Healthy Life Lessons

It is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Traditionally we eat apples and honey on this holiday to signify our wishes for a happy new year. Although we have a plentitude of things to be grateful for, there is no doubt this new year began with a rocky start. Specifically, both my children began acting like they were possessed by evil spirits. No, not the first time this has happened for sure, but I think it's the first time it happened with both of them simultaneously. Last week was really challenging, with dramatic temper tantrums from both of them. There have been a few this week too. As I was getting ready to find someone who could perform an exorcism, I started to get some clues as to what might be responsible for their odd behaviour: exhaustion. Hence, my inspiration to write about sleep yesterday. Well, okay, with Little A, the clue was pretty blatant, more like a sudden slap in the face. When I picked her up from daycare on Tuesday, one of her teachers said to ...

Most people...I think...understand the role that nutrition and exercise play in health, but few realize the importance of sleep. Sleep deficits can lead to serious cognitive, emotional and physiological problems. Sleep difficulties can also be a symptom of a variety of physical and mental illnesses. Insufficient sleep can cause: *Accident and injury (car accidents, etc. due to fatigue and cognitive deficits); *Impaired cognitive functioning (poor work/academic performance); *Stress and anxiety; *Weight gain (excess stress hormones which increase appetite and subcutaneous fat storage); *Increased risk of chronic disease like diabetes and heart problems (subcutaneous fat storage around midsection, stress on the heart, etc.); *Altered mood (sadness, anger, irritability); *Depressed immune function. Sometimes behavioural and/or environmental factors can prevent us from getting enough sleep: *Caffeine, medication, alcohol, nicotine; *Erratic schedule/shift work/jetlag; *P...

This is perfect, rustic comfort food for a chilly fall evening. This recipe uses apple butter, which is a fabulous and versatile ingredient for baking and cooking. My favorite is Eden Foods organic apple butter which contains: organic apples! Nothing else. No sugar, no salt. We went through jars of this stuff when Big A was a baby, 'cause back then I didn't permit nary a grain of sugar or salt to pass my precious one's lips. She certainly makes up for it now! If you don't have apple butter you could substitute apple sauce, but the sauce will be thinner. 1 lb butternut squash, cubed 1 large cooking onion, cut in half and then cut halves into quarters 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp herb de provence Salt and pepper, to taste 1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage (or turkey apple sausage, etc.), cut on the bias, cut into 4-5 pieces each Half a head of cabbage, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced 1 tsp fennel see...

The perfect fall weather makes everything seem more enjoyable. Walking and cycling don't feel like torture through smoggy, brutally hot, humid air. Breathing doesn't feel like a challenge. Minor exertion doesn't lead to sweat dripping off me. I love it! After a difficult week full of tantrums, yesterday was a wonderful autumn day. As per a usual Sunday, I went to the JCC to teach my weekly spinning class, Big A went to Hebrew School, and Adam and Little A went to the market in the morning. Big A was well-behaved and Little A's 2 weeks of grumpiness seemed to be wearing off. She went down for her nap relatively easily and Big A, in a rare show of independence, PLAYED BY HERSELF IN HER ROOM FOR 2 HOURS!!! True, there were a few imperfections in the day: Little A cried all the way to the park in the afternoon because we wouldn't carry her there and walking or sitting in the stroller apparently weren't reasonable options; Big A cried all the way back fro...

We had one of those monster jars of organic peanut butter from Costco that had separated as we got down towards the bottom. There was a layer of oil and then hard chunks and it just wouldn't mix so it had become impossible to spread. Solution? Cookies!! Big A almost swooned when she smelled these coming out of the oven. Nothing like chocolate and peanut butter to put people into a happy mood. I made them in my new Cuisinart food processor. Adam got it for me for my birthday and I'm in love. My old one (Kitchen Aid) was alright, but much too small and not powerful enough. This one has a 12 CUP BOWL and packs a good punch. Ahhh, this is by far my most important and favorite kitchen appliance. 2 cups oats 1/2 cup ground flax seeds 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp sea salt 1.5 cups peanut butter* 2 eggs 1/4 cup agave syrup or honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Dump oats into food processor and process until consi...

