Let’s start 2012 with fresh food choices to enhance your health! Increasingly research tells us that our food choices have a significant impact on senior’s physical and mental health.

A new study published December 28th, 2011 in the Neurology Journal clearly identified that eating fast food is directly connected to brain shrinkage leading to Alzheimer’s disease. The effects on the brain are related to the trans fat blood levels in all your favourite fast foods. The study by G.L. Bowman et al is titled “Nutrient biomarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI measure of brain aging”. Examples of fast foods with trans fats are: fried chicken, most fried Chinese foods, fried fish sandwiches, French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried apple pies, donuts, crackers, potato chips, margarine, and even microwave popped corn, to mention a few.

Researchers found that trans fats were the key artery damaging ingredient. When you read the words “partially hydrogenated oils” you know that the foods you are eating contain the dangerous trans fats. Partially hydrogenated oils are used to extend the shelf life, flavour, and consistency of highly processed fast foods and snacks. But the truth of the matter is that in seniors they harden our arteries, increase the risk of heart attack and lead to Alzheimer’s disease. But the real clincher for me was that in addition to shrinking the brain, the high levels of trans fats also caused significant reduced memory problems and attention span along with reduced language skills and the ability to process information properly. Think about this the next time you order your favourite fast food!

An interesting and positive lesson from this study was that they found that people who consume organic and natural diets high in vitamins B, C, D and E and rich in omega fatty acids were reported to have larger brains and showed strong cognitive abilities identified with a brain with healthy blood vessels! The organic and natural foods high in vitamins B, C, D, and E helped to boost the volume and performance of a senior’s brain functions. High levels of omega fatty acids in seniors were connected with better performing executive functioning related to planning abilities, problem solving and multi-tasking than seniors with low levels of omega fatty acids.

If you want quality of life and strong brain functions well into your 80’s you must make healthy choices now! Make 2012 a new start to healthy eating and have Healthy Chef Delivery organic and natural meals delivered to your door.

Written by Judy Dahm, freelance writer, Health Coach, Calgary, Alberta

I love Christmas! It is a time of year when we are all reminded of the value of family, home and friends. We all have fond memories of the wonderful Christmas dinners and family visits at this time of year. Have you ever really paid attention to how our food has changed? We may have more choices today, however the taste and nutritional value has deteriorated and there is an impact on our health. As seniors we realize that healthy is our #1 priority.
So, why would we want to have healthy organic meals delivered at Christmas? Consider these top 5 reasons:
1. Physical energy over the holidays! Conventional foods are full of additional chemicals, toxins fats, sugars and salts that can clog us up. It is harder for our bodies to process this food, and when we pollute them with toxins they become sluggish and susceptible to disease, and more aches and pains. We want to be healthy and pain free over the holiday!
2. Clear Thinking! Have you ever considered that the food that you eat could in fact be a factor in memory and thinking! The more chemicals in the mix, the lower and slower our thinking becomes.
3. Emotionally Positive! There is a direct correlation between food nutritional value and our moods! When we getting the full value out of our food, we just are happier people. This is the season to be merry and let’s promote laughter. Laughter is the best medicine.
4. Taste and nutrition! Study after study shows that organic food is higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. As seniors, we need to make sure that the food we take provides us with essential nutrients. Our immune systems are much stronger when we eat healthily. Many of us also need gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free, and low sodium choices. Let’s eat REAL FOOD over the holiday.
5. Leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren! Christmas is about counting your blessings and also about giving back. How about giving back to the planet and paying it forward for the next generation. We can support the earth, wildlife habitats, our ecosystems, safety for farm workers and our own drinking water. Honestly there is no better gift!
Keep the traditional values by holding organic and natural meals sacred and call Healthy Chef Delivery (http://www.healthychefdelivery.com) for healthy meal delivery in Calgary this Christmas and enjoy the unique flavor of our favourite farm fresh prepared organic meals this holiday season and throughout the new year.

Healthy Meal Delivery in Calgary – Keep chemicals off your plate and celebrate a healthy Christmas!
Written by Judy L. Dahm, CEO/Founder Healthy Chef Delivery, Calgary, Alberta

November 5 – 11 is Veteran’s Week in Canada. What are your family traditions around this very special time? My father was a war veteran, and this was a special time that we honored. I remember stories of how my Mom and Dad met at a dance for the soldiers, how my uncles fought on foreign soil, and the stories of those who never came home. Some of the stories were filled with laughter, and some filled with tears, and it was always clear to me that we need to show gratitude for the Canadian servicemen and servicewomen who served, who lost their lives in wartime, as well as those who are protecting us today.

