Healthy Life Lessons

Yummy, but not overly sweet, these can be made with just about any fruit you have on hand and make a healthy breakfast or snack. Serve plain or with a dollop of dairy or non-dairy yogurt. They can be cut into squares, but definitely need to be eaten with a fork or spoon, like you would a fruit crumble. Fresh or frozen fruit (stone fruit, berries, cherries, etc.) to make 1.5 cups puree. I used 2 large apricots, 2 peaches and 1/2 cup blueberries. 2 tbls sweetener, or to taste, depending on how sweet your fruit is (I used stevia) 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbls arrowroot or corn starch 1/2 cup Earth Balance 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 flax eggs (2 tbls ground flax + 6 tbls hot water) 1.5 cups spelt flour 1 cup oats 1/4 cup granular sweetener (I used stevia) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt Start by placing cut up fruit in a pot with cinnamon and sweetener. Cook until fruit softens and then add starch. Mix well and remove from heat. Dump cooked fruit in food...

If you live in Canada, you likely know that "It's in you to give" is the tag line for Canadian Blood Services. I have been wanting to donate blood forever, but for some reason haven't gotten around to it. Sometime last fall, I decided I wanted to do it for sure. This weekend I actually did it. There are a number of psychological theorists who have postulated that one of the keys to personal fulfillment and happiness is doing things that have social value. After all, how can you feel bad if you are doing something good for others, which generally makes you feel good about yourself? One of the reasons I left my old career was, in my opinion, it lacked much social value, and hence much value to me. My new career in counselling fulfills my desire to do something more meaningful for work, but why should helping/giving be limited to one's work? Donating blood is something which I think most people can recognize the value of. A medical emergency could happen to...

Most parents likely find mornings to be challenging. Getting your kids moving and ready to go by a certain time can often feel like a losing battle. Fights over clothes, fights over breakfast, resistance to teeth brushing, hair brushing and putting on appropriate outdoor clothes. It can all be a recipe for tension and stress for everyone. Adam leaves the house at 6am almost every day, so I am generally on my own to deal with these frustrations. Until a few months ago, it was usually Big A who created the biggest challenge in the mornings for me. From aged 18 months onward, she would wake up grumpy and sulky, and would battle with me over getting dressed, brushing her teeth and putting on her outdoor clothes. It was not uncommon for me to end up putting Little A in her stroller, pushing it out onto the front porch, and then throwing a hysterical Big A over my shoulder, along with her shoes and coat, and carrying her screaming outside where I either forced her into her outdoor clo...

This was an experiment that went deliciously wrong. I spied a bag of peeled chestnuts in my cupboard and was inspired to try and make a healthy nut-free alternative to Nutella. The result was nothing like what I was going for, but delicious anyways. Irish Moss is a sea vegetable with a number of culinary uses and wonderful health properties. To learn more about it and how to prepare it check out:http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2012/01/04/the-mystery-revealed-how-to-prepare-irish-moss-sea-moss/ This is one of those items I found in Kensington Market at House of Spice. I was not able to find it ANYWHERE else in Toronto where I usually shop. If you want to try it, you can buy it online from Meghan Telpner: http://www.meghantelpner.com/product/irish-moss-sea-moss/ That being said, I don't think it's necessary for this recipe, so you can just omit. Big A went absolutely CRAZY for this stuff and I love that it has all the nutrition of the chestnuts, unsweetened chocolate a...

What the heck is picadillo, you ask? No it's not the prehistoric-looking creature you've probably seen at a zoo silly...that's an armadillo! Besides, how would that be vegan? Picadillo is a traditional Cuban dish made with ground beef, lots of aromatic herbs and spices, and olives and raisins, giving it that irresistable sweet-salty combo. I'm recreated it here using tempeh instead of meat. I love using crumbled tempeh in place of ground meat, it is so versatile, healthy and yummy. Last time I made a dish this way, Adam said, "Yum, I love chicken!" before I told him what it was. Ha ha! 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion, minced (I did this in food processor) 1 carrot, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 350-400g package organic tempeh, crumbled (I pulse it in food processor) 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 b...

I finally got down to one of the downtown Toronto Lush Cosmetics stores last week and tested out their Gorilla perfume line. Unfortunately, I found them better suited to...well, gorillas. I really, really wanted to like them, since they are 100% natural, never tested on animals, and, as the heavily pierced, tatooed, dread-locked sales girl told me, they are not made with beaver anal glands. But just because I don't want any beaver anuses harmed in the making of my perfume, doesn't mean I want to smell like one. I'm just kidding, they aren't THAT bad. But they just aren't for me - they all smell too much like incense - and as any perfume lover knows, scents are highly personal. Fortunately, I went to Sephora yesterday and FELL IN LOVE! I discovered the LaVanila Laboratories line of fragrances and personal care products. I have always loved the smell of vanilla, and it should come as no surprise that I generally favour gustatory scents. My old favorite: ...

