More Than Food

March is Nutrition Month. This year’s theme “More than Food” is focused on more than just the foods we eat.

Food choices play an important role in any diet but are eating habits and behaviors such as how, when, where and why we eat and drink is equally important.

Below are some healthy eating habits:

Eat mindfully

• Remember to listen to your body and follow your hunger and satiety signals. Don’t be afraid to take your time when eating to allow yourself to fully appreciate your food.
• Live in the moment and focus on the flavour, texture, temperature, smell and taste to enhance your food experiences.

 

Cook more often

• Cooking your own meals allows you to be in full control. Although it may be tempting to grab a fast burger or to enjoy the pleasures of a sit-down restaurant, aim to cook from home most frequently. This allows you to be more mindful of the foods you consume and for the selection of healthier food options.

 

Enjoy your food and eat with others

• Food is about way more than the physical items themselves. Make your cultural food items and enjoy your food traditions to get the most out of your eating experiences.
• Eat your meals with other to promote a social environment and to enhance your meals

 

Looking for some easy recipe ideas to help you with these eating habits, check out this recipe eBook at:

https://www.dietitians.ca/DietitiansOfCanada/media/Documents/Resources/Recipe-ebook-Nutrition-Month-2020.pdf?ext=.pdf

 

For more information, visit Canada’s Food Guide: https://foodguide.canada.ca/en/ and www.nutritionmonth2020.ca

 

Does what I eat have an effect on climate change?

 

Yes, what you eat has an impact on the climate. The world’s food system is said to be responsible for about 19%-29% of the planet-warming greenhouse gases that humans generate each year (according to the US Environmental Protections Agency). This includes the raising and harvesting all the plants, animals and animal products we eat — beef, chicken, fish, milk, lentils, kale, corn and more — as well as the processing, packaging and shipping of food to markets all over the world.

EAT the science-based global platform for food system transformation brought together 37 Scientists from 16 countries (the EAT-Lancet Commission) over a two year period.

Their findings resulted in recommendations for a healthy diet that can feed the world’s population from sustainable food systems. They recognize that food production needs to nourish human health and support environmental sustainability; currently, our food systems are threatening both. Strong evidence indicates that livestock farming is one of the biggest drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, water use and chemical pollution.

Eat developed the “planetary-health diet”; largely plant-based and low in red meat and sugar, is estimated to feed 10 billion people by 2050 from sustainable food systems. The researchers also believe it will prevent 11 million premature deaths a year caused by an unhealthy diet.

What’s in the diet?

Daily protein comes mostly from plants including beans, lentils, soy and nuts. Whole grains, not refined, are included, and fruits and vegetables fill half of your plate at meals. The diet doesn’t completely eliminate animal foods. It can include, each day, one half-ounce of red meat, one ounce each of fish and poultry and one cup of milk or yogurt. One to five eggs can be eaten a week.

Plant-based oils are substituted for animal fats and added sugars are limited to 31 g a day, in line with the WHO recommendation for sweeteners.

What can you do to transition to a sustainable diet at home?

There are small steps you can take on an individual level to move toward the planetary-health diet:

Replace meat with pulses.

• Substitute cooked brown or green lentils for half of the ground meat in meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, shepherd’s pie, stuffed peppers and marinara sauces.
• Replace some of the meat in tacos and burritos with black beans or pinto beans. Reduce the amount of meat in chili and add extra kidney beans or chickpeas. Eventually, replace all of the meat with beans or lentils.
• Replace cheese in sandwiches with hummus.

Use nuts to replace meat.

• Add almonds or cashews to a vegetable stir-fry instead of beef or chicken. For lunch, have a nut-butter sandwich instead of ham or turkey.
• Boost plant protein at meals by tossing toasted nuts or pumpkins seeds into greens salads.

Set a meatless meal target. Decide how many meatless meals you’ll eat each week and then build on that.

• Vegetarian chili, tofu stir-fry, salad with edamame, bean burgers, chickpea curry and lentil soup are protein- and nutrient-packed lunches and dinners.

