Super Foods For A Stress Free Christmas!

During the holidays we all have high expectations for everything to turn out perfect. From holiday parties to that perfect gift and those large family gatherings.  We tend to take on too much and then stress and anxiety creep in when reality doesn’t quit measure up to that flawless image we had in our heads. The holidays are meant to be about making good memories and enjoying the day with family and friends. But no matter how much we want to enjoy ourselves stress is bound to tiptoe up on us. Surprisingly, eating and incorporating specific foods into our lives during the holidays is shown to reduce our stress levels, and help our body better cope with such demand. Of course, organic is always best.

Avocados and Bananas
Both contain potassium, which is proven to decrease blood pressure!

Swiss Chard
The magnesium in Swiss chard and other dark green vegetables, help balance the body’s stress hormone, cortisol. Sautéed Swiss chard and garlic are a great side dish to include in your holiday feast.

Milk
Have a glass to get more B-vitamins, protein, vitamin D and calcium to relieve tense muscles. Don’t forget to leave some for Santa Claus too!

Chocolate
Yes you read that right! Dark chocolate may lower the levels of stress hormones, as research has shown. Chocolate contains a sugar, which then releases mood-improving serotonin. Now you don’t have to feel as guilty for indulging during the season!

Blueberries
Pack a powerful punch of antioxidants and vitamin C. Our bodies need this in order to help them repair and protect the cells that are affected by stress.

Orange Juice
The perfect morning drink, orange juice is another vitamin C champion—helping in lowering blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol.

Celebrate Movemeber and Prostate Cancer Awareness

It’s that magical time of the year where upper lips everywhere might just be getting a little warmer.  Movemeber is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Canada and around the world. The purpose of this is to raise awareness for prostate cancer and men’s health in general.  So ladies -- prepare for the men in your lives to get slightly more dapper this month. In Canada 1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer in Canadian men.  There are a number of risk factors that range from age to ethnicity, but the factors that make the most impact are lifestyle and diet. Choosing a healthy diet that's low in fat and full of fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.  Knowing exactly which foods are beneficial can help to shape a diet to achieve its maximum health potential. Here are 5 super foods to include in your diet.

1) Tomatoes - Containing lycopene, they can be beneficial in the prevention of prostate cancer and reducing tumor growth among men with prostate cancer.

2) Broccoli - Studies have shown that individuals who eat a fair amount of broccoli have a significant decrease in the risk of prostate cancer. Sulforaphane, found in broccoli selectively target and kill cancer cells while leaving normal prostate cells healthy and unaffected.

3) Soy - A high-protein legume containing Isoflavones (a phytoestrogen), that contain cancer-fighting properties, which suppress tumor growth in prostate cancer cells.

4) Pomegranate Juice  - A rich source of antioxidants and has been publicized as a miracle fruit in preventing chronic diseases related to oxidative stress.

5) Flaxseed - Not only is flaxseed high in omega-3, it is also rich in lignans, a class of phytoestrogen that may act as an antioxidant. Both flaxseed and its oil have been promoted as anti-cancer substances.

Taking care of what matters most! An organic approach.

October has already blissfully begun. The leaves have started to change their color and those cold brisk mornings I spend walking my dog are a reminder that winter is not too far away. While the kids in my neighbourhood are already deciding on their scary costumes and carving their pumpkins, my mind drifts to a topic very dear to my heart: breast cancer. In Canada alone 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at one point in their lives. As unpleasant as it may be to talk about, the bottom line is that breast cancer is a preventable disease! As women we tend to put everybody's needs ahead of ours, but October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and what a better time than now to put the spotlight on us and our health!

Breast cancer is an estrogen dominant condition, and it’s important for us to understand what we can do for our health in order to avoid the exposure of estrogen mimicking chemicals and toxins, whether we get them from our food or from man-made products.

Organic produce is grown without these harmful man-made pesticides and herbicides. And by improving your nutrients you can give your body the best chance to be healthy and strong. And while there is no direct study that links pesticide exposure and breast cancer, I think we can all safely say that it is common sense, that all those chemicals are probably not so good for you.
So what foods are amazing for breast health? They’re not as bad as you might think, in fact their foods that you’re probably already eating and enjoying!
Here are 9 cancer fighting foods!

1) Cruciferous Vegetables - Eating cruciferous vegetables likes broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, kale, and arugula help prevent cancer by containing phytochemicals and by being rich in sulforaphane. Sulforaphane can target cells selectively and destroy them while leaving healthy ones unaffected.

