4 Life-Saving Supplements

As a Registered Dietitian, it has always been a challenge to recommend dietary supplements to patients as the old-fashioned principle of dietetics stems from obtaining all of your nutrients from food.

We now know that this is nearly impossible for most people.

Our diet, especially a typical Western diet, simply cannot provide us with enough of the essential vitamins and minerals proven to obtain optimal health.  In fact, Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating has recently been revised to include a recommendation for vitamin D supplementation. This is a huge step in the right direction for the future of dietetics.

The following 4 supplements are clinically proven to improve your health and fight off chronic diseases.

1.  Take a multivitamin.

No matter how great you think you eat or how complete your diet is, everyone should be taking a multivitamin.  It simply provides nutritional insurance to make sure that you are obtaining your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of certain vitamins and minerals.  There is greater benefit to taking a multivitamin than not taking one;  however, I do recommend to look for the following when choosing a multivitamin:
  
   a.  Make sure it has lower levels of beta-carotene and Vitamin A.  If you are a smoker, do not choose a product that has a high level of beta-carotene in it  (> 5000 IU), as high levels of beta carotene has been shown to accelerate the development of lung cancer.  Vitamin A is one of the rare vitamins that can build up in your liver and cause toxicity, so make sure that your multivitamin does not contain more than 1000 IU of Vitamin A.  High doses of Vitamin A has also been linked to hip fractures later on in life.

   b.   If you have allergies or any dietary restrictions, make sure you choose a multivitamin that lists all of their non-medicinal ingredients.  In Canada, it is not mandatory to include such a list on the product packaging.  Many companies do not include this list, and often consumers will choose a product thinking that it does not include a particular ingredient.  For example, gelatin is not required to be listed on the product; however, in Canada, all multivitamins that contain Vitamin A has gelatin in it, derived from the same raw materials.

2.  Take Vitamin D.

200 IU, 400 IU, 1000 IU, 2000 IU, and now 4000 IU?  How much is enough?  The current recommendations are far too low for the typical Canadian diet.  We also live above the 40th latitude of the earth, and therefore, do not get the proper sun exposure needed to produce Vitamin D in our bodies.  Along with strengthening our bones, Vitamin D has also been related to almost every immune-related chronic disease, such as multiple sclerosis and lupus.  It has also been shown to reduce incidence of certain types of cancers.

Instead of testing for Vitamin D deficiency, many physicians that I work with now simply assume that a patient if deficient in Vitamin D unless they are being supplemented.  Because it is relatively inexpensive, (pennies per tablet), Vitamin D should be on everyone's list of must-have supplements.  I take 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day.

3.  Omega-3

Smooth skin, lubricated joints, lowered cholesterol, are there any more reasons to take these anti-inflammatory supplements?  For those of you that have read my previous entries, you know how adamant I am about taking an Omega-3 supplement.  Not a complete 3-6-9 supplement, just an Omega 3.  You get enough omega-6 and omega-9 through diet, and it is the ideal ratio between 3/6/9 that has the most beneficial effect.

At University of Guelph, I had a professor  who dedicated 90% of his lectures to the benefits of omega-3 and the avoidance of trans fats, particularly in frozen breakfast waffles.  For those of you who had the same professor, I doubt that you ever ate a frozen breakfast waffle ever again.

4.  Calcium

"Osteoporosis is a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences."

Unless you eat plenty of dairy products, the majority of Canadians need a calcium supplement.  This mighty mineral is necessary for the prevention of osteoporosis, one of the most debilitating diseases in our lifetime.  Having worked at a nursing home during the years of my internship, I have seen the consequences of brittle and frail bones, and if you could do something to prevent it, you would.

Calcium supplements are simply not just for little old women.  In fact, at the age of 9 to 18, you need 1300 mg of calcium per day, almost the same as a post-menopausal woman.  What we need to do is build our bones to be the strongest possible while we are young, so when bone loss occurs (it's inevitable), it will not reduce our bones to paper-thin densities.

