Healthy Body - Healthy Mind

Healthy Life

An easy read guide

The Healthy Lifestyles Project has been graciously funded by

The Greater Saint John Community Foundation

About NBACL

Our Vision

Full participation of persons with an intellectual disability in an inclusive society.

Our Mission

To ensure that persons with an intellectual disability live meaningful lives and participate in society as valued and contributing members, NBACL works with the individual, their families, employers, educators, governments and communities to change lives, change communities, and defend rights.

The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funders.

Copyright © 2019 New Brunswick Association for Community Living 800 Hanwell Road, Fredericton, NB E3B 2R7 Toll Free: 1-866-NBACL-4U (1-866-622-2548) Tel: (506) 453-4400 Fax: (506) 453-4422 E-mail: nbacl@nbnet.nb.ca Web: www.nbacl.nb.ca

Content developed and researched by Cathy Boyce, Consulting Services

Design by Rebecca Pilson, NBACL

How to Use This Guide

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Life : An Easy Read Guide

is a guide to help people to learn to eat healthy meals.

You can use the guide with or without the help

of a family member, friend, or someone else.

In this guide, there is information about

how to make healthy eating choices.

4

Eating Well Is Important

Eating well means eating healthy foods every day.

When you eat healthy foods, you might:

• Have stronger muscles. • Avoid getting a cold, flu or

another sickness. • Have more energy to work,

volunteer, and do other activities you enjoy.

• Be happy. • Keep a healthy weight. • Sleep better. If you do not eat healthy foods, you might:

• Feel weak and tired. • Get sick with a cold or flu. • Have less energy to work,

volunteer, and do other activities you enjoy.

• Feel sad. • Gain weight. • Find it difficult to sleep or sleep

too much.

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5

Junk food like chips and pop might taste nice, but if you eat too much, it's not good for you.

Junk food has a lot of sugar which is bad for your teeth.

Eating a lot of junk food can make you gain weight.

When you eat a good breakfast like cereal or toast, you might feel like you have more energy.

If you have a healthy sandwich for lunch with vegetables and chicken, you can stay up throughout the day.

You might even be able to go to the gym.

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6

When you eat junk food like chips, chocolate bars, candy, and pop every day, this can make you sick and give you cavities in your teeth.

Junk Food should be considered a treat.

When you fill your body with junk food every day, your body changes on the inside in ways you might not be able to see.

When you feed your body with unhealthy food, your organs (like your heart, liver, kidneys) have difficulty working right.

You can develop health problems because your body can get sick.

If you eat unhealthy foods all the time, your body may show signs on the outside too. You may gain weight, or you might have pimples on your skin.

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7

Luckily, you can make some changes in your diet to be healthier!

There is no quick way to learn about healthy eating.

You have to practice, and you might need help.

Take your time reading this guide.

You do not need to change everything at once.

Ask for help if you need it!

In this guide, you will read how

Cory eats healthy and how you can learn to eat healthy too.

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8

How I eat well!

Hi my name is Cory.

Eating healthy foods is a part of my life.

I want to eat healthy foods so I am not tired and so I do not get sick.

Each day I look at Canada's Food Guide.

Canada's Food Guide tells me about healthy foods and drinks.

I keep a picture of Canada's Food Guide on my fridge.

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9

Here are some things I

like to eat for breakfast:

When I wake up in the morning, I have oatmeal and some blueberries. I also have a cup of tea.

Two slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and chopped up banana is my favourite breakfast.

I also like to have yogurt with raspberries and granola on top.

Sometimes I have a drink of orange juice with my breakfast, but I know it can have a lot of

sugar in it. I try to drink water

more than I drink juice.

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10

Here are some meals I

like to eat for lunch :

For lunch, I love to have a bowl of vegetable soup. Campbell's vegetable soup is my favourite. I can put it into a bowl and heat it in the microwave.

I also enjoy eating baby carrots with ranch dressing.

Sometimes I make myself a sandwich for lunch.

I take whole wheat bread and put mayonnaise on it.

I cut up some cucumber and tomato and put that on the sandwich too. If I have sliced meats from the grocery store, I will add those to the sandwich.

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11

Here are some meals I

like to eat for lunch :

If I am very hungry make myself a plate of nachos. I put some multigrain Tostitos on a plate with some shredded cheese and pre-cooked chicken breast on top. I heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes and eat it with salsa.

Even though I love nachos, I know that I should not eat them every day. I put cheese on but keep the portion small.

I know that salad is a healthy lunch, but it is not my favourite. I am trying to like salad more, so I can eat more vegetables. I try to eat a salad once a week for lunch.

I put spinach, tomato, cucumber, cheese, and cooked chicken into my salad with some ranch dressing. I am starting to enjoy eating salad more.

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12

Here are some meals I

like to eat for supper:

One of my favourite meals to eat for supper is a stir fry. I had to get help to learn how to make that meal at first. It took me some time to learn how to cook rice and meat.

