Food
Being Misunderstood by Others When Eating Differently than the Majority
And you know what we all face when we go about things differently than the majority? Contempt, anger, labels of “crazy” or “obsessed” or “ignorant” or we are told to ‘live a little’ or ‘you only live once.’ For some of us, relationships end because of our food choices! Some of us end up extremely isolated because attending social functions is too difficult emotionally. Some of us forfeit careers because we end up home schooling, due to the fact that our children cannot eat the foods that other children eat.
Read MoreHealth Benefits and Healing Power of Herbs and Spices
Today, exotic spices and herbs are readily available but many of us are not fully aware of their value. For example, did you know that just 1 teaspoon of paprika or chili powder provides as much as 16 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene? In this blog post, we’ll talk about the health benefits and healing power of some common herbs and spices.
Read MoreJuicing – Maximum Nourishment For You and Your Child
Certain fruits, vegetables and spices can be combined to assist in the healing of certain ailments. Juicing carrots, celery, garlic and parsley can treat the flu and other infections. Parsley is a good source of zinc, which promotes healing and boosts the immune system. Garlic is a natural antibiotic (no need to juice more than one clove per glass of juice). Carrots and celery are high in potassium and sodium, which are nutrients that can be lost if one has a fever or diarrhea. Carrots also provide energy and help sweeten concoctions.
Read MoreNew Canadian Guidelines for Introducing Solids to Babies
As a pediatric nutritionist, I am deeply concerned by these new guidelines. No babies are born with mature digestive systems. And the digestive systems of today’s babies are at even more risk than the digestive systems of babies born in previous generations, due to the toxicity of the world we live in today. And more babies than ever are being born by caesarian, which means these babies are already born with less good bacteria in their digestive tract than babies who go through the vaginal canal and collect good bacteria there. Because a baby’s digestive system is rapidly developing in their first year, the last thing a parent would want to do is to introduce hard-to-digest foods to a baby. All of the new recommended first foods for baby are hard to digest compared to other foods i.e. meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes and cereal!
Read MoreThe Impact of Nutrition on Oral Health
What factors contribute to oral health? Genetics, diet and dental hygiene all contribute to the health of the teeth. Children born to parents who have poor teeth are more susceptible to cavities. So are children who consume foods and drinks that are high in refined sugars and starches (breads, pasta and baked goods), sweetened carbonated or non-carbonated drinks and acidic foods. These provide a food source for bacteria, which produces the tooth-damaging acid, contributes to plaque build-up and inhibits the ability of the white blood cells to fight off bacteria. A child’s diet should focus on vegetables, legumes (green peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans), whole grains and healthy protein sources.
Read More8 Back-to-School Nutrition Ideas Made Easy
It’s a new school year; many of us look at September as being a good time to start doing things differently. For years I felt as though making my girls’ lunches at night was too exhausting, after having cooked or prepared meals for them all day long. This September, I started making their lunches, while preparing their dinner. The kitchen has been messier than ever but I realized that this is the time in which I have the most energy and when I can be most efficient, as much of the food is already out of the fridge. Why I ever thought that putting the girls to bed and then heading downstairs to make their lunches was a good idea, I will never understand. And the years I spent rushing around each morning, making their lunches, are also over. It feels good to actually sit with my girls on a school day and partake in eating breakfast with them. And what a beautiful start to the day for each of us. So, what are you going to do differently this school year? Here are 8 back to school ideas to provide your children with more nutrition and hopefully keep your world more sane overall:
Read MoreA Nutritionist’s Take on Canada’s Food Guide
The number of recommended fruits and vegetables is wonderful. I only have three concerns. Counting juice as a serving, when it is often not fresh and is laden with chemicals and sugar, simply doesn’t make sense to me. The nutrient content of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables is not the same as fresh fruits and vegetables yet no distinction is made in the guide. Secondly, no mention is made of the need for organic fruits and vegetables. The soil in which our ancestors’ produce was grown, was loaded with nutrients, far more than the soil of today! Organic is truly the best we have these days.
Read MoreThe Emotional Connection to Physical Illness
We now have the sickest generation of human beings to have ever existed in the history of mankind. Obesity, allergies, asthma, autism, ADD, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and cancer are only a few examples of the epidemics that exist today. The physical reason for these epidemics is that the world is simply more toxic than ever before – our food, water and air are perpetually being contaminated. But why do certain people contract certain illnesses? Wherever there is physical illness, there is always an emotional connection – I have discussed this concept in prior blogs but once I learned of the large interest in this topic, I felt compelled to explain the concept in greater detail.
Read MoreWhat Does a Nutritionist Do and How Can They Help You?
Nutritionists can help you detect food sensitivities/allergies or nutritional deficiencies and then assist you in devising a plan to change your child’s diet. If you determine the foods to which your child reacts and your findings include one of the major food groups, such as dairy and wheat, you might ask yourself, “What can I feed my child?” A Nutritionist will teach you exactly what to feed your child, what the alternatives are and ensure that your child does not miss out on any important nutrients. They will even supply you with recipes and books to assist you, so that you do not need to do any of your own research if you don’t want to!
Read MoreWhat Our Food Cravings Are Trying to Tell Us
The body never fails us; it is we who fail to listen to its wisdom and trust its guidance. Our food cravings are a source of valuable education. Individuals are drawn to certain textures, fat content, flavours and smells of various foods for a reason. Below are different kinds of food cravings and what they are trying to tell us.
Read MoreConsider Food Sensitivity Testing on Your Quest for Health
I stayed away from all the common allergens when I was breastfeeding my youngest yet she still had two nights of crying and gas pains following her feeds. I had the Interro testing done and learned that Paige was sensitive to figs (I had eaten a whole container of wheat-free fig newtons in one sitting one night) and vinegar (I had put oil and vinegar on my salad, knowing that most salad dressings had sugar, chemicals or other common allergens). Once I refrained from eating figs and vinegar, Paige did just fine for the duration of the time in which I breastfed her. There is no question that learning how to detect food sensitivities can be a huge help to the health and happiness of families.
Read MoreRange of Colours on Your Plate Represents Range of Nutrients
Each type of food calls upon a particular set of digestive enzymes to digest it. If those digestive enzymes are continually called upon and your digestive system is not strong (as is often the case these days), the particular digestive enzymes needed to digest your favourite food will wear out. It is no coincidence that the top allergens in North America are dairy and wheat – the two foods that we consume the most. Each time we eat wheat, in our breakfast (toast), lunch (sandwich) and dinner (pasta), we use the same digestive enzyme to break down the wheat. If we start to experience bloating or fatigue or maybe even acquire celiac disease, these are all signs that our digestive enzymes for wheat are not working properly. This is why digestive enzymes are being taken in supplement form, more and more often these days.
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