Foodie Friday 2: Gluten Free Cereal Guide

There are SO many gluten free cereals on the market, I had a hard time deciding where to even begin with this post... but here goes. My first attempt at summarizing the g-free cereal brands on the market. In order of BEST to WORST, in my opinion. 

1. Hot Cereal I really don't advocate cereal because, as you'll see from this summary, MOST g-free cereals are empty calories. They are made of corn or rice (practically void of protein and fiber) and contain way too much sugar. I'd rather eat a bowl of plain oatmeal where I get to choose my own toppings, fillers, and sweeteners. Alternatively, homemade granola is an amazing 'cereal' option. 

An old picture of oatmeal with almond butter swirl and strawberry jam.

2. Enjoy Life Enjoy Life is a company that focuses on allergen-free foods. Their flax crunch cereal (pictured below) is stellar. The ingredients? Sorghum flour, flax, honey, raisin juice (for sweetener), and salt. No junk, no refined sugar, no corn or rice. The nutritional stats are great too (7 grams of protein per serving! That is very high for a g-free cereal). If it is too 'plain' for your liking, try dressing it up with berries, a vanilla nut mylk, chopped banana, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you find it super bland, you could eat it with a sweetened nut or soy mylk to add some more sweetness. 

3. Barbara's Similar to Enjoy Life's products, Barbara's uses some alternatives to refined sugars, like molasses. Their products are mostly made of oat flour, but beware because others are mainly corn-based. Overall, I still like Barbara's because their ingredients lists are pretty straight forward. Just be mindful of the corn based varieties and that some of their cereals do contain gluten. 

4. Nature's Path Nature's Path is the gluten-free cereal king! They have TONS of varieties. They have g-free granola, puffed cereal, flake cereal, etc. However, they are mostly made of corn and rice and I find them to be very, very sweet. Mesa Sunrise is probably the most nutritious because it contains ground flax... but it's still corn based. *Sigh*.

5. Glutino Not a fan of these cereals. While Nature's Path is corn and rice based, and is sugary, they at least have flax, hemp, and other healthy ingredients added. Glutino cereals are pretty plain and pretty nutritionally void. 

6. General Mills/Kellogg's/Post Oh, boy. The big cereal brands are now making gluten free versions of their classic cereals! You can get g-free Rice Krispies, Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Fruit Pebbles, and more. Don't be tricked into thinking that these are healthy cereals now that they have been dubbed gluten-free... they are still the same old candy cereals that they've always been. 

More to come! Next week I'll be featuring a homemade cereal recipe...

The best (in my opinion)! Image source here.

Baby Poo

Today is my Maternal and Newborn Care Exam. 

In celebration of finishing this course, let's chat about baby poo and digestion:

A baby's first stool (aka poo) is thick and black. It is known as meconium. This stool has been collecting in the baby's bowels since the 16th week of the pregnancy (crazy!). Meconium is made of bile fatty acids, mucous, and sloughed off epithelial cells.

Moving on, if a baby is breastfed, his or her stool will be liquidy, mustard-colored, and odorless. Babies who are fed formula will have harder, darker, and much smellier stools! The iron contained in formula can be constipating for babies, contributing to development of these hard, dark, and smelly stools.

The newborn baby's stomach can only hold 15 to 30 mL. That's only a tablespoon or two! Amazing. This is why newborns need to be feed all.the.time! And while we adults have gastric emptying and bowel movements every 8 to 24 hours, babies empty their bowels every 2 to 3 hours, which means there is a lot of poo. The glycogen stores of babies are also very small (note: we store fuel for between meals and sleep through glycogen), also contributing to their constant need for food.

Mothers know that they need to burp their babies after a meal and that "spit-up" is a common occurrence  Babies often get this regurgitation as their cardiac sphincter of their stomach is still weak and doesn't properly seal off the stomach, allowing some milk to come back up.

Source unknown; not my picture. 

In terms of newborn food, you've probably heard that "breast is best". However, we were taught that the terminology to use when promoting breast feedings is now "formula has risks". The problem with the former phrase was that moms thought that "sure breast is best, but formula is pretty good too!". This new caption is aimed at educating moms that there are risks involved with feeding a child formula!

Year 3, Semester 2: Favorite Classes

Now that year 3, semester 2, is over, it's time for a recap! 

Urinalysis dipsticks!

