Eat, Read, Learn | July 2025

NS Dietitians: Check out the DNNS Facebook page for more new foods, thought-provoking reads, and continuing education opportunities – and please share your own contributions as well!

If you have comments or suggestions, you can reach Meredith at meredith.lapp@gmail.com

EAT – Buy Local options in Nova Scotia

This July, Nova Scotians have a delicious excuse to get out, explore, and give back during Farmers’ Market Week (July 21–27). Across the province, markets are curating pop-ups and evening events with live music, local wine tastings, and chef-led demos that truly showcase the Summer produce bounty. Check

out the Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia website for a full list of participating vendors, and join the vendor-led Facebook group to learn more about new additions to the lineup!

READ – Guess what, it's all about balance - as usual.

Are you getting more questions from patients

about seed oils – including canola, sunflower, soybean, and

others? They’re certainly a hot topic on social media, particularly since the new US Secretary of Health and

Human Services waded into the fray, declaring seed oils

“poison” soon after taking office, and pushing for quick-

service restaurants to return to using rendered animal fats

like tallow for deep-frying instead of the plant oils currently used. This more nuanced review by Cleveland Clinic RD Julie

Zumpano provides some brief talking points when this question comes up in patient care and education sessions –

1) omega-6 and omega-3 fats intake needs to be balanced (seed oils are high in omega-6, and North Americans

often don’t prioritize omega-3 sources like fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts), 2) foods high in any refined oils are

generally nutrient-poor (so by extension, diets high in refined oils are likely more highly correlated with chronic

disease risk for a variety of reasons), and 3) olive oil (low heat) and avocado oil (high heat) are fruit oils that are

heart-healthy choices for patients who choose to avoid seed oils but still may not benefit from an increase of

dietary saturated fats in exchange.

Learn – Summer Edition!

Summer is a great time to do a bit of continuing education, for both practitioners and highly-motivated patients

alike. The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation has a nice selection of online webinars created by RD Lisa Spriet for

NutriProCan that provide 60-90 minute mini-dives into popular topics like emotional eating, family nutrition, gut health, and a new offering Fatty Liver Disease Nutrition 101, which aligns nicely with increasing interest in screening and early treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients

Follow the DNNS Facebook group for more new foods, thought-provoking reads, and continuing education opportunities – and please share your own contributions as well!

Curated by Meredith Lapp, RD

If you have a blog, book, or online course that you would like to share with your fellow network members, please forward information to Meredith at meredith.lapp@gmail.com