ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖅ
Health Attributes
Here for you health
Use these symbols to help you make healthy and informed choices.
Everything starts with a healthy you, and eating healthy is an important part of that. But making the right decisions for you and your family can be challenging to find the right information in a quick and easy way. At Inuulisautinut Niuvirvik, we want to make things easier for you to shop, and have signs and icons in store that will help guide you to healthier choices. Each of them identify important attributes about the products we carry, so read below for more information on them and how they can help.
ᐱᑕᖃᓗᐊᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᓂᒃ
LOW SODIUM
Cutting back on salt (sodium) is one of the best ways to manage blood pressure, especially if you have high blood pressure. When blood pressure is high, it puts stress on the body. This can hurt the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. High blood sugar levels are a risk factor for high blood pressure (hypertension).
Foods naturally have small amounts of sodium, but most of the sodium in our diet is added during food processing. Canned and packaged foods are often high in sodium because it is added to preserve food.
Foods high in fibre are vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds. Fibre is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. Also known as roughage, fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, grain products, lentils, nuts and seeds.
There are many different types of fibre, the most common are soluble and insoluble. Along with helping to keep you regular, it can help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and may help to control weight.
ᐱᑕᓖᑦ ᓂᖑᓂᑯᑖᓂᒃ
SOURCE OF FIBRE
ᓱᑲᖃᙱᑦᑐᑦ
SUGAR FREE
No-sugar added foods contain natural sugars, where Sugar-free foods don’t have any sugar at all! People with diabetes need to consider sugar but also carbohydrates.
Foods like fruits, potatoes and milk have a milder and naturally sweet flavour. These foods do not have any added sugar, they have a natural sugar called carbohydrates. Pop and candy have added sugar to them. Natural sugar (carbohydrates) and added sugar can increase blood sugar.
The difference between organic and non-organic food has to do with how food is produced. It focuses on treatment of the environment and animals. Foods in Canada follow rules on meeting the Canadian Organic Standards (COS).
ᓄᓇᓂᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ
ORGANIC
ᓱᑲᖃᖏᑦᑐᑦ / ᐃᒻᒧᓐᓂᖔᖅᓯᒪᔪᖃᖏᑦᑐᖅ
LACTOSE / DAIRY FREE
Get much needed calcium and Vitamin D without tummy upset with lactose-free or dairy-free products.
Everybody needs vitamin D. It helps our bodies take in and use calcium which is needed for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D also helps with growth and may help prevent illness. Getting enough vitamin D is important for everyone, especially pregnant women, babies and young children.
In Nunavut, the sun is not a good source of vitamin D so we have to eat foods high in the nutrient and take supplements.
Foods rich in vitamin D include country food like fish, maqtaaq, bird eggs and fish eggs; and store bought food like milk, fish (salmon, tuna and sardines), eggs, yogurt with added vitamin D and margarine.
Gluten is a food protein found in different types of wheats, rye, barley, and triticale (similar to wheat). There are disorders that are made worse when gluten is eaten like celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, gluten ataxia, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Gluten free foods help people sensitive or allergic to gluten, feel better. Following a gluten-free diet is a MUST for people with diagnosed celiac disease and wheat allergy, as eating gluten can cause serious reactions. It is best to consult your doctor to confirm if you suffer from a gluten-related condition. Reading ingredient lists is also an important step as ingredients can change even if the item is labelled as “gluten free”. Be mindful of products without an ingredient label. If you are unsure if a product is safe for you, it is best to call the company for more information.