March is Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is: Celebrate food….from field to table.

“Knowing where our food comes from, how it’s grown and harvested and how to choose foods for the best nutrition is the goal of this year’s National Nutrition Month campaign. Our country has much to celebrate with regard to the food available to Canadians”, says Caroline Dubeau, National Nutrition Month Manager for Dietitians of Canada. “And there are plenty of ways to celebrate:

1)    Spend time at a farmers market to discover new foods;

2)    Involve the kids in preparing the foods and talk about the new foods during meal time;

3)    When you’re at the grocery store, use nutrition labelling to help make healthy food choices;

4)    You can also grow your own garden, if weather and space permit, and preserve the fresh taste of foods by freezing or canning them for year round use.”

Check out Dietitians of Canada nutrition month website: www.celebratefood.ca/ It contains a game to teach which provinces Canadian-produced foods are grown in, and “Did You Know” facts like: “Saskatoon berries commonly known as saskatoons, are purplish-blue berries that grow on a bush. Saskatoon berries people enjoy today are the same crop grown and enjoyed by the Aboriginal peoples of Western Canada hundreds of years ago. ¾ cup contains 6 g fibre; saskatoon berries naturally rich dark royal purple color comes from anthocyanins. Saskatoon Berries rank high in berries rich in anthocyanins with 562.4 mg / 100 g dry basis.”

The website also offers recipes using common Canadian-grown foods:

Baked granola apples

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 2 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
• 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie plate, ungreased

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Ingredients

4 apples
175 mL (3⁄4 cup) low-fat granola

10 mL (2 tsp) margarine

125 mL (1⁄2 cup) low-fat plain yogurt

15 mL (1 tbsp) pure maple syrup

Preparation

1. Core apples, creating a large hollow. Firmly pack with granola and dot with margarine. Place on pie plate.
2. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt and maple syrup; set aside.
4. Place each apple in a dessert bowl and garnish with maple-flavored yogurt

Nutritional information PER SERVING: Calories: 192, Fat: 4.1 g, Protein: 3.8 g, Carbohydrate: 36.9 g, Fibre: 3.6 g, Calcium: 88 mg

Now that I am 12 weeks pregnant with my second child, I can come out of hiding and blog about my experiences! Talking to pregnant women as a part of my job is something I really enjoy. Being pregnant myself is something that I generally do NOT enjoy – but it gives me the ability to emphasize with how HARD it is to follow healthy eating recommendations! Especially in the first trimester, with the aversion, cravings, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Fun. And if you escaped these symptoms, I am very jealous!

So for the past few months, I have been pretty much unable to cook (definitely unwilling, anyways). Mostly due to lack of energy and nausea, which is triggered by my hyper-active sense of smell. And ALL smells are bad smells.  Luckily I have a freezer full of leftovers, but we’ve been eating out a lot more than usual, and also cooking some frozen packaged foods. If I eat something that doesn’t sit well, it might decide to come back up, so I’ve been mainly sticking with what I feel like. Which is mostly salty/bready foods. Like Subway – although I’m limited to the chicken, veggie, meatball or tuna (tuna once a week – I asked and they use albacore which is higher in mercury), as deli meats are out in pregnancy unless heated. Badass Jack’s wraps seem to call to me too. Which isn’t too bad – these things are somewhat healthy. Which truth be told, is not by #1 determining factor in choosing them, even if it should be!

My aversions are mostly dairy – milk and yogurt. Which normally I love, and are nutritious. So I bought a bunch of chewable calcium/vitamin D supplements and hope this aversion goes away before I develop lactose intolerance! So I figure my baby will be ok if I eat what I can when I can, and fill the gap with supplements: vitamin D, fish oil, calcium, prenatal vits, iron. Getting down some of those horse-sized pills is another challenge. Here’s to hoping this passes soon, as the only cure is time!

Feel free to comment and share your stories & tips of eating through the first trimester.

What’s your New Years resolution? My New Years (new decade!) resolution is to buy more local foods. Local foods support the local economy, save transportation pollution and are fresher – therefore tastier and more nutritious. If you haven’t seen the movie “Food Inc” I would recommend watching it. It definitely provides some stories that will inspire you to also choose more local or organic food producers!

While living in Calgary, I certainly don’t have the option to buy fresh local produce like Californians. But we do have local greenhouses. And access to local farms through the Farmers Market and spud! Spud is a grocery delivery service that provides local, organic foods, and is the only carbon neutral grocery in North America. If you want to try it out, we both get freebies if you use the code: CR5-308878

Many small, local farms are also organic. Organic farming practices are healthier for the environment, and therefore better for the world our children will grow up in. However, I think a lot of people get mislead into thinking that organic is automatically healthier, and that’s not necessarily the case. Read my blog “Organic Food – Is it Healthier” below for more info.