I began this blog in the beginning of 2010 because that was when I began my education and training as a psychotherapist. I was just half way through my maternity leave with Little A, and struggling with post-partum anxiety and depression. It was a really difficult time for me and I had some difficulty adjusting to my new identity as a student. Having already spent 10 years in university and obtained 3 degrees - a BA, MA and PhD, it felt rather peculiar to be a 35 year old mother of two, with so much education but with no paid work, no career, two years of MORE school ahead and no guarantee of success. It didn't matter that this was a choice. I had had a career and a job and an income, it just wasn't one I enjoyed or wanted. Nevertheless, starting over at such a late stage made me feel like I had accomplished nothing. This made my fear of failure over this new journey even more intense. So where am I now? I am done my course work. I have completed about 250 of the...

This week is the annual Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society conference here in Toronto. My supervisor from the fertility clinic, one of the doctors, and myself have a poster presentation on egg donors. We reviewed several years of clinical records and noticed a trend: egg donors seem to have experienced a significant degree of familial conflict, disconnect and loss. In particular, they report a higher than expected incidence of parental death or estrangement. This has us wondering whether experiencing the loss (weather through death or emotional disconnect) is related to views on biological ties. In other words, are these individuals less concerned with having their genetic material floating around because they do not necessarily equate biological ties with kinship? Of course, we only have minimal quantitative data so to answer that question, more in-depth research is required. Having seen so many couples struggling to have a baby and needing to use donated eggs, I wish I ...

Recently I saw a couple at the fertility clinic about to begin the IVF process. They were facing male-factor infertility and although they were both committed to going forward with treatment, the wife admitted to being only 50/50 about the prospect of having children. It was the husband who desperately wanted to start a family. At the end of the session, the husband began questionning me about what it is like to be a parent. He wanted to know what the hardest part is and what about your life changes the most. I was uncomfortable answering these questions honestly because I was worried I was going to push his wife - already on the fence about having kids - over the edge. Why? Because it is the most difficult job in the world and no matter how much you want it, it is still challenging. There is no doubt you give up a lot when you become a parent and your life changes forever. Are there some people who regret having children? Maybe. I'm not one of them. But I won't ...

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season. Despite my severe hayfever (Claritin, Nasonex and saline rinse anyone?), and the pouring rain, nothing can put a damper on my love for this time of year. The weather is perfect: not too hot and not too cold. Breezes are cool and gentle, the sun is warm and dappled by the vibrantly coloured leaves. There is a freshness to the air that is never present during the oppressively hot, humid summers here in Ontario, and Thanksgiving and Halloween, two of my favorite seasonal events, are on the radar. With the start of school it always feels like a new beginning, a chance to start over, an opportunity to grow and change, just like the weather. And don't forget the juicy apples (this year's crop of Ginger gold are particularly sweet!!), pears, squash, pumpkins and the rest of the bounty of the season. So many delicious, comforting dishes can be enjoyed. Yes, Autumn is followed by winter, which in this part of the world is pr...

Geez, it's really tough to have a truly original concept. I can't tell you how many times I have thought I had that million dollar idea only to find that someone else had already thought of it. Apparently there IS already a hands-free breast pump for nursing moms. The family-friendly coffee shop aimed at parents with young children that I fantasized about opening for years was actually put to the test by someone in the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto...and it lasted about a year before going out of business. Years ago when I came up with my Asian pesto recipe, I seriously thought I deserved a James Beard award. "What creativity, what brilliance, what deliciousness", I thought. Then I saw "Asian pesto" on a restaurant menu. I was crushed. So when I came up with this one, I immediately Googled and...found a lot of Moroccan pesto recipes. All were similar, made up of varying amounts of fresh mint, cilantro, lemon, olive oil and garlic. A few...

