Karen McOuat
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 25/99) - Most Northerners are quite rational when it comes to food concerns. The calorie-counting of southern society just hasn't caught on here.

Brenda McIntyre, a nutritionist in Iqaluit, says in general it's a health issue, not an image one. Part of her job involves preventing nutrition-related conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes.

"I don't usually recommend a diet, just a healthy eating pattern and exercise," she says.

Yellowknife Multisport Club president Corey Borolien says as far as he's concerned, he doesn't really worry about fat.

"I eat a normal low-fat, healthy diet," says Borolien. For activities such as long bike rides, he takes energy bars with him to re-fuel.

A little extra help

McIntyre says vitamin supplements are good for those who can't otherwise achieve a healthy eating pattern. But she finds there are people who take them somewhat needlessly.

"We can get all we need from healthy eating," she says. "You can't get fibre from vitamins."

Dan O'Neill of Sundance Health has seen herbs and supplements gain popularity.

"Absolutely, there's been a real increase due to demographics, things like aging." People want natural stuff, an alternative to traditional prescription medicine, he says.

Many of Sundance's products come from western Canada, and can be shipped anywhere in the NWT.

Weight-loss products include apple cider vinegar, and cleansing agents like dandelion and white willow. Women should pay attention to soy protein, which is good for bone density and balances estrogen levels.

O'Neill sells vitamins and whey protein for bodybuilders. He also sells creatine, something you will be hearing about a lot. This is a nutritional supplement that increases energy, endurance and muscle strength, as well as delays fatigue. Creatine has gained recognition lately, Mark McGwire bulked up on it before he hit all those home runs.

John Clark of the NWT Bodybuilding Association says his club is about drug-free bodybuilding, but supplements are fine. He uses creatine monohydrate and whey powder.

"Creatine is just amino acids, the building blocks of muscles," explains Clark. "It's like eating five chicken breasts in one sitting."

According to the "too much of a good thing" laws, creatine should not be taken for longer than six weeks at a time. It also pulls water from other parts of the body, so the athlete must keep drinking water.

The breakfast of champions

When you don't eat, your metabolism slows down. Breakfast eaters tend to have a higher metabolism, therefore they burn more calories during the day. John Clark recommends eating smaller meals, more often.

"The way to get rid of fat is (a) aerobics and (b) get it out of your diet," says Clark. He also has advice that may raise some eyebrows:

"Get rid of all the white stuff -- white bread, enriched flour, white sugar, milk. Yogurt's okay, as long as it's nonfat."

Many soy products replace milk, says Clark. But do they taste like milk? Even better, he insists.

A snack or breakfast shake Clark mixes in the blender consists of creatine, whey powder, liquid soy, nonfat yogurt, a banana, some frozen strawberries and a teaspoon of cocoa for flavour. It's got everything you need for fuel, he says.

"And it's easier than putting a steak in the blender."