Ashburton Courier: August 11, 2022

NEWS
36 Ashburton Courier, August 11, 2022
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
NATURE MATTERS
BY MARY RALSTON
Picturethis: it’s mid­winterand
you want to go for awalk. Not
just anywalk–you want one
that takes youto see“nature”.
Native plants and animals,
naturalquiet,and few people
or their domesticated animals.
In the middle of Ashburton’s
suburbs, this is hard to find.
There is the domain, withits
impressivetrees, openspaces
and native area. The river isnot
far away,but the dominant
vegetation is introduced (all
those poplars, nasty blackberry,
old man’s beardand willow). If
you get on your bikeand ride
out of town, natureisstill hard
to find. Plenty of open space
with cows, but where are the
fantailsand bats?
So, to see much in the wayof
nature,wemustresort to
drivingtothe coast,lakesor
foothillsforest.These are
wonderfulplaces but driving
needs to be minimised these
days.
More urbannature is needed,
andnot just for our ownsanity
or exercise. The native plants,
animals and other species need
it. Many birdsneed flowering
trees and shrubs that arehome
to insects,specialist braided
riverbird species need
predator and weed­free areas,
lizards like stonesand other
debris, fungi need damp
organic matter andlichen
wantssouth­facing tree trunks.
Nativeplants need space.
Humans are now so
numerous that they comprise
32 percentofthe biomassofall
vertebrates.Domesticated
animals –cattle,sheep, goats,
dogs andcats –account for
another 65 percentof
vertebratebiomass.Together,
that’s 97 per cent, leaving only 3
per cent for the remaining
30,000 speciesofvertebrates –
all the birds, fish,lizards, other
mammals such as giraffes,
whales, kangaroos and hyenas.
We’ve squeezed them outofthe
favourable habitat.
We need to plan for urban
nature areas;decent sized
spaces where there is roomfor
native plantsand animals. In
Ashburton, we have the river.
Weed and pestcontrol needs to
be prioritised so that we have
thriving natureonour
doorstep, aplace for the native
animalsand plants, and aplace
of naturalquiet.
Areas of native trees bring
nature to town.
Health
&
Wellbeing
Eatwell,stayhealthy, learnskills too
Winter 2022 has been achallenging one.
The usual cold weather has really hit this past week, and
on top ofthis, winter illnesses and covid are having areal
impactacross Canterbury.
Eating well and staying activewill playanimportantpartin
our overallhealthand wellbeing.
Getting agood night’ssleep also helps.
Low cost nutrition can include beans and legumes in place
of meat for agreat protein source and in season, or frozen,
fruit and vegetables.
Registered nutritionist Micheala Johnstone says often
people ask for acustomised nutrition plan but it was not
needed by everyone to staywell.
“Many ofmyclients will have specific goals ... but for the
majority of the population a basic diet is sufficient for
adequate nutrition,”she says.
She recommended having the three primarymacronutrients
formainmeals.This means protein like meat, fish, legumes or
tofu, carbohydrates such askumara, rice, bread or oats, and
asmall amount ofhealthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado
or peanut butter.
“Then loading up your plate with plenty of non-starchy
veggies such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and
tomatoes to name afew. Throw in afew pieces of fruit for
your snacks and you have awell-balanced, nutritious and
colourful looking day.”
Senior dietician SarahAgar agrees in having awell-balanced
diet but says Kiwis relationship with kai isabout more than
nutrients, they need to build confidence and skills around
kaiand cooking.
‘‘It’s alsoabout our connections to communityand whānau,
our values and cultural celebrations,our whakapapa through
recipes passed down through generations and when seen in
this wayit’snurturing our mind,body and spirit.”
“It’s often about taking small steps so if aperson increases
the differentvegetables they eatfromone to twoaday this
alone is hugely beneficial. It’s very important tovalidate
success as opposed to setting people up for anideal they
maynot be able to achieve.”
Both women say learning how toeat cheaply and well is
importantfor those on abudget.
Their advice isplan your weeks’worth of meals in advance,
as it reduces the likelihood of buying takeaways,saves time
and reduces food wastage.
Check what you have at home, what isonsale at the shops
either by internet-searching or checking supermarket ads
and then plan your meals around whatyou already have and
what’smost cost effectivethatweek.
If you can’t always buy fresh seasonal produce then buy
frozen as, contrary topopular belief, frozen vegetables are
packed with vitamins and minerals along with the fibre our
digestivesystemneeds.
Tinned fruit can also be a less expensive alternative to
buying fresh, but look for varieties with natural fruit juice
and no added sugar on the label.
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2500232
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