More than strong bones

Calcium and Vitamin D are the two most commonly sought nutrients when we discuss bone health. But they do a lot more than just building strong bones and teeth.

Calcium

Calcium is vital to blood clotting and helps in wound healing. Calcium plays a role in controlling blood pressure, maintaining muscle and nerve functions. It is essential to the production of enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy and fat metabolism. What's more interesting is its potential in protecting the heart from cardiovascular events when intakes of other nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin D are adequate. It is because of these other important functions that Calcium serves, when our intakes run low our body will have to draw upon the ultimate and only reservoir of Calcium from the bones. That is when we will be put at risk for osteoporosis - the thinning of bones in order to supply other parts of the body that require Calcium.

What does the current guideline say about adequate consumption of Calcium?

1. For adults between 19 to 50 years of age, 1000 mg/day is required
2. For adults over 50 years, 1200 mg/day is needed
3. More specific guidelines for children and pregnant women at different ages can be found in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).
   

It also helps to know just how much of what to eat, explained in food terms instead of units of mg, which may not be as informative. So here are some common food sources of Calcium:

Dairy Products

• 1 cup or 8 oz of skim milk provides ~ 302 mg, low fat (1%) ~ 300 mg, reduced fat (2%) ~ 297 mg, and whole (3.3%) ~ 291 mg
  
• 1 cup or 8 oz of plain low-fat yogurt provides 400 mg, 1% yogurt ~ 300 mg
  
• 1 cup or 8 oz of enriched soy milk ~ 300 mg
  
• 1/2 cup of ricotta, part skim cheese ~ 337 mg, cottage cheese (1%) ~ 138 mg
• 1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese ~ 69 mg, romano ~ 90 mg
• 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream ~ 113 mg
  

Vegetables

• 1/2 cup of collard greens, frozen, cooked ~ 179 mg
  
• 1/2 cup of turnip greens, frozen, cooked ~ 125 mg
• 1/2 cup of spinach, cooked ~ 122 mg
• 1/2 cup of calcium fortified vegetable soup ~ 100 mg
• 1/2 cup of kale, frozen, cooked ~ 90 mg
• 1/2 cup of mustard greens, frozen, cooked, 76 mg
  
• 1/2 cup of broccoli, frozen, boiled ~ 47 mg

Fruits

• 6 oz of calcium-fortified orange juice or grape juice ~ 200 mg
• 4 oz of calcium-fortified apple juice ~ 100 mg
• 1 medium papaya ~ 73 mg
• 1 medium navel orange ~ 52 mg
  

Protein

• 1/2 of firm tofu, processed with calcium ~ 204 mg
• 1/2 of soft tofu, processed with calcium ~ 140 mg
  
• 3 0z of canned salmon with bones ~ 181 mg
• 1/2 cup of soybeans, green, boiled ~ 131 mg
• 2 pieces of sardines, canned, with bones ~ 92 mg
• 1 oz of whole almonds ~ 74 mg

Grains

• 1 breakfast bar ~ 200 mg
• 1 7'' homemade, plain waffle ~ 191 mg
• 1 packet of instant oatmeal ~ 163 mg
• 3 buttermilk pancakes ~ 150 mg
• 1 whole

Seeds & Miscellaneous

• 1 oz of peanuts ~ 25 mg
• 1 oz of dried hazelnuts/filberts ~ 53 mg
• 1 oz of sunflower seeds ~ 34 mg
• 1 tblsp of dried sesame seeds ~ 88 mg
• molasses, blackstrap ~ 172 mg
• tahini, 1tblsp ~ 64 mg

Meeting the daily requirement of calcium can be achieved through enjoying a variety of calcium-rich or fortified sources of foods, such as those listed above. Supplements can be taken with caution if inadequacy is a concern - for example intolerance to dairy products, and the amount needed depends on how much you are already consuming from your diet. More evidence is pointing to the risk of increased heart attacks in people who over-supplement Calcium (amount that exceeds the recommended values). So the message here is that strong bones are a plus, but definitely not at the expense of our heart. There is something wholesome and magical about getting what we need from eating foods rather than supplements - perhaps it is just nature's way. Always consult a doctor or a registered dietitian for advice about supplements or a specific medical condition. It is important to get a big picture of where our health stands and how to better it from here.

Vitamin D

If Calcium is the building block of our bones, Vitamin D can be likened to a Calcium helper that promotes the absorption and use of calcium for our bones, teeth and in the bloodstream. Contrary to common belief Vitamin D is a hormone rather than a vitamin, which is derived from cholesterol. Canadians generally get a decent amount of Vitamin D during the summer simply by being exposed to sunlight (without sunscreen) for as short as 10 minutes a few times a week, during which time the skin converts previtamin D3 through a number of steps to Vitamin D, which is formed in the liver and kidneys. However, deficiency can become a concern in winter times. The current guideline for Vitamin D intake is 200 IU (International Unit) for people at and under 50, 400 IU for those between 51 to 70 years of age, and 600 IU for those over 70. In the light of a prestigious systematic review from 2006, the current dietary recommendations (200-600 IU) fall short of what people should be consuming (at least 1000 IU/day) in order to prevent disease. The newly suggested intake at 1000 IU per day shows strong evidence for disease prevention in "Bone Mineral Density, Lower-Extremity Function, Dental Health, Risk of Falls, Fractures, and Colorectal Cancer" based on this review. Furthermore, there is building evidence of prevention for "multiple Sclerosis, Tuberculosis, Insulin Resistance, Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer, Osteoarthritis, & Hypertension", and suggestive evidence for "autoimmune disease prevention & maintenance of a healthy immune system". In short, Vitamin D rules!

