Healthy Life Lessons

I love fish and seafood and love knowing its good for me.  I am particularly fond of pink fish like trout and salmon, but I am a bit picky about white fish.  I just don't like the texture of some (wild cod, catfish), and find others too dry and bland (sole).  Recently I decided to try President's Choice sustainably sourced wild hoki.  I had never had it before but was very impressed.  Its meaty and flaky, but not dry or rubbery.  I simply broiled it with lime juice and seasonings and threw it into fish tacos with a red onion, tomato and avocado relish.  Yum!  This is definitely going to be something I do again!! I am off for a short vacation and will be back Tuesday, May 5th.  Stay well until then.

We decided to get a new roof put on the house, along with a whole slew of our neighbours.  All our homes were built at the same time, and it was due for all of us.  As nice as it will be to have a spanking new roof, it has meant a whole lot of mess and noise around here this week! Thank goodness for yummy food.  So here is another WIAW   edition for you linked with Peas and Crayons . I have big food news, as a matter of fact...I am no longer eating oatmeal every day for breakfast!  Yes, I kid you not.  I have developed an addiction to my Chocolate Protein Mousse , and realized it is incredibly convenient (can be eaten on the go, made the night before, nothing to do in the morning...), and satisfying (keeps me full a lot longer than oatmeal).  So on busy mornings when either the girls or I have an early commitment, I switch to the mousse.       On this day, I also enjoyed snacking on my Carrot Cake Fudge ... A ...

  I am a big fan of stevia as a sweetener.  I discovered it way back in 1998 after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I went on a major lifestyle overhaul and started intensely researching the link between nutrition and chronic illness.  One of the things I changed was using aspartame (at the time it was the most available calorie-free alternative sweetener) and replaced it with stevia.   Back then, I could only find NOW brand liquid stevia and the powdered leaf.  I tried the leaf and ended up with bitter green powder floating in my tea...not good!!  I got used to the taste of the liquid stuff, but back then it still had quite a strong aftertaste.  There probably wasn't much incentive to refine it as few people were even aware of it. Fast forward to present day and stevia is everywhere...heck, even the big dog food companies (Coca Cola/Cargill) are selling their own brand (Truvia)! That being said, you now have to be caref...

I must be officially old because most popular culture these days puzzles and/or annoys me.  I don't mean to offend anyone, but hey, this is my blog so I can express my opinions... First off, hip hop style.  WTF is up with dudes wearing their pants so low their butts hang out? I've asked around and no women I know find this even remotely attractive.  Just plain weird and ridiculous! The same guys wearing their pant waists around their knees also tend to sport large baseball caps.  Sorry, but unless you are playing baseball or doing any other form of exercise, you should lose the cap!   Whether the cap is on frontwards, backwards or sideways...just no!    Hipsters. My antipathy here is more geared at guys again...hmm, interesting. Sorry if you're one of them but man, do they annoy me!  Part of it is I despise beards on men.  All facial hair really.  Scruff can be sexy but any more is just not my cup of tea.  Fortu...

Big A really is big!  She'll be turning 9 in a few weeks, but she seems so much older than that.  Partly its because she is big for her age, and mature, and I think partly kids are maturing faster these days or maybe that's just my perception since I am now 'old' or so my kids tell me. Tonight Big A is leaving to go camping with her Brownie troop for the weekend.  She won't be back until Sunday!  I can't believe it.  But I am not worried, she is such a confident, independent girl I know she'll be fine. There is nothing I would rather do less than go camping.  No air conditioning in the summer? No showers? Bugs?  Potentially dangerous wild animals? Psychopaths hiding out in the woods? A million ways to fall and injure yourself far away from a hospital? No thank you!!! Now before you call me a wimp, keep in mind that I am highly allergic to insects.  I went camping as a Brownie and Girl Guide as a kid.  I remember not minding it whe...

Wow, I don't even know where to start because I have so much to say about this book!  I loved it.  I didn't expect to at all. When I was asked to review a book about Kimper Simpkins, a former lawyer with an eating disorder turned yogi who found self-love, I agreed, but thought I would be receiving some cheesy memoir full of vague platitudes from a woman who opened up her chakras and discovered her inner beauty [insert gagging here]. This book is not that at all. It is a memoir, of sorts, but Simpkins is as down-to-earth and authentic as it gets.  In addition, she has a very engaging writing style that actually had me captivated for the entire 291 pages!  It made all my usually miserable bus and subway commutes not only pleasurable, but fly by.  Several times I was so engrossed in the book, I almost missed my stop! The book takes you through her journey from childhood, the confluence of factors that contributed to her development of anorexia...

Its funny, if you read my posts from the beginning of this blog, its mostly whining and complaining about how difficult parenting is.  And it is.  But those first years are particularly tough.  That being said, the mantra that got me through: This too shall pass...really was true. Now that Little A is 6 (today!) and Big A is about to turn 9, life is so much easier!  Not easy...is life ever easy?  But a whole lot easier.  People always told us the age 6-11 stage is delightful and they were right.  The kids have more independence but still love us.  We are now starting to dread the teenage years when there will be, we are anticipating, a lot more attitude and a lot fewer kisses. But no sense worrying about the future now when things are good.  I just still can't believe that today my 'baby' is 6!  She still feels like my baby, but she really is growing up. Happy Earthday and happy birthday to my little sweetie!

