NL, the Unhealthiest Province

I'm sure we're all heard it from time to time. How NL has the highest rate of obesity, the unhealthiest diet, or the most inactivity in comparison to other Canadian provinces. Well now it's certainly official. Newfoundland and Labrador is the unhealthiest province in the country. It's all according to a release last week from the Conference Board of Canada's analysis of lifestyle factors among provincial populations. Well noted, was that there is significant room for most of us to improve on how we all take care of health. Ninety indicators were used to assess lifestyle factors and health status among others, and the analysis graded provinces individually on measured rates of health-related behaviours such as heavy drinking, smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and overweight and obese adults. Our province scored the lowest provincially overall, and lowest provincially for each individual category, except for smoking, for which we were second last to Quebec.

So how can we make NL a healthier province? I do believe that change is possible, so if you are like me, believe me when I say we can make a different. We need to change the way we view our health, and healthy living in general. Just because the weather isn't great doesn't mean the excuse to not go out and exercise (go to the gym, or if you don't have a treadmill or bike at home, Google some workouts you can do). Because the fresh produce we get sometimes isn't the best isn't a good enough excuse for not eating fruits and vegetables (go for canned or frozen)! Sure, we may have some of these more unique challenges that province like BC don't likely face, or at least in the extremity we do. But living healthier certainly isn't impossible by any means. We need to empower ourselves and our fellow neighbour to get involved not only in their own health by eating better and moving more, but also in the political process and advocate for change at the community level. We need to continue to increase and build awareness around the lifestyle crisis facing our health care system, and demonstrate the value of health promotion to prevent chronic disease and their related risk factors. Let's influence political debate and encourage political party leaders, MPs and nominated candidates to prioritize focus on and investment in health promotion by making a phone call, sending a letter, or even tweeting (you see, similar to eating and activity above where you may think there is no opportunity, there is possibility for us to improve here too). We need to continue to keep focus and talk about pressing issues such as the importance of chronic disease prevention in NL, and current issues like childhood obesity, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity. Tired of always being compared to their western counterparts, about two years ago Ontario started campaigns to become the healthiest province in Canada. We can do the same! The most interesting and perhaps positive side to the upsetting and negative results of this study is that we are facing a health care crisis that is largely preventable. We can make a difference and that responsibility lies in each and every one of us. Don't think that because were failed this recent provincial lifestyle report card that's it not your problem. It's all our problem. We all need to work on our own individual habits to make ourselves healthier as individual, and work together to make our families, neighbours and communities healthier as a whole. Our health and the heath of future generations of this province depends on it.

The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in 2009 conducted nationwide research, literature reviews and consulted experts here at home and abroad to find answers to the question, what does it take to make a healthy province? Discovered were several different paths for leadership to a healthy population, but one interesting key finding was that healthier people and populations act promptly. They don't sit and wait around to see what others do. They act, and are often the first to implement an intervention. Make today your day to start a lifestyle intervention. Plan ahead for a week that includes vegetables daily on every supper plate. Make Sunday a day for the whole family to engage in fun physical activity together. Contact your local Kids Eat Smart club and volunteer to serve healthy meals to school aged kids, or your local SPCA and take a walk with some furry friends. It doesn't matter so much what you decide to do, but rather that we each decide on doing something today and not tomorrow.

As seen in The Telegram May 27, 2013

Add Spice for a Healthier Life

Spices and herbs are known to contain over two thousand phytonutrients - good chemicals in plants that help keep our bodies working properly and fight disease. Herbs and spices are also big on flavour, and unlike nutrition and cost, flavour is shown to be the component of food the vast majority of us just aren't willing to sacrifice on. From a nutrition standpoint, spices and herbs are the best way to add flavour to foods without added salt, sugar or fat. And for some, they can even make healthful foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains and seafood more appealing to eat. But it's not all about the favour. In fact, many spices have been shown to have beneficial effects on weight and appetite management, diabetes, and heart health.

Red pepper, crushed or powdered, seems to play a role in weight management. It increases the rate we burn calories and fat, increases feelings of fullness, and even our desire to eat fatty, salty and sweet foods, according to a study from Purdue University in 2011 where it was used as a seasoning in tomato soup. To add some 'heat' to your dishes and maybe inches off the waistline, try crushed or powdered red pepper in Indian, Mexican, and Italian dishes such as curries, goulash, pasta dishes, soups and stews.