There are many of our war veterans alive today in Canada. Some are from the Second World War, the Korean War, Bosnian War, Afghanistan, Libya, and from the regular forces and primary reserves. Many of our veterans live in poverty and in fact there is a growing concern about the number who are homeless.

What are you going to do on Remembrance Day? There is a family oriented service at 10:30 am at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary, 4629 McCall Way, NE.

Breast Event Calgary

Come and join us: http://www.risingwomen.com/thebreasteventever/index.htm

Hello, 100 Days of Real Food readers! Lisa has asked me to share a guest post with you while she’s on vacation, and I’m thrilled to be here. My story is remarkably similar to hers and her family’s: Until a couple of years ago, my diet was filled with processed and fried foods. After slowly gaining 30 pounds — and eventually having my “ah-ha!” moment — I started exercising and eating more healthfully. I lost the extra weight, and felt great. During that time, I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, which led to my own October Unprocessed challenge last year. I discovered 100 Days of Real Food somewhere around the same time, and Lisa and I met in person at a conference a few months later. We immediately became friends, of course, since we’re kindred spirits!

Any time I can find tips, tricks, or tools to help make eating healthfully easier, I get really excited. One device that has helped me tremendously is my iPhone. With this little magical gizmo always at my side, I can look up nutrition information, figure out which seafood is the best for my family and my planet, and a whole lot more.

A little while back, I posted a list of 27 Apps for Healthy Foodies, on my own blog, and for this post Lisa has asked me to narrow the list down to just ten — with a focus specifically on apps that will help busy families. So without further ado, here’s my list of top ten apps for healthy foodie families. If you have other favorites, please share in the comments!

The City of Calgary is planning for four new recreation facilities in Calgary’s most underserved areas – one in the far northwest and three in the southeast.

Public engagement

Each site will have amenities designed to meet the specific needs of their area. Citizen engagement is a critical part of this process and your input, into what should be included in these facilities, is being sought.

Complete the online feedback form to provide your input.

Community engagement sessions are also being held in both the northwest and the southeast. Please attend and provide your thoughts.

Southeast session:
Tuesday, September 13 @ 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Deerfoot Inn (1000 11500 – 35 Street S.E.)

Northwest session:
Thursday, September 15 @ 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Silver Springs Community Centre (5720 Silver Ridge Drive N.W.)

P3 for recreation facilities

The City of Calgary is pursuing a "P3 model" (public-private partnership) for the development of these four recreation facilities.

The P3 model being explored is a bit different from anything that has been done before. A private partner will be responsible for the construction of all four facilities, building operations, maintenance and lifecycle. The innovative part involves procuring a separate programmer (either for profit or not-for-profit) to be responsible for recreation programming which includes recreation, sport and cultural programs. This will allow unique community needs to be met.

The total cost of all four facilities will be approximately $430 million. Funding sources have been identified to pay for all four facilities as a result of the P3 model.

On July 25, 2011 Council received an update on the analysis of the P3 model and voted to continue to support the P3 direction.

The benefits of P3 for Calgarians

• The bundle of four recreation facilities will cost less in the long-run with a P3 model.
• Calgary would get the bundle of all four recreation facilities sooner.
• The P3 model is nearly guaranteed to deliver the bundle of the four facilities on time, on budget, and have the benefit of being fixed-price long-term contracts that provide certainty for budgeting purposes.
• The programmer will have a separate contract and is willing to take on some revenue risk and will be responsive to community needs.

Requests for proposals for project partners have not yet been issued for this project. Please see P3 recreation facility vendor information for more information.

General information on P3′s

• PPP Canada
• Conference Board of Canada report, "Dispelling the Myths: A Pan-Canadian Assessment of Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Investments"
• P3 Common Questions about P3s in Alberta from the Government of Alberta Treasury Board
• Government of Alberta backgrounder on the P3 process and P3 Q&As

Community advisory groups

Community Advisory Groups in both the northwest and southeast are working with the City of Calgary to inform and engage their community and on the development of these recreation centres. Both groups have representatives from area residents, the Calgary Arts Development Authority and Sport Calgary.

If you are a resident in northwest or the southeast Calgary, connecting with your community advisory group is good way to get more information on these projects and provide your input.

Contact the community advisory groups:

• NW Community Advisory Group – Visit their Facebook page or email northwestcag@gmail.com.
• SE Calgary Recreation Society (SECRS) – visit their website at secrsinfo.com or email sercs1@gmail.com.