Healthy Life Lessons

So here we are at the end of 2018 already. How was this year for you? I thought I would give you a bit more info about what's been going on around here. I haven't had much time to write personal posts. At this point, its been challenging for me to post even once a week. The reason for my lack of time is mostly good. My counselling practice really exploded this year. Because I am self-employed, and because I enjoy my work, its been tough to set limits though, so I find myself seeing clients, either in person or virtually/by phone often 7 days a week. I do get to set my own hours, and I never see more than 6 clients a day, but it is still pretty exhausting. Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier. I love my work so much and I feel so blessed to have a job that is on my terms and provides me with so much intrinsic satisfaction. I am still doing a lot of fertility/infertility counselling as well as couples counselling, CBT for anxiety and depression, and EMDR for trauma. I...

Its not often we can find some form of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. The girls do not share the same musical tastes as Adam and I, who also don't always have the same taste in music. Moreover, I hate going to see live music period. Adam is the trooper who will accompany the kids to see their favorite performers. When it comes to movies, the girls rule the roost in this house. Adam and could probably count the adult movies we have seen since becoming parents on one hand. We generally only go to movie theaters so the kids can see something they want to see. Fortunately, kids movies/animations can occasionally be enjoyable for adults too these days. I am not much of a live theater fan, in general, but, again, if I am going, its typically because we are going to a show the kids want to see. I have less than zero interest going to see sporting events, so again, that is something Adam does with the girls. I have also taped out when it comes to the CNE (Canadian Na...

Do you have an Instant Pot ? Do you know what an Instant Pot is? If you like cooking, or maybe if you hate cooking but try to find motivation to avoid takeout, you do. Its a recent (Canadian) invention that has taken the cooking and food prep world by storm. It is a multi-function, small appliance that can pressure cook, saute, steam and more. It is programmable and can cut down dramatically on the time required to prepare all sorts of different dishes. I do not have one. Why? The reason is that I just don't feel the need at this point in time. I have used the slow cooker we got as a wedding gift once in almost 18 years.  But I have family and friends that are obsessed with it. For that reason, I agreed to review the 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Cookbook  by cookbook author, Marilyn Haugen. People who like simple recipes and/or are short on time will appreciate the simplicity of these recipes. The first section of the book provides tips and information about u...

I have written many a post about how important I think it is to use your freezer to maintain a healthy diet and to reduce food waste. I don't mean buying processed frozen foods. I mean making food in big batches and freezing, freezing leftovers, etc. The one type of frozen food I buy often is frozen fruit. I buy a few types of frozen veggies too (green beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, etc.) but I buy a ton of frozen fruit. I use it for compotes, salads, and baking, and Adam and the girls use it for smoothies and snacking. It is particularly useful in the summer when a lot of the fruit we eat is not in season, and since frozen fruit (and veggies) is always picked fresh and ripe, its very nutritious (the same is not true for canned produce). So when  Nature's Touch  offered to send me samples of their products, I immediately jumped at the chance. They sent 2 of their newest products, Grapes-To-Go! and Strawberry-Rhubarb Harvest The grapes come as 5 individua...

A few years ago I reviewed a book, Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? written by a high school classmate of Adam, physiologist and journalist, Alex Hutchinson . I very much liked that book so was eager to read his latest one, Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Adam purchased it and read it first and after raving about how well it is written, gave it to me to read. This book is all about the factors that affect human physical performance. If you are an endurance athlete of any kind, either professionally or even just recreationally, than you must read this book. Even if you are not, in fact, even if you do no physical activity at all and the closest you get to sports is watching them on TV with beer in hand, you will still enjoy this book. That is what I liked best about Endure: Alex manages to make the science interesting and proves himself as a story teller. He weaves in engaging tales about arctic explorers from a century ago, elite ...

