The Jasper Local January 15, 2017

a lt e r n at i v e +

LOCAL + independent

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thejasperlocal.com

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sunday, january 15, 2017 // ISSUE 89

HIGH UP ON HILDA RIDGE, SAM WALL AND PATRICK MAHLER INCH THEIR WAY TO THE PROMISED LAND. // TRISTAN NISSEN

Parks Canada wants Canadians to speak up Catherine McKenna wants to hear from you.

As part of the largest consultation ever undertaken on Parks Canada, the Minister responsible for the federal agency is inviting all Canadians to share their views through “Let’s Talk Parks, Canada!”

The public consultation on the future of national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas commenced January 9 and is open until January 27.

Canadians have until then to share their views online, through social media and at public engagement events taking place across the country.

“The purpose of this public consultation is to hear views from Canadians on the environmental and social changes

that will impact the conservation and enjoyment of national parks…and to explore ways that government, stakeholders, Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians can work together to respond to these changes,” a press release states.

Participants can complete an electronic workbook, take part in online discussions or write in. Additionally, public events will be held in Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax.

“Tell me how you think Parks Canada should respond to the challenges and opportunities it faces in managing national heritage places,” McKenna says.

The initiative is part of the mandated Minister’s Round Table. the most recent round table took place in 2014. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 89 // sunday, january 15, 2017

editorial //

Local Vocal Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

Other times, it takes an outsider to give you a bit of perspective on what you have.

Recently, I received the latter lesson after a visitor—albeit a regular one—showed genuine surprise at the spectrum of health and wellness related services in Jasper.

He was commenting on the wealth of dedicated health professionals available to Jasperites. Not just nurses and doctors—we’re blessed with a bevy of those, thankfully—but nutritionists, massage therapists, professional trainers, dieticians, alternative healers and yoga instructors. You do not have to look far to find a yoga instructor in this town!

Each of these professionals has their own style and speciality; we are indeed spoilt for choice.

Speaking of yoga class, this is the time of year when we are resolution-inclined. The local gyms see a bump in membership; juicer sales go up; Fitbits are all the rage.

What can also be common, unfortunately, is depression. I’m not talking about a temporary mood swing or a nasty bout of the hangries. I’m talking about debilitating, crippling, can’t-get-out-of-bed depression. The disease. The condition that makes seemingly confident, capable and successful people feel like they’re not worth their friends’ and families’ affection. It doesn’t make sense to those on the outside looking in, but for those experiencing the pain it is very real, and very scary. Moreover, it affects more of us than we are willing to admit and those of us who are prone to depression are adept at hiding it.

It’s not easy to know what to do when a friend or a family member is affected by depression, but one thing we can offer is an open door—a safe space.

We don’t need to know what to say or how to articulate an answer to their woes, we only need to show that we are there.

If we do need a talking point, one thing we can point to for people who are suffering is the aforementioned scope of wellness services in Jasper. This is an untapped gift for those of us who are feeling powerless against depression, but also for those of us who might feel powerless to help our loved ones.

Recently, many of our wellness professionals came out to demonstrate the breadth and interconnectedness of their industry, but you could be forgiven for missing the first ever Jasper Health and Wellness Fair—early January is a tough time to nail down plans.

It’s also a tough time in general. We’ve got an incredible wealth of resources. Let’s make sure we use it, so it doesn’t pass us by. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

Skeptical

The Minister says hey Let’s Talk Parks She wants to hear our voice Fill out a workbook or mail it in Canadians have a choice Send in your feedback, ideas and thoughts Our ears are tuned, they say What matters most is folks chime in Your opinions we will weigh It’s too late now to suggest we nix The free park pass next year And chances are we can’t take back The closures which protect one reindeer

Would now be an alright time To say ‘stop the TMX expansion?’

It’s maybe too much to ask since two years ago You killed the Maligne McMansion The Icefields Trail is a proposal that Has caused something of a stir You’re telling us that you’ll take heed Even if we don’t concur?

