Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
HealthierYou
HealthierYou March 2019
Page 13 Ways to each kids how to
eat in moderation
Page 11 page 5
Canada’s new food guide:
A more efficient way to breath for exercisers
What Northern Health dietitians have to say
Product of
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HealthierYou
HealthierYou
March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
03 Protein-rich diet
best for seniors facing illness and stress
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Available on-line at:
05 Canada’s new food guide:
What Northern Health dietitians have to say
07 The Big Number:
Diet drinks linked to 23 percent increase in stroke risk in women
08 Jade rollers: 16 09 Processed foods:
Wrinkle-fighting wonder cure or sham?
A balancing act
11 Nasal breathing
may be more efficient for exercisers
13 Teaching kids moderation
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Tips to support your kids eating in moderation
14 Promoting positive body image
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Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
When facing stress or illnesses, seniors should stick to a
protein-rich diet
By Judith Graham Older adults need to eat more protein-rich foods when they’re trying to lose weight, dealing with a chronic or acute illness, or facing a hospitalization, according to a growing consensus among scientists. During these stressful periods, aging bodies process protein less efficiently and need more of it to maintain muscle mass and strength, bone health, and other essential physiological functions. Even healthy seniors need more protein than when they were younger to help preserve muscle mass, experts suggest. Yet up to one-third of older adults don’t eat an adequate amount due to reduced appetite, dental issues, impaired taste, swallowing problems and limited financial resources. Combined with a tendency to become more sedentary, this puts them at risk of deteriorating muscles, compromised mobility, slower recovery from bouts of illness and the loss of independence. Impact on functioning. Recent research suggests that older adults
who consume more protein are less likely to lose “functioning”: the ability to dress themselves, get out of bed, walk up a flight of stairs and more. In a 2018 study that followed more than 2,900 seniors over 23 years, researchers found that those who ate the most protein were 30 percent less likely to become functionally impaired than those who ate the least amount. While not conclusive (older adults who eat more protein may be healthier to begin with), “our work suggests that older adults who consume more protein have better outcomes,” said Paul Jacques, co-author of the study and director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Program at Tufts University’s Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
In another study, which was published in 2017 and followed nearly 2,000 older adults over six years, people who consumed the least amount of protein were almost twice as likely to have difficulty walking or climbing steps as those who ate the most, after adjusting for health behaviors, chronic conditions and other factors. “While eating an adequate amount of protein is not going to prevent age-associated loss of muscle altogether, not eating enough protein can be an exacerbating factor that causes older adults to lose muscle faster,” said Wayne Campbell, a professor of nutrition science at Purdue University. So how much protein should seniors eat? The most commonly cited standard is the recommended
“Up to one-third of older adults don’t eat an adequate amount due to reduced appetite, dental issues, impaired taste, swallowing problems and limited financial resources.”
dietary allowance (RDA): 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day. For a 150-pound woman, that translates into eating 55 grams of protein a day; for a 180-pound man, 65 grams. To put that into perspective, a 6-ounce serving of Greek yogurt has 18 grams; a half-cup of cottage cheese, 14 grams; a 3-ounce serving of skinless chicken, 28 grams; a halfcup of lentils, 9 grams; and a cup of milk, 8 grams. Older adults were rarely included in studies used to establish the RDAs, however, and experts caution that this standard might not adequately address health needs in the older population. After reviewing additional evidence, an international group of physicians and nutrition experts in 2013 recommended that healthy older adults consume 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily - a 25 to 50 percent increase over the RDA. (That’s 69 to 81 grams for a 150-pound woman, and 81 to 98 grams for a 180-pound man.) Story Continues on Page 4
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For seniors with acute or chronic diseases, the group suggested protein intake of 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight while noting that the precise amount needed “depends on the disease, its severity” and other factors. (At the 1.5 grams-per-kilogram level, a 150-pound woman would need to eat 102 grams of protein daily, while a 180-pound man would need to eat 123 grams.) Even higher levels, up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight, could be needed, it noted, for older adults who are severely ill or malnourished. (These recommendations don’t apply to seniors with kidney disease, who should not increase their protein intake unless they’re on dialysis, experts said.) “Protein becomes much more important during events in an older adult’s life that force them into a situation of muscle disuse - a hip or knee replacement, for instance,” said Stuart Phillips, director of McMaster University’s Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research in Canada. “Higher amounts of protein have value when something in an older adult’s body is changing,” Campbell agreed. He co-wrote a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine that did not find benefits from raising protein intake for older men. This could be because the intervention period, six months, wasn’t long enough. Or it could have been because the study’s participants had adjusted to their diets and weren’t exposed to additional stress from illness, exercise or weight loss, Campbell said. Another recommendation calls for older adults to spread protein consumption evenly throughout the day. This arises from research showing that seniors are less efficient at processing protein in their diet and may need a larger “per-meal dose.” “The total dose that you eat may not matter as much as the dose you eat at a given meal,” said Elena Volpi, a professor of geriatrics and cell biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “If I eat too little protein during a meal, I may not adequately stimulate the uptake of amino acids into
