SFL Bradford

We are a nutrition clinic in Bradford, Ontario. Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simplyforlifebradford

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USING TEA IN YOUR FOOD?

Tea is the world’s second most consumed beverage after water.

It has been used in Asian cooking for hundreds of years.  This secret ingredient has recently been discovered by North Americans. Adding tea to our dishes imparts wonderful flavour and it also maximizes and enhances our exposure to tea’s many health-promoting compounds.

You may ask, what is the health benefits?  Tea leaves are teeming with polyphenols.  Studies have shown that these have beneficial compounds that may help reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease.  Tea is also great for keeping our teeth healthy.  Research studies have found that tea may help increase the acid resistance in tooth enamel and reduce the risk of gum disease.  

How do I use tea in my food? You can use brewed tea for poaching fish or chicken.   You can use them in cooking grains or in soups, stews, gravies and marinades.  The tea leaves can be ground and used as a rub for poultry.  Or add tea leaves to baked goods, omelets, smoothies, spreads and dressings.  

How do you use different teas in foods, here are some examples:  rooibos chai tea leaves give a great spicy flavour for chicken as a rub, earl grey should not be over brewed, it is great in salads and gives them a citrusy aroma, and matcha tea gives food the sweetness that you would like to find in desserts or frozen foods such as popsicles.

Once you begin cooking with tea, you will be delighted by its ability to impart flavour and create memorable meals.  The possibilities are endless.

CREAMY STRAWBERRY MATCHA POPS

1 cup vanilla yogurt                                              ¾ cup fresh/frozen strawberries

½ cup sparkling water                                          1 tbsp protein powder (or milk)

1 tsp matcha green tea powder

Blend all ingredients together on high speed in blender or food processor. Pour into ice pop moulds or 4 small paper cups. Insert stick in centre and freeze.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Registered Nutritionist, Simply For life, Bradford

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GROW YOUR OWN BASIL—BE A BASIL GARDENER EXTRAORDINAIRE!

Growing basil outdoors or indoors is an easy and economical way to ensure you always have the flavourful herb at hand.

Here are a few tips to help you to become that basil gardener extraordinaire!

Basil thrives on warmth and light.  Plant seeds or starter plants outdoors in a sunny part of the garden in nutrient-rich soil after any danger of frost has passed.  Indoors, plant starter plants in containers with adequate drainage and place the pots in a sunny, south facing window.  You can plant indoors all year round.

To prevent root rot, keep soil moist but not soggy.  For healthy growth, fertilize once a month with organic fertilizer. This helps to maintain the proper pH levels in the soil.  

Pinch off any flowers that appear during growth to prevent them from “going to seed” and rendering the herb flavourless.  When harvesting the plant, pinch off the stem just above a new leaf set. Harvest often, the more you pick, the more it will grow.

You can air dry basil in small batches, but it retains its flavour best when frozen.  To freeze basil, simply pour a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil in a blender or food processor and add fresh basil leaves. Process until the mixture is paste-like. Put the mixture into ice cube trays and once frozen, store the cubes in a freezer bag.  You can then add the cubes to your favourite recipes and enjoy basils delicious flavour all year round.

Basil is an herb that has many good benefits for our bodies.  So become a basil gardener extraordinaire!!!

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Registered Nutritionist with Simply For Life, Bradford.

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WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET?

Summer in Canada is one of the shortest seasons where we can have fun outdoors and enjoy fabulous fresh foods for eating.

So unless you grow your own food, no place is better and provides fresher selection than a farmers’ market.  Buying from a local farmers’ market is also helping to support our local growers for many different reasons such as economical.  When you buy local you are also getting food that is rich in nutrients. Just think about that lettuce that came from California and how many days it has to travel and that it is picked early, causing that produce to lose significant amount of nutrients.  

The most important question that people ask farmers are, what they are eating, quality of the produce and understanding new items.

Shopping early in the day is the best for selection.  People also need to learn that the produce you buy from the farmers market also has a shorter live span and should be eaten faster than the produce you buy in the store.

It is the personal connection that makes a farmers market an important place for both customers and the farmers.  You are able to ask questions that you could not in a grocery store.  You know how the farmer grows his produce or raises his chickens.  Bulk buying is something that people enjoy if they do freezing and canning  for the winter months to enjoy that produce all year round.

So go visit your local farmers’ market and enjoy this great experience.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Registered Nutritionist, Simply For Life, Bradford.

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My Story

Hi my name is Gwen and I am a registered holistic nutritionist. I am also owner of the Simply For Life nutritional clinic in Bradford, Ontario.

