Organic, Natural Food and More - What's the Difference

                 
'Organic', 'natural' and 'genetically modified' foods. You've likely seen it labelled or advertised in the grocery store, and featured on the news, but do you know what they mean?

It's estimated that as many as 55% of people may choose organic products. When a food is labelled organic this basically means a food is grown or processed without the use of genetic engineering, and has zero synthetic or artificial fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, growth regulators, preservatives or dyes. It's certainly quite a long list and is a wake up call for some to read over that these ingredients could be in some of our regular ol' food. This is some public speculation around this term and people probably wonder, if something is labelled organic can I be rest assured that the product is indeed what it states, i.e. organic? The answer is yes. The reason being is the term is tightly regulated. For the past two years now should a food be labelled organic or bear an organic label, it must be of at least 95% organic ingredients. Foods with 70-95% organic ingredients will state exactly so, and anything less than 70% will state the organic contents in the ingredient list.

In contrast to organic, when it comes to foods marked 'natural' I wouldn't give this term as much confidence in the grocery aisle. The terms 'natural', 'nature', 'mother nature' and 'nature's way' are often misused on labels and advertisements. To illustrate this point, some food additives, vitamins and mineral nutrients may be derived from natural sources and therefore can regarded as natural ingredients. Often people may consider foods described as natural of greater value than foods not mentioning this term, which isn't always the case. 'Schneider's Country Naturals' brand of (glorified) processed meats or 'Del Monte Fruit Twists' with all natural ingredients (basically solidified juice) are some good everyday examples.

Gnetically modified foods, also known as GM foods, genetically engineered foods or biotechnology- derived foods are recently coming to a lot of people's attention. GM foods are often created with the purpose to resist disease and eliminate the need for pesticides. A hardier texture or seed, better nutritional value or faster growth are often chosen traits to produce a kind of 'super food'. Canada is a leading international producer of genetically modified food and common ingredients like GM corn, canola, soy and sugar beets grown here can end up anywhere from cornflakes and corn chips, to sweeteners, eggs, milk, meat, canola oil, tofu and sugar. Currently we don't have GM produce, however GM cottonseed oil, papaya and squash imported from the US can also end up on our grocery shelves in the form of vegetable oil in varying products. Since there are no mandatory labelling rules it is hard to truly know the percentage of processed foods containing GM ingredients on our shelves.GM foods have made big headlines in the past few weeks as we, or Canada have rejected to have voluntary labelling of GM food in our country. This is in contrast to a host of countries, including Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia and Japan, as well as the European Union, who appear to be moving forward with the voluntary labelling being made available for consumers. Health Canada has taken the stance that due to the lack of evidence suggesting GM foods are of worry or harm there is no currently benefit for voluntary labelling at this time.

If you are interested in eating more organically there are several places in and around town to obtain organic food. Just a few well known places would be the Lien and Organic Farms, the Farmers Market, Rabbittown Community Garden, Rocket Bakery, Food for Thought, Belbins Grocery, and well as natural food sections of Dominion and Sobeys. There are also restaurants that serve seasonally available organic produce, especially in the downtown area.

As seen in The Telegram July 25, 2011

Coffee ... Good or Bad?

It's something many of us drink everyday, and perhaps for some, don't start the morning without. Already know what I'm talking about? It's a good ol' cup of joe. There has been an influx of information in my email inbox recently on coffee being 'good for this,' 'but not so good for that' and so I thought it was about time to set the record straight for all the coffee drinkers out there, myself included.

Moderate coffee consumption is perfectly good and fine for the average population. In fact, it may even have some benefits. Yeah for us drinkers! The risk of type II diabetes, which is highly prevalent in our province, is actually lower among those who regularly drink coffee compared to those who don't. Many of coffee's health benefits are because of antioxidants – the garbage collecting, disease fighting compounds found in many 'healthy' foods (think fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains). Antioxidants in coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) reduce inflammation in our body and improve how we use insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar. Coffee also contains magnesium and chromium, two minerals connected to good blood sugar. Also of benefit, coffee may decrease the risk of getting gallstones, colon cancer development (also of high prevalence for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians), the risk of liver damage for those at high risk, improve memory and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve performance for certain physical activities. As with anything, moderation is certainly key. One thing to remember is coffee can be good, but if you add to it a lot of fancy calories it may not be that helpful. A double cream, double sugar is about 150 calories, and a triple triple is about 225 calories. Doesn't sound like much, but at two double doubles a day, every day for a month it's a actually whole lot of extra calories! Two and a half extra pounds for the waistline per month to be exact. Keep that thought as a motivator for switching to milk, or reducing that cream and sugar to keep your intake of coffee at it's healthiest.

