The MIND diet (short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Both diets have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, hypertension and stroke. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center created the diet, and according to preliminary findings, the diet may help slow the cognitive decline in stroke survivors. The discovery is significant since stroke survivors are twice as likely to develop dementia when compared to the general population.“The foods that promote brain health, including vegetables, berries, fish and olive oil, are included in the MIND diet,” said Dr. Laurel J. Cherian, a vascular neurologist and the lead author of the study. The MIND diet has 15 dietary elements, including ten brain-healthy food groups, and five unhealthy groups which include red meat, butter, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried and fast food.From 2004 to 2017, Cherian and colleagues studied 106 participants for the Rush Memory and Aging Project who had a history of stroke associated with a decline in their ability to think, reason and remember. Participants were assessed every year for an average of 5.9 years, and their eating habits were monitored using food journals.The researchers grouped participants into three groups: (1) those who were highly adherent to the MIND diet; (2) those who were moderately adherent; and (3) those who were least adherent. Participants whose diets scored highest on the MIND diet grading scheme had substantially slower rates of cognitive decline than those who scored lowest. “The Mediterranean and DASH diets have been shown to be protective against coronary artery disease and stroke, but it seems that the nutrients emphasized in the MIND diet may be better suited to overall brain health and preserving cognition,” Cherian said. According to Cherian, studies have found that folate, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids are associated with slower rates of cognitive decline, while substances such as saturated and hydrogenated fats have been linked with dementia.To adhere to the MIND diet, you need to eat at least three servings of whole grains and two portions of vegetables every day, one of which must be a leafy green; you must also snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and eat fish once a week.Cherian cautions that the study had a relatively small number of participants and its findings cannot be interpreted as a cause-and-effect relationship. Although further research is needed to understand the link between this style of eating and its positive effects on the brain, “For now, I think there is enough information to encourage stroke patients to view food as an important tool to optimize their brain health,” says Cherian.
Jane-Finch Residents Needed for Neighbourhood Improvement
Toronto is the richest city in one of the richest countries on Earth, but that isn’t so obvious in many of its neighbourhoods. After decades of neglect by local governments, poverty has become entrenched in many areas. In an effort to address this, in 2011 the City started the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 (an unwieldy name so this article will call it TSNS). The idea is that by 2020, TSNS will improve these poverty-stricken neighbourhoods to the level of the rest of the city. The neighbourhoods were ranked according to five criteria: physical surroundings, economic opportunities, healthy lives, social development, and participation in civic decision-making. Originally called “priority neighbourhoods”, the city now calls them “Neigbourhood Improvement Areas” (NIAs). The City has identified 31 NIAs. Unsurprisingly, Jane-Finch scored the lowest among all of them.TSNS sounds good in theory, but in practice, it’s a heavily bureaucratised way for the City to appear as if it’s doing something to address endemic poverty. TSNS has produced many reports but, without proper investment, poverty will still be widespread in all NIAs. Despite this, participation by residents is still necessary as low interest will be taken as a lack of desire for improvement and will lead to a lack of investment by the City. In response, residents in the Jane-Finch area collectively organized and wrote their own report, Community Response to TSNS. By interviewing Jane-Finch residents, community organizations, social service agencies, and grassroots groups, the Jane-Finch TSNS Task Force identified five main areas of concern: housing and physical surroundings (including public transportation), education, employment, health care, and access to healthy and affordable food. This has led to the formation of working groups on Housing, the Health Care Action Committee, and the Economic Opportunities Committee. An already existing group, the Black Creek Food Justice Network, was invited to deal with issues related to food security, food education, and growing your own food.The Jane-Finch TSNS Task Force meets every other month at Yorkgate Mall’s York University TD Community Engagement Centre. The meeting is held on the third Monday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Food, TTC tokens, and childcare are provided for all attendees. The working groups meet on the months in between, with varying locations and times. Send an email to jftaskforce@gmail.com for more information, including copies of the reports above mentioned.
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.
OMG...Omega!
