Helping The Poor Get Proper Nutrition

As I mentioned in a journal on this very topic, which comes first, poverty or mental illness? Many people believe that most mental illnesses, along with most physical illnesses are the result of a poor diet and too much stress. Fast foods are loaded with saturated fat and high in sodium. Too many people living on a low income drink pop and eat junk food which contain no nutrients to promote or sustain proper health.

One of my future aims once I have my diploma, and enough of a clientele to sustain myself, is to find a way to get good food, vitamins and minerals to the poor living in Victoria. I know from personal experience the kind of food you get at Food Banks. Except for tomato sauce, which contains lycopein, the rest of the offering is a nutritional wasteland.

Produce, locally grown, and in season should be offered to food banks. Good proteins with omega 3's and omega 6 oils, like tuna and salmon that come in tins are a healthy food choice. (You get omega 3's in eggs as well.) When combined with vegetable pasta makes a hearty meal. There are several other combinations.

Legumes (pulses), beans and whole grains are nutritious and needn't be bland. And they are so cheap to purchase if you're willing to soak them yourself.

Therein lies another problem. Most poor people who live on fast foods and other unhealthy food choices don't know how to make wholesome means from scratch.

Boston Baked Beans was one of my father's favourite recipe's. Even though he never used a recipe, I can still make those beans myself. We never used canned foods growing up.
Let's see. He'd soak the navy beans overnight. Whew! What a smell. Then you rinse the water-soaked beans until the water runs clear. I have been considering a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet again, but for those who aren't, you add a hunk of salt pork fat for flavour. Dad also added mustard, ketchup, chopped onion, brown sugar, and tomato sauce. There are many similar recipe's available online. If people only realized that beans that you can purchase uncooked in a bag are so cheap to purchase and they are a filled with nutrients. Beans without grains don't make a whole protein, but they are a lot healthier than canned soups and canned chili. A small can of chili costs about $3.00. You can make a large batch of chili for slightly more than that if you are willing to do the work yourself.

Getting back to my original point. There must be a way to get produce, including fruits and vegetables, that are slightly past their freshest point into local food banks along with healthy tinned goods. People who aren't eating properly have a whole host of health problems, not to mention mental health issues and difficulties concentrating. I do believe in the literature that says food additives and colourings are a cause of ADD and ADHD.

The second part is to set up kitchens in local churches and have either a registered dietician or someone with the necessary skills, like myself, to teach people how to prepare meals with a combination of fresh produce and beans, lentils and whole grains.

Future Plans & Goals

Once I've completed this program and have my diploma, I can apply to the Canadian Examining Board of Health Care Practitioners (CEBHCP) for designation as any of the following;

Certified Sports Nutritionist (CSN)
Registered Nutritional Counsellor (RNC)
Certified Natural Health Practitioner (CNHP)
Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHN)

and I can become;

Health Coach
Weight Loss Consultant
Natural Health Educator/Writer

I am hoping to get a designation as a Certified Natural Health Practitioner and practice as a Wellness Coach or a Health Coach.
In Victoria I hope to find a group of holistic practitioners with an acupucturist, an herbalist, an iridologist a chiropractor, etc, and myself, to round out the team. We would share a group of offices but be independent, but it would be like a mall, or a "one-stop shop for holistic health care. It would be a great idea to have a health food store on the premises as well.
I honestly don't know if such a place exists, but if there isn't one yet, I'm quite certain there will be one by the time I've got my accreditation. If not, I'll present the idea to a few people.

As to how I'll get the money to start, well, frankly I don't have the slightest idea. Maybe I'll be able to find an "angel" investor with some seed money. (Yeah, right.)

The way our health care system is working, or rather, not working these days, holistic health care is really the way our health care system is headed. In Canada doctors are allowed 10 minutes per patient. In the winter you hardly have time to take off your gloves and hat and sit in the chair before your time is up. Doctors fill out slips either to send you off for a test, or to write out a prescription. They never ask questions. It's become an absolutely frustrating experience. If I had the money I would have gone to a naturopathic doctor years ago.

