Nutrition Conversations

• Feeding the Future - Inuit Food Sovereignty in Action with Lynn Blackwood and Dr. Farzaneh Barak

  Food security is a critical issue that affects communities worldwide, yet the challenges and solutions are deeply rooted in local contexts, cultures, and policies. Disadvantaged groups, including Indigenous Peoples in Canada, face unique barriers to food access, deeply tied to historical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Ensuring culturally relevant and sustainable food systems requires evidence-based policies and community-driven solutions. Lynn Blackwood is a Nunatsiavut beneficiary born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently serves as Food Security Programs Manager with the Nunatsiavut Government, leading initiatives to improve food security in the region and is the first Inuk dietitian and one of the few Indigenous dietitians in Canada, with over 25 years of professional experience across the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Lynn has served as a jury member for the Canadian Space Agency’s Deep Space Food Challenge and as a past director on the boards of Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Foundation of Dietetic Research. Dr. Farzaneh Barak is an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton and Waterloo Universities, where she conducts research on Canada’s and global food security. She also serves as Senior Policy Advisor and Food Security Lead at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national representative organization for Inuit in Canada. She has over fifteen years of experience in national and international research and practice—including work in Uganda, Malawi, Canada, and Iran. With expertise in food policy, intersectional gender analysis, and public health nutrition, Dr. Barak is dedicated to addressing systemic barriers to food security and promoting policies that advance food sovereignty and sustainable community-driven food systems. In this episode, Lynn and Dr. Barak discuss food security in Inuit communities, highlighting the unique challenges they face and the culturally grounded, community-led solutions needed to support sustainable and equitable food systems.

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• Feeding the Future - Inuit Food Sovereignty in Action with Lynn Blackwood and Dr. Farzaneh Barak

  Food security is a critical issue that affects communities worldwide, yet the challenges and solutions are deeply rooted in local contexts, cultures, and policies. Disadvantaged groups, including Indigenous Peoples in Canada, face unique barriers to food access, deeply tied to historical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Ensuring culturally relevant and sustainable food systems requires evidence-based policies and community-driven solutions. Lynn Blackwood is a Nunatsiavut beneficiary born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently serves as Food Security Programs Manager with the Nunatsiavut Government, leading initiatives to improve food security in the region and is the first Inuk dietitian and one of the few Indigenous dietitians in Canada, with over 25 years of professional experience across the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Lynn has served as a jury member for the Canadian Space Agency’s Deep Space Food Challenge and as a past director on the boards of Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Foundation of Dietetic Research. Dr. Farzaneh Barak is an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton and Waterloo Universities, where she conducts research on Canada’s and global food security. She also serves as Senior Policy Advisor and Food Security Lead at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national representative organization for Inuit in Canada. She has over fifteen years of experience in national and international research and practice—including work in Uganda, Malawi, Canada, and Iran. With expertise in food policy, intersectional gender analysis, and public health nutrition, Dr. Barak is dedicated to addressing systemic barriers to food security and promoting policies that advance food sovereignty and sustainable community-driven food systems. In this episode, Lynn and Dr. Barak discuss food security in Inuit communities, highlighting the unique challenges they face and the culturally grounded, community-led solutions needed to support sustainable and equitable food systems.

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• Hidden Hunger in the First 1000 Days with Dr. Kyly Whitfield

  The first 1,000 days—from conception to a child’s second birthday—represent a critical window for growth, development, and long-term health. Nutrition during this period lays the foundation for growth, cognitive development, immune function, and chronic disease risk. Research in this area helps inform global strategies to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Dr. Kyly Whitfield is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University and is passionate about international nutrition, with interests in identifying and combating micronutrient deficiencies during ‘the first thousand days’ window. Her research focuses on maternal thiamin deficiency and infantile beriberi, mainly in rural Cambodia, an area where thiamin-related infant mortality remains a major public health issue. Alongside a few fellow CNS members, Kyly also co-edited a book titled ’The biology of the first 1,000 days’ which is a cross-disciplinary deep dive that explores the biological underpinnings of this critical developmental window. In this episode, Dr. Whitfield discusses global micronutrient deficiencies in the first 1000 days with a focus on thiamin.

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• Vieillir en force: nutrition et santé musculaire avec Dre Stéphanie Chevalier / Aging Strong: Nutrition and Muscle Health with Dr. Stéphanie Chevalier

  Les personnes âgées représentent le groupe démographique qui croît le plus rapidement au Canada, avec 19 ? la population âgée de 65 ans et plus, soit environ 7 millions de personnes. L’exercice, l’activité physique et la nutrition sont des éléments essentiels d’un vieillissement en santé, contribuant au maintien de la santé musculosquelettique et à la réduction du risque de sarcopénie. Dre Stéphanie Chevalier est diététiste, professeure agrégée à l'École de nutrition humaine de l’Université McGill et chercheuse à l’Institut de recherche du CUSM. Spécialiste du métabolisme des protéines, elle étudie le rôle des nutriments dans la perte musculaire liée au vieillissement et à certaines maladies comme le cancer et le diabète. Ses recherches récentes portent sur les liens entre nutrition, santé musculaire et cognition chez les aînés. Son programme est financé par les IRSC, le FRQS, la Société canadienne du cancer et la FCI. Elle est présidente de la Société canadienne de nutrition et membre du comité directeur de l’étude NuAge. Dans cet épisode, Dre Chevalier abordera le rôle de la nutrition dans le vieillissement, un sujet au cœur des préoccupations liées au vieillissement en santé. Please note that this podcast has been recorded in French; however, you may view the script in English hereOlder adults represent the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada, with 19% of the population aged 65 and over—approximately 7 million people. Exercise, physical activity, and nutrition are essential components of healthy aging, helping to maintain musculoskeletal health and reduce the risk of sarcopenia. Dr. Stéphanie Chevalier is a registered dietitian, Associate Professor at the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University, and a researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. A specialist in protein metabolism, she studies the role of nutrients in muscle loss associated with aging and certain diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Her recent research focuses on the links between nutrition, muscle health, and cognition in older adults. Her research program is funded by CIHR, FRQS, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. She is President of the Canadian Nutrition Society and a member of the steering comity of the NuAge longitudinal study on nutrition and aging. In this episode, Dr. Chevalier will discuss the role of nutrition in aging—an issue at the heart of healthy aging concerns.

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• Digest This: The Truth About Your Gut with Kelsey Moore

  Digestive health plays a crucial role in overall well-being, impacting everything from nutrient absorption and immune function to mental health. At the heart of this system is the gut microbiome—a complex network of microorganisms that helps regulate inflammation, metabolism, and even the risk of chronic diseases. Despite its importance, digestive health is often misunderstood, with myths about probiotics, fibre, gluten, and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and celiac disease continuing to circulate widely. Kelsey Moore is a Registered Dietitian with a retail nutrition background and experience in the digestive health space. Kelsey graduated from The University of British Columbia in 2019. She started her career as a sports dietitian and then moved into the retail space where she worked as a Nutrition Operations manager for a local BC food retailer. She is currently working as the Senior Account Manager of Nutrition for the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation where she works with food and supplement brands to help deliver digestive health resources to Canadians. Kelsey is passionate about providing evidence-based information on digestive health and is currently on track to becoming a Monash FODMAP-trained dietitian. In this episode, Kelsey discusses common myths and misconceptions around digestive health. This podcast is in collaboration with the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (https://cdhf.ca/en/).

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