Forgive us if we’re skeptical When you tell us that you’re listening It seems like whenever you visit It’s mostly talk and positioning ...cont on A3

The Jasper Local //

Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e 1e0

Published on the 1st and 15th of each month Editor / Publisher

Bob Covey.................................................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com Art Director

Nicole Gaboury.................................................................. nicole@thejasperlocal.com Advertising + sales

..............................................................................................................ads@thejasperlocal.com cartoonist

Deke.................................................................................................deke@thejasperlocal.com

facebook.com/thejasperlocal

@thejasperlocal

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// Local Fitness

sunday, january 15, 2017 // issue 89 // the jasper local// page A3

Tweeting from the mountain tops Marketing maven, social media stud and fitness guru, Edmonton’s Chris Tse is used to putting himself out there.

With a regular spot on CBC’s Edmonton AM and Twitter sponsorships from SportChek and an organic food delivery service (spud.ca), the guy is pretty much a walking GoPro. Tse owns a gym, is CHRIS TSE IS AN EDMONTON-BASED FITNESS PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETER. // ANDRE LESSARD a personal trainer and has a background in immunology JL: What’s a future Jasper fitness goal for you? research, and he brings it all together with his CT: My goal this year is to trail run the Skyline. I passion for helping people get healthier. Tse got on it a couple years ago but had to bail. was invited by Tourism Jasper to check out Jasper in January festivities and in between JL: You got on a fat bike this weekend. As fat biking, canyon crawling, skiing on Pyramid a multi-sport enthusiast, what did you like Lake and indulging in aprés-ski nourishment, about it? he was championing Jasper as a place to get in CT: There’s something about taking a bike peak condition while getting a peek at a tight down a snow slope that’s totally crazy, but totally knit community. awesome! The course at Marmot Basin was

The Jasper Local: You’ve posted more than 38,000 tweets. How do you find balance between being in the digital world and the natural one you clearly love to explore.

Chris Tse: I love coming out here, going for a trail run or climbing a mountain but if I’m creative and I’m using my outlets to help others, that in my mind leads to true success.

I’ve carved this niche in my personal life where people understand that when I’m outside or where things are fitness related, it’s also related to my business.

JL: What are your earliest Jasper memories?

CT: One of my first memories is Jasper The Bear! I think my family must have done Maligne Canyon 30 times over the years, same thing with Miette Hotsprings. More recently I’ve discovered it’s a place where you can meet a lot of locals who quickly become your friends.

so cool, but in general I like fat bikes because they’re such a technically simple machine that you can go anywhere on.

JL: What’s your happy place in terms of fitness?

Where do you like to get your heart rate up?

CT: For me peak conditioning is still community related. I’m looking for that shared experience, wherever you can link a great experience with someone and have that to talk about for ages down the road.

JL: Jasper’s a pretty fit town. If you had to give advice to a community of athletes, what would it be?

CT: Just to try something new. This is the land of possibilities. Pick one thing new every month and if you find something you love, let it take hold of you. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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// Letter cont.

I suppose we’ll take you at your word And send in our concerns But don’t be shocked if you detect

A tone of having being burned Before you implement new ideas And so we can look you in

the face Please sort out Parks’ payroll problems Which are a national disgrace -BC

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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 89 // Sunday, January 15, 2017

Local wildlife //

DOUG OLTHOF GOES HEELSIDE ON THE PARADISE FACE AT MARMOT BASIN. BRAVING THE COLD PAID OFF IN SPADES FOR SNOWBOARDERS AND SKIERS SEARCHING FOR CHAMPAGNE POWDER. // BOB COVEY

Banff Bison reintroduction program under scrutiny As Parks Canada looks to reintroduce Plains bison into Banff National Park, a former Jasper wildlife biologist is suggesting the risks of the ecological experiment outweigh the rewards.

Lu Carbyn, an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta who in the early 1970s did his field work in Jasper’s Snake Indian Valley, says the bison reintroduction program proposed in Banff will rely

hope, over two calving seasons, will help tie the animals to the landscape.

