Healthy Life Lessons

Oh my this past week was a tough one! Little A woke up with a 104F fever for 5 days straight. Turns out she had strep throat. Poor thing was miserable and I had to cancel/re-arrange clients, which is always tricky. I'm paying for it this week with a jam-packed schedule. Today I even got double-booked between the fertility clinic and the general therapy clinic where I'm working. Nevertheless, we managed to have a lovely weekend. The only blip being Little A waking up before 6am on Sunday morning. She now has a hacking cough that woke her almost 2 hours before she normally gets up. Adam and I were worried she'd wake Big A, so I brought her into our bed and told her it was still time to sleep. My poor little dumpling was good as gold - she didn't say a word and didn't squirm, but she was coughing so much that none of us got any sleep. As a result, we were all exhausted yesterday. Fortunately, she seems better today, just in time for Halloween! I am ple...

I haven't made this in months but suddenly had a craving. I changed up how I make it a bit and I think this version is the best one ever. If you don't want to use chicken, you can use pork, shrimp or tofu. Not only is it BETTER than take out and much healthier, it is also a cinch to make. You don't need to even bother soaking the noodles because once they absorb all the yummy sauce they will be the perfect consistency! 1 lb ground chicken 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (microwaved or steamed a few minutes) 3 Japanese eggplants, sliced 2 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced 1 cup snow peas, trimmed 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces on a bias 300g brown rice vermicelli Sauce 2 tbls tomato paste or ketchup 2 tbls soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 3-4 tbls fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 tbls curry powder 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder 1/4 tsp tumeric 1/2 tsp salt 1 can light coconut milk Cayenne pepper, to taste (o...

Hello dear readers. I would like to ask you all a favour: This blog has been nominated to the Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs list on Circle of Moms! If you enjoy reading my rants, ravings and musings, along with my most helpful health tips and kooky recipes, please vote for my blog!! You can vote once a day up until November 17th. Just follow this link: Circle of Moms Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs . Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This is simple and delicious. I used trout because I actually prefer the taste and texture to salmon, but either are fine. Orange Ginger Glaze Heaping 1/4 cup sugar-free/all fruit orange spread 2 tbls low sodium soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced Piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder Pinch hot crushed red chili flakes (optional) 1lb salmon or trout fillets Lay fish on non-stick baking sheet, skin side down. Generously coat top of fillets with glaze. Broil at 425F for about 12-15 minutes (depending on thickness of fillets). The glaze makes enough for 2lb of fish, but I used the remaining glaze for a stir-fry sauce so I could serve some stir fried veggies and brown rice on the side. Orange Ginger Stir-fry Sauce 1/2 of Orange Ginger Glaze recipe 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tbls orange juice 1 tbls arrowroot or cornstarch Stir fry veggies in 1-2 tsp of canola oil. When just about done, add stir-fry sauce and cook until...

It's pissing rain and I'm stuck home today with Little A who seemed to have developed a fever minutes after I dropped her off at daycare this morning, but then seemed to feel better the minute I arrived to pick her up. I still had to cancel all my appointments for this afternoon and I'm taking her to see the doctor, just in case. Sigh! No matter, at least I have time to blog. Fitness and nutrition myths annoy me. What annoys me even more is health professionals who propagate these myths. That eating in the evening makes you fat is a popular one that I hear repeated by health professionals all the time. I am sure you have probably heard that you should not eat after 7pm? Ugh, this is so dumb! As if your body suddenly starts storing fat at 7pm! What happens when you go to a place in a different time zone? No, no, no! The reason why eating at night can sabotoge weight loss/maintenance efforts is that it is the time of day when people are most likely to eat high ...

Lately the girls have shown much less interest in kale chips and their intake of other veggies has been less than stellar. So I thought I'd try and liven up the kale chips with some funky flavour. These turned out AMAZING!! I actually debated keeping them all to myself, but I am willing myself to share with them tonight. Fingers crossed they like them as much as I do! 1 large head of kale, washed, drying and torn into pieces with tough stems removed 4 tsp olive oil 2 tbls nutritional yeast 2 tsp sweet paprika 2 tsp Rustic Tuscan Seasoning from Costco (or 2 tsp dried oregano) 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder Salt and pepper, to taste Toss kale with oil and seasonings. Spread kale in a single layer on baking sheet (bake in batches, if necessary) and bake in oven at 275F for 20-25 minutes, until crispy.

