Page 31 - Real Style May 2018

What foods/drinks can help stave off early aging?
AH: Staving off early aging is complex. It starts with taking care of your body, fuelling it well, getting enough exercise and sleep, reducing stress, and having meaningful, supported relationships. In terms of foods, choosing more whole foods can help to ensure a balanced diet— specifically, focusing on brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, and high fibre, plant-based foods like nuts and seeds, pulses and whole grains can provide your body with antioxidants
way” to eat that does our society horrible injustice. Not to mention it’s elitist — only those with
the most privilege can afford to worry about things like “clean eating,” when a large majority of the population struggles to even get access to consistent food.
to see more Canadians choosing these high fibre protein sources. They reduce our consumption of excess animal products, which is associated with a more pro- inflammatory gut microbiome, and increase our intake of fibres that are associated with a more anti-inflammatory, compound- producing microbiome. Not
that help to reduce free-radical compounds that may damage cells.
What is clean eating and should I be doing it?
AH: Clean eating is a loaded term. It inherently suggests there’s a “dirty” or “non- virtuous” way of eating. The book The Gluten Lie by Alan Levinovitz is a great place to start if you want to understand why diet culture has negatively influenced our perception of worth.
The takeaway: Let go of labelling eating as a “pass or fail,” “good or bad” kind of thing. All foods fit, and while we can absolutely strive to choose nutritious, whole foods, it doesn’t make a processed food evil, or mean that you’re less of a person to consume it.
to mention the impact on the environment! Many pulse crops are carbon neutral, or actually fix nitrogen in our environment, helping to reduce environmental impact of farming animals. Not to say animal proteins don’t fit
if you enjoy them; it’s just that we could absolutely do with eating less of them. Try meatless Mondays to get started —one of my family’s favourite recipes is my Mediterranean lentil stuffed peppers! https://ignitenutrition. ca/blog/mediterranean-lentil- stuffed-peppers/
The concept of clean eating is not, at its core, bad. It’s choosing more whole, unprocessed foods. It’s our language and the belief that there may be a “wrong
Is there one thing you wish you could change about the average Canadian’s diet? Something that we need to do, but aren’t doing?
AH: More plant-based proteins! Pulses, people! We’re talking chickpeas, beans, lentils. I’d like
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