian cuisine. 

She supports patients through her private practice counseling and also has a passion for infant and childhood nutrition. She is the co-founder of Happy Healthy Eaters alongside Jessica Penner. Happy Healthy Eaters is a platform dedicated to helping parents feel confident about feeding their kids.

On this episode we chat about:

• How a lack of culturally relevant nutrition childhood information led her to start Happy Healthy Eaters
• How to know your baby is ready to start solids
• Why iron-rich foods are so important as first foods
• Is iron-fortified cereal a good option for babies?
• A  progressive approach to introducing non-allergenic foods
• What is baby-led weaning?
• How to trust the feeding process
• Dealing with constipation in babies
• Should we use sippy cups?

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and a huge thank you to our incredible new sponsor, FODZYME! FODZYME is a unique blend of 3 enzymes that help folks with FODMAP intolerance enjoy food with fewer symptoms. This product is helping me so much that I asked them to partner with us…and they said yes!! FODZYME is giving our podcast community 20% off of their first order with the code DESIREERD. Just visit fodzyme.com to learn more about this incredible breakthrough for those of us with IBS who react to lactose, fructans and GOS in their food.

Please show FODZYME a little Allsorts love!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @nita_sharda as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Oh hi! It’s me, Desiree, and today on a solo episode of the pod, we’re going to answer that burning question, “why am I bloated?”

Before we get going, you need to know that it is TOTALLY NORMAL to get bloated from time to time. Eat a 3 bean chili? We all get bloated. Holiday feast? Yep, all that food takes up space. Part of a healthy digestive system is occasional variations - like how most of us get constipated for a day or two while we travel or how collard greens will loose up the BMs.

But what if it’s not occasional? What if it’s everyday, or multiple times a week?

Then, we want to get really curious about what is going on in our bodies. And as a gut health dietitian with IBS, bloating is a part of my life. I can go from unbloated to 5 months pregnant in about 30 minutes. Most of the time, and I’ve spent most of my 10+ years of IBS with minimal symptoms. But something this year has shifted - I am enjoying blaming hormones and stress - and so I’ve had to get real about taking care of my gut to help minimize what for me is very painful bloating. And so when you guys shared your ideas for upcoming podcasts, bloating really stood out to me and here we are!

Consider this Bloating 101: we going to cover the basics of bloating, along with some common underlying causes and some useful solutions. Bloating is complex and in no way can this episode cover everything about everything…but it’s a start. I’ve got tons of gut health nutrition resources here on the blog. And of course, if you need to dive deeper you can grab a copy of Good For Your Gut! 

On this episode we chat about:

• What is bloating?
• Bloating vs Distention
• 5 common causes of bloating
• Whether more fibre - or less - is a better idea for bloating
• Why your morning smoothie is making you bloated
• A one minute fix for stress-induced bloating
• When you want to see your doctor
• The number one cause of food intolerance type reactions
• Community question: Seed cycling

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and a huge thank you to our incredible new sponsor, FODZYME!

FODZYME is a unique blend of 3 enzymes that help folks with FODMAP intolerance enjoy food with fewer symptoms. This product is helping me so much that I asked them to partner with us…and they said yes!! FODZYME is giving our podcast community 20% off of their first order with the code DESIREERD. Just visit fodzyme.com/desireerd to learn more about this incredible breakthrough for those of us with IBS who react to lactose, fructans and GOS in their food.

Please show FODZYME a little Allsorts love!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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

How do you know if you want to have kids?

As far as adulting goes, having children is the biggest commitment a human can make. I mean, you can change careers, sell that condo, move across the planet or even get help in caring for elderly parents…so it’s kind of interesting that there is relatively little dialogue about the decision to have children.

Yes, humanity requires procreation to survive. But at 8 billion souls and counting, the planet isn’t running out of humans any time soon. And there is the very real, very modern conundrum that life is getting more expensive and that many people under the age of 40 are facing less stable, less well paid jobs, a shortage of affordable childcare and housing costs that make owning a home - or even renting a home with an additional bedroom - all but impossible. 

One of the modern shifts I am most hopeful about is that we are encouraged to imagine what we want our lives to look like and make the decisions that are right for us… and not just accept what society says we should do/say/be. 

So why does choosing not to have children still feel like it has some stigma attached to it? I want to acknowledge that there is privilege attached to this conversation: women need to have safety and freedom and access to birth control to allow parenthood to become a choice. What’s more, we need to have the financial security to not require a large family to help secure our livelihood.

For those of us who find ourselves in those fortunate circumstances, how do you make the choice to have kids or not? Some feel that they “just know”...but what if you feel uncertain? That’s what today’s conversation with my friend Keltie Maguire is all about: Keltie Maguire is a Clarity Coach living in Munich, Germany, who helps women entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals to connect with what they truly want in life — and take the steps to realize it.

I’ve known Keltie a long time and feel honoured to have this very vulnerable, honest conversation with her here on the pod, I hope it will serve as a starting point for you in your journey to choosing your path.

About Keltie Maguire:

Keltie Maguire is a Canadian expat and Clarity Coach living in Munich, Germany, who helps women entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals to connect with what they truly want in life — and take the steps to realize it.

In speaking openly about her own experience facing uncertainty and ambivalence about whether to have kids — and how she arrived at her decision to embrace a childfree life — Keltie began hearing from countless women who related to her story.Through 1-on-1 coaching and her workshop, Kids or Childfree?, Keltie now supports others to get clarity on whether motherhood or a childfree path is for them, so they can live a joyful, dynamic, and fulfilling lives — no matter the choice.

On this episode we chat about:

• What the decision to have kids - or not - is really all about
• How the societal expectation to have children can impact our decision making
• How what we see around us influences our decision making
• How do you get clear on what you really want out of life?
• The power of allowing yourself to feel what you feel
• Is it true that you’ll “just know” whether you want kids?
• The potential loneliness of making the decision not to have kids
• The lie of the right path
• Navigating the kids conversation with your partner

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @keltiemaguire as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 recommendations, available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Are plant proteins really incomplete? Can your body actually tell the difference between amino acids from plants and amino acids from animals? If you are at all curious about whether you can get optimal protein on a plant-based diet - or if you’ve ever heard that plant protein is incomplete - this week’s episode of The Allsorts Podcast is a must listen (or watch)!

There is a strong trend on social media right now that is trying to position plant-based protein as somehow inferior to animal protein which is showing up in a number of formerly vegan influencers remarking that they felt much better when they started putting animal protein back in their meals.

As a dietitian, I am thrilled when someone finds a way of eating that works for them. We are all unique and have to do what is right for us. But when someone implies that plant-based protein is somehow inferior…all I’ve got to say is, “where is your evidence for that?”

So I’m talking with Vesanto Melina RD, author of the brand new (and heavily researched) book Plant-powered Protein with Brenda Davis RD and Cory Davis. Vesanto is an iconic vegan dietitian who has been driving the evidence-based discussion on plant-based diets since before I was born. She and Brenda are the reason why all of us plant-based dietitians walk a much gentler path. They are both professional heroes of mine so I am deeply honoured to welcome Vesanto to this, the 50th (!!!) episode of The Allsorts Podcast.

About Vesanto Melina RD:

Vesanto Melina, MS, Registered Dietitian is co-author of books that have won awards internationally and received a starred rating by the American Library Association as “the go-to books” on plant-based nutrition. Most recent are Plant-Powered Protein, Becoming Vegan (Comprehensive and Express Edition) and The Kick Diabetes Cookbook, (all with dietitian Brenda Davis RD). Their books are now in 10 languages. Vesanto has taught nutrition at Seattle’s Bastyr University and at the University of British Columbia and has been a government consultant for 22 years. She is lead author of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics latest Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets and an internationally known speaker.

On this episode we chat about:

• How a trip to India in the 1970s changed the way Vesanto thinks about food
• How going plant-based was controversial in the nutrition community in the 90s
• What protein is, and what it does in the body
• Is plant-based protein lower quality than animal protein?
• How much protein we need daily
• How to eat enough protein without counting things
• The historical context for associating protein with meat
• Common (fixable!) reasons you might not be feeling great plant-based
• How plant-based diets affect iron stores
• The connection between plant-based diets and longevity
• How protein needs change as we get older

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @vesantomelina as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Connect with Vesanto:

Get Vesanto’s new book Plant-powered Protein

Website: https://nutrispeak.com 

Instagram: @vesanto.melina

Full show notes including recommendations available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

I was not exposed to Thai cuisine much in my childhood, growing up in smaller Canadian towns in the 80s + 90s. But in my early 20s, I spent some time backpacking with my then boyfriend (now husband...yes, we've been together my whole adult life) throughout South East Asia from Singapore up through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and to say that I fell in love with Thai food is an understatement. 

A cuisine that celebrates vegetables, lavishes dishes with coconut milk and a liberal use of herbs like Thai basil, tamarind, lemongrass, chiles and galangal? Um, sign me up….but at home, I have to admit that I had yet to expand my Thai cooking repertoire beyond a simple red curry until very recently. And even if you love Thai food too…you’re probably in the same boat as me.

Which is why you should listen to this episode: my friend Pailin Chongchitnant is a trained chef and host of the YouTube cooking show (with a whopping 1.7 million subscribers!) Hot Thai Kitchen, and she will teach you everything you need to know about cooking Thai at home without spending hours in the kitchen.

I met Pai back in 2016 because we were both hosts of cooking shows on Gusto TV and we’ve been friends ever since…so I am excited to welcome her on the pod so you can learn how to cook Thai food at home... and get to know this talented chef and creator a little bit better. She’s also got a gorgeous new cookbook, Sabai, which is all about easy and comfortable home cooking that will help you feel more confident cooking this flavourful cuisine.

