Author: wpadmin

A recent Global News article highlighting new Statistics Canada data suggests that Canadians may not be as healthy as they were a decade ago. The report looked at functional health, a broad measure that reflects how well people are able to function in daily life, including areas such as mobility, cognition, emotional health, and pain. The findings show a noticeable decline, particularly among younger adults.

In 2015, 68.6% of Canadian adults reported being in “very good” or “perfect” functional health. By 2024, that number had dropped to 56.4%. This change is especially striking because functional health had remained stable for adults under 65 from 1994 to 2015, and even improved for those over 75. Over the past decade, however, that progress has stalled, with declines seen across nearly all younger age groups.

Young adults experienced the steepest drop. Among those aged 18 to 34, the percentage reporting very good to perfect health fell from 73.4% in 2015 to 60.1% in 2024. Adults aged 35 to 49 saw a similar decline. These trends challenge the common assumption that younger populations are naturally healthier and suggest that stress, lifestyle factors, and overall well-being may be shifting.

Much of the decline appears to be driven by worsening emotional health. The percentage of Canadians who reported feeling happy and interested in life dropped from 78.3% in 2015 to 61.2% in 2024. Young adults were hit hardest, and by 2024 they reported worse emotional health than adults aged 50 and older.

Pain also became more common. In 2015, 77.9% of Canadians reported living without pain or discomfort. By 2024, that figure had declined to 72%. Women and older adults were more likely to experience ongoing pain, which can affect mobility, energy levels, and overall quality of life.

The decline in functional health was seen across all provinces. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick reported the lowest levels, while Quebec had the highest. Women across all age groups also reported worse functional health than men.

While the report doesn’t pinpoint exact causes, the findings highlight something important: health is about more than just avoiding disease. Emotional well-being, pain levels, and the ability to function day-to-day all play a role. This data serves as a reminder that health isn’t just about living longer, it’s about living well. And that’s something worth prioritizing at every age.

Can Doctors Prescribe Blueberries? The Growing Idea of “Food Prescriptions”

A recent CBC article caught my attention with an intriguing question: If food is medicine, could it one day be prescribed like medicine?

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia are currently exploring that possibility through a study called STRONG. The trial is investigating whether daily blueberries—combined with protein supplementation and structured exercise—can improve frailty and heart health in adults over 65.

Participants in the treatment group receive a daily cup of wild blueberries, along with 30 grams of protein powder and a personalized exercise routine three times per week. Researchers will follow 240 participants over the course of a year to see whether these lifestyle interventions can improve strength, cardiovascular health, and overall resilience in older adults.

While the idea of a “blueberry prescription” might sound novel, it’s actually part of a larger movement known as food prescribing.

What Is Food Prescribing?

Food prescribing programs allow health-care providers to prescribe healthy foods, typically fruits and vegetables, to patients experiencing food insecurity or at risk for diet-related chronic disease. Patients can then redeem these prescriptions for subsidized or free nutritious foods.

The goal is simple: remove barriers that make healthy eating difficult.

Many people already know that fruits, vegetables, and whole foods support health. But knowledge alone doesn’t always translate into action, especially when cost, accessibility, and time pressures get in the way.

Programs that provide food directly can reduce that “mental load,” making healthy choices easier.

Why Blueberries?

Blueberries were chosen for the Dalhousie study partly because they are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, compounds linked to cardiovascular and cognitive health. Nova Scotia is also one of the world’s major producers of wild blueberries, making them a practical local food to study.

Of course, the study is really about more than just blueberries. It’s testing a whole lifestyle approach: nutrition, adequate protein, and regular strength-building exercise.

That combination is particularly important for aging adults, since frailty and cardiovascular disease are closely linked and both contribute significantly to disability and loss of independence later in life.

A Promising Idea, With Some Important Questions

Interest in food prescribing is growing quickly in Canada, especially as food prices rise and diet-related diseases continue to increase.

Early research suggests these programs can:

• Increase fruit and vegetable consumption
  
• Improve some markers of chronic disease
  
• Help address food insecurity at the same time
  

But researchers are also careful to point out the limitations.

