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

 

Making the New Years Resolution Work for You

Post holidays, post big meals, entertaining, and parties, we can feel tired, full of rich food and out of routine. It can be challenging to get back into the daily rhythm of life, especially if you live in a northern climate with short days and cold weather. That said at this time of year, we make new years resolutions to get healthier and back into the swing of things and more often than not, those resolutions fall by the wayside. So here are our tips for helping make a new years resolutions stick.

1. Make it meaningful for you. If you hate the gym , don’t join up. Maybe there another activity that is better suited? A walking club? dance class, yoga? Maybe a broomball league or indoor soccer? Maybe even pickle ball? Opportunities to  be active are plentiful and involve more than the gym. Likewise for losing weight? Is that really what you want or is it improved mobility? Lower blond pressure? Often we make resolutions we think we should be doing, rather than what we want to be doing. So maybe you want to take up a new hobby that seems fun. Your mental health will improve, and then so will your energy, you may  have more time for activity and then you may lose weight as well if that was also a goal. It is important to remember that it is more than weight that makes us healthy.

2. Make one resolution rather than several. Check out the NHS tips for making a new years resolution stick as well. They have great ideas.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/10-tips-to-keep-your-new-years-resolution/

3. Don’t forget self-care. If your goal is to eat healthier but your days gets away from you and you are busy taking care of everyone else but yourself, it will be harder to reach your goal. Start with 5 minute self care breaks through out your day and build on them. Check out our info graphic for ideas. Self Care makes it easier to achieve your goals.

4. Share your resoltiuon with a friend. It is always easier to achieve our goals if we stay accountable to someone. ANd if it makes sense, wotk on your goals with your friend, community, family, its more fun and more likely to become routine that way.

5. Remember to have fun and celebrate small successes. Also don’t be afraid to change it up if it isn’t working. Resolutions and goals do not need to be tied to Jan 1.

Whatever it is you do, we wish you success from the HANS team and look forward to a healthy new year!!

Forget Everything You’ve Learnt About Falls Prevention

Mike Sadlowski, NorWest’s Exercise Specialist, breaks down myths and facts related to falls prevention.

Fall Prevention brochures and commercials have been circulated to seniors for decades now in an effort to increase a person’s “balance” and decrease the risk of falling.  The amount of Manitobans sent to hospital due to falls hardly changes year after year, yet we still send the same messages to people: wear proper footwear, practice standing on one foot, watch for trip hazards in your home.  It’s good information – but we can certainly do better.  Here are a couple myths and a couple glaring weaknesses in the strategies of today.  If you are interested in Fall Prevention, or better yet, in Fall Awareness, Contact NorWest Co-op Community Health and ask about the L.I.M.B. program.  This education class focuses on fall prevention topics and is designed for adults, not just seniors, in an effort to build an understanding and empower people to reduce their risk of injury from falling.

Myth #1: I do my exercises on unstable surfaces like wobble boards and bosu-balls to increase my balance.

Truth: Unstable surface training originated in therapy to help with ankle strength until someone decided that if you can stand or move on something that is moving, you should have better balance than other people.  The truth is, all it does it make you better at standing on wobbly surfaces and has little transfer over to everyday life.

Better Solution: Maintenance of your mobility through strength training programs.  When people say “If I get on the floor, I can’t get back up,” the probability for a serious fall injury risk is very likely.  People need to exercise, regardless of age, and as we get older mobility becomes even more important.  Typically, the best way to do be able to learn how to do something new is to practice it, and the same goes for learning how to get up and down from the ground; how to walk with a proper stable technique.  Leaving your comfort zone may be necessary, but it can be done safely.  For instance, learning how to get up from a chair without pushing off with your arms can be accomplished by placing a chair with supports around you to catch you in case you fall forward or to the side.  If you can’t stand directly up, try first lowering yourself down into the chair as slowly as you can.  This will help build up strength in your leg muscles that may be weak, and eventually you’ll increase your ability and move better than before.

