Live More Abundanlty Facilitator Manual Version 8.1

V8.
LIVE MORE
abundantly
Facilitators Guide
1|P age
v.8.1
Facilitator Name:
Location:
My ADRA Supervisor:
My ADRA Supervisor Contact Number:
Live More Abundantly
A lifestyle education program developed by ADRA Australia, with messages characteristically found
universally in Lifestyle Medicine interventions, using the REFLECT approach.
Acknowledgements
Live More Abundantly (LMA) drew inspiration from the following sources during its development, and
acknowledges them and thanks them for their significant contribution to lifestyle medicine:
Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) https://chiphealth.com.au
146 Fox Valley Road (PO Box 129)

Wahroonga NSW 2076
Australia
Email: info@adra.org.au
Phone: 1800 242 372 (Australia) or +61 9489 5488 (Int)
February 2022
2|P age
v.8.1
Contents
Live More Abundantly Sessions Overview ......................................................................................................6
About The Live More Abundantly Program ....................................................................................................7

Position Statement ......................................................................................................................................7
The Live More Abundantly position on Tobacco, Alcohol, Caffeine, Meat and Dairy ............................7
The Eating Continuum ............................................................................................................................8
How to use the Live More Abundantly Manual ..............................................................................................9
Facilitators Role ..............................................................................................................................................9
What is facilitation? ....................................................................................................................................9

Facilitator Scope of Practice .................................................................................................................10
What kind of learning styles are there?....................................................................................................11

What are the skills of a good facilitator? ..................................................................................................12
Program delivery tips ............................................................................................................................13

Cultural Adaptation...................................................................................................................................13
Preparation ...................................................................................................................................................14
Timeline ....................................................................................................................................................14
Checklist for a LMA (Live More Abundantly) Program .............................................................................15
Materials and Resources Checklist ...........................................................................................................15

Important Notes and Guidelines...............................................................................................................17
Understanding the Icons...........................................................................................................................17
Measurements ..............................................................................................................................................18
How, When and Where Measurements are Taken ...................................................................................18
Blood Testing ........................................................................................................................................19

Normal Ranges ......................................................................................................................................19
Food Management........................................................................................................................................22
Session Contents ...........................................................................................................................................23

Session 0rientation ...................................................................................................................................24
Introduction to Live More Abundantly .................................................................................................24

Session 1 ...................................................................................................................................................28
Session 3 ...................................................................................................................................................46
Session 4 ...................................................................................................................................................59
Session 5 ...................................................................................................................................................71
Goals Window ...........................................................................................................................................83
3|P age
v.8.1
Session 6 ...................................................................................................................................................84
Session 7 ...................................................................................................................................................96
Session 8 ................................................................................................................................................ 105
Session 9 ................................................................................................................................................ 117

Session 10 .............................................................................................................................................. 133
Session 11 .............................................................................................................................................. 144
Session 12 .............................................................................................................................................. 157

Session 13 .............................................................................................................................................. 171
APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................... 198

Jumpstart............................................................................................................................................... 199
Food Preparation Guide ........................................................................................................................ 203

Kitchen Makeover ................................................................................................................................. 205
Herbs and Spices ................................................................................................................................... 211
Menu Idea’s – Pacific Foods .................................................................................................................. 213

Menu Idea’s – Indo-Fijian Foods ........................................................................................................... 216
Menu Idea’s – Discover New Foods ...................................................................................................... 219
Energy in Taro prepared 4 different ways ............................................................................................ 222
Nutrients in Taro prepared 4 different ways ........................................................................................ 223
My Food Decision .................................................................................................................................. 224

Goals Window ....................................................................................................................................... 225
4|P age
v.8.1
Dear Facilitator,
I am delighted you have accepted the role of facilitator with the Live More Abundantly
(LMA) Program. LMA facilitators are to motivate and encourage local participants through
their healthy lifestyle education journey. With your personal touch, sense of humour and
guidance from the facilitator’s guide, each LMA session will be a lot of fun and a stepping-
stone for participants to make changes in their health and wellbeing.
Good health is so important that ADRA decided to develop a lifestyle intervention program
with Vitality Works and field experts. The goal of this initiative is to assist our ADRA partners,
churches and communities in the Pacific, Asia and in Africa to bring about transformative
change in people’s lives through better health. Through the LMA program, individuals can
prevent, stop, and reverse non-communicable diseases and enjoy a healthy life!
As sons and daughters of God, we are invited to live life to the full so that we can better serve
our neighbours and even our enemies. When we are healthy, we can do that!
Just like any skill, facilitation takes practice and effort, but it is a lot of fun and rewarding.
Seeing people change their lives, becoming healthier and more active in their community is a
privilege, and you will experience it. As you facilitate the LMA program and receive feedback
from the participants, please share it with our ADRA team members. Our aim is to keep the
facilitator’s guide relevant to your context and easy to use, and to do that, we need your
continuous feedback.
Thank you for your commitment towards people’s health and wellbeing!
Denison Grellmann
Chief Executive Officer
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia and New Zealand
5|P age
v.8.1
Live More Abundantly Sessions Overview
Number SESSION TITLE LIFESTYLE PRINCIPLE / FOOD OTHER
FUNDAMENTAL
1 What is Lifestyle Disease Introduction to Jumpstart Baseline Measures
(The Problem) Lifestyle Disease Health card
2 Lifestyle Medicine for Water Drinks that heal Feet assessment

Lifestyle Disease and harm
(A solution)
3 Eating for Health Plants foods Root / staple
(Making positive choices) foods
4 Changing health one step Activity Beans and

at a time Sleep legumes
(The value of movement)
5 I can choose to change Goal setting Green Foods
my life
(Goal setting and review)
6 What’s in good food? Good choices Yellow and Red
(Understanding food) and orange
Foods
7 Diabetes Health weight Reading food
(Exploring an NCD) labels
8 Cancer, Heart Disease Refrain smoking / Taste bud reset

and other NCD's alcohol Restocking
(Understanding the wider pantries
impact of lifestyle
diseases)
9 How others impact my Positive relationship Immunity

health and the healing boosting foods
properties of Forgiveness
(How relationships can
affect health)
10 Helping yourself to health Managing my health Grains – good

(How actions influence and poor
health)
11 Living an Abundant life Faith and purpose Celebration

(Living a life of Purpose) foods
12 Be knowledgeable Support weight

Why measures matter about health loss with food
(How to monitor my
health)
13 Review Review learnings Celebration

meal together
6|P age
v.8.1
About The Live More Abundantly Program
What is it?
The Live More Abundantly program is an interactive program designed to educate and support
individuals who want to prevent, stop, or reverse non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular
disease and diabetes) caused by their everyday lifestyle choices.
It encourages people to take control of their personal health through positive lifestyle and food
choices, however it is important to understand that the program
 is not a medical treatment program.
 is not a promise of disease reversal.
 is not a guarantee of specific health outcomes.
 is not a substitute for working with a personal medical practitioner.
 does not require you to eat a particular diet .
 is not to be used to promote personal biases, health supplements or product sales.
Position Statement
The Live More Abundantly (LMA) program promotes Lifestyle Modification to achieve positive outcomes
in health and lifestyle disease management. However, we also understand that each person on a lifestyle
health journey will make their own decisions as to how they implement what they learn.
The following illustrates the Live More Abundantly position in relation to diet, tobacco, and alcohol.
The Live More Abundantly position on Tobacco, Alcohol, Caffeine,

Meat and Dairy
7|P age
v.8.1
We believe that abstinence produces the best health outcomes.
We promote and advocate “less is more,” with the ideal being “none at all.” Our role is to help
people on their journey to better health.
NOTE: The science indicates that, plant-based eating gives the best outcomes for disease reversal.
The Eating Continuum
Live More Abundantly is not a vegan program! It is about making good choices.
Live More Abundantly helps individuals learn about the influence of lifestyle choices on personal
health and seeks to encourage people move from the left side of the spectrum to the right side
8|P age
v.8.1
How to use the Live More Abundantly Manual
The resources contained in this manual will help you effectively prepare and deliver Live More
Abundantly sessions in communities. You are supplied with instructions, advice, and tools to
support your role as a facilitator.
As this resource is provided in English, you may need to support your group with local language
interpretation, however it is important that you do not change the meaning or context of the
content.
You will receive initial training in how to use the resource, however we encourage you to take the
time to get to know the manual and all it contains, and this will provide clarity and organisation to
your programs.
It is important that you use the LMA material fully and not share personal biases. You must
understand your limitations, and if you are not qualified do not offer any medical advice.
Facilitators Role
What is facilitation1?
Facilitation is the act of engaging participants in creating, discovering, and applying learning.
Effective facilitation is about working with people and assisting individuals with their interactions
and discussion.
As a facilitator you will have the opportunity to make a positive contribution to individuals by:
− understanding your role and responsibilities

− being familiar with and understand all the LMA resources
− delivering the information for each session
− motivating, supporting, and encouraging the people in your group
− providing resources at the first session and throughout the program
− leave facilities neat and tidy when finished
− communicating weekly with your supervisor
− keep an attendance book and notes regarding sessions available for supervisor review
− complete reporting requirements as required by ADRA Australia
− organise village celebration(s) with village chief (in cooperation with Supervisor)
And lastly, ideally you will also be the lifestyle medicine journey too. If this is new to your, then
start on the journey with your first group! Keep a diary or journal of your progress!
1
Facilitation - Communication Skills Training from MindTools.com
Facilitation Toolkit (dbca.wa.gov.au)
9|P age
v.8.1
Facilitator Scope of Practice
Facilitator roles
Facilitators will have a number of responsibilities and it is important that each undertakes their role
within their education level and competency.
It is important that the program is organized and delivered well, being respectful of local customs
and values. At times this may mean adjusting the way in which activities are carried out, the timing
of the program and who presents from the front.
It is important to:
Be an educator, mentor, and cheerleader:

LMA is an education program that teaches the process of disease reversal, however each person
who joins the program will need support and encouragement as they make lifestyle change choices.
Offer Support:
LMA is designed to assist people wanting to stop, halt or turn around chronic disease.
Know and practice your resources prior to each session:

The Live More Abundantly (LMA) program is designed to be presented by any person who is familiar
with and supports the lifestyle fundamentals taught IF the resources are presented unaltered.
Include all participants:

The LMA program is intended to be used as general information and is not a specific treatment plan
for a disease or person.
Provide general principles/fundamentals:

The LMA does not promise specific results, as each person will implement the principles/
fundamentals in their own way, producing results that will differ.
Be clear and accurate:

Facilitators are responsible for ensuring all information is provided to participants in each session in
a clear and relevant manner, using resources supplied.
Refer to a suitable health professional:
10 | P a g e
v.8.1
If specific comment or treatment is required by a person for their disease, it is recommended that
they consult with their doctor, dietician, or other appropriate health professional. This includes
adjustment of medication.
Offer extra or personalized information only if you are qualified to do so:

Where the LMA team is presented by or supported by a doctor, dietician etc., the information may
be personalized and extended in accordance with their qualifications and knowledge.
Be part of the team:

Be clear on the responsibilities that each person will assume. Have a clear program leader.
Understand reporting responsibilities. Support each other as needed.
Manage participants expectations:

Facilitators may at times need to remind individuals that we each carry different diseases and
disease risks. While the LMA program teaches the principles/ fundamentals of stopping, preventing
and even reversing disease, it is up to the individual to personalize these and put them into practice.
Therefore, it is to be expected that people will have slightly different outcomes.
What kind of learning styles are there234?
Everyone learns in different ways; here are some different learning styles. Test them out with your
group and see how your participants learn best.
See and read to learn. Visual learners need to see how something is done. People
with this learning style learn through reading, pictures, videos, drawings, and
demonstrations.
Tips:
• Utilise LMA resources including flipbooks, and ...
Visual • Give people time and space to understand a task before asking questions
about their understanding
• Consider using drawings
2
Dr. Neil Fleming VARK Model (learning style) - need to find reference. It is known as VAK or VARK (r = reading
and writing, but would be best to use the VAK version)
3
Images from microsoft word
4
Examples from Visual Learning Style: Traits and Study Strategies (thoughtco.com)
11 | P a g e
v.8.1
Listen and talk to learn. This learning style is based on sounds. People with this
learning style learn through listening, of self or others, of sounds and noises.
Tips:
• Allow for small group discussions so participants can learn from each other
• Use people’s names
Audio • Set some time aside for questions and answers
Move and do to learn. This learning style is based in movement. People with this
learning style learn by practical hands-on experiences, including touching, feeling,
holding, and doing.
Tips:
• Get a participant/s to help with your demonstrations
Physical • If you can see people losing interest, pause the session and get everyone to
(kinaesthetic) stand up and stretch or move around
• Spread notes around the room and allow the participants to walk around to
look at the notes
What are the skills of a good facilitator5?
1. Communicate instructions clearly and listen to all

• You may need to adapt your session in a way that is understood by your group, particularly
when explaining unfamiliar topics including health and body function.
• Find ways of encouraging participants (possibly by home-visits)
2. Be self-aware
• Set aside your own needs, thoughts, and emotions in service of the group. You are not
leading discussion; you are simply facilitating it.
• It is important that you as a facilitator recognise your limitations and learn when you need to
ask for help, it is ok to not have all the answers. Here are some tips to approach the
situation:
o Health related question (if outside your scope of practice – see page…): ‘That is a
great question. I am not a medical professional (or I am unsure of the answer), but I
will refer this to one and let’s return to back to this question when I have more
information’.
o Program related question: you may refer to your manual, or, if you are still unsure
write down questions to share with the ADRA Supervisor and you might say ‘I am
not sure, let me talk to my supervisor, and let’s return to this question next session’.
3. Manage time effectively

• You could provide a set amount of time for discussions or activities.
5
Some information from TGEU Transgender Europe; Top 10 Dos and Don’ts for Effective Facilitation | MURAL
Blog
12 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Be flexible and balance the need for participation with the need to keep things running
efficiently. This may mean you need to cut discussions short.
4. Have fun!
• Let this be a fun experience for the participants, find ways of engaging the participants
throughout the program by making it relatable to their understanding.
• Help participants understand that being healthy does not have to be boring.
Program delivery tips
- Be organized
- Have resources ready
- Make sure the group know what is expected of them during a program and in preparation
for future programs.
- Keep the program interesting
- Don’t dwell too long on one topic, as this will reduce the time you spend on the rest of your
program and may mean important information is missed.
- Don’t allow one or two people to take over your program with personal questions or
comments. This program is for all
- Direct your questions respectfully to all.
- Start as close to time as possible
- Finish on time.
Cultural Adaptation
This LMA manual and accompanying resources, will be used in different countries and across
different cultures. While the fundamentals taught are applicable across all, the manner of teaching
and how they are adapted in local lives will differ. For example, some foods used in Fiji, may not be
found in Papua New Guinea, but others may be used as replacement.
The Live More Abundantly program is intended for use in different villages, cities, islands, and
countries, each with their own language and culture.
The program is to be respectfully delivered within each situation. This will include:
1. Be aware of power, how it may affect communication and dynamics in a group

• People from some social groups (e.g., males) are socialised to talk more, to believe their
ideas are more valuable, not to listen or respect people who aren’t part of their social group.
• If you see one person take over a discussion, here are some tips to approach the situation:
13 | P a g e
v.8.1
o Acknowledge and move on – for example:
‘That is a really good point, but I want to move us back to the activity’, or ‘that is a really
good point, I will make a note of it and if there is time we can return to this discussion’
o Draw others into the conversation – for example:
‘Does anyone have thoughts on what he/she is saying here?’ or ‘I noticed (name) got cut
off earlier, did you have something to add?’
2. Use local examples within activities.

• Most activities are to be completed by participants. To start the conversation examples have
been provided. Facilitators can adapt these to a local situation if needed.
3. Prepare local foods using locally accepted ingredients.

• The LMA program will be the most be successful when people have understood principles
and applied them to their lives, this includes using local foods and trying different ways of
cooking that improve their health properties.
4. Simplify language if needed.

• Many of the concepts used in understanding lifestyle and lifestyle medicine can be scientific
and complex.
• While most have been simplified for this program, the English scientific name may need to
be used with others as there is no word that translates into local language.
• You may wish to highlight these words and obtain a local definition during your program
preparation time.
Preparation
A facilitator that is well prepared will find the program less stressful and provide a good learning
environment for participants. Your facilitator manual includes a number of checklists and handouts
that will help with organisation, however if you feel other resources would have helpful, please let
your ADRA supervisor know.
Timeline
Start your planning with a timeline before anything else. This will allow you to accommodate your
other responsibilities while making sure you can fully complete the delivery of the LMA program.
Once you have a community group identified you will be able to refine your actual dates.
With some variations, the following timeline indicates the expected progress of the work.
14 | P a g e
v.8.1
Eligibility Criteria for Participation in LMA Program
A person may be eligible to participate if he or she:
• Lives permanently in the village (for the duration of the program cycle)
• Is above 18 years
• Has a waist circumference of ≥92cm for men and ≥80cm for women, as levels at and above
these are indicative of risk of NCD.
• Be prepared to engage in the Live More Abundantly program for at least 3 months
• Be able to provide their own meals, because this would enable compliance with the
program’s dietary recommendations.
Exclusion criteria include:
• Has unstable angina – any sort of chest discomfort

• Has experienced a myocardial infarction within the previous 12 months
• Has had coronary by-pass surgery within the previous 12 months
• Has other medical contraindication for dietary change or increased physical activity, as
determined by the Health Professional
• Has chronic infectious disease/s, as participants’ illness may affect participation in the
program
Checklist for a LMA (Live More Abundantly) Program
The following checklist will help you prepare and conduct your program. If you have any queries check
with your ADRA facilitator.
❑ Where you see the box symbol at the start of a sentence, you may choose to use it to indicate
you have completed an aspect of preparation.
Materials and Resources Checklist
Each session will require the use of resources to illustrate or demonstrate the principles you are
teaching.
A list of resources is provided at the beginning of each session. It is important to know what
resources are needed and to have these well prepared.
In addition, you will need the following resources at the start of your program:
❑ Facilitators’ notebook for your own personal notes
❑ Workbooks for each participant
❑ Attendance book
❑ Pens (for facilitator and one for each participant)
❑ Blackboard or 2 rolls of flip chart paper or brown paper rolls (or similar)
❑ Chalk or 2 sets of markers for flip charts
15 | P a g e
v.8.1
❑ Resources to complete measurements as needed.
Print and use the following page as a checklist
Before program commences:

❑ Attend required ADRA LMA support training
❑ Understand your budget and identify all costs for the program
❑ Schedule - Develop a proposed program schedule for all sessions. Note any holidays or school
holidays or other important days and have a plan in case a session needs to be postponed.
❑ Venue - Organise a venue and ensure you have all permissions.
❑ Assessment - Undertake community assessment for eligibility
❑ Health Assessments - Organise who will complete baseline measurements including dates when
this is to be done.
❑ Have ADRA reporting templates ready.
❑ Have Health Assessment Reporting templates ready.
Before EVERY session:

❑ Read the session through completely at least 4-5 times.
❑ If you are unsure about any aspect, contact your ADRA supervisor to help.
❑ Prepare all resources needed for activities
❑ Prepare any documents to be handed out
❑ Identify and prepare for food sampling and food demonstration, including have recipe available.
❑ Understand what people need to do before the next session (i.e., bring a container for an
activity)
❑ Make sure you have followed up on any questions from the previous session.
At first session
❑ Confirm the meeting schedule with participants.
❑ Handout workbooks and any other materials.
❑ Create attendance register
For all sessions

❑ Sign in each participant on arrival.
❑ Take notes of interesting discussion points for feedback to ADRA and LMA
❑ Write down any medical questions and give them to your ADRA Supervisor for a response
❑ Provide feedback to participants when you have an answer.
❑ Inform the ADRA supervisor immediately if someone get sick during the course
❑ Communicate regularly with the ADRA supervisor
❑ Complete all measurements as required by ADRA LMA.
After program:
❑ Help organise the community celebration.
❑ Participate in the community celebration.
❑ Complete ADRA reports.
❑ Provide relevant feedback that will improve the LMA program.
❑ Complete end of program survey and provide report to ADRA.
Please note: Sessions should NOT be merged (even if you are running late with the schedule)
16 | P a g e
v.8.1
Important Notes and Guidelines
Facilitator Manual and Sessions
• You will see the word Principle is usually used with the word Fundamental. The LMA teaches
health principles, however this word does not translate into other languages, whereas the
word fundamental is similar and may be easier to translate.
• Anything in italics is for the Facilitators reference only.
• We recommend you read through the session plan four or five times, so you are prepared
and not surprised during the program
• You may notice on occasion a bracket with no words in it such as this (…….), this allows you
or your participants to provide a response.
• Create a box or bag or suitcase with your resources that is easy to transport.
Session considerations
• Arrive early to set up and always start on time

• Plan to have sessions where possible at the same meeting time and place
• Have flip charts written up in advance or make notes on the blackboard. This will save you
time during your session and provide clarity for your group. Each session will contain words
highlighted in orange that are recommended to be written up.
• Make sure everyone in the session has the opportunity to share in a conversation.
• Take notes during the session, including questions you are unable to answer to give to your
ADRA Supervisor (they will refer the questions to medical professionals)
• Find ways to help people catch up with missed sessions
• Children – if children attend any session have something for them to do to make sure
parents can participate without distractions. This could include a picture to colour in, some
children’s books to look at etc.
Understanding the Icons
Welcome
This means to welcome everyone to the start of the session
Explain / Present
Information needs to be shared with the participants
Ask / Questions
Facilitator to ask question, or ask participants if they have any questions
Activity
This may include question and answer, food presentation, demonstrations
Group discussion
Facilitator to encourage participants to contribute to the group discussion to help with
communal understanding
17 | P a g e
v.8.1
Workbook activity
Refer participants to their own LMA workbook.
Ask participants to provide answers (this could be in the form of words or pictures
Break and stretch
Facilitator to lead a stretch break
Measurements
It is valuable for both participants and the facilitators to have body measurements completed at the
start of the program and at intervals over the course of the program.
By seeing pre-program results, participants are able to see the need for change, and then as the
program progresses, they are able to measure changes.
Likewise, facilitators are able to identify the needs of their participants and track their progress.
Measurements may also be used for research purposes, however all identifying details would be
removed.
How, When and Where Measurements are Taken
1. Measurement frequency
Measurements are to be taken prior to the start of the program and then at regular intervals.
Refer to the Live More Abundantly Sessions Overview at the start of the manual.
Health Assessment Session Week

Baseline Measurement 1 Prior to session 1 Week 1
Measurement 2 Celebration Week 7
Measurement 3 6 months from Baseline 6 months
Measurement 4 1 year from baseline 1 year
2. Measurement inclusions:
a) Waist measurement
b) Weight
c) Blood Pressure
d) Blood sugar (finger prick)
3. A statement of lifestyle activities is collected regarding:

a) physical inactivity
b) smoking
c) harmful alcohol /kava use
18 | P a g e
v.8.1
d) depression
4. The Healthy Journey Card is to be used to record all participants personal measures during the
program. This card is to be kept by participants.
5. Facilitators are asked to keep a record for group reporting purposes to ADRA and for research.
6. All measurements are to be taken carefully to ensure accuracy.
a) Ideally complete all measurements at the start of the day.

b) It is recommended that all blood tests be done when the person is fasting (no food or
liquids including tea/coffee). They may drink unflavoured water only.
c) Do not allow diabetics to skip meals, instead arrange to have their measurements done
early in the day, or at the same time each day so they can eat at normal times.
Blood Testing
Most facilitators will not have access to laboratory blood tests, therefore it is assumed that all blood tests
completed will be done via the finger prick method.
Blood glucose levels (also known as blood sugar levels) are to be completed before the person has
anything to eat or drink. For this reason, it is recommended that testing be done early in the day to allow
people to eat afterwards. I they are staying for a LMA session ask them to bring food, or you may wish to
provide food tasting as a meal after testing.
If you are unfamiliar with blood glucose finger prick testing and taking blood pressures, ask your local
clinic if they can complete measurements for your participants.
Normal Ranges
While normal ranges exist for all body measures, we acknowledge that this information could be
confusing and will vary between ethnicities. We have chosen to reflect normal as “healthy goals” .
Healthy goals for all body measures are shown on the health Measurement card.
It is also important that there is consistency when measurements are completed.
19 | P a g e
v.8.1
Follow the steps below to minimise error:
Height Healthy Goals Competency

Equipment needed: Stadiometer OR tape measure, white paper, pen (My ability to do this
Varies was checked by
- Do not measure your own height. Always have another person
(Insert supervisors
do this.
name)
- Remove hats, hairpieces, or any other item on the head, that
would affect height.
- Remove shoes, sandals, socks.
Using a stadiometer to measure height.

on: (insert date
- Stand with heels, buttocks, upper back, and head resting against
a wall.
- Reset the measure device on the head.
- Ensure that thick hair is parted to allow the device to rest on the
head not the hair.
- Record measurement in cm
Using a tape measure to measure height:

- Tape a piece of white paper securely to a wall just below the top
of the person’s head. If you are measuring more than one
person, you may need more than one of paper on top-
depending on the heights.
- Stand with heels, buttocks, upper back, and head resting against
a wall.
- Rest a book (or light piece of square wood) lightly on the top of
the head and square it with the wall or post.
- Mark lightly under the book on the wall or post.
- Measure from the floor to the mark.
- Record height in cm.
Weight Healthy Goals Competency

(My ability to do this
Equipment needed: Stand on scales ( ensure spare battery to hand) Refer WHtR was checked by
Ratio for normal (Insert supervisors
- Ask participants to wear light clothing.
values
name)
- Preferably weight before eating and drinking, but if not possible,
weigh at the same time of the day after the same meal and
fluids.
- Remove shoes, bags, children, and anything else the person may
be holding.
on: (insert date
- Assist to stand on the scale.
- Wait for scale to steady and record final number.
- Record in kg.
20 | P a g e
v.8.1
Waist measurement Healthy Goals Competency
Equipment needed: tape measure (in cm). (My ability to do this
- Take measurement over light clothing. Refer to WHtR was checked by
Ratio for normal (Insert supervisors
- Find top of hip bone and bottom of ribs values name)
- Breath out normally
- Place tape measure midway between these points and wrap
around waist
- Record measurement in cm
(Note: if an area other than that described above is measured, note where the
measurement was made, and repeat all subsequent measures are made at the on: (insert date
same point)
Waist to height Ratio (WHtR): Healthy Goals Competency

(My ability to do this
- Ensure waist measurement to hand WHtR Ratio was checked by
- Ensure height to hand (Insert supervisors
- Waist measurement should be approximately half a person’s Goal name)
height. 0.5
- To calculate - Waist measurement is divided by Height.
Example: A person has a 120cm waist and is 165cm tall (Height)

Waist/height = 120/165 = 0.72[^Ashwell, (2011)] on: (insert date
All measures Competency

Blood Pressure:
mmHg (My ability to do this
Equipment needed: Blood pressure machine (and spare batteries if using a
Normal
was checked by
digital machine) (Insert supervisors
<120/<80
- Assemble the blood pressure machine name)
- Allow the person to sit quietly for 10 mins before taking a Elevated
reading 120-129 / <80
- Record: Pre-
hypertension
Systolic (top number)
130-139 / 80-
Diastolic (lower number) 89 on: (insert date
Pre-
hypertension
> 140 / 90
21 | P a g e
v.8.1
Blood Tests results Competency
Fasting Blood
Equipment Needed: Blood Glucose/Sugar Monitor (My ability to do this
sugar
was checked by
- This test is best completed early in the day. Do not delay the test past All measures
(Insert supervisors
10am approx. as prolonged fasting may cause the person to feel or be mmol name)
unwell.
Ideal*
- Make sure individual has not had anything to eat or drink (may drink 4.0-6.0
water only). Prediabetes*
- If person has eaten, note this on their results, or delay the test until 6.1- 7.0
next session and they have fasted. Diabetes* on: (insert date
>7.0
- Blood test to be done:
1. Fasting blood glucose (*Diabetes
Australia 2021)
Food Management
Food is an important aspect of the LMA program as science has shown food high in nutrients and
natural energy can improve health while food depleted by processing can have low amounts of
nutrients and are often very high in added energy.
Food will be discussed, demonstrated, and illustrated. However, it is important that food is not just
a point of discussion but a point of change.
Throughout the program encourage participants to take an honest look at foods and food habits that
affect their health.
- Encourage people to eat simply.

