I don't recommend them, except in very specific cases. I don't believe they prevent chronic disease or will help to you live longer. I don't believe they're a targeted approach to your specific concerns. I do believe they can help, if slightly, make up for a nutrient gap caused either by widespread depletion from medications (such as oral contraceptives) or in cases where people, for whatever reason, refuse to eat real food or visit the produce section.

In the wake of a recent editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine which was also a hot topic in the Toronto Star this week, I'm getting a fair number of questions about them. My approach has always been: there are about 20 things everyone can take just because they're 'healthy', but that doesn't mean they're therapeutic. Absorbing and assimilating large doses of the full nutrient spectrum in one shot isn't what we're built to do. We're built to get nutrients from food where there's enzymes and cofactors and a nifty little mix of nutrients that absorb really well. Plus, this just makes a healthy diet, which is a great foundation for health and longevity.

Multivitamins don't make up for a poor diet and a poor lifestyle. These things will make you sick eventually. We all fall off the healthy wagon at times (hellooooo December) but if we get back on in January and keep going as best we can until November, that's not too shabby. For people who are on the go, eating out, in court all day, running around a hospital all night, just forget to eat (?!), etc, there might be a case there if the diet doesn't stack up.

Wondering if your diet is good enough? Ask. Track it. Have someone who knows nutrition (wink, wink) take a peek and see if there's any gaps. Have someone evaluate how you're doing physically and mentally. Have someone take a look at your list of meds and figure out what might be dropping out and get some therapeutic advice.

If you make regular trips to the produce section and are otherwise healthy, save that money to invest in some more dark leafy greens. That's my two cents.

It’s that time of year again: snow, peppermint mochas, and the inevitable 5-10 pound weight gain, not to mention the high stress of juggling work, parties, and finishing the shopping list. Here’s some easy tips to stay in good health while still enjoying wine with dessert.

Avoiding coughs and sniffles:

• Hand washing!
• Avoid sick people and don’t be a hero yourself; take a rest!
• Keep your immune system up by sleeping well, staying hydrated, taking vitamins C and D, and keeping sugar intake as low as you can

• Garlic and onions are anti-viral: eat ‘em!
• Make your own cough syrup: cover 1 slice of onion with honey in a jar. Allow to sit overnight. Pull the onion out and use the honey as needed to soothe sore throats and that pesky cough that’s going around.

Support digestion to keep a healthy weight:

• To maintain weight, keep blood sugar stable. Avoid sugar... hahaha! No way! Have you seen the picture of my gingerbread house? It doesn't look like that anymore, by the way... So, when you're indulging, prevent sugar spikes and crashes by having slow-release energy with it - protein, fat, or fibre will provide sustained energy to prevent the peak and crash.
  
• Lemon water in the morning. Squeeze half a lemon into 500ml of room temperature water to get digestion regulated for the day, including the liver. Plus, it just feels like you're a bit cleaner inside which can help set you up for a cleaner day.
  
• Pack in protein, especially at breakfast. Especially with sugary foods, a dose of protein or fat can slow the spike of blood sugar and insulin that can lead to weight gain. Keep some nuts, cheese, or greek yogurt in your lunch bag. Ensure a good dose of protein (at least 20g at each meal, especially breakfast) to curb carb cravings later in the day.
• Don’t skip the fibre. In addition to the blood sugar stabilizing effects, fibre is necessary for regular bowel movements which is the #1 way we eliminate toxin metabolites that come from our livers... which we all know are working hard!
  
• Sweat! Not only will exercise help burn off excess calories, sweating is actually a method of detoxification. Also keeps your mind sharp and energy up!