Not too long ago, I filled out an opinion survey on a variety of household and personal products (cleaners, hygiene, etc.). My goal was to voice my opinion about the toxicity of the average product. Last week, I received a ‘thank you for your opinion’ booklet of coupons (I am sure the Extreme Couponing people would be absolutely senseless for these ‘free X products’, ‘free Y products’, and ‘free Z products’). I noticed that several – more like 25% of them were for diabetes-related products…by this I mean different blood sugar testing machines, strips for these machines, sugar-free nutrient shakes for people suffering from diabetes, and a variety of foods marketed towards diabetics. You are suffering from type-2 diabetes when your body makes insulin, but it is not able to use it properly. It is usually caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, including lack of exercise, and eating unhealthy foods. Has it really become commonplace for the average person to be diagnosed with type-2 diabet...

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo I recently got into a conversation about the quality of food on campus with a colleague. I know that I was defending a losing battle but I do want to mention a couple of highlights... or milestones. The campus has become a bottled water free place. I know this seems like a water issue but it is related to food. Increasing the number of fountains on campus does in fact increase access to water. No word yet though as to whether people are buying more unhealthy things (like soft drinks) instead. We are experimenting with mobile food. This year marked the arrival of the Soup Truck on campus. Yummy local, organic treats located halfway between classes. Easily one of my favourite things. More interesting food options. I don't just mean the addition of Quiznos and Bento Sushi, but even in the Café Écolo there was a nice change of pace with local artisan bread for the sandwiches. The continuation of the community gardens on campus. This year we have found a m...

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo Hello fellow food consumers, Hungry yet? Can you name one thing we hear about constantly on the radio, on television, from fellow coworkers? Food! And coffee…but mainly food. Even in the comfort of my office, there is a small sign saying “Warning: starving sustainable students working”. Within this building, there are omnivores, vegetarians, vegans and now a raw foodist. That would be me. The raw food diet was recommended to me by a naturopath as a detox to help with my food intolerances (and hopefully help my system digest gluten one day). But what is the raw food diet, you ask? Well, a whole lot of raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and dehydrated crackers. It’s very healthy, providing your body with more energy, helping you lose weight, detox after too much summer partying, boost your great immune system and give you some sustainable brownie points. So off to Chapters with me to get a great book: Going Raw by Judita Wignall which shows pictures of yummy re...

Photo credit: kaboodle.com Selon une étude menée auprès du nombre considérable de 14 000 enfants en Angleterre publiée dans le Journal of Epidemology and Community Health, les enfants ayant consommé du sucre et des aliments transformés de façon régulière durant leur croissance auront un quotient intellectuel plus bas que la moyenne une fois devenu grands. Selon un des auteurs de l’étude, la diète des enfants aurait une incidence sur leur habilité à faire face aux défis que représentent l’éducation et la vie en général. Cette étude renforce l’importance de certains nutriments pour une croissance en santé et souligne l’impact important qu’on les choix et les modes de vies des parents sur leurs enfants. Cela nous concerne an tant qu’étudiants non pas pour pouvoir passer le blâme de nos piètres résultats scolaires sur le dos de nos parents mais bien pour nous encourager à adopter le plus rapidement possible des habitudes alimentaires optimales. Non seulement nous serons peut-être un jo...