Patricia Chuey

Food and Nutrition Expert | Recipe Developer

It feels like yesterday in many ways, yet 30 years ago I began studying food+nutrition and headed out on a communications journey trying to make sense of it for consumers.

In 2019, I was humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at my alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan.

In 2014, I was honoured with a Fellowship and Alumni of Influence Award for work in encouraging Canadians to eat well and protect their well-being.

Three decades of immersion in consumer food concerns has provided very valuable perspective. I’ve seen good, bad and ugly health habits. I’ve studied what the healthiest people on the planet do. I've toured farms and food factories. From my kitchen office, I share simple thoughts with the goal of continuing to inspire guilt-free, genuine well-being and peace of mind with food – despite what might be hot in the news, on food labels, in the workplace, at the gym or tweeted on social media.

I was fortunate to have parents from farm families who were never on diets. Instead they grew a big vegetable garden, taught us to cook whole foods, to share meals, to minimize food waste and be grateful for the amazing access we have to good food. They were ‘trendy’ and didn’t even know it. 

I’ve worked with consumers on healthy living issues in many settings – their kitchens, the grocery store, farmer's markets, workplaces, professional sports team locker rooms,  food industry board rooms, restaurants,  school classrooms, prenatal classes, the news room, cooking show sets, fitness classes, marketing departments, magazine editorial meetings, and one-on-one chats.

It's time to officially rant share the important perspective this has provided. Thanks for your interest in reading! #ChueyOnThis

10 Ways to Navigate the Most Confusing Section of the Grocery Store

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Yogurt collage

A category I used to quite like has really gone downhill fast.  When good food goes bad, and not in the food safety sense, can it come back from the dark side?

Take a natural healthy food and keep adding bells and whistles until it’s no longer recognizable and voila, you have one lousy, if not the worst, section of the store. This area, typically found on the heavily promoted ‘healthy’ outer perimeter of the store has rapidly turned from a wholesome food source to a not-so-secret hideaway for the sugar and artificial sweeteners consumers have been advised to steer clear from the inner aisles of the store. The claims on the labels are a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with food marketing.

If the picture didn’t reveal it, the category my friends is…YOGURT – that satisfying, wholesome, wonderfully versatile food that many over 50 didn’t even grow up with because it was only something the ultra-natural crowd sourced from the health food store.

These days, too commonly I hear consumers lament that just when they finally found a decent, healthy yogurt the whole family likes, they return to the store to buy it again and the shelf space has been re-allocated to the latest fandangled yogurt-like product. For many of us, the amount of time it takes to find a decent yogurt is significantly more than what it takes to identify other healthy products. It’s worse than finding a basic multi-vitamin should you need one or finding the right colour and size of pantyhose as one client put it.

This area of the store definitely requires the “Stop. Drop. And Roll” approach. The terminology weakly masquerading here as helpful is actually awful. “Kid’s Yogurt?” Since when do kids need a different type of yogurt than adults? And how come “Kid’s Yogurt” is full of sugar, and candy?  In many cases kid’s yogurt-like products are also an environmental disaster of excessive packaging. Consumers are on to the now obvious fact that nutritionally many cereals are chocolate bars in disguise. Fortunately at least some cereal manufacturers have improved the whole grain fibre content and reduced sugar.

Is yogurt becoming the new junk food section – the place where the excess sugar coming out of other categories hides out? We need to fight for the survival of the quality products this category originated with. And all of the probiotic digestive system-enhancing stuff? Although some of it may be helpful, most won’t provide a high enough dose to work as effectively for digestive health as the consistent presence of vegetables (which contain both fibre and prebiotics) on half your plate.

Before I say how I really feel and suggest approaching this category as a vegan would, here are my #ChueyOnThis 10 suggestions for finding a quality yogurt:

