Author Cathy Biase Categories Blog, Podcasts, The Health Hub Posted on 0 Comments

This Week On The Health Hub…Transitioning To A Plant-Based Diet With Melissa Halas

Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE, is a nationally recognized nutrition expert with 20+ years of experience helping kids, adults, and communities live healthier lives! As a registered dietitian and mom, she’s passionate about making good nutrition easy, tasty, and fun! She is the founder of the first kid’s nutrition mega-site, SuperKids Nutrition, providing expert resources to help grow healthy communities. Melissa is also the creator of the Super Crew®, who get their powers from healthy plant-based foods and motivate young children to develop healthy eating habits from an early age. With a strong commitment to living and teaching sustainability, her activities with the Super Crew promote green choices! SuperKids Nutrition partners with the American Institute for Cancer Research on the Healthy Kids Today Campaign and with over 5000 schools in the US, providing menu activities and parent newsletters. Melissa addressed nutrition concerns for adults, from how much coffee is safe to which foods to eat for brain health at https://www.melissashealthyliving.com/. Check out her Super Crew books for kids and her Plant-Based living books for Adults on either of her websites.

Learning Points:

  • What are some tips for transitioning to a plant-based diet?
  • Why is it important for cancer prevention to children to be on a plant-based diet?
  • How can we get kids into the kitchen to learn how to prepare healthy meals?

Social Media SuperKids Nutrition

  Melissa’s Healthy Living

Listen live or catch the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada.   Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.

TheHealthHub is now on iTunes!

Subscribe and don’t miss a single episode!

Follow us on Social Media

We are @thehealthhubrmc on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

How To Listen Live

Visit our website and learn how to listen live to our show each week. http://www.radiomaria.ca/how-to-listen

Let us know!

If you have a health topic that you would like us to discuss or are a health care specialist who wants to be a guest on our show let us know!

Here is our email.  We would love to hear from you! thh@radiomaria.ca

 

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, Cancer Coaching, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

Why You Need to Include Bee Products in Your Anti-Cancer Diet

Honeybees do and make amazing things!  We are all familiar with honey but in addition to this sweet nectar of the bees, they also produce other health promoting goodness that are great to include in your anti-cancer diet.

Let’s take a look!

Bee Propolis

Bee Propolis is made by honeybees through a fascinating process of mixing saliva and beeswax. These ingenious little buzzers use propolis to seal and protect their hives. Bee propolis is high in antioxidants containing various flavonoids, fatty acids, amino acids and a variety of vitamins.

Health benefits you ask?

Here are just a few.

Bee Propolis:

🐝 Aids in digestion

🐝 Improves immunity

🐝 Is anti-viral

🐝 Is anti-bacterial

🐝 Can be effective in relieving mucositis brought on by chemotherapy

Bee propolis is sold as a tincture, spray, paste or capsules so you would buy it in the form appropriate for what you want to use it for.

Chrysin is a polyphenol found in bee propolis (and honey as well).

Like many other flavonoids, chrysin has free-radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer activities (Mani 2018). Although few human studies have been conducted with chrysin, animal studies and in vitro studies suggest that it may protect against DNA damage (George 2017) and modulate several cell-signaling pathways involved in cancer progression, including those affecting inflammation, cell survival, cell growth, new blood vessel growth, and metastasis (Kasala 2015).

Bee Pollen

Bee pollen comes from the pollen that collects on the bodies of bees as they go flower to flower.

It is a mixture of pollen, saliva, and nectar or honey.

Bee pollen:

🐝 Is a complete protein

🐝 Is full of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and lipids

🐝 Increases energy

🐝 May help to lower blood pressure

Bee pollen is available in most health food stores.  They are tiny little gold nuggets and can easily be added to smoothies, mixed in with salads and sprinkled on top of yogurt.

Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly is a gelatinous substance produced by honeybees to feed the queen bees and larvae.