I have reviewed a number of Seabuck Wonders products over the past few years and am generally very impressed with them. This one is no exception. Ultimate Hair, Skin & Nails is a combination of Omega-7 from organic sea buckthorn berry oil and sea buckthorn seed oil plus biotin and vitamin E. As someone with weak fingernails that frequently snag and tear, and hair that has never really recovered from having 2 children (less shiny, drier, cowlicks that never used to exist, and hair loss), I was eager to see if this supplement could make a difference. Omega-7 is something I have tried before in their other products but I have never taken biotin. Biotin naturally occurs in small amounts in bananas, eggs and milk. Biotin is an important component of enzymes in the body that break down fats, carbohydrates, and other substances in our body. You can't really test for low biotin levels, but symptoms of a deficiency include thinning of the hair, red scaly rash around the eye...

As ya'll probably know, diabetes is a big freakin' problem in North America. Some people develop Type I, which is an autoimmune disease, during childhood, but you can develop this in adulthood too though rare (I have 2 clients who did). Type II diabetes can be genetic but more often than not it is a lifestyle disease brought on by a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. While some people will have to eventually go on medication in order to manage it, others may be able to get in under control, or even into remission with lifestyle changes. The American Diabetes Association recently published Tex Mex Diabetes Cooking , written by author Kelley Cleary Coffeen, PhD . The concept is excellent because North Americans, especially folks south of the border in the US, love their Tex Mex food! Traditionally, Tex Mex can mean huge portions of rice, flour tortillas, meats, with everything smothered in cheese, guac and sour cream. But really, this cuisine can be lighter and very nutr...

I love making pizza. I mix it up in terms of what type of crust I make. Sometimes a traditional yeast crust, sometimes a base of cauliflower, sometimes gluten free...but always healthy, of course. But lately, life is so busy I haven't made it very often because it tends to be pretty time consuming. This is one reason I adore this recipe. It is not only healthy and super delicious, it is also pretty quick and easy. All you do is mix equal parts self-rising flour (I make my own whole grain version) with plain Greek yogurt. If you are vegan or need dairy-free, I am sure you could make it with a coconut milk Greek yogurt. You could probably also use gluten-free flour if necessary. I used organic, whole grain spelt for these ones. Self-rising flour 1 cup flour 1.5 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt For the pizzas pictured above (equivalent to 2 extra larges, one regular, one thick crust), I used 5 cups each self-rising flour and Greek yogurt. 2 Ingredient Pizza Crust Mix ...

If you are at all into cooking and/or nutrition, than you likely own a high speed blender. There are now numerous companies making them, but the two most popular brands are Blendtec and Vitamix. About 6 years ago, Adam bought me a Blendtec for my birthday. I asked for it specifically, over a Vitamix, based on reviews I had read. The deciding factor for me at the time, was that many people suggested the Blendtec was easier to clean. After having owned many food processors and blenders that suck to clean, this was very appealing for me. Despite the Blentec's motor dying much sooner than I think it should have, overall we were pretty happy with it. It was used multiple times daily. I used it to crush ice and make coffee frappes, make batters for baked goods, sauces, purees, etc., and Adam and the girls used it primarily for making smoothies. That being said, I didn't love cleaning it...but I probably won't love cleaning anything ever, to be honest. Food would get c...

Recently a lot of the online stores where we buy a lot of our protein powder, protein bars and pre-workout drink mixes have been having massive sales. This has prompted me to get more adventurous in trying new products and flavours. After getting the Maple Waffle flavour of Quest bars on sale and loving them so much, I went back to buy more but found only a few other flavours were still available, one being Birthday Cake. I hadn't been considering trying them before because I read a mediocre review of them, and I had been very disappointed by the version made by One Bar (whereas their Glazed Donut flavour is AMAZING!) that looks like a big unicorn turd and made a mess of sprinkles everywhere. I didn't really have high expectations for this Quest flavour, but I was really pleasantly surprised! I think I like it even better than Maple Waffle, and for sure like that its not sticky/messy like the Maple Waffle one, so I bring it to work or take it as an on-the-go snack. Its...

