Nutrition « Regina Community Clinic

Nutrition

Our nutritionist provides individual and group sessions.

Connected with the Clinical Fitness and Lifestyles Department, our Nutrition department provides individual counselling and group education sessions.

Regina Community Clinic's nutritionist is a Registered Dietitian who counsels on numerous health-related topics including weight management, cholesterol, diabetes, eating disorders, infant feeding, pregnancy and irritable bowel syndrome and more.

Group sessions include topics such as weight management, cholesterol, and more!

Resources can be found here: (We will be adding more information to this section as we can)

According to Statistics Canada, almost 1 in 10 Canadians (20 years or older) has been diagnosed with diabetes. This includes type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. If any of these conditions apply to you, or if you have prediabetes, this article may help to answer some of your questions and connect you with other resources.

What is Diabetes?

In general, diabetes is a disease where your body cannot use the sugar from your food effectively. When you eat food, it gets broken down in your stomach. Food travels from your stomach to your intestine where it is further broken down and absorbed into your blood. Much of the food you eat breaks down into sugar (also called glucose) and is absorbed into your blood. As the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood goes up, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin takes the sugar from your blood and delivers it to all the cells in your body that need to use sugar for energy. When we eat more sugar than our body needs for energy, our liver stores it and sometimes the extra sugar is changed into fat. The liver will deliver sugar to the blood when you need it, such as when you are sleeping.

With type 2 and gestational diabetes, a few things can happen:

Your body does not make enough insulin, so most of the sugar you eat stays in your blood.
Your body cannot use insulin properly, so your cells cannot use the sugar in your blood for energy.
Your liver may put sugar back into the blood when not needed.

This typically results in people having high blood sugar, which can cause damage to your body over time. People with diabetes are at a higher risk for developing chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, heart failure. Complications associated with poor diabetes management include vision loss and limb amputations.

What Causes Diabetes?

There is not one single thing that causes type 2 or gestational diabetes. Genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle factors all can contribute to someone developing diabetes. While you cannot change your genetics, or your past lifestyle, you can make healthy choices now to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. These choices include:

Not smoking
Limiting or stopping drinking alcohol
Staying physically active
Eating a healthy and balanced diet (follow Canada’s Food Guide, available here)

While a new diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes can be scary, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication. RCC’s team of health professionals is here to help you every step of the way. If you are interested in receiving lifestyle support for managing prediabetes or diabetes, you can ask your doctor for a referral to the RCC dietitian and exercise specialist.

For more information about diabetes, please visit Diabetes Canada here.

Heart Healthy Eating

Heart healthy eating is important for:

Lowering high cholesterol
Lowering high triglycerides
Preventing and managing cardiovascular disease (heart disease, strokes)
Preventing and managing hypertension (high blood pressure)

If any of these situations pertain to you, then it is important to make dietary changes as they can lessen your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or experiencing effects of cardiovascular disease like heart attacks and strokes.

What is heart healthy eating?

There are many different dietary patterns that are beneficial for heart health (for example, the Mediterranean Diet, Portfolio Diet, DASH Diet, and Vegetarian Diet). Even though these diets are all slightly different, they all have a few things in common:

They focus on whole and minimally processed foods
They are rich in fruits and vegetables
They use healthy unsaturated fats (olive oil, vegetable oil, nuts, seeds) instead of saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, palm oil, lard, tallow). Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and can raise blood cholesterol levels.
They are low in sodium (salt) and added sugar. Eating too much sodium makes people retain water. When people retain water, their heart must work harder to pump blood around their body. This can contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure).

How can I eat for heart health?

If you feel that you would have more success following a specific diet, then there are many resources, recipes, and meal plans available on the internet or in libraries/bookstores on the diets listed above. However, it is not necessary to strictly follow a certain diet to eat for heart health. Instead, some people find it easier to make simple changes to their diet. For example:

Focus on eating lean protein sources like beans, lentils, chicken, turkey, and fish instead of fattier meats like beef and pork.
Try having 1-2 meatless suppers per week. Not only are beans, lentils, and tofu cheaper than meats, but they have more fibre and less saturated fat which helps lower cholesterol levels.
Use healthier oils in your cooking and baking, like olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil instead of butter, coconut oil, lard, shortening, and tallow.
Using whole grain products over white/refined grain products. For example, choose 100% whole wheat bread instead of white, try brown rice instead of white rice, include more grains like oats, quinoa, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, and farro.
Eat more nuts and seeds. Try having a handful of trail mix as a snack, putting nuts or seeds in a salad, or on your cereal or yogurt.
Try to have fruit and/or vegetables with all your meals. Fresh, frozen, and canned are all great choices! If choosing canned vegetables, choose no-sodium added versions.

What might a typical day of heart healthy eating look like?

Breakfast:

1 cup of plain oatmeal with cinnamon, 1/3 cup frozen blueberries, and a small handful of walnuts

1 cup of black coffee or tea

Lunch:

Salmon salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, made with 1 tbsp mayo, pepper, canned salmon, and lettuce

1 apple

1/3 cup low fat Greek yogurt

Water

PM Snack:

¼ cup hummus with whole grain crackers and cherry tomatoes

Water

Supper:

1 grilled chicken breast with 2 cups of Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, olives, red onion, feta cheese, Greek salad dressing) and 1 cup of cooked brown rice

Water

½ cup strawberries with 2 squares of dark chocolate

Evening Snack:

Air popped popcorn with a small handful of unsalted almonds

1 cup herbal tea

If you are interested in making changes to your diet but don’t know where to start, or if you want support to make changes, dietitians can help. You can ask your healthcare provider to refer you to a dietitian for free. This article was written by the Regina Community Clinic Nutritionist who is a registered dietitian.

