An elevated home coffee experience and enjoying your own personal perfetto moment is within reach.

A premium cup of coffee can create a perfect moment — or a perfetto moment, as Italian luxury appliance company De’Longhi likes to call it. As Canadians continue to spend more time at home, being able to create and enjoy an elevated home coffee experience has never been more appealing. With the right high-quality machine that’s personalized to your preferred brewing style and equipped with top-notch features, you can enjoy a perfetto coffee moment at home, any day and any time.

Turning your coffee ritual into a perfetto moment  

Whether it’s a freshly-brewed espresso in the morning or a post-lunch cappuccino, a good cup of coffee has the power to create a sensual, pleasurable, perfetto moment.

“Coffee is very ritualistic and emotional,” says Doug Parkinson, Category Manager of Coffee at De’Longhi. “People view it as a treat throughout the chaos of the day. We want to give people the tools to have their own perfetto moment — using our machines, everyone can have an elevated experience within their home.”

That’s because premium taste and a premium experience come from — you guessed it — premium espresso makers. De’Longhi is synonymous with coffee expertise, and the company’s first-rate espresso machines let you craft authentic espresso at home, the right way.

“Our approach to product development is a blend of innovation, quality, and design,” says Parkinson. “We offer machines to create the perfect cup every time — whether you prefer an automatic espresso machine or a manual one.”

The perfect machine for your coffee

The coffee experience really starts with high-quality, freshly-roasted beans, and most De’Longhi machines feature built-in grinders so coffee lovers can explore the world of coffee and enjoy freshly-ground beans with every cup.

Two of De’Longhi’s most popular machines, the Dinamica Plus and La Specialista Prestigio, feature built-in grinders, amongst other premium features.

“The Dinamica Plus embodies everything that automatic espresso machines bring to the table,” says Parkinson. “It features our patented brewing unit, which ensures the right grind, dose, temperature, and pressure. Our LatteCrema System delivers the perfect amount of milk texturing and density for lattes and cappuccinos, all at the touch of a button. It’s essentially a coffee shop on your countertop.”

For those who prefer a more hands-on brewing experience, La Specialista Prestigio is De’Longhi’s hero in the manual space. With sensor-grinding technology, a smart tamping station, and more, it’s an innovative machine that’s commercially inspired but accessible.

An inspirational global campaign

De’Longhi’s global Perfetto campaign features brand ambassador Brad Pitt and takes viewers through an aspirational day in the life of Pitt. From an idyllic motorbike journey to pick up freshly-roasted beans to brewing a cappuccino and finally pausing to reflect and enjoy his personal perfetto moment, Pitt’s day shows the personalization and accessibility of the perfetto moment.

“Brad absolutely loves espresso and coffee, he’s looking for quality, and he has an appreciation for design,” says Parkinson. “These are all elements within our brand DNA. We’re really excited about having an ambassador like Brad who shares all the same principles as our brand to help bring that message to life in a creative, meaningful way.”

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Roast’s annual Roaster of the Year Award recognizes companies that roast coffees of superior quality, exemplify a dedication to sustainability, promote employee and community education, and demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here are some of its recent Canadian winners.

Oughtred Roasting Works

Delta, British Columbia

craftcoffeecanada.com

Oughtred Roasting Works is a family-owned, carbon-neutral company that has been sourcing and roasting coffees from some of the finest growing regions since 1973. Its search for the most expressive coffees is not only about quality in the cup, but also about the company’s overall impact on people and the planet. That’s why climate action, education, and community connection lie at the heart of what Oughtred does.

“Thank you to a community of coffee lovers who rose to the challenge of a global pandemic and supported local companies like ours. Every purchase made a difference, not only to our family but to those along the entire chain of custody. We’ve been able to give back to our community at rates we never before imagined, which to us is what matters most.”

Pilot Coffee Roasters

Toronto, Ontario

pilotcoffeeroasters.com

Pilot Coffee Roasters is a specialty roaster, cold brewer, and cafe operator with locations across Toronto and wholesale accounts from coast to coast. It focuses on direct trade partnerships that positively impact the communities at origin and roasts coffees at the vanguard of innovation to offer an unparalleled sensory experience.