What should we take from all these information?

1. Vitamin D supplementation should be considered for the general Canadian populations especially in winter times because we simply cannot make enough on our own! No one should have to risk skin cancer (by not putting on sunscreen) just so we could get some Vitamin D into the system.
2. It is also not expected that we can supply ourselves with adequate amounts of Vitamin D solely from food sources. I know that this is not what I said about Calcium. Sometimes nature intends to fail us.
3. That being said however, the best food sources of Vitamin D are fortified milk, eggs, and fish.
   
4. Current evidence encourages a supplement of 1000 IU per day, which is both safe and beneficial to preventing many types of diseases.
5. Your individual requirement for Vitamin D can be accurately assessed by getting a Vitamin D 3 serum level test.
   

Note

The Upper Limit of Vitamin D intake is currently at 2000 IU per day. Newer evidence is pushing the upper limit to between 4000 and 100,000 IU. As more research is needed to justify the new high, we should try playing safe and not overdosing on the supplement. The Upper Limit is defined by Health Canada as "the highest average daily nutrient intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in a given life-stage and gender group".

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic Canada "Increasing Calcium in your diet", "Should I take a Vitamin D supplement?"

Health Canada

Sizing down the easier way (1)

Weight loss programming has never lost its appeal. Wherever we go we could find friends, co-workers, or random strangers on the street who are caught up in the hype: there is always someone trying to shed a few pounds.


And then we find ourselves living in a world full of magic products and solutions that promise instant results, such as slim-down cleansing drinks, extreme work-out plans, and dieting etc. Do you ever wonder which products/services were just burning dollars yet not shrinking your pant sizes? Are there any other realistic ways to lost weight without much additional time and cost involved?


Yes, none of my tips below will take up more than half an hour of your day or cost you more than a meal's worth of food if you are willing to make changes. But it does take a bit of thinking and mindfulness when it comes to meal planning.

1. Eat breakfast

I know many non-breakfast eaters who never feel hungry in the moring or simply can't get into the habit of preparing one that once started having it regularly can no longer start the day without one. The hardest part is getting started. It takes about a good 3 weeks for any behavioural change to settle in. But if we can brush teeth every night for 5 minutes, what's so dreadful about making a 5-minute ready-to-serve breakfast. Yes, my simple starters' breakfast menu will only take 5 min or less to prepare:

• Your favourite yogurt (3/4 cup)
  


• Fruit (1 banana or a few strawberries or a handful blueberries, whatever is available)


• All Bran Buds (2/3 cup)


• Eggs (2 hard-boiled - note: don't have to wait in front of the stove, shower away in the meanwhile, it takes about 10 min for it to be cooked once starting to boil)


• Nutritional Info: 2/3 cups of All Bran Buds will give you adequate fiber intake (22 g) for the day for most people (older adults require more). Fiber (in the whole wheat bran and your fruits can hold you off longer by slowing down the digestion of food in to the intestines, which will keep you full and prevents overeating and hunger between meals. Protein wise, I like starting my day with a protein balanced meal, meaning roughly 20-25 g of protein for breakfast (I will talk more about it in my next post: Finding the right balance of protein and carbohydrate for lasting energy). A 3/4 cup of most yogurts provides 6-8 g of protein, and each egg has about 6 g so I am getting all the protein I need out of a very simple breakfast. And best part is: there is no added salt, no additional preparation like frying, and it's super fast! Feel free to add more fruit to your bowl, there is no limit when it comes to fruits and vegetables (unless managing/having diabetes is a concern)

2. Bring snacks

Healthy snacking throughout the day helps your body burn calories more efficiently and keeps your energy level up. Just like the concept of having breakfast, it prevents overeating at meal times by reducing cravings and keeping us full longer. Our bodies are amazing at adapting to changes in the eating environment: if we starve ourselves all day and eat a big meal at the end of the day, it will hold on to every single calorie that it takes in and learns to use it sparingly. Over a period of time, our metabolism will slow down and our body is kept in a storage mode - saving the energy that's coming in and storing it away as fat. But if we eat regularly and more frequently, it learns to do the opposite. Our body will burn fuel more efficiently knowing that it can expect a steady supply of energy and our metabolism goes up. For best results, we should generally avoid going longer than 4 hours without eating, and look for about 5-10 g of protein at each snack. To briefly touch upon the typical yo-yo dieting pattern that we often times see, this is the phenomenon when people attempt to lose weight over short term but quickly gains it back, and later tries to lose them off by starving or dieting again. It is not only ineffective and extremely frustrating in terms of weight loss management, but it also taking a toll on our health. Keeping weight steady is key to mastering health: constant weight losses and gains puts an enormous amount of stress on our heart, making us susceptible to cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. The easier and effective way to go is snacking. Here are a few quick snack ideas (recipe sources are from Cleveland Canada Clinic):

#1 - Trail Mix

• 2 parts dry-roasted soy beans


• 1 part raisins


• 1 parts bran buds


• 2 parts cereal (e.g. Shreddies or Cheerios)


• 1 part dry-roasted almonds or sunflower seeds
  

#2 - PM "Hold Me Over"

• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
  


• 2 Tbsp. raisins


• 2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds


• Cinnamon, to taste
  

#3 - Refried Bean Burrito

• 1/2 cup (4-6 generous tbsp) low-fat refried beans (try President's Choice)


• 6'' or 12'' whole wheat tortilla


• 1 oz. low-fat cheese


• 1/2 tomato, diced
  

On the road: fast food, cafeteria, or restaurant choices

• Garden salad with grilled chicken, turkey, egg, chick peas, cheese, etc
  


• 6'' sub on whole-wheat with lean meat, veggies, and mustard


• Tuna, chicken, or ham pita or wrap
• meat or vegetarian chili

To be continued in (2)

3. Switch to smaller plates at meal times


4. Limit buying in bulk


5. Start dinner with a satisfying salad

For the love of sugar!

