ssues & ideas EDITOR JAMES GOLDIE THE VOICE, THURSDAY, JAN, 29, 2015 7 A proper diet Is key to well-being Greater awareness of physical and nutritional issues will enhance students’ lives 7a eo = yy L— S i, ‘ ; Hold the gluten On-campus menus limited for students with allergies By MONA BUTLER gluten-free diets in recent years, food service providers at univer- sities and colleges have been slow to adapt their menus. According to dietitian Nicole Fetter- ly, the main driver behind this diet is still basic biology. “The number one reason people eat gluten-free is celiac disease,” said Fet- terly. “This is an autoimmune disorder where the body starts to attack itself, harming the digestive system.” Leila Clark, a history student at Si- mon Fraser University, has had celiac disease since early childhood. She said she finds it difficult to eat at her school cafeteria. “It can be frustrating when places like the dining hall at SFU ... don’t re- ally understand the allergy and do very little to try to feed you,” she said. At Langara College, there are some gluten-free options available at differ- ent locations across campus. Jennifer Wang, a barista at Lollipop Moment in the Langara Students’ Union building said she has noticed an increased demand for these foods. “People ask for it because it is healthier and their doctors might have r4 4 told them not to D:: the growing popularity of eat dairy or glu- People ask ten,” she said. . A spokesperson fe or it be- from Chartwells, equse it is which rovides . 2 food services to healthier’ the Langara cafe- JENNIFER WANG teria, said that BARISTA, they aim to pro- LOLLIPOP vide gluten-free MOMENT choices, however, there has not been an increased de- mand for these foods. “Currently at Langara College, there is a low demand for gluten-free prod- ucts. As demand for gluten-free prod- ucts increase, we will have additional items readily available,” Chartwells communications said in an email. Fetterly acknowledged there are challenges when offering gluten-free options on campus, especially in cafe- teria settings. “It is hard for food services to cater to gluten-free due to the risk of cross contamination,” she said. MONA BUTLER photo Potential cross-contamination of gluten-free foods is a challenge for campus cafeterias. NAIR By DUSTIN GODFREY new class coming to Langara College’s continuing — studies program will introduce stu- dents to Indian cuisine, and the potential health benefits of spicing up home cooking. The one-day class, called “A Journey with Garam Masala,” will be held on Feb. 8, and taught by Akash Lochan. Lochan will take students shopping at the markets of “Little India” on Main Street, around 50th Avenue. During the class, Lochan will explain the health benefits of using spices in cooking. According to Lochan, herbs and spices that are common in Indian dishes, especially turmeric, have po- tential medicinal properties. “TTurmeric] is good for skin, it is good for digestion. So we drink milk by putting a little bit of turmeric in it,” she said. Harinder Toor, owner of the Punjab Food Center, in the area Lochan takes her class shopping, described the prac- tice of healing injuries with spices. “Sometimes you get hurt, you know, they mix some spices with flour and put it on [the injury],” he said of the po- tential anti-inflammatory properties of some spices. Both Lochan and Toor said they have seen the use of these spices for health and medicinal purposes gaining popu- larity in Canada. Toor said the demographics of peo- ple buying Indian foods and spices are expanding, with more non-South Asian people coming to his shop. “They also go to restaurants, eat food, then they try to make it at home,” he said. DUSTIN GODFREY photo Harinder Toor, owner of the Punjab Food Center, says that these days not only South Asian Vancouverites are shopping in “Little India”. Spice up your dinner & health A course now offered through Langara Continuing Studies introduces students to the benefits of spices Annie Tsang, a registered dietitian at the Elements Wellness Centre in Kitsilano, said that as with fruits and vegetables, it is the anti-oxidant com- ponents of these spices that are benefi- cial to our health. She advises modera- tion, noting that some people’s reliance on, for example, turmeric supplements for diseases such as Alzheimer’s dis- ease or cancer is “a little extreme.” According to Tsang the greatest health benefit of spices is as a salt re- placement to enhance flavour. In this way, the health benefits are “more for people with high blood pressure, or even at risk for heart diseases.” However, the biggest benefit is not what spices add to your body. “In terms of health benefits for the general, healthy population, it’s only mainly used for reducing salt intake,” she said. Spic benefits 1 Cumin: provides an excellent source of iron 2 Nutmeg: rich in anti-inflammatory compounds 3 Cinnamon: half tsp daily reduces risk factors for diabetes 4 Oregano: high in vitamin K and antioxidants Source: Fitness Magazine Langara not participating in eating disorders week No events planned on campus during national week encouraging healthy body image and self-esteem By JAMES SMITH neouverites will soon see a lot Yor purple around town, just not at Langara College. Purple is the official colour of the Provincial Eating Disorders Aware- ness (PEDAW) campaign, which aims to increase prevention and early inter- vention of eating disorders, and en- courage healthy body image and self- esteem. The campaign launches in conjunction with a nationwide aware- ness week running Feb. 1-7. BC Place, the dome at Science World at TELUS World of Science, and the Olympic cauldron downtown will all be lit purple in support of this cause. At Langara, however, no activities are planned. Michele Bowers, interim chair of Langara’s counselling department, said in an email that the department is not taking part in PEDAW, nor does it “specifically support any one particu- lar organization.” “Langara does not have specific re- sources for students who have eating disorders,” Bowers said. However, she said she encourages students with concerns about them- selves or others to seek professional help from a physician or counsellor. Benjamin Friesen, Langara Stu- dents’ Union spokesperson and sexual- ity and gender diversity advisor, said the LSU does not offer any counselling or support services for people with eat- ing disorders, although LSU constitu- ency groups may choose to offer their own programs addressing these issues. Friesen said students should go to the LSU’s website for access to infor- mation about services available in the community. PEDAW activities begin with a free panel discussion at the Vancouver Pub- lic Library’s central branch Saturday, Jan. 31. JAMES SMITH photo Langara’s counselling department does not provide specific resources for students with eating disorders.