Type "organic versus conventional produce" into a search engine and you will come up with a lot of "debunking" sites that tell you there is no difference between conventional and organic produce. They say pesticide residues on conventionally grown produce are minimal and don't affect us, and that conventional produce is structurally identical to organic produce, and therefore will not only taste identical but will have the exact same nutritional properties.

To me this all seems like hype. Washington, D.C.'s Environmental Working Group has studied pesticide levels on produce and they are significant. Pesticides are poisons -- the idea that we are somehow magically immune to this poison is, to me, ludicrous.

And the idea that the two types of produce are structurally identical assumes that they are grown in identical soil, which they're not. The nutrition and taste of a plant are largely determined by its mineral content -- minerals that have to be present in the soil in which it's grown. While organic farming operations take steps to remineralize the soil using methods that offer a full range of minerals, conventional produce growers generally use fertilizers that only provide five or six. Plus, chemicals and pesticides degrade the quality of the soil, killing micro-organisms vital for soil health.

But some people don't see things like I do. For the skeptics in the audience, I present something in your own language -- a peer reviewed study. Researchers did a side-by-side comparison between conventionally grown and organic strawberries in California. And, no surprise, the organic berries were more nutrient dense, tastier and left a healthier soil than their conventional counterparts.

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Love take-out but hate what it does to your figure? Don't sweat it -- here are some healthy ethnic foods that you can enjoy to your heart's content.

When it comes to eggs, are free-range ones actually better for you or is it just a marketing ploy? CNN looks into whether the organic egg industry is just full of yolk.

The competition is half the fun, but if you prefer your tennis game without the stress of trying to win, here's a cardio-heavy version that lets you reap the benefits of this challenging sport without a partner.

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Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient Indian practice that encompasses all aspects of health and wellness, is centered around the idea of "doshas," the elements within all of us that influence how we behave and how we feel. Here, Dr. Virender Sodhi, an Ayurvedic MD for 30 years and a Naturopathic Physician, explains how doshas work, how you can figure out which dosha is yours, and what steps to take to improve your health.

Q: What does "dosha" mean?

A: The basis of Ayurvedic philosophy is the belief that the intelligence of the natural world is within each of us. The five basic elements of the universe -- ether, air, fire, water and earth -- combine in the body into three characteristic constitutions, known in Sanskrit as doshas. Ayurvedic medicine stimulates our inner intelligence, and activates our own unlimited healing potential in order to achieve optimal balance of the three doshas.

Q: What are the three doshas?

A: The doshas are Vata (ether and air), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth). Your dosha, or combination of doshas, determines your unique set of attributes and tendencies. It also explains your personal requirements for health and happiness, dietary needs, exercise, yoga, meditation and even your ideal climate.

Which is your dosha? Find out after the jump

Have your stress levels been rising with the added pressure of getting lunches packed and the kids to class on time?

Back-to-school is always a bit hectic, but dinner doesn't have to be stressful if you plan ahead. This healthy and delicious recipe for lasagna can be made on the weekend and then heated up in the oven for 15 minutes when you get home. (But please, don't ruin this recipe by heating it in a microwave).

When made with simple, real food ingredients, lasagna is a crowd-pleaser for young and old. For added health benefits, this recipe is made with whole wheat flour pasta instead of white flour pasta. When flour is refined, the fibre, nutrients and good fat are stripped away. Because of this, your body very quickly converts the carbohydrates to glucose, causing a speedy rise in blood sugar levels. Do your kids really need any more sugar? Probably not!

If you don't have kids, this recipe will bring you comfort after a long day's work because it's warm and fulfilling. You could also make a big salad to go along with your lasagna -- filling up on fibre and raw enzymes will actually promote good digestion.

Recipe after the jump.

Like a row of dominoes, one family member's affliction can take down the whole brood -- especially when it comes to something as tough to treat as an eating disorder. Harriet Brown, author of Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia, explains her family's fight to make her daughter well.

Q: Why did you write this book?

A: I wrote it to let parents and families know that they're not alone and that they can play a crucial role in their child or teen's recovery from an eating disorder. Many people still don't know about family-based treatment (FBT) on this side of the pond -- it's an intensive outpatient treatment that was first conceived in London, England where parents play an active and positive role in their child's recovery. So that was part of my goal too: to spread the word and let not just families but doctors know that this is an option. In fact, it should be the first-line treatment for any teen facing an eating disorder.

