In spring 2016, Maria Depenweiller led a series of culinary master classes across Canada for a unique audience. Two companies that manufacture specialty medical foods organized low protein cooking demonstrations in order to help families with individuals who have inherited metabolic disorders to learn how to cook gourmet and simple dishes at home. Maria used low protein baking mixes and pastas to create full menu of low protein dishes and showcased her work in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.
As part of activity of her consulting business The Wooden Spoon (www.thewoodenspoon.ca) Maria focused on lack of communication between companies who manufacture the specialty foods, dietitians and the patients. Dietitians gave prescriptions and dietary advise, manufacturers provided the specialty foods but no one was available to demonstrate how these foods were supposed to be prepared. As most patients with inherited metabolic disorders were diagnosed in early childhood, cooking up a low protein meal was a puzzling task for mothers. A Professional Home Economist turned out to be the perfect fit to fill the gap between patients, food manufacturers and dietitians who closely follow their patients and adjust their dietary needs throughout their lifespan. Maria’s culinary demonstrations helped the patients to learn essential cooking skills, required to cook healthy home meals that fit their highly restrictive diets and provided useful tips on various uses of the specialty foods. According to the feedback the culinary events were a great success and were much appreciated by all – the organizers, the patients as well as the dietitians. Another round of similar events is expected for next year. Maria Depenweiller, P.H.Ec.
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My name is Juliana VanderMey. From my last name you have probably already guessed I am of Dutch descent. I grew up in the city of Mississauga, Ontario and moved to London, Ontario to pursue a degree in Foods and Nutrition at Brescia University College, affiliate of Western University. I have recently graduated with a BScFN Honours Specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Minor in Psychology. Throughout my degree I have taken advantage of many opportunities in the Foods and Nutrition field. One of my greatest achievements was working on a research project with Dr. Latifeh Ahmadi. Our research on Flixweed Oil was accepted for presentation at the 2015 American Oil Chemist's Society Annual Summit. I will be returning to Brescia to pursue a Professional Diploma in Dietetic Education and Practical Training in May of 2017 to pursue my dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian. Upon graduating from this degree, I hope to get into nutrition education to help increase awareness on various nutrition issues and the policies and guidelines associated with them.
My passions are not just limited to nutrition. In Mississauga I was very involved in music, playing Piano for 14 years and Baritone and Trombone for 4 years. This passion for music got me involved in Western's Marching Band as a Trombonist. Outside of school I am an avid budgie breeder, having raised around 20 chicks since starting off. Coincidentally, my nutrition degree came in handy with this as a breeding hen and her chicks require specific diets for optimal health and growth. Overall, I am a very proud alumni of Brescia, and am honoured to be accepted into the Ontario Home Economics Association. I hope to do great things with not only the RD designation, but also the PHEc designation. Thanks, Juliana VanderMey Carolyn Frail, P.H.Ec. The Board of Directors of the Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Carolyn Frail, P.H.Ec. as Association Coordinator.
A graduate of Ryerson University, with a BASc in Food and Nutrition, Frail is a Toronto-based Professional Home Economist with over 15 years of diversified experience in food and nutrition freelance writing, proposal writing, project management, strategic planning, consulting, sales and marketing for both profit and not-for-profit organizations. Carolyn’s background includes work for the Women’s Culinary Network, the Oat and Barley Council of Ontario, the Ontario Food Protection Association, Chapters, CIBC, President’s Choice Financial, and most recently Taste Canada – The Food Writing Awards. Embracing a passion for family, health and fitness, Carolyn lives in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto with her husband and their two children. Frail begins her full time positon with OHEA on May 11, 2016 and will leverage her experience and leadership skills to advance OHEA’s vision, support members, reach out to like-minded groups and dispatch OHEA messages to consumers. Carolyn Frail, P.H.Ec., can be reached at: carolyn@ohea.on.ca International Federation for Home Economics Press Release 21st March 2016 World Home Economics Day “Home Economics Literacy: Skills for Families and Consumers” Since 1982 the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) has celebrated World Home Economics Day (WHED). The purpose is to promote the significance of Home Economics and the Home Economics profession. The theme for the WHED 2016 is: “Home Economics Literacy: Skills for Families and Consumers”. The aim of the WHED 2016 is to communicate the major role Home Economics literacy has in contributing to family and consumer wellbeing and quality of life. “Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world” (UNESCO, 2016). The concept of Home Economics literacy is the multidisciplinary expression of several literacies such as food literacy, health literacy, financial literacy, consumer literacy and environmental literacy. Home Economics literacy connects elements such as knowledge, skills, culture, systems, and behaviours to enhance quality of life. The IFHE promotes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UN 10YFP on Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Sustainability is a consistent thread that is applied in Home Economics education.