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March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
skeletal muscle. If I eat too much, say from a large T-bone steak, I won’t be able to store all of it away.” Based on her research, Volpi suggests that older adults eat 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal. Practically, that means rethinking what people eat at breakfast, when protein intake tends to be lowest. “Oatmeal or cereal with milk isn’t enough; people should think of adding a Greek yogurt, an egg or a turkey sausage,” Volpi said. Protein in all forms is fine. Animal protein contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need; plant protein doesn’t. If you’re a vegetarian, “it just takes more work to balance all the amino acids in your diet” by eating a variety of foods, said Denise Kathryn Houston, associate professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina. Otherwise, “I would typically recommend having some animal protein in your diet.” As long as red meat is lean and you don’t eat it too often, “that’s OK,” Houston said. What about powdered or liquid protein supplements? “There’s generally no need for supplements unless someone is malnourished, sick or hospitalized,” Volpi said. In a study not yet published, she examined the feasibility of supplementing the diets of older adults discharged from the hospital with extra protein for a month. Preliminary data, yet to be confirmed in a larger clinical trial, shows that “this can improve recovery from a hospitalization,” Volpi said. “The first line of defense should always be real food,” said Samantha Gallo, assistant director of clinical nutrition at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “But if someone isn’t able to consume a turkey sandwich and would rather sip a protein shake during the day, we’ll try that.” But older adults should not routinely drink protein shakes instead of meals, Gallo said. “That’s a bad idea that can actually result in reduced protein and calorie intake over the long term,” she said. Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent news service and is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. ©2019, Kaiser Health News
Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
HealthierYou
Canada’s new food guide:
What Northern Health dietitians have to say No doubt you’ve heard: Canada’s new food guide has finally been released. With a brand new look (bye-bye rainbow!) and recommendations going beyond food choices, it has already caused quite a bit of conversation! By Lise Luppens, Population Health Dietitian, Northern Health
Story Continues on Page 6
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March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
Story ContinueD FROM PAGE 5
No doubt you’ve heard: Canada’s new food guide has finally been released. With a brand new look (bye-bye rainbow!) and recommendations going beyond food choices, it has already caused quite a bit of conversation! Wondering about Northern Health’s (NH) take on all the excitement? We polled NH dietitians to hear what they like about the new resource. Read on for what they had to say: “I like that the new food guide emphasizes the importance of how we eat. Our relationship with food and how we enjoy our meals is as important as the nutritional quality of the foods we’re eating.” -Courtenay Hopson, Prince George “I appreciate the clear picture on the guide. The fruits and vegetables are easily recognizable and are available in Canada. It features canned and frozen options, in addition to fresh, as at certain times of the year these can be cheaper and easier to find.” -Rebecca Fraser, Vanderhoof “Canada’s new food guide is simple, to the point, and leaves room for each of our own unique diets – how fresh! It promotes a more normalized way of thinking about food and nutrition, and helps reassure Canadians that if they’re cooking at home and enjoying food, then they are likely eating fairly well. My takeaway? Let’s make meal times important again!” -Olivia Newton, Quesnel “I love that the new food guide emphasizes plant-based proteins. This will have positive results for personal health, but also supports eating patterns that are more environmentally sustainable.” -Danielle Billey, Terrace “The new food guide is practical and focuses on HOW to eat by supporting a positive eating environment. It’s important to cook and eat with others, be mindful around your eating habits, and truly enjoy your food.” -Erin Branco, Prince George “I like that industry-funded research did not inform the development of the guide. This goes a long way to increase the trust the public has in the recommendations.” -Judy April, Dawson Creek “The new food guide focuses
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Photo courtesy Of Northern Health
“Our relationship with food and how we enjoy our meals is as important as the nutritional quality of the foods we’re eating.” - Courtenay Hopson, Prince George on how we eat,more than how much we eat, supporting clients to tailor actions based on their preferences and lifestyle. It’s about implementing small changes to enjoy a variety of healthy foods in meaningful ways.” -Amelia Gallant, Fort St. John “I like that the new food guide emphasizes food skills and ways to minimize food waste. It also considers other environmental impacts of the foods we choose and encourages more plant-based proteins, such as pulses [the family of plants that include dried peas, dry beans,
lentils, and chickpeas].” -Hannah Orfald-Clarke, Fort St. John “The new food guide supports people to start where they are at and to make small sustainable changes. For example, ‘cook more often’ will mean different things to different people – it might mean starting to cook, cooking on the weekend, cooking every day, or cooking with your kids or grandkids more often, depending on your current practices and available resources and opportunities.” -Flo Sheppard, Terrace “The new food guide reflects that there is no one way to eat. Enjoying
food with others is important, and a wide variety of foods fit within a healthy eating pattern.” -Laurel Burton, Prince George Well, there you have it – Northern Health dietitians think there’s quite a bit to like about the new food guide! We might also take this opportunity to remind folks that it’s a guide, and that dietitians can be great support for individuals with unique nutritional needs who would benefit from tailored recommendations. Are you looking for support from a dietitian? There are dietitians in various communities across Northern Health. A referral may be required. BC residents can also access Dietitian Services at HealthLink BC, by calling 8-1-1 (or 604-215-8110 in some areas) and asking to speak with a dietitian.
