Healthy Life Lessons

Image Source Happy Halloween!  And what a scary day it is due to all the devastation caused by Super Storm Sandy. In any case, I thought the holiday defined by candy consumption was a perfect time to have another discussion about nutrition, ha ha! There are so many diets out there right now, promising everything from extreme weight loss, to eternal health.  A raw food diet has been gaining popularity, particularly among the plant eaters. While I love vegan foods, I have never been drawn to the raw food diet.  Aside from salads, I generally prefer eating my veggies cooked, and a life without cooked grains, in my opinion, is not worth living.  In addition, there is no evidence that a raw diet is any healthier than a diet involving cooked plant foods, and it is also way too restrictive for me. Nevertheless, the look and sound of many raw recipes and dishes has always appealed to me, so I've been eager to try some. When we were in San Francisco, we went ...

Recently the Ozery company sent me a huge box of their products to try.  Ozery is a Canadian, family-owned company, that began as a bakery in the back of a Toronto falafel shop.  I've actually loved their pitas for years, and recently I made the girls pizzas on their mini pitas and Big A delcared it "The best pizza crust ever!" I happen to think their pitas are among the best out there taste-wise, so I was thrilled that they sent a bag of their organic whole wheat variety.  They are soft, thick and fresh, and sturdy enough for even the heftiest fillings.  The only thing to remember about these babies is that they are so big and thick,  that just one clocks in at 280 calories, which is double what you find in most thinner ones.  They also contain some refined flour, which I don't like. Ozery also sent us a package of their multigrain flat buns, which are whole grain, and equally delicious.  Unfortunately, at 190 calories, t...

Good Monday morning!  Sandy is having an impact on most of eastern North America.  Even here in Toronto, it's rainy and DARK!  Oh what a week it's going to be, and Halloween week, no less!  Anyways... Since first trying it last year, I have become a regular blood donor.  It's not an unpleasant task, and I feel like it's just such a good thing to do. Unfortunately, I have started having some difficulty with the restrictions.  No, not the exchanging bodily fluids with monkeys stuff...no, my blood pressure, which is really low, has almost been too low a few times, and last week, I was actually rejected altogether because I twice failed the hemoglobin test. I have never had problems with my iron levels before, not even while pregnant, so I was a bit surprised.  Even more surprise that the nurse started barking at me that given just how low my iron was, I must be feeling tired (um, no) and she could SEE it in my face.  Thanks.  ...

For the past couple years I've been dreading the moment Big A starts Grade 1, and I have to pack her a lunch.  We've found that the daycares have a way of getting our kids to eat, or at least try, all sorts of things that they otherwise wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole.  I was very concerned that Big A's nutrition was going to seriously deteriorate. Truthfully, it has been challenging, but not as awful as I'd imagined, once I learned a trick or two. First of all, I discovered that less is more.  Being a Jewish mother and all, I default towards packing too much food (just as when I cook, I always make enough for a small country - or so Adam says).  But hey, god forbid my child should go hungry!  However, I found that when I did this, not only was Big A less likely to finish all the food, she was less likely to eat anything.  Perhaps too much food looks intimidating?  I got very concerned several times when her lunch box came home with only a fe...

I am very excited to offer the first giveaway ever on my blog! If you love to cook, like I do, than you know how important it is to have high quality kitchen equipment, particularly knives.  Believe it or not, I despise chopping fruits and veggies, but I do it because I believe cooking from scratch is essential to good health and nutrition.  I think a significant contributor to the North American obesity epidemic is our over-reliance on restaurant, prepared and processed foods.  I don't see "hating it" or "not having time" as excuses for not cooking.  It's a life skill, and like brushing your teeth, I think you have got to do it, regardless of whether you want to or not to ensure good health - unless you are wealthy enough to pay someone to do it for you, I suppose.  I was recently sent several complimentary products from the Cutco Cutlery company to try out.  The company makes a wide variety of kitchen knives, gadgets and cookware.  They sent me ...

  If you know anything about nutrition, than like me, you were probably rolling your eyes over the bruhaha caused by recent headlines declaring organic food no healthier than conventionally grown food based on the results of a literature review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine . These headlines referred to the findings that organic food has similar levels of nutrients and are not less likely to contain bacterial pathogens that can cause food-borne illness.  Well, duh!  Who ever thought this was the case?  Most people eat organic foods to avoid pesticides and to support more sustainable, environmentally-friendly farming practices. In a perfect world we would only grow and produce organic food.  But let's face it, this is a far from perfect world.  Most people cannot afford to eat organic food.  Fortunately, if you pick-and-choose your food wisely, you can minimize your exposure to pesticides without breaking the bank. Not only do diff...

