We’re mid-January already! Now is the time to get your New Year’s Resolutions going, but it’s also important to keep them going throughout the year. Formulating manageable goals and that are important to you are the easiest to integrate into your life. By then writing down your goals and telling someone about them, helps you add accountability and some realism to your plans. Use step-wise, or incremental goals to make larger goals more attainable.
January 13, 2012
Someone asked me what would be my one tip for someone for the New Year.
It would be: Add 1 more serving of Fruits or Vegetables to your day.
This is the ubiquitous advice from a Dietitian. We all have heard why: good source of anti-oxidants, vitamins, fibre. Which all help to lower risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
But we don’t often notice what adding a fruit or vegetable also does to shift the rest of your day. Add an apple to your morning cereal, you will feel fuller longer, and come lunch time and may be able settle for a smaller portion. By eating a piece of fruit with your afternoon ‘pick me up’, this will allow you to stop at one cookie, rather than wanting two. Piling a bit more vegetables onto the dinner plate, so it is approximately ½ vegetables, ¼ starch, ¼ protein, changes the distribution so that you eat less of the more calorie dense foods on the plate.
December 16, 2011
UBC’s Botanical Garden has an annual Apple Festival that is fun for kids and adults alike, October 15th and 16th. I love going to taste what they say is over 70 different varieties of heritage, organic and conventional apples. It’s also a time to check out what’s new in the Garden and walk through their treetop canopy walkway.
October 7, 2011
A great way to keep summer going is to make a quick freezer jam with all the seasonal berries you love. Cook about 1 pound of berries with 1/2 cup of sugar for 15 minutes. Stored in the fridge, the jam is good for a week, or freeze and keep for up to 6 months.
August 19, 2011
Check out Self Magazine’s “Body Builder” – you can develop your own workout routine to target areas you would like to work on. It’s also a cool way to just add new moves to your old routine.
August 12, 2011
A study published in a June issue of the New England Journal of Medicine followed 120,877 U.S. women and men who were free of chronic diseases and not obese.
Participants gained an average of 3.35 pounds within each four year period of the study. Those that did gain weight, tended to eat more of certain foods. The researchers found that gaining weight was most strongly associated with the intake of potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meats, and processed meats. Eating vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and yogurt was associated with maintaining or losing weight.
While the news isn’t new, it’s great to hear again that less processed foods are better for you, even if some of them may have higher calories, like nuts and yogurt.
July 22, 2011
The Almond Board has posted a great webinar on “Living Your Best Gluten-Free Life”
Check it out here.
May 30, 2011
The “germ” of the wheat kernel is what is removed in the process of refining (ie. making white flour) grain products. This process also removes the vitamin E, folate, phosphorous, thiamin and other tasty bits that the germ provides. But no fear, wheat germ is sold on it’s own and can be added to your favourite recipes. Add wheat germ to pancakes, waffles, muffins, smoothies, cold cereals, oatmeal, and yogurt.
April 15, 2011
Got a Bad Gut? The GI Society presents a series of free public lectures on various digestive conditions in communities nation-wide. Healthcare professionals will answer questions in lay terms during each session. Register online now (www.badgut.org), or call toll-free 1-866-600-4875
The Aging Digestive Tract
This free lecture, brought to you by the GI Society, explains the changes that occur to the digestive tract as a person ages. The presentation includes a review of frequent digestive complaints and symptoms, as well as an overview of diseases and disorders commonly found in the older wiser patient, and includes time for questions.
Date & Time: Monday, February 7, 2011 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Location South Granville Seniors Centre 1420 West 12th Ave, Vancouver, V6H 1M8
Date & Time: Monday, May 2, 2011 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location (Host Site) Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC 1020)
2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) (BC)Approximately 24% of Canadians experience heartburn daily or more often. If this refers to you, or someone you know, then you will want to attend this FREE public information session.
Date & Time Wednesday, February 16, 2011 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC 1020) 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (BC)
This FREE lecture is brought to you by the GI Society, for patients and their families to learn about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. A question and answer period will follow the lecture.
Date & Time Monday, April 18, 2011 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC 1020) 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9
Addititional lectures will be held in Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. See our website http://www.badgut.org/events/badgut-lectures for more information.
January 27, 2011
Our skin is one of the many ways we can see how well we are taking care of ourselves overall. Eating and doing things that will keep our bodies happy and healthy will keep our skin equally happy!
These below will specifically help your skin’s appearance:
Wear sunscreen & limit alcohol & don’t smoke
- Sunscreen decreases sun damage
- Limit alcohol to 1 serving daily of alcohol for women, 2 servings for men
Exercise
- keep a healthy waist circumference (<40” for European/Caucasian men, <35” for European/Caucasian women; <35” for Asian men, <32” for Asian women) to decrease stress
Stay hydrated
- Allows body to clear toxins
Eat the “powerhouse” berries such as pomegranates and blueberries
- Ellagic acid, a polyphenol compound present in berries and pomegranate decreases collagen breakdown it has been shown to interrupt skin wrinkling and inflammation
- Anthocyanins, another antioxidant, has been found to inhibit photoaging
Eat enough and a wide range of fruits and vegetables
- Eat at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables every day (choose a variety of different colours – red tomatoes, green peppers, orange squash — for the greatest amount of healthy antioxidants)
Whole Grains
- Dietary fibre and flavanoids decrease oxidative stress to body
Omega-3 fatty acids
- Omega-3’s (flax seeds, fatty fish, walnuts), found to decrease inflammation
More research is needed for these:
Omega-6’s/Evening Primrose Oil – evidence is not solid and results are mixed
Co-Enzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) – evidence has shown to decrease photo-aging and and wrinkle depth, but it is difficult to formulate to absorb through skin
Vitamin E – not proven to improve skin healing/scarring or health by spreading on skin
January 21, 2011
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