HealthierYou
Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
The Big Number:
Diet drinks linked to 23 percent increase in stroke risk in women By Linda Searing Citizen News Service
Swapping regular sodas for diet drinks might seem like a smart way to cut calories. But new research suggests that women who drink a lot of artificially sweetened beverages increase their risk of having a stroke by 23 percent. What’s a lot? At least two diet beverages a day for this study. Those women are 31 percent more likely to have the most common type of stroke - an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a clot. The findings came from the analysis of about 12 years of health data on 81,714 women 50 and older. The researchers compared women who drank two daily diet sodas or fruit drinks with those who drank such beverages less than once a week or not at all. The study did not identify the specific artificial sweeteners that the
drinks contained. The researchers found that high consumption of the diet beverages also came with an increase in other health risks, including a 29 percent greater chance of developing heart disease and a 16 percent increased likelihood of premature death. In addition, for black women and obese women, the chance of having an ischemic stroke more than doubled if they were high-level consumers of diet drinks. All participants in the research were middle-aged and older women, so whether the findings would apply to anyone else remains unclear. What to do? The American Heart Association, which published the study in its journal Stroke, recommends water - plain, carbonated or flavored, but unsweetened - as the best choice for a no-calorie drink.
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March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
Jade rollers:
Wrinkle-fighting wonder cure or sham? by Elizabeth Kiefer Citizen News Service
When I was a kid, my grandmother kept a clean metal spoon in the refrigerator. If her allergies would act up - or whenever she felt like her under-eyes were puffy - she would pull the cold spoon out and roll the rounded back beneath her eyes, for 30 seconds each. It’s a cheap, easy beauty hack I regularly use myself these days. It is also a comparable yesteryear version of today’s jade roller craze. For the unfamiliar, a jade roller is pretty much what it sounds like: a hand-size, paint-roller-like apparatus with a cylinder of jade stone at one end. Jade rollers are said to have been a part of beauty routines among Chinese elites since the Qing dynasty, which began in the early 17th century; people who associate stones with certain properties claim jade has a special ability to heal and soothe. Flash forward a few hundred years: In 2018, jade rollers were all the rage on Instagram, beloved by beauty bloggers across the globe. Their popularity can be attributed to their position at the intersection of two trends: increasing interest in both self-care and “natural” wellness products. You can acquire a jade roller for $12.99 on Amazon.com or $40 at Sephora; if you prefer rose quartz, that’s an option, too - for $45 on Goop.com. Some evangelists claim that the rolling motion of the stone on your face can help clear toxins and decrease puffiness, while others assert much loftier results: that regular use of jade rollers can erase wrinkles, stimulate collagen, tighten
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pores and potentially improve inflammatory skin conditions. They’re often touted as an “antiaging” tool (a phrase some beauty circles, such as Allure magazine, have banned). In reality, explains Suzanne Friedler, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, jade rollers are about as effective as any form of facial massage when done correctly. “Any time you massage any of the tissues, you’re increasing circulation. Your skin may look brighter, more luminous, maybe more contoured and less puffy,” she says. “But if you’re looking for substantive change, that’s not going to happen with the jade roller. It’s also not going to have an effect on inflammatory conditions like eczema or psoriasis.” Susan Bard, a dermatologist with Manhattan Dermatology Specialists, says that people need to be wary about the potential for jade rollers to transmit bacteria - if you’re not disinfecting your roller, you may wind up doing more harm than good - and about overly aggressive usage. “The coldness of
the stone can certainly help reduce puffiness. But the drawbacks are if you rub too vigorously, you can actually aggravate acne or create irritation.” She agrees that using a roller regularly can have some skindeep benefits, but adds that it’s not the jade itself that’s the special ingredient. The heart keeps our blood moving throughout the circulatory system at a regular clip. But lymphatic system fluid - which contains white blood cells and plays an important role in protecting the body from germs and disease - flows more slowly and can be helped along manually. Massage in any form can decrease puffiness by helping to move retained fluid (known as lymph) out of areas where it has gotten stuck, explains Bard. Meanwhile, coldness, from a stone or even a metal spoon, can decrease inflammation by causing blood vessels to contract. Elizabeth Taylor, owner and lead esthetician of True Beauty Brooklyn in New York, regularly incorporates manual lymphatic drainage into her facials. There are upward of 300 lymph nodes (essentially, checkpoints where lymph gets filtered for infection) in the face and neck,
Taylor says; facial massage can help get the lymph moving and drained away. In turn, that can make your face look more contoured and give your skin that sought-after glow. The good news is that you can also pull this off on your own: Using a face oil, serum or a silky face wash, pinch your thumb and forefinger together and, starting from the center of your chin, gently push backward along your jawline a few times. Then, place your ring finger next to your inner eye and, with light pressure, trace a half circle underneath your eyes, up to the temples. Finally, place the tips of all 10 fingers in the center of your forehead and draw your fingers outward. At the very least, the massage itself feels great. If you do see an extra glow or reduced puffiness, don’t get too excited. “These are all temporary results,” says Friedler. Facial massage - with a stone or otherwise - is not a magical cure for all your skin complaints. Claims that using a jade roller helps stimulate collagen -the main structural protein of the skin - lack veracity: According to Friedler, the only way to do that is to traumatize the collagen with laser treatments, acid peels or retinoids. Bard supplied one more caveat for anyone hopping on the “natural skin care” bandwagon. “There are natural things that do have benefits, like aloe, and there are natural things that you wouldn’t want to put on your face - like poison ivy. Just because something has been around for a million years doesn’t mean it’s the best option. Scientifically proven products are always the best ones to go with.”
Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
HealthierYou
Photo courtesy Of Northern Health
Processed foods:
A balancing act By Flo Sheppard Team Lead/Chief Population Health Dietitian, Northern Health
When you hear the term “processed foods,” what’s your first thought? Does it bring to mind memories of canning salmon or making jam? What about a childhood comfort food (like that bowl of mac and cheese with hot dog wiener slices) or visiting the carnival? Does it evoke positive or negative feelings? My guess is that “processed foods” is more likely to be seen in a negative way. What are processed foods?
A simple definition is that processed foods are foods that are purposefully changed before eating. This broadly includes three different types of processing: • Primary processing, which changes raw materials into food
products. For example, when tomatoes are cleaned, sorted, and packaged into cartons. • Secondary processing, which turns ingredients into food products. For example, when tomatoes become tomato sauce. Story Continues on Page 10
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Story ContinueD FROM PAGE 9
• Tertiary processing, which includes commercial production of ready-to-eat and heat-andserve foods. Often extra sodium, sugar, fat and additives like colour and flavour are added in this step. An example of tertiary processing is when tomatoes become ketchup. The food products that result from tertiary processing are often called highly processed or ultra-processed. What does the new Canada’s food guide say about processed foods?
Given these different types of food processing, we can see that “processed foods” represent a wide variety of foods. How do we determine if and how we should include processed foods in our diet? The new Canada’s food guide makes two relevant statements: • “Nutritious foods to consume regularly include fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.” Examples include apple slices, frozen broccoli, canned chickpeas, or dried pasta. • “Limit highly processed foods.” Note that Health Canada doesn’t say “avoid” or “never.” I think this reflects an effort to balance the benefits that Canadians may experience by including processed foods in their diets with the potential drawbacks. For example, processed foods may be lower in nutrition quality, and there is an association between eating frequent amounts of highly processed foods and risk for disease. That said, processed foods, especially in the broadest sense, may have a place in your diet.
Healthy eating isn’t “one size fits all.” YOU get to decide if and how best to incorporate processed foods into your usual way of eating. - Flo Sheppard, Team Lead/Chief Population Health Dietitian, Northern Health and lime, they’re all potato chips, which is one type of food. • Access: Locally grown and seasonal foods can be put away to enjoy later in the year. Our ancestors used dried oolichan, moose jerky, canned peaches, dehydrated cherries, pickles, and many other foods before the time of full-service grocery stores, refrigerators, and freezers. • Cost: Processed foods may appear to be lower in cost. For example, a frozen lasagna that is on sale for $6.99 is economical, compared to the cost of the individual ingredients, including noodles, vegetables, sauce, cheese, and ground beef. • Shelf life: Processing can extend the life of a fresh food, through canning and/or the use of salt,
What are some advantages associated with processed foods?
• Convenience: Pre-cut vegetables, a pack of tofu, a ready-toserve sauce, and ramen noodles help a stir-fry come together quickly for a weeknight dinner. • Variety: Grocery store shelves and freezers are filled with a tremendous amount and range of tastes and types of foods. Some of this variety is perceived versus real; for example, whether it’s all dressed, buffalo wings, loaded baked potato, or black pepper
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Photo courtesy Of Northern Health
sugar, or vinegar. • Portability: Commercial or home dried meals may make sense on a longer hike or canoe trip. • Traditions: Celebrate traditions and connections to our environment by making sausage, smoking fish, pasteurizing juice, and canning pie filling, or participating in a multitude of other food traditions. How do you balance the risks and benefits associated with processed foods?
If you’re considering whether and how to include processed foods in your meal planning, here are a few things to think about: • Consider your personal definition of healthy eating. How much and how often do pro-
cessed foods fit within that definition? • Which processed foods offer you the most value and enjoyment? Make room for these. • Use food labels to compare processed foods and make informed choices. • Does your grocery store offer nutrition tours? These are led by a registered dietitian and can be a great support. • Experiment with traditional recipes to modify the salt, sugar, and fat. Be sure to keep it food safe! Healthy eating isn’t “one size fits all.” YOU get to decide if and how best to incorporate processed foods into your usual way of eating. For me, that means having a few ready-to-eat meals and pizza in the freezer, a jar or two of ready-made sauce to pull together spaghetti or butter paneer, and a box of KD, for those nights when there is no time or energy to cook. It also means enjoying cultural foods like blood pudding and salt beef when I visit family in Newfoundland. What does healthy eating look like for you?
Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
HealthierYou
Nasal Breathing may be more efficient for exercisers by Jae Berman
Citizen News Service
Imagine yourself exercising: running, hiking, dancing, lifting weights - whatever you like to do. Picture yourself pushing to a maximum intensity. Now, ask yourself: Are you breathing out of your nose or mouth? Story Continues on Page 12
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If you are like most exercisers, you breathe through your mouth, especially as the intensity of the exercise mounts. But experts are learning that breathing through the mouth may not be as efficient or effective as breathing through the nose. The nose is built with a specific purpose: to support our respiratory system (the primary purpose of the mouth, on the other hand, is to start the digestive process). The nostrils, hair and nasal passageways are designed to assist in filtering allergens and foreign bodies from entering the lungs. The nose also adds moisture and warmth to inhaled air for smoother entry to the lungs. Nasal breathing, as opposed to mouth breathing, has another important advantage, especially for effective and efficient exercise: It can allow for more oxygen to get to active tissues. That is because breathing through the nose releases nitric oxide, which is necessary to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood, which, in turn, is what releases oxygen. Mouth breathing does not effectively release nitric oxide, which means the cells are not getting as much oxygen as through nasal breathing, which could lead to fatigue and stress. A recent study demonstrated this. The study tested 10 runners, male and female alike, who for six months had used nasal-only breathing while exercising. Participants were put through standardized testing, once with nasal breathing and then with mouth breathing, to compare their maximum oxygen intake rates. They were also tested for various other respiratory and exercise markers, including oxygen and carbon dioxide levels while exercising. Their maximum rate of oxygen consumption did not change from nasal to mouth breathing. But the study found that the runners’ respiratory rate, breaths per minute, and
March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
ratio of oxygen intake to carbon dioxide output decreased during nasal breathing. The researchers said this is probably because of the lower breath rate used during nasal breathing, which allows more time for oxygen to get to the bloodstream. Hyperventilation through the mouth, i.e. the quick and hard breaths through the mouth that so many of us take when exercising at high intensity or feeling stressed, causes the body to offload more CO2, making it harder to oxygenate our cells. In intense moments, nasal breathing is the ideal way to oxygenate our systems. Nasal breathing also activates the part of the nervous system that supports rest, recovery and digestion, rather than the part of the nervous system that is responsible for survival or stress states, such as flight or freeze. That means that, even if the body is in a stressful state of high-intensity exercise, nasal breathing can provide a sense of calm and allow us to function better. “It’s incredibly difficult to learn or process anything in survival mode,” says Brian Mackenzie, author, athlete and founder of the Art of Breath, a program that teaches how to use breathing to optimize athletic performance. “We are now understanding some of the deeper layers to managing stress, which has direct impact on not only the general population, but is at the heart of how elite performers can optimize performance.” So, if nasal breathing helps us stay relaxed and improves our athletic performance, how can we do more of it? First, pay attention. Do you more often breathe through your nose or mouth during the day? What about while exercising, especially as the workouts get more difficult? Notice what is happening with the breath as well as what it feels like to pay attention to the breath. Now consider practicing nasal breathing. Close the mouth and
“At first, high-intensity exercise may feel more difficult with nasal breathing. The body needs to adapt to a different approach to the respiratory process.” 12
relax the tongue and jaw. Start by simply nasal breathing during warm-ups and cool downs with workouts. Then try experiencing daily life while breathing through the nose. Some people who mouthbreathe during sleep try “mouth taping,” putting specially designed tape over their lips to assist with nasal breathing. Once you have your groove and are consistently nasal breathing, check for potential differences in these areas. Emotional state - Nasal breathing should lead to a more relaxed state. (When life is stressful, and you note that you are mouth-breathing, try switching to nasal breathing and inhaling slowly and deeply.) Exercise performance - At first, high-intensity exercise may feel more difficult with nasal breathing. The body needs to adapt to a different approach to the respiratory
process, and if it is used to hyperventilation during exercise, nasal breathing may feel a bit slow at first. Things will shift. Be patient. Exercise recovery - Because nasal breathing is more efficient, recovery should be smoother. Immune system - Nasal breathing is a major line of defense against airborne pathogens. The mouth has no defense system. You may experience improvements with overall breathing and decreasing allergies or colds. Mackenzie said he believes nasal breathing can profoundly improve our awareness, and acknowledges how good it feels both mentally and physically. “To desire a mind that remains curious and can see the beauty in any experience is true freedom. Our breath is the direct link to a calm, clear mind and body.” Berman is a registered dietitian, a personal trainer and owner of Jae Berman Nutrition.
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Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness | March 2019
Ways to teach kids how to eat in
moderation by Casey Seidenberg Citizen News Service
Just as children need support when they learn to read, write or ride a bike, they need support learning to eat in moderation, especially during snack time. Snacks are usually the most challenging to moderate because children often prefer snack foods to what is served for dinner. Most kids can control the amount of broccoli they consume much more easily than they can control the number of cookies, so if you want to teach your children to snack and eat sweets in moderation, follow these six steps. 1. Teach them to recognize hunger cues. Children won’t be
able to recognize how much they should eat at snack time if they don’t understand how hungry they are. Explain what hunger feels like and how to tell when feeling full, then ask how hungry they feel before every snack. This will help children connect hunger levels to the amount they choose to eat.
2. Allow your child to listen to hunger and satiety cues without any input from you. Have
you ever noticed that some days your child can finish an entire bowl of ice cream and other times won’t want more than a bite? How sometimes they are ravenous in the morning and other times too tired to even think about breakfast? Our children must learn to trust their own constantly changing hunger and satiety cues, otherwise they may learn to habitually overeat. As Dina Rose says in her book “It’s Not About the Broccoli,” “even if it turned out, by some stroke of magic, that you do know how much your kids ought to eat, you still shouldn’t interfere. Teaching kids to trust your instincts rather than their own instincts prevents your children from learning how
to self-regulate.”
