If you have ADHD, or wonder if you do, this episode is an important one…we’re talking all about how neurodivergence impacts your nutrition and the way you feed yourself with Marilee Pumple RD, dietitian with ADHD herself who has an enormous amount of experience helping others navigate nutrition in both neurodivergence and eating disorders.
When I started this podcast, it was super important to me that we talk about, well, all sorts of topics surrounding wellness…and not just the ones you might expect.
Which is why today’s chat is so important to me: we’re gonna talk about how neurodivergence impacts your ability to feed yourself and, most importantly, tools that can help you thrive.
More than a few of my friends have ADHD - and interestingly, most received their diagnoses in adulthood, NOT childhood - so I’m grateful to have one of them, Victoria-based registered dietitian Marilee Pumple on the pod to talk about her experience with living with ADHD and her professional expertise in supporting folks with neurodivergence in navigating nutrition.
Today’s episode is a must listen for neurodivergent folks and the folks who love them: we are going to cover nutrition considerations for both adults and kids, including navigating selective eating for parents!
An important note before you listen: we are going to talk about eating disorders, both as part of Marilee’s lived experience but also as an important consideration in neurodivergence as the risk of eating disorders is increased. So if that’s not right for you, go ahead and skip this episode and we’ll see you next time!
About Marilee Pumple RD:
Marilee Pumple (she/her) is a non-diet registered dietitian, late-identified ADHDer, and co-founder of Little Spuds Nutrition—a neurodivergent-affirming pediatric and family nutrition practice based in Victoria, BC. She specializes in eating disorders and neurodivergent nutrition, offering trauma-informed, size-inclusive care that honours body autonomy, sensory needs, and lived experience.
Rooted in Health at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating, Marilee’s approach is light-hearted, empathetic, and deeply client-centered—supporting folks to build trust with food and their bodies without shame. She resides in Victoria, where she enjoys her days being a mom to her wild toddler and her love for all things cheese.
On this episode we chat about:
Marilee’s experience arriving at an ADHD diagnosis in her 30s
Understanding how neurodivergence influences your ability to feed yourself
Why eating disorders are common in neurodivergence
Simple strategies to automate your meal planning
Why mechanical eating can help you get in touch with your hunger cues
How to manage decreased appetite due to medications
When the time is right to layer on positive nutrition
Tips for parents feeding neurodivergent kids
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 @marilee_dietitian @spudsnutrition
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!
Whether you’re getting into strength training for the first time or starting to take running a little more seriously, you might have already noticed that your body feels like it needs a little more from your nutrition.
Maybe you’re dealing with a ton of soreness, or not feeling as strong as you’d like. It’s time to shift the mindset from everyday nutrition to performance nutrition.
Which honestly, is something that I know like zero about so I’m stoked to welcome Dr Emily Dow PhD to the pod to talk all about dialling in your nutrition so you can get stronger, faster and feel your best.
Today’s episode is packed full of juicy nuggets to help you bust through the rhetoric of performance nutrition online and start to figure out what works for you. Alongside her research, she’s also worked as a performance-driven nutrition coach for the past 5 years, and it really shows because her advice is just so clear and practical and instantly applicable.
About Dr Emily Dow PhD:
Dr. Emily Dow is a nutrition scientist with a passion for making science practical and approachable. She earned her PhD in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences from Arizona State University, where her research explored how resistance training and dietary interventions impact the gut microbiome, intestinal health, mood, and cognition.
On this episode we chat about:
Exactly how much protein you need, according to the science
How ditching carbs tanks your performance
Why EVERY woman needs to lift weights
Nutrient timing matters: here’s how to eat pre + post workout
Nutrition for weight training vs endurance athletes
Intestinal permeability AKA leaky gut in athletics
Is vinegar actually a science-backed way to improve your health?
Do you need to cycle sync your workouts and nutrition?
Should you take creatine?
Let’s talk electrolytes: who really needs them?
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 @nutritionalgangster
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 https://desireerd.com/podcast/
I know this is gonna seem a wee bit hypocritical, given that I owe my career to the internet, but as a dietitian, I cannot stand just how warped online nutrition information has become.
Because at its best, the apps give you access to incredible, evidence-based practitioners that can help expose you to information that can really help you take charge of your health.
