Healthy Life Lessons

  Its Friday!  Hallelujah!  I need a break from the morning routine.  Little A has been in another pissy phase and has been just insufferable.  How does a 5-year-old wake up so angry at the world?  I do think it must be some sort of anxiety as she doesn't get into these fits on weekends or holidays and she always complains about having to go to school.  Its strange though, because she is doing great in school and really does have so much fun there and at daycare, but somehow the prospect of going in the morning bothers her.  I think I need to see a child psychologist so I can understand her! Its been an odd week with some significant happenings: Maya Angelou passed away Knowlton Nash died The search for the missing Malaysian aircraft ended 5 girls/women in the Toronto area mysteriously went missing Maya Angelou was such an incredible woman, and I love her quote above.  As I near my 40th birthday, I have never identified ...

      I am so loving our Sodastream!  I know I have mentioned many times all the health benefits of green tea.  The unfortunate thing is, I don't love the taste.  Its okay, but anytime I am deciding what kind of hot drink to have, coffee always wins out.  I am not a huge fan of iced tea, in general, either though, so getting the tea in me is tough.  I use green tea to make my oatmeal, instead of using water, but now I have found another way I really enjoy it: with bubbles! Yep, every day now I fill up my Sodastream bottle, carbonate the water, and make one of the following combos: Green tea + lemon stevia liquid Mint green tea + peppermint stevia liquid Superfruit green tea + mixed berry stevia liquid They are all so refreshing, and I feel great knowing I am getting all the benefits of green tea on a regular basis.   If you don't love drinking hot green tea either, I encourage you to give this a try, it's...

I wish it weren't true, but I do worry about how 'old' I look.  I am turning 40 this September and let's face it, women have come a long way, but our looks still matter.  You still gotta be thin and young.  Otherwise you are pretty much invisible.  Yes there are exceptions, but few of us are Hilary Clintons and even H.C. has received criticism about her appearance (even though last time I checked, her job does not require someone to look a certain way...at least if you are a man). Anyways, I won't go into a full-on rant.  But I will admit to having succumbed to the pressure to look youthful.  I because self-conscious enough about the lines on my forehead that I have anti-aging cream I apply every day and all sorts of 'illuminating' creams that are supposed to make light bounce off my skin in a way that hides my wrinkles.  Sometimes when I am getting ready in the morning, I feel like a contractor working on drywall with all the layers of stuff I put...

Okay men, yes you, you heterosexual-in-a-stable-relationship men who, along with your partner, are certain you do not want any or more children.   It’s time to get snipped. Oh come on, stop covering up your groin with your hands and call the urologist already! If you think I am joking I am absolutely not.   It peeves me how many women I speak to, both personally, and professionally as a therapist, who tell me their partners refuse to get a vasectomy.   These women are left with the burden of responsibility for birth control, because, by the way, most of these men don’t like condoms either.   Consequently, many have to use IUDs or birth control pills, often suffering from unpleasant, and sometimes serious, side-effects. Okay dudes, women have no choice but to endure messy and often painful periods for about 4 decades of their life, as well as, if they choose, pregnancy, childbirth/C-sections, and breast feeding.   Sometimes they are forced to undergo ...

Good morning! I hope you had a nice weekend.  Ours was lovely.  Suddenly we are having summer weather...I'll spare you my whining and complaining about this heat and humidity that usually doesn't arrive for another few weeks... It is Infertility Awareness Week, and today I am giving a talk on the Surrogacy Journey.  The whole roster of events can be found here .    Thanks to the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada for helping us put together this presentation! Tonight is also the first meeting of a support group I am running for women who have had multiple miscarriages.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to do what I do.  I love helping those going through this difficult journey, but there is so much more that needs to be done: greater awareness, more available support; less stigma.

Well hello on this drab Friday morning!  The weather is so unpredictable, I can't tell from one day to the next if it is actually going to rain or not because the weather reports are never reliable.  This makes it tough for me to decide whether to ride my bike or take the subway to work.  Having just tuned up my bike, I am reluctant to have it rained on... Anyhoo, at least its Friday!  I work tomorrow, but then we have dinner plans with friends in the evening.  Sunday Adam is heading to Kingston to give a talk to my mom's synagogue Jewish education group. After my spin class and the girls' Hebrew School, Little A has a playdate and Big A and I are going to check out Christie Pits Park Arts Festival.  The weather is SUPPOSED to be nice. So, I have already raised over $1,500 for the Weekend to End Women's Cancers funding Princess Margaret Hospital! But my team, the Teal Magnolias, still has a long ways to go. I am so glad to have some aw...