You've heard it all:

Carbs are bad. Carbs may cause diabetes. Carbs should be avoided. Carbs are healthy for you. There are different types of carbs. Stay away from the bad carbs.

I can see where all the confusion comes from - the abundance of readily available healthy-eating “facts” and information has conquered every form of media today, from lifestyle magazines, to nutrition columns in newspapers, to bloggers, cookbooks, and the like. You’ll notice a different answer to almost every nutritional issue-it is hard to know what to believe anymore.

I came across an article titled “Is the Food Pyramid Upside Down” published in the Well Being Journal. In a nutshell, it criticized the recommendations made in the current American Food Pyramid, a diet that is consisted mostly of carbohydrates (45-65% of total daily calorie intake), some proteins (10-35%), and fats (20-35%). According to the authors, “For many, following a diet as recommended by the Food Pyramid can lead to … a metabolic situation predisposing one to diabetes and heart disease”.

I was appalled. Not just by its unfounded, blunt statements, but how this stance is against everything that I have learned in dietetics and been trained for. It was also written by two Ph.D’s & a registered dietitian, and presented in a widely circulated health journal targeted at members of the public like you and me. How many of us will read unfounded articles like this and alter our eating patterns once again, only to find ourselves more confused about the contradictory, so-called expert opinions?

In this article, the authors argued their point by using a non-representative, single patient case where Bob failed to lose weight and lower his cholesterol level when he was following the conventional low-fat advice. He did however achieve results when he switched to a diet of reduced carbohydrates, increased protein, and a moderate amount of fat. The article further suggested the need for “A new food guide that removes the restrictions on valuable foods as animal protein and natural saturated fats and reduce the emphasis on carbohydrate-based food products”.

My first question arose: what was Bob’s usual dietary patterns before he took on any nutritional advice and how long had he been following an eating pattern as suggested by the Food Pyramid before he decided that it wasn’t helping him shed pounds?

Carbohydrate is a collective term not only for grains and starchy foods but also fruits and vegetables (complex and natural sugars), as well as added sugars found in soft drinks, candy, fruit drinks, and desserts (refined sugars). We know that the types of carbohydrates matter in weight loss management and for adopting an overall healthy dietary pattern. So could it be that Bob had been consuming more of the refined type of sugars as his carbohydrate intake when he followed the Food Pyramid, as opposed to the complex (such as intact whole grains), which provides a rich source of fiber, vitamins (including antioxidants), minerals, and phytonutrients (ahha! antiangiogenic factors) that help battle against a number of chronic diseases, boost your immune system, and promote healthy body weight? - We wouldn’t know because the article presented no further details other than claiming that Bob was on a high-carb, low protein & fat diet. In reality, high-carb could mean many different approaches to carbohydrate consumption (high complex-carbohydrate intake vs. low complex-carbohydrate intake), some of which are healthier than others.

My second take on the article’s view is that weight loss is often not immediate in people who follow a moderately restricted eating pattern. It can take up to a year or two depending on your initial weight, food intake and level of physical activity. Furthermore, the more weight that has been lost the harder and slower you will be losing an additional pound. This rather unfortunate trick of nature can be discouraging to many people who want to maintain weight-loss on a consistent basis and make us question whether our dietary plan and daily exercise have stopped working. The answer is: No, they are working just fine! And it’s because we’ve lost weight that it’s become harder!

Some other questions that we need to ask ourselves is “Did Bod lose weight on the high-fat and low-carb diet because he was also being more active?” “What else did he do differently in combination with a change in his diet?” With many critical pieces of information missing in Bob’s case, we simply cannot contribute his weight loss and cholesterol drop to his higher fat and protein consumption.

An anatomy of the Food Guide Pyramid

Before jumping to the conclusion that the Food pyramid provides scientifically unsound guidelines, let’s at least go through it and see what it has to say.

The rainbow of colors, vertical stripes represent the five food groups plus fats and oils.

Orange - Grains
Green - Vegetables
Red - Fruits
Yellow - Fats and Oils
Blue - Milk and Dairy products
Purple - Meat, beans, fish, and nuts

The first message from the official website of MyPyramid.gov is that “one size doesn’t fit all”. This is saying that there is no one healthy diet that will work for everybody. Considering the social, cultural dimensions of food that affect our eating and lifestyle habits and our different genetic backgrounds, there can be significant individual variations in determining what makes a healthy, appropriate diet for each one of us. That being said, however, there are trusted guidelines, such as the Dietary Reference Intakes and Canada’s Food Guide that most of us could follow to meet our nutritional requirements.

The reason for recommending 45-65% of energy intake from carbohydrates is based on its role as the primary energy source for the brain. Similarly, it is a source of energy that feeds muscles during exercise and maintains your body weight. The long-term impact of a low-carb diet, as suggested by the article will result in feelings of fatigue (because your brain is starving and your glycogen storage is depleted), muscle loss (due to depletion of muscle glycogen), and weight gain (due to a decrease in your basal metabolic rate and consequently burning fewer calories/day). Sometimes people might find themselves lose weight on a high-fat & protein and low-carb diet and say “hey, it work!” This is possibly the result of losing a significant amount of your muscle mass, as opposed to fat storage. With the high-fat & protein and low-carb diet, weight gain (in the form of fat storage) later in life is almost guaranteed once you pass the initial stage of muscle loss. It is for these reasons I can assure you that a high-fat & protein and low carb diet will not bring you optimal health and sustain your weight-loss goals.