Q: When did you first realize that your daughter was ill?

A: The spring she turned 14. My husband and I didn't realize what we were seeing at first; she seemed anxious and emotional. We thought maybe this was the beginning of adolescence. She's our oldest, so we didn't have a good sense of what was normal. After a month or so we realized that she was looking very thin. I think in retrospect she had a growth spurt, so even though she didn't lose a lot of weight, she became thinner.

Q: How bad did things get?

"It's hard for people to kick their own ass."

A while ago I interviewed X-Weighted's Paul Plakas about fitness classes and his comment stuck with me. A lot of people need an extrinsic motivator to get themselves moving, especially on those lazy days.

An extrinsic motivator is something external, and it can be a powerful tool to get your ass moving by providing you with added pressure to perform. For example, I heard an interview with Olympic champion Clara Hughes not long after Vancouver 2010 where she spoke about how much she relied on extrinsic motivators to prod her into exercising. The double-threat cyclist and speed skater said she couldn't motivate herself to go for a run, but if she called a friend to run with, and that friend was expecting her to be there, then she was able get her butt in gear.

Another example is X-Weighted itself -- while I think some of the participants chase goals that are too ambitious in such a short period of time, the show provides a tremendous extrinsic motivator for people by pressuring them to succeed or fail in front of a TV audience. The subjects have the opportunity to use that pressure to achieve their goals, and most of them do. What's more, they have some residual motivation to stay in shape after the show because of reruns.

But not everyone can go on a weight loss TV show (and many wouldn't want to lose weight that publicly anyway). There are, however, lots of other good ways to provide yourself with some butt-kicking extrinsic motivation.

Find out how after the jump.

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Looking for a simple slim-down trick? Diet Blog explains how merely having a glass of water before your meals can have a big impact on your waistline.

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I think it's high time I spoke about salt again.

I had a client the other day whose husband has blood pressure concerns and so she was looking to lower the amount of sodium in his diet. I mentioned the benefits of changing to an unrefined salt for the sake of blood pressure. A little skeptical, she asked if there were any studies that showed the benefits. I wasn't sure, so I told her I'd look into it.

Low and behold, Dr. Robert J. Rowen's newsletter comes to my inbox this morning talking about "The China Salt Substitute Study". Back in April 2009, a Chinese study was published in the journal Hypertension Research which looked into the effects of pure salt (100% sodium chloride) versus a "salt substitute" (65% sodium chloride, 25% potassium chloride, 10% magnesium sulfate) on 600 high-risk hypertensive (high blood pressure) subjects over the course of one year. It's a good study too -- both randomized and controlled.

What did they find? Over the course of 12 months, the "salt substitute" significantly reduced peripheral and central systolic blood pressure (7.4 mm HG and 6.9 mm HG respectively) and also reduced arterial stiffness. Again, the subjects were still taking in sodium chloride, the only difference was that it was buffered by other minerals. So much for the theory that salt raises blood pressure.

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Contrary to popular belief, research shows that new moms actually do get enough sleep -- problem is, they don't get enough quality sleep, leaving them overwhelmingly tired. Do you agree?

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Plan a picnic before fall officially hits, but skip the junk food and opt for these healthy snacks instead.

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The other night my girlfriend Deanna invited me for dinner, so I graciously accepted and grabbed a bottle of local Ontario white wine enroute (Trius Sauvignon Blanc). Yes, nutritionists and health nutters do drink wine once in a while, especially when it's home grown! Little did I know what Deanna was preparing in her kitchen would pair magically with the wine I brought.

Deanna is a young woman who serves as inspiration to anyone who thinks they can't cook. All it takes is a little motivation and creativity. About a year ago she took some time off in between jobs, and during this break she taught herself (without any classes) how to create delicious and nutritious food in her kitchen. I remember when it was not uncommon for Deanna to be microwaving low cal/low fat dinners every night instead of cooking -- not anymore!

The most impressive part of the meal was the whole wheat pizza crust she made from scratch. It was so delicious that I honestly thought she'd bought a gourmet pizza crust from Whole Foods and just put her own toppings on. Boy, was I wrong. It was a thrill to think that my friend -- a typical frozen-dinner-girl -- had converted herself into a good cook.

Recipe after the jump.