December 1, 2008
Contents:
- Natural Health & Organic Products Industry Calls on Canadian Government to Table Fair and Appropriate Legislation
- My Journey in RAW
- Wanted: Norwalk Juice (Vancouver)
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Natural Health & Organic Products Industry Calls on Canadian Government to Table Fair and Appropriate Legislation
by CHFA(OTTAWA) November 27, 2008 - Today, the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) and a group of its member business owners and operators representing the $3.5 billion Canadian natural health products (NHP) and organics industry were on Parliament Hill to discuss the importance of fair and effective food and drug legislation with Members of Parliament.
The meetings with MPs from all parties follow the Government's announcement during the Speech from the Throne last week that legislation amending the Food and Drugs Act would be re-introduced in the current parliamentary session.
"Our industry is totally committed to the safety of Canadians," said CHFA President & CEO Penelope Marrett, "because unsafe products not only hurt consumers, but they also hurt the perception of the industry as a whole."
However, Marrett said that this new legislation must reflect the safer nature of NHPs, as compared to drugs, and that proper industry consultation must take place before any new legislation is tabled.
Last spring, CHFA met with then Minister of Health Tony Clement and was encouraged by the Government's willingness to listen. It commended the subsequent introduction of amendments to former Bill C-51, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act, as a step in the right direction, which would have placed NHPs in a separate category, and no longer as a sub-set of drugs.
"Seventy-five per cent of Canadians have used NHPs and want uninterrupted access and choice when purchasing these products," said Marrett. "Despite the positive steps that have taken place, there is still much work to be done. With new Organic Regulations coming into force in 2009 and the continued implementation of the NHP Regulations, we strongly believe that the Government must ensure that the principles of Smart Regulations must be considered - that is, they must be appropriate, achievable and cost-effective for small, medium and large enterprises. We believe it is the Government's responsibility to ensure that NHPs and organics will continue, now and into the future, to be available to Canadians seeking to achieve optimal health and well-being."
National Health Food Month is held annually in November and focuses on the use of natural and organic products as an integral part of health promotion. For more information on CHFA, visit www.chfa.ca.
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My Journey in RAW
by Dori Bodman, RHNEarlier this year, I received an email from my niece, a massage therapist in Parksville, BC, telling me about an upcoming "RAW Rose's Raw Retreat" with Rose Vasile, raw food chef and author.
Being a natural nutritionist, I jumped at the hands-on opportunity to learn about a new healthful way of preparing foods. Simply put, in raw foodism, fresh and alive ingredients are used but not heated above 105 degrees F so as to preserve the live enzymes and nutrient-rich content and flavour of foods.
My sister picked me up in Nanaimo and off we headed to Parksville to pick up my niece. The three of us made our way to Oyster Bay and discovered a beautiful seaside accommodation with fresh ocean air and rooms in green tones, matching our environment and calming the senses. Rose, our hostess and teacher, had supplied a welcome basket of fresh fruits and a scrumptious "Raw Delight" of seasoned seeds. We sat in our room munching, trying to decipher the spice in them ... cinnamon, maybe?
Soon we realized that our training was about to start. We headed to another building to help create our raw dinner of Zucchini Spaghetti with Neat Balls and Marinara Sauce, Green Salad with Ginger Dressing, followed by scrumptious Banana Lemon Pie for dessert ... all uncooked!
So began our routine for the next two days. We had smoothie prep and consumption in the morning, then with yoga by the sea, then breakfast prep, which consisted of steel cut oat porridge with local fresh fruits… uncooked and yummy! All of these foods, so rich in live enzymes, had my system thanking me and leaving me with a comfortable sense of fullness, satisfaction, non-stressed digestion, and revived vitality, alertness and energy. We had free time between meals to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
As a raw food chef, Rose has wonderful knowledge and expertise in combining the five tastes - sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. For example, excess sour can be balanced by adding sweet; fats tone down spiciness and mellow out too much sweetness; and salt brings out flavours. Another aspect to all the wonderful foods we tried was that the majority of them came from local growers, organically grown and picked fresh.
We did meditation at night and even experienced raw facials using such ingredients as cucumber, avocado, steel cut oats and coconut oil. Wow, my skin felt alive.
Did I mention the cocoa truffles and carrot cake that we prepared for dessert? Or the cocoa fondue with fresh fruits for breakfast? I found raw cocoa (in moderation, of course) to be an excellent antioxidant-rich boost. Having this in the morning was satisfying and kickstarted my body.
Raw preparation is a healthful addition to your current regime that cleans and refreshes all your body systems. Bright eyes and glowing skin, vitality and clarity, weight and blood sugar levels can be maintained. Raw meals and snacks are both wholesome and tasty. There are lots of live enzymes that enable digestion and assimilation of a variety of vital nutrients contained in foods like nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit, raw cocoa, carob and oil.
This way of preparing food can be a beneficial addition for everyone, even individuals with special dietary needs, as it does not contain wheat, gluten, flour, artificial flavours, colours, sugar or additives, common allergens. Raw food prep brings variety, fun and creativity to the meal table and can be a wonderful way to get your kids involved.
Since this first experience, I continue to prepare the majority of my foods in this manner and enjoy sharing my ideas and preparations with family, friends and co-workers. To find your own natural balance of foods that brings you vim and vigor for life, seek coaching from a registered natural nutritionist or other professional health practitioner for guidance.
Dori Bodman, RHN, is available for iconsultation with individuals and groups, special needs, sports, corporate and seniors. She has written articles for the North Shore News and North Shore Magazine and has given many wellness talks through her "Love the Body You Were Given" health series in North Vancouver, BC. Her professional affiliations include CSNN (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition) Alumni Association and HANS member.
For more information on attending or hosting "A Taste Of Raw" talk and sampling, or to book a nutritional consultation, contact Dori Bodman at bodman_nutrition@yahoo.ca
Further information on raw preparation and eating can be found at; rawrose.com, rawfoods.com, rawfamily.com, foodnsport.com.
BANANA LEMON PIE
from
Uncooking With RawRose - Your Guide to Raw Foods by Rose Vasile www.rawrose.com
- 3 cups pecans or walnuts
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
- 4 medium bananas
- juice and rind from 1 1/2 medium lemons
- poppy seeds, blueberries, raspberries, slices of colourful fruit, flowers or
mint leaves (optional)
Process nuts in food processor.
Add raisins to the nuts in food processor and process them until the mixture starts to clump together. Press the mixture into a 9-by-9 inch pan.
Grate the lemon rind on top of the nut/raisin mix. Juice lemons into a bowl. Slice bananas into the lemon juice; stir gently to coat the bananas with juice. Spread banana slices/lemon juice on the pie.
Optional: Decorate with poppy seeds, blueberries, raspberries, slices of colourful fruit, flowers or mint leaves.
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Wanted: Norwalk Juice (Vancouver)
Hello HANS Members & Friends. Just a quick note from a fellow HANS member who is looking to purchase a used Norwalk Juicer with all of its parts. If you have a Norwalk that you're interested in parting with, kindly call 604-435-0512. Thanks.