About Pailin Chongchitnant:

Pailin is the creator and host of the YouTube cooking show Hot Thai Kitchen which is all about demystifying Thai cuisine for home cooks, with over 1.7 million subscribers. She’s a trained chef and the author of 2 Thai cookbooks, Hot Thai Kitchen and the new Sabai: 100 Simple Thai Recipes for Any Day of the Week.

On this episode we chat about:

• Pailin’s circuitous path to culinary school via a nutrition degree
• Her mission to document all of her grandmother’s signature recipes
• Pailin’s decision to choose herself and start a YouTube channel
• What Pai believes is key to her longevity on YouTube
• The difference between Thai food in North America and Thailand
• The essential Thai ingredients you need in your kitchen…and where to find them
• The BEST Thai curry paste
• Why your taste buds are your MOST important cooking tool
• How to veganize Thai recipes and a lot of thoughts on vegan “fish sauce”
• What most of us are doing wrong (?!?) when we cook rice

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @hotthaikitchen as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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, with links and recommendations, available at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

We all know - and perhaps dabble with - not drinking during Dry January or Sober October but the rise of the “sober curious” movement over the last few years has really invited us to start the conversation about our relationship with alcohol and how we use it - and abuse it - across all aspects of life, from “mommy wine” culture to quarantine cocktails.

When the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released their updated alcohol guidelines earlier this year, it rocked a lot of people to their core. Even for me as a dietitian, who has long been quoting far more liberal guidelines in her education and practice, it’s a sharp about face in how we advise others about what safe drinking looks like.

Alcohol is deeply entrenched in our culture and so it can be difficult to accept the messaging that drinking isn’t good for you…especially as many of us have feasted on past headlines (now debunked) that drinking has health benefits.

…but this episode isn’t about the science of alcohol (we’ll have one, don’t worry!). It’s about the very personal conversations we have with ourselves and others about our alcohol use. I’m speaking with Fiona Hepher, Co-Founder of Sansorium, an alcohol free beverage business about her personal experience with alcohol and how not drinking has unlocked a new way of being (in addition to a new career!) for her and her family.

This is also not a conversation about alcoholism. We both acknowledge the deep privilege we have in rethinking drinking habits without having to battle addiction. But it is an open and honest conversation about alcohol, how we relate to it in our lives and what different can look like. I hope you’ll join us!

About Fiona Hepher:

Fiona is the CEO & Co-Founder of Sansorium, a North American alcohol-free beverage importer and consumer online marketplace. For the past decade, between Dubai and Vancouver, she's dedicated herself to disrupting social norms, helping people find meaningful change and greater wellbeing. Today, she's challenging traditions affixed by a multi-billion dollar industry and paving a new path; one where alcohol isn't at the centre of every occasion. She's also a mother, birth doula and aspiring writer.

On this episode we chat about:

• The very defining moment that changed Fiona’s perspective on alcohol forever
• Breaking with your family’s - or culture’s - drinking norms
• The unexpected self-work required when you release drinking
• Navigating the tricky territory of not drinking when others are drinking
• Coming to terms with the fact that alcohol is not good for you
• The ritual of a drink…and what to replace it with
• Mindful drinking vs sober-curious
• How Fiona created Sansorium with her mom and sister
• How we can be more inclusive party hosts
• Making the power of placebo work for you

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @fionahepher as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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, with links and recommendations available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most misunderstood - and overlooked - endocrine disorders affecting women and those assigned female at birth. For example, did you know that as high as 3 out of 4 women with PCOS will NEVER be diagnosed? Or, that PCOS is a close cousin of type two diabetes?

My social feeds are being flooded right now with talk of nutrition for hormonal health so I wanted to explore evidence-based strategies for caring for our reproductive system - and hormonal balance in general - here on the pod.

And I could not think of a better person to speak to about polycystic ovarian syndrome than Dr Nitu Bajekal MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist and co-author of the book Living PCOS free with her daughter, nutritionist Rohini Bajekal. 

Dr Nitu is an advocate for reproductive health for all humans, and I am so appreciative of her inclusive and positive approach regarding weight as well as ensuring that the needs of non-binary people and trans men are supported in healthcare. This episode is a deep dive into what PCOS is, the signs and symptoms to discuss with your physician as well as a look at evidence-based lifestyle medicine - sleep, movement and nutrition - that complement traditional care.

If you’re the proud owner of a pair of ovaries, you are not going to want to miss this episode of The Allsorts Podcast.

About Dr Nitu Bajekal MD:

Dr Nitu Bajekal MD is a Consultant Gynaecologist and a Women’s Health Specialist with over 35 years of clinical experience and the co-author of Living PCOS Free with her daughter, nutritionist Rohini Bajekal. Her areas of expertise include the management of heavy and painful periods, menopause, fibroids, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

On this episode we chat about:

• What exactly is polycystic ovarian syndrome?
• What are the signs and symptoms of PCOS?
• The role of genetics vs lifestyle/environment in risk
• The role of insulin vs estrogen in PCOS (it might surprise you!)
• The impact of PCOS on mental health?
• What is the role of nutrition in PCOS?
• Low carb diets for hormonal health: what’s the evidence?
• What the science says about soy and hormones
• What a holistic self-care program for PCOS looks like

Support the Pod

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @drnitubajekal as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 links and recommendations, available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

As a dietitian, I hear time and time again that healthy eating is too expensive. And these days, with food prices skyrocketing - at times out of alignment with inflation - it is getting harder to feed yourself well on a budget.

One of my first pieces of advice for eating well with less money is to eat more whole plant foods such as legumes and whole grains. Plant-based eating can seem expensive if you are drawn to plant-based meat substitutes or fancy superfood snacks. But legumes and grains, bought in bulk form, are staples the world over because they are nutrient-dense and affordable for most.

But once you have these foods in your pantry…what do you do with them? Making delicious meals from these staples is not a skill that we all possess, depending on our culinary cultural backgrounds.

Which is why this is the perfect time to talk to Toni Okamoto, powerhouse creator behind the blog Plant-based on Budget and author of the new cookbook Plant-based on a Budget: Quick and Easy. Toni’s simple, customizable recipes are proof that you can enjoy what you eat without spending a lot of money - or time in the kitchen! So I am delighted to welcome Toni to The Allsorts Podcast because she is the queen of making healthy eating happen on a budget.

About Toni Okamoto:

Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and social media platform that teaches millions how to eat more plants without breaking their budget. She’s also the author of the forthcoming Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy cookbook, and the co-host of The Plant-Powered People Podcast. Okamoto’s work has been profiled by NPR, NBC News, Parade, and she’s a regular presence on local and national morning shows across the country, where she teaches viewers how to break their meat habit without breaking their budget. She was also featured in the popular documentary What the Health. When she’s not cooking up a plant-based storm, she’s spending time with her husband and their rescued dog in Sacramento, CA.

On this episode we chat about:

• Toni’s lightbulb moment that started her plant-based journey
• Why plant-based eating is the opposite of restriction
• A sneaky child-feeding trick that also works on adults
• How Toni’s family inspired her to start her blog plant-based on a budget
• Toni’s surprising tips for managing your grocery budget
• The very un-rigid way Toni approaches meal planning
• Good idea alert: how to meal swap
• Why a splurge item is actually important for saving money
• A genius tip for learning how to play with flavour without wrecking your meal
• How to navigate different eaters when you cook
• Very specific tips for reducing food waste

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @plantbasedonabudget as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 links and recommendations, on www.desireerd.com/podcast

Whether you’re 22 or 62, we all have one thing in common: inhabiting a physical body without which we could not live, work or even experience the sights, tastes and sounds of life. And yet, most of us walk around as if our body is an afterthought: nothing more than a fleshy carrying case for our brains…that is, of course, until our bodies decide to assert themselves in an injury or disease state.

Even though I’m in my early forties, I notice it. Like how I get sore after a workout I didn’t think would be that hard. Or how I can sleep funny and all of a sudden my hip is wonky. Or that - of all things - it seems like I barely have the grip strength to open up a jar of Rao’s pasta sauce.

And I am soooooo not okay with it. I want to do more, not less. Run more, live more, especially now that I’m finally through the young kids phase and actually have a bit of time for myself. I don’t want my physical form to get in the way of living the next 60 years.

So I was excited to talk to physiotherapist Andrew Sabarre about the actual science of movement, and caring for our bodies in a way that had nothing to do with weight - or even “crushing your goals” - but about being able to inhabit our bodies with ease and function as we get older.

This episode is for everyone who wants to build an appreciation of what the body actually is…and what it means to take good care of it. You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from the knowledge Andrew drops; in fact, it’s probably the most transformative for those of us who aren’t! I learned so much in this one.

About Andrew Sabarre:

Andrew Sabarre is a physiotherapist with over 20 years of experience. He is a strength and conditioning specialist, the former Chief Clinical Officer of Myodetox as well as a CrossFit coach, dad and (by his description) reluctant runner…just in case you think super fit people always love it too.

On this episode we chat about:

• What does a physiotherapist actually do?
• How Andrew’s mom was instrumental in him becoming a physio
• How long it takes your muscles to atrophy when you’re inactive
• Why bone load is critical to maintaining their strength
• Desiree’s random injury that diagnosed a systemic issue from pregnancy she didn’t know she had
• What strength training actually does the for the body
• Why you need functional exercise for optimal mobility
• The surprising amount of injuries that come from this everyday chore
• How to determine the ache of getting stronger vs the pain of harming yourself
• The exact recommended amount of exercise to maintain health

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @andrewsabarre as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 links + recommendations at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

Curious about anti-inflammatory nutrition? Well prepare to get nerdy in this solo episode, because host Desiree Nielsen RD is going to tell you everything you need to know about the anti-inflammatory diet.

