According to a 2004 StatsCan report, “ A high percentage of Canadian youth and children are eating French fries, soda, milkshakes, hamburgers and fried chicken — which are high in fat, sugar and salt— on a daily basis.

33% of 14-18 year olds

21% of 9-13 year olds

19% of 4-6 year olds …are eating at a fast food outlet every day.

These foods are convenient and cheaply priced—a dangerous combination– as they are directly linked to the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and mental health issues. ”

Real food advocate, Michelle Dennis-Mitchell wants at-risk youth to make better choices in their diet and break the cycle of inter-generational diseases prevalent within black communities. Her main goal is to promote the benefits of nutrient-rich foods such as fresh greens, raw, natural, whole, and organic locally-grown produce. She has found that although these foods have been proven to be effective against many life-threatening diseases, mainstream media rarely shares this information with the masses.

The self-described foodophile says she grew up living an active lifestyle and ate fresh home-cooked meals on a daily basis. She recalls being awoken on weekends to the aromas of savoury Jamaican dishes.

Michelle Dennis-Mitchell (L)

“I would go into the kitchen and my mother would have all the four burners of the stove going. Frying fish on one burner, veggies bubbling on a pot somewhere, some rice and peas…and if you opened the oven something would be roasting in there. I was just in awe of her ability to cook so much food at once, and it always turned out good. Nothing ever burned. I grew up loving food, eating good food and when I moved away to university, I began calling my mom for recipes, and tips on how to cook things.”

Sadly, by the time she was 40, she had buried both parents due to preventable illness and had undergone surgery to remove three organs: her tonsils, thyroid and uterus. Despite being an athlete and preparing her own meals, she was forced to come to the realization that her health was deteriorating. Discouraged by the lack of information from her doctors, Dennis-Mitchell began her journey of self-care through years of research and personal exploration.

“The doctors couldn’t answer my questions. They would always tell me about the demographics of the illness and prescribe drugs to deal with the symptoms, but they were never able to give me answers. In all cases I would ask, ‘Why’? ‘Why was this happening to my body?’ ‘Why was I developing these illnesses?’ I wanted to find the answers.

My husband was having health problems as well. As I began to seek information on the internet about diet and learning about the link between wellness, nutrition and health, this information empowered me, and I changed my lifestyle.”

“Both of my parents are from rural Jamaica. They grew up as peasant farmers growing food on the land, and my maternal grandmother was a market woman who would sell produce from the market. They grew up close to the land, eating fruit and vegetables that they cultivated.  They had a respect for fresh foods and the healing properties in fresh fruits and vegetables and they passed that onto me.”

“When immigrants arrive on Canadian soil, most of the time they are healthier than those living here because their diet and lifestyle is closer to the earth.  When they come to Canada, the stress of migrating, moving their family here, and trying to find work has an impact on our health. We also begin to adapt the lifestyles and habits of North America.

Then you have ‘S.A.D.’ ( Standard American Diet). As we begin to eat this way, we begin to eat more, and we also eat more processed foods. It is well known that immigrants become less healthy. Then our children become less healthy by adapting to these habits as well.  All of the statistics that we’re seeing in terms of early onset of diabetes, and obesity, are related to our new lifestyles. Studies show that we become sicker, and our future generations become sicker because we’ve taken on this fast way of living.”

Dennis-Mitchell has been contracted by various non-profits in Toronto to share her knowledge with youth in high-needs communities such as Rexdale and the Jane-Finch neighbourhood.  By teaching simple recipes and media literacy, while encouraging thoughtful dialogue, her ‘Real Food Reasoning Sessions’ serve as a catalyst for change. When asked what she hopes to accomplish through her workshops, the educator responds,

“I want people to know that they have a say. Believe that you are your best doctor. You’re the best person to be in a position to take care of your health. When I have a health problem it doesn’t really make a lot of sense to leave my home and go see my doctor, when I am with my body 24/7 and the doctor only sees me for 15 minutes.  You can listen to your body intuitively. When you eat certain things how does your body respond? Test the philosophy that food is medicine.”

Read Dennis-Mitchell’s Real Food Reasoning Sessions real food michelle info – Sept 2011

REAL  SMOOTHIE DEMO