At this point, I think we’ve all gotten the memo that chronic stress is bad for us. We know that stress can mess with our gut health, our heart health and more.

BUT (and this is a big BUT)... did you know that some forms of “good” stress can actually make you not just healthier, but stronger and more resilient to chronic stress?

It’s kind of a mind-blowing proposition and in this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, I’m talking with Dr Sharon Bergquist MD about exactly what good stress is, and how it can make you a heck of a lot healthier, when applied intelligently.

Dr Bergquist is the author of a brand new book, The Stress Paradox, where she outlines the science of hormesis: exactly how - and what kinds of - good stress can influence cellular health and how that underlies all sorts of improvements in metabolism and resistance to chronic stress and disease.

I know this sounds like an outlandish internet concept - but one of the reasons why I love Dr Bergquist’s work so much is that it is deeply evidence-based and grounded in well-researched and agreed upon wellness practices like movement and plant-based nutrition.

There is something for everyone in this podcast, from the wannabe biohacker to the deep science nerd to the back to basics wellness skeptic!
About Dr Sharon Bergquist:

Sharon Horesh Bergquist, MD, is an award-winning Yale and Harvard-trained physician, innovative healthcare leader, and visionary researcher renowned for spearheading a science-based approach to applying lifestyle as medicine.

She has helped lead numerous clinical trials, including the Emory Healthy Aging Study and the NIH funded Emory Healthy Brain Study. She hosts The Whole Health Cure podcast and her popular Ted-Ed video on how stress affects the body has been viewed over eight million times and translated to 35 languages.

On this episode we chat about:

• Why this Harvard-trained internal medicine doctor shifted towards lifestyle medicine

• The difference between chronic, continuous stress and intermittent, positive stress

• How a cycle of stress and recovery helps build stronger, more resilient cells

• A doctor’s evidence-based take on adrenal fatigue

• The five good stressors to increase in your life

• Why antioxidant supplements are probably not as good as eating plants

• Specific phytochemicals you want to eat more of - and where to find them

• Is the sauna/cold plunge, beloved by Scandiavians, actually good stress?

• How to leverage cross-adaptation to build the good stress plan that works for you

• What does the research say about intermittent fasting and cellular 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 @thegoodstressdoctor
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 Dr Sharon

Grab a copy of Dr Sharon’s new book, The Stress Paradox

Website: https://drsharonbergquist.com/

Instagram: @thegoodstressdoctor

I get it: we’re all busy…and sometimes, quite rightly, meal prep is not at the top of our priority list. But, what if you’re really feeling stuck in a food rut?

As a dietitian, I know that food ruts can suck the enjoyment out of healthy eating…so let’s break out!

Sometimes, all you need is someone to spark an idea, or shine a light on a kitchen hack - or ultra-delicious food - that you immediately know you need in your life…so I’m talking with my friend and colleague Michelle Jaelin RD all about her transition from cooking for two to cooking for four, easy ways to make basic meals more exciting and a few new amazing foods to pick up to shake up your eating routine.

About Michelle Jaelin:

Michelle Jaelin is a nutrition communicator, registered dietitian and content creator who focuses on Asian food and culturally inclusive healthy eating tips.

Michelle delivers dynamic educational talks on practicing inclusive nutrition, decolonizing health and wellness and busting myths about cultural foods locally and around the world. Michelle resides in Hamilton, ON with her spouse, twins and rescue dog.

On this episode we chat about:

• How becoming a new parent has changed mealtimes for Michelle

• Michelle’s path from fine art to dietetics

• How do we get stuck in food ruts in the first place?

• Why diversifying your diet helps you become a healthier eater

• Flavour boosters to keep on hand for elevating basic meals

• Tips to simplify your cooking routine when life is busy

• How to try new foods and love it

• Michelle’s recommendations for new foods to try

• Let’s mythbust: soy + MSG

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 @michellejaelin
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 Michelle

Website: michellejaelin.com

Sign up for Michelle’s awesome newsletter here!

We’re hearing a LOT about ultra-processed foods: how they’re inflammatory, cause obesity and blood sugar spikes and more...but are ultra-processed foods really bad for you? What does the research say?

As a registered dietitian, I always want to A) help share evidence-informed advice to help you live your healthiest, happiest life and B) help myth-bust the all too common misinformation we see online every single day about nutrition. 

