A new start

Good morning everyone,

I am going to be retiring this website.  I have been working hard at getting my business going and will soon be going back to work and don't feel I will be able to keep both sites going.

If you would like to keep in touch and see what is going on and maybe book an appointment, please head on over to our business website:

www.calgary-nutrition.com

Thank you

Sheri

why I stopped buying my produce at big box stores

I know I might have people disagreeing with me on this post, but hear me out.

I use to be a loyal big box store purchaser of my fresh produce, as well as numerous other "stuff" that would make it's way into my cart during the trip.  It would take me quite some time to unpack my haul, divide it up and put away.  Ah, a freshly stocked kitchen, always made me feel better, my family would have lots of food to choose from and everything was, for the most part, healthy.

Over the last little while, maybe a year, my thinking has shifted and here are a few reasons why:

• Food waste - this has been a thorn in my side for a long time, I am not the best meal planner and would buy big bags of lettuce, broccoli or snow peas with full intention of using in recipes, snacks and freezing any remainders.  Ha!  My good intentions were never good.  Life would happen and we would forget the big bag of broccoli was in the fridge and the next thing it was growing legs and trying to escape out of the crisper.  In the garbage it would go.  Money wasted.  In this report from the Globe and Mail in October of last year, Canadian's waste billions of dollars in food each year, Billions people!  We waste over 40% of what we buy, approximately $600 a year, think of where else that money could go.   Why do Canadians waste so much food, everyone has different reasons, one "food" for thought is that food is cheap, but at $600 a year of waste, "cheap", doesn't really make sense. In at 2008 study by the Dietitians of Canada, Albertans (specifically Calgarians) spent 27% of their income on food, for a family of four that is approximately $784 a month.  Imagine wasting 40% of that?  I have been buying less and using it up, I was feeling overwhelmed with the huge amount of salad I had and try to figure out when to eat it.  I re-evaluated what we ate most of and what we didn't.  I have changed my buying habits and now my food waste has decreased.  Think about what you eat and why, making a special dish, you don't need 10 lbs of broccoli, hit up the farmers market and buy what you need.  Meal planning also adds to buying only what you need and nothing more. 

• The cost of transport - the big box stores bring in food from all over, mostly California, Mexico or South America.  That is a long distance, produce is picked before it is ripe, sprayed with a chemical, ethylene in ripening rooms and then transported for weeks until it finally reaches it's destination.  A loss of nutrients when picked before ripe is a concern.

• The cost to the lands - not our land here in Canada, but the lost land in South America, huge sections of the rainforest are destroyed to make way for crops, mining or cattle ranching.  Where does this food go, to developed countries, mostly U.S., Canada and Japan. The rainforest is not something we can regrow in a couple of years, we can't bring back the wildlife that called it home and we can't bring back the vast ecology that once was.  It makes me feel selfish, sad and guilty.  Why, so we can eat strawberries in the dead of winter?  In California the crops are using up huge amounts of water, don't get me started on the fertilizers and pesticides, which add to the amount of water used, because of soil salinization.  "Producers have dealt with soil salinization by leaching salts from the soil. Leaching entails applying extra water to carry the salts below the root zone of the crops, so crops are not affected."  from www.cdfa.ca.gov.  More water is needed over time to reach the roots of the crops.  This uses a lot of a very precious natural resource, WATER!

• The cost to our land - not necessarily the same costs as above, but the cost to our farmers.  We have a very diverse group of farmers here in Alberta that are dedicated to supplying us with fresh, wholesome, natural products.  Their product doesn't have far to travel, Alberta has always been farm land, no destruction of natural resources here and for the most part there is a very good variety of organic farms.  But if we don't support these farmers they will go away and then more of the rainforest will be destroyed, more water will be needed for crops (think where this water, for the most part originates) and more poor quality foods will invade our grocery shelves.  Poor quality food is not nutrition dense, locally grown food, grown in good soil and picked when ripe, transported a small distance and sold immediately is very nutrient dense.

There have been other stories in the news about our food supply, the popularity of quinoa in the undeveloped countries is affecting the people of these countries that produce it.  There is a double edge sword to it's popularity, more money for the growers, but now the cost to the locals is out of reach.  Something that was staple in their diet for centuries, they now can't afford.  Here is an interesting article in the New York Times about this

Here are some resources for local and Canadian suppliers of produce, including quinoa.

For quinoa, I found this company, NorQuin Brand, in Saskatoon, SK, when purchasing be sure to choose quinoa grown in Canada.  Doing a quick calculation, the last bag of quinoa I bought at the big box store was $14.97 for 4 lbs, organic quinoa here is approximately $28.00.  If this cost is too high, go in with a friend or two and buy bulk.