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!!! A few years ago I was lecturing my dad on cutting back on his alcohol intake (I am pretty much always lecturing him about his food/drink intake) and he said to me, "Come on, red wine is a health food." I may have starting yelling at him. No. Alcohol is not health food. Forget the BS about it cutting heart disease risk. The research findings were exaggerated and we now know that too much alcohol for anyone is bad. Very bad. Men should have a max. of 2 drinks/day, and women less. Believe me, if it was health food, I would have a few drinks a day. But its not, so I allow myself a few on the weekend, usually while making dinner. That's it. And when I do drink its usually craft beer, cider or occasionally wine or spirits. When it comes to spirits I stick with clear like vodka or tequila and sugar-free mixers. The worst thing you can possibly drink is stuff mixed with sugar syrups, juice, creamy and/or sweet liqueurs, etc. I usually m...

As you know, one of my go-to snacks/treats is protein bars. I am no delicate flower who can nibble on a dry piece of toast and not eat again until the next day. No way Jose!! This woman has a serious appetite, and you weight lifters know what I am talking about. Muscles scream for fuel! I know they are a 'processed' food but I love protein bars because they are portable, filling, satisfy sweet cravings, and are easy to devour quickly in between my therapy client sessions (I have even been known to gobble one down during a session if my blood sugar is getting really low). For the longest time I couldn't find any I liked as much as Quest Chocolate Chunk. I tried other Quest flavours: Cinnamon Roll, Cookie&Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mocha, Blueberry Muffin, etc., and I found them all just meh. Later on, I got addicted to Costco's version, which were also very cheap in comparison. Then Costco kept increasing the price, and then our Costco simply stopped c...

Happy Monday! I thought I would share some things I've tried lately that have made little (or big) improvements in my life. 400mg B2 (Riboflavin) for Migraines So its been now about 20 years that I've been suffering from atypical migraines. I eventually tried medical marijuana (CBD oil with no THC), prescribed by my doctor. I think it helps them from getting as severe as they used to if I take it as soon as I feel one start but what has made the biggest difference has been taking 400 mg of B2 every day. It has drastically cut down on the frequency of them. A counselling client of mine told me about it and I have to say, once I did my research and saw all the data on its efficacy, I had to wonder why no one in all my years of consulting experts, ever suggested it to me?? Microfibre Hair Towel I'd heard they help your hair dry faster and are good for preventing frizz in curly hair. Since having the kids, my hair has gotten even curlier and I have found that I just...

Shana Tova to all those celebrating Rosh Hashana today! Wow, the weather here in Toronto in nuts. Last week we hit a 70+ year record high and it felt like you could boil your blood within seconds of stepping outside, and today we woke up to rain and cool air. Frankly, I prefer the cool wet weather. The heat here this summer has been horrific! Summer may be over, but we are talking about mosquitos today. I have always hated mosquitos with a passion. Unfortunately, the feeling is not mutual. A room full of people and they always bite me. Sadly, this is not just an annoyance. I react rather violently to mosquito bites. Hot red welts develop and the itch from just one is enough to drive me completely insane. One of the many reasons I will NEVER be a camper. But staying in the city doesn't guarantee I won't get bitten by mosquitos. The stupid things are everywhere! So I was thrilled when I was offered a chance to review Thermacell's Patio Shield, a mosquito repellent ...

Do you struggle with digestive issues? It seems most people these days do. This is likely due to a combination of a low fibre, low nutrition diet, sedentary lifestyle, and chronic stress. My dad was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) way back in the early 90s before anyone had really heard of it. Now its frighteningly common. It isn't so much a disease as a label for various idiopathic symptoms. I was diagnosed with it in high school and have struggled with it on and off since. In a very weird turn of events though, ever since recovering from that horrible flu back in February, my symptoms have been much much better. That left my doctor scratching her head! Who knows...I couldn't eat for 2 weeks, everything was going right through me...probably everything in my gut good and bad was killed off and then perhaps I grew back a healthier microbiome. I have taken probiotics for years and still do, but also available are digestive enzymes that are supposed to improve...