Over a decade ago, the idea that chronic inflammation may be one of the root causes of - or exacerbating - chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease or even skin conditions like acne and rosacea - was considered controversial.

Now, it’s well accepted that most chronic conditions (even IBS!) are associated with higher inflammatory responses which means, of course, that there are A LOT of opinions on what an anti-inflammatory diet looks like.

But what does the science say? And is it really as simple as avoiding “inflammatory” foods? Desiree is going to break it ALL down and by the end of this episode, you’ll know almost everything you need to know about anti-inflammatory nutrition and if you’re still hungry for more, than definitely pick up Desiree’s book on anti-inflammatory eating, Eat More Plants.

On this episode we chat about:

• What is inflammation…and is it all bad?
• The difference between acute and chronic inflammation
• How do you know if you have chronic inflammation?
• Seven major causes of chronic inflammation
• The 4 key factors in crafting an anti-inflammatory diet
• Do omega 6 fats cause inflammation?
• Why what you feed your microbiome matters
• Is sugar inflammatory?
• Which cooking oils to use
• Nightshades and inflammation
• 3 very doable, everyday ways you can combat inflammation

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 Desiree's links + recommendations, are available at https://desireerd.com/podcast/ 

Wondering if you’ve got irritable bowel syndrome? Or, newly diagnosed and trying to figure out what the heck it all means? You’ve come to the right place: as a gut health dietitian with IBS myself, I know that sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. 

Particularly because there are just so many damn OPINIONS. About what causes IBS, what you should or shouldn’t eat if you have IBS and just what to do about all those IBS symptoms.

But this is a house of science. And as a house of science, I thought it was high time we got a gastroenterologist on the pod to give us a little IBS 101 - straight from the expert’s mouth to your ear drums.

I am so excited to be talking with Dr Wendi Brett MD, AKA @socalgastrodoc, all about irritable bowel syndrome. Dr Wendi is a wealth of evidence-based information and she makes it all so digestible, pun very much intended. 

We cover it all in this jam-packed episode, from what IBS actually is to how it’s diagnosed in the doctor’s office to why people keep talking about the gut-brain connection. You’ll walk away with a lot of food for thought and hopefully, make those conversations with your doctor a little more informed and productive.

About Dr Wendi Brett MD:

Dr. Wendi is a board certified internal medicine physician and gastroenterology fellow. In her practice she combines science-backed dietary and lifestyle interventions with modern medicine to support gut health. She shares evidence-based educational content on Instagram and TikTok.

On this episode we chat about:

• What Dr Wendi studied BEFORE medicine
• What is irritable bowel syndrome, exactly?
• Understanding gut-brain communication
• Why do we get IBS?
• The role of stress in IBS symptoms
• Conditions that look like IBS but aren’t
• SIBO + leaky gut: Dr Wendi’s take on the hype
• What Dr Wendi wants you to bring to your doctor’s appointment
• Trusted therapies for IBS to discuss with your doc
• Why are antidepressants part of IBS treatment? 
• Understanding your body’s response to food re-introductions
• Probiotics, Fibre + IBS

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics. Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @socalgastrodoc as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 www.desireerd.com/podcast

I am so fascinated by athletes and have to admit, hold them up as something quite magical. Who are they? What motivates them? Where did they get their superpowers?

And that is why today’s conversation is such a treat. I am speaking with Olympic silver medal cyclist, Dotsie Bausch…who smashes all preconceived notions about who an athlete is and how they are made.

Dotsie is proof positive that change is possible. While other athletes might get their start when someone puts a golf club in their hand at the age of 3, or as part of their family’s legacy, Dotsie overcame incredible obstacles to become a competitive cyclist in her mid-20s.

She went plant-based in the middle of her competitive career, when plant-based athletes were few and far between. And she climbed onto that podium at the 2012 Olympic games a hair before her 40th birthday, proving that athletic excellence is only not the domain of the under 30 crowd.

Are you ready to be inspired? To feel like anything is possible? Like there is no expiry date on dreams? Then get cozy and tune into my conversation with Olympic silver medalist, Dotsie Bausch.

About Dotsie Bausch:

Dotsie Bausch is the co-founder of Switch4Good, a non-profit organization committed to disrupting the disinformation of the dairy industry, which she started in response to the dairy’s sponsorship of the US Olympic Team. Dotsie holds a world record in cycling, she won a silver medal in cycling at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and is a star of the Netflix documentaries Personal Gold and Game Changers. She also co-hosts the Switch4Good podcast, which is a top US nutrition podcast.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Dotsie fell in love with cycling in her 20s
• Dotsie’s healing journey with anorexia
• Discovering the sheer joy of movement for movement’s sake
• How Dotsie turned a lie into a competitive cycling career
• Her path from finishing last to the Olympic podium
• How switching to a plant-based diet changed her cycling
• The supplements Dotsie used in training and now
• Anemia on a plant-based diet…are you really at risk?
• How plant-based eating changed the foods that Dotsie craved
• Why Dotsie started her non profit, Switch4Good to counter dairy marketing
• The awesome free resource Switch4Good created to support plant-based athletes

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @veganolympian as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, which is produced by myself and edited by Brian McCalman. We are grateful to live and work and learn on the unceded and ancestral territory of the squamish, musqueum, and tsleil-waututh peoples.

Full show notes, including links and recommendations available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

To take a page from the legend that is Oprah, if there is one thing I know, it’s that being well is not just about the food we eat. Which is why I called this The Allsorts Podcast…because I wanted to talk about all sorts of things!

I truly believe that our sense of purpose, connection to community and a belief in something larger than ourselves impacts how we perceive the world around us, and ourselves. Which is why I’ve been thinking about doing this episode for a while now. We’re going to talk about faith, religion and spirituality, a topic that I know can be incredibly divisive and triggering for many people. And I could not think of a better person to have this conversation with than my friend Dean Morris, the “rebel” pastor and co-host of A Little More Good Podcast.

I feel like I should lay my cards on the table right now: I am not a religious person, despite having been baptised Catholic. In fact, I am wary of the idea of organized religion, because so many harms are inflicted in its name. So I don’t think I could have imagined this episode without knowing Dean.

This conversation is honest, open and probably contains a lot of hot takes that will surprise you. Dean (who was not raised Christian!) has an incredibly kind, modern and inclusive approach to faith that might change how you view - if not church itself - then the core messages of Christianity. If you’re at all curious, or if you consider yourself a seeker, I hope you’re going to love this conversation!

About Dean Morris:

Dean Morris is a person who wears many hats… Dad, Teacher, Runner, Podcaster, Pastor, Community organizer, and plant based human. 

On this episode we chat about:

• Dean’s journey to Christianity, growing up without religion
• How Dean’s love of Rage Against The Machine led him to learning about Jesus
• Why faith should be about love and freedom
• How embracing the teachings of spiritual leaders like Jesus and the Buddha would radically change the world for the better
• How Spiritual community is as central to wellness as nutrition or movement
• How to move towards spirit/source/God if you have not felt safe in religious spaces
• The role of prayer and meditation in spiritual connection
• The challenges of interpreting the Bible when it was not written to us in modern times
• How plant-based eating aligns with Dean’s interpretation of the Bible
• How breath connects us to spirit
• Why an afterlife-focused faith has contributed to the destruction of nature

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @deaner as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, which is produced by myself and edited by Brian McCalman. We are grateful to live and work and learn on the unceded and ancestral territory of the squamish, musqueum, and tsleil-waututh peoples.

Full show notes, including links + recommendations at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

When the pandemic hit, our relationship to our homes changed because we were spending more time in them than ever before…and even as we’ve moved forward, I think we’ve realized the impact that our homes can have on our lives. Especially as we enter the dark days of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought that this was the perfect time to talk about how to create a safe, cozy and happy environment within our four walls.

If you’re Danish, you know this feeling as hygge. And what better person to talk to about hygge - and creating a hygge home - than the author of the international sensation The Little Book of Hygge and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, Meik Wiking.

Meik has just released My Hygge Home, about how to create the feeling of hygge in our living spaces. It’s not about buying stuff. It’s about slowing down. Intentionality. Filling your space with a positive energy, and connection.

My Hygge Home will have you thinking VERY differently about your space. It’s a wonderful conversation - our last episode of 2022! - that will help create a positive mindset around happiness and enjoying every minute.

About Meik Wiking:

MEIK WIKING is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and one of the leading experts in global happiness. Committed to understanding happiness, subjective well-being, and quality of life, Meik works with countries across the world to discover and explore global trends of life satisfaction. And only someone absolutely dedicated to happiness sits in coffee shops across the world counting peoples' smiles. His first book, The Little Book of Hygge—which looked at the reasons why Denmark is the happiest nation in the world—became an international bestseller and will soon be published in 31 countries.

On this episode we chat about:

• What is hygge, actually?
• Why Meik devoted his career to researching happiness
• The role of pleasure in Danish life
• How eating together bolsters connection and happiness…and success for our kids
• Exactly how much our homes contribute to our happiness (yes, there’s a number!)
• The age that we are the least happy, according to science
• Small changes that improve dinner with your kids
• How lighting transforms behaviour
• What to do during the darkest days of year to improve mood
• The good news for all of us living in small spaces
• The ABCs of mental health used in Denmark
• How Meik achieves the balance between researching happiness and living it

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’re a small podcast and each share or subscription matters! It’s a totally free way to support the pod in less than a minute.

