Category: Featured Articles

Sometimes we need a little extra help when learning new things, and that is okay. We can find people to help us understand; these people can be called tutors.

How do you know you might need a tutor in the first place? Usually people hire a tutor when they are having a really hard time understanding what they are being taught. You might be able to tell on your own, or maybe your teachers or parents might suggest it.

Ask your teachers or school guidance counselors for recommendations, or if the school offers any tutoring services. Some schools may have a tutoring program where students can help tutor other students that are struggling.  Alternatively, you may hire a professional tutor. There are places you can go that offer tutoring services like Oxford Learning Tutoring. You can look online, but you should do this with a parent or trusted adult for online safety.

Once you have found a tutoring service you need to find a tutor that will help you based on your needs, make sure to know what classes you need help in. A math tutor won’t be much help if you are struggling with history! It will also help to know how you learn best. Not everyone learns the same way and being taught in a way that makes it easy for you to understand can make a world of difference.

If you feel you need a tutor or you are recommended to get a tutor, discuss it with your parents and teachers. You might feel a little embarrassed at first but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting extra help, especially if you need it.

Oxford Learning Tutoring – https://www.oxfordlearning.com/

By Maryam Sheikh

My Explore page on Instagram is constantly made up of recipes from various different food bloggers and health specialists. I’m quite the foodie, so this doesn’t surprise me; however, the number of different diets out there does!

I’ve come across vegan, gluten free, paleo, keto, and dairy free diets, just to name a few. While it can get confusing at times, it amazes me how creative people can get with their food choices! Experimenting with different meals can add an element of joy to your day, and finding recipes that can help you lead a healthier lifestyle is always a plus. Recently, I have seen an increase in plant-based diets, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about them.

People choose to go plant-based (or meat/animal product free), for a variety of reasons. Some have allergies or environmental concerns, others adhere to religious guidelines, and some simply strive to shift towards a healthier lifestyle.

In this article, I will provide an overview of the “flexitarian” diet and provide some tips on reducing meat intake in order to shift towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

For starters, let’s discuss where the term “flexitarian” originates from. The term is a combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian,” essentially indicating that those who follow a flexitarian diet try to limit their meat intake and instead focus on plant-based meals.

The flexitarian diet provides a great solution for people who want to be more conscious of their impact on the environment without requiring an intensely restrictive approach. Eating out and consuming meat/animal products from time to time is completely allowed.

So, when exactly did the flexitarian diet become popular? It all started when Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian nutritionist, coined the term in her book called The Flexitarian Diet. It was ranked a top plant-based diet by US News & World Report. Her book includes recipes, meal plans, grocery lists, advice, strategies for healthy living, and more.

The diet promotes protein through the consumption of foods other than meat, such as beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds. It also places an emphasis on eating a plethora of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other legumes. A low intake of red meat can potentially lead to low iron levels, so it is recommended that flexitarians incorporate alternative sources of iron in their meals.

The flexitarian diet is a great option for individuals looking to slowly decrease their animal consumption. It encourages people to focus on eating natural food instead of processed food. It also limits added sugar and other sweets. In addition, it can help in protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions along with land and water use.

Overall, the flexitarian diet targets people looking for an eco-friendly, healthy, and flexible lifestyle. It can be adapted to each individual’s personal needs, making it accessible and comprehensive. Moreover, it is not restrictive, which helps those interested in adapting it at their own pace. Meal options are endless and many recipes average five main ingredients.

How does one get started? I’ve gathered some tips that can help!

1. Reconsider portion sizes.
   • Change your meal portions so that meat isn’t the focal point of your meal. Instead consider including it as a side dish and opt instead for veggies or lentils as your main dish.
2. Add a twist to longtime favourites.
   • Think about how your favourite dishes can be tweaked to allow for less meat intake. For example, consider replacing beef or chicken in tacos with beans or tofu!
3. Spice up your grocery list.
   • Look for new food items to add onto your list. Gather inspiration from food bloggers, websites, and cookbooks. This way, you will be excited and motivated to alter your diet!

Remember, each person has different dietary needs! Always remember to nourish your body with what is best for you. Trying something new once in a while doesn’t hurt, but please ensure that you are proceeding with a lifestyle that ensures you get all the energy you need to function optimally.

 

Sources:

https://www.dawnjacksonblatner.com/about-dawn/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/flexitarian-diet-guide

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a29538790/what-is-the-flexitarian-diet/

Can you imagine how pancakes or waffles from your favourite diner would taste like without maple syrup? It will be difficult! Maple syrup makes these breakfast staples extra delicious. We celebrate how we love this sweet concoction by way of National Maple Syrup Day on December 17. 

One does not really need to think long and hard to find out how important the maple tree is for Canadians. Just look at our flag: it bears a red maple leaf, and that’s recognizable around the world. One quick glance at it, and everyone knows it means Canada. Maple trees are admired for their fantastic ability to withstand drought during dry months, as well as provide shade during the hot and humid days.

Of course, for those more aesthetically minded, maple trees are a favourite because they are a sight to behold once autumn sets in as their leaves can turn into a plethora of wonderful colours: yellow, orange, red, and all shades of brown. Take a photo underneath a maple tree during the peak of the fall season, and it will be totally “Instagrammable.”

There are 13 species of maple trees which are native to Canada, but only three of them are a source of maple sap, which eventually is turned into maple syrup. These three are namely sugar maple, black maple, and red maple. Out of these three, the red maple is the primary. You can easily tell a sugar maple by its densely rounded crown. During fall, the leaves turn into an alluring shade of yellow-orange. A sugar maple tree can grow as high as 80 feet though the average size is 50 feet.

To derive sap from a maple tree, the tree needs to be about 25 cm in diameter, which is usually means the tree is between 30 to 60 years old. In addition, specific weather conditions are necessary for an ideal sap flow. Daytime temperatures should reach above 0°C and overnight lows should be below 0°C. Fortunately in Canada, where brutal cold winters are common, these specific temperatures are not hard to come by.

The maple sap has had a long history with Canada, even before the country was created. Aboriginal people relied on the maple tree sap as a food source. This is confirmed in the 1609 book by Marc Lescarbot titled “HIstoire de la Nouvelle France,” where he wrote that indigenous peoples would get juice from trees and derive a sweet-tasting liquid. These were indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands, including the Abenaki, Haudenosaunee, and Mi’kmaq.

Settlers copied this technique by bearing a hole in the maple trees in the sprig, collecting the liquid, and boiling it for a long time.

On the other hand, it’s believed that the Anishinaabe started the technique of maple curing for food preservation. This was how their communities kept food stored for winter months when food was scarce.

By the late 1700s and early 1800s, maple sugar production began among settlers, and the rest as they say is history. Today, Canada accounts for 75 per cent of the global market for maple syrup.

Maple sap production schedules vary though from year to year, depending on a lot of conditions. For most maple syrup manufacturers, they look into how high wild leeks are or listen for the call of woodcocks to pinpoint when the season ends.

 

Sources 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/maple-syrup-buddy-sap-1.5108976

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/maple-sugar-industry

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-if-maple-syrup-stops-flowing-like-it-did-in-the-springs-of-my-youth/

https://www.reference.com/history-geography/maple-leaf-important-canada-11cdb429e152b3a8

https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/tap-maple-tree/#:~:text=Just%20like%20humans%20need%20to,60%20cm%20for%20three%20taps.

https://www.thespruce.com/thirteen-species-of-maple-trees-3269671

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/maple-syrup-day/