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Second Section - March 25, 1998
"Make nutrition come alive. It's all about you"
South Huron Hospital dietitian Dawn McGuffin-Town
recommends eating a variety of fruits and vegetables
each day. .
By Kate Monk
T A Reporter '
People. have long recognized the importance of vitamins in fruit and vegeta-
bles but research is discovering there's much more to these foods. -
"Fruits and ,vegetables have natural chemical substances- and 'preventative
properties: we're just discovering."' said Dawn
"lcGuffin-Town. the dietician at South Huron
Hospital_
According . to information from the National
Institute of Nutrition. more than 200 studies From
around, the world show populations eating five- or
more. servings of vegetables and fruit. each day • are
-less likely to have hean disease and some cancers.
Vegetables and fruit are rich- sources of sub-
. stances called antioxidants. suclres--bels-earotcne.
vitamins C and -E and other - health -promoting
components.
Antioxidants prevent damage to your cells caused
by oxidation. when. oxygen reacts in the --body to
• form harmful free -radicals. Oxidation works in the
body much the same Way a car -rusts. Pollution and
cigarette smoke also producefree radicals._The
body's natural defence against free radicals is not
100 per.cent effective-. leaving a place for antioxil
dants from the diet -to top up the protection.
-Antioxidants on ;your plate
The National Institute of Nutrition offers the fol-
lowing tips to build up your daily intake to at least
five servings of fruits and vegetables.
Make juice. a key .part of your breakfast. Top
cereal with berries or try fruit compote on toast
Put. vegetables and fruit within easy reach: a bowl of fruit on the kitchen
table, sliced -up crunchy vegetables on the fridge -shelf, an apple or orange on
your desk, dried apricots or raisins in your. car.
Keep fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit on hand. Frozen vegeta-
bles can be a great time-saver for a quick stir-fry-orfor douhling up the vegeta-
bles in your favorite ready -to -eat soup. : -
Canned fruit fits well in lunch boxes or makes .a great dessert when topped
with yogurt or ice cream. Use pttteed vegetables and fruit as abase for soups or
tight sauces.
Boost your antioxidants. Go for green and orange:. spinach. broccoli; green
peppers. squash, carrots, sweet potatoes. oranges. cantaloupe and apricots.
Canadians art improving their eating habits '
One out of every three Canadians has made some positive changes to their
eating habits in the past year, according to a survey by the National Institute of
Nutrition.
- 43 per cent are eating more -vegetables and fruit
28 per cent are choosing lower fat -products • .
20 per Cent are following Canada's Food Guide -to Healthy Eating
--21 per cent are cutting hack on sweets. salt and junk food.
Most people who were not planning_ to make any changes , to their diet
-claimed to have already cut their fat intake and increased their dietary fibre.
Those who rated their eating hahits as fair, or poor tended to have the greatest
'.intention to change.
- - - Local suggestions _
:114cGuffin-Town.has some suggestions for people in the South Huron arca.
Most people base their meals around meat. She recommends a portion of
meat- the size of a deck of cards..The rest of the plate can be- filled -with
vegetables.
Milk is -another important component. - - -
• "People underestimate the value of milk." she said, adding it has a -number of
nutritional benefits.
"The big factor is the prevention of osteoporosis."-_
People should also increase the amount of fruit they eat. she suggests. _
McGuffin-Town also stresses the importance of breakfast.
-"People need to eat'breakfast." she said, adding fruit. whole grain breads and
cereals are good breakfast items. - .
McGuffin-Town also works with people. trying to lose
weight. She advises them to "look after fruits. vegetables.
and milk."
If people strive to get their daily intake of theseitems„
there isn't' muchroom. left on the plate or in the appetite
for calorie -laden items.
McGuffin-Town is also an advocate of making healthy
food choiceka life-long practice rather than dieting.
"Trying to lose a lot of weight quickly. is like .holding
your breath under water." she explained.
-Many people stay on a diet until they've lost a specific
number of pounds- and celebrate by •eating the foods that
caused the original weight gain. .
Find -out -more •-
There are a -number of sources:of nutrition information.
The Huron Public Health Unit in Clinton has a nutritionist
on staff. McGuffin-Town also has a wealth -of information
at the South Huron Hospital.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Cancer
Society provide information on the role -of diet in disease
prevention.
. Self-help groups, such as Calorie -Counters meet in the
area. Nutrition information is also available at local
libraries, and at.' the Canadian dietitians' website
www.dietitians.ca/eatwell. -
Antioxidants on display. Researchers
are discovering new benefits in fruits
and vegetables that go beyond vitamins.
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EASTER COLOURING CONTEST
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MARCH IS
NUTRITION MONTH
Weight management and
nutrition go hand in hand
Weight management and nutrition go
hand in hand
Dawn McGuffin-Town, the dietician at
South Huron Hospital believes high fibre
carbohydrate food is very Important In
maintaining an optimum weight.
"The approach to weight management,
which I endorse and many of you know
about, is the recommendation to eat high
fibre carbohydrate food," she said. "As
well, you need the recommended
amounts of low fat, high protein food listed
under the meat and alternatives food
group as well as the -milk and milk product
food group of Canada's Food Guide to
Healthy Eating."
McGuffin-Town agrees with Dr. Laura
Pawlak's reasoning for eating high fibre
carbohydrate foods. Pawlak is the author
of Weight Matters, Appetite: The Brain -
Body Connection.
Pawlak's theory is to eat high fibre car-
bohydrates to increase serotonin levels in
the body which does two beneficial
things. One benefit of serotonin is that it
enhances a person's mood.
"If this is the case, a high fibre carbohy-
drate diet would help those who succumb
to overeating when they are feeling
down," McGuffin-Town said.
Pawlak also claims research shows
serotonin helps control appetite. For peo-
ple who battle excess weight, controlling
one's appetite would make weight control
much easier to accomplish.
For optimum benefit, Pawlak suggests.a
breakfast of high fibre carbohydrates and
low fat milk and milk products. Lunch and
supper should also contain these foods,
along with the needed amount of protein
from the meat and atternafves food
group.
For snacks, she suggests low fat, high
fibre carbohydrdfes- -
Whole grain cereals, breads, pasta, rice
etc. as well as whole fruits and vegetables
are ail examples.
McGuffin-Town believes exercise also
plays a key role in weight management.
"Although I have only mentioned food,
exercise plays an indispensable part of
weight management. Pawlak refers to a
study which concluded that to keep the.
weight off, you need to maintain the pre-
viously mentioned eating approach and
• participate in regular exercise," she said.
Copies of Canada's food guide are
available at the public health unit or at
the information table just inside the front
door of Exeter's South Huron Hospital.
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