Healthy Life Lessons

Happy Hump Day! I thought I'd share a few of the things I am enjoying recently. First, this cold brew from Loblaws. Once the weather heats up, hot coffee is a no go for me. This stuff is awesome, with a bit of sweetener (I use stevia) and cream or milk. Unfortunately, its expensive. The carton is $3.99, which is about 2.5 servings for me, so it will not be something I buy regularly. Loblaws also hits it out of the park with this Greek Yogurt Tatzkiki Spread. It is so yummy! You can smoosh it onto veggies, or a sandwich or burger. I am loving this stuff! These wrist grips I got have been making my workouts better. My forearms frequently cramp when I am lifting super heavy weights while doing deadlifts, etc. These are very helpful for preventing that. My one complaint is I find it a bit awkward to get them wrapped around the bar or dumbbell, which slows down my workout. Finally, are you familiar with JP Sears, the comedian/life coach? He is frickin' hilarious....

Good morning, and welcome to a new week! How does hot homemade bread, right out of the oven sound? I f the idea of making homemade bread seems intimidating to you, you have to try this recipe! It is so easy, its ridiculous! I made it with organic spelt flour, but you could probably make it with different types as well. A gluten-free mix and gluten-free beer would probably even work, if you have to avoid gluten. It is also 100% vegan. Its fresh, free of junk and preservatives, and doesn't even use yeast. Easy peasy, healthy and delicious! Super Easy Beer Bread 3 cups whole grain flour 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 cup coconut sugar  1/2 teaspoon salt 1 355ml bottle beer Stir together dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Pour in beer and mix, just until combined. Scrape batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 375F for 50-55 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Let cool and then remove from pan. Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days or freez...

As I am sure you well know, supplements are a huge industry. Go to any pharmacy, grocery store or health food store and there is a dizzying array said to cure or treat pretty much everything. Some are amazing, many are okay, and many more are totally bogus. I don't take many compared to a lot of people I know. Just Vitamin D, CoQ10, and probiotics. I don't need antioxidants or calcium or a multi, not when I get about 300 servings of fruits and veggies every day, as well as whole grains, beans, soy, eggs, dairy and poultry. My diet is sufficiently healthy and varied, so I chose to save my pennies where I can. But probiotics I am a big fan of. There is actually research behind their utility, and that matters a shitload to me. I have tried various brands and some definitely are better than others. One critique I've heard is that our digestive juices may break them down when consumed in supplement form, before they have time to fully work. So some people recommend eati...

One of the first things I'd do if I won a lottery, is high someone to exclusively prepare the kids' meals. I'd cook my own, because I love cooking, but not for them. They drive me effin crazy daily with their pickiness, and Big A, in particular, changes her mind dramatically about what she likes and doesn't like on a dime. I try not to worry, but their diets suck. Little A avoids veggies at all costs.  And Big As is way too heavy on sugar and carbs. Its even worse now that she has an allowance and is old enough to walk to a store and buy stuff on her own. I know I am not alone. Many parents struggle with this stuff and its tough. One debate among parenting experts is whether or not its a good idea to hide veggies and fruit in other foods to get your kids to eat them. Some people think its better to try and serve them to your kids a hundred times until they decide they like them. I don't really know why this has to be an EITHER/OR thing. Its never been ...

Today Adam and I celebrate 15 years of marriage. Holy Crap! We've been together 17 years. Insane! Not a day goes by that I don't thank the universe that we somehow found each other way back then. The current dating environment is horrendous. We managed to get together just before the online dating thing was starting, and man, I am so so grateful! What a shit show. I desperately worry for my children. Of course, I am not just grateful that I found SOMEONE, I am grateful I found a great someone. Without a doubt I love Adam a whole lot more than I did back then. We have both grown up so much and I have watched him become the most amazing and devoted father to our girls. He is beyond hard working both in terms of his career and helping out to run our household. He is absolutely my best friend and I feel very lucky. I have to work tonight, but tomorrow we celebrate. In our own unique way of course. The girls are spending the night at my in-laws. I contemplat...

Like many parents, I am always looking for ways to get more veggies into my kids. Neither of my kids are vegetable lovers, and they are extremely fickle. One day the one vegetable they are willing to eat and the next they scream at the sight of it. It can be a wee bit frustrating! Salad is almost always a hard sell. They have each gone through brief periods of enjoying specific types of salad, but generally, plain raw veggies are the safest bet. So when Litehouse asked me to review their products, the first thing I went for was one of their dips. I choose the light ranch variety and presented it to the girls with a plate of their favorite raw veggies (which right now is baby carrots, sweet peppers and celery). Little A informed me that she doesn't like dip, and refused to even try it. Sigh! Big A was happy to sample and even happier with the product. She gave it a 12 out of 10 and proceeded to gobble down a record amount of veggies. Raw veggies and the dip has now become a...

