Susan Alsembach

February was Healthy Heart Month, so here are a few fun facts regarding our heart. Did you know that your heart is roughly the size of your fist; it pumps about 115,000 litres of blood a day and weighs less than a pound? Its most important role is to pump blood around the body, so it makes sense that [...]

One question I use to dread was ‘what am I going to make for dinner tonight?' It was an awful feeling not knowing what are we were going to eat. Then, I would think of various options only to realize that for each one I was missing a certain ingredient. By this time, everyone in the family [...]

The fourth of February was Homemade National Soup Day. To celebrate this, I will be looking at the value of adding homemade soups to your meal planning, how you can easily increase your vegetable intake, as well as lifestyle and health benefits of soup. I firmly believe that good food does not have to [...]

Above: Gluten free, vegan, banana-oat smoothie! (PHOTO: Dmitrii Ivanov, istock) January is oat month and although February is just around the corner, I feel there is still time to celebrate the importance of oats. So, this week we are be looking at the various ways to integrate oats into our diets, [...]

This week we will look at the practical and health advantages of using a slow cooker. For those of who don't already own one, the ease of preparing a meal in the morning in a one-step preparation — doing all the chopping, cutting, and measuring, setting the timer — and then being able [...]

It is thought that New Year’s resolutions date back to Babylonian times when people would plant crops, pledge loyalty to their king and pay back any debts they might have. New year has come and gone and people’s resolutions and their good intentions are slowly fading into the distance. Do [...]

Although this holiday season will be like no other we have ever had there is still a strong sense of wanting to celebrate. We are looking forward to the holidays with its festive foods and taking time to connect with friends and family, even though we will be forced to do our visiting virtually. Feasting [...]

The outdoor markets with their colourful vegetables might be gone until next summer but that doesn't mean you should be at a loss as to what vegetables to cook. There are several reasons to continue eating local and in season during the winter months. Winter vegetables are highly underrated; not [...]

When we think of grains with regards to our health and well-being, we tend to focus on the same ones, so this week I wanted to discuss the health benefits of using an alternative grain such as spelt in your diet and how this can support your health and the various products that you can find in the grocery [...]

Above: A little-known grain, millet is a healthy alternative to rice. In North America millet is mainly used for bird food and is not something people eat very often, if at all. But, there are many health benefits that can be gained by including this amazing little grain in your diet. It's handy [...]