Shop savvy and stock up

When items go on sale, consider buying a few extra. This is especially good for staple items with a longer shelf life, like pasta sauces, soups and canned tuna.

Check “that” shelf

Most grocery stores will have discount shelves for various items that can save you at least half off the original price. Bread and pre-made pizza crusts that are near expiry can be kept in the freezer and used as needed. For fresh produce that is near expiry, many items can be used to add extra nutritional value to dishes that are cooked, like soups and stews.

Buy dry

Consider purchasing large value sizes for items like dried pasta, rice, oatmeal and beans. Cost-per-serving, you’ll save a lot of money cooking these items yourself rather than opting for to the smaller ready-to-eat versions. Buying these items in bulk will also spare a significant amount of packaging waste.

Compare

Most grocery stores offer paper or e-flyers to let you compare item costs each week. There are also a number of Apps available to help you comparison shop on specific items, saving you time and gas money. It’s helpful to keep a running list of what you need to stock up on. Always having staples on hand will give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to meal planning.

Freeze, dry or can it

Seasonal or discounted produce can retain a lot of nutritional value in other forms. Consider opting for these varieties, or stocking up for future use of seasonal items, by extending their shelf life.

Plan ahead

Try to map out your meals around what’s seasonal or discounted each week. Taking the time to bulk cook on the weekend will ensure there is enough to reach for during the week. Larger portions can always be labelled and frozen for future use.

When it comes to leftovers, foods like chicken, turkey, tuna and beans can be used in endless recipes if you don’t want to eat the same thing all week. Consider adding them to fresh salads, wraps, omelets or a base like quinoa or pasta along with your favorite vegetables. Many of these prepared items will keep in the fridge for several days.

For more information on packing healthy lunches and notes on food safety, Zweig recommends this site:

https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Workplace-wellness/Packing-Healthy-Lunches-and-Snacks-for-Work.aspx

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Acknowledge what you’ve lost

Dr. Boulos says first- and second-year post-secondary students have missed a lot of the typical high school and college experiences such as sports and clubs, graduation, and frosh activities. This could create some mixed emotions about starting classes this year.

“Recognize that there is some grieving,” says Dr. Boulos. Lack of enthusiasm, boredom, as well as anxiety with starting back in person could indicate there are some feelings that need to be addressed.

“Think about how this year was different. What were the things you feel that you’ve missed, and then when [you’re] able to identify what [you’ve] missed, you can grieve it,” she says. “If you don’t know why you’re feeling like this, it’s hard to grieve.”

Remember what you’ve already been through

The pandemic continues to create a lot of uncertainty for post-secondary students heading into this school year, and that too can create anxiety. But Dr. Boulos says it can be helpful for students to remind themselves that uncertainty isn’t new.

“You’ve already gone through a lot of this uncertainty in the last 17, 18 months. You’ve managed it,” she says, pointing to adjusting to wearing masks in school, learning online, ending high school or starting post-secondary differently than they thought they would.

“Remember, you have rolled with it already, you’ve gone through these things, and you will adapt,” she says. “You know that it’s possible.”

Set expectations

Students can manage their anxiety around uncertainty by focusing on what they can control, Dr. Boulos says. She suggests, for example, setting expectations with roommates beforehand, and if you’ll be far away from your support system of family and friends, making plans ahead of time on how you’ll stay in touch. It’s also important to establish routines for exercise and sleep.

“Those things [you] can control. Everyone is going to be having uncertainty, so what you do is you work with what you can control,” Dr. Boulos says.

Anxiety in social situations

She also says there will be students who are facing social anxiety as they go back to in-person classes, and possibly events, for the first time in two years.

“Social anxiety’s going to be there, that’s to be expected,” she says.

She suggests students struggling with social anxiety focus on “gradual, repeated exposure.” Start small and build up. For example, if you have a social activity, you could attend for a short period of time. You can leave if it becomes overwhelming, but it’s important to keep trying.

“You can always go back to your residence. But then, try it again,” she says. “If you start avoiding, it may get worse.”

The post How post-secondary students can manage back-to-class anxiety this fall appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Dr. Mark Boulos, a staff neurologist at Sunnybrook who specializes in sleep and stroke, offers some insight into the importance of sleep for children and how parents can encourage good sleep habits in their children.

Why good sleep matters

“Sleep is really important at all ages, but particularly for children because their bodies are going through so many changes,” says Dr. Boulos.

He says while a child who doesn’t get enough sleep might not fall asleep on their desk, sleep deprivation can cause irritability, behaviour issues or even difficulty in school.

“It will manifest in different ways,” Dr. Boulos says. “There’s important things your brain is developing at that time. It’s a really, really important age to be sleeping well.”

During the holidays, getting enough sleep will help children’s behaviour and moods to remain well-balanced. And the return to school in January will be an easier transition if children aren’t sleep deprived, says Dr. Boulos.

Establishing a sleep routine

One way parents can help kids struggling with sleep is to create some stability and routine around sleep. Dr. Boulos says now is a good time, shortly before school starts, to begin practicing that sleep routine with kids.

“Establishing a routine as far in advance as possible makes it feel more natural,” he says.

He suggests having a set bedtime for children and sticking to it as much as possible, even over the holidays, keeping in mind that school-aged children need nine to 12 hours of sleep per night.

“You have a set time: brush teeth, get tucked in, have some sort of relaxation technique to settle kids,” he says, giving the example of reading stories before bed.

He emphasizes that every family is different and it’s important to establish a sleep routine that works for your family, just keeping in mind what time kids need to be up in the morning.

And, as much as possible, have kids turn off their screens an hour before bedtime.

“When light shines in your eye, it has a waking effect. At night, if lights are flashing in your eyes from the screen, your brain actually thinks you need to be more awake and it can make you have a harder time falling asleep,” Dr. Boulos says.

Don’t forget physical activity

Encouraging kids to be physically active throughout the day will also help with sleep.

“If they’re physically active [and] intellectually active, by the time they reach nighttime, they will be so exhausted and they will fall asleep and sleep the whole night,” Dr. Boulos says.

He says if children are still struggling to fall or stay asleep with a good routine and physical activity during the day, parents shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to their family doctor.

“[Sleep] is very important. Healthy habits early in life will really project into healthy habits later as an adult,” Dr. Boulos says.

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