“Bison were not, by and large, in the mountains year-round,” Carbyn said.

Parks Canada is defending the proposal, suggesting that the reintroduction of the iconic species after a 140 year absence will not only have net ecological gains— everything from grassland maintenance to more prolific bug life—but cultural ones, too.

“They’re iconic for indigenous and nonindigenous people in terms of representing wildness,” said project manager Karsten Heuer. “Their presence demands us to ask ‘how much are we really willing to accommodate wildness in our modern world?’”

“Bison were not, by and large, in the mountains year-round” THIS BISON WAS THE LONE SURVIVOR OF A HERD OF 28 ANIMALS INTRODUCED TO JASPER FROM ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK IN 1978. JILL SEATON CAPTURED THE ANIMAL ON FILM IN 1994. BANFF NATIONAL PARK IS CURRENTLY IN THE LAST STEPS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR A SIMILAR CONCEPT. // JILL SEATON

too much on human manipulation to be consistent with national park tenets.

“There’s a degree of artificiality to it, which you try to avoid in national parks,” Carbyn said.

Should it pass the final scrutiny of an Environmental Assessment, the plan to transport 16 bison from Elk Island National Park to a corner of their former range in Banff National Park will rely on a variety of human interventions to succeed, namely: strategic fencing, active herding and creating desirable habitat by placing fire on the landscape. Carbyn is particularly concerned about fencing in the bison, an element of the program that proponents

Heuer, who has spent much of his career drawing awareness to the importance of large, barrier-free wildlife corridors, said he’s been able to take the long view on this project, despite the management-heavy approach that will be necessary in the short term.

“We have to continue to be the leaders that we are in terms of conservation,” Heuer said.

“In the modern world it’s a lot more complex to do something like this but I don’t think it’s insurmountable.”

Some Jasperites will remember when a similar program was attempted in this park nearly four decades ago. In 1978, in an effort to reestablish the species in Jasper’s backcountry, Parks Canada relocated 28 bison to Willow Creek, near the park’s

northern boundary. Soon after the animals were released from their holding pens, however, they wandered out of the intended habitat. While a handful of animals travelled south into the Athabasca Valley, most of the herd migrated north into adjacent Wilmore Wilderness Provincial Park and beyond.

Some were recaptured, some were killed by wolves and some were hit by trains. Many were destroyed after they were discovered on lands owned by ranchers and farmers near Grande Prairie.

One lone bull, however, established itself in a pocket of habitat near Talbot Lake and lived there for more than 15 years. Many residents and visitors have fond memories of discovering this rather unexpected ungulate on hikes in the east part of the park.

“It was a magnificent animal,” recalled local resident Jill Seaton. “We found it on the west side of the Rocky River after discovering these huge droppings and thinking ‘what on earth made these?’”

Retired JNP wildlife conflict specialist Wes Bradford said the bison reintroduction program in Jasper was unsuccessful, but thinks it could be done properly with younger animals and a longer holding period—which is exactly what Banff intends to do.

“Bison were here at one time and they probably should be here, but can we do it right?” Bradford asked. “It’s hard to say.”

Although Carbyn’s views have softened since he likened the plan to a Jurassic Park-style game pen, the emeritus research scientist with the federal department of the environment remains skeptical.

“I personally would prefer to see that money spent on taking people into nature and the maintenance of hiking trails, rather than put into a program which needs more manipulation,” Carbyn said.

Heuer, on the other hand, is a believer.

“I think the final piece which I find interesting is the prospect of inspiring others to undertake similar initiatives,” he said. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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sunday, january 1, 2017 // issue 89 // the jasper local// page B2

Local sports //

Young goalie playing beyond his years It’s 7:40 p.m. on a Thursday night in the Jasper Arena. A dozen or so 13 to 15-yearold hockey players are finishing up their practice with a scrimmage.