We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @meikwiking as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

Full podcast notes available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Something I’m passionate about is that cooking for yourself is one of the most important steps you can take in your personal wellness. When you cook at home, not only do you control what goes into your food but you’ll save a LOT of money, helping ensure that healthy eating is sustainable for you and your family.

Especially with the cost of food rising globally, knowing how to coax more flavour and enjoyment from simple, budget-friendly ingredients is a skill every single one of us should have. And one that we need to be passing on to our kids, from the time they’re old enough to safely hold a knife.

Delicious, nutrient-dense food doesn’t have to be finicky or fancy…nor does every single thing you eat need to be MasterChef worthy. But what if cooking doesn’t come easy to you? How do you build the skills you need to be a better cook? This week’s episode with bestselling author, food literacy advocate (and former MasterChef Australia darling!), Alice Zaslavsky, is going to point you in the right direction.

About Alice Zaslavsky:

Alice Zaslavsky is Australia’s friendliest voice in food, helping home cooks connect with the people they love and ideas that matter. An award-winning author, broadcaster, and self-appointed ‘vegelante’, she brings flavour, community and conversation to homes all around the world.

Alice is the author of In Praise of Veg, which has been published in 11 countries, and the new The Joy of Better Cooking, which is out in Australia and will be released in North America in 2023. A former high school teacher and MasterChef Australia crowd favourite, Alice is a beloved radio and television host in Australia as well as columnist and food literacy advocate as well the creator of Tumami, a line of condiments.

On this episode we chat about:

• The surprising thing that Alice grew up eating for breakfast
• How Alice’s upbringing cemented the role of food in her life
• Why it’s so important to get kids into the kitchen
• How Alice the high school teacher ended up on MasterChef Australia
• Understanding how to season food properly and build flavour
• Why tasting your food AS you cook is so important
• All the condiments Alice would put in a beginner’s pantry
• How to fake a fancy balsamic
• The ingredient that Alice thinks is the next black truffle
• The tools Alice uses to create new textures
• Alice’s back pocket recipes

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’re a small podcast and each share or subscription matters! It’s a totally free way to support the pod in less than a minute.

We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @aliceinframes as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

Full show notes with episode links + recommendations can be found at https://desireerd.com/podcast/

If you’re ready for a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood gut health conditions on the planet, you’re going to love my conversation about small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, AKA SIBO, with registered dietitian Ayten Salahi.

I discovered Ayten’s work a while back on Instagram, and let me tell you, it’s rare to discover a practitioner I am so aligned with so it’s exciting for me to introduce you to her wonderful work! She dives deep into topics around irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO and diet with a lens on inclusive, positive and joyful - and yes, effective - nutrition strategies for getting your digestive function back on track.

We’re tackling SIBO today, which is the subject of a lot of misinformation online, particularly around the role that nutrition plays in caring for it. SIBO is a debilitating gut condition that is notoriously difficult to treat…which sets it up as prime internet fodder for wellness discourse.

We get super specific about what SIBO is - and isn’t - on this episode, as well as tackling diagnosis, treatment, and the very surprising role of nutrition in SIBO care.

If you’ve got SIBO - or know someone who does - this episode may lead to a lot of surprising insights!

About Ayten Salahi RD:

Ayten Salahi, MS, RDN is a GI- and plant-focused registered dietitian, culinary nutritionist, and intersectional food policy advocate. She completed her masters degree at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and her Dietetic Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). There, she completed a concentration in medical nutrition for gastroenterology and received the Louise Hatch Award for outstanding professional promise and standards of practice.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Ayten’s background in neuroscience got her interested in the gut brain connection
• What is SIBO, actually?
• What are the symptoms?
• What are methanogens and how do they impact motility?
• Why SIBO is so difficult to diagnose and treat
• All the underlying causes of SIBO (you’ll be shocked)
• The truth about how nutrition affects SIBO
• Should you go low FODMAP?
• Why pharmaceuticals are an important part of SIBO care
• Why physical movement is important
• Why you can still eat food you love while you help your gut feel better
• The major red flag when evaluating SIBO information

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’re a small podcast and each share or subscription matters! It’s a totally free way to support the pod in less than a minute.

We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortpod @aysa.nutrition as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

Full show notes with links + episode recommendations available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

With cold and flu season upon us, I know that most of us are looking for every advantage we can find to try and keep our immune system strong and our bodies healthy over the winter season. Which is why you’re going to want to listen to this episode: we’re talking about how the gut microbiome actively supports immunity and how it can help keep you well!

I am so excited to welcome back gastroenterologist Dr Robynne Chutkan MD to the podcast, who has a brand new book out today - The Anti-Viral Gut - yep, you read that right. We are going to talk about how our gut can actually help us fend off infections, or at the very least, lessen their severity. For example, did you know that there are certain types of bacteria associated with better outcomes in the face of viral infection?

In this episode we’ll cover how the microbiome supports our immune function as well as exactly what we need to do to build a better microbiome - it’s easier than you think! We also dive deep into how covid messes with your gut, and we talk about the judicious use of medications, including proton pump inhibitors - which, if you’re one of the millions of North Americans on proton pump inhibitors for reflux is a conversation you DON’T want to miss. We talk about what stomach acid actually does for us and what can happen if we suppress it long term. There is so much actionable information in this podcast, you’re going to love it!

About Dr Robynne Chutkan MD:

Dr. Chutkan is an integrative gastroenterologist and the author of Anti-viral Gut, Gutbliss, The Microbiome Solution and The Bloat Cure. Educated at Yale and Columbia, she’s on faculty at Georgetown Hospital—and is the founder of the Digestive Center for Wellness and Gutbliss.com. Her expertise includes the microbiome, autoimmune diseases, and gut disorders in women. An avid (but not so flexible) yogi, runner, and squash player, she’s a passionate advocate for more dirt, sweat, and vegetables.

On this episode we chat about:

• How is the immune system even connected to the gut?
• What are short chain fatty acids, and why do we need them?
• Why covid infection messes with your gut function
• Why your gut bacteria say more about you than your actual DNA
• 3 concrete - and simple! - ways to change your microbiome
• Why do we need stomach acid?
• Why heartburn is NOT excess acid.
• Dr Chutkan’s 3-2-1 rule to get those plants in consistently
• What the science says about alternative sweeteners + your microbiome
• What is the place of alcohol in a pro-gut lifestyle?
• The one simple habit Dr Chutkan thinks can alleviate 30% of the gut issues she sees
• The common supplement you might want to skip

Please note that there are a few minor instances where our conversation is not fully weight-neutral.

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’re a small podcast and each share or subscription matters! It’s a totally free way to support the pod in less than a minute.

We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @gutbliss as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

For full show notes + links, please visit www.desireerd.com/podcast

Stressed out? You’re definitely not alone…we seem to be very good at upping the ante on life at every single turn. So, you’re probably curious about whether there are any good supplements for stress. And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about during the solo episode - the first of season 3!

In my own life, I’ve noticed that life just seems to get more intense with each passing year, even though my kids aren’t tiny anymore. Part of that could be my own response to my environment, but when I look at things on paper, I realize that over the last 5 years, I’ve written 3 books and started hosting a podcast, on top of all the usual things such as writing a weekly blog and newsletter and managing two instagram accounts. So maybe, just maybe, I have to admit that I’ve piled a lot on myself. And some days it feels really good. But sometimes, it all feels like a bit too much…so if you’re feeling stressed out and overworked, you’re not alone.

Stress is interesting. It can be positive and useful, like when you’re excited by a big project and want to do a really good job. Or, when it alerts you to something that is out of sync with how you should be living, like a negative job environment. And while it is totally normal to go through periods of stress, if you notice that you can’t remember the last time you weren’t stressed, it might be time to look at it closely. Chronic stress affects our minds and bodies on so many levels: from increasing feelings of anxiety to exacerbating gut health issues like irritable bowel syndrome. It messes with our sleep and even impacts our immune function. So even as a registered dietitian, I rarely have a conversation about healing without also mentioning stress.

This is an episode for anyone who has ever had to deal with stress, which is everyone, so let’s dive in and talk about 5 common supplements for stress, the science and the reality.

On this episode we chat about:

• 3 things I’m obsessed with right now, in the opening segment of the episode
• What I personally do to help me manage stress
• What supplements can - and cannot do - to support you in times of stress
• What are adaptogens, actually?
• The science, mechanisms of action and dosages for 5 common supplements for stress: rhodiola, ashwagandha, reishi, chamomile and l-theanine
• The challenges in choosing plant medicines due to varying quality and efficacy
• Who should NOT take a supplement for stress
• Are there safe supplements for stressed out kids?

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’re a small podcast and each share or subscription matters! It’s a totally free way to support the pod in less than a minute.

We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

All links to the research cited in this episode, plus my recommendations can be found at https://desireerd.com/podcast/ 

It’s 2022, can hustle culture just go away now? 

Now, more than ever, we need to learn how to slow down…sounds easy,  but it actually takes a lot of courage in our always on society. The courage to reject the idea that you need to be constantly productive. That taking care of yourself needs to look a certain way. That wellness is just something you buy.

Slowing down isn’t about giving up - although in this episode we do actually talk about how giving up isn’t always a bad thing - it’s about trusting the timing of your path. Knowing that it is more important to stay present and take care of yourself than to check off accomplishments, one after the other. That finding moments of joy, rest and connection everyday is actually part of a successful life, not something you treat yourself to once you’ve reached your goals (because news flash: there will always be another hill to climb!).

