Why is there a Tim Hortons at the Heart Institute?

Today was my first visit to the Ottawa Heart Institute. As I was early for my appointment, I sat in my car for a few minutes  listening to an audio CD. As I watched the people come and go on Ruskin Ave and in and out of the heart institute I was struck by what a busy place this was. What was going on in our world that this building had such activity? Oh now I remember, heart disease the number one killer in Canada.

As a 46 year old woman who has struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and food allergies most of my life, I am lucky that I am thin and due to my allergies. I eat a healthy diet filled with organic vegetables and fruits,  organic meats, flax crackers, nuts, seeds and only distilled water.

With the onset of early menopause I have experienced heart palpitations, so today a trip to the Heart Institute for a 48 hour halter monitor to see if perhaps my migraine medication is causing issues with my heart or if it is only sensations due to menopause.

As I am a nutritionist and a cookbook author, I have studied in the field of nutrition and have had the great joy of learning from some top Integrative Medical Doctors in our area.

Recently I have read the Wheat Belly written by Dr. William Davis and due to being Celiac I have been off wheat and gluten for the better part of eight years. As Dr. Davis mentions in his book, 2 slices of whole wheat bread increases our insulin more than 2 teaspoons of sugar does. He also notes in his book that due to the change in our wheat over 50 years ago, most of us are unable to digest wheat and that is causes excess inflammation in our bodies.. 

What is heart disease? Inflammation.

When I walked into the Heart Institute I took in the scene in the front foyer. People sitting waiting for someone to pick them up, a table to the left full of some sort of sugary cake available to the public, and a Tim Hortons in the back corner where patients, doctors and nurses ordered sugary baked goods and coffee to keep them going through their day. I stopped and said out loud, “ I can’ t believe there is a Tim Hortons in The Heart Institute, this is so wrong. A woman beside me laughed and I realized to myself that I said this out loud. I wanted to scream from the rafters, what are you people doing?? Trying to kill yourselves?

Now I am not trying to bad mouth Tim Hortons, as it is only one of the many fast food chains out there, but why in heaven would the Heart Institute allow a fast food chain on their grounds? There is nothing healthy about anything that Tim Hortons serves. Muffins ladened with sugar and fat, lates, coffee, and doughnuts are not going to bring anyone wellness.

We have an epidemic of overweight and diabetic people in this country, really in this Hemisphere and our top doctors and Institutes see nothing wrong with coffee and doughnuts for lunch or afternoon snack?

Perhaps it is that we want to keep our doctors working and our Pharmaceutical companies rich so why not continue to feed our sick and overweight with unhealthy food?

A comment was made to me the other day that medical students have little or no education about diet and that it really doesn’t come up in conversation when a doctor has a consult with a patient. Does this not send up a red flag in anyone’s mind?

How are we to get healthier as a nation if we don’t first start with what we are putting in our mouths?

How much money is spent on someone who needs bypass surgery only so they can get into a wheelchair go down the elevator and buy a food item that is going to once again clog their arteries or send their insulin soaring so that their next visit to the hospital will be due to diabetes.

I have heard on a few occasions that hospital food is certainly not there to make anyone healthy? Why is that?

Could we start to practice prevention instead of just putting bandaids on our sick?

If I pull up Tim Hortons website and check out the caloric information based on their menu, a s’more’s donut and a fruit smoothie equals 450 calories, 14 grams of fat, 52 grams of sugar. Estimating that the average 70 year old should consume 1600 calories a day and no more than 30 grams of fat, they are already at half the daily amount of fat with just 1 donut and 1 smoothie. Imagine if they were to have 2 donuts?  Let’s say they have a chicken Caesar sandwich and an iced cappuccino for lunch while waiting for their cardiologist. Calories: 900, Fat:24 grams, Sugar:56grams. So in one meal at the Hospital they have almost surpassed their fat allowance and have eaten more than half their calories for the day.

Does this not seem wrong to you who practice medicine and who swore an oath the heal?

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Today for my lunch I made a quick and easy creamy zucchini soup. Here is the recipe for you to try. Let me know how you liked it.
Visit me on my facebook page, Finally Food I Can Eat or on twitter @sherrecipes

5 medium sized zucchini, sliced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
handful of fresh cilantro or spinach
water
sea salt
In large soup pot with a little olive oil, cook onions and leeks until soft. Add in zucchini, garlic and herbs and cook for a few minutes. Add enough water to cover the zucchini. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add  in fresh cilantro or spinach - do not cook anymore, you want the cilantro to be raw. Puree with hand held blender. Enjoy

My new favourite thing that is not health related, but likely improves my health!

