Every year in March, registered dietitians across Canada join together to celebrate and share our passion for good food, cooking, healthy eating and nutrition with you. This year is no different! Dietitians of Canada and various sponsors have carefully put together a great campaign this year. Check out Nutrition Month 2013 for more information on the campaign! There are lots of resources there to browse through, learn from and try out!

This year, the campaign looks at what we can to do to get tasty and nutritious meals onto the table. Why are these steps important, you ask? Well….

1. To eat a healthy diet, you first need to get the fresh, nutritious food into your kitchen! And this starts with planning. It can be helpful if you have an idea of what meals you plan to make and the ingredients that you will need. If you walk into a grocery store with a plan, you may be able to make well informed food choices, stay within your budget and save yourself an extra trip to the grocery store when you realize you forgot the lean ground beef for the chili that you started already!
2. Grocery shopping is more than just filling your basket with food. Especially nowadays with so many different products and varieties of food, how do you decide what to bring home? Do you look at what’s on sale? Coupons? The advertising in store or the advertising on the product packaging? What about the nutrition label? How do you make sure you are making well informed food choices, to promote health and well being for you and your family? What you bring home from the grocery store will affect your meals and snacks!
3. Now that you’ve got a variety of delicious and healthy foods in your kitchen, what do you do with it? How you prepare the ingredients, how you cook the meal, the seasonings you add and many other factors will affect the final product. Some people stick to their tried-and-true recipes, while others enjoy experimenting with new recipes, new foods and new ways of cooking!
4. After putting in the hard work of planning, grocery shopping and cooking, it’s time to enjoy the meal! Some people enjoy eating their meal surrounded by family and friends, while others prefer to enjoy their meal with some classical music! It is always nice to relax and enjoy yourself after putting in the effort to prepare a yummy but healthy meal!

Of course good nutrition is important throughout the entire year, but it’s also nice to have a month dedicated to learning more about healthy eating and good nutrition. This gives you a chance to work on one (or more!) realistic and attainable diet-related goal, that you feel confident in achieving! After turning this goal into a regular habit, you can work on sustaining it for the rest of the year!

Does that sound like a daunting task? Well, you are definitely not alone in this journey!

There are a variety of resources out there to help you out! As mentioned earlier, Nutrition Month 2013 has lots of resources – like fact sheets, videos and daily tips. There are also many in-person events all across Canada. Some dietitians are hosting grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations and other exciting educational events. Take a look at this map to see if there are any Nutrition Month activities and events near you! There is even an app! Check out eaTipster, which serves up research-based nutrition tips daily. This is a quick and easy way to learn more about nutrition and get practical tips to try out! HealthyFamiliesBC is another great resource for meal planning, healthy eating for families and many other nutrition and healthy living tips.

If you prefer to talk to someone about making dietary changes, here are some resources:

• Consider seeking nutritional counselling from a registered dietitian (RD). A registered dietitian will spend some time getting to know you, your medical history and your goals. He or she will then be able to provide you with personalized nutrition advice, tailored to your individual needs. Your local health authorities may have a general outpatient dietitian who can provide this service. Ask your family doctor for a referral to an outpatient dietitian in your area.
• Alternatively, if you would like to consult a private practice dietitian in your area, click here to look for a dietitian near you!
  
• If you are in BC, you can also call 8-1-1 toll-free to speak with a registered dietitian about nutrition and food. HealthLinkBC has more information about this service.

I’ve saved up a couple of recipes, which I hope to share with you all throughout Nutrition Month! Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

The Physical:
Let’s start with the good! I always felt good after finishing a meal. Even if it was just my boring same old breakfast of 2 slices of toast, yogurt and 1/4 cup of milk. It felt GOOD to be full. The bad? Pretty obvious, I think. Usually whenever I am hungry, I will go to the kitchen and grab a snack. The challenge definitely changed this habit! It sucks to be hungry. True, I was doing this challenge voluntarily and I could have stopped whenever I wanted or cheated if I wanted to. I wasn’t starving at any point of the challenge. But this week, I got a sense of what it was like to be HUNGRY. I got to experience what it would be like if you had to ration your food. And to experience going to sleep hungry and to experience jealousy! Throughout the challenge, I had to prepare meals for my 2 younger brothers, who, compared to me, feasted on chicken and pork chops and rice, etc. I was definitely jealous of the meals they had! My stomach was grumbling – it was REALLY embarrassing to be talking to clients about food and to have your stomach grumble!! I think I spaced and planned my meals pretty well, so I didn’t feel faint or anything from a lack of food – that’s a plus! But I definitely had to take it easy that week. I usually take 1 dance class and usually at least 3 yoga classes per week. This week I just did my 1 dance class and 2 yoga classes, to conserve my energy and just to be on the safe side.