3. Give them practice. Just as chil-
dren need practice reading before they reach chapter books, and practice driving before they hit the roads alone, they need practice figuring out how much they should eat at any one time. To teach them this, follow author Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility in which parents are responsible for what food is put on the table, when meals and snacks are served, and where children eat. Children are responsible for how much they eat - and whether they eat at all. By giving kids control over how much they eat at every meal and snack, you are giving them the moderation practice they need. 4. Set a specific snack time. The kitchen or snack cabinet should not be open all day. Snack times should be designated between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner and should be kept brief. After sitting down and enjoying a snack, your child should move to another activity and given plenty of time to rebuild an appetite before the next meal. 5. Create snack drawers. Create a refrigerator snack drawer full of foods such as hard-boiled eggs, blueberries, carrots and yogurt, and always have a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. Also, create a snack drawer outside the refrigerator. Fill it with mostly healthy snacks such as applesauce, raisins and nutritious bars, but add a few less healthy items, such as leftover candy. Explain that at snack time, they may eat from either of these locations.
lunchbox or after dinner. Then place the sugary snacks next to the healthy snacks. Do this because a child who truly listens to their body might reach for the candy but then see the applesauce and decide that is what they really desire. The power of junk food dissipates when it becomes appropriately accessible. Creating a snack drawer and giving your children some control over it could possibly ease your eating worries. When you take the leftover candy and dole it out in a snack drawer, it doesn’t hold as much
power. As Rose explains, “When you break up the contents, the candy collection no longer seems like a set. As a result, your kids won’t feel entitled to eat it all at once.” Potty training your children didn’t happen overnight. Neither did teaching them to ride a bike. Moderation won’t be any different; it is best taught one snack at a time.
6. Set a family rule for sugary foods. Let’s say you allow one
sugary food a day (as this makes for a clean example). Tell your children it is entirely up to them when to have that food each day. It could be during snack time, in a
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March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness
Promoting a
positive body image for students
By Emilia Moulechkova, Population Health Dietitian, Northern Health
In honour of the recent Provincial Eating Disorders Week, registered dietitian Rilla Reardon shared some great tips for promoting positive body image in youth. Building a positive body image helps youth thrive physically, emotionally, and socially, and can protect against the development of disordered eating.
Photo courtesy Of Northern Health
Unfortunately, feeling good about one’s body is not always easy in today’s society. The BC Adolescent Health Report, a survey of youth ages 12-19 across the province paints a distressing picture. From the 30,000 students who were sur-
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veyed, they found that: 36% of females and 28% of males are unhappy with their bodies. 35% of females and 19% of males have engaged in risky dieting behaviour in the past year. Disordered eating behaviours are
more common among older and larger-bodied students. Since youth spend a large portion of their time in school, it makes sense that our efforts extend beyond home to include the school environment. Read on to find out what
steps schools can take to promote a positive body image and prevent disordered eating among youth. Focus on health, not weight Research shows that talking about weight (yours or others) or dieting is harmful for children of all ages.
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“Avoid the collection of student height, weight, and/or BMI. There are many factors that influence weight, and most are outside of an individual’s control.” Help children value themselves for who they are and what their bodies can DO. We all have different strengths that deserve to be celebrated. Say no to weight-based bullying Speak up against weight-based bullying and include weight discrimination in your school’s antibullying policy. Teach children that teasing someone about their body is never okay and that all bodies deserve to be treated with respect. Talk to children about their changing bodies Health class is a great opportunity to let children know that weight gain is a normal part of growing up. Puberty is going to comes at different rates and times for everyone. Knowing about these changes before they occur can help children
feel more at ease, and prevent risky behaviours. Avoid the collection of student height, weight, and/or BMI There are many factors that influence weight, and most are outside of an individual’s control. BMI is not a good measure of health, especially for children, and its collection has been shown to cause harm. Instead, schools can focus on celebrating body diversity and creating environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice for all students. “Do no harm” with nutrition education Provide students with hands-on experiences with growing, choosing, and preparing foods, rather than food rules. This type of information (e.g. calorie counting, “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” foods) can promote
black-and-white thinking, and does not encourage a positive relationship with food. For curriculum recommendations check out the Healthy Eating at Schools page at northernhealth.ca. Do not provide specific information about eating disorders Research shows that talking about eating disorders is not effective for prevention, and can backfire. “She ate only X calories a day” or “He took as many as X laxatives at a time” can turn a well-intentioned story into ‘how-to’ instructions for someone to follow. A better approach is talking about body image and promoting media literacy. Teach youth to be media savvy Encourage students to be critical of how bodies are portrayed in the media. Getting students to ask,
“Who stands to benefit from these messages?” is called media literacy, and can help children reject unrealistic body ideals. In addition, teaching youth to spot nutrition fads, and where to find reliable sources of health information (e.g. Health Services at HealthLink BC), goes a lot further than simply providing information. Sign up for a free teacher workshop Consider attending a “Healthy Attitudes, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Schools” workshop designed to help educators become more confident promoting positive body image in the classroom. Workshops are free and available in your local community or virtually. Call 1-800-2426455 or email nutrition@bcdairy.ca to book a workshop.
“Schools can focus on celebrating body diversity and creating environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice for all students.”
