Healthy Life Lessons

Good morning and welcome to Monday!  Looking for some yummy, healthy, quick and easy lunch ideas for this week?  Check out this one! As the weather has cooled, so too has my craving for cold salads.  I still eat them, but definitely not as often.  This was supposed to be a warm salad, but as I was getting ready to make it, I realized I was missing a crucial ingredient.  Don't you hate when that happens? Anyways, that recipe is forthcoming.  Not one to let food go to waste, I decided to come up with an alternative on the spot to utilize all the fresh veggies I'd bought.  The result was this salad, which I think is now going to be made again and again, regardless of the season.  Its just simple and yummy and quick to throw together. To make it vegan, just use black beans as your protein, instead of tuna, and use a non-dairy yogurt in your dressing.  Some avocado would also be great in this and/or corn kernels, if you so desire. Te...

  As soon as Halloween is over, Christmas shopping season begins.  When Black Friday hits (i.e. today!), things really get nuts. A few years ago, despite the fact that Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October, we adopted the Black Friday tradition.  I guess retailers will use any excuse to get us spending.  Honestly, it probably benefits Canadians, like myself, who don't celebrate Christmas, most.  It used to be we got our shopping jollies on Boxing Day, but now we start opening our wallets for great deals on Black Friday (and Cyber Monday). I will admit I have been eager to join in on the discounts, and have already gotten a few good ones.  All year 'round I tend to be an online shopper.  In fact, Canadians love online shopping.  That's why Target failed here, because they didn't address that fact.  Is it because we like to avoid going out in bad weather? Or because this is such a geographically huge country and we often have to d...

I still shudder at the amount of rice I used to eat.  Don't get me wrong, its very nutritious, its just all the warnings about the arsenic content...which is apparently highest in brown rice, my absolute favorite! I ignored the headlines for a while because the media loves to cause panic, but finally when credible sources began to warn about limiting rice intake, I decided I needed to cut down. I never thought cauliflower rice would cut it as a substitute for me, but was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoy it.  What's more, the last time I indulged in real rice, I found I wasn't loving it as much as I used to. I don't even miss it in most dishes! So I now make all sorts of dishes with cauliflower rice.  I can't say how I came up with this recipe, it just came to me like a bolt of lightening, but I am sure glad it did, because its a standout.  I love the sweet, sour, spicy combo.  You can make it vegan by using tempeh bacon, tofu or oth...

  There is no denying my favorite season is over.  We already had the Santa Clause parade, and yesterday the temperature dipped dramatically and it actually snowed! Fortunately, it didn't stick on the ground. I have to admit, we had a pretty awesome fall.  Perhaps a bit too much rain, but also some absolutely spectacular, and unseasonably warm weather.  But the trees have lost most of their leaves and I am sure that it won't be long until the temperatures drop even more and snow starts to pile up. Blech! As my brother said the other day when we were complaining about the climate here, "Where else in the world does it go from 30 Celsius and -30 Celsius?" Good question!  Sucks for me since I hate temperature extremes. Also, like lots of people I can get the winter blues.  I am really really hoping that doesn't happen, and perhaps the fact that I honestly have never felt better (no idea why...but I think its connected to starting to take CoQ10),...

    Its Friday but I'm not really feeling TGIF.  I work until really late tonight, and then again tomorrow morning. Then its a whole lot of chaos trying to get the girls to activities, and 2 different parties.  Sunday there are more activities and then we are supposed to go to my brother's house to celebrate my nephew's birthday...except Adam will be at his book club and I will have to leave my brother's half way through to get Big A from theatre school.  Its going to be nuts.  But I guess at least its not Monday, right? Then again, this coming Monday is quite sane, though the rest of the coming week is also a bit nuts because besides work, there is the girls' daycare fundraiser on Thursday I am helping sell tickets for, and then, of course, attending. In reality though, I am not complaining. Being busy is good.  We all complain about it endlessly, but most of the time its with stuff we enjoy.  At least in my case, I am very fortunate...

Need some extra protein power? Look no further.  These bars are choc-full.  They are also very high in fibre, packed with nutrients, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan.  Oh, and my kids adore them! I am so pleased with how these turned out. The problem I've always had when making protein bars or granola-type bars is that they usually rely on either a liquid sweetener (and there are none I like to use in abundance) and/or nut/seed butter as binders.  This makes them high in sugar and calories and the nut/seed butters makes them kind of greasy. This time I used...pureed chickpeas! Seriously! Even I wasn't sure how they'd taste, and, in particular, whether they would pass the kid-friendly test.  I am happy to say the exceeded my expectations!! Or perhaps I should say, ex-seeded my expectations, because they are full of good-for-you seeds like chia and hemp. I used a bag of Nature's Path Q'ia Superfoods Cereal, but you can use any chia-based cereal or...