2) Mushrooms may be tiny but they pack a powerful punch when it comes to fighting cancer cells. They contain a powerful antioxidant called L-ergothioneine, which increases the body’s ability to fight cancer cells.
Adding them to scrambled eggs, stews, stir-fry and fish dishes are perfect ways to incorporate mushrooms into your meals. 

3) Pomegranates are juicy and crunchy on the inside, perfect for desserts, salads and oatmeal. Pomegranates are blessed with ellagic acids, a very powerful antioxidant that may inhibit an enzyme that plays a role in breast cancer development. They are also linked to improved heart health.

4) Walnuts - Loaded with omega-3, antioxidants and phytosterols, snacking on them throughout the day could stop the development of breast cancer tumours as studies have shown.

5) Spinach - Personally one of my favourite leafy greens. It is loaded with B vitamin which is required for normal cell division making them an ideal breast cancer fighter.  Use them to enhance quiches, pasta dishes or even smoothies.

6) Eggs are one of the most popular breakfast items and are abundant in choline. Choline is a nutrient that is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer, according to multiple studies.

7) Squash and sweet potatoes - The famous Nurses' Health Study at Harvard Medical School found that women, who ate lots of foods rich in beta-carotene, reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as 25%.  Check out our newsletter for recipe ideas!

8) Flax Seed are so versatile.  They can be sprinkled onto salads, grilled chicken, or pasta. Flax seeds can also be grinded into a powder which you can then incorporate into your morning yogurt, or oatmeal for a rich and nutty flavour. They are overflowing with fiber and loaded with lignans, which have been showed to slow down tumor development.

9) Garlic helps protect the body's cells from carcinogens and disrupts the metabolism of tumor cells.  Roasted garlic is delicious and can be eaten on its own or added to pasta and meat dishes.

Guest Blog: The Scoop on Organics, Straight From the Horse’s Mouth

The Scoop on Organics, Straight From the Horse’s Mouth

My horse Midnight can sniff out a good organic apple.

Feed Midnight a regular apple and he sniffs it suspiciously while deciding whether or not to take a bite. But offer him a shiny organic McIntosh and he gobbles it up without hesitation.

This isn’t something I trained him to do. I’ve always known Midnight has very discerning taste but when it happened, I was shocked. This is a horse that loves his apples.

My horse’s preference for the organic option got me thinking about farming, food and nutrition. 

For me, it comes down to three major questions:

·        *  Is there really a difference between organic and non-organic foods when it comes to taste and nutrition?

·       * What does buying organic actually mean?

·       *  Is nutrition the only reason to buy organic?

I’ll do my best to answer all three.

What exactly is organic agriculture?

Organic agriculture is a “production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people,” according to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. It doesn’t rely on any synthetic chemicals (like pesticides), fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics and GMOs. 

The core principle behind organic agriculture is healthy soil production. Healthy soil equals healthy people. Improving soil quality in a way that works with nature — instead of against it — is the goal of organic farming.

This is important to remember because the nutritional value of our food is a reflection of the soil where it grows. If we want fruits and vegetables with higher nutritional value, then we need to improve the quality of the soil.

In essence, the health of a community is intimately tied to the health of its neighbouring ecosystems. We eat the food grown in the soil, which directly impacts the health of our bodies.  

Is organic food actually healthier for us?

There is a lot of debate about whether or not organic food is actually higher in nutritional value. This debate exists because no two farms are the same. Soil content won’t be the same on two different farms, even if they each grow carrots that look identical.

But science tells us that the nutrient value in plants is related to the soil in which they are grown. This is why it’s hard to make definitive statements about the quality of organic food in general. However, a five-year European study on the safety and quality of organic food concluded that organic food production methods yielded higher levels of nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants. 

The study also found the food was lower in heavy metals and pesticide residues, when compared to non-organic foods.

Isn’t buying organic too expensive?

When we pick up an organic watermelon and look for the sticker price, we’re only thinking about the cost of the fruit, not the overall cost of producing it. Many of us aren’t even aware of the true cost of food thanks to government subsidies that make it more affordable to consumers.

But the true cost of food is more than what comes out of our wallets. Two of our main crops in North America are corn and soybeans. We don’t just eat these crops; they’re also used to make ethanol and as animal feed. We’re highly dependent on these crops, which means we’re also dependent on the fossil fuels needed to farm, process and distribute them.

In the U.S., 19 per cent of fossil fuel use comes from the food system. Much of that energy goes into the input of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer, which must then be applied to crops with gasoline-powered tractors.

Organic farming, however, uses 30 per less energy in the production of corn and 20 per cent less energy for the production of soybeans.

