![]() Back to School Nutrition Check Now that school is back in session it’s also time to start packing the lunch box again! September is a great time to re-evaluate our snacking and lunching habits. It’s been a little while (the whole summer perhaps) since lunches have been packed daily, so there is no need to feel guilty about all the sugar or processed junk that’s crept in there over the past year. Think of the new school year as starting with a totally clean slate. Starting off right makes all the difference When do you usually pack the lunches? Do you do it yourself or are the kids old enough to be involved in the process? You may be wondering why I’m asking these questions. The reason is I’m trying to help you figure out your routine. If your family is trying to get breakfast down and lunches packed and everyone out the door in world record time first thing in the morning, that’s going to affect your choices. If you feel rushed, you’re going to grab the foods that take the least amount of prep, which will likely leak into your grocery shopping down the road, and eventually you have lots of sugar filled snacks filling your cupboards. If on the other hand, you find some time after dinner before everyone goes to bed to prepare the lunches for the next day then they’re sitting in the fridge waiting for you when you get up in the morning. Now doesn’t it sound much nicer to only deal with one meal in the morning? Another great way to spend time with your kids, and educate them on nutritious food choices is to get them involved in the lunch making process. Studies have shown that parental modeling of good food choices, coupled with getting kids more involved in food preparation and choosing what they eat increases the likelihood of them making healthy food choices later in life (this means even when Mom and Dad aren’t around telling them to eat their peas!). Not to mention if the kids are the ones choosing their lunch then it should mean they eat it all at school, instead of bring half or more of it home. What to pack When pack lunches you want to be mindful of what exactly is going into it. Ideally, you want to incorporate all the major food groups: fruits/vegetable, grains, dairy and protein. For example, a sandwich of whole grain bread, almond butter and banana with an apple and a few slices of cheese would include something from every food group. If you’re going to leave a group out of lunch, aim for grains or dairy over fruit/veggie or protein. In North America today, over 70% of people are not eating their recommended 5-10 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Growing children need protein, it helps to fuel their day and keep them feeling full for longer. If you’re looking for some ideas the following websites give some good suggestions: 5 dollar dinners and Weelicious. I found these websites quite quickly by doing a simple search for ‘lunch ideas’. Don’t forget the internet is an almost bottomless resource when you’re running low on ideas.
Now, I didn't touch on dietary sensitivities such as gluten or dairy. For the most part, people who have these issues are aware of them and have made the modifications already. However, if you are having GI upset or other similar problems and you suspect a food sensitivity then you may want to consult with a Naturopathic Doctor.
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![]() One of the most talked about supplements after probiotics is fish oil. Many Naturopaths prescribe it, and some people take it just because they’ve heard it’s good for them. So is there something to all this excitement, or is it just hype and good marketing? There are many reasons why fish oil is potentially a good supplement, from a growing baby to adult. These healthy fats help create a healthy brain, decreases risk of certain cancers, decreases overall heart disease, decreases and treats depression, and so on. There are two main components: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid), which are the long chain fatty acids known as omega 3s. They are naturally found in fish and shellfish, and nut oils like walnuts. These two together, are the omega 3s that research focuses on, and they are important because of the effect they have on inflammation. In general, they decrease or mediate inflammation in the body, which is involved in many disease processes like the ones mentioned above. Getting Enough If you want to get a good amount of these essential fatty acids in your diet, most people can achieve this if you can consume 2 eight-ounce servings of fish each week. However, if you are pregnant, nursing or have a particular health condition then you may need more than that. For example, a growing baby needs a lot of DHA to make a healthy brain. A full term baby needs 2400 mg DHA per day until 3 months postpartum. This can be achieved with cod liver oil, or a good EPA and DHA supplement or eating fish 24/7. You would need to eat about 3 lbs of oily fish, (sardines, mackerel, herring, or wild salmon) every day or more if you’re only eating white fish. A Note on Toxins Unfortunately, due to poor fishing practices and certain industrial processes heavy metals are a legitimate concern when consuming fish and fish products. Mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are common toxins in seafood. As a general rule when considering the cumulative effect of these toxins, the higher up the food chain, the greater the toxic load. So fish that eat plants, will have a lower toxin load than fish that eat other fish.