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Facebook considers removing anti-vaccination recommendations As public pressure intensifies over how Facebook promotes misinformation about vaccines, the social media giant is considering removing anti-vaccination content from its recommendation systems,
“While we work hard to remove content that violates our policies, we also give our community tools to control what they see as well as use Facebook to speak up and share perspectives with the community around them.” - Facebook Statement
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by Taylor Telford Citizen News Service
As public pressure intensifies over how Facebook promotes misinformation about vaccines, the social media giant is considering removing anti-vaccination content from its recommendation systems, Bloomberg reported. Facebook has become something of a haven for a small but vocal community of parents who reject wisdom about immunizations, often citing junk science or conspiracy theories, and opt out of having their children vaccinated. Recently, Facebook has come under fire for promoting anti-vaccination material, especially ads targeting women in regions with high numbers of measles cases, according to reporting from the Daily Beast. The outcry intensified after Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote a letter to founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg asking how Facebook planned to protect users from misleading material about vaccinations. Schiff sent a similar letter to Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google, which is also under scrutiny about how its search engine and subsidiary YouTube promote potentially dangerous misinformation. “The algorithms which power these services are not designed to distinguish quality information from misinformation or misleading information, and the consequences of that are particularly troubling for public health issues,” Schiff wrote to both tech executives. In a response to Bloomberg about questions raised by Schiff, Facebook said it is “exploring additional measures to combat the problem,” including “reducing or removing this type of content from recommendations, including Groups You Should Join.” The company also said it’s considering demoting these options in search results and ensuring that “higher quality and more authoritative” information is available.”
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These tensions come as the United States faces a troubling resurgence of measles, a disease that was declared eliminated in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to extensive use of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first measles vaccine was licensed in the U.S. in 1963 and it was later combined with a vaccine for mumps and rubella. But this year, more than 100 cases of measles have been confirmed in 10 states this year, according to the CDC, surpassing the total number of cases confirmed in 2016. Last month, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) declared a state of emergency after 25 cases of measles were reported in a single county, where nearly a quarter of kids attend school without having had measles, mumps and rubella immunizations. Facebook has contended that most anti-vaccination content didn’t violate its community guidelines for inciting “real-world harm.” The company told The Washington Post earlier this week that it didn’t believe removing such material would help raise awareness of the facts about vaccinations. Facebook said it thinks accurate counter-speech is a more productive safeguard against misinformation. “While we work hard to remove content that violates our policies, we also give our community tools to control what they see as well as use Facebook to speak up and share perspectives with the community around them,” Facebook said in a statement emailed to The Post on Wednesday. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request on whether the company’s stance on these issues has changed. The platform has a spotty record when it comes to the quality of information in popular health content seen by its users. A recent study from the Credibility Coalition and Health Feedback, a group of scientists who evaluate the accuracy of health media coverage, found the majority of the most-clicked health stories on Facebook in 2018 were fake or contained a significant amount of misleading information. The study looked at the top 100 health stories with the most engage-
ments on social media and had a network of experts assess their credibility. The study found less than half were “highly credible.” Vaccinations ranked among the three most popular story topics. Health-related content is eligible to be reviewed by Facebook’s factchecking partners, meaning that content found to be misleading or false will be demoted in users’ feeds and appear along with related articles from fact-checkers. But this doesn’t work in the social network’s groups, where the bulk of anti-vaccination material is spread. The World Health Organization recently named “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the top global threats of 2019. But a recent investigation by the Guardian found that in Facebook’s search results vaccines were “dominated by anti-vaccination propaganda.” Facebook did not respond to questions from the Guardian about its plans for dealing with the issue. A different Guardian investigation also found Facebook had accepted advertising revenue from Vax Truther, Anti-Vaxxer, Vaccines Revealed and Michigan for Vaccine Choice, among others. In his letter to Zuckerberg, Schiff asked how the company plans to reconcile the fact that frightened and confused parents may be making decisions based on misinformation about vaccinations on its platform, making the population at large more vulnerable to a deadly disease. “I acknowledge that it may not always be a simple matter to determine when information is medically
accurate, nor do we ask that your platform engage in the practice of medicine, but if a concerned parent consistently sees information in their Newsfeed that casts doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines, it could cause them to disregard the advice of their children’s physicians and public health experts and decline to follow the recommended vaccination schedule,” Schiff wrote. Google’s YouTube has already
begun changing algorithms to try to control the spread of misinformation. Last month, YouTube said it would begin removing videos with “borderline content” that “misinform users in harmful ways.” “We think this change strikes a balance between maintaining a platform for free speech and living up to our responsibility to our uses,” the company wrote in a blog post.
