Bruise news - potatoes

I think we are all familiar with bruises, especially on our knees and on our kids.  On our bodies, bruises show the rupture of the tiny blood vessels called “capillaries” due to injury.  The bruise fits right into the body’s self-repair project, which includes temporary blood clots and reconstruction.  Usually, there is nothing to worry about and not much to do. An ice pack early in the injury can move the process along.It is not exactly the same with bruised potatoes (or apples, etc.).  A potato, once bruised, does not heal. Although there is some slow movement of fluids inside a vegetable, there is no blood and no repair mechanism.  A plant can seal off the injured area and just work around the injury. A bruised potato gets a black spot and before we eat the potato, we instinctively cut the bruise off.   And that’s the smart thing to do.  Although the bruise does not make the potato sick, eating the bruise could make you sick.  The bruised spot on the potato collects toxins and pathogens (germs). They are bacteria feasting on the injured potato tissue, and you don’t want to eat that or them.Dr. Caius Rommens, Ph. D., is a scientist who was working in genetic engineering (GMO) with a company in Idaho -  Idaho is famous for American potatoes like PEI for Canadian potatoes. He is my hero today. Dr. Rommens blew the whistle and quit his job.  His team created a potato that does not change color when bruised. The bruise stays white—but it still collects the toxins and pathogens. The company, called Simplot, sells these potatoes as “bruise-resistant” or “russet-white.”  However, they are not bruise resistant:  they just conceal the toxins so you are more likely to consume the pathogens.  In an interview, Dr. Rommens explained how good scientists get involved in bad work and why the government approval process fails to intervene.  You can read it at www.gmwatch.org .  He wrote a book about these issues, Pandora’s Potatoes: The Worst GMO’s.I am fully convinced that we should avoid GMO foods.  They do not solve any problems. The evidence of their harm is increasing. Comments or questions? Write to Nicole@IndividualCare.com. Nicole Constant is a registered Doctor of Naturopathy.   Her website is:  www.IndividualCare.CA.

Giving Ourselves WHO’s Gift of Health

Who is WHO? WHO is the World Health Organization, the United Nations’ agency for international health. The 1948 Charter of WHO defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."  April 2018 will bring us the 70th anniversary of WHO. Though I often write about food and nutrition, they are not the only basis for good health. As the WHO definition of health tells us, we must broaden our focus to include physical, mental and social well-being. Physical activity at work or during leisure is equally important as nutrition. Mental health depends on our relationships with other people, with our community and with the environment. We’re not health hermits! Research shows that people who find something to be grateful for every day live happier, healthier and longer lives. Social well-being equals interdependence. Safety of our water, quality of our food and the relative cleanliness of our air reflect collective commitments.Social well-being also includes the protection and development of children and the communal support of the persons who nurture and educate them. Social well-being means taking good care of people who are exposed to potential hardships by age, frailty, economic stress, physical or mental challenges, or for any other reasons. Social well-being requires our readiness to correct abuse. All of that is part of individual and community health.  At the heart of the WHO definition is “community.” This word doesn’t appear in the definition, but the concept is foundational for all three components (physical, mental, and social). To be healthy, we need to be connected and compassionate toward one another.Speaking of connectivity, we in Downsview just got a boost. The subway extension means improved connectivity with friends, with family members, with our uptown and downtown universities and hospitals. Our social fabric will be tighter and our professional performance will be enhanced and will become more efficient. Health and transportation are intimately connected. For the 75th anniversary of WHO, our present will be the Finch LRT, bringing a game-changing Arts Centre and Community Hub at Jane-Finch. It will be an uplift—a health uplift.Ever since my early years in Canada, the WHO definition of health has been an inspiration for me. I am grateful that individual health and community health coincide in my professional career.   Opinions or questions? Write to Nicole@IndividualCare.ca. Nicole Constant is a registered Doctor of Naturopathy. Her website is: www.IndividualCare.ca. 

