Taking part in Healthy Eating Week 2021

I’m excited to say that Dimensions is taking part in Healthy Eating Week for the first time this year (14th-18th June). The awareness week is led by the British Nutrition Foundation and the main theme this year is “find your healthier you”. Nine of our wonderful nutrition volunteers have produced quick guides and videos to encourage people we support and colleagues to be healthier in our daily lives.

There are five topics to think about during the week, which are:

• Know the facts – information, advice and myth busting
•  Make a healthier choice – tips and tools to make better choices
• Plan for success – ways to plan healthier meals and menus
• Be the chef – how to cook healthier options, with links to recipes and ideas
• Keep moving – promoting the importance of being active for health.

Our volunteers have put together some ideas on how to get moving more, healthy snacks, easy food swaps (changing from white rice to brown rice, for example) and much more. Please do check out their videos here:

Soon after I started working for Dimensions, in October 2019, I read a report stating that people with learning disabilities, on average, live ten years less than people without learning disabilities. The report suggested that the reasons for this stark difference were poor nutrition, lack of exercise and higher rates of health conditions like diabetes. I was shocked and wanted to do anything I could to change this reality.

Moving more, eating more fibre and less sugar and drinking more water are simple things that we can do to be stronger, healthier and ultimately to live longer. I found that people tend to jump between extremes – running five times this week, then only once next week – but consistency is key. How about committing to three runs or walks each week? I have promoted the same ideals in our nutrition and wellbeing project in Dimensions: consistency and small changes can have a big impact.

I’m pleased that we are marking Healthy Eating Week 2021 and I hope that colleagues and people we support throughout the Dimensions group will feel empowered to get involved and be healthier!

By Paul Bown, Volunteering Officer

Inspired?

Click here to watch the latest health and wellbeing videos created by our volunteers, or contact the Volunteering team on volunteering@dimensions-uk.org or 0300 303 9162 for any volunteering queries.