Despite missing out on a romantic anniversary celebration last weekend, we still managed to have a lot of fun.  In particular, on Monday when Little A was finally feeling better and was being less pissy, we managed to have a great time.  In the morning, we picked up Big A's boyfriend, and took the kids to the playground at their school.  There were other friends of theirs' there too, and we ended up staying for almost 2 hours.  Then we went back to our house for lunch.  Big A and her boyfriend are so cute...they held hands walking back from the park to our house.  Big A said to me, about him, at one point: "He is NOT hard to look at..."  Like where does an 8-year-old learn to talk like that???  Hysterical! Later on, 3 of Big A's girlfriends, who had been away at Brownie camp the weekend of her birthday party, came for dinner.  I ordered pizza for them and they danced away playing Dance Party on the girls' new Wii.  A few of the paren...

I loved the Chinese Style Not-Fried, Not-Rice recipe I made a few weeks ago, using cauliflower 'rice', that I decided to replicate it using Indian flavours.  It doesn't disappoint!    A little sweetness from the garam masala and mango, creaminess from the yogurt, heat from the cayenne, and richness from the chicken and this made an awesome couple of lunches for me.  If you want to go veggie, just use chickpeas or crumbled tempeh instead of the chicken. Full of fibre, protein and vitamins, this meal is guaranteed to power you through the day! Grain-Free Chicken Biryani 1 lb lean ground chicken (or crumbled tempeh) 1 large onion, diced 1/4 cup finely diced fresh ginger 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 tbls garam masala 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp turmeric Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional) 2 cups peas and diced carrots 1/2 cup plain, gelatin free yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) 2 cauliflowers, pulsed in food processor until consisten...

Are you a Nutella fan?  I can't say I actually ever have been.  We never had it in our house and even as a kid, there was something about it that just tasted fake to me.  Weird because I love the combo of hazelnut and chocolate.  Not much of a loss though, as Nutella isn't exactly health food. I love the idea of making a homemade version - there are lots of recipes online - but I don't have a high power blender (one day I hope!), and my food processor could never handle making such a thing.  So I was excited when I found NutiLight online.  A sugar-free hazelnut chocolate spread?  Yes please!  I ordered 3 jars immediately. Unfortunately, I found this product very disappointing.  It tastes much like regular Nutella (i.e. fake) and I could barely taste the hazelnut at all!  Also, it ain't cheap and even though the jar says it contains like 10 servings, I used half a jar just to make 2 sandwiches.  My nut butter and honey sa...

And here we are on a holiday Monday! Unfortunately, our date on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary never happened.  Little A got sick on Thursday but I was hopeful she would be better in time.  Not so much.  So much for that!  Her fever is gone, but she still has no appetite and is very mucousy, so Adam is taking her to the doctor today.  I am a bit worried she either has pneumonia again or another ear infection.  Sigh! I did manage to make us some delicious meals, like Mediterranean pizza last night!  And Big A still got to go to the Lion King musical with my in-laws, and today she is having her lunch date with her boyfriend and her girlfriends over for dinner.  Since our celebration didn't happen Saturday, and today is our actual anniversary, I think I just might crack open a bottle of bubbly! Enjoy your Victoria Day!

Not only is it Friday...its the Friday before a long weekend! Oh, and Monday also happens to be our anniversary.  Admittedly, I have spent almost the past whole year thinking we were coming up on our 13th wedding anniversary, but actually, as Adam pointed out the other day, it's only our 12th.  But now he's teasing me that if its our 13th, than I must be another year older.  Yeah, he loves ribbing me about my age since I'm 2 years older than him. Seriously though, I am really lucky.  Adam is my best friend.  I am so grateful I met him when I did...back when I was just 25!  To have to go through life alone is really tough.  I see this with my single clients who are opting to have a baby on their own, as they feel they have no other choice, and with my clients freezing their eggs because they are single and worry that time is running out, but are not yet ready to have a baby on their own.  As heartbreaking and difficult as infertility is, as lon...