The Mental:
Throughout the entire challenge, pretty much all I could think about was food. Perhaps since I was limited in terms of amount and variety of foods, it made me want all of it THAT much more. It was difficult to concentrate on what I was doing, particularly towards the end of the week. All I could think about was when my next meal would be and how much food I had left.  I can imagine someone might eat relatively well when they first get their welfare cheques. But towards the end and before they get their next cheque, food might be scarce. So imagine if this person was applying for a job or if they were heading into a job interview hungry. Their performance might suffer, no?

Now imagine if we were talking about children. Some schools might have a breakfast and/or lunch program. For some children, that breakfast and/or lunch might be their only meals of the day. Now put yourself in their shoes – trying to learn, feeling hungry and cold perhaps, struggling to concentrate and listen to what the teacher is saying, going home and trying to do your homework without dinner and finally going to bed hungry. Would that be a motivating, nurturing learning environment?

The Overall Challenge:
Participating in this challenge was an eye-opening experience. I got to experience what it was like to plan a week’s worth of meals and grocery shop on a really tight budget. I had no idea someone on welfare would have just $26 a week to spend on food. I definitely learned a lot in that respect, especially on how to get the most bang for your buck!

I definitely do not have the answer to solve the issues of food security and poverty. But I think this challenge gave me more information and insights, and allowed me to speak with others about these issues. I was able to pass on my experience and knowledge to increase awareness regarding these issues. This challenge was a great conversation starter and I chatted up these issues with my friends, colleagues, acquaintances, yoga teachers, basically anyone who would listen! It was interesting for me to hear what others thought and the possible solutions they suggested. Some suggested raising the amount of money people on welfare got. Others actually said they wouldn’t mind paying higher taxes if it means we can take care of everyone in our society. But others felt that raising the rates wasn’t the best option – they didn’t believe in simple hand outs. They believed that handing out money would just discourage people from looking for a job. Another common suggestion was education – providing people with education will help them upgrade their education and training, which will enable them to obtain jobs and allow them to contribute to society. I don’t know whether any of the above suggestions is the be all end all of food insecurity and poverty, but I was glad I was able to contribute and increase awareness on these important issues.

And finally, my last thought: I am definitely grateful for what I have.

Honestly, sometimes I know I am not as grateful for everything as I should be. We always want more. I remember as a child, always wanting more toys and wanting to be taller (That’s pretty normal I think!). Then growing up – wanting more clothes (This has changed… in that I want more clothes AND shoes and dresses…), wanting to be popular, wanting more friends, wanting more attention from my dance teacher (who despite the extra classes I took and practicing in my bathroom using the counter as a barre, paid me no heed), wanting a TV in my room. Wanting. Wanting. Wanting. Even now… I saw an MSI the other day at work and she was mixed and really pretty, even in scrubs. I immediately thought to myself – if only I was that smart and that pretty! All I did in that moment was compare myself to a complete stranger, without knowing anything about that person. I didn’t think about how fortunate I was to have everything that I have or how fortunate I am to be who I am as a person or how fortunate I am to be a (relatively) healthy and active person. I just wanted. I think it’s also about coming to grips with who you are as a person. I often wish I was loud and outgoing and memorable and able to keep all the attention on me. But I know that’s just not who I am. I’m just not the type of person who will walk up to anyone, introduce myself and carry on a conversation. Instead of wanting to be more like other people or having what they have, I should be more grateful for what I have, who I am as a person and my strengths AND weaknesses. After all, without our weaknesses, we will never learn and improve!

There’s a quote I really like:

It is better to want what you have, instead of having what you want.

If you spend all your time chasing your wants, instead of appreciating what you have, then that’s all you are going to be doing – chasing and comparing yourself to others and what they have. (And then feeling down and upset!) You certainly don’t want to settle – you don’t want to just sit back, cross your arms and not work towards any goals or achievements. But you also need to be grateful and actually want what you have instead of comparing and chasing after the GREENER GRASS.

Hmmm…… I don’t think I meant to delve into so many topics and ideas! But this was a very organic post and I just wrote out my thoughts and feelings. Hope it gave you some FOOD for thought. =)

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

Here’s a snapshot of what I ate today!