For food waste tips, here is a quick sheet from David Suzuki.

Here is a good website for organic farming here in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  There is a interactive map where you can choose your area and then select what you are looking for meat, beans or fruits or vegetables, for example.

Also shop the Farmers Markets, here in Calgary we have three markets open all year round and in the summer there are more.  Please support them and support our local farmers.

Again, these are my reasons for changing my shopping ways, yes it may cost me more, but the nutritional value, the ethical value and the health of my family is worth it.  If big box stores work for you, great, keep going, I am all for eating healthy and if that is how you can afford to do it, then go for it!  There are numerous reasons to change your eating habits, do some reading, educate yourself and make a good choice for you and your family.

On another note, I have the company logo done, waiting on the business cards and then will let you know how to book an appointment, so you can get healthy and happy in 2013.

Keep trying...
Sheri

In the news

After my post last week, I opened up a couple of different media papers from around Calgary and noticed a few articles chatting with Holistic Nutritionists.  I was very happy to see this.

Here are the links.




http://calgaryjournal.ca/index.php/healthyliving/nutrition/1333-son-s-health-scare-makes-mom-passionate-about-healthy-food

A mother takes matters into her own hands when mainstream medical doctors could not figure out what was causing her son's acute pancreatitis.  This is her story.

This is the clinic she is working at and they offer a variety of services supporting fertility, prenatal and postnatal care. 

http://www.fertilecalgary.com/

The second story I found was in the Neighbours magazine that comes out on Thursday's published by the Calgary Herald.  I can not find the link online, the Calgary Herald doesn't seem to let you access the articles from the paper.  The article is a 5 part series, in Resolutions, Part 3, Simple Eating Changes Bring Big Benefits.  They interviewed Anastasia Hendryanto of A Healthy Journey.  A Holistic Nutritionist, here is a link to her website.

Our son's school has also joined up with a company made up of Holistic Nutritionist to supply healthy eating tips and demonstrations to the school. 

We are gaining ground, getting more recognition and becoming the choice for people and companies. I think it's fantastic.

So, what is the difference?

When I tell people what I do, I sometimes get the questions, "What is the difference between a Holistic Nutritionist and a Dietitian?"  This question is becoming less frequent, as I feel more and more people are opening up to alternative means of feeling better and getting healthy.

I was prompted to write this post after a friend, had a friend, who wrote a series of posts slamming RHN's.  I was quite mad at some of her comparisons and then I was a bit sad, she must be feeling threatened if she was to write such words. 

So here is how I see it.

A Dietitian:

Works with the Canada Food Guide.

Is Government regulated.

Works with MD’s and in hospitals, science-based profession.

Deals with calories, fat grams, protein grams and carbohydrate grams along with vitamins and minerals.

Often recommends things like artificial sweeteners, nitrite/nitrate foods and fat substitutes.

Tends not to promote organic, and free-range products.

Services are generally covered by public and/or private health insurance plans.

A Holistic Nutritionist:

Deals with the whole person offering recommendations specific to each persons’ needs and body imbalance.

Voluntarily regulated by non-profit, private organizations (see below).

Works with client towards getting to the root cause of the body imbalance, looking at toxicity, food and environmental sensitivities, micro-organism imbalances and pollution.

Recommends nutrients, foods and detoxification. 

Makes suggestions for lifestyle, and supplement changes.

Considers the long-term impact and implications of additives, preservatives, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and herbicides.

Services are sometimes covered by private health insurance plans.  (check with your health plan)

As a Holistic Nutritionists we have a Code of Ethics that we follow and a strict Scope of Practice.  We do not diagnosis, treat or cure an individual, we work with the whole being, helping to balance an effected body system.  We work on the body, mind and soul of the person, looking at all aspects of their lives and helping them work towards a more balanced body, mind and soul.


The main services provided by an RHN include the following:

 

a) Document client’s goals, needs, and plans;
b) Evaluate client’s food selection, preparation and intake;
c) Evaluate client’s lifestyle and overall feeling of well-being;
d) Evaluate client’s use of dietary supplements;
e) Identify client’s nutritional imbalance(s) and lifestyle habits;
f) Work with other health care professionals, if applicable, in order to determine all nutritional and lifestyle-changing needs of the client, including referring client to other health care professionals as deemed appropriate;
g) Support the progress of the client’s health goals by creating an individualized wellness program, which will include the use of whole, nutrient-dense foods; menu plans; natural source supplements; and lifestyle modifications - including the use of non-toxic, environmentally friendly household/personal products;
h) Provide further guidance to the client, if necessary, by explaining food labels, and by offering food preparation techniques and shopping tips;
i) Guide the client in the implementation of a long term personal health plan, provide education when necessary, and offer ongoing assessments;
j) Monitor the client’s personal health plan in order to reinforce participation in the achievement of the health goals;
k) Act as a community educator to the public and to other health care professionals, developing curriculum, preparing manuals, writing articles, publishing books, and teaching;
l) Promote health discussions in schools, workplaces, and community agencies;
m) Bring holistic nutrition knowledge, principles, and philosophy to other professions.

