Since we were kids, we have been bombarded with advertisements telling us that cow's milk is a necessary part of life, as it provides us with our daily calcium requirements. Who does this message benefit? Certainly not the consumers. We have had this message drilled into our heads to benefit the dairy farmers, because the fact of the matter is that processed cow's milk is not the best and/or only source of calcium and there is no good reason to believe that a human should ever even consume another animals milk, let alone that from a cow.
Cow's milk, at least what we purchase at the grocery store, is a highly processed product. By the time it reaches the store, especially skim milk, it no longer contains enzymes, which aid in its digestion, and it contains only a small amount of calcium. So for those who do not contain the enzyme lactase in their body, they are deemed "lactose intolerant" and for those thinking they are consuming a great source of calcium...well, they are simply being mislead.
Each mammal that produces milk, produces it specifically for their spawn and in exactly the correct ratios for what the baby/calf/etc requires. For example, when you feed an infant cow's milk, you are giving them fat, protein and carbs in incorrect proportion to their needs. A cow is significantly larger than a human and therefore it makes complete sense that a calf would have very different requirements than a human infant.
One mammals milk structure that is closer to that of a human is the goat. Goat's milk does not require homogenization and therefore holds onto its enzymes, making it easier to digest. This said, animal milk is not the only option out there. Other great replacement beverages are almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk and many others. Some soy beverages may be ok as well, but read the labelling carefully to ensure that the soy has not been genetically modified and avoid soy all together if you have issues with your thyroid, as soy inhibits thyroid function.
Some alternative sources of calcium include kale, bok choy, collard greens, salmon or sardines (bone-in), sesame seeds (tahini),white beans, almonds, walnuts and blackstrap molasses.
Just because we have been told something, or believed something, our whole lives doesn't make it right, but it is up to you to decide what is right for you.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
A Few Tips on How to Get Healthy
Drink lots of water (6-8 large glasses a day), but try and do it 20 minutes before a meal or at least an hour after. Drinking with a meal can negatively impact digestion.
The main things that anyone/everyone should avoid are refined oils (specifically Canola, Sunflower, etc). Use Cold Pressed Extra Virgin olive oil when possible. Also avoid: table salt (replace with sea salt), white flour and refined sugar. Refined sugar also includes things that are refined and convert quickly into sugar, such as white bread, fries and white pasta.
Read labels carefully. I can’t stress this enough. If something says “low fat”, chances are they have replaced the fat with sugar (as fat and sugar provide a lot of the flavour). If something says “low sugar” or “no sugar”, there’s either more fat or fake sugar. Avoid aspartame as much as possible, as it is a neurotoxin.
You also want to avoid fruits that are high on the glycemic index and eat your fruit either 30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after. Fruit digests very quickly and will ferment on top of foods that digest more slowly if eaten after a heavy meal (ex steak). The fermentation can cause stomach upset/gas/etc.
Avoid store bought salad dressings.
Try making one. Store bought dressings are very high in sugar/chemicals. I typically make one of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, a littledijon
Try making one. Store bought dressings are very high in sugar/chemicals. I typically make one of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, a little
Remember: anything in a package is refined. Buying whole foods and preparing things from scratch is always going to be the best option and when you take the time to prepare your food, your digestive system actually starts working as soon as you start breathing in the aroma you create.
More soon!
Jamie Oliver's Granola...sort of
Jamie Oliver's Granola...sort of
2 cups oatmeal (fast cooking, but not instant)
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)
1/4 cup mixed seeds (chia, sunflower,pumpkin, sesame)
2 tbsp ground flaxseed (Optional. Adds more fiber and Omega 3)
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit (apricots, apples, raisins, cranberries)
5 tablespoons maple syrup (or dark Agave)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Put your dry granola ingredients including coconut and cinnamon, except for the dried fruit on a cookie sheet. Stir well and smooth out. Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over the mixture. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes with a wooden spoon and return to the oven. While it is baking, chop up dried fruit. When the granola is golden, remove it from the oven and add the dried fruit. Once cooled, place inside sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Tip: Instead of using cow's milk, I use unsweetened almond milk. Tastes great!!