Day 7: Breakfast – I was too hungry so, again, I forgot to take a picture of it. I had a slice of toast with the yogurt. And since I only used 9 eggs so far, 2 eggs were used to make scrambled eggs. I had the scrambled eggs with another slice of toast. That was my last FULL slice of toast – there was a small end slice left, which I decided to save for my afternoon snack.

Day 7: Lunch – My last bowl of Potato and Kale soup! The soup lasted me through 6 meals – what a way to stretch out my food! Yes, there wasn’t much variety since it was the same thing over and over again. But I’m sure if I froze some and ate it a couple of weeks later, I would quite enjoy it.

Day 7: Snack @ 2:45pm – After dance class, I ate my last slice of toast – although it was more like half a slice. I, again, had it with some yogurt. I’d say there was about 1/3 cup of yogurt left, so I could afford to be a little more generous with the yogurt!

Day 7: Dinner – Corn on the cob with another stir fry, using up the remainder of my chopped bell peppers, carrots, onions and kidney beans.

Last Welfare Food Challenge Dinner

Day 7: Snack @ 9:20pm – Since the challenge was almost over, I could afford to have more snacks! So after yoga today, I finished the rest of the yogurt and the milk.

Believe it or not, I had food left over from the challenge. (I assume I will not become so ravenous in the next hour and end up finishing ALL of this.)

Leftovers!

Here’s what I had left after this 7 day challenge:

1. 10lb Baby Russet potatoes: $1.49  -  about 1/3 of the bag
2. 5lb Carrots: $2.49  -  about 1/3 of the bag
3. 12 ears of Corn: $3.00  -  2 ears of corn
4. 3lb Onions: $1.99  - 1 onion
5. Orange Bell Peppers: $2.02  -  1 bell pepper
6. Bread: $3.99  -  no leftovers
7. Kale: $0.85  -  2 kale leaves (which I had set aside to make kale chips, but never got around to it)
8. Yogurt: $3.00  -  no leftovers
9. 1L Milk: $2.19  -  no leftovers
10. 12 Eggs: $2.71  -  1 egg
11. Red Kidney Beans: $0.88  -  no leftovers
12. Chick Peas: $0.88  -  no leftovers
13. Cilantro: $0.50  -  1 tbsp of chopped cilantro

I am a little surprised that I had food left over. I thought I would be eating massive portions of food to make up for the lack of variety and the diet restriction. In a sense, I guess I planned well. I tried to make sure I had lots of vegetables, some dairy, some protein and a good amount of starchy carbohydrates for energy. But looking back, I probably didn’t need 10lb bag of potatoes… (But it was ONLY $1.49 for 10lbs of potatoes. That is less than the price of a bus ticket in Vancouver!!! How could I pass up a deal like that!) In retrospect, I could have spent that money on a jar of peanut butter, which would have been a great source of protein and energy. (I also love peanut butter so much, that I could sit there and eat it with a spoon…) I could have also gotten some rice or pasta from the bulk section and added some variety to my diet. With a budget of $26, I was trying to get the most bang for my buck. And I’m sure that’s what a lot of people on welfare do – get something cheap, simple to prepare that will last you many meals. That’s what I would do to survive, if I was in that situation.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting over this past week. Another musing on that to come soon! I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

Anyways! Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve been eating all week.

Day 2: Breakfast – I was way too hungry and was halfway through my breakfast before I remembered to take a picture!

2 slices of toast with ~ 2 tbsp of yogurt, 1/4 cup of milk and 1 hardboiled egg

Day 2: Lunch

Salad with orange bell peppers, carrots, corn, kidney beans and cilantro for flavouring!

Day 2: Dinner – I had this for dinner before heading to UBC for Bieksa’s Buddies Charity Hockey game vs. the UBC T-birds. I made sure to eat a big dinner before heading out…

Orange bell peppers, potatoes, 2 hardboiled eggs and a beautiful corn on the cob!!

Even though this was a REALLY filling dinner, the smell of churros and fries and burgers was so overwhelming once I was in the arena!

Day 3: Breakfast – This became my standard breakfast, once I made sure I’d have enough bread to last me the week.

1/4 cup of milk, 2 slices of toast with ~ 2 tbsp of yogurt

I had been eating a couple spoonfuls of yogurt as a snack when I feel hungry between meals. It was only day 3 and I had already eaten half of the yogurt!!! Definitely need to watch my snacking.

Running low on yogurt already!

Day 3: Lunch – I forgot to take a picture of my lunch… I was too hungry! Today, I had a couple of boiled potatoes from yesterday night’s dinner, one hardboiled egg, corn and orange bell peppers.