There are several association we can align ourselves with for advanced courses, upgrading and board certification.  They are:


CAHN-Pro - CAHNPro, an association for the advancement of holistic nutritionists, maintains standards for the profession through its research studies, apprenticeship program, and upgrading requirements for continued board certification.
http://www.cahnpro.org/

CANNP - CANNP is Canada's leading nutritional association dedicated to well qualified members and the sharing of fresh, reliable, interesting nutrition and health information.
http://cannp.ca/

IONC - IONC International Organization of Nutritional Consultants is the professional organization that represents 700 plus Holistic and Orthomolecular health Practitioners in Canada and internationally.   IONC is a not for profit corporation established in 1983 to assure the public that practitioners are meeting high educational standards.
http://www.ionc.org/

I feel slowly science is catching up with what we have been saying for years, what we eat effects how we feel. 

There is a place for both of our professions as there are all types of people in the world and slamming a profession because you may feel threatened or to try to discredit them only makes you look less professional.

If you are seeking to feel better and get back your health, read up on both professions and make your own decision.  Just like everything else in your life, YOU are in charge, make the best decision for YOU!

2013, a new year for new beginnings

Hello all,

Hope you had a fantastic Christmas and New Years, I can't believe it is 2013.  I remember when I was in grade 5 and during a math assignment we had to calculate how old we would be in 2000.  I was going to be 35, to a 10 year old, that was OLD!  Holy cow, will I be old.  And here we are 13 years later and I don't feel old at all, tired maybe, but certainly not old.

When having kids I think there are times you look at their world and realize how much has really changed from when you were their age.  I wonder some days if my parents worried about my sister and me the way I worry about my kids.  Different dynamics in each age of parenting.

So with that brief reflection here is what I have planned for this here little blog and life in general.

• Expand on the blog.  Although this started out as a blog about converting the boy to a better, whole foods way of eating, I have not been on track and it may evolve into "what the family ate".  There are many aspects to our family, the boy with his picky eating, myself being a vegetarian and the girl and hubby eating anything.  I may make it more a family blog about what everyone is eating instead.
• Food waste!  Ugh!  I can't believe how much food this family wastes and this is something I am definitely tackling this year.  The onus will be on me to be a better meal planner, a better shopper and better cook, this will take some time to get a system going and I will blog about it along the way.
• Take better pictures.  My hubby handed down to me a very nice camera, unfortunately it was a really nice camera with WAAAYYY too many bells and whistle, and I could not figure it out, so I am now selling it on kijiji and hoping to get a DSLR camera that is more user friendly for a beginner (any suggestions).  This is not only for better pictures for the blog, but also better pictures about our family and documenting the fabulous things that go on.
• Start some family traditions.  This is something I truly noticed this Christmas.  When trying to get together with other families for dinner or play dates, they were off doing something that was a "family tradition".  Both the kids noticed it as well, something I felt quite bad about. 
• Organized.  I have a beautiful binder (Martha Stewart) that I filled with all the things that I need when I go out: lists, meal planning, shopping lists, paint colours, house measurements, etc.  It sits on my bookshelf in the kitchen with my cookbooks.  When I do use it, I plan out my day, get things done, feel like I accomplished something.  When I let is slid, by the end day I am feeling like I didn't achieve anything and frustrated.  I am going to put that binder on top of my kitchen counter and leave it there.
• Use my cookbooks.  I have over 40 cookbooks and I love them all, I have made at least one recipe out of each one.  This year I am going through them and deciding which ones I truly use and donate the rest.  Then I am actually going to use them, this will coincide with my meal planning and will help expand our families food choices.

• Start a consulting business.  I am teaming up with my friend over at Chews to Eat Well to start a holistic nutrition consulting business.  We have our business plan done, a company name and we are now working on our business cards, getting a logo, forms, business license, etc.  Whew!  there is a lot to think about and I awake in the middle of the night and think about things to add to the never ending list of "stuff" to look up.  I am taking this retreat in January and am really looking forward to what I will be learning from Kim, I have heard nothing but excellent things about it.

OPENING SOON...

There you have it, I will have a blogging schedule of 1 to 2 times a week to begin with until I get a rhythm going and then hope to expand and also include the new business as well.

Here's to a fabulous 2013, please join me in the journey.

Sheri