- To eat meals at regular times
- To use plenty of fresh local foods.
- Eat a variety of foods of different natural colours.
It may be possible that some people are eating a lot of healthy foods, however their health is still
poor, so encourage them to look at other aspects of the LMA program – such as no snacking,
removing drinks that are caffeinated, sweet or high in in calories; getting good sleep that will help
their body manage their weight hormones, and being physically active.
This will mean some people will need to learn cooking skills that have been lost. Explore how they
plan to relearn these.
Refer to the included food-based resources attached to this resource and use them regularly to
support your participants.
- jumpstart
- menu planning
- important nutrients
- pantry stocking
22 | P a g e
v.8.1
- recommended kitchen equipment
- recipes
- and food comparison charts
Remember that it may be possible that some people are eating a lot of healthy foods, however their
health is still poor, so encourage them to look at other aspects of the LMA program – such as no
snacking, removing drinks that are caffeinated, sweet or high in in calories; getting good sleep that
will help their body manage their weight hormones, and being physically active.
Session Contents
There are 14 sessions contained in this manual: Orientation session and session 1-13.
The orientation session can be included with session one or used as a standalone session.
23 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 0rientation
Introduction to Live More Abundantly
Session Zero: Orientation

Topic: Introduction to the Live More Abundantly Program
Duration: 45 mins
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Zero Outline:
• Be introduced to the LMA program (10 min) Welcome
• Understand the outlines and rules of the (10 min) Introduce the LMA Program
LMA sessions ( 5 min) Program Rules
( 5 min) Session structure
(10 min) Final Questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.
Ensure Team knows the topic and has read the session notes / or these have been
outlined by the Facilitator in a pre-session meeting.
Prepare Flip Charts. Throughout the session there will be notes that are best written up
prior to the session on a Flip Chart . These are indicated in orange.
Resources. These will vary according to session – read session details carefully.
Bring
❑ Attendance book / name list
❑ Pen
❑ Measurement Equipment I need (See notes about measurements)
▪ …………………………………………………………………
▪ …………………………………………………………………
▪ …………………………………………………………………
▪ …………………………………………………………………
▪ …………………………………………………………………
▪ …………………………………………………………………
10 min Welcome
General welcome to participants. Make everyone feel welcome.
Introduce the Team:

• We will explain more about the program, but first I would like us to introduce ourselves
• My name is […….] and I will be the lead facilitator for this Lifestyle Education Program
called Live More Abundantly
• My co-facilitators are [……..] and [……..].
Ask Participants to introduce themselves in a round of introductions.
24 | P a g e
v.8.1
10 min Introduce the Live More Abundantly (LMA) Program
The facilitator may read or present the following to the participants as an introduction to the
program:
Live Move Abundantly:
- is an exciting Education program based on science

- will help you live a healthier, happier life
- will help manage or even reverse your non-communicable disease
- teaches the health benefits of plant-based whole foods
- teaches life skills in managing movement, sleep, stress, and relationships
Live More Abundantly Program Outline

• The Live More Abundantly program is […….] weeks long.
• The core part of the program is 13 sessions, followed by monthly meetings. You will
learn all you need to know to change your lifestyle to experience better health.
• Each week we will meet at [insert time and location ……………………………………..].
• We then hope you will continue to attend monthly meetings for further learning and
support.
• The program will require your commitment and we will talk about what that includes in
a moment. The fact that you are here today indicates that you are willing to try lifestyle
changes for the duration of the program.
• Health checks will happen at set times, (and can only be changed with ADRA Australia
approval):
1. Baselines check → the start of the program (baseline)
2. Second check → [insert session number or date………………………]
3. Third check → [insert session number or date………………………]
4. Fourth check → [insert session number or date………………………]
5. Fifth Check → [insert session number or date………………………]
o Each health check will be in the morning. You are encouraged to not eat or drink
anything other than water before your check.
o Checks will include interview, measurement, and blood tests.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
• Live More Abundantly helps you make positive health changes in your own home.
• Each person should see results. Each person is different and the strictness in which
they follow teachings will vary, therefore, the results will vary too. We encourage
you to diligently apply what you learn to get the best results.
25 | P a g e
v.8.1
• If you take any medicines, you must let your doctor know you are changing your life
and ask him to watch your medicine.
• Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure medicine may need to be lowered as your health
improves from the changes you make.
• If you are on medicines, beware of feeling dizzy or faint. As your health improves,
these medicines may be too strong, and it may start to make you feel unwell. If this
happens urgently see your doctor for a medicine review.
5 min LMA Program Rules

Present the following program rules:
1. Each person is asked to commit to attend each session. Then you will receive the
information you need to make change.
2. There will be learning activities in each session. The more you join in the more you will
learn.
3. There will be activities for each person to do at home.
4. You are encouraged to apply what you learn. ‘Knowing’ will not give you success. ‘Doing’
what you ‘know’ will provide success.
5. Jumpstart is an important part of the program, and you are encouraged to start
Jumpstart no later than session 2. We provide resources to help you get started.
There are some other rules to remember each time we meet:

1. Confidentiality is important. When people share personal stories, do not discuss this
outside the group.
2. Respect everyone’s opinion.
3. All phones put on silent.
4. Reminder of local rest rooms.
5. Tell your program leader in advance if you cannot attend a session.
And most importantly be kind and encourage each person in this program. The Live More
Abundantly program offers each person the opportunity to take charge of their health. But
each of us here will need encouragement and patience as we change the way we live.
26 | P a g e
v.8.1
5 min Session Structure
Present the following session structure:
Each session we will meet at [state the regular meeting place]
Each session will be approximately 90 min to 2 hours.
Each Live More Abundantly session is split into 3 main parts:

1. Review: in this session we will talk about any questions you have from the last session and we
will review what you already know.
2. Learn: We (the facilitators) will give you more information so your understanding of disease
increases.
3. Take Action: At the end of the session, we will look at how to take action in order to make new
lifestyle changes through:
- food tastings
- cooking demonstrations
- keeping a workbook
- and making changes at home
Now it is time to Live More Abundantly!
5 min Final Questions

Write any questions you as Facilitator need to follow up and report back here.
27 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 1
What is Lifestyle Disease – The Problem
Session One: What is Lifestyle Disease / non-communicable disease (NCD)?
Topic: Introduction to lifestyle disease / non-communicable disease
Duration: 1 - 1 ½ hours
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session One Outline:
• Be able to identify non-communicable (10 min) Welcome
diseases (15 min) Review: What we already know
• Understand non-communicable disease (40 min) Learn: New information
causes (15 min) Action time
• Know lifestyle can improve health (5 min) Final questions
• Be prepared to start Jumpstart
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.
Ensure (tick boxes when completed)

❑ Team knows the topic and has read the session notes / or these have been
outlined by the Facilitator in a pre-session meeting.
❑ Print ‘Jumpstart’ handouts -enough for each participant
Prepare Flip chart (read notes throughout the session as there are a number of elements
that will benefit from being written up.
❑ Write up Session Principle/Fundamental
❑ Write up orange highlights through session
Bring
❑ Participant workbook and pen for each participant.
❑ Pen for Facilitator
❑ BP machine
❑ Glucometer and sufficient strips
❑ Flip chart or blackboard
❑ Sticky notes (or paper cut into 6cm squares and sticky tape)
❑ Markers for writing on flip chart (or chalk if using a blackboard)
❑ JumpStart handouts (one set for each person and 2-3 spare copies)
❑ Thread
2 min Get started: Any questions?

As this is the first session there probably won’t be any questions at this stage
10 min Welcome
28 | P a g e
v.8.1
General welcome to participants. Make everyone feel welcome.
Introduce the Team:

• We will explain more about the program, but first I would like us to introduce
ourselves
• My name is […….] and I will be the lead facilitator for this Lifestyle Education
Program called Live More Abundantly
• My co-facilitators are [……..] and [……..].
Ask Participants to introduce themselves in a round of introductions.
In the orientation session the program was introduced to you, so we are not going to
cover that again here. But we would just like to remind you of the rules each time we
meet:
1. Confidentiality is important. When people share personal stories, do not discuss this
outside the group.
2. Respect everyone’s opinion.
3. All phones put on silent.
4. Reminder of local rest rooms.
5. Tell your program leader in advance if you cannot attend a session.
And most importantly be kind and encourage each person in this program. The Live
More Abundantly program offers each person the opportunity to take charge of their
health. But each of us here will need encouragement and patience as we change the way
we live.
15 min Review: What We Already Know

What is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD)?
All of us are familiar with sickness. We know that it can be a simple sickness and people
recover easily, or it can be sickness that leaves behind scars or disability.
Some sicknesses occur because of things we do while other sicknesses we can catch from
other people.
To live our best life full of energy and vitality, it is important to understand the difference
between sickness that develop in us and sickness we catch from another person. This will
help us make good choices to protect our health in areas that we can control.
Excluding inherited and birth disabilities and accidents, there are two main forms of sickness:
• Communicable Disease, and
29 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Non-communicable Disease.
A Communicable Disease is easily passed from one person to another and includes6
▪ tuberculosis,
▪ sexually transmitted infections,
▪ coughs and colds,
▪ COVID -19,
▪ diarrhoea,
▪ typhoid fever
▪ and measles to name a few
Communicable diseases = are commonly known as infectious diseases.
A Non- Communicable Disease is a disease that develops in a person because of7

▪ behaviour
▪ environment
▪ body function
▪ and/or genes
and is not passed from one person to another.
Non-communicable diseases = are known as lifestyle diseases, as they are caused by how we
live (whether it is by choice or not).
5 min Activity 1
Aim: Assist Participants understanding of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Materials needed:
• big sheet of paper
• pens
• x 10 per person sticky notes or small pieces of paper and sticky tape
• flip chart
Steps:
Facilitator, work quickly on this as it could slow your program down if too much time is
given.
1. Ask people to quickly write down 7 different sicknesses as they can think of.
ONE SICKNESS PER PIECE OF PAPER
2. Ask them to stick each small piece of paper on a flip chart or blackboard
3. Facilitator to remove double ups (example: if three people write ‘diabetes’ on their
small pieces of paper, then remove two just leaving one)
4. Ask a volunteer to organise sicknesses according to communicable (infectious),
and non-communicable (lifestyle) diseases. Ask the rest of the group to help with
this project
6
Bernet Institution. (2022). Vanuatu. Retrieved from www.burnet.edu.au/countries/11_vanuatu
7
World Health Organisation. (2021). Noncommunicable Diseases. Retrieved from www.who.int/news-
room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
30 | P a g e
v.8.1
Conclusion:
Explain that the Live More Abundantly program will explore ways to prevent and reverse
non-communicable disease; that it will help us use the way we live to recapture and
maintain health.
40 min Learn: New Information

The Live More Abundantly program will teach how to reduce the risk of or stop NCD’s
from occurring and help you live a healthy life.
By applying the principles/fundamentals that you learn, within 6 weeks, you will see
differences in your health IF appropriate changes are made.
To start this health journey, we recommend that you do “the JumpStart” challenge. We
will help you start this.
Understanding JumpStart: It could be helpful to draw as you are explaining JumpStart,

the drawings are provided as a guide, you do not have to copy them.
If you do decide to draw as you explain JumpStart, you will need a marker and a
flipchart.
Explanation Drawing
Imagine that you have fallen into a deep ditch
If you want to get out of the ditch, making small jumps will
not get you out, but will eventually wear you out.
To get out you would have to make a major jump.
Now imagine that ditch is ‘ill-health’. Live More Abundantly
To get out you may need to do a major jump.

In this program, we call that ‘the JumpStart’
ill health
The JumpStart Challenge is a:

• 5-day introduction to a healthy diet designed to prepare you physically and
mentally to experience the benefits of improved health.
• It is an important part of the Live More Abundantly Program and is strongly
recommended to everyone here!
31 | P a g e
v.8.1
What to eat on JumpStart?
Day Eat Fruit, Eat all vegetables Drink plenty of fresh
Wholegrains including root crops clean water and
including rice, and and legumes. herbal teas
root vegetables only
Day 1 Non- diabetics Diabetics* Everyone
Day 2 Non- diabetics Diabetics Everyone
Day 3 Non- diabetics Everyone Everyone
*NOTE: processed grains and fruit may increase blood sugars if not balanced with other
foods.
For 5 Jumpstart days we also encourage you to:

• Not eat added sugars, honey, and concentrated or artificial sweeteners
• Gradually decrease caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, coke) over 3-5 days
• Quit all alcohol, fruit juices and soft drinks
• Leave out all added fats and oils including margarine, butter, mayonnaise, oily
dressings and vegetable oils
• Leave out processed foods and fast foods
• Leave out animal foods, such as red and white meat, dairy products, and eggs
• Instead of milk, use non-dairy options, such as soymilk or rice milk or fresh
coconut milk (if affordable and available) if you choose to use any milks
• Reduce salt. Instead, season with onion, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices such
as cinnamon, coriander, cumin, mild chili, or curry (if available)
• Not eat between meals. If hungry, have a drink of water or herbal/lemon tea. If
necessary, rely on a piece of fresh fruit
All the nutrients you need to be healthy are in whole-plant foods except vitamin B12.
However, if you go completely plant-based, you will need to take this as a supplement.
We will discuss this a little more later in the program.
CAUTION
1. Even though considerable testing has shown this plan to be a sensible, careful, and
safe approach, people with significant health problems, such as diabetes or other
NCDs, should check with their doctors before beginning
2. If someone feels seriously ill, advise them to see a doctor or clinic. Even if people
have started on this health journey, doesn’t mean they can’t get sick (including
Malaria, diarrhoea etc)
Benefits of the 5-Day JumpStart Challenge

1. Jumpstart improves intestinal tract function
Fibre in plant foods helps food to pass through the digestive track more
efficiently and easily. It also lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels as it
slowly releases sugar into the bloodstream.
32 | P a g e
v.8.1
2. Jumpstart decreases fluid retention
It removes excess water, salt, and other toxins from the body through the
kidneys and intestinal tract.
2 min Activity 2
Aim: For each person to identify a symptom of retained fluids
Materials needed: nil
Steps:
1. Reach over and place your thumb on your ankle and push firmly with the flat
of your Thumb.
2. Slowly count to 10.
3. Lift you thumb off, then feel the area that you pressed.
4. Is there a distinctive dent? If so, this is excess fluid.
3. Jumpstart helps break food addictions

Some foods can be addictive, and these foods are not good for us.
5 mins Activity 3
Aim: To identify how foods can be addictive.
Materials needed:
• Chalk or Marker
• Black board / or Flip chart
Steps:
1. Ask group to identify what an addiction is? (Answer: an urge to do something
that is hard to control).
2. Ask group if foods can be addictive? (Answer: Yes)
3. Why are they addictive?
(Answer: Taste good, and our body/brain can become addicted to the
chemicals – such as with sugar, salt, and oil)
4. Ask group to identify foods that are addictive. Write on board,
(Answer: High salt, added sugar, and fatty foods)
4. Jumpstart improves appetite and intensifies taste perception

People notice that they can taste the subtle flavours in their food more.
5. Jumpstart helps reveal flavours in simple foods
6. Jumpstart renews energy and improves mental sharpness
7. Jumpstart conquers fear

Some people on weight-loss programs fear lack of food and hunger. But food is not
limited on the 5- Day JumpStart Challenge.
8. Jumpstart reduces body odours
9. Jumpstart provides a taste of success
10. Jumpstart reduces food budget as we stop buying heavily processed foods
33 | P a g e
v.8.1
It is important to remember that this program is not a temporary diet for weight loss.
It is a healthy lifestyle that positively affects many areas of health, including body
weight.
IMPORTANT Jumpstart NOTES:

• The more thoroughly and faithfully you implement these principles, the more
impressive your benefits will be.
• Jump Start will produce differences in bowel movements if you are not used to
eating a lot of whole plant foods:
o you will notice your bowel movements will increase
o bowel movements will become easier to pass
o you may notice a temporary increase in gas or wind
These changes are good and means your gut is adapting to the new foods and
way of eating.
• You may experience headaches, often due to caffeine withdrawal. Stick to it, it
will pass! Remember to drink plenty of water.
• If you stick to JUMPSTART for the 5-days, you may feel mentally sharper. Enjoy
better memory and feel better prepared for life’s challenges.
10 min Activity 4
Aim: To understand our health choices
Materials needed:
• Thread
Steps:
1. Ask for two volunteers
2. Ask the two volunteers to hold their two forefingers (pointer fingers) together,
with palms pointing down
3. Tie the thread firmly (but not tightly) around the two fingers (two-thirds from the
tip), using only one thread, once around the fingers. Do this for both volunteers.
If more people want to try, let them do it on/for each other.
4. Ask the two volunteers to break the thread by pulling the fingers sidewise from
each other (if you have used a normal thin thread, it should easily break).
5. Do the same exercise, but twine the thread two times around the fingers, and tie
with a knot. Ask the volunteers to break the thread as indicated above. It should
still be easy to break.
6. Do the same again, but this time you twine the thread several times around the
fingers (NB! Not too tight – in order not to stop the blood flow – and not too
loose either). Ask them to break the thread. This time it should be impossible.
Conclusion: Every health choice matters, so if we make bad choices over and over again,
like the thread going many times around our forefingers, it may be harder for our system
to bounce back and stay healthy.
20 min Action Time

1. Introduce Workbook: including purposes/ frequency. You will take your
workbook home for reference.
34 | P a g e
v.8.1
Please remember to bring your workbook to each session
2. Jumpstart Preparation; Discuss Jumpstart using the Jumpstart handout
Distribute JumpStart handout to participants
Explain the JumpStart challenge as the participants follow from the handouts:
A. Ask people to take notes as you go through Jumpstart.
B. Discuss what they need to prepare to be ready to start Jumpstart in 2 days.
C. Talk about an example of what a breakfast may look like for them. Ask for ideas.
D. Talk about examples of breakfast for people with Diabetes, as their eating plan
will start at Day 3 and still go for 5 days – (refer to table)
E. Diabetics don’t eat too much fruit as it raises your blood sugar too quickly.
Day 1 and 2 Eat Fruit, Eat all vegetables Drink plenty of fresh
Wholegrains including root crops clean water and
including rice, and and legumes. herbal teas
root vegetables only
Day 1 Non- diabetics Diabetics* Everyone
Day 2 Non- diabetics Diabetics Everyone
F. Tell your doctor what you will be doing

G. Present the JumpStart Challenge as something that can be done, after all “it is
only for five days!”
H. Ask participants to make a Jumpstart plan in their notebook ( or draw a line
under foods on the handout that they will try)
I. Ask if there are any questions and everyone is clear?
Lastly ask everyone to bring empty drink containers that you have found or borrowed
from friends for an activity next session (activity 5). (For example, water, juice, milk, soft-
drink, coffee).

Write any questions to follow up on here:
35 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 2
Lifestyle Medicine for Lifestyle Disease – A solution
Session Two: Lifestyle Medicine for Lifestyle Disease

Session Principle/Fundamental Number 1: Drink sufficient fresh clean water.
Duration: 1 ½ - 2 hours
Session teaches:
1. One significant and growing cause of disease is that caused by our lifestyle
2. Lifestyle medicine has been scientifically proven to effectively treat the cause not just the
symptoms of disease
3. A plant-based diet and regular exercise are the core components of a positive lifestyle
4. Importance of creating steps toward achieving health goals
5. Importance of assessing and providing foot care
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Two Outline:
• Have started using healthy food principles (10 min) Welcome
• Understand difference between (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
(15 min) Review: What we already know
communicable and non-communicable
(20 min) Learn: New information
disease
(30 min) Action time
• Understand that lifestyle can cause disease or (10 min) Final questions
be a medicine that heals disease
• Understand importance of drinking fresh
clean water
• Have a plan to ensure adequate physical
activity
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources

outlined by the Facilitator in a pre-session meeting
❑ Facilitator has followed up on any questions left from previous session
❑ Participants are reminded to bring workbook
❑ Write up orange highlights through session, and any other points you think
relevant
❑ Practise Activity 1 – the chalk activity so you can see how it works
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Spare notebook and pens in case new participants join
❑ Piece of chalk or another nontoxic dusty product (dark chalk for pale skins or
light chalk for dark skins to maximise visibility)
36 | P a g e
v.8.1
❑ Extra drink containers for Activity 5
Allow
10-20
Pre-Program
mins Ask people who need measures done to arrive early.
Take measurements of people on medication who do not have personal monitors.
• Measure blood pressure for those on medication (if low-refer to doctor immediately)
• Monitor blood sugar for those on medication (if low- refer to doctor immediately)
NOTE: If anyone is feeling discomfort with the jumpstart, refer to the points made in previous
sessions about the jumpstart (crosscheck). However, if someone feels seriously ill, make sure
to advise them to see a doctor. Even if people have started on this health journey, does not
mean they cannot get sick (including Malaria, diarrhoea etc.).
2 min Welcome
Welcome everyone
Reintroduce the team members names
Ask attendees to restate their names
10 min Progress: Any Questions to Talk About?

Follow-up from questions asked at the end of the previous session
Review progress, you may ask the follow questions:

• Last session we asked you start the JumpStart Challenge. Remember this is about
eating foods simply prepared.
• Ask participants how they are feeling.
• What kind of food have you chosen to eat?
• Any other questions.
NOTE any questions that need follow up:

You will recall last week we spoke about communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Let us now take a closer look at how this works.
3-4 min Activity 1

Aim: To illustrate why we call diseases communicable or non-communicable
Materials needed:
• chalk or another nontoxic dusty product
Steps:
1. Pass a piece of chalk to one participant and ask them to rub some on a finger
2. Ask the person to touch the back of their other hand (some of the dust will
transfer)
37 | P a g e
v.8.1
3. Tell participants – Imagine that the hands belonged to two people, and they both
touch another person. Now four people have the dust
4. If the dust were a disease, this shows how a Communicable disease can spread
from one person to another
5. Remove the chalk from the person and place it with your other resources.
6. Then ask the participant who had the chalk what would happen if they ate it. DO
NOT LET THEM EAT IT
7. Ask would another person get sick or just themselves? (Answer: Just themselves).
This is how a non-Communicable disease (NCD) works. NCD’s are caused by things
you do or things that happen around you
8. Explain to the participants that sometimes a person can get an NCD from
something they did not do or cannot do anything about. For example, living in a
house with a smoker increases the risk of lung disease, even though they do not
smoke, as they are inhaling the smoke from the other person
Explanation:
Although Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases occur for different reasons,
they can still make us very unwell and make life difficult.
The good news is that we can often do something about both types of diseases. With
Communicable Diseases simple hygiene practices such as handwashing and staying
home when sick can stop us catching diseases from other people.
We can also prevent, stop, or help heal non-Communicable diseases if we chose to

practice living in ways that support health. This is called living a healthy lifestyle.
5-8 min Activity 2

Aim: For participants to identify actual NCD’s and to recognise the increase in NCD’s in
` recent years.
Materials needed: Nil
Steps:
1. Ask participants if they know what their grandparents died of? NCD, CD or old age?
Was it a disease they caught from someone else, or from the way they lived?
2. Is there a difference in what people died of a couple of generations ago as
compared to now?
(Answer: 50-60 years ago, people were more likely to die of communicable diseases
such as TB and malaria. Now we are seeing many more people die from NCD’s -
such as heart attacks and diabetes).
3. What could cause that difference?
(Answer: Poor lifestyle practices will increase NCD’s, but good hygiene and some
medicines have stopped some of the Communicable Diseases).
Explanation:
People are dying of diseases that are preventable. Many of these are diseases caused by
our life choices – what we eat, what we drink, how we move etc.
38 | P a g e
v.8.1
The Live More Abundantly program will help us understand how to improve the way we
live and to reduce the chance of us becoming sick.

Last session we spoke about Lifestyle Disease. Can anyone remember what it is?
(Answer: A Lifestyle Disease caused by how I live It develops in a person because of behaviour,
environment, body function and/or genes and is not passed from one person to another).
You will remember that the way we live is shown in the things we do, where and how we
live, how our body works and the genes we have inherited from our parents.
So, if the way we live can make us sick, is it possible that the way we live could also make us
healthy? Yes – IF we chose to live by certain health principles / fundamentals we can live our
healthiest life.
Many NCD’s can be avoided, limited, or made better by changing the way we live to that of
a positive lifestyle.
BUT we must make healthy choices in our life for this to happen.
The longer we leave it the harder it will be for changes to happen.
And if we go back to living the old way, the diseases may come back again.
As an example, people who have diabetes Type 2, can then make changes that often turn
the disease around, so they no longer show symptoms. However, if they go back to living
the old way, the disease will come back again.
What is a Positive lifestyle?

A positive lifestyle recommended by the Live More Abundantly program is based on science.
Often, we refer to lifestyle as being healthy or unhealthy. But too often people think of a
healthy lifestyle as only
• eating good food
• exercising
• not drinking alcohol
• and not smoking.
But a Positive Lifestyle is more than this. There are other positive lifestyle choices that each
person chooses that will also promote health such as:
• good sleep,
• managing stress,
• having goals
• having faith and purpose
• good relationships
• making wise choices,
• practicing forgiveness
• understanding what good food is really made up of
• understanding what contributes to living an abundant life.
39 | P a g e
v.8.1
So, from now we shall refer to the deliberate choices we make across our lives as living a
“Positive Lifestyle.”
As changes are made to our lifestyle you may start to see many of the following and more:
• Increased energy
• Improved sense of wellbeing
• Improvements in sexual health (for facilitator to decide to teach)
• Weight reduction
• Reduced effects of aging
• Improvement in blood sugars
• Improvement in heart health.
The Live More Abundantly program does not recommend just one type of lifestyle or diet,
but a set of principles or fundamentals to help make healthy lifestyle choices. We will
introduce you to those principles as we go through the program, and we encourage you to
start living by them.
10 min Activity 3
Aim: For participants to be introduced to healthy food principles.
Steps:
1. Read the following statement and the healthy food principle.
2. Ask participants to provide an example for each healthy food principle listed (The
Facilitator is to provide the first two examples)
The Positive Lifestyle eating principles promotes the following:

I can eat foods that are “fresh These include: (Facilitator give an example such as eating
food as grown” freshly steamed /boiled vegetables, not refried or tinned
vegetables)
I can eat foods that are These include: (Facilitator give example of food that
naturally cholesterol free contains no animal products such as ‘coconut’)
I can eat simply prepared foods (Participant to give example =……………………………….)
(Example- salads, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit)
I can eat foods that contain (Participant to give example =……………………………….)
minimal processed oils (Example - Boiled taro)
I can eat foods with minimal (Participant to give example =……………………………….)
salt (Example - Homemade foods with minimal salt)
Choosing not to drink alcohol or
kava
Choosing not to drink caffeine (Participant to give example =……………………………….)
(Example – tea, coffee etc.)
The positive lifestyle using healthy foods emphasises the use of:
More vegetables
(Ask participants to quickly list as many as they can from
Root vegetables/crops/staples
each of these groups)
Legumes
Wholegrains
40 | P a g e
v.8.1
Fruits
Some nuts
Explanation:
An important part of the Live More Abundantly program is learning what healthy foods
look and taste like. The more you try foods that are suggested and shown in the program,
the more you are likely to use them; and they will improve your health.
6 min Activity 4
Aim: For participants to be able to understand different types of food processing.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to describe a Whole Food
(Answer: Foods as you find them in their natural state – minimally processed, free
from additives and artificial ingredients1)
2. Ask participants for Whole Food examples

(Answer: banana, peeled and eaten)
3. Ask participants to describe a Refined Food

(Answer: A refined food has had some of its original parts removed – skins, hulls,
fibre, vitamins, and minerals etc.)
4. Ask participants to provide Refined Food examples

(Answer: white flour, white rice, coconut cream)
5. Ask participants to describe a Processed Food.

(Answer: Any deliberate change to a food before it is ready to eat. (Canning, freezing,
packaging, drying, cooking etc.)1
6. Ask participants to provide Processed Food examples

(Answer: cooked sweet potato, whole wheat roti)
Explanation:
Why do we need to know this? It is really important to know what type of food we are eating,
as not all foods are equal. Fresh mango has more fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
than canned mango. Therefore, fresh mango is better for us.
Food is processed for many reasons including:

• making it edible (ever tried raw taro?)
• increasing the amount of food we can eat (we could eat more cooked greens than
uncooked greens)
• making it simpler to eat (raw or white sugar is easier to eat than sugar cane)
41 | P a g e
v.8.1
• increasing flavour (this is often done by adding salt, sugar, or flavour enhancers)
• improving storage (it is easier to stack cans of pineapple than fresh pineapples)
• making it easier to transport (so it can last the distance and not go bad)
• making food last longer (canned fish will last longer than fresh fish)
• convenience (we like to by things that make our lives easier – so buying a container
of salt is easier than making our own).
Sadly, we are seeing more and more food that is heavily processed and refined and contains
many additives and preservatives, many of which are not good for our health.
For further discussion if relevant to the group…

Facilitator is to assess if group have understood the above concepts.
Question: Can a processed food be a refined food?

Answer: Yes. Tomatoes can be cooked(processed), then have just the juice removed for
drinking.
Question: Can a whole food be processed?

Answer: Sometimes: Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked with all parts and is still a whole
food.
Question: Can a refined food be a processed food.

Answer: Yes, all the time. Processed tomato juice has lost its fibre etc.
30 min Action Time

10-12 FOOD TASTING OR DEMONSTRATION OF FOOD PRINCIPLES
min (NOTE: participants should be on or completing Jumpstart)
Aim: To teach importance of assessing commonly used drinks for health properties.
Materials needed:
• Empty drink containers (At end of first session people should have been asked to
bring empty drink containers that they have found or borrowed from friends.)
Steps:
1. Ask each to show empty container they have brought.
2. EMPHASISE NO JUDGEMENT on the containers that have been brought.
3. Ask each to describe

a) the type of drink,
b) why do people drink it?
c) when would they drink it?
d) how it makes people feel (NO JUDGEMENT)
e) how much it costs
f) what tree of plant it comes from?
g) what is in it (read the ingredients list)
42 | P a g e
v.8.1
4. Ask why bottled drinks can be a problem?
(Answer:
a) added sugar - can cause NCD – diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, poor
vision, ulcers, and sores that do not heal
b) chemicals, colours,
c) extra costs - our family could spend on more important things.
d) can be addictive – alcohol, caffeine, sugar
e) contains too much energy that can cause weight gain)
f) create poor behaviour (Example – ever seen children become rude or grumpy
after having a bottle of coloured fizzy drink? Many colours in drinks and sweets
are known to cause bad behaviour in children)
5. Ask participants to identify drinks that support health.

(Answer: water, herbal teas, and slices of fruit and herb leaves in fresh cold water)
6. Ask participants why is good clean water important?

