Healthy Life Lessons

  I grew up with a mom who is a feminist.  I was taught that gender equality is extremely important and that culture, not biology sets limits on women's capabilities.  My mother always told me to be financially self-sufficient.  I never remember her telling me to get married and have kids.  She wanted me to use my mind and have a positive influence on the world.  Ironically, when I was studying sociology as an undergrad, I became far more interested in socioeconomic status and how that influences individual freedom and choices.  Of course, socioeconomic status and gender are inextricably intertwined. Later on, in my studies the impact of gender roles and cultural stereotypes returned as central players in many of the psychological and sociocultural issues I was examining.  There is no doubt that inequality and antiquated gender stereotypes are still hanging on, far more than I would have expected in 2015. Sure a lot has chang...

I started a book club! Given what an avid reader I am, I can't believe it took me so long to do so. My friend suggested The Boston Girl as our first read.  Although we don't meet until the end of March, I already finished it.  It's very good. It basically tells the life story of Addie, a Jewish woman, born in 1900 and growing up in Boston.  It is narrated by Addie as an 85-year-old woman sharing the details with her granddaughter. It was a timely read for me because Adam and I are taking a trip to Boston in May - it will be my first time there ever - and I always love learning about the history of the place I am visiting.  There isn't tons of historical info about the city, but it certainly gives the story context. While I enjoyed this book, I wouldn't say I LOVED it, but I don't know why.  Perhaps once we discuss it as a group the reason for my reticence will be illuminated. Oh, but Anita Diamant's previous novel, The Red Tent, which I r...

I am the first to admit that I used to be a total carb addict.  Oatmeal, brown rice, pasta...I couldn't live without it...and probably ate way more than I should have...at every sitting.  If a proper serving of rice or pasta is 1/2 cup, then I probably ate 5 servings in a single meal!  I never saw this as a problem since I was firmly entrenched in the 90s low-fat trend.  I kinda laugh at my diet back then, which was not only really high in carbs, but also refined sugar. I used to bake a ton of fat-free baked goods that had tons and tons of sugar.  They were delicious!  But now I realize, they were not really that healthy. I probably got away with this without any repercussions because I was young, I always ate whole grains, and because I have always been so physically active.  But, interestingly, as I have increasingly shifted away from endurance exercise towards strength training, I've started craving carbs less and protein more.  I hav...

If you are at all nutrition-conscious, then you are probably familiar with Bob's Red Mill products. They carry a wide array of whole grains, flours, baking mixes and cereals. I've been buying them for years and am a big fan. When I was approached about reviewing this cookbook , I eagerly agreed. I actually thought all the recipes would be using their all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, which I have not purchased before, but it actually does not.  It contains a wide array of recipes from salads to mains, to desserts, using many different gluten-free flour and grains from their product line, including millet, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, sorghum, etc. This impressed me because I often find gluten-free recipes are anything but healthy and nutritious since they often use nothing but white rice flour, tapioca and potato starch to replace other flours.  These are low nutrition, low fibre products which I try to avoid. The book begins with a section introducing the various...

Its Monday!  Its freezing! ...at least the sun is shining. So, this product news might just sweeten up your day. Just about every packaged food product these days tries to make health claims.  Most is bullshit.  Just because something is organic, low-fat, has a tiny bit of whole grains, is gluten-free, cholesterol-free, etc., doesn't mean its healthy! A trip to the grocery store with the kids involves me saying "No" at least a hundred times, particularly to Big A, who wants to try every single cracker, cookie, snack food, and breakfast cereal out there because she is a total sugar/carb addict.  Most of the crap on the shelves these days makes me shudder. So I was pleasantly surprised when dragging Little A down an aisle the other day and found a product I was truly impressed with: Pocket Treats.  It was in the candy aisle, of all places, and Little A immediately started asking if I would buy them.   I actually said, "Yes."...

The weirdest thing happened on Wednesday: I heard Little A calling me from her bed and when I went  to get her the first thing she said was, "Mommy, I don't want you to die." Huh? I didn't think much of it 'cause she often says weird things. After dropping of the girls at school later that morning, I was walking home.  I started crossing a busy intersection near our house after the light turned green.  A moment later I looked up and the grill of a car was coming at me and was not stopping.  I literally had a few seconds where I thought the gig was up for me.  I was able to pull myself together and lurch out of the way but the car still hit my leg.  Fortunately I was not physically hurt but I was completely terrified and in shock. The driver just drove right into me as he did a left turn, on my right of way! The guy did stop, get out and apologize and said, "Sorry, I didn't see you."  What?  That means he wasn't looking in th...