  1. Choose one labeled with the actual full word “yogurt” – not Yocrunch, YotoGo or other yogurt-esque terms. Never thought my career as a dietitian would need to include that advice. Check the best before date to ensure you’ll use it in good time. (Cool hack: If you won’t use it in time, label and freeze it in small portions for later use in smoothies.)
  2. Ensure the actual food product inside of the container is white – the colour of the substance yogurt is made from, milk.
  3. As for all other real, actual foods, short ingredient lists are better than longer ones. No gelatin, no extras, good.
  4. There should be at least some milk fat in the product. (% m.f.). Although for some folks a zero percent mf yogurt is okay, the vast majority of those no or ultra-low fat yogurts have very high carb and sugar counts or artificial sweeteners I don’t recommend replacing the mouth feel and flavour of the fat. If choosing a fruit-flavoured one, compare brands and select the one with the lowest grams of sugar while still being in that 1.5-4% mf range. If yogurt is what you choose as a dessert or it’s for kids or anyone who needs to keep weight on or even gain weight, a 9% or higher mf is a good way to go. (Reminder: when reading labels, 4 grams = 1 teaspoon. A helpful visual in assessing the sugar quantity.)
  5. Consider a good quality plain yogurt to which you can add your own nuts, seeds, toasted oats, berries or pureed real fruit instead of the jam-like substance the flavoured ones come with.
  6. Don’t consider yogurt a way to get fibre, iron, vitamin C or other nutrients that come from fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Consider it a source of protein, calcium and if well-chosen, quality calories. It’s not typically a source of vitamin D. Plain Greek yogurt, thicker for having some whey strained out, is a nice product significantly higher in protein and consequently, price.
  7. Yogurt naturally contains bacterial culture and if the label states that it has active bacterial cultures, it will have probiotics. Read any claims carefully to ensure the digestive system benefits aren’t overstated. If you shop in a store that employs a dietitian or pharmacist, they are excellent people to consult with in determining if you need extra probiotics from food or supplements based on your unique situation.
  8. To save money, check the unit pricing. If you don’t need yogurt packaged in 16 individual containers, it’s usually more cost-effective to buy the larger containers. The individual ones do go on sale frequently and quality ones are an easy addition to school lunches or a protein option when on the go.
  9. If your favourite good quality yogurt was removed from the offering at your local supermarket, ask to see the store manager, the dairy department manager and the store dietitian to let them know. Another option is to call the head office of the company and ask to speak to the Dairy Category Manager. Customer-focused organizations will take your call and be interested in your concerns.
  10. Readers who cook will know that it’s quite simple to actually make your own yogurt and that’s most likely the very best yogurt of all! Google to find easy recipes. We have had success making our own yogurt. When buying yogurt, I opt for plain Greek yogurt for use as is, in dips and cooking. I also buy some individual yogurts for school lunches that are low in or free of added sugar, without artificial sweeteners and contain active bacterial cultures.

Cheers!

The Stuff No One Wants to Hear about How to Actually Eat Well

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Seabold stairs 2

Not for wimps or faddists, these steps to healthy eating success are only for those desiring energy, a permanent exit from the diet roller coaster, stealth eating habits and never being tempted to click those screen pop-ups about losing belly fat for any reason other than comic relief. It’s also for people who can actually envision self-deprecating comments about food and weight no longer being a regular part of their life. This post is long – as in, give yourself 10-12 minutes. But nothing worthwhile comes too easily – especially when talking about improved and lasting behaviour.

For many years I ran a busy nutrition counseling firm from 4 locations in Vancouver, BC. (I later sold the company. In its 25th year, it continues to thrive thanks to excellent colleagues.)  In the busiest years, we met with 30 new clients each month. Many days of 7 or 8 one-hour conversations about food and eating struggles. (Shout out here to all dietitians and counselors currently doing this type of very rewarding, yet emotionally heavy at times, work.) In the same years, I did a weekly 5-minute TV segment sharing healthy eating advice that was broadcast to over 250,000 people. It generated an endless stream of inquiries. At that time, I also spoke to at least one or two groups each week, most typically sports teams and workplace wellness programs at banks, legal and accounting firms. I got a mighty clear view into the challenges of healthy eating for athletes and in the workplace.

In the individual appointments, clients would spend a minimum of 3 one-hour sessions with myself or another dietitian on the team. BEFORE any advice was offered, a detailed history of eating concerns and challenges, activity level, work and family demands impacting ability to shop and cook, dieting history, food allergies or intolerances, medical issues and health status was discussed. A 5-day record of everything consumed, whether good, bad or ugly was also provided for in depth review before the consultation began. All confidential as you can always expect from any registered dietitian (the only regulated nutrition professionals in Canada), this represents a WHOLE LOT of conversations about food and health. And an intimate awareness of what the problems and challenges out there really are.