The newest member of my family is my favourite thing these days. In some ways he is good for my health, as he gets me out walking everyday and he reminds me to live in the moment.

His name is Buddy, and we rescued him from a dog rescue shelter three months ago.

This past summer we had to put our beloved Comet down. He was a golden retriever, cocker spaniel mix and really the best dog in the world. He kept me going on many occasions when I was so sick with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, that I wanted just to give up living. I knew that I had to keep going for Comet, as there was no one else who could look after him.

 I adopted Comet from my sister, when Comet was six years old and that was twelve years ago. He had chased a squirrel up at their cottage and got hit and dragged by a car and had extensive injuries that were going to require a lot of hands on care. My sister at that time had two young children and she and her husband worked full time and the money that Comet’s surgery was going to cost was out of the question for them. My wonderful father stepped in and said he would pay the vet bills so that I could look after Comet. It was the best answer, as Comet got to stay in the family and live on. It took almost a year of care for Comet to get back on his legs and heal his torn skin, but he did thrive after that with all the love that my family gave to him. I felt so blessed to have him in my life and grateful to my wonderful father who helped with all Comet’s expenses. Comet was truly a gift from God.

This summer we knew Comet’s time was coming to an end as he had really slowed down this past year. Whether you are rich or poor, single or married with a family, it is a tough thing to say goodbye to your best buddy. When the time came, we knew we were doing the right thing and whether you believe in a higher power or not, I know that Comet is happy and chasing squirrels wherever he is now.

Last month I started to look at dog rescue sights and within two weeks I saw this picture of an adorable little dog. I have always had larger type dogs and didn’t know if I wanted a small dog, but something drew me to Buddy and before I knew it my husband and I were driving the hour from our home to pick him up.

Buddy is approximately two years old. He is part Terrier, Yorkie I think, and he has the best disposition. Whoever had him was good to him as he has no fears and is a well adjusted dog.

We learned that he had come all the way from Kentucky and thanks to a wonderful woman who runs a dog shelter, Buddy got a second chance. She was able to bring him from Kentucky to her kennel where she then advertised him on her facebook page. This is how I came to see his beautiful, sweet face on my computer screen.

We are forever grateful to her for bringing Buddy to her kennel and advertising him online so that we now are graced with his presence in our home.

Buddy loves to chase squirrels and play with his toys. My husband takes Buddy for runs every night and once again, I have a dog that has more energy than I do. Perhaps this is good; it gets me out for walks and enables me to live in the moment as all dogs do. I feel so blessed to have a dog in my life once again, whether I can keep up with him or not. They are always so forgiving and just really want to be with you and make you smile. How can that not be good for your health!

The day God made dogs; he just sat down and smiled. After all, God spelled backwards is dog.

S

 

 

