Healthy Life Lessons

When we go out for Thai food, one of my favorite things to order is the panang curry. But there is no doubt when this dish is made in a restaurant, it packs a hefty wallop of fat, sodium and calories. My version is lightened up, but still rich and flavourful and it is super simple to make. Traditionally, panang curry is made with either beef or chicken, but I made it vegetarian, using dried seiten (wheat gluten) I got at T&T a few weeks ago. If you are not sensitive to gluten, this is a great source of vegetarian protein. If you cannot find it dried, you can get it prepared at most health food stores. Alternatively, you can use tofu, or the more traditional chicken or beef options. This dish also doesn't usually have much vegetable matter in it, but I love how yummy veggies taste when simmered in this sauce, and it makes this a healthy one-pot meal. Use whatever veggies you prefer or have on hand. Protein of choice (2 cups seiten or 1 lb organic tofu, boneless skin...

Having grown up in a smaller town, I am sad to say I began using alcohol at a young age. With little to do, my friends and I started binge drinking on weekends by 9th grade. This is a pattern of behaviour I continued on and off into my mid 20s. I now cringe to think what lasting effects this may have on my health! I have mentioned several times the STRONG link between alcohol and breast cancer. And this is not new information. It was readily available over 10 years ago when my mother had breast cancer and I started doing research. That's why it has peeved me to no end that until recently the media has touted drinking as a great way to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. For women I really do not believe this is true. Why do something with such a big risk attached, when you can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease with proper nutrition and exercise...which, can also lower your risk of certain cancers? Cancer risk aside, there are other reasons to avoid drin...

If you live anywhere in downtown Toronto, I urge you to drop into Fiesta Farms for a visit, I guarantee you won't regret it! Lucky for us, this independent, family-owned grocery store is just 10 minutes from our house, right beside Big A's school. It has the most amazing selection of organic, locally grown, artisanal and healthy food products, along side the usual grocery brands. Their prices are exceptional too. This morning I went to get a few things, including Adam's skimmed lactose-free milk, because they sell it for a great price. Although I'm currently having a love affair with kamut and oat flours, my friend Sheri swears that spelt is the way to go. So I immediately was drawn to a display of organic spelt flour. One of the staff told me it is locally produced and was just delivered that day by the farmer himself. Wow, it doesn't get any better than that!! Of course, even though I only came for a few things, I ended up leaving with TONS of stuff, ...

Today I officially submitted my Major Case Presentation for school! This means as soon as it is approved, I AM OFFICIALLY DONE. No more degrees, I promise. I am now so close to my dream of being a therapist that I can taste it. I named this blog "Tales of a 30 Something Nothing" when I started it 2 years ago because I was having a major self-esteem crisis. I was distraught over being 35 and going back to school AGAIN in order to start a new career. These days this is not uncommon, of course, but I could not stop beating myself up for the stupid decisions I had made about my education and career up to that point. And let's face it, the truth is, instead of wasting so much time doing a BA, MA and PhD in subjects which only led to a completely unfulfilling research career, I could have gone to med school and be happily practicing as a family doctor or psychiatrist, or done a BA, MA and Phd in clinical psychology and would now be a registered psychologist, and be M...

We ALWAYS seem to have a bunch of bananas going brown on our countertop, but I just couldn't face making another banana bread or batch of banana muffins. So I decided to go for something where banana is the background, rather than feature flavour. Banana is one of those awesome fruits that can lend natural moistness and sweetness to baked goods. I am bringing this to a big family dinner at my in-laws tomorrow and my mother-in-law is baking a bunch of fruity desserts so I thought I would make a chocolately one that is sure to be a hit with all the kids. These are pretty healthy for a brownie, low in fat, and not overly sweet, but are pure deliciousness. The glaze really puts them over the top! Banownies 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 cup agave syrup 2 whole eggs (or 2 flax eggs: 2 tbls ground flax + 6 tbls water, let sit until thickened) 2 tbls coconut oil, melted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup whole wheat flour (spelt and quinoa flours would probably work too?) 1/3 cup g...

Okay, this is more like a pilaf than stuffing, but it has all the flavours of a traditional stuffing. I made this for Canadian Thanksgiving back in October, but I thought I'd share this recipe for my American friends or anyone who wants a tasty, healthy side-dish or meal idea for the upcoming holiday season. I served it as our grain side-dish along with sliced turkey breast and roasted brussell sprouts, but you can easily make this an entire vegan meal by throwing in a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) at the end. 1.5 cups quinoa 2 cups vegetable stock 1 tsp olive oil 1 small cooking onion, diced 4 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced 1 bunch leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced and washed well* 1 lb crimini (or button) mushrooms, thinly sliced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbls (vegan, gluten-free or regular) worcestershire sauce 2 tbls sherry vinegar 1 tsp dried sage 1 tsp dried thyme A few handfuls fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped Salt and pepper, to taste P...