![]() Getting the Most Benefit from Omega 3s You can take several steps to ensure you’re getting the optimal benefits from fish. Ask your Naturopath/healthcare provider: There are many different fish oil supplements on the market, get assistance from your healthcare provider to select one that is low risk for heavy metals and toxins and provides the most benefit for your money. Make sure that your fish are selected from a good source: Read the labels on your food so you know where your fish is coming from and how it has been processed. Two good online sources are:
Do the sniff test. Buy the freshest fish you can find. The longer a fish is exposed to oxygen, the more it loses some of its omega-3 benefits. Cook it right: You can’t cook the toxins out, but you can minimize exposure by removing the skin and surface fat prior to eating. Note: Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor today about getting assessed and treated if needed, and as always talk to your health care provider before beginning any new medication or supplement. References: Phillipson-Webb, L. 2010. Sprout Right: Nutrition from Tummy to Toddler. Penguin Canada. Romm, A. 2003. Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: A Commonsense Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health. Celestial Arts. Stuart, A. What to Know about Omega 3s and Fish. WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-to-know-about-omega-3s-and-fish?page=3. Reviewed October 17, 2011. ![]() Black Bean, Rice, and Yam Wraps Feeling the chocolate coma from Easter weekend? Here's a recipe to get a little more veg back in your diet that tastes great and is easy to make. Serves 4-6 1 ½ cups short grain brown rice ½ cup sweet brown rice 4 cups water pinch sea salt 1 large yam, cut into large chunks 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 cans 1 large avocado, mashed salsa mixed greens brown rice tortillas Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 F 2. To cook rice, place the short grain rice, sweet rice, water and sea salt into a 2-quart pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand for at least 10 to 15 minutes. 3. While the rice is cooking, place the yam chunks into a small casserole dish, fill with about ½ inch of water, place the lid on the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the yams are very tender. Remove skins from yams and slightly mash them with a fork. 4. To assemble a wrap, lay tortilla flat onto a plate and place a small amount of rice in the middle of it, add some cooked black beans, some mashed yam, mashed avocado, salsa, and some mixed greens. Fold the ends in and roll. Note: If using the brown rice tortillas make sure you warm them before use because they often fall apart when cold. References: Segersten, A. & Malterre, T. The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. Blueberry Almond Oatmeal. 2nd Ed. Whole Life Press. ![]() Iron One of the nutrients I get a lot of questions about in general is iron. Newly pregnant women are particularly concerned about their iron status and what impact that may have on their baby. In this blog, I will discuss why you don't need to worry too much about baby and how to ensure you both get enough. First thing to remember about the growing fetus is that it is very good at getting what it needs. Baby will stock pile as much iron as it needs in utero. Even for mothers with iron deficiency anemia, which affects almost 50% of pregnant women, studies have found that their babies were still born with sufficient iron. In general, healthy full term babies have enough iron stores to last for the first 6-12 months of life, especially exclusively breastfed babies. However, if you are found to be iron deficient it's still important to supplement because you need sufficient iron just as much as your growing baby. Why is Iron Important? During pregnancy, iron requirements double in order to build new red blood cells (RBCs) in Mom and the developing fetus. Iron also plays a role in cognitive and behavioural maturity, making hemoglobin and protein in RBCs that delivers oxygen to the body’s organs, muscles and tissues. Babies at risk for low iron stores: premature born (biggest grab for iron is in the third trimester), low birth weight babies (less than 6 lbs, 6 oz), babies born to mothers with poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy, and babies fed cow’s milk instead of breast milk or formula during the first year. Iron Sources and Requirements If you look at the following, you will see that the daily requirement for iron is not a huge amount. The problem is, many people do not reach it daily and over time this will create a deficiency. Iron can be divided into two forms, heme and non-heme. Our bodies can absorb heme sources (15-35%) better than non-heme (2-20%). Dietary sources of heme are meat, chicken, and fish. Non-heme is in these and non meat foods (eggs, dairy, fruits and veggies). For the little ones iron has it’s highest absorption rate from breast milk (50-70%) due to the presence of Vitamin C and high levels of lactose in breast milk, as well as proteins lactoferrin and transferrin, help to increase absorption.
