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Staying Healthy

Notes From Your Doctor: Tips to get started in Making Lifestyle Changes

Check out this collection of images containing useful resources.

Making long lasting sustainable lifestyle changes can seem overwhelming. Where do you start? Recognizing that nutrition can make the biggest impact on your health, you may want to start there. But your diet may already be very healthy/mostly plant based, so you may choose to work on increasing your exercise, improving your sleep, managing your stress or quitting smoking. Where you start is up to you. (If you aren’t sure where you should focus your energy, talk to us so we can help decide where you would get the biggest benefit!)

Once you have picked one area that you would like your work on, you can set a S.M.A.R.T. goal. (See “Notes from your Doctor: Setting a S.M.A.R.T. Goal”)

The first three images below give examples of some changes you might want to try. Start at the beginning with “Dip Your Toe In”. Once you have most of those covered, go on to “Wade into the shallow end”. Finally, when you are a lifestyle boss, look at “Dive all the way in”.

If you are looking to make changes, but don’t know what you need to work on, here is a quick interactive assessment tool (developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians) you can use that may point you in a useful direction: https://survey.fundacionmapfre.org/index.php/211124?lang=en

Please tell us about the changes you are making to improve your health! We would love to hear about your progress and support you in making change! If you have any questions at any point in the process, please ask us for help!”

Resource Gallery

Check out this collection of images containing useful resources.

Nutrition

An Introduction to Plant Based Nutrition

Physicians Association for Nutrition

Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition: Diet Quality

American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Canada’s Food Guide

Government of Canada

Calcium & Bone Health

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Cholesterol & Heart Disease

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Coconut & Palm Oil: Health Concerns

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Diet & Cognitive Health

Physicians Association for Nutrition

Diet & Planetary Health

Physicians Association for Nutrition

Fiber: Dietary Fiber

Gastrointestinal Society

Food & Cancer Prevention

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Full Plate Living: Free Resources with Great Information About Healthy Eating

Ardmore Institute of Health

Handy Portion Guide

Canadian Diabetes Association

View

Plant Based Eating For Athletes

Plant-Based Dr. Jules, MD

Plant Based Meat: Position Paper

Physicians Association for Nutrition

Prebiotics/Probiotics & Gut Health

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

The Protein Myth Factsheet

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Red & Processed Meat

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Soy & Health Factsheet

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Sports Nutrition

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Sweeteners: Artificial Sweeteners

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Artificial Sweeteners

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Vitamin D & Bone Health

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Full Plate Living: FREE RESOURCE with Great Information about Healthy Eating

Ardmore Institute of Health

Physical Activity

aerobic exercise

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Exercise & Arthritis

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Exercise & Bone Health

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Exercise & Seniors

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Exercise Suggestions for Health & for Specific Conditions

American College of Sports Medicine.

Exercise Walking

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Hip Fracture Prevention

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Physical Activity Guidelines: 0-4 Years Old

ParticipACTION

Physical Activity Guidelines: 5-7 Years Old

ParticipACTION

Physical Activity Guidelines: 18-64 Years Old

ParticipACTION

Physical Activity Guidelines: 65+ Years Old

ParticipACTION

Sports Nutrition

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Starting An Exercise Program

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Staying Active For Seniors

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Steps Counting Tool

Province of BC

Target Heart Rate: How to Calculate

Health Link BC

Target Heart Rate: Interactive Tool to Calculate 

Health Link BC

Warm Up, Cool Down & Be Flexible

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Sleep

Sleep Diary

Centre for Clinical Interventions

Sleep Facts

Centre for Clinical Interventions

Sleep For Your Teen

Canadian Pediatric Society

Sleep Hygiene

Centre for Clinical Interventions

Stress Reduction

Meditation: Free Guided Sessions

UCLA Health

Exercise & Stress Management

Centre for Clinical Interventions

Avoiding Risky Substances

Smoking & Musculoskeletal Health

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

General Resources About Substance Use & Addiction

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

Smoking & Musculoskeletal Health

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Alcohol Use Disorder Self Test

Alcohol Use Disorders ID Test

Social Connection

Accident Prevention

Burns & Scalds

Parachute

Choking

Parachute

Concussion Information 1

Parachute

Concussion Information 2

Parachute

Concussion Recognition Tool

Concussion in Sport Group

Drowning Prevention

Parachute

Falls in Children

Parachute

Falls in Seniors

Parachute

Fractures

American Society of Orthopedic Surgeons

Helmets

Parachute

Hip Fracture Prevention

American Society of Orthopedic Surgeons

Injuries

American Society of Orthopedic Surgeons

Poisoning

Parachute

Strangulation & Suffocation

Parachute