Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy eating pattern. Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits may lower your risk of heart disease
Vegetables and fruits have important nutrients such as:
fibre
vitamins
minerals
Include plenty of vegetables and fruits in your meals and snacks. Try making half of your plate vegetables and fruits.
Choose different textures, colours and shapes to fit your taste. From apples to zucchini, choose plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Try a variety of vegetables and fruits such as:
pears
apples
berries
broccoli
peaches
cabbage
leafy greens
Fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates are high in sugars. Replace juice with water. Choose whole or cut vegetables and fruits instead of juice.
Choosing and preparing healthy vegetables and fruits
Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and fruits can all be healthy options.
Frozen and canned vegetables and fruits:
take little time to prepare
are a healthy and convenient option
are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables and fruits
Frozen vegetables and fruits
Choose frozen vegetables and fruits without:
added sugars
added seasonings
breading or rich sauces
You can add frozen vegetables and fruits to soup or chili.
Canned vegetables and fruits
Choose canned vegetables with little to no added sodium.
Drain and rinse canned vegetables to lower the sodium content.
Choose canned fruit with little to no added sugars.
Use the food labels to help you compare canned vegetables and fruits.
The % daily value helps you see if a food has a little or a lot of a nutrient.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit can be a part of healthy eating but it can stick to your teeth and cause cavities. If you choose dried fruit, eat it with meals.
Preparing vegetables
Try healthier cooking methods like:
baking
roasting
steaming
stir-frying
Enhance the flavour by adding:
olive oil
lemon juice
flavoured vinegar
fresh or dried herbs or spices
Snack ideas
Vegetables and fruits make quick and healthy snacks. There are lots to choose from and many healthy ways to prepare them.
Vegetable snacking tips
Keep cut up fresh vegetables in the fridge for a quick and healthy snack. Try:
broccoli
cauliflower
carrot sticks
celery sticks
cucumber slices
Fruit snacking tips
Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter as an easy snack to grab.
Add fruit to whole grain cereals or lower fat yogurt. Try:
bananas
mangoes
frozen berries
canned peaches packed in water
Freeze seedless grapes on a tray and enjoy them as a snack.
How to eat more vegetables
Here are some easy ways to eat more vegetables:
Add canned pumpkin or squash purée to any soup to make it extra rich and creamy.
Wash, chop and refrigerate or freeze extra vegetables when preparing meals so you have extra for meals the next day.
Use pre-bagged vegetables that can be quickly tossed in a salad, stir-fry or casserole. Try:
baby carrots
green beans
leafy greens
Serve raw vegetables with your meals. Try:
cucumber
cherry or grape tomatoes
red, yellow or green peppers
Try new recipes that call for different types of leafy greens such as:
kale
spinach
bok choy
Swiss chard
mixed salad greens
How to eat more fruits
Fruits are a delicious addition to your day. Here are some easy ways to eat more fruit:
For dessert, choose:
oranges
fruit salad, with little to no added sugars
Add fresh fruits to salads. Try adding sliced:
pears
peaches
strawberries
Add frozen fruits to baking.
Wash, cut and refrigerate extra fruit so you can have some on hand for meals and snacks.
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Book an appointment with Dr. Priya Duggal, ND.
Dr. Priya provides personalized, patient- centered approach addressing the whole person.
Her areas of expertise are- Autoimmune conditions, Anxiety, Arthritis,Allergies,food sensitivities,Chronic pain,Digestive concerns, Depression,Skin rash-Eczema and Psoriasis, Pre-conception health, Women’s health, hormone balancing, Weight loss ,Thyroid care and Optimal aging.
Dr. Priya utilizes advanced lab testing such as food sensitivity test,male and female hormonal panel, inflammation panel and heavy metal analysis to find the underlying cause.
Call today to book a free 15 minute consult with Dr. Priya .Even If your condition is not listed above, book a complimentary visit to find out how Naturopathic Medicine can help you.