 

Myth #2: I wear sturdy, cushioned runners inside the house and during walks outside to help my balance and keep my feet safe from stepping on something.

Truth: Your feet have a ton of nerve endings, and that’s what your brain uses to determine where you are in space.  With each step you take it is trying to adjust your toes and muscles of the foot to flex or relax in order to move you without causing you to fall.  Wearing proper shoes is important, but many runners have a narrow toe box, and don’t let your toes splay out for support.  With extra cushioning, the muscles of your feet get lazy, and slowly your brain puts less “effort” into constantly trying to make sure you are moving properly.

Better Solution: Wear your footwear as needed, but while you are at home and are practicing proper fall prevention exercises such as heel to toe walking in your house next to a hand rail, or side lunging in place, try doing it without your shoes on.  Many times hip, knee and ankle pain is caused by tight muscles your body is having to use because of the footwear we wear.  Look for shoes with a large toe box, and is wide enough for your foot.  We recommend going to a specialty footwear shop to purchase a quality pair of shoes, such as Canadian Footwear.  Their experts can assess how you step with your feet and recommend particular shoes just for your needs.

There are plenty more risks and myths of fall prevention to be discussed, for more information talk to a Hans Kai lead or join the L.I.M.B. class for hands-on learning on what you can do for yourself or someone you care about when it comes to preventing and reducing the risk of injuries from falls.

Delicious Side Dishes for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is nearly here and holidays can be a challenge to for eating healthy. But they don’t have to be. Some of our HANS KAI groups have asked for ideas on health side dishes. SO the NorWest Dieticians have shared their favourites that are both healthy and delicious!

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to come together to celebrate.  So, lets celebrate with some good healthy foods!  Here are some healthy sides to include at your feast!

Roasted Beets ‘n’ Sweets

“This is a great autumn or winter side dish, especially for those who like things sweet and salty. The colors are beautiful and make a nice autumn presentation.”

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
4. Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 Allrecipes.com
Printed From Allrecipes.com 9/26/2018

 

Brussels Sprouts with Nuts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 (12 ounce) packages Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• salt
• 1 tablespoon ground walnuts, or more to taste

Directions

1. Combine Brussels sprouts, water, butter, bouillon, sugar, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat, cover,and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover for the last few minutes so any excess liquid can evaporate. Season with salt and sprinkle with ground nuts.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 Allrecipes.com
Printed From Allrecipes.com 9/26/2018

Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing

Recipe By: Summer Miller “Caramelized onions are a sweet and savory addition to this healthy stuffing recipe. Choose an apple that becomes tender yet holds its shape when cooked—try Jonagold or Cortland.”

Ingredients

• • Caramelized Onions
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 cups halved and thinly sliced yellow onions (2-3 large)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • Stuffing
  • 8 cups cubed rustic multigrain bread ( ½ inch; about 1 pound)

• • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 medium red apples, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

• 1 To prepare onions: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions, 2 teaspoons thyme and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary, until the onions are deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Add vinegar, increase heat to high and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until the vinegar evaporates, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
• 2 To prepare stuffing: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• 3 Toss bread with oil and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until crispy, about 15 minutes. Add to the bowl with the onions.
• 4 Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees .
• 5 Heat butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and diced onion; cook, stirring, until the onion starts to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add apples, sage, thyme and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onions and bread. Add broth and gently stir until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil.
• 6 Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crispy, about 15 minutes more.

• To make ahead: Refrigerate caramelized onions (Step 1) for up to 1 week. Prepare stuffing (Steps 2-5) and refrigerate for up to 1 day; let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 EatingWell.com Printed From EatingWell.com 9/26/2018

Letting Go, A Meditation Perspective

 

As we practice the body scan or meditation (briefly described in earlier blogs), it is helpful to let go of ideas about success, failure or doing it right.  Sometimes we can get stuck in striving to achieve something better or different.  The only discipline involved with the body scan and mindfulness is frequent, gentle, practice.

