Lauren Brady, RHN

02/14/2026

Happy Valentines Day!💕
My clients will tell you that I often talk about nutrition within the context of self-love and self-care. This means more than just eating healthy foods - it involves repairing your relationship with food, listening to your body’s needs, creating and enjoying meals mindfully, and forming sustainable habits that fit your lifestyle. Reframing eating as a self-loving act is empowering and allows you to take charge of your health in a gentle but effective way. 💕

Happy Valentines Day!❤️
Although this day tends to highlight romantic love, self-love is even more important and should be celebrated!

Self-love is the practice of treating yourself with kindness, compassion, and respect. It’s the foundation upon which resilience, confidence, and fulfillment are built. When we cultivate self-love, we create a powerful shift in our mindset, allowing us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and strength. Imagine a life where your inner dialogue is encouraging rather than critical, where you embrace your flaws as part of your unique beauty, and where you feel empowered to take risks, set boundaries, and pursue what is meaningful to you. This is the essence of self-love, and it is not selfish - it is necessary for good mental and physical health.
And when we love ourselves, we radiate that love into the world, uplifting others in the process - and couldn't we all use a little more of that?

brightsidehealth.ca/

02/13/2026

Valentines Day is tomorrow!❤️
Do you need a thoughtful gift for someone you love?
Why not give the gift of health!

We have gift cards available in any denomination, or for any service:
👉Counselling Therapy
👉Massage Therapy
👉Acupuncture
👉Nutritional Counselling

To purchase a physical Brightside Integrated Health gift card, you can pop into the clinic at 250 Baker Drive, Suite 222, or purchase an online version, via this link:
brightsideintegratedhealth.janeapp.com/

02/09/2026

Jolanta of Terroir & Wild Ecotours is offering this informative workshop on how to detox from Parasites, Candida and Heavy Metals, on February 27th and March 6th, in Fall River. Check it out!

02/09/2026

Is perimenopause kicking your butt?🫩

Or maybe you are in your late 30s or early 40s and haven't even realized yet that your laundry list of mystery symptoms could actually be due to perimenopause.

Nutrition is a key (and dare I say, the most important) factor in supporting yourself through this hormonally "interesting" phase of life and there is a lot of information out there, which ranges from solid, to somewhat whacky, to downright terrible.

Ready to cut through the noise and prioritize your health and well-being? Let's get started with a personalized nutritional assessment and a plan of action that has you feeling more like yourself in no time.
https://brightsideintegratedhealth.janeapp.com/ #/staff_member/14

01/30/2026

Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro.
We're seeing celebrities drastically drop weight and you might be wondering if this relatively new class of weight loss medications could work for you?🤔

Let's talk GLP-1 Agonists and how they relate to nutrition and health. GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a hormone produced in our intestines in response to food intake. It plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin secretion, inhibiting glucagon release, slowing gastric emptying and promoting a feeling of fullness.

GLP-1 agonists are medications designed to mimic the effects of natural GLP-1. They bind to GLP-1 receptors in the body to help regulate blood sugar and appetite. These drugs are commonly prescribed for type 2 diabetes and have gained popularity for their weight loss benefits.

The benefits of this medication include improved blood sugar control, weight loss, enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress; while side effects and risks include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, headache, fatigue, risk of pancreatitis, risk of thyroid tumors, hypersensitivity (allergy) and drug interactions.

I reserve my judgement on these medications for weight loss purposes, as everyone is different, but I do have some concerns, such as the lack of long term data, the fact that the weight seems to be regained as soon as clients discontinue the drug and the associated risks, as evidenced by the class action lawsuits that are starting to roll out.

Luckily, you can boost your GLP-1 naturally through diet and lifestyle changes, such as:
👉eating fiber-rich foods (vegetables, legumes, oats)
👉incorporating healthy fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil)
👉engaging in regular exercise
👉optimizing gut health with probiotics and prebiotics
👉sleeping well to maintain hormonal balance
👉and more!

Want to learn more about how to increase your body's own GLP-1 production? Or are you taking a GLP-1 Agonist and want to learn to eat healthfully to optimize your results and to mitigate rebound weight gain? I can help!

https://brightsideintegratedhealth.janeapp.com/ #/staff_member/14

01/26/2026

I don't have nutrition clients today, so I'll be home in my sweatpants!

01/20/2026

Harry eats his veggies... do you? 🫛🥦🥬🌶️🥕🫜🍠

Finding it hard to get enough in your diet?
Want to know why it's important and how veggies can help support healing and resilience?

You can find me here:
brightsidehealth.ca/holistic-nutrition/

01/17/2026

Sometimes in January, you have to make your own sunshine! 🌞
This miso banana bread (from Birdies Bread Co.) decorated with orange slices was used to entice my teenager into eating *something* for breakfast. Never give up!