Royal Jelly:

🐝 Is rich in nutrients and anti-oxidants

🐝 May help to regulate blood sugar

🐝 Is anti-bacterial and anti-viral

🐝 May help to support a healthy immune system

It is most commonly sold in its jelly form or in capsules.

Honey

Honey is the most well known of the bee creations. It has a wonderful flavour and is a much healthier sweetener than regular sugar.

Honey:

🐝 Is a prebiotic food. It has oligosaccharides that can promote the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria

🐝 Possesses antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, apoptotic, and antioxidant properties

🐝 Is the oldest wound-healing agent known to mankind

Carbohydrates dominate the composition of honey taking up approximately 95–97% of its dry weight. Honey also includes proteins, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids.

Evidence has shown the presence of nearly thirty types of polyphenols in honey. Polyphenol levels in honey vary depending upon the floral source, the climatic and geographical conditions.

Sore Throat Remedy

Got a sore throat?  Try this!

Mix together:

  • 1 cup warm (not boiling) water
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ½ lemon, juice

Drink up to soothe your sore throat.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29161583/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549483/

https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/propolis-contains-compound-which-inhibits-triple-negative-breast-cancer-animal

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3985046/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31438508/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115303233

https://mmed.mosuljournals.com/article_159191_aa1b9268093c56c786ff149a3fd30d26.pdf

https://academic.oup.com/fqs/article/1/2/107/3860141

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5424551/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Eat Eggs
Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition Posted on 2 Comments on Yes Eat Eggs!

Yes Eat Eggs!

Eggs are pretty much the perfect food.

A large egg has approximately 71 calories, 5 grams of fat, less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and approximately 10 grams of high-quality protein.

They contain many nutrients that you need in your diet including vitamins A, several B’s, D, E & K.  They also have phosphorus, selenium, calcium, zinc and choline.

Cracking an egg opens up 2 very distinct inner parts, the egg white, called albumin and the yellow egg yolk.

The egg white acts as a protective cover for the yolk and makes up the majority of the egg’s total weight. The yolk makes up about 30% of the egg’s total weight, contains about 80% of the egg’s total calories and contains almost all of the fats in the egg. The yolk is the main source of nutrition for the developing embryo.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are:

  • low in calories
  • low in fat
  • richer in protein than egg yolks

Egg yolks

Egg yolks contain more vitamins than egg whites.   As well, vitamin A, D, E and K are found only in egg yolks and not in egg whites.

Of note, 90 percent of an egg’s calcium and 93 percent of its iron content is in the yolk.

Here are a few other interesting facts about eggs

Brown vs. White Shells

An egg’s shell colour has nothing to do with its nutritional value.  It is due to the breed of the hen that laid it. Hens with white feathers tend to lay white eggs and hens with red feathers tend to lay brown eggs.

What the Yolk Colour Means

Diet determines the colour of the egg yolk.  If the yolk is a dark yellow colour the hen was probably fed green vegetables. A medium-yellow yolk is likely a diet of corn and alfalfa.  A light-yellow yolk could be the result of eating wheat and barley.

Why shells stick more with fresh hard-boiled eggs than with older ones

If you use fresh eggs to make hard-boiled eggs, they are harder to peel than older eggs.  In fresh eggs, the egg white tends to stick to the inner shell membrane due to the less acidic environment of the egg than in an older egg.

As an egg ages, the egg shell becomes porous, absorbs more air, and releases some of its carbon dioxide. This makes the albumen more acidic, causing it to stick less to the inner membrane. The egg white also shrinks a bit, so the air space between the eggshell and the membrane grows larger, resulting in boiled eggs that are easier to peel.

For ideal peeling, use eggs that are 7 to 10 days old.

Hard-boiled eggs are a great way to eat eggs.  You can make them in bulk and they are handy-dandy portable.