Because my lunch was quite small today, I was very hungry when I got home after work and started to make dinner. I had a couple spoons of yogurt but still wanted something else. I got an idea to roast some kidney beans and chickpeas for snacks!

The chickpeas turned out great – a bit plain as I didn’t add any oil or spices, but full of chickpea flavour! I snacked on these throughout the week, as a replacement for the almonds that I normally snack on. They were a pretty good replacement!

Roasted chickpeas

The kidney beans on the other hand…. I guess that’s why I’ve never seen roasted kidney beans in stores?! I didn’t even have them in the toaster oven for a long time….But they all burst! Of course they were still edible, so I threw them into my soup.

My attempt at roasting kidney beans…

Day 3: Dinner – I made a Potato and Kale soup today! This was great because I managed to get a couple of meals out of this soup! Musing on this hearty soup to come!

Potato and Kale Soup (Potatoes, carrots, onions, chickpeas, kale and water) with a slice of toast

Day 4: Breakfast – My standard breakfast of toast, yogurt and milk

Day 4: Lunch

Potato and Kale soup!

Day 4: Dinner – More soup for dinner. I added some kidney beans to add a bit of variety!

More potato and kale soup…

Day 5: Brunch – Slept in today as it was Saturday, so I managed to just eat one meal for breakfast and lunch…. saving some of my scarce resources.

1. Omelette with 2 eggs, orange bell peppers, onions and cilantro
2. Potato pancake with 1 egg, shredded potatoes and onions

Musing on the Potato Pancakes coming soon! This was a delicious meal. What a nice change from the toast, yogurt and milk I’ve been eating for the past several days. I made 3 potato pancakes and was planning to save 2 for dinner with my soup… But I left it in the fridge and my brother found it and… Well, we all know what happened to the potato pancakes! But it’s ok – I still had other food left!

Day 5: Dinner – Forgot to take a picture of the meal again… I had a corn on the cob with 2 bowls of soup. This soup has yielded 4 meals already!

Day 6: Breakfast – I just had one slice of toast with yogurt and 1/4 cup of milk since it was pretty close to lunch time.

Day 6: Lunch – The soup is running low! To add to it and stretch it farther, I threw in some corn. I managed to squeeze two more meals out of the remaining soup. I had a bowl today for lunch and I will be having the last of the soup tomorrow for lunch!

Potato and kale soup with one slice of toast and an egg

Day 6: Dinner – I had originally planned to stir fry the veggies for a couple of the dinners this week. However, I forgot that I didn’t get any rice for the challenge…. I wasn’t sure how I would like eating potatoes with a stir fry. So tonight, I did a stir fry and had it with a corn on the cob! Interesting combination….

Corn on the cob with a stir fry of carrots, orange bell peppers, onions, corn and kidney beans

This has really been an eyeopening experience. I’m working on a musing reflecting on my experience this week. In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed this musing and the photographs of my week!

So, here’s a look at what I’ll be eating this week!

Yesterday, I went to Richmond Country Farms to grab some veggies for the week. Knowing how important vegetables are, I made sure to get a variety of these for the week. As it was harvest time, there was a large selection of LOCAL, colourful vegetables, squashes, fruits – and of course Pumpkins! I had to be very careful to stick to my budget and make my $26 stretch as far as it could! This is what I got:

A week’s worth of veggies from Richmond Country Farms!

My meal and snack ideas include:

• Potatoes: Potatoes will be my carbs for the week! I had wanted to get some brown rice or quinoa (has bonus feature of PROTEIN!), but alas potatoes were the cheapest option! I plan to make: mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato and kale soup!
• Orange Bell Peppers and Onions: Stir fry, salads, raw bell pepper strips
• Carrots: Stir fry, salads, carrot sticks
• Corn: Another delicious starchy vegetable – I love corn! Corn on the cob, salads, stir fry, steamed

The grand total: $10.99

I hope this will last me the week! I plan to make as many different meals and snacks as I can from the vegetables I bought. It will be great to eat the food by itself and appreciate the freshness and natural taste!

I am conscious to eat an adequate amount of protein as well. Seeing how much meat or fish costed, I decided to go with beans, eggs, yogurt and milk for my protein sources. I also added a bunch of kale and a loaf of bread. I did splurge a little on the bread. I could’ve spent $1-$2 on a loaf of white bread, but a slice of white bread would have satisfied my hunger for 1 hour and then I’d be hungry again! So I figured I would spend a little bit more on a quality bread and hope it will keep me full longer! It will also provide me with better nutrition than a loaf of white bread!