I love citrus fruits in winter, and here are 8 reasons why:

1. Immune system support:
Citrus fruits are some of the best natural sources of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that helps your body prevent and recover from illness and injury.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. That means it defends against free radicals that cause inflammation and cellular damage — both of which raise your risk of chronic illness.
Vitamin C also bolsters your immune system to help you stay healthy, helps your body absorb iron, helps protect your vision, and supports collagen growth, which helps with wound healing.

2. May help prevent chronic illness:
Citrus fruits are high in flavonoids and other plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests that flavonoids play an important role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer, obesity and nervous system disorders.

3. Boost gut health:
Citrus fruits are high in soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are essential for maintaining a healthy microbiome and digestive tract.
A diet that’s rich in fiber also fills you up, so you’re less likely to reach for snacks, improves cholesterol and blood sugar levels, protecting your heart and slows the absorption of fats in foods.

4. Protect your heart:
Citrus fruits are foundational to the Mediterranean diet because they contain several nutrients that promote heart health:
Folate keeps plaque deposits from building up in your arteries (atherosclerosis).
Flavonoids, like hesperidin and naringenin, ease inflammation in your blood vessels, helping lower blood pressure.
Potassium helps keep your blood pressure in a healthy range and blunts some of the bad effects of too much sodium (salt). Potassium also helps your heart contract and pump blood.

5. Provide a steady energy boost:
Citrus fruits are low on the glycemic index (GI), making them a great option if you need a little extra energy during a busy day.

6. Enhance your workout:
In addition to providing a natural, slow-burning energy boost, citrus fruits are a favorite among athletes because they help keep you hydrated. In addition to citrus fruits having high water content, they are rich sources of potassium, which is an electrolyte.

7. Help maintain a healthy weight:
Eating citrus as part of a nutritious, balanced diet can be helpful for managing both your weight and appetite, as they are low in calories and high in both water and fiber, which helps you feel fuller, longer.

8. Prevent kidney stones:
Eating some types of citrus regularly can help lower your risk of kidney stones. The citric acid (citrate) and vitamin C found in oranges, lemons and limes can help neutralize acid in urine. That helps keep calcium-based kidney stones, which are the most common type, from forming.

Want to inject some sunshine into your own winter diet?
https://brightsidehealth.ca/holistic-nutrition/

01/08/2026

The USA just put out their new Food Guide and I have been enjoying reading the online commentary.🤣
I've added Canada's Food Guide beside it, so you can compare and contrast.
What are your thoughts? 🧐

More confused than ever?
Want a nutritional counsellor to craft a Food Guide that is tailored specifically to YOU and not a whole country? Come see me!
Brightsidehealth.ca

01/05/2026

Happy First Regular Monday of 2026!⛄️
So, you've tossed the holiday junk food, eaten all the sweets and you've started having a balanced breakfast with protein and fiber.

What are the next steps for a healthy diet reset that are uncomplicated and easy to incorporate into everyday busy life?

I'll let Dr. Rupy Aujla take over, as he does a pretty good job in this video! Dr. Aujla is is a medical doctor who suffered from a significant heart condition and used nutritional medicine and lifestyle changes to reverse his condition.

Here's the video summary:
1) Start with a high protein breakfast🥚
2) Upgrade your snacks and drinks 🍎🍊🌰🥜
3) Add greens to your meals 🫜🥗
4) Stock your freezer with whole foods 🫐🍓
5) Master one go-to healthy meal (when you are too tired to cook)
**I would add to this, create a list of healthier take-out options such as sushi, power bowl from Harvest Clean Eats, etc. 🍣🥙

Want a nutritional assessment and a nutrition plan that is tailored to your unique body, lifestyle and goals? Let's do it! ✨
brightsidehealth.ca/holistic-nutrition/

📌 Download my step-by-step guide and recipes here: https://tdk.link/free-guideHow do you start eating healthier? It’s something I get asked a lot, and it’s ...

12/29/2025

Got a Christmas cookie hangover? 🥴🍪🍬🍷

Don't wait until 2026 to start feeling better... start with the first step, which is to empty your house of all the leftover sweets and junk. Toss it, take it to work and leave it in the break room - just get rid of it. Then start having a proper breakfast that includes protein and fiber. This will set you up for the day, keep your blood sugar steady and prevent cravings.

Want a nutritional counsellor who will gently support you, while you incorporate healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle?
I am at your service. 😇

Or, maybe you want a nutritional counsellor who will (metaphorically) whack the cookie out of your hand?
I can do that too! 🦹🏼‍♀️

https://brightsidehealth.ca/holistic-nutrition/