This term, it was all about the little ones. There was a class in Pediatrics and one in Maternal and Newborn Care (two separate classes). I found both of these classes to be super interesting, probably because I know little about pregnancy, new babies, and wee children. I also loved focusing on treatments that were suitable and safe for children and babes. Sure I know the therapeutic dosage of vitamin D for adults, but how do I adjust this dosage for kids, new mothers, and infants?

My third favorite class (if you can consider it a class?) was Clinic 3. This "class" had us in the clinic, working with a fourth-year student, seeing patients, practicing charting, doing physical exams, and working on the treatment plan. It was a great introduction to what will be life come May when I enter the school's clinic full-time. Loved having this "sneak peek".

An honourable mention goes to In Office Procedures. In this class (though it wasn't really a class, more of a tutorial) we learned to draw blood (phlebotomies), inject vitamin B12, test blood glucose levels, and perform skin scrapings, Strep throat swabs, urinalysis, and more. It wan hands-on time to get us comfortable with the in-office procedures that we'll be performing next year and throughout our careers as naturopathic doctors.

Some Handy-Dandy Online Health Resources

• Vaccine Scheduler  ...a program designed to help parents, adults, and healthcare providers on top of their vaccines/immunizations. (I actually attended a lecture by one of the lead researchers behind this tool last week!) This scheduler helps people keep track of what immunizations they've had, helps people to determine when their next dosage of a certain vaccine should be, determines a schedule of all childhood vaccines and helps parents keep track of what pathogen strain and at what age their child should be vaccinated against, helps catch children up (calculates a new vaccine schedule) if they missed or were late for an injection, and much more.

• Just Beautiful ...their mission is to "give the Canadian beauty industry a long overdue makeover". Why does make-up make us sick? Why can't it just make us beautiful? Sign the pledge featured on this website (I have!) to force cosmetic companies in Canada to fully disclose their ingredients. Another cool feature on this website is the pocket shopping guide (download it here) which features the top ten ingredients you should avoid when purchasing make-up and personal hygiene products. 

• Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep (aka the Cosmetics Database) ...a really cool database of all cosmetics, make-up, and personal hygiene products. Search the products you are using and see how they rank (every product is given a score from 1-10 with 1 being horrible and toxic, and 10 being very clean and safe).

• Toxic Nation ...awesome guides (all PDFs that you can download) to help you detoxify your life! Handouts with solutions and tips for avoiding toxic art supplies, cleaning products, plastics, children's school supplies, insect repellents, and more. 

My Professors and Children's Health

Two of my professors have been in the news lately, talking about children's health. They're so cool.

First: Read about the Pediatrics Open House that took place at CCNM back in January (I participated in this event). I love the quote (found in this article) by my Pediatrics professor, Dr. Leslie Solomonian:

"We put way too much emphasis on heroic medicine and we neglect basic principles in health". 

Second: Read about my future clinic supervisor and Clinical Nutrition professor, Dr. Jonathon Prousky, talking about childhood mental illness and the Mindful project on Daytime Toronto.

Beware of Red Velvet

Red velvet cake and cupcakes seem to be all the rage these days. These goodies are basically chocolate cake, but have a reddish (or red velvet if you will) colored hue. Flavor-wise, they don't taste very different than chocolate cake (despite the tricky coloring, there isn't any strawberry or raspberry flavoring added to the cake batter). So what gives red velvet baked goods their color? Nothing more than a whole whack of red food dye. You need roughly a whole tablespoon in order to achieve a true red velvet cake batter color. That's a ton of dye!

Those who are concerned with healthy eating should be wary of red velvet cake. Red food dye (also known as FD&C #40 (this dye can be used in food, drugs and cosmetics, hence the name FD&C)) has been linked to hyperactivity in children, can cause rashes, liver and kidney damage, cancer, and are generally considered to be toxic. Evidently, the consumption of red dyes should be limited, especially in children.

But red velvet cakes are pretty! What's a baker to do when they want red velvet cake but don't want any artificial food coloring? Make the cake batter with beets, strawberries, pomegranate juice, or raspberries of course (as discussed in my post on natural food dyes). Fruit juices and purees make great natural food dyes. I recently came across this blog post on red velvet pancakes that are made with beets.

Look at how beautiful a naturally colored, red velvet (pan)cake can be!

Image source: The Edible Perspective

Ten in Ten

It's been ten days of third-year, semester two, Winter classes. What's happened in those ten days? Quite a bit! School and life have been busy, but I am loving it. It's the last time that I can be a student in a classroom setting so I am trying to soak it up!