A couple more staples for the week…

Meal Ideas:

• Yogurt: Since I couldn’t afford butter or peanut butter, I thought I would spread some yogurt on toast for breakfast! It would add some protein and would moisten the dry bread – at least that is the hope!
• Milk: I will have to ration my milk so that it lasts all week!
• Kale: Potato and kale soup!
• Bread: Toast with yogurt, toast with egg, egg salad sandwich (without mayo or seasoning)
• Eggs: Hard boiled eggs for breakfast or snack, omelette with some bell peppers and onions
• Beans: salad, potato and kale soup, as a snack?!

Here’s how my $26 was spent:

1. 10lb Baby Russet potatoes: $1.49
2. 5lb Carrots: $2.49
3. 12 ears of Corn: $3.00 (They are 4 for $1!! Sidenote: I adore corn. I purchased 6 more ears, cooked and froze them for the rest of the winter!)
4. 3lb Onions: $1.99
5. Orange Bell Peppers: $2.02
6. Bread: $3.99
7. Kale: $0.85
8. Yogurt: $3.00
9. 1L Milk: $2.19
10. 12 Eggs: $2.71
11. Red Kidney Beans: $0.88
12. Chick Peas: $0.88
13. Cilantro: $0.50

Assuming my math is correct, this is my Grand Total: $25.99.

I think I’ve done a good job at incorporating all the different food groups. I do realize I could not afford any fruits. =(  But hopefully I’ll be able to make up for it with the vegetables! I think the biggest challenge will be sticking to these foods ONLY – I have 2 younger brothers to feed as well, so there will be lots of tempting food and snacks at home! It will also be more time consuming, as I have to prepare a meal for them and a separate meal for myself. I’ve tried to do as much of the meal preparation ahead of time as possible. I chopped up some carrot sticks already and have some veggies and corn ready for my lunch tomorrow. I don’t normally drink coffee or tea, so that is not a problem. However, with the cold rainy weather we have been having, I know I will be tempted to warm up with some hot cocoa! I guess my Potato and Kale soup will have to do!

I’m aiming to blog daily about my meals and snacks, how I feel and any difficulties I encounter. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with you all!

I’ll end with a question to you: Could you survive on $26 of food for one week? Think about how much you currently spend on food and drinks in a week. How much do you spend on your daily coffee or tea? How much do you usually spend when you go out for a meal? I know I’ll be reflecting and thinking about these questions all week.  I hope this has also  inspired you to think and reflect.

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

As you may recall from my last musing, I alluded to a challenge that I would be taking on. The challenge is put on by Raise the Rates. It is called the Welfare Food Challenge.

The objective of the challenge is to live for one whole week on $26 worth of groceries. This is how they came up with $26:

Of the $610 a month the BC government provides for a person on welfare, after paying for accommodation, bus tickets and cellphone (necessary to look for work), and basic hygiene only $109 remains for food – less than $26 for a week. There is nothing for clothes, haircuts, or any social life. – Welfare Food Challenge

Starting on October 16, 2012 until October 23, 2012, I will be attempting to survive on $26 worth of food. That is a small amount. But I’m sure in reality, there are individuals who survive on less than $26. The gap between someone who survives on $26 worth of food for one week and someone who spends $100 on ONE dinner is so striking.

It has been eye opening to think about how I can include all 4 food groups and make 21 meals with $26! It works out to $1.24 per meal. Even if you were to eat something from McDonald’s “Value Picks” menu 3 times a day for 7 days, you would end up spending $32.69, thus exceeding the $26 limit. I will definitely not be eating out that week! If I were to dine out, a typical restaurant meal would cost $10. In just one meal, I would have spent almost half of my $26! It will definitely be challenging trying to keep myself well fed and energized only $26. I have been scouting out flyers and various stores, such as Costco and Superstore. I have also checked out a farmgate market, where I think I will be able to stretch my $26 as far as it will go. I am thinking about meal ideas and how I can incorporate nutrition on a VERY tight budget. I hope to make all of my meals as nutritious as possible. I think this will be a great exercise in developing healthy, nutritious and affordable meals that I can share with you and the patients I might meet down the road.

But in a way, I feel like I am cheating. Would someone on welfare be able to travel to a farmgate market? They probably would not have access to Costco. (I have decided I will not shop at Costco for the challenge.) If you were constantly hungry, would you be able to make well informed decisions at the grocery store, or would you just purchase the cheapest, instant, processed foods? Of course this challenge is nothing compared to someone who was actually living on a food budget of $26 constantly, but I think this is a great initiative to increase the exposure on food security. Check out the Welfare Food Challenge website for more information, participant guidelines and details. If you are interested, please take part in the challenge and see for yourself how you can survive on $26 worth of food. I really think it will be an eye opening experience.

