ABOUT
My name is Andrea Falcone. I am a graduate of McMaster University with a degree in Honours Life Sciences and from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition and Food. The most rewarding part of being a Nutritionist is being able to work with people to set lifestyle goals, helping them as they endure different obstacles and supporting them as they reach their nutrition goals and achieve better health from the information I share with them. I appreciate every opportunity that allows me to educate those around me, promoting good nutrition and active lifestyles.
Healthy living is a way of life that incorporates well-balanced meals and daily physical activity to meet everyone’s individual needs. Like anything, it takes some time to become accustomed to a “routine” that may fit your specific lifestyle, but with the proper knowledge of “healthy eating” and “active living” there are a number of ways to find balance and keep you as healthy as you can be. Essentially, the saying “you are what you eat” could not be more true, and it should be a reminder to us as we make our daily food choices. Your body is a machine that requires the proper fuels to keep it moving and for all of your organs to function at their optimum level. These “fuels” come from vegetables and fruit, whole grain products, meat and alternative products and dairy and alternative products. Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide is a great tool to help understand the basics of good food nutrition, and how to find a balance between each food group from day to day.
Feeding our bodies with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients will help keep our body systems in order. Adding a component of physical activity will further help us become healthier and stronger: developing stronger muscles and bones, strengthening your heart muscle with improved fitness and cardiovascular strength and helping to control your weight. These in turn help with overall energy levels, self-esteem, posture and balance, minimizing stress levels and increased relaxation allowing you to better carry out your daily rituals.
To build your endurance, strength and flexibility, it is recommended that adults carry out 30-60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. This can come from a trip to the gym, a walk around the block, or any activities of daily living such as gardening, cleaning the house, walking or riding your bike, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking half of your lunch break to go for a walk with co-workers.
Everything in life takes work, and finding a balance between good nutrition and active living with our busy lifestyles, families, extra-curricular activities and the number of other obstacles which lay in our paths, is no exception. It’s being open to trying new recipes, activities or daily routines while understanding the scope of the information that will help each person find their individual “healthy way of life”, and to further transcend this information to others around them: spouses, parents, children, friends, co-workers and others. This will help us each find our own individual path that ultimately leads to healthy eating and active lifestyles.
