George Street Naturopathic Newsletter

Dear Your Name Here

Summer holidays are about to begin so here are some healthful summer tips from the George Street Naturopathic Medicine e-newsletter.

 In this issue:

• A grocery list for an active life
• Osteoporosis – early prevention
• Pesticide residue on produce
• Clinic news

A grocery list for an active life

For those of you who run or exercise regularly, put these foods on your grocery list for the nutritional boost an active body requires.

Add to your cart: Eggs
One egg fulfills about 10 percent of your daily protein needs. Egg protein is the most complete food protein short of human breast milk, meaning eggs contain all the crucial amino acids your hard-working muscles need to promote recovery.

Add to your cart: Oranges
Eat enough oranges and you may experience less muscle soreness after hard workouts. Why? Oranges supply over 100 percent of the daily value for the antioxidant vitamin C, which can help alleviate muscle soreness.

Add to your cart: Canned black beans
One cup provides 30 percent of the daily value for protein, almost 60 percent of the daily value for fibre, and 60 percent of the daily value for folate, a B vitamin that plays a key role in heart health and circulation. Black beans and other legumes are low glycemic index (GI) foods that help control blood sugar levels and enhance performance because of their slow release of energy.

Add to your cart: Whole-grain pasta
A runner's best friend because it contains easily digestible carbs that help restock spent glycogen (energy) stores. Whole-grain versions are a must over refined pastas because they contain more fiber to fill you up, extra B vitamins that are crucial to energy metabolism, and disease-fighting compounds such as lignans.

Add to your cart: Chicken
Runners need about 50 to 75 percent more protein than non-runners to help rebuild muscles and promote recovery after tough workouts. And just one four-ounce serving of chicken can supply about half a runner's daily protein needs. Along with protein, chicken contains selenium, a trace element that helps protect muscles from the free-radical damage that can occur during exercise, and niacin, a B vitamin that helps regulate fat burning during a run.

Add to your cart: Frozen mixed berries
The colorful compounds that make blueberries blue, blackberries deep purple, and raspberries a rich shade of red are called anthocyanins – a powerful group of antioxidants that may assist with post-run recovery and muscle repair.

It’s important for you as early as age 30 to think about prevention. The following are suggestions to help prevent osteoporosis.

1. Alkalinize your body:  When the pH of our blood and body fluids is more acidic, calcium is pulled from the bones as a buffer.  To find out about the pH status of your body, consult a Naturopathic Doctor.  In general, a diet high in vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, is alkalinizing.
2. Stay active:  Physical activity actually increases bone mass.  Try to exercise for 30-60 minutes at least five times per week.
3. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes:  When you consume caffeine, calcium goes out of your body via urine, preventing its storage in your bones. Alcohol and smoking have been shown to decrease bone mass as well.  If you are interested in quitting smoking, speak with a Naturopathic Doctor for help.
4. Eat foods rich in calcium:  Most people associate milk with calcium but in fact there are many excellent non-dairy calcium sources.  Shop for sesame seeds, tofu, seaweeds (dulse, kelp), almonds, figs, and broccoli.
5. Supplement with highly absorbable calcium:  If you aren’t getting enough calcium through your diet, consider a highly absorbable form: calcium citrate or calcium citrate-malate.  I recommend a calcium supplement that also contains other nutrients that are important for bone, such as: magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, boron, silica, manganese, copper, iodine, molybdenum, and vanadium.

Talk to a Naturopathic Doctor for more information on how to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
 

Pesticide residue on produce

Pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables varies by species.  The following are lists of fruits and vegetables in Canada and the U.S. containing the most and least amount of pesticides.  Organic food can be expensive, so use these lists to help prioritize which organic produce to buy.

Most contaminated

Least contaminated

 
Clinic news

I will be away on holidays from June 27 – July 13.  Please call the clinic before June 27 if you need a prescription refilled.

Have a great summer and savour the nutritional bounty in local fruits and vegetables at this time of year.  I look forward to seeing you at the clinic soon.

In health,

Dr. Joanna Thiessen, Naturopath and Doula

Director, George Street Naturopathic Medicine

8 George Street

Waterloo, ON N2J 1K5

t: 519.575.6016

w: www.georgestreetnaturopathic.com

Disclaimer: The information presented herein is not a prescription and does not substitute the consultation of a health care practitioner.

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