“Since opening in 2009, the roastery has grown and evolved with the rising popularity of specialty coffee. What excites us is the opportunity to be a leading voice in Canada’s industry and to introduce new communities to specialty coffee with an emphasis on sustainability, education, and transparency at origin.”

Reunion Coffee Roasters

Toronto, Ontario

reunioncoffeeroasters.com

Reunion Coffee Roasters is one of Canada’s largest and most established specialty coffee roasters. As a certified B Corporation, Reunion has made it its mission to use coffee as a force for good in the world, through sustainable sourcing practices, utilizing renewable energy to power its roasting facility, progressive employment practices, and more. 

“With the inability to travel over the past couple of years, the memories of my trips to visit our farming partners have kept me going and re-starting that travel will be the reward at the end of this difficult period,” says Adam Pesce, President of Reunion Coffee Roasters.

Propeller Coffee Co.

Toronto, Ontario

propellercoffee.com

Propeller Coffee Co. is a purpose-driven, award-winning, specialty coffee roaster. It’s Canada’s first certified B Corporation micro-roaster and everything it does is guided by sourcing and roasting some of the world’s best coffees in the most sustainable way possible and building community at every step.

“As our coffee community begins to rebuild — after 20 months of lockdowns, disruption, and pain — we’re seeing customers, partners, and peers building back thoughtfully, carefully, and with a desire to not only do better, but to be better. For us, that means recertifying and recommitting to B Corporation principles, committing to a living wage and extended health and dental benefits for our team, and localizing as much of our supply chain as possible.”

The post Introducing Roast Magazine’s Winning Canadian Coffee Roasters appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

Kathlyne Ross

Vice President of Product Development & Innovation, Loblaw Companies Limited

Club Coffee’s innovations and strong partnerships are helping Canadian coffee lovers make more conscious, sustainable choices.

Coffee is a beloved and welcome part of everyday life for millions of Canadians. Its inviting aroma and distinctive flavour start our mornings, end our dinners, and give us breaks in between. With more than 70 percent of Canadian adults enjoying a coffee on an average day, that calls for a lot of coffee beans — about 1,000 tonnes of them daily.

Canadian coffee lovers increasingly expect more from that coffee — they want sustainable options like fair trade coffee and compostable or recyclable packaging. Club Coffee is helping top-selling North American brands and many of Canada’s leading retailers answer the call. Leveraging its long history and expertise, Club Coffee is leading the way in sustainable packaging innovations and helping Canadians make their coffee habit more sustainable.

Canadians love coffee and drink quite a lot of it, so when we work with partners on packaging that’s recyclable, our work together starts to make a big impact.

A long history of innovation

Club Coffee has a 100-plus-year history, having evolved from a roaster to a sustainable packaging innovator and long-term partner of choice for major names like Loblaw.

“We’re known for delivering coffee innovations,” says Solange Ackrill, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Strategy at Club Coffee. “Many of our people have come to us from big retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. Their wealth of knowledge enables us to execute breakthroughs that really create points of differentiation that add value for our customers and their consumers.”

Building an innovation-focused culture and agile team has helped Club Coffee drive industry-leading advances. “Our culture is grounded in our people and our talents,” says Ackrill. “We can see what consumers want and know what our customers need. We put all that together to get to results faster.”

Creating sustainable solutions

Consumer demand for more premium and sustainable offerings is putting Club Coffee in the spotlight, as industry experts are seeing firsthand.

“A growing number of Canadian consumers are expecting Canadian companies to do things differently,” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. “They want to support brands that are great environmental stewards.”

“Supply chain transparency is going to be driving the coffee business,” says Dr. Charlebois. “When you think about fair trade, equity pay for farmers and everyone else in the supply chain, retailers and companies in Canada will have to show some sort of plan moving forward as to what they’re actually doing to support the rest of the coffee economy upstream.”

Club Coffee’s ability to translate trends into action makes it a great partner to major brands and retailers. Those strong links help it to drive innovation, value, and consistent supply.

