Blog

By: Dr. Melanie DeCunha, ND

Have you heard of gelatin as a health food? A derivative of collagen, many people use it to help ease joint pain, improve skin & hair and regulate glucose levels. However, did you know that it can also help to manage anxiety and improve sleep? Gelatin is a high source of glycine, which is an amino acid (building block of protein) that is important for our central nervous system. Now the question is, how do you incorporate more gelatin in your (or your kids) diet without scarfing down oodles of artificial colour & high fructose corn syrup containing candy? Easy! You use unflavoured pasture raised gelatin (I used Great Lakes Gelatin) to make the treats of your choice! Of course, you can simply add the gelatin powder to any liquid and just drink it, but where’s the fun in that?! So below I have listed 2 recipes that I tried out this weekend that proved to be a big hit around the office (I had to smuggle them out of the house after my husband left for work). Check em’ out below and enjoy!

Watermelon starbursts

Ingredients:

• ½ C Unflavoured gelatin
• ½ Large Watermelon
• ½ C Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• ¼ C Organic honey (optional for added sweetness depending on how sweet your watermelon is)

Instructions:

• Cut watermelon into chunks and juice (if you don’t have a juicer, you can blend chunks then strain). Should yield approximately 4 cups of juice.
• Pour half of the juice into a bowl, cover with gelatin and let sit a few minutes (it will solidify – I stirred it after a minute or so to get the juice at the bottom into the mixture).
• Pour the other half of the juice into a saucepan and heat on low (do not allow to boil).
• Add the semi-solid gelatin/watermelon juice from the bowl into the saucepan and whisk until all liquified.
• Add lemon juice and honey and continue to whisk.
• Once combined, pour gelatin into molds (you can buy a variety of adorable silicone molds on Amazon) or a shallow dish/pan.
• Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

FYI this was a huge batch I kept having to grab more pans to fill after I used up all my molds. With that said, after giving them to some friends/family to try, they were gone in 3 days!

Check out the recipe for Lemon Gummy Bears here

By: Dr. Melanie DeCunha

Did you know that the health of your nails can tell a lot about the general state of your health?

Changes to your nails such as white spots or lines, irregular texture, cracking or brittleness or dark spots could mean something benign such as a past trauma or damage from long-term polish use. On the other hand, it could also mean something more serious such as heart, liver or kidney disease, malnutrition or chronic illness. Just as health conditions can affect your nail health, damaging your nails could affect your overall health as well.

While many people tend to think of our nails as an extension of our bodies that don’t require much attention, the truth is that your nails will directly absorb what they are exposed to. This means that you can possibly ingest what they are exposed to (unless your hands have NEVER come close to your face/mouth, which is pretty unlikely), and you can be inhaling what you put on your nails. When you think of these multiple routes of exposure, it’s pretty easy to realize that it’s important to consider what we then put on our nails.

Whether it’s nail polish, artificial nails, cuticle treatment, nail polish remover, nail growth serums or nail stickers, you might want to give more thought to what ingredients are found in those products. Standard nail products are known to contain chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde, acetone and phthalates which can cause conditions such as the following:

• headaches
• sleepiness
• irritated nose, throat and lungs
• kidney and liver damage
• difficulty breathing
• allergic reactions
• infertility
• birth defects
• cancer

You can minimize exposure to these chemicals however, by switching to a natural nail polish, and letting your nails go au natural for longer stretches between those manis! If your nail products claim to be “natural” or “organic”, make sure to read the ingredients listed to make sure harmful chemicals aren’t included. The Skindeep Database by the Environmental Working Group is a great place to start to check out your specific products or read up more on the individual chemicals and how they can impact your health.

by: Dr. Melanie DeCunha and Sarah Ilumin

As of late, an obsession with Energy Balls has taken over me.

With Easter around the corner, I've been inspired to get festive and do a little 'baking'. I'm not talking about just your ordinary run of the mill standard cookie-baking here. No siree! I'm talking all in-the-spirit-of-Easter goodness. And thus... Easter Bunny Bites were born! (You're welcome)

So, if you're ready to take over the Easter Bunny's job and reign supreme by spreading Easter cheer sharing these tasty tidbits, here's what you'll need. Please note that I guesstimate everything and only eyeball my measurements, so feel free to do some improvising!

Ingredients:

8-10 Pitted Dates
1 cup Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Pistachios
1/2 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Mini Eggs
4 tbsp Rolled Oats
4 tbsp Chia Seeds
4 tbsp Hemp Hearts
1-2 Coconut Oil*
1-2 Maple Syrup*/honey*
*optional

Instructions:

- Soak dates in water for 10 mins
- Pulse nuts & mini eggs in food processor until they're tiny bits, and then set aside
- Pulse dates in food processor until they's in small little pieces
- Combine all ingredients and pulse once more in food processor until combined
- Add coconut oil, maple syrup and/or honey if too dry (should be sticky and firm in consistency)
- Shape into balls using the warmth of your hands, then set in the fridge or freezer to harden

Et voila! You're done!