I know I have an unusual affection for vegetables that not everyone shares. I guess it isn't necessarily "normal" to get giddy over kale or to inhale a whole bunch of broccoli in one sitting. But hey, I never claimed to be normal! I always tease Adam because, although he eats everything I cook for him, his stomach seems to have half the available space for vegetables and grains as it does for, say, meat and chocolate. After far too much worry and anguish about the girls' vegetable consumption, a more relaxed approach to feeding them has resulted in both of them developing a fairly healthy relationship with this food group. Some of the strategies that have helped are: 1. Using frozen cauliflower and broccoli, instead of fresh, because they have a softer texture, and less pronounced flavour; 2. Using veggies to make "faces" or other designs on their plates; 3. Putting one bowl of their favorite veggies on the centre of the table. Sibling rivalry mak...

I have a problem that I am really embarrassed to admit: I SNORE! I don't know about you, but when I think of people who snore, I tend to think of... Well, lets just say, I don't usually think of snoring being a problem for persons like myself! Common causes of snoring include: * Age. As you reach middle age and beyond, your throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in your throat decreases. * The way you’re built. Men have narrower air passages than women and are more likely to snore. A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids, and other physical attributes that contribute to snoring are often hereditary. * Nasal and sinus problems. Blocked airways make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring. * Being overweight or out of shape. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring. * Alcohol, smoking, and medications. Alcohol intake, smoking, and certain medications can increase muscle relaxation leading to more s...

One of the best investments Adam and I ever made for our health and well-being was our home gym. Any parent knows how difficult it can be to fit in regular exercise, and for many folks, the only way it can happen is if it is done at home. Now you don't need to spend much to be able to keep fit at home - heck, all you need is a DVD player and a little square of space and you can rent a variety of fitness DVDs from your local library - but if you are looking for some fitness equipment, Canadian Tire is having MASSIVE sales right now! For example, you can buy some kick-ass Horizon treadmills (which is the brand of our treadmill, which we love), less than $800...ours was almost double that! Their Livestrong brand of equipment is now up to 60% off! So if you have been thinking about investing in some larger pieces of fitness equipment, now is the time to do it!!

What's the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Not much if you buy them at most coffee chains like Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim Hortons, etc. Most commercially made muffins are full of fat and sugar, made with some or all refined flour, and can contain more than twice the calories of a donut! Because they are so processed, high in sugar, and low in fibre, even though they can be huge, they don't keep you feeling satisfied for long and they certainly won't give you any long lasting energy. It's a lose-lose if you ask me. That's why I love making home-made muffins. It is so easy to make healthy, delicious muffins. Make them in big batches and freeze so that you always have them on hand. All it takes is 15 seconds-2 minutes (depending on size and quantity!) in the microwave and you've got a tasty, healthy treat. Now that's the best way to have your cake and eat it too! The girls love having muffins for breakfast or snacks and I feel good about...

One of my goals for 2012 is to try and continue to do yoga at least 1x week. Now that I've mostly recovered from my hamstring tendonitis, it's not so much the physical benefits I crave (although I love those too!) as the mental benefits. I really enjoy it (like I find it fun and pleasurable) and I find it calming and therapeutic. Unfortunately, I can't always make the classes I like best because the times aren't always convenient. Also, in bad weather, or when I have a lot of client appointments, it becomes more difficult for me to get to the JCC in the middle of the day and fit in a class. I've considered buying some yoga DVDs, but I can't stand the idea of doing the same routines over and over. I love that my favorite yoga teachers vary things each week. Besides, in the past I've had a lot of difficulty finding yoga videos I like. So I am very excited about my latest discovery: http://www.doyogawithme.com/ It's a website where you can choos...

One of my favorite things to do when I am in the United States is go grocery shopping. Yep, forget about clothes, electronics, etc. I want to check out the grocery stores. I love finding new, healthy products that aren't available in Canada...and there are many! That being said, it is also kind of frustrating to fall in love with something, knowing I won't be able to get it in Canada. Since I first discovered them in Florida a few years ago, I have been buying Flatout flat breads (http://www.flatoutbread.com/) every time we are down in the Orlando area. I LOVE these things! I end up living on breakfasts and lunches of wraps stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, chicken, and/or sauteed veggies. You can, of course, get whole grain wraps here, but I like Flatouts better: They are thicker and don't tend to get soggy or gummy from your fillings like the ones we get here do. What's more, they come in several whole grain, high fibre varieties (just stick with the...

