Some Acai products declared unsafe

Health Canada has a warning out for the use of certain acai products due to contamination with Viagara. Click here for the complete story about acai berry weight loss products.

Please share this with anyone you know who may use any of these products.


The banned products include:

Anti-Aging Acai Berry
Guarana Blast
Brazilian Pure
Anti-aging Vital Rez V
Weight Loss VitalAcai
Dietary Supplement Acai Power Blast
Muscle Mass



Yours in health,

Kerri Fullerton ND

Fruit loops now have fibre

I was watching TV last night and saw a commercial for Fruit Loops. They were promoting it to children as a source of fibre. So I thought that I would look into this a bit more. I went to http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=566, where it says "Sweetened multi-grain cereal. Now provides fiber." at the top of the page.

Here is where my frustration lies. Just because there are 2 grams of fibre added (from oats and soluble corn fiber), it does not make Fruit Loops a healthy choice. Parents really need to look further.

The first ingredient is sugar. Not flour, not fruit, but sugar. The seventh ingredient is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. And no where in Fruit Loops, is there fruit.

Please remember folks, just because it says 'whole grain', 'source of fibre', or 'low in fat' does not make it a healthy choice.

Look at Nature's Path Gorilla Munch Cereal for instance. It contains only three ingredients, and has 2 grams of fibre. No artificial colour. The first ingredient is whole grain. Much better choice. http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold%20cereals?tid=All&brand=All&nutri=All

The Facts on Fiber

The recommended daily intake of fiber is 14 grams per 1000 calories.

Food labels use 25 grams as their daily target, as most labels base their targets on a 2000 calorie per day diet.

Soluble fiber, found in oats, barley, beans, fruits and vegetables, help lower cholesterol and manage blood sugars.

Insoluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables and grains such as wheat, give stool it's bulk and create regularity.

Isolated fibers, like inulin cellulose and oat hull, being added to foods such as yogurt does not have the evidence to back up it's use. It's not fair to say that 5 grams of inulin added to your granola bar will have the same health benefits as getting 5 grams of intact fiber from a whole food.

Sadly, the food label will just tell you the amount of fiber in the serving, not whether or not it is intact or isolated. Read the list of ingredients to see where the fiber is coming from.

What is the take home message? Human bodies need whole foods, not foods that have been manipulated to 'have all the goodness of whole foods'.

Yours in Health,
Kerri Fullerton

Sodium - how much are you getting?

Most people know that they should be watching their intake of salt, but how many of them know what they should be watching for?
Ideally we should be keeping our intake of sodium to less than 2300 mg per day, less than 1500 mg if you have high blood pressure or have a family history of it. Do you know what that looks like? One teaspoon, 15 ml, per day - that's it.
Now, one teaspoon is actually quite a bit of salt. Very few people would add that much from the shaker to their food. The major culprits are processed foods and fast foods. Enter label reading.
To keep your levels down, try to keep main meals at less than 500mg and your snacks at less than 200 mg. Manageable with packaged foods, but very hard with fast foods.
A Wheat Carrot muffin from Tim's has 660 mg of sodium. A Mandarin Chicken Salad from Wendy's has just over 1200 mg.
Do yourself a big favour - pack your lunch. If you can't, at least check out the nutritional guides on-line so that you don't eat what you think is a healthy option only to find out later that it wasn't.

Yours in Health,
Kerri Fullerton ND

Gallstones and cleanses

I have recently had two women in my office who have been experiencing gallstone attacks. Upon further investigation, I found out that both women had been doing a cleanse.
Although cleanses are an important part of a healthy lifestyle, there are times when they need to be done with extreme caution, and preferably under the care of a qualified professional. Gallstones are one of these cases.
If you have gallstones you need to be aware that a sudden decrease in caloric intake or a drop of dietary fat under 10g per day can lead to severe attacks. This is scary, as a stone could get lodged in the duct and lead to emergency surgery.
If you or someone you know has a family history of gallstones, or a personal history of gallstones, please see you Naturopathic Doctor before starting a cleanse or weight loss program.

Yours in Health,
Kerri Fullerton

Nut Free Chewy Granola Bars

This time of year I am often asked by parents what they can pack in their kids lunches that are healthy and nut free. With the limited amount of time some kids are given to eat, they need calorie dense, nutritious food.

Here is a recipe that was given to me quite a few years ago - I believe it originally came from the Running Room magazine, but I'm not sure. (I really would like to give credit to the original source!). These granola bars are more like granola cake but they are nut free, wheat free, but certainly not taste free! Add a piece of fruit and you've got a healthy, filling snack.

1 cup oil (olive is fine but has a distinct flavour - you may prefer canola)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I only use about 1/2 cup or less)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup barley flour (available at the bulk barn - you can also use a blend of rice flour and chick pea flour to make them gluten free)
1 cup rolled oats
3 tsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pitted honey dates (raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries work really well too!)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (sunflower seeds work well too)

Beat oil and sugar on low speed until very smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at at time, then add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients except the fruit and seeds.
Beat dry into wet until just combined.
Stir in fruit and seeds.
Pour into a greased 9X13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 24 small bars (which is good because they are loaded up with good calories)

Enjoy!

Do kids really have to be vaccinated to get into school?

Vaccinations are a hot and contraversial topic. I have avoided it outside of private consultations until now in order to not offend. However, I have heard on the radio and from patients so many times in the last week that "children HAVE to be vaccinated to be allowed in school" that I have to speak up.

The message is only half right. If your children are not vaccinated and you have not filled out the appropriate paperwork, then it is correct. However, if you have decided that vaccinating your children is not in their best interest, and you fill out the appropriate form, they cannot be denied entry into public school.

Please hear me: I am not saying that you should not vaccinate your children. I am just making the point that if vaccinating your children is not in their best interest, then you shouldn't feel pressured to do so with the threat of being denied entry into school.

Weather or not to vaccinate is a deeply complex and personal decision. It should be made on a case to case basis, and with good information to support your choices. One good Canadian resource that I highly recommend is Katia Bailetti ND. She has done her homework and has a balanced viewpoint. She does phone consultations if you have questions and all of the forms are available on her website at www.drbailetti.com.

Organic food study leads to blogging

So there I was, feeding my nine month old son, watching CBC, when I heard it - organic food is not any more healthy than conventionally grown produce. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/07/30/organic-food.html
I had so much to say, and only Patrick to speak to. It was at that moment that I knew it was time for me to blog.
And so, here I am writing my first. Welcome.

Back to the organic food thing for a moment. I think these studies are necessary but misleading. Unfortunately, most people won't seek out the actual study and read it before making their decision. From what I see, people from both sides of the argument are using the same study to support their point of view. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/organicreviewappendices.pdf


We as a culture are so dissociated from our food. How many people really think about what is on their plate and where it came from? For those who would like to explore this, I recommend Micheal Pollen's books The Omnivore's Dilemna and In Defense of Food. These books were the first that I read that echoed my thoughts. He presents the argument beautifully. He discusses organics grown at a small local farmer, vs. organics grown in a pesticide-free agri-business. Visit www.rootedinhealth.ca/contact.htm to obtain a copy.

Here's what I think. Grow some lettuce in your backyard or in on your deck in a box. Cut some, wash it (or not) and eat it right away. Buy some lettuce from the supermarket. Wash it, and eat it right away. If you can't taste the difference, then go ahead and keep buying from the supermarket. Me? I'm going to grow what I can, then I'll walk down my street and buy the rest from the local farmers.