Consumption of ultra-processed foods is at an all-time high in Canada

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has released new reports indicating that almost half of our daily caloric intake is in the form of ultra-processed foods. The study analyzed the dietary patterns of Canadians by focusing on processed food intake using a food classification system. Food is not deemed healthy or unhealthy simply due to ‘processing’. In this study, the leading method used to classify diets according to food processing was the NOVA system. The NOVA system involves physical, biological and chemical processes applied to foods after their separation from nature. NOVA classifies all foods and drinks into four distinct groups, which include:

• Unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fresh/dry/frozen vegetables; grains; legumes; fruits; nuts; meat; eggs; milk);
• Processed culinary ingredients (fats; sugars; oils; salt);
• Processed foods (bread; cheese; salted/pickled/cured meats; vegetables, legumes, fruits preserved in oil/brine/syrup);
• Ultra-processed foods (fast food; sugary drinks; chips; candies; sweetened milk products; sweetened cereals; industrialized breads/desserts; packaged soups; partial hydrogenation of oils).

This report examined new Canadian data obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey conducted by Statistics Canada in 2015. Among Canadians aged 2 years and above, 38.9% of dietary energy was from unprocessed foods, 6.3% from processed culinary ingredients, 6.5% from processed foods and 48.3% from ultra-processed foods. Overall, total dietary energy of ultra-processed foods was found to be highest among children aged 9 to 13, at 57.2%, and adolescents aged 14 to 18, at 54.7%. “Ultra-processed foods displace all other food groups. They are usually branded assertively, packaged attractively, and marketed intensively, especially to our children,” the lead researcher, Dr. Moubarac, stated. There was an interesting variation in total dietary energy from ultra-processed foods among immigrants and their Canadian-born counterparts at 37.8% and 51.6% respectively. The nutritional quality of the four food groups, as classified by the NOVA system, were also compared in the study. The unprocessed, processed culinary ingredients and processed foods were grouped as one and were then compared to the ultra-processed foods group. Ultra-processed foods had almost half the amount of protein at 11.6% compared with 21.3%; more carbohydrates at 52.3% compared with 46.6%; and more total fat at 35.8% compared with 31.8%. Furthermore, free sugars were three times higher in ultra-processed foods, sodium density was almost twice as high, and dietary fibre was much lower.A large number of population-based studies from Canada, the United States and Europe support these findings. All the evidence indicates that diets based on freshly prepared meals are healthy, and those that contain large amounts of ultra-processed foods are unhealthy. This is a universal rule.

New Changes to Canada’s Food Guide and the Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

The federal government is preparing to unveil its long-awaited update to Canada’s Food Guide, the first such overhaul in ten years. The new guide is expected to place greater emphasis on plant-based foods, not only for their health benefits, but also for the sake of environmental sustainability. Most notable is the downgrading of animal products such as red meat, and the removal of milk and dairy products as a separate category which the guidelines suggest must be limited due to their high fat, sugar and/or salt content.The current guide has been criticized by researchers and dietitians alike on a number of fronts:

• The inclusion of dairy products as a distinct food group;
• Counting juices as servings of fruits and vegetables;
• The reliance on serving sizes that can be difficult for people to interpret and measure;
• Its failure to reflect Canada’s diverse cultural landscape.

During the process of re-drafting the Food Guide, industry-commissioned reports were excluded for consideration. Instead, a series of public consultations were organized across the country and Canadians were encouraged to provide feedback on the draft guidelines. A plant-based diet places greater emphasis on plant sources such as vegetables and fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes. This being said, limited amounts of lean meats and low-fat dairy products are still recommended. Numerous studies have linked plant-based diets to decreased risks of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and a reduction in LDL cholesterol. Why? A diet rich in plant foods is naturally low in saturated fat, high in fibre and low in sodium and added sugar.Not only are plant-based foods a key determinant to human health, they also contribute to biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability. The new guidelines acknowledge that our current food system places stress on the environment, particularly the consumption of meats and animal by-products. The draft states, “Diets higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods are associated with a lesser environmental impact.”A shift towards more plant-based foods is achievable and here’s how:

• Begin by eating more plant-based meals you already eat.
• Change one meal at a time or one ingredient at a time.
• Initiate a 50/50 switch and replace some of the meats with legumes - for example, only add half the amount of beef you normally would to a recipe and top up with lentils.
• Eliminate animal-foods you don’t eat often.
• Choose whole grains over white varieties - e.g. brown rice or spelt pasta.
• Replace foods that contain mostly saturated fat (e.g. ice cream, high fat cheeses and butter) with foods that contain mostly unsaturated fat (e.g. nuts, seeds, and avocado).
• Consume a variety of differently coloured vegetables and fruits, and buy season-specific produce.
• Stock your kitchen with plant-based foods you want to eat.
• Don’t forget, canned and frozen vegetables are nutritious too, but be sure to choose options that are low in sodium and sugar.