Here is Part II of my posts about worry. Even if you do not have a clinically-diagnosed anxiety disorder, chances are, like most North Americans, you live with some degree of chronic stress. Stress and anxiety are insidious and can case a whole host of physical and psychological problems. My whole cracked-tooth fiasco this fall, which ultimately led to painful and EXTREMELY expensive root canal and crown procedures, was all due to my tendency to clench my jaw and grind my teeth when I am under stress. Nevertheless, I have made significant improvements to my stress management over the past few years. Because of my high anxiety levels, I struggled with insomnia for over a decade. Chronic stress has been linked with heart disease and obesity (because of elevated stress hormones) and anxiety is also associated with clinical depression. For many of us, our stress and anxiety is due to worry - what's going on in our heads, not our environments (i.e., not due to survival - out...

...the perfect family Sunday we had yesterday. ...the fact that Little A wore a jacket this morning for the first time since last spring (it was hovering just over freezing here in Toronto this morning!). ...having a (far too infrequent) good hair day. ...discovering all the gross stuff under the sofa cushion where Little A likes to sit before we developed some sort of pest infestation in the house. ...my steaming, hearty bowl of cinnamon-spiced oatmeal goodness for breakfast. ...not having a sinus headache (my allergies have been killer this fall!). ...the new awesome gelato/espresso cafe that opened in our neighbourhood (attracting tons of folks - including our kids - for ice cream eating even in the chilly weather!). ...the fact that I have so many reasons to be grateful.

According to the Toronto Star today, George Clooney said, "even the idea of a fart makes me laugh. Saying the word 'fart' makes me laugh. I have iFart on my phone. I have remote whoopee cushions. Farts. To me, there's nothing funnier". Oh a man with a sense of humour like my own! He'd find our household very funny!!

I love eggs and always have. Not just because they taste yummy, but they are also extremely economical, nutritious and versatile. They are frequently an integral component of cooking and baking recipes, but even on their own, they can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways: poached, scrambled, sunny side up or down, boiled, etc. For a while eggs got a bad rap because of their relatively high fat and cholesterol content but in recent years they've made a comeback as their nutritional value has begun to be better understood. Although you should ALWAYS check with your doctor first, even if you have a health condition such as high cholesterol, most people can enjoy about 4-6 whole eggs a week without a problem. Egg whites, of course, are a great source of low calorie, fat-free protein and can be enjoyed in larger quantities. Eggs are also an excellent food choice if you are trying to control your weight. Research studies have found that people who eat eggs as part of their breakfast...

I have to admit, after bitching and complaining about having to go to the theatre with Adam yesterday, I ended up LOVING Two Pianos, Four Hands. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but the show was absolutely brilliant and hilarious, and the piano playing was stellar. Even Adam - who by the way hates classical music (who is the philistine I ask you?), loved it. Who attends live shows on a Wednesday afternoon at 2pm? Mostly the white-haired walker set, some groups of school children, and a sprinking of tourists (along with unemployed students and tenured university professors such as ourselves). I have always loved seeing live comedy. Adam and I have gone to Second City, Yuk Yuks, and seen stand up performances from Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, and Brent Butt. I really needed a good laugh this week as it started out pretty rough. But indeed, it's shaping up. Big A and I are getting on much better lately and Adam and I both noticed she seems distinctively happier. Much l...

Nope, this isn't a post encouraging you to eat probiotics. It's about culture or entertainment, if you may. What is your favorite type of entertainment? For me it is books, bar none! I read lots of non-fiction for professional reasons, but for pleasure I'm all about fiction and good literature. Lately I have read a slew of awesome novels, which I highly recommend: * The Birth House by Ami McKay * Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda * The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger * The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga * Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout People always ask me when I find the time to read and the answer is: it's an integral part of my bed time routine. Some nights if I am really tired, I might only read for 5 minutes before I put down the book (or fall asleep with it in my hand) but other nights I might read in bed for an hour before going to sleep. It relaxes me and takes my mind off of everything else. Of course there are other forms of ...