My story starts in my early 20’s when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and food allergies to just about everything under the sun. I was placed on Synthryoid and took this medication until I was in my 40’s. After being on this medicine I noticed many changes in my body, the biggest was not losing weight no matter how hard I tried. I followed many diets and exercised my little heart out to no avail. I started getting bad side effects that were making me even more depressed and very unhappy. I developed Hashimoto’s, Syndrome X and many other autoimmune disorders.  

I finally decided that I was tired of looking and feeling FAT. I went to see a Naturopathetic doctor and went off conventional medicine. I do not recommend anybody going off medicines unless you are instructed by a doctor. When I became a nutritionist I was also able to take away many of my food allergies and reintroduce a lot of foods that I was avoiding. I learned how to use food the right way and have lost and kept off my weight. It has been a slow process but one where I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I still have weight issues but I have gone down 2 dress sizes and feel so much better. I have been able to start to decrease some of the side effects and I have a new outlook for my life.  

I know I am not alone, and I want to hear your stories. I am starting a story spotlight on my Simply For Life Facebook page and I am going to be posting peoples stories to help others understand the success and impact this program has for people like you and me.

Simply For Life has helped me to change my life even more and I would like to help you as well.  Please send me your story and I look forward to helping you to reach a better spot in your life as well.

Wishing you great health, Gwen.  

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RECONNECTING WITH THE EARTH!

Wiggling our toes in the summer grass, sinking our fingers in our garden, or having the ocean waves wash over our feet as we stroll along the beach.  All of these give us a sense of happiness and well-being when we reconnect to our planet.

Scientists and other accredited people are now wondering why?

GETTING GROUNDED

The human body is bioelectrical in nature.  To our bodies this is the functions of our cells, nervous system and more are governed by electric power and pulses of energy in the body.  Our planet also holds an incredible amount of energy. Scientists believe that the electrons and fluids found in the earth’s core generates a continuous, powerful magnetic force, energy fields and radiation.  

If the earth’s energy is linked to our health and wellness, scientists are worried we may have become too disconnected from these forces.  Paved streets, high rise buildings, and other elements are insulating our modern lifestyles which might be blocking our access to the power of nature, thus throwing our bodies’ electrical cycle out of whack.  Getting grounded or coming back into contact with the surface of the earth and reconnecting with its energy may be the answer, this is called earthing.

DIFFERENT HEALTH BENEFITS FROM EARTHING

Research studies have found that earthing may help various major health problems.  It has shown benefits from chronic pain, reduced stress and anxiety plus improved sleep.  For example, research in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reports that being physically connected to the earth “may be the primary factor regulating endocrine and nervous systems.”  The same study also noted that it affects blood glucose levels and concentrations of magnesium, iron, and other nutrients in our blood.  

HOW TO DO EARTHING

The best way to achieve this is with bare-skinned contact with the ground.  But that is not always feasible, especially for those of us who live and work in urban environments.  Nature offers multiple benefits beyond simply the grounding aspect, here are some different resources as a backup plan if you cannot get outdoors, earthing shoes, universal pads, sheets and mattresses and auto seat pads.

If you would like more information about earthing products and their benefits check out The Earthing Institute at earthinginstitute.net.

Other grounding ideas you should follow are: to try and do it at least 2 to 3 times per day. Even a five minute break outside can be an energizing boost.  If you have mobility issues, use a chair, simply sit on the chair and put your bare feet on the ground.  Bring water, damp soil is more conductive and can accelerate how quickly you feel the benefits of earthing.  If concrete is your second best option, you can even utilizing your basement’s concrete floor.  To be conductive, the concrete must be unsealed and unpainted.  Asphalt, vinyl, or wood surfaces are not conductive and therefore do not give you any earthing benefits.  Last but not least go the beach, wading and swimming is exceptionally beneficial because the minerals found in the oceans are highly conductive and lakes can be mildly conductive depending on their mineral content.  

In Canada we are very fortunate to having one of the world’s oldest and most extensive public park systems.  Summer is a great time to explore our great Canadian outdoors, so go out and enjoy earthing.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Registered Nutritionist for Simply for Life, Bradford, Ontario

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Do You Feel Ugh?

DO YOU FEEL UGH?  I MEAN REALLY REALLY UGH!!!!!!

Feeling Ugh is quite common for people today.

What causes the UGH?

That bloating, gas feeling that you experience can be related to different causes.

The most common one has to do with poor elimination.  You should be eliminating every day at least twice a day.  If you have problems with this you need to increase your fiber intake and think about adding probiotics to your diet.

Using a good quality yogurt that is organic is one way, but the fastest way is to use a good probiotic such as UDO’s found in your local health food store.  People are often confused about probiotics and their uses in our bodies.  Probiotics benefits are too many to list but here are a few common ones, stimulates the gut’s immune system, make compounds that keep harmful bacteria from spreading, helping to prevent infections, help with digestion by helping our bodies to digest food more efficiently, help to metabolize certain vitamins and break down toxins and last but not least they help to keep our colon healthy and working properly. 

The balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut can change quite quickly, especially when antibiotics, poor nutrition, inflammation and stress can all kill off the helpful bacteria in the gut.  Drugs like birth control pill, corticosteroids, NSAIDs and aspirin can also have a negative impact on our gut bacteria.  If you are on any of these drugs it is recommended that you take a probiotic daily to help keep you balance.

You can also take probiotics away on vacation.  There are now good products out there that do not have to be refrigerated as most probiotics need this.  Why do they need to be refrigerated?  It is because probiotics are a live organism and heat will kill them off quickly.  

It is surprising how quickly adding a probiotic to your daily regime will eliminate many symptoms associated with digestive issues.  If you would like to learn more and get rid of that ugh feeling once and for all, please contact me at Simply For Life and we will be glad to help you in any way.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, RHN, Simply For Life, Bradford 

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EATING FOR TWO?

Pregnancy can be a wonderful, happy, stressful, hectic time.

It is hormones, emotions and awkwardness all bundled up until the little bundle of joy is born!  Because you care for this unborn child, you limit the things you may normally indulge in that give you pleasure, such as any forms of exercise and certain foods.

It is common during pregnancy to take pleasure in food and every bite you eat of food should give you pleasure!  But during pregnancy we tend to over-indulge, portions sizes may become larger than necessary, food choices tend to be on the decadent side and an excess amount of weight comes along with that wonderful miracle.

Pregnancy can also include nausea, heartburn and constipation as unfortunate side effects.  This makes it very possible to become MALNOURISHED.  Eating more does not equal eating well.  Textures, smells and the idea of heartburn or nausea may alter the normal diet you have and without eating a wide variety of nutritious foods you could be depleting yourself and your baby of vital nutrients.

Here are some tips to preventing nausea and vomiting: *Avoid having a completely empty stomach, eat every 2-3 hours. *Eat foods that appeal to you, but moderation is the key. *Drink fluids between meals as opposed to with meals. *Have cold foods, you are more sensitive to the smells of warm food.

Pregnancy is a time of wonderment, enjoy this part of life and at Simply For Life we can help overcome any questions or concerns.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Simply for Life, Bradford

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BUTTER—WHY IS IT BETTER?

For many years this has been a big discussion between health practitioners.

Butter and other high saturated fat were believed to be the culprit that caused heart disease.  We have been eating butter for thousands of years and blaming new health problems on old foods does not make sense.  As consumption of fatty foods like butter went down, diseases like heart disease, obesity and type II diabetes went up.  The truth is natural foods like butter have nothing to do with heart disease.  

The reason butter was demonized is because it is loaded with saturated fat.  It is a very high saturated fat, with the fatty acids in it being about 63%.

Butter is also loaded with Vitamin K.  This comes in several forms, Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) which is found in plant foods such as leafy greens and Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) which is found in animal foods.  Even though these 2 forms are similar, they appear to have different effects on the body.  Vitamin K1 is important for blood clotting and Vitamin K2 helps to keep calcium out of your arteries.  High fat dairy products from grass-fed cows are among the best sources of Vitamin K2 in the diet, other sources include egg yolks.  Vitamin K works by modifying proteins, giving them the ability to bind calcium ions.  One problem with calcium is that it tends to leach out of the bones and into the arteries, causing heart disease.  Therefore optimizing your intake of Vitamin K2 can reduce the risk of both osteoporosis and heart disease.

Butter is loaded with an anti-inflammatory fatty acid called butyrate.  It is now believed that inflammation is the leading driver of heart disease.  We need some inflammation in the body to help protect our bodies from injury and infections.  But when it is excessive it can cause severe harm.  It is known that inflammation in the endothelium is a crucial part of the pathway that ultimately leads to plaque formation and heart attacks.  The butyrate found in butter is also known to help with digestive health and may help prevent weight gain.

Butter is also a food that contains Omega 3.  This is important because most people are already eating way too much Omega 6 fatty acids and not enough Omega 3’s.

You can also find CLA in butter.  Studies show that this fatty acid can have anti-cancer properties and help lower body fat percentage in humans.

The bottom line is studies show that highly processed fats such as margarine increase heart disease risk, so it only makes sense that we should avoid them.  Real food is the key to good health, processed junk foods is not.  Despite margarines being able to lower total and LDL cholesterol in short term, they actually lead to the opposite effect and can lead to increases in heart disease, while butter is the better choice for the benefits it gives to the body.

Submitted by Gwen Cottingham, Simply for Life, Bradford