Supporting organic, locally grown food that isn’t packaged can make a big difference in ensuring we have clean air and water for the future.

Finding time to buy organic

As school starts and schedules fill up, it gets hard to find time to prepare healthy meals, let alone purchase healthy food. For my busy clients, Organic Food Delivery (OFD) is a great option that delivers fresh, organic fruit, vegetables and groceries right to your doorstep.

Aware of its environmental footprint, OFD tries to source and deliver its products with as little impact on the earth as possible. Customers can go online to customize their grocery boxes, shop for the week and arrange free delivery.  

OFD is the healthy, organic choice for you, your family and the planet.

Michelle Heighington is a Toronto-based registered nutritionist.

  

The Organic Look

When people notice the OrganicFoodDelivery.com box on our door or if we mention we eat organic as much as we can we usually get the look. The "you believe in that crap" look, the "you are paying too much for nothing" look or the "oh, you are crunchy/granola or whatever other buzz word of the moment" look. Its funny that you are not supposed to discuss politics or religion with people but I am tempted to add on eating and specifically organics to that list!

I don't consider us atypical in our eating, we eat what everyone else eats. The difference is the sourcing of what we eat. Having small children and all the scary stuff out there in this big, bad world I try and make the best selections I can that are the safest. That all said the initial impact of organic food was to my tastebuds. I have to say I was skeptical initially about organic food, especially since there has been controversy about its authenticity and true benefit. However, one bite of an organic strawberry or watermelon and you are instantly reminded of how fruit tasted as you enjoyed it as a kid. Over the years I never noticed the change in the taste of these items and others, its been a slow, bland decline. Its scary how use to you can become to mediocre food. Having my tastebuds reminded of how things should taste has made me a bit of a food snob and the thought of eating food that tastes like nothing is simply unacceptable (picture that in a British accent to amp up the snobbery). Cut open an organic lemon and the entire house will be filled with that aroma, try that with a regular one and see the difference.

Secondary to my appetite, the fact that organic items are chemical (and other stuff) free sets my mind at ease. There are too many unknowns with all of things that are used and that is not a good feeling. I remember my kids the day they were born, these little innocent and pure beings, you want to keep them like that as long as you can. So trying to reconcile feeding them things that may make them sick or put chemicals into their systems sounds like more fiction than fact, unfortunately, its more like fact and not fiction in reality.

I am realistic, I am not SuperMom nor a fanatic - I do what I can. The "Mom guilt" makes us crazy trying to be perfect and keep our kids in a bubble. I try and provide organic and healthy as much as I can but sometimes time, money and, the usual good intention killer, convenience gets in the way.  Something is better than nothing, what I do tomorrow will be better than today and the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. None of these eases the twinge of "Mom guilt" but they act as small inspirations to try and do the best you can.

As I cut up watermelon to bring to the cottage this weekend for the kids to snack on in between swims the smell reminds me of the watermelon that my mom would cut up, that I used to eat, at the cottage, in between swims. Many years have gone by and we have all switched roles, somethings have changed; like I am serving an organic watermelon something my mother from 25 years ago would have never heard about but some things havent; kids being kids, enjoying the outdoors, the lake and a cool, ripe watermelon.  At that point the only "look" I am concerned with is the look on their faces as they imagine their next cannonball off the dock, with their sunburned noses (no matter how much sunscreen is on them!) and the watermelon in their hand.

Summer scramble

Its the most wonderful time of the year .... I keep singing that song to myself, even though a Christmas jingle, I am trying to remind myself why we look so forward to summer, make so many plans for summer and complain that its too short. We as Canadians seem to have this love/hate relationship with this season: its too hot, its too cool, it rains too much, it doesn't rain enough, there are bugs!

We are in the midst of a heat wave which is pretty typical for July in the GTA yet I find myself thinking, not going as far as actually verbalizing, why is it so hot? When is it going to cool down? The difficult thing with this weather is it so beautiful outside yet you cant go out an enjoy doing much or for very long, which leads to many meltdowns and tantrums from the kids. I am happy to wait out the wave indoors with air-conditioning and a cool drink but the kids have no interest in that whatsoever. Even some of their scheduled activities have been cancelled or postponed due to the weather, all fostering an environment of highly energized kids with energy to burn being thrown off their routine.

So three kids under 5 and what to do? I try and start with the least messy activities and hype up how fun these are, but who am I kidding, these kids live for things that are sticky, messy and create the most clean up possible for me. I try music and singing, they laugh and bop around for a few short minutes, looking at me like this is the musical interlude before the main show. Thats a wrap.