Do you often grab a granola bar or cereal bar for a breakfast on the go? Well I have news for you: most of these products are no better for you than a standard cookie. They also are unlikely to keep you fueled for long since they are generally full of sugar, and low in protein and fibre. So why not chow down on an actual cookie that tastes better than anything you can buy and is chock-full of nutrition? These are not only delicious and super healthy, they are ridiculously easy to make since all you have to do is throw everything into your food processor. I chose to make them with tahini (sesame seed paste) because I love it and it is full of solid nutrition (iron, folate, calcium, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, zinc), but you can sub any nut or seed butter. If you want it nut/seed free, use soynut or pea butter instead. These are wheat/gluten free - if you ensure you are using gluten-free oats, and can be made vegan by replacing the egg whites with chia egg whites (instru...

I hate to post on a depressing topic on a wet, gray Monday morning, but it's on my mind. If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, than you probably heard about the 39 year old woman - a married mom of a 4 year old, pregnant with her second child - who was killed by a truck while riding her bicycle last week. Not only have the newspapers been filled with articles about this story, but because this woman, Jenna Morrison, was a yoga instructor, the fitness industry is also abuzz about this case. I did not know her, but, of course, as a mom and fellow cyclist, it has totally struck a chord with me. Many cyclists in this city do stupid things - riding without a helmet, going through red lights/stop signs, talking on a cell or listening to an Ipod while riding, etc., but this case just goes to show that even when you are doing nothing wrong, cycling in Toronto is pretty risky. I have been riding here since I moved to the city in 1994 and my parents have never liked it one bit. ...

I've made versions of this before, but this was by far the best...probably because I didn't try too hard to make it healthy. It's healthier than most since it uses whole grain flour and no butter, but it's got a crap-load of sugar. It is so sweet and moist it doesn't need any frosting. Big A and I made it as a gift and when I'm not sure how keen somebody is on "health" food, I try to restrain myself from going to crazy. I reasoned that it wasn't for us anyways, but then Big A insisted we bake it in our heart-shaped cake pan which is small. The left-over batter fit perfectly into 4 mini loaf pans and each of us got our own cake to sample. The whole family gave it a 10/10! 3 large ripe bananas, mashed 2 eggs 1/4 cup canola oil 1 cup sugar (or Splenda or any other equivalent amount of alternative granular sweetener) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 cups whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate...

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For the past few months I've been noticing kelp noodles being sold at our local health food stores. I've desperately wanted to try them, but the high price tag ($5-$7/bag) has prevented me from doing so. Then I spied them at my local Korean grocer for $2.50 and I jumped at the opportunity. I am so glad I did, these are fantastic! Like shiritake noodles, they do not need to be cooked, they are vegan, extremely low in carbohydrates and calories and gluten/wheat free, making them perfect for diabetics, celiacs or anyone trying to stick to a restricted diet. A lot of raw foodies like them as a replacement for regular noodles too. But they do not have the funny smell that shiritake noodles have when you open the bag (it does go away immediately after you rinse them though!), and they do absorb liquid, so they are less tricky to use. The shiritake noodles have to be treated carefully - if you don't drain/dry them well and start with a very thick sauce, your dish can en...

The girls love Japanese food. Not indescriminately of course. But they are fans of edamame, miso soup and cucumber rolls. In fact, they love cucumber maki so much, that we can barely walk past some in the grocery store or at a mall without having to buy them some. There are definitely worse things, but they're expensive to buy and not great either: usually made with white rice and who knows how much sugar and salt added to the rice. As far as veggies go, cucumbers aren't exactly a superfood. So when Big A asked if we could try making our own, I was more than happy to oblige. Last weekend we got rolling mats, nori, and I picked up the shortest-grain brown rice I could find at T&T...I have no idea what variety it is since the label was entirely in Chinese, but it ended up working perfectly. And as per usual, I found a way to sneak in a bit more nutrition. Cauliflower, like most cruciferous veggies, is packed with nutrients. It also happens to be white, which make...

You can easily stay fit by exercising at home on your own. But fancy equipment, group fitness and saunas are not the only perks of joining a gym to stay fit. In fact, if one of the reasons you go is for the social element, you may be more likely to adhere to your exercise regimen. No matter how beautiful the facility, your workouts may not be a pleasurable experience if you do not like the social atmosphere of your gym. Since I began teaching fitness back in grade 12, I have worked in tons of gyms, community centres and university recreation facilities and the one that continues to stand out for it's welcoming/family-like feel is the Miles Nadal JCC in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto. In fact, since I had kids and can no longer teach classes or get to a gym regularly, I choose only to devote my time to the JCC. At other gyms, I usually feel merely like a service-provider. Even when fitness class participants are warm and friendly, they often care little about who I am...

