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The Nutrition Nerd YMM

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The Nutrition Nerd YMM

Self-taught biohacker | Root cause explorer | Nutrition nerd
I’ve lived through it all — ADHD, anxiety, GI issues, hormone chaos & more. No fluff. No fads.

Now I help others decode symptoms, support healing & feel better. Just real nerdy wellness.

11/06/2026

Happy Friday!! 🥳

(I’m actually off work tomorrow… but that just means extra time for cleaning and chores, right? What are real days off like? 😵‍💫)

Now… Stress management is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle—even when your circumstances make it difficult. Sometimes work, family responsibilities, or simply getting through the day leaves very little room to decompress!

But stress has biological effects, too. Prolonged stress can strain the systems responsible for energy production and repair. When mitochondrial damage outpaces repair, your cells can struggle to keep up with energy demands—you start to “lose power”

Making room for recovery matters, even if it starts with small moments!

11/06/2026

🩸 𝗔𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮: 𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿?

My dog’s recent anemia diagnosis got me thinking about how often we approach this in people, too!

Iron isn’t improving things? Add more. Maybe some B12. Maybe copper!

But before adding another supplement, we need to ask: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆?

Anemia doesn’t automatically mean iron deficiency. Blood loss, absorption problems, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation and other medical conditions can all contribute…

Here’s one nerdy example 🤓👇

Inflammation can increase 𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻, a hormone that controls iron availability. It reduces iron absorption from the gut and limits the release of stored iron.

That means iron can be present in the body but less available for making red blood cells. Inflammation can also suppress red blood cell production.

True iron deficiency can coexist with inflammation, too—so the full picture matters.

With Treble, we’re still investigating. I’m reviewing his nutrition and supporting him alongside his vet’s plan, without assuming his diet explains his anemia.

The same principle applies to us: supplements can be valuable when indicated, but persistent anemia deserves investigation—not an endlessly growing supplement stack!

11/05/2026

🦷 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻?

I’ve been following a dentist who talks a lot about sleep apnea, and I came across a connection that sent me down a rabbit hole: sometimes, waking up repeatedly to p*e at night can be related to disrupted breathing during sleep.

When an airway repeatedly narrows or closes, the body keeps trying to breathe. Those pressure changes can affect signals between the heart and kidneys, including a hormone called atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). In some people, that can mean more urine produced overnight.

That doesn’t mean every nighttime bathroom trip is sleep apnea! There are plenty of other possible explanations. But if someone is also snoring, waking up gasping, or feeling unrefreshed after sleep, it may be worth mentioning the whole picture to their healthcare provider.

And why is a dentist talking about this? Dentists may notice oral clues, ask about sleep, and help connect someone with a sleep evaluation. For some people with diagnosed sleep apnea, a qualified dentist can also make a custom oral appliance as part of their treatment.

I love learning about connections like this. Have you ever been asked about your sleep at a dental appointment?

11/05/2026

𝗢𝗿𝘇𝗼: 𝗔 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮 & 𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 🇬🇷🍅

My motto? Eat real food! This dish was absolutely delicious, and a nice break from my staples.

Now, what is orzo? It looks like rice… but orzo is actually pasta!

Usually made from durum wheat semolina, these little rice-shaped pieces contain gluten, just like regular wheat pasta. Orzo is associated with Italian pasta traditions, but it’s also a staple in Greek cooking, where it’s called kritharaki, meaning “little barley”—a reference to its shape!

Talking about it brought back a delicious memory from my trip to Greece in 2015!

While visiting Mykonos, we took a cooking class. It was the low season, so we ended up being the only ones there! We made stuffed tomatoes and peppers, along with spanakopita, the spinach-and-feta pie made with layers of phyllo pastry.

I wish I could remember that entire stuffed-vegetable recipe. I remember the orzo, and I’m pretty sure we used the pulp from the hollowed-out tomatoes, grated zucchini, and a little mint. Whatever the exact combination was, those tomatoes and peppers were SO good!