A growing body of research links poor dental health with a host of chronic health issues and risks, including from heart disease to pregnancy complications.  So even though I hate doing it, I floss my teeth every day, brush after every time I eat, and I use a fluoride rinse. I started the fluoride rinse a few years ago, not so much as an anti-cavity measure, but on my dentist's recommendation as a strategy that could help with my teeth sensitivity.  She suggested a fluoride rinse made by Oral B , and it did help with my sensitivity.  Big A has been using it too, on the recommendation of her dentist, since the visit where we discovered she had  multiple cavities .  It was perfect, for this purpose, because unlike a lot of mouthwashes, this one had no alcohol, nor strong taste, so she was willing to use it.  Unfortunately, like so many products I like, it was discontinued.  Sigh! I've been on a quest for a replacement for the past few months ...

This is one of my favorite recipes OF ALL TIME and I've been making it for years.  I thought I put it on the blog when I first started it, but I recently realized that I never did.  My apologies, because it is so amazing.  Well now I'm sharing it.  So hopefully you'll forgive me tardiness on this one. I've included the veggies I like to use, but pick and choose whatever are your favorites.  Add a protein in, if you wish (chicken, tofu, etc). Since the whole grain pasta and sesame butter have a lot of protein, I don't bother.  If you don't want them to be spicy, you can omit the heat factor and still have a fantastic dish. Spicy Sesame Sauce 1/2 cup sesame butter (this is not the same as tahini, it's made from roasted sesame seeds)* 2 tbls low sodium soy sauce/tamari/coconut aminos 2 tbls rice vinegar Juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup natural/sugar-free ketchup (or 1/4 cup tomato paste + 1 tbls coconut sugar) 3-4 tbls finely chopped or minced f...

I could not be happier that it's Friday.  I am very glad to see this week end. Adam has been away since Sunday.  This was the week that Adam goes to Ottawa for his annual work trip.  A whole week is a long time to be a single parent.  I counsel many single women seeking donor insemination so they can have a child.  While I can easily see myself having done that if I'd found myself still single in my 30s or 40s, I don't think I would have made a great single mom.  Heck, I don't think I make a great mom period! I am the first one to admit that parenting does not come easy to me.  I just don't have the personality traits or skills that are advantageous.  Don't get me wrong, I unconditionally love my children and I would, without question, give my life for them.  But I am an anxiety-prone, Type-A, goal oriented, perfectionist who lacks patience.  Not great characteristics for a parent.  Particularly when you have two extremely s...

I love nutritional yeast.  Yep.  Even if it weren't so healthy, I'd still cook with it.  Regardless of whether it really tastes like cheese or not, it just tastes good. My first introduction to it, however, is kind of amusing in hindsight.  I read about it when I went on my psycho-nutrition kick following my mom's breast cancer diagnosis.  This was back in 1998 before I was using the Internet, and while I was a single grad student with little money to spend on cook books.  Not knowing what to do with the stuff, I began just throwing it into fruit smoothies.  I didn't mind the taste, but now that I know it is best suited for savoury things because it has a rather 'cheesy' taste to it, I kind of gag at the thought. Anyways, now I DO know how to use it, and really enjoy using it in all sorts of ways.  Given how much I like the flavour, I started to think about how I could really showcase the flavour.  I've used it for many cheese-sa...

Adam went nuts for this dish.  You know when he loves a vegan dish, it's GOOD.  I should also add that my foodie mother loved it as well.  She tried some last weekend as she passed through town on route to England to meet up with my dad.  You'll love it too! On top of being super yummy and nutritious, it is also inexpensive and makes a lot, so you  can either freeze leftovers, or serve it to a crowd. You can serve this over the rice, but I prefer to mix the rice right into the curry before serving so it soaks up all of the delicious sauce. 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2-3 tbls fresh ginger, minced 2 tbls madras curry powder (hot or mild) 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2-1 tsp salt 1/4 cup cider vinegar Caribbean scotch bonnet hot sauce, to taste (optional) 1 can crushed pineapple, with juice 1 can light coconut milk 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas) 1 cabbage, cored and thinly sliced 1.5 cups long grain brow...