If you just breathed a deep sigh of relief reading those last two paragraphs, you’re going to love this conversation with Melissa Nkomo, a mindfulness and movement practitioner championing the idea of slow well being…because, you know, wellness is supposed to make you feel better as opposed to just be another thing on your to do list. I am absolutely obsessed with everything Melissa has to share and I know that you will be too.

About Melissa Nkomo:

Melissa Nkomo is a mindfulness and movement practitioner with nearly a decade of experience and training across multiple modalities. Melissa's own practice of self-exploration, self-regulation, and self-keeping, are the foundation upon which she has built Kunye - a modern mindfulness agency with a new studio location, The Well, that just opened in downtown Vancouver.

On this episode we chat about:

• Melissa’s journey from business school to skincare to mindfulness + movement
• How releasing hustle mindset + expectations helped her business evolve
• Why it’s important to take risks and embrace setbacks as part of success
• Why it’s important not to transfer ownership of your wellness to someone else
• How pilates integrates movement + mindfulness
• What we get wrong about meditation
• Movement as a pathway to practice the skills you need for life
• Taking a trauma-informed approach and creating inclusive spaces
• How she learned to create a sense of safety in her own body as Black woman in wellness
• Creating supportive boundaries when caring for others
• The slow wellness framework: inner, outer, higher
• Her advice for those craving to connect to their bodies + inner knowing

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Greens is maybe the most potent and best tasting greens you’ll ever try! Try my fave Berry flavour (I use it as a mid-afternoon pick me up) or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @thewell.kunye as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 links + recommendations at www.desireerd.com

One of the MOST important aspects of evidence-based nutrition practice is a commitment to looking critically at the science of nutrition as it evolves and allowing your practice to evolve with it. And it has always struck me that some of what we call evidence-based nutrition is actually just professional consensus. For example, why do we gender the recommendations for fibre…when the guidelines are clearly based on energy intake? The more you need to eat - which is mostly determined by your body size and activity level - the more fibre you need, full stop. It doesn’t make sense to tell all women that they need 25g of fibre daily considering that some of us are small, and not so active…and others are marathoners, or 6 feet tall!

As a new dietitian, I didn’t always feel empowered to question the status quo…and so I want to use this platform to bring these conversations public in hopes that we all feel more empowered to have these discussions. I have been looking forward to this week’s episode with Dr Catherine Morley, PhD for a while now so please join us for a look at the gender binary in nutrition as well as taking an anti-oppression approach to nutrition practice.

About Catherine Morley PhD:

Dr Catherine Morley, PhD is a recently retired professor in the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. Her research has focused on the meanings of eating, how feeding changes in illness as well as the food/eating/nutrition issues of transgender and gender diverse people.

She is currently the owner and principal of Catherine Morley Dietetics.

On this episode we chat about:

• What has contributed to the unquestioning, hierarchical culture of dietetics in the past
• What gender diverse and trans people need from us as dietitians
• Why BMI is not useful - and potentially harmful - for individual nutrition care
• Why calories should not have bearing on how you choose your foods
• The challenge of a low diversity profession serving a diverse population
• How funding bias drives research and research gaps hinder nutrition
• Examining whether gendered nutrient recommendations are actually best evidence
• Why food security matters for all practitioners
• How marketing influences our ideas about health and nutrition
• Why releasing number crunching can help transform nutrition practice

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Protein Elevated is my favourite protein ever! Try my faves, Brain Booster or Energy Booster, or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

Full show notes, including links + recommendations, at www.desireerd.com/podcast

I remember when I first went vegetarian as a teenager in the 90s. There were no recipe or nutrition blogs. If I wanted information, or a sense of community, my main outlet was Vegetarian Times magazine. I poured over the pages, even buying my first ever cookbook, The Vegetarian Times cookbook, that I could not have fed myself without.

So I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Ann Esselstyn when her husband, Dr Caldwell B Esselstyn Jr made the discovery that a whole food plant-based diet just might help reverse cardiovascular disease. The whole family, including their daughter Jane, went fully plant-based pretty much overnight and had to completely relearn how to cook and eat.

But we’re lucky they did…because the Esselstyn clan has become a huge force for positive change in so many people’s lives in their enthusiastic support for a health-focused plant-based diet. And what makes it possible? The thousands of recipes that Ann, and later Jane, have developed to take the guess work out of feeding yourself plants.

So I jumped at the opportunity to chat with Ann and Jane Esselstyn ahead of the release of their latest book, Be a Plant-based Woman Warrior: Live Fierce, Stay Bold, Eat Delicious.

On this episode we chat about:

• What it was like for Ann to start learning to cook plant-based meals for her family pre-internet when no one around them was eating this way
• The classic meal that remains a stable in the Esselstyn household to this day and is even served at weddings!
• How a plant-based diet changed Jane’s relationship with her body
• The surprising source of so many superstar recipes in their books
• Why their approach to using diet to reverse disease looks different than nutrition for a healthy person
• The plant foods Ann + Jane try to eat daily
• How a plant-based diet powerfully supports women
• Their tips for boosting flavour and satisfaction in your meals
• How they stay energized as they age
• We get schooled on the CUVA…you’ll have to listen!
• Why soy isn’t an issue for hormones…but meat and dairy may be
• The hilarious thing that surprises Ann about getting older (you’ll die!)

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Greens is maybe the most potent and best tasting greens you’ll ever try! Try my fave Berry flavour (I use it as a mid-afternoon pick me up) or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @jane_esselstyn_rn as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Connect with Jane and Ann Esselstyn:

Website: JaneEsselstyn.com
Instagram: @Jane_Esselstyn_RN
YouTube: Jane Esselstyn

Head over to www.desireerd.com for full show notes, or watch on YouTube! 

Of all of the supplements on the shelf, by far the most complicated ones are probiotics. How complicated? Even health professionals don’t always fully understand them! Because probiotics aren’t just one thing: every individual strain of probiotics - or combination of strains - is a totally unique entity so we can’t just paint them all with the same brush.

So I thought it was time to dedicate a whole episode to learning a little more about them with Bailey Hanna RD, a dietitian who has a deep understanding of the area.

Consider this your tutorial on the world of probiotics. From what they are, EXACTLY, to how they are different from fermented foods. We take a look at all the ways that taking probiotic bacteria can influence our metabolism and what you need to think about in order to choose a probiotic from the hundreds sitting on the shelf (or in the fridge!).

About Bailey Hanna RD:

Bailey Hanna is a gut health dietitian with a focus on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). She holds a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Loma Linda University, and has over 7 years of experience working in clinical, research, and advisory roles. Bailey’s work centers on developing tools to help clinicians and individuals sift through the available evidence on diet and supplemental therapies for IBS, focusing extensively on probiotics.

On this episode we chat about:

• What inspired Bailey to become a dietitian
• How wellness can make us feel like our health issues are our fault
• Are probiotics evidence-based? Why there are so many different opinions
• What is a probiotic, exactly?
• How are probiotics different from fermented foods?
• Do you need a probiotic if you eat fermented foods?
• A very detailed look at how probiotics work in the body
• The truth about gut-derived serotonin 
• Who should consider a probiotic? Who should steer clear?
• What to look for in a probiotic?

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics.

Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @baileyhanna.rdn as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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
episode

Editorial note: 

Because this is a probiotic episode sponsored by a probiotic company, I wanted to take the opportunity to say that we have a strict editorial policy that does not allow the sponsor to influence the episode content. For example, our guest has no professional connection to the sponsor, nor did she know the episode was being sponsored by the probiotic company until after the episode was recorded. The integrity of our education comes first!

Life is meant to constantly evolve: we are not the same person we were yesterday. Aging is a part of this human existence that each one of us experiences. I mean, the alternative is literally no longer living. No thanks.

And yet, so much of the narrative around getting older is one of fading into the background. As a member of the over 40 club, I reject it entirely. But we also have to acknowledge the transitions inherent in aging and support each other through them. Which is why I am excited to share this conversation with Dr Lisa Petty PhD. Her work focuses on how we take care of ourselves in midlife, and what influences our behaviours.

We get into a lot of juicy territory here, from how women tend to stay silent on the challenges inherent in life’s transitions, from menstruation and menopause to motherhood and why this silence hurts us. We also talk about the very real challenges of getting older from overwhelm to alterations in cognitive function and why they occur.

There is so much for women of every age in this episode, I hope you love it!

About Dr Lisa Petty:

Dr Lisa Petty began her career as a holistic nutritionist who quickly became recognized internationally as a speaker, journalist, award-winning author and media health expert who believes that healthy living is simple – although it often isn’t easy. When her children became adults, Lisa earned her doctorate researching the physical and social factors that influence well-being, with a focus on women at midlife.

On this episode we chat about:

• The damage we do when we don’t openly share our experiences around hormonal or life changes such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause
• Embracing the crone archetype
• How we reinforce the invisibility of aging in society
• Why intention isn’t enough to commit to self care
• Dr Lisa’s PhD work around health behaviours and barriers to self care in mid life
• The surprising motivation for food choices in mid life
• Simple self care to help to foster a healthy brain when mood or memory is an issue
• What the heck is the glymphatic system (NOT the lymphatic!)
• How routine + ritual liberates your busy mind
• The supplements Dr Lisa takes everyday
• Why better brain health starts with sleep
• Tips to help you beat fatigue

Connect with Dr Lisa Petty PhD:

Website

Instagram

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Protein Elevated is my favourite protein ever! Try my faves, Brain Booster or Energy Booster, or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @dr.matthewnagra as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 with Dr Lisa + Desiree's recommendations are available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Will oils cause heart disease? Are omega 6 fats inflammatory? There are few questions as hotly debated, even amongst health practitioners, as the subject of which oils - and how much - are beneficial, or even safe to eat.