A new step forward in sustainable packaging

“We’re always looking for ways to bring innovation to the food industry and in doing so, develop partnerships with companies that share our passion,” says Kathlyne Ross, Vice President of Product Development and Innovation at Loblaw Companies Limited. “Our partnership with Club Coffee began several years ago, and in 2016 we launched our PC^® 100% Certified Compostable Single Serve Coffee Pods, kicking off our journey together on developing sustainable packaging in the coffee category.”

Supported by Loblaw’s leadership and commitment to sustainability, Club Coffee is now helping the retailer meet consumer needs and its ESG commitments through the latest world-class innovation with the launch of the new AromaPak coffee packaging. AromaPak featuring Boardio^® paper-based technology is recyclable packaging for bagged and can coffee. This sustainable packaging solution significantly reduces plastic use and is made using fibre from sustainably-managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

“We want to offer our customers choice in the grocery aisle and that includes innovative packaging solutions that reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills,” says Ross. “Canadians love coffee and drink quite a lot of it, so when we work with partners on packaging that’s recyclable, our work together starts to make a big impact.”

Making your coffee habit more sustainable has never been easier.

The post Making Your Coffee Habit More Sustainable Just Got Way Easier appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Merchants of Green Coffee & Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI)

The heat is on… For every pound of coffee produced and consumed, more than 100 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions are generated. This is a conservative estimate based on Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI)’s scientific research and it reveals that this everyday habit we share cannot be sustained without people and our warming planet paying the price.

Zero Footprint Coffee is Merchants of Green Coffee and MDI’s science-backed solution to this problem. For every one-pound bag of Zero Footprint Coffee, more than 100 pounds of CO2e emissions are sequestered in the regenerative forests right beside where the coffee grows.

The fact that the emissions are specifically being sequestered at the location of the coffee farms and not somewhere else is what makes this program intrinsically sustainable and different from all other net zero strategies.

Support for this hybrid coffee/reforestation program is needed immediately, so we’re in a race and this is our business case. There are 20 million Canadian coffee drinkers. If just 10,000 of them subscribe to Zero Footprint Coffee right now, their habit will kickstart a critical coffee reforestation program.

This is a race to reduce coffee emissions — so we can wake up feeling good about our morning cup, knowing our day starts with great coffee and enhances forest restoration in hard-hit, coffee-growing communities.

There are 20 million Canadian coffee drinkers. If just 10,000 of them subscribe to Zero Footprint Coffee right now, their habit will kickstart a critical coffee reforestation program.

Our morning dose of caffeine has a big footprint

Coffee is an everyday example of a heavy human footprint, causing deforestation and thus contributing to climate change.

The math has been done. Hundreds of thousands of acres of forest are lost every year to produce coffee, similar to other agricultural industries. In 2020 the Sustainable Coffee Challenge published that, “Coffee producers will have to triple their production by 2050 to meet demand and 60 percent of the area suitable to grow coffee in 2050 is covered by forest.”

At this rate of increased demand coupled with deforestation, Honduras (home to Central America’s largest forests and where the Zero Footprint Coffee program’s research is based) is on track to lose all remaining forests within the next 30 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and human migration compound the issues. Given all of our data, we can extrapolate that no coffee or organization today is having enough impact to prevent a global atmospheric temperature rise past 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. Gloria Steinem was right when she said, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”

The good news is that Canadians can immediately start solving this problem by choosing to embrace a coffee with an on-the-ground solution — in other words, by signing up for Zero Footprint Coffee.

Racing toward the forest-restoring coffee dream

Cafe Solar^® green beans (a.k.a. the forest-restoring coffee supply) are the heart and soul of this program and every bag of Zero Footprint Coffee sold supports Cafe Solar^® in one way or another.

The coffee is grown using a system called Integrated Open Canopy (IOC), an at-source climate mitigation means of producing coffee. Its production involves renewable, solar-energy processing and carbon farming alongside coffee. This makes it more effective than all other net zero strategies.

IOC coffee is designed to save and restore high-elevation forests in the Yoro Biological Corridor while producing a valuable product that contributes to the region. Its findings and methodology are endorsed by local municipalities, federal forest agencies, the National Science Foundation, multiple universities, and many conservation organizations.

