Deanna Trask, Holistic Nutritionist and Metabolic Balance Coach

09/01/2025

Not all fatigue comes from lack of sleep. Sometimes, you get your eight hours and still wake up feeling foggy, heavy, or just… off. Your body’s not asking for more rest—it’s asking for more nourishment.

And often, what it’s missing isn’t more food or caffeine. It’s minerals -- the quiet, behind-the-scenes nutrients that keep everything running smoothly.

These nutrients don’t get the same attention as protein, carbs, or calories, but they’re essential to how you function and feel. Your energy, focus, sleep, mood, and even hormones are all influenced by your mineral intake. And if your meals have been a little repetitive or you’ve been reaching for coffee more than clarity, you might be missing some of these quiet but powerful players.

Here are a few mineral-rich foods worth working back into your meals:

• Pumpkin Seeds: Just a small handful gives you a solid dose of magnesium, which helps ease stress, relax muscles, and support better sleep.
• Lentils and White Beans: Inexpensive, nourishing, and packed with iron -- especially important if you’re often cold, low on energy, or dealing with brain fog.
• Brazil Nuts: Just one or two a day provides all the selenium you need, which supports thyroid health and protects your cells from oxidative stress.
• Tofu: A great source of both calcium and iron (especially if made with calcium salts - check the label). It’s a versatile, plant-based addition to meals.
• Bananas and Dried Apricots: High in potassium, which helps with muscle function, hydration, and blood pressure regulation -- especially helpful if you’re feeling crampy or bloated.
• Chia Seeds: Tiny but mighty, with magnesium, calcium, and iron. Add to smoothies, yogurt, or oats for an easy boost.
• Seaweed: A rich source of iodine, crucial for thyroid function. Sprinkle it into rice dishes or soups.
• Dark Leafy Greens: Spinach, chard, kale -- they’re full of magnesium and calcium to support your nervous system and bone health.

You don’t need to change everything. Just start folding a few of these in.

08/31/2025

In summer, my body naturally wakes with the early light. I find myself craving movement and crisp, refreshing foods -- berries, cucumbers, watermelon, herbs. There’s a certain openness to this time of year. Nature is in full bloom, and I often feel that same expansive energy in myself. It’s a season that invites motion, spontaneity, and soaking in the warmth, both literally and emotionally.

When autumn rolls around, everything begins to slow down. The light shifts, the air cools, and my energy softens. I start cooking heartier meals like roasted vegetables, soups, stews, and warm spices like cinnamon and turmeric. I feel a stronger pull inward. I naturally spend more time at home, settling into routines, craving more consistency and quiet. It’s the season of preparation and reflection.

Then comes winter, the season of true stillness. I’ve learned not to push productivity during this time. My body often wants more sleep, more rest, and more softness. I focus on simple, nourishing meals and grounding rituals, like slow journaling, gentle stretching, and arm baths. I give myself permission to be still, to hibernate in my own way, knowing this rest has a purpose.

And then, just when the stillness feels like it might last forever, spring arrives. Slowly, gently, something shifts. I feel the urge to move again, to clear space, to start fresh. My meals get lighter, filled with greens and sprouts. I open windows, take longer walks, and shake off the dust of winter. It’s not a rush but a reawakening.

Tuning into the seasons helps me stop fighting against myself. It reminds me that there’s a rhythm to everything, and when I honor that, I feel more grounded, more whole, and more alive.

08/29/2025

You know when you’re somehow both wired and exhausted at the same time? You’re constantly doing, always busy, but it doesn’t feel like you’re actually getting anywhere. Everything feels a little off. Rest doesn’t refresh you, food doesn’t energize you, and even your downtime leaves you feeling tense.

It’s easy to assume you’re just doing too much. But sometimes, the real issue isn’t the amount -- it’s the lack of rhythm.

Our bodies are designed for rhythm. Not rigid routines or strict schedules, but a steady flow we can count on. Something that feels like a natural beat, helping us feel grounded and supported. Your energy, digestion, sleep, hormones, and even your mood - they all function best when they follow a consistent rhythm. When that rhythm gets thrown off, things stop syncing up. And that’s when everything starts to feel harder than it needs to be.

So, how do you gently come back to center? You don’t have to overhaul your life.

Just start with a few small shifts:
• Try waking and going to bed at roughly the same time each day - even on weekends. This helps reset your internal clock.
• Eat your meals around the same times. Your body loves that kind of predictability.
• Step outside in the morning light. Even 10–15 minutes can help regulate your natural rhythms.
• Wind down in the evenings. Turn off the bright lights and screens, and let your body shift into rest mode.
• Add in small pauses during your day. Even a deep breath between tasks can help restore flow.

Tune in and choose to move through life in a way that feels more supportive. Because when you reconnect with your rhythm, everything else starts to fall into place.

08/29/2025

Ontario is facing a primary care crisis. Entire communities don’t have access to consistent, high-quality care and families are waiting too long for the care they need. Ontario needs the right kinds of providers, working in the right places, to meet the health needs of Ontarians.

Midwives are part of the solution Ontario needs right now.

Tell your MPP to prioritize investment in midwifery in the next provincial budget. Join the AOM's call to action with just a few clicks.