Now I can cook it on my own. I like to add vegetables like red pepper, onion, and mushrooms and chicken to my stir fry. I also cook enough so I can eat it for supper the next night!

It might sound funny, but sometimes I have breakfast for supper.

I boil two eggs on the stove and cook some turkey bacon. I make a piece of toast and have berries for dessert.

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13

Here are Some

Snacks I Enjoy:

Cheese with crackers and sliced apple.

Corn Chips and Salsa

Whole Wheat Pita Chips with Ranch Dressing

Carrots and Celery with Ranch Dressing

Apples with Peanut Butter

Any fruit

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14

Here are Some

Drinks I Like :

Water is the best healthy drink.

Sometimes I have a cup of tea with my breakfast or a small glass of milk with my lunch. Sometimes I have coffee, too.

Juice is ok sometimes, but it can have a lot of sugar.

I do not drink pop anymore because it has too much sugar and can be bad for my teeth and my stomach.

If I go to the movies, I have a glass of pop, but I usually do not finish the whole drink.

Diet pop is just like regular pop – you should have it as a treat once in a while.

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15

Desserts are Ok

Sometimes:

I eat dessert when I visit my family. My mom usually prepares an apple pie because she knows it is my favourite.

When we have a birthday party, I have a piece of cake.

I know that dessert has a lot of sugar in it, so I eat fruit or yogurt as a healthy dessert choice and keep desserts as a treat.

How Much Food is Too

Much Food?

Sometimes it is hard to know how much to eat.

I know that I do not have to fill my whole plate full of food. I fill half of my plate with vegetables like broccoli, salad, or carrots.

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16

If I want to know how much meat to eat, I look at my hand.

The palm of my hand is the same size as a serving of meat.

When I cook, I only take enough food for one meal and put the rest away for another time. That way I know, I will not eat too much.

I Have Some Allergies:

I am allergic to kiwis. If I eat kiwis, I will get sick, and I might have to go to the hospital.

Once when I was young, I had to go to the doctor because I got red dots on my skin from eating kiwis. The red dots were called hives, which mean I am allergic to kiwis.

Allergies can be dangerous. I have an EpiPen in my backpack all the time and at my house. I know that if I eat kiwis by mistake, I have to give myself the EpiPen.

It is important to know if you have any allergies.

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17

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I Don’t Like

Salad or Fish:

I don’t like salad. My doctor told me that I have to try to like salad because it is healthy for me.

My doctor also said, “Cory you should try to eat fish.” Fish is healthy too.

I am trying to eat more salad and fish, but I am taking my time.

Try Not to Eat or Drink

too Much at a Time:

When I started to eat well, I thought that meant that I could eat as much as I wanted.

I was excited to learn how to cook.

I made a big stir fry for supper.

I ate the whole meal with rice by myself.

18

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After supper, I felt sick, and I was tired.

My sister told me later, “Cory you can’t eat a whole pan of stir fry with rice. That is too much.”

She explained that even if food is healthy, you should not eat too much.

I also learned that it is ok to have a treat sometimes. Having one

cookie for dessert is ok.

I know that if I have five cookies for dessert, it will make my belly

feel badly.

19

What are Whole Foods

and Packaged Foods?

I started to learn about whole foods and packaged foods.

Eating whole foods is healthy. Whole foods are fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, and grains like rice.

Packaged foods like things that come in a can or a box are not as healthy because they have salt, fat, and sugar added to them. Be sure to check the labels.

I try to eat mostly whole foods like chicken with vegetables, pasta, and fruit.

Sometimes I have to eat soup, cereal, and other foods in packages, and that is ok.

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20

What About

Fast Food?

MacDonald’s used to be one of my favourite restaurants. I loved to eat a Big Mac with fries.

When I get paid every two weeks, I like to take myself out for fast food.

Now that I have been eating healthier, I do not enjoy MacDonald’s as much. It makes my stomach hurt.

Instead of going to MacDonald’s I go to Subway to get a foot-long chicken breast sub. I also treat myself to a bag of Lays chips. I usually get a bottle of water to go with it.

I know that eating out once in a while is ok. Food like MacDonald’s is tasty, but it is full of sugar, salt, and fat. I know it could make me sick.

Now I enjoy cooking for myself at home. It makes me feel proud, and I feel healthier. I can also save money!

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21

Meal Planning and

Cooking at Home

I love to plan my meals. I need some help with it.

Every Sunday I create a calendar and put it on my fridge.

My family takes me to go grocery shopping on the weekend, and I make a list of everything I need.

I’ll share my calendar and list with you so you can eat healthy too!

Before I go to the grocery store, I make sure to eat a healthy snack. If I go to the store when I am hungry, I’ll want to buy everything!

