Your mom was right, sorry it happens. Breakfast is soooo important and sooooo often it is skipped.
Breakfast is the meal that breaks the fast. In fact, if you don't eat breakfast you're more likely to binge throughout the day and make poor food choices? Who wants another reason to eat bad?
So, listen up! Eat your breakfast. And good news! I have a great recipe that doesn't require you lifting a finger in the morning to do so- except to put the spoon to your mouth. I actually gave this out as a Christmas present this year because the gift of health is the best gift you can give, and I pass it on to you- You're welcome!
Museli
1 1/2 cups rolled oats- you can also add rye, kamut, barley, wheat or other flakes or small soft grains like buckwheat or kasha
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup unsulphured dried fruit of your choice
1 cup nuts and seeds of your choice
Take all these ingredients and store them in a mason jar, or some type of container.
The night before, grab your breakfast bowl, scoop out the desired amount of museli from the mason jar and cover generously with water.
To enhance digestibility add 1/2 tsp goat's whey powder or 1 tbsp goat's yogurt to the bowl.
Let rest over night in the fridge.
In the morning, take out and enjoy- the grains have "cooked" themselves overnight without heat- so essentially, this is a raw meal- GREAT!
If you wish you can add 2 tsp freshly ground flax seeds, or 1 tbsp flax oil to get those essential fatty acids and awaken the brain.
Top with fresh seasonal fruit, or granola- add honey or agave if desired (kids usually prefer it).
There you have it, a wholesome, zero time, raw breakfast full of protein, vitamins and minerals.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Skinny on Crash Dieting- A CALL FOR AWARENESS
Current Mood: Annoyed, frustrated, DETERMINED!
I'm still shocked at times when I hear how successful a new diet out on the market is. I'm not going to sugar coat things- crash diets don't work. There is no "Magical" weight loss pill. What that really is, brilliant marketing. Yep, that's it.
I can't believe how many people out there still live by the Laws of Atkins- low carbs, extra protein, eat all the bacon you like, 3 steaks a day, absolutely! cheese, sure! No problem! MMMM! Can you hear your heart slowing, your ateries clogging?? Can you smell the acetone on your breath from your body's inability to use energy from its preferred source? BUT WHOA, slow down!- don't you dare touch that whole grain! No, that's what will cause you to gain weight! And that fibreous, vitamin packed piece of fruit- forget about it!
Ugh it annoys me that these things are sold, and so effectively! Does anyone else think it should be illegal? Isn't it false advertising in a sense?
If you're not loading up on saturated fat and high sodium from Atkins, perhaps you're starving yourself with Bernstein- but then again you will get "filled up" when you go to get your weekly injections of vitamins- BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH TO GET THEM FROM A FOOD SOURCE!!. Maybe you're microwaving all your meals with Nutri System, do you measure and count calories all day with WW? Do you fall into the trap of purchasing anything and everything "Low fat", "Diet", or "Half the cal's?" Or! my personal fav! Maybe you're chowing down to 2 meals of Special K cereal or cereal bars, YUM! 2 meals a day of processed, refined, chemically laden "food" ;p
Please please please, come to the realization that this is nothing short of marketers who are paid very very very well to design something that seems easy, healthy and effective, when in reality it is FAR from it. Who can honestly say they can live on one of these diets? That's right- you cannot! And if you cannot LIVE on it, then why would it keep your weight under control?????? IT CAN'T!!!!!!!!!
There is only one solution to losing weight, and you'd think by now with all the brilliant minds out there, it would be realized by now: eat well and exercise. Ahhh so simple- so simple we forgot about that.
Drop the quick fixes, make changes for your life, not for 2 weeks of your life. Get real Canada. Start thinking critically, stop being the perfect consumer and let's shut down these people who don't care about making the world healthier (they just care about making $$$$)- I support a holistic lifestyle and I want to change the mass media's powerful hand and send out a real, truthful message. This is phase one. Pass it on.
That is my rant for the day, thanks for listening.
I'm still shocked at times when I hear how successful a new diet out on the market is. I'm not going to sugar coat things- crash diets don't work. There is no "Magical" weight loss pill. What that really is, brilliant marketing. Yep, that's it.
