CONVIDA+ Eating well - Living well (Nutrition for seniors)
Food is a big part of our lives, from childhood to adulthood. It ties us to moments with friends, family, and co-workers. We spend a lot of time eating and even more selecting, buying and cooking our meals. But do we really know how to eat properly, what's healthy and what is not good for our body, and how our choices affect the environment?
That's where Project Convida+ comes in. Partners from Italy, Slovenia and Spain have looked into three aspects of nutrition: healthy food, sustainable food, and mindful eating. We tailored our findings to our seniors, creating an easy-to-follow eating concept that promotes common well-being in nutrition.
Partners from Spain, Slovenia and Italy worked together and shared experiences to design detailed curriculum which includes theoretical and practical knowledge on nutrition. We have tackled three main topics and combined them into common process that was tested in 9 successful workshops and can be easily replicated among other organizations working in the topic of heathy and active ageing.
Concept 1: Healthy food and nutrition as an element to prevent dependencies and diseases
Ageing is a natural process that involves changes in different systems of the human body. These changes can lead to a decrease in the quality of life, increasing the vulnerability of older people to chronic and degenerative diseases. One of the most powerful tools to prevent diseases in the older population is healthy eating. A healthy diet can prevent up to a third of deaths worldwide and is essential for the maintenance of health and well-being at all ages.
Concept 2: The importance of emotional awareness in order to change eating habits
The culture related to food differs profoundly depending on the target population. In Western societies, food is increasingly seen as fuel, to be consumed quickly. In the Mediterranean area, however, the conception of food is linked to the idea of pleasure, sharing and sociality. The mindfulness technique shows us how to enjoy the moment and can also be implemented in nutrition teaching us how to change our eating habits and focusing on observation of our dish, experiencing taste, living the moment. All this can make eating no longer an automatic habit or routine but a moment of recollection and meditation.
CONCEPT 3: Food and nutrition as an element to support more sustainable life
The path to a sustainable society is not possible without a change in the way we eat. Food is more than what we eat. It is one of the basic components of our societies and cultures, of our world. Good food keeps us healthy and helps us reach our potential. But the way we produce, sell and consume food is harming our environment. This must change, on a global and personal level. Climate-friendly food is: mostly vegetarian, produced in a sustainable way, produced locally, seasonal, processed as little as possible, packaged as little as possible, which does not end up in the waste. We should be aware that each one of us (including seniors) can make small steps that can contribute to a more healthy environment.
Check our main outcomes and download relevant materials to learn more:
- NUTRITITON CURRICULUM AND GUIDELINES FOR WORKSHOP IMPLEMENTATION
- COOK BOOK WITH TASTY RECIPES DESIGNED WITH SENIORS
Partners:
Get in touch to learn more and write us to: proyectosinternacionales@acufade.org