Happy New Year! And if your resolution has to do with nutrition…..give me a call!!

As I attended my first Christmas party last night, I thought I should get on the Christmas bandwagon and share some tips for eating during the holidays.

When it comes to all of those Christmas parties, it’s best to arrive with a satisfied, instead of a starving tummy. Don’t skip dinner or other meals throughout the day, so you can justify bingeing on appys and desserts later. I think we all know that moderation is not an option when you arrive starving. Anything & everything in sight will be consumed as quickly as possible! And the dinner you skipped was likely more nutritious than the party alternatives.

Party appetizers often consist of greasy, cheesy, meaty morsels. Choose your favorites and leave the rest. If you see veggies or fruit, munch on these to fill your tummy and get nutrients at the same time. Often chips & veggies taste good enough without the dips. And watch the alcohol – the calories really add up, and our body does not digest fat when the liver is already busy processing alcohol. Plus, add in the cranberry juice, pop or eggnog (gasp!) and you have a meals worth of calories in a glass. Try soda water as a mix instead.

Christmas baking is a tradition in many households. And I certainly don’t want to take your favorites away from you (it’s only once a year!). When baking desserts, you can use non-hydrogenated margarine instead of butter, to avoid lots of saturated fat. I do buy butter once a year though, for shortbread cookies – just not the same without it! You can even make some cookies with whole wheat flour (adds fibre and still tasty, I swear!). Here is a recipe for whole wheat sugar cookies: http://www.foodreference.com/html/whole-wheat.html Of course there’s always the option of gifting gift certificates, candles, soaps and lotions instead of edibles.

Given these tips, also remember that there are 21 meals in a week (plus snacks) and 52 weeks in the year. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your food is “healthy” food that falls within a food group on Canada’s Food Guide and the other 20% can be the “extras” – chips, cookies, cakes, chocolate, alcohol, etc. That way you never feel deprived but still have an overall balanced diet. If you have a few meals in the week, or a few weeks of the year that are not optimal, you have many others to “redeem” yourself!

Happy Holiday preparations to all!

With all of the hype about H1N1 flu this month, each family is trying their best to stay healthy – vaccinated or not! Besides being active, getting enough sleep and activity, and reducing stress, here are some dietary measures to help you and your family fend off viruses this winter:

1)    Eat at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phytochemicals. Choose a wide variety of colors, as each color has different nutrients. For vitamin C and betacarotene, choose lots of orange products: squash, carrots, yams, cantaloupe.

2)    Choose organic produce, as it contains more phytochemicals than conventionally grown produce. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants, boosting your immune system and fighting free radicals. One theory behind why organic produce contains more phytochemicals is because the plants naturally need to defend themselves against pests without pesticides, and phytochemicals may help to do this!

3)    Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help make the intestinal environment strong. They are showing promise in boosting the immune system, as a large part of your immune system is located in your intestines. Eat yogurt daily, or supplement to get probiotics every day.

4)    Some researchers link low levels of vitamin D in the winter (due to our northern latitude and lack of vitamin D from the sun), to increased rates of winter viruses. In a large study, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having more colds or cases of the flu. Vitamin D is not widely distributed in our food supply, but can be found in fish liver oils, fatty fish and fortified milk. I recommend everyone take a Vitamin D supplement in the winter: about 1000IU for adults and 400 IU for children daily.

5)    All types of tea may boost your immune system. Also make sure you get enough fluid period – preferably water.

There are also certain things to avoid in your daily diet, as they can reduce your immune system’s ability to fight off viruses. These include: alcohol, sugar and trans fat.

Protein is important in pregnancy, as it support all new cell growth, in both the mom and baby. Beyond meeting these basic building requirements, protein has other benefits: it is slowly absorbed, to control blood sugars and help keep you feeling full for longer. In pregnancy, this can help to prevent nausea, headaches, cravings, food binges and excess weight gain. To take advantage of these benefits offered by protein, you can try to include a source of protein with each meal and snack: eggs, nuts, beans, meat, yogurt and milk are good choices.

Protein needs increase in pregnancy from 45 g for non-pregnant women, to 70 g in pregnancy. And while protein is important, the majority of people – pregnant or not -consume much more than their minimum protein requirement. While there is no harm in this (unless extreme), it is not common to require supplementation with protein powders. If you do have troubles meeting protein requirement in pregnancy (due to nausea, heartburn, or just lack of space in the stomach), you can sprinkle dried milk or whey powder into smoothies, on hot cereal or in baking. However, these protein supplements are missing out on vitamins and minerals that are found in actual food sources of protein.