I can't believe how many people out there still live by the Laws of Atkins- low carbs, extra protein, eat all the bacon you like, 3 steaks a day, absolutely! cheese, sure! No problem! MMMM! Can you hear your heart slowing, your ateries clogging?? Can you smell the acetone on your breath from your body's inability to use energy from its preferred source? BUT WHOA, slow down!- don't you dare touch that whole grain! No, that's what will cause you to gain weight! And that fibreous, vitamin packed piece of fruit- forget about it!
Ugh it annoys me that these things are sold, and so effectively! Does anyone else think it should be illegal? Isn't it false advertising in a sense?
If you're not loading up on saturated fat and high sodium from Atkins, perhaps you're starving yourself with Bernstein- but then again you will get "filled up" when you go to get your weekly injections of vitamins- BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH TO GET THEM FROM A FOOD SOURCE!!. Maybe you're microwaving all your meals with Nutri System, do you measure and count calories all day with WW? Do you fall into the trap of purchasing anything and everything "Low fat", "Diet", or "Half the cal's?" Or! my personal fav! Maybe you're chowing down to 2 meals of Special K cereal or cereal bars, YUM! 2 meals a day of processed, refined, chemically laden "food" ;p
Please please please, come to the realization that this is nothing short of marketers who are paid very very very well to design something that seems easy, healthy and effective, when in reality it is FAR from it. Who can honestly say they can live on one of these diets? That's right- you cannot! And if you cannot LIVE on it, then why would it keep your weight under control?????? IT CAN'T!!!!!!!!!
There is only one solution to losing weight, and you'd think by now with all the brilliant minds out there, it would be realized by now: eat well and exercise. Ahhh so simple- so simple we forgot about that.
Drop the quick fixes, make changes for your life, not for 2 weeks of your life. Get real Canada. Start thinking critically, stop being the perfect consumer and let's shut down these people who don't care about making the world healthier (they just care about making $$$$)- I support a holistic lifestyle and I want to change the mass media's powerful hand and send out a real, truthful message. This is phase one. Pass it on.
That is my rant for the day, thanks for listening.
Some tips to kick some butts
Cigarette butts that is.
Oy, the challenge of quitting smoking, or any bad habit for that matter. I've never been a smoker but I know how much I love chocolate and a nice glass of Masi and I can only imagine it's a million times more difficult than either of those two things. I've got 3 basic steps to simmer the fire at the tip of your fingers.
STEP ONE..
WANT TO QUIT! You won't get anywhere unless you are 100% committed to kicking your bad habit to the curb.
A psychology professor of mine once said, "If you're not willing to give up your habit right at this very second, even if it's been 10 hours since your last butt...if you say you want to quit, but you tell yourself, 'I will on Monday', you're not ready".
I agree with this statement. I think setting quit dates is a method of procrastination- and that's ok! Maybe you aren't ready to stop, maybe you don't want to. But when you do decide, enough is enough, go full force, take control!
I think for most addictions there needs to be a rock bottom. In terms of smoking, I'm not saying this needs to be something like discovering you have cancer- everyone seems to think a rock bottom is a near death experience, it doesn't have to be but can often lead to that unless you take control.
For example, a rock bottom could be getting fed up with the cost of smoking. You can keep track of how many cigarettes you go through a day, and realize the cost of your habit, and say "NO MORE", I'm done wasting my money on something that is a poor investment. You could also have a rock bottom such as realizing the social inconveniences of smoking- not too many places allow you to smoke anywhere near their front doors let alone in their building. You can say "I'm sick of feeling socially isolated because of this weight that is holding me back".
Figure out your rock bottom, and decide if it's worth quitting for....
STEP TWO...
Is it worth quitting for? Why are you quitting, who are you quitting for? Motivation to quit is crucial. New habits need to be formed in order to replace what you are dropping, to do this effectively you want to replace the bad with the good. i.e, you don't want to quit smoking and start drinking [heavily anyways ;)]. You want this to old habit to be removed from your life for good.
So, to start: we want to create new habits. To do this, you make almost like a pro's and con's list.You want to list the downfalls of your habit:
i.e. "If I continue to smoke I am going to be wasting $200 a month".
