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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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.

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:

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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:

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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:

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/ 

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?

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:

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:

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/