Organic advantage? The “Organics Canada” label tells you more about what’s missing from a food than what’s present. Organic foods such as vegetables, dairy products and meat are grown without: • Synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. (Organic farmers may use natural pesticides, however.) • Genetically modified organisms • Antibiotics or growth hormones • Radiation to preserve food. All this has to be good, right? In fact, Health Canada has found no solid evidence that organic food has a nutritional advantage. The truth is, foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, eggs, lean meats and dairy products offer plenty of nutrition, whether organically grown or not. Solid evidence that organic foods carry a lower safety risk is also lacking. On the other hand, organic crops contain significantly lower pesticide levels than the conventionally grown variety. This is undoubtedly a good thing, as accumulation of pesticides in the food chain may contribute to human disease and to the decline in beneficial insects (think bees) and animals. What’s more, a 2021 analysis of more than 300 individual food studies found that organic crops contain significantly more healthy antioxidants. For some people, these benefits justify the extra cost. Your mileage may vary. Sources: unlockfood.ca, healthydebate.ca, bcfarmsandfood.com Health Pulse Clues that you’re not moving enough You may feel fine for the moment, but an inactive body will eventually affect your health. These clues can alert you that you’re not moving enough to stay healthy: • You’re constipated: When you don’t move enough, your colon gets sluggish and your abs and diaphragm lose some of their muscle tone, leading to irregular bowel movements. • Your joints feel stiff: Lack of exercise slows down production of the fluid that lubricates your joints, resulting in a creaky feeling. (Stiff joints could also signal arthritis or autoimmune disease – something to check with a doctor.) • You get out of breath easily: Just like biceps, the muscles that help your lungs move lose strength if you don’t work them out regularly. • You’re often sad or irritable: A lack of movement can mess with your mood and even lead to anxiety or depression. • You feel sluggish: Exercise helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. If you spend most of your time sitting, you’re depriving your cells of the fuel that they need to keep your body running. You may also have trouble thinking, remembering and making decisions. Take a walk after lunch, stretch, climb stairs, dance to some music… whatever it takes to break the couch potato habit. Bonus: your self-esteem will also get a boost. Sources: webmd.com, eatingwell.com Say hello to aloe Reducing dental plaque, managing blood sugar, preventing wrinkles… it seems as if there’s nothing which aloe vera can’t do. Technically known as Aloe barbadensis, the aloe vera plant packs antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial action into its fleshy green leaves. People use it most often to treat sores and burns – including sunburn. It does this job very well: when compared with conventional medication, aloe vera can reduce the healing time of burns by about nine days. Constipated? The sticky yellow residue found under aloe leaves has well-known laxative properties. Drinking aloe juice, meanwhile, may reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Moving onto the mouth, aloe-based mouthwashes appear to reduce dental plaque as effectively as chlorhexidine. Aloe gel can also improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. As if all this weren’t enough, preliminary evidence suggests that aloe may help people with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. The cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries use aloe extensively. You can purchase it in health food stores or online in supplement, gel, oil, powder or juice form. Whether it lives up to its promise or not, trying it has very little downside: aloe is very safe, with few known side-effects. As the saying goes, nothing to lose. Sources: medicalnewstoday.com, webmd.com 36 | www.snowbirds.org
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