Healthy Living – Balanced Health

General outline. (8 hours)

Nutrition – a balanced approach (Canada food guide and Indigenous food guide. Food security/insecurity)
Exercise – impact on body and stress
Dealing with addictions (approaches and resources)
Sexuality (Sexualization vs healthy sexual relationships)
Connection to Traditional Teachings (integrated in each section)

These are suggested resources for teaching about healthy living. None of this is prescribed and you are encouraged to bring in as much local knowledge and resources as you can.

Nutrition

Storying Decolonized Indigenous Food Systems: Repatriation / Rematriation of Indigenous lands

In this webinar, Kaitlyn Patterson shares stories to examine how Indigenous food systems have been affected by colonialism and how some are trying to change these effects. Her focus is on Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Huron-Wendat peoples near Kingston, Ontario.

Image of map from : https://native-land.ca/

Canada’s Food Guide – Snapshot

A white plate divided in 3 parts, it is presented from a bird's eye view. Above the plate is the title, "Eat a variety of healthy foods each day." The left side is half of the plate, it shows fruits and vegetables with the label, "Have plenty of vegetables and fruits." The right side is divided in two parts. The top part has different protein foods like eggs, nuts, meet, tofu, and beans and is labeled, "Eat protein foods", The bottom part has some grain-based foods with the label, "Choose whole grain foods." Next to the top right of the plate is a glass of water with the label, "Make water your drink of choice." — This is an updated food guide.
Find out how healthy eating is more than the foods you eat here.

Eating Well & the Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit & Métis

There is a Ready-to-Use Presentation for Nutrition Educators on Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis available here. The presentation includes speaker notes to help when sharing this information with others. It can also be used by learners to help better understand the guide. To note: this presentation was developed with a previous version of the food guide.

Food is Medicine Challenge! Written above an image of watermelon and berries and mint. Some of the watermelon is cut out in the shape of a heart and filled with blueberries. "Food is medicine, and as medicine it heals" by Evan and Shannon, First Nations Health Authority is written below the image. — Food is Medicine Challenge! “Food is medicine and as medicine it heals.” Evan & Shannon, First Nations Health Authority.

Each year, the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia holds a Food is Medicine Challenge. It is usually held in the month of March but there is nothing stopping your centre from holding a similar challenge while working through these courses.

Get inspired from their resources here!

Read about food and ancestral knowledge here..

Kahnawake garden grows culture and community along with vegetables

“The project was engendered, in part, by the rise of worrisome health issues in Kahnawake, such as diabetes.”
“One thing that would benefit everybody is our own healthy, traditional, organic food,” said Hemlock. “It’s empowering if we are all growing it together.”
Kanerahtiio Hemlock in CBC article Kahnawake Garden Grows Culture and Community Along with Vegetables, April 12, 2018

Exercise & Movement

Yoga in Mohawk.

Ôgyôwihsraniyôhsdôh: It strengthens our breathing.

From the website: “When we engage in activity, we use the people, places and things that we see in creation to connect our body and breath together. This yoga video incorporates Kanonhweratónhsera: The Opening Address, done in the Mohawk language. This speech is done to acknowledge all things in creation and give thanks to them. Learning language and connecting to your body at a young age can help to keep your mind, body and spirit aligned.“

Sexuality

Sexfluent

Sexfluent is a site that aims to open access to healthy conversations around sexuality.

“At Sexfluent, we believe that all young people have the right to access reliable, honest, and relevant information on sexual health, mental health, and substance use to help you make more informed decisions.” Read more here.

Gender and Sexuality with RJ Jones.

RJ Jones is Saulteaux–Cree, originally from Treaty 1 territory in Saskatchewan and is currently living on Algonquin Territory in Ottawa. Find out more about them here.

Gender and Sexuality: See the full series on Create to Learn here.

Reclaim(ed) is a Snap Original story series.

“This series dives deep into today’s Indigenous culture with hosts Marika Sila and Kairyn Potts, as they reframe and reclaim cultural traditions and social issues from a Gen Z point of view.”

Episode 1: What does Two-Spirit mean to you?

Dealing with Addictions

On YouTube: Decolonizing Substance Use & Addiction by Len Pierre

The Sexfluent website has a section on substance use. Read more here.

Possible Journal Prompts

Journaling is personal and can be related to any thoughts or feelings that come up as a result of this unit.

It can also be a good place to start to explore questions related to the end of course assignment for Physical Wellness.

Here is a journaling prompt, if you want one.

What are your thoughts about the quote, “Food is medicine, and as medicine it heals”?
How does it relate to your study of healthy living?

Text above an image of berries and watermelon and mint leaves. Text reads: "Food is medicine, and as medicine it heals." by Evan and Shannon, First Nations Health Authority. — Find out more about who said it and why.