Strong Voices

When it comes to health, Cath Jeffares has one simple question: Who’s the boss of your health? Her answer? You are!  

Cath was once facing lifestyle diseases and struggling with her weight but turned her life around by putting more veggies on her plate. Now, as the CEO of Cath’s Kitchen, she’s on a mission to encourage people with intellectual disability to take charge of their health through a vibrant two-day workshop touring the North Island called Happy, Healthy Me.

Along with husband Shayne and supported by the generosity of IHC donors, Cath has visited hubs in Kapiti, Wellington, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Paeroa and New Plymouth.

The workshops are primarily for people living independently or those moving towards independent living, but others from assisted living have joined in along with their support workers.  

“If you don’t know why you need to eat good vegetables, why you need a good sleep, why you need to move your body every day, you won’t do it,” says Cath. “So, this is about some basic skills and easy knowledge.”

The first day of the two-day workshops is all about life skills – simple, powerful habits that can enrich lives.

To start, Cath whips up her famous ‘brain juice smoothie’ packed with greens, banana, juice and ground flaxseed. Then the group discusses good habits about diet and exercise. Cath uses photos and emoji prompts to help spark conversations about nutrition – like why bacon isn’t an everyday food (a surprise to many!) but also about naming emotions and physical feelings.

Cath promotes gratitude journals, drawing and walking in the fresh air to the group as tools to help with their mental and physical wellness.

The conversation moves onto exercise and how exercise isn’t just about gyms. “It’s vacuuming, walking the dog or dancing in the kitchen,” laughs Cath, who loved the way the groups encouraged each other to think of ways to be active.

Sleep is another hot topic. “We talk about how important sleep is to our health,” says Cath, “why it’s best to get to sleep before midnight and how devices in the bedroom can interrupt this.”

Then comes a chia-seed pudding – everyone is given a jar to shake up their chia-seed pudding (to music) and then it’s served for morning tea. Everyone goes home with recipes, a booklet and a laminated chart to put on the fridge where they can tick off daily habits like eating veggies and going for a walk.

The second day of the workshop involves hands-on cooking. “We’re reinforcing the messaging of the first day,” says Cath.

Together, the group makes overnight oats, cheeky chickpea nuggets and what Cath calls her ‘Really Great Salad’ – a rainbow of winter veggies including grated beetroot, carrots and red onion with kale and fresh greens, lemon juice and salt. They wrap it all up in a tortilla with a dollop of yoghurt and share kai together. And then there’s even a doughnut-in-a-mug microwave cake!

By the end of two days, everyone’s made new friends and learned new skills in a way that’s fun, friendly and delicious.

“Everybody deserves the health message,” Cath says. “No one should be left behind.”

Cath says the Happy Healthy Me programme is exactly the same as her mainstream workshops. “I might go a little slower,” she says, “but I haven’t changed anything.”

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Check out some of Cath’s videos on www.ihcmedia.org.nz and recipes on www.cathskitchen.co.nz

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Image caption: Cooking with Cath at IHC Kilbirnie Hub in Wellington.