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While cooking and eating with others may sound intimidating when you have just moved to a new place and don’t know anyone, it can have great benefits both physically and mentally. This month is Eat Better, Eat Together month. What better time to share some of the benefits of eating with friends and ways you can create connections if eating alone is your norm?

Did you know that based on survey statistics from the American Heart Association, 91% of parents admitted that their family is less stressed when they share meals? Enjoying healthy foods with family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers is a great way to connect and add enjoyment to your life. By eating with others, you can enjoy quality time together, share food traditions across generations and cultures, and explore new healthy foods you might not normally try. In fact, studies show that you may also be inclined to eat/prepare more nutrient-dense foods and have better digestion when meals are eaten together (health queens, am I right? 😉). 84% of adults say they would like to share a meal with others more often, so chances are other people around would be excited to eat with you!

Before diving in too deep, let’s establish what eating with others SHOULD look like. I am NOT talking about sitting beside someone while you scroll through social media. To really get the benefit of eating with others it should be without distractions and provide the opportunity for socialization and communication. An example of this would be working together to assemble a meal, clean up, and chat while you enjoy the food. However, it doesn’t need to be this involved if you want to just skip to the eating part (I know some of you aren’t the greatest chefs – but I would love to share a meal with you culinary students!). The most important things are to take your time and enjoy being social together, put away distractions, and use this time as a chance to connect and share updates about your lives.

Food can often be associated with celebrations. If you think about the role food plays in different gatherings, not every food needs to be nutritious to bring value to your life. However, who you share it with can! This is why it is important to be mindful when talking about the types of meals being shared. It can be harmful to one’s mental health if a meaningful or cultural food to them is labelled as “unhealthy” or “bad for you.” Some foods are more nutritious to your body and some foods feed your soul, both are equally as important to your overall health and well-being.

However, eating together does not need to be saved for special events. There are lots of ways to create the opportunity to eat with others. This could be as simple as sharing a meal over Zoom or scheduling a potluck with your friends/coworkers. Some other fun ideas of what this could look like are below:

• Share your favourite recipes with others.
• Plan a breakfast or lunch date with friends or coworkers.
• Participate in community celebrations or feasts.
• Ask a local community center about groups you could join.
• Have dinner with your roommates or neighbors.
• Start a dinner party among your friends where everyone can take a turn hosting.

If eating alone is your norm there are still ways to get the benefits. If you are mindful about it there can be positive effects on your digestion and mental health. To eat mindfully you can start by removing distractions, taking a breath or sip between each bite, or just simply slowing down in general (I apologize for you TikTok scrollers or those who love to eat in front of the TV in advance – you may want to break that habit).

Overall, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert I hope you can take some key tips away from this blog. Be mindful and remember there is more to food than meets the eye!

Sources & More Information:

Eat meals with others – Canada’s Food Guide

Here’s Why Eating With Others Is Good for Your Wellbeing | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)

Why Cooking & Eating Together Are as Important for Your Health as the Foods You Eat (eatingwell.com)

The debate between coffee and tea has always been a hot topic of discussion. I prefer coffee, particularly iced! But let’s first discuss caffeine in general.

Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, guarana, and yeba mate. It is often included in various foods, drinks, supplements, and medications. Whether you need a little pep in your step, or just like the taste; it’s important to note that caffeine can affect everyone differently. For some with higher sensitivity to caffeine, it can lead to symptoms such as irritability, sleep disturbances, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, and headaches.

Regardless, the recommended limit of caffeine for adults 18 and above is 400mg/day. This can look different depending on the source of your caffeine. See the chart below for some examples:

Source: https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Caffeine/Facts-on-Caffeine.aspx

If you feel your caffeine intake is higher than you’d like, there are simple ways to reduce it gradually. For example, start by replacing one of your caffeinated drinks with decaf or enjoy alternative beverages.

Coffee

Coffee is a livelihood for many and is considered one of the most cherished drinks in the world. Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Coffee beans are the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. It is thought that the coffee plant was discovered when a goat herder noticed his goats become lively after eating coffee berries. Currently, the most grown Coffea species are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is generally preferred due to its subtle flavors and aromas, while Robusta beans have a stronger, more bitter flavor and higher caffeine content. There are various ways to prepare coffee which include drip, espresso, pour-over, cold brew, etc.

Tea

Following water, tea ranks as the second most popular beverage globally. Although tea doesn’t just refer to the drink, it also refers to a mid-late afternoon meal in regions of British heritage.

It comes from the leaves and buds of the evergreen plant Camellia Sinensis. Tea’s color is based on the duration and extent of processing as well as exposure to oxygen. A shorter processing time yields a light tea, like green tea, while a longer processing duration results in a darker tea with a richer flavor profile like black tea. Tea falls under 3 main groups; Black, Oolong, and Green. Herbal teas are a separate category as they are derived from roots, barks, leaves, seeds, or flowers from other plants like chamomile and rooibos. The amount of caffeine in tea depends on how long the tea was brewed and how many tea leaves were used for the cup.

In terms of sustainability, there are challenges with tea and coffee including deforestation and the need for fair wages and better working conditions for farmers. You can look for various certifications like Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance (which we have on campus), and Organic to ensure that the tea and coffee you choose are produced using sustainable practices.

