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• Enjoy a variety of foods in many different colours.
  • Blue and purple fruits and vegetables tend to be packed with anti-oxidants. Blackberries, blueberries, purple cabbage and plums are all great food choices.
  • Go green every day with fruits and vegetables that are good for your brain and also benefit bones, teeth and vision. Green options include avocados, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, peas, spinach, pears, honeydew melon and many more.
  • Choose white, tan and brown fruits and vegetables such as bananas, cauliflower, potatoes, turnips, onions and garlic.
  • Add orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as grapefruit, cantaloupe, butternut squash, peaches, papaya, oranges, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers and lemons to your plate.
  • Reach for reds every day. Beets, raspberries, red grapes, radishes, tomatoes, red peppers, watermelon, rhubarb, pomegranates and cherries are just a few excellent red choices.
• Eat high fibre breads, cereals and grains and low-fat animal proteins. Include foods rich in omega-3 oils such as cold-water fish (e.g. trout, salmon) and walnuts.
• Add flavour to dishes by adding herbs, spices, nuts and olives. You don't have to give up flavour to follow a healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight by choosing appropriate portion sizes, eating healthy snacks, and drinking plenty of water.
• Plan meals in advance so that you don't leave healthy eating to chance.
• When it comes to food and brain health, set reasonable goals and be patient. By following basic healthy eating guidelines, your brain fitness has the potential to improve.

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Additional Reading

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Eat well. Live well. Canada's Food Guide

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 At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Use the checklist below to help you reflect on your current approach to making food choices.  

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Checklist - Smart Choices Checklist

Source: Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit, Health Canada.

• I eat the recommended amount and type of food each day.
• I eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.
• I choose vegetables and fruit, grain products, and lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.
• I have vegetables and fruit more often than juice.
• At least half of my grain product choices are whole grain each day.
• I drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day.
• I choose lower fat milk alternatives.
• I have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often.
• I eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week.
• I include a small amount of saturated fat (oils used in cooking, salad dressing, margarine and mayonnaise) each day.
• I satisfy my thirst with water.
• I limit foods and beverages that are high in calories, fat, sugar or salt.

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Personal Reflection

If you checked ALL of the statements above, then you are making some very smart food choices!

If there are a few statements that do not apply to you today, think about what you will do to improve the quality and quantity of your healthy eating choices.

 Make a note of your ideas so you can include them in your My Personal Action Plan later in this session.

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Additional Reading

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Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide

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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Canada's Food Guide encourages people to choose a variety of foods from each of the four food groups - Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives - and to include a specific amount and type of oils and fats. Following Canada's Food Guide and choosing a variety of foods, according to personal food preferences, will help people to get all the nutrients they need.

The rainbow design used in Canada's Food Guide illustrates the recommended proportion of each food group in a healthy eating pattern.

In Canada's Food Guide, the largest arcs - Vegetables and Fruit, and Grain Products - show that healthy eating includes a lot of vegetables, fruit and grains. The recommended number of servings is different for people at different stages of life and is different for males and females.

The types of foods that people eat are just as important as the amount. Canada's Food Guide also provides direction on specific foods to choose within each food group.

Refer to Canada's Food Guide for the recommended number of Food Guide Servings for males and females at each life stage.

If you haven't already printed a copy, click on the image below to download and print your own copy of Canada's Food Guide.

Canada's Food Guide is also available in a number of formats and 10 additional languages.  Go to http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Source:  Health Canada

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Eat well. Live well. Canada's Food Guide

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Personal Reflection Activity #1

One of the best ways to learn about Canada's Food Guide is to practice using it!

Take a few minutes to review the Guide.  As you read, circle the images of the items that you eat frequently.

• Do you notice any patterns?
• Does it appear that you eat a lot from one food group and not much from another? If so, what food group?
• Are there one or more food groups that you think you would like to work on?

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Personal Reflection Activity #2

Download the file below and print a copy of the My Healthy Eating Guide.

Find your age and sex on Canada's Food Guide.  Fill out the recommended number of Food Guide Servings from each food group in the table.  You can also use this Guide to track your daily totals.

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My Healthy Eating Guide

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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide is designed to help us make wise food choices by translating the science of healthy eating into a practical pattern of food choices that meet our need for nutrients, promote health and minimize the risk of nutrition-related diseases.

Learning more about Canada's Food Guide will help you and your family know how much food you need, what types of foods are better for you, and the importance of physical activity in your day.

Having the amount and type of food recommended and following the tips included in Canada's Food Guide will help:

• Meet your needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
• Reduce your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis.
• Contribute to your overall health and vitality.

Click on the image below to download and print a copy of Canada's Food Guide.

Canada's Food Guide is also available in a number of formats and 10 additional languages.  Go to http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Source:  Health Canada

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Eat well. Live well. Canada's Food Guide

Download File,

At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Taking care of your general health and paying attention to your “health numbers” are practical actions you can take to improve your brain health.

By making healthy lifestyle choices, you may be able to reduce your risk and improve your brain's ability to sustain long-term health.

Will healthy lifestyle choices prevent Alzheimer's disease? There are no guarantees, but evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles help the brain maintain connections and even build new ones. That means that a healthy brain can withstand illness better.  So take action today.

Sessions 5 to 8 of this program touch on the following four important lifestyle choices:

• Be physically active
• Make healthy food choices
• Know your heath numbers
• Reduce stress

Watch this video and listen to host Liana Shannon, as she provides a brief overview of these four topics. When you complete this session, take some time to work through session 8 -- and if you haven’t already done so, return to sessions 5 and 6.