You gotta make this! Seriously, so devine. Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list. Mole is one of those dishes that has many variations, so you can customize it to suit your tastes or whatever ingredients you have in your pantry. I was also thinking that if you are vegetarian or vegan, you can make this delicious, complex, flavourful sauce and serve it over the rice, adding tofu or black beans, to make it a complete meal. Because this dish does take some extra effort, I made a large quantity and we froze the extra. Along with the rice, I served some roasted veggies (chayote squash, zucchini and bell peppers) as a side. 2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs Mole Sauce 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp ground cinnnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 heaping tbls chili powder* 2 heaping tbls cocoa powder 1/4 cup cider vinegar 12 pitted prunes (or 1/2 cup raisins) 1/4...

The girls saw the dentist this past week, which for Little A is only the second time. Already, she has a "vulnerable" area (i.e. sign of beginnings of decay) in a top back tooth. I can't say I'm surprised since even when she does let us brush, she rarely lets us get all the way back there. So I was excited to come across this recipe posted by Chocolate Covered Katie on her blog: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/13/three-ingredient-chocolate-bars/ Everyone in this house is a chocoholic, and while chocolate in its purist form has many healthful properties, the sugar added to it is not so healthy. Since Katie's recipe uses stevia, which does not promote tooth decay, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to come up with something the girls would like that won't end up costing us $$$ in dental bills down the line. I also happened to have a bottle of vanilla stevia liquid in the pantry that I've never used. In the end I had to adapt it, beca...

I never think of parenting as one of my greatest skills - it's something I have to constantly work on, but this week I had a stroke of parenting genius. Adam and I have been thinking that Little A's beloved "Pink Bear", the stuffy that goes EVERYWHERE with her, may be responsible for her frequent illnesses. After all, our little pigpen has a knack for finding mess, filth and grime where ever she goes, and she drags Pink Bear with her and then brings him home and sleeps with him every night. We can only wrestle bear away from her so often for "a bath". My first instinct was to forbid her from bringing him to daycare, however, when I tried to implement this rule last week it led to tears and much drama. Given our other problem of trying to get Little A back to napping, I suddenly came up with a better use of her attachment to this object: a new rule whereby bear can only go to daycare if she takes a real nap every day! Guess what? She's napped ...

This has always been one of Adam's favorite dishes, however, I haven't made it in ages. So when I asked him for dinner requests for this week, this was the first one he suggested. If you Google it, you will see there are many variations to this recipe. Some use chopped tomatoes instead of paste or puree, some add capers (I hate capers!), some use different seasonings. All use olives but hey, if you don't like olives, don't use them. Although if you don't like olives I question your sanity... My twist is to add tons of veggies to boost the nutrition and make this a complete, healthy dinner. I also make a large ratio of sauce to fish, because I always serve it with rice, and I like to be able to spoon the extra veggies and sauce overtop. 2 lbs firm fleshed white fish fillets (haddock, halibut, etc.) 1 tsp olive oil 3-4 shallots, thinly sliced 1 bulb fresh anise/fennel, cored and sliced 2 red bell peppers, sliced 2-4 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds ...

Although I have been concerned with nutrition since I was very young - for some reason I never had the "I'm invincible" mentality that a lot of youth have - it was only around the time that I became pregnant with Big A that I began to worry about the effects that things I put on (perfume, shampoo, soaps, etc.) or near (house cleaning products) my body, rather than just in it, might have on my health. Since then, we have switched to using only all-natural, non-toxic cleaning products in our home without much difficulty, but finding affordable, effective personal care products has proven more challenging. I now use only Live Clean hair products and a few years ago stopped wearing my beloved French perfume ( Angel by Thierry Mugler). This is because I read that it was full of carcinogenic compounds and anything that is inhaled gives me particular concern. But I LOVE perfume and I have not yet found anything "natural" that compares. Last year I purchased a...

One of my awesome finds at Kensington Market last week was: MimicCreme , a substitute for dairy cream made from almonds and cashews. It can apparently be used in all the same ways that you would use dairy cream. The company makes several varieties: sweetenened with sugar, sweetened with "natural" sugar substitutes, and unsweetened. There is also a product made specifically to replace coffee cream and another one that can be used in place of whipping cream called Healthy Top . This product is perfect for vegans, individuals who are lactose intolerant, and those simply looking to limit their intake of saturated fat. Note that recent research studies have found a link between consumption of high-fat dairy products with various illnesses and mortality. This product provides a healthy alternative to dairy cream. I used the sugar-free sweetened version, along with coconut milk, to create a vanilla ice cream recipe that was a hit with Adam and the girls, despite Big A'...