I plan to weigh myself on the morning of October 16 and again on October 23. There might not be drastic changes as I am well nourished to begin with, but it would be a good thing to track. I also plan to share with you my experience, my difficulties, my daily meals, my running total and my grocery list. Through this challenge, I hope to increase awareness about food security and get people THINKING.

So I will leave you with some FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• The WHO’s definition of food security:

The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. – WHO

• Some questions to ponder regarding food security and food supply:

1. Availability – Is food always available? Is there enough food?
2. Access – Can people access the food, if it is available? Do they have to travel far distances to obtain it? Do they have the resources to travel those distances to obtain food? Are there other barriers to accessing food – cultural, racial, class or caste system?
3. Affordability – Can people afford the food, if it is available and accessible?
4. Appropriate – Is the food appropriate, if it is available, accessible and affordable? Is it culturally appropriate? Is it healthy and nutritious? Is the food clean and safe to eat?
5. Sustainable – Is the food supply sustainable, if it is available, accessible, affordable and appropriate?

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

Nutrition is so important for growing kids! To take that away from kids is to knock them down a couple flights of stairs, while their peers continue running up the stairs to success. Poor nutrition during this critical period of growth puts them at a disadvantage. How can they break out of the vicious cycle of poverty, when they already start off at a disadvantage? I find it astonishing how in less than 10 minutes, you could travel from a home where a child is being served a steak and lobster dinner, vacations in Mexico and Hawaii, has everything s/he needs and more, to a home where a child goes to sleep hungry and wakes up to no breakfast.

There is no easy way to end poverty. You can’t just hand out money on the street corner and say you’ve ended poverty. If it is a one time pay-out, it will not be sustainable. Once that pay-out is gone, we will be right back where we started.

I remember a phrase that a wonderful geography teacher once taught us: “Give a wo/man a fish and he will eat for one day. Teach a wo/man to fish and s/he will eat for a lifetime.” It’s not just about giving people food or money. It should be about how we find a sustainable solution to end poverty. I definitely do not have the answer but I think education, community support and inspiration are keys.

Education: Providing people (be it kids, adults or older adults) with education, skills and knowledge will empower them. It will help them stand on their own two feet. It will help them find a job and find a way to contribute to society.

Community support: Be it from their families, friends, neighbours or complete strangers. It all matters. If you are surrounded by people who kick you down, doubt you and your abilities, you will never achieve your goals. On the other hand, if you are well supported by your community, then you will feel confident and are more likely to strive for and attain your goals. I think the community also needs to overcome the stigma and stereotypes associated with poverty, in order to fully support people living on welfare.

Inspiration: Everyone needs an inspiration. This is what keeps you going. Maybe for a mother, it is making enough money so you can provide more for your children than you ever got yourself and enabling your children to break the cycle of poverty. Maybe for a young child, it was seeing the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on a school field trip and realizing that is exactly what you want to do when you grow up. So instead of continuing down the path of poverty, you fight for your future. Inspiration keeps you going, when everything looks bleak.

If you are inspired, motivated, supported and have the skills and knowledge needed to fish, then you will be able to eat for a lifetime!

I suppose it’s not THAT simple. And again, I definitely do not have the answers to any of these questions… Could there ever be enough jobs for EVERYONE? Some people suggest raising taxes for those who can afford it. But what would we do with that extra money? We can’t just give it away. If money is simply being handed out, what’s to stop someone from just sitting there and waiting for their cheque every month and spending it on things that will harm them instead? Is there motivation to go and earn it? Perhaps the extra money could be used to help fund mentorship or apprenticeship programs for individuals on welfare. Raising minimum wage could help – those who already have a job. But what about those who do not have a job? If minimum wage was increased, would companies be able to afford the expense? Or would they just lay off workers? Would companies be able to create new jobs if the minimum wage was increased? There is just so much to think about. Since everything is connected, changing one thing will affect the entire system. I think the solution to end poverty needs to be well thought-out and all the consequences of any actions planned should be considered, to prevent the plan from backfiring on us!

I hope I’ve given you something to think about and maybe this will inspire you to think of an AWESOME idea or initiative to help end poverty! If you are interested in more information, check out Raise the Rates. Here’s another great resource from their website: Cost of Poverty Fact Sheet. If you know of any other resources or initiatives, please share!