Happy feet are important.  I love cute shoes, but for me, they are not worth it if they aren't comfortable.  I envy women who can where whatever shoes they want without much thought, but I am not that woman! First of all, there has to be some practicality to footwear for me.  If I can't chase after my children, run for the bus, etc. then forget it.  Special occasions are the only time I'll break this rule, but even then they have to be comfortable. At our wedding, my shoes came off right after the ceremony and didn't make it back on for the rest of the night.  I could have cared less that my dress dragged on the ground.  Those nasty buggers pinched like all get out. The other reason I have such limited shoe options is that I have really bad feet.  My circulation is bad (which is odd for a very fit person), and although my doctor is not concerned about it (although the podiatrist a few years ago just told me to avoid walking outdoors all winter lo...

I was recently sent some Solo GI Energy Bars to try.  The whole family was exited, and when I opened the package, it took mere seconds for the kids to decide they were keeping them all for themselves.  Its not the first time I don't get to sample, but since were 5 bars, one of each flavour, I did insist they let Adam, at least, have one. The idea behind these gluten-free bars, is that they provide a lower GI response compared to many other snacks and bars because of the protein and added fibres.  So when I read the ingredient list, I was both puzzled and disappointed.  The bars contain quite a bit of added sugar!  In fact, the 50g Dark Chocolate Orange flavour, for example, contains 20 grams of sugar!! I find it really weird that they would add sugar.  Why not at least coconut sugar, which is lower on the GI than regular sugar?  Or xylitol or erythritol, which unlike the other alcohol sugars, are safe and do not cause stomach upset?  W...

I can't say I love sunflower seeds...I don't mind them at all, but I don't feel they have a whole lot of flavour. Sunflower seed butter, on the other hand, is awesome!  This is such an amazingly yummy and flavourful dish.  I also make it with brown rice instead of noodles.  I usually use ground chicken but you can keep it vegan by substituting crumbled tempeh or tofu, if you like. Sun Warrier Noodle Bowl Sauce 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce/tamari/coconut aminos 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder 1/2 tsp salt Crushed red chili flakes, to taste Stir Fry 1 lb lean ground chicken (or tofu or crumbled tempeh) 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh ginger 1 broccoli, cut into florets 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into strips 6 cups mushrooms, cleaned and halved 1 bunch green onions, sliced 1 lb brown rice fettuccini, broken in half, cooked al dente Wh...

   Good Monday morning!  It's a hot and sunny one here.  How was your weekend?  Ours was loads of fun.  My mom was visiting, Big A had her birthday party on Saturday, Little A had 2 back-to-back birthday parties to attend, and yesterday was Mother's Day.  Adam treated me to my annual shopping spree (yes, I do have the best husband) and then we had dinner at my in-laws. Today I have a great book to tell you about! One of the goals of this blog is to provide clear health information.  It annoys me to no end how poorly the media conveys (and confuses) research data to the public.  If you don't understand how to interpret/critique research and/or identify credible information sources, it is easy to be misled by all the messages you see and hear. But it's not just the media that is to blame.  I am often flabbergasted by the inaccurate information spewed by many supposed health professionals.  My philosophy is, recommendations s...

Breakfast this morning was a vodka valium smoothie. Okay, I'm kidding, but I could have used it!  The girls had a knock-em-down-drag-em-out fight involving gum and birthday hats and badges.  Basically, Big A promised Little A 2 pieces of gum if she could wear the birthday hat and badge Little A got for her birthday a few weeks ago.  But then Big A gave Little A 2 pieces of a piece of gum (clearly this kid is going to be a capitalist or a politician!).  Little A was outraged and so began a whole lot of screaming, crying and fighting. Oy! Although I have taken the day off from work tomorrow, I'm not expecting this to be a relaxing weekend.  Tomorrow my mom comes for a stayover on the way back from her trip to NYC to see family.  In the afternoon, Little A has 2 back-to-back birthday parties for friends while we host Big A's party.  Again, I am so glad we are holding it at Amazon, because our experience with Little A's party there was absolute...