…but at its worst? The internet is filled with misleading, and downright dangerous, information that circulates in an echo chamber of grifters making money off the views and the supplement sales. So how do you actually engage in wellness online without losing your mind?
I’ve invited my friend and colleague, Clara Nosek RD, another very online dietitian for a super nuanced conversation about internet wellness and how we begin to wade through it in order to get what we need without losing the plot entirely.
How do we sort fact from fiction? Figure out who’s legit and who’s not…even if they have some sort of credential *cough, glucose goddess, cough* and how do we start to tune in and trust our own knowing about our body as well as giving ourselves permission not to choke through some chalky, sludgy smoothie we hate just because it’s “wellness”...and maybe just have a bowl of noodles?
About Clara Nosek RD:
Clara Nosek is a US-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the creator behind Your Dietitian BFF. Clara works through the lens of non-diet, providing fun and educational messages that remain in alignment with her commitment to accessible wellness and nutrition. Meet Clara on socials @yourdietitianbff, where she excels in making sustainable nutrition relatable, engaging, and honest, serving up evidence-based advice with a pinch of cheekiness.
On this episode we chat about:
How social media is transforming how we interact with wellness
The viral factors that keep you hooked on content
A few red flags when you’re trying to find good quality information online
The create anxiety to sell a solution sales pipeline
Understanding that we don’t all have access to the same wellness choices
The factors you might not realize are influencing your health and food choices
Getting clear on the foundations of wellness
What we lose when we’re constantly scrolling
Why it’s okay to engage in the fun wellness stuff if it appeals to 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 @yourdietitianbff
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 www.desireerd.com/podcast
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
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! hello@baskergardens.com
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
If there is one diet we talk about most in nutrition, it’s the Mediterranean diet. Year after year, it gets ranked as one of the “best diets” in the world (what the heck does that even mean?!?) but as a registered dietitian, I think there is a lot that goes unsaid about this way of eating.
Namely, that it’s not a “diet” at all…it’s a specific dietary pattern. AND…that it actually has very little to do with the Mediterranean region itself. Curious?
Then you’ll want to listen to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast with Montreal-based dietitian Vanessa Perrone RD.
We talk about what the Mediterranean Diet is - and isn’t - as well as the scientific and cultural context behind this way of eating and how we can integrate that knowledge for our own nutritional needs.
Vanessa is author of Everyday Mediterranean: a complete guide to the Mediterranean diet and as someone with Italian heritage, she also happens to have a more intimate knowledge of the cultural context behind the research.
This might not be the conversation you are expecting about the Mediterranean diet…but we hope it’s the one you need! We go in depth on the lifestyle and cultural components of this dietary pattern as well as the Euro-centric nature of nutrition research and what this actually means for other cultural dietary practices that are less well studied.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about this episode!
About Vanessa:
Vanessa Perrone is a Registered Dietitian, speaker and clinical director of the virtual nutrition practice Motive Nutrition, which focuses on women’s health and chronic disease. She is also a recipe developer and the author of Everyday Mediterranean, a cookbook focusing on the Mediterranean way of life.
On this episode we chat about:
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If you’re thinking about going vegan as a family, or you’re already vegan and expecting a wee one and wanting to raise them vegan, this is the episode for you!
As a plant-based dietitian and mom of 2, this is an episode I’ve been meaning to do for a while!
There is a lot of misinformation about feeding kids a vegan diet…and a weird amount of negative headlines that have been attributed to vegan eating that were really parents not feeding their kids properly.
So I’m super excited to be chatting with registered dietitian Karla Moreno-Bryce RD, who focuses specifically on vegan pediatric nutrition, all about how to feed vegan kids well.
The reality of fostering healthy growth and development isn’t all that different, whether your children are omnivores, vegetarian or vegan. Kids have specific nutrient needs, like protein or calcium, and you simply need to ensure that you are offering foods rich in those nutrients!
So in this episode, we get into specifics about nutrients of concern and which foods and supplements are essential for meeting their needs. It will help you get clearer on how to plan your family meals so that your kids thrive on a plant-based diet.
About Karla:
Karla Moreno-Bryce, MDA, RD, LD is a leading expert in pediatric vegan nutrition, author of the Vegan Kids Cookbook, and mom of two vegan girls. She has worked with hundreds of committed vegan parents from all around the world to help them feel confident feeding their kids a vegan diet for proper growth and development.