We are continually building our bones up to the age of 30, so anything after that is simply maintenance.  And not just women get osteoporosis, 1 in 8 men have osteoporosis too.  It's an important mineral for everyone, at every age.

These are my basic magic 4 supplements, what I believe almost everyone should be taking as a baseline for ensuring optimal health.

How to sneak vegetables into your diet

We've all heard it before:  eat your vegetables.  Never the entree and always the appetizer, vegetables seem to be the category of food that most often gets pushed around the plate.  Sure, they're not as exciting as that juicy piece of meat or that heavenly piece of bread.  Even a plate of fruit is sexier than a plate of vegetables.  So why, you might ask, do we have to eat our vegetables?  

Quite simply, vegetables are good for you.

Full of fibre and precious antioxidants, vegetables are nature's solution to preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  Eating a diet full of brightly coloured vegetables ensures that your digestive tract works at an optimal pace.  They also make you feel fuller and aid in weight loss.   Are there any other foods that contain all of these benefits in such a low calorie package?  Likely not.

Health Canada recommends eating a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day; however the average person consumes nearly half that.  How can we make it easier to include more vegetables into your diet?

Here are some suggestions beyond just eating plain old salad:

1.  Buy frozen vegetable blends.

Contrary to popular belief, frozen vegetables have just as much nutritional value as fresh vegetables.  In fact, sometimes frozen vegetables have even more vitamins and minerals per serving because these vegetables are harvested and frozen when they are at their peak in nutritional value.

The convenience of using frozen vegetable blends is parallel to none.  You no longer need to use that huge celery bunch in one night.  Wastage is minimal as you only use what you need, and then place it back into your freezer for another night.  If you are single, or do not have a large family to cook for, it can be expensive to buy many different vegetables for a single vegetable dish.  Using these blends allow you to eat a larger variety of vegetables without having to spend a fortune.

My favourite blend is the Far East Blend from Green Giant.  Snow peas, bamboo, crunchy water chestnuts and broccoli!  Just add some oyster sauce and a touch of garlic oil, microwave for 2 minutes, and you have nutritious "fast food."

You can also make your own vegetable blends by picking a variety of fresh veggies, cutting them up, and then freezing them in individual ziploc bags for use later on.

2.  Drink your vegetables.

You know those V8 commercials?  They're true, you have no excuse.  I like the low-sodium V8. Vegetables can also easily be hidden in shakes and smoothies.  Make your smoothies with 60% fruit and 40% vegetables.  Spinach is the easiest to disguise, with no impact on the delicious fruity taste of a smoothie.

3.  Make a vegetable soup.

For all you vegetable haters, this is the easiest way to increase your vegetable intake without changing your diet significantly.  You can make a huge pot of vegetable soup that contains more than your recommended daily servings of vegetables in one sitting!  It's so easy, all you need is an assortment of vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, onions, leeks), a blender, and some sort of soup stock (vegetable, chicken, onion).  Throw them in a pot, boil for 20 minutes, and then blend into a thin puree.  I also add red curry paste and a touch of coconut milk in my soups.  Delicious!

Alternatively, if you are making a broth soup, just throw some frozen or fresh vegetables into your soup while heating to make it healthier.

4.  Shred your vegetables.

Shredding your vegetables makes it easy to hide in a variety of different types of food.  Instead of just using lettuce as a topping for your burger, add some shredded carrot, zucchini, mushrooms or spinach as a garnish.  Throw shredded veggies into your pasta sauce or chili.  I like using tons of red/green/yellow peppers and spinach in my pasta sauces.  The following vegan recipe is also a great alternative to red or creamy sauces, using plenty of vegetables:

Blend 1 package of spinach and 1 bunch of fresh basil with 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp of agave nectar or maple syrup, 3 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp of salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with 1/2 cup of pine nuts and add to freshly cooked whole grain pasta.  Super quick, super easy, and very healthy.

5.  Make a vegetable dip.

That huge bag of baby spinach looks intimidating, but have you ever thrown it into your blender?  It becomes less than half a cup!  Instead of hummus, make a delicious dip with vegetables, like red pepper or spinach dip.