To be blunt, my plans to move to Victoria in large part, mercenary. Victoria has a high concentration of seniors and they have money. Victoria is an expensive city to live and seniors want a good quality of life and don't mind paying for it. I, enjoy helping people and I know I'll do all the research I can so I really know my business. They will get the best possible care that I can offer.

I want to help people plan their physical activities, recommend the right vitamins and minerals and make recommendations to the appropriate holistic and allopathic health care providers. I will take their health histories and ask about allergies etc. I will be very thorough. If they need to see their physician about something, I will make that recommendation as well.
Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising you can get, so I want to do my absolute best.

In the meantime, while I'm studying, I am also working on my own health issues. I want to look my best and to have my own health care regime in place long before I begin treating others.

I am so thrilled when I think about the possibilities for my future. It all comes down to needing more money. I have absolutely no idea how to get this started. I imagine I will be returning to the job counsellor I saw and ask her to contact Service Canada for me. I do believe I have to use an intermediary to get the funding I'll need. I forget the name of the program, but I need to bang on their door again, and more than once. I want the money for 2 more courses. One is a necessity to get the diploma and the other course is optional but it's the last one in the group, and it's called Herbs for Health. So, $650.00 and $550.00 = $1200.00 to complete all the courses.

Then I'll move to Victoria. Oui.

Keeping Seniors Healthy

We have so much information available to us about how to stay healthy. Yet, much of it goes back to what our grandmothers already knew. I'm in my mid-50's, but I remember getting cod liver oil daily and that was before it came in capsule form. That wasn't the most pleasant experience. Our grandmother's may not have heard of Omega 3's, but they knew there was something good in fish oil. My mother was a big proponent of vitamin D, although she never explained what it was. Now we know that vitamin D is an excellent way to treat free radicals. Our grandparents, for those of us who are my age, mostly grew up on farms. They had ready access to all sorts of fresh vegetables and whatever fruit and berries could be grown in southern Ontario. Cold cellars were common. The hardier vegetables could last for months in underground root cellars. They also preserved fruits and vegetables, made pickles from cucumbers, pickled beets, made jams, and apple sauce, and stewed pears and plums.

The advent of packaged food changed all this. As people moved to city's to find work, they no longer had the space, or the time to make their own food. Pre-packaged food, and fast food chains filled a niche in the market. Now, 4 decades later, we've become an obese continent suffering from many maladies related to our change in eating habits and our lifestyle.

We now live in an information age. We either need to become food scientists, or seek help from others who have a good understanding of this new playing field.

The Area I'm Most Interested In

I'm most interested in working with individuals to help them set up an overall lifestyle plan. A true holistic approach. Proper nutrition, meal planning, an exercise regimen, seeing their physician for tests and referring them to specialists in the areas of acupuncture, massage therapy, and whatever else seems appropriate. It is unfortunate that none of these things is covered by health care. Clients utilizing my service would be fairly well-educated, and have good jobs. Statistically, the majority of people who avail themselves of holistic health care are generally middle-class, and have post-secondary education.

I think this would be my main area of interest. I like the idea of setting up an overall plan for clients. However, schools in the poorer sections of Victoria would also be a strong draw for me. I guess it would be my primary job, that would fund the second.

What Area Would I Like to Work In?

I haven't really given it much thought. North Americans spend billions each year on weight loss or weight management foods and products. That is a huge field, in a manner of speaking. That would definitely be near the top of my list.

Spa's often have either a nutritional consultant or a dietician as an adjunct to their services. However, that doesn't do it for me. I don't feel drawn to this at all. A definite no.

Sports nutrition. Same thing. I've always been the academic type. I wouldn't have anything in common with my clients, nor do I understand what drives them. This is a definite no.

I think I'd like to work in several areas. One would be working for either Weight Watchers, or a similar organization. Well, I don't think I would be working FOR them, but I could be self-employed and have a contract with them. They usually have several groups around any given city and I could work at each one.

Next, if I chose to become accredited as a Registered Nutritional Consultant (RNC), I might be able to work at an elementary school selecting ingredients, and making up meal plans that are healthy for the children.

Yes, these two areas are high up on my list. However, I don't know if school districts have a dietician (someone with a degree in food sciences), already on board.