Healthy Life Lessons

I am sure you must have heard by now that Type II diabetes has become an epidemic.  It is one of the many chronic health conditions associated with obesity and a poor lifestyle.  In Canada, experts estimate that there will be 4.2 million of us diagnosed with diabetes by 2020.  Many people (1-in-5)have prediabetes and don't even know it, and what's scary, is that 70% of people with prediabetes will go on to develop diabetes.  You could be one of them!! So what?  You'll just pop some pills or take a few needles?  Or start eating cinnamon buns instead of donuts?  Not so fast!  Here are some of the things that can go along with being diabetic: - Vision problems/blindness - Greater risk of dementia - Greater risk of gum/oral infections - Greater risk of heart attack and stroke - Neuropathy - Digestive problems - Kidney failure - Foot/leg amputations Doesn't sound fun, does it?? So who is at risk of Type 2 diabetes?  You have a greater risk if you are: - O

My heart is very full right now.  It's my favorite time of year, and I feel so incredibly grateful.  We had such a great weekend.  Rosh Hashana and belated birthday celebrations for me Friday with family.  A trip out to the Beaches neighbourhood on Saturday with the girls and a relaxed Sunday.  Adam took the girls swimming at the JCC after their Hebrew School and then we had a girls evening while Adam went to his book club. The weather is gorgeous and just makes you want to be outside! For dinner Friday night I made the crumble and this cake.  For the apple lovers, this was a smashing hit.  I am going to be making it again for sure!  Rich, moist apple-y cake covered in spiced apple and honey caramel topping...delish.  But I still managed to make it pretty healthy.  No oil in the cake and the topping is a lot healthier than most frostings! The picture doesn't do it justice.  It actually looked beautiful but the camera on my phone totally sucks...on top of me being a cra

Good morning!  Its Friday and its going to be a hot one!  Weather has been so all over the place, and right now we're back at summer.  As you know I prefer the cooler temps, but at least its sunny... We are spending the morning at shul again today but then the girls are going back to school for the afternoon.  Tonight we are going to Adam's parents' house for dinner for Rosh Hashana and a belated birthday celebration for me. The girls were disappointed I didn't make a birthday cake for myself, so Little A asked demanded I make 2 desserts for tonight: an apple crumble and an apple cake.  Okay, why not? Here is the delicious crumble recipe... Rosh Hashana Apple & Honey Crumble 6 apples, cored and chopped (I used large Galas) 2 tbls honey 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 cups oats 2 tbls chia seeds 2 tbls coconut flour 1/4 cup coconut oil, butter or Earth Balance, softened 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan) Toss apples with cinnamon and honey and

Shana Tova!  Its very appropriate that I celebrate Rosh Hashana as I have always felt like September is a time of change and renewal more so than January 1st. Its also around my birthday, of course, so it really is a time of change for me personally.  I can't really believe that I'm 40 now!  But its fine, no different than 39 or 38 really... Admittedly, I had a little breakdown a few weeks ago prior to my birthday.  All the old insecurities I have reared their ugly heads and, while assessing just what I've done with my life up until now, I convinced myself that I was a big, worthless failure. Fortunately, I used my counselling knowledge to reason with myself and was able to drag myself out of it...partially...and was feeling a bit better when my actual birthday rolled around.  Then, miraculously, I woke up the day of my birthday and was all back to normal.  Seriously, I don't know what that was all about, but I've totally bounced back.  Moving on... I wanted

Pie R Square? No, Pie is Round! I know, I'm hilarious. If you have little kids, you know how important shape, colour and appearance are to them when it comes to...well, everything, but to food, in particular.  Cut a sandwich wrong and you are likely to have a tantrum of epic proportions. One morning Little A was in a snit because...well just because.  Oatmeal was on the menu for breakfast, and even though she loves it, she was screaming and claiming to hate it.  I offered her one alternative: I could make her baked oatmeal squares.  She refused and continued to rant and rave for another 15 minutes.  When she realized she might be going to school without any breakfast at all, she finally gave in and I made her a regular bowl of oatmeal.  This led to another major meltdown as I had misunderstood and she was saying yes to an oatmeal square, not to a regular, round bowl of oatmeal.  Sigh!  I explained that I had not been able to interpret her true wishes with all the yelling a