I can't believe what a transformation Big A has undergone over the past few months. Adam and I have noticed a dramatic leap in her emotional maturity. She is rarely ever defiant anymore (I honestly can't believe I'm saying that!), and significantly less whiney. She no longer seems jealous of Little A and she is helpful and affectionate with her little sister, and with us. I honestly haven't enjoyed spending time with Big A this much since before she was 18 months old, and her LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG "terrible two" phase started. I am so happy and relieved, it was not so long ago that I had thought that my relationship with her was simply hopeless and we were destined to a lifetime of conflict and strife. Unfortunately, things with Little A have now taken a turn for the worse. This may be due to her age - she's now 33 months old, which is prime "terrible two" age - but we suspect it is largely due to her refusal to nap. Nope, as I...

One of my favorite places in all of Toronto has always been Kensington Market. When I first moved here in 1994 as a university undergrad, I quickly discovered the vintage stores there as a source of great, affordable fashion finds. It was also a place I visited regularly to satisfy my dried fruit habit (I used to eat POUNDS of dried pineapple in the days when I could still convince myself it was "healthy"), and to pick up fresh produce. A lot has changed about the market - like many more trendy/upscale restaurants and swanky clubs - but a lot has also stayed the same. There is still a cornicopia of fresh produce markets, as well as Latin American and Middle Eastern grocery shops. There are still lots of grundgy cheap and cheerful bars and cafes, and virtually no chain stores (not a single Starbucks in the market!), and it remains a treasure-trove of ingredients for anyone who loves to cook or eat. Sadly, although it's only a 45 minute walk, or 15 minute bicycl...

Big A frequently requests that I make her rice pudding, and each time I do, I make it differently. This recipe was the clear winner: she ate 3 bowls for breakfast this morning! Using a vanilla bean made all the difference, Big A described it as "Very vanilla-y". It is also super easy. The chia seeds are optional, but add a lot of nutrition to it which is great, particularly if this is being eaten for breakfast. 1 cup short grain brown rice 1/2 one whole vanilla bean 2 tbls white chia seeds 2 cups unsweetened plain or vanilla non-dairy milk (or low-fat dairy milk!), divided 1/2 cup sugar or equivalent amount sweetening alternative (i.e. stevia, Splenda, xylitol, etc.) 1 tbls arrowroot starch (or corn starch) Place rice in a large pot with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Split vanilla bean in half, lengthwise, and scrape out seeds with a knife. Add seeds and pod to pot with rice and water. Once water boils, add chia seeds and reduce heat and simmer, stirring oc...

Are you sugared out from the holidays? I totally am! I managed to avoid some of my usual indulgences when we were away this year, like fudge and cookies (usually when I travel I manage to convince myself that the calories, saturated fat and white flour in the giant cookies from Starbucks don't count when eaten in an airport), but I caved around chocolate. I ate way, way too much chocolate. Not just when we were away either, after our new year's party there was tons of chocolate treats left over, which I have been happily helping to get rid of (first in my belly, but now that I've hit overload, I'm giving it away) - I guess our guests were sugared out too, because while they nibbled on the sweets, they completely devoured all the savouries! But I am not feeing guilty - dark chocolate covered nuts and fruit has some sound nutritional value, at least moreso than fudge and Starbucks cookies, right?? Oh well, in case you didn't get your fill, here's another de...

Are you full of new year resolution plans? If so, the only way most people can reach their goals is to actually have a PLAN. What I mean is, just saying, for example: "I'm going to exercise more!" is not enough. If you really want to exercise more, use the S.M.A.R.T principle to devise an action plan to reach this goal. S - Specific (I want to do 3 hours of intense cardio per week) M - Measurable (Time your workouts and use a heart rate monitor) A - Achievable (Be realistic about what you can achieve so you don't set yourself up for failure) R - Relevant (Is 3 hours of cardio the best way to improve your health and fitness?) T - Timed (Don't have some nebulous start and end point, decide to start TODAY, or at a realistic date - i.e. I am going to do 3 hours of cardio per week starting this week so I can run a 5km race in April) Remember this: If you change nothing, nothing will change. All too often I see clients - both counselling and personal trai...

Wow it's cold in Toronto today, like -12 celcius! That's 10F for those of you not on the metric system. As any parent knows, it's tougher to entertain little ones when going outdoors isn't an option, and if your kids are like mine and often resist mittens and hats, then going out in this weather ISN'T AN OPTION! Yesterday we took the girls to one of our favorite winter venues: the Fantasy Fair (http://www.fantasyfair.ca/). The Fantasy Fair is literally an indoor amusement park with rides ranging from a merry-go-round, and a ferris wheel to bumper cars and even a little roller coaster. There is also a large playground with slides, and things for the kids to climb and explore. The girls absolutely love it. The Fantasy Fair is located inside the Woodbine Mall in Etobicoke, but I swear it's worth the 30 minute drive from downtown Toronto. If you are a shop-a-holic, most of the mall will disappoint you, however, there is one gem of a store there: Bonnie T...