 Hello Everyone,
Welcome back to our newsletter. We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and we at the Family Practice Centre of Integrative Health and Healing wish you have a splendid fall. We have been going through some transitions at the centre this month. Christine, our nutritionist, received a promotion at her job in Toronto and has reluctantly had to give up her position with us. We are very fortunate to have a new nutritionist, Cynthia Love, replace her. Cynthia was trained at the same institution as Christine and they have met to make the transition as smooth as possible. Cynthia brings with her a wonderful passion and enthusiasm for holistic nutrition. Please go to our website www.fpcihh.com to read more about Cynthia. In keeping with the back to school theme of September, Tracy Malone, our Naturopathic Doctor, has written a wonderful article about packing nutritious lunches for our children. Whether you have school age children or not, this article is full of information about making healthy nutritional choices. We have also included a number of healthy seasonal recipes for your health and enjoyment. If you are new to our newsletter, you can find earlier editions on our website at www.fpcihh.com What do you have for lunch today? Back to School Nutrition Providing healthy nutrition for your children while they are away from home is a challenge that all parents experience. Lunch boxes today often contain highly refined convenience snack foods that may be nutritionally deficient. What your child eats can influence their mood, attention span, and ability to learn. It is possible for your child to have healthy, nutritious snacks and lunches that are enjoyable and fun to eat. Grocery store isles are stuffed with eye catching treats and fizzy drinks that are designed for your child's lunch box. Artificial additives are being used to flavour and colour the food we eat in order to make it more attractive. This type of food is highly processed; as a result much of the nutritional value is being lost. This type of empty nutrition promotes obesity and has been linked to hyperactivity. Results from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, indicate that 18.1% of children ages 2 to 17 are overweight, and an additional 8.2% are obese.1 A study published by The Lancet in September, 2007 found that artificial colours and a common preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.2 What are Food Additives? The following additives were tested in the research:
Each of the above additive has been assisgned an "E number": E numbers are codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. (Press contol + left click the underlined E numbers to link yourself to individual definitions, and sources of the above additives and colourings.) It is important to consider that although the research shows some statistical associations, it is not a demonstration of cause and effect. There are many factors associated with hyperactive and impulsive behaviour in children. Including genetics, enviornment, and pre-mature birth. What can you do to reduce food additives in your diet? Take the time to make your diet a priority. Make an effort to eat fresh foods that aren't pre-packaged. Make extra portions at the dinner meal, and bring them for lunch the following day. Have a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables cut up in the fridge, use dips and low calorie salad dressings to entice pickey eaters. Teach your children about healthy nutrition, and encourage them to help make their lunches. Chop unfamiliar fruits - mango, papaya, kiwi - into tiny pieces and use as a topping for breakfast cereal. Little pieces are more tempting than a whole fruit. Try fruit kebabs - thread small chunks of fruit, like apples, bananas, satsuma segments, pineapple, and grapes - on to wooden skewers. If your kids turn up their noses at cooked vegetables, try blending them into soups, stews or sauces. Or offer them raw - lots of kids prefer carrots, cabbage or cauliflower crunchy. If you have younger children who like their food made to look like ships, smiling faces or friendly bunnies, then let your imagination range. You're on to a winning way of getting new foods off the plate, and into their mouths. Reducing refined sugar (fructose, sucrose, glucose, dextrose, corn syrup etc.), and choosing whole grain high fibre carbohydrates is good way to improve the quality of your child's diet. Ensuring adequate protein throughout the day is essential; children often do not eat substantial protein before the evening meal. Children require a moderate protein intake to support them through rapid growth cycles. Read the label! If you don't recognize the ingredient as a food, question what it is and why it is in the food your eating. Brightly coloured foods that are prepackaged often contain several colouring agents. Instead try eating the colours of the rainbow through fruits and vegetables. You should aim for 5-7 servings of vegetables, and 2-3 servings of fruit per day. Try to eat seasonally and buy locally. 1. THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC IN CANADA; Sheena Starky, Economics Division; 15 July 2005 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/prbpubs/prb0511-e.htm 2. The Lancet DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61306-3 Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial Recipe This is my favourite veggie burger ever, and a staple in my freezer. I first had it at a restaurant in Toronto, Fresh on Bloor. This recipe is from their first cook book, Modern Food and Luscious Juice: The Juice For Life Cookbook, released in September of 2000, became an official national best selling cookbook in June, 2001. JFL Burger Mix The burger mix keeps for up to three days in the fridge and can be safely frozen. I often double this recipe, and freeze the extra. It can be eaten as a burger, pita filler, or on top of a salad. Ingredients:
Directions:
Serves 4 Tofu Marinade
Vegetable Stew
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the apple juice, aminos, lemon juice, and spices in a shallow baking dish. Cut the tofu into small cubes and add the marinade. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch for 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook. Drain the broccoli, rinse in cold water, and set aside. In the same 4-quart pot, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Brown slightly, then add the leeks, gingerroot, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the aminos, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons apple juice. Add the sweet potatoes, cumin, coriander, and ginger powder. Stir frequently as you begin to brown the sweet potatoes in the leeks and spices. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes until the sweet potatoes look caramelized. Add the coconut milk and the remaining apple juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the vegetable stock. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft but not mushy, approximately 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and the tofu cubes and combine well. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and fresh bean sprouts. Remove the jalapeno before serving. Nutritional Facts (per 1 1/2-cup serving) Christine, our former nutritionist, provided us with this recipe: BACK TO SCHOOL RECIPE Healthy habits and optimum nutrition is so essential in our school-aged children. Children between the ages of 6-12 need proper nutrition for energy and to provide vitamins and minerals that their growing bodies require. Teaching children how to eat properly at an early age can reduce the risk of diseases such heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Below is a fun snack that can increase your child's daily intake of fruits, fiber and calcium and let me tell you I am older than 12 and I make this one! Enjoy! Fruity Fun Kabobs Ingredients: Directions: Prepare fruit by washing and cutting apples and banana into small chunks. Place fruit onto one plate and granola or rolled oats on another. Slide pieces of fruit onto skewers in whatever order you like until the skewer is filled with fruit. Next, roll the fruit kabob in yogurt and then roll it in the granola or oats. We hope you continue to enjoy the newsletter. Please feel free to forward it on to your family and friends. If they would also like to receive our newsletter they can email us at fpcihh@magma.ca . With Warm Regards, |
Thai Tofu Curry and Vegetables 