 

If you're looking to curb your appetite, then ginger is a spice for you to try. A study last year from Columbia University showed that it helped to decrease hunger and likely aid in weight management. When overweight men had one teaspoon of dried ginger powder it was linked to a overall decrease in food intake and hunger when compared to a placebo. To increase your dietary intake of ginger, try it with Indian and Chinese dishes. It also goes well with soy sauce, red pepper and garlic.

The versatile, and delicious spice cinnamon has shown some promise for diabetes. In several studies, higher amounts like one teaspoon per day has promoted decreased fasting blood sugars, decreased weight and decreased blood pressure in some people. Try cinnamon sprinkled on top of ground coffee waiting to be brewed or on top of a skim milk latte or cappuccino. It's also great with freshly cut fruit and fruit desserts, and similar to lemon juice, it can decrease the browning on freshly cut apples and other fruits that undergo browning.

Concerned about the effects from a high fat meal? Then it might be best to go for a blend of spices. A study from Penn State University in 2011 showed that a two tablespoon blend of oregano, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, paprika, turmeric, rosemary and black pepper increased antioxidant capacity (good chemicals which fight disease) in our blood by thirteen percent. During this same study, this blend was also shown to decrease blood triglycerides, a certain type of blood fat linked with hardening of arteries and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Spices aren't just for those middle aged try to watch salt, fat or sugar intake and risk of disease though. According to a study hot off the press from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, adding flavours by offering dips with familiar spices and herbs has even helped kids eat more vegetables, including vegetables that would have rejected before. Simply put, spices can benefit the whole family. If you're not big into them yet, this series of ten is all you need to get your pantry ready for a colourful plate of flavour and nutrition on just pennies per serving. Try basil, black pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, ginger, oregano, crushed red pepper and rosemary. So tomorrow night at the supper table, pass on the salt shaker and instead add a shaker of spice like garlic to the table. For more inspiration on adding spice to your life check out the healthy recipes ideas from : www.gourmetgarden.com and www.mccormick.com.

As seen in The Telegram May 20, 2013

Breaking Down Multivitamins

Multivitamins are supposed to be good for us and promote good health, right? Well, seeing as how I take one everyday and often suggest them for others, I thought it was about time I dug a little deeper into their ingredients, nutritional benefit, and features- as comparable to many foods in grocery stores now, the variety and selection of multivitamins have now become quite vast. To obtain adequate nutrition and prevent disease, your motto should be food first, but if you do take a multivitamin, or are thinking about taking one in future, do yourself a little due diligence, and research your contenders beforehand. Below are some of the ingredients and features you should and shouldn’t look for in a multivitamin and mineral supplement. 

Butylated hydroxytoluene, is also known as BHT and is a food preservative. According to the David Suzuki foundation, long-term exposures to high doses of BHT can be toxic in animals and cause liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affect lung function. With respect to carcinogenicity, BHT has been classified as a 'moderate human health priority' and has been flagged for future review by Health Canada. Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen and prevent expression of male sex hormones, resulting in adverse reproductive affects. Scarier yet, to me anyway, is that I've come across this ingredient in both kids and prenatal supplements.

Triacetin is pharmaceutical agent used in manufacturing of capsules and tablets, and has been used as a plasticizers, and solvent. The evidence on this additive is quite limited, but it is generally recognized as safe by the FDA or food and drug administration in the US, but in addition to BHT, this one too is classified as expected to be toxic or harmful, according to Environment Canada's Domestic Substance List. Did I mention it is also an additive to fuel and cigarettes?