Since that time, discussions about healthy eating amongst consumers have increased dramatically. Although a great thing, this has also led to many folks, qualified or not, offering advice, creating food products, supplement lines and more to take advantage of this consumer appetite. It’s not all bad, but some of it is downright awful. The kind of stuff based on junk-, pseudo- or no science at all, fear mongering, fast fixes that don’t last, cash grabs and trendy products pitched on reality TV by folks who know a lot about fads and novelty but nothing about actual eating challenges and lasting solutions. I get a particular kick out of the endless pop-ups on the computer screen about how to lose belly fat or specific lists of what 6 foods melt pounds and increase energy.

From those countless hours chatting about eating challenges and watching clients go on to lose weight, gain energy and maintain great health, there are a few steps they take PERMANENTLY before simply sipping a fat-melting drink to achieve their goals.

Although it’d be incredible, unfortunately, you can’t turn around years or decades of poor eating and lifestyle choices with a one weekend cleanse or a single purchase of anything. The great news though is that once you switch gears in your mind, you can begin heading in the right direction – one in which you CAN permanently stay.

There are a series of steps to conquer on the healthy eating journey. Mastering each one before tackling the next one is a strategy I’ve seen work tremendously well for people. Although you can tackle these in any order, I recommend a stepwise approach from the bottom, step 1, on the way to victory and life-altering freedom at the top! These steps identify the ‘bones’ of healthy eating. To put ‘meat’ on the bones (vegetarian or not), I recommend meeting with an expert dietitian who will have at least a couple in- depth chats with you to help get things cleared up once and for all.

Step 1: Understand that healthy eating is just one of several spokes in the ‘wheel of health’. Healthy eating can go a long way in improving health, weight and energy. But, exercise, self-worth, sleep, genetics, age, life stage, hormones, support systems, medical conditions, schedule and many other lifestyle factors will also seriously impact results. Is eating the real issue or would addressing/accepting other spokes in the wheel first be more helpful? If eating is indeed the issue and you feel ready to take full responsibility for your success, proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Identify what your core eating philosophy is. I promote and have seen the most success for people with an 80-20 approach in which most of the time (80%) you make good choices but allow room for flexibility (20%). Perhaps you’re more inspired and driven by a 90-10 approach? Or maybe a 70-30 style would be a step in the right direction? Reflect on whether or not you want to and can sustain a 100% vegetarian approach, a flexitarian style or don’t even want “tarian” in the term that describes how you eat. Spend a decent amount of time reflecting on what has shaped your eating beliefs and habits. Think back to the healthiest time(s) in your life. Why were you so healthy at that time? Can you recall what it feels like to be fit and energetic or at least imagine this? A clear vision of that is a very helpful motivator.

Step 3: Become a more mindful eater. Talk to your dietitian to learn how to tune into your natural hunger and fullness cues, eat when hungry and stop when full. Learn how all sorts of environmental triggers affect eating and how to manage them. Apply the Pleasure Maximization Principle: If indulging in something with little nutritional value, make it worthwhile. This doesn’t mean binge eating or drinking, but rather, choosing something that’ll hit the spot perfectly and take care of the craving and desire. Lessons on portion control will be part of this step and they apply to all food, healthy or not.

Step 4: Begin working on getting into a “straight-line state” instead of an all-over-the-map, zig-zaggy, high and low blood sugar pattern. This is the foundational point, the gigantic concrete base from which the staircase to eating success is built. Without this, it will ALWAYS crumble. This step involves understanding how your schedule, work, family and other demands impact food choices. For digestive system health, your teeth, weight and more, I don’t recommend non-stop nibbling all day, but I do encourage eating about every 4 hours while awake. For many, this is a pattern of meal (M) (breakfast), snack (S) (mid-morning), meal (lunch), snack (mid-afternoon), meal (dinner). This varies drastically from person to person depending on schedule. For some it’s a pattern of S-S-M-S-M, M-M-S-M-S or something different. The goal is to avoid that ravenous, “if I don’t eat immediately I’m going to freak out” situation that almost always results in poor choices like eating a bunch of taco chips before dinner or crappy baked goods mid-morning because you missed breakfast. And, I won’t even go into details about that most challenging eating time slot between dinner and bedtime.

Step 5: Learn what makes for well-balanced meals and snacks and apply this consistently. In a general sense, meals with half the plate as vegetables (a wide, rotating, variety) along with protein and whole grains, and snacks that include both protein and carbs (fruit, vegetables, grains) help ensure you’ve consumed a good mixture of the required macronutrients each day: carbohydrate, protein and fat. Tune into which foods you tolerate best and why, when or how certain foods bother you. It may not be an allergy.