"If I continue to smoke I am going to feel socially isolated"
"If I continue to smoke I am harming my body and may get sick"
Then you want to write down and strongly focus on what will happen if you quit smoking:
i.e. "If I quit smoking I will have an extra $200 a month for myself and I can save up to travel to Europe"
"If I quit smoking I will not have to remove myself from a social event to go outside and light up"
"If I quit smoking I am healing my body and will not get cigarette-related illnesses".
Look at this list daily.
STEP THREE..
Find people with similar goals to you. There is a reason Weight Watchers is so successful and it's not because they let you eat chocolate cake! It's because of the support system it comes with. An inner circle with people who are encouraging and who want to see you achieve your goals is crucial to success. One way to do this is to do more things with people around you who don't smoke. Find that friend who likes to go the dog park, and join (regardless of whether you're a dog owner), call your friend who watched Sex and the City every night at 7:30, and hang out.
Surround yourself with people who truly want to see you achieve your goals. This may mean creating a new network of friends which is hard, but it is a growing processes and if you really commit to doing it, you will reach your destination.
I hope all of you who have ever considered quitting will use this advice as inspiration and pass it along to those who need it. IT'S YOUR LIFE, TAKE CONTROL. TREAT YOUR BODY AS A TEMPLE, NOT A ROLLER COASTER- YOU ONLY GET ONE. LIVE FOR NOW, AND THE FUTURE.
NAMASTE.
Oy, the challenge of quitting smoking, or any bad habit for that matter. I've never been a smoker but I know how much I love chocolate and a nice glass of Masi and I can only imagine it's a million times more difficult than either of those two things. I've got 3 basic steps to simmer the fire at the tip of your fingers.
STEP ONE..
WANT TO QUIT! You won't get anywhere unless you are 100% committed to kicking your bad habit to the curb.
A psychology professor of mine once said, "If you're not willing to give up your habit right at this very second, even if it's been 10 hours since your last butt...if you say you want to quit, but you tell yourself, 'I will on Monday', you're not ready".
I agree with this statement. I think setting quit dates is a method of procrastination- and that's ok! Maybe you aren't ready to stop, maybe you don't want to. But when you do decide, enough is enough, go full force, take control!
I think for most addictions there needs to be a rock bottom. In terms of smoking, I'm not saying this needs to be something like discovering you have cancer- everyone seems to think a rock bottom is a near death experience, it doesn't have to be but can often lead to that unless you take control.
For example, a rock bottom could be getting fed up with the cost of smoking. You can keep track of how many cigarettes you go through a day, and realize the cost of your habit, and say "NO MORE", I'm done wasting my money on something that is a poor investment. You could also have a rock bottom such as realizing the social inconveniences of smoking- not too many places allow you to smoke anywhere near their front doors let alone in their building. You can say "I'm sick of feeling socially isolated because of this weight that is holding me back".
Figure out your rock bottom, and decide if it's worth quitting for....
STEP TWO...
Is it worth quitting for? Why are you quitting, who are you quitting for? Motivation to quit is crucial. New habits need to be formed in order to replace what you are dropping, to do this effectively you want to replace the bad with the good. i.e, you don't want to quit smoking and start drinking [heavily anyways ;)]. You want this to old habit to be removed from your life for good.
So, to start: we want to create new habits. To do this, you make almost like a pro's and con's list.You want to list the downfalls of your habit:
i.e. "If I continue to smoke I am going to be wasting $200 a month".
"If I continue to smoke I am going to feel socially isolated"
"If I continue to smoke I am harming my body and may get sick"
Then you want to write down and strongly focus on what will happen if you quit smoking:
i.e. "If I quit smoking I will have an extra $200 a month for myself and I can save up to travel to Europe"
"If I quit smoking I will not have to remove myself from a social event to go outside and light up"
"If I quit smoking I am healing my body and will not get cigarette-related illnesses".
Look at this list daily.
STEP THREE..