The IFHE calls for:
On March, 28th, at the Allstream Centre on the grounds of Exhibition Place in Toronto, OHEA was honoured to welcome The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, as the first speaker of the day. Her Honour, who spoke of her home economics roots, was a true inspiration and reminded all delegates that Home Economists 'can be masters of change'. We are proud to share Her Honour's inspiring, thought-provoking words here... Paths of Possibility The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Toronto, March 28, 2015 Thank you so much for this invitation to be with you today. It is definitely a return to my roots – to the family of home economists.
It affords me an opportunity to say a very warm thank you to those who were among the very first to reach out with congratulations on my appointment as Lieutenant Governor just a few months ago. That recognition was very special to me. It has been a remarkable journey so far. I am also grateful because your request provided the motivation to reflect on my own challenges and opportunities as a home economist. Looking back over an exceptionally eclectic career I realize how very fortunate I have been to follow paths of possibility on which I continue to learn and grow. It’s been all about serendipity, seizing moments of opportunity and of course, inevitable transitions. Social scientists now speak of “life course frameworks”. I’m afraid I would be a very poor role model for that concept if it meant having a clearly defined path for my life. My career continues to be a work in progress. Each chapter, from teaching to public service at the provincial, federal and international levels and ultimately to the private sector has expanded my horizons and taught me valuable lessons. We live in a world where ideas cross borders as if they did not exist, where cyberspace is beyond national control and where the speed and magnitude of capital flows is incredible. The horror of the sheer brutality of how human beings are treating one another in various parts of the world is affecting all of us and has surely illuminated the extent of our interconnectedness and the fragility of a world of inequity. Two-thirds of humankind fall far short of having a decent quality of life. A billion people living in dire poverty alongside a billion living in splendour, in a world made smaller by cell phones and the internet is surely a recipe for social confrontation. The jury is still out on how to avoid a collision between growing ecological pressures, economic expansion and challenges to social cohesion. We are on the verge of a powerful new wave of health-related life sciences. With its capacity to re-create nature and even change what it means to be human, science and technology are forcing us to confront moral dilemmas and profound choices that will require deeper global dialogue and greater systemic thinking than we have ever achieved. But the real point of my few remarks this morning is to encourage you. Home economists can make a difference in this brave new world. We have always been able to bridge the natural and social sciences. We practice integration. Our focus has always been on ensuring a quality of life for individuals and families through understanding and modifying the ‘near environment’. And we certainly have been agile and capable of responding to change. We’ve learned to live with ambiguity. (No one seems to have written a job description tailor-made for a home economist.) I am a home economist and I believe that we are uniquely qualified to influence the course of events. Most of my working life I’ve been asked questions like – “What’s a home economist doing in charge of Canada’s weather service?” My answer is really “Why not?” This world needs thinking, caring, ethical human beings who have a responsibility for those with whom they live and the environment in which they live. We must not be mere observers of the changes taking place around us. In the 1980s Canadian home economists were asking questions about our professional identity, undertaking a navel-gazing process of defining precisely what is it that we do, worrying about the seeming indifference to the profession among recent graduates and being concerned that our work did not seem to merit prestige. But I believe in the potential of home economists. That we can be masters of change – the right people in the right place at the right time. There is no simple set of instructions on how to proceed in turbulent times. Transcending limits is now a core competency and I dare to suggest that most of you have felt outside your comfort zone – and that’s not about to change. The walls we have to scale are most often the walls within our minds. To achieve a world that works for everyone will require uncommon dedication, creativity and energy. I have no doubt that home economists, with a commitment to social justice, generosity of spirit and tolerance can make a difference. I wish you well in your individual and collective journeys and I thank you in advance for the contributions that I know you will make. Thank you to our friends at Care2 for their support of the OHEA petition urging the Government of Ontario to make at least one food and nutrition course compulsory! Petition Urges Ontario to Make Food & Nutrition Compulsory ***http://www.care2.com/go/z/ontfoodcrs*** A Care2 petition from the Ontario Home Economics Association has gathered more than 1,000 signatures OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- The Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) is calling on the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to make at least one food and nutrition course a requirement for students to complete their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The Care2 petition has 1,061 signatures. VIEW THE PETITION HERE: http://www.care2.com/go/z/ontfoodcrs The OHEA wants to ensure all students receive food education to help them make informed decisions about what they eat. One in three Canadian children and youth are overweight or obese -- a threefold increase in the past 30 years, according to recently published research in the journal BMC Pediatrics. Hospitals that treat severe childhood obesity, like the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, report long waiting lists for children hoping to enter their programs. Doctors who specialize in treating childhood obesity have found an alarming number of preschoolers are overweight or obese -- some have difficulty moving and develop sleep-disordered breathing and sleep apnea. As the OHEA says, “Ontario grads can be part of the solution to reduce the strain on healthcare by reducing risks of obesity, Type II diabetes and high blood pressure. They could save more of their hard-earned income by spending less on food and benefit from family time around the dinner table!” Educating all students about food and nutrition choices is essential to help them lead healthy lifestyles, OHEA says. Today, few children learn to cook and prepare meals at home,. At the same time, they are bombarded with advertising urging them to eat fast food and highly processed foods. OHEA hopes a nutrition course will help students understand food labels, stick to a food budget, and reduce food waste -- these are life-time skills. In 2013, the Ontario Ministry of Education released 20 new and revised Family Studies courses, several of which are related to food and nutrition. The OHEA’s Care2 petition calls for these courses to be prioritized and to make healthy eating and food literacy a focus for all students. With more than 25 million engaged members, Care2 (www.Care2.com) is the largest online community of activists, now in its 15th year of making a difference for the environment, human and animal rights, and other causes. Care2.com, Inc. is a B Corporation, or social enterprise, using the power of business as a force for good.