At the end of the day – both tea and coffee have their unique benefits and flavors. It usually just comes down to personal preference. Too much caffeine in general can lead to negative side effects, especially for those more sensitive than others. However, you can certainly enjoy caffeine as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Did you know that March is Nutrition Month? We have so many fun things planned to celebrate nutrition this month, so make sure you are following us on social media to stay up to date on all the happenings!

This month I want to talk about Food and its relation to your Mood. This can refer to how our food impacts how we feel, and also how our mood impacts our food choices.

‘Healthy’ food can refer to many different things and depends on what your definition of ‘healthy’ is. I like to think of this as food that gives you all the nutrients you need to stay healthy, feel well, and have plenty of energy to support your lifestyle. Foods can also hold religious, economic, and cultural significance that will affect how you feel eating them, which is also part of health.

When you picture a ‘healthy’ plate, this can vary depending on your upbringing, culture, dietary restrictions/needs, and economic status etc. Canada’s Food Guide is a great guideline to use to ensure you are getting all the necessary nutrients and practicing healthy food habits. When you don’t eat enough nutrient-rich food your body may lack important vitamins and minerals which can affect your energy, mood, and brain function.

In some circumstances, if you are not getting enough of certain nutrients through your diet or have an underlying condition, supplements could be beneficial. For example, iron supplementation if you have Anemia or B12 for those following a plant-forward eating pattern. I recommend speaking with your doctor about this if you feel it may be beneficial for you.

On the other hand, there are many ways that how we feel influences what foods we choose. Have you ever felt down and wanted to eat lots of carbs and sweets? Some mood and food effects are due to nutrient content. For example, serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that improves our mood and how we feel, it is made with a part of protein from the diet called tryptophan. Eating carbohydrate-rich foods may help more of this get into the brain but there isn’t enough research to really show that eating a lot of carbs can support mood improvement. On the other hand, perhaps not eating enough of these could lead to low moods? Food for thought!

However, most of this is due to our existing associations of food with pleasure. For example, the belief that chocolate is a reward vs a diet may be associated with plain/boring foods. Eating chocolate when feeling down is likely because it is thought of as a reward and a comfort food, rather than any proven scientific effects of cocoa.

At the end of the day, it’s important to consume a well-balanced diet and be mindful of how it makes you feel both physically and mentally. Everyone is different!

February is the month of love so I thought it was the perfect time to discuss how we can show ourselves some love and appreciation. I am trying to work on this myself, so it’s always nice to have a little reminder!

Let’s talk about some ways we can do this in February and all year round:

1. Positive Affirmations

• Give yourself daily, verbal encouragement and reminders in the mirror or post them around your environment to read throughout the day. This may feel silly now, but the more you do it, the more you believe it. There has been research done that proves this works so do not knock it till you try it!

1. Think about Addition vs Subtraction

• In the health and wellness world, there is always a focus on what we can remove from our diet. I like to think of this the other way around. What can be added to help nourish our bodies? I recently heard someone say, ‘Eat what you want, add what you need.’ This is the perfect way to frame it! Some foods nourish our souls, and some nourish our bodies. Both have a place in a healthy lifestyle.
• In terms of movement, we want to be mindful of this. Moving your body in a way that feels good to you! Exercising to change how our body looks or burn calories by doing something you hate is not the way to think. Reframe this as moving your body because you can and to strengthen and empower yourself. Find an activity you enjoy and do that!

1. Surround Yourself with Positivity

• Stop following those social accounts that have photoshopping or body negativity. Look to follow positive accounts that practice self-love and look like you! Practice using social media less in general!
• Think about where you spend most of your time. When you look around your space do you feel joy? If your answer is no, create an environment you love! I enjoy positive messages, flowers, pictures of people I love, essential oils, etc. When looking around your space makes you smile, you are practicing self-love.

1. Focus on Things you Love about Yourself

• Make a list of things you like about yourself and think about more than just those that involve appearance. Consider your personality, character traits, strengths, etc. Your body does amazing things every day and allows you to do all the activities that you love!

1. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

• Do not compare yourself to others and stop feeling the need to meet ‘conventional beauty norms.’ We all know these change every other day! Everybody is different and unique in their way. Wouldn’t the world be so boring if everyone were just cookie-cutter copies of each other? Also, let’s not compare ourselves to past various of ourselves. All bodies change with time to prepare us for what is coming next.

1. Cut out Negative Self-talk

• Treat your body with the same kindness you would treat a friend. If you wouldn’t think or say those things to your best friend, do not say it about yourself. In general, let’s stop judging other bodies as well as our own.

1. Do Something Nice for Yourself

• Take a bath, wear a face mask, go outside for a walk and fresh air, grab a coffee with a friend, etc. Give yourself permission to slow down and recharge. Going to bed without finishing the dishes is okay. Skipping a workout to get home early and chill on the couch is okay. It is okay to rest. Self-love is about filling your cup; you cannot expect yourself to serve others with an empty cup.

1. Ask for Help

• If you’re having a challenging time, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get the support you need. You don’t have to go through it alone and asking for that support is self-love, even though it’s hard.

At the end of the day, self-love will look different for everyone but at the foundation, it’s the same as any relationship and needs patience and kindness. I encourage you to try out some of these methods and find what makes you feel loved. It can start with something as small as a thank you!