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Back to School Plant-Fueled Favourites

31/8/2018

It's that time of year again, crisper air, shorter days, and what to bring for lunch. Whether it's back to school or just getting into a good routine of what to bring for lunch at work, I pulled together 5 of my favourite, easy recipes that keep the taste buds interested and have amazing brain fuel to focus all day long!

One of my regularly scheduled programs is this super easy, super delicious Chickpea Salad Sandwich Mix
Recipe , that is fantastic on rice crackers for a great gluten-free option, or in an organic wholegrain roll up for easy eating and full of fibre, even as a dip for a bowl full of colourful veggies!

Breakfasts are always a challenge on busy mornings, sometimes a healthy on-the-go option can be just as nutritious as a sit down meal. Even though it's a healthy habit to slow things down and create mindful eating habits at all meals, I'm not kidding anyone that that can happen 100% of the time, but being prepared for these fast moving mornings also has benefits to be instilled, choosing healthy prepared meals and avoiding the convenient but non-nutritional foods.

Here's two of my fav of Grab-and-Go breakfasts chalked full of healthy fats and plant based proteins to keep the energy even and lasting all the way to lunch!

Try this Seedy Breakfast Bar ( with or without the nuts) for a healthy filling option to head out the door with.

And these Apple and Spice Breakfast Muffins are a gluten free, nut free, dairy free option for breakfast and to pack in the wee ones lunches as I know that so many schools are nut free facilities.

To keep things fun and interesting, and colourful, Veggie Nuggets are so easy to make in a big batch, freeze some for future use, and make a few different sauces so you can mix up the flavour throughout the week. And can I just say hell to the extra servings of colourful veggies!!

Things like bean, lentils, and intact whole grains are amazing fuel for the lunchbox. Bean salads, with avocado, and a fresh cherry tomatoes, has a great balance of plant based proteins, healthy fats, and colourful veggies. Another great option is quinoa added to any of your favorite salads as a healthy whole grain that is full of fibre. Try this Tabouli Salad to keep the taste buds on there toes! Add sauteed tofu or extra seeds for a full meal that will keep you going all the way to dinner!

Whether young or grown, I wish you all a year and a lifetime of discovering new knowledge, new delicious recipes, and new compassion for all.

Health & Happiness

~R

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Why is Everyone talking About Eating "Plant-Based"

10/8/2018

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Some Pretty Amazing Stats Says we Should!

People who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your entire body.

Whether you include meat and dairy in your diet or not, more plants equates to better health outcomes.

Nutrients

Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, and/or cholesterol.)

Dietary fibre from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, and helps to keep a healthy gut microbiome.

Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products , beet greens, soya, lima beans, spinach, lentils, & kidney beans.

Fibre is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fibre-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.

Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C also aids in iron absorption.

Health benefits
Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet reduces the risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Research done by the Imperial College in London in 2017, which is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, estimate approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year if people ate 10 portions, or 800 g, of fruit and vegetables a day.

The team found that although five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduced disease risk, the greatest benefit came from eating 800g a day (roughly equivalent to ten portions - one portion of fruit or vegetables if defined as 80g).

The study, which was a meta-analysis of all available research in populations worldwide, included up to 2 million people, and assessed up to 43,000 cases of heart disease, 47,000 cases of stroke, 81,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, 112,000 cancer cases and 94,000 deaths.

Some pretty glaring statistics came out of the research.

Here's what they found;

24 % reduced risk of heart disease

33 % reduced risk of stroke

28 % reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

13 % reduced risk of total cancer

31 % reduction in dying prematurely

Now to be transparent these numbers are calculated in comparison to not eating any fruit and vegetables. But if this is a sliding scale, and we earn points for a good and healthy long life by eating more plant foods, I'll swallow that dill... I mean pill.... I mean...

Besides curbing some of the most prolific chronic diseases in North America, eating more veg has more amazing health benefits;

Diets rich in foods containing fibre, such as vegetables and fruits and other plant foods, may reduce the risk of obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Eating vegetables and fruits rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss.

Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to maintain a healthy weight.

So for me personally, it might be easy to get the recommended servings in, I love veggies!! I've been Plant Based for over 25 years, I eat a whole food diet, and we grow a lot of variety of fresh veg right at home...
I did however have question in the back of my mind as I haven't ever tracked my food, or more particularly my veggie intake..Was I eating this protective amount of whole plant foods??

Most days; absolutely! We don't eat out a lot so I really dictate whats on the plate, and that usually includes heaping amounts of veg. But when I review my Food & Mood Journal after about 2 months of tracking, there was a few days, even in the summer where veggies abound, when I ate less than 6 serving in a day.

Not that this is bad news, studies point to eating as little as 5 servings per day having some beneficial effects, but truly, I'm in it for the long run! I shooting for healthy @ 100!

What I took out of this was more than just upping my veg game on a daily basis, it's when we are the conscious observer, we can decide to take action on tangible reflection. Okay what I mean is, without keeping a journal, I might assume that I would be getting more than enough servings of veggies and fruits everyday, but without journaling, I was just guessing.

