Diet Archives - Page 12 of 20 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Power Food: Apples

October 20, 2015 by elisha

In the western hemisphere there is an old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Though this expression seems old, outdated, and simplistic; there is some truth to it. Apples have quite the diverse set of health benefits and health promoting properties that make it a mean power food!

Components of Apples

Surprisingly, one of the most beneficial components of an apple is its skin. The skin of the apple contains approximately 50% of the insoluble fiber and vitamin C content of an apple. In addition to containing vitamin C and insoluble fiber, apples also contain a healthy dose of antioxidants, quercetin (great for allergies and inflammation), pectin (helps prevent cholesterol from building in blood vessels), and B vitamins.

Therapeutic Potential

Based on the components listed above, apples may have some of the following health benefits (most of which have been researched and proven):

Reduced risk of lung cancer by 50% with regular apple consumption
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease by 13-22%
Reduced risk of stroke
Reduced LDL (Bad) cholesterol by 23% in individuals who ate an apple every day for six months
Increased HDL (Good) cholesterol by 4% in individuals who ate an apple every day for six months
Reduced risk of asthma
Improved lung functioning
Reduced risk of type II diabetes
Reduced blood glucose levels
May inhibit cholera toxin (still being explored)
Increased potential to lose weight with consumption of three apples per day (this is due to the insoluble fiber mentioned earlier)

Storing and Processing

With many fruits and vegetables, storing them for any length of time decreases the nutritional impact that it can have. However, apples can be stored for 60 days with little to no impact on their nutritional quality. Research has shown that after 60 days of cold storage, apples had the same antioxidant potential as they did when compared to day 1. This trend is not consistent across different apple types though. For example, a red delicious apple will retain its nutritional quality far longer than a golden delicious apple.

The processing of apples and the impact on their nutritional benefits rests mainly in whether the peal is used. Ultimately, the apples will be more beneficial if the peal is intact. In addition, when the pulp of the apple is disposed of, for example in juicing, much of the potential health benefits are lost. When an apple is juiced, it has only 10% of the antioxidant potential of a whole apple that is eaten. Does this mean that juicing an apple is not good for you? Of course not. Adding an apple to your juice can add a nice flavour, it simply may not provide as much of a health benefit as you would think.

What about pesticides?

Much like other fruits and vegetables, pesticides are commonly used on apples. Some would argue that this is to a greater extent on apples than other fruits. Ultimately, this does bring up concerns about eating them and how to best clean them. The best way to clean an apple is probably the simplest. All that is necessary is using water and rubbing the skin of the apple. Because there are only low levels of pesticide residue on the surface of the apples, this method of cleaning the apple keeps many beneficial properties of the apple intact while still removing majority of the pesticides from the surface. However, for those more sensitive to chemicals, a more thorough approach may be needed.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/44686-apple-nutrition-facts.html

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-3-5.pdf%C3%AF%C2%BF%C2%BD%C3%83%C5%93

Halloween Treats for Children with Food Allergies

October 13, 2015 by elisha

Halloween is fast approaching, and many households are preparing for the arrival of many ghouls, princesses, and superheroes by purchasing some tasty treats. However, not all children are able to have the variety of treats that may be available. This notion is how the “teal pumpkin project” began. For those of you who do not know, the teal pumpkin project involves placing a teal pumpkin on your porch to let other families know that you have safe alternatives for children with allergies. Many families will project the usual chocolates and chips for those who can eat these treats, but will place alternative choices in a separate bowl (to avoid potential contamination [though the risk is quite low]).

By providing alternatives, it gives all children an equal chance to participate in Halloween. This project also shines light on the issues of food allergies and other conditions such as diabetes. Food allergies are vast and can include many different items including:

Gluten
Dairy
Chocolate
Egg
Red Food Colouring
Yellow Food Colouring
Nuts
Seeds
Sugar

It can be challenging to find food items that avoid all of these particular foods, but below are provided some different options that you might choose to provide as an alternative if you are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Stickers
Pencils
Erasers
Temporary tattoos
Rings
Small Pads of Paper
Coconut Water

Food items that you may be able to provide for some trick-or-treaters with food allergies (but possibly not all) may include some of the below ideas:

Gum (avoid coloured gums to avoid the dyes and food colouring)
Juice (depending on the brand or type it may contain food colouring, and most likely sugar)
Lara Bars (these may contain nuts)
Plain Chips (avoid flavoured chips as it may contain hidden forms of milk i.e. whey
Gummy Candies (these are not always void of gluten, dairy, eggs, or food colouring)

In summary, the teal pumpkin project is ultimately a way to help children feel included despite their medical situation. I would encourage all households to attempt to be able to provide some form of alternative that may be safe for all youngsters!

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Why a lot of quick – fix weight loss programs and supplements DO NOT work

September 16, 2015 by elisha

Billions of dollars are made in the weight loss industry. Many people strive to gain the perfect physique and pay much in order to reap the gains. Unfortunately, amongst many programs that do work to help people lose weight and keep it off, there are many programs that do not work in the long run. As a result, I hope to help debunk some of the mythical ideologies that some of these programs purport to work.

