Self-Care Day – The Fourth Pillar: Healthy Eating

International Self-Care Day

July 24th (7/24) is International Self-Care Day, a worldwide campaign held annually as a reminder that the benefits of self-care are experienced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It highlights the importance of self-care and encourages everyone to practice responsible self-care.

“Self-care is a lifelong habit and culture. It is the practice of individuals looking after their own health based on the knowledge and information available to them. It is a decision-making process that empowers individuals to look after their own health efficiently and conveniently, in collaboration with health and social care professionals as needed. ” ~ Global Self-Care Federation

There are 7 Pillars of Self-Care:

1. Health Literacy
2. Self-Awareness
3. Physical Activity
4. Healthy Eating
5. Risk Avoidance
6. Good Hygiene
7. Optimal Use of Self-Care Products and Services

Let’s Focus on Pillar 4:  Healthy Eating

An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for chronic diseases and poor health. The prevalence of over eating, and consumption of nutrient-poor, calorie dense foods has led to a global epidemic of obesity.

Pillar 4 focuses on the role that diet plays in self-care, maintaining health and reducing the risk of diet-related non-communicable disease.

Healthy eating is important because…

A healthy diet has been proven to have preventative benefits, reducing the risk of many non-communicable diseases. Data shows that improving diet and exercise and quitting tobacco use could prevent up to 80% of non-communicable disease.

Evidence shows that people can remain healthy into their seventh, eighth and ninth decades, when a range of health-promoting behaviours, including healthy diets, are followed. 1

Dietary changes are also used in the treatment of established illnesses, in a similar way to physical activity.

As with exercise, it is never too late for an individual to improve their diet and work on eating healthily; the benefits gained from improved diet are both immediately apparent and life-long. 2

Resources for Healthy Eating:

• Heart & Stroke Foundation: How to curb emotional eating
• Make healthy meals with the Eat Well Plate – food-guide.canada.ca
• Healthy Eating
• Canada’s Food Guide – Canada.ca
• Canadian Liver Foundation – Check Your Engine
• Heart & Stroke Foundation – Get Healthy
• Health Canada
• HealthLinkBC – Healthy Eating
• Nutrition Policy Reports
• Healthy Eating
• Understanding Food Labels
• Health Canada: Food and Nutrition
• Health Canada: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
• Heart & Stroke Foundation: Get Healthy/Healthy Eating

Be sure to participate in the conversation July 24th on Twitter & Instagram using the hashtag #iselfcare.

Source:

1 “Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity” WHO, Retrieved 09 July 2020. <https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf>.

2 “Pillar 4 Healthy Eating” International Self-Care Foundation, Retrieved 09 July 2020. <https://isfglobal.org/practise-self-care/pillar-4-healthy-eating/>.

Marsha Fenwick, C.N.P.  R.R.T.