Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and protein. They will absorb several times their mass in liquid, creating a jelly-like substance in the process. Instead of cooking fruit down, relying on pectin, and adding sugar to help it set, all we need to do is mash up some fruit and stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds! So easy! Ingredients: 2 cups chopped strawberries, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 1-2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp chia seeds. Cook the berries on medium heat until they start to break down. Mash the fruit with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, leaving it as smooth or as lumpy as you like. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp of the honey and lemon juice. Stir in the chia seeds. Let stand until thickened. If you’d like a thicker consistency, stir in more chia seeds 1 tsp at a time. The jam will thicken further and become more set once completely chilled.
Community News
Mental Health Resources
Did you know that the Canadian Mental Health Association has information online regarding different mental health issues? As well, your local Canadian Mental Health Association branch can answer any questions you may have and provide services to the public. Workshops and courses are another great way to learn about these issues. The Canadian Mental Health Association along with other organizations in your community offer this service. Research what organizations are around you and call them to find out times, dates and whether courses are available for free at a cost. Visit your local library to take advantage of free resources or head to a bookstore or shop online to purchase.
5 Reasons to Eat Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are the richest sources of Plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in the world! 5 Benefits of consuming this super food are 1. High in Fibre – Fibre aids in digestion, prevents constipation and suppresses hunger. 2. Women’s Health – The lignans present in them help in battling high levels of estrogen and assist in balancing hormonal levels. 3. Healthy Hair & Skin – The ALA fats in flax seeds benefits the skin and hair by providing essential fats as well as b-vitamins which can help reduce dryness and flakiness. It can also improve symptoms of acne, rosacea, and eczema. 4. Lower Cholesterol – The soluble fiber content of flax seeds trap fat and cholesterol in the digestive system so that it unable to be absorbed. 5. Weight Loss – Since flax is full of healthy fats and fiber, it will help you feel satisfied longer so you will eat fewer calories overall which may lead to weight loss.
Book Club: Is Your Child’s Brain Starving?
By Michael R. Lyon MD and Christine Laurell, PhD
Michael Lyon went from overweight academic underachiever to graduating as the top male student in his high school a year later, thanks to a total change of diet and lifestyle. He ultimately became a medical doctor involved in research on nutrition. This book is an inspiring guide to better brain function through diet and lifestyle changes. The minor downfall is the promotion of supplements he has helped to develop, but it is still a valuable book for parents and has a good recipe section.
IQ and Nutrition
What if you could increase your child’s IQ with nutrition? Inhabitants of a tiny island off the coast of Japan have the highest IQ scores in the world and produce seven times as many geniuses as any other place in the world. Seniors living there don’t seem to struggle with cognitive decline either. The secret: DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish, krill, squid and some algae. The brain is made mostly of fat, 60% of which is DHA. DHA is found in mother’s milk and has long been recognized as aiding IQ scores in children. Almost everyone nowadays is deficient in DHA. This may be one of the reasons for the increased rates of ADHD, learning disabilities and autism as well as increasing rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive problems.
Posture and Its Long Term Effects
What happens when you stand up straight? Are you truly in a balanced posture or are there tilts and twists in your body? Many of us believe that we are in a good posture but often that’s not the case. Far too often we hear from clients that they are dealing with chronic muscle aches and pains in the upper back or neck. Whether you are working, working out or simply relaxing, your body is, unfortunately, breaking down due to the wear and tear of gravity’s forces on your body faster than you would like. Solutions exist to curb this progression, but we’ve got to do something about it at the structural level. We’ve got to investigate the structural position of your spine and how are you positioning yourself throughout the day. It makes a big difference and can be a fantastic remedy for increasing your daily quality of life.
Dr. Matthew Kittleson, UC Life Chiropractic Centre, www.uclife.ca
The Sun and Our Eyes
As we all know, the sun’s UV rays are quite damaging to the skin, and most of us are great about putting on sun block to protect ourselves, but what about our eyes? The sun can cause cataracts, macular degeneration and growths on the eye, some even cancerous. The growths on the eye are called pterygiums, and they can occur in people of all ages, who spend large amounts of time in the sun. Pterygiums grow into the cornea, causing loss of vision. Other diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration occur later in life, but they occur from damage over the years of not protecting the eyes. That is why wearing sun protection, which includes sunglasses and a hat, is important for all ages including babies. So do your eyes a favour and give them the protection they need!
