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5/29/2019

mental health

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Tw: Mental Health

Hi kind krafters,

I recently shared a post on facebook about how I celebrating (sounds strange but I think it’s fitting) my seven year anniversary of being hospitalized. At this time seven years ago, my mental health was at an all-time low. I was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts and was in a very dark place. I had no regard for my future and very little hope. Tuesday May 22nd I was admitted to 4 South in the IWK after talking to health professionals for hours throughout the day. I was involved in therapy leading up to the day and lots of therapy sessions after. There was lots to overcome and I am proud to say that I am now a stronger woman because of my struggles with mental health.

In my post, I talked about how being able to reflect at the seven-year mark is such a gift. I never thought that I would be here seven years later, and definitely not living the life that I am now!! I am about to head into my final year of a Bachelor of Music degree, I have a black belt in karate, I have an amazing job at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market, I am a Youth Ambassador for this lovely non-profit, I am going to the President of the School of Music student society, I have friends and family who I love with all my heart and that - I can now say and believe – love me back! I have been able to figure out who I am, as well as learn how to recognize and acknowledge my strengths, and work on my weaknesses.

A main message that I want to try and communicate to anyone reading this, not to be cliché, is that it does get better! The hospital wasn’t a magic fix for me. I tried different anti-depressants that caused some issues for me and it definitely wasn’t a fun time. I had years of therapy and my road of recovery was NOT smooth sailing. I thought when I first entered university I was all good again, but my first year was actually a complete mess! I am not trying to make anyone nervous or upset, I just want to enforce that it will take time and a lot of hard work. Lean on your support systems! You may feel like a burden – you’re not- but you will appreciate everything in the end.

Another key thing for me, was getting involved with groups that made me feel happy. School was okay for me, but definitely not my happy place. My favourite spots were the dojo and choir rooms. These two activities helped me more than I can explain. Music speaks when words can’t and was an outlet for me to express my emotions through singing. Karate was a place I could release stress and calm my mind while practicing the 5 parts of the Dojo Kun. I think it is essential for people to find these outlets in their lives. I encourage people to try these new skills and take the risk of finding something that you love to do!

Thank you for reading this personal blog kind krafters! Please also know that you can always reach out to me to just talk or ask questions!! Sending lots of love xoxo

Rhi

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5/16/2019

food waste

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Hey kind krafters,

I recently started a student summer intern position in Wolfville where I am constantly learning about food production within Canada/Nova Scotia and ways that I can do better when purchasing food, creating food waste, and producing food. I thought I might share a few of my new findings with any of you reading this today in hopes that all of us can try to be a little bit better ☺

So first off, I thought I’d share a few facts that I’ve learnt about food waste in Canada

The average household wastes almost $1500 on uneaten food annually.
Over 30% of fresh produce doesn’t get eaten because consumers think it doesn’t look pretty enough to be eaten.
Canadians apparently waste so much food that researchers say we might as well throw a quarter of our groceries out when we leave the supermarket.
Over 50% of all food produced in Canada is lost or wasted.
A third of that wasted food could have been saved and used effectively.
Food that has been put into the garbage ends up at the landfills. This food creates methane gas in that environment which is 25% more damaging than carbon dioxide.
Consumers are so open to buying through using sales, but often end up throwing that food away.
$31 billion worth of food ends up being thrown away by Canadians every year, but there are 850 thousand Canadians using food banks every month.

Resources used :
https://globalnews.ca/news/2952243/food-waste-5-graphics-that-show-just-how-much-food-we-throw-away/
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-5-2018-1.4605392/how-bad-is-canada-s-food-waste-problem-among-the-world-s-worst-report-finds-1.4606012
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/food-waste-report-second-harvest-1.4981728
https://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/features/15-canadian-initiatives-trying-to-reduce-food-waste

Some ways that I try to have less food waste are …

By buying dried goods in bulk. I go to Bulk Barn or natural food stores and stock up on rice, lentils, spices, and pasta so that I can store as much as I need at that point in time. Then I can easily refill my containers when I need more.
By bringing my own containers and bags when I go shopping. If I know that a large Tupperware/Pyrex dish is equivalent to four meals then I will bring that when filling up with salad mix, or other fresh produce. I also try to plan ahead to think of which fresh veg/fruits I can use in other meals if they start to go a little bad. A cool thing to start doing is bring your containers and produce bags to your local farmers’ market so that you can pick how much you buy.
By growing your own produce! My roommates and I are all looking into growing our own microgreens, sprouts, strawberries, herbs, and baking our own bread. We have lots of plans to expand our gardening, but as students we have to be conscious of our space for gardening in a rental apartment with no garden ☺
By building a composter. I haven’t got around to doing this one yet, and I’m not sure how much success I will have while renting. However, here are some cool links for composters that are easy to use and make: https://backyardgrowers.com/23-ingenious-diy-compost-bin-ideas/, and https://www.diyncrafts.com/33618/home/gardening/35-cheap-easy-diy-compost-bins-can-build-weekend.

Another thing to think about when purchasing food is where does it come from? I have spoken to so many people recently both producers and consumers who have said that they are trying hard to only purchase food from within Nova Scotia. I’ve known some people who try to purchase from just within the Valley region too! I think this is a totally awesome idea and it forces you to support local and eat seasonally too! When you eat seasonally you have an awesome variety of food all year round! Not only does it taste great, it’s also so much more environmentally friendly! Look at this link for markets near you - https://www.novascotia.com/eat-drink/farmers-markets

Thanks for reading kind krafters! Please leave any of your suggestions for helping to decrease food waste in the comments – I’d love to learn more.

Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo

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