Ten things that have happened in the last ten days of school:

1) I attended the most gourmet potluck of my life after class to celebrate my friend C's birthday. There weren't any boring veggie trays or chips + dip at this potluck! Instead there was homemade gourmet salsa, sushi, edamame, sweet potato falafels, pomegranate salad, lentil dahl, roasted chicken, veggie stew, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, and a blueberry-banana cake. 

2) I learned how to draw blood from a vein. Phlebotomies are cool! 

3) I started volunteering at a raw chocolate company in Toronto. They 'pay' their volunteers in chocolate. How awesome is that? Their vanilla chocolate is divine. 

4) I was the Scribe (i.e. note taker and case write-up compiler) in a disc herniation case in my Primary Care class. 

5) I preformed my first spinal adjustment/manipulation. I also had some done on me by my classmates. 

6) I had my first clinic shift (fun, scary, exciting, and tiring because it made for a 12+ hour day). 

7) Attended my first pediatric appointment (I need to attend one to gather information to write a paper on the experience for my Pediatrics class). 

8) Got 90% of the work done for Women's Health Week (a week of events taking place in March at CCNM; I am the primary coordinator for the week). 

9) Attended CCNM's Annual Suppliers Show at which I got to talk to some of my favorite supplement companies. 

10) Helped a friend by helping out at the business class I took way back in first year. Just sitting in on one of these classes got my all fired-up for creating my own future practice! 

Kids Food Makes Me Sick... Literally.

I don't have children, but you might think that I do, given how passionate I am about feeding children well.  It all started in first year, during my first week at CCNM, when Dr. Jason Lee discussed the problems with "kids food" with our class.

The thought of "kids food" makes me sick. What is this crazy concept and where did it come from? How is it that children today eat PopTarts and Captain Crunch for breakfast, Pizza Pockets and Lunchables midday, guzzle kiddie 'juice' boxes and pop to quench their thirst, and get rewarded with Gushers, ice cream, and other kid-sized treats on a daily basis?  When and why did we decide it is OK to feed kids crap? Synthetic, sugar-laden, artificial garbage now passes as kids food.

Wait, back up a second, why do we even have kids food?  Why not just food? Children don't have compromised digestive tracks; they certainly can digest "adult foods" like asparagus and wild rice. Where did this great divide (adult vs kids) come from? Healthy food like veggies, beans, and grains go to the adults, while all the junk goes off to the kiddos.  Just take a look at a restaurant menu!  The adults have a huge variety of entree contenders while the kids' menu (why it exists at all is beyond me...) features such delicacies as chicken tenders, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and fries. Where is the fiber? The vegetables? The flavor? No wonder so many adults don't like vegetables. When are they suppose to develop a palate for vegetables; sometime between their SweetTarts and McNuggets?

I see the kid-adult food divide even within my own family. Every year at our annual family pot-luck, we always make sure that there are enough "kid dishes" at the table. And no, we're not talking about meals for toddlers (which are indeed a bit different than adult food, not in terms of content but in preparation). I remember one year we even had a separate cake for the kids, because the adult cake wasn't good enough with all its sugar and butter... it needed to have sprinkles in order to be kid-approved!

What disturbs me most of all is that society's eating philosophy should be the complete opposite.  Children, who are rapidly growing beings, need all the nutrients they can get in order to thrive and grow; therefore they should have the best quality food available! Their metabolisms are on fire and need tons vitamins and minerals to act as co-factors for the metabolic reactions that are taking place at lightening speed. Their brains need good nutrition for all the learning they are doing in school each day. Give kids wild salmon and kale, and leave us oldies with the crap! ha ha

In my Clinical Nutrition class, we've been talking a lot about the connection between poor childhood nutrition and mental disorders like ADD, ADHD, autism, bipolar, anxiety, and depression, to name a few. Other pathologies seen in children that are related to nutrition: obesity, type 2 diabetes, asthma, eczema, seasonal allergies, chronic ear infections, and many more. It is unsettling how many children are on medications for said conditions when maybe all they needed was to have their junk food replaced by a good wholesome meal. Did you know that there are cases of autistic children talking for the first time in their lives, after 4-6 years of not speaking, once gluten removed from their diet?! That to me is so, so crazy!