We will boast far better results by sticking to the Pyramid recommendations and finding ways to integrate healthy carbohydrates into our meals (choose complex and enjoy from a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains!)

Lessons learned:

1. Be aware of whether the information you are reading is fact or opinion-based.

2. Interpret nutritional studies conducted in free-living humans with caution. This is largely because these studies have limited control in the environment and people’s behavior and self-reporting are unreliable.


What is your relationship with carbohydrate? What are your favorite sources of carbs?

Curing Cancer Through Eating

This has been a pretty exciting week for me, I learned of two pieces of news that really opened my eyes to the quickly changing fields of nutrition and medicine:

For one, an article was published about an English patient who has seemingly been cured from his HIV infection.

Another, was a theoretical cure for cancer, as proposed by William Li at a recent TED talk.

Whereas the first discovery was more of a miraculous success in a single patient case, the latter has been tested clinically and has proven to be effective in many cases of cancer. My main focus today is on the prevention and treatment of cancer, as it is one of the most devastating diseases in our society, the onset of which often seems to be coming out of nowhere. Or does it?

It is not an uncommon notion that the most common causes of cancer are genetics, that it’s somehow implanted in your genes and you’ve either got it or you don’t.

This, fortunately, is NOT the case. Genetic causes only account for 5-10% of cancers, while the rest stems from environmental factors. In this remaining 90-95% of cancer-causing factors, diet constitutes 30-35%. So the question becomes, how and what should we eat to prevent and treat cancer?

The is often referred to as “Culinary Medicine”

First of all, let’s briefly look into the mechanism behind cancer. What does a tumor look like? Under the microscope, it is a growing mass surrounded by hundreds of blood vessels or capillaries that feed it with oxygen and nutrients. “But cancers don’t start out with a blood supply like this. In fact, they start out as small, microscopic nests of cells that can only grow to one half a cubic millimeter in size and can’t get any larger because they don’t have a blood supply to provide with enough oxygen and nutrients.” At some point in time, with enough triggers either from the environment or inside the body, they mutate and secrete factors; proteins called angiogenic factors that stimulate new blood vessels to sprout and bridge to cancer cells. It isn’t until then that cancers become harmful. “This process of new blood vessel formation, termed angiogenesis, is therefore the tipping point between a harmless cancer and a harmful one. The major medical revolution is a new approach to treating cancer by cutting of the blood supply.”

Here is when diet comes in, to prevent the process of angiogenesis in cancers. “We can eat foods that are naturally antiangiogenic and beat back those blood vessels that are feeding cancers. In other words, we can eat to starve cancer!” Foods such as cooked tomatoes, grapes, soy, garlic, berries and tea all have properties that can reduce angiogenesis in cancer. What’s more interesting is that obesity, another highly prevalent chronic condition shares the same angiogenesis pathway as cancers. Like a tumor, fat grows when blood vessels grow. So, weight loss can be achieved by cutting off the blood supply through the same healthy dietary regimen. As many areas in the world lack the resources to put into place clinical treatment through antiangiogenic therapy, a healthy diet of foods that are rich in antiangiogenic factors may be one feasible way to successfully combat cancer.

Source
This amazing discovery was presented by William Li, a researcher under Harvard Surgeon, Dr. Judah Folkman’s mentorship.

Please check out http://www.ted.com/speakers/william_li.html for William Li's speech on "can we eat to starve cancer" at TED.

Eating Frequently in Small Portions

Leaving From the Nutrition Workshop

A question was brought to my attention at yesterday's nutrition workshop: is it the same if we ate all the nutrients we need for the day in one meal compared to if we broke them up and distributed all the foods/nutrients into a few meals?

Nutrient intake/content wise, it'd be more or less the same. However, it is quite unlikely that people are able to obtain all the nutrients they need for the day in one, big meal. What usually happens is that you may be consuming a lot more calories/energy, rather than nutrients from that single, giant meal. What ends up happening is after that giant meal you will be full. You have obtained more calories than you need for one meal. But you will be hungry again! And you will eat again! And when you do eat the 2nd or 3rd meal of the day, you will be consuming more calories than you need for that day.

A Simple Calculation

Simple math tells us if you obtain more energy (from eating) than you expend (by exercising & normal body metabolism), weight gain is resulted. If you expend more energy than you obtain, weight loss is resulted. It is only when a balanced is reached, i.e. acquiring roughly the same amount of calories/energy as how much your body expends, are we able to maintain a healthy body weight. This explains for why menu planning and body training may differ from people to people, because the amount of energy needed for the normal functioning, growth and maintenance of our bodies is individualized. Since our individual requirements and expenditures may differ from other people in the population, how can we make sure that we are meeting our requirements? Remember the % Daily Value from the Nutrition Facts Panels that you see on the back of most food products? They can give you a pretty good idea of how much nutrient intakes an average, healthy person requires based on the the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA), which is the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient by the Food and Nutrition Board to meet the requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group.

The Benefits of Portioning

Going back to our original question, it is a good idea to manage our portions as to ensure that we are meeting our nutrient requirements as well as managing our calories/energy intake. This is because we don't want to be consuming meals that are too high in calories/energy, which leads to being overweight yet contributes little nutrients for our body to use. Portioning helps exactly in this aspect as to avoid the "energy-dense-nutrient-deficit" situation.