(Answer examples:
a) Helps body parts function
b) Helps body get rid of waste
c) Helps brain to function properly
d) Water in blood helps carry nutrients to all cells in body
e) Helps maintain fitness and movement
f) Helps with weight management)
7. Ask participants to divide into groups of five people

a) Ask each group to think about what they drink during the day including
breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and between meals.
b) Then list examples of healthy drinks
c) Then list examples of unhealthy drinks
d) Ask them to estimate the cost of unhealthy drinks for a family of six people.
Explanation:
We often drink fluids without thinking of the consequences. It takes deliberate decisions and
action to change your drinking choices.
You may follow up by saying:

The healthier habits we practise, the better as even small changes such as what we drink
may improve health.
5 min WORKBOOK Activity

Ask people to write (or draw) in their Workbook:
1. How much they spend on drinks in one week.
2. The changes they would like to make in the coming weeks about what they drink.
43 | P a g e
v.8.1
Ask people to put aside the money they would normally spend on purchasing drinks and
instead plan to purchase something they or their family would like or need (e.g., a new
cooking pot, or even a bicycle!)
Remind participants to implement positive changes in fluid intake over length of program
(e.g., drink more water or herbal tea).
MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT
Another lifestyle principle/fundamental that we will explore is being active every day. We
will talk in more depth about this in a later session.
For now, it is important to know that being active every day is a key part of a positive lifestyle
and helps:
• reduce cholesterol
• reduce blood sugar
• lower risks of certain cancers
• improve mood and has many other benefits for your mind and body
Sitting too long can also have a strongly negative impact on health and increases the risk of:
• heart disease
• diabetes
• certain cancers
so, aim to sit less every day.
Our goal is moving for at least an hour a day. To start we are going to aim for moving 20
minutes a day. By the end of our program, we aim to have everyone moving for our goal of
at least an hour a day.
Write four ways you can move more during the day in your workbook. (Note: if participants
are already active for more than 1 hour a day at work, home, or socially, they do not need to
increase this).

Aim: to create a base record for how participants spend their time.
Steps:
1. Refer to the clock in Session 2 in your workbook or draw a clock in your notebook
2. Show the position of the sun to indicate sunrise and sunset
3. Estimate what you do in a normal day, and shade in the times that are spent on
these activities on the clock
4. Facilitator slowly read out the following list, so people have time to place it on
the clock)
- sleeping,
- eating,
- working in the garden,
- cleaning, meeting with others outside of home
- going to work or volunteer etc.
- How much do you move around?
44 | P a g e
v.8.1
- Do you eat regular meals? When?
5. Tell participants to keep this clock as we will refer to it in later sessions.
Finally
Today we have learned important skills that will help our body to be healthy.
But to be successful at protecting our health or changing it for the better, we need to:
❑ Know what needs changing
❑ Plan our changes
❑ Then carry out our plans
Conclusion
As we close remember the lessons we have learned today:
1. There is a difference between Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases.
2. I can protect my health and reduce my risks by NCD’s through daily life choices.
3. Even simple choices, like what I drink or how I move can help or hurt my health.
Before we go today, can we ask you to do one more thing.
WORKBOOK Activity
Ask people to take their workbook home and in Session 2 draw on the feet picture any cuts,
rashes or sores that may have. This is a baseline assessment.

Are there any questions to talk about?
45 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 3
Eating for Health – Making Positive Choices
Session Three: Eating for Health

Topic / Session Principle/ Fundamental # 2 : Eat plenty of Whole Fresh Plant foods
Session teaches:
1. Personal lifestyle choices, including food, powerfully affect health, in both short and long term
2. Plant-based meals are a core part of a positive lifestyle
3. Practise in identifying food and food groups that contribute to good health and ill health
4. The importance of tracking personal health measures.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Three Outline:
• Identify foods that contribute to health ( 2min) Welcome
• Identify costs of sickness (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
• Understand principles of energy density (10 min) Review: What we already know
• Understand importance of fibre (60 min) Learn: New information
• Understand importance of monitoring body (20 min) Action time
measures. (5min) Final questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

outlined by the Facilitator in a pre-session meeting
❑ Write up orange highlights through session
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Spare notebook and pens in case new participants join
❑ Marker
❑ A ball or string or thick cotton / twine or wool. Have enough for 2 meters for
each person.
❑ Handout – Optimal Diet
❑ Handout – Taro prepared different ways.
❑ Food Tasting or Demonstration
46 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
min Ask people who need measures done to arrive early.
1. Facilitator or local health clinic to complete measurement every 2-3 days for first few
weeks, for those on medication but who do not have personal monitors.
• Blood pressure - if low - refer to doctor or clinic immediately
• Blood sugar - if low - refer to doctor immediately.
Measure height of people as they arrive and cut a string to the length of their height.
Write this measurement in their workbook.
FOR FACILITATOR ONLY: Instructions to measure Height and Waist

Waist Take measurement over light or no clothing
Measurement Find top of hip bone and bottom of ribs
Breath out normally
Place string or tape measure midway between these points and wrap
around waist
Record measurement in cm.
Height Have someone to assist with measuring heigh
Remove shoes and stand with heels, buttock, upper back, and head
resting against wall.
Rest a book lightly on the top the head and square it with the wall.
Mark lightly under the book
Record height in centimetres.
2 min Welcome
Welcome Everyone
Reintroduce names for last time
Reminder to have phones on silent.

Follow-up from questions asked at the end of the last session.
Review progress:
• Ask how participants are doing.
• Who has completed JumpStart? (Remember it goes for 5 days). Congratulate those
who have completed.
• Ask how they felt while eating this way.
• Have they noticed any differences?
• Ask participants if they have increased the amount of water they are drinking?
• Have they reduced the number of sugary drinks and other beverages they are
drinking?
47 | P a g e
v.8.1
NOTE any questions that need follow up:
Last session we looked at the differences between Communicable and Non- Communicable
diseases.
2 min Activity 1
Aim: To reinforce key learnings from last session
Steps:
1. Ask for someone to explain what they recall about Communicable and Non-
Communicable disease from the last session.
(Answer:
Communicable diseases are spread from one person to another,
Non-communicable diseases are caused by things you do, or that happen
around you, which means you can take action to stop or reverse them)
All diseases are an expense on our local community and even our governments. But Non-
Communicable Disease’s caused by our own lifestyle cost each of us health and money, in
addition to pain, discomfort, and disability. Let’s look at some of these.
6 min Activity 2
Aim: To identify the costs of sickness caused by poor lifestyle choices
Materials needed:
• Flip chart
• Marker
Steps:
1. Write participant responses to this activity on flip chart (or black board)
2. Ask participants to list all the costs associated with sickness.
Examples include:
- feeling bad
- no interest or difficult to engage in family or community activities
- caring for self may be difficult
- cost of medicines/ wound dressings
- managing pain
- inability to take part in lifestyle activities
- need for family to care for illness
- loss of friendship
- bus fares / petrol costs
48 | P a g e
v.8.1
- lost time due to medical appointments
- loss of choices.
Facilitator Comment:
Costs of sickness can be significant, and they affect the person and family and friends. As
we learn to Live More Abundantly, we need to ask ourselves what price we want to pay for
a lifestyle of convenience and pleasure.

For many, our lifestyle has meant we eat more, move less, and use foods and drinks that
are highly processed with added sugars, fats, and salt.
This has had an impact not only on how our body works, but on how we look.
Peoples of every culture have beliefs about weight. Some like to be very slender. Some like
to have some curves. Some like to be very round.
However, our body works best when we are near an ideal weight.
Why is weight a problem?

If we are underweight or overweight, we can develop problems with :
- the way our blood flows and heart pump (circulation)
- the pressure of our blood inside our body (blood pressure)
- the organs that filter out waste and manage fat storage (kidneys and liver)
- the way energy is available for use in our body (blood sugars)
- the parts that hold us up and allow us to move (bones and muscles)
- our skin,
- both men and women being able to conceive children (reproductive organs)
- our mood
- sleeping well,
- and memory 8
These problems can result in many sicknesses such as:

- wounds that don’t heal and then become infected
- heart disease that takes away our strength (heart attacks or heart failure)
- bleeding in our brain that causes loss of speech or body function (stroke)
- pain, swelling and loss of use in joints (arthritis)
- poor sugar control in the body that causes many of the sickness we have just
talked about (type 2 diabetes)
- high blood pressure that causes injury to our organs (hypertension)
- memory loss and unusual behaviours (Alzheimer’s / dementia)
But for many of us, we don’t plan to put on weight, instead it slowly arrives, and with it
slowly over time arrives the illnesses that take away our health and vitality.
8
(Anjum, 2018)`
49 | P a g e
v.8.1
5 min Activity 3
Aim: To illustrate the burden of extra weight
Steps:
1. Ask participants to identify a 1 to 1½ year old child they know
2. The ideal weight for this child is about 10 kgs1
3. Ask participants if they are overweight and if so, how many ‘extra children’ they
are carrying? Remember an extra child is about 10 kgs
4. Ask participants to draw in their workbook the number of ‘extra’ children they are
carrying currently
What is an ideal weight?

Today we are going to teach you a way you can keep track of a healthy weight.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: To provide a simple way of identifying ideal weight
Materials needed:
• A piece of string or wool, 2 metres long, for each participant
Steps:
1. Measure the height of each participant
2. Ask participants to cut their string to be the same as their height
3. Fold the string in half. Wrap around waist. Ideally the two ends should meet. If not,
there is a little bit of work to do
How was that? Are you confident you are near normal weight? Or do you need to take
some action to reduce a little.
For those that need to take-action, how do we control body weight?
One way is by eating a wide variety of unprocessed, mostly plant-based foods, though not
too much. When you started Jumpstart, you started this journey, lets now explore this a
little more.
All natural food contains nutrients and energy. Both are essential to making our body
work.
Nutrients are found in fresh food and include vitamins, minerals, fibre,
antioxidants and phytochemicals and fibre. They don’t really contain much energy.
• Energy is found in all food and is the fuel our body needs to move, work, grow,
think, and even smile . Just the right amount of fuel is perfect. Too little fuel
and our body starts to eat its energy stores to keep essential activities happening
such as our heart beating. Too much fuel and it is stored as fat which allows
disease to develop.
50 | P a g e
v.8.1
We are all familiar with centimetres and meters as measurement of length; we use
kilojoules or calories as measurements of energy. By measuring energy, we can get a better
understanding of foods that contain lots of energy, and foods that contain less.
Most of you will have heard of protein, carbohydrates, and fat and these all contain
energy. They also contain vitamins and minerals and that have unique functions in the
body.
Natural, fresh foods contain all 3 of these important nutrients. When food is processed it
can lose many of these important natural nutrients and have other nutrients added both of
which can eventually cause harm to our health.
Let’s explore this idea by looking at taro in different forms…
15 min Activity 5
Aim: To illustrate how a food can have different amounts of energy.
Materials needed: Handout ‘Energy in Taro prepared in 4 different ways’ – there is a full
page copy in the Appendix
(Note to facilitator: this representation is based on actual energy content of food)
Facilitator – keep this exercise moving quickly.

Steps:
1. Show the 4 types of taro using the ‘Energy in Taro prepared in 4 different ways’
handout
2. Ask Participants which taro has the least amount of energy according to the
picture?
(Answer: taro leaves -boiled)
3. If you had one cup full of taro leaves and one cup full of taro root which would
leave you feeling fuller for longer?
(Answer: taro root)
4. Why?
51 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answer: because it has more energy – this is the fuel our body needs to function
and grow)
5. Is energy bad?
(Answer: no, it is very good if there is the right amount for my body)
6. Does adding taro leaves to other ingredients to create a recipe like Rourou Balls
increase the amount of energy in the food?
(Answer: yes, each food added will have its own energy, and some added foods
such as coconut milk have much higher energy than taro leaves)
7. Which of the 4 taro’s has the most amount of energy?

(Answer: taro chips)
8. Why?
(Answer: it contains added fat and fat contains double the amount of energy of all
other energy foods)
9. Why is fat added to taro chips?

(Answer: to improve flavour (taste) and texture ( easier to eat than dried taro),
and to make people want to eat more – so they buy more!)
10. If you asked a 10-year-old to choose between a bag of taro chips or a plate of
boiled taro, which would they chose?
(Answer: probably the taro chips)
11. Why?
(Answer: because of the novelty; because the packaging is interesting; because not
many of their friends will have it and they can show off; because they like the taste
etc).
12. Are these good reasons for eating a food regularly?

(Answer: no)
13. Why are taro chips regularly a poor health choice?

(Answer: because contains very high amounts of energy; has addictive tastes of
processed food; cost; and poor amounts of nutrients in the chips)
Comment:
Processed foods usually contain added fat or sugar. This adds unnecessary energy for our
body to deal with and makes the taste of these foods’ addictive. We want more.
Let’s look at nutrient content a little more.

(Show the second illustration with the Taro nutrients- there is a full page version in the
Appendix section)
52 | P a g e
v.8.1
14. Which contain the biggest variety of nutrients?
(Answer: taro leaves, taro root and rourou.) – Facilitator to point out the list of
nutrients in the green boxes. Leaves, balls and root all have good amounts of
nutrients.
15. Which contains the least?

(Answer: Taro chips – only carbohydrates, protein and fats. )
16. Which food contains the most nutrients and the least energy?
(Answer: Taro leaves)
17. Which contain the least amount of nutrients and the most energy?
(Answer: Taro Chips)
We know that on average people need a certain amount of energy for their body to
function in a day. For instance, the average woman needs 2000 calories.
18. If you had to choose enough food so you didn’t feel hungry and you get all the
nutrients your body needs which of the 4 taros would you chose?
(Show the MY Food Decision illustration – note that each group supplies the total
energy for the day)
53 | P a g e
v.8.1
Summary:
As we can see processed foods can provide:
- Too much energy which leads to overweight and potential for sickness.
- Too few nutrients which with the potential for sickness.
The Live More Abundantly program is not a diet for a short time or weight loss program. It is
a positive way of living that help many areas of our health, including body weight.
10 min Activity 6
Aim: To understand why we eat and whether these reasons can contribute to overweight.
Steps:
1. Ask Participants to list all the reasons they eat.
(Examples: hunger, mealtime, others are eating, tired, stressed, bored or sad, out of
habit, to be polite, show gratitude, because they taste good or as part of a celebration
etc.)
2. Some food occasions are likely to contain high energy foods. Which ones?
(Answer: Celebrations, eating out/takeaways, store-bought snacks foods)
Explanation
Most of the reasons we listed for eating did not included hunger.
And most of the foods we like to eat special occasions contain too much energy – how do
we know? They are either high in fat, or sugar, or we eat too much of them.
54 | P a g e
v.8.1
This means that when we eat for reasons other than hunger, or we eat foods that contain
more energy than usual (particularly processed foods), our body is forced to store this
extra energy. This extra energy is stored as fat.
Energy
Energy intake can be managed by making deliberate food choices. Let’s explore everyday
food choices…
10 min Activity 7
Aim: To identify local foods that cause harm and foods that heal
Materials needed: Optimal Diet Information sheet.
Facilitator – keep this exercise moving quickly
Steps:
1. Handout the Optimal Diet Information sheet
2. Ask participants to identify local foods in each group that will help or harm our
lifestyle journey.
High energy foods in their natural state are good for us. Generally, they have lots of fibre,
and vitamins and minerals.
Fibre
Why is fibre important?
- Helps make us feel full
- Helps prevent us from eating too much energy dense food (NOTE: Avocado and nuts
are high energy foods. If you want to lose weight, eat these only occasionally)
- Helps our ‘clean’ our gut and process food we eat
- Reduces risk of cancers, diverticular disease, haemorrhoids, and constipation.
Fibre is only found in plant foods. If fibre, vitamins, and minerals are taken out of plant foods
leaving just the energy, the food is unbalanced and highly concentrated and can make us sick
over time.
5 min Activity 8
Aim: To understand how energy increases when food is concentrated
Facilitator – keep this exercise moving quickly
Steps:
1. Ask participants to answer the following questions in relation to either Sugar Cane
or Coconuts. Choose one not both:
a) Who has eaten sugar cane (or coconut from the shell)?
b) Did you eat very much?
c) Why not?
d) Is sugar cane (or coconut) bad for you? Answer: No
e) Why not? (Answer: it is a whole plant food).
f) Can sugar cane (coconut) be processed? Answer: Yes
55 | P a g e
v.8.1
g) Why would you want to process it? Answer: to have a condensed sweet
(or fatty) flavour to use in other foods.
h) What does it produce? Answer: Sugar (or coconut milk or coconut cream)
i) What was taken away when it was refined? (Answer: fibre, vitamins,
minerals, protein )
The part that is remaining is very energy dense.
NOTE – 1 meter of sugar cane refines to 1 teaspoon of white sugar
- and a website that assesses
How much Grated Coconut Meat or Milk is in a Pound of Coconuts? (howmuchisin.com)
notes that 1 x coconut will produce ½ cup of freshly squeezed milk with no
added water)
j) What happens when we eat processed or refined energy dense food?

(Answer: excess weight, insulin difficulties, not enough fibre, vitamins, and
minerals etc).
Did you notice that sugar only became a problem when the fibre, vitamins and minerals were
taken out?
How do we get enough Fibre?

Fibre is obtained by eating a wide variety of different whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and
some nuts and seeds. We need about 35-40gm per day.
Weight loss tip: high-fibre foods are not usually high in energy, but make you feel full, making
them great foods to base your meals around.
Some good examples of high-fibre foods include (Facilitator highlight local food examples):
• Legumes: peas, beans, and lentils etc are an amazing food (6 to 10 gm per ½ cup)
• Whole-grains: brown rice etc (4 - 8 gm per cup)
(NOTE: wholegrain bread has approximately 9% fibre : white bread has 3% fibre)
• Cruciferous vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Bok choy, (cooked =2-5
gm per 1-cup)
• Potatoes (with skin): Yam, taro, cassava, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes
(kumara) are a great source of low-fat energy and fibre when eaten with skin
• Fruits with skin on where possible can also be a good source of fibre
• Avocado and nuts are also a great source of fibre but have a lot of energy. If trying
to lose weight go easy on these foods
Bowel movements
When we talk about fibre we also need to talk about constipation. Constipation is the passing
of hard, dry bowel motions (stools) that may be infrequent or difficult to pass.
Most common causes of constipation include:
• Low-fibre diet
• Inadequate fluid intake
• Low level of exercises
• A change in routine
56 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Also: medications, pregnancy, advancing age, illness and delaying going to the
latrine
Key to healthy bowel movements:

• Aim to eat at least 40 grams of fibre each day
• Drink plenty of water each day to help the fibre work properly
• Get active – at least 30 minutes per day
• Introduce fibre slowly into your diet to prevent constipation or diarrhoea
In summary, by focusing on fresh local vegetables, root crops, grains, and fruit (‘kakana
main na were’, ‘island kakai’), we can eat more food, with more nutrients, and often less
energy, as compared with packaged food.
20 min Action Time
FOOD TASTING OR DEMONSTRATION OF FOOD PRINCIPLES.

Aim: To teach importance of using local starch and root foods for their health properties.
Materials needed:
• Select a local starch or root food to demonstrate that is typically prepared with
added fat or sugar.
• Prepare it with little or no fat and simple processing to preserve the fibre (example
– by leaving skin on, not overcooking, or turning to mash etc)
• You can demonstrate at the venue or have prepared in advance.
Steps:
1. Give each participant a taste of the prepared food
2. Explain to participants how the food was prepared

• Even small changes improve health.
• Increasing ‘‘locally grown foods” can help manage body weight, blood pressure and
cholesterol levels.
• It’s never too late to make positive lifestyle changes
• Positive Health habits can prevent disease and may help reverse disease.
4-7 min WORKBOOK Activity

Ask people to write in Workbook:
1. How they plan to increase natural or simply processed foods in their diet.
2. High fibre foods to add to their daily meals
3. Their height in centimetres
Conclusion
So, we have talked about many important aspects of health today:
1. How ill health can be costly
57 | P a g e
v.8.1
2. How extra weight can contribute to ill health
3. How to estimate if my weight is close to normal
4. Explored why we eat
5. We have identified foods that harm and foods that heal our body
6. We have explored what happens when foods are processed or refined
7. We have discovered the importance of eating food with fibre
8. And lastly, we have tasted/discussed a healthy root dish with little added fat.

58 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 4
Changing Health One Step at a time – The Value of Movement
Session Four: Changing Health One Step at a Time Through Exercise and
Rest
Topics:
Session Principles/ Fundamental # 3: The importance of engaging in positive activity
Session Principles/ Fundamental # 4: The health benefits of good sleep and rest habits
Duration: 1 ½- 2 hours
Session teaches:
Activity
• Positive lifestyle choices include the way we chose to move our bodies
• Regular movement and exercise promote good health
• Lack of movement has poor health outcomes
Sleep and Rest:
• Positive lifestyle choices include our sleep and rest patterns
• Sleep and rest are essential to good health
• Lack of quality sleep and rest have poor health outcomes.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Four Outline:

• Understand why movement is important (2 min) Welcome
• Understand how sleep affects health (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
• Plan to include more exercise and obtain
healing sleep and rest. (20min) Action time
(5 min) Final questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

• Team knows the topic and has read the session notes / or these have been outlined by the
Facilitator in a pre-session meeting.
• Facilitator has followed up on any questions left from previous session
• Participants are reminded to bring workbook
❑ Write up orange highlights through session and any other points you think
relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ Flip chart with key points already written up
❑ BP Machine
❑ Marker
❑ Post it Notes x 20
❑ Food Tasting or Demonstration equipment
59 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
1. Facilitator or local health clinic to complete measurement for those on medication
but who do not have personal monitors, every 2-3 days for first few weeks.
2 min Welcome
❑ Welcome Everyone
❑ Reminder to have phones on silent
❑ Reminder of confidentiality

Review progress:
• Who has completed JumpStart? (Remember it goes for 5 days)
• Congratulate those who have completed.
• Ask if increased water intake and reduced other beverages?
• Ask what fresh vegetables they have increased?
Questions to follow up

Today we will look at two important Positive Lifestyle Choices: exercise and rest
Very often the focus of a healthy lifestyle is just on just food and exercise, and while these
are very important, there are other positive lifestyle actions that can make a big difference
to our health.
4 min Activity 1
Aim: To identify what contributes to physical activity
Materials needed:
• Marker
• Flip chart
Facilitator to write the options up on the flip chart before the program starts.
60 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
1. Ask participants which of the following list are considered physical activity
(Facilitator to review answers and comment according to examples below)
o Standing on a bus (Answer: No)

o Sweeping the floor (Answer: Yes)
o Waiting in line at shops (Answer: No)
o Watching TV (Answer: No)
o Swimming (Yes)
o Walking to work (Answer: Yes)
o Watching children play football (Answer: No mostly,
but YES, if they actively cheer!! 😊)
o Digging in the garden (Answer: Yes)
o Biking to the shops (Answer: Yes)
o Driving to school (Answer: No)
o Playing football (Answer: Yes)
o Sitting and talking (Answer: No)
Summary
We all have different activity levels during the day, but because we are often interested
and our minds are busy, we forget we may not be moving much.
Now let’s consider two people. Person 1 and Person 2 – they could even live in your
neighbourhood.
Person 1 catches a bus to work, and they sit all day at their job before catching the bus
home. Mother has a meal ready, so Person 1 sits to eat dinner, and then sits under a tree
outside talking to friends until bedtime.
Person 2 Wakes up , does the washing, and prepares food for the day, before cycling to
work. Person 2 has an active job gardening. At home in the evening after a hard day’s work
they tidy the house, do the washing, and sweep the outside paths, before doing a little
reading before they go to bed.
Which person is very active? Person 2.
Last session we spoke about energy. How our body needs it to do things. In this story the
difference in energy burned by the two people could be as much as 2000 kilocalories in a
day. (Levine, 2007; von Loeffelholz, 2018) which is the total food intake for an average
woman1.
Our activity levels are very important, both for keeping our body healthy and
understanding how much food we need as fuel.
Let’s look at activity a little more and why it is important for a positive lifestyle.
61 | P a g e
v.8.1
Last session we talked about food giving us both nutrients (such as vitamins and minerals)
and energy.
Energy is important as it allows our body to do things. Let’s explore some of those:
4 min Activity 2
Aim: To appreciate how energy is used in our body
Steps:
1. Ask participants complete the following sentence:
2. My body uses energy to:

- blink, run, breathe, heal wounds
- grow babies (and birth them!)
- think, smile, digest food, grow hair
- and many hundreds of other functions.
Summary
Our Body is amazingly complex, and it needs energy to do everything.
The energy (Total Daily Energy Intake) we eat is used in our body in four main ways:
• Just being alive
• Daily Movement
• Eating
• Exercise
Anything that isn’t used is stored as fat.
10 min Activity 3
Aim: To consider the way our body burns energy
Materials needed:
• Flip chart
• Marker
• 20 post-it notes
Steps:
1. We use energy by
1. Just by being alive,
2. Daily movement,
3. Eating,
4. Exercising
We call this energy Calories or kilojoules.
2. Next, I will give you 10 stickers representing ALL the energy we USE in one day
(they do not represent what we eat- that is something else).
3. Ask participants:
a) How many stickers should be put against each energy burner?
b) Ask a volunteer to place stickers according to what the group things burns
the most energy.
4. Facilitator to then place stickers showing actual percentages.
a) Just by being alive =60 % 6 stickers
b) Daily movement = 25 % 2 and ½ stickers
c) Eating =10% 1 sticker
d) Exercise = 5 % ½ sticker
62 | P a g e
v.8.1
5. Ask participants what surprised them the most?
So, let’s have a closer look at each of these:
1. # 1 Energy Burner = Just being = 6 stickers (60%) of daily energy used. (Basal
Metabolic Rate – BMR).
Each person here is just sitting now, but inside us our cells are really busy doing
many things that use energy. For example:
- digesting food
- storing what we are learning today in our brains
- creating new blood cells
- and even helping us to sit up straight instead of falling on the floor
2. # 2 Energy Burner = Incidental Activity (NEAT) = 2 ½ stickers = (25 %) of daily

energy used
Using energy also happens when we live an active life, even though we don’t
actually call it ‘exercise’. What does this look like?
8 min Activity 4
Aim: To understand the range of incidental movement that uses energy.
Steps:
1. Incidental movement happens when you move your body but aren’t exercising.
Examples include the following or similar
- walking to get into the car
- sweeping the floor
- lifting shopping onto the table
- fidgeting
- blinking
- singing
- moving our hands when we talk.
This is called incidental activity. Activity we do when living our lives when we are not
thinking about it.
2. Ask participants for examples on how they can increase incidental movement on
purpose.
3. Ask participants to write in workbook how they can increase incidental activity.
4. Ask if they want to share any examples?
Summary
Incidental movement is an important Energy Burner helping us to live a positive lifestyle.
All the actions we have just mentioned take ‘energy’ to happen. And we can increase the
amount of incidental activity in many little ways – lets look at how.
3. # 3 Energy Burner = digesting food (TEF) = 1 sticker = 10 % of daily energy used
63 | P a g e
v.8.1
Our body uses energy to digest food. It uses more energy to digest foods that
minimally processed3.
7 min Activity 5
Aim: To illustrate how our body uses more energy to digest minimally processed foods.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to identify which will make our body burn the most amount of
energy:
100gm of coconut or 100 gm of coconut milk bought from the store

(Answer: =Eating 100gm of coconut)
2. To consider why ask participants to list the steps would be involved in digesting
food. (Use the details below to check responses)
Eating a 100gm of coconut uses more energy as our body will have to work
hard to extract the goodness. It must:
• Firstly, collect the coconut from the tree, husk, crack and cut the flesh out
• Then chew. Lots! To get the coconut into small pieces to swallow
• so, the gut can break it down into tiny pieces
• the fats, the sugars, the protein, the fibre and all the vitamins and minerals, have
to be sorted and separated
• and then delivered to the right part of the body that will use it.
• The waste goes out via urine and faeces, and it takes some of the energy with it in
the fibre tht was in the coconut.
• And on the way the fibre brushes the inside of our bowel and takes other waste
with it.
Eating 100gm of coconut milk:

• We drink it
• The fats, the sugars, the protein, the fibre and all the vitamins and minerals, are
separated
• and then delivered to the right part of the body that will use it
• the waste goes out via urine and faeces.
In summary:
The difference between the foods is that our body must work hard using lots of energy to
fully process the coconut, whereas machines have used their energy to process the milk, so
it is easy for us to absorb.
64 | P a g e
v.8.1
So, eating whole foods that have not been prepared and processed by machinery, helps us
to burn more energy than foods that have been highly machine processed. (And they taste
delicious!)
5 min WORKBOOK Activity 6

Ask participants to write in their workbook how they can include more foods that will use
more energy to digest.
2 min Activity 7
Just to refresh – our energy is used in 4 ways. Ask Participants to recall the first three:
Answer:
1. Just by existing – 60% = 6 stickers
2. Incidental movement – 25% = 2 ½ stickers
3. Eating whole, fresh minimally processed foods. -10% = 1 sticker
So, who has been adding up the percentages? How much is left? (5%) = ½ a sticker
4. # 4 Energy Burner = Active Exercise = 5 % of daily energy 4

- Swimming
- Hiking up a hill
- Playing football
- Going for a run
- Walking
- Dancing
- anything that can make us ‘huff and puff’ a little or a lot.
So now the BIG question.
If exercise only takes up 5% of our energy expenditure, why is it so important?
Lots of research has been done around exercise and these are some of the things they have
discovered:
• Exercise increases your metabolism! This is the part that burns energy while we sit
or sleep. Remember the Energy Burner that uses 6 stickers (60% BMR) bit?
Science has proven there are lots of other benefits to exercise as well. As we talk about these
– make notes in your workbook about the benefits YOU may get from exercise.
These are just some of benefits of exercise.

