Nutrition

A recent quote in the Journal of the American Medical Association said the following: “Psychiatic and neurodevelopmental disorders are being thought of more and more as systemic illnesses in which inflammation is involved.” (1) For a long time mental health concerns were treated as though they only involved the brain, that the rest of the body was separate and irrelevant. But this is changing; balance within the rest of the body is being thought of more and more as relevant.  One aspect of balance that seems to be of interest is inflammation. 

The debate around New Year’s Resolutions has gone on for ages.  Sometimes they work and allow us to make big changes, sometimes they don’t and leave us feeling discouraged.  Unfortunately, often they don’t – studies show the success rate to be somewhere around 8% - yikes! But there may be some value to this age old tradition!

Along with experts from leading Canadian hospitals, universities and mental health organizations, I was interviewed as part of a web series on mental health called 1001 Ways to Wonder. Creator Bryce Sage wonders about what causes mental illness, what we know about it and how it might be treated. My interview focused on the relationship between diet and mental health - an area of expertise in my clinical practice and research work.

We’ve known for a long time that what we eat affects our physical health.  But research is just starting to demonstrate the connection between food and mental health as well.  Several studies show that individuals eating a poorer quality diet (more processed food, more sugar, more deep-fried foods, less vegetables) are more likely to be suffer from mental illness (1).

With April here many people know that seasonal allergies are just around the corning.  But the good news is that there’s a lot that can be done to combat this annual annoyance and at the same time promote overall balance within the body.  

I recently gave an invited guest lecture for Orthomolecular Health about the use of nutrition in the treatment of mood disorders. The one hour talk explored the science and research surrounding the relationship between what we eat and how we feel.

A recording of the talk is available here if you'd like to check it out: www.orthomolecularhealth.com/ resources/taking-control-of-mood-disorders/

Have a hard time getting in your vegetables?

We all know the health benefits of eating vegetables.  Massive studies have shown incredible results such as a 44% reduction in cancer and 38% reduction in strokes when comparing 5+ veggie and fruit servings to 1 serving. But sometime steamed carrots and green beans can be boring or plain – I hear you!

The good news is that they don’t have to be! There are tons of ways to make vegetables interesting and great tasting. 

I know, I know, it’s a bad word in a lot of peoples’ books. There are many patients who cringe when I suggest increasing it in their diet.  But the truth is, it shouldn’t be a bad word.  Dietary fats have been given a really bad rap for a long time but they actually don’t deserve it.  Scientific research is showing the BENEFITS of many type of fat and the down sides of having too little and, thankfully, public opinion is starting to shift too.

Let’s look at some misconceptions:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”   ― Benjamin Franklin

He who cures a disease may be the skillfullest, but he who prevents it is the safest physician.  — Thomas Fuller

There are many quotes out there about preventing illness.  And while it can sometimes seem less impressive than a miraculous cure, most people would agree that they would prefer to never suffer from an illness at all.

This salad was inspired by a Summerlicious creation that I had at Quince Bistro a while back.  It is so colourful that it makes an impressive addition to a dinner party but it’s so PACKED with nutritious vegetables that you could enjoy it any day!  I used heritage carrots in my salad today – you might be able to see the purple and yellow ribbons.  Also when candy or golden beets are available in stores or farmers’ markets they add great colour too.