2 cups oatmeal (fast cooking, but not instant)
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)
1/4 cup mixed seeds (chia, sunflower,pumpkin, sesame)
2 tbsp ground flaxseed (Optional. Adds more fiber and Omega 3)
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit (apricots, apples, raisins, cranberries)
5 tablespoons maple syrup (or dark Agave)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Put your dry granola ingredients including coconut and cinnamon, except for the dried fruit on a cookie sheet. Stir well and smooth out. Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over the mixture. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes with a wooden spoon and return to the oven. While it is baking, chop up dried fruit. When the granola is golden, remove it from the oven and add the dried fruit. Once cooled, place inside sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Tip: Instead of using cow's milk, I use unsweetened almond milk. Tastes great!!
Common Misconceptions & Baby Info
After taking a course in Holistic Nutrition this past year, and ultimately becoming a Holistic Nutritionist, I learned so many invaluable pieces of information that I wish every single parent in the world had access to. We, as parents, have many struggles and second guess so many of the decisions we make for our children. We want what is best for our kids, but we don't always know what that might be.
In an effort to help, even one person in one situation...here goes.
So many babies suffer with Colic (Colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or displays symptoms of distress frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason.-Wikipedia). Often this is regarded as a phase a baby will get through, and typically in time that is the case, but what if there was a simple solution to this problem? The #1 food intolerance in babies is dairy and this intolerance can come from not the breast milk itself but the dairy that the mother is consuming. Please note that no baby is ever allergic to their mother's breast milk, but may have an intolerance to something she is consuming. The #2 culprit is wheat. So, before you try anything drastic or assume the worst, have Mom do an elimination diet of dairy and or wheat and dairy and journal each day any improvement in baby's behaviour. Imagine if Colic could be resolved by simply adjusting Mom's eating? Lets just say there would be a lot less sleepless nights and a lot happier babies.
When is a baby ready to eat solids? Every baby develops at a different rate, but a good indication that their digestive system is ready to handle more than just Mommy's breast milk is by their teeth. If they're 6 months and still have no sign of teeth, their digestive system isn't ready to try new foods.
Breast feeding vs formula feeding- Although in an ideal world, babies would be breast feed for their first year of life, this isn't always realistic and/or possible. The advantages of breast milk are that it is custom designed for each child, contains exactly what they need, it increases or decreases in volume as per the child's requirements, forges a bond between Mom and baby and decreases the babies risk of a number of future ailments (ex asthma). The disadvantages of formula are many. One significant fact is that all infant formula, unless labelled as otherwise, is irradiated (exposed to radiation). This is done to kill of any bacteria that is present, which I understand of course, but how much better is the radiation than the bacteria?? Additionally, there are many ingredients that babies should not be exposed to, nor do they need them for any reason in their diet, such as high fructose syrup, hydrogenated oil and various heavy metals. So, if you are unable to breast feed, for whatever reason, just make sure that you do your research. Don't just select the cheapest brand on the shelf or the container with the fanciest labelling. The formula you feed your child will contribute to their health status for the rest of their lives. So be very thoughtful about the decision you make.
To be cont'd...
In an effort to help, even one person in one situation...here goes.
So many babies suffer with Colic (Colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or displays symptoms of distress frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason.-Wikipedia). Often this is regarded as a phase a baby will get through, and typically in time that is the case, but what if there was a simple solution to this problem? The #1 food intolerance in babies is dairy and this intolerance can come from not the breast milk itself but the dairy that the mother is consuming. Please note that no baby is ever allergic to their mother's breast milk, but may have an intolerance to something she is consuming. The #2 culprit is wheat. So, before you try anything drastic or assume the worst, have Mom do an elimination diet of dairy and or wheat and dairy and journal each day any improvement in baby's behaviour. Imagine if Colic could be resolved by simply adjusting Mom's eating? Lets just say there would be a lot less sleepless nights and a lot happier babies.
When is a baby ready to eat solids? Every baby develops at a different rate, but a good indication that their digestive system is ready to handle more than just Mommy's breast milk is by their teeth. If they're 6 months and still have no sign of teeth, their digestive system isn't ready to try new foods.
