Eat your vegetables!
The goal for any meal is one
that is high in antioxidants to
reduce oxidative stress and
inflammation in the body. The
best way to meet these re-
quirements when you are out
is to ensure your meal is high
in fruits and vegetables. Ditch
the French fries as your side
and opt for the garden salad
or seasonal veggies. If you’ve
really been craving those fries,
choose sweet potato fries
instead or share an order of
fries with your company.
Protein Power!
Your meal should include
a serving of protein and a
serving of starch in the form
of unrefined grains. Protein is
required for proper immune
function and involved in
almost every physiological
function in the body. Choose
chicken or fish as a substitute
for red meat (pork or beef).
Fish is high in omega-3 fatty
acids and are anti-inflamma-
tory in the body. Red meat
on the other hand is high
in omega-6 fatty acids and
promotes inflammation in
the body.
Unrefined grains such as
whole grain bread, brown
rice and whole wheat pasta
compared to white grains are
important because they pro-
vide you with more protein,
vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Fibre is important in your diet
because it improves immunity
and food digestion, promotes
“
Diet pop is healthier
than regular pop”
The use of artificial
sweeteners (aspartame)
found in many diet foods
and drinks have not been
shown to reduce the
risk of obesity. Artifi-
cial sweeteners are a
minimum of
200
times
sweeter than regular
sugar. Over time, people
tend to crave sweeter
things because they
become desensitized
to sugar.
“
All fat is bad”
Fat quality is more
important than quantity.
In particular, omega-3
fatty acids such as fish
oil are anti-inflamma-
tory and independently
reduce risk factors for
CVD. Also, omega-9 fatty
acids such as raw olive
oil actually decrease LDL
cholesterol.
“
All salads are healthy”
It is the vegetable quan-
tity in salads that make
them healthy so you
have to consider what
is in the salad. A salad
with breaded and fried
chicken, creamy salad
dressings and bacon
defeat the purpose of
choosing a salad as a
healthy choice.
“
Juice is just as good
as fruit”
If you have the choice,
choose whole fruits. The
skin of the fruit provides
you with more fibre con-
tent, is more filling and
has less sugar.
Nutritional
Myths
35
the removal of toxins and
enhances bowel health. So
when you are given the op-
tion, choose brown grains!
Portion Distortion!
Portion sizes have grown
significantly in restaurants
across North America and
often pack way more calories
than necessary for one meal.
Don’t feel bad about asking
for your “doggie bag.” Nearly
every restaurant is happy to
pack up your leftovers to take
with you, either to share with
someone at home, or as a
lunch for the following day!
Pace Yourself!
Lastly, eat slowly! Once you
start eating, it takes 20-30
minutes for a hormone to be
released that tells the brain
that you are full. Much of the
time, people eat too fast and
as a result eat many more
calories than are required to
make them feel satisfied.
Always remember that bal-
ance is key and that most
things are okay in moderation.
Paying attention to what you
eat on a daily basis can help
you decide if you feel you
can treat yourself. Most of all,
enjoy eating healthy and try
to influence others around you
to do the same. When you
are stuck deciding between
mozzarella sticks or a spinach
salad as an appetizer, remem-
ber, you are what you eat.
Want to know more? Curious
about what kind of a nutri-
tional “punch” your favourite
salad is packing? Most major
restaurants now offer their
nutritional information on-line
or as a pamphlet in the res-
taurant. Have a look and see
what small changes you can
make to improve your overall
well-being!
...................................................................
Deanna Gallo B.M.Sc, ND
(
Cand. 2013)
h e a l t h • l i f e • w e l l – b e i n g