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Marie Kondo’s tidying method
tamed her anxiety
by Keri Wiginton Citizen News Service
When I unpack in a hotel room, it goes from clean to chaos in under a minute. My husband affectionately refers to me as a tornado. He can also accurately assess my mental state based on how disorganized my office is. Living in a messy space takes a notable toll on my mental wellbeing, and if you struggle with anxiety - or even if you don’t - your clutter is bad for your mental health, too. “Like our minds, so goes our environment,” said Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist who studies mindfulness and behavior change. The KonMari craze of tidying up is just as much about taming our latent anxiety as it is about taming our stuff. Marie Kondo’s “sparking joy” concept of keeping only things that make us happy resonates so
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widely because it can actually lift a mental load - one many of us never knew we had. People are giddy to get rid of clutter anxiety because they’ve been clinging to it for years - decades! - often subconsciously. As we collectively tidy and exhale, thrift stores across the country are awash in our extra stuff. Brewer said the mind reacts well to an orderly environment because our brains thrive on being able to quickly scan and gauge our surroundings. “Our brains are set up to predict the future,” he said. A space that is messy barrages us with unnecessary stimulation, triggering undercurrents of tension. It’s like an overstuffed “inbox” that we’re staring at but pretend to ignore. Studies show people who live in a cluttered environment are more likely to procrastinate and have a harder time sleeping. The longer the disorganization is there, the more unmanageable it seems, and the more it weighs on our psyche. “It can make our minds feel cluttered and closed down,” said Brewer. And let’s be honest: It’s embarrassing to have a messy living space. It
PHOTO: Japanese organizational expert Marie Kondo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ AP, Seth Wenig
made me feel guilty. As someone prone to anxiety and depression, I didn’t realize how much the clutter aggravated my mood until it was gone. This is true whether I was in my apartment or away from it. Why? When our environment is unkempt, anxiety can bleed into other parts of our lives, making us feel badly about ourselves. Researchers have known for years that being around clutter can raise stress levels, especially among women - who can find it difficult to manage and organize their family’s possessions. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said a disorganized environment is a constant visual reminder of things left undone. It can make people feel “like they’re overwhelmed, and their life is out of control and in chaos.” On the flip side, studies show
that women who see their homes as restorative feel less depressed throughout the day. Having order and simplicity in your space can free up your mind. “You’re opening yourself up to new possibilities that may have been overwhelmed by the physical clutter,” said Burnett-Zeigler. When we hide that pile of clothes in the closet or fill our homes with stuff we don’t need, we take away space for things that might bring us meaning and yes, spark joy. Here’s what happened when I cleaned up and calmed down. When I married an orderly minimalist, I hoped I could absorb his structured tendencies. But five years into our marriage, I was still leaving a trail of clutter behind me. Notebooks, kitchen towels and water glasses would appear all over the apartment; something I didn’t notice until my husband went on vacation and stopped putting them away for me. I felt like I was constantly picking up after myself, yet
“A space that is messy barrages us with unnecessary stimulation, triggering undercurrents of tension.”
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nothing ever stayed organized. My inability to keep an immaculate home - despite my best efforts made my chronic anxiety worse. Brewer, who serves as director of research and innovation at the Brown University Mindfulness Center, explained why the mess grated my nerves. “Anxiety and stress have these habit loops,” said Brewer. “Just having visual stimuli around that are triggering can lead to those loops getting perpetuated.” I didn’t know why I was so messy or how to fix it. But in 2015 - before Netflix brought the KonMari concept to millions - I picked up Kondo’s book “The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” It gave me the tools to KonMari my home. Her book guided me as I figured out what to get rid of, what to keep and how to organize it all. When I was done, I felt a peace of mind I’d desperately been lacking. I wasn’t spending time on ineffective cleaning sessions. “Messiness can consume mental
“The fact that I can occupy a space that isn’t always in disarray means I am calmer and more at peace both in and away from home.” energy and physical energy,” said Burnett-Zeigler. “By getting rid of that, we can open ourselves up to spending time in different ways. And that can be a really powerful transition.” The KonMari method of folding is brilliant for people who don’t know how to organize items such as tops, underwear and pajamas. They get folded into tight little rectangles. It’s sort of like if you put books in a drawer, spine side up. Socks and scarves get rolled. It saves space while making each item adorably visible. On the rare occasion that my drawers become messy, they make me feel sort of angry when I look in them. But when I see everything all at once in a neatly organized bundle, I feel calm and orderly. I was surprised at how refreshing it was.
One of the best ways to avoid stressing about cleaning is to give everything a home. This simple idea was a turning point for me. When I do slip up and forget to put something back - my headphones should go in a specific pouch, not my pockets - there’s a notable rise in anxiety trying to find it. Books are sacred to a lot of people, and Kondo faced a lot of bibliophile backlash when it came to the prospect of culling their inventory. While some people might get joy simply from being surrounded by books, I live in a small apartment where I have space for only one bookshelf. Yet I had three in my bedroom. And the unread pages were judging me. I took Kondo’s advice and kept the ones that sparked joy and sold or donated the
rest. If I ever want to read “Catcher in the Rye” again, I can check it out free. I realized I love reading more than I love keeping books, so my library card gets a lot more use. It’s been four years, and I’m KonMari for life. Mostly. I don’t live by all of Kondo’s rules; I don’t greet my home every day or thank my belongings for their service. She also recommends keeping 30 books, but my shelves are filled with about 250. I’ve used the parts of her process that work for me. Some people don’t need a method to stay tidy. I am not one of those people. While I can fall back into my old patterns quicker than I’d like, I’d say I’m living 70 percent clutterfree. But the fact that I can occupy a space that isn’t always in disarray means I am calmer and more at peace both in and away from home. My apartment is now a place to relax, not a place of unfinished tasks. So I thank Marie Kondo for helping me figure out my brain thrives on order. Even in the sock drawer.
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March 2019 | Northern BC’s guide to Health, fitness and wellness