Here's an easy recipe:
1 bag of baby spinach
1/2 cup of vegan mayonnaise or low fat mayo or low fat yogurt
1 packet of onion soup mix

Throw it into your blender or hand puree, and you will have a nutritious dip for your chips, carrots, and pita bread.

Just on a side note, it's actually clinically been proven that babies who were breastfed as a child for 5 months or longer are less likely to reject their vegetables as toddlers.  This is due to the transmission of flavour in breast milk--if the mother has a varied diet, the baby is familiar with the taste of vegetables by the time they are introduced to solid foods.

Hope that helps, this blog is dedicated to my friend Kenny, who requested a blog on "vegetables."

 If you can think of a way to cook eggplant and make it not taste like snot (barf), let me know......

The Clear Skin Diet

Ever wonder why your skin can be soft and smooth one day, and then blotchy and blemish-prone the next?

Your skin is an organ.  Like all organs, your skin has its own method of self-regulation and detoxification.  There are many factors that influence how your skin looks and feels.  These include stress, hormones, genetics, cosmetics and of course, diet.  Many of these factors can't be changed; however, we can influence  our diet and give our skin the ideal nutrients and vitamins to optimize the health of our skin.

The following is a list of acne-promoting foods:

1. Refined grains and highly processed food

The majority of commercially available breads and flours are so highly processed, they contain very little nutrients that our skin needs.   These foods tend to have too much artificial sweeteners and preservatives, and not enough antioxidants.  They are also highly glycemic (raise your blood sugar) and tend to cause spikes in your anti-inflammatory pathways.

2.  Refined sugar

Similar to refined grains, there is a relationship between your intake of refined sugar and the health of your skin.  Sugary foods like soda pop, candy and pastries are low in nutritional value and have highly glycemic effects.

High intake of refined sugar usually accompanies high intake of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids as many processed foods often contain both.  Sources of omega-6 fatty acid include processed foods and vegetable oils.  Although they are an essential fatty acid (your body cannot produce omega-6), overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) can trigger breakouts.

3.  Dairy

 Although dairy contains many nutrients and vitamins needed for proper cell function, many people are allergic to the milk proteins (whey and casein) in cow's milk.   The problem is, very few people do not realize that they are allergic to dairy as symptoms are not immediate and may take a few days to occur.  If you suspect that you have a dairy allergy, eliminate any dairy containing foods for two weeks.  Then slowly introduce small amounts of dairy into your diet after the two week period and see how your skin reacts in a few days.

In addition, dairy products accelerate the body's synthesis of androgens (male hormones found in both men and women).  This causes the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum, resulting in blocked pores and inflammation.

Alternatives to dairy are plentiful and abundant.  Look for fortified soy milk or other non-dairy alternatives like rice milk, almond milk, or hemp milk.  Almond Breeze, Silk and Vitasoy are my favourite brands as they have more of a creamy texture than other brands.

Now we move on to foods that can actually help with keeping your skin clear and healthy.

1.  Whole grain foods

There are many delicious alternatives to white bread.  Whole grain foods contain high amounts of fibre which slows down the digestion of carbohydrates.  This causes only a gradual acceleration of  blood sugar levels, not a quick spike, and therefore has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.  Their ability to stabilize blood sugar levels coupled with their high content of antioxidants make whole grain foods a great option for healthy skin.

Instead of just choosing "whole wheat" products, try ancient grains of wheat that contain a higher nutritional value.  Spelt, quinoa, millet, amaranth, and kamut are all great options to choose from.

2.  Fatty fish

Cold-water oily fish are high sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the good fats that convert into anti-inflammatory prostaglandins EPA and DHA.  These fats are essential for keeping the skin clear and healthy as they balance out the inflammatory effects of omega-6 fatty oils.  Many people think that they need to be supplementing with an omega 3-6-9 supplement but it's the ratio between omega-3 to omega-6 that is important.

For vegans and vegetarians, flax oil and avocados are good alternatives for obtaining your omega-3s.