To estimate the amount of protein in your diet: Keep a food record for a few days, recording what you eat and drink. Then add up the protein using the amounts in foods listed below. You can also contact me for a Computerized Diet Analysis for a more detailed dietary breakdown!

Food Portion Protein                                                                   Grams Protein

Meat, fish or poultry 75 g (2 1/2 oz) / 125 mL (1/2 cup)                         21

Firm tofu 150 g / 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                       21

Egg, chicken 2 large                                                                             13

Cheese 50 g (1 1/2 oz)                                                                        12

Fortified soy beverage 250 mL (1 cup)                                                  6-8.5

Cooked dried beans, peas or lentils175 mL (3/4 cup)                             12

Cow’s milk 250 mL (1 cup)                                                                    9

Yogurt 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                                       8

Peanut butter or other nut spread 30 mL (2 Tbsp)                                  8

Nuts or seeds 60 mL (1/4 cup)                                                              7

Bread 1 slice (35 g)                                                                              3

Cereals, cold 30 g                                                                                3

Cereals, hot 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                              3

Pasta or rice 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                             3

Vegetables 125 mL (1/2 cup) or 250 mL (1cup) lettuce                           2

Fruit 1 fruit or 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                           1

(List supplied by Dietitians of Canada: www.dietitians.ca)

Note about soy protein: the evidence is not clear as to how the hormone (estrogen-like) effects of soy may affect pregnant women. One to 2 servings per day is likely safe, but more than 30g per day is not recommended

I am often asked if organic food is healthier than ‘convential’ food. From a nutrition standpoint, there is little difference (if any), between organic and non-organic dairy products and meats. As for produce, studies have proven that while they may not consistently be higher in vitamin content, organic produce does contain more phytochemicals. And this is great, since phytochemicals quench harmful free radicals in our body and may help prevent diseases such as cancer.

Another reason to buy organic produce is to avoid pesticides. This is especially important for small children, pregnant and breastfeeding moms. We don’t know what these chemicals may do to developing brains and bodies. BUT it is still much better to eat conventional produce than none at all. And if you can only afford to buy certain produce organic, organic apples and dried fruit are easy to find and the conventional forms of these fruits contain lots of pesticides. For more info on the “dirty” and “clean” produces with regards to pesticides, visit http://www.foodnews.org/

As for packaged organic food, a lot of the time they appear healthier, but are  not. The ingredient list is more important than the claims on the front of the package. “Organic brown rice syrup, organic corn syrup, organic honey, etc, etc.” STILL means sugar. And “Organic unbleached flour” STILL means white flour.

Good luck navigating those grocery isles – and let me know if you want a tour! Organic food is becoming easier to find. Which is great for the environment and perhaps, in some cases, our health.

In honor of the Calgary Breastfeeding Challenge Oct 3rd at Eau Claire, 11am…….

Breastfeeding does not often come “naturally” to a new mom, as we think it should. In fact, I remember myself being an upset new mom because I was in pain due to engorged breasts and had a baby not latching properly (and now my ‘baby’ is 2 years old, and still nursing!). But breast milk IS the most natural food for your baby.
(And to note, I am not writing this to make moms who are formula feeding feel guilty. There is enough guilt we already put on ourselves being moms, and formula is certainly an adequate alternative.)

On to the benefits of breastfeeding:

1) Cost: Formula can cost thousands of dollars a year. Breastmilk is free.

2) Convenience: No bottles or nipples to sterilize. No formula to measure, mix and pack. Your baby has access to warm milk anywhere the two of you are – no “hooter hider” required!

3) Health of Mom: Breast feeding moms have a decreased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. The longer you breastfeed, the better. Breastfeeding a newborn also causes the mother’s uterus to contact faster leading to quicker recovery and less postpartum bleeding. And potentially the benefit you are concerned with most at present: breast feeding may help postpartum weight loss for mom!

4) Health of Baby: Breastmilk provides changing antibodies, which may account for the decreased risk of ear infections, asthma, and perhaps some viruses and allergies in breastfed babies. The benefits of breastmilk have even been shown to extend into adulthood by decreasing risks of obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

5) Breastmilk changes to meet the growing needs of your baby: Depending on the baby’s age, the proportion of fat, carb, protein and water change to meet their nutritional needs best.

