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Time to see: A holistic nutritionist

By Rani Sheen | January 13th, 2010 | 2:00 pm

10 comments

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I’m becoming more and more interested in the way every morsel I eat affects my health — my energy level, my hair, my mood, my skin — so I was excited to see that 889 Yonge (889 Yonge Street, 416-925-7206, 889yonge.com), Toronto’s bastion of gleaming eco-friendliness, is now offering the services of a certified holistic nutritionist alongside its yoga classes, spa services, and TCM, osteopathy and naturopathy practitioners.

Joy McCarthy (pictured) is a glowing example of shining health, with a gentle and pleasant way of nudging you towards making better food decisions for the sake of your health. She’s a font of information, and many of her tips have stayed with me (admittedly, I’m already doing a lot of the things she’d usually recommend, like avoiding sugar, white flour and processed foods). Here are my favourite ideas:

  • If you change one thing about your diet, start every morning with a tall glass of water with the juice of quarter of a lemon squeezed into it. This stimulates the digestive system and detoxifies the liver, among other benefits.
  • As a general guideline, try to eat 40% lean protein, 20% healthy fat and 40% complex carbs at every meal and snack for optimum nutrition, digestibility and satisfaction (i.e. no three o’clock cravings).
  • Cut down on soy. McCarthy says many women she sees who have hormone imbalances are helped just by limiting soy dairy products and tofu in their diets. Opt for tempeh instead–the fermentation makes it easier to digest.
  • If you can’t tolerate dairy, try Kefir, the fermented yogurt drink, which may be easier on lactose-intolerant tummies. It tastes a little fizzy, but once you get used to it it’s great on muesli with fruit.
  • Try taking two tablespoons of chia seeds a day for omega-3s and tons of other mineral benefits – I’ve switched my daily flax for chia after Joy extolled its superior benefits. I just stir it with water or rice milk and gulp it down.
  • When you eat bread, go for pumpernickel, rye, spelt or kamut, as many whole-wheat breads are just white bread with molasses added for colour.
  • Get a water filter installed on the kitchen tap.

    • Another great tip was to switch out my morning oatmeal for breakfast quinoa, to shore up on protein in the morning. Here’s her recipe (find more at thatsfit.ca/bloggers/joy-mccarthy):

    Joy’s Breakfast Quinoa
    1/2 cup quinoa
    1 cup filtered water
    Method:
    Bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Once fully cooked, remove from heat and rinse in warm water. This is to remove the saponins, which are like soap lather in your belly if you forget to wash them away. Makes 3-4 cups of cooked quinoa.

    You can dress the quinoa however you like—Joy recommends stirring in a half a cut-up apple or pear, a teaspoon of cinnamon and some unsweetened almond milk or organic vanilla yogurt.

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    Join the discussion

    • http://www.889yonge.com Emily

      Joy has changed the way I think about the food I eat at different times of the day. I have increased energy and focus since beginning my eating plan with her. Her food combination ideas are brilliant and her recipes are so easy. I would recommend Joy’s grocery store tour as well – you will never look at the grocery store the same way!

    • http://twitter.com/stephnairn Stephanie

      Joy has been my nutritionist for a few months now and I love her approach to healthy eating. She’s helped me let go of the guilt many of us feel when we get off track and she’s encouraged me to make small changes over time instead of overwhelming me with rules. It’s a pleasure every time we meet and I always leave feeling inspired. And she even encourages me to eat dark chocolate!

    • Deanna

      Joy is my nutritionist, and she is amazing! She has helped me understand what my body needs in order to feel my best. She helped me lower my sugar intake, and now it’s like a fog has been lifted… I feel more awake, with stable energy levels throughout the day. She is also the most pleasant person to be around. I highly recommend her.

    • Mike

      My wife and I have both worked with Joy for several months. Her suggestions have been excellent and both of us now have more energy and feel better thanks to her suggestions regarding good foods to eat and exercise ideas. Joy is a delightful person to work with. She gives her advice in a very friendly manner – never “preaches” at us. We are both in our 60′s and expect to live for a long long time thanks to her! I would highly recommend using her services.

    • Candice

      Joy is truly an inspirational and amazing person. Since I’ve started seeing her as a nutritionist I’ve noticed nothing but positive changes. I feel incredible, I have energy all day, I even wake up some morning singing! I owe all of this to Joy. She is very knowledgeable and knows just how to set up a solid nutrition program you can follow for life. I agree with what others have posted; Joy is kind, never pushy, compassionate, and really truly wants to help you feel your best. Her recipes are great as well. I never thought gluten free banana bread would be such a huge hit in my house but EVERYONE loves it!

    • Pat

      Joy professionally answers all my nutrition/health questions every time we get together. Before her help, I felt very overwhelmed by all the misinformation out there. I look forward to participating in the nutrition/yoga class Joy works with, as well. She is a beautiful soul who puts her heart and head into helping people!!!

    • Robert

      I have learned an enormous amount about nutrition and health since I have been working with Joy. Her recommendations have been easy to follow and I have seen results in the way I look and feel. Her knowledge of nutrition and fitness (and how they interact) has been extremely helpful I make my food choices each day.

    • Jennifer

      I worked with Joy previously to improve my nutritional habits. Quite simply, she was amazing, and inspired me to pursue the field of holistic nutrition.

    • Joseph

      Really great tips here. Thanks for writing this article Rani. You really captured the essence of Joy as a Nutritionist. I know her professionally, as she was nutrition consulting me last summer and I see her every few months for a “tune-up”. I have a very high-stress job and learned how to use food to lower my stress level and get a good night’s sleep.

    • Svetla

      Hey there everyone. My sister has just told me about this site. She saved a ton of money with them, check it out http://www.clandestinefashion.com

    Neither the author nor FASHION Magazine necessarily agrees with the comments posted here. Editors will not correct spelling or grammar. FASHION Magazine reserves the right to edit or delete comments entirely.

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