I bet Elvis would have LOVED these. Full of good stuff but still decadent-tasting. 3-4 large, very ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar, Splenda or equivalent amount of other granulated sweetener 4 egg whites or 2 whole eggs 1/2 cup milk, almond milk or other non-dairy milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 cups whole wheat flour 1.5 cups wheat germ 1 cup ground flax seed 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt In large bowl, cream together peanut butter, eggs, and sweetener of choice. Whisk in milk, bananas, and vanilla extract. In medium bowl stir together dry ingredients. Dump dry ingredients into wet and stir, just until combined. Spoon batter into muffin cups greased with non-stick spray and bake at 350F for about 18-20 minutes. Makes 14 large muffins.

I recently realized with horror, that after almost 2 years of writing this blog - documenting my career change from health researcher to miscarriage/infertility counsellor - and sharing health and fitness information, that I have yet to do a post devoted to miscarriage and infertility! So here it is. Some facts: *Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected sex. *1-in-6 couples face infertility issues. *Even young, completely fertile couples only have a 25% chance of conceiving on any one given cycle. *After the age of 35, the chance of miscarriage and infertility starts to increase rapidly. *About 30% of infertility is due to female factors, 30% is due to male factors, and the rest is unexplained. *Stress does not cause infertility, but infertility DOES cause stress. *It is estimated that 20-30% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. *More miscarriages are being detected now because early pregnancy tests are able to dete...

It figures that after declaring our family to now be in a blissful place, we would have a day-from-hell the next day. It started with me getting an email from the fertility clinic informing me that I had clients booked to see me that they'd forgotten to tell me about. Fortunately I had time to make the appointment, but before that I had to get online and try and get the girls into swimming lessons so I was in a rush to get them to school and daycare so I could get back when registration opened. Of course, this was the one day that Little A decided she wanted to WALK instead of sit in the stroller. Lucky for me, the girls decided to hold hands and RUN the whole way to Big A's school. In fact, they ran so fast, Little A threw up part of her breakfast upon arrival. Oy! If you are a resident of Toronto, you know registering your kids for swimming lessons is no easy feat - getting one of the few coveted spots each session is often a major challenge. The website was respondi...

I think all 4 members of our family are in good places right now and it's really nice. Adam is establishing an impressive career for himself in the academic world. No surprise given his talent and dedication to his work. I have not yet established my career, but things are going along well. After a reassuring discussion with my supervisor from the counselling clinic where I'm doing one of my placements last week, I am feeling much more optimistic about getting finished with school in the next few months. I have also found an appropriate client to use as my case study and gotten approval to move ahead with this plan. He has come to me for issues that have nothing to do with infertility, but are incredibly interesting nonetheless. And I do want to my counselling practice to focus on a multitude of areas, not just miscarriage and infertility, so this experience will be valuable. My leg is feeling better AND after seeing the dentist this morning and having her adjust - w...

In our increasingly fast-paced world, most of us tend to multi-task and race through our days, barely stopping to catch our breath. Few of us sit down to enjoy a leisurely meal. But research consistently finds that speeding through our meals is linked with obesity. Why? Because it takes the brain at least 20 minutes to register fullness from what we've put in our bellies. In addition, I think we receive more psychological satisfaction from eating foods that take longer to finish. Even if you just consumed 1000 calories, it's not very satisfying if the experience only lasted 25 seconds, you know what I mean? And experimental research has actually found that people who eat smaller bites and eat slower consume fewer calories compared with those who eat their food faster. So if you are struggling to maintain or lose weight, consider paying attention to how fast you are eating. If you find it difficult to slow down, try taking smaller bites, putting your fork/spoon down be...