Step 6: Take at least 5 supplemental products – the more, the better. JUST KIDDING! Stop. More on that in Step 12. Step 6 is time to look at your hydration status. Do you get enough hydrating fluids each day – water, milk (whether plant or animal source), herbal tea, 100% real juice, etc). And don’t only look at the amount, but the pattern of hydrating. I recommend evenly distributing the fluids throughout the day along with meals and snacks rather than waiting until you’re dying of thirst and down 4 glasses all at once. 6-10 cups is a daily goal. This varies drastically depending on your size and activity level – the kind of stuff dietitians help you figure out precisely for your unique needs.

Step 7: Fine-tune the quality of what you’re eating. Marketing makes it seem like this will never stop, but it can if you so choose. This is the step where you look at whether or not you’re getting enough fibre and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Choosing brown bread over white and fresh vegetables over canned are two examples of basic ways to improve quality. Adding chia seeds to your wholesome home baking and making your own yogurt are more advanced, but very do-able ways to shine up the quality of your food intake. This step can take weeks or longer as it also impacts decisions about the kind of food you grab or don’t grab on the run and will require ongoing planning and prepping to head out the door in the morning well equipped. It also involves learning the basics of reading food labels and the liberating concept that many of the very best foods out there don’t even have labels!

Step 8: Fat and More Fibre – amount and quality. This is its own step because there is much to learn about both fat and fibre. Good, bad and ugly fats. Natural peanut butter vs. hydrogenated, whether you should use butter or margarine, which cooking oils are best, eating omega-3 rich fish at least twice each week…Take a close look at this area. Fibre – soluble, insoluble, psyllium, brown vs white, pasta, quinoa, what flour to bake with – also lots to look at here in ensuring you’re getting your 21-35 daily grams of fibre depending on age and gender.

Step 9: Salt and Sugar. Neither has to be avoided entirely. I don’t recommend putting all of your (or your children’s) improved eating efforts in this area alone, especially if steps 1-5 aren’t happening yet for you. Those steps do wonders for avoiding or managing cravings for salty or sweet treats. Do look for realistic, non-bizarre and affordable ways ways to limit or avoid excess sugar and salt. Always baking everything with agave nectar might not be the long term, lasting solution.

Step 10: Polish up your shopping and cooking skills as needed. Meals made at home are almost always lower in salt, higher in fibre and nutrients than meals grabbed on the run. Most families have 5-10 go-to meals in their repertoire. Find ways to make those great quality rather than twice a year making something considered extremely healthy. Do collect inspired recipe ideas but ones that are realistic enough to actually try. Take a cooking class if needed. Cooking more at home, and teaching your kids, may be the single most important healthy eating investment you can make for your family. (A high I.K.) Take time to learn about where your food comes from, genetic modification, the importance of a varied diet, organic and local food issues. Manage as much as you can without fearing and being at a loss for what to eat. If you have garden space and can grow even a little bit of food, that’s a healthy action. Get to know farmers to understand not only their values but the challenges they face in the food system today.

Step 11: Alcohol and Caffeine. There are limits. Learn them and live them. All the great eating in the world won’t keep your ‘belly flat’ if you regularly overdose on these drugs that displace or alter appetite. Health Canada suggests no more than one drink a day for women (2 for men) and no more than 4 cups of coffee daily…that’s four one cup, 250 ml or 8 ounce coffees and unfortunately not 4, turbo-sized Grande super cups. Mindful eating strategies apply here.

Step 12: You’ve made it up 11 BIG steps. Meet with your dietitian to review how you’re doing if you want to know whether or not you’re meeting your specific nutrient needs. For example, are you getting enough vitamin B12, iron and potassium? Using professional-calibre software and your personal data (not a quick on-line quiz), she/he can help determine if you’re lacking nutrients and which supplements you require . Many people need them. Amazing food choices or not, all adults over 50 should take 400 IU of vitamin D daily. Any women who may conceive should be taking 4oo mcg of folic acid daily. Many women lack calcium and iron despite healthy food choices. Many people benefit from a multivitamin if travel, a busy life or picky eating make consistent healthy eating tough. Allergies and food intolerances can create requirements for supplements as can strict diets, vegan diets, poor gut health and certain medical conditions. But be scientific and systematic about supplementation. Add one product at a time and allow a reasonable period to assess if it’s doing anything or not. How can you possibly know what is contributing to good or bad results if 10 products are added at once. Layer and build as needed and with expert guidance. Don’t put on your lab coat and treat the only body you have like a random science experiment, especially if already dealing with multiple health challenges and medications. Remember that “using supplements without a balanced diet is like using deodorant without taking a shower.” It’s temporary coverage only. (A quote I heard many years ago from a wise exercise physiologist, Dr. Mike Houston)