Visit www.ontariomidwives.ca/midwives-everywhere to take action today.

08/28/2025

If grocery shopping drains you more than it feeds you, you’re not alone. Many people walk into the store hoping to make healthy choices and walk out feeling frazzled, over budget, and underprepared for the week ahead.

Let’s take the pressure off. You don’t need to prep meals like a chef or overanalyze every label to eat well. You just need a plan that works for real life.

Try the 6-to-1 Method.
This simple framework keeps your cart balanced without needing a full meal plan:
• 6 vegetables – think versatility: greens, peppers, carrots, zucchini.
• 5 fruits – a mix of grab-and-go and ones to pair with meals.
• 4 proteins – chicken, beans, tofu, eggs, whatever works for you.
• 3 starches – rice, potatoes, oats, etc.
• 2 sauces or spreads – for flavor and ease (pesto, hummus, tahini).
• 1 fun item – something just because (yes, joy matters too).

Avoid Peak Times
If possible, shop during slower hours. Early mornings or weeknights are usually quieter, making it easier to think and move at your own pace.

Go in With a List
It seems basic, but having a list grounds you. It helps cut down on impulse buys and ensures you leave with ingredients that actually work together.

Make it Mindful
Take a breath before you walk in. You’re not just shopping -- you’re nourishing yourself. Pause when needed, skip aisles that stress you out, and trust that “good enough” is often just right.

Start small, stay steady, and know that even one intentional trip is a win.

08/27/2025

Most people think of blood sugar as something to worry about only if you’re diabetic. But the truth is your blood sugar affects you all day, every day. Whether you know it or not.

When it’s balanced, your body feels like it can finally exhale.

You wake up without that heavy fog. You feel grounded before the coffee, not desperate for it. Meals satisfy you, not just in your stomach, but in your whole system. You’re not reaching for snacks an hour later or crashing mid-afternoon, wondering why you’re suddenly irritable or craving sugar.

Steady blood sugar feels like:
• Clearer focus and fewer distractions
• Stable energy throughout the day
• Fewer mood swings or emotional crashes
• Feeling full, not just fed
• Less anxiety, more calm

Blood sugar balance doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the foods you love or micromanaging every bite. It’s about creating a foundation -- meals that include protein, fiber, and healthy fats, eating consistently throughout the day, and tuning into how different foods actually make you feel.

Your body is always giving you feedback. When blood sugar is out of balance, it speaks through cravings, crashes, brain fog, or exhaustion. But when it’s steady? Everything feels easier. You’re not just surviving your day -- you’re living it.

And if you’ve been feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster, you’re not alone. There’s a way to get off it. Step by step, meal by meal, you can find that steadiness again.

And when you do...you’ll know.

08/26/2025

https://deannatrask.ca/blog/circadianaligned

Your body follows a rhythm.

08/25/2025

Before your robust herb garden withers away this fall, harvest your plants and freeze them.

Take your herbs of choice, finely chop them and place them in an ice cube tray. Fill the remainder of the space in each ice cube cubby with boiling water. The boiling water will help to blanch the herbs and help keep them fresh and flavorful for when you're ready to defrost and use them. When your herb ice cubes are prepared, you can remove them from your ice cube tray and place them all in a freezer bag to store.

When you are ready to use them, toss an herb ice cube in your pan, and you'll have a fresh herb taste within minutes.

What's your favourite herb? I have two: cilantro and basil.

Tell me yours in the comments.

08/24/2025

👉🏻 Pick Your Favourite: Air Fryer, Instant Pot, or Slow Cooker

⏱ They're all helpful time-savers in the kitchen, and they all serve very different purposes.

🥔 The Air Fryer circulates hot air around whatever you place in it, cooking it without dropping your food into a vat of bubbling grease. Vegetables are DELICIOUS in the air fryer!

🫘 The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker that traps the heat in a small enclosure, cooking your food at a rapid pace.

🍗 The Slow Cooker can be helpful for you to toss ingredients in and cook throughout the day, so you have a meal waiting on you when you get home from work.

❓If you had to pick a favourite, which would you pick? Comment Below!

08/22/2025

You'd be surprised how many sneaky ways there are to hide fresh produce into meals -- you can even do so with desserts.

For example, a standard replacement for egg in recipes is unsweetened applesauce. To substitute one egg, use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, and you'll never know the difference!

You can also add vegetables like zucchini and carrots into your batters or breads without ever having your dessert taste like vegetables.

Avocado is another excellent replacement in recipes to give a creamy, rich flavour.

08/21/2025

The most effective way I've found to make the most out of my time and to squash procrastination is to make my to-do list for the next day before I go to bed at night.

Having a plan leaves less room for time to slip away, and it's a great nightly practice to reflect on your day and plan your next. You can do so right after you write down 5-10 gratitudes you have for the day you just had, to add a little extra meaning to your planning session.

Do you have a favourite planner? Share below.

08/20/2025

One of the deepest needs we have as humans is to feel loved and connected. In my opinion, our culture is getting farther away from organic connection and assuming digital connectedness is enough to satisfy their needs. If this is the case for you, I'd like to invite you to seek deeper relationships in your community.

Whatever you choose to do, find a way to connect more.
Do you feel as connected as you'd like?