I adore pesto sauce but I never even attempted making it for the kids because I figured it would never fly with them in a million years. Behold the power of peer pressure!  Big A had dinner at her boyfriend's house last year and was served pesto pasta, which they call Green Monster Pasta, and came home raving about it.  Who knew?  Apparently its a favorite of Sam's and he is a super picky eater.  So this is now a favorite in our house among both kids.  I am not exaggerating when I say the girls ate almost a pound of pesto pasta last night between the two of them!  I love that it is quick and easy (don't bother making the pesto from scratch if you are pressed for time), and contains a whole crap load of spinach. Green Monster Pasta 1 lb whole grain pasta 1 container store bought basil pesto 1 350-500g box organic baby spinach Parmesan cheese for serving Put entire container of spinach in food processor and finely chop.  Add store bought pe...

Good morning. That wasn't said with much enthusiasm.  Its Monday, its pouring rain, Little A didn't like the clothes I picked out for her, Big A didn't like how I made her oatmeal.  Just another typical day around here... Fortunately, we did have a good weekend.  The birthday party almost went off without a hitch.  It just didn't start well, at least for Adam and I.  Chocolate Tales was supposed to show up at 2:15pm to set up for the party starting at 3pm.  The girl didn't arrive until just after 3pm!! So there were 45 minutes when Adam and I were in a total panic trying to contact them.  She claims she hit bad traffic, and while there is definitely a traffic problem in Toronto, we aren't sure we buy her story.  Anyways, it worked out because the girls had fun playing in Little A's room (no idea what the heck they were doing) while everything was getting set up.  Then when they started the chocolate making, the girls had a blast.  L...

I am cautiously optimistic that the nice weather is here to stay. That being said, its not outside the realm of possibility that it could turn again since its only April.  But lets stay in the moment, shall we?  And today it is a lovely, sunny 20 Celsius.  Perfect!! Nevertheless this day started out a bit rough.  Little A woke up in a snit.  I was finally able to pull her out of it by reminding her that it is Friday and tomorrow is her birthday party.  Then as we were rushing to get out the door early so I could get Big A to track and field try outs, Little A spilled her pineapple banana smoothie ALL OVER the kitchen.  I didn't even have time to properly clean it up before we had to leave, hence after returning, I was faced with an extremely sticky floor to mop up.  Sigh! Fortunately it should be a good weekend.  My uncle from New York is visiting, so aside from Little A's birthday bash, we will be heading to my brother's place for a...

I never imagined loving working out at home as much as I do. From the age of 14 until Big A was born in 2006, I was a total gym rat.  I loved gyms, I lived in gyms, I worked in gyms. After I had kids, I realized that you can stay super fit without all the equipment and without much space.  It not only became a necessity to workout at home, it has become my preference. I can wear what I want, do what I want and I never have to wait for equipment, deal with oddballs, or waste any time on travel. Whether you love the gym or not, sometimes you can't make it to a gym, health club or yoga studio.  Rather than give up on your routine, its useful to be flexible and figure out a way to get in a session on your own.  The one problem I do run into with, lets say, doing fitness videos at home, is I get bored easily.  I hate doing the same thing over and over.  For yogis, looking to develop a practice for themselves, yoga teacher, Jillian Bobowicz has...

Nutrition information always seems to be confusing and contradictory.  This is particularly true when it comes to fish and seafood.  Its got good fats, its a great source of protein.  But wait, its full of toxins!  Some are good some are bad...but which is which? Some are good for us but bad for the environment...some are bad for us and bad for the environment...ahhh! To clear up the confusion, the April 2015 Nutrition Action Healthletter provides a guide on your best options for popular varieties. Tilapia - Go with Canadian, US and Ecuadorian varieties farmed in ponds.  It only has modest omega-3 content, but its low in mercury and fed a vegetarian diet. Farmed salmon - Avoid any that is farmed in open net pens (most are).  Is high in omega-3s and low in mercury, one study has found that there has been a drop in PCB and dioxin levels in farmed salmon since the brouhaha broke in 2004 but the study was done in Norway. Trout - Stick with trout far...

Are you an energy drink junkie? Or a coffee addict, or a Diet Coke-head? Most of us reach for some sort of pick-me-up at least once a day.  Coffee is actually very healthy, but it can do a number on your gut if you have too much, and too much caffeine in any form can be dangerous. I probably don't need to even say it, but pop and energy drinks are not a good thing.  If they contain sugar than you are usually getting 150-300 empty calories, and the sugar-free ones are full of nasty chemicals. Wojo believes it is the solution to your healthy pick-me-up needs.  Wojo is a line of liquid...pods, for lack of a better word, filled with a concentrated blend of vitamins and energy boosting herbs.  They contain very little to no caffeine.  There is no sugar, flavour, colours or anything else added at all.  You are meant to simply pour a pod into your beverage of choice. Although one blend is designed to give you energy, there are also formulations for Focus...