Step 13: If you’re an athlete, learn about how the timing and amount of meals and snacks will impact your training, competing and recovery. Learn about the additional hydration and macronutrient needs you have compared to inactive people.

Congratulations! You’ve climbed up, or at least patiently read through 13 long steps! Critical steps that make the difference between a quick fix and permanent success. You’re awesome! (And, until I write another book, I’m relieved to have this post handy as a starting point to refer the many requests that I’ll always likely get about how to eat better and lose weight.)

Cheers!

10 Healthy Eating Truths

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Spring Pear

Sorry (not sorry?) to have to say this but it ALWAYS swings back to a boring old well-balanced approach. Sometimes the more we muck with things – the more we perpetually try to fine-tune them – the messier they get.

Although eating when hungry, stopping when full and choosing wholesome food should, or at least could, be fairly simple, unfortunately adding in a bit of or too much ‘nutrition’ (or marketing) information often creates a less healthy scenario than having no information at all. Without a total picture context, evidence-based and practical viewpoint, eating advice can be questionable. Some of the misconceptions circulating about what to eat or not to eat remind me of that ‘telephone’ game where a group sits together in a circle. The first person whispers a comment into the next person’s ear and so on until the last person says the final garbled statement out loud. At that point, it sounds novel and fun. And, our brains are wired to like novelty. Perhaps that’s the reason so many wonky approaches from questionable sources float around out there? For example, take Michael Pollan’s excellent, seven famous word statement summing up healthy eating: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” It’s as if it came out of that ‘telephone’ game as “Be rude. Not too nice. Mostly rant.” or “Beetroots, get a flat gut, host of can’ts.” The many misinterpretations have led to a flood of information on what not to eat that has left many people feeling guilty if food choices are not 100% perfect at all times. I haven’t yet met the man, but I don’t think Pollan necessarily meant that. His comments are just one example of many great ideas from thought leaders out there that have possibly been misinterpreted or taken to an unbalanced extreme.

In an attempt to simplify and unscramble a number of messy nutrition messages I’ve heard over the past couple of years, here’s a reminder of 10 proven truths about healthy eating.

  1. Although ‘natural’ food stores have expanded their offerings significantly over the past two decades, you can still find everything you need to eat for good health, or very close to everything, in a regular grocery store. Possible exception: situations of multiple and/or very complex food allergies. If you’re looking for ultra-gourmet and 100% locally grown or sourced, this may not always be the case – although even mainstream grocery stores support many local suppliers these days. Shopping around also makes sense – at the grocery store, the Farmer’s Market, the seafood shop, the made-fresh-daily bakery…you can often even find some healthy food options at decent prices in drug stores these days. (Although we prefer a glass of water from the kitchen, it’s true that the water from the bathroom sink tap in your house comes from the same pipe system as the water in the kitchen.)
  2. If an ‘expert’ advises you to avoid all wheat, dairy and/or sugar (or anything else) but can’t or doesn’t tell you how or what to realistically eat instead or doesn’t refer you on to someone who can, they are not a true ‘expert’ on healthy eating. Referring others to that same person increases the number of people who feel lost and confused about what to eat.
  3. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be more expensive than unhealthy eating. Shopping and cooking skills play big roles here. Invest in boosting your I.K. (Intelligence in the Kitchen) to save money on food.
  4. The proven health benefits of eating ENOUGH of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables far outweigh risk from not choosing organic in every case. Growing what you can yourself is a healthy action if you have the garden space to do so – even one tomato plant or row of kale.
  5. Eating a wide variety of healthy food is associated with better nutrition and overall health than sticking to a very short list of ‘superfoods.’
  6. If you bake cookies or muffins at home using real food ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats, nuts, butter, eggs and even a moderate amount of sugar, in almost every case they’ll be more wholesome than commercially-made versions. Even for using, dare I say it, sugar.
  7. If you ‘fuel’ each day with a giant coffee or two, a couple ultra ‘clean’ energy bars, vitamin supplements and little else, you are FAR from well nourished, regardless of the source and price of the products being consumed. No supplements currently exist that replace 100% of the nourishment from whole foods.
  8. Most commercially available frozen pizzas – vegetarian, gluten-free or not – are still a low nutrient, low fibre, high sodium meal.
  9. Controlling or micro-managing one’s diet will only influence the amount and/or quality of food consumed. It won’t bring order or peace to other areas of life. Same goes for micro-managing or endless unproductive attempts to fine-tune every morsel of food eaten by kids.
  10. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to healthy eating, healthy skin care, exercise or other aspects of health. There are general guiding principles but ALL must be interpreted individually based on each person’s unique situation – age, life stage, health, values, genetics, economics and more. Anyone promoting (or selling) a ‘fits all’ approach is not looking at the total picture of factors that require consideration.