The pace has slowed down—to the point where the Jasper Bantam Bearcats are breaking out on oddman advantages every rush and every entry into the zone results in a flurry of shots on net. For the Bearcats’ two goalies—15-year-old Duncan McLeod at one end and 13-year-old Kelan Polard at the other—this much action this late in the practice doesn’t quite seem fair.

Still, when one of the netminders makes a big save, the other recognizes their effort. As such, when a loose puck squirts out in

“What probably stands out most is his fearlessness to face shots of any calibre.”

the slot to assistant coach Geno Tassoni and McLeod makes himself big in the net, deflecting the shot off his shoulder and out of play, Polard, watching the action from 200 feet away, claps his stick on the ice in appreciation.

“Nice save, Duncan,” you can hear him holler from behind his cage.

A couple of weeks before, it was Polard’s big saves which were

ANGLES COVERED: 13-YEAR-OLD KELAN POLARD’S OUTSTANDING PLAY AS A BANTAM HELPED HIM GET A CALL UP TO THE LOCAL MEN’S LEAGUE, WHERE HE PLAYED AGAINST MEN MORE THAN TWICE HIS AGE. // BOB COVEY

firing up his teammates. But these weren’t his fellow Bearcats he was impressing, this was a motley crew of electricians, business owners, carpenters and railroaders, most of whom were more than twice his age. On a cold night in December the Jasper Hockey League’s JFI Bonestars needed a goalie for their match against the Barley Kings, and young Polard, recognized as an up-and-comer, got the nod. It was his first such call-up, and he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I was pretty nervous,” Polard admitted. “But I was pretty excited.”

If he had butterflies, he didn’t show it. The Grade 8 student faced the slick-passing, hard-shooting Barley Kings with confidence, filling in nicely for the Bonestars’ regular netminder. The Barley Kings eventually skated away with the win, but the consensus was clear:

is his fearlessness to face shots of any calibre.”

There’s good reason for that: Kelan’s dad shoots the puck about as hard as anyone in town. The young Polard says when it comes to shooting practice, his dad’s never let up on him.

“He never takes it easy,” he said.

“He always shoots hard.”

Not that John doesn’t know what it’s like to stand in the line of fire.

Being a goalie runs in Kelan’s family, it turns out.

“My dad was a goalie, and so were my two grandpas,” Kelan explained.

The Polard-McLeod duo have backstopped the Bearcats to an impressive record thus far; the team has only lost twice. Polard says if the group can stay healthy and he and Duncan continue to work on their skills, the Bantams have a chance at going all the way.

“I think we could win it all,” he said.

the kid can play.

“He played awesome,” Bonestarts forward Jeff Bangle said. “He kept the game close.”

Polard, along with McLeod, has been working with local goaltender coach Ryan Verge to develop his skills. Verge, who’s trained with top goalies at various levels of junior and university hockey, said Polard’s ability to track the play is on another level.

“He has great visual attachment with the puck and works really DUNCAN MCLEOD (LEFT) AND KELAN POLARD HAVE BEEN hard,” Verge said.

INSTRUMENTAL IN THE BANTAM BEARCATS’ WINNING SEASON THUS “What probably FAR. // BOB COVEY stands out most

bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 89 // sunday, january 15, 2017

OLD RELIABLE // STORY BY TED RAVEN // PHOTOS BY TRISTAN NISSE

Ted

OLD Raven RELIABLE BY

WINTER ACTIVITY IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK TAKES MANY FORMS, BUT IT’S A SPECIAL BREED OF ENTHUSIAST THAT GETS STOKED WHEN THE CAR BARELY STARTS. WHO LOOKS UP WHEN THE MERCURY GOES LOW? ICE CLIMBERS, THAT’S WHO

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In Jasper, getting through the winter requires being an outdoor generalist. It helps to have an array of sports to choose from depending on what Mother Nature bestows upon us. Most people do one or many of the following - ski, snowboard, run, fat bike, or cross country ski – whatever the weather dictates. In low snow years, it can be hard to keep the stoke up between powder days.

There is one sport that a small tribe of locals do every winter. It is probably the most consistent in terms of conditions year-over-year in Jasper, but one that is very intimidating to the uninitiated: Ice climbing.