Lets try making something like cookies or muffins, its easy, they are excited to stir and crack and egg, its moderately messy but a quick clean up and should take some time to do. I picture them waiting in front of the oven for the entire 30 mins it takes to bake with huge anticipation watching the goodies rise and form into a treat for them to eat. Halfway through the mixing an egg is smashed on the floor, the youngest obviously thinks she should be served food only and not have to make it, my oldest is standing on the island with a handful of dough and I quickly realize this is going downhill, and fast. Ok, scrap the cookies, throw the whole experiment in the sink for later.

Colouring and stickers, great idea! I remember as a kid loving the stickers that smelled like something or the ones that were fuzzy feeling and spending endless time peeling and sticking, peeling and sticking. I grab the industrial size bag of mixed stickers, some paper and we are good to go. One of them asks for scissors to cut before peeling and sticking, I think ok, why not, lets get creative. Immediate fight ensues over scissors. So I grab two pairs for older kids and one for me to cut Piglets paper. I am fully engrossed in cutting something amazing for her when I look up to see all the paper cut into the smallest of pieces all over the place, stickers dumped out, backing peels strewn about and the older two about to play swords with the scissors. I don't remember it quite going like this when I was a kid. I call a truce in the sword war and confiscate the weapons. The paper is flying like confetti and I manage to sweep it in a pile in the corner to deal with later.

My son has a great idea....painting. I try to negotiate with this kid like a trained hostage negotiator pulling out all kinds of tactics but the numbers are gaining on me, in very quick order I have three chanting something about painting and revolting, or revolting then painting. I am not sure which order but either way it sounds bad. I tell myself, they have gotten some energy out and they will enjoy this, as a good mother I will let them paint....on my fabric parsons chairs, yes I will let them paint...with makeshift aprons randomly tied to them not really covering any clothes, yes I will let them paint...the paint cant be permanent right? Oh no, which paint did I buy, is it the easily washable kind? I am sure it must be, why would they sell kids paint that isn't easily washable, I mean, all kids related products should be washable, a well crafted skill of all kids is to spill, isn't it? The bottle isn't saying that it is washable, but then my glass-is-half-full-side of my brain is saying, well its not saying it isn't, so maybe it is. Regardless, I am in this deep, the chanters are right at my heels, they are not going to take no for an answer. Paint in cups, brushes in hand, paper taped to table and kids vibrating with excitement. Ok lets paint. Within seconds water and paint is spilled, someone has touched someone else's paper which makes it null and void and a new paper is required ASAP. A little paint on ones face, agh isn't that cute, A little more paint on the face, thats a little too much but I will wipe it later. Ok thats now alot of paint on her face. As soon as I wipe that off I notice some paint is on their clothes now, no big deal, I will throw that right in the wash. Ok thats a little more nothing to panic about....ok thats going to be a "just at home" type of shirt now even though they have worn it only a handful of times. They are having a ball and coming up with some crazy explanations of the blobs of paint on the paper, they see things in the abstract and I immediately appreciate the youthfulness and innocence they see through their eyes. Bang. That couldn't be....yep it is. One container of paint has fallen off the table and landed right on my chair. With a smile on my face to reassure the kids their art is the best thing ever I grab a cloth and start to scrub, and scrub and soon realize, this is in no way washable paint. Its actually the reverse, its more like permanent paint. I am in the middle of a silent meltdown over a fabric chair when one of the munchkins holds up their work of art and says "Mom, I made this just for you, I hope you like it". In an instant I could care less about the chair, about the huge pile of cut up paper, about the sink full of half made cookies and about how my kids look like they are wearing head to toe camouflage paint. Of course I love the picture, or the paper with about five pounds of paint on it. The canvass is immediately put on display in the most in demand spot: the fridge. Two others flank it in minutes and the painting party is over.

Its about lunch time now and after somewhat getting the paint off of them they sit at the island looking at me talking about nothing really but its the best sound ever. They put in their requests of what they want to eat; cheesy noodles, cucumber and fruit. Within a few minutes I whip up a package of Annie's noodles with cheese sauce, a local cucumber cut into rounds and for dessert a sweet watermelon and grape kebob. They eat pretty much everything and I get them to sit and watch a show for a few minutes so I can clean up and have a few minutes to refocus. As I look around my kitchen I see whats left of the  things we did that morning and hope that even if they don't remember this exact day that they remember about these types of days. Having fun, making a mess and being healthy. The things I fed to them were things they liked which made them happy, they were also all organic, which made me happy.