Going Paleo and my Creamy Zucchini Soup

Lately I have been reading lots of books. The Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, The Paleo Solution by Rob Wolf, Minding Your Mitochondria by Dr. Terry Wahls.
What am I getting from these books, is that the Paleo Diet or Cave Man Diet might be worth trying.
I have sort of been following the Paleo diet in that I eat healthy organic meats, poultry, fish and many vegetables throughout the day. I do not eat sugar, legumes or many grains. Every now and then though, like last week I did have brown rice pasta with stir fried veggies and tomato sauce for dinner. I posted it on my facebook page and I got a comment from a Wheat Belly follower that it was not Wheat Belly approved.
It seems to be that there is this almost cult like following of the Wheat Belly which for me is a little over the top. I am the first to agree with Dr. Davis that our current day wheat has been changed to such a degree that our bodies can no longer digest it. I also agree that for many, probably most going gluten-free is a good thing. And by going gluten- free, I do not mean that you simply buy gluten free pre- packaged foods. Most of them are filled with loads of sugar and other ingredients that turn to sugar in the body like white rice flour, and starches. But what about foods like quinoa, teff, or amaranth?
Quinoa has the highest nutritional component of any grain, and in fact it is not a grain, but a seed. It contains all the amino acids that make up a protein. Unlike rice, barley, wheat and corn which are seeds of single- leaf grass families, quinoa is a seed of a double- leaf vegetable family ( dicotyledons). It is from the same food family as spinach and beets. According to Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming who wrote The Quinoa Revolution and Quinoa 365, cookbooks, “quinoa’s difference from cereal grains is significant when it comes to superior nutrition and hypoallergenic proteins.”
Amaranth which was once considered a simple weed, is also a seed and has twice the amount of protein than rice, and like quinoa, was a staple food for the Incas thousands of years ago. The high lysine content in amaranth sets it apart from other grains. The protein content of amaranth is similar in fact to the proteins found in milk. This means that amaranth contains an excellent combination of essential amino acids and is well absorbed in the intestinal tract.
Teff is tiny seeds (about 1 mm or about 1/32 of an inch) that are nothing like wheat, rye, or barley. With such tiny seeds, it is very difficult to separate the bran from the inner endosperm, so teff flour is generally made with the whole grain. Teff is high in calcium and it contains phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamine (vitamin B1). Teff is also high in protein and fibre.
So this is where I get confused about what Dr. Davis and the Paleo Diet has to say about grains. I can understand that legumes and some grains turn to sugar in the body once digested, but I am unsure about amaranth, teff and especially quinoa.
For many of us like me who have many food allergies, eating can be quite limiting. Since I cannot eat eggs or dairy, I sometimes want to eat brown rice, wild rice or quinoa. Dairy I believe is the root of all evil. It turns to acid in the body and creates inflammation, and I believe that milk is meant only for baby cows. It is meant to take them from a small calf to a large cow in a year.
What I have noticed while on the Paleo Diet is that my blood sugar surges and drops have disappeared. I no longer get the late day shakes, despite only eating a vegetable soup and salad for my lunch. If I have a mid afternoon snack, it might be a banana, almond flour muffin I have made, or a pumpkin seed cookie.
I truly believe that only you can be the judge as to what diet works for you in the long run. You need to listen to your body, as it always knows what is right for it. Perhaps keep a food diary and keep track of foods eaten and symptoms. This may help you to see which foods are playing a role in your health.
Today for my lunch I made a quick and easy creamy zucchini soup. Here is the recipe for you to try. Let me know how you liked it.
Visit me on my facebook page, Finally Food I Can Eat or on twitter @sherrecipes

5 medium sized zucchini, sliced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
handful of fresh cilantro or spinach
water
sea salt
In large soup pot with a little olive oil, cook onions and leeks until soft. Add in zucchini, garlic and herbs and cook for a few minutes. Add enough water to cover the zucchini and salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add  in fresh cilantro or spinach - do not cook anymore, you want the cilantro to be raw. Puree with hand held blender. Enjoy

Love your heart this Valentine's Day and make your Sweetie, Chocolate Hemp Pudding

Hempseeds are among the world’s most nutritious seeds. Containing calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, iron, and omega 3 & 6, the essential fatty acids we need to maintain a healthy body.

Hempseed contains no cholesterol, fat and are gluten-free. They can be eaten raw, ground into meal, milk and even oil, which can be used to make salad dressings. Hempseeds are a great source of plant protein so put them on your cereal, yogurts or make your own tasty dessert.

Hempseed Facts

Hempseed is an excellent protein product for everyone

Its ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is the best in nature- Omega 3 & 6 help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation and heart disease

Hempseed contains more Omega 3 than fish            

Hempseed contains plant sterols which reduce the risk of certain cancers

Hempseed can be eaten by those unable to tolerate nuts

Hemp is a protein easier to digest than eggs, cheese, milk or beef

Hemp has more available proteins than soybeans

With 78% essential fats, hemp oil greatly exceeds soy oil at 40%, canola oil at 30%, olive oil at 10% and other oils.

Chocolate Hemp Pudding

¾ cup shelled hemp seeds

3 bananas

2 tbsp maple syrup

¾ cup coconut milk

Mix all ingredients together in food processor for at least 10 minutes to break up the hemp seeds.

Dish small amounts into pudding cups or a pretty dish and refrigerate or freeze. Garnish with a few strawberries if you like and enjoy!

Yields 3 cups

Shirley Plant is a nutritionist and the author of Finally... Food I Can Eat, a dietary guide and cookbook for people with food allergies, and those looking for healthy, tasty recipes.

Shirley offers dietary counseling and menu planning through Delicious Alternatives

For more information you may visit www.deliciousalternatives.com

Twitter @sherrecipes

Snowy Day Shepherd's Pie

Today the snow is falling and so it is a perfect day to stay home and make a great home cooked meal.
If you have food allergies, sometimes making meals can be challenging.