Our host was incredibly generous with the Greek w**e and kept bringing out drinks and shots (maybe why I don’t remember the recipe, lol). We also had Turkish delight, which came with a lively explanation about Greeks and Turks disagreeing over its origins! There were other things on the menu too, but eleven years later, my memory is mostly holding onto those stuffed vegetables 😂

And the feta? Greek feta is the bomb. If you’ve had good feta here in Canada, you would LOVE the feta in Greece. Absolutely amazing.

Food has a funny way of bringing a whole experience back—even when you can’t remember the recipe!

Have you cooked with orzo? And what’s one dish from your travels that you still think about?

My dish: Ground turkey, orzo, spinach, corn, green onions, and peppers, all tossed in a spicy cream sauce with cheese 🌶️

A delicious change from my usual rice dishes!

11/04/2026

🦷 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵?

I became interested in oral health about three years ago, when I started learning more about the connections between our mouths and the rest of our bodies. Since then, I’ve been curious about what our oral microbes might tell us—and I’ve recently been looking at at-home oral microbiome tests!

With a test like this, you send in a saliva sample, and the lab looks at the microbial DNA it contains. Some tests then turn those findings into scores related to things like tooth decay or gum health.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Finding certain microbes doesn’t automatically mean you have a cavity or gum disease. Your mouth has different little environments, and one saliva sample can’t show what’s happening around every tooth or under every gumline. The scores also depend on how the company interprets the results.

I’d see this kind of test as an interesting extra piece of information, especially if you’re curious about the oral microbiome. I wouldn’t use it in place of a dental exam, gum measurements or any imaging your dentist recommends. Even Bristle, the brand I was looking at, says its test isn’t intended for clinical diagnosis.

I’m curious: has anyone here tried an oral microbiome test? Did the results teach you anything useful, or change anything you did?

11/03/2026

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽? 💡🌙

I’ve been looking at the lighting options from BON CHARGE, and the concept is pretty cool—especially for those of us living where winter feels dark approximately 97% of the time 😂

Their full-spectrum bulbs have three settings:

* Cooler, brighter light for daytime
* Warmer light for mornings and late afternoons
* Amber, blue-free light for evenings and nighttime

You manually cycle through the settings using the light switch, allowing you to create stronger “day” and “night” signals inside your home.

That distinction matters. Bright, blue-enriched light during the day can support alertness and circadian timing, while dimmer, warmer light in the evening may make it easier for the brain to prepare for sleep.

These bulbs aren’t magic, and a small indoor light cannot truly replace outdoor daylight or a properly designed light-therapy lamp. They’re also fairly expensive! However, they may be another useful option for people who struggle with sleep during the darkest months.

BON CHARGE also offers full-spectrum lamps, motion-sensor lights and night lights designed to reduce disruptive nighttime light exposure. I tend to struggle more with sleep during midwinter, so I’m considering purchasing a lamp for my office…but we’ll see! 😂

I haven’t personally tried them yet, but I love the idea of making our indoor lighting better match the natural progression of the day💡🧠

11/02/2026

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗲 🤓

I came across a meme claiming type 2 diabetes is “self-inflicted” and that parents are causing their children to be born with it.

That’s inaccurate—and it turns a complex health condition into a blame game!

Diet and lifestyle absolutely influence type 2 diabetes risk. But so do genetics, age, insulin sensitivity and the pancreas’s ability to produce enough insulin. Having some control over risk doesn’t mean having complete control over the outcome.

Children can inherit a higher susceptibility, and diabetes during pregnancy can affect their future risk. That is very different from being born with type 2!

What bothers me about memes like this is how easily confidence replaces critical thinking. Before sharing a claim that blames people for their health, we should be curious enough to ask whether it’s actually true.

But nuance and deeper understanding don’t always get the likes and shares. Outrage and oversimplification do…

We can encourage healthier habits without shaming people or misrepresenting the science!