Eating in smaller portions and more frequently help increase your bodily metabolism, encouraging your body to use or expend energy instead of storing energy, thus allowing you to maintain a healthy body weight. Did you know that when you skip a meal, or trying really hard to fast, you are actually training your body to store energy as fat instead of using them up! Also recalling our discussion about "eating a lot of grain products or complex carbohydrates (whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, cereal, pasta that are rich in fibre and vitamins) is healthy for you"? Yes, when people switch to "low-carb diets" in the attempt to lose weight, the results are the exact opposite! They often end up consuming foods that are high in fat and protein, which give them even more calories.

We will talk more about portioning and serving sizes in my next nutrition workshop.

Little Glossary

Metabolism: is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc... your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.

Metabolism is affected by your body composition (fat to muscle ratio) and many lifestyle factors (For example, eating habits and sleeping patterns). Muscles use more energy to maintain itself than fat. This is why regular exercises are important for body training and toning up your muscles. Building muscles help boost up your metabolism and expend energy/calories!

Resources

1. Decoding the Nutrition Label
http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/ViewDocument.aspx?id=63

2. Eating Healthier by Putting Things in Proportion
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/healthyeating.htm

3. How to Increase Your Metabolism
http://www.myfit.ca/increase_metabolism.asp

Mental Health and Food

“The time is now right for nutrition to become a mainstream everyday component of mental health care.” Dr. Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation at UK

During the few years that we spent in the Nutrition program at Ryerson, we’ve learned a lot about the importance of food to our bodily health and emotional well-being. Much more was discussed on the integrative approach of health, of incorporating active living and healthy eating into our daily lives. However, little of its implications on our mental health was touched upon, let alone putting such knowledge into clinical and community practice. This is the reason that triggered our interest to look into the role of diet in the care and treatment of people with mental health problems. Through this journey, we’ve learned to re-examine the complex relationship between food and how it in turn operates the mind as well as to question why the impact of food on our mental health has been understudied for so long.

What do we know? How little do we know?

Did you know that most of the brain is derived directly from food? The dry weight of the brain is 60% fat. The fats that we eat, therefore, directly affect the structure and substance of our brain cell membranes. Consumption of too much saturated fat would make our brain cell membranes less flexible and healthy. In nutrition, we also learned that a balanced intake of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 is very important. How does it relate to mental health? Is there a direct impact to the functioning of our brain? We haven’t discussed them in our courses yet, but through our investigation we learned that 20% of the fat in our brain is made from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. More importantly, equal intakes of these 2 EFAs are important for the normal functioning of the brain, as unequal intakes are implicated in a number of mental health problems, including depression, and concentration and memory problems (McCulloch, 2010). In class, we’ve also discussed that intakes of proteins and amino acids are important for the production of neurotransmitters that regulate our feelings of contentment, anxiety, memory function and cognitive function. What we didn’t learn was that regular consumption of certain substances such as coffee and alcohol may contribute to the over-production of some of these neurotransmitters, leading to mood swings and even chronic diseases.

The role of diet in relation to specific mental health problems

Often times, diagnoses of a mental illness are first examined against personal genetic profiles and family histories. Hereditary factors are strongly associated with the various mental conditions. In addition, we’ve also learned that the onset of certain diseases can be triggered by many interacting factors other than genetics. This leaves us to wonder how big of a role diet plays among all these other factor. So far, it has been shown through clinical research that EFAs and iron levels affect the onset of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and that dietary changes can result in significant improvements in hyperactive children (McCulloch, 2010). Low intakes of folate, vitamins and tryptophan are associated with higher incidences of depression symptoms (McCulloch, 2010). We also know that consumption of foods that are rich in saturated fat is not good for us, but why is that? In what ways does it impact our mental health? Here through reading related articles and writing this journal, we learned that many clinical trial studies have demonstrated a positive association between saturated fat intake and the incidence of dementia (McCulloch, 2010). As more interesting evidence unveils, we feel an urgent need for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to work in synergy, make studies in food and mental health possible, and bridge the gap between nutrition knowledge and its applications in healthy eating practice.

What does it mean to us?

It means that we, as nutrition students and future nutrition and health care professionals, need to be more knowledgeable and sensitive about the long-term impact of consuming certain food products. Food is much more than just the carbohydrates, the proteins, and the fats. Perhaps a balanced intake from the four food groups is no longer sufficient for healthy eating and living. We also need to take into consideration of whether consumption of these foods meets the needs of our brain. Many questions linking diet and mental health are yet to be looked at and answered. We should definitely increase communications between dietitians, psychologists, and psychiatrists as part of an integrative approach of health care.

References

McCulloch, A. (2010). Feeding Minds:The impact of food on mental health. Glasgow: The Foundation of Mental Health.

Colors and More...

So we were flipping through Longo’s most recent issue of their Experience Magazine – education & ideas for adventures in food. Indeed, it was quite an adventure for busy students like us, who are not usually all that into figuring out recipes and cooking in the midst of exams and assignments. However, in about two minutes of time, we’ve learned many interesting facts simply from flipping through the pages. We learned that, being more than Mother Nature’s fat-free sweetener, maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese, riboflavin and zinc, and also contains magnesium, calcium and potassium. Research has shown that maple syrup has an antioxidant capacity which is comparable to a banana or a serving of broccoli. The magazine further discusses the importance of family meals to the overall well-being of children and parents. On the next page, it talks about how music is key to setting the mood and an essential part of the ritual of eating. Already impressed by the depth of the nutritional and social content of each article, we saw Longo’s cooking experience class: Bento Nouveau Makimono Sushi lessons all over the GTA. At this point, we have completely fallen in love with this magazine and all the foods/recipes introduced in them.