Everyone has a base eating history whether influenced by good or bad examples from their childhood, economic factors, likes or dislikes, values and intuition about what foods work best for them. Trusting and honoring this is VERY important. If interested in eating healthier, start at that base. Then expand your knowledge and repertoire of food ideas from very good quality information sources you trust. An evidence-based genuine interest in true nourishment and a customized approach without an expensive product or service to sell are usually  great clues of a reliable source. Assuming your family is feeling energetic and maintaining good health, don’t worry if where you shop, how you cook, which trends you follow or not, and which supplemental products you take or not are different than what others are doing. Charge on.

Watch for a future post in which I’ll share the secrets of climbing the steps to healthy eating success and freeing yourself of permanently focusing on it or needing an annual Spring cleanse. If you have a liver and kidneys, stay active and sweat, hydrate and eat quality food most of the time, you are likely pretty nicely ‘cleansed’ already.

Cheers!

 

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

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Taxi collage

True stories from a media dietitian with her suitcase of vegetables in the back seat of a taxi

Friends who know me well have heard a few of these tales. They’ve often suggested I write a book about my experiences while riding in cabs. Turns out, many could write their own book, if not a few chapters. We always have a ton of laughs when sharing taxi stories. Instead of a whole book at this point, I thought I’d share 5 of my ‘favourite’ experiences of many before I forget them. (Maybe I’ll never really forget these!)

