GET FIT: Healthy eating is never out of reach
By: Alan Mattson
Food is, quite literally, the essence of our bodies. Anyone has heard the expression “you are what you eat.” But for millions of Canadians, a healthy and balanced diet has slipped out of reach.
Whether it’s lack of time, lack of knowledge, or lack of cooking skills, we are not eating the way we should.
Back in 1978, according to Statistics Canada, 14 per cent of Canadians were obese. A quarter-century later, 5.5 million Canadians, or 23 per cent, are obese, and millions more struggle with their weight.
Fortunately, Cochrane has great resources and common sense solutions to feed ourselves — and our families — with healthy and quick meals.
“A lot of people are confused,” said Julie Van Rosendaal, a food writer based in Calgary who lost 165 pounds and kept it off.
“There’s so much conflicting information about what’s healthy and what’s not. I think that’s a huge barrier for people, because they just get frustrated.”
One of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating, ironically, is the concept of “dieting.” Experts will tell you that any shift toward healthy eating has to be a lifelong change in habits — it doesn’t come as a book or a bottle of pills.
Lucy Miller, owner of the Healthy Hut in Cochrane, was told in the 90s she would be on antibiotics for the rest of her life due to a variety of conditions.
She went through the ringer of diets, health food stores, naturopaths that just wanted her money, and out-of-pocket medical trips to America.
When she radically changed her diet, her health changed with it.
“Never had a problem since,” Miller said. “I mean never.”
- Lucy Miller, owner of the Healthy Hut, says a new diet saved her life after years of struggling with various health conditions. Photo by Alan Mattson
Since then, she’s been helping people take charge of their diets and make the right choices for themselves.
But what is eating healthy, exactly?
And how can busy families and individuals incorporate it into their lives?
For families, time can be the biggest constraint. Arriving home from work with hungry kids and no plan is many families’ downfall, said Van Rosendaal.
“It’s when you’re hungry, and you’re out of time, and everyone’s hungry that things fall apart and you order pizza.”
Meal planning and preparation (such as pre-chopping vegetables and storing them in the fridge), having a stash of meals in the freezer, and using a slow cooker or crock pot are all ways for families to eat healthy, quickly.
Parents shouldn’t “give in” to their kids finicky tastes — stay strong, keep healthy food on the table, and eventually they will come around, said Van Rosendaal and Miller.
“Feeding children out of a box is the worst thing you can do for them,” Miller said. “These children will never know or see how a meal is prepared without taking it out of a box. Get them used to a salad, make it taste good, and you have a following for life.”
When farmers’ markets are in season (the best season in Alberta is fall), take advantage of locally grown, natural food that can have more nutrients and flavour than what’s in the grocery store.
But when all else fails, there are still options. Twisted Basil, an organic food market, has been owned and operated by Leslie Thorson since 2006. They make everything from scratch, using only natural and organic ingredients.
“You know whatever you’re buying has been made that day, (there’s) no chemicals or anything in it,” Thorson said. “It’s been cooked very slowly and lovingly, but it’s fast for you.”
At Twisted Basil, you can pick up a family-size meal, ready to heat and eat, with the knowledge it’s as healthy as possible. Individual portions are available for healthy meals on the go.
At the same time, a little splurge now and then never hurt anyone. Van Rosendaal, Miller and Thorson all recommend taking the guilt out of a healthy eating lifestyle.
“When it comes down to it, we’re all just people and we’re all in the same boat,” said Thorson. “Like, I eat really poorly sometimes and I own an organic health food store!”
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