Saturday, September 21, 2019 ~ COLWOOD
~ West Shore Voice News
With so much variety and flexibility in the new Canada Food Guide, it means paying a bit more attention to balancing one’s nutritional intake.
As kids get back to school, parents may wish to review a few key nutrients for all members of the family, among others:
- Potassium plays an important role in the strength and functionality of bones and muscles, including the heart. Higher blood pressure can be associated with too much sodium and too little potassium. Potassium is available in a wide range of foods, with best availability from bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, yogurt, tomatoes, and avocados.
- Vitamin D is important for strong bones and maintaining the immune system. Vitamin D is mainly produced in the skin by exposure to sunlight. It is not found naturally in very many foods but the top sources are salmon and eggs as well as cow’s milk that in Canada is supplemented with Vitamin D (as well as oat or soy milk products).
- Fibre for good bowel health is not just in whole grains. There is good fibre in berries, oatmeal, raw carrots, avocados, almonds and chia seeds (and even popcorn!)
- Iron is not as well-absorbed from non-meat sources such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, nuts and seeds as it is from meat. To boost absorption of plant-based iron, be sure to include foods that are rich in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits.
- Sodium. Nearly three-quarters of Canadian children ages 4 to 13 consume too much sodium. Avoiding salty snack foods and cooking meals from scratch at home helps to reduce sodium intake. Processed meats, cold cuts, burgers, breaded chicken products and frozen or other fast-food meals tend to contain high levels of salt (sodium).
- Calcium. If calcium supplementation is a choice to ensure adequate intake (especially if cutting back on milk products in the diet), be sure to check the amount of elemental calcium in the supplement. Calcium citrate is usually the easiest to absorb.
Tips for well-balanced supplementation are available at House of Nutrition at 310 Goldstream Avenue in Colwood, open daily.
========= NOTES:
This article was first published on page 4 in the September 20 to 22, 2019 Print-PDF weekend digest of West Shore Voice News | Subscribers get their PDF’s first – Premium & Link Subscriptions available.
======= OTHER HEALTH ARTICLES:
Get air quality advisories by email [As first published on page 2 in the September 27-29, 2019 weekend issue of West Shore Voice News]
More privacy required at medical clinics in BC [As first published on page 2 in the September 27-29, 2019 weekend issue of West Shore Voice News]
The new Canada Food Guide is online.