  1. Toronto blizzard. Anyone who relies frequently or even occasionally on taxis in any part of the world has no doubt experienced the Formula One race car driver. You’re sweating bullets and hanging on for dear life. I can’t believe that some of these taxi drivers are even allowed to get the job position they have with their driving technique.  I’ve had many that have been more ‘air sickness’-inducing than a turbulent flight. New York, Boston, Montreal…The worst speeding driver for me was on a ride from the airport to downtown Toronto one dark ‘blizzardy’ February night. It was rush hour. The driver was cutting in and out of the icy lanes. Long story short…he screeches to a stop, slides and we get rear-ended pretty hard. He says nothing to me. He pulls over and has a 15-minute argument with the driver of the car who hit us. He gets back in, still total silence and continues driving on. I’m purposely waiting to see if he brings it up. Once at the destination, he says “That’ll be $85.” I casually respond with “Do you factor in a discount at all for the crash?” As my big, tall, brother-in-law comes over to help unload the car, the driver looks at him, then back at me and says “Okay, today is free!”
  2. Are you available? Had someone predicted that in a 20-minute ride from my then apartment in Vancouver to the airport I’d be asked if I was available to serve as a surrogate mother for a cab driver and his wife who were having trouble getting pregnant I would have thought that was unreal. It started with the look from the rear view mirror followed with “I like those sunglasses…do you have kids…do you have a husband…are you single”…to the detailed story of the unfortunate difficulties he and his wife were having and how they were now looking for a surrogate mother. “Here’s my card if you change your mind” he said as I exited!?!
  3. Follow Up Consultation. Flying YVR to Toronto on the 9 am flight means arriving around 4:30 pm with a 60 minute-ish rush hour drive into the city. On one of many such days a very friendly cab driver asked what brought me to town. Although I don’t always spill the full story, this time I briefly mentioned what I do. He told me he was recovering from a heart attack and was working on exercising more and eating better. He was proud of his son who is a doctor. He even proudly opened his lunch bag and showed me the awesome chickpea and vegetable dish his wife had sent with him. He asked a number of questions about blood pressure, cholesterol and weight management. I gave him some guidance. Because he had many more questions and we were at my destination, I gave him my card (there is no photo of me on it) and suggested he email if he’d like a referral to any of my great dietitian colleagues in the Toronto area. About 8 months later, I arrive at YYZ again and grab a cab outside the airport. As we head towards the city, the driver looks at me and says “Hey, are you Patricia Chuey?” I was surprised! It was THE SAME driver and he remembered me – even my name!?! The follow-up consultation ensued. He told me that in the 24 years he’d been driving a taxi and the 1700 or so drivers who are authorized to do pickups at the airport, he’d never had a customer he remembered from a previous trip. THAT should have been a free ride given the 2-session consultation!
  4. Would you like a latte? Again in Vancouver en route to the airport. The driver asks if I mind if he drinks his latte while he drives. I said no problem and continued quietly returning a few emails. He then apologizes and says he feels bad that he only has the one coffee. He proceeds to pass it back over the seat to me saying I’m welcome to have some if I’d like!?! A little baffled, I politely decline. Is there anything more personal than your cup of coffee??? I wouldn’t even share my husband’s coffee!
  5. My girlfriend just dumped me. I now live in a city with a population of about 90,000. Occasionally when heading out in the wee hours of the morning or very late at night, I need a taxi. Chances of getting the same driver here are high. I’ve unfortunately had the ‘woe is me‘ fellow on 3 occasions. (I’m hoping he doesn’t recognize me each time.) It’s a 30 minute drive between the airport and our home and with him, a half hour sad monologue of how his girlfriend deeply hurt him and prevents him from seeing their child. No polite mentions of “I’m sorry, I’m really tired and just need to quietly ride home” stop this guy. He’s not my favourite driver ever. Still, I try to find a glimmer of hope and an encouraging word for him as I leave the taxi.

Some of my friends and colleagues have asked why I don’t just avoid making eye contact and ignore the opening question of “How’s your day going so far?” Sometimes I do say “It’s going well but I’m sorry I need to rest (or get a little work done)”. That rarely seems to work for me. I’ve ended up hearing amazing stories from mostly very polite driver’s about their families outside of Canada, their pre-taxi careers, their travels, their kids and how their day is going. I’ve heard about some of their craziest passengers. THEY need to write the book! I’ve learned about their favourite foods and the diet challenges they’re having. I’ve shared a few tips when they’ve asked. I don’t think I’d have it any other way on this short life journey as my bag of vegetables and I travel around trying to increase peace of mind for people with their food choices!

Happy Nutrition Month to my many colleagues all over North America cabbing to those very early morning news show guest appearances and providing free mini-consultations along the way!

April 22, 2016 Update: It’s about 6 weeks since I shared the 5 stories above. Earlier this week, I experienced the next taxi tale to add to this list:

6. “Meet Me At the Door and Look Intimidating” was the text I sent to my hubby from a cab ride home the other night in the small city in which I live. The driver seemed ‘friendly’ albeit completely unaware of personal boundaries. After asking for the destination address, he proceeded to ask if that’s my home, if I live alone, with my family or with who? Uncomfortable, I told him I’d like to keep that information private. He says “sure” and then asks what I do for a living. After quickly saying “I help people figure out how to eat healthy” he fires a number of questions about his own diet at me. Proud of myself for doing this for the very first time, I lightheartedly replied with “I’m happy to answer your questions but each one will cost $10.00 and my meter will run in the same way yours is. We can just call it even at the end of the ride.” (typically a $90 cabfare). He laughed and got the point. Although I told him I really would just like to be quiet and relax after a busy day, he switched his commentary to why he lives in a smaller city (to avoid the gang violence that he was a part of in the past!) and how he doesn’t really know anyone locally because you can’t really trust people!?! Are you as uncomfortable as I am yet? Thank goodness for the ability to text and be greeted by my husband wearing a black sniper T-shirt from a work trade show and looking as tough as possible!