So with all the yapping about ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, I thought it was high time we devote a solo episode to “processed foods” and take a look at what they are, why folks are concerned about them and ultimately, how we can include (or not include) them in our everyday diet so we can be our healthiest.
On this episode we chat about:

• What exactly is an ultra-processed food? 

• How the NOVA classification is used in research

• Are UPFs nutritionally different from whole foods?

• What are the differences between ultra-processed and whole foods on our metabolism?

• Do ultra-processed foods cause obesity?

• What about ultra-processed foods with “clean” ingredients?

• How do ultra-processed foods affect our blood sugars?

• Does eating ultra-processed foods make us unhealthy?

• How to make daily nutrition choices that minimize your disease risk and maximize affordability and enjoyment

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
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!

Even if you don’t think of yourself as outdoorsy, the research is pretty clear: time spent unplugged - bonus if it’s got a little “outside thrown in” - is pretty dang good for you.

And if you, like me, think you might need more of it…today’s episode might be just the inspiration you need to get your hands dirty and grow something.

I’m speaking with the lovely Jessica Murnane about how even just a little nature can help you heal. Jessica is a horticultural therapy practitioner based in Charleston, South Carolina and she is the growing inspiration you didn’t realize you needed…particularly if you’ve never thought of yourself as an earthy person.

She believes that interacting with the plant world, even if all you have is a windowsill, or a bit of time to cook or craft, is a powerful way of connecting to the natural world and there is science to back it up.

I love this episode: I speak with Jessica about everything from how she - very much a city person - stumbled upon a love of gardening and found her way to horticultural therapy. We talk about the history and science of horticultural therapy and how you can bring a little bit of nature’s medicine into your own life.

Even if you’re not the type to wax lyrical about a landscape. And especially if you don’t have a lot of time or money.

About Jessica Murnane:

Jessica Murnane is an author, creative consultant, and Horticultural Therapy Practitioner. She's the founder of Basker, where she helps people use gardening and nature as a tool for mental, physical, emotional, and social health.

Jessica has written two books, the cookbook One Part Plant and the women's health book Know Your Endo. Her work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Goop, House Beautiful, People, and Shape Magazine, among others. She's an avid cut flower gardener and loves giving away flowers even more than she likes growing them. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and son. 

On this episode we chat about:

• How growing things builds connection with others and nature

• How Jessica, a city dweller, fell in love with growing flowers

• Why growing things can help non-nature lovers connect with nature

• What is horticultural therapy? 

• Research behind the practice

• How growing things - even in a single pot - can improve access to nature

• How to access community nature resources and education

• Ways to get started with growing

• How growing things democratizes what is a luxury item in our society

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@jessicamurnane

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 Jessica!

Website: baskergardens.com

Want some FREE flower seeds? The first 10 people to email Jessica (Canada and USA only) will receive some! [email protected]

You’ve got IBS. And you don’t want to live a life of restrictive eating. What do you do? Well, in today’s episode two dietitians with IBS-D are going to share what they know to help you enjoy what you’re eating and feel your absolute best. 

Sometimes, eating with irritable bowel syndrome is like playing the slots: you never know what’s going to pop up next. Maybe you’ve been doing well on a low FODMAP diet but all of a sudden your symptoms crop up again….with zero changes to your diet. Or, maybe you can’t seem to figure out which foods are causing issues because sometimes you get symptoms and sometimes you don’t…with the same food!

Which is why I’m chatting with⁠Jessica Roocroft⁠, a dietitian who’s an expert in caring for the different subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome and also somewhat unique in her practice because her programs include gut-directed hypnotherapy as a way to help symptoms reside with as few dietary restrictions as possible.

We’re going to chat about how nutrition influences IBS…and also why foods aren’t necessarily causing your symptoms. They may in fact just be exacerbating the symptoms caused by something else entirely. We’re going to talk about the gut brain connection so you understand its impact on digestive health, totally free of the psuedoscience you usually see on social media. 

Jess shares a wealth of very specific and detailed information on tools and practices that might help you get your symptoms under control so you can actually enjoy food again and learn to live a less restrictive and more enjoyable food life. 