Pack in produce.

• Eat a mix of fruits and vegetables,
• Choose fruit and nuts, homemade trail mix, vegetables and hummus, whole grain crackers with nut butter, soy/pea milk smoothies or soy lattes.

Reduce food waste.

• Shop for, store and repurpose foods to minimize waste at home. Avoid buying in bulk; purchase only what you need whenever possible.
• Buy “ugly produce,” misshapen fruits and vegetables often thrown away by farmers and grocery stores. Use vegetable scraps to make soup stock.
• Store leftovers at the front of the fridge so you don’t forget them; eat within three or four days.

 Grow your own food.

• Turn your yard or even the smallest of spaces such as a balcony or patio space into a food garden!

 

**See full article by Leslie Beck at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-seven-dietary-changes-to-protect-your-health-and-the-planet/

**Check out EAT at https://eatforum.org/

Turning the Tide, What You Can Do to Reverse Climate Change

Climate change and health, are they really linked? Yes they are, from affecting our ability to produce food, to intense weather, to links to anxiety and depression, climate change is impacting our health. And the health of our planet.  We want to be healthy and happy but in order to do so, we need our planet to be healthy too. So just what can we do?

Some things are easier than others to to start try these few tips that can help improve the health of our planet and in turn, our health! According to the David Suzuki Foundationwe can:

• Take public transit
• Ride a bike or advocate for bike lanes in your community
• Car-share
• Switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle
• Fly less (if you do fly, make sure you offset your emissions) Side Note: Many airlines offer redicing carbon footprint options. Some like Air France even focus on reforestation which is ideal to help our planet!

You can also:

• Change to energy-efficient light bulbs
• Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics when you’re not using them
• Wash clothes in cold or warm water (not hot)
• Hang-dry your clothes when you can and use dryer balls when you can
• Look for the Energy Star label when buying new appliances
• Winterize your home to prevent heat from escaping and try to keep it cool in the summer without an air conditioner

There is also things we can do as communities or initiatives we can support such as:

• Silivopature: This ancient technique for raising livestock integrates trees into pastures, which dramatically curbs emissions from animals. It also regenerates ecosystems, creates new sources of food and income, and improves the health of wildlife. This method also allows farmers to better cope with the effects of climate change like drought.
• Educating Girls: Global Citizen has said it before and we’ll say it again: educating girls is at the root of eradicating poverty. It also happens to be at the root of fighting climate change. When girls receive a full education, they have fewer and healthier kids, contribute more to economic growth, and are better stewards of the environment, among other benefits.
• Reforestation: Tropical forests once covered 12% of the Earth’s land mass. Now they’re present on just 5%. Restoring tropical forests can sequester huge amounts of carbon, safeguard and replenish ecosystems, and provide sustainable incomes and sources of food. In fact a recent article by the Guardian quoted several in the Science Community as saying ” Reforestation has mind blowing ability to tackle Climate Change”
• Eating local, planting gardens (even patio plants). Not only is is delicious and nutritionally advantageous to eat fruits and veggies, its good f or your physical activity, stress management and the planet.

So these are just some ideas, initiatives or plans we can support. What do you want to do? Share your ideas with us!

 

Making Resolutions Stick

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to take control of my health.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I’m going to make an appointment with my primary provider.”

Why it works: Have that conversation with your provider and listen to their advice.  Everyone has different needs for a healthy tune up.  That may be some regular exercise, quitting smoking or simply finding a hobby to help feel fulfilled.

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to eat healthier.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I will eat 2 snacks with fruit and a salad with supper.”

Why it works: By avoiding thinking about the foods you can’t eat – it will only lead to a junk food binge.  Instead dedicate a number of healthy options you will strive to eat, it will be much easier to stick with in the long run.

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to work out every day.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I’m going to exercise 2 to 3 days a week.”

Why it works: Exercise is more of a lifestyle – don’t make the mistake of trying to completely overhaul your lifestyle.  Start of small, get accustomed to working in some sort of mobility flows, or stretching routines a couple times a week whenever you can.  Do a little bit at the office or while the kids are at practice.