Even though it can have a lot of benefits, coffee isn't for everyone. Caffeine, coffee's main ingredient is a mild stimulant. This means it can have effects on the heart like an increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat. If you have heartburn or reflux it would be in your best interest to limit or avoid coffee. With reflux, regular and decaf both promote stomach acid release, and relax the muscle that keeps food in our stomachs. Together that's a bad recipe for heartburn. Women who are pregnant or those looking to become pregnant should also watch their intake. Drinking too much coffee each day may increase the risk of miscarriage. No more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day for these women (about two eight ounce, or small cups daily) is the max. For everyone else the max caffeine is about 400 mg daily. The caffeine content in a coffee varies, so to give you a general idea, a small Tim Horton's has about 80 mg, and an extra large 200 mg. Starbucks is a little more, as a venti (the same size as the Tim's extra large) is 415 mg. A home brewed or regular cafe coffee is about 180 mg, a similar sized instant about 100 mg, and decaf is virtually zero.

As seen in The Telegram July 18, 2011

Summer Eats that Beat the Heat

Now that we have some nice weather it's a good time to talk about healthy drinks and eats for hot summer months.

We've all heard about the eight or more glasses of fluid a day. Drinking adequate fluids is especially important during the summer months as people tend to be more active (and heat and activity causes us to sweat). It's my experience that many people don't drink enough fluids, and in addition to this frequently confuse hunger for thirst. Hands down the best thirst quencher is water. That being said, drinking plain water every day can get a little boring for some. If you happen to be one of these people a suggestion would be to try adding some flavor boosters to chilled water like sliced citrus wedges (e.g. lemon, lime or oranges) or a splash of 100% fruit juice. Fresh mint, basil, lemon grass or ginger can also give water a refreshing taste. For some variety on water, try a healthy twist on commercial sugar laden ice tea. Brew your own favorite herbal iced tea using a 50:50 ratio of first boiled and then cold water. Don't be afraid to try something new. Companies like Tetley, and Lipton have some interesting flavors like Lychee Pear Green Tea, or Mango Passion Fruit Acai. Homemade beverages are great because they give you the option to control ingredients and portion size, and help to save a little money. More good news is making your own tea guarantees freshness and allows for more dietary antioxidants – the recyclers of garbage in our bodies and fighters of chronic disease.

As with drinks to consume more often, there are also those to consume less frequently also. The ones I am referring to are pops, commercial lemonades and ice teas, energy drinks, milkshakes, blended coffee drinks and alcohol. These drinks are frequently calorie laden, and in the case of energy drinks can have high amounts of caffeine. A note on sports drinks- for those who like to consume drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade, the consensus is generally these aren't necessary unless you are partaking in a continuous exercise of about an hour or longer.

We've looked a little at the better popular summer drinks, but what about the summer eats? Generally speaking, sherbet or sorbet instead of ice cream or gelato is a better choice. Made with fruit, water, some sugar and occasionally low-fat milk (for sherbet), these choices usually have less fat than ice cream. When it comes to frozen yogurt this is similar to ice cream and gelato, but tends to be made with yogurt instead of cream, and therefore tends to be lower in fat than regular ice cream. Keep in mind some of these frozen treats can be made with a lot of sugar (especially if something seems to good to be true, e.g. an ice cream that is stating it is low fat or reduced in fat). It's always a good rule of thumb to read the label.

It can be tempting to stock up at the freezer section of the grocery store for a cool treat, however making your own eats is a great way to bring variety to your diet and most certainly eat better. To make your own popsicles, try pouring 100% fruit juice or pureed fruit and water into an ice cube or popsicle tray and add sticks. After a few hours in the freezer, this can be a cool, refreshing treat. For homemade frozen yogurt, try combining equal amounts of plain or vanilla yogurt with frozen fruit in a blender or food processor. Place the blended mixture in the freezer until it hardens. Frozen fruit can also be made fun by adding a popsicle stick to strawberries, bananas, or another favorite fruit. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for one hour. Before frozen, fruit can also be drizzled with yogurt or dark chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts to add some pizazz.

As seen in The Telegram July 11, 2011

Easy Freezy Summer Eats

Now that the summer season is finally kicking in, we’ve got lots of catching up to do outdoors. Whether it’s going for a walk, playing sports, or simply lazing around... you might need a quick cool-down fix. Here are a few simple ideas on how to turn some extra fruit into your hot-day heroes.

Popsicle Recipes!

Orange Creamsicle

     This classic treat is packed with Vitamin C and is well worth the wait!

Ingredients  Makes approximately 10 servings

• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl
2. Pour into freezer pop molds and place in freezer for a minimum of 3 hours

Tropical Popsicle

     If you didn’t get to make it down south this year, here’s one way to feel a little closer.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 12 servings

• 2 cups pineapple juice
• ¾ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup crushed pineapple

    Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
2. Pour into freezer pop moulds and place in freezer for a minimum of 3 hours

TIP: Feel free to use dixie cups, individual yogurt containers or ice cube trays along with popsicle sticks or toothpicks in place of store-bought freezer pop moulds.

Sorbets and Sherbets!