The Myths:

You can lose weight without diet changes and exercise.

In order to maintain weight loss goals, you need to change your diet and increase exercise to a level that balances energy in and energy out. This differs between everyone, and so, you may require more or less calories, and more or less exercise than another individual.

You can lose a lot of weight all at once and keep it off.

Unfortunately, this myth is the worst one of them all. In order to achieve weight loss that will last, an individual should not exceed losing 1-2 pounds per week. That being said, when an individual initially undertakes changing their diet and exercise patterns, they may undergo more than 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, which is normal. Anything beyond the 1-2 pound weight loss puts an individual’s body into what I call “starvation mode”. As a result of this state, the body is more likely to accumulate weight because of fear of when it will get its “next meal”. In addition, if the individual “falls off the tracks” in regards to their weight loss program and gains back the weight they lost, they will most likely gain back more than what they initially lost, because once again, the body fears that it will not survive if put into another “starvation mode” and so uses the increased weight to protect itself.

You can go back to the way you were eating after discontinuing the program.

As was mentioned above, without appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, one cannot maintain weight loss. Therefore if you are eating more restricted and suddenly go back to the way you were eating before, you are more likely to gain weight. That being said, that does not mean you can never have a treat or have a cheat day. As I tell many patients, everything in moderation, including exercising and diet. You have to adopt a diet and lifestyle that will ultimately be realistic for you.

You can severely restrict calories for some time and still be healthy.

Once again, this myth is debunked by the explanation behind the debunking of the second myth. You will put your body into a starvation mode with severely restricted calories, resulting in an overall weight gain.

You can take a pill and it will help you to lose weight and keep it off.

Anything that causes you to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week is not sustainable. This includes various weight loss supplements. In addition, many of the weight loss supplements that do have profound effects have ingredients in them that can be harmful when taken long term. A naturopathic doctor may choose to put you on a supplement to help you through a plateau season, but beyond that, supplements will not help you maintain weight loss in a realistic manner.

Bottom Line: Aside from changing your diet, exercise and lifestyle, you cannot be guaranteed to maintain the weight loss that you gain. In order to keep it off, you need to maintain a lifestyle that consists of healthy dietary habits; adequate exercise; and appropriate lifestyle measures including adequate sleep, stress management, and everything in moderation. If you are interested in achieving weight loss that will work for you, consider contacting myself, and let me help you develop a weight loss strategy that will help you maintain the weight loss that you acquire.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Helping your child to perform optimally at school

September 8, 2015 by elisha

The school year is well under way, and many parents can become concerned about their child’s performance in school. Some children may benefit significantly from small changes to their lifestyle and diet. The following tips may help your child to perform optimally in school:

Sleep – this tip may seem very straight forward, but many children do not get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for children because this is when we process information, grow, and re-energize for the day ahead. If a child does not get enough sleep, they may become quite agitated in the classroom and potentially cause disruption. They may also be unable to concentrate because of the fatigue. Provided to the right is a chart that gives you an idea of how much sleep your child needs according to their age group, as recommended by the sleep foundation (Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) . To further drive home the point, research has been done in regards to sleep and school performance. The research has shown that shortened sleep, disrupted sleep schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality all negatively impact academic performance.
Exercise – Exercise is very important for your child. Exercise provides a way to boost mood, boost energy, re-focus, and give a sense of accomplishment depending on the form. By encouraging regular exercise, it allows your child to get the energy release they need and gives them an opportunity to “collect” themselves before re-focusing on school tasks. Research has shown that exercise and physical activity in school aged children can actually increase Grade Point Averages (GPA).
Fruits and Vegetables – no discussion would be complete without discussing the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can provide significant amounts of B vitamins, which are beneficial for brain functioning, mood, energy, stress, and concentration.
Reduce Screen Time – screen time (i.e. televisions, cell phones, I pads, computers, etc.) could have a negative impact on your child’s future educational achievement. Some research has suggested that the more a child spends in front of a television, the less that they will achieve in the future in regards to degrees and educational achievement. I want to point out that some individuals do benefit from the use of different software to help engage with learning, and so, this recommendation needs to be adapted to your child’s specific needs.
Parenting Style – interestingly enough, the way a child is parented can impact their achievement in school. Research has identified five “processes” that contribute to school achievement. They are: “verbal interactions between mother and children, expectation of parents for achievement, positive affective relationships between parents and children, parental beliefs and attributions about the child, and discipline and control strategies.” Of these processes, discipline and control strategies were the most strongly associated with school achievement.

If your child still experiences difficulty with concentration and focus in school, it is important for you to seek the help of a naturopathic doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider. Some of the causes can be as simple as a nutritional deficiency, and some may require further evaluation.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png

http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792(03)90003-7/abstract

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/10/