Healthy Life Lessons

Happy Easter Monday to those who celebrate! If you are one of millions of North Americans who wants to improve your lifestyle and/or health but do not know where to start, this book will be of interest to you. What struck me several times while reading Your Fittest Future Self by Kathleen Trotter, is that it is the book (one of about 20) that I planned to write! I write books in my head on a regular basis and fantasize about actually writing them, but then decide it's way too much work. But ultimately, this means that Trotter , a personal trainer, motivational speaker and author, is totally on the same page I am when it comes to perspectives on fitness and nutrition. But that's no surprise as she graduated from my alma mater (Department of Exercise Sciences at the University of Toronto) and also wrote a fitness column for the Globe and Mail that I used to enjoy. The book has sections on nutrition, fitness and mindset (i.e. motivation and ways to avoid self-sabotag...

It is ironic I am writing this on a day that does not feel like spring at all (04/11/19). It is cold and gray and has been snowing. Tomorrow it is supposed to go up to like 15C and rain...at least it is warming up! I am hoping when this post goes live, it actually does feel like spring! I did not get sick once this winter! I was feeling very smug about that, and thinking maybe it was because as soon as flu season started, I began using my Navage Nose Cleaner again. Typically I just rinse my sinuses with a squirt of Hydrasense, but after getting the flu last winter, I decided to get out the heavy duty artillery this winter. Unfortunately, the girls brought home a nasty cold last week and even the Navage was no match for it. so my hubris was rewarded with a very sore throat, headache, and laryngitis. In any case, the Navage is indispensable when you are sick! Just imagine being totally stuffed up and having this thing suck all the snot and mucus out!! Its awesome. I am also lovi...

One of the biggest frustrations I have with the wellness industry (aside from all the bullshit people sell with zero evidence of its efficacy) is its elitism. Eat all organic! Grow your own food! Buy everything from independently owned small local shops! Its not that I do not see the value in all of this, the problem is, few people can really do these things. Its not a coincidence that there is a strong correlation between health and socioeconomic status. Most North Americans cannot afford to live on a big property where they can grow their food, they cannot afford to buy organic food, and they cannot afford to replace their daily cup of joe for a turmeric latte. There are certainly many ways to eat healthfully on a budget as I have outlined in past posts. Buying organic food on a budget can be tough. Does washing conventionally grown fruits and veggies remove pesticides? Apparently it can definitely reduce the amount of residue (See link ). What about special fruit and veggie...

I have adored reading since I learned how around age 5. I remember spending hours all through my childhood in my room reading novels. Before I became a teenager I was even happy to re-read my favorite books over and over again. Obviously, I still love to read as I post a lot of book reviews. There is not a single day that goes by that I don't read. If not while on the subway to and from work, then for certain in the evening before bed. There is nothing I would rather do (actually nothing I am really willing to do) after 8pm, then curl up and read. Lately, I have felt more pressure to tackle the growing list of books I want to read to help inform my work as a therapist. Since there is only so much time in a day, I decided to start reading them at night instead of fiction/literature. At first I was worried it wouldn't relax me the same way as purely pleasure reading does, but I am happy to say it seems regardless of what I am reading, it is the perfect activity to relax me...