3.  Colourful fruits and veggies

Try to incorporate as many brightly coloured vegetables and fruit into your diet.  Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries.....the darker and more colourful, the better.  These veggies and fruit contain large doses of antioxidants that protect against free radical damage.  They are also high in fibre and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals, all essential to support the matrix of the skin.  Tomatoes are especially beneficial as they contain a pigment called lycopene, known to suppress acne-causing hormones.

4.  Sip green tea.

Yes, another reason to drink green tea.  In addition to all of the other health benefits that green tea has been linked to (weight loss, cancer-fighting), the antioxidants in green tea have been shown to be highly beneficial for acne reduction.  These antioxidants, known as polyphenols, are great for the skin due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

In addition to incorporating the foods listed above, there are supplements that may improve your skin texture and help to keep it clear.

Perfect Skin by Genuine Health (Greens Plus) contains omega 3 fish oils, green tea extract, zinc and chromium, all shown to clinically have a pimple-reducing effect on your skin.  Don't be fooled by the "for men" and "for women" versions, they are both the same formulation except for the colour of the packaging.  

Nutrition for Troubled Skin by DermaMed is basically a multivitamin that contains higher levels of Vitamin A and Zinc.  Can be beneficial when taken on a daily basis, but best for preventing cystic acne.

And lastly, keep hydrated!  Drinking plenty of water is essential for keeping your skin clean and clear.  Sip water regularly throughout the day as it helps to flush out the system and keep things lubricated.

FAT: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Fat free, low fat, zero trans fat, high in omega-3s, low in saturated fat...........with all these health claims, it can often be confusing to make a healthy food choice when it comes down to the fat in your food.

We all know that eating too much fat is not good for our health.  But did you know that certain types of fat are essential for our body?  Let's simplify the different categories of fat.

The Good:
Everyone knows that olive oil is the "good" oil to cook with.  It has developed this reputation because olive oil contains a type of fat known as monounsaturated fat.  This type of fat has been shown to be heart healthy--it reduces the amount of total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) in your blood.  Other foods that contain monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts and seeds.

Another type of good fat is polyunsaturated fat, also known as omega-3 or omega-6.  Omega-3s, in particular, are especially beneficial for heart health.  They are considered essential as we cannot manufacture them in our body.  Omega-3s have been shown to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing the chance of forming blood clots.  Omega-3 rich oils are found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring) or flax seed oil, chia seeds, and walnuts.

In order to consume enough Omega-3s, it is recommended to eat 2 servings of fatty fish per week.   With exception of my sushi dinners, I rarely eat much fish.  Instead, I take Omega-3 supplements made from fish oil.  Some great brands are the following:  Ascenta or NutriSea, and Carlson.  These brands are made from cold-water fatty fish and are guaranteed to be molecularly distilled and free from mercury.

The Bad:
Reducing your intake of saturated fat is important in a heart healthy diet.  Saturated fats are derived from animal products (meat), or dairy products (butter, cheese).  This type of fat has been shown to clog your arteries and raise cholesterol levels.  Unless you are a strict vegetarian, it is often difficult to avoid this type of fat but just remember to eat it in moderation.

The Ugly:
Trans fats should be avoided at all costs.  These fats are used to extend the shelf life of many processed foods (cookies, cakes).  Since January of 2006, food manufacturers have had to legally label the amount of trans fats in their products--this has also forced many manufacturers to change their formulas and recipes to healthier options without the trans fats.  Avoid any product that lists "hydrogenated" in its ingredient list, as this means that there is trans fat in the product.

Choose your fats wisely.  As a general rule, liquid fats (mono, polyunsaturated) are better for you than solid fats (saturated, trans).

It is also important to remember that although some fats can be good for your health, they all contain the same amount of calories, so use them in small quantities if you are looking for weight loss.

Fibre Basics

Ever wonder why eating fibre makes you feel bloated, flatulent and uncomfortable?  There are a few reasons to explain this phenomenon, and it requires knowing about the different types of fibre.

