Jenny Jackson, RD

Food sovereignty includes breast milk.

Some great tips for Halloween from Pommetta Nutrition! I always pose Halloween as a great opportunity to experiment with very high-reward food (which is generally foods that contain relatively high amounts of sugar, fat, and/or salt). By thinking of it as an experiment, we can curiously observe children without judgement to see how they handle access to these foods. Can they identify when they are full, and when they want more? Do they like certain flavours/textures, and disl...ike others? Do they act differently around candy at the beginning of the night versus the end? Observe without comment, and notice what surprises you or what you expected to see. No matter what you normally eat at home, our food environment is full of high-reward foods- your children will have to learn how to self regulate eventually. The safest place to practice with these foods is at home. Younger kids don't have all the politics of food and dieting in their head, and will self regulate quicker than an older child. If there are ethics, allergies, or intolerances to consider, it's worthwhile to seek out some safe high reward foods that meet the ethical or dietary needs of your families, so that there is still opportunity to practice!

In one of my courses, we are looking a lot at the social determinants of health. The studies are very interesting and amazing, but often the article resolves with suggestions for changes to health care or for health care professionals to change their behaviours. It's a rhetoric that's common in the media too- doctors teaching cooking classes, increasing social services in waiting rooms, or other initiatives that move from "sick care" to "health care". This continues to strik...e me as a very limited vision. In the words of Michael Marmot, "if the major determinants of health are social, so must be the remedies". I would rather have chefs, and/or the person in your neighbourhood who makes amazing food, teaching cooking classes than medical doctors. I would prefer to have social service access increased in places where people go when they are well- community centres, markets, local businesses, hair salons, libraries, festivals. I want solutions that include artists, philosophers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, punks, youth, elders, and parents. And yes, medical professionals too, but not as the centre and the "gatekeepers" of health, but instead as a part of a large portrait of what contributes to health. If we made these health contributions important when they are done by people who are passionate, talented, and integrated in the community, not just when authorized medical professionals do them, how would that change the worlds we live in?

"As a dietitian, I don’t come in claiming to be an expert, but as a person who will listen, learn and support." https://www.nourishhealthcare.ca//how-can-dietitians-learn#

Yesterday was my first day of midwifery school. Meeting the years ahead of us and being welcomed by the program has been amazing, and somewhat surreal. I'm excited to see what is to come!

This year we grew quite a few cucumbers! It has been so nice to have a productive garden this year, I'm looking forward to next year and our plans to plant in 4x the space.

I'm commonly asked what nutrients are missing or what foods should be cut out to get clear, glowing, beautiful skin. The reality- the human default is not clear, glowing, beautiful skin. There is huge variation, and there is a lot of marketing to pathologize normal skin. Normal skin gets irritated sometimes, or breaks out. Normal skin wrinkles and folds. Normal skin has colour variation and stretch marks. Normal skin can have dry patches and rough areas. Our skin is our firs...t line of defence, separating the soft, vulnerable parts of us from our environment. Yes, there are conditions related to the skin that are painful, uncomfortable, and require medical treatment. Yes, malnutrition will create certain skin conditions that are reversible with adequate nourishment. Yes, there are some novel approaches to skin care that could make some differences for some people. But the rest can just be the cost of doing business with an ever changing environment and the set of genetics we were given. Stay hydrated, cover up in the sun, see a practitioner if you are concerned about your skin condition, eat a variety to cover your nutrient bases, find a skin care routine that works for you and your wallet, and take a pause to ask some questions before spending a bunch of money on supplements. There's nothing wrong with you if you have less than perfect skin, and you aren't obligated to bend over backwards and spend tons of money in the pursuit of perfection.

There is an insidious part of our thin worshipping culture that turns my stomach in a very specific way, and that is the gratitude for weight loss that comes from medical decline. In my work in long term care, I expect all my clients to arrive malnourished. Seniors and people with disabilities come to us malnourished, from neglect, financial restraints, disease states, and well meaning people misinterpreting what their nutrition needs are. So many of them are so thrilled that... they are rapidly losing weight- they have been waiting for this their whole life, and it is finally happening! They make jokes about how their cardiologist would be so happy, and how proud they are that their belts are loose. My job ends up being trying to convince them that this is a sign of their body breaking down, and they need nourishment if they don't want to decline further, but so often they aren't willing to stop their physical decline if it means having to gain weight. Many are willing to take the accelerated decline in physical function and quality of life to finally experience what it is like to be thin.

I plan on doing more detailed post on supplements soon. I take a few now, but at one point I had a whole grocery bag full of supplements and powders for all kinds of indications. I find that if someone is recommending that you take a whole bunch of supplements, it is time to stop and ask some questions. Does this person sell these supplements? Doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad recommendations, but it does tell you they have a financial incentive, so it's good to rem...ain somewhat skeptical. Do they know anything about your diet, lifestyle, and life stage? If someone is coming out of the gate with one-size-fits-all recommendations, that is also quite suspicious. How do they know you need these supplements without knowing anything about you? Does this person have the knowledge to give you these recommendations? I recently ran into a nutritionist recommending large amounts of parsley for "gentle detoxification" during pregnancy, which can actually stimulate uterine contractions. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, a senior, getting advice for babies/children/toddlers, or have medical conditions, it is worth it to inquire about this person's experience with your specific circumstances. Have they studied, or been mentored, in this area? Do they have access to another professional to check their recommendations against if they have limited experience? It's always a good sign when people recognize their limitation and tell you what they are going to do about it!

Storing food properly is sometimes a struggle for me- I am guilty of "throw a lid on whatever pot and stick it in the fridge". I have a large piece of beeswax waiting to be experimented with to make beeswax wraps, and we are lucky to have pigs and a compost to use up whatever food doesn't make it!

I'm excited to announce that I am going back to school this September to become a midwife. I am going to continue my private practice, and am in the process of visioning out how it will evolve and grow in the next little bit. I will keep everyone posted! The first personal post I wrote on my blog was about how dietetics felt like a difficult, uncomfortable fit for me as I studied and started in this field. It took a while to find my people. It took even longer to find my voic...e. There are still parts of it I really struggle with, and sometimes I can't wait to "drop the food stuff", but I know that is a fleeting feeling that is born out of the frustrating parts of working with food. Food is so complicated to work with. It touches every level of ethics, basic human rights, sovereignty, and identity. It brings with it a history of struggle, colonialism, racism, celebration, joy, and pain. It is also the simplest- there are very few rules of life, and one of them is that you have to eat and drink to live. Every cell in your body comes from this intrinsic, natural, innate process. It is the foundation of all life, art, expression, and thought. There is no such thing as "dropping the food stuff" if I want to work in health care. I will never drop the food stuff- I will carry it forward with me to my midwifery practice, with as much care and consideration as I can. I'm excited to see how this career will combine and marry with the next career!

Remember: nutrition is rarely urgent. Be gentle in feeding yourself and your family. In most situations, you have time to relax and experiment