(Zero Footprint) Coffee is our common ground

In a divisive world, it’s comforting to have something in common like coffee. Zero Footprint Coffee allows the caring, everyday coffee drinker to independently subscribe and collectively support the reduction of CO2e. The subscription program and race to 10,000 subscribers is our grassroots initiative, engineered from the bottom up by our team of caring people on a mission to address climate change.

Collectively, the first 10,000 subscribers, at a modest two pounds of coffee per month, will sequester 24 million pounds of CO2e emissions and restore 800 acres of forest — not to mention getting access to the “first 10K” swag and the significance that they were among the first coffee drinkers to act on this important issue.

The first 10,000 subscribers also won’t be the last. Making coffee more sustainable will, by nature, require coffee supply chain stakeholders (big and small), governments, and consumers around the world cooperating on this issue, and this is the ultimate goal.

Zero Footprint Coffee subscribers are clearing a path for all coffee supply chain members to get involved and benefit. Plus, they’re putting pressure on finance groups and industry coffee buyers to use their power, act faster, and be accountable for our shared future.

As one of these first 10,000 subscribers, you’ll be a part of the group that leads the way for others to a more sustainable coffee supply chain. With Zero Footprint Coffee, you get great-tasting coffee, while actively fighting deforestation and climate change.

We encourage readers to learn more, including about a recent, much-needed change to the Canadian investment law (45-110) and how it empowers Canadians.

The post Drink Coffee, Regrow Forests: A Business Case and 10K Race appeared first on HiveInnovates.

How has importing coffee benefited Canada’s economy?

The coffee industry in Canada represents over $6 billion in category size and that includes the sale of coffee directly to the consumer. Coffee is an important part of Canada’s economic structure. Canadians love their coffee — we’re second or third in terms of coffee consumption from a global standpoint. The import of coffee into Canada is big business and is incredibly valuable in terms of the number of jobs and the economic stimulation that it provides to the local economy overall.

Tell us about Canada’s role in sustainability in the coffee industry.

It’s part of our mandate through the Coffee Association of Canada to provide support as much as we can to the origin countries that we import from. The association has taken the initiative and the lead in bringing global coffee associations together under one global group. We’re taking the lead on bringing Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, and Japan together for regular meetings to discuss bigger issues such as sustainability and fair wages for farmers and people in the origin countries we import from. We recog­nize that on the global stage, Canada may not be as influential overall.

Our mandate is to work with other global associations on these important topics and bring all of our resources together to address some of these critical issues like sustaina­bility. The end goal is to ensure that we have a viable industry for future generations.

How has the pandemic changed in-home and out-of-home coffee consumption?

Overall, coffee consumption as a whole didn’t change if we look at the top-line level. The frequency and volume of coffee consumption remained stable. What took place was a dramatic shift from out-of-home coffee consumption to in-home coffee con­sumption. With stay-at-home orders and restaurants having to close down, out-of-home consumption shifted dramatically to in-home.

We saw a dramatic increase in the pur­chase of coffee machines for the home, but not just basic drip coffee machines. A lot more consumers were purchasing sin­gle-serve coffee machines and espresso machines. Consumers were really upgrading their coffee machines and the types of coffees that they were preparing in-home. Coffee consumption remained stable, but there was a significant shift in terms of how consumers were accessing their coffee.

The coffee industry is shifting from traditional types of coffee to much more innovative coffee beverages and flavouring. The industry is also attracting younger consumers — coffee is no longer just your parents’ favourite drink.

What is Canada doing to rebuild the out-of-home coffee market?

The Coffee Association of Canada has a piece of global-leading consumer research based on data collected from going out and speak­ing to consumers on a very frequent basis. Historically, we’ve done this research once a year. When the pandemic hit, we shifted and began conducting this research every two months to really understand consumers’ feelings about both in-home and out-of-home consumption.

We’ve taken that research and armed our members with an understanding of what the barriers are for consumers to get back into out-of-home consumption and into coffee shops, along with understanding what coffee shops and quick-service coffee players need to do to make sure that people are comfortable understanding how to attract more consumers. We’ve taken an aggressive position in understanding those motivators that get consumers back out into the marketplace and help our restaurant membership and the industry overall so they can start to capitalize on the restaurant industry’s rebound.

Where do you see Canada’s coffee industry headed as we head into the new normal?