Find people with similar goals to you. There is a reason Weight Watchers is so successful and it's not because they let you eat chocolate cake! It's because of the support system it comes with. An inner circle with people who are encouraging and who want to see you achieve your goals is crucial to success. One way to do this is to do more things with people around you who don't smoke. Find that friend who likes to go the dog park, and join (regardless of whether you're a dog owner), call your friend who watched Sex and the City every night at 7:30, and hang out.
Surround yourself with people who truly want to see you achieve your goals. This may mean creating a new network of friends which is hard, but it is a growing processes and if you really commit to doing it, you will reach your destination.
I hope all of you who have ever considered quitting will use this advice as inspiration and pass it along to those who need it. IT'S YOUR LIFE, TAKE CONTROL. TREAT YOUR BODY AS A TEMPLE, NOT A ROLLER COASTER- YOU ONLY GET ONE. LIVE FOR NOW, AND THE FUTURE.
NAMASTE.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Dear Haley :)
The next 5 or so of my blogs will be dedicated to a young woman I went to Jr. High with (shout out to the PINES, holla!). She is someone I am using as my inspiration for the next week, and I'm so proud of her strength, determination and motivation to change her life and lead a healthier life. This mini series of blogs will focus on my friend Haley, but can be applied to any lifestyle at any life stage.
Here's to Haley, namaste.
We are starting off with a recipe I have used and loved from one of my teachers at IHN, Eva. Eva is like the walking Earth Mother, she lives, eats and breathes a way of living which so many of us, myself included need to strive towards to better our planet, our bodies, our children and the animals who grace the earth with us.
This is a raw soup, depending on seasons it is ideal to eat between 40-60% raw food. This will increase energy, get more nutrients into the system, and what I love most about this soup it's simple, quick, inexpensive to make and you can take it with you without zapping it in the microwave!
Raw Cream of Carrot Soup
This raw soup is great for summer days when you don’t want to use your stove, or great for carrying to work to avoid use of a microwave. Raw ingredients hold more vitamins and minerals than cooked because cooking often destroys heat sensitive nutrients.
Ingredients
2 cups pure water
3 medium carrots
1-2 tsp chopped ginger
1 medium local apple
1 avocado
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
½- 1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp whole cumin seed
½ tsp whole coriander seed
½ tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt
2 dashes cayenne powder
Directions
Pour water into a blender. Add coarsely chopped carrots and ginger, cored and chopped apple, spooned out avocado. Squeeze and add fresh lemon juice. Add all the spices and salt. Blend until smooth.
Serve with your favourite fresh herbs and edible flowers. Enjoy!
Here's to Haley, namaste.
We are starting off with a recipe I have used and loved from one of my teachers at IHN, Eva. Eva is like the walking Earth Mother, she lives, eats and breathes a way of living which so many of us, myself included need to strive towards to better our planet, our bodies, our children and the animals who grace the earth with us.
This is a raw soup, depending on seasons it is ideal to eat between 40-60% raw food. This will increase energy, get more nutrients into the system, and what I love most about this soup it's simple, quick, inexpensive to make and you can take it with you without zapping it in the microwave!
Raw Cream of Carrot Soup
This raw soup is great for summer days when you don’t want to use your stove, or great for carrying to work to avoid use of a microwave. Raw ingredients hold more vitamins and minerals than cooked because cooking often destroys heat sensitive nutrients.
Ingredients
2 cups pure water
3 medium carrots
1-2 tsp chopped ginger
1 medium local apple
1 avocado
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
½- 1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp whole cumin seed
½ tsp whole coriander seed
½ tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt
2 dashes cayenne powder
Directions
Pour water into a blender. Add coarsely chopped carrots and ginger, cored and chopped apple, spooned out avocado. Squeeze and add fresh lemon juice. Add all the spices and salt. Blend until smooth.
Serve with your favourite fresh herbs and edible flowers. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Are you getting the zzzzz's your body needs?
One of the things I'm hearing about lately is people's insomnia. Let's face it, insomnia is bound to happen once and a while especially during crucial points in our lives, like a big presentation at work the next day, a party we're excited to attend, relationship stress- all of these things can lead to an inability to get good quality sleep to be productive at work, feel good and avoid over using the under eye concealer the next morning.