Stay tuned for a musing on a challenge that I will be taking on in 2 weeks!

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

You can rest assured that I won’t force you to abandon all the foods that you love. Only YOU have the power to change your diet and lifestyle! I can’t watch you 24/7 or force you to eat certain foods and avoid others. I hope by sharing with you some tips on healthy and mindful eating, along with my eating and cooking adventures, I can inspire you to take a closer look at your current diet. Perhaps you are already eating a healthy, well balanced diet! In that case, good for you! For those who want to make changes to your diet or lifestyle, you are not alone! There are lots of reliable, research and evidenced based resources out there. I hope to share some of these with you in the future. You should also understand that changes take TIME. Be sure to be realistic in what you want to change. (I sense a future blog on setting goals!)

Before continuing on, please read this disclaimer for your health and safety.

I love food – from soul warming comfort foods to exciting foods from different cultures. Food is more than just fuel for your body. When you are well nourished, it brings vitality and a certain “spring” into your step. Food also brings people together. Special occasions and events are often marked with a special meal, shared between friends and family.

Being a dietitian gives me a unique perspective on eating and food — balancing between taste and health. I think it is very important to enjoy food and eating, while making sure we are good to our bodies. But if eating is turned into a chore with many limitations and restrictions, then it just won’t be enjoyable anymore! I try to eat a varied, nutritious and healthy diet most of the time, while saving a little bit of room for the celebrations and special occasions in life. I also try to find healthier alternatives by trying various substitutions and making sure the end result is still delicious! I’ll share some of my recipes here so you can try them out at home!

I hope you enjoyed that “Musing From The Table.”

BUT I will admit that I do think more about toning up my body and cleaning up my diet if I know I’ll be in a bathing suit.  When the weather turns warmer (it is 80 degrees here today!) and shorts and tank tops come out, it does make me a little more aware of how my legs are looking.  I think that is normal, especially for women.  Agreed?

Here are my dos and don’ts for spring cleaning and getting in bikini shape:

Do include weight training in your exercise routine to increase your metabolism and build lean muscle.

Don’t spend hours at the gym doing cardio (think hour long sessions on the elliptical!)

Do include interval training like HIIT.  Again, gets that metabolism going.

Don’t go on a diet.

Do make small changes to lead a healthier lifestyle.  That’s right...lifestyle not complete overhaul, extreme anything that you can’t sustain.

Don’t try diet pills, cleanses, etc.

Do eat whole grains, lean protein, fruits, nuts, healthy fats, and LOTS of veggies.

Don’t reach for packaged products loaded with fillers.

Do drink lots of water.

Don’t cut out meals/food groups to lose weight (unless its sugar or trans fat, I would say you can cut that out!)

Do look to others for inspiration, whether its a friend, mentor, athlete, or blogger

Don’t compare yourself to others (especially photo-shopped images of size 0 models in magazines).  Everyone’s body is different, unique, and beautiful.  You will never look like someone else, and why would you want to?!

Do try new things and strive to be your best.

Don’t stress out and try to be a certain size or number on the scale.

Do listen to body.

Don’t stick to lists like this but be flexible and do whats best for you.

Here is to hoping we all can enjoy a little time out in the sun this spring and summer…

I know I am guilty of comparing myself to others, thinking of extreme diets/cleanses, and being self-conscious of my body.  I’m going to work harder to stay positive, play up my favorite features, and remind myself of all the good things my body can do.  I’ll be filling my body with lots of whole foods to keep it running…that way I’ll never really need to ‘spring clean!’

So do you ‘spring clean’ your body and diet?  Ever tried anything extreme?

#1. I don’t workout without eating something.

This has been such a positive change!  I used to workout early in the morning and would usually have a small snack before working out (piece of toast, bites of banana, bit of egg whites, etc) but now I always eat breakfast and let it settle before working out.  I realize how vital it is to get food in your system before working out, otherwise, you are just burning away muscle!  I also get a better work out because I actually have fuel to burn.

Case in point:  yesterday I ran into a coworker at the gym who was lifting weights too.  A bit later, I hear someone softly calling my name.  I look around and find him slumped over the calf machine, asking if I had any food to eat.  Unfortunately I didn’t but I got the gym attendants to help him.  The first question I asked him was whether he had eaten anything that morning and he shook his head no.  (After I felt hugely insensitive for asking such a question when he clearly was not feeling well!).  He sat there for at least 30 minutes after getting something in his system.  They ended up having to call the paramedics to check him because of how nauseous, light-headed, and sick he felt.  Think he got a good workout trying to burn away muscle on an empty stomach?  No.  Fuel properly people.