• Just 15 minutes of brisk walking a day may lengthen your life by 2 years (Moore et
al., 2012).
• increased strength and energy
• improves mood
• decreases feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.
• It also reduces risk of chronic diseases, such as
o Some cancers (breast, lung, colon)
o diabetes
65 | P a g e
v.8.1
o high blood pressure
o heart disease
o stroke.
Active exercise is also good for:

o keeping muscles and bones strong
o keeping skin healthy
o keeping your brain healthy
o keeping bowels regular and helps digestion of food.
o helps you relax and sleep better
o reduces pain
o improves physical intimacy (Semesco, 2017).
o Improve sugar control for diabetics (Short et al., 2018)
o Reduces fat around the middle (Rosenkilde et al., 2021)
o Keeping a healthy heart and helps to stop stroke from occurring (Naci &
Ioannidis, 2015).
o reducing your risk of dying early (Calechman, 2019).
Active exercise also helps to

o manage hunger (a bonus if you are trying to lose weight)
o relieve boredom
o maintain weight
o improves our social lives
o as well as just being fun!
So how much daily activity is recommended per day ?
30 mins moderate activity = 4,400 steps reduce risk of early death by 14%
(Wen et al., 2011)
40 mins moderate activity = 5,000 steps can reduce risk of heart disease and
stroke (Dwyer et al., 2015).
60 mins moderate activity = 7500 steps risk of early death is decreased by 50-
60% (Lee et al., 2019; Saint-Maurice et
al., 2020)
80 mins moderate activity =10,000 steps Daily Goal (Schmidt et al., 2009).
20 mins moderate activity per day = 2,500 steps
Aim to exercise daily, even if just for 15-30 mins. Every bit counts!
Before we move away from exercise remember in last session, we spoke about the energy
we eat but don’t use. What happens to that extra, unneeded energy? Yes, it is stored as fat.
So, this is where exercise is really important.
By living a positive lifestyle according to Live More Abundantly Principles you can
1. Increase Energy Burner # 1 – ‘Just being’ (BMR) when you exercise more.
2. Increase Energy Burner # 2 - incidental activity, as exercise will make you stronger
and provide good balance.
3. Increase Energy Burner # 3 - food digestion - as whole plant foods supply good
nutrients for exercising
4. Increase Energy Burner # 4 with active exercise.
66 | P a g e
v.8.1
Ask participants to write in workbook any changes to their exercise program they would like
to make.
Activity Goal: To achieve ____________________ minutes of moderate activity
How often: 6 days a week
When: in 4 weeks’ time.
Sleep
We have just learned about the importance of exercise and now we are going to take a look at
sleep. Our body needs activity, but it also needs relaxation and peace.
It is during sleep that your body recovers, the immune system works to heal anything that
requires fixing and lots of other little actions occur.
Not enough, or poor sleep, or irregular sleep patterns such as with shift work, places us at risk
of.
o high blood pressure and heart disease
o overweight problems
o type 2 diabetes
o risk of accidents
o poor memory, learning and problem solving
o mood disorders (HMS, 2008).
o and early death.
How much sleep do we need?

Most adults aged 26-64 years need 7-9 hours’ sleep a night (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015).
Babies, children, and young adults need much more.
How do we make sure we have the best sleep?
There are many things that can help us get our best sleep. So, let’s explore these:
1. Have a regular sleep and wake routine. Our body works best with rhythms. The best
time for going to bed is within a few hours of sunset when sleep hormones are highest.
The same on the weekends.
2. Go outdoors early in the morning. When your eyes see sunlight in the morning, your
body decreases the sleep hormone
3. Limit bright lights in the evening. Bright lights limit the production of the sleep
hormone, so it is difficult to get to and stay sleep
5 min Activity 9
Aim: To understand how light can will affect sleep patterns
67 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
1. Ask participants to list all types of lights that could interfere with sleep
Examples include:
▪ light globes
▪ smart phones and i-pads
▪ computers and tv’s
Summary:
Light affects us in many ways. Sleep scientists using satellites have looked at communities
with bright lights and found people living there have higher obesity rates!
4. Eat a smaller meal, early in the evening. Eating too close to bedtime affects
o the quality of sleep
o body weight
o blood pressure
o blood sugar and
o cholesterol control
5. Avoid sleep poisons- TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE.

o Tobacco causes insomnia, fragmented sleep, snoring and sleep apnoea
(Hwang et al., 2014).
o Caffeine is a stimulant, making it harder to fall asleep and then interrupts
sleep (HHL, 2018).
o Alcohol causes fragmented sleep and many cancers (WCRF, 2018).
6. Physical Activity helps with:

a. falling asleep faster,
b. spend more time in the deep restorative sleep
c. and have less night-time awakening (HMS, 2008).
CAUTION - Exercising is stimulating - avoid within 4 hours of bedtime
7. Sleep Environment is best when
o dark – minimise light from digital clock (Gooley et al., 2011)
o quiet - even when asleep your heart knows if there is noise causing your heart
rate to increase (Basner et al., 2011).
o Clean and comfortable bedding
8. Relax before bed
4 min Activity 10
Aim: To understand what pre sleep relaxation could consist of
Steps:
1. Ask participants to list how they relax to get a good sleep.
2. After hearing their personal experiences share the following:
68 | P a g e
v.8.1
a) have a relaxing conversation with loved ones
b) read a book
c) listen to gentle music
d) reflect on things you are grateful for
e) meditate using prayer and reading the Bible
f) write down your worries and ‘to do’ list to deal with tomorrow
g) do some deep breathing, stretching and muscle relaxation
h) sit quietly and listen to your breathing and the sounds around you.
9. Sabbath Rest
o In addition to daily rets routine, try taking one day off a week.
o Taking a “Sabbath” rest one day every week is found in several faith
traditions.
o The many benefits of observing Sabbath extend to both you and your
community (Lee, 2009; Moore, 2014).
Remember while good rest and sleep are important too much sleep and too little sleep are
both associated with an increase in disease – so plan for 7-9 hours per night. And being lazy
doesn’t count as rest😊

Ask participants to write in workbook what they can do to get a better sleep.
20min Action Time

Aim: To teach importance of using local legumes and beans for their health properties.
Materials needed:
• This depends on the recipe chosen, but must include legumes or beans
Steps:
1. Demonstrate a local dish using legumes or beans have recipe available.
OR,
1. Have a tasting dish that has used legumes – have recipe available.
OR,
3. Discuss local dishes that have legumes or could have legumes added.
4. Discuss how to use with lower oil and salt
Conclusion
So, today we have talked about the different ways our body uses energy, and the importance
of activity and exercise, and in getting good sleep.
Remember what we are learning only become valuable when we use it to live a positive
Lifestyle and Live More Abundantly.
69 | P a g e
v.8.1
The healthier habits we practise, the better as even small changes seem to help improve
health and how long we live.

70 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 5
I can Choose to Change my Life - Goal Setting and Review
Session Five: Choosing to Live a Healthy Life

Topics / Session Principles # 5: I can choose to change my life
Session teaches:
1. Beliefs and thoughts drive actions
2. My actions affect my health.
3. We can change our beliefs and thoughts
4. Therefore, we are able to change our health.
5. Goal setting
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Five Outline:
• Understand how thinking, beliefs and actions ( 2 min) Welcome
can affect our health. ( 10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
• To use goals to change my health ( 10 min) Review: What we already know
( 50 min) Learn: New information
( 40 min) Action time
( 5 min) Final questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Marker
71 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
Facilitator or local health clinic to complete measurement for those on medication but
who do not have personal monitors, every 2-3 days for first few weeks.
2 min Welcome

Review progress – choose 3 questions:

• What meals have they started using beans and legumes in?
5 min Activity 2
Aim: To identify factors that contribute to successful change.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to form small groups of 4-5 and answer questions within their
group
a. Describe a time when they made a successful change in their life.
b. What helped them to make this successful change?
Summary:
When we try and make a change there are factors that can help us or hinder change. To be
successful at making a change we need to know what these can be.
72 | P a g e
v.8.1
Today we will be looking at how my choices can help me gain my best health.
Sometimes we think we can do anything, but at other times we doubt our abilities.
How we ‘talk to ourselves’ is an important factor in successfully changing any aspect of our
life. Let’s look at this in a little more detail.
5 min Activity 1
Aim: Identify how common negative thinking is.
Facilitator to say – Negative thinking usually begins with ‘ I can’t…’ or ‘I’m not…’
Whereas positive thinking usually begins with ‘I can do…’ I can try to do…’
Steps:
1. Divide group into 2
2. Ask one group to identify positive things we say to ourselves. (Examples: I can cook
well, I am a good gardener)
3. Ask the second group to identify negative things we say to ourselves. (Examples: I
can’t run, I can’t sew)
4. Ask which group found it easier to come up with ideas?
Summary
The conversations we have in our mind, are called ‘self-talk’.
If you said it was easier to have negative self-talk you are right. 75% of our thoughts are
negative.
And why is that a challenge? Because when we want to change our life, we first must
change the conversations in our mind. If we don’t think we can do something why would
anyone else?
Today we are going to look at choosing to change my life.

Did you know feelings drive much of what we do?
Most will agree we usually try to avoid unpleasant or painful things and to experience
pleasant things. But there may be a difference in what we believe to be true and what is
actually true
Where do we get our beliefs from? Two main sources:

1. Credible sources (people and things we trust - such as parents, friends, teachers,
books etc)
2. Personal experience
So, let’s look at our questions again and see where we got our beliefs about them:
73 | P a g e
v.8.1
10 min Activity 3
Aim: To understand the difference between facts and feelings and to understand where we
get beliefs from.
Materials needed: flip chart
Steps:
1. Ask participants answer the following questions about each statement
a. is it a fact ?
b. is it a belief (something I think is true, but others may believe differently)
c. did I learned it from a credible source or by experience.
(Note: the answers are suggestions. Participants may have their own reasons for rating
differently)
1 + 1 is….. (credible source)

On a clear day the colour of the sky is……. (credible source and experience)
To make some I love happy I cook their favourite…… (experience)

To make my children happy I ……. (experience)
If my neighbour brings me a cake, I will say thank you and …. (experience)
I don’t like to run because……… (experience)
I’m scared to try new things in case…. (experience)
I don’t like green vegetables because…. (experience)
Summary
All we believe comes from a credible source or an experience. As we make change it is
important to know where our beliefs come from.
Because our actions are based on our beliefs

we have the power to change the way we think about our experiences
therefore, we can change our beliefs
which can change our future actions.

Aim: To understand how negative thinking can impact actions.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to write the answers to the questions in their workbook.
Questions Below are EXAMPLES only.

Allow participants to choose their own activity.
These are for the facilitators understanding and example.
Think of an activity you don’t Cooking Swimming Ironing
like and try to avoid
Has this been learned from a Experience Credible source Experience

credible source or an (e.g., parent told
experience? me water was
dangerous)
74 | P a g e
v.8.1
Why don’t you like the Time wasting don’t know how don’t have iron
activity? to do it properly
Does avoiding this activity yes- means I eat no, I don’t have yes -wear
have a negative impact on take-aways more to swim wrinkled clothes
your life? often and people think I
don’t care for self
Is the negative impact takeaways are no, I don’t need to yes- what people
important to you? expensive and swim think of me is
don’t make me important
feel good
If yes - What would it take to find simple meals still don’t need to borrow an iron
turn the negative impact a that don’t take swim!!! until I can save to
positive one? long to cook buy one)
Summary
To change what I believe requires thinking about why I believe what I do in the first
instance. Questions such as these help me decide the importance of my beliefs in certain
areas.
It can take time and effort, and sometimes money to change beliefs, but these are
important aspects of long-term change.
We will start by looking at how to change our beliefs, which will then help change our
actions.
5 min Activity 5
Aim: To understand how decisions we make now affect our future.
Steps:
1. Ask for a volunteer.
(DON’T ALLOW THE VOLUNTEER TO THINK FOR TOO LONG)
2. Ask the volunteer if they would like $1,000,000 now or 1 cent that is doubled
every day for 30 days.
3. Ask them why they made the decision they did.
4. Ask the group if they would make the same or a different decision. Why?
5. For the group who chose to accept one cent, and have it doubled every day, in 30
days’ time you would have $5.4 million dollars.
Summary
Many of us would not have believed that small amount of money could add up so quickly
and made a decision based on feelings.
So, what each of you are doing here today is important.

• The Live More Abundantly program is simple, but not easy.
• It is simple because we can easily follow the steps laid out.
• But it’s not easy, as each person will need to look at and possibly some of our beliefs
75 | P a g e
v.8.1
• If we change beliefs, we will then need to change some of our actions.
Remember the 3 steps to change we spoke about a few minutes ago?

Write these on the flip chart before the start of the session.
Write these in your workbook:
To change I need to:
1. Change the way I think about my experiences.
2. Accept this will change my beliefs
3. This will change my future actions.
So let us start by changing our thoughts
We know the way we feel often influences the way we behave or act. And we often do things
to feel pleasure and to avoid feeling pain.
Can we change that?
Absolutely yes. But firstly, we need to be honest with ourselves and find out why we do
somethings.
Then we need to identify a way of making the actions pleasurable or rewarding. If it is

pleasurable or rewarding, we are more likely to do it again – and again!!
Let us look at the experience of someone who has changed their lifestyle.

(Time Allowance – 5 mins)
Aim: To understand how the way a person thinks about their experiences can change their
actions.
Steps:
1. Find the handout at the end of this document
2. Ask a participant to read the green side.
3. At the end of each part the facilitator will read a concluding sentence.
Participant to Read Facilitator to Read

“Before making changes I believed that This was learned through experience.
unhealthy food with intense flavours of salt,
fat and sugar tasted nice.”
“However, my doctor told me I am not so Experience (pain, discomfort, being unwell,
well and at times I don’t feel good. He said poor baseline measures) and credible
that these foods may be part of the sources (nurses, doctors, research)
problem.”
provided information.
“I need to change my eating to change my My thoughts and beliefs are changing.

health”.
76 | P a g e
v.8.1
“So, I started by decreasing salt, sugar and My thoughts and beliefs are changing my
fat.” behaviour and actions.
“ My taste buds adjusted to these new This may take 1-3 weeks. It takes a little
simple flavours”. while for this to be pleasurable.
“I can now taste the real food flavours, Eating healthy local foods with their fresh
which is really enjoyable. When I taste flavours will leave you feeling better, and
foods high in salt, sugar, or fat again, I find your body deeply nourished.
the flavours are not as nice as I remember
them”.
Summary
This conversation was based on an actual conversation with a person who changed their
life.
Did you see what happened?

Firstly, the person changed the way they thought about their experiences
“I don’t feel good”
This then changed beliefs
“The food may be part of the problem”
This could change future actions.
“I need to change my eating to change my health”
Soon new actions become routine and sustainable and often are enjoyable.

Aim: To begin goal setting
Steps:
1. Ask participants: What is something you believe you need to change in your life to
support your health?
2. Ask participants to write in their workbook one change they would like to make.
Remember we spoke earlier about the impact negative thoughts have on us? How do we
create some positive thoughts?
To experience long term success with lifestyle change, we need to develop and hold three
beliefs, each is created by positive thoughts.
Write these 3 points on the flip chart before the start of the session.
1. I believe my health and wellbeing are important
77 | P a g e
v.8.1
• We prioritise things we believe to be important.
• You are important.
• Remembering it is never too late to benefit from the positive lifestyle.
2. I can make positive changes.

• Change is possible if you try
• People who believe they can change are more likely to start making better lifestyle
choices.
3. I deserve success.
• Too many people have had unfortunate life experiences and don’t think they deserve
good things in life.
• Every person has great value and incredible worth and deserves a life of health and
wholeness.
You are valuable just because you are you. By believing this you will overcome many
roadblocks in the way of living your best life.
5 min Activity 8
Aim: To practice how changing I can change my health by changing my beliefs.
Materials needed:
• Participant workbook
• Flip chart (prepared with questions prior to session)
Steps:
1. Ask participants to write the following in their workbook (write on flipchart prior):
I think my health status is: poor, satisfactory, excellent (Choose one)

I think it is important to prioritize my health. Yes/no (Choose one)
I joined LMA because______________________________________ (state your belief)
I believe I can learn and use health principles/ fundamentals for positive health.
I deserve success in managing my health.
Signature or mark:_________________________________________
So far we have learned to:

1. change the way we think about our experiences.
2. and know this new thinking will change our beliefs…
Therefore, we need to focus on how:
3. this will change my future actions.
40 min Action Time
Goals are important as they

- give us focus
- provide a sense of satisfaction when reached!
78 | P a g e
v.8.1
But without a plan, a map, or a ‘recipe’, it is really hard to achieve goals. Instead, they are
just wishes. One helpful way is to use a Goal Window, which uses the SMART goals principle.

Aim: To create a visual picture of a window and its functions.
Materials needed:
Flip chart (prepared prior to session) Draw a window with frames on the flip chart
before the start of the program. See the example at the rear of this document.
Tell participants we are going to create a goal and set a plan to achieve it, we are going to
use a window frame to understand how setting goals works. It will also provide us with a
visual image each time we create a goal making sure we include all parts
Steps:
1. Ask participants to draw a large window in their workbook and give it a wide
frame. They will need to be able to write in the frame
2. Ask participants to describe the parts of a window and their functions.
There are 5 parts to the Goal Window.
They need to be:

1. CLEAR (Specific)
2. Have a FRAME (Measurable)
3. Can be SEEN OR TOUCHED (Achievable)
4. Have a PURPOSE (Relevant to us):
5. Be for a SEASON (Timely):

Aim: To use the goal window to practise setting goals.
Steps:
1. Read and follow instructions below:
CLEAR (specific)
Just like a clean window a goal needs to be CLEAR (Specific)
- Windows are best when clear to see through and they let good light in.
- Our health goals are good only if we are clear about what we expect to achieve.
An Example of a clear goal: I want to lose 20 kg of weight.
- Write a clear short goal in the top of the window on the sloping lines in the glass.
FRAME (Measurable)
Windows need a FRAME of the right size to hold the glass in and fit the wall (be
measurable)
- The window needs to fit in the space allowed for it.
- Our actions also need to fit our goals.
- On the left and right and bottom of the frame, write actions to help achieve goal.
- Choose as many actions as possible that can be measured and will help you succeed.
79 | P a g e
v.8.1
Example: I will lose 20kg of weight by
- Not snacking between meals
- By walking for 30 mins at least once a day.
- Eating at least 4 cups of vegetables a day
- Eating staples / roots with no added oils.
- Going to bed by 10pm.
SEE OR TOUCH (achievable)

By seeing or touching a window we really know it is there (Achievable).
- We must be able to see and touch our goals when we reach them.
- Write under your window what seeing or touching your goal looks like
Example: I will weigh myself once a week and my scales will tell me when I
have lost 20 kgs.
PURPOSE (Relevant):
A window has a purpose - to let cool air in, keep the rain out, or let light in, (be Relevant).
- Write on your window on the diagonal line under your clear goal, the reason why you
want to achieve your goal
Example: 1. So I can stay more active
2. So I can run with my kids at the beach
For a SEASON (Timely):

Just as you would watch the seasons pass before your window, this goal is only for a
season or a period of time.
- When would you like to achieve your goal by? Write it clearly across the top of your
frame.
Example: (I want to lose 20 kg of weight)… by my birthday next year.
- You may even choose to break the goal down into smaller parts.
Example: (I want to lose 5 kg of weight)… by the start of the school holidays.
Remember
You can use a Goal Window for any health or life goal that you wish. They work best when
they are used.
FOOD.
Many have finished Jumpstart and will now be settling into the new way of eating, so let us
review what we have learnt.
The Live More Abundantly program is different from some other health programs because
it does not give you a set menu to eat. You do not have to buy special foods that are
expensive or difficult to prepare.
Refer to the Optimal Diet Brochure.
80 | P a g e
v.8.1
20 min FOOD TASTING OR DEMONSTRATION OF FOOD PRINCIPLES.
Greens are important because they are packed with vitamins and minerals and antioxidant,
and they are low in energy. They also help our bodies to make different components
function well.
Aim: To teach importance of using local green vegetables for their health properties.
Materials needed:
• This depends on the recipe chosen, but must include greens
Steps
1. Demonstrate a local dish using local green vegetables in season.
OR,
1. Have a tasting dish that has used greens – have recipe available.
OR,
1. Discuss local dishes that could be used or have greens in them.
2. Discuss how to use with lower oil and salt

Ask participants to write in workbook how they can change their meals to include more
green foods
Conclusion
So, we have talked about a number of things today:
We have discussed how
➢ thinking affects beliefs
➢ how beliefs affect actions
➢ and how actions can affect our health.
We have also discussed how we can make changes by changing our thinking and setting
goals.

• The healthier habits we practise, the better.
• Even small changes seem to help improve health and how long we live.
• It’s never too late to make lifestyle changes to affect health.

81 | P a g e
v.8.1
Thank you for agreeing to read this out aloud.
Read each box and wait for the Facilitator to comment before reading the
next box.
Participant to Read
“Before making changes I believed that unhealthy food with

intense flavours of salt, fat and sugar tasted nice.”
“However, my doctor told me I am not so well and at times I
don’t feel good. He said that these foods may be part of the
problem.”
“I need to change my eating to change my health”.
“So, I started by decreasing salt, sugar and fat.”
“ My taste buds adjusted to these new simple flavours”.
“I can now taste the real food flavours. When I taste foods
high in salt sugar or fat again, I find the flavours are not as
nice as I remember them”
82 | P a g e
v.8.1
Goals Window
(Facilitator note there is a large version in Appendix that can be printed for
each participant)
83 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 6
What is in good food – Understanding food
Session Six: What is in Good Food?

Topics / Session Principles/ Fundamental #6: Make good choices
Duration: 1 ½ - 2 Hours
Session teaches:
1. Live More Abundantly lifestyle foods include a plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and
root crops
2. Different foods contain different nutrients
3. Food processing can remove nutrients concentrating nutrients that don’t promote health.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Six Outline:
• Understand that nutrients needed for a ( 2 min) Welcome
healthy lifestyle are found in all natural (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
foods. (10 min) Review: What we already know
• Some foods contain more nutrients than
others. (5 min) Final questions
• Eating a variety of coloured foods is
important
•
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

❑ Team knows the topic and has read the session notes / or these have been outlined by
the Facilitator in a pre-session meeting.
relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Marker
84 | P a g e
v.8.1
min Welcome

Review progress:
• Ask how exercise and activity is going.
• What meals have they started using more green foods in?
Food is a really important part of our life. It nourishes our both body and our soul, by
this we mean it nourishes our body but also provides social and emotional
connectedness, occasions for celebration and a place to build memories over.
But the most important thing about food is that it needs to nourish us.
5 min Activity 1
Aim: To identify familiarity with coloured foods and promote thinking about foods not
regularly eaten
Materials needed:
• Flip chart (prepared prior to session)
Steps:
1. Ask participants to identify as many unprocessed foods as possible that are:
• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Brown
• White
2. How many foods were naturally white?
85 | P a g e
v.8.1
Do we eat all of these foods? Or are we just aware of them. Considering this wide
range of foods, why do we make the food choices we do?
5 min Activity 2
Aim: To identify what determines our food choices.
Materials needed:
• Flip chart (prepared with prior to session)
Steps:
1. Ask participants to choose the top three influences on food choices.
• Taste preference
• Cost
• Look
• Availability
• Family preferences
• Convenience
• Tradition
• Time
• Seasons
• Weather
Summary
We can see that there are many different reasons for choosing particular foods.
The foods we eat are often determined by many factors, some of which we have little
control over. But every one of us has choice. Often more than we think.
Today we will be looking at the importance of choosing a wide range of naturally

coloured foods to gain my best health.
• Too often our diet is white: white flour, white sugar, white rice, white bread,
white roti, white chips, and even white oils!
• The lack of colour tells us many of our foods are highly processed.
Scientists have identified that where people eat a lot of highly processed foods, the
disease rates are much higher than where people eat simple minimally processed
foods.
Let’s look at what whole unprocessed food consists of:
Colours:
Phytonutrients.
This is a big word for tiny chemicals the plants use to protect itself from disease, pests,
and their environment. So, we don’t need to remember the name ‘phytonutrient’ just
the word ‘colour’.
86 | P a g e
v.8.1
And while plants use colours for protection or to attract bees, it turns out the colours
of phytonutrients are really good for us! All the colours in these foods help us fight
disease and stop us from getting other diseases. They are tiny and mighty disease
fighters.
This means if a plant is edible and ripe and naturally coloured - it good for you!
5 min Activity 3
Aim: Identify coloured foods participants can use more at home.
Steps:
1. What were some of the coloured foods listed in the earlier activity that you
have never tried or don’t eat very often?
2. How can you use these in your regular meals?
3. Write these in your Workbook.
Summary
Many of us know about brightly coloured foods, but if we don’t use them, they are of
no benefit.
NOTE: Just remember we are not talking about man made colours added to foods and
drinks, some of which can be very harmful to us.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: Identify the roles and functions of vitamins.
Steps:
1. Read the following riddle to your participants.
“ We are 110 years old*.

We are in every natural food.
If you eat us, we have no calories but are needed to burn calories.
We have our own names, and we have our own jobs.
We are fragile and can be easily destroyed.
Too much of us and we make you sick,
Too little of us and you become sick all by yourself.
We are letters of the alphabet
What are we?”
(Answer: Vitamins. *Although they have always existed in our food, they were only
found in 1912)
87 | P a g e
v.8.1
Vitamins
Vitamins are “vital to life”. 9
Most of our vitamins can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and
vegetables and staples and legumes, that support our energy intake.
Vitamin B12 is critical in lots of body processes including making blood and keep our
nerves healthy, but it is not found in plant foods. We can get it by taking a B12
supplement or eating two serves of fresh fish per week (or tinned with no oil or salt if
fresh unavailable).
Vitamin D is also important in

▪ creating strong bones
▪ keeping our blood sugars under control,
▪ fighting cancer
▪ fighting influenza etc.
It is only found a in a few foods, but our amazing skin can make it. So regular healthy
exposure to sun can help increase our Vitamin D .
NOTE: check with your doctor or local health clinic about how much sun exposure you
need for your skin in your region.
However, all food processing, even simple chopping and cooking can destroy vitamins.
The more the food is processed the more vitamins are destroyed.
Minerals
Minerals are sturdier than vitamins, and although food processing can remove them
when seeds or skins or fibre is removed, they are harder to destroy with cooking etc.
5 min Activity 5
Aim: Identify how minerals can heal and harm
Steps:
1. Ask participants the following
Which mineral is in every cell in their body ? (Answer: Sodium)

Which mineral will cause death if you don’t have enough in your body? (Answer:
Sodium)
9
(Whitney, 2017)
88 | P a g e
v.8.1
Which mineral will cause many health problems and potential death if you have too
much ? (Answer: Sodium)
Which mineral is found in all plants (Answer: sodium)
Which mineral helps make healthy blood, but too much is toxic (Answer: iron)
Summary
The last questions was a trick question wasn’t it! But if you said sodium, you would also
be right!
Most of our minerals can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of vegetables and
fruits and staples that supports our energy intake and drinking clean fresh water.
Energy
In an earlier session we discovered that our body obtains energy from carbohydrates,
fat, and protein. So, what are these exactly?
Carbohydrates
Are essential for health. We can eat them as whole foods such as simple sugars
(example: honey) starches (example: taro) and fibre (example – breadfruit)
Carbohydrates only become a big problem when we process or ultra-process them, so

they have few nutrients left. Usually, we are left with white sugar, white flour, and no
fibre! Remember the taro illustration from an earlier session. There were lots of
carbohydrates and fat but very few other nutrients.
Our carbohydrate needs can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and
vegetables and staples that support our energy intake.
Fibre
Everyone has heard of ‘carbs’ and protein and fats, but we don’t talk much about fibre.
Yet it is just as important as the other nutrients and without it our body becomes unwell.
5 min Activity 6
Aim: To identify good sources of fibre
Materials needed:
• Flip chart (prepared with prior to session)
Steps:
1. Ask participants the following
Which of the following foods contain dietary fibre?

- Fish ( 0 gm/100gm)
89 | P a g e
v.8.1
- Coconut (raw) ( 9 gm/100gm)
- Mango ( 1.6 gm/100gm)
- Taro ( 5 gm/100gm)
- Chicken wings ( 0 gm/100gm)
- White rice ( 0 .4gm/100gm)
- Brown rice ( 1.8 gm/100gm) 4 x the amount of fibre as in white rice.
- Taro leaves cooked (2 g/100gm)
- Eggs ( 0 gm/100gm)
Who was surprised by these answers?
So how much dietary fibre does meat contain? None. No animal product contains fibre.
Anyone felt constipated after a large salty, meat filled meal? It is because your body is
having a hard time digesting and expelling the waste without fibre.
Unfortunately, it’s not just animal foods that lack fibre. Processed foods often lose a lot
of their fibre during processing.
Are we agreed…we need fibre?
How much? 25-40 gm for the average adult/day.10
Our fibre needs can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables
and staples that support our energy intake.
Fat
7 min Activity 8
Aim: To illustrate the importance of fat
Steps:
Ask participants to answer the following questions.
1. Body fat is important. Why?
Answers should include:

- provides protection from cold
- makes it comfortable to sit down on our butts
- protects inner organs
- keep cells in shape and help to do their work
- makes us look good (ever seen a handsome skeleton?!)
- helps with many body functions
- and it is our bodies very own food cupboard (when we don’t eat enough
energy for activity we are doing, our body will use some of its fat stores)
2. How does our body get enough fat for its use?
10
(Craig, 2013)
90 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answers:
- From fat we eat
- From fat we store form excess protein and carbohydrates.)
3. What happens if we eat more energy that we use in the form of protein,
carbohydrates, and fat?
- (Answer: we store it on our body as extra weight.)
4. What happens if we don’t enough energy in the form of protein, carbohydrates, and
fat?
- (Answer: we use up our bodies fat stores.)
5. Where do we get healthy fats from?

- (Answer examples: avocadoes, unprocessed coconut, ground nuts (peanuts),
tree nuts, and most plant foods have small quantity of fats)
6. Where do we get unhealthy fats from?