Nope, I am not referring to a silent and celibate fruit.  Just a really sweet one! Monk fruit, also called luo han guo and Siraitia grosvenorii , is a type of fruit native to China and Thailand that has been used for medicinal and sweetening purposes for centuries. Its been available as a sweetener in North America for some time, but still doesn't seem to have caught main-stream awareness yet. I have tasted things where its used as a sweetener, but never bought the sweetening products itself until recently, because they used to be so expensive.  But the price seems to be coming down, probably due to growing demand. So far, there is no evidence that it has any side-effects and actually has health benefits, it is zero calorie, and will not raise blood sugar (is safe for diabetics!).  The research I checked out was actually quite impressive!  As usual, we folks in the West are slow to catch on to all sorts of goodies they've been using in the East for ions. ...

I got totally addicted to salads this summer.  Unfortunately, come winter, the body craves warm, comfort foods, not cold, refreshing salads.  Rather than abandon my new appreciation of salad, I am going to spend the colder months experimenting with warm salads. This recipe came to me when I was thinking of what flavours to add to a salad base of baby spinach (one of my favorites).  Instantly I thought of my favorite pizza toppings: spinach, garlic, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese!  Hmm, that could be a salad! What better way to get all the yummy ingredients in a healthier way than traditional pizza? Of course, you can take this idea and modify it based on your favorite pizza toppings.  Not pictured is the cut up sundried tomato and basil chicken sausage I added for extra protein! But keep in vegetarian if you wish and just add chickpeas for extra protein.  Vegan is possible too if you want to use a non-dairy cheese substitute....

Grumble grumble, bah humbug!  Yesterday was the annual Santa Claus Parade here in Toronto.  Oh, and you know how I feel about that!!  I tried so hard to stay positive this year. I knew it was coming but I kept telling myself that it isn't that bad.  Oh but it is! A million persons turned out to watch the stupid thing.  Yes stupid.  Personally I think all parades are stupid because all they do is disrupt entire cities and that annoys me. It started with Adam leaving to take Little A to swim lessons. He decided to be smart, since the JCC is on the parade route, and take public transport.  Ha! The bus he took - many blocks west of the parade route - got stuck in traffic for so long they had to abort the mission and Little A missed her lesson.  Adam recommended I leave very early to take Big A to her theatre class.  We left 40 minutes early.  I decided to go way way west and south of the parade route and managed to get her there ear...

So let's see...Monday Little A had her usual morning meltdown, only a cookies and cream Quest Bar for breakfast could break her out of it.  Go ahead, judge me for what I feed my kids! I made it through a dental cleaning without too much suffering and even agreed to go back in a few weeks so my dentist can fix my chipped tooth. But so not looking forward to that! Monday afternoon when I went to pick up the girls early so they could get ready for Girl Guides and Sparks, Big A melted down because I had my bike with me and dared to suggest she carry her trombone from band class home herself.  We ended up negotiating by having her walk my bike for me while I carried the darn instrument. After dinner, Little A melted down again because she wanted to just wear pink tights and her Sparks shirt (no pants). Not only do they have a dress code to which this doesn't comply, but it was her official enrollment ceremony.  She demanded I go up and find her some pants, which I d...

I was motivated this year to actually utilize our Jack-O-Lantern after Halloween.  It was a very large pumpkin, so there was plenty to work with.  I roasted the seeds, and roasted all the flesh, after removing the skin.  Then I pureed the flesh and made a batch of pumpkin butter, as well as these cupcakes for a party.  They are super moist and rich, even though they are also low-fat and vegan.  The only 'unhealthy' thing is the frosting (which also contain dairy from the white chocolate), but you can ice them any way you like. Because I had so much pumpkin puree, I decided to use it all, so this is a big-ass batch of cupcakes.  Half the recipe if you don't want as many. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes 10 cups pumpkin puree 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp. flax meal + 6 tbsp. hot water) 1 cup coconut sugar 1 scoop vegan vanilla or chai vanilla protein powder 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 cups whole grain flour (spelt, etc.) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice...

Happy Hump Day! The sombre drizzly weather seems appropriate this morning seeing as its Remembrance Day.  The girls have their poppies and the school has an assembly this morning.  Make sure you take a moment to remember at 11:11am! Unfortunately, I just realized I'll be in the middle of an interview about infertility with a journalist friend right at that moment. I saw this story on the news this morning about a Canadian veteran and it warmed my heart.  There is a lot of concern for veterans in this country right now because its come to light (far too late!) that there is a mental health crisis among our troops.  Due to PTSD, a staggering number of soldiers end of taking their own lives after their tour of duty.  As a therapist, and one that worked with a member of the Canadian Forces who suffered PTSD due to his time in Bosnia, this is an issue close to my heart.  I will be thinking about all of the soldiers and their families struggling with the ...