Dr. Nicholas Catchuk, www.iris.ca
Are Your Finances Healthy?
When is the last time you considered your own financial health? There are many dimensions to financial health, including the amount of savings you have, how much you’re setting away for retirement, and how much of your income you are spending on fixed or non-discretionary expenses. Each person’s situation is different, for this reason, it is worthwhile spending some time in developing your own financial plan to ensure that you’re on track to reach both your short-term and long-term goals. People often fail to recognize the power of interest; For example, putting away $10.22 per month from the time you are 16 years old, with compounding interest, would result in $100,000 upon retirement. However, purchasing everyday items on credit and just paying the minimum balance each month may mean that you reach retirement carrying $100,000 in debt. Seeking out help from a debt specialist can vastly improve your financial health.
Colleen Craig, C.E. Craig & Associates, www.cecraig.com
Thinking About Your Pregnancy?
Want to talk without a political agenda? Many women find themselves unexpectedly pregnant and having to decide what happens next. It can be difficult to find a place to discuss your decision freely, without judgement or strong opinions. Abortion can be a huge relief and still be a stressful experience you want support around. Having an unexpected baby can also be very stressful, with a lot to consider. Either path can get us questioning our life plans, our relationship, hopes about career and financial stability, our ideas about motherhood, what family or friends will think, or a partner’s feelings. We can feel understandable self-doubt, mixed with shame, anger, regret, guilt, and sadness, plus a pressure to get on with life. It’s a lot to sort out. A Registered Clinical Counsellor can provide an emotionally safe, unbiased place to work out your feelings, whatever they may be.
Mary Munro MA.MC.RCC, www.marymunro.ca
Organically Grown Produce & Anti-Oxidants
Fruits and Vegetables produced WITHOUT synthetic pesticides and fertilizers have healthy immune systems. A plant’s natural defense mechanism includes the production of Anti-Oxidants. Recent studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between farming practices (Organic and Conventional) and the anti-oxidant content of the fruits and vegetables grown. Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes (proteins) that can help to prevent and repair damage to your body’s tissue. Antioxidants do this by slowing or preventing the effect of free radicals, which start oxidation — a process that causes damage from oxygen that can lead to cell dysfunction. Include a diversity of vibrant coloured fruit and vegetable in your diet every day! Top Produce items for Anti-Oxidant content: Sweet Potatoes, Cherries, Tomatoes, Asparagus, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Sprouts, and Microgreens. For best results consume them as close to Raw as possible.
Bryan Lawson PDC. Produce Geek, and Permaculturist, Urban Ground Market.
Natural Approaches to Depression in Children and Teens
Part 1: The Role of Zinc
According to the Centers for Addiction and Mental Health, in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health or addiction problem in any given year. 70% of mental health problems have their onset in childhood and adolescence.
It is therefore imperative that childhood mental health problems be treated safely and effectively, not only to address current suffering but to prevent long-term mental illness as well as untimely deaths.
In 2012, suicide accounted for 17% of deaths among children aged 10-14, 28% among teens aged 15-19 and 25% among young adults aged 20-24.
Conventional treatment of depression focuses on antidepressant medications. These can have serious side effects and in some cases even increase suicidal behavior. They also don’t address the underlying reasons for depression. Nonetheless, one in ten Canadians is taking antidepressant medication, including children.
Non drug based approaches can be far safer and more effective and tend to address the root causes of depression. There are many possible causes of depression in children and youth, including inherited predispositions, nutritional factors, exposure to toxins and infectious agent and emotionally traumatic events. Most commonly, depression is a multifactorial condition. This article is the first of a series and will focus on the role of nutrition, especially the role of zinc.
Malnutrition in children
Children often suffer from undiagnosed malnutrition. With the many processed foods in their diets most children’s nutritional status is poorer than those of adults, although they require increased nutrients for growth and development.
I have cringed numrous times watching some of my daughter’s classmates walking to school clutching a fistful of gummi worms for breakfast, or eating bags of fruit loops or a dry Mr. Noodles for lunch.
I fought with the administration of every school she attended to stop the selling of pizza lunches served with donuts and chocolate milk as fundraisers, and the continuous bombardment of the children with sugary treats brought almost daily by well-meaning parents and teachers.
These foods offer mostly high fat, high sugar, empty calories devoid of minerals and vitamin, not exactly brain fuel. I believe that diet contributes to the fact that one in six children is now being diagnosed with some sort of developmental disorder.