6) Bonding: Breastfeeding allows quiet relaxing time to bond . Endorphins are release in the mom – this is the “love” hormone and can help mom de-stress (or get back to sleep!). Of course you can also bond with bottle-fed babes. Just cuddle them while they feed, rather than “propping” up the bottle with some new-fangled device.

7) Environmental: No processing, packaging, shipping, advertising and waste from formula manufacturing.

Easier to digest: Breast milk is easier to digest for the baby. Leading to another benefit well-known to most moms: better smelling baby poos!

If you are having difficulties breastfeeding, ask your doctor for a referral to a lactation consultant, look up a private Lactation Consultant or contact your local La Leche League (http://www.lllc.ca/).

This blog is in reponse to a Twitter moms blog contest (sponsored by Little Blends) entitled: “Sneakings fruits & veggies into your toddler’s diet: Tell us your tips”.

I am going out on a limb here, to suggest that you don’t SNEAK fruits and veggies into your toddlers diet. This is based on the “Feeding Relationship” principles, which are cornerstone to creating a healthy relationship with food for your child. Here are the basics: the caregiver chooses what is food offered, where, and when. The child chooses  how much, or even if they eat. If the parent sneaks foods into the child’s diet, the child really isn’t the one deciding IF he eats the food. You are. This does not allow your child  to experience that particular food and learn to like (or dislike!) it on their own. And at some point, they will also probably figure you out – possibly leading to distrust,  a stronger dislike of the offending food and power struggles.

There are other ways you can get your children to eat fruits & veggies. Veggies is usually the tough one, as humans usually like sweet foods like fruits – could be because breast milk is sweet? Which is good, as fruits & veggies have many of the same nutrients. Anyways, here you go:

- Get your child involved: let him pick out a new veggie at the grocery store, grow a garden or prepare the food.

- Offer the fruit/veggie at a time when your child is hungriest, and most likely to eat them. This could be snack time, or as an “appetizer” during the witching hour before dinner.

- Give the fruit or veggie a funny name. A recent study shows that if you give a vegetable a catchy name (like “super-sight carrots”), children are more likely to eat them, and eat more of them.

- Be a good role model. Let your child see you eat fruits & veggies. You can also try offering these foods with other children around, as we know kids like to copy each other.

- Serve veggies with a dip or sauce. Everyone has to admit – broccoli tastes better with cheese sauce, celery tastes better with peanut butter, and carrots taste better with ranch dip. Sure, you may just get your child licking off the dip…..at least it’s a step that they’re putting the vegetable into their mouth!

- Offer the food different forms. Like sweet potatoes mashed, baked and in fry form. Or veggies raw, lightly cooked or over-cooked.

- Try and try again. Children can have a fear of new things, called “Neophobia”. They also have changing tastes. It may take up to 15 tries before your child will choose to eat the food, so offer the food whenever you are eating it. Or maybe they will never choose to eat the food – we all have personal likes & dislikes, so you can expect that your child will too. It’s all about respecting them as people : )

Do you agree with me? Disagree? Any tips or your own?

I will be working my first major (for Calgary, anyways) trade show this weekend (October 3-4/09). The Baby Show has over 4000 moms attend and should be awesome exposure for First Step Nutrition! I have already had a few moms contact me, as they saw me on the website, so I’m really interested to see how much business will come from the show. Plus, it’s always great to meet new moms & babies and talk about nutrition! Maybe not so fun to be the only person manning my booth for 7 hours each day. I will try my best to follow trade-show rules: always stand instead of sitting (comfy shoes & support socks!), and never eat in my booth. Who am I kidding, if I never ate in my booth, I would never be there  : )

The last few months has had me making a banner (Digital Post…grrr) and printing brochures & cards (Calgary Instant Printing…yay!). My mom/designer friend Andrea created two signs for me, which turned out great. I think I was an annoying client with frequent changes: pregnant mom picture with too-shiny belly, child too evil-looking, etc, etc, but we got them done! I am also in the process of making t-shirts with my logos on them. I figure it’s extra advertising. And if paired with jeans, I will look more like my clients, and less like other formally-dressed exhibitors (another trade-show “rule”). And I’m hoping not too unprofessional. Comments?!

I will also be speaking about Pregnancy Nutrition on Saturday Oct 3 at 1pm and Toddler Nutrition on Saturday Oct 4 at 1pm. On stage…..microphone projected over the BMO (aka Roundup) Centre……..GAD! I’m hoping my powerpoint presentations work, as that technology tends to be a struggle, causing extra show-time stress.  But it’s worth the discount as an exhibitor : ) Wish me luck, and pop by to say hi!