For decades, the media has espoused vegetarianism as a dieting regime. A recent example is the publication of the book collection by Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman titled Skinny Bitch (Running Press, Inc.). Using an obnoxious, foul-mouth tone, the authors advocate a natural vegan diet to make you happy, healthy and, you guessed it, skinny.
But any true vegetarian knows that their eating pattern isn’t for the calorie-obsessed. They understand the importance of eating healthy portions of food that include a variety of high-energy items like nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, and in some cases high-fat dairy products.
Being a vegetarian, especially a vegan, requires making a serious commitment; meals eaten at home and away need to provide enough protein, vitamins B12 and D, calcium, zinc, omega-3 fats and iron.
A low iron intake -- and the subsequent fatigue and “brain fog”-- is one of the biggest reasons a vegetarian lifestyle is abandoned. According to the professional association, Dietitians of Canada, vegetarian male and female adolescents, pregnant women and female endurance athletes are at the greatest risk of iron deficiency. This explains why the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iron for vegetarians is 1.8 times that of non-vegetarians.
When carefully planned, vegetarianism can be a safe lifestyle choice for even nutritionally high-risk groups such as pregnant and breast-feeding women, babies, children, teens and seniors.
However, the true motivations for being vegetarian may speak volumes about the quality of the diet and the state of one’s health. If the real intent of going veggie is about rigid weight control and not about animal rights, environmental sustainability, or the non-weight-related health benefits of vegetarianism, a dysfunctional relationship with food and body may be lurking.
Recently, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published a study that interviewed a small sample of vegetarian women who struggled (or once struggled) with an eating disorder. The researchers found that 68 per cent of the group perceived that their vegetarianism was related to their eating disorder, which emerged after the onset of their illness.
As a clinician who has worked in the area of eating disorders, this study finding makes sense to me: at the onset of the illness a person can begin by dieting and avoiding fat, progress to excluding foods containing fat (such as meat and dairy products), and before long declare themselves a vegetarian.
Vegetarianism doesn’t cause an eating disorder; many different factors come into play to kickstart the mental illness. But the vegetarian way of life may help to disguise and maintain the disorder because it’s a socially-acceptable way to restrict food.
Many vegetarians aren’t dealing with a latent eating disorder. Yet, when it comes to population groups who tend to be extremely weight and shape-focused, such as male and female teenagers and endurance athletes, vegetarianism may be a signal to parents, teachers, coaches and health care providers that these individuals are struggling with disordered eating, if not a full-blown eating disorder.
We can’t deny the existence of the gut-mind connection. Ask anyone who suffers with irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease about the damning impact anxiety and stress has on their digestive tract conditions.
But what if our gut helped us cope better with anxiety and depression?
Researchers at Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, are pondering this very question. Dr. Susan Potter, a clinical psychologist, and Zoë Hunter, an honours psychology student, are investigating whether probiotics can enhance our mental health by improving the state of our gut.
“Probiotics are food sources such as yogurt, cheese and fermented goods that contain beneficial bacteria that grow naturally in the body and support life. The probiotic connection in humans has been researched in reference to diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, immune system regulation, and others, but not yet to anxiety and depression,” said Hunter.
The inspiration for the study came from Dr. Potter watching an episode of CBC television’s The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. The show, titled The Autism Enigma, explored various prevailing theories for the developmental disorder, paying much attention to the bacterial theory: the impact gut bacteria disturbances in infancy may have on brain development.
Overuse of antibiotics, food allergies and intolerances, or dramatic changes to traditional diet -- particularly in the case of immigrants -- are thought to be common culprits in disrupting the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem.
Some scientists and parents of autistic children believe that probiotics can provide waves of benign, beneficial bacterial to the gut that outnumber nasty intestinal bugs -- bacteria that may be pathogenic and support the development of many disease conditions, including autism.
While Professor Potter’s area of research isn’t autism, she was intrigued and questioned to what extent an abnormal gut bacterial population might influence human behaviour in general.
A review of past relevant studies revealed that probiotics can reduce anxiety and depressive-like behaviours in animals, such as mice and piglets, with these symptoms. Researchers propose that probiotics alter the stress receptors in the body.
“There are also anecdotal reports of improvements in anxiety and behaviour among humans following treatment with probiotics. However, controlled studies of the effects of probiotics on anxiety, depression and other aspects of nervous system functioning are needed in humans. This is why we decided to carry out this research,” said Potter.
““This is the first [human clinical intervention trial] of its kind that we are aware of, ” added Hunter. “Probiotics are so accessible to the general public. The trial has huge clinical relevance. Wouldn't it be great if individuals suffering from anxiety and depression could benefit from simply eating more probiotics like yogurt and cheese?”