When it comes to fruit eaten out of hand, I'm really picky.  Apples are my favorite, followed by cherries, berries and citrus fruits.  That's about it.  Nothing else interests me.  But when it comes to cooking and baking, it's a whole other story.  Mango, apricots, peaches, pears, pineapple are all great.  But one of my favorite baked fruits is plums.  They literally taste like candy when baked or roasted.  The girls have been swooning over the Italian Prune Plums we've been buying recently.  Big A particularly liked that the basket from the market was labelled as "Candy plums", that certainly increased the appeal.  Then I made these for the girls, and they totally flipped.  They are so f*ing good!  I actually had to cut them off because I was worried they'd eat so many they'd be pooping their brains out. These are also super easy to make and can be used in so many ways: in a salad, served as a side or topping to sa...

It seems like every time I open a newspaper or turn on the television lately, I see something about the Bachelor Canada which premiered this month.   I have NEVER watched any of these matchmaking shows.  Frankly, I think they are all repugnant and I have never been able to fathom how people stomach watching such crap.  I feel similarly about most reality shows (Biggest Loser, Survivor, etc.). The one exception is real estate/home reno shows.  I could watch HGTV all day.  Personally, I think these shows are qualitatively different than above mentioned.  They are not about competition or exploitation or public humiliation.  Just pure real estate porn and voyeurism.  Nothing wrong with that! I particularly love watching the shows that follow house hunters.  This includes, of course, House Hunters and House Hunters International, but also ones like Urban Suburban, Property Virgins, Buy Herself, etc. Nevertheless, there are ce...

While I admit I could use some botox between the eyes, I am proud to say I still don't have a single gray hair.    This is actually quite surprising given what life can be like these days. Take this morning, for example.  Little A had a 20 minute tantrum over what to wear, even though I wasn't even arguing with her!  I told her to pick out what she wanted, that she could choose.  She just seemed to want a fight.  Fortunately, after all the shrieking and foot stomping, she eventually settled on a cute, and relatively colour-coordinated outfit. Another 20 minute tantrum ensued a little while later when she asked for a popsicle and I refused.  She carried on until I promised to make her and Big A hot cocoa. Just before leaving the house, Little A began another meltdown over what she deemed unsatisfactory mitten and glove options.  Big A wouldn't let her wear her Hello Kitty gloves, and the three other choices I offered he...

Image Source There is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness, and this stigma often prevents people from getting the help they need. Recent research, however, has found that this stigma may be declining and Americans are now more knowledgeable than ever about the prevalence of depression and its treatability. Today, October 11th, is National Depression Screening Day.  More than 1,000 sites across the U.S. are offering free, anonymous assessments for various mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and PTSD  To find a site, or to do the screening online, please visit: www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org . Here is the official press release: Mental Health Stigma Declining Public Opinion Survey Reveals the Vast Majority Would Consult a Doctor if Experiencing Symptoms of Depression National Depression Screening Day ® Links Individuals to Treatment, Saves Lives October 9, 2012 (Boston, MA) - Most Americans are familiar with depression a...

However fleeting, I love fall: The weather,  the colours, the smell in the air...ah, it makes me so happy!  I also love Thanksgiving, a holiday that incorporates many things I cherish: cooking, eating, and gratitude.  So this past weekend was bliss for me. Saturday we took the girls back to the Evergreen Brickworks .  This time Little A was in a much better mood, Big A enjoyed it, and there were no major meltdowns or incidents.  We convinced the girls to let us take them on a nature walk and it was wonderful.  We would have stayed even longer than we did if we hadn't had to get Big A to her gymnastics class at 1pm. While exploring the farmer's market, Little A insisted on another giant vegan chocolate chip cookie so, of course, Big A had to have one too.  They also convinced me to buy them apple chips from the man from Niagara Try Dry .  He was so nice and helpful, offering the girls a taste of various dried fruits...

I adore shiritake noodles.  They are a wonderful replacement for rice noodles, particularly in Asian-style dishes.  Rice noodles can easily get gummy and sticky, but shiritake's maintain their texture no matter what.  Because they do not absorb liquid, however, you have to be careful to prepare them properly, using the drying method, and make sure you start with a fairly thick sauce.  This dish is so yummy and flavourful and so quick to prepare!  Perfect for lunch or dinner.  For a vegan option, add cubed tofu in place of the tuna. Salad 1lb bag shiritake noodles (not the tofu kind), drained and rinsed 1 can tuna, undrained 1 bag rainbow slaw 1 bunch green onions, sliced 2 tbls fresh ginger, finely chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced Dressing 1/4 cup low-fat mayo (regular or vegan) 3-4 tbls light miso paste 2 tbls rice vinegar (unseasoned, sugar-free kind) 1 tbls low sodium soy/tamari or aminos 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil Sira...