You don’t have to be an environmental psychologist to understand that plants look attractive. But dig a little deeper beneath their beauty and you’ll discover that the benefits of interior landscaping go far beyond the aesthetic. Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash Plants help improve air quality There is general agreement amongst scientists that plants improve the indoor environment and are useful in fighting the modern phenomenon of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).  No specific cause of SBS has been identified but poor air quality, excessive background noise and inadequate control of li ..read more

Eating seasonal and local produce is a great place to start, but there are also certain foods that are more ecologically problematic than others. Foods with the Highest Environmental Impacts Lamb People often state beef to be the most impactful food source, but in fact, lamb has a 50% higher greenhouse gas emissions level than beef. Lambs provide a lot less edible meat than cows, hence the overall higher environmental impact. Photo by Charles G on Unsplash This is applicable to conventionally, mass-raised animals. The emissions and r ..read more

Health Promotion: human and environmental well-being Sustainability is a multifaceted issue, in which our diets and food production industry play a crucial role. Achieving a healthy and sustainable food future is an urgent matter that depends on global collaborative efforts. Nature is what provides us with healthy food and water, shelter, protection from disasters and pandemics. When it does not receive reciprocal sustainable treatment the balance scale tips and harm in inevitable. What does food have to do with sustainability? The most frequently quoted definition was put forth by the U.N.’s ..read more

VITAMINS The word vitamin comes from the Latin word “vita” meaning life. They are essential for the functioning of our bodies and the performance of metabolism.  Characteristics of Vitamins:  Organic compounds: made of carbon and hydrogen Natural component of food: present naturally without processing Essential for normal function Each vitamin is related to a specific deficiency syndrome: it allows us to effectively determine which unique vitamin is lacking in the diet or from malabsorption. Not synthesized by the host in adequate amounts: thus the vitamin must be obtained from a food source ..read more

Dates come from date palms and have been one of the oldest cultivated foods used medicinally. The fruits have many medicinal properties when taken alone or in combination with other herbs. Numerous new studies have identified a number of beneficial phytochemicals that serve our health. Research is currently being held exploring why dates are beneficial in treating various conditions due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties. Dates have been found to be one of the best ingredients for improving brain health, increased muscle development, metabolism regulation, and m ..read more

Banana bread is hands down one of my favourite recipes to make. People often think it’s a boring recipe but I think when it comes to baking there is absolutely no limits. Spice up the ingredients, mix in random things and see if it tastes good. Chickpeas, even tho typically known for their presence in savoury dishes, are naturally a pretty bland food which allows us to use it in wide array of ways. Sooo… use it in a banana bread. This gives us an edge over other banana breads because chickpeas are far less calorie dense, and make the banana bread much more moist (I very much enjoy the word “mo ..read more

Once in a while everyone will face a problem falling asleep, which is normal, however, many people start to develop habits that will harm their sleep in the long run. Once you have disturbed your sleeping regime it is common to start turning to many unhelpful methods of sleeping including pharmaceuticals, drugs, alcohol… Pharmaceuticals should be used as a last resort only in severe conditions. After researching some psychological topics related to sleep I compiled a small list of steps that I see very true and beneficial to reduce the occasional insomnia ..read more

Out in the western hemisphere, it is not likely that you will come across a person who uses or knows about Shilajit. Shilajit (also called Mumio) is mountain resin; as tectonic plates move this substance gets squeezed out into the surface. It can be found only in the central asia (Altai, Caucasus range, Karakoram, Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas), and is collected from the crevices in mountains. It is also sometime referred to as Mountain Blood and Stone Juice. The composition of shilajit is a well balanced mix of organic and inorganic compounds, making it a natural multivitamin. The unique ..read more

Weed is probably most popular recreationally used drug. The isolated compounds of the plant are now sky-rocketing on the market. Especially in here in Canada and states like Colorado where weed has been legalized, the suppliers are providing a huge variety of products from just the isolated compounds (pure CBD oil, pure THC gummies, drinks are coming to the market soon). THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive compound which is used to attain a “high”. Users often look for a higher content of THC in weed strains and products (oils, drops, edibles), but THC is actually the compound linke ..read more

Eating should not be something to stress over, it should be free-flowing, and enjoyable. For that reason (and many other reasons) I hate meal prep. Meal prep carpmentalizes your meals into boxes, the idea of which I do not like. I like to eat whatever I feel like eating and my body feels it needs. Maybe meal prep is a good way to start eating healthy if that is a new habit, however if you are like me and are already habituated into clean, whole eating I recommend to stay away from boxing your food. Additionally, your food will not be fresh and you nutritional variety will be limited to the fo ..read more