I really like Michael's two ab training DVDs, so when I spied her Killer Buns & Thighs in the sale bin at the mall, I couldn't resist. I've never been able to get as much definition in my lower body as I have in my upper body, and that was then not helped much when I developed hamstring tendonitis after Little A was born. I ended up doing no weights for my lower body for a few years just to avoid aggravating it. Now I can train lower body and have been really working on it, so I thought this would be a great way to shake up my routine a bit. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. It has 3 levels, just like her Killer Abs DVD and you need weights and a step or chair for some of the exercises. Level 1 was a bummer (pun intended!). I found it too easy and not very interesting.  Level 2 and 3 are fun and have a couple of cool moves, but really this was not the ass-kicking workout I was hoping for.  Nothing really got my heart rate up that much and some of the ...

It's cold.  Damn cold.  Its supposed to stay this was until March.  February sucks. I agreed to go skating with Little A's kindergarten class today and man, I wish I hadn't!  Fortunately, its 'only' going to be -6 Celsius today, which is a heck of a lot warmer than its been. My ugly, but warm Kamik winter boots have been looking so horrible from all the salt stains, and my vinegar trick wasn't working, that I finally threw them in the washing machine last night.  I wasn't sure what would happen, but they actually turned out great!  So at least I can wear them today without looking filthy. While I am glad its a short week because of the holiday, its still going to be tough.  Adam is going away again for work, my work week is packed, my parents are coming, and next weekend is so crazy I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about it. AT LEAST February is a short month! Stay warm my friends...

  There is definitely no shortage of things to do in Toronto, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with a new way to keep the kids entertained, especially in the dead of winter. I was generously offered tickets for the family to Medieval Times in exchange for reviewing our experience. I have to admit I hadn't really thought of taking the girls before, but I think it was the perfect time.  I don't think I would take kids younger than 4 or 5 and they are just the age to appreciate it. The dinner theatre has a number of locations across the U.S. but Toronto is the only location in Canada.  Its down at Exhibition Place so accessible by public transport.  We drove because when we went, this past Sunday, it was quite possibly the coldest day of the year (-38 Celsius with windchill!) and parking was $11.00. There are 1:30pm, 4:30pm and/or 7:30pm shows, depending what day you come.  Its recommended you come before show time so we got there at around 3:...

Thank goodness there is no Dumb Ass in our family! Happy Family Day!!!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and Monday is Family Day, so its going to be a long-weekend with lots of Family time.  Its also going to be obscenely cold...like its about -30 Celsius right now and its going stay like this all weekend.  So much for any outdoor activities!! Its also a PD day for the girls, so they have one all day Valentine celebration, the lucky ducks.  This meant I was busy, along with a bit of help from Big A, and none from Little A, filling 40 little bags with cinnamon popcorn last night.  Sure it would have been easier to buy chocolate or lollipops, but since it pisses me off when the girls come home with candy, I didn't want to be that parent.  Note that they had their school Valentine's Day parties yesterday and both came home with candy, cookies and cupcakes.  Sigh! I don't work tomorrow so its truly a long weekend for all of us.  Sunday we are going to Medieval Times, and Monday we have plans with friends.  Whateve...

There aren't too many foods my kids are excited about that I am excited about serving them.  Popcorn is one exception.  Its a healthy, whole grain and relatively low in calories. G.H. Cretors recently sent us their Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Simply Salted varieties to try. I was anticipating that the girls wouldn't like the Olive Oil kind as it  really does smell and taste of olive oil, but to my surprise, it was a hit.  In fact, Big A claims its the best popcorn that she has EVER had!  She thinks its the most flavourful.  Whoa!! I like that its organic, and non-GMO.  It is also certified gluten-free and Kosher. ' If you're a snacker but trying to manage your weight or maintain good health, popcorn is a great choice and G.H. Cretors provides some delicious and nutritious options. Disclosure: We were provided with the products for free but all opinions on this blog are our own.

Do you celebrate Valentines Day or, like my parents when I was growing up, do you reject it as another way for chocolate and card companies to make money? I was into it in my 20s, partly, I think, precisely because my parents wouldn't buy into it when I was growing up.  Adam and I would go out to a fancy restaurant each year and make it a celebration and I would usually buy chocolates and wine for us to indulge in...I don't think we've done any of that since we've had kids.  In fact, Adam has been away travelling for work for the last bunch of Valentines Days.  Although he's here this year we have no grand plans.  I will just try to find a nice meal to prepare for us on Saturday.  Also, I concocted these little gems, which proved to be a big hit with the whole family. Nothing like giving the people you love something that will make their tummies and their hearts happy, huh? These are so super simple to make and really yummy.  They are ...

