Food In Focus Nutrition

The Food & Nutrition program - A comprehensive program where we cover topics like:
●Osteoporosis
●Sarcopenia
●High cholesterol/blood pressure/glucose levels
●Eye health
●Mental health
●Food safety
●Interpretation of food labels
But it's also for the social good, as sharing foods brings people together.
Every Thursday, 12-2 pm, at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre, Macksville.

Another "you take what you have" creation, inspired by Thailand. A small piece of beef (from dinner the night before) turned into a hot, spicey, sweet, and sour beef salad. Some beautiful vegetables in season, grown in friends gardens. Finished off with toasted peanuts and fresh herbs. Perfect for hot summer days!

Food in Focus Nutrition would like to thank everyone for the support throughout the year and to wish you all a happy festive season!

TOFU - made out of soy beans, and it's the only vegetarian option that contains all the essential amino acids. It's high in protein and healthy polyunsaturated fat. Tofu consumption may help reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.
For example, 100g tofu will provide you with 53% of your daily calcium intake!
And provide you with a good amount of manganese, copper, selenium, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
All important minerals for normal body and immune function!👌

Source:Healthliine.com

The Food and Nutrition program at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre is back for the last term of this year.
Some topics we will discuss are eye health and nutrition, hydration, how to increase fish intake, nutrition and dementia, etc. etc.
But, the most important thing is that we cook, laugh, and share meals together!

Pasta primavera (spring pasta)

September is mental health awareness month. Did you know that your food choices can affect your mental health?
Improving your diet can have great effects on your overall health.
A diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables, fibe, healthy fats, and lean proteins will make you feel better, increase the size of hipocampus in the brain (the centre for learning and controlling emotions). It will also increase your good gut bacteria, and therefore make your immune system stronger.

Socialising is another way of improving mental health, so try to go outdoors, exercise, and maybe talk to strangers. Or invite the neighbour over for a cuppa or a lovely meal! 🍲

Term 3, week 3, and our garden is pumping! We have made seafood chowder and breakfast foods, and today, we did empanada. Served with a cabbage salad (our first harvest) and a tomato and bean salad. As always, shared food tastes the best 👌

Coming into winter and the beautiful community garden in Macksville is booming. We got some lovely produce, which we used in a Thai style stir fry.

Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre, Food and Nutrition program every Thursday, 12-2pm.

We're back at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre this week with a season full of fun, delicious and nutritious cooking. Every Thursday between 12-2pm

Food in Focus Nutrition wishing you all
Happy Holidays and warm wishes for the New Year!

A very interesting four day workshop has come to an end. Learning to eat is one of the hardest thing we need to do in our lives. Some children do not master this complex coordination it requires. and need help to learn how to chew, how to swolliw.and how to eat.

The Food and Nutrition Program is starting again this Thursday at LifetimeConnect's Wellness Centre. Some of the things we will talk about are:
The importance of hydration, Foods for the immune system, probiotics etc. We will continue to focus on wholesome nutritious yummy food, socialising, and having fun!

We all need to understand what food can do to us and why a wholesome diet is so important!

Ultra-processed foods: it's not just their low nutritional value that's a concern Over half of all calories consumed in the UK are from an ultra-processed food product.

Last week at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre, we brought in old family recipes or new recipes we would like to try. I brought in a recipe my mum often made on a midweek day. Greek Giouvaralakia.
It's meatballs simmered in a broth where lemon juice and eggs are added for thickening the brotht and for a lovely tang. My mum served this untraditionaly over rice instead of as a soup. Either way, it's a healthy cheap and very tasty Mediterranean dish.

High tea on the last day for my program term 2. We baked and we ate, scones with our own berry jam, apple cake and of course sandwiches! Some of us brought our favourite teas and cups. What an enjoyable day!
Term 3 program starting this week with continued focus on food, nutrition and bringing people together. It's a way of life🌞👍

Last Thursday at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre we focused on cholesterol lowering foods. We cooked a warm and nourishing cauliflower and butter bean soup, topped with a savory (!) granola, salmon, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs 🥣

I'm currently running a Food and Nutrition program for seniors at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre. Focus has been on Macronutrients,healthy fats,lean proteins,complex carbohydrates and fibre. We have enjoyed foods and snacks such as marinaded kidney beans, dukkah with olive oil, bliss balls,Moroccan vegetable tagine plus plenty more. This program is not just about nutrients, it's about sharing food and conversations and bringing people together!

Today's excursion with Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre brought us to Bryce and Camillas farm, Autarky Farm, just outside Bowraville. What a beautiful place and how great to see where some of those lovely vegetables in the boxes comes from. Thank you Camilla and Bryce for your time and those lovely, tender garlic flowers!

We finally delivered the Food and Nutrition program at Lifetime Connect's Wellness Centre, Macksville! Flooding, covid-19 and lockdown came in between, but we didn't give up. We have been cooking with garden produce from the community garden, baked cake and bread, fermented sauerkraut, talked about nutritional value of eating balanced meals, mindful eating, interpreting food labels etc, etc. And above all, we have had so much fun. Thanks to all the participants, a big thanks to Tia McIntyre (coordinator), and thank you Lifetime Connect!