Fibre can be categorized into two types:  insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble fibre is the most common form, and it is the one that most people recognize as the typical form of fibre.  Examples of insoluble fibre include oat bran, wheat bran, flax seeds, and whole grains.  This type of fibre is hard to digest and therefore, works like a scrub in your large intestine.  It scrapes along the intestinal tract and then pushes the stool out of your colon.   It's also known as "bulk" or "roughage."

Soluble fibre is very different than insoluble fibre.  This type of fibre dissolves easily and absorbs water.  Examples of this type of fibre include psyllium, inulin, and acacia gum.  In your large intestine, it turns into a gel and acts like a sponge.  Soluble fibre absorbs a large amount of water and increases the size of your stool by bulking up the total mass.  Because of the larger stool size, it promotes the muscle movement of your large intestine (a process called peristalsis) and this helps to push the larger stool out of your body.

In some cases, because soluble fibre absorbs water, it may end up constipating you if you do not drink enough water.  In fact, soluble fibre is given as a treatment for diarrhea as well as for constipation!  It is also recommended as a natural treatment for lowering cholesterol levels and weight loss, topics that I will discuss in the future.

To remember the two forms of fibre, I like to think of an orange.  When you cut open an orange, the white stringy stuff is an example of insoluble fibre.  The orange gel-like fleshy stuff is an example of soluble fibre.

It's important for you to consume both types of fibre on a daily basis.  We should be getting about 25 to 30 grams of fibre on a daily basis, but we typically only eat about 15 to 20 grams.  When you quickly increase your fibre intake, that's where the bloating and discomfort occur.  Your body is just not used to the high levels of fibre, so go slowly.  Once you're at the right levels, you should no longer feel bloated or puffy.

A great cereal to try is Kellogg's Bran Buds, which has both forms of fibre in a high quantity per serving.  In addition to eating it as a cereal, I try to sprinkle it on salad, use them as croutons for soup, or throw them into a smoothie.

Butter vs Margarine?

This is probably one of the most common misconceptions out there regarding food and nutrition.  Which is better--butter or margarine?  Let me explain.

Butter is a source of naturally occurring saturated fat.  It is made from cow's milk and is made from cream.  Very fatty, but delicious.  To simplify,  eating too much saturated fat can lead to clogged arteries, which can increase one's risk of developing cardiovascular problems, such as coronary artery disease, or high cholesterol.

Margarine is available in a variety of options.  They are all made from vegetable oils, which is liquid at room temperature.  In order to solidify the oil to mimic the texture of butter, a process called hydrogenation needs to occur.   This process means chemically changing the molecule by adding hydrogen atoms.  Unfortunately, hydrogenation creates "trans fats", which also have long term consequences on heart health, such as clogging arteries.

Now which option is better?

The best choice would be an unhydrogenated margarine, where this process of hydrogenation does not occur and there would be no trans fats in the product.  An example would be Becel, or Earth Balance.
I find that Earth Balance tastes incredibly similar to butter, and is a 100% vegan formula.  Also works well for baking recipes.  

Hot Nutrition Topics

After much hemming and hawing, I have decided to follow the advice of all my friends and family: START A BLOG!!

Let me introduce myself:

I'm a Registered Dietitian, with my Masters in Applied Human Nutrition. I have spent my entire life (as far back as I can remember) in the food and nutrition industry. In addition, I grew up in a health food store (my family's business), and have an extensive knowledge about functional foods, herbal supplements, and nutraceuticals.

Because I have been immersed in both spectrums of the nutrition scale (east and west), I have identified a serious gap in the field of nutrition. There are very few dietitians that know about herbal supplements or holistic nutrition, and likewise, there are very few self-proclaimed "holistic" nutritionists that agree with the scientific fundamentals of nutritional science. I believe that both spectrums can complement eachother to achieve an optimal state of nutritional health.

After years of dishing out free nutrition advice to those who know me, I have decided to share some of my knowledge with the rest of you. It's all about education, because the more you know, the more you can apply your learning to your lifestyle, by making healthier food choices and influencing others.