Healthy Life Lessons

Do you have some fantasy, something you love to daydream about, but don't expect, or even want it to really happen? Maybe its about going on a date with a celebrity crush, or doing some extreme sport or activity, selling all your possessions and travelling around the world... For me its always been having a restaurant or café.  Since I was a little kid, I've loved this idea.  I used to set up a table for 2 in my bedroom, write up menus (usually crackers and water were the options), and then invite my parents for a meal.  Because of my love of cooking and baking, this fantasy has stayed with me always...especially since there are so few, if any places serving the kind of food I like to make and eat. Anytime I see an available piece of real estate, I start to imagine my dream café in that space.  Most recently, its been this empty property, which for years, was a very popular restaurant in Toronto (space with boards out front and missing window panes on second fl...

If there's one thing I hate its how some people believe Western Medicine is entirely a money-driven, sinister entity controlled by the pharmaceutical industry and the treatments are all toxic.  While I agree that the pharma industry is pretty evil, and is driven by profits, and this, in turn, often leads to policies and treatments that are not in patients' best interests, there are a whole lot of treatments we have developed that are valuable and life saving. These same people tend to be the ones that turn to alternative medicine and assume that if something falls under the category of 'natural' (which is basically a meaningless term anyways) or alternative therapy, than it is safe and the practitioners are both credible, altruistic and trustworthy.  Get real folks! There are just as many players in the alternative treatment industry just out to make a buck, and many of the treatments can be extremely dangerous and are not proven to have any efficacy. Person...

Welcome to a new week!  Here in Toronto it's starting off well with relatively mild temperatures. But I know many of you down south are experiencing a one heck of a winter storm right now, so you are probably in the mood for some comfort food.  Indian food is just that. Indian food is absolutely scrumptious, but it often is very heavy and calorie-dense.  Although full of good-for-you spices and veggies, many dishes are also full of oil, butter and cream.  Probably one of the most popular dishes in North America, Butter Chicken, is usually just that. We never order it when we get Indian food, not just for that reason, but also because Adam doesn't eat dairy and meat together.  I created this recipe for Adam - so, in fact, I did use chicken as vegan food makes Adam grumpy.  But the sauce is vegan and you can use chickpeas or tofu for your protein instead. I kept the calories lower by using coconut creamer ( this one ) instead of cashews, which a...

Its January. Its cold. Its grey. Its blah. Now is the time to savour the simple pleasures wherever you can find them.  Here are a few of my favorites: I know I go on about my Essentrics routines, but they are so therapeutic! I bought the Age-Defying series for my mom, but, of course, she didn't even remove the plastic cover.  When it became clear she was never going to try it, I asked for it back. I love this one as much as the others! The routines are almost all mixed format, partly standing exercises and then some bar or mat work, although there are a few that are all standing or all mat.  There is a big focus on the slow, Tai Chi inspired moves, which I love. I just find they limber me up so much after my workouts.  Again, these routines are great for overcoming or preventing injuries, and improving posture and mobility.  Just ignore the claims about weight loss or advice never to lift weights because it bulks you up. That's all BS. For some odd r...

  I know I have written posts about how to eat nutritiously without blowing your budget, but I feel its important to do so again.  Food prices in Canada have absolutely skyrocketed, and a lot of fresh produce out there now costs so much it requires you to remortgage your house! One cause is the falling value of the Canadian dollar, which just continues to drop.  Unfortunately for us, we import 80% of our fresh fruits and veggies. In addition, the cost of meat and other foods has risen too. Now we are hardly living in poverty, but we do have to be careful with our money, and food is already one of this family's biggest expenses, not just because we do like to eat healthy (at least the grown-ups do), but also all four of us have pretty massive appetites, so we go through a frightening volume of food each week. I already purchase strategically by season, to keep costs down.  I just won't even bother trying to buy fresh berries or apricots in the middle of winter...

  Although we are more than half way through January, resolutions for 2016 still seem to be a hot topic of conversation.  If losing weight is one of yours, you may be interested in this book review.  I have heard some people claim that focusing on eating ethically can be an effective way to help people lose weight or recover from an eating disorder. As a therapist who works with people trying to lose weight, I can see how this might be the case. If you chose your food based on something beyond calories, fat, and whether it will make us lose/gain weight, then some of the emotions that trip us up in our weight loss efforts (shame, self-doubt, etc.) tend not to be as close to the forefront.  The focus is on doing good for animals and for the planet.  Doing good makes us feel good, its been proven.  When you feel good, you are more likely to make wise choices not clouded by emotional baggage. So I was quite excited to be asked to review The Planet Friend...