The coffee industry is really evolving and there’s a lot more innovation taking place. We’re seeing great innovation on the produ­cing side. We’re also seeing great innovation on the consumer-facing side. For example, cold brew and nitro cold brew coffee have really started to explode. The coffee industry is shifting from traditional types of coffee to much more innovative coffee beverages and flavour­ing. The industry is also attracting younger con­sumers — coffee is no longer just your parents’ favourite drink.

Not only from the producing side, but from the consumer side, we’re going to continue to see innovation help drive the industry forward.

How is the Coffee Association of Canada progressing alongside the coffee industry?

We’ve really made an effort to evolve the association to be reflective of the changing dynamics of the market. We recently launched a new council called the Innovation Council. The members are 40 years of age and under and their role is to identify where the coffee market is headed while making sure that the association is representative of the new realities in the coffee world. The council is also responsible for getting younger people involved in the association as well.

The association has gone through some dramatic changes in the last couple of years to be much more reflective and inclusive to the industry as a whole.

The post Canada’s Evolving Coffee Industry: Q&A with Robert Carter appeared first on HiveInnovates.

When did you first fall in love with coffee?

I’ve been drinking coffee since middle school. I remember going on coffee dates with my dad when I was younger and seeing him drink coffee — I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to drink it, too! I started a tad younger than I should have, but my love for coffee has only grown as I have.

What’s your go-to coffee drink recipe?

My go-to recipe for an at-home latte is Chamberlain Coffee’s Fancy Mouse Espresso Blend, mixed with almond milk or dairy-free creamer-like oat milk — always iced. For some reason, I’m not a fan of hot coffee.

Coffee just became a part of my brand on the internet and I wanted to turn that into something bigger, in the most authentic way possible.

What led you to start your coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee?

I’ve been drinking coffee since I was young… maybe a little too young! Coffee has always been comforting for me and has been a huge part of my life. As I got older, enjoying a cup of coffee became a way for me and my dad to bond. Once I started high school, I would drink coffee to keep me going throughout the day. When I started creating my YouTube videos, a lot of my content was even centred around coffee recipes and my favourite cafes in Los Angeles. Coffee just became a part of my brand on the internet and I wanted to turn that into something bigger, in the most authentic way possible.

Why is sustainability important when it comes to the coffee industry? How does Chamberlain Coffee incorporate sustainable practices?

Sustainability in the coffee industry is important for the future of the planet and also for the future of farmers. Most coffee farms are located in underdeveloped countries that have high rates of poverty, leaving a lot of coffee farmers and their families really vulnerable. These conditions make it difficult for farmers and their families to have access to basic necessities. Coffee farming also requires a huge amount of resources like land and water, which can have a negative impact on our environment, if not done correctly.

When I created Chamberlain Coffee, I wanted the brand to be authentic in every sense, and a big part of that for me was ensuring that all our coffee was made responsibly and ethically. Chamberlain Coffee is not only responsibly made but also sustainably sourced and packaged. We source all our own products and prepare them in a local facility in California so we can ensure that our products are certified USDA organic and kept to the best standard.

How would you say Chamberlain Coffee differs from other coffee brands?

From the beginning, we wanted Chamberlain Coffee to be as lighthearted and as true to me as possible. We did exactly that by creating an approachable and fun brand reflected through our bright colours and our Chamberlain characters, who are featured on every product. A lot of coffee brands are pretty serious in tone and colour scheme, and we wanted to be the opposite. My coffee routine is my favourite part of my day, and I wanted that to manifest through our products. I love all our characters and they make me smile throughout the day — that was the goal.

What advice would you give someone who is dreaming of starting their own coffee brand?

When starting any type of brand or business, it’s so important to be passionate about whatever it is that you’re bringing to life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a love for coffee, and I knew I wanted to turn my passion into something that can bring joy to others. Part of my vision with Chamberlain Coffee was finding a way to bring people together, whether that was creating a memorable moment (like the ones I share with my dad) by enjoying a cup of coffee with friends or by helping make someone’s morning routine a little bit brighter. We really tried to reflect this idea of creating a moment by offering so many different products that can suit an array of consumers depending on their interests, whether that’s with a highly-caffeinated cup of our Fancy Mouse Espresso Blend or our Sleepy Sloth Decaf Blend.