Hope to see you soon.
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THE PAIN DRAIN
Back pain, neck pain and headaches: these three common pain conditions affect millions of Canadians every day, draining our energy and ability to function at normal levels. Sometimes pain may be the result of chronic underlying medical conditions, and requires a health professional’s care. But in many cases, you can help manage energy-draining pain by taking a few simple steps in your daily life.
Powerful posture
If you could do just one thing to reduce the aches you may experience daily, it would be to improve your posture both when standing and seated. Strengthening your core muscles will help support your spine and minimize the physical stresses and strains that create back, neck and shoulder pain.
Soothing Sleep
Many of us get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, but sleep provides vital rejuvenation for sore muscles and joints. If you are not getting enough restful sleep, look at two things: your mattress and your sleep position.
- A good mattress supports the natural contours of the body, letting your muscles and joints fully relax.
- Sleep on your back or side. If you sleep on your side, put a pillow between your knees. If you’re on your back, place it under your knees. Better sleep positioning with the help of pillow support can ease pain by easing pressure on your spine.
Exercise
- Exercise can help ease many types of pain, from arthritis to low back pain. A pain-reduction exercise program should include both flexibility and strength training. The stronger and more flexible you are, the better your body can distribute the physical forces of movement and prevent painful imbalances. And of course, exercising regularly may help you reduce body weight, which can significantly decrease pain – particularly in the joints of your hip, knee, and ankle, and in your lower back.
Stress
- Stress and pain are often closely linked. Each one can have an impact on the other, creating a vicious cycle that sets the stage for chronic pain and chronic stress. Managing stress can lead to pain relief. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, guided imagery and meditation can teach your body to relax and decrease stress levels.
- These tips may not completely eliminate pain from your life — but try them for a few weeks, and you’ll likely feel less discomfort. Recurrent pain can affect your quality of life, but learning how to cope with it can help you manage its harmful impact. A chiropractor can diagnose the causes of your pain and develop a treatment plan to reduce your “pain drain” and get you moving again.
Dr. Luciano Di Loreto, HBSc., D.C. & Associates
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If you are reading this post, you probably know of someone suffering with menopausal symptoms or perhaps you may be going through menopausal symptoms yourself.
Menopause does not have to be a terrible and awful time of your life. It does not have to include constant hot flashes, night sweats, and inconsistent hormonal mood swings.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is a transitional period which marks the end of ovulation for women. This change can last months to years and symptoms range from mild to severe due to decreasing estrogen. Menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, memory loss, vaginal dryness, headaches, joint pain, and weight gain.
Menopause
How do I treat Menopause?
Recently, there is much debate on the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT usually starts when the first symptoms of menopause appear. While HRT may help to get rid of hot flashes and prevent bone loss (osteoporosis), they have been associated with increasing the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. HRT isn’t the only answer to menopause. Many women are exploring alternative options such as acupuncture. Herbal Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (such as Acupuncture) have been used for women’s health can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3AD.
How Acupuncture work for Menopause?
The basic foundation for Acupuncture is that there is a energy flowing through the body, which is termed Qi (pronounced chee). This specific energy flows through the body on channels known as meridians that connect all of our major organs. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, illness/disease/negative changes in the body such as menopause arises when the flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced or disturbed.
Acupuncture may help to reduce menopausal symptoms. It may help to reduce stress, hot flashes, mood swings and irritability.
How does Acupuncture work?
Acupuncture stimulates specific points located on or below the surface of the skin. These specific points have the ability to alter various biomechanical and physiological conditions in order to achieve the desired effect. During the acupuncture treatment, very thin needles (no medication in the needle) are placed in specific spots located on your arms, back, legs and feet. The number of needles utilized, length of treatment, number of treatments and frequency of treatments will vary case to case. Typical, an acupuncture treatment lasts at least 30 minutes. Patients are recommended to attend treatments at least 2-3 times per week.
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