Have you ever heard the term Resting Bitch Face ?   According to the Urban Dictionary, this refers to: "... a person, usually a girl, who naturally looks mean when her face is expressionless, without meaning to." I used to have one. I don't know what the equivalent is for me...Resting Asshole Face? Anyways... It doesn't surprise me at all that this is a 'thing'.  I used to get so much crap for it.  People would always ask me what was wrong, which I found very annoying.  I was usually just deep in thought, as I tend to always be.  I also used to get a lot of people thinking I was a snob.  Resting Bitch Face and shyness are not a good combination! Unfortunately, according to psychological research, people tend to interpret even expressionless faces as frowns or scowls, so if you aren't smiling, we assume you're angry/upset, or otherwise expressing a negative emotional state. When I was in my 20s, I decided to make a point of smilin...

Although I am not vegan, or even vegetarian, I have started doing mostly vegan baking.  This is because, (1) I find using flax eggs actually makes low-fat baked goods have a better consistency than using real eggs, and (2) Its a sneaky way to get flax into my kids (the girls eat real eggs all the time). Blueberry muffins are usually nothing more than cake: white flour, sugar, butter or margarine, etc.  Absolutely nutrition-free aside from the blueberries.  In addition, they will spike your blood sugar, which will crash soon after making you crave more sugar and carbs.  Forget about it! Instead, these one-bowl blueberry muffins are packed with fibre, protein and nutrition and will leave you feeling satisfied and help you avoid the energy crash and cravings. Because I made these for the kids, I added a scoop of Mighty Greens powder, but adding a greens powder is optional.  You can probably replace the spelt flour with a gluten-free substitute, i...

  It was a rough start to the week this morning.  The kids woke up at 7:30am and by the time I got them out of the door at 8:35am, I was done.  Ugh! At least the toughest part of my day is done. I have a product review for you this morning that you might appreciate if your skin is as temperamental as mine. My skin is crap. Its dry, super sensitive, and now has a generous sprinkling of, em, 'laugh lines'.  On top of all that, turning 40 brought me more acne then I ever had as a teen! Like WTF? Apparently this isn't unusual for women later in life.  Who knew? So needless to say, I gotta be real careful about what I use, but I definitely need to use something.  As soon as I come out of the shower, even in summer, my skin starts feeling super dry and tight.  In winter, ugh, don't even get me started! My eyes tear like crazy because they too are dry (apparently I have very viscous tears which do a shit job of moisturizing my eyes, so they tear ...

 I honestly didn't set out to turn my girls into fellow crazy-cat-ladies, so its either genetic, or they just learned to look at cats through my eyes, as the most adorable, beautiful creatures on the planet.  Unfortunately, it means there are 3 of us in this house mourning the fact that we can't have one of our own.  Yes, I know there are hypo-allergenic ones out there, but truthfully, Adam is not just allergic, he really doesn't like them, or any animals for that matter. No, he isn't a psychopath, believe it or not! They had been asking over and over to visit the cat café so when we had a rotten, cold afternoon on Boxing Day (Dec 26), after we got back from Florida, I took the opportunity to take them. Unfortunately, lots of people had the same idea, so the place was packed and there was a 40 minute wait (they only allow 12 people in the cat area at a time, and they don't take reservations).  There isn't a cover charge, but you have to buy something to ...

Its chilly outside finally, which means its the perfect time for chili inside. I love chili because its so hearty, comforting and versatile.  There are so many ways you can make it, whether its vegan or with meat, with beans or without, with a tomato base or a pumpkin one, etc. You can use a wide variety of different veggies and seasonings too. I decided to keep this one vegan and use tempeh as the protein.  You can add beans too, if you with, and/or add corn kernels, zucchini, or other veggies, but I wanted to keep it simple as I made this for a few of my lunches this week it had to be quick to make. I served it over cauliflower rice, but you can eat it alone, or over regular rice, quinoa, millet or other whole grain.  Don't be scared by the amount of chili powder used, most commercial brands pack no heat, which is why I also added jalapeno, but you can omit that if you don't like it spicy. It is perfect garnished with some diced avocado, and/or grated dairy/n...