Rachelle's blog

Wheat is a cereal grain cultivated around the world. It is a leading source of vegetable protein in the human diet and, after rice, is the main human food crop. Clearly, wheat is a valuable food source. As with most things in life, with the good comes some bad. Wheat is associated with a number of health issues. Among more well-known wheat-associated disorders such as allergic and autoimmune (e.g., celiac disease) are those related to increases in insulin. Wheat-induced increases in insulin are linked to a number of negative outcomes. Included in these is acne.

The Health Benefits of Travel

Travelling is definitely one of my favorite things. I have fond memories of family vacations as a child, travelling with girlfriends after high school and now family vacations with my husband and children. Travel has always been incredibly rewarding and enjoyable for me. While it has been generally accepted for centuries that travel and vacations provide time to relax and rejuvenate, more and more research indicates that travelling may also provide long-term health benefits.

I was looking for some dinner inspiration the other night, so I opened my new cookbook, “It’s All Good” by Gwenyth Paltrow and Julia Turshen. One recipe in particular caught my eye, “Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mustard and Parsley”. My first thought was, what interesting combinations. More importantly, was the delicious use of a cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower. Yummy!

Seaweed is the commonly used name for a large range of marine (both fresh and salt water) plants and algae. Seaweed is full of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Most notable is its high content of iodine, a nutrient seldom found in other foods. Seaweed not only provides the base of most marine food chains, but also provides a wide range of benefits to humans (see this article for a more comprehensive discussion of the benefits). Among these benefits are dietary and medicinal.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jing refers to our genetic blueprint. Jing is passed from parents at conception. In order to increase fertility and pass along strong Jing to our children, a healthy lifestyle is important. Among other things, eating healthy food, getting enough rest and managing stress play roles in supporting Jing. Jing is stored in the kidneys. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are associated with the reproductive system. Therefore, when thinking of foods to support your fertility (i.e., to impact the quality of your eggs or your sperm) nurture your Jing.