Another fitness post! Its kind of ironic that I have gone from being someone who worked at, and worked out in, gyms for hours a day, to someone who hates gyms and would much rather work out at home. Gone are the days I have much interest in teaching fitness classes (I still personal train out of our home), and long gone are the days I have any patience for having others around while I workout. But I do love doing fitness videos to mix things up. Though I can certainly put together a workout for myself, I like having someone else do the work and push me while my mind and body wake up at 5am. The only problem is I get bored quickly, and I also like to continuously stay challenged. My boredom a few months ago led me to purchase Shaun T's Insanity Max 30 program. I got it for an insane deal from Amazon.ca for $49.99. This is pretty frickin' awesome because I got 12 DVDs plus a bonus Live Insanity Sweatfest DVD featuring the cast from the original Insanity program. As you kn...

If you don't know what World Fitness Expo is, its the new name for the annual CANFITPRO conference in Toronto. Apparently the biggest fitness conference in North America. If you are a long time reader, than you know I've been attending it for about 20 years. Not because I want to, but because I basically have to. It provides me with the necessary continuing education credits to maintain my fitness and personal training professional certifications. I attended the conference on Saturday, August 11th. The reasons I hate it aren't because there is anything so terrible about the conference itself. I just hate being in big crowds of people I don't know. I also hate going way downtown in the heart of tourists and traffic. I hate spending a whole day in sweaty workout clothes and the discomfort and fatigue that comes from exercising, than a break, than exercising, etc. as you go from one seminar to another and spend the waste of time in between spending money you shouldn...

Listening to music can make just about anything better. Music can positively affect mood, and boost motivation and endurance. Since the advent of the Walkman, we have been coming up with more and more convenient ways to allow us to listen to our favorite tunes on the go. Thankfully, things have come a long way since the Walkman (and and even longer way since folks used to mosey down the street with a huge boombox on their shoulder!). In this house, its Big A and Adam who could listen to music 24/7. Personally, there are times I need it quiet, but they'd be happy to have tunes on all the time. Headphones are bought in bulk since they tend to die fairly quickly. So when CozyPhones offered to let us try their product, I jumped at the chance. I knew someone in this house would love them. That someone is Big A. They sent us one of their Lycra Headband Headphones from their active line. Its made from Lycra mesh that keeps your head cool and is perfect for use while exercising. Bu...

Is there any food more crave worthy than cheese? Maybe ice cream, potato chips and chocolate, or so say many of my weight loss clients. But cheese certainly ranks up there! Little A and I are the cheese eaters in this house. I keep a handle on how much I eat, but that little kid, she can eat her weight in cheese! Sometimes I tell her she must be a mouse! As you know, I am not someone who thinks dairy is unhealthy. Its a good source of calcium and protein. I come from a long line of cheese lovers. In fact, when I was asked if I would sample and review Jarlsberg cheese, I immediately thought of my childhood, and of my dad. When I was a kid, he would eat a deli sandwich with meat and cheese and a can of Chunky soup almost every day for lunch. Often it was Jarlsberg cheese. So I likely ate it too, but I don't remember. They generously sent me coupons for free Jarlsberg products and I picked up a wedge at our local grocery store. Jarlsberg, is a cow's milk cheese original...

Canadians are probably all aware of this, but for those of you International readers, I will share that there was a mass shooting here in Toronto last week. It happened on a Sunday at 1030pm, when many folks were out enjoying a warm summer evening. It also happened 2 blocks from my brother's house. Many people were injured, some very seriously, and 2 were killed including an 18-year-old woman, and 10-year-old girl. Not only the city, but I think the whole country is shocked, especially after the van attack that left many dead here just last April. So when I was asked to post information about this yoga class taking place tomorrow in honor of the victims of the shooting, I was happy to oblige. If you live in the city, do think of dropping in. A result of this incident, Canada is thinking of banning the sale of hand guns altogether. Maybe some day the country down south will do the same (yeah right!).