11/02/2026

🧠 𝗞𝗲𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗽𝘀𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗼

When people talk about “keto”, they might mean anything from cutting carbs to eating mostly meat. But the classic ketogenic diet used as a treatment for some children with medication-resistant epilepsy is much more precise!

A common version uses a 4:1 ratio: 4 grams of fat for every 1 gram of protein and carbohydrate combined. Because fat is so calorie-dense, that can mean around 90% of calories come from fat. Meals are carefully calculated, and the diet is managed by a medical team. It’s a therapeutic diet, not simply eat bacon and skip the bread!

Everyday keto is usually less strict. And eating carnivore doesn’t automatically confirm that someone is in nutritional ketosis. Carbohydrate intake may be very low, but the overall fat-to-protein balance and individual response matter too. A menu can look keto without telling you exactly what’s happening metabolically.

If someone’s specific goal is to check for nutritional ketosis, a blood ketone meter—such as a Keto-Mojo meter—measures beta-hydroxybutyrate in the blood. Urine strips measure a different ketone and can be less useful for tracking mild ketosis, particularly over time. A blood reading is still just a snapshot, though, and it doesn’t by itself tell you whether a diet is healthy or appropriate for you.

So “I eat very low carb”, “I eat carnivore”, and “I’ve measured ketones” are three different statements. They can overlap, but they don’t automatically mean the same thing.

10/31/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 🎃🫐🔬

Here’s something spooky: your jack-o’-lantern is a berry, but your strawberry isn’t!

Apparently, even fruit wears a disguise 👻

In everyday conversation, “berry” usually means a small, juicy fruit. In botany, it’s about how that fruit develops from the flower!

🎃 𝗣𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗸𝗶𝗻: 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆!
Specifically, a “pepo”—a type of berry with a tough rind. Cucumbers, zucchini, and watermelon belong to this club too. Basically, a pumpkin is a berry with armour.

🍓 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆: 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆!
The juicy red part develops from the flower’s supporting tissue. Those little “seeds” on the outside? Each is actually a tiny dry fruit containing a seed! Together, they make an aggregate accessory fruit.

𝗥𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀!
Each juicy little bead is a miniature fruit called a drupelet, with a tiny stone enclosing its seed. They develop from multiple ovaries in one flower and cluster together into an “aggregate fruit”

🫐 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆: 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆!
It develops from one flower’s single o***y, with seeds inside the flesh. Finally, someone brought the correct identification 😂

You can absolutely keep calling strawberries berries in the kitchen. But botanically speaking, your Halloween pumpkin has stronger berry credentials!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻! Which fruit surprised you most? 🎃🔬

10/31/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀… 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘀! 🎃👻

I bought two pumpkins to carve this year, and I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to carve. I’m not very good at it, so we’ll see how this goes! 😂

A little food history for Halloween: those big orange jack-o’-lanterns weren’t always pumpkins!

In Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of the British Isles, people carved frightening faces into turnips, hollowed them out, and placed a light inside. These lanterns were used to scare people—and, according to tradition, frighten away wandering spirits!

𝗪𝗵𝘆 “𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸”? 🕯️

One Irish folktale tells of Stingy Jack, a trickster who was refused entry to both Heaven and Hell. Condemned to wander in darkness, he carried a glowing coal inside a hollowed-out turnip.

He became known as “Jack of the Lantern”. It’s one of the legends associated with the name we use today.

𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿? 🎃

During the 1800s, immigrants brought their lantern-carving traditions to North America. Pumpkins were plentiful and much easier to hollow out than a dense turnip (turnips are even hard to cut in general, lol). Over that century, pumpkin carving became increasingly associated with Halloween, developing into the familiar tradition we know today. It was a gradual change rather than a switch on one particular date.

And honestly? Some of those old turnip lanterns look considerably creepier than our cheerful orange pumpkins 😂

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗽?

Happy Halloween! 🧡

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