#2. I never wear my heart rate monitor anymore.

I have been tied to my heart rate monitor for years now.  I wasn’t intense about using it for training within heart rate zones or strictly tracking the calories I burned, but I always monitored how my heart rate was and ya know, checked out the calories too.  It can be helpful to keep intensity going during cardio, but it can also be a big distraction.  I’ll admit, there were definitely workouts where I would be so distracted with the level of my heart rate that I wasn’t even focusing on working out and how my body felt!  I still use the watch for timing and will probably use the heart rate monitor again at some point, but for now, its nice not to even worry with it.

#3. Obvi, I am doing a ton more weights (6 days a week) and a lot less cardio (4 days with 2 only being 30 minutes).

For a while I have wanted to focus on a heavy lifting routine but never found a program to stick to, or had the time between triathlon and marathon training.  It has been such an awesome change of pace to be lifting so much and really seeing changes in how heavy I can lift and how ‘big’ my muscles are getting!  Ha, okay, less big, and maybe more defined?  None the less, it’s a great change.

#4. I haven’t been to cycle class or stepped in a pool.

This is a change that brings mixed emotions and won’t last forever.  I didn’t swim much last fall either while training for the marathon, but I still made it to cycle class at least once a week.  Now, I haven’t been to cycle or in a pool all year!  I do miss both (in fact, I might end up going at home with my dad) but at the same time, after doing spin classes for years, it is also a nice change of pace.  I haven’t planned out any triathlons for the spring or summer since it is still up in the air where I’ll be living.  Once I get that pinned down in April, I do want to do a few tris this summer… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give that up!

#5. I eat a lot more meat. 

It seems like a sudden change to go from not eating almost any meat the past two years to eating meat a couple of times a day recently.  It’s interesting though because I don’t necessarily ‘feel’ different eating more meat but it does still me up and sustain me.  I still think a plant-based diet is extremely healthy and the way to eat, and I’ve still been eating a ton of fruits and vegetables.  I have a feeling this summer and after the LiveFit program is over, I’ll go back to a more balanced diet between non-meat and meat sources of protein.

Have you made any changes to your health routine lately?!

source

Will you be my Valentine?

I hope so.

I am enjoying a day off from classes (school-wide assessment day but no assessment for me!)  and will be celebrating my friend Rachel’s birthday/valentine’s day with friends tonight!  I don’t think I could ask for a better day.  Unless you bring me chocolates

What better way to spread the love then promoting National Heart Month today.

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the US?

It’s not just for old overweight men either…one in four women will die of heart disease.  Look around you between your friends and family.  Who will be the one in four?

Here are the risk factors in women for heart disease:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• Being physically inactive
• Having a family history of early heart disease
• Age (55 or older for women)

Did you notice a trend?  5 of the 8 risk factors can be helped/prevented by a healthy diet and exercise.  Smoking is an obvious no-no, just don’t.  And unfortunately two are out of our direct control which means we owe it to ourselves to prevent the other risks.

What could be a better gift to a loved one then being there for them, without heart disease, and living a healthy life?!

1. Eat a healthy diet. 

Fresh vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean protein, healthy fats.  Minimal processing, limited alcohol, avoid fried foods and ingredients you can’t pronounce.  I know it can sound so easy but be so hard.  You can get more information at ChooseMyPlate.gov.  If you have hypertension or are pre-hypertension, you may want to follow the DASH diet, which is a low sodium diet.

2. Move Your Body Girl.

The current recommendations for adults (18-64) is 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equal combo of the two. Full body strength training should be done 2 or more days a week.

If you’re not exercising, you’re not doing yourself any favors.  Walk, dance, run, swim, bike, play tennis, lift weights … find something you enjoy and do it.

3. Get your weight in a healthy range. 

You don’t need to be a size 2, 4, etc but carrying extra unhealthy weight does affect your health.  If you are overweight, don’t reach for a fad quick-trim diet.  Aim to lose no more than 2 lbs a week.  Take small steps that you can maintain for the long-term.  It is not a diet.  It is a healthy lifestyle.

4. Feel the love

This may not be in any official pages for Heart Health month but I think an equal part of a healthy lifestyle is loving yourself, being compassionate, and having overall content with your life. Surround yourself with positive people and experiences to truly keep your heart happy.

You can find out more information at The Heart Truth or CDC website.

Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.
Dr.Karl Menninger

How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day?!

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