Critical Judgment Blog Posts

Balance Factor
Shannon

Ohhhh Shhhhhugar, It’s Tempting!

You know that feeling that is so hard to resist. You think “just one more” then you’ll stop and use some restraint next time. But it happens again – not on a regular basis but in moments when no one is looking, or when you think you’ve earned it. Wait! What are we talking about

Read More »
Body Chemistry
Shannon

The Instant Gratification Paradox (Part Two)

Our obsession with looking healthy is no more than an instant gratification paradox where the reward of seeing the scales go down actually contradicts what dictates good health.  High bone density, high muscle mass, and good hydration are all indicators of a healthy body that make up the majority of our weight.  Body fat, on

Read More »
Body Chemistry
Shannon

The Instant Gratification Paradox – (Part One)

Instant gratification is a powerful force. It’s often the reason why we achieve our goals. But what happens when the gratification we are getting is taking us down the wrong road? Weight loss can be a perfect example of this. When we want to reduce our size, we look to weight loss for reassurance that

Read More »
Balance Factor
Shannon

The Virtual Coffee Shop with Mark Carbone – Session 18

“Pull up a chair in the virtual coffee shop as Mark Carbone speaks one-on-one with interesting guests who are working for change in their schools, districts and communities. Mark is a long time Ontario educator and, although retired, continues to go out and seek the conversations that are going to change the way we think

Read More »
Blood Sugar Stabilization
Shannon

Healthy Lifestyles and Social Distancing

One take home message from this COVID experience is that staying healthy means adopting lifestyle behaviours that are sustainable.  For example, we certainly cannot self-isolate forever, but we can justify staying home when we know we are sick.  We certainly cannot wear a mask in public indefinitely, but we can remember to wear a mask

Read More »
Critical Judgment
Shannon

Those Beautiful Curves!

There’s a lot wrong with the legend of the Sabines – a group of wives, sisters, and mothers of an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains just north of Rome.  Legend has it that the Romans held a mock competition and abducted the woman of Sabine on the 18th of August 753

Read More »
Blood Sugar Stabilization
Shannon

A Sweet Post for Sweetheart’s Day!

If it wasn’t for the sweet molecule, glucose, we humans wouldn’t be alive! Our bodies make glucose out of the foods we eat so consuming those sweet foods in moderation is manageable for the body.  However, sweet foods like sugar, agave, honey, and maple syrup are not strictly made up of glucose.  Sugar is equal

Read More »
Body Chemistry
Shannon

Saturated Fat and the Thermostat

“It’s unfortunate that coconut oil has been given this health halo” says the latest human nutrition expert.  Here we go again! Nutrition advice about a food that is bad, then good, then bad to eat.  In CBC news, a recent article makes the same old argument about foods, like coconut oil that are naturally high

Read More »
Critical Judgment
Shannon

Dryer Lint, A Box of Clementines and White Vinegar!

What does dryer lint, a box of clementines, and a jug of white vinegar all have in common? – A healthy way to remind us how to enjoy the gifts of winter. When the clementines start arriving at the grocery store around mid-November, our hibernation begins.  We stop hanging our clothes out on the line,

Read More »
Blood Sugar Stabilization
Shannon

Can We Really Blame Fructose For Causing Metabolic Syndrome?

When it comes to survival, the body will do anything it can to beat the odds.  Breaking down ‘fructose’, a naturally occurring sugar, is one of those survival tactics that the body figured out millions of years ago – a time when animals and some humans needed to hibernate.  Unfortunately we are now stuck with

Read More »
Balance Factor
Shannon

The 80:10:10 Rule

“Hey Balance Factor, what do you think of (type in the latest) diet?” The Balance Factor: This is our favourite question! We have adapted the ‘80:20 rule’ into the ‘80:10:10 rule’ to answer this one properly. Inevitably, the likelihood of something being effective is dependent on the 80:10:10 rule where; 80% of the population will

Read More »
Scroll to Top