Hair mineral analysis and zinc levels
One simple way to assess nutritional status is with a hair mineral analysis, a simple and inexpensive test available through most naturopathic doctors.
I have literally run hundreds of these tests over the last 25 years and have rarely seen one come back with a normal zinc level, a testament to modern food production methods.
Children tend to be especially low in zinc, a crucial trace mineral that is involved in more than 200 enzymatic reactions in the human body. The highest concentrations of zinc are found in the brain.
Zinc levels can affect the function of the blood-brain-barrier. As the name implies, this barrier controls what can enter or exit the brain, including how much aluminum is allowed to enter the brain. Aluminum is highly neurotoxic and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, autism and OCD symptoms among others. [1]
Zinc also plays a role in neurological signaling pathways and other important brain functions. Approximately 10% of the total zinc in the brain exists in the synaptic vesicles, little bubbles full of neurotransmitters at the ends of neurons. In fact, zinc may act as a neurotransmitter. [2]
Zinc and neurological disorders
Zinc deficiency in certain regions of the brain such as the hippocampus, has been linked to an increased risk of neurological diseases, including epilepsy, as well as depression, ADHD, learning disabilities and olfactory dysfunction. [3]
Would it not stand to reason that medical doctors, pediatricians and psychiatrists should investigate zinc levels in cases of mental health concerns?
Sadly, this is not the case as they are not trained in nutrition and most just don’t have time to peruse journals on molecular biology or neurotoxicology and instead are being indoctrinated by pharmaceutical reps advocating Prozac and other SSRIs, best-selling drugs.
A real no-brainer, with the entire population being deficient in zinc and other important nutrients, pun intended.
Zinc and immune system function
Zinc is also an extremely important mineral for normal immune system function and has many roles in controlling inflammation. Certain acute infections, including streptococcal and Lyme disease infections, may trigger the sudden onset of anxiety, depression and OCD symptoms in children and probably adults. Low zinc levels can make it harder to fight off such infections.
Chronic, low-grade infections have been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and auto-immune conditions, both of which can manifest as depression. [4]
Zinc also has powerful effects on the hormonal system, including testosterone production. Low testosterone levels are linked to depression and low confidence in adult males, which appears to be far more common than previously thought.
Zinc, hormones and depression
I think all male teens with depression should be evaluated for testosterone and zinc levels. I have seen plenty of lethargic young men perk right up with some basic supplementation of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc.
Teens in particular are fond of junk food as well as the liberal use of alcohol and other intoxicants which further stresses nutrient requirements. Pubertal nutrient status is important for all aspects of normal growth and development. [4]
Considering that 70% of mental health issues start in childhood I think it should be routine to evaluate all children and youth for zinc and other nutritional deficiencies.
This evaluation could constitute a major break-through in preventative medicine and be a great benefit to society due to reduction of costs, suffering, disability and premature death, not to mention increased happiness and productivity for all.
This really is a human rights issue and I am sure we will see these ideas realized in the future.
Meanwhile, look to dedicated naturopathic physicians to investigate and treat the many causes of depression now. Your child is worth it.
Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, www.drzimmermann.org
References:
[1] The Toxicology of Aluminum in the Brain: A Review. Yokel, R.A. Neurotoxicology, 2000 Oct; 21(5):813-28
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11130287
[2] Zinc Homeostasis and Function of Zinc in the Brain, A. Takeda, Biometals, 2001 Sep-Dec; 14(3-4):343-51
ink.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-3728-9_9
[3] Lower Serum Zinc and Higher CRP Strongly Predict Prenatal Depression and Physio-somatic Symptoms, Which All Together Predict Postnatal Depressive Symptoms.
Roomruangwong C, Kanchanatawan B, Sirivichayakul S et al, Molecular Neurobiology, 2016 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print]
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-016-9741-5
[4] Lower serum zinc in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): relationships to immune dysfunctions and relevance for the oxidative stress status in CFS.
Maes M1, Mihaylova I, De Ruyter M., Journal of Affective Disorders. 2006 Feb;90(2-3):141-7. Epub 2005 Dec 9
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338007
[5] Nutrition and Pubertal Development. Ashraf Soliman et al, Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2014, Nov; 18(suppl 1):S39-S47
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4266867/
Other interesting links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23602205
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26962190
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27113121
More People on Antidepressants Means More Profits for Drug Companies