Potter and Hunter launched the Probiotics and the Microbiome (meaning gut microbial ecosystem) study on August 1st and are recruiting participants from across Canada. To be eligible to participate, interested individuals must be Canadian residents over the age of 18 who suffer from symptoms of anxiety or depression, and currently not taking probiotics or antibiotics.
A detailed list of eligibility requirements and a link to the online questionnaire can be found right here. The study enrollment deadline is September 7th, 2012.
published in the Vancouver Courier, August 24th, 2012
If you have a vegetable garden -- or gone a little crazy at your local grocer or farm market -- you’re most likely looking for different ways to use summer produce. Look no further.
Here are a couple of recipes, adapted from the cookbook, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast (Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc., 2007), that use the seasonal glut of zucchini, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and any other veggie you have on hand that would taste good roasted. For those of us who have a grill or barbecue, by all means, go ahead and put it to work. I’ve included a grilling option.
Be sure to make the fresh salsa recipe to accompany the crisp tostadas. I rarely prepare my own salsa. But after tasting this recipe, I’m hooked. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to store-bought.
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| photo by Linda Watts |
Roasted or Grilled Summer Vegetable Tostadas
Serves 4
What You Need:
3 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch width pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 large sweet peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch width pieces
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grates if grilling
salt and pepper to taste
4 medium-sized flour tortillas
4 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 lime, cut length-wise into quarters (optional)
basil for garnish (optional)
What To Do:
In a large bowl, toss zucchini, peppers and onion with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
To roast vegetables, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place zucchini, peppers and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and slightly caramelized (hint: to get this effect don’t crowd vegetables on the sheet or toss them around too much while cooking). In a medium, non-stick skillet, toast tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side, or until golden.
If grilling, heat the grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grates. Working in batches, grill veggies until tender and lightly browned. Total cooking time is about 8 minutes. Turn once during cooking process to ensure both sides are evenly grilled. Set aside. Grill tortillas for a total of 2 minutes turning frequently to prevent burning.
Immediately pile roasted or grilled veggies on top of each tortilla and dot with cheese. Drizzle with lime juice, if using. Serve with fresh tomato salsa.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Makes 3 1/4 cups
What You Need:
5 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters
1/2 medium red onion, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed), finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
What To Do:
Remove seed sacs from each tomato quarter and dice flesh into 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and add red onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow flavours to meld. If making further ahead, place in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
published in the Vancouver Courier, August 3, 2012
While juicy tomatoes, crisp corn-on-the-cob and multiple shapes of zucchini abound, nothing announces summer’s arrival like perfectly plump raspberries. Savouring the sweet-tart flavour of this delicate, velvet-textured fruit can be one of the most sensual experiences of the season.
Of all the summer produce available to us, a cup of raspberries is one of the highest sources of dietary fibre, not to mention a decent provider of the nutrients, manganese, folic acid, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.
To boot, the professional organization, Dietitians of Canada, reports that some scientific evidence suggests that raspberries may decrease our risk of developing lung cancer because of its content of quercetin -- a powerful antioxidant that’s responsible for the bramble fruit’s intense red colour.
For maximum flavour and quality, it’s best to eat or freeze raspberries within one to two days of bringing them home. Because raspberries are highly perishable, extreme care should be taken when storing them. After removing any stems and spoiled berries, place the raspberries back in their original container, unwashed, and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, lightly rinse the bramble fruit with water in a colander and drain well. Let dry on paper towels or an absorbent tea towel.
Raspberries can be frozen by spreading them out on cookie sheets and then placed in the freezer. After 24 hours, transfer individually frozen raspberries to a heavy plastic bag or container, label with the date, and put back in the freezer. The berries should keep for a year. Defrosting raspberries is best done in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the fruit to retain its shape as ice crystals slowly melt.
One of my favourite ways to prepare fresh raspberries is making a no-cooking-required freezer jam with little added sugar. The recipe uses pectin crystals that are specifically designed for freezer jams with a minimal sugar content and the end result maintains the fruit’s fresh, subtly tart, flavour. Be sure to use the Certo product indicated in the recipe below. Different Certo pectins are not interchangeable.
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| photo by Linda Watts |
Stash a few jars in the back of your freezer for the colder months ahead. On dreary, wet winter mornings, home-made raspberry jam will taste like sunshine spread on toast or dolloped on freshly-baked scones. It’s also delicious swirled into yogurt or as a topping for ice cream or pavlova.
