Nutrition for Noobs

When people (yes, I'm talking to you, my fellow noobs!) start thinking about incorporating more plant-forward food in their diets, they often wonder what to buy and keep on hand to make those last-minute meals. Well, thankfully, we have Michelle to break it all down for us and provide some amazing suggestions for what to keep on hand in your pantry, fridge, freezer and even your spice rack! Happy cooking!

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Michelle shares two recent articles about environmental impacts to our microbiome. The first is all about emulsifiers, and how they can impact the good little buggies that live in our guts, and what to look for (and possibly avoid) on lists of ingredients. She also shares an interesting study about astronauts, and how living in the 'purity' of the space station is impacting their gut bacteria.

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We got a listener question that was wide open: "What's the deal with salt?" so Michelle did her best to answer it (and did an amazing job of it). We discuss salt, how much you need, how much might be too much, how to read food labels, and the importance of the type of salt you use (yes, it matters!). And Michelle grosses out Kevin with lots of talk about goiters.

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This week, we're pleased to have a great discussion with another special guest - Chef Kim Sutherland, Manager Nutrition & Wellness of Ronald McDonald House in Southwestern Ontario Chapter. Chef Kim talks about the journey RMH made under her guidance to encourage their guests to be more engaged and thoughtful with their food and nutrition during their stay at RMH. It's a great conversation that touches on getting kids bu...

In this bonus episode, recorded when we were chatting with María Mancini Cenobio from Mayana Cacao (see episodes 33 and 34 for those 'official' discussions), we started talking about chocolate ceremonies, and their origin and continuing influence. María shared with us the surprising origin of these ceremonies, and it's definitely not what you think it is. Grab your favourite cacao (not less than 85% I hope) and buckle u...

In this episode, Michelle goes full-nerd on us and breaks down some of the nutritional benefits of quality chocolate. It makes you want to drink a cup every morning for health! (Really!)

This is part two of our conversation with María Mancini Cenobio, who owns and operates Mayana Cacao. María sources heirloom cocao from her native Mexico to create high quality chocolate - and we pick her brain all about the history of chocolate in t...

In this episode, Michelle and Kevin sit down with María Mancini Cenobio, who owns and operates Mayana Cacao. María sources heirloom cocao from her native Mexico to create high quality chocolate - and we pick her brain all about the history of chocolate in that country, as well as some of its benefits.

You can find María's chocolate at mayana.ca, and she is offering our Noobs 10% off by using code "N4N10" at checkout on h...

Michelle discusses a few of the top food trends that consumer reported throughout 2024 - it's a bit of a test to see how on-point we are here at N4N (spoiler alert: we're REALLY on trend!) But it's also nice to know that perhaps we're not all alone in seeking better nutrition - so let's hear what "average consumers" are thinking about the foods they eat (and the foods they're choosing to avoid).

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New year, new attitude! After a hiatus for the last few months, we're back in your podcast feed, and ready to talk (and laugh) about food, travels and everything in between. In this inaugural episode, we get caught up on what we've been up to since the summer, among other topics.

Got a question for Michelle? A topic suggestion? Send them all to n4noobs@gmail.com. And don't forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts (or where ev...

In our final summer short, Kevin flies solo (heaven help us!) and shares his becoming-infamous plant-based Caesar salad dressing recipe. As promised in the episode, here is the ingredients list. You'll have to listen to find out the steps to make it.

• ½ cup hummus
• 2 tbsp panko
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• dash of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon ...

In this week's summer short, Michelle breaks out her kitchen tool belt and talks about some of her favourite kitchen equipment and utensils, that can make cooking and baking a whole lot easier. And more fun!

Got a question for Michelle? A topic suggestion? Send them all to n4noobs@gmail.com. And don't forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts (or where ever you listen to us) and leave us a review - it really helps other listeners ...

Another summer short for you. This week, Michelle shares some of the most common plant-based ingredient substitutions, for when you’re baking or cooking and trying to adapt a ‘traditional’ recipe that calls for milk, eggs, oil, etc.

Got a question for Michelle? A topic suggestion? Send them all to n4noobs@gmail.com. And don't forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts (or where ever you listen to us) and leave us a review - it really h...

Summer is here, and while Michelle and Kevin are out enjoying the weather, they're not inside recording podcasts. So throughout summer, they will bring you shorter "snack-size" episodes they're calling "summer shorts." This week, Kevin gets an answer to a question about an ingredient he has been using for years, but never knew what, exactly, it was. Holy Marmite, Batman!

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In a continuation of episode 24, Michelle now switches to a discussion on blue zones conducted by Dan Buettner, which was an update about 35 years after Leaf’s study. Michelle talks about Blue Zones and the ‘power nine’ commonalities between these communities. She wraps up with a real-life example of a recent Blue Zone in action (yes, we’re talking about you Airdrie).

Got a question for Michelle? A topic suggestion? Send them all to...

We all want to live longer - and healthier - lives. But is there a template we can follow? While there’s no guarantees (of course!), we might be able to find some clues by looking at regions of the world where people, on average, live longer and healthier. What are their lifestyles like? Michelle breaks out her atlas and we join her on a journey to Vilcabamba, Ecuador, the Caucasus region, Pakistan’s Hunza Valley and Okinawa, Japan...

Michelle takes a question from the audience based on our previous carb episode. Plus we take a few unexpected detours along the way as we get around to answering the question (of course)!!

Got a question for Michelle? A topic suggestion? Send them all to n4noobs@gmail.com. And don't forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts (or where ever you listen to us) and leave us a review - it really helps other listeners like you to find us. Th...

The holy trinity of nutrition: fat, protein and... carbs! We've discussed the first two, and now it's time for Michelle to bust the many many many rumours about carbs. (Spoiler: they're really not that bad - in fact, they're great for you!) She discusses how to healthily include carbs into your eating, and what carbs to avoid, as well as some of the potential health issues with "low carb" diets.

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A listener question leads us down a deep rabbit hole in this episode. Independently, the WHO and government of Canada have recently updated their recommendations on alcohol consumption, bringing the recommended amounts down to (practically) zero. Michelle dives into the science behind how alcohol effects the body and overall health, to make sense of these changes. You may want to rethink what you put in your glass the next time you...