The sport seems a bit ridiculous at first glance.

There is nothing intuitive or natural about it.

Unlike climbing rocks or trees, ice does not have its roots set deep within our evolutionary history. At no point in the past did our primate ancestors endeavor to scale frozen waterfalls.

Ice climbing looks hard. It looks cold. It definitely looks dangerous, and there seems

to be a lot of gear needed. None are great selling points to an outsider.

Most people in town know of an ice climber or two, but few people actually get to see what they are up to. The exception being at Maligne Canyon, where there are normally a few plying their trade.

JOHN FORESTELL ON THE WEEPING NOT ONLY FOR ITS AESTHETIC ROU

Have you ever noticed a car parked on the side of the highway in an apparently

“Ice climbing looks hard. It looks cold. It definitely looks dangerous, and there seems to be a lot of gear needed. None are great selling points to an outsider.” random spot during the winter? If you have, there is a good chance a frozen waterfall lies somewhere back in the trees. Thin trails get boot packed over time and lead to tucked away gullies and creek beds, inaccessible except during the winter.

Some climbs are more obvious than others. Driving past the Weeping Wall, it is impossible not to stop and stare at the tiny forms moving like spiders up the expanse of azure ice.

LOW SNOW, NO WORRIES // ICE FORMS DIFFERENTLY EVERY YEAR, BUT THE SPORT ISN’T RELIANT ON A PLETHORA OF SNOW, LIKE OTHER WINTER ACTIVITIES.

The Weeping Wall is arguably the most famous ice climb in Canada. Driving south from Jasper along the Parkway, it is located just past the “toilet bowl” on the side of Cirrus Mountain. From the parking lot at its base, The Weeping Wall soars 350 vertical metres in two distinct tiers (for reference: the climbs in Maligne Canyon are less than 35m vertical).

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that way. Due to its ephemeral nature, the same waterfall can have wild variations week-to-week or month-to-month. So many small factors dictate how a climb forms, consolidates, and then deteriorates over the course of a season.

Some waterfalls form reliably every year, while others form once in a decade.

G WALL, ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S MOST FAMOUS ICE CLIMBS, UTES BUT ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY.

Like most right thinking people, I do not find the idea of going out in -25 degrees Celsius particularly engaging. My appetite for climbing decreases substantially when the mercury hides in the bottom of the thermometer. The lower the temperature, the lower my ambition.

Strange correlation, I know. Anyone who has ever experienced the “screaming barfies” can attest to why climbing in really cold conditions is a daunting prospect.

The barfies are what happens when warm blood from your core rushes into your extremely cold hands.

It usually happens at the top of a pitch when you finally are able to keep you hands below your heart. The pain is such that you would like to scream, but feel as though opening your mouth might cause you to vomit. Lovely.

Many names for the different climbs indicate the dry humour that accompanies some amount of suffering. Cold Shower With a View, Whimper Wall, Snivelling Gully; you get the idea. Despite that, any discomforts during the climb are immediately minimized when the absurdity and beauty of that moment hits you.

CE CLIMBERS NEED LOTS OF SPIKY GEAR TO PLY THEIR CRAFT, BUT MOST NECESSARY IS A WILLINGNESS TO GET OUTSIDE IN THE COLD.

The ice season this year got off to a pretty slow start. Milder temperatures meant that the lower elevation climbs did not start forming until late in November. For the first few weeks, one had to be willing to walk a few hours to have a chance at swinging their tools. The prolonged cold spells of late have certainly helped move conditions along.

It may seem like ice climbers would want these extended frigid spells, but they are a blessing as much as they are a curse. Some climbs love the cold. For others, it causes desiccation or collapse. Ice is a tricky medium to figure out

You’re in a remote and rarely traveled place during the winter, looking down at the quiet valley bottom, as if you are simply another piece of the ecosystem. You are an ice climber.

You are no longer uninitiated.