- (Answer examples: meat, chocolate, ghee, shortening, ice-cream, cheese,
baked goods, fast foods, snack foods, milk, eggs etc…)
Our fat needs can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables
and staples that support our energy intake.
Protein
Amino acids
Amino acids are protein broken down into its smallest parts. They are just like a big
family where there are 20 amino ‘kids’ all with their own names – Lysine, Valine, Serine
etc – but fortunately we don’t need to know their names, we just need to know they are
essential to life and good health. And all have their own jobs.
Too often we hear people say they need their ‘protein’. And while we all need protein in
our body, the good news is that our body has its own factory where it can make at least
half of the amino ‘brothers’. The other half we need to get from food.
In addition, most foods contain protein. Therefore, if you eat enough food for your
energy needs from a wide range of plant foods, you will get enough protein11.
5 min ONLY USE THIS ACTIVITY IF YOU HAVE TIME

Activity 9
Aim: To understand what protein is used for in the body
11
(Craig, 2013)
91 | P a g e
v.8.1
Facilitators note participants just need an awareness protein use in body.
Steps:
1. Ask participants if they would like to suggest what the body uses protein for?
(Answer: Proteins form the building blocks for most of the body)
1. Act as building material for Bones, Skin, Muscles,
2. Blood
3. Enzymes
4. Hormones
5. Keep our fluid balance correct
6. Protect from disease
7. Transport things around the body
8. Create clots and heal wounds12
Our protein needs can be obtained by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and
vegetables and staples that support our energy intake.
Water
In an earlier session we encouraged you to increase water intake. Water is essential for
our bodies.
Over half of of our body and 80% of our brains is water13 . Without sufficient water our
body will not work properly. This lack of water is called dehydration.
5 min Activity 10
Aim: To identify symptoms of dehydration
Steps:
1. Write on a flip chart or read out aloud. Ask participants which are caused by
dehydration
(Facilitator NOTE: all are signs of dehydration except sweating)
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Cracked lips
• Constipation
• Heart attack
• Sweating (Answer: NO – dry skin is a symptom of dehydration)
• Dry eyes
• Difficulty thinking clearly
• High body temperature
• Difficulty walking
• Very dark urine
• Weakness
• Cool hands and feet
12
(Witney, 2017)
13
(Craig, 2013; Wahlqvist, 2011)
92 | P a g e
v.8.1
Summary
Most of us will have felt these symptoms at some time and associate them with being
unwell. It is really important we drink and eat enough water.
But whilst it is really important to drink plenty of fresh clean water, our bodies need for
fluid can be met in other ways (Wahlqvist, 2011).

Activity 11
Aim: Identify simplicity of negative thinking
Steps:
1. Ask participants the following questions
Questions:
1. What natural foods contain a lot of water? (Examples: whole coconut, watermelon,
oranges, cucumber, berries)
2. How can you tell? (When they are cut or sliced, they are generally juicy)
4. If we were to squeeze the liquid out of your favourite juicy food would the liquid
contain plain(tap) water or other things as well?
a. If participants answered ‘other things’, ask what these could be?
(Answer: Minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals (colours), carbohydrates, fat, and
protein in different proportions for each food.)
Summary
Remember we can also get fluid from soups, stews, dahls, and other ‘runny’ foods.
A few moments ago, we spoke about juice from fruits, vegetables, or nuts. We also found
freshly squeezed juice contains lots of good nutrients. So why don’t we just drink
everything?

Activity 12
Aim: To understand why vegetable and fruit juices are not ideal for regular use.
Steps:
• Ask participants? So why don’t we just drink all our meals?
(Answers could include:

• Missing fibre
• can consume a lot of energy very quickly (sugar and fats) which could allow
us to easily over consume
93 | P a g e
v.8.1
• we would get concentrations of nutrients that our body would find it difficult
to manage
• our gut wouldn’t work in the way it was intended
• our teeth would become diseased as they aren’t using for chewing, and
concentrated juices would damage them)
We have found tht water is vital to our bodies needs and that while we can eat foods
with water in them, we still need to drink water regularly throughout the day.
10 min Action Time

Red, yellow, and orange foods are important because they are packed with vitamins
and minerals and antioxidants, and many are lower in energy. They also help our
bodies to make different components function well.
Aim: To teach importance of using local red/yellow/orange vegetables

Materials needed:
• This depends on the recipe chosen, but must include red/yellow/orange foods
Steps
2. Demonstrate a local dish using local red/yellow/orange vegetables in season.
OR,
2. Have a tasting dish that has used red/yellow/orange vegetables – have recipe
available.
OR,
3. Discuss local dishes that could be used or have red/yellow/orange vegetables
in them.
4. Discuss how to use these vegetables with oil and salt

Ask participants to write in workbook how they can change their meals to include more
red / yellow / orange foods
Conclusion
1. How eating a wide range of coloured and minimally processed foods that meet
our energy need means we are likely to have a balance of:
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Fats
- Carbohydrates including fibre
- Protein

94 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Eating foods, the colour of the rainbow provides my body with the nutrients I
need.
• It’s never too late to make lifestyle changes to affect health.
IMPORTANT!! Save packets for next session!

Ask participants to bring two food packets each that have nutrition labels on them.
Don’t bring the food – just the packets. (This could include boxes, cans, packets,
containers, bottles)

95 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 7
Diabetes – Exploring an NCD
Session Seven: Diabetes

Topics / Session Principles: Choose foods that promote health
Duration: 60 – 90 minutes
This session teaches
1. Diabetes is a serious disease
2. Most Diabetes Type 2 is caused by lifestyle
3. The importance of managing the physical aspects of our body
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Seven Outline:
• Identify principles that will help to manage or ( 2 min) Welcome
reverse their diabetes. (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
( 5 min) Final questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

❑ Team knows the topic and has read the session notes / or these have been outlined by the
relevant.
❑ Practice reading food labels. If you are unsure speak with your supervisor.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ Marker
❑ BP Machine
❑ Bread or roti, cut into small 1–2-inch slices ( you may need a bottle of water
and cups in case anyone needs a drink after)
❑ Activity 1 needs.
• Cardboard carton
• Sticky tape
• Marker
• Small toy or non-breakable item
• 6 sheets of paper
• Scissors
96 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
2 min Welcome

Review progress:
• Ask how participants are doing?
• Ask if each has introduced more colourful foods into their daily meals?
• Asked if the increased fibre has made a good difference to their bowel habits? (Do
not need details!)
Today we are going to look at Diabetes Type 2 and overweight

• Some of us have one of these others have both. Some none!
• Some of us have been told if we do not make a change we are at risk.
• Some of our family have one or both.
So why are these two diseases such a problem?
5 min Activity 1
Aim: To understand that Diabetes is a complex disease that causes other diseases.
Materials needed:
- Cardboard carton
- Sticky tape
- Marker
- Small toy or non-breakable item
- 6 sheets of paper
97 | P a g e
v.8.1
Preparation:
1. Take a cardboard carton and tape it closed with a hole cut in top big enough for a
hand to go in (not to show what is in the box)
2. Write DIABETES on the box in big print.
3. Take 6 sheets of paper. On each paper write one of the following:
- kidneys stop working
- increase in heart disease
- blindness
- reduces feeling in limbs, sores that do not heal – sometimes leading to
amputation
- infertility / impotence
- urinary tract infections
4. Then lightly scrunch up each sheet of paper and place in the box.
5. Close the box so no one can see the papers or what is written on them
Steps:
1. Set up a box as per instructions under Preparation
2. Ask for 6 volunteers.
3. Say that the Box represents diabetes. How do we know? Because it says it on the
outside.
4. Ask participants what is on the inside?
5. Ask one volunteer at a time to take something out of the box. Each will draw one
piece of scrunched up paper. Ask them to read what it says.
Explain:
Diabetes is like this box. We can sometimes tell what it is because someone tells us we
have it. But diabetes causes other hidden conditions like the ones you have read out.
Though we do not feel symptoms in the early stages, Diabetes is making us slowly and
surely very sick on the inside
5 min Activity 2
Aim: To understand what Diabetes looks/feels like.
Materials needed:
Participants who do not have diabetes can still contribute to this question on the basis of
what they have seen or heard.
Steps:
1. Inform participants you are going to ask them two questions:
a) How would you know if you have diabetes?
98 | P a g e
v.8.1
b) What could make you think you might have diabetes even if you are not
diagnosed?
Ask participants to think about this for a moment and use information based on their own
or others experience.
2. Now again ask participants, this time waiting for an answer:
a) How could you know if you have diabetes?

(Answer: with a diagnostic blood test and symptoms)
b) What could make you think you might have diabetes even if you are not
diagnosed?
(Answer: Unusual thirst – not related to heat or activity; increased urination;
increased appetite; unusual tiredness; wounds take a long time to heal;
depression, irritability; blurred vision at times, and unusual weight loss)
Summary:
Diabetes is stealthy. It does not come after one bad meal or snack, but after many. When
we have forgotten it could be happening.
Facilitator hand out a small piece of bread to each participant. Just ask them to hold it for
the moment.
Can I tell if someone has diabetes? No, but there are signs that indicate a person may have
it – such as overweight, going to the toilet a lot etc. But be careful with making
assumptions because it may be something else like pregnancy that gives these same signs!

Before we go too far, it is important to clarify that there are two types of Diabetes.
• Type 1 Diabetes ( T1D) - an autoimmune disorder that can only be managed
• Type 2 Diabetes – a lifestyle disease that can be prevented, arrested, and reversed.
Both types of diabetes are due to a malfunction in the way our body processes sugar in our
body. Bot will cause significant issues within our bosies.
Diabetes seems like a simple problem where just blood sugars are high. So why should it
affect the whole body?
(Facilitator read the following illustration slowly and rhythmically as you would a story.
Pause at the end of each point.)
Let us do a little science by looking at bread.
• Our body cannot absorb a whole piece of white bread. We have to make it smaller so we can get
it into the cells for energy.
• So, now I ask you to break it in half.
• Then take bite a piece. Already it is smaller, but our body still cannot get it into the cells.
• Then we chew it – and chew and chew…. and saliva in our mouth helps to break it down more.
99 | P a g e
v.8.1
• So, it is smaller now, just much - then we swallow, and it goes to our stomach and is mixed with
stomach acid.
• The stomach acid is really powerful and helps to break the bread down even more. But it is still
too lumpy to go into the body’s cells.
• So, it goes to the part after the stomach (duodenum), and it is mixed with enzymes from the
liver and pancreas to break it down even more. Now the bread is in really small pieces, but it still
needs to be small.
• Then it goes to the small intestine and is mixed and churned by intestine walls.
• And then it is small enough to be absorbed through the wall and into the blood stream. It is small
enough to be called Simple Sugar. Just note tht simple sugar is not the small as white sugar.
Simple sugar is a phrase we are using to describe the smallest components of sugar that can be
absorbed into our cells.
• Our cells are really happy as they will soon be getting food and will have more energy.
• But there is a problem.
• Insulin is the gatekeeper to our cells. But something has really upset Insulin and it refuses to
unlock the gates to let Simple Sugar go inside.
• So Simple Sugar keep floating around in the blood trying to get into cells to do its job.
• Without Simple Sugar for energy our cells trying to conserve all energy and we feel tired.
(lethargy/ tiredness)
• Some insulin works to let a few of Simple Sugars friends in - enough to keep us alive, but not
enough to feed all the cells.
• Some cells are so hungry they force the body to use up body fat (which is why we lose weight).
This might seem a good thing, but when it happens like this, it is not so good.
• Our pancreas notices there is lots of Simple Sugars floating around, so it releases more insulin.
But we already have enough insulin – they just do not open the gates for Simple Sugar to go in.
• In the meantime, our kidneys can see all the Simple Sugars and the kidneys know too many
Simple Sugars just circulating in our blood will make us sick. So, these little small organs try to be
our protectors and try to get rid of as many Simple Sugars as they can.
• But they can only get rid of Simple Sugar if they mix it with enough water to get it to the proper
consistency. The body has a recipe for everything including urine.
• A call goes out to the body to supply as much water to the kidneys as possible to get rid of the
sugar.
• And then we urinate. A lot. (Increased urination)
• But even so, it is still much too sweet. Yes, we have lost some simple sugars, but now we have
lost too much water.
100 | P a g e
v.8.1
• The cells needed the water for themselves. Now they do not have enough so they send a
message to the brain to say they need more water (We feel thirsty).
• So, we drink more.
• And we eat more because our cells tell us we must still be hungry as they still have not had their
share of the white bread. (Increased hunger)
• And now we feel grumpy too. And we yell at the kids and tell the husband to make his own
dinner. (irritable)
• And our eyes are not seeing as good as they should because all that extra Simple Sugar is causing
leaks in our eye fluid. Its not there all the time. It comes and goes.
• And the small cut on my foot is not going away. (Wounds not healing)
• How did I get the small cut in the first place? I do not remember feeling it……...?? (Nerve
damage)
So why wasn’t insulin was not doing its job? Why did it stop opening the gates for Simple Sugar?
• Maybe it was because we have worked our Simple Sugar gatekeeper to hard and it simply worn
out.
• Maybe we drank too many soft drinks with lots of sugar that was broken down into Simple
Sugars.
• Maybe we ate too many big meals that left our belly aching. With more fat, and simple sugar and
protein than we needed.
• Maybe it was because our muscles which save up Simple Sugars for when we exercise, never got
to use that energy - as we never exercised. Suddenly there were no more places to store Simple
Sugars.
• Maybe we did not eat enough slow, absorbing, nutrient and fibre-rich food that helps to keep
Simple Sugars low.
• Maybe Insulin got tired of all the animal fat from the meat and dripping, messing with it, and
decided to simply stop working.
• Maybe Insulin simply got tired from trying to open all the gates to our cells in our very
overweight body.
And so now we have diabetes. But the story does not stop there.
Now it is up to us to do something about the state we have put our body in.
Food is a powerful poison or powerful medicine for Diabetes. But we need to choose the
right foods accordingly. For example, did you know red meat and processed meat both
increase our risk of diabetes?
101 | P a g e
v.8.1
5 min Activity 3
Aim: Identify ways we can help our body manage blood glucose levels
Materials needed:
It could be beneficial to write up the foods that need to be eaten to stop and maybe even
reduce diabetes. if you decide to do this you will need the following:
• Flip chart
• Marker
Steps:
1. Ask participants what foods they think they need to eat to stop and maybe even
reduce diabetes?
(Answers should include:
- Lots of fresh vegetables and whole unprocessed fruit - lots of fibre rich food
- Whole grains and legumes
- No white highly processed foods (white sugar, white rice, white bread, white
roti)
- No juices and soft drink, alcohol
- Minimal to No animal products
- Minimal oils (particularly animal oils)
- Simply processed foods.
- No artificial sweeteners
5. Ask if there are any surprises here?
So, we have talked about food – but what else can we do to minimise diabetes?
Did you know that exercise improves the way your body manages blood sugars for 3 days?
And did you know losing weight reduces your risk of diabetes and helps you manage your
blood sugars?
That is powerful medicine. And there is more.
30 min Action Time
Food nutritional labels are an important way of understanding what is in our food.
Only food that has been processed needs labels because you need to know what has been
put in it.
If you buy a banana from the market, it does not need a label. But if you buy a banana cake
then it does.
102 | P a g e
v.8.1
Aim: To teach importance of reading labels.
Materials needed:
• Food labels (brought in by participants)
Steps:
1. Use food label guide at the end of the document to step participants through
reading the labels they have brought with them.
Summary
Food labels are really important when deciding whether to buy processed foods. The
benefit of home cooked foods is that we know exactly what is going into them!
Conclusion
1. How diabetes caused by poor lifestyle can take away health
2. How we can change the way we live – our lifestyle - to minimise or heal diabetes
3. How fats can heal or harm our bodies
4. How being overweight can affect my health
5. Learning to read labels.

• It is never too late to make lifestyle changes to affect health.

103 | P a g e
v.8.1
Source: https://www.sanitarium.com.au/health-nutrition/nutrition/understanding-food-labels
104 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 8
Cancer, Heart Disease and other NCD’s – understanding the wider impact of lifestyle
diseases
Session Eight: Obesity and High Blood Pressure: Common contributors to

Chronic disease.
Topics / Session Principles / Fundamental : Lifestyle disease risks can be managed.
Duration: 1 ½ -2 hours
Session teaches:
6. There are common connections between lifestyle and heart disease, cancers and other NCD’s
7. Two common connections are
o Obesity and,
o High blood pressure.
8. The lifestyle I live can reduce my risk of disease
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Eight Outline:
• Understand we do not have to accept the ( 5 min) Hand out gifts
inevitability of lifestyle diseases. ( 2 min) Welcome
• Identify principles that will help to manage (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
( 3 min) Review: What we already know
obesity and hypertension
• Identify changes that can be made to their (20 min) Action time
own lives. ( 5 min) Final questions
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Marker
105 | P a g e
v.8.1
❑ Activity 1: Have small gifts for each person (could be a flower, a small note of
appreciation or some fruit)
106 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
Facilitator or local health clinic to complete measurement for those on medication but
who do not have personal monitors, every 2-3 days for first few weeks.
5 min NOTE THIS ACTIVITY TO OCCUR BEFORE PROGRAM STARTS

Activity 1 part 1
Aim: will be explained in a later activity
Materials needed:
• Small gifts for each participant
Steps:
1. On arrival welcome each participant and hand them a small gift.
2 min Welcome
Reminder of confidentiality

Review progress – choose 3 questions:

• What meals have they started using beans and legumes in?
• Started using more green foods?
• Started using more red/yellow foods?
• Started reading food labels?
Questions to follow up:

Today we are going to talk about a topic which is very close to many of us. Causes of
lifestyle diseases.
Last session we discussed Diabetes and found that it is a disease in itself but can also cause
other lifestyle diseases. Importantly we learned how we could take action to stop or even
reverse diabetes.
107 | P a g e
v.8.1
Today we will be looking at two other common disorders that create diseases. Both are
strongly affected by our lifestyle.
They are overweight and high blood pressure.
1 min Activity 1 part 2 (continued)

Aim: will be explained in a later activity
Steps:
1. On arrival welcome each participant was given a small gift.
2. Now go to one of the participants and (nicely) ask for the gift back. Place it with
your Facilitator items and move on with the program.

In past times disease severity was measured by the number of people that died.
But now we have a new measure of the severity of disease. It is called ‘Disability-adjusted
life years’ (DALY) .
5 min Activity 2
Aim: To understand that disease is not just about life expectancy but about quality of life
also.
Steps:
1. Say the phrase ‘Disability-adjusted life years’ very slowly.
2. Ask participants to explain what they think is meant by the phrase ‘Disability-
adjusted life years’ (DALY)
(Answer: The number of years a person has lost due to early death and managing ill
health caused by a disease process.)
Let’s look at it a different way. If the person did not have a particular disease, how many
more years would they have lived AND lived without the inconvenience of their disease?
We know that people with chronic diseases often do not live as long or have as productive a
life as those who are disease free.
Diseases that rob us of a full and rich life include heart disease, stroke, lung disease,
depression, lung cancer, dementia, diabetes and many more. And every one of the diseases
108 | P a g e
v.8.1
listed is either caused by our lifestyle or our lifestyle affects in some way the disease
process.
5 min Activity 1 part 3 (continued)
Aim: To identify how something simple can distract us – and to highlight how much more
an illness or disease can distract us.
Steps:
1. Address the participant who had their gift removed.
2. Apologise – and offer their gift back.
3. Tell them they were part of a demonstration – and thank them for being gracious!
4. Ask the participant how it made them feel when they suddenly lost their gift.
5. Ask them
- if they were able to concentrate on the things you said next
- or if they were busy wondering why you took their gift away
- and were you going to take anyone else’s too
- and were you going to get it back
- and why did they pick on you…
6. Ask the others how they felt when they saw someone else gift being taken?
Lifestyle disease is like this. It comes and robs us of the things we enjoy in life. And it is
really unexpected. Often lifestyle disease can take years to develop, but when they show up
- it is a surprise,
- it is uncomfortable,
- managing it distracts us from our life and
- we wonder ‘why us’?
Today we look at two areas we can make positive changes in, to support our health:
Overweight (obesity) and high blood pressure.
Remember those ‘Disability-adjusted Life Years.’ The years we lose because we do not feel
well, or we die early? Obesity is the top contributor to that. And high blood pressure is
number 3, (Eggers, 2011). So let us see how we can turn those around and regain our lost
time.
Overweight or obesity.
Now this is a big topic.
Obesity is linked to over 35 different diseases (Eggers, 2011) (Facilitator read some of all of
this list depending on your groups interest: Diabetes, kidney disease, sleep apnoea,
arthritis/joint pain, depression, skin disorders ( Eggers, 2011), influenza, gallbladder disease,
infertility erectile dysfunction, leukemia, pancreatic disease, hypertension (Barnard, 2018)
and the list goes on.
And this does not account for the awkwardness in social situations, or seat belts that do not
fit, or clothes shops that don’t stock in our sizes.
109 | P a g e
v.8.1
Collectively, obesity causes a lot of diseases and discomfort and shortened lives.
5 min Activity 3
Aim: Define and understand obesity
Steps:
1. Ask participants - what is obesity?
(Answer: The World Health Organisation1 says it is: “abnormal or excessive fat
accumulation that presents a risk to health.”)
2. Ask participants the following questions with reflection on the WHO definition:
• If overweight makes it difficult to walk, does that make overweight a risk to
health?
(Answer: yes)
• If overweight elevates blood pressure is overweight a health risk?
(Answer: yes)
• If overweight increases blood sugars, is overweight a health risk?
(Answer: yes)
• If overweight chafes our skin and causes rashes and sores, is overweight a
health risk?
(Answer: yes)
• If it makes us makes us feel sad or depressed, is it a health risk?
(Answer: yes)
• or stops us sleeping well at night?
(Answer: yes)
• or makes it hazard to conceive babies?
(Answer: yes)
Comment
This confirms that being overweight is not just about looks – it is about the bodies inability
to function properly. Therefore, it is important to know if we are overweight.
3. Ask participants - If we do not have any diseases, but we think we might be

overweight how can we tell?
(Answer
There are three ways
a. Use our height/ waist measure string (waist should be half height)
110 | P a g e
v.8.1
b. Know what a normal weight is for someone of our height and weigh
ourselves on scales.
c. Visit a doctor or clinic and ask them to calculate our BMI. (Normal 18.5-
24.9))
The really good news is just because we are overweight does not mean we have to stay that
way. Overweight is a symptom that our life is out of balance, and we can act to regain
balance.
Before we explore further, we need to remember:
• permanent weight loss takes time – we put the weight on over a long
period of time so we can’t expect to suddenly drop it.
• we need a plan to lose weight. Remember we learned in a previous session
that a goal without a plan is just a wish.
Losing weight is only part of the equation. The remaining part is keeping it off.
Research has found that the following will help to keep weight off(Egger, 2011).
Write on flip chart prior to session starting
1. Achieve your weight loss goal – example if you aimed to lose 20kg, lose it first and then
develop your maintenance plan.
2. Be physically active.
3. Have regular mealtimes.
4. Eat breakfast.
5. Eat less fat (and plenty of fresh veg, fruit, wholegrains, legumes, and fibre)
6. Know when you have had enough to eat. Then stop.
7. Do not snack.
8. Learn to manage the stressors in your life.
9. Develop good coping strategies.
10. Promote gentle rhythms and stability in your life.
11. Develop ability to handle cravings.
12. Develop self confidence
13. Remember you are important – and being your best weight is important to your health.
14. And lastly keep track of your weight or waist measures to ensure you do not slowly add
weight.
High Blood Pressure
Lastly, we will look at how high blood pressure can cause us to become unwell and may
shorten our life and its connection to our lifestyle.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: To understand how complex our body is.
Materials needed: 4 volunteers from the group.
Steps:
111 | P a g e
v.8.1
1. Start off by explaining that we have many blood vessels in our body.
2. Imagine all the blood vessels are placed end to end to form a long tube.
3. Facilitator - ask four people to stand together at the front of
the room.
4. Ask the group to imagine if all blood vessels in the four people
were placed end to end like a road, how far would the road
reach?
a. The length of the room we are meeting in?
b. Nadi to Suva?
c. Suva to Sydney?
d. Suva to New York?
e. Suva to Suva (around the world)?
f. Suva to the Moon?
Answer: Suva to the Moon

Fun Fact: Fiji only has 3300km of roads
Summary
Isn’t that amazing! We have approximately 100,000 km of blood vessels in our body with
most only being one or two cells wide. And the distance between earth and the moon is
about 400, 000 km. So, the blood vessel of four people together would reach the moon!
Now imagine that our blood vessels were a road. A perfect road without any holes.
Then imagine the number of people who would be needed make sure the 100, 000 km of
roads we well looked after. It would be enormous.
Our body does an amazing job of keeping our blood vessels functioning and in good repair,
but often we weaken the efforts of our body by living a poor lifestyle.
So, we know that we have lots of blood vessels that stretch a long way, but what is blood
pressure and why is it important?
Our blood circulates throughout our body. In fact, if we just put blood in our vessels
without a pump, we would die, as blood is not being circulated. Our blood vessels would be
like a pond or dam. Just holding the blood.
For health our blood must move as it needs to carry lots of things – air, food, water, cells
that fight infections, hormones that tell us when we are happy or sad….you get the point.
The function of the heart is to push the blood. That ‘pushing’ creates pressure.
112 | P a g e
v.8.1
Facilitator
It could be helpful to draw the following as you are explaining, the drawings provided are
there as a guide, you do not have to photocopy them.
You are all familiar with pressure, but let’s consider a small tank sitting on the ground with
only a little water in the bottom.
• We attach a pipe and watch the
water flow.
• Will the flow be quick or slow?
• If you said ‘slow’ you are right.
• Because there is no pump, the
water level is low, it is on the
ground.
• Is this bad? It depends on how
long you are prepared to wait
for the bucket to fill!!
Now imagine a dam trapped between two tall hills. There is a very large wall to hold
the water back. The dam is very full. We attach a small pipe at the very bottom of the
dam wall and watch it flow. Will it be quick or slow?
If you said ‘quick’ you are right. This is because it is under a lot of pressure. The
weight of all the water on top creates a lot of pressure.
113 | P a g e
v.8.1
Is this bad? Again, it depends on what you want to do with the water gushing out. If
you want to fill another dam it is ideal. But if you just want to water your tiny little
seedlings, this will not work as it will blast them away and probably explode the pipe!
Our blood vessels are made to work within a small range. Usually the upper number
(systolic) should be under 120mmHg. The lower number (diastolic) should be under
80mmHG.
When it works in that range, all goes well. But if the pressures become too high, we
can be in trouble, just like the tiny plants.
So, what happens if our blood pressure gets too high? It can push our fragile blood
vessels beyond their limits in the following way:
• Stroke - In the same way that a pipe can explode when the pressure is too
great, our blood vessels can do the same. This can cause a part of the brain to
stop functioning or a person to die. Those who survive may be left with
damage to one side of the body – arms or legs that do not work properly etc.
• Kidney damage – The kidneys try and reduce the blood pressure by notifying
the kidney control centre of the high pressures. The kidney control centre
orders a reduction in heartbeat to decrease the pressures. But unless we
change our lifestyle, it is not enough. The fine little blood vessels in the
kidneys become damaged and can no longer filter blood correctly. This is
kidney failure and causes death if left untreated.
• Heart attack – all the hard pushing by the heart pump can be exhausting. The
heart is a muscle, but the four parts of the heart have their own jobs. If the
left lower side is made to do most of the really hard work, and it can become
thickened. This thickening increases the risk of heart attack or heart failure,
which causes breathlessness, weakness, tiredness, etc.
10 min Activity 5
Aim: Understand causes of high blood pressure.

Steps:
Ask participants two questions:
114 | P a g e
v.8.1
1. Can anyone suggest what can cause high blood pressure and which are
triggered by lifestyle ?
(Answers include:
• Tobacco smoke (Lifestyle choice- Yes)
• Air pollution (can do)
• Long exposure to stress hormones (can do)
• Obesity (mostly yes)
• Inflammation in the body (mostly yes)
• Cholesterol irregularities (mostly yes)
• Genes (maybe)
• Pain (yes)
• Salt and salty foods (yes)
• Cured meats (yes)
• Caffeine (yes)
• Alcohol (yes)
• Race (some races are prone to high BP, but lifestyle triggers it.)
(Egger, 2011)
It is difficult to know if our blood pressure is normal or abnormal unless we have a machine
to measure it.
NOTE: If we have been told in the past our blood pressure is high, then we need to have
it checked regularly, take medications as prescribed by our doctor and be working on our
lifestyle to lower it.
10 min Action Time
A very large Salt manufacturer says ‘people love salt. Among the basic tastes (sweet, sour,
bitter, and salty), salt is one of the hardest to live without.’ (Moss, 2014).
We are being seduced by big food companies with lots of added salt. This taste is addictive.
Congratulations to each of you, as you are learning to live without highly salted foods.
5 min Activity 6
Aim: Setting yourself up for Lifestyle change success
115 | P a g e
v.8.1
Materials needed: Pantry brochure
Steps:
1. Ask participants to commit to assessing their pantry and stocking and storing foods
that support their goals.
a) Many of us have foods at home that are not part of our new lifestyle. These
can be a temptation and can undermine our chosen lifestyle.
b) It’s time to take an honest look at food store and remove foods that will not
help us.
c) Make a list of new staples to buy.
d) Plan your budget to accommodate the new staples
e) Keep a list next to the pantry or on your phone so next time you shop you only
buy things you planned to buy.
2. Ask participants to write a reminder in their workbook to review their pantry.
Conclusion
1. How obesity and high blood pressure are caused by lifestyle.
2. How lifestyle diseases cause a wide range of health problems.
3. How changing lifestyle can reduce obesity and high blood pressure.