Her insights have been featured in highly recognized outlets like Huffpost, BBC, and National Geographic and has been a speaker at the Vegan Women Summit, Twin Cities Veg Fest, and NYU Langone Health. In her spare time, she enjoys having picnics with her family—unless it's in the middle of Winter in Minnesota.
On this episode we chat about:
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We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…
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Need an in-depth update on nutrition for celiac disease? This episode with dietitian Meghan Donnelly and Vanessa Weisbrod of The Celiac Disease Foundation will have you sorted, whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been living with celiac disease for a while now!
Celiac disease is truly unique: it’s the only autoimmune disease that is treated by diet. And as a gut health dietitian, I got my start supporting people with Celiac disease in navigating the gluten free diet…but it’s been a while since I chatted about nutrition for celiac disease (even since I wrote Good For Your Gut!) so I thought it would be great to check in with a couple of experts - Meghan Donnelly RD and Vanessa Weisbrod of the Celiac Disease Foundation.
We’re going to cover Celiac disease from all angles, so whether you’re wondering if you have it, you’re newly diagnosed or you’ve been living with Celiac for a while now, there is something here for you! We’re talking about everything from how Celiac disease is different from a food allergy…and why it’s ESSENTIAL to get tested for Celiac disease before you even think of ditching gluten.
Meghan covers the confusion about celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and IBS as well as whether those gluten enzymes actually work. From Vanessa, we hear about the real impact of lifelong gluten free eating on quality of life and the exciting new research that may change how you live with the disease.
About Meghan:
Meghan Donnelly, MS RD, is the Director of Health Communications at the Celiac Disease Foundation. As a Registered Dietitian specializing in digestive diseases, her nutrition philosophy is simple: everyone deserves to enjoy food that is delicious and supportive of their health. Throughout her career as a dietitian, Meghan has made it her mission to empower people with knowledge about how food affects their bodies while acknowledging the unique emotions and challenges that come with navigating medically necessary diet changes.
About Vanessa:
Vanessa Weisbrod is the Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer at the Celiac Disease Foundation where she drives change in healthcare through education. With a personal diagnosis of celiac disease in 2004, she's dedicated nearly two decades of her career to bridging knowledge gaps, leading research initiatives, and creating national recommendations to support patients living with celiac 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 @celiacdiseasefoundation .
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 www.desireerd.com/podcast
Of all the hot topics in nutrition, there are few as loud - and confusing - as protein. As a plant-based dietitian, I’ve seen it all: from a dietitian telling everyone to go on a low protein diet (what?!?) to a trainer telling everyone to eat their body weight in protein (double what!).
So in this solo episode, I wanted to do a deep dive on the topic of protein itself - what is protein? and why does the body need it? - to help you figure out exactly how much protein you need to eat in a day and why there is so much confusion around the topic.
We’re getting into some deeply nerdy territory with this one, just like my episodes on sugar and inflammation but I promise, I’ll make the science of protein easily digestible (dietitian pun very much intended!).
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.
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 episode recommendations, at www.desireerd.com/podcast
I’ve noticed how food content on social media has started to veer towards viral food combinations…but making a cake out of mushed up oreos or wraps out of cottage cheese isn’t exactly what you want for dinner.
Creating reliable and exciting plant-based recipes that you’ll use again and again takes a lot of skill and a lot of passion.
So I am so excited to be talking with Nisha Vora, the lawyer turned YouTube and food blog sensation behind Rainbow Plant Life, who has an incredible new cookbook out called Big Vegan Flavour.
I got to sit down with Nisha to talk about her new book as well as her life as a content creator - which is not always what people imagine it to be. Nisha shares more about why she chose to leave law for a career in food as well as a bit about her creative process and how she navigates the never ending cycle of content creation. And of course, we chat about how she learned to make flavourful food she is excited to eat and how you can too!
About Nisha Vora:
Nisha Vora is a cookbook author, content creator, and former lawyer known for her innovative approach to vegan cooking. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2012 and working as a lawyer, she exchanged her casebooks for cookbooks to follow her dream in the food world by creating Rainbow Plant Life, the vegan cooking website.
With over 2 million followers across her blog and social channels, Nisha’s dedication to creating accessible, delicious, and meticulously tested plant-based recipes has earned her a loyal following and widespread recognition.
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 @rainbowplantlife .
If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!
If you’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:
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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 @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:
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!
