Susan Alsembach

Online, you can find a lot of information about nutrition and wellness, including apps that track calories and others that promote weight loss—it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. However wonderful and interesting these apps might be, they create a disconnect between us and food. They often [...]

As we head into summer with barbecues ready to cook up amazing steaks and burgers, I thought it would be interesting to delve into the world of protein, what it is, how it works, how much you really need, and how to balance it out. Protein is a macronutrient, meaning it is one of the three main food [...]

When considering changing your nutrition, you will likely think of specific diets like ketogenic, paleo, or vegetarian. So, this week I am outlining the four key factors that I discuss with clients when they are looking to make changes to their nutrition and lifestyle. 1. Be aware of how much time [...]

At this time of year, change is all around us. With every sunny day, flowers are blooming, and the leaves are gently opening, announcing the arrival of spring. As we go through life, constant modifications happen within our bodies too. I find that you only notice the change when you look at photos, meet [...]

It might not yet feel like spring is here, but looking at the buds pushing through the ground, we can rest assured that warmth will be upon us. At this time of year, as we prepare our gardens and back yards for a summer barbecue with friends and families, I use this opportunity to go through my kitchen [...]

The last two years have made us all acutely aware that helping and supporting each other is so important to our collective wellbeing. I have worked as a nurse for many years, and more recently as a registered holistic nutritionist whose healthy eating and lifestyle columns appear regularly on ottawalife.com. [...]

When it comes to preparing simple, easy, and tasty meals, warm winter salads are a great option. We tend to think that salads as a meal are reserved for hot summer days but I want to introduce the idea of warm winter salads. They are just as flavourful as their summer counterpart and provide a comforting [...]

As we near the end of January, it is time to reevaluate your New Year’s resolutions to see if they are working or not. I find the idea of making resolutions restrictive as it generally comes with the decision not to do a specific activity or habit that we may have engaged in for many years. This [...]

With a busy family, I just love leftovers. Often overlooked, they are a very precious commodity in your fridge: they save time, reduce waste, and are a source of ready-made meals. This week, I am looking at the various ways you can use leftovers along with different transport and storage options. Simply [...]

One certain thing is that the weather in Ottawa always lets you know when the seasons are changing. Not only do you dress differently with the change of temperature but it also affects how and what you eat. This week I will look at how you can adapt the food you eat so that you’ll feel warm and [...]