 

We can foster the right conditions, for example, brief, quiet moments throughout our day, or a longer, regular practice at the same time each day.  Letting go of expectations about what we will achieve is an important part of this practice. When we become aware that we are setting goals during a meditation time; it is a reminder to, return to our breath.

 

The invitation is to attend to the practice time and to be with the practice no matter what arises.  Our thoughts, emotions and body sensations play an important role in our practice because they help us to let go. We don’t need to achieve anything more or expect success.

 

The practice of letting go and calming ourselves with our breath, may create space for new attitudes and positive change.  Our gentle awareness of the present moment, as we move throughout the day, may be a powerful, grounding force to help us let go.

Chair Yoga, It Is A Thing!

In order to be a HANS KAI group, you have to engage in physical activity at least 2 times a month. For those who have mobility challenges or injuries this can feel a daunting task. Even for those who haven;t been active for a while and don’t want to get injured. One of the things we encourage in the HANS Health School in finding the activity that is right for you. This can me modifying existing activities like weight training, zumba and yoga. In fact chair yoga is a popular  activity. It allows for a good workout, some mediation and muscle strengthening in a method that accommodates mobility and injury concerns. Watch and try our chair yoga video! Please note that chair yoga is an accessible form of exercise but if you have concerns about your health, mobility,  or injury, please check with your health care provider before undertaking the activity. Most of all enjoy!!!!

 

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!

How Do We know HANS KAI Works? Research Says So!

Back in 2010 when we were adapting HANS KAI for a Canadian context, the biggest question from everyone was “How will you know it works?” This was an improvement from ‘this will never work’ comment. So we decided to research it. At the time we still weren’t completely sure what HANS would look like but we knew our focus was on activity, nutrition, feeling connected, and overall health. So we put together a number of validated tools, submitted ethics proposals, and asked (read begged) new groups to participate in research. It was a tremendous amount of work and we are so thankful to Innovative Solutions for leading the research team. But we did it and you know what? HANS KAI works!! It indeed helps people maintain or improve their health (especially in the area of mental health). We are now getting ready for our second stage of research focusing on behavior change but taking time to celebrate the finding of our first stage.

 

We are currently published in the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Canada Research Policy and Practice journal. The highlights taken directly from the journal state:

Highlights

• Innovative methods are needed to address chronic disease prevention and management in socioeconomically challenged communities.
• HANS KAI harnesses peer support to empower community members to support each other while promoting healthy lifestyle choices that address interrelated chronic disease prevention behaviours and detecting early health changes.
• HANS KAI is unique as it focuses on health where most peer support interventions are disease specific.
• Participation in HANS KAI resulted in statistically significant improvement in mental health scores.
• Participants also reported decreased social isolation, healthy behaviour change, increased knowledge of and access to services, and empowerment from self-monitoring personal health indicators.

To read the whole article go to:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-38-no-3-2018/hans-kai-project-community-based-approach-improving-health.html

Managing Stress in the Holiday Season

Managing Stress over the Holidays

In the HANS KAI Health School, we talk about stress and its impact on health. It becomes  fairly eye-opening that something we take for granted as just going to happen can wreak such havoc on our health. That is why we spend so much time talking about coping strategies and making plans for managing our stress. One of the ones we recommend is the HANS KAI group itself! The support of others in your group can go a long way!!! But building on that we have asked Danae Reimer, one of NorWest’s Counsellors for some tips to manage stress this season.

The holidays can be an especially busy time of year filled with extra events to go to and additional tasks to get done. For some people this can be exciting, while others may find it overwhelming or stressful.

When thinking about how to manage stress it is important to first take note of how you are responding to stress. What is happening in your body physically, mentally, emotionally? As you start to become more aware of how you are experiencing stress you can also become more intentional with managing stress in a way that works for you.

