Strengthening your Immune System through Cold and Flu season.

Below are a few tips for strengthening your immune system through the cold and flu season.

Eat well: A healthy diet is essential to keep your immune system working its best

• Eat 7-12 vegetables and fruits every day.
• Brightly coloured vegetables are especially high in antioxidants. You need about 200 mg of Vitamin C per day to help fight colds. 200 mg of vitamin C equals 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit and berries.
• Choose protein foods at all meals and snacks: fish, beans, peanut butter, eggs, nuts/seeds, lean chicken, turkey and meats.
• Eat foods high in healthy omega-3 fats often (i.e. salmon, trout, eulachons, sardines, walnuts, ground flax, hemp hearts)
• Processed foods are full of preservatives, sugar, additives, and fats and are low in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Drink enough water: Water helps flush waste products from your body. Keeping the mucosal lining in your lungs and sinuses hydrated boosts immunity.

For more evidence-based info, visit the newly updated Canada’s Food Guide:

This post was written by Kimberley Toonders (formerly Kim Black). Kim is an RD who works as a  Public Health Dietitian with North Island Public Health, Island Health.  Her role includes working with communities throughout the North Island to promote food security, and act as a healthy eating resource for early years programs and other community based health programs.  She also works with the 4 North Island School Districts to support healthy schools initiatives.  You can reach Kimberley at Kimberley.Toonders@viha.ca or 250-850-2115.

If you would like to write a guest post or have information to share about your work within our local food system, please connect with Leslie at leslie.dyck11@gmail.com.  

 

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Save the Date! April 13, 10-2 Seedy Saturday Port Hardy

This information is so new that we haven’t even made the poster yet! With so many events happening across the region I thought I had better share this date so you can write it into your calendar.  This event is not to be missed!

This event is being held in Port Hardy again this year, and it is in partnership with the North Island Farmers and Artisans Market.  This is a good place to renew your market membership and learn more about becoming part of our vendor team.

Save the Date! Sointula’s Seedy Saturday

A Seedy Saturday Night in Sointula –

Community Awareness and Sointula Resource Centre Fundraiser

** plant starts and seeds for sale/free local seed exchange/growing information and initiatives/ items for raffle such as potted plants, composter/ documentary at 7 pm. (87 minutes)

Date: Saturday March 2, 2019

Time: 4:30 to 8:30 pm

Place: FO Hall (Finnish Organizational Hall)

Refreshments:  coffee, tea, pop and snacks for purchase (savoury and sweet)

Film starts at 7 pm – $10 adults/ all kids by donation or free)

7: 00 pm to 8:30 pm – MODIFIED – full length documentary.

Questions?  contact Stephanie at the Sointula Resource Centre:  sointulainfo@gmail.com

North Island Farmers & Artisans Market Annual General Meeting

Mount Waddington Literacy Fairs ~ opportunity to share, represent & attend

In early 2019 the Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society is hosting two Literacy Fairs in the North Island.

The Mount Waddington Community Food Initiative has been invited to attend both fairs, and to participate in Literacy Activities. There is also an opportunity to share information and resources to help connect attendees to food literacy and food security activity in our region.

Leslie will be attending both Fairs and would like to invite you to volunteer some time to help host our activity (activity ideas welcome)  and table.  We will be promoting the new Neighbourhood Small Grants program, the Local Seasonal Food Challenge, the Food Atlas. and continuing to increase membership on our email list MTWADFOODS and there is plenty of room left on the table!

If you cannot attend the event but have information, resources, business cards, info about upcoming events, etc. that you would like shared, please let Leslie know and she would be happy to do that.

~ Leslie Dyck, Coordinator Mount Waddington Community Food Initiative

Growing the Home Garden: increasing production for market (or home sales or ‘farm gate’ sales)…

Join us for a workshop on increasing production in your garden. Tammas Grogan, a local Urban Farmer, will show us how she plans her garden and offer advice on how we can increase production in our own. Please join your local gardeners and growers for this event which will include an opportunity for discussion.

There is an opportunity to join this workshop by skype, if this is your plan, please rsvp to Leslie Dyck (leslie.dyck11@gmail.com) with your Skype Name.

This workshop is being offered through the Mount Waddington Community Food Initiative in partnership with HardyLocalFoods Foodshare. It is free and open to anyone growing (or planning to grow) for production in the North Island. Please share widely, and bring a friend or neighbour!

Join us at the new NIC campus which is located within the Thunderbird Mall. Thankyou NIC for your continued support and the use of your wonderful space.

Who: This workshop is open to anyone growing (or planning to grow) for production in the North Island. Please share widely, and bring a friend or neighbour!

Where:  NIC (in new location within Thunderbird Mall next to Sacred Wolf)

When:  January 23, 630pm – 730pm

Cost: Free

**If you plan to attend by skype, please RSVP to leslie.dyck11a@gmail.com with your skype name so you can be added into the call.

Network Sharing ~ invitation to update!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

Each month I attend the Mount Waddington Health Network (MWHN) Table of Partner (TOP) Meeting. This meeting is a gathering of partners from around the region representing work that is being done towards the Social Determinants of Health in our region. Each month the representatives are encouraged to share a monthly update through the lens of the social determinant in their focus.

As you know, a goal of the Mount Waddington Community Food Initiative is to help build a regional food focused network. Another goal is to help keep us informed and connected.
The Health Network TOP is an efficient way to help spread the word, there are currently 20+ regional partners from a broad range of organizations, at the table. Beyond the meeting, each of us is encouraged to share our learnings from the table with our home organizations and community.

I’d like to offer to share your food focused updates at the TOP.

To do so, I have created a simple google survey form that asks 2 questions:
1) What is your update for the group? (could include projects, asks for help, job postings, etc.)
2) Are there any upcoming events you want the group to know about?

If you would like to submit an update, please let me know and I will email you the survey. The survey will only take a few moments to fill out and you submit it electronically.   I’ll need the survey returned by the last day of each month.  Once the updates are compiled I will happily share them back with whoever would like to read them.

Updates big and small are welcome!

Community Health Networks are a great way to share information widely and efficiently. Let’s use our Health Network to help share our news.

Leslie Dyck ~ Coordinator, Mount Waddington Community Food Initiative