This is a great lunch option. It is quick and easy to make and the recipe makes enough for several days. I simply stuffed it into a whole wheat pita, but it would be great as a filling for a wrap, spread on crackers, as a dip for fresh veggies, or even used as a healthy alternative to mayo in a sandwich. Artichoke Dip and Spread (Adapted from "Just Like Tuna Salad" in Calciyum!: http://www.amazon.ca/CalciYum-Delicious-calcium-rich-dairy-free-vegetarian/dp/0968350305) 1 can (540 ml) pinto beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans artichoke hearts - not marinated (about 3.5 cups) 1 bunch green onions Juice and zest of 1 lemon A few handfuls of fresh parsely 2-3 cloves garlic, to taste 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 tsp kosher salt Fresh ground pepper, to taste Reserve 1/3 of the artichokes. Place all other ingredients in food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Add in remaining artichokes and pulse a few times, leaving chunky or until desired consistency is reached. Re...

Lately I feel I have made some important gains in the parenting department thanks to my new best friend: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk . Last Friday Big A started to give me a hard time when it was time to leave for school in the morning. This was the first major conflict I'd had with her all week, despite Adam being away and her being sick on Tuesday and Wednesday. That alone is actually impressive. Even though up to that point we were having a good morning, out of nowhere she suddenly became rude, sulky and defiant and would not put on her shoes, socks or jacket. Admittedly, I couldn't remember right away what the book suggests to do in this situation. But instead of losing it, I bought myself time by getting Little A ready to go until I could think of the appropriate response: Name her feelings, explain my own feelings, and show empathy. I told her I understood that she was sad and frustrated that we had to leave the house becau...

My supervisor at the fertility clinic insists that we ask every client or couple about their "intent" to have a child. At first a lot of people are confused about what this means. Clearly they want a child or they would not be sitting in front of us. But the difference is this: you can absolutely want something, but you may not be willing to do what it takes to get it. In the fertility realm, this sometimes means that a couple wants a child, but is only willing to have their own biological child. So if this is an impossibility, they will remain childless rather than using other means of becoming a parent (i.e. sperm and/or egg donation, adoption, etc.). I have recently realized that it is intent not our desire for something that determines whether or not we reach the goal. In the past when I have worked as a personal trainer and/or nutrition consultant, I have always been puzzled when people would tell me they want to lose weight or improve their health, and yet, ...

Today was NOT a great day. Adam is out of town. Big A's wet cough got worse and she developed a fever so the school called right as I was getting ready to leave for a counselling appt. It was my first session with a new client and it sounded urgent so I really didn't want to cancel last minute. My mother-in-law was supposed to pick up Little A for a sleepover so I thought maybe she could pick them both up. But my niece (who is the same age as Little A) was throwing up so she had to got pick HER up. I called the school and told them I'd take Big A with me, but they insisted I leave her there to rest until I could take her home. So, I drove up to our North York office which is a 45 minute - hour drive in midday traffic. My usual parking spot wasn't available so I had to pay to park. I got to the office right at 2pm but...my client wasn't there! At 2:20pm I phoned her and she admitted she'd lost track of time and it would still be at least another 15 mi...

When it comes to nutritious, affordable food, lentils can't be beat. Also, unlike dried beans, dried lentils cook quickly and do not have to be soaked. They are also incredibly versatile. They can be added to salad, pasta dishes, stews, etc. A few weeks ago I made a lentil chili that was yummy. Daal is a staple Indian dish that is comforting, flavourful and delish. You can serve it over brown rice or other grain, spread it in a whole wheat wrap or flatbread or simply serve it as a side dish with your meal. I like to make up a batch ahead of time and then have a quick and filling lunch for the next few days. Perfect chilly, autumn food! 1 cup red lentils, rinsed 2.5 cups water 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion minced (I threw the whole thing in the food processor) 1 piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp mustard seed 1 tbls garam masala or good quality curry powder 1/2 tsp turmuric 1/2 tsp salt, or more, to taste 1/4 tsp ca...

Do you worry too much? How is "too much" defined? Some degree of worry is normal and even useful. If we never worried about anything, we might never have the motivation to get anything accomplished. But there is definitely such a thing as too much worry, and too much worry can significantly impair functioning. Excessive worrying is associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a psychological disorder that is classified as an anxiety disorder in the DSM-IV, along with panic attacks, phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder. GAD is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry over everyday stimuli and involves 4 main characteristics: (1)intolerance of uncertainty, (2)poor problem solving, (3)cognitive avoidance, and,(4)positive beliefs about worry. Individuals with GAD tend to believe that: worrying helps to solve problems, it increases motivation, it minimizes distress from future negative outcomes, it demonstr...

If you are a parent, then you know how important it is to read with your children. In fact, so far that is the only "homework" that Big A has been assigned during her Kindergarten career (to have us read with/to her). So I am pleased to introduce to you mommy blogger and author "Anna Deskins". I have interviewed her about her new book. She also interviewed me several weeks ago for her blog, you can check out this interview here: http://annadeskins.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94:an-interview-with-mommy-blogger-erica-berman&catid=1:news&Itemid=3 Interview with Anna Deskins Your children's book, The Adventures of Smitty looks magically. Tell us about it. It's the story of a magical island of little creatures called Smilies and the mischievous little main character, Smitty. He's such a naughty boy. Haha! All the moms and kids I've shared it with have been giving me such a wonderful reaction. I cannot beli...

