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Archive for category: Food For Thought

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Orthorexia: The Newest Eating Disorder?

Orthorexia, defined as:  “an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy,” is making a great deal of news lately.  Though not recognized by the medical community as an official diagnosis, the obsession with clean and healthy eating has become a heightened problem and many feel this is due to the abundance of information widely available on the internet.  Whether orthorexia is an official eating disorder or not, it is important to speak to a professional if you or someone you love is experiencing obsessions with food to avoid long-term consequences.  An Occupational Therapist can help.  Check out the following from the Hamilton Spectator which discusses more about Orthorexia and the debates over its validity.

The Hamilton Spectator:  ‘Orthorexia’ – an obsession with healthy eating as defined by the Internet

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Kids In The Kitchen

Having kids help in the kitchen, baking and preparing meals, is great for improving their relationship with food, reducing picky eating, encouraging healthy eating, and can also help boost math and reading skills.  Spending time together cooking is also a great way to bond with your children.  The following site, The Family Kitchen, has great tips, ideas and recipes to help encourage you and your family to work together in the kitchen.  Check it out and get cooking together!

The Family Kitchen:  Getting Started

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The Sunshine Vitamin

With the colder months upon us it becomes harder to naturally take in enough of the “sunshine vitamin:”  vitamin D.  Vitamin D is important for your health to support healthy bones, immunity, the nervous system and more.  The following from Eat Right Ontario discusses ways to take in vitamin D over the fall and winter months when the sun does not provide enough.

Eat Right Ontario:  What you need to know about Vitamin D

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A Warm Cup Of Soup

Nothing warms you up on a chilly day like a nice hot bowl of soup.  With chilling temperatures and an abundance of healthy root vegetables now is the perfect time to make some delicious soups.  These soups can be enjoyed immediately or frozen for enjoyment throughout the cold winter months.

Check out the following healthy recipes from Health Magazine and enjoy!

Health Magazine:  12 Healthy Soup Recipes

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The Halloween Hangover

Parties, costumes and of course candy: for kids, and kids at heart, Halloween is always fun! But among the pile of candy is a hidden pile of sugar that is detrimental to their health. Now that the fun is over, how do you as a parent limit the amount they consume? Check out these great tips from Kidshealth.org on ways to reduce candy consumption.

Kids Health:  15 Ways To Use Leftover Halloween Candy

 

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The Picky Eating Problem

Do you have a child that is a picky eater?  For many this is a common issue and another reason that parents seek OT services for their child. While it is normal for kids to have food preferences and dislikes, picky eating can be very concerning for parents.

Occupational Therapists can work with families to create solutions tailored to the individual child. In general we suggest some of the following tips:

– Remove the pressure
– Allow the child to “play with their food”
– Encourage food exploration on their own terms
– Maintain a consistent meal-time routine
– Introduce changes and new foods slowly – overcoming picky eating is a very gradual process

Watch our video below to learn more on how an Occupational Therapist can help families overcome the picky eating problem and raise healthy, happy eaters.

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Your Best Thanksgiving Yet!

This upcoming weekend we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada.  A time for delicious food, time with family and friends and feelings of gratitude.  If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year the following guide from Canadian Living magazine will provide you with fantastic recipes and entertaining ideas to help you have your best Thanksgiving ever!

Canadian Living:  How To Have The Best Thanksgiving Ever

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Eating Well Can Reduce Cognitive Decline

Eating well is important at all stages of life for many reasons.  As we age, healthy eating becomes increasingly important to lower risk of heart disease, reduce the risk of diabetes, provide energy– the benefits are endless.  And now, a new study shows that eating well as you age can help to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.  Check out the following from CBC Hamilton which discusses the study in depth and provides additional motivation to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.

CBC Hamilton:  Healthy diet for seniors tied to lower risk of cognitive decline