Fall Food

With fall and school in full swing, many people are finding themselves making unhealthy eating decisions. These pointers are to help you check yourself before you wreck yourself!  

• Soups are great for you if they're not made with cream or cheese. Just watch serving sizes--we tend to eat whatever's in our bowls.
• Stews can be hearty and fattening. Use loads of fresh vegetables, and go light on the meat and potatoes.
• Avoid unconscious eating while watching football and the new fall TV lineup. Never bring the whole bag or bowl of anything to the couch or coffee table--pre-measure it in the kitchen beforehand. When it comes to chips, make sure they're baked, not fried.
• For pizza, watch the toppings--they can double the calories.
• Celebrate the fall harvest in other ways besides making pies. Apples are low in calories when they're off the tree, not in a pie.
• If it's gotta be pie, try making pumpkin pie with artificial sweetener, egg whites and low-fat milk. And of course, just have one piece. Keep in mind that pumpkin seeds have about 300 calories per 1/4 cup.
• Turkey is healthy, as long as you keep it lean and white.
• Get out and enjoy the fall weather. The air is cooler, the leaves are turning and the countryside becomes more scenic. It's the perfect time to go outdoors and do something: Take walks on the beach or by the lake; go to the zoo; or ride a bike.
• Keep in mind that once we set the clocks back, it gets darker earlier, so there are fewer outdoor options for physical activities in the evening. Make adjustments by joining a gym, planning evening walks at the mall or becoming an early riser.

-Alexander Lazier

Source: http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The_Diet_Detective__Fall_into_healthy_eating_habits.htm

Benefits of Pumpkin

Many of us consider pumpkins simply an aesthetic addition to our doorsteps throughout the month of October, but did you know pumpkins have many dietary and health benefits? Below are a few reasons why pumpkin can be a healthy addition to your October evening meals (or desserts!):

ANTIOXIDANTS: Pumpkins get their orange colour from beta-carotene, which is an immune boosting and cancer fighting antioxidant. Beta-cartotene can also be converted to vitamin A, which has a leading role in our vision.

FIBRE: 1 cup of pumpkin provides 3 grams of fiber. You use fibre to lower blood sugar, lower bad cholesterol and aid in weight loss.

LOW IN CALORIES AND FAT: One cup of pumpkin is only 49 calories!

VITAMINS: Pumpkins are high in vitamins C and E, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Don’t forget to save the seeds after carving your pumpkin! Pumpkin seeds also contain many vitamins and minerals.

See below for some easy and nutritious pumpkin recipes!

Pumpkin muffins: http://www.oprah.com/food/Pumpkin-Chia-Seed-Muffins

Pumpkin Smoothie: http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/09/pumpkin-

spice-smoothie/

Roasted Pumpkin and Pomegranate Salad with Pumpkin Seed Oil Vinaigrette: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/pumpkin-recipes

Source: http://www.motherearthliving.com/Natural-Health/5-health-benefits-of-pumpkins.aspx

- Sabrina 

The Sunshine Vitamin

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder many of us start to spend more time indoors. Vitamin D is a key nutrient that helps the body to absorb ingested calcium, which is why a deficiency plays such a strong role in bone health!  Children and adults need between 600-800 IU of Vitamin D per day to keep their teeth and bones strong. The body naturally produces vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight and since many of us are stuck indoors studying for upcoming midterms, here are some foods to increase your dietary levels of the sunshine vitamin!

FISH

Along with many other health benefits, fish is a great source of Vitamin D. Eating half of a sockeye salmon fillet contains 814 IU of Vitamin D! Other great fish sources include swordfish, trout, halibut, rockfish and tuna.

DAIRY

Certain dairy products can be a good source of Vitamin D. Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt is pretty low, between 2-15 IU while a single scrambled egg provides 44 IU. However a cup of reduced fat, low fat and non- fat milk can provide 115-124 IU of Vitamin D. And with the holidays coming up, don’t forget that 1 cup of eggnog provides 124 IU of Vitamin D!

SOY PRODUCTS

Soy products are often fortified with added nutrients, however not all products are created equal so make sure to check the nutritional facts! 1 cup of fortified plain soy yogurt contains 124 IU of Vitamin D while a cup of plain soymilk can offer 120 IU.

FORTIFIED FOODS

A cup of fortified orange juice or a packet of fortified instant oatmeal and can provide 259 and 157 IU respectively of vitamin D. Try to choose a breakfast cereal with at least 50 IU of Vitamin D

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Mushrooms are the only vegetable considered to be naturally rich in Vitamin D. Canned and fresh varieties are both rich sources at 168 and 164 IU respectively.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/25695-list-foods-contain-vitamin-d/

Bindu

NANS Social Co-ordinator

Electives Night

Hi NANSers!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Do you have some questions about course selection? Maybe you're looking for some recommendations regarding electives? NNSSA would like to invite you to our "Electives Night" tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7 pm in SCIE 1511.

You'll have the chance to learn about different classes (restricted electives and many general electives) from upper year students who have taken the courses. Here's what we'll be discussing:

- Course structure (grading, lecture style, exam style, etc...)
- Who will benefit most from this course
- Hints about how to approach this course
- What classes graduate students and professions wish they had taken to during their undergraduate degrees (and which courses they took and are glad they did!)
- What electives complement other areas of interest (e.g. business minors)
- What courses you should take to keep your "doors open" for post-graduate opportunities (e.g. graduate studies, medical school, naturopathic medicine, industry)


Everyone is welcome! If you have friends who aren't in NANS but are interested in some of the courses we will be discussing, feel free to bring them along!

Hope to see you there!

Eleanor

Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences Student Association
www.nnssa.blogspot.com

Super Foods!

Lost your focus? Try enhancing your cognitive function with these SUPER FOODS!

We can all admit that as students we sometimes tend to lose focus. We need to realize that we need to stay away from junk food or any foods that are high in saturated fats, which will increase the loss of focus and fatigue. There have been certain super foods (functional foods that are high in nutritional value and their ability to help against certain diseases) that have been found to improve cognitive function.

To counteract loss of focus, try adding these foods in some of your meals or as a snack.

  1.      Walnuts – contain alpha-linoleic acid, which increases blood flow, allowing more oxygen to reach the brain.   

  2.      Olive oil – good source of monounsaturated fat

  3.      Berries – berries are extremely healthy with high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and much more.

  4.      Sardines – contain EPA and DHA Omega 3 Fatty Acids

  5.      Coffee – in moderate amounts can improve brain function due to its antioxidants

  6.      Spinach – contains the antioxidant lutein, which has been shown to improve brain function

  7.      Dark Chocolate – contains high levels of flavonoids

  8.      Avocados – also high in monounsaturated fats

  9.      Wheat Germ – high levels of choline which helps with the production of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter)

  10.  Beets – good source of nitrate

  11.  Garlic – counteracts some types of brain tumours

  12.   WATER – most of the time we just lose focus due to dehydration

Check out the more detailed article at the following link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/brain-food-superfoods_n_1895328.html#slide=1540816

Jaspreet B.