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Brain Health - Choose a Healthy Lifestyle

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Additional Reading

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Heads Up for Healthier Brains

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Heads Up for Healthier Living

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Being active doesn't have to be difficult. There are many ways to make physical activity a part of daily life - at home, at school, at work, at play, and on the way.

Getting started is easier than you think. Start now and slowly increase your physical activity to meet the guidelines outlined in this session. They can be met through planned exercise sessions, active forms of transportation like walking or biking, as well as recreation and sports.

Download and print a copy of the Challenge Yourself to Move calendar below.  Take some time to think about and record your thoughts about WHY you want to become more active and HOW you will build activity into your weekly routine.  Then post the calendar in a location where you'll see it every day!

Source:  Ontario Brain Institute

 

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Challenge Yourself to Move calendar

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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

To help Canadians move toward healthier lifestyles, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) supported the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in reviewing the latest science on physical activity and in developing new physical activity guidelines.

Here's what PHAC and CSEP offer as physical activity guidelines of Canadians 65 years and older:

Physical activity plays an important role in your health, well-being and quality of life. These tips will help you improve and maintain your health by being physically active every day

1. Take part in at least 2.5 hours of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.
2. Spread out the activities into sessions of 10 minutes or more.
3. It is beneficial to add muscle and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least twice a week. This will help your posture and balance.

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Tips to Get Active

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommend that adults 65 years and older:

• Find an activity you like such as swimming or cycling.
• Minutes count - increase your activity level 10 minutes at a time. Every little bit helps.
• Active time can be social time - look for group activities or classes in your community, or get your family or friends to be active with you.
• Walk wherever and whenever you can.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator, when possible.
• Carry your groceries home.

For more information or tips to get moving, read the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 65 Years and Older.  Also, visit:

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

ParticipACTION

https://www.participaction.com/en-ca

Note:  Get Active Tip Sheets for children and youth can be found at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/04paap-eng.php courtesy of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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Additional Reading

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Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 65 Years and Older

Download File,

At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

To help Canadians move toward healthier lifestyles, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) supported the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in reviewing the latest science on physical activity and in developing new physical activity guidelines.

Here's what PHAC and CSEP offer as physical activity guidelines of Canadians between 18 and 64 years:

Physical activity plays an important role in your health, well-being and quality of life. Improve your health by being active as part of a healthy lifestyle.

1. Be active at least 2.5 hours a week to achieve health benefits.
2. Focus on moderate to vigorous aerobic activity throughout each week, broken into sessions of 10 minutes or more.
3. Get stronger by adding activities that target your muscles and bones at least two days per week.

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Tips to Get Active

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommend that adults between 18 and 64 years:

• Choose a variety of physical activities you enjoy. Try different activities until you find the ones that feel right for you.
• Get into a routine - go to the pool, hit the gym, join a spin class or set a regular run and do some planned exercise. Make it social by getting someone to join you.
• Limit the time you spend watching TV or sitting in front of a computer during leisure time.
• Move yourself - use active transportation to get places. Whenever you can, walk, bike, or run instead of taking the car.
• Spread your sessions of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity throughout the week. Do at least 10 minutes of physical activity at a time.
• Join a team - take part in sports and recreation activities in groups. You'll make new friends and get active at the same time.

For more information or tips to get moving, read the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 18 to 64 Years.  Also, visit:

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

ParticipACTION

https://www.participaction.com/en-ca

Note:  Get Active Tip Sheets for children and youth can be found at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/04paap-eng.php courtesy of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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Additional Reading

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Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 18 to 64 Years

Download File,

At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Living one day at a time, doing the things you enjoy and the things that bring you meaning and fulfillment are just some of the ways to live with Alzheimer's disease.

The disease progression cannot be stopped, but you can still maintain a healthy lifestyle.

• Eat properly.
• Stay active - ask your doctor what kinds of activities you can do.
• Rest when you are tired.
• Take medications as prescribed.
• Stay connected to family members and friends.

Activities that were important and meaningful for you throughout your life will continue to be important and meaningful.

• If you enjoy music, cooking, gardening, fishing or sports, continue making them a part of your everyday routine.
• You can also take pleasure in living in the moment, appreciating the small joys of life, such as seeing flowers coming into bloom, watching birds at a feeder and pushing a child in a swing. Capture these moments and enjoy them.

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Additional Reading

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Progression Series: Early Stage

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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.

Physical activity offers a range of benefits for all ages and abilities as part of a healthy lifestyle.  According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, physical activity is important across all age ranges.  Here's what they say...

(Source:  http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/02paap-eng.php)

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For Children (5-11 yrs) and Youth (12-17 yrs)

• Physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development.
• Regular physical activity in childhood develops cardiovascular fitness, strength and bone density.
• Physical activity plays an important role in the health, well-being and quality of life of Canadians and helps to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.
• Establishing positive habits early in childhood and adolescence can last a lifetime.

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For Adults (18-64 yrs)

• Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of over 25 chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer, Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
• Regular physical activity and higher levels of fitness allow daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and with less fatigue. Research shows that as much as half the functional decline between the ages of 30 and 70 is due not to aging itself but to an inactive way of life.

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For Older Adults (65 yrs and older)

• Weight-bearing physical activity reduces the rate of bone loss associated with osteoporosis.
• Regular physical activity maintains strength and flexibility, balance and coordination, and can help reduce the risk of falls.
• In short, physical activity helps prolong good health and independence.

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Additional Reading

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Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 18 to 64 Years

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Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults - 65 Years and Older

Download File,

At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.