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to lose 20 pounds.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I will dedicate my time to fixing my diet and getting some regular exercise in.”

Why it works:  Focus on what behaviors need to change do to make it happen.

 

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to save money.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I will create and maintain a budget.”

Why it works: Creating and sticking to a budget that gives you the tools to help you save more

 

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to quit smoking.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I’m going to make a plan to quit smoking.”

Why it works: the best way to quit smoking is to prepare by expecting setbacks and occasional lapses. Commit yourself instead to commiting to keep trying to stop smoking.  Start a goal of reducing your smoking habit, reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke per day, slowly reducing that number as you feel more comfortable..

THE RESOLUTION: “I’m going to get more sleep.”

THE Hans Kai RESOLUTION: “I’m going to create a bed time routine.”

Why it works:  According to the National Sleep Foundation, having a sleep ritual may be the best thing for you. Plan to use the 30 minutes to one hour prior to bed time to prepare each night. Take a relaxing bath, have a cup of tea, put down electronics, start meditation or read from a book.

 

 

How to Reduce Waste at Holidays

Climate change is justifiably in the news quite often. It is impacting our global health and wellness, so we are working with HANS KAI groups to find out what we can do to help our planet. Patricia Maria Georgopoulos de Lacerda, one of our very creative staff here at NorWest has provided us with some wonderful ideas to give ourselves and our planet a gift these holidays!

With the end of the year approaching and a few days of Christmas, there is also a traditional rush to the shops to buy more gifts, souvenirs, ornaments and of course, supper! However, have you ever stopped to assess the impacts of everything or what we are consuming in this period? Overconsumption and despair suffer very negative consequences and even influence the climate change that the planet has been going through. In addition to using natural and human resources, everything or consumption generates greenhouse gases that cause or heat our planet. This is the case of electronics, clothing and furniture, just to name a few examples of data items as present at this time and whose productions emit polluting gases. It is, therefore, essential to reflect deeply before buying just to find out who is among the people who need to be expressed through gifts.

So, here are some tips:

Giving friends and family is pleasurable, but the value of the gift may be much more related to its creativity and meaning than to the price;

– Give to others your idle objects (books, decoration objects, etc.);

– Make your gifts or buy handcrafted products made by communities, cooperatives, and whenever possible, opt for purposes made from recycled raw material;

– Buy gifts used in a thrift store or trade using fairs, websites or apps;

– Have you made your shopping list yet? Now is the time to research manufacturers of environmentally responsible products. Find out about the companies you are going to buy from. Value those that are proven to practice social and environmental responsibility.

Foods:

– Give preference to foods grown in or near your area, thereby reducing transportation costs and waste, as well as using organic and seasonal fruits and vegetables;

– Plan and buy the amount of food that will be consumed, and exaggerations lead to waste.

Decoration / Packaging:

– Packaging also deserves special attention.  Opt for simpler, reusable packaging. At the time of disposal, forward the material for recycling;

– Use handmade ornaments or made from recycled materials. After the holidays, store the decorations carefully and reuse them next year.

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Dealing with holiday stress

 

According to Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, Seasonal Affective Disorder is “a form of depression which tends to occur during the winter season, when there’s less natural light”. (http://www.mooddisordersmanitoba.ca/resources/depression/)

Symptoms of S.A.D. may include, but not limited to are: changes in energy levels, changes in sleep patterns & eating patterns, withdrawal from social events,  depressed mood over 2 consecutive  winters,  & other changes that impact emotional wellbeing to name a few. (Mood Disorders Association of Ontario; https://www.mooddisorders.ca/faq/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad).  Prevalence of SAD is higher in adults compared to children & youth; and women are eight times more likely compared to men to report having S.A.D. (Mood Disorders Association of Ontario; https://www.mooddisorders.ca/faq/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad).