Food prescription programs are still relatively small and often rely on grant funding, which raises questions about long-term sustainability. There are also concerns about access and equity. For example, many Canadians don’t have a family doctor, so would they miss out on these programs?

Some researchers have also asked whether it might sometimes be more empowering to simply provide financial support for food, rather than prescribing specific items.

In other words, the concept is promising but we still have a lot to learn about what works best.

Food as Medicine… or Food as Foundation?

As someone who works in nutrition, I find the idea of food prescribing both fascinating and encouraging. It reflects a growing recognition that diet plays a foundational role in health, not just in preventing disease but in maintaining strength, function, and quality of life as we age.

At the same time, we probably shouldn’t expect any single food, even blueberries, to act like a miracle drug.

Health rarely comes from one ingredient. It comes from patterns: whole foods, balanced meals, regular movement, adequate protein, good sleep, and supportive environments that make healthy choices realistic.

Still, if programs like this help people access nourishing foods and build healthier routines, that’s a step in the right direction. And if that step happens to include a daily cup of blueberries, there are certainly worse prescriptions.

I recently read an NPR article titled “Is that carb ultra-processed? Here’s a test even a kid can do,” and I thought it was worth sharing, not because I expect many of us to start soaking our bread in glasses of water, but because it sparks an important conversation about the kinds of carbohydrates we’re choosing.

For the first time, the U.S. government is urging people to avoid “highly processed” foods, linking them to rising rates of diet-related diseases. Many people want to reduce ultra-processed foods (UPFs), but feel confused about what actually counts. Marketing doesn’t make it any easier.

The article highlights two practical tools from Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian at Tufts University to help people assess grains and starches:

1. The 10-to-1 Test

For every 10 grams of carbohydrate, a food should contain at least 1 gram of fibre.

So if a granola bar has 30 grams of carbohydrate, you’d look for at least 3 grams of fiber. This guideline helps distinguish foods made primarily from refined flour and sugars from those that still contain meaningful amounts of whole grains, bran, or seeds.

It’s simple. It’s practical. And it’s something you can do right in the grocery store.

2. The “Water Test”

This one sounds fun. You place a piece of bread, cracker, or cereal in a glass of water for a few hours. If it dissolves or turns cloudy and mushy, it’s likely more highly processed. If it largely holds together, it’s more likely minimally processed.

The science behind this relates to the plant cell wall. In intact whole grains, the fibrous cell wall acts as a protective barrier around the starch. That barrier slows digestion, helps moderate blood sugar, and allows more of the carbohydrate to reach the lower gut, where it can feed our microbiome.

Highly processed grains, on the other hand, have often been milled, pulverized, and reconstructed in ways that remove or disrupt that natural structure. As a result, they digest quickly and can create sharper glucose and insulin spikes.

Would I Actually Do This Test?

Probably not on a regular basis. But I love the visual nature of it,  especially for families. It makes an abstract concept concrete. It helps us see that not all breads (or crackers or cereals) behave the same way, even if they look similar on the shelf.

And more importantly, it shifts the focus from demonizing “carbs” to understanding structure and processing.

Because carbohydrates themselves are not the enemy. Whole grains, beans, lentils, intact oats, and minimally processed breads can be incredibly nourishing. The issue isn’t carbohydrates, it’s what has been done to them.

A Balanced Perspective

While research linking ultra-processed foods to health concerns continues to grow, I’m cautious about creating fear around every packaged item. Most of us live in the real world. We balance budgets, time constraints, and family preferences.

Rather than perfection, I encourage curiosity.

• Could you swap one refined grain for a more intact option?
• Could you check the fiber content when you buy bread?
• Could you experiment with steel-cut oats instead of instant?
• Could you try baking a loaf at home, just to taste the difference?
  

Small shifts add up. So no, you don’t need to turn your kitchen into a laboratory. But if you ever feel like dropping a piece of bread into a glass of water just to see what happens… I won’t stop you.

At the very least, it might spark a good conversation around the dinner table.