The post Connecting over Coffee: Q&A with YouTube Star Emma Chamberlain appeared first on HiveInnovates.

If there’s one constant about the mortgage industry in Canada, it’s the ever-blowing winds of change that sweep across it.

And those winds blew in like a hurricane in 2020 — particularly on the digitalization front — with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns.

Much progress has been made over the past decade in implementing the latest technologies and tools to create a more automated and efficient mortgage application process. But one of the biggest hurdles has been encouraging widespread adoption of those tools by both industry participants and clients.

That changed in 2020, however, with social-distancing requirements and widespread work-from-home policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Not only was technology employed to support the shift to mobile work environments, but it played an important role in facilitating the rapid adoption of a more digitalized mortgage process for clients.

This has happened in large part through rapid technological advances in mortgage connectivity and deal management systems that are used to bridge the gap between brokers and lenders.

Not only have these digital solutions improved efficiency between brokers and lenders, they’ve also made the mortgage application process more seamless from a client perspective. Some of these capabilities include everything from auto-population of documents and cloud-based document sharing to electronic signing capabilities and the ability for lenders to pull bank statements and income tax records from source.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, countless buyers and sellers also relied heavily on virtual appraisals and home inspections.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption

While many of the digital tools to streamline the mortgage application process were already available, they didn’t experience maximum uptake until the pandemic made them a necessity.

One such success story is Sagen, the country’s largest private mortgage insurer. The greater adoption of digital technologies by brokers and lenders has allowed it to streamline the approvals process.

“I would say lenders accelerated their online mortgage application portals. The entire shift from what was pre-pandemic to now, a much more accelerated digital environment, has been good for the whole industry,” says Stuart Levings, President and CEO at Sagen. “It won’t go back. The gains that have been had are here to stay, which I think is phenomenal.”

New innovations to help homebuyers

A growing number of mortgage brokerages, broker networks, and lenders recognize the shift to greater digitalization of the mortgage process and are now getting serious about implementing technology in their financial offerings (also known as fintech).

As of 2019, there were at least 98 mortgage fintech firms operating in Canada, according to research by Deloitte.

Many have been working to improve and innovate not only the mortgage process, but the entire homebuying experience.

Take Properly, for example, a new service that allows homeowners to unlock the equity in their home and finance their new home purchase before listing the current home. Or Unreserved, which is bringing the concept of online auctions to the real estate market while also improving transparency in the process.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, countless buyers and sellers also relied heavily on virtual appraisals and home inspections. While the lockdowns necessitated such solutions, Canadians are starting to embrace the use of this technology moving forward.

According to a survey from the Ontario Real Estate Association, 4 out of 10 Ontario homeowners say that they’re now open, or at least “somewhat open,” to buying a home while only able to view it through electronic means.

The importance of mortgage brokers

While the mortgage journey is improving for borrowers, mortgage brokers continue to be a crucial partner in complementing that experience.

More than 4 out of 10 Canadians (42 percent) obtained their mortgage through a mortgage broker in 2020, according to data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

For most people (85 percent), that decision was based on the expectation that a mortgage broker was best-suited to get them the best mortgage rate or deal, while 84 percent cited the convenience and time savings.

The post Mortgage Brokers Are Helping Borrowers Navigate the Digital Landscape appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Thunder Bay is home to a multicultural community of professional, skilled, and creative people. Here you’ll find a mix of modern city living and the best of nature — all on your doorstep. Newcomers come to Thunder Bay for small city affordability, big-city opportunities, and the bonus of a superior lifestyle.

Thunder Bay is one of 11 northern cities across Canada to be selected for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). The RNIP has seen great success in Thunder Bay and now, in the second year of the three-year pilot, 138 foreign skilled workers have been recommended for permanent residency. There’s an overwhelming amount of interest in Thunder Bay, and the program couldn’t have come at a better time. The community faces stagnant population growth and an aging workforce. With the help of Thunder Bay’s Community Economic Development Commission,  local employers can now access a broader labour pool and source the right people to offset predicted labour shortages in the future.