Some treatment options for S.A.D. may include light therapy, discussing pharmacotherapy treatment options with your doctor, & other modes of complementary treatment modalities such as counseling, mindfulness, peer support groups, and other movement types of activities.

In conjunction with the winter season, the holiday season can be a stressful time of the year, which may heighten the impact of SAD, if one is experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Instead of feeling bombarded and feeling overwhelmed with everything that comes with the holidays, the following are some additional strategies to combat the holiday stress, in addition to treatment options for SAD:

1. Practice mindfulness– Mindfulness is the art of being in the present moment, being  free of judgment, and being in touch with our five senses as we experience them in the “now”.  Mindfulness can help calm our nerves, which is an effective way to manage stress.  Going for a mindful walk, quietly having your meal in a quiet setting for some mindful eating, and doing mindful breathing are some examples of doing mindfulness in activities you are already doing.

Mindshift CBT is a Canadian-based free app that provides free mindfulness activities that you can use. Feel free to check it out to learn more about mindfulness.

1. Time management- Write a list of what needs to get done & attach deadlines when they need to get done. Write it on a calendar of when you plan to get them done; and cross them off once you’re done. There is nothing better than crossing off a job you got done!! Maybe part of it is asking for help, delegating tasks to others, allocating realistic timeframes to get the tasks done, and continually check throughout the week with your progress. Have realistic expectations!
2. Social supports- Surround yourself with people that are important to you and help you find “joy”. The holidays can be a stressful time & sometimes we need our support system to help boost and uplift us.
3. Practice Self-care– Part of self-care is ensuring our needs and health becomes a priority. This may mean saying ‘NO” to others.  This may mean taking time to look after ourselves and gently turning down festivities that may build and add to our stress.  While we may have difficulties saying no to others, try to ask yourself, “When I say yes to them, what is this costing me?”

An upcoming workshop on managing holiday stress will be held starting in December. Please refer to the following attachments for workshop information.  If interested, please feel free to register.

Achieving sleep.

Mike Sadlowski, our Health Promoter shares his knowledge on sleep, why its important and how to get it .

Sleep is one of the greatest factors in our effort to achieve better health but it is also one of the most neglected tools.  As technology increases and our everyday lives become more and more busy, we face a situation that has really not been seen in history – we’ve become the only animal that will deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain.  Mother nature has never faced the challenge of a lack of sleep and so it is up to people to understand the role of sleep and methods to improve their sleep quality.

There are plenty of statistics which discuss the effect on our brain and body when we have not had enough sleep and we know about the 8 hours of sleep rule, but not so much about how to actually achieve a consistent 7-9 hours of quality sleep on a regular basis.  The difficult part relates to looking at our habits and how they may be impacting our sleep quality.

How we negatively impact our sleep:

1. One hour of electronic use before bed will delay the onset of melatonin production by about 3 hours.  Melatonin tells our brain when it is dark outside and triggers the sleep cycle.
2. Napping-We can’t use naps to regain sleep we’ve lost.

 

How to help yourself if you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep:

1. Regularity is the most important thing you can do.  Go to bed and wake up at the same time.  Create a bedtime routine and stick with it everyday.
2. Turn off most of the lights and stay away from electronic devices 2-3 hours before bed.
3. Keep the temperature of your room cool.  Temperature drops trigger our body into thinking it is bedtime.  Try going to bed with socks and gloves on or taking a warm bath right before bed.  This helps lower your core body temperature.
4. Don’t go to bed too full or too hungry.  Too full and we stay awake, too hungry and our ancestral brain wakes us up so we can go and ‘hunt’ for food.
5. Taking a melatonin supplement is useful for those that travel between time zones and could possibly be helpful in older individuals due to our circadian rhythm weakening as we age.  For others, melatonin supplementation is completely subjective to each person, but it won’t hurt you.
6. If your brain keeps reminding you of tasks you need to complete the next day, get out of bed and physically write down what you need to finish for the next day and recite it.

Halloween, Can It Actually Be Healthy?