I know when I first found out about my food allergies I wanted to be able to eat all the comforting dishes that my Mum always made, but sometimes that was just not possible.

It is amazing how some meals just bring back the feeling of home and love. Shepherd's Pie is one of those meals for me.

Mostly my Mother made Shepherd's Pie out of leftover roast beef. She had a big ol stainless steel grinder that she would attach to the kitchen counter and grind out the leftover beef and then make Shepherd's Pie with leftover gravy, peas and mashed potatoes.
She would make her gravy with flour and her mashed potatoes with milk.

I make my Shepherd's pie a little differently, and it is just as tasty. But you be the judge!

Originally Shepherd's Pie was made with leftover pieces of lamb and today that is what I used. Well I lie a little, I used ground lamb that I bought at my local butcher.

In a big frying pan brown your lamb in a little olive oil. Add in chopped onions, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Near the end of cooking I mix in a jar about 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and some soup stock ( I like to use Pacific Brand low sodium Vegetable Stock). I mix this up to get rid of the lumps and pour it into the lamb mixture to make a nice gravy. In another pot I cut up 3 large sweet potatoes and 2 medium white potatoes. Boil until soft and mash with a little of the potato water ( there is not need for milk in mashed potatoes). Then in another pot I boil some frozen peas. Once everything is ready I take a square glass dish and put the cooked lamb on the bottom, then the peas, topped with the mashed sweet and white potatoes. Pop in 350F oven for about 15 minutes and serve with steamed vegetables or a salad.

Let me know what your favourite comfort food is and how you have adapted it within the confines of your food allergies.

Living Without Doesn't Mean Going Without

Living without, doesn’t mean going without

For those of you with food allergies or Celiac disease it must sometimes feel like you are living without most of the time. No more dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, sugar and the list goes on. Eggs and toast for breakfast are no longer possible and that sugary treat you usually buy yourself mid afternoon to curb your low energy is not an option anymore.

Guess what? Those days of going without are long gone. I am here to tell you there are lots of options now offered in pre packaged form or to make at home for yourself and your family.

Substitutes are foods that work in place of another food item. Foods like rice milk, almond milk, soy or hemp milk are great alternatives for dairy milk. Instead of whole wheat flour in your muffins try using rice, chickpea, millet or sorghum flour, all of which are gluten free.

On cold winter mornings try making hot quinoa or buckwheat cereal topped with nuts, seeds and dried fruit, or scramble some tofu with cut up vegetables instead of scrambled eggs. Gluten free pastas are now available in grains such as quinoa, corn and rice. Topped with your favourite pesto or tomato sauce you will never know it isn’t wheat pasta.

Trying to replace eggs in baking can be tricky. It depends what job the eggs are doing in the recipe. Are they a binder or a leavener, or are they providing moisture? Baking cookies or muffins that call for an egg can be easily substituted with flaxseed. Simply bring 1 tablespoon flaxseed in a cup of water to a boil, cool and then put in the fridge to congeal. If you are trying to replace eggs in a meringue, it’s simply not going to work unless you want to try duck or quail eggs. An egg is an egg after all.

If you are trying to lower your sugar intake, try sweetening with stevia, a plant that has been used for hundreds of years in South America as a sweetener.  Fruit works well in muffins and breads instead of white refined sugar.

A little maple syrup or honey works well to, but they are no different than white sugar, they all break down into fructose in the body. You do get some additional properties from maple syrup and honey that of course white sugar does not have. Using fruit in baked goods gives you the goodness of the fibre and vitamins in your food instead of just calories with white sugar.

Gluten Free diets are all the rage these days, but I urge you to make sure you are in fact Celiac or gluten intolerant before you deny yourself certain foods that are providing you with essential vitamins and minerals.

 Remember to always read the labels of pre- packaged foods as many are filled with unhealthy fillers. Try to get back to cooking with fresh ingredients. Perhaps dedicate a day for home baking or cooking and freezing so that you will always have healthy foods on hand for those busy nights. It will do your body good to return to what Mother Nature intended us to eat.

Submitted by- Shirley Plant, nutritionist and author of “ Finally... Food I Can Eat” a dietary guide and cookbook for people with food allergies.

www.deliciousalternatives.com

twitter @sherrecipeswww.deliciousalternatives.com