For more information about heart healthy eating, visit:

Heart and Stroke Foundation: https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating

Saskatchewan Health Authority: https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/your-health/conditions-diseases-services/healthline-online/av2065

https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/your-health/conditions-diseases-services/healthline-online/ue4637#ue4637-sec

Alberta Health Services: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-heart-healthy-eating.pdf

American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/aha-diet-and-lifestyle-recommendations

Nutrition Tips for Managing Constipation

If you find that your bowl movements are hard, difficult to pass, and you go many days without having a bowel movement, you may be experiencing constipation. You may also experience some belly pain and bloating. Constipation is a common problem that many people experience. Luckily, there are some lifestyle strategies you can try that might help.

What causes constipation?

There are many different factors that can contribute to constipation. For example:

Not drinking enough water
Not eating enough fibre
Increasing your fibre intake too quickly
Changes to your daily routine (e.g. traveling, decreasing activity, changing your eating habits)
Side effects of some medications or supplements (e.g. oral iron supplements, some antacids, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, etc.)
Recovering from an illness or surgery
Diseases and health conditions such as:
- underactive thyroid
- diabetes
- celiac disease
- irritable bowel syndrome
- hemorrhoids

What are some things I can do to relieve constipation?

Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. If you struggle drinking plain water, try sparkling water, flavoured water, or herbal tea.
Increase your fibre intake. Adult men need 38 grams of fibre per day, and adult women need 25 grams of fibre per day. To get more fibre, load up your meals with fruits and vegetables, snack on nuts and seeds, and try incorporating more beans and lentils. Check out some high fibre recipes at the end of this article!
- Note: Be sure to increase your fibre intake slowly to avoid bloating, gas, cramps, and diarrhea.
Switch to whole grain foods instead of white/refined foods. Whole grains have more fibre, vitamins and minerals.
If you struggle with getting enough fibre from foods, you can try a fibre supplement like Metamucil but be sure to drink enough water.
Increase your activity level in ways that are safe for you and that you enjoy. If you need guidance and support, you can ask your doctor for a referral to the RCC Exercise Specialist.
Please see your doctor if:
- you are on medications that may cause constipation
- dietary changes do not help
- you experience a sudden change in bowel habits
- you are planning to take laxatives

Try these tasty high-fibre recipes!

Split Pea Soup (serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 small-medium carrot, chopped

½ cup of dry split peas (or lentils)

2 cups water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp thyme

Pepper to taste

½ cup diced ham (optional)

Wash and drain split peas/lentils, set aside. Heat a pot over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn heat down to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until peas/lentils are tender.

Tip: Serve with a whole wheat bun for a balanced and filling meal!

Creamy Lemon Dill Pasta Salad (serves 4)

2 cups of cooked rotini or fusilli pasta (choose whole wheat pasta for even more fibre!)

¾ cup of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cups of chopped veggies of choice (e.g. Cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, shredded carrot, snap peas, etc.)

Creamy Lemon Dill Dressing:

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice (the juice of 1 lemon)

1 tsp dried dill (1 tbsp fresh)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl or jar and add to salad. Mix thoroughly and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 days.

4 cups small cauliflower florets
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup diced cooked beets
1/4 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 Tbs. of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until lightly browned in spots, 10-15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar and salt with the remaining 2 Tbs of oil. Toss the salad greens with the dressing. Top with the beets, cauliflower, and sunflower seeds. Serves 4.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Onion Salad

500 g sweet potatoes, peeled
2 bunches green onions, white and pale-green parts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs. canola oil, divided
1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
8 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/3 inch thick sticks. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes and green onions with 1 Tbs of the oil. Roast until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar with the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil. Toss the salad greens with the dressing. Top with the sweet potatoes, green onions and pumpkin seeds.

*Nutrition Action Health letter Jan/Feb 2013

Strip Loin Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 beef strip loin grilling steaks (8oz each)
Freshly ground black pepper or Montreal Steak spice
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tsp dried thyme or tarragon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp salt

Directions:
1.    Pat steaks dry; season with pepper or steak spice. Grill over medium-high heat about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
2.    Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook until shallots are softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme and Worcestershire sauce; cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes or until wine is reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3.    Trim steaks, as needed, discarding trim. Carve crosswise into thin slices. Serve topped with sautéed mushrooms.

Nutrition

Our nutritionist provides individual and group sessions.

Cauliflower and Beet Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Onion Salad

Strip Loin Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms

More Resources on Nutrition

Helpful Links

Dietitians of Canada

Dr. Sharma

Heart and Stroke Foundation

Diabetes Canada

Osteoporosis Canada

National Eating Disorders Information Centre

Canadian Celiac Association

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Weighty Matters – blog by Dr. Yoni Feedhoff

Ellyn Satter Institute

Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods – Health Canada

Regina Food Asset Map

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Nutrition

Our nutritionist provides individual and group sessions.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Onion Salad

Strip Loin Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms

More Resources on Nutrition

Helpful Links