Eating is not a Recognized Religion

By

Grapes

Although a gift to appreciate and not take for granted, our ability to eat wholesome food is not a ‘recognized religion’

At the core of our ability to live (and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) are a few basic requirements: air, water, food, safe shelter. Love and being connected to others are among those basic requirements too. Once these needs are met, should we choose, we can pursue a world of possibilities, self-actualization, that nourish our soul so meaningfully that they may become requirements to us too – music, art, careers, religion, travel, volunteering,  parenting, solving world problems, sports, reading, pet ownership…heck, even vitamin supplements and every other subject on the planet.

Like other mammals, most adults on earth have the task of hunting for (sourcing), gathering and providing food for themselves and their family. The range of what is consumed varies greatly based on many non-food factors not the least of which are geographical location and available funds. Although food plays a significant role in many religions, in and of itself it is not a religion. I’m for keeping it that way.

Many people are quite quickly turned off by the idea of religious beliefs being pushed upon them. I’m never excited when the ‘church salespeople’ ring our doorbell. I politely decline and try to end the transaction before it starts. I have beliefs I’m confident in. I also don’t love when someone comes to the door, or  inbox, selling anything I didn’t ask for. Yet, somehow, the basic need to eat and the freedom to choose what we want based on our likes, dislikes, values, health needs, budget, culture, traditions, location, season and circumstances has become seemingly everyone’s busine$$. A vocation that some have become evangelical about with a new religion of sorts.

While it’s not considered kind or politically correct in any way to push values regarding personal choices, race or religion on others, although snake-oil independent consultants have always existed, we’re in a particularly troubling time where ‘cleansed’, protein powder, supplement-fueled disciples seem to be on a mission to convert us all to, or at least attempt to intimidate us with, their ultra clean (and sometimes even mean) food religion.

There’s a big difference between being a passionate source of interesting, helpful, credible information and being a rude, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer salesperson. There’s also a difference in opting to look for nourishing food ideas you may wish to try with your family versus feeling judged harshly for not being vegan, organic or raw enough, for example. Where I come from, part of being a healthy person is to be kind to yourself, the earth and others. If clean, raw and/or vegan eating is super healthy, and I don’t disagree with being any of those should a person choose, why are some of the comments coming from those circles so extreme, judgmental and mean? I understand they are very passionate about their chosen energizing eating style and want to spread the word. But, mean-spirited comments, about food and eating, becoming commonplace deeply concerns me. Too frequently I come across tweets and posts making statements like “if you really loved your children, your family would be vegan” or “calling oneself vegetarian and still eating eggs and fish is a cop-out”. If a person opts out of eating eggs and fish, isn’t that their own very personal choice? If others opt to eat those foods, they shouldn’t be made to feel terrible or guilty. If they have no problems with gluten and choose to eat it, should they have to hide in the closet to enjoy a sandwich or bowl of cereal? Some would say no one makes you feel anything. How you react and feel is up to you. I must emphasize that I am all for eating a wholesome, plant-based diet. And, there are gifted thought leaders out there getting folks excited to adopt this eating style. Still,  there exist a few too many mean, unproductive, unfounded and/or inaccurate comments about what we choose to eat. That won’t move people in a positive healthy direction.

In his book Cooked, Michael Pollan suggests that perhaps the more specialized we’ve become in society, the more we’ve lost confidence in our own ability in the areas we don’t specialize in, such as cooking. Increasingly, we feel we need to look to others to guide us, even in the most very basic tasks like food selection and eating.  As we seek the way from the ‘experts’, resulting in the number of  their loyal subjects increasing, some become the new high priests and priestesses of clean eating – increasingly forceful in their advice. The more shocking or controversial the statements they make, evidence-based or more often not, the faster a certain sector of their congregation grows while others want nothing to do with what they see as ‘healthy eating’ nonsense.

I’m for each adult, who is able to, taking ownership of feeding themselves and their family and feeling great about it. I’m also for growing and cooking as much food as you can for yourself. Something I’ve been saying for years, I agree with Pollan that rates of obesity and chronic diseases rising at the same time that entire TV networks and endless healthy cooking resources exist is a truly strange paradox. If you never learned to cook, it is worth developing even basic skills. It’s never too late to start. And it is not a competitive sport. If you know how to cook, hone it, celebrate it and most importantly, use it. Respectfully share your recipes and healthy living ideas to inspire others. Feel proud of your high I.K. (Intelligence in the Kitchen). But please leave food religion, unhealthy and hurtful judging, the kind that even causes some to get sick physically or emotionally with orthorexia, out of it.

Amen.

 

 

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