• Moving toward a plant-based diet (‘‘locally grown foods”) can help manage body
weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

116 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 9
How others impact my health and the healing properties of Forgiveness – How
relationships can affect health.
Session Nine: Anger and Stress: Health Robbers

Topics / Session Principles/ Fundamental # 9: Positive relationships can improve my health.
Duration: 1 ½ -2 hours
Session teaches:
9. Despite the negative influences of anger and stress on health, lifestyle choices can diminish its
effects.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Nine Outline:
• Describe stress and anger ( 2 min) Welcome
• Describe how they affect health ( 5 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
• Identify what we can do about it.
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ BP Machine
❑ Marker
117 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
• Blood sugar - if low - refer to doctor immediately
•
2 min Welcome

Review progress:
• If reading labels more often?
• If not – does anyone need any help?
• Has it made a difference to shopping purchases?

Today we are going to look at stress,
• what it is,
• how it affects our health
• and what we can do about it.
The topics we are talking about are important, and they may raise feelings that are
uncomfortable. If so, please speak with a trusted person after the session and seek their
guidance.
5 min Activity 1
Aim: To understand how negative experiences can affect emotions – part 1
Facilitators note:
• Have an experience of your own ready to share if responses are slow initially.
Keep this exercise moving along or a lot of time could be absorbed.
118 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
3. Tell participants you are going to ask three questions (Read all at once)
a. Think of a time when you believe you were treated unfairly?
b. What word would you use to describe how you felt over the situation?
c. What did you do about the situation?
4. Tell participants not to share what the occasion was or any identifying details or
people.
5. Now repeat the questions slowly:

a. Can you think of a time when you believe you were treated unfairly?
b. What word would you use to describe how you felt over the situation?
(Answers could be : Angry, hurt, disappointed, annoyed, sad, confused,
powerless, bitter, shocked)
(Answer: ignored it, complained, hit someone, cried, argued, became
defensive etc)
Summary
It is possible that even with this little activity some of you can feel your heart beating
faster, and your palms becoming a little sweaty as you recall your incident.
Now let us look at another situation:
3 min Activity 2
Facilitators note:
• Have an experience of your own ready to share if responses are slow initially.
Steps:
1. Ask if one participant can share a time.
a. When an animal gave them a fright.
b. What words would you use to describe how you felt at the time?
(Answers could be : Surprised, terrified, shocked, scared, worried,
powerless)
119 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answer: ran away, jumped, screamed, ignored it, complained, cried, etc)
Now let us consider another question…
5 min Activity 3
Steps:
1. Ask participants to think about a time when they treated another person unfairly.
2. Ask people not to share the answers to any of the questions out aloud.
a) What words would describe your feelings afterwards?
(Examples: sad, angry, shocked, unhappy, scared, worried etc.)
b) What did you do about the situation?
(Examples: ignored it, apologised, ran away, worried about it, complained,
asked for forgiveness, cried, etc.)
How many found it easier to remember when someone else treated us badly, or an animal
gave us a fright, rather than the time we treated someone else badly?
How many still have regrets over any of these situations?
Each of these were stressful events, yet they made our body react in similar ways.
Let us explore that a little further.
min Learn: New Information

Did you know anger can be expressed as different emotions?
• Hurt
• Betrayal
• Disappointment
• Arguing
• Swearing
• Shock
• Sadness
• depression
120 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Sarcasm etc.
Yet underneath it is still anger and is a stressful experience for our body.
None of us would consider taking the life of another person, yet we have heard news
stories of strong emotions caused by stress and anger that have caused death. Consider
instances of road rage or mass killings.
What the news stories do not usually report is how the very emotions that caused these
dreadful events, can also cause harm or even death to each of us personally.
And surprisingly - getting angry may not be the problem but staying angry is.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: To understand the ‘flight or fight’ response – part 1
Steps:
1. Ask participants if they have experienced the ‘fight or flight’ response”?
(If they are unsure – proceed to explain)
2. Ask a participant if they would like to define it for the rest of the group?
(If no volunteer then say :
Definition of a ‘Fight or flight’ response – is an automatic response to a situation
that our body perceives as exciting or threatening – be it fear, excitement,
anxiety, or anger).
3. Ask participants to describe their body reactions when something exciting or

threatening happens.
(Answers:
• heart pounds
• deep or fast breaths
• dry mouth
• voice different - higher pitch
• feeling cold /feeling hot
• feeling sweaty
• skin flushes or becomes pale
• nausea or ‘butterflies in stomach’ – do not want to eat or drinking
• may feel like urinating
121 | P a g e
v.8.1
• muscles become tense (may clench jaw or fists)
• may feel dizzy or lightheaded)
Summary
Now we have the full picture on the flight or fight response – we know that we have all
experienced it.
Now the last question was a bit of surprise was not it.
We would often associate the ‘fight or flight’ response with negative events and emotions.
But it can also be associated with positive ones.
And we will continue to refer to the ‘fight or flight response’ as it covers a broad range of
extreme emotions rather than referring to just one emotion.
5 min Activity 5
Aim: To understand the ‘flight or fight’ response – part 2
Materials needed: A watch or phone with timer or an hourglass to time 2 minutes.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to smile for 2 minutes.
2. Start as stopwatch a wait for two minutes. Then say they can relax.
3. Ask participants if the “fight or flight response” is a disease?
(Answer: No – it is a natural body reaction)
4. Ask participants if it could cause disease? If yes – why? If no – why not?

(Answer: yes, it can cause disease if the response is prolonged)= – our body is not
made to live with a prolonged response)
Summary
Do you remember how it felt when we smiled for 2 just minutes? Our cheeks started to
ache, our brain was telling us to stop , even the saliva in our mouth was acting differently.
And that was just a smile.
But it was not natural and our body’s long reaction to stress is not natural either.
The ‘fight or flight’ response was intended for those moments when we needed to take
urgent action.
122 | P a g e
v.8.1
But somewhere over time we have started to experience a modified form of the fight or
flight response, where instead of it being urgent or acute, it is just always with us. We refer
to it as ‘stress.’
5 min Activity 6
Steps:
1. Ask participants what ‘stress’ is?
(Answer: Stress is a state of disharmony caused by internal or external adverse
forces – that the body attempts to deal with using its body system to regain
balance [Egger, 2011]. Simply put – a mental or physical state that makes us
uncomfortable inside and out!)
2. Ask participants if there is good and bad stress? Ask them to explain their answers.
Answer: Yes, to both
a) Distress is bad stress. Is usually generated by fear, anger, injury etc.
For example, being chased by a snake
b) Eustress is good stress. It is usually generated by excitement, anticipation,
thrill etc.
Example includes going arriving at a venue and having a surprise birthday
party thrown for you)
Aim: (DO NOT READ AIM UNTIL AFTER EXERCISE) The aim of this exercise was to
understand the difference between bad (Distress) and good (Eustress) stress.
We can cause our own stress, both good and bad, or stress can be caused by other people
or life’s events outside of our control.
Often it is not the situation that causes stress, but our response to it. Consider 2 responses
to the same event:
• some would love a surprise birthday party - this would be good stress.
• others would not like it at all and would be upset by it. This is bad stress.
5 min Activity 7
Aim: To distinguish between acute stress and chronic stress.
123 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
1. Explain to the participants:
a) Acute stress makes you want to ‘immediately run away.’
b) Chronic stress makes you think ‘one day it might be nice to run away.’
2. Read the following statement and ask participants to state which of the following
makes them want to immediately run away OR think about it.
• A burglar breaks into your house
(Answer: immediately run away)
• A coconut tree near you falls
• The children’s teacher asks you to see them
(Answer: think about running)
• Your work needs you to stay overtime 3 days a week, but you do not have
time
(Answer: think about running) .
• You see a landslide start to happen
• Your children have stopped doing their chores and you have started doing
them
• You are studying, and working and keeping house
Not all stress

• carries strong emotions OR
• generates fear.
But if it makes you feel you would like to one day escape this is still stress.
Why have we taken the time to understand stress?

Because our reaction to stress uses the ‘fight or flight’ response.
• If we respond to an immediate stress by quickly running away, then eventually we
will stop running. The stress response stops and our body recovers.
124 | P a g e
v.8.1
• With chronic stress (where we only think about running away) there often is no
end time for our stress response. And this is a problem. A HUGE problem.
To discover why, let us look at body changes caused by stress.
5 min Activity 8
Aim: To identify our bodies response to stress.
Steps:
1. Explain that the body reacts to all stress with the following reactions about to be
listed.
2. Ask participants whether the following will go up or down during stress and why?
Heart Rate
(Answer: Heart rate goes up. Reason: to make sure the body parts that need energy and
oxygen and other chemicals get them really quickly)
Blood pressure
(Answer: Blood pressure goes up. Reason: to make sure blood is delivered really quickly to
every part of the body with its load of messenger chemicals, oxygen, and nutrients.)
Fats and Blood Glucose

(Answer: Fats and Blood glucose goes up. Reason: to make sure there is enough energy for
the body parts that need energy to act quickly)
Respiration
(Answer: Respiration goes up. Reason: to make sure there is enough oxygen for all cells to
work under pressure)
Body Temperature
(Answer: Temperature goes up. Reason: not well understood at this stage)
Perspiration
(Answer: Perspiration goes up. Reason: to make sure the body parts are not overheated
and can cool down quickly.)
125 | P a g e
v.8.1
This is our body’s normal management of stress. And then it returns to normal.
This works well when we suddenly must run extremely fast to avoid a snake, as this was
the purpose of the ‘flight or fight’ response.
But it does not work so well when our mind tells us there is a problem but fails to tell us
the problem has stopped.
The body reactions keep occurring.
2 min Activity 9
Aim: To understand the impact of the ‘flight or fight’ response.
Steps:
1. Ask participants which is more exhausting?
a) Running a fast race for 1 min
OR
b) running a slow race from sunrise to sunset?
(Answer: the slow race)
2. Ask participants which is more exhausting?

a) Having an argument with your mother and then making up on the same day
OR
b) Having an argument with your husband that has been going on for 2 years.
Most will agree the second example is most exhausting. This is bad stress
(distress).
Last session we looked at overweight (obesity) and high blood pressure. You will recall how
both disease processes had poor effects on the body.
And now we discover stress can cause continual high blood pressure and high blood sugar
and high fats among other things! So chronic (ongoing) stress causes the body to
malfunction.
We feel as:
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
- Doing or saying things tht we would not normally do.
126 | P a g e
v.8.1
- Saying sharp words to people
- Feeling sad or like not joining in
- Wounds that do not heal quickly,
- Cancers
- Skin disorders
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Poor behaviours – overeating, drinking too much alcohol etc.
5 min Activity 10
Aim: To identify what stress could look or feel like in my life
Materials needed:
• Flip chart (prepared prior to session)
Steps:
1. Ask participants to write the following in their workbook (write up on flipchart
prior)
a) Decreases sense of humour
b) Increased physical problems (tiredness, blood sugars high, infections)
c) Social withdrawal
d) Increased workload
e) Feel like you are not accomplishing what you set out to
f) Tension
g) Emotional exhaustion
h) Reduced sleep
i) Easily taking offence
j) Skipping meals and rest breaks
k) Using tranquilisers or alcohol to try and feel better.
(Egger,2011)
2. Ask participants to read carefully. This is a list of common symptoms experienced
by people who have dangerously high stress.
3. Tell participant: If you can tick a lot of these, care needs to be taken to reduce your
personal stress.
We generally have three reactions to stress:

- An aggressive reaction – strikeout at others verbally or physically
- A passive reaction – we blame ourselves
- An assertive reaction – we address the problem
127 | P a g e
v.8.1
Aggressive and Passive allow us to enter the chronic long phase of stress. However
Assertive allows you to deal with stress thus more likely making it acute and short term.
5 min Activity 11
Aim: To understand the three main reactions to stressful events. Part 1
Steps:
1. Ask participants to describe whether the following situations are aggressive,
passive, or assertive.
a) My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it. So, I yelled at him
(Aggressive)
b) My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it, but I gave him the
ball to play with, so it is my fault. (Passive)
c) My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it. We do not have
much money at the moment, but together we went to the owner and asked if
we can pay it off over time. He agreed. My son is going to do extra chores to
earn some money to help pay. (Assertive)
Remember we spoke in session 5 about:

The way we think about the experience
> influences my belief
> which influence my actions.
This process is powerful at reducing or increasing our stress response.
Using the broken window example let us look at how we think about this experience will
influence my beliefs and actions.
5 min Activity 12
Aim: To understand we can change our response to stressful events. Part 2
Materials needed:
• Flip chart (prepare prior to session)
Steps:
1. Read the main statement in the green box and the response underneath.
2. Ask if the response is aggressive, passive, or assertive
Main Statement 1: My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it. So, I hit him
(Aggressive)
128 | P a g e
v.8.1
The way I think about the My beliefs My actions
experience: Example: my son is Example: I yelled at him.
Example: I think my son careless and irresponsible.
should have taken more care
Main Statement 2: My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it, but I gave him
the ball to play with so it’s’ my fault. (Passive)
experience: Example: It is my fault. Example: I do nothing
Example: If I had not given
my son the ball the window
would not be broken
Main Statement 3: My son tells me he broke a window and has to pay for it. We do not
have much money at the moment, but together we went to the owner and asked if we can
pay it off over time. He agreed. My son is doing extra chores to earn money to help pay.
(Assertive)
experience: My son would not I spoke with my son, and he
Accidents happen have tried to do it agreed to help me pay off a
deliberately. new window.
How can we fix it? We went to the owner and
offered to pay the for
window.
3. After completing the statements, ask the following questions to the group
a) Which example had higher stress levels at the time?
(Answer - All of them)
b) Which would have had lower stress levels over a long period of time?
(Answer - The ‘payment’ example)
c) Which examples will continue to cause stress and why?
(Answer -‘Yelling’ and ‘I did nothing’ examples – meant the window was not
fixed, the neighbour is still cross, and sons’ behaviour not understood or
addressed)
Anger and stress are related.

We have two options:
1. Stay angry or
2. Release ourselves from anger.
129 | P a g e
v.8.1
To stay angry may seem the easiest option, but it has the most damaging effect on our
minds and bodies. And interestingly, you cannot remain angry unless you keep thinking
about the situation.
To release ourselves from anger may seem harder, but it is healthiest for our mind and
body.
To release ourselves from anger we must learn to truly forgive. But it is only something you
can do, and no one can make you.
However, forgiving is not forgetting.
10 min Action Time

Stress and Anger can be managed. But we must choose to do so. The following ways help:
5 min Activity 13
Aim: To learn ways to release anger and stress.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to write or draw in their workbooks the following proven ways of
managing anger and stress.
2. Ask participants to choose 3 they intend to try this week
Circle three they intend to try this week.

• Eat healthy food. Healthy food is easier to digest and provides the nutrients we
need.
• Move our bodies. Walk, swim, cycle, dig gardens – it helps to relieve muscle
tension, oxygenate our body, and make us feel better.
• Clarify worries. Are they real, or is it time to let these harmful thoughts go?
• Practice deep breathing. Take a slow deep breath in. Count to 4 and slow blow it
out. Repeat 5-6 times.
• Repair relationships. Be honest, Right wrongs, Keep promises, Make expectations
clear
• Forgiveness is a choice. Forgive yourself for your perceived wrongs, Forgive other
for their wrongs.
IMPORTANT
FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN FORGETTING
It also does not mean putting yourself in harm’s way.
Your safety is VERY important!
130 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Decrease what you expect of yourself and others.
• Seek social support
• Go to bed at regular times and sleep 7-8 hours a night. Take a ‘Sabbath’ rest. Take
rests throughout the day.
• Manage your anger. Seek to understand it and its cause. Do not use it to inflict
harm others. If it is not achieving a positive purpose disarm it and let it go.
• Live in the moment. Do not replay disasters in your mind.
Another important way of reducing stress and anger is through our food. Some food heals
and some harms.

Anger and stress can deplete the immune system.
• Foods that can boost the immune system include fruits and vegetables.
• Foods that harm the immune system include highly processed foods and foods
containing high sugar, salt, and oil.
Aim: To identify how my kitchen can boost my immune system

Materials needed:
• This depends on the recipe chosen, but must include red/yellow/orange foods
Steps
1. Ask participants to divide into groups of 3.
2. Ask each group to identify one dish that contains highly coloured vegetables.
3. Interview each group and ask the following questions.
• Does the vegetable dish have a name?
• Describe the vegetables and where they come from (home garden, market,
other)
• How is the dish prepared?
• Is it high in oils salt or sugar? If so, how could these be reduced?
• What does it cost?
• Is it only available in certain seasons?
• Could you make this dish for your family this week?
Conclusion
1. Our body is made to provide an urgent response to save us from danger
2. Often our body perceives everyday stresses as danger
3. Our body lives in a state of readiness to fight the ‘danger’ and does not relax
4. This can cause our body to become unwell
131 | P a g e
v.8.1
5. We change stress and anger levels by the way we think, believe and act.


132 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 10
Helping yourself of health - how my actions influence my goals
Session Ten: Helping Myself to Health – How My Actions Influence My

Health.
Topics / Session Principle/ Fundamental #10: I need to manage my health.
Session teaches:
1. My genes are my inheritance.
2. My lifestyle can help or hinder my genes as they try to provide health.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Ten Outline:
• Understand how inherited genes can be ( 2 min) Welcome
switch on or off by our lifestyle (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
• To appreciate that gene expression in my (5 min) Review: What we already know (Topic 1)
(30min) Learn: New information (Topic 1)
family does not mean it is my future
( 5 min) Action time (Topic 1)
• I have a powerful influence over my genes (5 min) Break
if I chose the best lifestyle. (15 min) Review: What we already know (Topic 2)
(10 min) Learn: New information (Topic 2)
(30 min) Action time (Topic 2)
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ Marker
❑ BP Machine
❑ At least 10 m of string or coloured wool.
133 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
5 min Activity 1a
Aim: To visualise how our genetic material works.
Materials needed:
• 3-4m of string or coloured wool
Steps:
1. Using your drawing of the chromosome, have someone create a
chromosome from string or coloured wool on the floor.
2. Ask them to wind the strands back and forward as in the picture.
3. Tell them to take their time.
4. Needs to be big enough so everyone can see it.
5. Use one piece of string/wool to create one side
6. Then cut it and create the other side in the same way.
7. Keep it protected until ready to use.
2min Welcome

Review progress:
• Ask if people have been trying to reduce stress – and how?
30 min Review: What We Already Know (Topic 1)

Today we are going to talk about 2 important topics – so our session will be divided into 2.
In between each session we will stand, stretch, and take some deep breaths.
134 | P a g e
v.8.1
Aim: To understand how I describe myself.
Materials Needed: Nil
Steps:
6. Ask participants to use 10 words to describe themselves. (There is no wrong
answer)
7. Write these in their workbook.
8. Ask if they are willing to share 2-3 each.
(Facilitator- if no one wants to share then just move on to the next paragraph)
Many will use words to describe:

• relationships (such as wife or father or sister or son)
• or physical features (such as tall or woman)
• beliefs (such as strong or capable or patient)
• characteristics (such as kind or accommodating or careful),
• jobs or profession ( such as nurse or gardener or mum or cleaner)
• or hobbies and interests (such as cook or gardener or reader or weaver or
fisherman).
While each of these are correct, we are also more than these.
Let us just take a peek at a little science.
30 min Learn: New Information (Topic 1)

When we were conceived one cell from our mother containing ½ of 23
chromosomes and one cell from our father containing ½ of 23
chromosomes joined to create a cell with a complete set of 23
chromosomes.
Every cell in our body should have 23 chromosomes. One
chromosome looks like this:
(Draw on flip chart prior to session starting)
3 min Activity 1 b
Aim: To visualise how our genetic material works.
Materials needed:
• 3-4m of string or coloured wool
Steps:
1. Gather the group around the string chromosome
2. Explain that this is a representation of a chromosome
135 | P a g e
v.8.1
3. Ask two people to find the ends of the string and undo do them
4. Hold the strings to their full length.
Ask if anyone is surprised by how long the string is.
You can see how much string went into making just one chromosome.
Now look at how wide the piece of string is. It is small.
If we could see a chromosome under a microscope, we would find it consists of a long

thread called DNA that has been twisted into the chromosome shape.
If you were to straighten the DNA you would see it looks like a twisted ladder.
(Draw on flip chart prior to session starting)
The long string of DNA is made up of many parts linked together. These parts are
called Genes.
So why is also this important? And how does it affect each of us? Let us explore a little
more.
5 min Activity 2
Aim: Recognising genetic connection with others.
Steps:
1. Ask participants if they can give examples of family likenesses.
(Example; you have your mother’s smile. You have your father’s nose, you have
your grandfathers’ ears, you can kick a football like your uncle.)
Explanation: This acknowledges that we share genetic material with our parents.
136 | P a g e
v.8.1
This has been confirmed by scientists who acknowledge that our genes determine what we
look like, how we react, the way we respond to disease etc.
We have about 30,000 genes and each one is our own personal operating manual for that
particular area. The combination is unique to us.
5 min Activity 3
Ever heard someone say ‘something is in my genes’? what context do they use it in.
Aim: Identifying our beliefs about inherited characteristics.

Steps:
1. What do they usually say it in relation to in non-health matters?
(Example: ability to play football…’football is in my genes’ , food taste
preferences… “none of my family like coriander,” tidiness, height, musical ability
etc.)
2. What do they usually say it about in relation to health matters?
(Example: ‘I’m overweight, but all my family are,’ My mum had cancer, I will too;’
‘My dad died young I will too’)
Genes are like recipe books. They tell our cells what to do and when. Fortunately, most
genes have good recipes, and it means our noses produce cells that look like noses and not
ears. And our eyes are on our face and not on our knees.
But with all this copying sometimes a mistake can happen. It depends where this happens
in the chromosome, as to what happens. You may know someone with ‘haemophilia’
where they cannot stop bleeding when they scratch themselves, or ‘albinism’ , a skin
pigmentation problem, causing skin to be whiter than normal for their race. Both are a
genetic disorder.
But not all genes are always turned to the ‘on’ position. Most genes are turned off. For
instance, many people have brown eyes. That is because the genetic expression for brown
eyes is turned on and the genetic expression for blue eyes is turned off.
The process of turning genes on and off make us unique and individual.
• It means my skin colour may be darker than yours even though we belong to the
same race.
137 | P a g e
v.8.1
• My nose may be longer even though you are my brother.
• My smile wider even though you are bigger than me.
• It may mean I laugh more or cry more easily than you do.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: To appreciate that it takes energy and coordination my body to get the correct
sequence for my genes.
Materials needed:
• Flip chart
• Marker
Steps:
1. Ask a participant to draw a house on the flip chart. The house needs
a. 3 bedrooms
b. A kitchen
c. A living room
d. An outdoor deck
e. A light switch in each room (big enough so all participants can easily see it)
2. Ask participants how many light switches are in the house.
3. How long would it take to turn ½ on and ½ off?
4. Now turn all the bedroom lights on and the kitchen light off.
5. Quick run and turn all lights off except for the front of house lights.
Summary
That was exhausting! And yet every moment of every day genes are being turned off and
on depending on what we do and the needs of our body.
How? Special process is called epigenetics.
5 min Activity 5
Aim: to understand how genes could influence your life if you could switch them on or off.
Steps:
1. Ask participants:
- If you were a scientist, and could design what you looked like, what genes
would you like to turn off or on?
(Example: I would like to grow a little taller; feel younger; be slimmer; not
worry as much; be able to learn 5 languages, sing well, fly!! Etc.)
138 | P a g e
v.8.1
Scientists are working to make many of these suggestions real, but in the meantime, they
have discovered one of the most powerful ways to turn switches on or off is eating.
Now scientist are working in the area of ‘Nutrigenomics’ – looking at what nutrients in food
turn genes on and off as they try and change people’s health. Often a single nutrient can
turn a number of genes on or off.
• For example, studies have shown that people who eat red meat are more prone to
cancers than people who do not eat meat at all. This is epigenetic switches being
turned off and on.
• In another study1 scientists fed mother rats a high fat diet ( 50% energy intake for
the day - like those found in takeaway meals).
They discovered one chromosome in the developing baby rats started
malfunctioning and producing changes in their brains. These changes produced
more hormones than normal. As the rat grew up, these hormones caused it to
have high cholesterol and to eat more food at an early age. This meant the rat
would likely die of high cholesterol or obesity related issues.
All because the mother ate lots of fat while pregnant.
This is not just a story about rats, it also reflects what is happening in many
parts of the world.
• But it does not stop there, if the baby rat was a female, then her eggs were being
formed while her mother was still carrying her and eating the poor diet. Therefore,
the mothers’ diet would affect the grandchildren too.
Our choices often affect those around us and those of our unborn grandchildren.
In summary – while the genes our parents gave us play a significant role in our health risks
– it is what we do that that flips the switches on or off and reduces or increases the risks of
disease.
And it is not just a little bit. Scientists suggest 70% of our health and wellbeing is
determined by our everyday choices.
5 min Action Time (Topic 1)

5 min Activity 6
Aim: To identify ways of switching your genes to support a reduced risk of disease.
139 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
1. Ask participants to suggest ways we can support the work of our genes:
(Answers:
• Eating the LMA way – plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, roots, staples, and
whole grains, drinking fresh clean water, eating minimal animal products, low
oil, no added sugars, minimal added salts.
• Not drinking alcohol2
• Not smoking2
• Staying physically active and exercising2
• Being the correct weight2
• Getting plenty of sleep2
• Minimising bad stress2
• Reducing environmental pollutants14.
Is this sounding familiar? If we live a positive, Live More Abundantly lifestyle, we can
reduce our risks of disease and sickness and look forward to more vitality and health.
5 min Break Time

Now let us take a little break:
• Move around – walk quickly around the building
• Reach for the roof and then your toes and then the roof again 10 times
• Take a deep breath and slowly exhale 4 times
• Have a drink of water
15 min Review: What We Already Know (Topic 2)

We are now going to take a little look at another area that can influence our health, though
one which we may have less control over.
Our environment.
It can be very easy to blame other people or where we live, or any number of other
reasons for our poor health, yet we have just discovered that 70% of what WE do affects
our health, leaving only 30% to be influence by things such as genes, medical care, and our
environment.
14 (Alegría-Torres, 2011). 14
140 | P a g e
v.8.1
5 min Activity 7
Aim: To understand environmental factors that influence health.
Steps:
3. Ask participants: Can you provide examples of environmental factors that could
affect your health?
(Examples; living with a smoker, living a long way from medical care, living in an
area where it is hard to grow food, living beside a dusty road etc.)
Often, we try to blame other things for our current difficulties.
5 min Activity 8
Aim: To identify excuses
Steps:
1. Ask the group to finish the sentences below (examples provided). The examples
given do not have to be personal examples, just examples that they have heard.
a) I am overweight because …. (Example: my parents were overweight)
b) I drink alcohol because …. (Example: everyone else does it)
c) I smoke because …… (Example: it helps me relax)
d) I cannot exercise because……. (Example: it is too hot)
e) My blood sugars are high because……. (Example: medicine is too expensive)
10 min Learn: New Information (Topic 2)

We have many things going against us as we try and maintain good health. By
understanding what these are, we can take positive action. Some environmental influences
include:
Big Food companies: Make it hard for us by:
- using plenty of sugar, salt, and fat to make food taste good
- using lots of advertising to tell us we need to buy their food
- charging cheaper prices for very processed food than for some healthy food
- Convincing our kids and husbands that they need fast foods and takeaways.
Politicians: can make it hard for us by the policies that they make. They may make
cigarettes cheap, allowing more people to buy them, at the loss of personal health.
Workplaces: where we sit or stand for long periods of time with limited movement that can
be loud or dusty - all increasing health risks.
141 | P a g e
v.8.1
Pollution: Air, land and water pollution can increase our risk of being unwell.
Social networks: can support or undermine our health. If your spouse becomes overweight,
,you have a 37% risk of doing the same. However, if a friend becomes obese you have a
171% risk!!3 The good news is that if your friend loses weight, you are more likely to as
well.
Our home: overcrowded or trap moisture or have other issues
Our community: may not feel safe to walk alone or after hours.
Financial: We may not have the money to buy healthy options.
These are just some examples of how our health can be influenced by other aspect.
30 min Action Time
5 min Activity 9
Aim: To identify excuses
Steps:
4. Ask participants to divide into small groups of 2 or 3.
2. Each group is to choose 3 Environmental issues from those above (or contribute
one of their own) and discuss ways we could control these and reduce their risk to
our health. Suggestions can be big or small.
(Facilitators use these ideas only if people struggle to come up with answers)
Example1: Workplace: I have a boss that smokes in the office. How could I manage
this? Ask to be transferred to another room? Look for another job where I can work
without breathing in cigarette smoke?)
(Example 2: Very processed food is cheap but not good for me. We will plant a
small vegie garden to grow greens. This will reduce our food budget and allow me
to buy other healthy options I cannot grow.)
3. Ask the groups to report back on their discussions.
Summary
We can all take action in many areas of our life. We need to identify our excuses for doing
nothing and see what the real barriers are
142 | P a g e
v.8.1
We have many things going against us as we try and maintain good health. But the good
news most of our lifestyle choices, and the influence we may have on our environmental
influences can turn our health around.
Grains are important because they are packed with fibre, minerals and protein and
carbohydrate. They also help our bodies to make different components function well.
Aim: To teach importance of using locally available grains

Materials needed:
• This depends on the recipe chosen, but must whole grains
Steps
3. Demonstrate a local dish using whole grains.
OR,
3. Have a tasting dish that has used whole grains – have recipe available.
OR,
5. Discuss local dishes that could be used or have whole grains in them.
6. Discuss how to use these grains with little or no oil, sugar, and salt
Conclusion
1. Our parents gave us their genes, some of which may have faults
2. However, 70% of my health can be determined by my Lifestyle choices.
3. I can control some of the 30% of the environmental influences.