I love oats. In fact, I consume them in such large quantity that my mother once suggested that I must be part horse. I sincerely hope she wasn't alluding to some bizarre extramarital affair she had... Anyhoo. My latest obsession is baking with oat flour. It is not only healthy and inexpensive (particularly if you make your own in the food processor!), but it works beautifully in the right recipe. Those peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I made a few weeks ago were so outrageously good that I hid them from Adam and the girls and ate most of them myself. Is that bad? So today I created these and they are awsome. Chewy, chocolately, flavourful and not too sweet. But this time I am generously sending them to my mother-in-law. It's better if I don't eat them all myself anyways. Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies 3 cups oat flour (use gluten-free oats if you have to avoid gluten) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 ripe bananas, mashed...

The past few weeks have been really tough with the girls. Big A hasn't had a huge tantrum in over a week, so hopefully whatever little phase she was going through has passed. But she is really copping an attitude lately. She ignores me on a regular basis, which is infuriating and disconcerting. When she began playing with the universal machine in our home gym last week, I warned her to stop because she was going to either break something or hurt herself. She didn't listen and jammed the weight stack, which ended up stretching the cable. Now Adam and I have to pay to have someone come and fix it. Big A also talks back. If I say, "Please brush your teeth so we can leave for school," she will come back with something like, "The only way I am going to brush my teeth is if I get 10 more minutes to play first!" Little A has become, well...a really terrible two! She has been melting down over every tiny thing, no matter how irrational or absurd. For ...

I know I am not the only parent who finds feeding their kids a challenge! Dinner time, in particular, can be very frustrating. Most nights they eat a seperate dinner from us, which can mean twice as much work for me. Little A will usually try anything off our plates, but try putting it on HER plate and it will end up on the floor or stuck to the kitchen wall in a matter of seconds. Big A groans at virtually ALL the meals I make and is NOT willing to try many new things, and neither of them are willing to eat foods at our house that they are willing to happily eat elsewhere (at daycare, friend's homes, my in-laws', etc.). Oh, and what they love and demand one day, they despise and won't touch the next. It's enough to make me want to run to my room and curl up in a corner and cry most nights. I could just stop serving them dinner altogether...and believe me I've thought about it, but what I often end up doing is serving them what I know they BOTH like and i...

Big A begged me to make her rice pudding again. This has as consistency more like a risotto, but is perfect as a healthy breakfast, snack or dessert. I was a bit nervous about adding apples to her standard favorite but it was a hit. She had 2 large servings for breakfast this morning! You could probably make this vegan by using a non-dairy milk like almond milk and thickening agent like corn starch or arrowroot. 1 cup brown rice, preferably short grain 2 organic sweet apples, finely grated or chopped in food processor (I used golden delicious) 3 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar, Splenda or stevia 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 eggs Place rice in pot with 2 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and then turn heat down to med-low. Cook until all the water has been absorbed and then let it cool. Pour milk into a large pot over medium heat and wisk in sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring milk to a boil and then turn heat down to low, whisking every few minute...

Many years ago, I had a salad at a restaurant in Toronto called Terroni, the Funghi Assoluti and I was blown away. Ever since then if I am ANYWHERE where they serve a similar salad, I usually order it. Ironically, I rarely ever go to Terroni (and they now have multiple locations), because aside from the salad, there isn't much of interest on the menu for me (mostly white-flour pizza, pasta and sandwiches). I also find it rather pretentious as they do not allow substitutions on their menu and do weird things like throw whole olives (with the pits!) on their pizzas. I decided to re-create my own version this weekend and it was spot on. Unlike theirs, however, I did not add parmegiano to the salad since my cheese-hating husband was dining with me. I also threw in slices of grilled yellow peppers I had lying around. You can customize it anyway, but it's best to stick with a few ingredients and keep it simple to let the mushrooms take the spotlight. These mushrooms would a...

In spite of the fact that Little A spiked a fever so high she was speaking in incoherent non-sequiturs last night and neither she, nor I, nor Adam got more than about 3 hours of sleep, we have a lot to be thankful for. Although it feels more like summer even though it is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (and I HATE summer), we are blessed. Despite a decline in the state of my behind (i.e. hamstring tendonitis flaired up again) and the fact that I had to get another needle (cortisone shot) in the ass on Thursday, I am filled with gratitude. Our life is rich and full even with the usual ups and downs. This is not the case for everyone. I have been volunteering for almost 2 years now with an organization providing social services for seniors in the Toronto area. My "phone pal" is a woman in her 60s who, because of poorly controlled diabetes, is legally blind and has dialysis at least 3 times a week. She lives with one of her daughters, but this daughter works a lot a...