Other sources and their absorption rates: o Iron fortified dairy formula: 3-12 % o Iron fortified soy formula: 1-7% o Iron fortified cereal: 4-10% o Cow’s milk: 4-10% When supplementing to correct iron deficiency use a non-ferrous sulphate supplement (ferrous gluconate, chelate, or fumarate form). Ferrous sulphate is one of the most commonly used in supplements because it’s inexpensive, but it’s not absorbed well (absorption rate is only 10%). Make sure you take your iron with Vitamin C, as it increases the uptake of iron, and between meals. Calcium, black tea and some herbals [chamomile and peppermint], coffee or cocoa, oxalates found in some dark leafy greens, and other minerals can bind with iron and decrease absorption. If you're concerned about your iron status then talk to your Naturopathic Doctor today about putting together a plan that addresses your individual needs. References: Phillipson-Webb, L. 2010. Sprout Right: Nutrition from Tummy to Toddler. Penguin Canada. Romm, A. 2003. Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: A Commonsense Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health. Celestial Arts. Skowron, JM. 2009. Fundamentals of Naturopathic Pediatrics. CCNM Press. Print. ![]() Building Strong Bones Takes More Than Just Calcium One of the most common concerns I hear from people when they would benefit from avoiding dairy products is the fear of missing calcium. Calcium is an important mineral, but to build strong bones and healthy teeth it takes more than just calcium to achieve it. Also, dairy products, like cow's milk, are not the only source or even the best source of calcium. Foods with Calcium Food sources: Tahini or sesame seed butter, almonds (powerhouse of calcium), salmon and sardines (with bones), soy, navy beans, blackstrap molasses, amaranth, broccoli, and kale. Almost all leafy greens are high in calcium. Nuts and seeds, deliver more calcium than milk (and usually more absorbable because they’re often raw). Sesame seeds offer 2200 mg calcium per cup vs 228 mg of calcium per cup of milk. One tenth of a cup or 1 ½ tablespoons of sesame seeds, would be the same amount of calcium as 1 cup of milk. Another note on milk, it loses 50% of available calcium through pasteurization. Low fat and skim milk offer even less because the milk fat is used for transportation and absorption of calcium. Making Healthy Bones Main minerals needed for bone building: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, boron, and manganese, as well as vitamins A, D, C and B12. The hard part of bones store calcium and phosphorus, the bone marrow in the middle makes red blood cells (RBCs) and immune cells, which are made of fat that is stored for energy. The bones are made of a matrix, which is 25% water, 25 % fiber, and 50% mineral salts. The mineral salts of calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and sulfate are deposited between the protein fibers of collagen, and crystalized into salts, making the bone hard. If bones are too mineralized they will become brittle and easily break. In order to make good strong bones, we need all of these things in our diet as well as a good amount of physical activity. The stress of muscles and tendons placed on bones from movement is integral to the balance of building bones. The matrix is in a constant state of building and breaking down, and this process is only performed properly when ALL the building blocks and the right conditions are in place. Foods to Avoid Just as there are good food sources for calcium, there are also foods to avoid. The following foods either decrease absorption of calcium or increase the excretion of calcium: o High caffeine coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate o Sugar is similar to caffeine and decreases the amount of phosphorus in the blood o High phosphorus intake from meat, grains, and soft drinks can take calcium from bones. Phosphorus and calcium need to be in a certain balance to have a positive effect on bone mineralization. o Salt also has similar effects to sugar and caffeine o Low Vitamin D can lead to low levels of calcium o A high fiber diet (with most fiber coming from wheat) can lead to lowered calcium absorption as fiber binds calcium and is excreted from the body o Protein in excess depletes calcium substantially. Too much creates an acidic environment requiring alkaline minerals like calcium to re-establish balance. Junk foods, refined foods, and most cooked foods also have this acid forming effect on the body. Protein also acts as a diuretic in the body, causing the kidneys to send calcium and other minerals out in the urine. A Note about Infants and Children: To help decrease some of your fears for baby, they start off with a calcium store of about 30 g that they get from you mostly during the 3rd trimester (approximately 200-350 mg a day). You can recover most of this loss within a few months following the finishing of nursing by following a calcium-rich diet. Whether you're breastfeeding or formula feeding getting enough calcium is important for you and baby, and dairy is not the only place to find it. General guidelines for protein: There is approximately 0.9 g of protein per 100 mL of breast milk and as breast milk intake decreases, protein content increases. It can be difficult to tell how much the baby is drinking in a day, but generally they get what they need. For formula fed babies, look at the label on the formula. If you're concerned about calcium or the state of your bone health then talk to your Naturopathic Doctor today about putting together a plan that addresses your individual needs. References: Phillipson-Webb, L. 2010. Sprout Right: Nutrition from Tummy to Toddler. Penguin Canada. Romm, A. 2003. Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: A Commonsense Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health. Celestial Arts. Skowron, JM. 2009. Fundamentals of Naturopathic Pediatrics. CCNM Press. Print. |
Sarah Connors
I am a Naturopathic Doctor and Doula providing care in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. I have a passion for helping people with their health issues and improving the birth experience for Moms, and their babies. I also have a life long love affair with soccer, curling, and the alto saxophone. Archives
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