Quick Raspberry Freezer Jam
What You Need:
3 cups (750 ml) crushed raspberries (use a potato masher)
4 teaspoons (20 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (25ml) granulated sugar
1 package (49 grams) Lite Certo pectin crystals
What To Do:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until there are no traces of pectin crystals. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Divide mixture evenly into sterile jam jars leaving a 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) head space in each container. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours once the lid has been tightly secured. Store in refrigerator for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 8 months. Makes about 3 cups.
Over the past thirty-five years, the main focus of North American dietary recommendations have been to reduce our intake of fat. Not surprisingly, the public has come to associate dietary fat with obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer, while low-fat or fat-free eating is synonymous with heart health, a trim physique and overall well-being.
Although nutrition researchers, policy makers and educators have cautioned consumers about the cardiovascular implications of consuming too much animal-derived saturated fat and any amount of trans fats (found in many margarines, fast-foods and commercially baked goods), nutritional guidance that promotes the avoidance of other types of fats has done us a disservice.
According to Dr. Emilio Ros, an international researcher and director of the lipid clinic at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, Spain, eating less fat means we devour something else.
“If you reduce fat, you tend to increase carbohydrates and it’s been known for some time now that some carbs [particularly those that are highly refined and quickly digested] are bad for our weight, diabetes risk and heart health,” said Ros, who was recently in Vancouver for the 10th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.
Reducing our saturated fat intake by eating more processed carbs adversely affects our cardiac health by raising our blood triglyceride levels and lowering the good type of cholesterol, known as high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).
But replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats -- namely monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids found in olive oil, avocado, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and fish -- appears to improve our cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease.
Much of what nutrition scientists know about the health benefits inherit in a high unsaturated fat intake comes from studying the Mediterranean diet, an eating pattern that’s primarily centered around nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. Small portions of fish, seafood and poultry often replace red meat, which is used as a condiment or reserved for special occasions. Dairy products are consumed in moderate quantities.
Leisurely, home-cooked meals in the midst of physically active days, are an integral part of the Mediterranean lifestyle. On an almost daily basis, modest amounts of wine is imbibed with food; sugary carbonated drinks are rarely consumed. And homemade sweets are considered a treat.
Ros emphasizes that the Mediterranean diet is based on a traditional eating pattern of the 1950s and early 1960s found in natives of Crete, Greece, Italy and Spain.
“[Today] few people in Mediterranean countries follow the traditional diet and activity level of their ancestors; there’s been a progressive westernization of dietary habits with an increasing consumption of meat, dairy products, industrially-prepared foods, and sweets,” said the nutrition researcher. “Refined sugars and fats in low-cost foods together with increasing sedentariness underlie the epidemic of obesity in the Mediterranean and other areas of the world.”
The scientific basis for the beneficial health effects of the Mediterranean diet isn’t fully understood. We don’t know whether it’s related to the greater ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats, or some other dietary or lifestyle component. Chances are, the benefits are a result of several nutrition and lifestyle variables at play.
At this point, all we can say is that compared to the contemporary Western way of eating, research correlates the Mediterranean diet with increased longevity and lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
If North Americans want to reap the potential health perks of this traditional diet, we need to accept that lifestyle and way of eating in its entirety, not simply choose the bits and pieces that appeal to us -- such as drinking wine at meals, dressing our food with olive oil, or munching more nuts.
published in the Vancouver Courier, June 8, 2012
Although asparagus is available to us year round, mid-April to June is the best time to eat these delicate spears. For optimal taste and nutrition, cook this veggie the day it’s purchased. If that’s not possible, keep it in the fridge for up to five days by wrapping the bottom of the stalks in a damp paper towel and placing them in a paper bag in the crisper drawer.
Storing asparagus well helps preserve its high content of folic acid (also known as folate) but it’s also a good source of beta carotene, potassium, vitamin K and fibre.
One of my favourite ways of preparing asparagus is roasting it with a flavoured oil, a recipe that I’ve adapted from Shirley O. Corriher’s book, Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking (HarperCollins, 1997).
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| photo by Linda Watts |
Flavoured oils are a subtle way to lower our fat intake; they pack more flavour than their plain cousins, so a little goes a long way. Neutral-tasting vegetable oils, including mild extra-virgin olive oils, can be infused with the essence of herbs, citrus zest, or dry spices, to amp up the taste of roasted or grilled vegetables, meat, chicken, fish or seafood. They can also form the base of more intensely flavoured salad dressings, marinades and sauces.
But infused oils can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Any substance containing water or moisture -- such as garlic, shallots, onion, citrus peel, fresh peppers, fresh herbs or spices -- that’s submerged in oil, may support the growth of the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism food poisoning.