These were a HUGE hit with the girls! Even Little A, who isn't a big cake eater was smitten. Both of them ate 3 each in as many minutes and protested profusely when I said they couldn't have anymore since we had not had dinner yet. This recipe was inspired by the apple pecan olive oil cake recipe in the October issue of Chatelaine magazine: http://food.chatelaine.com/Recipes/View/Apple-pecan-olive-oil-cake. I'd never baked with olive oil before so I thought I'd give it a try. I overhauled the recipe quite a bit to make it healthier. The original version uses only 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and the rest white, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1 cup of sugar. My version is low in sugar, and high in fibre and nutrition. But the girls never have to know!! Unless you arrange the apple more artfully, the cakes turn out quite rustic looking. If, like the folks in this house, you care more about taste than presentation, you won't be disappointed. But if you want a nicer pr...

Even before Halloween night, the stores in Toronto were getting out the Christmas and Hannukah decorations and along with our daily newspapers, we were receiving glossy brochures filled with a wide variety of gift baskets. Gift cards are increasingly popular as they allow the receiver to choose what they want, but if you are looking for a more personal, fun and affordable gift option, consider making your own gift baskets for loved ones. Unlike the ones you buy which are usually extremely costly, and contain a lot of filler, you can make ones perfectly suited for friends and family on your gift list, and with a little thought and creativity, you can create beautiful baskets on a tight budget. To keep costs down: *Look for gourmet food manufacturers, kitchenware and other companies that have discount warehouses or outlets. *Before you run to specialty food stores and expensive boutiques, check local grocery stores and chain stores like Sears, The Bay, Canadian Tire, etc. for h...

Even if you are not an adventurous eater or cook, ethnic markets can be a great place to find new, healthy ingredients to add interest and variety to your food. One of the best things about living in Toronto is that because we have such a diverse population (one of the most diverse in the world!), you can find a wide variety of ethnic foods. I love shopping in Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, and China Town. If I care to venture further away, there is the Pacific Mall, and Little India. Aside from these hubs of wonderful food shopping, the Greater Toronto Area is sprinkled with grocery stores specializing in everything from Polish food, to Mexican food, to Middle Eastern delicacies. Although it can be intimidating, particularly if product labels are not in English, and/or salespersons do not speak English, I encourage you to take a risk and try something new. T&T (http://www.tnt-supermarket.com/en/index.php)is a large Asian grocery chain with several locations acro...

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Before I had children I never believed it was possible to be REALLY fit without going to a gym and using expensive machines. It was only when I became a mother and that was no longer possible that I realized the truth: You don't need a gym OR any expensive machines. You don't even need a lot of space! Granted we have a nicely equipped home gym, but if you have nothing more than a DVD player and are looking for an AMAZING workout you can do at home, I definitely recommend the Insanity fitness program by Beachbody. Although it retails for about $150, you really get your money's worth. You get: *An introductory DVD with a fit test *9 workout DVDs *A calendar that shows you how to put it all together into a 60 day fitness program *A nutrition plan Now I have not done the 60 day plan, but have tried out the DVDs on my own schedule (I usually do one on Saturdays) and I can tell you they are as promised: a seriously kick-ass workout! The best part is you need no...

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Kids learn early on to associate birthdays and parties of any kind with cake, candy, etc. So I love anything that uses these celebrations to encourage physical activity instead. Adam's cousin Shawna recently launched a business that does just that: STARting Pointe Productions offers dance classes (private/semi-private/group), dance classes as extra-curricular programs in various schools in and around the Greater Toronto Area, and birthday parties for children looking to incorporate dance (amongst other fun activities) into their special day! You can check out her website at: http://www.startingpointeproductions.com/home.html Also, she is offering you lucky blog readers 15% off of birthday parties as well as private and semi-private dance classes!!

My latest culinary experiment, inspired by the corn pasta I bought at the health food store, was a great success! Although I frequently buy whole wheat, brown rice, kamut and spelt pastas, I had never tried corn pasta before. It has a great firm consistency and slightly sweet taste. It has a similar fibre content to brown rice pasta (the whole 1lb bag that I used has 15 grams of fibre), but much less than most other whole grain pastas. Nevertheless, it's a great option if you are avoiding wheat and/or gluten. This dish encorporates some southwestern influenced flavours and it a nice balance of sweet (squash, tomato sauce), salty (olives, cheese) and spicy (jalapenos). If you omit the cheese (I added it only to my own since Adam won't eat it) or use a non-dairy substitute, than this becomes a well-balanced vegan dish too. 1 lb whole grain short (penne, rotini, etc.) corn pasta or other whole grain pasta 1 lb butternut squash, diced 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp chili powder...