Ted Raven // info@thejasperlocal.com

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page B5 // the jasper local // issue 89 // sunday, january 15, 2017

Local adventure //

WINTER CAMPING: Trust me! It’s Fun!

Ever the intrepid outdoorsman, I stayed in my semifetal hearthside I love the idea of camping, position while be it multiple days spent my companion in the backcountry or ventured out to pulling into a frontcollect snow for tea. country campsite to spend It was then that she an evening by the fire beckoned me out to with good friends. I just witness the waxing can’t get any sleep. Most moon suspended of time, I forego blissful above the western slumber in favour of horizon, Venus fixating on the pebbles shining a steady under my sleeping beam just beyond mat like an ‘outdoorsy’ its crescent tips. The princess-and-the-pea. moon’s plunge over But maybe all my the horizon then insomnia-plauged outdoor revealed the most experiences were missing vibrant blanket of was bone-chilling cold! stars imaginable, That was my rather BRIAN CATTO HELPED JASPER IN JANUARY PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO WINTER CAMP AT MARMOT MEADOWS SATURDAY not twinkling, JANUARY 14. // DOUG OLTHOF sardonic thought on New but flashing like Year’s Day, as I skied thousands of tiny across Maligne Lake en plains that peer strobe lights in the This was my chance to prove to myself route to my first winter camping over the foothills frigid air. We passed that I still possessed the requisite grit experience. I had just arrived toward the Rockies; the evening jogging, in Jasper the night before to venture out into the Rocky Mountain I am accustomed to jumping and dancing and, when a friend suggested the cold. But over to keep warm while deep freeze and pretend to enjoy it! spending the first two days of the past 15-years revelling in this the year (and, coincidently, our I’ve been splitting visual symphony. birthdays) camping in a quinzee, time between mild This was my chance to prove to Eventually, however, the moment I swallowed my trepidation and myself that I still possessed the sogginess of Vancouver and the of truth arrived. After an hour told myself that it would be a tropical steam-bath of Southeast requisite grit to venture out into or two spent recharging by the good inauguration into the world Asia. Over that time, a sneaking the Rocky Mountain deep freeze fire, we dashed into the tent and of cold-weather adventuring. and pretend to enjoy it! suspicion has crept into my dove into our sleeping bags. To mind–based solely on objective I grew up in Alberta, in a small We arrived later than planned to my surprise, conditions inside reality–that I am going soft. town on the wind-whipped the Maligne Lake parking lot and soon became tolerable, even as found a shallow snowpack hoar frost began forming on of fine ‘sugar’ that scoffed the inside of the tent. Shifting heartily at the idea of being around was not recommended, formed into a structurally as a foot venturing into an sound shelter. Outwardly unoccupied corner of a sleeping unconcerned, we strapped bag would instantaneously on over-loaded backpacks freeze solid (no exaggeration). and set out, secure in Sticking my head out for less the knowledge that our recycled air, I was greeted by a destination lay somewhere thin sheet of ice that promptly between three and seven cracked off the mouth of my kilometers distant on either sleeping bag and slid down my on the eastern or western neck. I counted at least three shore. So it was that, after larger-than-pee-sized pebbles about an hour of following protruding from under my established ski tracks amidst therm-a-rest. the surreal beauty of the I spent most of the night Maligne Range, the Mike hugging my knees and listening Wynn hut at Hidden Cove to the groaning and cracking came into view. A hut! Not of the ice on the lake. After a the three-walled cook shelter couple of hours, I was relatively I had imagined, but an actual sure that my first winter hut! My spirit was instantly camping experience would not buoyed by the possibility of result in my untimely demise. passing the night in a fourI began thinking that I might walled structure with a wood actually be able to tell people stove. with a straight face that the Little did I know I was whole experience had been travelling with a purist, a ‘fun’! As dawn broke, it became backcountry hut ethicist increasingly difficult to pretend who took seriously I was enjoying myself, if only the structure’s official because I was, in fact, enjoying designation as a “cook myself! Sure, I hadn’t managed shelter” and fully intended to sleep very much, but neither to camp, quinzee or not. I did the titular character of Hans feigned enthusiasm for tent Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, camping as best I could and all that had proved was that while cherishing every she was a real princess! second hunched in front Doug olthof // info@thejasperlocal.com of the hut’s wood stove.

