Last Monday, I went to the lab for updated blood work, including a thyroid hormone panel, additional thyroid antibody tests, and an iron panel. I have moved past the frustration of there being no pricelist available for consumers who are self-paying for lab tests, and am now focusing on the lab test results, and the dietary changes that I need to make in light of those, as I am recovering from hypothyroidism. The results came back late Monday afternoon and I met with my doctor to discuss them on Thursday, The good news is that based on calculation estimates converting the bovine Natural Desicc ..read more

NOTICE: This my personal experience as a private consumer of lab services, and is not related to my profession as a Dietitian. This article is posted in a separate section of the web page titled “A Dietitian’s Journey” which is about my personal health journeys. “A Dietitian’s Journey – Part I” was about my two year journey recovering from obesity, and poor metabolic health and “A Dietitian’s Journey-Part II” is my current  personal journey recovering from hypothyroidism. This article is written as a private consumer, which is why it is categorized as a personal account, and an editorial ..read more

Yesterday (October 22, 2022), I was the Dietitian representing low carb and keto diets in the management of type 2 diabetes at the Diabetes Canada Let’s End Diabetes Virtual Conference. I co-presented with two other Dietitians; Jenna Walsh, RD, CDE who represented intermittent fasting, and Alka Chopra, RD, CDE who represented a plant-based approach. I had hoped to be able to be able to post a link to the talk so that people could watch it, but that wasn’t possible. It also could not be downloaded and posted, so I made it as easy as possible for those who want to watch the talk to be able to do ..read more

This morning I met with my doctor for my 6-week follow-up appointment to review my ongoing hypothyroid symptoms, current T4 & T3 medication dosages, and to discuss additional blood work to see how my body is responding to medication, as well as nutrient supplementation. I continue to be in awe of how cooperative my doctor is being! I am very well aware how many people with hypothyroidism do NOT get this kind of support from their doctors! I am very thankful. My doctor agreed to my request for a thyroid panel [TSH, free T4, and free T3] even though I may have to pay for FT3 because of the p ..read more

This article is the fourth entry in A Dietitian’s Journey Part II, which began with my recent diagnosis of hypothyroidism. This post is about how I will measure success as I recover from hypothyroidism. NOTE: Articles posted under A Dietitian’s  Journey are separate from referenced clinical articles (categorized as Science Made Simple articles) because these are about what happened to me (i.e., anecdotal) and based on my personal observation. A Dietitian’s Journey – Part I What “success” looked like after the first A Dietitian’s Journey “A Dietitian’s Journey” (Part I) was my personal wei ..read more

We form opinions based on what we see and while we do so unintentionally, in developing that opinion, we judge by appearance. DISCLAIMER: (August 28, 2022): This article a personal account posted under A Dietitian’s Journey. The information in this post should in no way be taken as a recommendation to self-diagnose, self-interpret diagnostic tests, or self-treat any suspected disorder. It is essential that people who suspect they may have symptoms of any condition consult with their doctor, as only a medical doctor can diagnose and treat. The photos below are both of me. On the left ..read more

This article is the second entry in A Dietitian’s Journey Part II, which began with my recent diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The first entry in Part II was written last Friday, and you can find it here. This article is about how I will measure success in recovering my health a second time. NOTE: Articles posted under A Dietitian’s  Journey are separate from referenced clinical articles (categorized as Science Made Simple articles) because these are about what happened to me (i.e., anecdotal) and based on my personal observation. DISCLAIMER: The information in this post should not be taken a ..read more

Three weeks ago, I wrote an article for my long-standing dietetic practice (BetterByDesign Nutrition Ltd.)  about how a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made and why it takes until someone has been unwell for quite a while before they are finally diagnosed. In one sense, that article laid the foundation for this one, and in another sense this article is the most recent update of my personal weight and health-recovery story (A Dietitian’s Journey). Two years ago, in the summer of 2019, I was feeling fantastic and was in remission of type 2 diabetes and hypertension and was celebrating my “li ..read more

FREE DOWNLOAD   Includes the “game changer” recipe that led to the development of all the others. Click on the free download button below to get your FREE 27-page booklet with recipe. Finally, there is low-carb bread made without nut flour, cheese, or beaten egg whites, and that contains no psyllium, chia seed, xanthan gum, guar gum, or inulin which cause many people digestive issues. It is low carb, high protein, and tastes like “real bread that happens to be low carb.” Low Carb Breads of the World is much more than a cookbook or a collection of recipes. The book introduces low-ca ..read more

I never planned to write a low carb bread book, but it came about due to both interest and need.  Beginning in September 2021, I began to experiment with low carb breads that were not made from nut flour. By mid-December I was finally successful and posted the recipe for Low Carb High Protein Yeast Bread, and this bread turned out to be a “game changer”.  It was what I called “real bread that happens to be low carb.” But, most impressive were the macros! Each slice of Low Carb High Protein Yeast Bread had only 1.6g net carbs and 11.4 g protein. I knew I was onto something. The ingred ..read more