The Allsorts Podcast Desiree Nielsen RD

If you’ve been inundated with people talking about hormone health online, you’re not alone… it’s definitely a big trend.

And in some ways, I am happy it is. As a dietitian, I know how common reproductive issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are and I also know how little we talk about them.

But there is another side to this hormone health trend, one that is a little less helpful. Like the misinformation about how soy affects your hormones. Or, telling us we have to seed cycle in order to get our menstrual cycles on track. The internet is bombarding us with information - some valuable, others downright harmful - and we need a little help setting it straight. 

So this week, as the final episode in our miniseries on hormone health, we’re speaking with Rohini Bajekal, a evidence-informed nutritionist and co-author of Living PCOS Free, which she wrote with her mother, an Allsorts Podcast fave, Dr Nitu Bajekal MD.

Rohini generously shares her own experiences with PCOS, her frustrating efforts in trying out online advice, and how she developed a solid, evidence-based lifestyle approach for caring for hormone health.

This episode shines a light on all too common reproductive conditions that often go undiagnosed. We talk about whether or not you can actually “balance” your hormones and what the research says about nutrients and dietary patterns that do - and do not - help you heal.

About Rohini Bajekal MSc:

Rohini Bajekal is a nutritionist with a first class Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences and a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine professional. She is the co-author of Living PCOS Free: How to Regain Your Hormonal Health with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which she wrote with her mother, ObGyn Dr Nitu Bajekal.

On this episode we chat about:


What do we mean by “hormone health”?
Why you need to be incredibly cautious with hormone health info online
How leaving her plant-based home revealed a huge change in Rohini’s health
Mental health and mood in gynecological conditions like PCOS
Keto vs plant-based for hormone health
Maintaining balanced blood sugars with plant foods
The nutrients that matter for hormone health
The link between endometriosis and IBS
The risks of underfueling and malnutrition
Some real talk on supplements

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @rohinibajekal as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

Full show notes, including show links and recommendations, available at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Our bodies are meant to change…which means the way we care for them might need to change too.  For women over the age of 40, who have entered the menopause transition (AKA perimenopause) there are shifts in our minds, muscles and metabolism function that might have us wondering what the heck is going on. 

And if so, this is the episode for you. We are welcoming Barbie Boules RD, a registered dietitian with a focus on over 40 nutrition to teach us about how we can transform our nutrition and lifestyle to help us thrive in our 40s, 50s and beyond. 

We’re getting real about this important time in our lives, and the significant challenges some women face with fatigue, brain fog and even weight changes.

Nutrition for perimenopause isn’t about doing some restrictive diet, or taking boatloads of expensive supplements. It’s about doubling down on real, transformational nutrition like getting those greens in and paying attention to protein (we talk numbers!!) and showing up everyday to make taking care of yourself a priority.



About Barbie Boules RD:

Barbie Boules is a registered dietitian, certified health coach, and meditation teacher with over 22 years of experience.

Barbie specializes in the unique needs of women over 4o. She focuses on helping her clients achieve optimal metabolic and cognitive fitness without the unnecessary and unsustainable rules of fad dieting, and rather through a genuine understanding of what each client truly needs to transform their health for good.



On this episode we chat about:


The number one killer of women (it’s not what you think)
How hormones actually change in our 40s
The lifestyle factors that actually matter during the menopause transition
Wading through the noise about protein in midlife
Navigating weight balance as estrogen declines
How the internet distracts us and keeps us in an effort/failure loop
Getting serious about the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as we age
What is the MIND diet?
Barbie’s Four Pillars for better health

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @the_cognition_dietitian as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

If you’re the proud owner of a pair of ovaries, and you’re “of a certain age” you may have noticed that things are starting to change. Could it be…perimenopause???

It can be hard to talk about perimenopause and the menopause transition…not the least of which is that there is still such a ridiculous stigma about women getting older. Like it’s a “use by date” in society and as a woman in her mid-40s, I want to help contribute to a mindset shift around this important transition in our lives. 

We need to educate ourselves about how are bodies are changing and how we can best facilitate that change, so I’m thrilled to welcome Dr Nitu Bajekal MD, a UK-based OBGYN BACK on the pod, in honour of her newest book, Finding ME in Menopoause.

Dr Nitu is an advocate for reproductive health for all humans, and this episode is a deep dive into what perimenopause and menopause actually is, the signs and symptoms to discuss with your physician as well as a look at evidence-based lifestyle medicine - sleep, movement and nutrition - that complement traditional care.

Hormone health is definitely a trending topic - filled will all sorts of wacky ideas about how to care for yourself during this transition so we’re going to cover everything from how perimenopause presents itself to why hormone tests are generally useless during this time as well as the confusing around hormone therapy and why the microbiome is so important for hormone balance!



On this episode we chat about:


Perimenopause vs Menopause
How perimenopause shows up in the body
Dr Bajekal’s own experience with early menopause
What we get wrong about menopause hormone therapy
Brain health: is it perimenopause or your lifestyle?
Why you probably don’t want to do a hormone test
How the gut microbiome affects your hormone balance
Why soy is so important for hormone health
The question of weight gain in menopause



Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics. Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @drnitubajekal as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

Wondering if you’ve got irritable bowel syndrome? Or, newly diagnosed and trying to figure out what the heck it all means? You’ve come to the right place: as a gut health dietitian with IBS myself, I know that sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. 

Particularly because there are just so many damn OPINIONS. About what causes IBS, what you should or shouldn’t eat if you have IBS and just what to do about all those IBS symptoms.