143 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 11
Living an Abundant life – Living a Life of Purpose
Session Eleven: Living an Abundant Life

Topics / Session Principle/ Fundamental #11: Life needs purpose.
Session teaches:
1. My genes are my inheritance. Happiness is an important part of life
2. However, thriving by living an abundant life is greater than happiness along.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Eleven Outline:
• They can choose their happiness levels (1 min) Welcome
• That living an Abundant life is a choice. (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring

❑ Pen
❑ Marker
❑ BP Machine
❑ 5 small pieces of paper to write on per participant (one A4 sheet of paper cut
into 8 pieces is an appropriate size).
❑ Pencil or pen for each participant.
❑ Small box
144 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
5 min NOTE THIS ACTIVITY TO OCCUR BEFORE PROGRAM STARTS

Activity 1
Aim: To identify what we describe as happiness.
Materials needed:
• 5 pieces of paper per participant (one A4 sheet of paper cut into 8 pieces is an
appropriate size)
• Pens
• Small box
Steps:
1. When participants arrive hand them four pieces of paper and ask them the
following question. What four things make you happy?
2. Give them a 5th piece of paper and ask them to write down one thing they do
not have but would like, and that they believe would make them happy if they
could have it.
3. Draw a smiley face ‘😊’ on this page.
4. Collect all 5 pieces of paper into a small box
2 min Welcome

Review progress:
• Ask if anyone had tried any new grain recipes?
145 | P a g e
v.8.1
During the program to date we have focused a lot on physical wellbeing. And those that
have started to implement the principles are starting to feel the benefits. Today we are
going to look at another part of us that also has a very big effect on our health. Our mind.
10 min Activity 2
Aim: To identify our understanding of happiness.
Materials needed:
• The small box filled with paper from activity 1
Steps:
9. Each person has written down 5 things that either bring them happiness or could
bring them happiness.
10. Tell participants you are going to read them out aloud.
a) Emphasise that each happiness paper is real to the person who wrote it.
b) Emphasize the 5th ‘happiness paper’ – the one we would like but do not have
is mixed in with the others.
11. Read papers out aloud.
12. Ask participants if there were common sources of happiness? (Money, not too
much work, a new bike, swimming, etc.)
13. Ask participants if the ‘happiness papers’ papers revolved around people or things.
We think happiness will come to us if we can do, buy, or have a particular thing.
And sometimes that is right. But what did you buy 10 years ago that still brings happiness?
We also think happiness is laughter and smiling.

And sometimes that is right. But how many of us smile and laugh when we are not feeling
happy on the inside.
And sometimes we think that happiness is being able to do what we want.

And sometimes that is right.
But the common thing between each of these is the word ‘sometimes.’ The happiness we
experience with things, and emotion and getting what we want is often here for a short
time and then gone.
146 | P a g e
v.8.1
But is that all there is to happiness? Is there more than happiness?
In our session today we are going to look at living our best life. Sometimes that will bring us
happiness, but our best life is wider than happiness. It is also contentment, satisfaction,
feeling appreciated, being productive, having a sense of purpose, satisfaction, and
achievement.

Happiness is a wonderful part of our lives and research has shown happier people often
have
- A higher income or better job
- Satisfying and longer marriages
- More friends
- Good social support
- Better health
- Lower stress
- And even a longer life ( Beuttner,2011)
Happiness has some amazing benefits!
5 min Activity 3
Aim: To identify if happiness is genetic
Steps:
1. Is happiness in our genes? Ask for a show of hands as to whether participants think
our genes predict happiness levels YES or NO.
(No right or wrong at this stage – only opinion is required)
2. Name 2 people in your life that you would describe as happy.
(Any answer is correct)
3. Were they born happy?
(Answer: Maybe)
Summary
If happier people are found to have better social support. Better health, better jobs, does
that mean some people have an advantage? Let us explore that a little more.
Remember last session we spoke about how our genes influence so much of our life?
147 | P a g e
v.8.1
Scientists have discovered that those who said our genes predict our happiness levels are
50% right.
Those who said our genes do not predict our happiness are also 50% right!!
5 min Activity 5
Aim: To identify what happiness consists of
Steps:
1. Facilitator to say: Science has shown that happiness is affected by 3 main factors.
What are they?
The facilitator is to provide the first two and ask for a guess of the third.
a) Genes that our parents gave us (Answer: 50%)
b) Life circumstances (Answer: 10%)
2. Ask the group: can anyone guess what the third factor is?
(Answer: 40 % of our happiness is affected how we think and act every day!!)
So, even if someone was born with 20% of the happiness gene and life’s circumstances has
been poor, they can still choose with their 40% to be happy.
However, happiness is an emotion reflecting our current state and does little to predict our
future.
The word THRIVE includes happiness (in humans), but it is a verb (action word) and
describes the continuing process of prospering or flourishing.
5 min Activity 6
Aim: To identify what makes plants thrive.
Steps:
3. Say – Each of you have seen gardens grow. You have seen some grow very well- or
Thrive- and some barely grow at all and look very sick.
4. Ask the group to list all the things that make plants Thrive (grow very well).
5. Ask the second group to list all the things that will produce sick plants.
Summary
For plants to thrive takes action. For plants to die generally takes neglect.
Too often we think it is only plants, or chickens or babies that can and need to Thrive.
148 | P a g e
v.8.1
But as adults we too need to Thrive to live our best life.
So, what does thrive look like for an adult and how can we achieve it? To help us
understand this concept we are going to have two people help us: An Old Man and a Young
Man.
Begin reading the story of the Old Man and Young Man
Both men were given a parcel of land by the village council. They took a walk together to
see the land and found it was rocky land with little growing on it. They were disappointed
as they were both hoping to be able to grow vegetables to eat and some to sell at the
market.
The next day dawned bright and clear. The old man rose from bed early and went and sat
on his rocky land in the cool air. In this peaceful time his decided what vegetables he would
plant and where. He drew lines in the dust that would serve as a guide for his garden beds
and decided how he would get water up from the creek to the garden. He started to
remove some weeds and moved some of the rocks to the side to form a little wall. He
calculated how many seeds he would need and decided he would need a new hat to
protect him from the sun.
The Young Man rose too. But not as early. The sun was higher and the heat from the rocks
met him when at last he stood on the parcel of land. He looked at the dusty patch and felt
annoyed that the patch did not look more fertile. He felt hot and just wanted to go
swimming with his friends. He thought that maybe he would plan his garden tomorrow and
that swimming today was a better idea.
3 min Activity 7: The Story of the Old Man and Young Man
Aim: To identify the mindset that allows us to Thrive – Part 1
Steps:
1. What kind of mindset did they each have as they approached their project?
(Answer: the old man had a positive mindset, and the Young Man had a negative
mindset)
149 | P a g e
v.8.1
2. Neither of them had planted their garden yet, but would you like to guess whose
garden is more likely to thrive?
(Answer: The Old Mans)
3. Why?
(Answer: Because The Old Man could ‘see’ a garden could exist even though the
ground was dusty and bare still; and he thought it was worthwhile; he thought he
could create a garden and he had started planning).
1. A Positive Mindset
So, we have identified that people who Thrive have a positive mindset. They receive
opportunities and look at them positively. They seek to make them work.
People with a negative mindset, struggle to see any good in opportunities.
Continue reading the story of the Old Man and Young Man
As the days passed the Old Man cleared all the weeds, removed the stones, and dug the
ground over and shaped it into beds. It was tiring work, but it started to look more like a
garden now. The beds were still bare, but the regular watering made them look darker. The
old man stirred in old leaves and vegetables that would add vital nutrients to feed growing
plants. His pipe from the creek worked well and the ground had taken on a darker more
nourished look.
The Young Man called past a few times over those early weeks. He looked at his patch of
garden that was still dusty and rocky. He decided he would ask his cousin who owed him a
favour to get it ready to plant. The cousin agreed. He dug it lightly over, pulled some of the
larger stones to one side, pulled a few buckets of water from the creek and poured them
over and then went to play rugby with his friends.
3 min Activity 8: The Story of the Old Man and Young Man (continued)
Steps:
1. Who was the better gardener?
(Answer: The Old Man)
2. Why?
150 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answer: he spent regular time on his garden; he seemed to like what he was
doing; he thought his work had value and was important)
3. Which garden do you think is most likely to thrive?
(The Old Mans because he was invested in it.)
2. Engagement
The Old Man was engaged with the garden. The Young Man was disengaged. He found
other things that took his time, attention, and investment.
Every day, the old man rose early to go to his garden. He checked that animals and bugs
had not been eating the new plants. He looked at what needed to be done for the day and
made a plan to do it.
The Young Man also wakes early. But it was to go to the bathroom before going back to
bed for a few hours more sleep. He then goes to school, and afterwards plays footy. On his
way home he calls past the garden to see if his cousin has been looking after it. It was
looking a bit bare, and the plants were small and looking a little wilted. He glanced over at
the Old Man’s side and saw the lush green, tall vegetables and moist dark brown soil and
he wished his garden looked like that. He must remind his cousin to water the garden more
when he passed his house.
Steps:
1. To whom was the garden most important?
2. How can you tell?
(Answer: he gave it priority in his day; he spent time watering, removing bugs,
adding compost )
3. The garden got one person out of bed. Who?
(Answer: The old man)
4. Did the garden provide purpose and a reason to live for the old man?
(Yes)
5. Did it provide purpose and reason to live for the Young Man?
151 | P a g e
v.8.1
(No)
3. Meaning/ Purpose in life

Each of us needs to be engaged in something that is bigger than ourselves. Something that
gives us reason to get out of bed in the morning. People who thrive find meaning and
purpose in their activities. The old man found meaning and purpose in his garden. The
Young Man may have found meaning and purpose elsewhere, but it was not with his
garden.
One thing the old man was not expecting was the number of people that were interested
in his garden. Some came past to see when he would be selling his produce; some to chat
as they walked to their gardens; others to compare notes on how he set up his watering
system, and others simply to watch the gardens progress. At times, the Old Man even
talked to his plants. He would tell them that they were looking fine today, or that they
looked like they needed a drink.
The Young Man did not see the people who called past his block, who were disappointed
that his garden was not flourishing, as he was not often there. When he was, it was to
count the number of plants, pull out a few weeds that his cousin had missed and while
making sure he was not late for football.
Steps:
1. Explain: A relationship is described as having a connection with someone or
something.
2. Which person in our story had a relationship with his garden?
3. Did the relationship with other people change because of the garden? (Answer:
yes, he saw and met people with common interests; and people who wanted him to
succeed; and people who wanted to buy his produce.)
4. Could you say he had a relationship with his garden? If so, how ?
152 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answer: He had a connection with his garden in that if it did well, then he was
likely to be able to have a supply of vegetables for his family and to sell extra. If it
thrived, he would too.)
4. Relationships
We often think of relationships as just being between people, but if we understand a
relationship to be a connection that creates feelings and responses, then we can have
connections with animals, household items, bicycles and yes even gardens.
Relationships are critical to human survival. Studies have shown that the number and type
of connections or relationships we each have, can indicate our risk of health or disease
Time passed. The Old Man picks plants ready for the next meal. He picks a few extra to give
to a blind neighbour next door. He smiles with pride as she exclaims in delight over the lush
feel of the green leaves and the big roots. A little later he delights in the delicious taste and
wonderful fullness and satisfaction of the fresh vegetables as he eats with his family. He
takes pride in being able to supply food for his family
Next week there would be enough to take to market.

The Young Man wanders past his garden. He sees the struggling plants and knows they will
not be saleable at market. He decides he cannot be bothered with it anymore. He tells his
cousin he can keep what is worth saving and lets him know he will be returning the plot to
the village council as the land is too poor to grow anything on.
Steps:
1. Who reflected on their achievements?
(Answer: both the Old Man and the Young Man).
2. Who was proud of his achievements?
3. How did he acknowledge his achievement?
153 | P a g e
v.8.1
(Answer: He chose to share with his neighbour; her compliments about his produce
brought a smile to his face; he enjoyed sharing his food with his family; he knew he
would be able to start earning an income off the garden in a week or so)
5. Achievement
People who thrive experience a sense of achievement in their life.
The Old Man’s hard work, persistence, and regular attention to what was originally a stony
patch, had resulted in a wonderful crop of vegetables that would supply his family and
allow him to sell some at the market. It is important to feel the success and acknowledge
the achievement.
Contrast this with the Young Man: Each time he passes this place he will likely experience
negative emotions associated with failure (anger at wasted time; sadness that he did not
create a beautiful garden and possibly a reluctance to take on an opportunity such as this
one again).
While happiness is a wonderful state that people try to achieve, people who Live More
Abundantly can thrive over long periods by:
- Choosing a Positive Mindset,
- Actively Engaging with others, tasks, project,
- Obtaining Meaning and Purpose in actions and life
- Participating in Relationships
- Acknowledging achievements.
The story of the garden is only one example of where people can find purpose and though
it can thrive. Some find it through their job, others through serving others, while others
may find it through their faith.
To Live More Abundantly requires you to take a positive choice to thrive in your area of
calling or passion.
25 min Action Time

10 min Activity 12
Aim: To identify an example of when I have thrived.
154 | P a g e
v.8.1
Steps:
1. Ask participants to write in their workbook of a time when they have thrived, and
during this time they:
a) Chose a positive mindset
b) Were actively engagement with others
c) Obtained meaning and purpose in their life
d) Participated in relationships
e) Acknowledged achievement.
(Comments: This could be as simple as keeping house for the family; studying; learning to
swim; or even creating a garden!)

Aim: Sharing healthy food with good company is body and soul food!
Steps
5. Explain:
a) Eating healthy food that is fresh, and mostly plants will help my body and mind
stay healthy.
b) Many family and community celebrations use food to celebrate.
6. Share which celebration foods do not support health.

(Answer: the dishes described should include lots of meat, added sugar, added fats,
and added salt and alcohol)
7. What can you do to make these foods healthier?

(Answer: You may avoid red meats, not add fats, or sugar or salt and avoid alcohol)
Conclusion
Today we have talked about how
1. Happiness is important in life.
2. I can choose to live a life that makes me happy by learning to thrive.
3. And in doing so I can Live an Abundant Life.

155 | P a g e
v.8.1

156 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 12
Why Measures Matter – How to monitor my health
Session Twelve: Why Measures Matter

Topics / Session Principles: I need to take responsibility for my health.
Session teaches:
3. There are different cues the body provides when it is both well and not well.
4. Recognising early signs and symptoms of body dysfunction that allows early intervention.
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Twelve Outline:
10. Recognise early signs and symptoms of body (2min) Welcome
dysfunction that allows early intervention. (5 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring

❑ Pen
❑ Marker
❑ BP Machine
❑ Print a copy of the urine colours in COLOURED INK
157 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
2 min Welcome

Review progress:
• Has anyone had reason to celebrate with food this week? Did you make any changes
to your food to reduce salt, or sugar, or fat or animal products?

We have all discovered that when we are unwell, our body tells us. While it can be like
putting together a jigsaw to discover the actual disease, there will be at least two people
working on this puzzle.
You and your health care provider.
• You will experience symptoms
• The healthcare provider will be looking for signs.
We often refer to these collectively as disease related signs and symptoms.

So, what is the difference between a sign and a symptom?
158 | P a g e
v.8.1
5 min Activity 1
Aim: To identify the difference between a sign and a symptom.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to provide answers to the following questions:
a) You may find as you drive down a road that you have to stop. How did you
know when to stop? (Answer: There were signs that said you needed to stop
i.e., other traffic has stopped, or there is a stop sign).
These were actual signs that anyone could see that indicated you needed to stop.
b) What do you do while you are stopped?

(Example answers; fidget with fingers, stare into space, watch what the kids
are doing, watch for traffic to start moving, wait for traffic lights to change)
These are symptoms that you have are not driving and have stopped. Other people
may not know what you are doing, but if asked you could tell them
c) How do you know if you have a common cold? (Examples: Sore throat, felling
unwell, cough, headache, runny nose etc.)
These are symptoms that you are unwell.
d) Which of the answers just provided could anyone see? (Answer: cough, runny
nose)
These are signs where a doctor can tell you are unwell.
5 min Activity 2
Aim: To identify what being ‘healthy’ looks like
Steps:
1. Ask participants to describe what being healthy means to them?
(Answers:
a) Informal suggestions could include = I feel well, I feel strong and have energy, I
am enjoying life, I do not have any illnesses, I can manage my life and do not
feel overwhelmed, I have purpose in my life, I have clear vision and good
hearing etc.)
159 | P a g e
v.8.1
b) Formal Definition = WHO definition “Health is a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity”).
As you can see health is more than not being sick – as we discussed last session it is about
thriving.
As our health is one of the most important aspects of our life, it is precious and needs
protecting.
5 min Activity 3
Aim: To identify who is responsible for my health.
Steps:
1. Ask participants to list public health providers
(Answer: doctor, dentist, nurse, dietician, nutritionist etc.)
2. Ask participants who is responsible for their health?

(Answer: themselves)
3. Ask participants why they are the best person to be responsible for their own
health?
If participants struggle to answer this give them a couple of examples at first.
Examples:
• Of their sleeping hour choices
• They choose how much activity they have in their life
• They choose their faith and the frequency with which they observe it
• They choose which foods to eat, and how much and how often
• Of the substances they use and choose not to use
• They control their thoughts
• They chose their friendships and their relationships with their family
• They manage life’s stressors – or not.
• Etc.
So how do we take charge of our health?
160 | P a g e
v.8.1
But first we need to know that:
• Poor health and sickness are not normal at any age. All countries and cultures
have examples of people who live well lives into old age with some experiencing
only a short period of unwellness before they die.
• Studies of different cultures and countries around the world have shown that the
principles taught in the Live More Abundantly program see people living better for
longer.
• Just because a lifestyle disease is in the family does not mean we have to get it.
Remember the session about how actions influence health and about the genes
we inherit? We may have a family tendency for heart disease or diabetes, but
lifestyle medicine can stop the tendency from becoming a reality.
• Lifestyle disease usually affects more than one part of the body. Explore the next
two activities to see how.
5 min Activity 4
Aim: To understand that lifestyle diseases usually affect multiple organs and body systems
– part 1.
Steps:
4. Explain: Diabetes is a diagnosed disease, usually caused by lifestyle
5. Ask participants if they can guess what other body organs diabetes affects.
Answers:
Heart and blood vessels
• If you have diabetes, you are more likely to have heart disease including heart
attacks or stroke.
Nerve damage
• especially in legs – cannot feel when bump toe or cut foot.
• For men, it may lead to erectile dysfunction.
Kidney damage
161 | P a g e
v.8.1
• The kidneys filter the blood. If this filtering system stops this will cause illness and
death.
Eye damage
• Blindness, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Foot damage
• Caused by nerve or blood flow problems. Can lead to wounds that do not heal and
amputation.
Skin conditions
• Bacterial and fungal infections are more common
Hearing impairment
• Hearing problems
Alzheimer's disease
• Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Depression
If diabetes is just one lifestyle disease that causes so many problems, how many body
systems are affected by other lifestyle diseases.
Let us take a look at one other. Obesity.
5 min Activity 5
Aim: To understand that lifestyle diseases usually affect multiple organs and body systems
– part 2.
Steps:
1. Explain: Obesity is just a little bit of excess fat, isn’t it?
2. Ask: What problems could it cause for other body systems?
a) Respiratory system and sleep?
(Examples: sleep apnoea; asthma; breathlessness)
b) Digestive system?
(Examples: GERD; gallbladder disease & gallstones; eating disorders)
c) Reproductive system?
(Examples: menstrual problems; pregnancy complications; infertility;
impotence; birth defects; PCOS-polycystic ovary syndrome)
162 | P a g e
v.8.1
d) Endocrine system (a hormonal messenger system)?
(Examples: pancreatitis; fatty pancreas)
e) Cardiovascular system?
(Examples: heart attack; elevated cholesterol/atherosclerosis; abnormal heart
rhythms; hypertension; peripheral vascular disease; stroke)
f) Mental health?
(Examples: depression)
g) Liver?
(Examples: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-NALD; non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis-NASH)
h) Kidneys?
(Examples: kidney stones; chronic kidney disease-CKD)
i) Musculoskeletal system?
(Examples: osteoarthritis in the back, hips, knees; gout)
j) Immune system?
(Examples: inflammation; lowered immunity)
It seems that just a little excess weight can cause a whole lot of problems and is worth
dealing with, to make sure it does not progress to other conditions, many of which are
irreversible.
5 min Activity 6
Aim: Review Lifestyle activities that can prevent disease
Steps:
1. Ask participants which lifestyle actions can reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity.

• Choosing to live a healthier lifestyle by changing my thoughts and beliefs
163 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Eating a plant-based diet using locally grown foods that are the colour of the rainbow
• Avoid or limit foods that will reduce health (highly processed, high oils, low fibre,
high sugar and added chemicals)
• Being active
• Getting good sleep
• Drinking sufficient clean water
• Believing I am valuable
• Having positive relationships
• Proactively manage stressing
• Becoming and remaining a healthy weight
• Refrain from smoking or alcohol use
• Being educated in health matters)
The last point is something we have not stopped to consider before and now we will take a
closer look at this.
In one of the earlier activities, we discovered that we are the best people to look after our
health.
To support our health, we need to:
1. Understand what good health looks like
2. Be educated in how to live a healthy lifestyle. This is what you are doing in this
program.
3. Know how our body speaks to us through signs and symptoms.
Earlier we noted that signs are things that anybody can see. This can be ourselves, or a
family member or someone skilled in reading body signs such as a nurse or doctor.
5 min Activity 7
Aim: To identify signs in the body that indicate the presence of disease.
Steps:
1. Ask participants what signs our body could provide to say that it is not well.

• High blood pressure
• Rapid pulse
• Skin rashes
• Abnormal blood tests
164 | P a g e
v.8.1
• Open sores or wounds
• Pale skin
• Cold clammy skin
• Hot skin
• Swelling
• A limb that is at the wrong angle indicating a break
• Hair that is falling out
• X rays that show something is wrong
• Breathlessness
• etc.)
•
Each of these signs is an important indicator that something is not right and can be seen by
anyone with the skills to see them.
Symptoms however are something only you can feel, but which you may be able to
describe, and a skilled person could use with signs to determine what is wrong.
5 min Activity 8
Aim: To identify symptoms that could indicate the presence of disease.
Steps:
1. Ask participants what symptoms our body could provide that it is not well.
Answers include:
• Feeling faint
• Feeling sick
• Feeling dizzy
• Feeling pain
• Numbness in fingers or toes
• Female cycles that are different
• Constipation
• Feeling anxious all the time
• Tightness in chest
• etc
165 | P a g e
v.8.1
Signs and symptoms you can monitor
Why /what could be problem How
Weight To keep weight in normal range Complete a waist to height measurement once a
(Adult weight) week on approximately the same day first thing in
morning.
Measure the same place each time.
Take three measurements and use the middle
one. (i.e., 98cm, 100cm, 99cm = use 99cm)
Waist measurement should be half your height.
If losing weight and not doing anything

differently have an urgent health check.
Urine To ensure adequate hydration Check your urine when you go to the toilet.
See the chart below for colours.
Anything on the right is ok.
Anything on the left needs a medical review.
Foamy urine can be an early sign of kidney
disease.
Dark yellow urine can be improved by drinking

more water.
Red urine can be an indicator or bleeding. Check

with your clinic. (Women – do not be concerned
during monthly time)
Urinating a lot – especially during the night can

be an indicator for diabetes. Report to clinic.
NOTE: some foods can affect urine colour – i.e.,
rich red foods like beetroot.
Check with your doctor if you have concerns.
Swelling in To monitor heart or kidney This is different from overweight.
ankles / legs condition. Any painful swelling should immediately be
referred to the clinic or doctor.
Press firmly and count to 5/ Quickly remove
fingers and check. If a dent remains and takes a
166 | P a g e
v.8.1
while to smooth out – there is fluid retention,
and you need to check with your clinic.
Breathlessness Monitor heart and lung Breathlessness in addition to leg swelling can be
function. serious.
Any unusual or sudden breathlessness where you
just cannot quite catch your breath needs to be
reported to your health professional urgently.
Wounds/ sores Indicative of Diabetes See clinic urgently for wound care and blood
that do not sugar testing.
heal
Numbness / B12 If any of the above last longer than a few
tingling in Diabetes minutes, see clinic for testing.
hands feet Heart disease
Blurry vision Diabetes See clinic and request a diabetes check.
Chest tightness Heart disease See clinic urgently.
/ pain/
shoulder pain
Unusual Can be a Lifestyle or If lasts more than a few days and is not
tiredness or communicable disease. associated with excessive activity or other
fatigue. rational reasons seek clinic assistance.
Signs and symptoms to monitor with your health professional

Why How
Blood Monitors blood system and heart Write the following normal in workbook:
Pressure functions Normal = 120/80 or less
Pre-hypertension = 120 to139 / 80-89
High 140 / 90 and above
Check BP at your clinic as follows:
Normal - check 6 monthly
Pre-hypertension - check 2-3 monthly and more
often if requested by clinic
High - check monthly or more if requested
Blood sugars Monitors blood sugars in body Write the following normal in workbook:
Normal = 3.6 – 5.5 (fasting)
Pre- diabetes = 5.5 – 6.9 (fasting)
167 | P a g e
v.8.1
Diabetes 7.0 + (fasting)
NB these are CHIP recommended ranges. Unable
to locate the FIJI specific ranges for Prediabetes
and Diabetes.
Check BP at your clinic as follows:
Normal - check 12 monthly
Pre-Diabetes - check monthly and more often if
requested by clinic
Diabetes - monitor daily or as directed by your
clinic.
Weight General Wellbeing Measure weight at least monthly.
Ask clinic for guidelines for normal weight.
Some of you will never see any of these signs and symptoms, while others have seen many
already. Yet others who do not live a positive lifestyle will start to experience them.
10 min Action Time

Aim: Supporting weight loss with foods
Steps:
1. The following foods are known to support weight loss. Ask participants to supply
examples of each
• Wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Legumes
• Fibre rich foods
• Root crops and staples.
2. Which foods do not support weight loss?

(Answer: many highly processed foods, high fat foods, high energy foods, foods
made form animals, high added sugar foods, low fibre foods)
3. Ask participants to share which foods they have started eating more of that
support their health.
(Answers according to participants)
168 | P a g e
v.8.1
Here are a couple of other reminders for those seeking to lose weight.
1. Eat your biggest meal in the morning and lightest meal in the evening.
2. Do not skip meals.
3. Do not snack between meals.
4. Watch your portion sizes. It is possible to overeat on healthy food.
5. Have a plan for meals. It is easier to eat foods that do not support weight loss
when you are hungry and do not have a meal plan.
6. Remember weight loss is not just about food. Exercise is really important as it
improves the way our body uses and stores blood sugars and fats.
7. In addition, poor sleep habits, or not enough sleep makes weight loss difficult.
What lifestyle changes have you made that will support your health?
What changes do you need to make?
As you are the person in charge of your health, it is by consistent, balanced changes that
you will experience your best health.
Conclusion
Today we have talked about how
1. Our body provides signs and symptoms that all is not well.
2. We need to learn to listen to our body and to act when signs and symptoms
indicating poor health appear.
3. My health is my responsibility. My choices have a powerful influence over my
health.


169 | P a g e
v.8.1
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-317c4efcc0439d0548b46ecb934fd46d-lq
170 | P a g e
v.8.1
Session 13
A Review of principles learned
Session Thirteen: Living an Abundant Life

Topics / Session Principles/ Fundamentals : A review of principles learned
Session teaches:
5. A review
By the end of the session, Participants should: Session Thirteen Outline:

11. Have reviewed the principles of the Live More (2 min) Welcome
Abundantly program (10 min) Progress: Any questions to talk about?
(40-60min) Review: What we already know
Resource Readiness:
Read All resources.

relevant.
Bring
❑ Pen
❑ Marker
❑ BP Machine
❑ Print off Questions 1 to 20. These sheets need to be scattered around the
meeting room for participants to answer.
❑ A blank sheet of paper for each participant
❑ Pen for each participant.
❑ Bring 3 empty containers with food and nutrition labels that can clearly read.
• Number each container 1 2 or 3.
171 | P a g e
v.8.1
10-20 Pre-Program
2 min Welcome

Review progress:
• Have you started to track some of your body’s measures and signs?
40- 60 Review: What We Already Know

min
During the program to date we have focused on a number of different aspects relating to
our health. Each of these is important as we work to have the best health and minimise the
risk of our lifestyle causing us to be sick.
During the last few weeks some of us will have realized we needed to focus more on our
exercise, and some of us on the foods we need to increase, others the food and drinks we
need to decrease, and others on our sleep habits.
Remember it has usually taken many years for our bad habits to create a disease state for
our body – so while our new lifestyle habits will start making immediate changes inside our
body, these will only slowly become visible over the weeks and months and as we maintain
these habits. Gradually our blood sugars will drop, our weight come down, our blood
pressure will settle, our sleep will improve, our wounds will health better, our snoring will
reduce, and we will be able to chase the kids around the house much faster!
172 | P a g e
v.8.1
Importantly we have to be consistent with our changes.
Today we are not going to be teaching anything new, we are going to take a look at what
you have learned and how you have changed your lifestyle. While there are no grades for
this test, your best reward will be better health by applying what you have learned to your
life.
To do that we have a number of puzzles that need solving.