THE GIRLS' ANSWERS By Little A:                                                    By Big A:                                                           Erica Berman                                                   Erica 42                                                                      43 (not yet!) Black hair, green eyes                         ...

Wanna get your kid inked? No I am not talking about a full sleeve of down one arm of roses and skulls. How about temporary tattoos with safety info like with your name/info, allergy information, etc.? What a great idea huh? Like perfect for going to big, busy events. I think any parent can relate to the panic of thinking you've lost your child somewhere. Though abductions are much less common than most parents think, kids often wander off and simply get separated from their parents. This idea has been brought to life by SafetyTat . The company offers several types of identifiers you simply stick on your child, either water applied tattoos that last a few days, or stickers that last 2 weeks. They also sell labels for your children's belongings, and we all know how important those are! If I only had a dollar for every thing the girls have ever lost!! There lots of different designs to choose from that are appealing to kids, so, hopefully they won't object to havi...

Today Big A turns 11.  The funny thing is, she can behave unbelievably maturely one minute, and ridiculously immaturely the next. But hey, that's true even of adults. The girl is pretty much the same size as me already and loves to prove her strength by picking me up and walking around. We can share clothes! She is still very much a kid, yet also growing up so fast. But I can't say "It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital." It actually does seem like a long time ago, especially since its been so long since we had any babies in this house. I barely remember all the diaper changing, breast feeding, nap schedules, etc. I couldn't be more proud of the person she has become. Big A has more courage than I've ever had. She takes risks, and tries new things enthusiastically. She is confident but also incredibly kind-hearted and empathetic. This coming Saturday we are taking Big A and a few of her friends to an escape room in town. A...

Welcome to a new week. I am happy to say its sunny, which is such a relief after having so much rain lately! I have a cookbook review for you today. Though I am not vegan, or even vegetarian, I do cook and bake that way a fair bit. Sometimes just for fun and to indulge my inner scientist, which is the case with aquafaba. Come on, you know what I'm talking about! The liquid from cans of chickpeas that can be whipped up like eggs!! I eat boat loads of eggs (about 8 whole eggs a week plus a few cups of egg whites), but the science behind this aquafaba thing fascinates me. Though apparently how it all works isn't even totally understood. But its also nice to have an alternative to eggs for vegans and those with egg allergies. I've made aquafaba meringues and marshmallow fluff and they have gone over very well with the family. I once made a vegan pizza dough with aquafaba, and I regularly make chickpea and blackbean cakes and squares that include the liquid and cont...

Its Friday! Yay! Unfortunately, it is very rainy here, and it feels like it has been for weeks! In fact, various parts of Canada are experiencing serious flooding because of all the rainfall. Enough with the April showers already, lets have some May flowers! Anyways... Unless you just started reading this blog, than you know I despise smartphones. I think they are going to destroy the world. Perhaps you think I am exaggerating, but as a therapist I see how destructive they are to life and relationships. I will refrain from writing a whole diatribe about this here as I've done so before. Many times. We are not a huge phone family. Adam and I were very slow to get smartphones and we don't use them much now that we do have them. I only use 3 apps on my phone. Instagram for my food business (because I was told EVERY food business must be on Instagram), The TTC app, so I know when the buses and streetcars are (not) coming, and the Green P app for parking in downtown Toro...

As I have confessed before, I am a reformed Crazy Cat Woman (I hate the word lady). My hand was kind of forced because Adam is allergic, but after I had the girls, I really wasn't big on the idea of having pets anyways. My own offspring were demanding enough. Over the years, however, my obsession has started to return. I have had to accept we will never have cats in our house again, so I fulfill my cravings virtually through cute cat photos and videos online. While this may sound silly, even this is therapeutic. Its my way to meditate, or calm my mind. Just seeing cats or hearing them purr or meow makes me feel warm all over. If you are an animal lover, than you probably get it. Animals truly can be therapeutic.  Dogs, in particular, are often used for therapeutic reasons in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. They are companions to many people with a physical or mental impairment, allowing them to live fuller, richer lives. They can even save your life if you are in danger! ...

Though the health benefits of regular physical activity are beyond plentiful, there are also sometimes some discomforts involved. Anyone who does endurance activities have probably experienced the discomfort of abrasions or blisters. Having sensitive skin, I have definitely had my fair share, and Adam, too, who does a lot of running, has encountered numerous problems with this. He basically has to oil up his whole body before a run! Luckily, there are now really innovative products that can help, like those made by Silipos . They sent us a whole variety of their orthopedic foot products to try. Adam has recently developed big issues with blisters from running, so he was thrilled. The gel toe spreaders are his favorite and have eliminated his need to bandage up all his toes before each run. He wasn't as thrilled with the digital pads, because he found as he runs, they roll down and don't stay in place very well. Adam didn't find the heel slip cover helpful, but I di...