To promote Mental Health Awareness week, ADTRAC decided to deliver a Food & Mood Wellbeing Day. A number of issues had been raised around food, such as participants being unable to afford to buy healthy meals resulting in body image issues and the increased use of foodbank parcels. We wanted to provide the participants with healthy and affordable menu options, and introduce the food groups needed for a balanced diet.
Seven participants were invited to the session which was held at The Hwb in Denbigh, and five turned up on the day. It was a gloriously sunny day, and the participants were greeted with an ADTRAC bag of goodies which included the following: A notebook for menu planning; Supermarket cost comparison list for shopping; Re-usable water bottle; Phone/laptop power bank; Food and Mood flyer; ADTRAC shopping bag and pen.
We started off with introductions to break the ice and the participants immediately bonded. We had a brief chat about why a healthy diet is important, and the types of foods to eat that are recognised to improve mood. We also discussed cooking on a budget and lunch options as opposed to buying pre-packed sandwiches. The participants tried a variety of healthy snacks such as walnuts, dried apricots, fruit and smoked fish (all of which surprisingly went down well). We all then filled our water bottles and set off on a scenic walk to Denbigh Castle. On the walk we all got to know each other, and it was nice to see how the participants were all getting along. We stopped for a photo opportunity outside of the castle, before going across the drawbridge to the sounds of horses and soldiers.
Everybody commented on how beautiful the views were from the castle, the Mental Health Nurse suggested we have a mindfulness session on the bank outside. We all sat in a circle and did a few minutes’ meditation in the glorious sunshine, before chatting about what makes us happy, such as hobbies and places. Several of the participants asked to see the old North Wales Hospital, so we walked to the entrance and discussed the history of the area, and the importance of it being in Wales. Prior to this, the majority of the patients only spoke Welsh, therefore language had been a barrier to improving their mental health as all hospitals in the area had been in England, and patients had been spoken to in English.
We then went back to The Hwb, where the participants prepped and cooked chicken fajitas. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed them, especially after feeling accomplished that they had prepared them independently. We had planned to take pictures of the food, but everyone tucked in too fast. We did manage to get a picture of all of us, along with some remainders of the food.
Feedback from the day was very positive, with all participants commenting on how they felt they had made great friendships from the day. Other feedback on what they had taken away from the day, included: ‘I learned a lot of new information on healthy eating and that you can still eat healthy on a budget’ and ‘Being one with nature’. The day had a positive impact on everyone involved. Due to the casual nature of the session, many barriers around anxiety that the participants may have had were broken down. The session ended up covering mindfulness practice, healthy eating, budgeting, confidence, local history and how to try and focus on positive steps towards goals.