Even though a few days in a month isn't a big reflection of my overall health measures, it statistically adds up to a small percentage a year. I'm not going to be overly concerned and track my veggie intake like a crazy lady because I know most days I'm getting well over 10 servings and eat a well rounded whole foods, plant based diet, but I am more aware than I was before and where ever I might feel the veg intake was low that day, a big salad shall appear! And to be honest, I was assuming until I had actual data.

How about you? Do you know how many veggies and fruit servings you get in a day?

In Canada, lets look at

WHAT IS ONE "SERVING"?

125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned vegetables or fruits
250 mL (1 cup) raw leafy veggies or salad
125 mL (½ cup) 100% fruit & vegetable juice (Only occasionally in small amounts)
1 piece of fruit ( or a cup of berries are a good option to keep sugars down)

ONE SERVING OF FRUIT CAN BE:

1 medium banana
6 strawberries
1 plum
20 grapes (apx 1 cup)
1 medium apple
1 medium peach
*Keep juice for an occasional treat and eat the whole fruit with its fibre still intact.

ONE SERVING OF VEGETABLE CAN BE:

1/2 cup (125 mL) broccoli florets
10 baby carrots or 2 medium size carrots
1 roma tomato
1/2 of a baked sweet potato
1 ear of corn
1/2 cup of chopped mixed vegetables

CANADA’S FOOD GUIDE RECOMMENDS

Get 7-10 servings of vegetables and fruit everyday for health.
Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.
Go for dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, swiss chard, and spinach.
Go for orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.
Enjoy vegetables steamed, baked or stir-fried instead of deep fried.
Eat a wide variety of colourful vegetables and fruits everyday, think “eat the rainbow”.

So why are the oranges and greens so important? Read more here.

Whether we're eating a ton of veggie, or maybe we aren't, whether we're plant-based or not, there is no 1 diet that is best for everyone, but eating more veg no matter what camp your in, seems to be a healthy habit. Another healthy habit to thrive in life is to be a conscious observer of our own health!

We naturally check in with ourselves on a daily basis to acknowledge how we are feeling, but do we keep a log?

We track our finances and spending habits, we log our hours worked and our time management in life, we track our home renovations, we track the data usage on our phone, yet do we pay attention to our own health and nutrition???

My clients know this amazing tool before they even walk into my office, it's part of my intake forms, I request this before I confirm an appointment because it is invaluable, although just a starting point, it something to start with! The longer you keep, not only a food journal but, a mood and overall health journal, the more empirical data you have collected about yourself, your eating habits, your lifestyle habits, and how they might affect your mood and health as a whole.

Whether you are working with a nutrition or health professional or starting the journey solo, here is my free Food & Mood Tracker to download and start tracking. You might be surprised in 3 months what looks like correlations between the food you eat, the mood, and your overall health & energy..

There are lots of great apps that you can download that specifically look at your nutrient intake, and might be easier to fill out, but I am such a visual person, I like things on paper, right in front of me, that include more than just what I put in my mouth, or how many steps I take in a day.

Do you know what I found out from keeping a Food and Mood journal???

That the 1 cup lovely cup of coffee I was drinking in the morning was sabotaging my energy levels and making me feel slightly anxious for the rest of the day. Was it overt enough to realize without the journal, maybe, but day by day, there was always some other reason in my head...until I saw it in black and white.

I also discovered that there is always more room for kale!

What is your hypothesis of what's helping or hurting your health??

Now it's time for the data!! Download the free tracker and start observing your health now!

In Health & Happiness my Friends

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The Great Green Superfood for the Heart

1/8/2018

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Superfoods Straight From the Garden?

It doesn't have to come powdered, dehydrated, or in a fancy package, and although I do believe in classical "superfoods", you would be surprise to find out that so many of the simple foods from the produce aisle pack a powerful punch in supporting our health, and even preventing disease.

Although there is overwhelming scientific evidence that cultures that eat a mostly vegetarian or vegan diet have better population health outcomes and longevity, our western diet has a long way to go.

Stats Canada indicates that we aren't getting enough servings of veggies and fruit per day and to try and incorporate more dark green veggies like chard, kale, spinach, collards, and mustard greens, and pair them with bright orange veggies like carrots, sweet potato, peppers, and pumpkins.

These are suggested because they are accessible, nutrient dense, and alongside a healthy diet as a whole, help prevent disease.

One of my personal favs right now, because I'm just starting to be able to pull it from the garden, is chard! Some call it swiss chard, although there are many colourful varieties usually these are grouped together and sold as rainbow chard.

Some say kale is King, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Chard has its eye on the throne!

Different Varieties of Chard

Ruby Chard – deep red stems with a deep green leaf. There is also a variety that sometimes comes in mixes such as ‘Bright Lights’ which has a dark bronze-colored leaf. A related type ‘Rhubarb chard’ is very similar with thicker stems.

Gold Chard – bright yellow stems with glossy green leaves.

Pink Chard – often with a beautiful striped pink-and-white effect along the stems and light green leaves.

Orange chard – somewhere between the bright reds and yellows.

White Chard – thick white stems and wide green leaves, this is often the most productive variety with some even being described as silvery in appearance.