They say that as you get older you get worse at regulating your body temperature. This is bad news for me, because my whole life I have been too hot most of the time. Now its out of control. Basically between April and November I am a sweaty mess. And yes, I live in Canada. We get freakin' hot, humid summers folks. I have also found that what I eat makes a big different to how I feel in different seasons. I crave hearty, warming meals in the dead of winter (I do occasionally get cold too), and cool, refreshing foods in the summer. This salad is one of my favorites because it is light, hydrating, and satisfying. I am not a big melon fan, but I do like watermelon in salads. If you don't like tofu, you can use feta cheese, which is also amazing in this salad (along with kalamata olives!), but the tofu boosts the protein even more. If you can find it, use this Soyganic brand tofu. IT IS THE BOMB: Besides how yummy and nutritious it is, this recipe is also quick and easy...

I freakin' love honey. And as I've written about in past posts, I tend to be loyal to the honey I  grew up with, produced on an apiary near my hometown. Its fantastic, and I've never found a honey as good! But over the past few years I've heard all the talk about manuka honey and wondered what all the fuss is about. So I was happy to agree to sample some from Comvita . Manuka honey is produced in New Zealand and comes from manuka trees.  It is valued for its antimicrobial activity and unique flavour. Comvita brand manuka honey has a UMF® license with the UMFHA (Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association). In addition, genuine UMF® Manuka Honey complies with all five of the following criteria: 1.  UMF® is clearly stated on the front label 2.  It is packed into jars and labelled in New Zealand 3.  It is from a New Zealand company licensed by UMFHA to use the name UMF® 4.  It has the UMF® licensee’s name on the front label 5.  It has a rati...

This past spring Big A turned 12 and Little A turned 9. Parenting is never easy, but I do feel its gotten less hard. Partially, its because the girls are older, and thankfully, within the past 6 months, they have FINALLY stopped fighting as much. They used to fight 24/7 and it drove Adam and I bonkers, so its a wonderful relief for us all. I have even witnessed moments of tenderness between them. Whoa, I thought I might never see the day! Bit A graduated from Grade 6 and is heading to middle school in the fall, but she is very mature for her age, and as you can see, also looks much older than she is: People often mistake her for being anywhere from 15-18! I guess its good that she also behaves like an older kid...sometimes! But she really has come a long way this past year. She is obsessed with music and sports (like her dad), does extremely well academically, and is a free thinker. She is confident but likes to spend time alone. If she isn't playing basketball with boys in...

If you are a follower of everything Gwyneth Paltrow, (and really, who isn't?) than you have for sure heard of Tracy Anderson . I'm joking, of course, if you are a GOOP fiend, you most likely don't read this blog as my penchant for empirical evidence clashes with her philosophy of claiming the most ridiculous things have health benefits (hello steaming your vagina???). Anyways, Tracy Anderson is the celebrity fitness trainer that has her own *special* training method that will make you look like Gwyneth or Courtney Cox or any other waif-like Hollywood star (by the way, you actually need unusual genetics and a team of hired help to look like them). She also now has exclusive gyms around NYC, LA, The Hamptons,  London, and Madrid. Oh, and the gyms also sell her branded nutrition bars and other merch. I have heard much about the Tracy Anderson Method: high repetition, low weight kinda stuff so you don't 'bulk up' of course. Its not my kind of thing, I like ...

I don't know if you've heard, but apparently, at least for us folks here in Canada, quite often the air in our homes is poorer quality than outdoors. Since we are a congested bunch in this house, with various seasonal allergies, this concerns me. So I was thrilled to be sent an Atem air purifier from IQAir to try along with the IQAir AirVisual Pro thingamadoodle. The Atem removes small particulate matter from the air that comes from outdoor pollution, and indoor toxins (cooking, cleaning products, etc.). The potential health risks range from eye and nose irritation, breathing problems, to asthma, cancer and heart disease. In particular, I worry about our basement, because although we don't usually get any water seepage, it is humid, and Adam and I spend a lot of time down there because that's where we have our home gym, one of our bathrooms (where Adam and I usually shower), and Adam's study. The purifier is about the size of a medium fan but is incred...