But is it REALLY a controversy in the research? Maybe not…and what the science says might actually surprise you. Which is why I asked my fave nutrition science communicator, Dr Matthew Nagra ND, to break down the latest scientific evidence on oils and fats in human nutrition.

Dr Nagra is deeply committed to using the best scientific evidence to inform plant-based nutrition practice. No “one off” lab studies here! We go deep into the decades of research on the role of fat and oils and after listening to this, you’re going to wonder why the internet is so all over the place in its recommendations.

About Dr Nagra:

Dr. Matthew Nagra is a Naturopathic Doctor devoted to bringing the most up-to-date evidence-based nutrition information to his patients at his clinic in Vancouver. In 2018 he graduated from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine after completing his bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology at the University of Victoria. He’s certified in plant-based nutrition through eCornell and the T Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies. Dr. Nagra is also a public speaker and is known for his content across multiple social media platforms, where he often tackles misinformation around diet and nutrition, and deep dives into the latest nutrition research.

On this episode we chat about:

• What’s the deal with no oil plant based diets?
• The research on the safety + health benefits of consuming oils
• Why ‘compared to what’ is an important question in evaluating research studies
• What role does fat actually play in the diet?
• The best oils for lowering risk of cardiovascular disease
• What is an essential fatty acid and where do we get them?
• The whole omega 3/6 situation, cuz do you really get it?
• The surprising impact of saturated fats on your gut microbiome!
• Is extra virgin olive oil overhyped?
• What about coconut oil or MCTs?
• Where fats fit in Dr Nagra’s personal diet
• Whether there is a place for keto diets in clinical nutrition

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Greens is maybe the most potent and best tasting greens you’ll ever try! Try my fave Berry flavour or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @dr.matthewnagra as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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!

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, which is produced by myself and edited by Brian McCalman. We are grateful to live and work and learn on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Squamish, Musqueum, Sto-Lo and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.

Connect with Dr Matthew Nagra ND:

Website
Instagram
Tiktok
YouTube

What if every moment of every day, you are choosing your future? How would you spark change in the world - and in yourself? Could you learn to trust your inner knowing?

I couldn’t think of a better person to explore these questions with than the one and only Joanne Molinaro, the Korean Vegan. To me, Joanne is proof that the internet can make the world a better place. Her work radiates compassion, and it creates a safe container for the important conversations that need to take happen. Plus, she feeds us delicious food and well, a full belly makes everything better. If you don’t already have her bestselling, James Beard award winning book, The Korean Vegan: Recipes and Reflections from Omma’s Kitchen you’ll want to grab it immediately, especially after listening to this episode!

This is actually the beginning of a new era for the Allsorts Podcast, because starting today, we will be releasing a new episode, every two weeks, without pause. It’s Allsorts, all year long! Starting today, we will also be sharing unedited video of our conversations on YouTube so if you prefer to watch than listen, now you’ve got the option!

About Joanne:

With over 4 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.

On this episode we chat about:

• What it was like to leave her law career in her 40s to chase her dreams, and how her parents reacted to the change
• What the day to day of life as a content creator is actually like, as well as her advice for new bloggers
• Why she doesn’t believe in “meant to be” and what she believes in instead
• Her post-book launch anxiety, and the pressure to keep achieving
• How the 2016 election changed her life, and her content
• How cooking helped her cope at the time in her life when she felt most unsafe
• What she thinks you can learn from a rebound relationship, in our Ask Joanne segment!
• The surprising thing she misses most about Chicago
• What is giving her hope for the future

Support the Pod!

We are thrilled to welcome back my friends at Botanica Health as episode sponsors because their Perfect Protein Elevated is my favourite protein ever! Try my faves, Brain Booster or Energy Booster, or explore the entire line at www.botanicahealth.com

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners and of course, our sponsors.

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @thekoreanvegan as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

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 with links + recommendations available at desireerd.com

What a way to close season 2! I am SO excited to share this episode with you because we are speaking to none other than Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, MD MSCI. “Dr. B” is a plant-based board certified gastroenterologist, gut health expert, and New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled.

In the show today, we are going to share so much actionable information to help you strengthen and heal your gut inspired by the book—including, how to figure out (and improve!) your food intolerances. Yep, even histamine intolerance.

As a plant-based dietitian with my own book on gut health coming out this May, I know I’m biased, but I absolutely think you are going to want to run out and preorder Dr. B’s book asap—especially with all of its delicious recipes and revolutionary info. So let’s dive in…

About Dr. Will Bulsiewicz:

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (or "Dr. B") is an award winning gastroenterologist, internationally recognized gut health expert, and the New York Times-bestselling author of Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook. He sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of ZOE, has authored more than twenty articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, has given more than forty presentations at national meetings, presented to Congress and the USDA, and has taught over 10,000 students how to heal and optimize their gut health. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife and children.

On this episode we chat about:

• How fibre just might be the sexiest part of a plant-based diet!
• The importance of a holistic view of human biology
• The problem with medical schools only incorporating 2 weeks of nutrition education
• How the trillions of microbes in our colon can affect our mood + genetic expression
• Why consuming a VARIETY of whole plants empowers our microbes
• Why nutrition isn’t the be-all end-all once you realize how stress & trauma affect the gut
• The importance of our interpersonal relationships which can be more important than even diet, exercise and sleep
• Why there’s enormous power in being heard by health experts
• The “G.R.O.W.T.H. strategy” and how it can better tackle—and heal—our digestive ills
• Why food elimination is not a long term solution and how to take the next step
• Histamine intolerance, tips to fix it, AND why we shouldn’t vilify this important compound
• Gut barrier dysfunction and the importance of the gut barrier (Can legumes add years to your life? Listen to find out!)
• Some research-based approaches to help deal with stress

Connect with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz:

Website: ThePlantFedGut.com

Instagram: @theguthealthMD

Facebook: TheGutHealthMD

Have you been racking up your grocery bill trying to eat vegan? This episode will help you fix that. This week, we’re chatting with Nisha Melvani of the amazing Cooking for Peanuts blog, which is all about making plant-based cooking practical—and affordable.

About Nisha Melvani:

Nisha Melvani is the author of the new cookbook, Practically Vegan, as well as a registered dietitian and nutritionist. She studied pre-med at McGill University and later received her Master’s degree in Nutrition from Columbia University. Nisha then attended culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. She’s also a Mom to three beautiful girls.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Nisha took a detour as an investment banker before finding her calling in food and nutrition
• Her experience growing up in both Jamaica and England—and how the contrast in cuisine influenced her culinary journey
• How parenting changed the way Nisha cooks!
• The 80/20 rule: what it is, and why it’s good for your mental health
• Why going vegan takes a bit more mindfulness than becoming a vegetarian (e.g. you DO have to consider things like B12)
• How to create a huge variety of interesting meals using the same ingredients
• What we get wrong about plant-based nutrition
• Tips for grocery shopping on a budget
• Her three key meal builders: aromatics, fresh produce, and herbs & spices—and how to use them
• Why she devoted a whole chapter to dressings and sauces

Learned something new? Have questions?

Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Have something to say about what you heard? Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @cookingforpeanuts with your questions and/or comments!

You can also join our free online community, Nutrition with Desiree by clicking here!

Thanks for supporting our little pod! You can help us spread the word by rating, reviewing, or subscribing on your fave podcast app!

And of course, if you enjoyed a specific episode, it helps us TONS if you share it with friends and family. We appreciate every. single. listen. Thank you!

Connect with Nisha Melvani:

Website: cookingforpeanuts.com

Instagram: @cookingforpeanuts

Nisha Melvani’s Recommendations:

How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

It’s time for another solo episode!!! I heard you loud and clear…apparently, you don’t mind listening to me talk into your ears all by myself so this week, I thought I would tackle some common slip ups on a plant-based diet. GASP! Yes, ANY eater can find themselves in a sticky situation sometimes, even folks on a plant-based diet.

As many of you know, I’ve been a dietitian for over a decade—and there are certain questions I get asked again and again, so I wanted to share the most common issues I see when folks go plant-based, why they happen … and most importantly, what to do about it. This episode is all about ADVICE on how to avoid those common pot holes, so I hope you enjoy it!

• Why it’s important to openly acknowledge the trip-ups or issues people might come across when starting a plant-based diet (or any wellness shift for that matter!)
• Why you’re craving sugar all of the time
• A critical tip for the meat-to-plant transition: swap, don’t remove!
• Why you can’t live on veggies alone
• Why vitamin + mineral supplements still play a critical role (on ANY diet)
• The importance of having an action plan (and tips for making one!)
• Why the plate method is ACTUALLY revolutionary
• The truth about hyper-processed foods vs whole foods
• The importance of Vitamin D and B12 for plant-based folks! (And why diet can only do so much)
• Why the “bioavailability” of certain foods should be taken into consideration when reading nutrition labels
• Is a multivitamin essential to nutrition? I give your “community question” my answer!

Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @desireenielsenrd with your questions and/or comments!

AND, if you have a question you want me to answer on the pod, hop into the free Nutrition with Desiree Community and pop it in there!

Thanks for supporting our little pod! You can help us spread the word by rating, reviewing, or subscribing to us on your fave podcast app! Or go old-fashioned and text it to a friend! Every listen is deeply appreciated.