If you're a parent, you know how kids go on food jags, loving one thing (and only one thing) one day, and hating it the next. My kids are particularly this way with fruits and veggies. We're currently in a bad veggie phase. The coleslaw they used to love gets left untouched and few cooked vegetables get past their lips. This week I've resorted to raw sliced red bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, and celery at dinnertime. But as far as green veggies go, cucumber and celery are hardly nutritional superstars. Unfortunately, hiding veggies in savoury foods is only hit or miss with these guys, and more often miss than hit. The only sure-fire way to get veggies into them is hidden in baked goods. I've had great success with muffins and pancakes, so I decided to try brownies this time. Both girls love chocolate, and it's a flavour and colour that can hide a lot. Of course, it's better to get your kids to accept (and hopefully love) vegetables in their orig...

Do you like sports? Do you like to exercise? Or both? Sports and exercise activities overlap but are not one in the same. Sports are: Activities involving physical exertion and skill that are governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively . Exercise is: Activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness . Some people like to play competitive or recreational team sports (basketball, volleyball, soccer, rowing, ultimate frisbee, etc.) as a means of getting exercise and maintaining physical fitness. Others like to perform physical activities solely for the purpose of getting fit (cardio machines, group fitness classes, cycling, walking, strength training, etc.). Neither is better, it entirely depends on what is most appropriate for the individual. It is also possible to align fitness goals with competition goals (i.e. running races, triathalons, etc.) if you so desire. You can reap equal he...

I know that I am not normal. I love exercise, I love green vegetables and I HATE heat. I think summer absolutely sucks. I also hate pie. Once you have gotten up from fainting, let me explain. I think many pie FILLINGS are delicious, but I CAN'T STAND PASTRY. Does that make me seem any less weird? I just don't get what is appealing about something made of nothing but refined flour, saturated fat, salt and water. What a big waste of empty calories! I hate pie crusts, I hate danishes and I hate croissants. Please don't put me in a straight-jacket for that one! That's why I have been dying to try Chef Michael Smith's recipe for apple pie, using a whole grain pie crust (which is more cookie-like than pastry-like). I decided to make it for our Rosh Hashana dinner last week (since Adam's mom had already made a honey cake and his sister had baked an apple cake). Although neither Adam nor his dad usually gravitate towards healthier desserts, they both ha...

Before I had children of my own, I used to look at parents screaming at their kids in public places and think that they must be cruel tyrants, and that I would never subject my children to such humiliation. Ha! I have already lost count of how many times I have raised my voice at my kids in public. But I think tonight I outdid myself for public displays of incompetent parenting. At the school fundraiser, my cupcakes were a huge success - by the time we got to the table most of them had disappeared and I was told that the gingerbread ones (with the gummy worms!) sold out almost immediately. Unfortunately, everything else about the event was a disaster for us. I was on my own with the girls but I really thought I could handle things. Clearly I over-estimated myself. Or under-estimated the chaos the girls could create. Or both. First, the line for the bbq was long and slow-moving. We stood in the same spot for about 15 minutes and the girls were getting antsy. Big A also ke...

It was cupcake HELL here today. I volunteered to bake 2 dozen cupcakes for Big A's school fundraiser tomorrow. I had good intentions of being on every parent committee when she started there last year. Seeing as I am not in a 9-5 work schedule, I thought it would be a cinch to get involved. Unfortunately for me, they work the committee meetings around people WHO DO have 9-5 jobs so they are all in the evening, which is when I have NO desire to leave the house - it's rare that I'm not already in my PJs (or at least yoga pants and a tank) by 7pm. As a result, I've not participated in ANY committees so far. So to assuage my guilt, I thought I'd wow everyone with 2 different not-so-run-of-the-mill flavours for the fundraiser. I figured everyone else will be doing chocolate or vanilla. Unfortunately, the only person I think I'm going to wow (and not in a good way) is Adam when he sees the mess in the kitchen. I also was far too cocky and made some silly boo...

This turned out to be a nice edition to our Rosh Hashana dinner. 1 lb haricots vert (the skinny kind of green beans) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbls dijon mustard 4 tbls white wine vinegar 1 tsp Costco brand Rustic Tuscan seasoning (or Italian seasoning) Salt and pepper, to taste 4 roasted red peppers (homemade or from a jar), julienned Whisk together garlic, oil, dijon, vinegar and seasonings. Toss with beans and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast at 350 for 10-15 minutes*. Remove from oven and stir in red peppers. Serve hot or cold. *I used frozen because that's all I could find and they took just over 10 minutes. Fresh ones might take longer.