I love making different pesto sauces. They are so versatile and flavourful and simple if you just throw all the ingredients in the food processor. This one is high in protein because of the edamame, low in fat, and loaded with nutrition. 1/2 cup organic, shelled edamame* Few handfuls fresh cilantro 1 bunch green onions, lightly steamed** 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 large chunk fresh ginger, peeled, cut into about 4 pieces 2 tbls miso paste 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1/4 cup rice vinegar Wasabi paste - maybe 1 tsp or so, to taste (optional) Throw all ingredients into food processor and blend for about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl, if necessary. *I buy frozen organic shelled edamame and then microwave 1/2 cup for about 90 seconds. **I microwave green onions for about a minute to cut sharpness, but this is optional. This sauce is perfect for shiritake noodles because it is thick and flavourful. If you want to use it for another purpose and want to thin it out,...

These are to die for and so much healthier than Cinnabon! If you don`t mind making dough from scratch, be my guest. Lots of good whole grain recipes abound. Frankly it is so easy to use Bob`s Red Mill mix and throw it into my breadmaker, I can`t be bothered. Rolls 1 bag Bob`s Red Mill 10-grain bread mix 3 tbls canola oil 1.25 cups warm water .25 cup sugar or Splenda 2 tsp ground cinnamon Yeast package 2 cups canned pumpkin .5 cup brown sugar or Splenda 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 2 tbls ground cinnamon .25 cup molasses 2 tsp ground cinnamon Add water to breadmaker first, then add sweetener and cinnamon, followed by bread mix. Pour oil over flour mix and add yeast last. Set breadmaker to dough setting. Once dough is ready, turn out onto floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle until dough is about a mm thick. Combine ingredients for filling, except for cinnamon, and spread on rolled out dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, adding more if needed, to cover who...

I am bringing this to Adam`s parents` house tonight and since some family members get less excited over adventurous recipes, I thought I`d keep this one fairly conventional. I did make it dairy free for the Kosher folks (since there will be meat for a main course) and because several family members are lactose intolerant. I also used whole wheat pastry flour because it creates a more tender crumb for those who are used to white flour products. 2 cups canned pumpkin 4 eggs 1 cup sugar (or Splenda) .25 cup molasses .25 cup canola oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup vanilla or regular almond milk (or dairy milk or other milk alternative) 2.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp baking powder .5 tsp baking soda .5 tsp sea salt In large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Stir dry ingredients together in smaller bowl and dump into wet ingredients. Stir just until mixed. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 f...

Am I freaking about turning 37 this weekend? No, not at all. Things are pretty good for me. I don't feel old. I'm actually in the best shape of my life. Granted I've got some serious aches and pains right now, but I don't think any of them are due to age. My rectus muscle is all healed up after just 3 weeks, which is much sooner than expected. My hamstring tendonitis has improved in the past week, so much so that the doctor decided not to give me a second cortisone injection yesterday. The cortisone can weaken the muscle, so it's best to be conservative. I was so distracted by my tooth pain last week that I didn't notice how much better my leg pain was. We spent 5+ hours in the car each way on our trip to and from Ottawa last weekend and I only later realized this was mildly uncomfortable instead of excruciatingly painful. No sense regretting the fact that I didn't get a cortisone shot 2 years ago instead of enduring a whole lot of chronic pain...

I have always said that Labour Day feels much more like a new beginning than January 1st for me. Maybe because I've spent about 26 of my almost 37 years in school??? That's just nuts I know. It's been a week full of firsts in our house this past week. Some good and some not so good. Friday I took Big A to the Toronto Ex for the first time. We had no fights and she was very well behaved the whole time. I was a bit concerned that we didn't have much deep conversation, in fact we spent a lot of the time in silence. I always feel like we should be confiding in one another and giggling together but I am realizing this may be unrealistic given that she is only 5. When I asked Adam how it is when they are alone together, he said they don't talk much either and if he does want to converse with her, he has to ask strategic questions if he wants to get more than one word answers. Over the weekend Adam and I went to his cousin's wedding in Ottawa. We dropped ...