How do we explain what resonates with us and what doesn’t? And what is resonance, anyways? You may—or may not—be surprised to learn that the word resonate actually refers to the creation or experience of a deep, full, and reverberating sound … which brings us to today’s very special guest.

For this week's show, we speak to May Globus, a sound therapist with an amazing podcast of her own, called The Craft. If you’re wondering what a sound therapist does, imagine being enveloped by sound to the point where it feels like it’s washing over you (which is maybe why the experience is also referred to as a sound bath).

Inquisitive is May Globus’ natural state. A former fashion, lifestyle, and culture journalist, she was Vancouver city editor for Rogers Media’s female-focused digital lifestyle magazine Sweetspot. She's worked both with and within social impact companies across North America, including TEDactive, rennie group, Westbank, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise partnership, and more. Out of deep, inspired conversations she has on the regular with the creatives and entrepreneurs in her world, her podcast The Craft came into being.

May is currently a certified sound therapist with her own Vancouver-based practice, oto healing. Her clientele include corporations and their teams, professional athletes, entrepreneurs, creatives, architects, musicians, expectant mothers, and more.

• What sound therapy really is (the practice, history, and science of it)
• Why May decided to cultivate a routine of sound therapy—and offer it to others
• How the experience of sound therapy creates resonance to support our healing
• The importance of letting go and truly feeling what comes up in our bodies and minds
• Why creativity plays a role for healing in childhood AND adulthood
• How spoken mantras can help soothe and calm our nervous system
• Why human connection is vital to our health
• Did you know sound healing is supported by both quantum physics and biochemistry?! May tells us about that too!

Website: otohealing.com, wearethecraft.com, mayglobus.com

Instagram: @mayglobus @wearethecraft @otohealing

Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind by Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Aging is an absolute privilege. But you wouldn’t know it from looking at most media. We’re either trying to biohack our years away—or pretending growing older doesn’t exist with our intense focus on 30 under 30 lists, “age-reversing” beauty products, or the lives of the young and famous (buh-bye!)

So how do we reverse the trend? Enter Pamela Fergusson, a registered dietitian with a PhD in nutrition and an MA in international health. She’s also a vegan, a mom of four, AND a member of the over 40 club—woot woot!

There’s this silly idea that somehow we need to downgrade our expectations of life as we age, but here at the Allsorts pod, we think that notion belongs in the trash bin. So in today’s episode, Dr. Fergusson busts those notions and tells us all about nutrition over 40—and how to evolve an age-adoring self care practice.

About Pamela Fergusson:

Pamela is a Registered Dietitian with a PhD in nutrition. She runs a virtual private practice where she specializes in vegan nutrition. Residing in beautiful Nelson, B.C. with her 4 plantbased kids, Pamela loves vegan baking, nutritional yeast, and building her vitamin D stores in the sun.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Pamela’s public health work—which includes time working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Malawi, Zambia and Ghana—influenced her current private practice
• Why lived experience plays a significant role in caring for yourself
• How to carve out time for you when you’ve got a career, kids, and possibly even parents to take care of
• Self-care non-negotiables…and how to fit them into your schedule
• The research on whether metabolism REALLY DOES change over 40
• Whether or not we can maintain, or dare we say—build—muscle over 40
• Why whole foods are critical as we age, and some myth-busting around carbohydrates
• Tips to incorporate more veggies into your meals (try doubling the amount of greens your recipe asks for)
• The ratios of veggies, protein, and whole grains on a healthy plate
• Some specific (and delish!) foods to eat over 40

Learned something new? Have questions?

Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Have something to say about what you heard? Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @drpamela.rd with your questions and/or comments!

You can also join our free online community, Nutrition with Desiree by clicking here!

Thanks for supporting our little pod: we appreciate every. single. listen. You can help us further spread the word by rating, reviewing, or subscribing on your fave podcast app, following us on Instagram, or telling friends and family about us! Thank you!

Connect with Pamela Fergusson:

Website: PamelaFergusson.com

Instagram: @drpamela.rd

Book: Going Vegan For Beginners

Pamela Fergusson’s Recommendations:

The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg

In today’s show, Desiree talks to Carleigh Bodrug, the unstoppable force behind the popular blog, TikTok, and now cookbook, PlantYou!

Since going plant-based in 2015, Carleigh has amassed a community of over a million strong with her innovative take on whole food plant based cooking. Her “scrappy” cooking series, where she turns common food scraps into delicious plant-based dishes, has been featured on the Rachel Ray show and GMA Food.

Carleigh genuinely democratizes plant-based cooking, making it truly approachable with her easy-to-follow yet flavourful recipes that aren’t hard on the budget.

About Carleigh Bodrug:

Starting as a personal blog, PlantYou has grown into a popular website, digital meal planner, weekly podcast, and vibrant vegan brand. Since going plant-based in 2015, plant-based food blogger and video creator Carleigh Bodrug has created a community of well over a million followers across PlantYou's social channels Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and more. Carleigh's popular sustainable "scrappy" cooking series that helps transform common food scraps into tasty, low cost, zero-waste recipes has been featured on Rachael Ray Show and GMA Food and she recently showcased her popular recipes on Canada's The Social.

• How Carly’s dad’s diagnosis started her on her plant-based journey
• How to wet your feet in the vegan pool! Tip: if you’re hesitant, just start adding plant-based foods (like lentils!) to traditional meat dishes (like Bolognese!)
• What tools Carleigh believes are indispensable if you’re new to cooking
• Why plant-based cooking doesn’t mean being restrictive, and in fact can open you up to so many MORE new foods you may have never eaten before
• What inspired her to start her social media accounts and what she was doing while beginning to build her audience
• Her new book, PlantYou!
• Advice to creators just starting out and wanting to grow your platform: hello VIDEO content
• Carleigh’s top “back pocket” recipes to whip out when you don’t know what to cook
• Why there’s no such thing as vegan perfection and why it’s okay to take your time to transition

Connect with Carleigh Bodrug:

Carleigh’s debut book, PlantYou: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious, Plant-Based, Oil-Free Recipes

Website: plantyou.com

Instagram: @plantyou

Tik Tok: @plantyou

Facebook: Facebook.com/PlantYouBlog/

Today’s episode is a conversation between friends in food. Blogger, recipe developer, food stylist, and food photographer Sophie MacKenzie talks about how she stumbled into the culinary world and what it’s actually like to build a blog and a brand. Trust her, it asks a LOT of its creators…especially in a sea—no wait, an ocean—of bloggers. And why, sometimes, it’s the people you meet along the way, and a stroke of luck, that gets food bloggers or photographers where they are (so don’t be too hard on yourself!)

Now let’s get all those burning questions about how to photograph a cookbook answered! But first, a bit about this creative beauty:

About Sophia MacKenzie:

Sophia MacKenzie (who goes by Sophie!) is just your average west coast girl through and through. She’s happiest when exploring the scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest or partaking in a love of natural foods (yes, those hippy spreads + sprouts). Inspired by the iconic whole foods she grew up with, Sophie created the blog Wholehearted Eats to share her west coast eats with all of her lovely readers, no matter where they are in the world. She’s also a food stylist,with past clients who include Luvo Foods, Whistler Water, Seedible,  West Elm, Joey Restaurants, and many cookbooks. She has years of experience designing recipes having done so for blogs, cookbooks, and restaurants. Besides working on a Masters degree in Publishing, Sophie’s also written for magazines such as Taproot, Eat, Food52, and Alive.

On this episode we chat about:

• Where Sophie learned to cook and how nostalgic 70s recipes inspire creativity in the kitchen
• How Sophie landed in book publishing, recipe creation, and food styling
• A few styling tricks (did you know you can spray glycerin on a glass to make it look dewey?! So cool!)
• Why Sophie is excited about the direction food photography is going in. (I mean, when cookbooks can start looking like glossy fashion magazines, you KNOW things are heating up in the industry!)
• Why to go against the grain with things like lighting!
• If you don’t have a well-connected network, where to go for information on how to take your food photos

Connect with Sophia MacKenzie:

Website: sophiemackenzie.me

Blog: wholeheartedeats.com

Instagram: @sophiamacken

Facebook: @wholeheartedeats

Sophia MacKenzie’ Recommendations:

Cook This Book by Molly Baz

Super Natural Simple by Heidi Swanson

One Pot: Three Ways by Rachel Ama

Francis Bebey’s 2000 album Mbira Dance

This week, we’re talking about how to get present, slow down and truly savour the act of cooking and eating with Murielle Banackissa, author of the new plant-based cookbook, Savouring. 

In an always on world, making the time to cook can feel like an impossible task…there’s always another distraction. And as a parent, I know that the relentlessness (and sometimes, thanklessness!) of family food work can make cooking feel more like a chore than a pleasure. 

According to Murielle, cooking is the perfect way to romanticize our lives…even if for only 20 minutes.

So how can we make space for cooking in our lives, in a way that’s enjoyable and allows us to welcome a few moments of mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day? In this episode, Murielle shares how she battles distraction in the kitchen so she can get present as well as how her upbringing really celebrated gathering for the family meal and how she continues that spirit in her own home.

Plus, you can expect a fun sort of cookbook author confidential: what Murielle cooks during a busy week (without a recipe!), the super common recipe I have NEVER made from scratch, the pantry staples Murielle can’t live without and her favourite vegan spots in Montreal.

We talk about how to make entertaining a little less intimidating and how to make a recipe your own. I hope this episode inspires you to make cooking a moving meditation that makes everyday a little bit better.

About Murielle Banackissa:

Murielle Banackissa is a food photographer, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Montreal. Outside of spending hours developing new recipes and shooting them in her home studio, Murielle loves paying attention to the details surrounding her as a way to feel more grounded and present. From water droplets resting on leaves after rainfall, to the golden glow of summer nights, to the way yeasted dough rises under the ideal conditions, she is always seeking the magic in seemingly mundane moments.