I have a few things to share about ensuring good quality sleep, and trust me, I've suggested it to many people and gotten great feedback. I use it on myself and I rarely get less then 8 hours of good deep sleep.
1. Cut the caffeine!
Seems obvious and we've heard it all before, but many people still do it! If you're suffering from interrupted sleep or trouble falling asleep, that cup of joe or tea after dinner may be the problem. Recent research has suggested that even one cup of coffee in the afternoon has an impact on the way we sleep. Avoid it! It's not worth it! If you need a boost, water with lemon is better for the body and actually is naturally energizing.
But coffee and tea aren't the only sources of caffeine. Pop has caffeine too, even "diet" pop. Skip it all together, go for water, you won't get the 12 grams of sugar that temper with your mood and cause you to crash, plus you're passing on the aspartame which turns into formaldehyde in the body.
Chocolate! That after dinner dessert may be a key player in your sleep as well. If you are going to go for a sugary dessert or a chocolate one do it at lunch, you're body needs to pass that through your system before you hit the hay.
2. Exercise!
You want to exercise of course, but if you're exercising right before you go to sleep your body is pumped up and can't settle down. When you exercise you are sending oxygen into the blood stream and energizing your entire system, we want this! But not before bed, if you are a night exerciser end your work out 2 hours before you start getting ready to retire for the night.
3. Supplement!
One of my favourite, can't do without supplements is my liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate. Magnesium is a natural relaxant (and we are, as a nation generally extremely deficient in Mg), and calms the body before sleeping, All you need is one tbsp 30 minutes before bed. You can also try Valerian Root capsules which also aid in sleep. And yes, they can be taken together.
4. Shut down!
Falling asleep with an Ipod, the TV on, lights on, the computer all, all tells the body, "Hey I'm still awake, I need to be productive". This does not encourage sound sleep and may continue to disrupt you throughout the night. If you aren't one of those people who can just lay your head on the pillow and pass out, change your habits. Instead of the TV or Ipod, grab a boring, non stimulating book, with low light and just start reading. Reading a boring book won't over stimulate the brain like light, noise and movement will. It's just black print on a white page- very simple. Get into the habit of doing this 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep to allow yourself to wind down.
5. Essential Oils!
I can still remember my Mom putting essential oil drops onto my pillow Christmas Eve night (ya, I was, and still am that kid who would be awake til 4am hoping to hear Santa) so I would fall asleep. And it works! She used Lavender, which is calming and relaxing to the brain and can trigger sleep waves. You can also try chamomile. All you need is 1-2 drops (essential oils are extremely strong) right on the pillow and you instantly feel like you're at the spa.
Proper sleep= looking good, feeling good and everyone around you will love you for it!
SLeep well
I have a few things to share about ensuring good quality sleep, and trust me, I've suggested it to many people and gotten great feedback. I use it on myself and I rarely get less then 8 hours of good deep sleep.
1. Cut the caffeine!
Seems obvious and we've heard it all before, but many people still do it! If you're suffering from interrupted sleep or trouble falling asleep, that cup of joe or tea after dinner may be the problem. Recent research has suggested that even one cup of coffee in the afternoon has an impact on the way we sleep. Avoid it! It's not worth it! If you need a boost, water with lemon is better for the body and actually is naturally energizing.
But coffee and tea aren't the only sources of caffeine. Pop has caffeine too, even "diet" pop. Skip it all together, go for water, you won't get the 12 grams of sugar that temper with your mood and cause you to crash, plus you're passing on the aspartame which turns into formaldehyde in the body.
Chocolate! That after dinner dessert may be a key player in your sleep as well. If you are going to go for a sugary dessert or a chocolate one do it at lunch, you're body needs to pass that through your system before you hit the hay.
2. Exercise!
You want to exercise of course, but if you're exercising right before you go to sleep your body is pumped up and can't settle down. When you exercise you are sending oxygen into the blood stream and energizing your entire system, we want this! But not before bed, if you are a night exerciser end your work out 2 hours before you start getting ready to retire for the night.