Breast feeding vs formula feeding- Although in an ideal world, babies would be breast feed for their first year of life, this isn't always realistic and/or possible. The advantages of breast milk are that it is custom designed for each child, contains exactly what they need, it increases or decreases in volume as per the child's requirements, forges a bond between Mom and baby and decreases the babies risk of a number of future ailments (ex asthma). The disadvantages of formula are many. One significant fact is that all infant formula, unless labelled as otherwise, is irradiated (exposed to radiation). This is done to kill of any bacteria that is present, which I understand of course, but how much better is the radiation than the bacteria?? Additionally, there are many ingredients that babies should not be exposed to, nor do they need them for any reason in their diet, such as high fructose syrup, hydrogenated oil and various heavy metals. So, if you are unable to breast feed, for whatever reason, just make sure that you do your research. Don't just select the cheapest brand on the shelf or the container with the fanciest labelling. The formula you feed your child will contribute to their health status for the rest of their lives. So be very thoughtful about the decision you make.
To be cont'd...
Adoption and Infertility Struggles
Something I have always struggled with is why good, caring and honest people have such struggles when trying to adopt. I have seen more happy, stable couples work within the adoption system over many years and still not ended up without a child to add to their loving family. In addition to this fact, many children are never adopted and have no choice but to spend their childhood in and out of foster care and group homes.
Why is it that some of the very best people I know struggle with infertility, constant miscarriages and premature delivery? Why can so many people, ill-equipped to care for a child, get pregnant by "accident" and bring a child into this world that they didn't even want?
If adopting is so extensive and complex, why then is it so simple to bring children into this world "naturally"? Why don't all potential parents undergo the same scrutiny? I know many couples, and individuals, who would never be permitted to adopt, yet they have 2 or more biological children. Why weren't they given physicals, extensive questionaires, home inspections, etc?
I would love other people's insight on this topic!
Why is it that some of the very best people I know struggle with infertility, constant miscarriages and premature delivery? Why can so many people, ill-equipped to care for a child, get pregnant by "accident" and bring a child into this world that they didn't even want?
If adopting is so extensive and complex, why then is it so simple to bring children into this world "naturally"? Why don't all potential parents undergo the same scrutiny? I know many couples, and individuals, who would never be permitted to adopt, yet they have 2 or more biological children. Why weren't they given physicals, extensive questionaires, home inspections, etc?
I would love other people's insight on this topic!
Food in the School System-What are they feeding our kids?!
In School District 2, in New Brunswick, there is a health initiative to improve the nutrition of the students. To acheive this goal, they let the parents know that they encourage healthy snacks and packed lunches for the kids. Where I get lost in this initiative is how their hot lunch program fits in.
My son was in kindergarten this past year and their hot lunch options were Burger King (a burger, half piece of fruit and white or chocolate milk) and Greco (1 or 2 slices of pizza, half piece of fruit and white or chocolate milk). In whose mind are these healthy choices?
In Nova Scotia, the school districts have a much more strict health initiative and meal plan. Options include things such as brown rice, chicken breast, salad, etc. They seem to have it all figured out. So why can't we, in New Brunswick, follow suit?
The increasing stats of childhood obesity is staggering here and across North America. Children are literally our future, yet some are dying long before their parents, of a healthier generation.
I can assure you that next year, as a Holistic Nutritionist and mother, I will be on that PTA, making sure that my voice gets heard!
My son was in kindergarten this past year and their hot lunch options were Burger King (a burger, half piece of fruit and white or chocolate milk) and Greco (1 or 2 slices of pizza, half piece of fruit and white or chocolate milk). In whose mind are these healthy choices?
In Nova Scotia, the school districts have a much more strict health initiative and meal plan. Options include things such as brown rice, chicken breast, salad, etc. They seem to have it all figured out. So why can't we, in New Brunswick, follow suit?
The increasing stats of childhood obesity is staggering here and across North America. Children are literally our future, yet some are dying long before their parents, of a healthier generation.
I can assure you that next year, as a Holistic Nutritionist and mother, I will be on that PTA, making sure that my voice gets heard!
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