Some other 'non-medicinal ingredients' I might be wary of include magnesium sterate (long story, but just know it's not the same as the mineral magnesium) and titanium dioxide. Despite all this new knowledge I still am a multivitamin user, so don't get me wrong, all supplements aren't bad and they certainly can have their place in the human diet when need be as it can be hard for some to get enough nutrition in their diet. The bottom line here is be smart about the multivitamin you choose and what it contains. Remember that not all multivitamins are well made and can vary widely in quality. Don't be fooled by 'whole food' multivitamins either, as they aren't necessarily better. Many will get their 'whole food' nutrients from yeast, plus some synthetic vitamins, and there is little evidence, if any, to suggest that whole food vitamins are better absorbed than a regular vitamin. To be truthful, some nutrients are better absorbed from supplements than food, including B vitamins folic acid, or B9, and B12. One of the newer players to the multivitamin and mineral scene is gummy, or candy-like supplements. Gummy multivitamins tend to have fewer nutrients because the extra sugar and water crowds out the vitamins and minerals. Frequently vitamins like A, C, D, and E and the mineral iron can be less than complete in 'complete adult multivitamins' which are in gummy form.

So how to know if you are choosing a good multivitamin? Well, whatever multivitamin you do choose, be sure to check the labels for the nutrients and ingredients they contain and their sources. Check too to see if they use an independent third party lab to check the raw materials for contaminants and correct dosage. Look for multivitamins with a NPN or DIN number on the label. This means they have been assessed by Health Canada, meaning they are of high quality, and actually do what they claim.

As seen in The Telegram May 13, 2013

Stick and Stones May Break Bones, but Good Food Never Hurt Me

 

There's been some media talk of calcium lately, and essentially down playing it's role with respect to bone health. In fact, calcium and good nutrition are very important for bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Take it from me, someone who has researched this topic to death because I actually have weak bones, and not from diet mind you, but rather a myriad of genetic factors coming from both sides of my family. Believe it or not, here in Canada, fractures from osteoporosis are more common than heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined. According to Osteoporosis Canada, at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime, and twenty-eight per cent of women and thirty-seven per cent of men who suffer a hip fracture will die within the following year. Needless to say, bone health is a big deal. So when it comes to keeping bones healthy, there are several things you should eat more and less of.

Make no bones about it, calcium is essential. The best dietary sources of calcium include milk and fortified milk alternatives such as soy and almond milks, cheese, yogurt, and canned fish with bones such as salmon or sardines. Calcium can also be found in plant foods like turnip greens, bok choy, kale, broccoli, white beans, almonds and tofu, although these sources generally aren't as well absorbed as their counterparts from animal sources. If you don't get enough calcium through your diet, it is a good idea to discuss a supplement with your doctor. It's important not to self-diagnose yourself, as many of us do, as taking supplemental calcium can have some side effects and risks (too high calcium intakes have been linked with both heart disease and prostate cancer). How much calcium do we all need? Children aged nine to eighteen have the highest need for calcium at 1300mg per day. Children aged four to eight, and adults nineteen to seventy all need 1000mg/day (with the exception of females over fifty who need 1200mg). All adults over seventy require 1200mg of calcium a day. 

Vitamin D is also another key nutrient, as it helps our intestines absorb calcium, among the other roles it plays. Fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, char and trout, fish liver oils, egg yolks, and  mushrooms are the best dietary sources. With that being said, most of the vitamin D in our diet comes from fortified foods, like milk and milk products. Everyone aged one to seventy requires 600IU/day, and those over seventy require 800IU/day. As a side, unlike calcium, vitamin D content in foods doesn't have to be listed on nutrition facts tables. So if you are lucky enough to find it do note that the percent daily value (i.e. 100%) used for this nutrient is only 400IU, thus many of us are likely miscalculating the amount of vitamin D we receive from eating packaged foods. 

Other nutrients that play a role in bone health include magnesium, and vitamins C and K. But bone
health isn't just about nutrients. It's also about healthy eating in general, like eating plenty of fruits and veggies. Lycopene rich foods such as watermelon, tomatoes, bell peppers and pink grapefruit have been shown to protect older individuals against lumbar, spine, and hip fractures.  High levels of soft drinks, sodium, caffeine and protein have been linked to calcium loss, with the latter two not promoting losses unless there is an insufficient calcium intake to being with.  Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to increase bone density slightly, whereas heavy drinking or more than two drinks per day appears to weaken bones and increase a risk of falls. Having a healthy weight and being physically active are important as well. Weight bearing activities, like walking and strength training, are especially important for helping our body take the calcium we've consumed and place it into our bones.

As seen in The Telegram May 6, 2013