Last month, The Downsview Advocate featured an excellent article by Anna Porretta about the new Canada Food Guide. Read it. The new Guide is a big improvement!The benefits of a plant-based diet are recognized without hostility to meat. Even before the new Guide, Health Canada took a big leap forward by proposing to ban trans fats. Trans fats are not natural oils; they result from heat and processing. In the new Guide, the general trend away from animal fat to vegetable oil is a positive step, but here is one catch: in animals (primarily fish) omega-3 oil is more readily available than in vegetable oil.For good health, good oils are super important. The Guide says nothing about the types and qualities of vegetable oils that we use for cooking and dressing salads. Oil nutrition is complex. As with proteins and amino acids, our bodies make many of the nutrients we need, but some are essential in our diet because we can not make them on our own. The essential oils which our bodies need but cannot produce are in two families: omega-3’s and omega-6’s. Both are poly-unsaturated and therefore very delicate, easy to spoil with heat and light. Another valuable family consists of the omega-9’s, abundant in olive oil and avocados. Theoretically, in the right conditions, we can make our own omega-9, but only when omega-3 and 6 are in balance. Processed oils keep these two way, way out of balance.Omega-6 is everywhere. The amount we eat overwhelms the omega-3 which is quite scarce. If a food product is advertised as a good source of omega-6, that is like saying, “Buy this car! It comes with four wheels!” This is not an oversimplification, but a good source of omega-6 translates to a bad source of omega-3. It would be great if we could just eat the nut, the seed, the olive, the sardine and forget about what’s in the bottles.Consider canola oil. Although canola seeds start out with a respectable proportion of omega-3, the extracted oil, like others, is so easily damaged in processing that the benefits get lost. In Canada, canola oil is a source of pride. Canada exported almost 3,000,000 tons of canola last year, more than half to the USA and almost a quarter of it to China. But if it is heat processed or hydrogenated or cooked, the omega-3 is partially converted to. . . guess what? . . . trans fat. Heat processing keeps the price down at a cost to health. That is part of the reason why in general, cheap oil is not healthful. On this matter, the Guide is silent.Comments? Questions? Write to Nicole@IndividualCare.ca. Nicole Constant is a registered Doctor of Naturopathy. Her website is: www.IndividualCare.ca.*To read Anna Porretta’s article on new changes to Canada’s Food Guide, visit: https://www.downsviewadvocate.ca/2018/01/new-changes-canadas-food-guide-benefits-plant-based-diet/
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.
Our Subway Finally Opens
Growing up in our community, the rest of the city felt so far away. As a child of the suburbs in the 80's, most of my life existed within a few square kilometres. Often, I would find the right spot to gaze at the CN Tower; it seemed as far away as the moon. My mother would take me to Ontario Place in the summers. We would get on the subway at Wilson and stand at the front of the train looking down the dark tunnel beginning at Eglinton, waiting for the light of the next station. Getting out downtown was like entering another world. A place full of sounds and smells and lots of people, with towering buildings all around.When our community was built in the 1960's, Line 1 of our subway system came only as far north as the current Eglinton Station on Yonge Street. From there, it headed south to Union Station on Front Street before looping north to St. George Station on Bloor. In the 1970's, downtown inched closer to us through the openings of Finch station under Yonge Street (1974) and Wilson station at Allen Road (1978). It was another 18 years before the futuristic looking Downsview Station (now called Sheppard West Station) opened its doors in 1996.Throughout the years, new bus routes were created through our community and more buses were added to the system. Today, when I groan at a 15-minute wait for a local bus, I often forget what it was like during my teenage years when an hour wait was not uncommon.The plan to bring the subway through our community became a reality after I began working with Councillor Anthony Perruzza at City Hall in late 2006. The news was like a dream come true. Contracts were awarded in 2008, associated infrastructure work (moving sewers, etc.) began that same year, and drilling was commenced in 2011 and completed in 2013. Throughout the construction, my work afforded me the great privilege to be a part of this incredible project. There were years of setting up consultations about everything from station designs to traffic patterns, meetings with engineers, tours of tunnels and stations at various stages of construction, and much more. On December 16, we held a special open house at Finch West Station where members of our community explored the station. The feeling of anticipation was palpable.Sunday, December 17, 2017 will forever be a special day in history, for it was the day that the subway through the heart of our community entered operation. On that day, we truly became one with the rest of our city and beyond, and thousands upon thousands rode for free and shared in the feeling of wonder and excitement.I think for all of us though, the most important day was the Monday after the official opening. On that day, and for the first time ever, I walked a brisk 20 minutes to a subway station to get to work. It was a day that my daily life got a little better, and my smile lasted all the way to Queen Street.