About Jessica Roocroft RD:

Jessica Roocroft (just call her Jess) is a Registered Dietitian from North Vancouver, BC who owns and operates an Irritable Bowel Syndrome-focused private practice. Most importantly, she knows first-hand what it's like to deal with gut drama due to IBS-D. It is her life's work to combine her lived experience with IBS with hundreds of hours of research and continuing education over the years and direct it right back at supporting clients navigate the overwhelming world of IBS.

 On this episode we chat about:

How a family trauma initiated Jess’ IBS-DHow does eating cause symptoms in IBS

Why low FODMAP isn’t right for everyoneUnderstanding the gut-brain connection in IBSThe stress-symptom cycle How the heck does gut directed hypnotherapy work in IBS

What happens low FODMAP or hypnotherapy don’t work for you

Unlearning a restrictive diet in IBSHow to build up your tolerance to fibre

Digestive enzymes in IBS

Correction: around 1h 9m, I misspeak and say 30 different foods a day, I meant a week!

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@jess_nourishes⁠If 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

Are you constipated? Better question: did you know that you could be constipated even if you poop regularly?

As a gut health dietitian, I’m no stranger to the constipation conversation…because constipation is super common: according to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, constipation affects roughly 25% of Canadians. 

In the US? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), constipation affects about 15% of the US population and that number skyrockets if looking at older adults.

And people live with constipation for years - sometimes their whole lives - without realizing that proper nutritional care can actually do a lot to relieve their symptoms. 

Which is why we are chatting with my friend and dietitian colleague Andrea Hardy RD, who is one of my most trusted sources of digestive health information..and the author of a brand new ebook about constipation called Backed UP.

Andrea is going to drop a lot of practical, useful information about what constipation is, what causes it and most importantly, what you can do about it.

We cover everything from exactly what counts as constipation - even if you poop daily! - to the root causes of constipation, how nutrition helps and why throwing a ton of fibre into a constipated body can actually backfire, dramatically. This episode is a must listen for anyone who has a gut, AKA every single human on the planet. 

About Andrea Hardy RD:

Andrea Hardy is a registered dietitian from Calgary, Canada where she runs a multi-disciplinary digestive health practice called Ignite Nutrition.

Her focus is gut health & gastrointestinal diseases and is recognized in the media as Canada’s Gut Health Expert. She is passionate about translating science into ‘easy to digest’ information to support a healthy gut.  She has spoken on the TEDx stage, as well as internationally about digestive health. 

On this episode we chat about:

Support the Pod!

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

A huge thank you to the wonderful folks at One Degree Organics for sponsoring this episode...we love their 100% sprouted oatmeal and granolas!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @andreahardyrd
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!

available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Want to start running, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you want to get back into it after a few years? Desiree is talking with physiotherapist Nick Lo about his fresh approach to running that isn’t about metrics or complicated programs. It’s time to run just for the feel of it.

Nick is the co-owner of Run As You Are, a local run specialty shop as well as the co-founder of Run Ready, a new software tool that uses physiotherapy to help you run your best. 

The conversation starts with Nick’s journey as an entrepreneur that started with him working alongside his dad’s business and then we shift into Nick as running guru: urging us to chill out and just get out the door…with plenty of motivation and sage advice on how to do it.

About Nick Lo:

Nick is a father of one, soon to be two. He’s been a Physiotherapist since 2006, and juggled business and entrepreneurship for the last decade plus. Nick’s first business was Physio Room, which opened its first location in 2011, and a second location in 2015. By 2017, he joined Myodetox as Chief Operating Officer, helping scale business operations across Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

In 2021, Nick’s Vancouver clinics were acquired by Myodetox, and he joined Vancouver Running Company. Since then, they’ve rebranded to RunAsYouAre, moved to West 4th, and are currently in the process of launching a healthy running brand called RunReady.

On this episode we chat about:

Support the Pod!

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

A huge thank you to the wonderful folks at One Degree Organics for sponsoring this episode...we love their 100% sprouted oatmeal and granolas!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @nick_l_o
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

Is meal planning the missing link to help you tackle your nutrition goals? Desiree talks meal planning, intuitive nutrition and more with Vancouver-based dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Lindsay Pleskot RD.

If you’re new around here, you know that I don’t buy into the deprivation-focused messaging of the New Year. But I DO love a season where we feel like anything is possible…so my January episodes are typically focused on non-diet moves to help you live your healthiest life. 