by Sandra Venneri, B.Sc. (Hon), P.H.Ec. We hear buzz words all the time in the health, nutrition and food industries. The one that I believe that covers so many bases that everyone should know is Food Literacy. Becoming part of a new generation of Professional Home Economists (P.H.Ec.) was a very easy decision to make when applying for my designation. It was my way of life. It is something today's society views as very traditional, almost 1950s-ish, yet is more relevant than ever! Food literacy is a part of what a PHEc is able to teach, mentor or guide families, individuals and community groups in. It encompasses not only food and cooking skills, but grocery budgets, local foods and farmers (think farm to fork initiatives), environmental sustainability and food security, backyard and container gardens and so much more. At a time with obesity and health issues on the rise, everyone finds preventative health a priority. Yet there are many obstacles to leading a healthy life in this fast-paced, technologically driven world. So the Ontario Home Economics Association has launched a new website, www.food-literacy.ca, to promote how to get back to the basics of learning, building self-confidence as well as encouraging our communities to get excited and more knowledgeable about our food in so many different ways. I encourage you to visit the website and learn more about Food Literacy and the buzz surrounding it. We are not born with the knowledge and skills in food, cooking and nutrition; it is learned and some recent generations and people have missed out on this lesson - maybe even you! And we can always learn more than we did before (never stop learning and growing). Check out the website and you might just find out something new and interesting that will make your day easier or your lifestyle even better. After all, everyone has to eat every day to provide nourishment for body, mind and soul. So let's get back to the basics that might have been lost along the way. Please visit http://www.ohea.on.ca/uploads/1/2/6/0/12605917/food_literacy_release.pdf for a great article by Mary V. Carver, P.H.Ec. recently published on the same topic. Sandra Venneri is a Professional Home Economist with a degree in Nutritional & Nutraceutical Sciences. She is currently working towards becoming a Registered Dietitian at Brescia University College. Her passion for a holistic life is evident on her social media sites. Twitter: @nutritionbites8, Facebook: nutritionbitescanada and Instagram: nutritionbites. by Mary Carver, P.H.Ec. Food Preservation – The Science You Eat is an exciting new exhibit that opened at the Agriculture & Food Museum at the Canada Experimental Farm on Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa on May 13th. ‘The exhibit highlights the role science plays in delaying food decay and keeping food nutritious and safe from farm to fork. In this interactive museum experience, explore the fascinating world of food preservation both at home and in larger scale operations. Learn the scientific reason why long-used methods of food preservation continue today and discover new innovations that will affect our food choices into the future. You’ll find something to feed your mind and imagination on the menu!’ Ottawa-based Professional Home Economist and food preservation expert, Ellie Topp, author and co-author of several cookbooks including The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving served as a volunteer on the National Advisory Committee for two years planning the exhibit. The outcome is impressive! The exhibit is another not-to-be-missed attraction to Ottawa and to Canada’s museums. It appeals to those who recall Grandma’s kitchen, to kids of all ages and to those taking up food preservation as a modern-day trend to improve food literacy. Learn more here! Ellie Topp, P.H.Ec. (L) and Kerry-Leigh Burchill, Director General for Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, members of the Advisory Committee, stand before an impressive showcase of preserved food at the New Preservation Exhibit. Mary V. Carver, P.H.Ec., is an Ottawa-based Professional Home Economist and an active member of the Ontario Home Economics Association. Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) a self-regulated body of Professional Home Economists, promotes high professional standards among its members so that they may assist families and individuals to achieve and maintain a desirable quality of life. For further information, please contact: Ontario Home Economics Association, 1225 Meadowview Rd., RR #2 Omemee, ON K0L 2W0 Phone: 705-799-2081 / Email: info@ohea.on.ca / Website: www.ohea.on.ca OHEA is grateful for support from the Gwenyth Bailey Simpson Communications Award provided by the Canadian Home Economics Foundation Although peer-reviewed, this release may not reflect the views of all OHEA members. Ontario Home Economics Association © 2014 by Mary Carver, P.H.Ec. Two keywords appear in definitions of food literacy – ‘knowledge and skills.’ The Food Literacy for Life Study (2013) describes “a set of skills and attributes that help people sustain the daily preparation of healthy, tasty, affordable meals for themselves and their families.” Knowledge of food security and local food further explains food literacy. Despite healthy lifestyle trends, there is growing concern about a general lack of time, knowledge and skills to prepare healthful, affordable meals at home. Kids today rarely learn to cook. Families microwave a commercially prepared entrée, or eat-out en route to their next activity. Not a serious issue − until the habit becomes a frequent practice. And it does! Author Michael Pollan says “the problem is that what we often eat, is not real food. We’re consuming it on the run – in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone.” Home cooking began to decline in the mid 1960’s about the time more women sought employment outside the home. The food industry was quick to liberate women from the kitchen after a long workday. Disposable income had increased. Processed food, prepared entrees and fast food outlets answered the call for help. Ready-to-eat and super-sized servings increased consumption of fat, sugar and sodium. As rates of home cooking decreased, rates of obesity increased. It seems Type II diabetes and heart disease followed suit. Clearly, home cooking has benefits! Rosie Swartz, RD writes, “It’s pretty tough to meet nutrition recommendations unless you’re making meals yourself. A Community Health Study showed that Canadians consume a daily average of 3,000 milligrams of sodium. Twice the daily recommendation! The culprit? Processed foods which deliver a whopping 77% of that sodium.” Consider this! We have more control over what we eat than we do over many other aspects of our lives! “We need to understand food from the ground up” claims the Harvard University Food Literacy Project. People must know where and how food is produced to make more-informed choices. Produce that spends ten days in transport or two weeks in a fridge has lost some valuable nutritional benefit. Everyone needs food skills. Bill Hullah, President of the Community Share Food Bank, Toronto, says, “Recipients will turn down good quality donated produce when they don’t know how to prepare it.” “Improved food literacy would advance the health of Canadians,” the Conference Board of Canada reports. Many people can’t understand food labels, make a meal at home, stick to a food budget or reduce food waste. The irony? Those exact topics are integral parts of high school Family Studies curriculum. Home Economics was re-branded Family Studies, years ago. Twenty new and revised Family Studies courses were released by the Ontario Ministry of Education in 2013. Several of these optional courses are Food and Nutrition related and need to be prioritized. Healthy eating must be a focus in all grades. Family Studies curriculum tucks under the Social Sciences and Humanities umbrella (Ontario Ministry of Education). Home Economists call on the Government of Ontario to make at least one Food & Nutrition course compulsory. They also call on individuals to improve food literacy at home and in the community. Many families claim they simply don’t have time to prepare meals from scratch; others complain food is too expensive. A well-stocked pantry and a repertoire of easy recipes, are invaluable in the quick preparation of healthful, budget-friendly meals from scratch. The secret is in the ‘planning’ to save time and money, reduce waste and the recurring temptation to eat-out. Whether destined for college, university or the workplace, all students need food education to put healthful, safe, affordable meals on the table. That’s a societal responsibility. Tips to Improve Food Literacy
Mary V. Carver, P.H.Ec., is an Ottawa-based Professional Home Economist and an active member of the Ontario Home Economics Association. Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) a self-regulated body of Professional Home Economists, promotes high professional standards among its members so that they may assist families and individuals to achieve and maintain a desirable quality of life. For further information, please contact: Ontario Home Economics Association, 1225 Meadowview Rd., RR #2 Omemee, ON K0L 2W0 Phone: 705-799-2081 / Email: info@ohea.on.ca / Website: www.ohea.on.ca OHEA is grateful for support from the Gwenyth Bailey Simpson Communications Award provided by the Canadian Home Economics Foundation. Although peer-reviewed, this release may not reflect the views of all OHEA members.
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