          I have been wanting a Sodastream for ages.  I love the palate-cleansing effect of carbonated water, but don't like the cost and waste of buying bottles and cans of club soda (seltzer for you Americans).  I also don't want the girls drinking pop (soda for you Americans).  Adam has a bit of a Diet Coke habit, I am also hoping to help him replace it with a healthier option.  So when Adam asked what I wanted for an anniversary gift this year (our 13th is on May 19th!), I knew the answer immediately. After doing some research, I ordered one from Kitchen Stuff Plus , and it arrived just a few days later. OMG, I love it!  It is so simply and it cuts down on cost and is super eco-friendly.  It doesn't even use electricity! I have been using it everyday and simply experimenting with different combinations of teas and flavoured stevia drops.  Of course, it is also great with just a squeeze of lemon or lime...

When it comes to sweets, my tastes run towards the very simple.  Chocolate.  Spicy stuff (gingerbread, carrot cake, etc.).  My favorite treat of all time is oatmeal raisin cookies.  Forget chocolate chip, its the crispy, chewy, cinnamon-y oatmeal raisin that is the cookie star in my book.  So that was the inspiration for this granola.  With milk or sprinkled onto yogurt, this stuff is pure heaven.  I added golden berries, simply because, they kinda look like raisins and I was eager to try them (bonus that they are also super healthy!). The Snapz were added to provide a little crunchy contrast to the chewy fruit, but you could always throw in nuts instead.  Believe me, your house will smell divine after baking up this granola.  This isn't going to last long around here...the girls love it and so does my mom, who's noshed on it during her visit here recently. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free & Vegan) ...

  Bacon still seems to be all the rage these days, turning up in everything from cocktails to cupcakes. Of course I think this is disgusting and ridiculous.  Probably one of the worst things for your health that you can eat is cured and processed meats.  Why?  The nitrites they are preserved with.  And don't let 'cultured celery extract' on the ingredient list fool you, that's just a 'naturally' derived nitrite that experts say may be just as harmful. That being said, I do think bacon is tasty.  Not tasty enough to eat often, if at all, but I love the idea of a healthier substitution.  Unfortunately, all the supposedly healthier options I've found still have nitrites in them.  Until now. I recently found Mclean brand turkey bacon at Fiesta Farms  and was impressed by the ingredient list: Short, readable, with no nitrites!  I picked up a pack and threw a few slices into some wraps I made Adam and I for dinner the other...

Good Monday morning!  How was your weekend?  Ours was lovely.  We had some excitement too: Little A got her first visit from the tooth fairy.  She is absolutely thrilled despite the blood, sweat and tears involved in losing this first baby tooth. Ha! So, in case I never mentioned it before...workout out is one of the best things you can do for your health.  Based on my own experiences, and the research I've done, I am more and more convinced that strength training is one of the best forms of exercise for both health and appearance. I won't bore you with the myriad of health benefits involved, sadly, most people are not motivated by those.  But most people like the idea of looking ripped (i.e. having muscle definition and minimal body fat).  Well my friends, I am here to tell you that strength training is one of the best ways to get that body. The problem for many, particularly women, is that strength training seems intimidating.  Don't be...

  It's Friday!  Yahoo!!  But I'm working tonight and tomorrow, so maybe at least Sunday will be relaxing... I have already started my fundraising efforts for the Weekend to End Women's Cancers in September.  I would be so very grateful dear readers, if you would help me...every little bit helps!!!  You can make a donation of any size right here . While great advances have been made in detecting and treating breast cancers, there are still a long ways to go with many of the reproductive women's cancers such as ovarian cancer. If you are a woman or love a woman, that is reason alone to join this fight! Have a lovely, healthy weekend friends.

Its another wet, grey day.  Blech!  How about some sunshine filled muffins to warm you up? I baked these for the grown-ups at Little A's birthday party, just in case they wanted something besides pizza and ice cream cake.  The place also had veggie and fruit trays, which was fabulous.  And I brought a batch of my Passover chocolate chip cookie squares, for those observing. Pineapple Carrot Muffins 1 lb organic carrots, finely grated 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, with juice 2 eggs 1/4 cup oil 1/2 cup granular stevia or xylitol 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups whole spelt flour 2 tbls coconut flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Optional: raisins, walnuts, etc. Whisk together eggs, oil, sweetener and vanilla in a large bowl.  Stir in carrots and pineapple.  Stir together dry ingredients in a measuring cup or smaller bowl and then add to wet.  Mix just until combined.  Spoon batter into ...