Diet Restrictions for Health

I'm not talking about your typical 'diet', but there are many people who follow professional advice that involves restrictions for the health of their body. Whether it be a cardiac diet, renal diet, diabetic diet, texture modified diet, etc., etc. it can be difficult to follow the rules.

As one of our assignments this year, we each chose a therapeutic diet to follow for a week - just 7 days! It was quite hard, to not be able to eat what I wanted, when I wanted. I live my life making educated decisions about food, but not THAT restrictive. I can go to the grocery store and still make lots of choices. For some people those choices are limited because their organs are not working normally.

We often think 'diet' = weight loss, when in fact a diet is just a meal pattern. I eat a healthy diet where variety and moderation play a role.

I just wanted to applaud the people who follow restrictive health related diets very closely. I have met so many patients that are such good students and so aware of everything they eat. I know that takes a lot of effort, and I know people often go to those extreme measures when it is sort of a last resort - due to a diagnosis, etc. I just want to say "great job!" We can all learn from the dedication of those people and how much time/thought/effort goes into the food choices they make. Obviously it's hard to be perfect with it, but still, they do a lot.

Why can't we all pay a little more attention to such choices and take the preventative approach rather than the treatment approach?

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love

I wanted to read this book because of my interest in travel and food. I liked that it had short chapters, so it was easy for me to pick up and read in little bits. There were parts I could not relate to as well since I have not been through a divorce, but I think we all have been through hard times. I would love to do like Liz did and pick up and travel for a year to find my balance again. I just really miss traveling right now, so it made me want to be sure to add that back into my life. There were some parts I found a little dry, but I enjoyed hearing about Ashrams and meditation practices since that is something I have tried dabbling in this past year. I think it is just inspiration to get back out there and be present and be you; even if you have to travel across the world to find yourself.

Have you read it? What did you think? Any other book recommendations?

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Still eating, praying, and loving

Sorry it's taking me so long to finish the book, I promise my review is coming. School has been hectic, but I plan to finish with the Indonesia part this weekend, so I can move onto other books over my two week Christmas holiday.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Winter Workouts

When it gets cold out, it can get hard to workout. I know the cold weather makes me want to stay warm in bed all day. It is a matter of making things work for you. When I don't feel like making an extra trip outside, warming up the car, driving on slippery roads, etc, etc. I just make sure that I workout at home. I am fortunate to currently have a treadmill, but otherwise I am using a yoga mat, my body weight, and some resistance tubing. Be creative, or even look online for at home workouts.

Some people really enjoy winter sports and there are so many to choose from. I keep meaning to get back into cross country skiing; we did it lots when I was a kid, but then my winters got busy with other sports. You could even challenge yourself to try something new: skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hockey, curling... Winter activities don't have to be outside either, just pick something you enjoy doing, or get a friend/partner to join you and encourage you to go. It's important to include activity in your day, so find ways that you can look forward to it and make it convenient so that you're more likely to stick to it.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Menu Planning

It's been awhile since I posted, I apologize, school has been very busy. I spent the last three weeks in a long term care facility learning about their food service and administration. I had a chance to review the menu and even survey some Elders for suggestions to change it. I think there are times when we all need to take a look at our menus. You might not have a written menu, but it is possible that you have a few meals you tend to rotate through the line-up.

When planning your menu, try to add variety, it not only makes eating exciting, but also helps ensure you get all the nutrients you need for your health. A good place to start is to look at Canada's Food Guide. You can use the recommended servings as a guideline, but it is good to see the proportions. Aim to have half of your plate full of vegetables, a quarter with a grain (preferably whole grain), and a quarter with a protein source (preferably low fat). This is a good idea for planning your lunches and suppers. You can complete that meal with a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. The idea is to get more vegetables, usually our plates are full of the grains and proteins!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Ask Questions

There are many things that affect eating behaviour; and we are also all very individual with very different eating behaviours. You can start to understand your own reasons for eating by asking yourself the 5Ws:
What: What are you doing? (if your attention is not on eating, then you may overeat and not realize it)
Where: Where are you eating? (you should have one place in your home where you eat, and only eat there)
Why: Why are you eating? (are you actually hungry, or just bored/sad/lonely/socializing...)
When: When are you eating? (if you eat about every 3 hours you are less likely to overeat, because you don't let yourself get so hungry that you will reach for anything)
How: How do you feel? (emotions play a large role in why we eat what we eat)

Start thinking, start asking questions.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Trick or Treat

Halloween is usually a time of temptation. There are so many different types of candy/chocolate in stores, and they are even starting to stock Christmas candy. The main thing to remember is portion control. The Halloween size chocolate bars can be a great way to have a small snack if you stop after one; sometimes that is all you need to fulfill a sweet craving. The problem starts when you don't stop yourself and end up eating too many. Once Halloween is over find someone to give your leftover candy to, if it's not in your house you will be less likely to eat it! I would never say you can't eat candy/chocolate, but make sure you control the amount. It's also important to remember to keep active to help burn some calories.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com