Health Canada has officially started the ban on artificial trans-fats from the food supply as of Monday September 17 2018. This ban was a long time in the making considering our extensive knowledge of how trans-fats are bad for our health. The food industry will have a grace-period of 2 years (until 2020) to fulfill the requirements of the new legislation. What does this mean for us consumers? Before we answer that, let’s do a quick review of trans-fats.

As coordinator of communications, I don't get to author many blogs. I'm usually coordinating others' blogs for publishing. It makes sense because, well, I coordinate the communications of others who actually know what they're talking about when it comes to public health.

That said, I wanted to share a brief story that shook me up and taught me a few things.

Remember when you were partying like it was 1999 (because it was) at your New Year’s Eve millennium/Y2K/Newmanium party? We were ringing in the future. The old-timey 1900s were coming to a close and it was time to usher in the 21st Century.

Welcome back, fellow public health enthusiasts! Last time you heard from me, I told you about Canada’s deadly addiction to smoking and the “Endgame” goal: A national smoking rate of under 5% by 2035. What I didn’t tell you is what we have to do to get there. The good news is that it’s definitely possible and that when we do, it will save tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year. The bad news: At first, not everyone is going to like it.

Canada’s goal is to lower the smoking rate to under 5% by 2035.  Ontario has pledged to reach 10% by 2023. What can we do for the smoking endgame to be anything more than a pipe dream?

Often, people ask me “Is __ a bad food?” I appreciate this because it shows they are being thoughtful about what they eat. As much as I appreciate the question, though, I actually don’t think it’s a helpful question. Here’s why.

As a child, I don’t remember ever taking the bus, not even in kindergarten. I grew up in a small town and lived exactly 1.1 km from my town’s all-in-one elementary and high school. I recently asked my mom how I got to school as a kindergartener, her response: “I don’t know - you probably walked with your brother.” For context, my brother is only two years older than I am. At 5 and 7 years old we were independently walking to school.

As you may have already heard: March is Nutrition Month! This is the time of year registered dietitians come together all across Canada to celebrate and promote healthy eating as a way to enhance lives and promote health.

This year, dietitians across Canada, including right here in Thunder Bay, are helping Canadians "Unlock the Potential of Food" to fuel, discover, prevent, heal and bring us together.

Speaking of food's potential, let’s talk a little more about how food has the potential to bring us together.

When we think 'harm reduction' we think illicit drugs. How can we not? Every news story, blog post, podcast or pamphlet that mentions harm reduction links it to illicit drugs. But what if I told you harm reduction is actually much more? That in fact harm reduction is a tool for critical thinking. That it is a way of looking at virtually any problem with a goal of coming up with a solution that produces the best achievable outcome with the least possible harm. Let me give you an example:

At this time of year, we often promise ourselves that we’ll make healthy lifestyle changes. Sometimes, change can be hard! A common reason for not making these changes stick is because it’s just difficult to stay motivated when messages and choices all around us support unhealthy options.