During the holidays there are many different things that could contribute to feeling increased stress. One may feel pressure to live up to a certain idea of what society says is a “perfect holiday.” This can lead to financial stress and stretching yourself too thin with commitments to attend events. Often times there are family gatherings you might feel obligated to attend which could also lead to increased stress if there are tense relationships with family members. The holidays can also be a time when you become more aware of people who are no longer in your life. Despite the busyness it can still feel lonelier than other times of year.

Here are some tips to help you navigate the holiday season:

• Take some time to do some planning – planning out menus and making lists can help you stay on track and organized throughout the busyness of the season.
• Decide when it is okay to say “No” – think about what events and tasks are most important to you! Spend your time on what is important to you and figure out what you can say no to this holiday season.
• Set a budget – plan out a budget for holiday gifts and reference it when shopping. You can also think about budget-friendly gifts such as homemade items or gifting your time to help someone out with a project they are working on.
• Don’t forget about your health – enjoy some treats while being mindful about how much you are eating, drinking and sleeping. Schedule time for rest and play. Keeping yourself healthy can help you to feel more energized to enjoy the parts of the holiday that are fun for you and more prepared to manage stress.
• Reach out to those around you – if you are feeling lonely or overwhelmed reach out to someone. It is okay to ask for help. Talking about how you are feeling can help you process it and feel less alone.
• Practice Gratitude – spend some time writing down something you are thankful for a few times each week. It can be as simple as an enjoyable conversation or a good sleep at night. Practicing gratitude can lead to overall better health.
• Find what works for you – some people love shopping and find it relaxing, while others may find it more relaxing to spend time with close friends. When you are feeling stressed make some time to do what you know will help you find some balance in your life.

What would a meaningful holiday look like for you? Set an intention for the holiday and set your priorities around that. This may mean crossing some things off your list that you have done in the past or adding some things to focus on what is important to you.

Oftentimes when we are stressed it can be difficult to practice the coping skills that we most need in that moment. It doesn’t take lots of different techniques to manage stress. Take the time to identify one or two that are a good fit for you and plan how you can use them next time you are feeling stressed.

 

Tips For Staying Healthy Over the Holidays

December can be a busy month with holidays demanding time, energy, and money. Though it can be fun and enjoyable to spend extra time with family and friends, enjoy holidays treats, attend, parties, concerts, shop, etc.. It can also be time consuming and leave us tired and sometimes sick. So  how do we stay healthy during the holidays?

In the HANS KAI groups, we emphasize being active, eating well, managing stress and using social supports. The same would be true of the managing holidays. Here are some helpful tips to stay healthy this December.

1. Stay active or get active: even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Whether it is a quick walk or dynaband activity all the way to a yoga class, dance class or gym work out. Even a walk around the mall. Trying to build in a few minutes of activity will help energy levels and manage stress. Check out this video for a quick at home work out.

2. Don’t skip meals. It may be tempting to skip a meal, knowing there is a big meal later. This can deplete our emery during the day and may lead over eating later in the day. Taking smaller portions throughout the day still allow us to enjoy treats later on.

3. Take time for yourself. Whether it is 10-15 minutes a day, make time for yourself to take a short walk, call a friend, grab a coffee, sit quietly,  or practice mindfulness. Whatever it is you enjoy, that short break can really help rejuvenate. The short mindfulness video is a great introduction.

10 minute mindfulness break at work

4. DO less, Enjoy More. The old adage less is more can really help over the holidays. Sometimes we fell pressure to attend every party, every event, every dinner. This can lead to feeling over scheduled and not enjoying seeing our family and friends. Sometimes saying no or rescheduling until January or February can really help. Also January and February can be challenging months because of isolation, so catching up with family or friends we didn’t see over  the holiday season can be an enjoyable event that we can look forward to in those months!

5. Drink water. It is very easy to get dehydrated over the holidays with busy schedules. Taking a sip of water through out the day is very helpful to keep hydrated and healthy.

The key message is take some time for yourself do the things you enjoy, stay active and enjoy the season on your terms.