The 26th Commemoration of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Nearly 28 years ago, 14 women lost their lives in a mass shooting at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, a tragedy widely known as the Montreal Massacre. In just 20 minutes there were 28 casualties. The massacre marks the deadliest shooting in Canada’s history to date. The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is observed on December 6th.When Marc Lepine committed this murder-suicide, he claimed to be “fighting feminism,” more specifically, women’s ambitions in the field of engineering. This hate-crime has been a pivotal point behind organizing many women’s groups and the feminist movement in Canada as a whole. There are those who insinuate that feminists have appropriated the Montreal Massacre as an excuse to promote a leftist agenda. Upon examining the facts, one can comprehend that Lepine’s motives were specifically to harm women. His inability to tolerate and respect women directly led to his hatred and violent resolve. Feminism, a movement for gender equality, was his target.Anti-feminism is continuing to manifest and show its face in public spaces. The massive social media backlash refuting women taking a stand to share their experiences as victims has brought to light that the fight for gender equality is not nearly over. Women face multiple barriers in their education and employment because of their gender. The point is for people to work together to remove these obstacles so that everyone can flourish according to their skills and talents. Advocacy for women’s rights is truly advocacy for human rights. December 6th is not only a time to remember the deaths of innocent people but also a time to reflect on our current progress in the struggles of gender issues.
Keele Finch Plus - Public workshop on the future of the area
On Thursday September 28, City of Toronto City Planning Staff will be presenting three options for how the area may evolve which are based on work conducted to date and public input at past events. Participate in the meeting to tell us what you like about the options and help us make the options better!Is there an option you prefer? Tell us! Is there a connection that we missed? Show us where that is. Did we interpret your previous comments properly? Help make sure we got it right!We'll start the workshop with a refresher on results and work completed to date, including public input from our last meeting and other public engagement events. With the help of a facilitator, you'll be working along side your neighbours to help us evaluate the draft options.Here are the details:Thursday September 28, 2017. Open House 5:00 to 8:30 p.m.Workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., starting with a presentation.James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic Secondary School1440 Finch Avenue West. Cafeteria. Free Parking. Transit nearby.Please help us spread the word by passing this information on to anyone you know who might be interestedThis is an exciting meeting and we are looking forward to it. We hope you are too.See you then!Know someone who might be interested in this Study? Help us spread awareness and knowledge by forwarding this message and by encouraging others to sign up for the email list. You can sign up on the website at http://www.toronto.ca/keelefinchplus.On Twitter? Just use the hashtag #keelefinchplus. From time to time, we'll post information from the Official City Planning account @CityPlanTo. 
Unpacking Harmful Chemicals in Fast Food Wrappers
Many fast food wrappers and containers have a grease-repellent chemical coating, which according to a report in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, may contain chemicals that can leach into your food. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, these fluorinated substances, a class of chemicals called PFASs (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl), have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, decreased fertility, hypertension in pregnancy, low birth weight, thyroid disease, obesity, high cholesterol and immune suppression in human and animal studies.PFASs are used in products that give it stain-resistant, water-repellant and non-stick properties. Since they are made with bonded compounds of carbon and fluorine, they resist breaking down, which suggests they can accumulate in water, soil, sediment – and the human body.Researchers from the Silent Spring Institute; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Notre Dame; and other institutions measured the amount of fluorine in more than 400 fast food packaging samples across the United States. The study found one-third of them contained some form of the chemical fluorine. The good news is that most fast-food packaging did not contain any fluorine, said Laurel Shaider, lead study author with the Silent Spring Institute. This indicates that some manufacturers might be using fluorine compound-free chemicals to get the water- and grease-resistant effects they want without using compounds that carry a health risk, she says.Cutting down on fast food and eating more fresh foods can drastically lower your exposure. Michael Hansen, Consumer Reports’ senior scientist, advises consumers limit the amount of contact time food is left in its packaging. If you can, once you arrive home or at work, take the food out of wrappers and use your own plates and bowls instead.You may also want to consider the type of packaging your food is delivered in. Overall, researchers found that 46 per cent of paper wrappers tested positive for PFASs. This included 56 per cent of dessert and bread wrappers, 38 per cent of sandwich and burger wrappers, and 20 per cent of paperboard (like the cardboard boxes that French fries and pizza tend to come in). Paper cups were the only packages to test negative for fluorinated chemicals.As for leftovers: “You shouldn’t be storing food or reheating it in those packaging materials,” Hansen says.