All being pretty delicious in salads, soups, stews, casseroles, quiches, veggie pot pies, scrambles, steamed, raw, or baked...I could go on..

Chard's Awesome Health Benefits

The many health benefits attributed to chard are due to its impressive list of vitamins, nutrients, and organic compounds, which include vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as vitamin E, riboflavin, and vitamin B6.

In terms of minerals, Swiss chard has a wealth of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium, and copper. Furthermore, in addition to dietary fibre, chard has a significant amount of polyphenolic antioxidants, phytonutrients, and unique enzymes that are highly beneficial to your health.

So why should we eat more of these foods?

Bone Health

Swiss chard has a significant amount of calcium in its leaves, which means that it provides a boost for bone health. Calcium, as well as the other minerals found in this vegetable help stimulate bone growth and development, including magnesium and vitamin K. Research has shown that bone health is also influenced by nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium and by foods such as vegetables, ehumm dark leafy greens, fruits, and soy.

While we might think of dairy or dairy alternative as a good source of calcium most Asian cultures don’t consume dairy products, but do eat lots of greens which supplies them with their calcium intake. Bone health depends on more than just protein and calcium intakes.

Results from 2 large, prospective cohort studies support an association between vitamin K intake and relative risk of hip fracture. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Nurses’ Health Study, Diet was assessed in 72 thousand middle-aged women, and those consuming the most vitamin K had the lowest risk of hip fracture. Risk of hip fracture was decreased 45% for ≥1 servings/d of green leafy vegetables (the main vitamin K source) compared with ≤1 serving/wk. (1)

Blood Pressure and Heart Health

Green plant foods like chard contain vitamin K, folate, a variety of antioxidant nutrients, and fibre, all of which have the ability to nourish and benefit your cardiovascular system.

The anti-inflammatory and phytonutrient antioxidants found in Swiss chard, along with potassium, contribute to reducing blood pressure and stress on the cardiovascular system. Hypertension is due to pro-inflammatory enzymes within the body, which organic compounds in Swiss chard are able to help neutralize. (2)

Did you know?

Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting and can prevent excess bleeding if you have an injury or accident, and it also may inhibit hardening of your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.

Folate plays an important role in protecting your heart because it can help lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that when elevated can damage blood vessels. Folate deficiency, and elevated levels of homocysteine, also can indicate an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidant nutrients can help combat oxidative stress, which can lead to inflammation and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

Dietary fibre can help lower total and LDL cholesterol and, therefore, may have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health.

There is a multitude of evidence from scientific studies that relates positive health outcomes with increased intake of vegetables and fruit to help reduce your risk for hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Note* If you are currently prescribed blood thinners, you might be warned against eating leafy green vegetable because of their vitamin K content and the possibility of contraindications. It is important to talk to your doctor, alongside a practicing nutritionist to come up with a meal plan that works for you. There are always possibilities of beneficial plant foods being on the plate because there is a world of variety & abundance out there.

Digestive Health

Alongside knowing that fibre rich foods are healthy for our digestive tracts, a critical discovery about how bacteria feed on an unusual sugar molecule found in leafy green vegetables could hold the key to explaining how 'good' bacteria protect our gut and promote health. The finding suggests that leafy greens are essential for feeding and promoting good gut bacteria, limiting the ability of bad bacteria to colonize and proliferate. In other words, feeding the good guys so the bad guys don't have room to hang out.(3)

Eye Care

Swiss chard particularly, has a huge amount of beta-carotene, which has been linked in many ways to optimal eye health and a reduction in macular degeneration, glaucoma, night blindness, and other vision-related conditions.

Cancer Prevention

Like many leafy, green vegetables, swiss chard has anti-cancer properties due to the huge amounts of antioxidants found in it. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause healthy cells to become cancerous.

Swiss chard contains significant amounts of vitamin E, C, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, kaempferol, beta-carotene, and quercetin. Many of these have been connected to preventing a wide variety of cancers, specifically colon cancer. (4)

Arthritis

These same phytonutrients have positive effects on on lowering circulating inflammatory markers, aiding in lowering pain signals in chronic pain sufferers and pain related to arthritic conditions. (5)

This should be reason enough to start upping your green game, but sometimes it takes a little inspiration so here are 5 amazing recipes from one of my favourite recipe sites.

If you still need some inspiration and support navigating healthier food choices that fit your needs, contact the office for a free 20min consult to see if working with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist is right for you.

Health & Happiness Always.

R

References;

1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9925126

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5046019/

3) https://www.wehi.edu.au/news/sweet-discovery-leafy-greens-holds-key-gut-health

4) https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/inflammatory-foods-are-linked-with-higher-colon-cancer-risk

5) https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/anti-inflammatory/the-arthritis-diet.php

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Back to School Plant-Fueled Favourites

Why is Everyone talking About Eating "Plant-Based"

The Great Green Superfood for the Heart

Archives

Categories

Rebecca L. Thornton

Back to School Plant-Fueled Favourites

Why is Everyone talking About Eating "Plant-Based"

The Great Green Superfood for the Heart

Archives

Categories

Rebecca L. Thornton﻿

Rebecca L. Thornton