In Defense of Food

The next point is to 'avoid foods containting ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or d) that include high-fructose corn syrup.'

This is my favorite point because it's practical to take shopping with you. Next time you shop, read the ingredients on everything that goes into your cart. It will open your eyes.

Many people have learned to look at the nutritional facts part of the label, but don't bother to look at the ingredients list.

Bread is the most fasinating section to look at. The more 'nutritious' the bread, the more additives there seem to be. The white breads that are as healthy as whole grains...look back at my blog about fibre please. This is a marketing ploy!

How about cookies? Or go to the snacks section...scary stuff folks!

Let's get back to food and away from chemicals. You're body will thank-you.

Yours in Health,

Kerri

What is gluten anyway?

Many people are becoming aware of gluten-free products but are not always sure of what that means. Here is a breif summary.


Gluten is a protein found in many commonly used grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, kamut, and barley.


Oats are in a grey area because although they do not contain gluten, it is often contaminated with glutinous grains.





Why is gluten bad? It's not to most people. However, people who have celieac disease are destroying thier guts by eating gluten containing foods. The good news is, when it's completely avoided, their guts do heal up. Naturopaths can help speed this process up and deal with the associated complications from having celiac disease.





What grains are safe for celiac patients? Buckwheat, amaranth, rice, soy, millet (in the grey area with oats), corn, and quinoa.





An important note: if you are experiencing gastrointestinal problems, try to get a celiac test done before removing gluten from your diet. Once it's removed, the intestines start to heal and the tests can come back inconclusive or negative.

This is only important if a confirmed diagnosis is important to you. If you've removed gluten, and you are improving. Don't let a negative diagnosis deter your new dietary efforts. Your body is ultimately the final word.

Yours in Health,

Kerri

Lovely Tea Biscuits

This is my late Grandad's recipe for tea biscuits. The best around that's for sure!

Compared to a Tim Horton's plain Tea biscuit, it's nutrition is much more sound. They freeze well so make a batch, throw them in the freezer and take one with you instead of buying one.

Tims: 250 cal, 9 g fat, 590 mg sodium

Grandpa's: 105 cal, 2.7 g fat, 220 mg sodium

Recipe

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp cream of tartar

4 tbsp canola oil

1 3/4 cups 1% buttermilk

Mix the dry ingredients in mixer. (this is the place to add cheese or raisins to the mix - old cheddar works best, I use almost a whole brick)

Add oil.

Add milk.

Spread dough over floured table to about 1.5 inches thick. Use circular cutter to cut out 24 biscuits. Place so that they are all touching on a cookie sheet (I preheat mine). Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kerri

Where to find recipes

Many of my patients need inspiration when changing their diets. My two favorite sites for finding recipes are

• http://www.epicurious.com/


• http://www.vegetariantimes.com/

I just type in the food that I'm trying to eat more of in the search bar, and away we go!

Happy cooking!

Kerri

Wonderful winter chili

I love chili to keep me warm in the winter! With all the goodness of beans and the warmth of chili powder, this is one of my favorites. The sausage adds a new twist!


If you stuggle at getting the veggies in, put a handful of baby spinach in the bottom of the bowl before you serve the chili. It wilts up nicely and is barely noticed! Or, make yourself a taco salad by putting it over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, old cheddar, green onions - top it off with some crushed corn chips and a dollop of sour cream! Mmm mm good.

Recipe

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 mild italian sausages
2 large onions, cut into chunks
2 large peppers (use orange, red, or yellow to add some great nutrition and colour), cut into chunks
1 Tbsp chili powder (add a tsp or two extra if you like heat)
2 tsp ground cumin
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
15 oz can of each: white kidney beans, red kidney beans, black beans - drained and rinsed


Heat oil in large saucepan. Remove meat from sausage caseing and place in pan. Crumble and cook through. Remove sausage. Add onions to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and saute for another minute. Add chili powder and cumin and stir until aromatic (half a minute or so). Add tomatoes and beans and sausage. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kerri

New year's weight loss resolution

I wanted to comment on the all-to-common New Year's Resolution of weight loss.

Although a noble one, it seldom works. Why not try a new approach? Why not choose to do what has successful worked for countless people?

So, how are people losing weight and (more importantly) keeping it off? Check out the National Weight Control Registry at http://www.nwcr.ws/default.htm.

They have gathered info from adults who have lost at least 30 lbs and maintained that loss for at least one year. Here's some quick facts:

• 78% eat breakfast every day.


• 75% weigh them self at least once a week.


• 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.


• 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day


• 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight


• 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking

What's the take home message here? There is a simple recipe for weight loss. Exercise more, eat less, and pay attention. You'll notice I said 'simple' not easy.

Yours in Health,

Kerri

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

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.