Good Moringa...I mean Good Morning to you! Feeling a little blurry eyed?  Fuzzy headed? Missing you mojo? You might just want to try some moringa. Morninga, in case you are unaware, is a plant that has crazy-ass nutrients packed into its leaves. I was sent a package of Green Virgin Products' Moringa Powder to review and was initially skeptical of its vaulted claims.  The most nutrient-dense plant on the earth...seriously? Well it just very well may be true! Here's the scoop.  Moringa contains: 90 different types of Nutrients 46 Antioxidants 36 Anti-Inflammatory Agents 18 Amino Acids and 9 Essential Amino Acids 10x the Vitamin A of carrots 17x the Calcium of milk 15x the Potassium of bananas 25x the Iron of spinach 9x the Protein of yogurt 4x more Fiber than oats 1/2 the Vitamin c of oranges (7x vitamin c for fresh leaves) Anti-diabetic properties Anti-hypertensive properties Anti-tumor properties Just to make sure this wasn...

Every year since Big A started school, there has been this 100th Day of School Thing.  It involves celebrating the (duh) 100th day of school by having each child bring in 100 things.  From what I've seen on Facebook, apparently it isn't just their school, but a lot of schools that are doing this now. The thing is, this means parents have to find some cheap thing that they can buy, or make perhaps, and bring in.  Something nut-free and hopefully non-offensive (nothing promoting violence, of course), most of the things each child brings in are silly little things that are given out to each child and end up in the bottom of their school bags with a whole bunch of other useless things. We are a society that is obsessed with things.  Things, for some reason, bring us comfort.  Things are a reward.  In fact, its frightening how young children learn to value things.  Sure, we as parents have no one to blame but ourselves and the materialistic society we...

No matter how blessed we are in life, its easy to get bogged down in the mire. But focusing on everything that goes wrong can turn even the sunniest person into a downpour.  That's why counsellors and therapists so often recommend clients dealing with depression start a gratitude practice.  Individuals with depression have a tendency to only see the negative and discount the positives. I like to use the "At least..." strategy to avoid falling into that trap.  If something goes wrong or a negative event occurs, I always try to look on the bright side.  Like yesterday: Little A melted down when I dropped her off but...at least she was well enough to go back to school. It was ass-freezing but...at least it was bright and sunny. My office was ridiculously overheated so I turned purple and sweat through my sessions with my clients but...at least it made me more eager to go back out into the cold. There was a super duper annoying subway delay but...at least ...

This post is for the A Day in the Life Link-Up.  I have decided to give you Sunday because its the day that's most consistent.  During the week, aside from the early morning pre-dropping off the girls at school, things are all over the place as our routine varies widely based on Adam's work schedule, my work schedule and the girls' activities. But some things about Sundays have stayed the same for a very long time.  You could call Sunday JCC day. The downtown JCC in Toronto will always hold a special place in my heart.  I started teaching fitness classes there back in 1997 and in 2000, I met Adam there.  He went to a high school across the street and began working out there when he was 13 years old (yes we are 2 peas in a pod!!). Up to the point where I was about 7 months pregnant with Big A, I was teaching fitness there 6 days a week.  After she was born, I cut back to just 1 class. Now, the girls spend a good part of their weekends there...

Its Snow Day/Sick Day (aka Snick Day) #2.  Sigh! If today is going to be anything like yesterday, there will be lots of whining and lots of television/movie watching.  Little A can just sit like a zombie in front of that darn screen for hours.  I guess the positive side of that is I was able to have an important phone meeting.  Today, however, I have client sessions I can't postpone, so my mother-in-law has kindly agreed to come for a few hours.  I am currently staring out the window at a whole lot of greyness and snow and it is snowing again. I am trying to visualize spring in my mind... Have a happy hump day!

So yesterday, like much of the North East, we got a massive snowstorm.  Schools closed, transportation stalled and everyone grumbled about all the shovelling that had to be done. Our lovely neighbours did a good bit of the shovelling for us in the front, but our garage in the back alley was snowed in and the car wasn't getting out.  Also, it just happens to be the week we're looking after our other neighbours' house while they are in Florida and so we (Adam) had to do their shovelling.  It did finally stop snowing in the afternoon...but then Little A came down with a fever.  Sigh! So today is a sick snow day.  After I drop Big A off at school, Little A and I will be hibernating at home.  I guess there are worse things.  If she's in a decent mood (both girls are still asleep right now!), then we could have fun.  If not, its not going to be pretty.  She is a very bad sick, prone to just howling and whining non-stop.  I seriously...

Like most kids, I never wanted to stand out. Being Jewish in a small, pretty homogenous city was enough 'being different' for me.  I felt very different though.  Not just the being Jewish thing, but my family culture was different.  My parents - reacting against their own family cultures - were very anti-materialism.  They focused exclusively on cerebral matters, and topics of discussion were politics, arts and literature...not fashion and pop music. Unfortunately, I happened to go to an elementary school that was full of privileged kids and what you were wearing and what you looked like was of utmost importance.  But my parents refused to give in to that.  No matter how much I begged, I was not bought an overpriced Benetton Rugby shirt that all the other cool kids had. I never felt I lived up to most of the other kids.  I can't blame that entirely on my wardrobe (I was also a privileged and very well dressed kid...this stuff is all relative, of...