Although everyone on the internet seems to gloss over this fact, healthy living isn’t some two week detox filled with horse-scented capsules and celery juice sadness. But, it also isn’t a sparkly, unicorn-filled paradise you reach only once you eliminate gluten for good. 

Real, transformative healthy eating is about figuring out what works for you and your lifestyle, and then showing up day after day, doing what you can, forever.  It’s about small, sustainable wins…which are often facilitated by moments of motivation to set solid habits in place. 

Which is where meal planning comes in…because if you are super busy (and who isn’t?) eating in line with your intentions requires planning your groceries and meals at least a little so that you don’t end up starving with no food in the fridge on a Wednesday night and ordering takeout. 

So instead of using your good January energy to do something you can’t - and probably shouldn’t - maintain long term, what about using this time to figure out how to make home cooked meals more of a daily reality? 

About Lindsay:

Lindsay is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Food Blogger, and new Cookbook Author: her book The Feel-Good Meal Plan is out now!!

Lindsay is on a mission to make food feel good. Her goal is to remove the guilt, stress and overwhelm around food by helping women get out of the diet cycle and heal their relationship with food. As a busy working mom of two she also knows firsthand the stress of getting meals on the table day in and day out which led her to writing her first cookbook packed with time-saving recipes and strategies designed to simplify meal prep, reduce food waste, and bring more joy to your kitchen!

On this episode we chat about:

Support the Pod!

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

A huge thank you to the wonderful folks at One Degree Organics for sponsoring this episode...we love their 100% sprouted oatmeal and granolas!

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @lindsaypleskot.rd

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!

Show notes, including video, recommendations and links at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Did you know that there are steps you can take as a parent to help reduce the risk of food allergies in your kids? And that all it takes is a surprisingly simple shift in how we feed our babies?

I had my kids in 2010 and 2015, and in just those 5 years, there were massive shifts in everything from how we introduced food allergens into baby’s diet to feeding babies purees vs baby led weaning. It was a bit confusing…and I’m a dietitian!

So when I met Malina Malkani RD at a conference last month, and heard all about her new book, Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention, I immediately asked her to join me here on the pod so we could get a solid re-introduction to, well, the introduction of solids in our babies and learn all about how the science has shifted over the last decade. 

Malina is a New York-based registered dietitian, and she shares so many wonderful, practical tips for navigating baby-led feeding on the podcast, including a ‘why didn’t I think of that’ moment at the end of the episode that actually dropped my jaw.

Whether you’re a new parent, grandparent or a soon-to-be parent, this episode is going to hopefully help you breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to navigating feeding your wee one.

About Malina:

Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN, is the pediatric registered dietitian, best-selling author, speaker, and single mom of 3 behind the Instagram and TikTok handle, @healthy.mom.healthy.kids. A Forbes Health Advisory Board Member since 2022, member of the Advisory Council for the RWJF Reframing Child Health and Obesity project, Kabrita Medical Advisor, and former national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Malina completed her undergraduate degrees at Northwestern University and master's degree in clinical nutrition at New York University.

On this episode we chat about:

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 @healthy.mom.healthy.kids
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!

As a digestive health dietitian, time and time again, I seem to conveniently ignore the fact that the liver is considered part of the digestive system…and this episode is my attempt to correct that glaring oversight! 

Today we are talking all about liver health with Toronto-based dietitian Andy De Santis, including specific nutrition advice for fatty liver disease and I have to say, even if you haven’t thought about liver health in the past, you will be FASCINATED by this episode…because, really, liver health is connected to, and reflects, overall health.

Andy shares so much practical, actionable advice that will help anyone achieve better overall health, from fighting chronic inflammation to improving blood sugar response and supporting cardiovascular health. Because it really is all connected…and nutrition is so, so important for helping you live your healthiest, most active life no matter your health goals.

Yes, we are also going to cover a lot about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In this episode, you’ll gain a better understanding of why NAFLD/MASLD occurs, and how nutrition supports the underlying causes of this increasingly common condition.

About Andy:

Andy is a private practice dietitian and multi-time published author from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from the University of Toronto School Of Public Health with a master’s in nutrition in 2014 before starting his career in the research and education department at Diabetes Canada. Since then his mutual passion for writing and social media has taken him down the private practice path with his most prominent area of practice interest now being fatty liver disease.

On this episode we chat about:

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 @andytheRD

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, available at desireerd.com/podcast