But this is a house of science. And as a house of science, I thought it was high time we got a gastroenterologist on the pod to give us a little IBS 101 - straight from the expert’s mouth to your ear drums.

I am so excited to be talking with Dr Wendi Brett MD, AKA @socalgastrodoc, all about irritable bowel syndrome. Dr Wendi is a wealth of evidence-based information and she makes it all so digestible, pun very much intended. 

We cover it all in this jam-packed episode, from what IBS actually is to how it’s diagnosed in the doctor’s office to why people keep talking about the gut-brain connection. You’ll walk away with a lot of food for thought and hopefully, make those conversations with your doctor a little more informed and productive.

About Dr Wendi Brett MD:

Dr. Wendi is a board certified internal medicine physician and gastroenterology fellow. In her practice she combines science-backed dietary and lifestyle interventions with modern medicine to support gut health. She shares evidence-based educational content on Instagram and TikTok.



On this episode we chat about:


What Dr Wendi studied BEFORE medicine
What is irritable bowel syndrome, exactly?
Understanding gut-brain communication
Why do we get IBS?
The role of stress in IBS symptoms
Conditions that look like IBS but aren’t
SIBO + leaky gut: Dr Wendi’s take on the hype
What Dr Wendi wants you to bring to your doctor’s appointment
Trusted therapies for IBS to discuss with your doc
Why are antidepressants part of IBS treatment? 
Understanding your body’s response to food re-introductions
Probiotics, Fibre + IBS

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics. Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @socalgastrodoc as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!



Full show notes, including episode links and recommendations, at www.desireerd.com/podcast

Of all of the supplements on the shelf, by far the most complicated ones are probiotics. How complicated? Even health professionals don’t always fully understand them! Because probiotics aren’t just one thing: every individual strain of probiotics - or combination of strains - is a totally unique entity so we can’t just paint them all with the same brush.

So I thought it was time to dedicate a whole episode to learning a little more about them with Bailey Hanna RD, a dietitian who has a deep understanding of the area.

Consider this your tutorial on the world of probiotics. From what they are, EXACTLY, to how they are different from fermented foods. We take a look at all the ways that taking probiotic bacteria can influence our metabolism and what you need to think about in order to choose a probiotic from the hundreds sitting on the shelf (or in the fridge!).

About Bailey Hanna RD:

Bailey Hanna is a gut health dietitian with a focus on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). She holds a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Loma Linda University, and has over 7 years of experience working in clinical, research, and advisory roles. Bailey’s work centers on developing tools to help clinicians and individuals sift through the available evidence on diet and supplemental therapies for IBS, focusing extensively on probiotics.



On this episode we chat about:


What inspired Bailey to become a dietitian
How wellness can make us feel like our health issues are our fault
Are probiotics evidence-based? Why there are so many different opinions
What is a probiotic, exactly?
How are probiotics different from fermented foods?
Do you need a probiotic if you eat fermented foods?
A very detailed look at how probiotics work in the body
The truth about gut-derived serotonin 
Who should consider a probiotic? Who should steer clear?
What to look for in a probiotic?

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…and our sponsors! Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-K+ Probiotics, a leader in evidence-backed probiotics.

Go show them some love at www.biokplus.com 

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @baileyhanna.rdn as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!



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Editorial note: 

Because this is a probiotic episode sponsored by a probiotic company, I wanted to take the opportunity to say that we have a strict editorial policy that does not allow the sponsor to influence the episode content. For example, our guest has no professional connection to the sponsor, nor did she know the episode was being sponsored by the probiotic company until after the episode was recorded. The integrity of our education comes first!

This week, we’re talking about how to get present, slow down and truly savour the act of cooking and eating with Murielle Banackissa, author of the new plant-based cookbook, Savouring. 

In an always on world, making the time to cook can feel like an impossible task…there’s always another distraction. And as a parent, I know that the relentlessness (and sometimes, thanklessness!) of family food work can make cooking feel more like a chore than a pleasure. 

According to Murielle, cooking is the perfect way to romanticize our lives…even if for only 20 minutes.

So how can we make space for cooking in our lives, in a way that’s enjoyable and allows us to welcome a few moments of mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day? In this episode, Murielle shares how she battles distraction in the kitchen so she can get present as well as how her upbringing really celebrated gathering for the family meal and how she continues that spirit in her own home.

Plus, you can expect a fun sort of cookbook author confidential: what Murielle cooks during a busy week (without a recipe!), the super common recipe I have NEVER made from scratch, the pantry staples Murielle can’t live without and her favourite vegan spots in Montreal.

We talk about how to make entertaining a little less intimidating and how to make a recipe your own. I hope this episode inspires you to make cooking a moving meditation that makes everyday a little bit better.



About Murielle Banackissa:

Murielle Banackissa is a food photographer, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Montreal. Outside of spending hours developing new recipes and shooting them in her home studio, Murielle loves paying attention to the details surrounding her as a way to feel more grounded and present. From water droplets resting on leaves after rainfall, to the golden glow of summer nights, to the way yeasted dough rises under the ideal conditions, she is always seeking the magic in seemingly mundane moments.



On this episode we chat about:


The diverse food influences that shaped Murielle’s cooking
The family meals that inspired Murielle to make meals a special part of her day
How she sets herself up to be present in the kitchen
Embracing the slow weekend cook
What Murielle actually cooks during a busy week
What inspired Murielle to go vegan and her surprising advice for new vegans
Murielle’s approach to entertaining
The go-to ingredients that Murielle relies on in cooking
Murielle’s advice for anyone who wants to start a food career

Support the Pod!

We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners…

I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @muriellebanackissa as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community.

If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!

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