A confession: I’ve never been good at sleeping in tents.

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sunday, January 15, 2017 // issue 89 // the jasper local// page B6

Local HEALTH //

The hot and cold of seasonal eating Seasonal eating is a concept which has been embraced and endorsed by the holistic nutrition community, but most people are only starting to familiarize themselves with what it means and how much good it does our bodies.

Seasonal eating has a lot to do with how our bodies are in rhythm with nature and how by choosing the right food, we can harmonize with the changes of seasons and keep us balanced and healthy.

Firstly, seasonal eating means to either eat the food that grow during the season we are in, or the food that can be stored/preserved from previous seasons. During the summer we eat lots of stone fruits, watermelons, strawberries, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Being in season, these foods are available when they are ripe and most nutrient dense. However, during the winter these fruits are not in season, and if they’re available, it’s because they’ve been brought in from far away, picked when they are unripe and therefore brought to us with much less of a nutrient profile.

Another way to look at seasonal eating is to look at the energetics or qualities of foods. Food energetics is a way of understanding how food, spices and herbs will react in the body. All foods have a warming, cooling or neutral effect on the body.

Based on the time of year or what is going on in our environments, our bodies naturally crave certain foods. Nutritionists are starting to understand that we should listen to these cravings.

In the middle of winter, most of us crave hot soups rather than cold salads. Listening to this simple logic or intuition will help keep us in balance with the elements around us (like these freezing temperatures we have been experiencing!) We do not crave a cucumber or watermelon during this time because these foods’ qualities are cooling in nature. On the other hand, that curried butternut squash soup that some of us crave these days will help warm the body up.

This time of year we crave more sweet foods and foods that are more nourishing and satiating. Root

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vegetables are a great way to curb these cravings, they are in season, have a full sweet flavour and contain healthy starches and carbohydrates that feed our gut bacteria and make us feel full and grounded. Pairing these seasonal veggies with good fats, protein and fibre will be sure to keep our bellies warm and full on these extra cold days.

Many of us experience poor circulation, or a hard time adapting to the cold temperatures during winter.

Adding spices like cinnamon, turmeric and ginger will actually help the body warm up. The volatile oils in these spices have diaphoretic properties, meaning they increase the body’s CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP THAT SOME OF US CRAVE THESE DAYS WILL HELP temperature. They may even WARM THE BODY UP.// SUPPLIED cause you to sweat or feel is a simple logic that our bodies speak daily and to warm. On the flip side, spices ensure our health and wellbeing, it is something we like cilantro or peppermint have oils that are would do well to get back in touch with. actually cooling in nature and will help bring the bodies temperature down. These herbs are better Jenna completed a 3-year program of Holistic for summer or balancing out an extra spicy dish.

Nutrition at Pacific Rim College, an industryrenowned school of Complimentary and Not only are we eating foods that are growing in Integrative Medicine. There she developed a season, but we are eating foods that will help us strong understanding of Diet Therapy, Ayurveda, deal with cold or hot elements of our environment.

Traditional Chinese As well as the temperature of our foods, in the Medicine and some winter we will be eating mainly cooked foods; lots Western Herbal Medicine. of soups and stews. When it’s hot out it’s more harmonious with nature to eat lots of fresh, raw She works with clients to foods such as salads and smoothies. find a permanent and The energetics of food and seasonal eating sustainable fix to their stem from two ancient traditional medicines: health concerns using Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda natural approaches that from India. These practices are over 5,000 years take into consideration old and are based around energetics of food and each person’s biodisease. I take into account these modalities when working with my clients, as well as the western individuality. Find her at science of nutrition, to ensure they take home a alpenglownutrition.ca well-rounded, comprehensible plan. Seasonal eating