Raspberry Sorbet

     This cool treat is full of fiber and just might be one of the tastiest ways to help you reach your          daily intake.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 5 (half cup) servings

• 4 cups of frozen raspberries
• 3-5 tbsp of maple syrup
• Splash of lime juice

    Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, mix together raspberries, maple syrup and lime juice until consistency is smooth.
2. Scoop and serve immediately. If texture is too runny, freeze for 30 minutes until sorbet firms.
   
   
   
   

Blueberry Sherbet 

Rich with antioxidants and flavour, this sherbet is almost good enough for breakfast! The added vanilla gives it the ice cream flavour while the lack of added sugars keeps it fresh and nutritious.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 6 (half cup) servings

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1 cup fat-free buttermilk (1 cup low-fat milk+ 1 tbsp vinegar)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, mix together all ingredients until consistency is smooth
2. Pour into 9 inch square pan and freeze for 4 hours
3. Scoop and serve.  
   For an even smoother consistency, blend the frozen mixture and repeat step 2.

Refreshing Beverages!

Pink Citrus Lemonade

     The tangy sweetness this lemonade brings is a refreshing drink to help increase daily fluid intake.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 5 servings

• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup strawberries
• 1 tbsp sugar

    Directions

1. In a blender or food processor mix together all ingredients until strawberries are blended and sugar has dissolved
2. Add ice and enjoy

Cantaloupe cool-down

     It seems like cantaloupe is always getting left behind, here`s one refreshing and easy way to make use of the extra.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 3 servings

• 1 ripe cantaloupe (chopped)
• 1 banana
• 2 cups of ice cubes
• 1 tbsp honey

    Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, mix the few ingredients together
2. Pour and enjoy

Berry Iced Tea

     Try a cool twist on your ordinary cup of Tetley.

Ingredients  Makes approximately 16, 1 cup servings (4 L)

• 2- 3 orange pekoe tea bags
• 8 cups (2 L) boiling water
• 6 cups (1.5 L) 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice
• 2 cups fruit (frozen berries work well)
• Ice cubes

Directions

1. Steep tea bags in boiling water for 3 min. Remove bags.
2. Refrigerate tea until cold.
3. Stir in juice and fruit before serving.
4. Pour mixture into large jug and serve

A big thanks to Jen Wood, Recipe for Health`s summer dietitian student for helping to compile these recipes!

Healthy Wealth of Community Gardening

A community garden is essentially a garden planted, and used by group of people. They are often set up in suburban neighbourhoods, rural areas, schools, community centres, or simply on a piece of land that is suitable for a gardening plot. Gardens are usually operated in one of two ways. As a shared garden space that serves everyone in a particular community, or separate garden plots individually owned and operated by community members. You probably already knew what a community garden is, but what you likely don't already know is that gardens are located across our island and there are roughly ten here in the city of St. John's. This is great news for us city dwellers. There are so many benefits to partaking in a community garden, and specifically for St. John's, we have many options and locations to choose from!

Community gardens have a wide spectrum of benefits, which in fact make them suitable for just about anyone really. They can be ideal for individuals who live in apartments or homes that don't provide enough space for personal gardens. Gardens can be a great way to teach kids about where our food comes from, while participating in a summer fun family activity outside. They can also work well for those looking to socialize, meet new people and learn new things. Undoubtedly it's perfect for individuals wanting to improve the environment and their health simultaneously. Partaking in a garden can help people looking to increase physical activity levels and eat healthfully. Last but certainly not least, it can aid those looking to save a few dollars on their next grocery bill. I think it's safe there is something in a community garden for anyone and everyone to benefit from.
Nutritionally speaking, community gardens can be a significant source of food and wealth for members. By participating you have access to safe, and nutritious food which simply alone can help to support health, overall well-being, and decreases susceptibility to disease. Getting outside to garden during the summer is also a way for our bodies to produce the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D. We can get vitamin D from things like milk, margarine, eggs, fish and liver, but summer is really the only time of year in Newfoundland where there is enough sunlight (usually!) that our skin can produce enough of this essential nutrient which upwards of a billion people worldwide are deficient in.

Besides obvious mental benefits, studies have actually shown physically benefits of community gardens including decreased rates of asthma and stress, and improved immunity in those participating. Gardening is also a great way to get in some physical activity time too. All that digging, weeding, planting, and lifting soil or compost is considered a light to moderate form of exercise right along with brisk walking, or playing a sport like basketball. Quite recently our federal government released a report stating an extra fifteen minutes of physical activity a day could prevent a significant amount of obesity across our country. We all know that eating well is important for our health, and about ten to fifteen minutes of daily sun exposure can usually produce enough of the sunshine vitamin we tend to lack. It makes you wonder. Perhaps fifteen minutes of gardening daily might someday replace the old adage 'an apple a day.'

If you are looking for more information about community gardens, including where they are and how you can get involved contact The Food Security Network at 237-4026 or info@foodsecuritynews.com.

As seen in The Telegram July 4, 2011