3. Supplement!
One of my favourite, can't do without supplements is my liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate. Magnesium is a natural relaxant (and we are, as a nation generally extremely deficient in Mg), and calms the body before sleeping, All you need is one tbsp 30 minutes before bed. You can also try Valerian Root capsules which also aid in sleep. And yes, they can be taken together.
4. Shut down!
Falling asleep with an Ipod, the TV on, lights on, the computer all, all tells the body, "Hey I'm still awake, I need to be productive". This does not encourage sound sleep and may continue to disrupt you throughout the night. If you aren't one of those people who can just lay your head on the pillow and pass out, change your habits. Instead of the TV or Ipod, grab a boring, non stimulating book, with low light and just start reading. Reading a boring book won't over stimulate the brain like light, noise and movement will. It's just black print on a white page- very simple. Get into the habit of doing this 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep to allow yourself to wind down.
5. Essential Oils!
I can still remember my Mom putting essential oil drops onto my pillow Christmas Eve night (ya, I was, and still am that kid who would be awake til 4am hoping to hear Santa) so I would fall asleep. And it works! She used Lavender, which is calming and relaxing to the brain and can trigger sleep waves. You can also try chamomile. All you need is 1-2 drops (essential oils are extremely strong) right on the pillow and you instantly feel like you're at the spa.
Proper sleep= looking good, feeling good and everyone around you will love you for it!
SLeep well
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Even Love can be Eco-friendly!
I love anything that is GREEN, supports the maintenance of our planet, isn't animal tested, and is made from organic materials..... and it's coming from the most unexpected places!
This month is Heart Month, what better way to get your heart into shape then with some eco-friendly sex toys?!?!
SO, my favourite items of February are here: http://bit.ly/agqMMK
I hope you enjoy the link I've shared ;)
This month is Heart Month, what better way to get your heart into shape then with some eco-friendly sex toys?!?!
SO, my favourite items of February are here: http://bit.ly/agqMMK
I hope you enjoy the link I've shared ;)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Start Moving Canada!!
Did you know that most of us are lazy? Yes, I know no shocker there! We as a nation lack the physical activity that is needed to keep us healthy. Really, we need to be doing 45 minutes of physical activity every day to stay in shape and feel great. One way of doing this is without the use of fancy gym equipment, expensive classes- all you need is a pedometer (a device that you clip to the wasit of your pants or belt and measures the number of steps you take) and your own 2 feet.
Today I gave a presentation about smoking cessation through a great organization called COnnex Health. The topic on today's agenda was combating stress and fitness. We gave each of the participants a pedometer and asked them to record their steps every day for 1 week, doing their regular day to day routine.
Then, after a 7 day observation the next step is to set goals for yourself to increase the number of steps you take each day and thus increase your physical activity. The goal is to reach 12,000 steps per day. This can be done by taking the stairs, parking far away from the mall, walking to the grocery store, walking on a lunch break etc.
The response was very positive and everyone seemed to like the idea of tracking their progress so I decided to blog about it.
There exists a website which helps you do this. It allows you to track your steps, creates a clear chart for you to see if you've been improving, gives you tips and even sets you up with walking groups in your community. I love this!! What a great way to meet people, start an exercise program and just get your butt movin'!
The website that I adore of the month is wwww.active2010.ca
Get moving Canada and tell me your progress!
Today I gave a presentation about smoking cessation through a great organization called COnnex Health. The topic on today's agenda was combating stress and fitness. We gave each of the participants a pedometer and asked them to record their steps every day for 1 week, doing their regular day to day routine.
Then, after a 7 day observation the next step is to set goals for yourself to increase the number of steps you take each day and thus increase your physical activity. The goal is to reach 12,000 steps per day. This can be done by taking the stairs, parking far away from the mall, walking to the grocery store, walking on a lunch break etc.
The response was very positive and everyone seemed to like the idea of tracking their progress so I decided to blog about it.
There exists a website which helps you do this. It allows you to track your steps, creates a clear chart for you to see if you've been improving, gives you tips and even sets you up with walking groups in your community. I love this!! What a great way to meet people, start an exercise program and just get your butt movin'!
The website that I adore of the month is wwww.active2010.ca
Get moving Canada and tell me your progress!
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