C. botulinum bacteria grows in conditions where there is no oxygen. Storing oil in a sealed container doesn’t prevent contamination. What’s worse, is there are no obvious signs, appearance, taste or smell-wise, of spoilage.
To be safe, make small quantities of flavoured oil at any one time and use it within a few hours. If made ahead of time, refrigerate the oil for no longer than a week. Leftovers containing infused oil should be refrigerated and used within ten days, frozen, or discarded. Never store home-made flavoured oil at room temperature.
Although garlic infused in oil is especially known to cause harm, Health Canada states that it’s safe as long as it’s served immediately, or stored in the fridge on a continuous basis and used within a week.
Health Canada also recommends checking the label on commercially prepared garlic-in-oil products. If salt or acid is in the list of ingredients, then the product has been preserved. As long as you follow the directions for storing it, you don’t need to be concerned about food poisoning.
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon-Chili Oil
serves 6
What You Need:
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola, grapeseed or peanut oil
1 teaspoon water
Finely grated zest of 3 small lemons
1 pound asparagus (about 24 to 30 stalks)
salt to taste
What To Do:
In a small saucepan, bring the shallot, red pepper flakes, black pepper and oil to a light boil, then reduce to a very low heat. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the water and the zest of 2 lemons (save the rest of the zest for garnishing). Let mixture stand at room temperature for one hour and then strain the oil into a small container.
Preheat oven to 500 Fahrenheit. Place an oven rack on the top shelf of the oven. Trim the asparagus stalks by snapping off the wooden ends and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 3 to 4 teaspoons of prepared lemon-chili oil over asparagus and toss with hands until stalks are well-coated. Arrange stalks side by side so they aren’t overlapping. Roast 6 to 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and spoon another 2 teaspoons of lemon-chile oil over the asparagus. Sprinkle with salt and 2 tablespoons of the remaining lemon zest. Serve right away.
Published in the Vancouver Courier, May 25, 2012
I love making my own pizza. Compared to take-out or store-bought varieties, homemade is fresher, tastier and cheaper. But I’ve always struggled with creating the crust; I’m notorious for whipping up pizza dough that’s sticky enough to hang pictures on the wall.
Recently, I discovered a dough recipe that’s changed my experience for the better. It’s made in a food processor and doesn’t require any fooling around with yeast and water temperature, or special flours.
The recipe, which is an adaptation of one written by New York Times food columnist and cookbook author, Mark Bittman (published in the New York Times, April 17, 2012), is perfect to prepare with young kids. There’s no need to hand-knead the dough; the food processor does the kneading for you. When it’s time to roll or stretch it out, the dough pretty much cooperates. And best of all, making this recipe shouldn’t create a big mess in your kitchen.
Make the dough ahead or within an hour of wanting to eat dinner. I often prepare and freeze the dough a few days before I want to use it. The time spent chilling makes it even easier to roll into your desired shape and thickness.
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| photo by Linda Watts |
Mark Bittman’s Pizza Dough
makes enough for two 10-inch thin-crust pizzas
What You Need:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring hands and work surface
1 teaspoon instant yeast if freezing dough; 2 teaspoons, if making pizza immediately
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling baking pans
1 cup water
What To Do:
Place 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon yeast (if freezing dough), 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor. Pulse machine about five times to combine ingredients. Turn machine on low setting and slowly drizzle in water through the feed tube. Near the end of the drizzling, the food processor will get noisier and rock a bit as the ingredients come away from the sides of the processor and the dough forms.
When all the water is added, the dough shouldn’t be sticking to the sides of the container. If it does, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, with the machine running. If the dough is too dry and refuses to come together, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. Turn machine off once dough forms to prevent it from toughening.
Using clean, lightly-floured hands gather the dough together and gently pat into one large ball; slice into two equal parts. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. If freezing, place dough balls in a large zip-lock bag and freeze for no longer than a week. When ready to use, allow the dough to reach room temperature before rolling out. If you’re making pizza right away, let each plastic-wrapped dough balls rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Lightly oil two baking pans and set aside. Lightly flour a clean counter top or large cutting board, and remove each dough ball from plastic wrap. Gently roll or pat out dough with a lightly-floured rolling pin, or your hands, into desired shape and thickness. If dough isn’t cooperating because it’s too elastic, let it rest for about 10 minutes and then go back to it. Once rolled out, transfer dough to each baking pan and pinch edges to form a raised outer edge.
Layer pizza with your favourite toppings and bake until the bottom of the crust is crisp and the top of the pizza is browned and bubbling, about 10 to 20 minutes.
published in the Vancouver Courier, May 11, 2012