• You will need to work in groups of 2 or 3. No more.
• There are 20 questions that need answering. Each question will be on one sheet of
paper, and the sheets will be placed around the room.
• You will each have an answer sheet to make notes on.
• Go to each of the sheets – read the question and provide an answer.
• We will review the answers at the end.
When all are done – check responses against the answers provided in the next pages -
‘Facilitators Answers’
You may choose to have small token prizes for the successful groups who have all answers
correct
On conclusion
Congratulate participants on how much they have learned. Tell them that we will be
reviewing some of these concepts over the next few months, but the important thing is
that they implement what they have learned. If they have questions in between sessions,
they can write these down.
173 | P a g e
v.8.1
Facilitator Answers:
1. Food labels. Write down the answers for the labels you have brought:
Which Food has the most?
Sugar
Fibre
Fat
Energy
2. Addictive foods. Three substances found in food naturally or added during cooking, or food
manufacturing are very addictive. What are they?
(Answer: Salt , Sugar, Fat)
3. Diseases. Below are two disease descriptions. State which one is communicable, and which one is
non communicable
Option 1 (Answer: Communicable) A disease that I can catch from a friend when sharing the
same spoon.
Option 2 (Answer: Non communicable) A disease that cannot be caught by another person.
4. Positive Lifestyle Foods

Living a positive lifestyle promotes eating certain foods. Give examples of each:
Fresh foods (Answer: Give examples of fresh foods that are not processed
in any way)
Foods as grown (Answer: Give examples of fruit or vegetables that can be
eaten raw )
Cholesterol free (Answer: Any food that does not contain an animal product)
Simply prepared (Answer: Raw, steamed, lightly cooked foods)
Minimal oil (Answer: use cooking methods or dressings that do not include
oils or fats)
Minimal Salt (Answer: Avoid store bought foods that have added salt, do
not add salt during cooking. Add a little to taste at the end)
No added sugar (Answer: all foods without sugar added)
174 | P a g e
v.8.1
5. Food processing
Match foods with description”
Whole food = Fresh pineapple slices
Processed Food = Canned pineapple (often has added sugar)
Refined food = pineapple juice (fibre and vitamins and minerals removed from food)
6. Food processing
Food is changed during processing. State whether the changes are usually increases or decreases.
Example: Water (Example ; rice is dried, water removed)
- Fibre
- Minerals
- Nutrients
- Vitamins
- Sugar
- salt
- fats
7. Additives
List 5 foods with added
1. Fats (Answer: prepare a list of 5 local examples of foods)
2. Sugar (Answer: prepare a list of 5 local examples of foods)
3. Salt (Answer: prepare a list of 5 local examples of foods)
8. Fibre
List 5 foods that contain good amounts of fibre:
(Answer: prepare a list of 5 local examples of foods)
9. Energy. Energy from food is burnt in the following ways:

Answers:
1 =B Exercise = 5%
2=D Movement throughout day = 25%
3=C Digesting food = 10%
4=A Just existing = 60%
175 | P a g e
v.8.1
10. Activity. How much activity should I be aiming to do a day?
(Answer: 40- 60 mins of moderate activity) {NB 2,500 steps = 20 mins of moderate exercise}
11. Sleep. List 5 things that can improve sleep.

Answers:
1. Have exposure to natural light early in the morning
2. Limit bright lights in the evening
3. Have a regular bedtime
4. Eat smaller meals in the evening
5. Avoid sleep poisons (caffeine, tobacco, alcohol)
6. Have good Physical activity during the day
7. Have a good sleep environment
8. Relax before bed
12. What is a sabbath rest?

(Answer: One day a week resting from usual labours)
13. Lifestyle Change. We can change our lifestyle by (label which one comes first, second and third)
Answer: Number 1 = B. Way I think about my experience.
Number 2 = A. This changes my Beliefs,
Number 3 = C. This changes my actions.)
14. Vitamins
A. Vitamin D is important for bone health and immune system and is found in some animal foods.
Where else can I get vitamin D?
(Answer: sunshine)
B. Vitamin B12 is important for making good blood and our nerves. It is only found in animal products.
As it is vital for continued health I need to speak to my clinic or doctor and tell them I need B12 TRUE
OR FALSE (select one)
(Answer: true)
15. Diabetes, Obesity and BP

Answer TRUE or FALSE to the questions below: (ANSWER: All are TRUE)
A. High blood pressure can cause bleeding in the brain (stroke)
B. Being overweight can cause high blood pressure
C. Many people have diabetes but do not know it.
D. Diabetes can cause high blood pressure
E. Overweight, diabetes and blood pressure can all be reduced by lifestyle change.
176 | P a g e
v.8.1
16. Stress
A. Give three examples of bad stress (Distress) (Answer: examples will be unpleasant)
B. Give three examples of good stress (Eustress) (Answer: examples will be pleasant)
C. Can you act on the things that cause distress to make them less stressful? (Answer: very often yes)
17. Forgiveness
If I forgive someone, does it mean I should forget what they have done? ( Answer; No)
Why or why not? (Answer: forgiveness does not mean excusing someone behaviour, nor does it mean
allowing them to repeat it to you. It is also important to stay out of harm’s way.)
18. Genetic influence
My mother has diabetes. Does that mean I will too?
(Answer: not necessarily. If you live the same lifestyle as your mother, then your risk is high. But if you
chose to use the Live More Abundantly principles, it means your risk is much, much lower).
19. Living An Abundant Life

A. Can I choose my happiness levels? (Answer: Yes)
B. My happiness is affected by Number in order of importance:
A. Genes (Answer = 50%) – No one is born completely unhappy!
B. Life’s circumstances (Answer = 10%)
C. How I think and Act (Answer = 40%)
20. Measures
A. I do not need to worry about keeping a record of my measures as my doctor will do that
(Answer: False. The doctor will monitor some of the measures, but it is important to keep record of
some, so I can monitor my own health)
B. Name one measure I can use to track my weight
(Answer: waist to height measure. – Waist should be half of height – ask if participants still have
their strings?)
End of Review Answers
177 | P a g e
v.8.1
1. LABEL READING
Look at the three labels
provided. Which food has the
most:
Sugar
Fibre
Fat
Energy
178 | P a g e
v.8.1
2. Addictive Foods
Three substances
• found in food naturally,
• added during cooking,
• or in food manufacturing
are very addictive.
What are they?
179 | P a g e
v.8.1
3. Diseases
Below are two disease descriptions.
State which one is communicable, and
which one is non communicable.
Option 1
A disease that I can catch from a friend
when sharing the same spoon.
Option 2
A disease that develops that cannot be
caught by another person.
180 | P a g e
v.8.1
4. Positive Lifestyle
Foods
Living a positive lifestyle promotes eating
certain foods. Give examples of each:
Fresh foods
Foods as grown
Cholesterol free
Simply prepared
Minimal oil
Minimal Salt
No added sugar
181 | P a g e
v.8.1
5. Food Processing
Draw a line to match the
foods with their description.
Canned
Whole Food
pineapple
Refined food Fresh pineapple

(some parts removed)
slices
Processed Food Pineapple juice

(All parts are there but
different from original state)
182 | P a g e
v.8.1
6. Food Processing
Food is changed during processing.
State whether the following changes
are usually increases or decreases.
Example: Water is usually
(Example ; rice is dried, as water
removed)
A. Fibre
B. Minerals
C. Nutrients
D. Vitamins
E. Sugar
F. Fats
G. Salt
183 | P a g e
v.8.1
7. Food Additives
List 3 foods with each of the following
added during processing:
Fats:
1
2
3
Sugars:
1
2
3
Salt:
1
2
3
184 | P a g e
v.8.1
8. Fibre
List 5 foods with good
amounts of fibre (hint – these foods make you
go to the toilet)
1
2
3
4
5
185 | P a g e
v.8.1
9. Energy
The food we eat gives us energy.
Our body uses energy in different
ways.
Match the number to the letter to
show how much energy is burnt by
which activity:
1. Exercise A. 60%
2. Movement B. 5%
during the day
3. Digestion of C. 10%
food
4. Just existing D. 25%186 | P a g e

v.8.1
10. Activity
How much activity should I
be aiming to do a day?
187 | P a g e
v.8.1
11. Sleep
List 5 things that can improve
sleep.
1
188 | P a g e
v.8.1
12. Sabbath Rest
What is a Sabbath rest?
189 | P a g e
v.8.1
13. Lifestyle Change
We can change our lifestyle by (label
which one comes first, second and third)
A. Which changes my beliefs

(I can do something to feel better)
B. Changing the way I think about my

experience
(example - I am tired of being sick)
C. Which changes my actions

(I will not eat takeaways so I don’t feel sick)
190 | P a g e
v.8.1
14. Vitamins
A. Vitamin D is important for bone
health and immune system and is
found in some animal foods.
Where else can I get vitamin D ?
B. Vitamin B12 is important for making

good blood and our nerves. It is only
found in animal products.
As it is vital for continued health I need
to speak to my clinic or doctor and tell
them I need B12
TRUE OR FALSE (select one)
191 | P a g e
v.8.1
15. Diabetes, Obesity and BP
Answer TRUE or FALSE to the
questions below:
A. High blood pressure can cause
bleeding in the brain (stroke)
B. Being overweight can cause high
blood pressure
C. Many people have diabetes but do
not know it.
D. Diabetes can cause high blood
pressure
E. Overweight, diabetes and blood
pressure can all be reduced by
lifestyle change.
192 | P a g e
v.8.1
16. Stress
A. Give three examples of bad stress
(distress)
1
2
3
B. Give three examples of good stress

(Eustress)
1
2
3
C. Can you act on the things that

cause distress to make them less
stressful?
193 | P a g e
v.8.1
17. Forgiveness
If I forgive someone, does it mean I
should forget what they have done?
Why or why not?
194 | P a g e
v.8.1
18. Genetic influence
My mother has diabetes.
Does that mean I will too?
195 | P a g e
v.8.1
19. Living An
Abundant Life
A. Can I choose my happiness
levels?
B. My happiness is affected by
the following….
(Number in order of importance}
A. Genes
B. Life’s circumstances
C. How I think and act
196 | P a g e
v.8.1
20. Measures
A. True or False: I do not

need to worry about
keeping a record of my
measures as my doctor
will do that.
B. Name one measure I can

use to track my weight if I
do not have a set of scales.
197 | P a g e
v.8.1
APPENDIX
198 | P a g e
v.8.1
Jumpstart
Days 1 & 2
(IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, skip this step)
You should eat only fruits and whole grains (like oats, brown rice or quinoa) and starchy crops and fruits
such as (taro/dalo, cassava, sweet potato/kumala, yam, plantain/vudi and breadfruit).
Days 3-5
(IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, you should start here and follow these recommendations for 5 days)
You should eat fruits, whole grains and starchy crops and fruits, plus vegetables and legumes (such as
lentils, dhal, beans or chickpeas).
After completing Day 5 of the JumpStart Challenge, you should continue with the Optimal Diet principles.
Throughout the 5-day Jumpstart Challenge, you should:
➢ Avoid refined sugars like sugar, honey, molasses and other syrups and sweeteners
➢ Gradually decrease caffeinated drinks such as coffee, black tea and caffeinated energy drinks
➢ Quit alcohol (including beer, wine and spirits. kava), fruit juices and fizzy drinks (soda/soft drinks
and sports drinks)
➢ Avoid processed fats and oils, including butter, margarine, ghee, mayonnaise, store-bought salad
dressings and vegetables oils
➢ Avoid processed foods (like instant noodles, ready meals and samosas) and fast foods (such as
fish and chips, burgers and fried chicken)
➢ Leave out animal foods such as fish, meat and chicken
➢ Leave out dairy products (milk, cheese and cream) and eggs. Instead of milk, you can use non-
dairy options that are fortified with calcium and vitamin B12, like most types of locally available
soy milk or rice milk
➢ Limit salt (including all foods with added salt and soy sauce, like noodles, bread and crackers).
You should not eat more than a small pinch of salt per person per main meal (lunch and dinner).
Instead, you can season your dishes with onion, garlic, ginger, herbs and spices, such as
cinnamon, coriander/dhania or cumin.
199 | P a g e
v.8.1
➢ Avoid snacking between the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). When hungry, drink a glass
of water or a cup of herbal tea (without sugar). In emergencies (for example if you feel dizzy or
too weak), eat a piece of fresh fruit.
MEAL SUGGESTIONS AND COMBINATIONS – DAYS 1 AND 2
DAY 1 DAY 2
Breakfast Porridge prepared with rolled Whole wheat or whole grain
oats and non-dairy milk * with breakfast cereal (like weetbix) with
dates and cinnamon a non-dairy milk* + fresh fruit
OR OR
Plantain (vudi) cooked with a Tropical oat smoothie + fresh fruit

dairy-free milk* (except
coconut) + raisins/sultana,
cinnamon, ginger, cloves or
lemon zest + fresh fruit
Lunch Cooked brown/red/black rice Cooked brown/red/black rice

ADD ADD
A variety of fruit A variety of fruit
ADD ADD
Cinnamon, lemon zest, cloves, Cinnamon, lemon zest, cloves,
mint or vanilla if desired mint or vanilla if desired
OR OR
Boiled or steamed sweet potato Porridge prepared with rolled oats

or breadfruit; 1 glass of dairy- and non-dairy milk * with dates
free milk*; fruit salad with mint, and cinnamon
lemon zest and juice
OR
Boiled or steamed yam or cassava;

1 glass of dairy-free milk*; fresh
fruit (like passionfruit, pineapple or
pawpaw)
Dinner Cooked quinoa, Cooked quinoa, barley, plantain or

brown/red/black rice or porridge brown/red/black rice with dairy-
ADD free milk*
your choice of fresh fruit ADD
ADD Your choice of fresh fruit
Cinnamon, lime or kumquat ADD
zest, nutmeg, ginger, mint or Cinnamon, lime or kumquat zest,
vanilla if desired nutmeg, ginger, mint or vanilla if
desired
OR
OR
Sweet potato mashed with
dairy-free milk*
200 | P a g e
v.8.1
ADD pawpaw, raisins and Boiled or steamed taro (the
cinnamon OR pawpaw, kumquat starchy crop only) or cassava; a
juice and zest, raisins + fresh glass of dairy-free milk*; mango or
fruit pawpaw
* Dairy-free milk should be fortified with calcium and vitamin B12.
How can you check if dairy-free milk is fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium?
You should always check the nutrition facts of the milk you would like to buy.
> If the product contains vitamin B12, it generally means it’s fortified
> If the product contains more than 80 mg (but at least 100-120 mg would be even better) of calcium per
100 ml of product, then it means it’s fortified
If the product doesn’t mention vitamin B12 and calcium in the nutrition facts, it generally means it’s not
fortified.
DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5

Breakfast Porridge made with Quick Bircher muesli Home-made baked beans
rolled oats and dairy- (see recipe on page X) on whole meal or rye toast
free* milk with fresh
fruit and raisins OR OR
Whole wheat or whole
OR Tropical oat smoothie + grain breakfast cereal (like
fresh fruit weetbix) with a non-dairy
Whole meal or rye milk* + fresh fruit
toast with avocado +
fresh fruit or fruit salad
Lunch Oil-free taro Whole meal roti Whole meal roti wrap/
curry/stew (leaves and wrap/bread roll with bread roll with salad
tuber + onion, ginger, fresh salad and hummus (lettuce, tomatoes and
garlic, pepper and or mashed avocado + cucumber, avocado) and
other spices) + fresh fresh fruit chickpeas
fruit + dried fruits and nuts
OR
OR OR
Bean, corn and cabbage
Cabbage, carrot, salad with steamed or Rice salad with
pineapple and beans boiled breadfruit + fresh brown/red/black rice,
salad with whole meal fruit shredded cabbage or
toast or steamed or watercress and carrots,
boiled cassava + fresh chickpeas and kumquat
fruit juice + dried fruits and nuts
Dinner Oil-free dhal soup with Split pea and cumin Oil-free pumpkin and
carrots or pumpkin, hotpot chickpea curry/stew
potatoes, chopped OR (pumpkin, chickpea, onion,
tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, spices) +
201 | P a g e
v.8.1
garlic, ginger, turmeric Salad bowl with sweet boiled or steamed taro or
and spices + whole potato, beans, avocado, yam + fresh fruit
meal roti + fresh fruit tomatoes, cucumber,
lime juice and OR
OR coriander/dhania + fresh
fruit Salad bowl with
Lentil and vegetable watermelon, beans,
hotpot ADD boiled or watercress and lime juice +
steamed taro + fresh steamed or boiled cassava
fruit + fresh fruit
202 | P a g e
v.8.1
Food Preparation Guide
Many people don’t realise that the way they cook their meals is almost as important as the ingredients
they choose.
In fact, some cooking methods can destroy many nutrients and make your food less nutritious. Take
watercress or spinach for example: if you boil them, you lose a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants, but this
won’t happen if you eat them raw in a salad.
On the other hand, some other cooking methods, like deep frying, not only destroy a lot of vitamins and
antioxidants, but they also add some harmful nutrients to your meal, such as fats and trans fats.
Indeed, the way you prepare your food can really make a big difference!
Here’s a list of the meal preparation methods which will help you make the most of the food you eat.
Freshly harvested and prepared
Include on a daily basis Change for variety as supply allows.

RAW FOODS
When fruits and vegetables are eaten raw, many contain higher levels of
nutrients . You should therefore make sure that you eat at least a salad
Try raw foods:
(or more!) and a raw fruit every day.
-Whole
Some great foods to eat raw are lettuce, watercress, cabbage, tomatoes,
-Sliced carrots and cucumbers and most fruits.
-Chopped Of course, there are some ingredients that you should not eat raw, such
as grains, starchy crops and fruits, and some vegetables (like eggplants
-Grated or taro leaves), but we’ll talk about these later.
-Mashed.
Fresh and refrigerated vegetables, root crops and grains.
Include daily in meals

STEAMED FOODS
To preserve the nutrient content of food, steam rather than boil. When
vegetables are boiled many vitamins (like vitamin C and B-group) and
Use a bamboo or
antioxidants are lost in the boiling water when it is thrown out.
metal steaming
basket or colander.
Steaming is considered a less “aggressive” way of cooking and should be
used whenever possible.
(Place colander in pot
with 2 cm water at
You can steam most vegetables, leafy greens and all the starchy crops
the bottom, cover
and fruits.
with lid and cook on
very low flame).
However, taro leaves and grains in general shouldn’t be steamed (they
should be boiled instead).
Vegetables are ready
when bright in colour
and tender to eat.
203 | P a g e
v.8.1
Use low temperatures to oven roast
OVEN ROASTED Allow time to cook thoroughly.
Try Another good way to cook your food is to roast it in the oven, preferably
at lower temperatures (maximum 180 °C) and with a very small quantity
-root crops of oil (maximum 1 tsp. per person per meal).
-pumpkins and Many nutrients don’t survive at higher temperatures, so it’s better to
marrows avoid these in most cases.
-covering foods while If you’re used to eating a lot of fried food, you can also try to bake it in the
cooking in the oven oven instead. This could be a good option for samosas and starchy crops
for example.
helps to retain
moisture.
Best with fresh and refrigerated, chopped vegetables
Serve on grains for a filling meal.

LIGHLTY STIR FRY
Vegetables can also be very lightly stir-fried with water or a little bit of oil
(maximum 1 tsp. per person per meal) and on low temperatures.
Use a variety of
Cooking with a low amount of oil is much easier if with a non-stick pan, so
brightly colored
if you have the possibility of getting one, that would be a great investment
vegetables and leafy for the health of your family or village.
greens.
Add a dash of
flavoring with herbs,
spices, garlic or onion
etc.
Hard vegetables, grains, legumes, taro leaves etc.
Include these foods daily. They are filling and nutritious.

BOILING
Boiling is the preferred cooking method for most grains and taro leaves.
Some foods such as
Vegetable soups should also be boiled, but make sure you don’t throw
legumes should be away the cooking water. Instead, the water should evaporate while
well soaked and cooking (so don’t put too much in the beginning, as you can always add
rinsed before being more later…).
brought to the boil
and simmered until
cooked.
Finally… Remind yourself to try out new foods on a regular basis. Variety is the spice of life!
204 | P a g e
v.8.1
Kitchen Makeover
We know how busy life can be. So, having a well organised kitchen, fridge, freezer, and pantry is the first
step to making healthier food choices. It can also help you save time and money!
You can create a healthy food environment by keeping the following foods readily available at home:
WHOLE GRAINS, STARCHY CROPS & STARCHY FRUITS
Include these foods on a daily basis. Change for variety as supply allows.
FILLING FOODS - taro (dalo)

- sweet potato (kumala)
- cassava (including cassava flour)
These food are great
- breadfruit
staples, and will form
- green plantains (vudi)
the basis of daily
- yam
meals. They are - brown/red/black rice
nutritious and - whole wheat (including whole wheat pasta and flour)
provide a good - oats (including rolled oats, granola and muesli (low-sugar, low-fat
soruces of energy and - pearled barley
minerals. They also - quinoa
leave you feeling - corn
fuller for longer. - rye
LEGUMES
Include daily. Be sure to soak before cooking to remove gas forming features.
- dhal mix
PROTEIN & FIBRE - lentils (red, green, yellow, brown, including urad dhal and moong
beans)
- beans (including red, black or white beans; pinto, kidney, cannellini,
These foods are a
lima, butter, navy beans and moong beans)
good source of - chickpeas (chana)
protein which helps - split peas
with growth and - black eyed peas
healing and repair of - legumes flours such as chickpea flour (chana besan), pea flour (pea
the body . besan) and lentil flour (urdi besan)
They contain good Canned beans, chickpeas or lentils cost more than the dried ingredients but
sources of fibre may be useful during cyclone season or if you are very busy (as they’re
which helps maintain much quicker to prepare). If you buy them, make sure they contain only
bowel regularity and water and salt and are free from sugar and other additives. If possible, you
good digestion. should carefully rinse them with clean water before eating them, to
remove excess salt.
205 | P a g e
v.8.1
FRESH PRODUCE
VITAMINS
PROTEIN &
AND Include fresh fruit and or vegetables at every meal.
ANTIOXIDENTS
MINERALS
- Seasonal fruit – such as pawpaw, mango, banana, pineapple,
These
These foods
foods are
are good
good passionfruit, watermelon and citrus fruit (like lime, lemons and kumquat)
sources of vitamins
sources of protein
and
and antioxidents
minerals. Theyand
- Seasonal vegetables – including leafy greens (like taro or amaranth
other nutrients
add diffrent which
textures leaves, spinach, choy sum or bok choy, watercress and all types of
are
andvital fortoall body
tastes cabbage) and staples like tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, eggplants, onion,
functions.
vegetables, grains garlic and long beans
and starchy
Choose crops.of
a variety
- Herbs and spices – you should try growing your own in your garden or
coloured foods to
on your balcony (including mint, curry leaves, basil, oregano or rosemary)
maximise your
nutrient intake.
NUTS AND SEEDS
Eat nuts and seeds sparingly (no more than a closed handful per day),
ENERGY & preferably in their natural condition, unsalted and not fried. If you don’t
MINERALS use them quickly, store in the fridge or freezer to preserve their nutrients
and flavour.
Nuts and seeds are
an excellent source - Local nuts or seeds e.g. Ngali nuts / Java nuts, Vutu, Beach almonds,
Tahitian chestnuts, Breadfruit or Jackfruit seeds, Candlenuts, Cut nuts or
of a range of
Pandanus nuts.
nutrients. However
- Peanuts
they also contain
- Almonds
high levevls of
- Walnuts
natural fats.
- Pumpkin seeds
So while it is - Sesame seeds
important to eat - Flax seeds / linseeds
- Chia seeds
them as part of a
- Sunflower seeds
regular diet, just eat
- Watermelon and melon seeds
small amounts.
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Hazelnuts
- Coconut flesh
- Brazil nuts
- Pine nuts
MEAT ALTERNATIVES
206 | P a g e
v.8.1
These foods can be used in place of meat and adapt well into different recipes. Include daily into meals.
- Legumes (beans, lentils, dhal, chickpeas and peas) and legume flours
(chana besan/flour, pea besan/flour, urdi besan/flour)
- Soy chunks
- Nuts and seeds
- Tofu (like firm, soft, hard, or dried tofu or tofu skin)
- Tempeh
NUT BUTTERS
These energy rich foods add taste and texture but need to be used sparingly.
- Pure peanut butter (without added sugar and fats)

- Tahini (sesame paste)
ENERGY AND
- Almond butter
MINERALS
Derived from nuts
and seeds nut butters
are a wonderful
source of nutrition
and flavour.
SWEETENERS
Use sweeteners very sparingly and as an occasional treat. Most foods do not need them, and they can
add to unnecessary kilojoules which increases waist gain and contribute to blood sugar disorders.
- Sugar (Fiji sugar)

- Pitted dates, figs, prunes, or sultana
ENERGY
- Molasses
- Honey
Sweetners are very - Stevia leaf powder
rare use only. They - Maple syrup
have few nutrients - Agave syrup
but can have much - Coconut nectar
energy or create a
craving for sweet
foods.
207 | P a g e
v.8.1
PANTRY BASICS
BE ORGANISED Keeping a section of these foods will make it easier to create meals.
- Canned tomatoes (such as chopped or whole-peeled tomatoes)

- Soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
- Spices (such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander,
cardamom or chili powder)
- Dried herbs (such as curry leaves, bay leaves, oregano, or rosemary)
- Non-dairy milk such as soy, almond, oats, or rice
- Coconut milk (but if you are lucky enough to have access to fresh
coconuts,
then you should make your coconut milk fresh – it’s free, tastier and
much
healthier!)
- Vegetable stock (low-sodium and MSG-free)
- Whole grain breakfast cereals (like granola or muesli style, Weet-bix)
- Nutritional yeast flakes
BAKING ESSENTIALS
BE ORGANISED
- Baking soda and powder
- Iodised salt
- Corn starch
- Vegetable oil (like olive, peanut, canola or soy)
- Agar-agar powder or other vegetarian jelly
- Cassava flour
- Raw sugar, honey, or coconut nectar
FROZEN
BE ORGANISED
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is ideal, but if sometimes you don’t have
time to go to the market, it might be convenient to have some frozen
produce in the freezer.
Options include:
- Berries (like raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries or blueberries)

- Vegetables – like spinach or mixed vegetables (make sure they are
minimally processed and without added salt or fat)
-Finally -
When stocking up on pantry basics, remind yourself to try out new foods on a regular basis. Variety is the
spice of life!
208 | P a g e
v.8.1
The Optimal Diet
209 | P a g e
v.8.1
210 | P a g e
v.8.1
Herbs and Spices
211 | P a g e
v.8.1
212 | P a g e
v.8.1
Menu Idea’s – Pacific Foods
213 | P a g e
v.8.1
214 | P a g e
v.8.1
215 | P a g e
v.8.1
Menu Idea’s – Indo-Fijian Foods
216 | P a g e
v.8.1
217 | P a g e
v.8.1
218 | P a g e
v.8.1
Menu Idea’s – Discover New Foods
219 | P a g e
v.8.1
220 | P a g e
v.8.1
221 | P a g e
v.8.1
Energy in Taro prepared 4 different ways
222 | P a g e
v.8.1
Nutrients in Taro prepared 4 different ways
223 | P a g e
v.8.1
My Food Decision
224 | P a g e
v.8.1
Goals Window
225 | P a g e
v.8.1

Live More Abundanlty Facilitator Manual Version 8.1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Live More Abundanlty Facilitator Manual Version 8.1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

V8.

My ADRA Supervisor Contact Number:

Live More Abundantly

Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) https://chiphealth.com.au

146 Fox Valley Road (PO Box 129)

About The Live More Abundantly Program ....................................................................................................7

What is facilitation? ....................................................................................................................................9

What kind of learning styles are there?....................................................................................................11

Program delivery tips ............................................................................................................................13

Materials and Resources Checklist ...........................................................................................................15

Understanding the Icons...........................................................................................................................17

Blood Testing ........................................................................................................................................19

Session Contents ...........................................................................................................................................23

Introduction to Live More Abundantly .................................................................................................24

Session 9 ................................................................................................................................................ 117

Session 11 .............................................................................................................................................. 144

Session 12 .............................................................................................................................................. 157

APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................... 198

Food Preparation Guide ........................................................................................................................ 203

Herbs and Spices ................................................................................................................................... 211

Menu Idea’s – Pacific Foods .................................................................................................................. 213

My Food Decision .................................................................................................................................. 224

2 Lifestyle Medicine for Water Drinks that heal Feet assessment

4 Changing health one step Activity Beans and

8 Cancer, Heart Disease Refrain smoking / Taste bud reset

9 How others impact my Positive relationship Immunity

10 Helping yourself to health Managing my health Grains – good

11 Living an Abundant life Faith and purpose Celebration

12 Be knowledgeable Support weight

13 Review Review learnings Celebration

The Live More Abundantly position on Tobacco, Alcohol, Caffeine,

The Eating Continuum

− understanding your role and responsibilities

Be an educator, mentor, and cheerleader:

Know and practice your resources prior to each session:

Include all participants:

Provide general principles/fundamentals:

Be clear and accurate:

Refer to a suitable health professional:

Offer extra or personalized information only if you are qualified to do so:

Be part of the team:

Manage participants expectations:

What kind of learning styles are there234?

What are the skills of a good facilitator5?

1. Communicate instructions clearly and listen to all

3. Manage time effectively

Program delivery tips

1. Be aware of power, how it may affect communication and dynamics in a group

2. Use local examples within activities.

3. Prepare local foods using locally accepted ingredients.

4. Simplify language if needed.

A person may be eligible to participate if he or she:

Exclusion criteria include:

• Has unstable angina – any sort of chest discomfort

Checklist for a LMA (Live More Abundantly) Program

Materials and Resources Checklist

Before program commences:

Before EVERY session:

For all sessions

Facilitator Manual and Sessions

• Arrive early to set up and always start on time

Understanding the Icons