What strikes us the most is the magazine’s unbelievably appealing combinations of colours for all of their recipes and images of foods. Then it hit us, perhaps we are visual people and maybe many people are. It wasn’t the knowledge or experience offered by this magazine, but rather the cheerful colors that drew us into reading. We took a moment to think about how essential colors are to foods & why that is and dug up a little more about it on the internet. Blue is an appetite suppressant that’s usually incorporated into weight loss plans (Color Matters, 2008). Scientific explanations offered are that blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables, fruits and meats, aside from blueberries. Blue doesn’t exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color (Color Matters, 2008). Consequently, we don’t have an automatic appetite response to blue (Color Matters, 2008). Furthermore, our earliest ancestors associated blue, purple and black with poisonous foods when they went out foraging (Color Matters, 2008). Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red, therefore, is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant (Color Matters, 2008). Now what does it mean to know about colors and food? Taking a step further, we can think of how the food industry makes use of such knowledge and manipulates the visual effect and color factor in almost every modifiable food product in hopes of influencing our purchasing behaviour.

What comes to your mind?

Juices, pop and soda? Yes, for sure. They are dyed in deliciously looking colors also known as food additives. Not so delicious anymore? Are there coloring agents in pre-packaged fruits and vegetables to keep it attractive and enhance its keeping quality? Yes. And it’s not just about having additives. The food industry has long planted the seed of Genetically Modified Food into our soil so that crops yield more & larger and are more visually appealing than what nature originally designed them to be.

What can we do as consumers?

We as nutrition students and responsible consumers can purchase organic foods or foods grown in an environmental-friendly manner without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, or genetically altered organisms. (Please see a fuller discussion on the pros and cons of purchasing organic foods in another entry on our blog) Purchasing locally to support small local farmers/producers can be another way of discouraging the incentive to maximize profit from bigger producers elsewhere. We should be more aware of the tools available to us in nutrition labelling and always watch for labels of unwanted and unnecessary additives in the everyday product that we consume.

What about the structure that regulates our food market?

Having learned about how policies and structures intricately influence what and how information is made available to consumers from our FNN400 class, we ask ourselves what should be done from higher up to protect nature’s products and our right to enjoy the original, unmodified foods? Is it possible to subsidize local, organic farmers/producers and tax foods/products that use coloring agents and other harmful additives? How can we encourage people to purchase the somwhat more expensive organic products when the food market is so competitive? How by removing food additives from our food products, is this going to affect the long-term health of the Canadians? More studies need to be conducted so these questions can be answered thoroughly. We hope that most people would agree with us that we’d rather eat what foods actually are as naturally presented (without all that visual and physical modification), as opposed to what we think they are (in their complete makeovers)!

References

Morton, J. L. (2008). The Effect of Color on the Body. Retrieved Feburary 15, 2010, from Color Matters: http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html

A Local and Sustainable Food System:

the Perks and Challenges

In Saturday’s Toronto Star there was an article entitled, “How food contributes to global warming” by Anna Lappe. We think this article is relevant and important to consider in the practice of nutrition. Food systems make up a large component of the natural environment. With all the media attention received by climate change and food production over the years, we think that it is important for nutrition students and professionals to be aware of this connection. In this article Anna Lappe is interviewed about her new book, Diet for a Hot Plant. Her research has lead her to discover that the food industry contributes to over one third of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions! She has traveled to UN conferences, small organic farms, and grassroots agricultural conferences to obtain information for this new book.

Another author, one of our favorites, who has also touched on this subject is Michael Pollan in his book, In Defense of Food. In this book Pollan writes about the locavore movement and its importance in helping us fight climate change. He also talks about the importance of moving back to a ‘sunshine’ based diet as oppose to one that relies on fossil fuels. These two authors both offer very compelling evidence for the importance of eating more local, organic foods produced from sustainable practices. Many of the topics discussed in Pollan and Lappe’s books have been discussed extensively in the media, our classes, and in textbooks.

In our classes, local farming, local produce, the 100 mile diet, and sustainability of our food system have been discussed. As students of Nutrition we have all heard and in some cases experienced the benefits associated with buying local foods, organic foods and the importance of sustainable farming. However, we are also aware of some of the barriers associated with buying local and organic foods, such as higher prices. So we decided to write about some of the challenges and perks of following the advice from these two books, and to see if it is really possible to change the world by changing what is on our plates.

Perks of supporting local, sustainable food systems and ‘environmentally-friendly’ policy (by Trudy):

Purchasing local, seasonal foods can help boost the local economy by providing local farmers and other producers with a higher income. Additionally, it helps to decrease the travel time (food miles) between the production site of the food to the consumer of the food. This decrease in travel can also help decrease greenhouse emissions and safety issues related to herbicides and pesticides used in other countries (i.e China, South America).

There are already some great local, sustainable food programs in the Toronto area, such as The Stop. The Stop has a Green Barn, which is based on sustainable food production. The Green Barn site also educates the public on growing and eating healthy locally produced foods. I believe that these programs are imperative and necessary for making changes to the food system. Grassroots movements are very important in educating individuals about beneficial changes to our food system. They may target a small amount of people, but as the ideas they produce are put into action the message can spread by diffusion throughout a larger population, and even globally. I think that it is all related to community building and engagement. Community gardens, community farmer’s markets, and community workshops and food demonstrations are all essential for gaining the attention of communities. I believe that the local food movement is largely based on community and community involvement. Dufferin Grove Park is another example of a community based program that provides the community with alternatives such as wood ovens to cook pizza and a farmer’s market to buy local produce. One question that I can think of is, how do we as nutrition students and professionals support these communities?