On this episode we chat about:

• The diverse food influences that shaped Murielle’s cooking
• The family meals that inspired Murielle to make meals a special part of her day
• How she sets herself up to be present in the kitchen
• Embracing the slow weekend cook
• What Murielle actually cooks during a busy week
• What inspired Murielle to go vegan and her surprising advice for new vegans
• Murielle’s approach to entertaining
• The go-to ingredients that Murielle relies on in cooking
• Murielle’s advice for anyone who wants to start a food career

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Hi all! Desiree, your Allsorts host here. Since my new book Good for Your Gut will be out in a few months, I thought it would be cool to take a peek into the publishing world. This week launches a special TWO PART series on what it’s really like to write and create cookbooks. For part one, I’m speaking with my amazing literary agent, Carly Watters, to get under the hood of what it takes to make it in this business. Carly is a Senior VP and Senior Literary Agent at the Toronto-based P.S. Literary Agency and the co-host of the popular writing podcast “The Shit No One Tells You About Writing.”

The publishing industry can seem so secretive and hard to penetrate, so if you’re wondering how it all works, this week we’re talking about the cookbook process from idea through to publishing.

So let’s open the book…

About Carly Watters:

Carly Watters holds a Masters Degree in Publishing Studies from City University London. As Senior VP and Senior Literary Agent at the Toronto-based P.S. Literary Agency, she represents award-winning and bestselling authors in the adult fiction and non-fiction categories and select children’s books. Carly also co-hosts the podcast,“The Shit No One Tells You About Writing.”

On this episode we chat about:

• Why the industry really is hard to break into (i.e. why the industry has always benefitted the privileged class who can afford to live in expensive cities like London and New York and work for little/no pay.)
• How to find or attract an agent and what exactly publishers are looking for in a cookbook
• Whether or not you can ACTUALLY make a living writing cookbooks these days—or as a literary agent?
• The state of the book industry (could it possibly be doing well?!?!)
• The importance of having a very strong food philosophy
• Why having a platform (AKA an audience) really is important to publishers
• The 3 times a year books come out and tend to do well, and why
• What a “query letter” is and what it typically encompasses
• How a book proposal is similar to a business plan (yep, how are you going to get people to actually BUY your book!)
• Why pre-ordering a book means the world to an author (did you know if books don’t sell right away, book stores can send them back to the publisher?! Yikes!)

Learned something new? Have questions?

Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Have something to say about what you heard? Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @carlywatters with your questions and/or comments!

You can also join our free online community, Nutrition with Desiree by clicking here!

Connect with Carly Watters:

Website: carlywatters.com

Instagram: @carlywatters

Twitter: @carlywatters

Carly Watters’ Recommendations:

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Be honest: how many self help books do you own? Do you actually feel any better as a result? In our earnest quest to take care of ourselves, to live happier and more meaningful lives, it can be too easy to let others set the bar for our success. Is this a mistake?

Enter Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran who recently wrote an op-ed in the Globe and Mail calling self help books the gateway drug to a trillion-dollar industry. In this week’s episode, we talk about the potential dangers of biohacking and how charisma gets mistaken for integrity.

The most powerful teacher we can access in our quest for healing is our own inner authority. We just need to use it to critically appraise the information in front of us—and to build our wellness tool kit.

About Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran:

Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran is an epidemiologist, physician, writer, speaker, and health-tech consultant. She's a proud alumna of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Toronto. She has also completed Fellowships in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona and Journalism from the Munk School of Global Affairs. As a contributor to the New York Times since 2017, Amitha covers a diverse range of topics, from health and wellness to medical education in publications as varying as the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Wired, and The Atlantic. Her first book, On Healing (Random House) will be published in 2023.

On this episode we chat about:

• How to build a wellness tool kit that’s reflective of our individual needs and rooted in critical thinking/science
• Why sleep hygiene, nutrition, and stress management also deserve a place in medicine
• The health benefits of social connection and the implication of community on our physical health
• How the self-help industry takes advantage of trauma survivors or the financially distressed
• Why there’s potential for danger in the tech bro biohacking phenomenon
• The fact that ostensible health leaders are essentially just glorified marketers—and HOW to discern whether or not they’re reputable…or just charismatic
• Dealing with the grief of a seemingly ongoing pandemic…and why Dr. Kalaichandran says we should allow ourselves to cry (tip: it calms our sympathetic nervous system!)
• Why healing is not choosing between either Western medicine OR a holistic practice, like meditation, it’s both.

Learned something new? Have questions?

Keep the conversation going on Instagram! Have something to say about what you heard? Screenshot this episode and tag us @theallsortpod @dramithamd with your questions and/or comments!

You can also chat about this episode in our free online community, Nutrition with Desiree by clicking here!

Thanks for supporting our little pod! You can help us spread the word by rating, reviewing, or subscribing to us on your fave podcast app! 

Connect with Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran:

Website: http://www.dramitha.com

Instagram: @dramithamd

Twitter: @DrAmithaMD

Today we’re talking to food culture writer and plant-based human Alicia Kennedy about gender politics, restaurant culture, and inequality in the food industry.

In our opinion, examining the things Alicia writes about doesn’t happen often enough. And it’s critical to creating a more just and sustainable food system. For example, there are so many ways in which food is gendered: food prep and feeding a family is historically women’s work (and therefore undervalued in our society), yet fine dining and celebrity chef culture is overwhelmingly male. Alicia talks about what all of us can do to change these old tropes.

But this episode covers more than gender in cuisine; we also talk about the dichotomy between the class that writes about food, and that which grows and serves it. We talk about Big Food and why some corporations want to maintain the status quo, and how our society views our entire culture surrounding meat consumption. In the show, Alicia highlights why all this needs to change—stat!

Hungry for more? Let’s dish it out!

About Alicia Kennedy:

Alicia Kennedy is a writer from Long Island based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She writes a weekly newsletter on food culture, media, and politics, and has a book forthcoming from Beacon Press called Meatless. Her newsletter, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy can be found here.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Alicia took her experience from vegan baker and journalism positions at New York Magazine, Edible Manhattan, Nylon, Eater, and The Village Voice to a life changing newsletter on Substack.
• The dichotomy between male and female expectations (and reputations!) in the kitchen
• Why we need to leave the notion behind that “men have steak and women have salad”
• Whether or not women have to display masculine modalities of cooking (wield a butcher’s knife, animal-centric, nose-to-tail dining) to be considered a great chef, e.g. Gabrielle Hamilton
• What we understand as “feminine food.” Why do we associate gender with baking and vegetables?
• Where and why changes about cuisine and gender perceptions are being made
• Why the “gatekeeper class” of culinary media (influential food writers) need to see themselves as equal to restaurant workers
• Whether or not meat alternatives like Beyond are going to—or should—replace most meat in the American diet. Or do we need to reconsider eating meat focused meals in general?

Connect with Alicia Kennedy:

Website: www.aliciakennedy.news

Instagram: @aliciadkennedy

Twitter: @aliciakennedy

Alicia Kennedy’s Recommendations:

The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol Adams

When French Women Cook by Madeleine Kamman

Diet for a Small Planet: 50th anniversary edition by Frances Moore Lappé

James Hansen’s piece on gender and cuisine in Taste Magazine

Hi all! Welcome to our sixth episode! (Un-be-lieve-a-ble!) Keeping in line with our theme of non-diet January, this week’s episode takes a critical look at how exercise fits into our lives.

Today’s guest, Helen Phelan, is an intuitive pilates instructor with an anti-diet approach to exercise. Since most of us have—or once had—a complicated relationship with eating and/or movement (thanks celeb culture, ugh), this episode will help expose SO MANY of those old beliefs and get us excited about the true purpose (and JOY!) of moving our bodies.

So want to kick ass, feel strong but also ditch the toxicity of diet culture? There’s a lot to unpack so let’s get to it!

About Helen Phelan:

Helen Phelan is an intuitive pilates instructor with an anti-diet approach to exercise. Growing up in the dance world, Helen found her love of movement and her distaste for diet culture were always at odds with one another, so she created an online pilates platform to make space for people who enjoy challenging workouts but have no time for body shaming.

On this episode we chat about:

• How leaving the dance world changed Helen’s view on movement and eating.
• Why movement or choosing healthy foods should NEVER be treated as “punishment.”
• How to find yourself on the path of body acceptance despite what others are selling.
• How to incorporate mindfulness into your movement practice, regardless of the intensity
• A brief outline and history of Pilates: what it is, and the benefits of such a well-rounded practice.
• The non-weight benefits of moving on a more consistent basis (hello mood + energy!)
• How to avoid the coupling of feeling like a “better” or “worse” person because you worked out or didn't work out. Pssst that’s not what movement is about!
• How to land at feeling worthy in your current body, even if you know there are changes you want to make. Those changes will NOT make you more worthy, even if there’s benefits to them.

A huge thank you to our amazing sponsor, Botanica Health!

We’ve been fans of Botanica Health’s Perfect Protein for a loooong time. It’s organic, made from simple ingredients and their new Perfect Protein Elevated contains full doses of functional ingredients such as cordyceps for energy and passionflower for sleep. Check out www.botanicahealth.com to learn more or look for Perfect Protein elevated at your local health food store!

Connect with Helen Phelan:

Instagram: @helenvphelan

Website: helenphelanstudio.com

Helen Phelan’s Recommendations:

The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal

Cultish by Amanda Montell