How to Make the Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

  1. Add eggs to your pot and cover with water
  2. Bring to a boil
  3. Once the water is boiling, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes
  4. Drain and cover with cold water until eggs are cooled off

 

References:

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-amazing-facts-about-eggs-you-need-know.html

http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-egg-white-and-yolk

https://www.livestrong.com/article/526471-what-are-the-benefits-of-egg-yolks/

https://www.popsugar.com/food/Why-Fresh-Eggs-Difficult-Peel-When-Hard-Boiled-7429332

 

 

Author Cathy Biase Categories Podcasts, The Health Hub Posted on 0 Comments

This Week On The Health Hub…The Role of Nutrition For Promoting Healthy Mental Health with Dr. Uma Naidoo

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, Professional Chef and Nutrition Specialist. Her niche work is in Nutritional Psychiatry and she is regarded both nationally and internationally as a medical pioneer in this more newly recognized field. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Harvard Health Press, Goop, and many others, Dr Uma has a special interest on the impact of food on mood and other mental health conditions. In her role as a Clinical Scientist, Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr Naidoo graduated from the Harvard-Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program in Boston during which she received several awards including being the very first psychiatrist to be awarded the coveted “Curtis Prout Scholar in Medical Education”. Dr Naidoo, has been asked by The American Psychiatric Association to author the first academic text in Nutritional Psychiatry. In addition to this, Dr Naidoo is the author of the new book entitled, This Is Your Brain On Food released on August 4th, 2020. In her book, she shows the cutting-edge science explaining the ways in which food contributes to our mental health and how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues, from ADHD to anxiety, depression, OCD, and others.

Learning Points:

  • What is the role of nutrition in brain health?
  • Why is prevention key for healthy mental health?
  • How can we prepare children and parents for going back to school during COVID-19?
Social Media

Listen live or catch the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada.   Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.

TheHealthHub is now on iTunes!

Subscribe and don’t miss a single episode!

Follow us on Social Media

We are @thehealthhubrmc on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

How To Listen Live

Visit our website and learn how to listen live to our show each week. http://www.radiomaria.ca/how-to-listen

Let us know!

If you have a health topic that you would like us to discuss or are a health care specialist who wants to be a guest on our show let us know!

Here is our email.  We would love to hear from you! thh@radiomaria.ca

   
Author avisha Categories Blog, Cancer Coaching, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

Reading Produce Labels. What the Numbers Mean

The sticker that you find on fresh fruits and vegetables in the grocery store is called the PLU code, or Price Lookup Number.  The sticker codes for the price but also tells you how the food was grown. It tells if it is genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides.

What the Numbers Say

Here are the 1,2,3’s of reading the produce code:

  1. Four numbers in the PLU means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of chemicals. For example, 4033 is a small lemon.
  2. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8”, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable.  A genetically modified small lemon would be: 84033
  3. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9”, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified. An organic small lemon would be: 94033

Of note, the adhesive used to attach the stickers is considered food-grade, but the stickers themselves are not.

Protective Coatings Applied to Fruits & Vegetables

Produce develops a natural, protective coating called a cuticle as it grows.  After harvesting and before it is sent to the grocery stores, the produce is washed and most of this protective cuticle is removed.

To replace the natural cuticle, a protective coating may be applied to some produce including apples, lemons, avocados, cherries, nectarines, peaches, oranges and pears.

The coating helps to slow decay, retain moisture and increase the shelf life of fruits and veggies. It also serves to improve the look of the produce and is itself edible.

There are many types of protective coatings that can be used on produce.  All must comply with Canadian regulations and be acceptable for use in Canada.

Label Reading is an Art

Knowing the basics of label reading is important whether you are in the produce section or making your way down through the processed foods area.

It can be confusing.  If you want a short, crash course in Nutrition Label reading head on over to my blog post:

Tips for Reading Nutrition Labels

 

References:

https://www.halfyourplate.ca/fruits-and-veggies/fresh-facts-for-consumers/

Pay Close Attention To These Numbers When Buying Fruit 

 

 

 

 

 

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