Furthermore, I read this last year on one of my favorite blogs. They were talking about feeding their daughter and their comments really stuck with me:

"Elsa is turning 20 months soon. She has still never had any red meat or poultry and she has never eaten any sugar, candy, cookies or ice cream. Around here that counts as something pretty spectacular, and not only in a good way. Many people seem to think that we are exaggerating about health. ”One ice-cream every now and then won’t hurt her”. You wouldn't believe how many times we heard that sentence. And sure, they are right, she eats an ice cream and life goes on. But why? Elsa has never asked for ice cream, she doesn't even know how it tastes. During a child’s first two years we as adults choose what food our children should eat. And they learn from this. It’s a responsibility. If someone wants to give Elsa an ice cream, it’s not because she wants it, it’s because they want to give it to her. Remember that."

That's right: wee little children don't ask to be fed junk!  It's just us adults thinking that giving a baby a treat is a good thing and those who "deprive" their children of treats are the bad parents. We need to change this thinking. It is backwards!

Despite all of my ranting, I have hope.  I have hope that things will change and go back to the good 'ol days of porridge for breakfast, soup or stew for lunch, and a hearty, balanced dinner for supper. Treats only on special occasions. I have several great classmates, friends (M!), and professors who are leading the way, inspiring others with their healthy, veggie loving children. Miss Kendra and Dr. Donna are also teaching kids about healthy eating. Books like Outside the Box are starting conversations. Naturopathic doctors are teaching patients about good nutrition and how it starts at birth. Times are a changin', my friends!

Nonetheless, despite all of the complaining I did in this post, I must say that a fed child is a lucky child. I recognize that for far too many children die daily due to starvation and malnutrition. This breaks my heart more than any kiddie food ever can. Food must not be taken for granted, regardless of its nutritional content.

Play With Your Food

I recently bought this adorable plush fruit basket to keep in my future office waiting room for children/babies to play with. I had been eyeing one for myself ever since I bought two of my mommy friends' children each baskets. I think it is a good waiting room/office toy because I can easily throw it in the wash when it is looking grubby and because it can encourages healthy eating (subliminally) at a young age! Or is it bad because it encourages kids to 'play with their food'? Hmm...

Breast Feeding Preceptoring.

Image source here.

Today I preceptored at the breast feeding clinic located at CCNM.  Boy oh boy, all I can say is that I had no idea that breast feeding was so complicated!  I don't know much about breast feeding; probably next semester in my Maternal Care course I will learn a lot more and today, of course, I learned tons. The ladies working at the clinic were extremely knowledgeable and gave the new mothers all kinds of tips, advice, and encouragement. Any new mothers out there with any breast feeding concerns: please, please, please go and see a lactation consultant!  The consultant will help you and your baby with the whole feeding experience, very likely making it a million times better.

Happy Sixty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, Gram and Gramp!  

Lots of love from your oh-so-proud and very-happy-for-you-two, granddaughter.

Pox Party.

Image source here.

What's with all the parents rushing to take their kids to Chicken Pox Parties?  

 You know, those parties in which parents bring their kids to the house of the one sick child (who is sick with Chicken Pox), in hopes that all kids in attendance get infected too. Yep, those parties really exist and they have officially been named Pox Parties.

Chicken Pox is caused by the herpes virus Varicella Zoster.  It is self-limiting (meaning it will cure itself, no drugs required, especially not Aspirin (it can cause grave health consequences if used... or so my NPLEX study manual has told me so)). However, it is not a comfortable infection: the child will be covered in a rash and will be quite itchy.  I remember my Chicken Pox experience: I was mortified at the way my skin looked and was perturbed that I had to keep taking baths (to prevent secondary infection of my bumps and to sooth the itchiness).

Getting infected with Zoster seems to be a normal part of growing up. The purpose of a Pox Party is to get children innoculated with Zoster when they are young and have stronger immune systems. The parents' reasoning makes sense to me because adult infections with this virus are quite severe!  (Note: I've read, however, that some Medical Doctors (MDs) still advise that children simply get vaccines against Zoster rather than attending a Pox Party, per say. Talk to your doctor and do your own research to find out what is best for you and your child. This post is not meant to act as medical advice!).

A complication of Zoster is shingles.  Shingles can develop in an adult with the virus, or it can even occur in someone who already had been exposed to the virus as a child (not fair, huh? :P).  That being said, reactivation of the Zoster virus usually happens in immunocompromised (weak immune system) or already very sick and weak individuals and not usually in regular 'ol healthy Joes.  Shingles is an extremely painful condition as the virus lies in the nerve roots (deromatome) lining the chest wall, and its presence here aggravates the nerves, causing painful, hot, and burning sensations.