Hello and happy Monday!  I hate to jinx it, but I think spring may finally be here.  We had such a beautiful weekend. Its birthday party season in our house again.  Normally that would mean a whole bunch of stress for me since kids' birthdays have become such an event.  But this year I'm somewhat off the hook.  Little A, whose party is next Saturday, has chosen a small chocolate making party at our home and the whole thing is organized by the chocolate company, Chocolate Tales . Big A has chosen to have a sleepover with just a few girlfriends.  It will be her first sleepover party.  Adam also took her to the Junos back in March as a special birthday treat. As usual, we are doing gift-free parties because these kids need nothing.  They will each choose a charity to make a donation to in honour of their birthday. Whew, I got off easy this year!

People mistakenly think that because I am active and fit, I must be coordinated too.  Ha!  I am the Queen of Clumsy! You know how kids are always covered in bumps and bruises and rarely remember how they got there? Well I am still this way.  Its not unusual for me suddenly realize a finger is bleeding with no knowledge of having hurt myself.  I am also famous for inflicting injury on myself in the most ridiculous ways.  I have dropped a barbell on my face while bench pressing, gotten a black eye from a telephone, and have injured virtually every part of my body while I've been sleeping. I also seem to have a special talent for hurting the inside of my mouth.  Biting my tongue and cheek is something I do on a far too regular basis, and I have gashed the inside of my mouth numerous times from eating hard things (like crackers or sunflower seeds).  This week I managed to bruise my gum on a piece of kale.  Yes, you heard me!  Now in my def...

If there is one food that has been proven time and again to be really unhealthy and linked with disease, its processed meat. The worst offender, in terms of ingredients, are the nitrites, which increase the risk of colon cancer.  This is why I only buy veggie dogs for my hot dog loving girls, because even though they too are processed, they at least don't contain nitrites. Nitrites are not only added to hot dogs, but often to smoked meats and deli meats.  Its pretty tough to find these products without, even if they are organic, local, blah, blah, blah. That's why I love McLean's products.  I've raved about their turkey bacon before, and I have also bought their kielbasa a few times.  Then I discovered they make a nitrite-free turkey jerky !  I am big on protein snacks because I find they are more satisfying.  I bought a few packs for Adam for Passover, because they are also wheat/gluten-free and soy-free. Finally a company that gets it...and it...

Recently I was asked to review the book The Art of Having it All by Christy Whitman.  Since I would love to have it all, I was happy to oblige. Of course, I was suspicious right from the beginning because I am not sure I really believe there is a particular strategy for having it all. Its sort of a complex philosophical question.  Like what does having it all mean anyways? First I needed to know who this person was who has it all and things she has the formula for all of us having it too. Whitman is an American who, originally working as a pharmaceutical sales rep, found herself divorced and overweight and looking for a change.  She moved from California to Pennsylvania and shortly after met her current husband at a leadership conference.  Currently, she resides in Montreal, with her husband and their two sons and they run a coaching/empowerment company and apparently have made millions.  Oh, and apparently she lost the extra weight and has th...

Its the Tuesday after a fun-filled long weekend.  Know what that means? It means Little A is going to be a bear when I drop the girls off at school today.  She never enjoys going to school, but she's particularly resistant after having extra 'home days' as she calls them.  Wish me luck, I'm going to need it! I hope you had a nice holiday weekend.  We had a great time and ate very well!! You don't have to celebrate Passover to appreciate this recipe.  Its super healthy and yummy and perfect if you are trying to follow a raw, low-carb or grain-free diet.  You could make it a complete meal by adding chickpeas, if you aren't following traditional Ashkenazi Passover rules which forbid legumes as well. This was one of the salads I brought to our sedar. Passover Tabouli 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced 2 cups parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbls shelled hemp seeds 2...

Big A is, once again, attempting to keep Kosher for Passover this year.  She did amazingly well last year, cheating only once to eat pizza at Little A's birthday party. So I have been baking up a storm this week to make some relatively healthy eats she will go for.  I am, of course, making Adam's favorites , but also a few new recipes, like this one. These are perfect for a snack or part of breakfast.  If you want to make them dessert, you could up the ante by adding chocolate chips and/or frosting them, but they are really yummy as is. Passover Banana Bread Squares 1 cup cashew butter (or other nut/seed butter) 1/2 cup coconut sugar 2 tbls ground flax 6 tbls water 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 mashed bananas 2 cups whole wheat matzo meal 1/2 tsp salt Optional: 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries (or raisins, dates, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) Melt cashew butter over medium-low heat in a pot, along with sugar, flax, water, vanilla and bananas....

It's April 1st! And you know what that means...its the first day of April! Oh yeah, and April Fools Day. If you need some ideas for how to prank your friends or coworkers, you gotta check out this site ! Happy hump day and happy April Fools!!