The relationship between eating locally and sustainably is not only beneficial for you and me, but it is advantageous for the environment. Food4Health offers a blog and projects developed by youth. This website/blog is devoted to promoting health and educating youth on the importance of sustainability. It recognizes that youth are the future leaders, and thus it is important to influence and educate them on our food system. I think the use of education to empower youth to make a change from a mass production, profit based, long-distance food production to a more local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly food system is imperative. I am convinced that this type of action begins in the community, and thus, in my opinion, educating and empowering one community at a time will be more effective in communicating these messages than a global approach. I also believe that it is critical for dietitians and students of nutrition to be involved in these issues regarding our food system.

Challenges of supporting local, sustainable food systems and ‘environmentally-friendly’ policy (by Fei):

There are definitely some challenges related to supporting local and sustainable food systems. This approach involves a shift in thinking from a global to a more local approach on food selection. It involves making conscious decisions at the supermarket or the decision to purchase fruits and vegetable from a local farmer’s market. These decisions can be very inconvenient in a world that favors convenience. Additionally, changing a population's ideology can be very difficult, especially if accessibility is low and cost is high for local, healthy foods. How can we expect individuals in areas dubbed as ‘food deserts’ to change if those options are not accessible to them? Especially, since many people in ‘food deserts’ have lower incomes. In this sense, eating locally and sustainably becomes a privilege for those individuals who can access and afford this type of food (most likely the more wealthy individuals). In this sense, there is an inequality that exists with access to locally produced, healthy, fresh foods. In the words of Lappe, “Our food system is broken”. One of the challenges with changing the food system to a more local, sustainable one is related to changing policies. I believe that changing policies and changing the allocation of tax payers money to this type of food system would be a very long, difficult process. Large food production companies may see no financial benefit in local, sustainable food systems. Since these companies are some of the most wealthy companies in the country, they may have a lot of power in policy generation compared to grassroots groups. In addition, it may be hard for grassroots organizations promoting local, sustainable food systems to obtain funding to help them reach a larger population.

In Canada during the winter months eating locally can be a challenge. I find it very difficult to find a farmer's market during January or February, thus I primarly consume local foods in the spring/summer months. To overcome this challenge, I think increased access to farmer's markets or indoor community gardens during the winter months would be beneficial in promoting local foods.

Moreover, local foods may not always be the best choice. Are tomatoes grown in a greenhouse in Ontario during the winter months really more energy efficient and sustainable than tomatoes grown in Mexico, which uses the natural sunlight as the main means of energy? Is rice production in Canada really more sustainable than that produced in China? Questions such as these make it very difficult and confusing to decide what food choices to make. Of course, seasonally grown local foods are likely better for the environment, fresher, and healthier, but what about local food grown out of season? Thus, when we think local it may not always mean the best choice for the environment or our families.

In conclusion, ‘fixing’ the food system can be a very difficult and complex process. There is no simple solution! Just writing this article has been overwhelming with every benefit there appears to be a challenge following close behind it. However, there is hope for our food system, and this hope is seen in the community programs listed above, The Stop and Dufferin Grove Park.

For more information:

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/784247--how-food-contributes-to-global-warming

http://www.takeabite.cc/book/

http://www.michaelpollan.com/

http://www.thestop.org/

http://dufferinpark.ca/home/wiki/wiki.php

http://projects.tigweb.org/food4health?langrand=1548062796

To Eat Organic or Not to Eat Organic: 

That is the Question

We decided to write on the topic of organic foods because we are seeing and hearing so much about it in the news, in stores, and in our classes. We thought that as future nutrition health professionals it would be beneficial to do some research and compile our thoughts on organic eating.

So organic food is food that is produced without chemicals (herbicides, pesticides), growth hormones, or antibiotics. Thus, it is supposedly more healthy for you because chemicals, such as pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics have been shown to cause unhealthy side effects in some cases.  Once not too long ago, organic food could only be found in small health food stores, but now it is present in almost every supermarket. As nutrition students, we believe that it is important to understand the pros and cons to organic foods because it is such a ‘hot’ topic in the media. We each chose a side and started thinking and looking... 

Pros of Organic Foods (Fei)

Well one of the obvious pros of organic foods is that they are chemical free and contain no growth hormones. For me, this is the main reasons I would purchase organic food. We have all heard of the horror stories in the past related to growth hormones being associated with early maturity in girls and fertilizers being linked to cancer, so no wonder organic foods are becoming so popular!  With the media’s stories about the health consequences of genetically modified foods and the huge amount of chemicals used in the mass production of crops, any consumer that listens to the news has likely thought about buying organic at some point. 

This increase in demand for organic foods has lead to an increase in production of these foods. With this increase in demand and production the costs related to organic foods, which are usually higher, may actually begin to decrease to levels closer to conventional food items. This potential decrease in pricing can be seen as a possible future pro because organic foods would then be financially accessible to more people, especially those who cannot afford to buy organic right now.   

Another point is that some studies have documented that organic foods, such as leafy vegetables and potatoes, are more nutritious because they contain more absorbic acid than their conventional counterparts  (Magkos, Arvaniti & Zampelas, 2003). So, organic food can be safer and more nutritious than conventional foods. 

In many ways I believe that organic foods are better for the environment. With the growing of organic crops, toxic chemicals are not release into the soil, thus the soil is healthier and more nutrient dense, and there is no worries associated with chemicals leaching into the drinking water and other water systems. In my opinion organic eating is a way of life, people that choose to eat organic may be more likely to also purchase local foods, recycle, use the composter, and other environmentally friendly practices (www.ota.com/organic/mt/consumer.html). From my past knowledge, organic farmers are more likely to be interested in environmentally friendly practices, such as renewable resources and sustainability, than conventional farmers. Doesn't it make sense that organic food would be linked to the whole 'green' initiative?  I think it does!