Believe it or not, I had never been to the "Royal" until yesterday! Adam went ever year as a kid and my in-laws have taken Big A at least once. So we took the girls yesterday afternoon and had a great time! Although I was initially upset about not bringing snacks when we arrived and they immediately began complaining they were hungry, we were able to keep them fed and satisfied relatively healthfully (they had snacked before we left home and my new strategy is not to allow them to mindlessly graze all day so they are hungrier at meal times). There are all the usual suspects: poutine, pizza, cotton candy, fudge, ice cream, etc., but the girls were happy to fill up on the abundant free samples of fresh apples and locally produced cheeses and bison sausage. We did buy them apple chips (ingredients: apples) and real fruit smoothies, so overall it wasn't that bad considering the alternatives! The girls loved the animals (cows, goats, llamas, alpacas, pigs, bunnies, ...

I thought given her propensity for getting dirty and her gross-out sense of humour, that Little A was going to be the next Tom Green. I think I'm wrong. I think she is going to be the next Meryl Streep. Today after Little A's gymnastics class we took the girls to Costco. It was crowded craziness and everyone seemed to have a case of the grumpies. So Adam and I kept trying our best to keep the girls, who were running around, out of everyone's way. Towards the end of our shopping, Adam took off to look for something and I had both girls. They were horsing around and ended up with Little A lying on top of Big A on the ground in the middle of a busy aisle. I ordered them to stand up but they both claimed they were "stuck" and needed my help. I grabbed Little A's right arm and pulled her up. She began howling that I hurt her arm. At first I wasn't worried, but she kept holding her arm and wailing...and she usually gets over even major booboos ver...

True to my word, in exchange for ditching ALL the Halloween candy, I'm baking up healthier treats for the girls. Considering how decadent these taste, they are pretty nutritionally sound! Interestingly, Adam while Adam felt they did taste "healthy", Big A didn't notice and gobbled them up. 100g good quality dark chocolate (I used a bar of Galerie au Chocolaut cinnamon) 2 ripe bananas, mashed 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar, Splenda or equivilent of stevia (I used 1/4 cup of powdered New Roots stevia) 1/4 cup boiling water 1.5 cups organic whole wheat flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 2 tbls chia seeds (optional, but adds a ton of nutrition!) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or a large heat safe bowl set snugly over pot of simmering water). When smooth, removed from heat and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, vanilla and sweetener. Add banana mixture to chocolate and mix well. ...

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If I am going to shop for groceries at a chain store, my first choice is always Loblaws. I am a big fan of many of their Blue Menu and PC Organics lines that offer healthy products at affordable prices. So I was quite dismayed when I opened the latest President's Choice Insider's Report that came with our newspaper, advertising all their newest products for the holiday season. I KNOW the holidays is about entertaining and indulging, but I seriously think they've gone overboard. Deep fried, pastry-covered and breaded frozen hors d'oeuvres, fatty, sodium filled sausages and chicken wings, refined flour crackers, and buttered frozen vegetables are some of the worst savoury options while chocolate coated, peanut butter filled pretzels, molten chocolate chip cookies, red velvet cake ice cream AND red velvet cheesecake round out some of the worst of the sweet options available. Now I'm not saying NEVER splurge on your favorite indulgences, but what I DO suggest ...

Happy Thursday Everyone! It may be cold and dreary here in Toronto, but the birds are singing in my world. Don't worry, I haven't started hearing voices... Yesterday I completed my required practicum hours for my degree! Even though I still have to submit my Major Case Study, this means I am another step closer to finishing. I also had a crown put on my cracked tooth this morning - the one that was root canaled back in September. So hopefully, once my gums and inside of my cheek heal from all the poking and proding with sharp instruments, eating will once again be a pain-free, completely pleasurable experience. I hope NEVER to have to go through the whole root canal thing again so I'm also glad to report that I SOMEHOW seem to be doing better at managing stress lately and have not been clenching and grinding my teeth as much. This afternoon I see the sports medicine doctor and I am so excited to tell him that I have noticed a big improvement in my tendonitis. ...

Adam used to always beg me to make soup more often but I would tell him there was no point making big-batch food since we had so little freezer space. We've had a chest freezer now for about 2 years so I have no excuse. I guess I just forget about soup for some reason. Silly really as I love it too. My last counselling client of the day cancelled last minute so I got home early. I was suddenly struck with the urge to make Adam soup. Unfortunately, I did not have the urge to go out shopping so I decided I had to make due with what was available. The most obvious choice? Lentil soup! Lentil soup is one of my favorites. Thick, hearty, tasty and nutritious. It also requires ingredients most of us have in our pantries. Today I was missing fresh onion, celery and green pepper BUT I did have a bag of Arctic Gardens frozen spaghetti mix veggies in the (Chest) freezer! This is my go-to for soups and stews in a pinch. It's made up of diced carrot, celery, onion, and gree...