Halloween is just around the corner. It is time for us to buy candy, decorate  (maybe), maybe get costumes ready, and trick or treat. It is usually followed by mountains of candy and the subsequent worries about how much sugar, empty calories etc… that we are consuming. But there is another side to Halloween. One that is …healthy??

Halloween comes with trick or treating and mounds of candy but it also comes with walking and togetherness, both of which are great for your and your families’ health. So if you are walking with your children this Halloween, use an i phone, apple watch, pedometer or good old google maps after the fact to see just how far you’ve walked. We know walking is one of the best things  you can do to keep active. Furthermore, if you are handing out candy use your phone or simply count the steps to the door and how quickly it can add up. Halloween is time spent together whether just trick or treating or  Halloween gathering. Its a time to use our social connections and have fun.

The walking can be something to start incorporating into a routine as well. So this Halloween, remember to celebrate what you are doing that is healthy as well!

Motivation, What Is It After All?

Mike Sadlowski, Our exercise specialist breaks down just how motivation factors into our choices  and goals. read below to find out just what motivation is and how it can work for you.

How many times have you thought to yourself “ I want to (exercise/eat better/try something new), but I just need something to motivate me” or “ I need someone to do this with me to keep me going,” or even “ I’ll get to this when I have time and life is less hectic.” We all have ambitions, but what makes some people take action compared to people that just say they want to do something?

The truth is we’re missing a key component in being motivated, like a car without a steering wheel we need something to lead us to where we want to go – something to put those intentions into action.  Consider that as people we basically need to strive for 5 basic things to survive our lives: Physical needs like food and water, Safety like shelter and clothing, belonging and love, self esteem like prestige or accomplishment and a life fulfillment.  Now think about if you had no home and no food – do you need motivation to come around before you decide to move and take action?  So what if  you found food and housing after not having it, how would you feel? Accomplished?  That is the hidden key of motivation – the feeling of accomplishment.  It’s like a fire that needs to keep being stoked because its very easy to forget what feeling accomplished ‘feels’ like.  When we go about our everyday lives we can easily lose sight of it.

Here is the key to a new start: think of something you want to do, doesn’t matter what it is – then scale it back into pieces.  Motivation and Accomplishment together are like learning how to dance.  Every dance is broken into small pieces that each need to be mastered before the entire dance can take shape. Learning an entire dance may sound daunting, but learning a couple ‘steps’ isn’t quite so unrealistic.  There is always going to be a struggle with doing anything new and we all have a bad habit of defining ourselves by past failures.  It is easy to forget that, that is an old version of ourselves and that version didn’t know any better, because now, we have learned from those mistakes.  The new version of us can gain momentum and confidence each time we make a good decision.

In short, if you keep waiting for motivation to strike, you are going to be waiting a very long time.  Join a group, surround yourself with other people wanting to make a change – like those in Hans Kai, or join a gym with fit people, a crafting club with amazing artists, a writers group with wonderful authors.  Pulling yourself away from the ‘time passing’ lifestyle and injecting yourself into a world that challenges you to take small steps will lead you to achieving those accomplishments you used to only think about!

Openness, Curiosity and Mindfulness

Mindfulness and meditation Can be a fabulous practice to reduce stress, Charlene Lipka, at NorWest is trained in Mindfulness and here are her tips.

Openness, Curiosity and Mindfulness

 

• Openness and curiosity are reminders to hold the circumstances of any given moment, more gently.

 

• For example, as conditions and life situations arise, we may have strong thoughts, feelings or emotions connected to a particular situation.

 

• With Mindfulness, the invitation is to hold our thoughts and emotions, gently, allowing our breath to move through our body and through the strong reactions.

This can be a three minute practice several times throughout our day.

 

• When we allow space and bring an attitude of openness and curiosity, it may help us to see a situation more clearly.

 

• Sometimes if we struggle too hard or hold onto our reactions too tightly, this can bring about more tension.  If we are stuck in this increased tension, it may even prevent us from making healthy choices in each moment.

 

• Attitudes of openness and curiosity help to create a calm space so that we can deal with a problem or situation more effectively.