  As I am sure you well know, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it is flu season.  It is also the time when lots of people are frequently hit with colds and other viruses. The best way to avoid getting sick is to get the flu shot, and wash your hands and surfaces frequently. Making sure your immune system is healthy is also a good idea.  General self-care including exercise, proper nutrition and sufficient sleep are key.  Can certain supplements boost your immune function?  There actually is data showing that elderberry juice has anti-viral properties and can help ward off infections. I've wondered about this, because elderberry products are now everywhere, so I went and found some peer-reviewed journal articles. Recently, I was sent a bottle of Sambucus Gummies to try.  They contain elderberry juice, Vitamin C and zinc.  Vitamin C can shorten the duration of colds and flus, and zinc can also boost immune function. They tas...

  This morning, despite it being Monday, I am jumping for joy.  It is the first week of the new hot lunch program at the girls' school! I am sure I must have mentioned how much I hate dealing with packing lunches. It was a definite improvement some months ago when Adam decided they should make their own lunches, but there is still related stress because we have to police them about doing it.  Believe me, its not like they come home from school each day and run to the kitchen.  Nope, we have to remind them and forbid them from doing anything else until the lunches are made.  The manipulative little buggers also find ways around it, like asking for things that they aren't capable of making and downloading responsibility to me. Having the girls make their own school lunches also hasn't cut down on waste.  Even when they choose what they will eat, they find all sorts of reasons why it wasn't edible (too soggy, to hot, too cold, etc.). I hate food being ...

I know I've been talking about cats a lot lately.  I have been a cat lover since I was old enough to communicate this preference (according to my parents it was definitive by the time I was about 18 months old). While this may be because of a beloved stuffy my grandmother bought me, it certainly wasn't exposure.  We didn't have cats, and my parents had not grown up with cats themselves.  Sure, friends and neighbours had cats, but many had dogs too, and I never became a dog person. I begged for cats, as the story goes, just about every day, until I was 11, at which point, my parents finally gave in.  They were always worried about my brother, because he had asthma and a plethora of allergies, but he didn't turn out to be reactive to the cats. Thank goodness, because at that point I was thoroughly sick of hamsters and fish! The two kitties we got, Mittens and Ziggy, were awesome.  Very gregarious and affectionate.  Amazing cats!  They both l...

  One thing I really suck at is setting boundaries.  This means I am really bad at disciplining my children and asserting myself with others for my own sake.  Both issues are due to my inherent lack of ability to stand up for myself.  I am a total doormat, whether its with my children, clients or salespeople.  Funny thing though, I am very good at advocating for the sake of others.  After all, I have dedicated my career to helping others.  This is something I am passionate about.  I can think of many situations in the past where I've confidently gone to bat for others.  But even the idea of confronting people in order to assert my rights, or setting boundaries to protect myself, gets me anxious. I have spoken out several times in workplace situations, on my own behalf, but only because (1) I felt I had nothing to lose, and (2) I was speaking out against something (or someone) that affected not only myself, but many others...

Like the idea of being able to have a massage whenever you want...for free?  That's kind of what you get with a foam roller. These things are amazing.  If you're a runner or serious fitness fiend, you already know about them, but even if you're not, they offer tons of benefits.  I started using them when I developed hamstring tendonitis after Little A was born.  But now that I religiously do Essentrics after my workouts, I am pain-free.  Nevertheless, I still get tight hips and nothing is better for that then a foam roller. I recently introduced the roller to some personal training clients of mine who are pretty sedentary and both have quite a few injuries and limitations, which has resulted in a lack of mobility and a lot of tightness and stiffness.  They couldn't believe the relief these rollers offer! So whether your discomfort is due to strenuous activity, or lack there of, I highly recommend you try one.  The basic stretching techni...

Right now we are having absolutely glorious weather.  The air is fresh, the trees are changing colour, and all week its going to be around 18 Celsius...unseasonably warm for November! Source Its got me rediscovering the joys of cycling. Despite the annoyances of biking on the city streets, its hard not to love being outside these days. I am taking advantage of it while I can since once winter hits, my biking days will be few and far between. Here are some of my other little, everyday joys right now... I love baby powder scented stuff, and Live Clean has a relatively chemical-free one:   This is perfect as a light moisturizer until winter really hits and I have to haul out the heavy artillery (i.e. body butter).     I know I go on and on about apples and how much I love them...particularly my favorites: Mutsu (sometimes called Crispin), bit this year there is a great bounty!     Some years they remain hard to find, which makes...

Good morning! We are having beautiful fall weather predicted for this week.  Happy, happy, joy, joy!! How was your Halloween weekend? We survived. Actually, it was pretty good, all things considered. The rain held off until 8pm on Saturday, just when most kids were heading home anyways, which meant we didn't have anyone ringing the doorbell while we were getting the kids to bed. Adam took the girls out trick-or-treating while I handed out candy.  I don't really enjoy either task, but handing out the treats wasn't too bad this year as there were fewer rude, obnoxioius kids than usual.  Just two girls without any costumes on.  WTF? When I inquired, they said they were under their jackets, which was clearly a lie since they couldn't tell me what they were nor offered to show me.  Couldn't they have even thrown on masks or hats at the very least? The girls had a ball making me look like a freak.  In fact, a lot of kids looked a bit scared when I ans...