I think organic foods have also become more accessible to communities through farmer’s markets and other community programs such as The PACT “Grow to Learn” Urban Agriculture Initiative, which was discussed in class. This initiative allows for organic food to be donated to food banks in the Greater Toronto Area. Students help to grow the organic food used for this program, so it not only focuses on community building, but it also helps youth learn about the food system and provide organic foods to people that may not be able to afford them. I believe that this is a great example of an initiative that intertwines many different issues, such as community, organic foods, and educating the youth of future generations. I also found a news article regarding new organic certification in Canada through the Agricultural Justice Program. This new form of certification is suppose to promote equality between farm workers and employers, fair wages and enable fair contractual agreements between organic farmers and retailers. The development of this type of certification for organic food production demonstrates that the issue of equality and fair trade of organic foods is recognized in Canada.

In summary, I think organic foods are safer and more environmentally friendly than the conventional foods found in the grocery store. I know that organic farming could be viewed as a means for large companies to make a large profit, but the concept behind organic farming is also important to remember. I believe organic foods promote a more environmentally friendly lifestyle that is less centered around mass production and more centered around sustainability, community and safety. 

Cons of Organic Foods (Trudy)

 I think one of the most apparent cons of organic foods is the price. If you walk into any grocery store and compare the price of almost any product, the organic product is usually significantly more. This price differential can make organic foods financially inaccessible to people with lower incomes. This can then create an inequality between the people that can afford to eat organically and those who cannot. How would you feel if you were a single mother of two, with a low paying job and you were told that your children would should eat organically?  Personally, I would feel guilty because organic foods would be financially inaccessible to my children. Thus unless community programs are put in place that help lower income, food insecure individuals obtain organic foods, I feel that it creates just another inequality between the rich and the poor. This also brings me to the point as to whether or not organic food is even safer or more nutritious than conventional food?  I know that the production of organic foods does not involve chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics, but does that really mean that organic foods are more nutritious or even safer?  I know there are very strict laws in North America that control the use of pesticides and other fertilizers on produce brought into the country. Moreover, the antibiotics and growth hormones used on cattle, pigs and other animals used for human consumption are strictly tested for side effects and possible disease outcomes before they are used.  So, to say that conventional food is not safe would not necessary be true. My parents and other relatives have all eaten non-organic food for their entire lives and they have yet to have suffered from any direct health consequences of eating conventional food. 

I have also read in many magazines and news articles that certain vegetables and fruits may be ‘cleaner or less contaminated’ than others, thus is their organic version really needed?  For example, I once read that broccoli does not need to be bought organically because it is not as contaminated as other vegetables. I think it was related to the fact that few insect pests feed on broccoli, thus less pesticides are used to a lesser degree on this vegetable. So, in some cases there is little to no difference in chemical ‘contamination’ between the organic and conventional versions. 

***As a side note, I personally found food a chart in a magazine a few years ago which contained a column titled “buy this organic” and “do not buy this organic”, and it was based on the degree of possible contamination. I keep it on my fridge and whenever I can I try to follow it***

In my opinion the organic food industry is becoming a more profit centered business ever since the large spike in organic food consumption. In the past, organic foods were not as popular and thus only found in health food stores, but today they can be found everywhere. Even Walmart! I think many people believe that organic foods are more nutritious, but really I have not found much evidence on this claim, thus large corporations may use this possible misconception to sell their organic products. Large corporations are also aware that some people are more willing to pay more money for organic foods, thus I believe that in some cases prices may not actually reflect the value or quality received from purchasing an organic product. 

As discussed in class, organic food consumption which was largely advocated by grassroots movements, is becoming dominated by larger corporations. Most grocery stores now carry organic foods, thus organic foods may eventually no longer be associated with sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices, but they may become part of the unconscious, dissociated grocery store ‘environment’ which is no longer connected to its natural roots. Also, organic foods are starting to dominate the processed food sector. Since, many people associate organic foods with “healthy” food, does this mean that processed organic foods will come to be thought of as “healthy” compared to their non-organic counterpart? They will likely still contain the same amount of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, so is it really beneficial to the population to make processed foods organic? In my opinion, it is not. I think this movement is largely driven by money hungry corporations, that use profit as their main goal. 

My last point for a possible con related to organic foods involves land use. I know organic farming is known for its sustainability, but how can it ever be more efficient than conventional farming?  Without the use of chemicals or growth hormones wouldn't the yields of organic farmers be much less than those of conventional farmers? Thus, wouldn’t organic farmers need more land?  So, with the increased demand for organic food, will an increase in land use for agricultural purposes also increase?  Will this mean that forests and other valuable land will have to be transformed into agricultural land?  I do not know the answers to these questions, but they are definitely questions that make me wonder about the future of organic farming practices. 

So, we gave you some of our thoughts on the pros and cons of organic eating. We hope that you found some of them interested and they generated some thoughts of your own. The debate over the advantages and disadvantages of organic foods will likely continue for sometime. What are your thoughts on the subject?

More Info/ interesting sites:

http://dufferinpark.ca/market/pdf/noworganictoronto.PDF

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

http://www.nextnature.net/2008/12/i-want-my-organic-coke/

Canadian Organic Growers: http://www.cog.ca/

Canadian Food Inspection Agency: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/orgbio/orgbioe.shtml

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada: http://www.organicagcentre.ca/

References

Magkos, F., Arvaniti, F., & A. Zampelas. (2003). Organic food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 54: 357-371. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713995042&db=all

The PACT: http://www.pactprogram.ca/pact/Grow_to_Learn.html

http://atlanticfarmfocus.ca/index.cfm?sid=332033&sc=587