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

 

Top 5 Things To Do This Summer Both Fun and Healthy!

It’s summer and the sun is shining, the air is warm and we want to make the most of it. HANS KAI is all about improving our health or maintaining it and there are small things we can do in summer to help us keep on track.

1. Go for a walk. It is nice out and walking is easier in the summer if you live in a climate that has 4 distinct seasons. So take advantage of the nice long days and walk. Walking in the-surrounding parks makes it even nicer.  Just make sure to take a water bottle.
   

   
2. Visit a Farmers Market. Ah summer when both fruits and veggies are plentiful and fresh. Why not check out a market? Most farmers markets run through the summer. As a bonus they are usually less expensive than the grocery store. Some do stop for the winter. NorWest in Winnipeg offers 2 markets year round at our Community Food Centre 103-61 Tyndall and Blake Gardens 331 Blake St . Both are Thursday afternoons.
   

   

   
3. Walk to the grocery store or for errands. Unless you are doing a massive grocery shop, walking to the store even even the mall for errands is not only a great way to get healthy, it reduces your carbon footprint. Check out this article from Prevention Magazine on the others benefits to walking. https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20485587/benefits-from-walking-every-day/
4. Check out your community’s local events. Summer is festival time. Even the smallest towns often have festivals or free events. Check out your local city or town’s website and enjoy! It’s a great way to get involved and have fun!
5. Eat more fruits and veggies. Like we said, most fruits and vegetables are in season in the summer so why not enjoy them at their freshest? Epicurious and genius kitchen are excellent resources for easy to follow and low cost fruit and veggie recipes. Also the dieticians of Canada offesr lots of tips, recipes, and resources.

https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/Recipe-Ideas.aspx

https://www.epicurious.com/

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/

So take advantage of the warm weather, fresh food and festivities and enjoy your summer. Most importantly, you get to stay healthy while you are doing it!