There’s a world of employment possibilities to discover outside of the big city — in Thunder Bay there are many in-demand occupations in skilled trades, business, and service industries. Health care workers are also in high demand with personal support workers (PSWs) being the highest on the list. There’s a great need for PSWs in Thunder Bay and with the RNIP program, many of these essential workers have a pathway to permanent residency. The RNIP is now helping certified skilled health care workers stay in Canada and work here locally.

If you’re looking to live in one of the most exciting cities in Canada, it’s hard to look beyond Thunder Bay.

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Dr. André Marette is a professor at Laval University and an expert in nutrition and the microbiome. He is currently leading a research group that is funded by a CIHR CMI2 team project grant. The goal of the group is to understand the role of the microbiome in driving type 2 diabetes.

What is your gut microbiota and how does it develop?

The gut microbiota is all of the microorganisms that are growing in our gut. These are mainly bacteria, but can also be viruses, fungi and other microbes. As soon as we are born, we get the microbiome of our mothers. It can be influenced by several environmental factors, but also genetics. When you reach the adult stage, you have a fully developed microbiome, and the main regulator of the microbiome will become nutrition.

How does nutrition play a role in influencing the gut microbiome?

Nutrition is one of the most important regulators of the gut microbiome. The food we eat will influence the gut microbes and the type of microbiome we have in the gut will influence how we will metabolize and deal with the food we eat. There are really important interactions between nutritional factors and gut microbiota. In summary, well-balanced and diversified diets and overall good nutrition will help maintain a healthier gut.

Do you have any beneficial food recommendations to incorporate into our diet that can aid in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome?

When we say we are what we eat, it’s probably true. First and foremost a balanced diet is key. The gut microbiome prefers balance and food diversity. That said, if you are consuming a specific diet such as veganism it is important to increase specific supplements to maintain proper intakes of vitamins and minerals you take to compensate for the lack of certain food groups. Secondly, a fibre-rich diet is important as fibres help to maintain key beneficial microbes in your gut. Thirdly, proteins, those coming from vegetables, grains, fish, and dairy as they seem to confer more benefits on the gut microbiota as compared to meat proteins. And lastly, you should avoid transformed foods as those that contain many additives that can have a negative impact on our gut microbiota.

Is there potential for the gut microbiota to alleviate the metabolic syndrome?

Fortunately for us, the gut microbiota can be harnessed to improve our overall health. Research has shown that the gut is the messenger to our other organs responsible for controlling metabolic, cardiovascular, immune and mental health. Research linking specific aspects of the gut microbiome to metabolic syndrome is ongoing.

Do you have any advice for someone at risk for a metabolic syndrome condition?

From the perspective of the gut microbiome, a balanced diet rich in fibres, fruits, and vegetables will do the trick to help prevent metabolic syndrome. Prebiotics and probiotics can also help improve the gut microbiota and favours immune and metabolic health. Physical exercise is known to reduce the development of metabolic syndrome and studies show that regular exercise will actually help favourably reshape the gut microbiota. Be careful with alcohol, trans fat, saturated fat, red meat proteins, and food additives. The healthier you eat, the healthier your microbiome will be and this will help to prevent you from developing these diseases.

The post Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome appeared first on HiveInnovates.

This occurs because the entire digestive system is lined with a mesh-like body of neurons which is referred to as the Enteric Nervous System. Through the vagus nerve, our brains are connected to the rest of our bodies, including our digestive system – which allows them to communicate and influence each other. In fact, many researchers actually refer to the gut as our second brain!

While you may assume that all signals go from the brain to the gut, scientists have found that 80-90% of the nerve fibers in the enteric nervous system actually run towards the brain instead of away from it. This is where the gut microbiota comes in. The gut microbiota is the population of bacteria, viruses and fungi living in your gut. You may be surprised to know that trillions of these microbes reside in your digestive tract and play an integral role in your health. So, if you do not provide the gut microbes with the nutrients it needs to thrive, you can emotionally feel quite down!

Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we pay attention to this connection. While the research is still relatively in its infancy, we know that nutrition plays an important role in influencing gut microbiota. These include things like getting enough fibre, getting enough variety in the diet, reducing intake of foods that are high in sugar and fat, and reducing excess intake of red and processed meats.

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