I know that I do not have a lot of space to store food. My fridge and freezer are small. I only get enough groceries that I know I can store safely in my fridge and freezer.

I think my list will help you with knowing what to buy and where to put it.

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22

I learned the hard way that foods can go bad. Once I left bread in my bread box for three weeks and it grew moldy. I had to throw it out.

Before I buy foods, I always look at the side of the package to see if there is a date. The date should tell you how long the food will stay good.

If you eat foods that have gone bad, you can get sick.

Here are some tips to make sure you are eating food that will not make you sick:

• Never put the meat back into the freezer when it has thawed.

• Before refrigerating or freezing, slice large cuts of meat and store in small bags.

• Check the refrigerator once a week and throw old leftovers into the garbage.

• When in doubt, throw it out! Don’t take the chance to eat something if it smells bad or has been sitting in your fridge for a long time.

• Heat leftovers in the microwave until very hot all the way through.

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23

Cory’s Weekly

Grocery List:

Each week I make a grocery list, so I know what to buy when I go to the store. Here it is!

I mark everything with different colours, so I know where the items go in my kitchen.

I put everything away as soon as I get home.

Here are the colours I use so you can use them too:

Red Cupboard

Green Fridge

Blue Freezer

Yellow Counter

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24

Potatoes

Apples

Cucumber

Tomato

Spinach

Lettuce

Celery

Red pepper

Mushrooms

One onion

Pre-cooked chicken strips

Eggs

Salmon

Turkey Bacon

Cheese

Shredded cheese

Cory’s Weekly Grocery List:

Whole wheat bread x 2

Box of plain oatmeal

Box of Cheerios

Peanut Butter

Box of crackers

2 cans of Campbell’s veggie soup

2 cans of chili

Caesar dressing

Ranch dressing

Croutons

Multigrain chips

Salsa

Mayonnaise

One can of tuna

Tea

Pita chips

Large size 1 % Milk

Bananas

Blueberries

Raspberries

Strawberries (frozen)

Broccoli

I learned that I could put foods like mayonnaise and salad dressings in the cupboard before I open them.

I like to keep them in the fridge from the beginning, so I don’t forget.

25 Co

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26

Why I Exercise:

I’ve been going to my local YMCA for the past few months.

I know that eating well and exercising can help me be stronger and healthier.

Now I have more energy.

Some days I swim, and other days I walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes and lift weights.

I try to go to the gym about three days a week.

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27

What About Alcohol and Drugs?

When I turned 19, my friends started to drink alcohol. I was not interested, so I didn’t drink.

Alcoholic drinks are things like beer and wine. Now that I am 25, I have had a taste of wine.

I only have a glass on special occasions like my parents’ anniversary.

I have learned that drinking too much alcohol can make you sick.

Drinking too much alcohol can also make you forget things, make you sad or make you tired.

I am trying my best to stay healthy, so I do not drink alcohol a lot.

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28

There are also different types of drugs.

I take medications for depression. Sometimes medications can be called ‘drugs.' These are the medications your doctor gives you, and they are ok to take.

There are also drugs that can be bad for you. I never take these kinds of drugs. Some examples are cocaine or ecstasy.

Sometimes people take these kinds of drugs to help them relax or to give them more energy.

To stay healthy, I only take the medications my doctor gives me.

Smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things you can do for your body. My uncle smokes, and I see how it has made his teeth yellow. He also coughs a lot from smoking.

Smoking can damage your skin and cause cancer. Smoking hurts your lungs. If you smoke, you might lose your breath easily so you might not be able to move around as much or play sports. I love to swim and go to the gym so I will never smoke cigarettes.

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29

I LOVE Being Healthy!

Every day I wake up and feel great

about myself.

I eat food that makes me feel good

on the inside and makes me look

healthy on the outside.

I eat lots of vegetables and fruits,

and I plan my meals so I can get

excited about eating.

I treat myself to cake at parties, or

I go to Subway when I get my

paycheque.

Treats like that are ok every so

often.

I am trying new foods like

salmon and salad.

I take my medications and avoid

alcohol, cigarettes, and dangerous

drugs.

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30

I love to exercise, and I am

learning to cook by myself.

Eating well is an important part of

making sure YOU are as healthy as

you can be.

You do not have to make the

change all at once; I sure didn't!

I took little steps day by day and

made small changes. YOU can too!

Check out Canada's Food Guide

at the back of this Module for

more information!

It may seem hard at first, but little

by little you will learn to Eat Well

and Be Well.

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New Brunswick Association for Community Living

800 Hanwell Road, Fredericton, NB E3B 2R7

Toll Free: 1-866-NBACL-4U (1-866-622-2548)

Tel: (506) 453-4400 Fax: (506) 453-4422

E-mail: nbacl@nbnet.nb.ca

Website: www.nbacl.nb.ca

An easy read guide

Healthy Body - Healthy Mind - Healthy Life