I am always envious of people who are able to take good ideas and turn them into a successful product or service.  If I do say so myself, I've had some pretty awesome million dollar ideas, but I've just never known what to do with them. So its extra humbling to hear a story like this one. Freetoes , these toeless socks were dreamt up by a little (Canadian) kid!  Ironically, I recently saw her on Dragon's Den (Canada's version of Shark Tank), so I was happy to review her product when the offer came. I like them for around the house when I want something on my feet.  I often find regular socks make my feet too hot, but these are perfect.  I don't wear flip flops or any shoe with a thong because I find them very uncomfortable, as does Little A, but Big A loves them, so she was thrilled to try out the kids' Freetoes we were sent. They are also great for yoga and for pedicures. They come in a wide variety of colours and fun patterns and both Big A a

Hi there and happy Monday!  Sorry if Mondays bring you down and my peppiness makes you nauseous, but since I love what I do, I no longer hate Mondays.  Every day is a blessing.  And this week is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous...my favorite fall weather!  I want to enjoy every last minute of it because it never lasts long. We got our new front door this weekend and it looks fantastic.  I am so happy with it.  Its black with custom made wrought iron.  Very elegant and so much nicer than the builder's basic our house came with.  We still need to update our house numbers and mailbox because they now look even crappier beside this lovely door.  I am very proud to say that I repainted the bench on our front porch and our garage door all by myself!  No biggie if you are handy but I am no DIYer.  I hummed and hawed about doing it myself and even went so far as to book our handyman to do it instead because I so doubted I could pull it off.  Finally, I got sick of being such a c

Source Its not really Fudge Day, but its kind of an inside joke with  Little A and I. Last June her JK teacher sent an email to parents that was supposed to be titled "Happy Father's Day" but autocorrect changed it to "Happy Fudge Day".  For some reason, we both find this hilarious.  Every time we say it, we giggle like crazy.  Recently I googled it and found that there actually IS a fudge day - June 16th - which is around Father's Day.  Both of us found that even more hysterical. I love that we have the same silly sense of humour.  Laughing is so important.  Its good for the body, mind and soul.  Its one of the ultimate stress relievers. One way Adam and I have been getting a good laugh lately is watching Brooklyn 99 , a very funny and silly sitcom.  There have been a few scenes that have had me in absolute hysterics.  We have a busy weekend coming up. I work tonight and tomorrow and tomorrow evening we have dinner plans with our friends, Holly

Its Thursday!  Know what that means?  Its almost Friday! No recipe today, just a little food for thought. If you have children, than you likely already know that they can be a real buzzkill to romance and intimacy in your marriage. I know the pain and anguish of experiencing miscarriage and infertility, and I see others in my counselling practice grappling with it every day.  The irony is, raising children is one of the most difficult things to do.  Believe me, it comes with its own set of challenges, even for the strongest of couples.  Fortunately, our innate drive to reproduce causes most of us to disregard this reality...otherwise human beings would have died off centuries ago! A recent article in Psychology Today , raises the question of whether modern parenting styles are creating even greater marital discord than existed in the past.  A study by researchers John and Judy Gottman found that two-thirds of parents in their study were very unhappy after the birth of thei

Oh yes, I did.  I dreamed up this tasty little granola treat that is beyond belief. I knew it would be magnificent so I munched up the rest of my Gingerbread Granola so I could cook up a new batch.  All I have to say is OMG!! This was my first time making coconut bacon and it was as easy as it is delicious.  And is there any flavour more fall-like than maple?  Perfect for the gorgeous autumn weather we're having...my very favorite (18 Celsius and sunny). The girls, unfortunately, are not fans.  I don't blame them though, as a kid I hated anything that tasted remotely 'smokey'.  But the good news is, I get all this granola to myself...unless the husband dares to share. Maple 'Bacon' Granola 1.5 cups coconut bacon (homemade like this  or purchased) 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (the darker the better!) 2 tbls coconut oil, melted 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional) 1/2 tsp sea salt 6 cups unsweetened, puffed brown r

So I guess Quebec City is a pretty cool place after all.  He he! The weekend could have started out better.  I was still feeling yucky and my flight was delayed 45 minutes after we boarded.  But I was the only one on the whole flight with an empty seat beside me :)  I wonder if it was because it was seat 13 and some people avoid sitting in a seat of that number? After getting to my hotel, I discovered my room wasn't ready yet, which really got me steamed as I really wanted to drop my stuff and get to the conference.  Fortunately, there was a very nice staff person there who hurried things along and got me checked in. The room was large, clean and lovely!  Check out this cool goldfish sink that was in the bathroom: I headed over to the conference and joined the seminar in session.  Fabulous as always!  I love the CFAS conference.  Its so nice to connect with others working in the field of infertility. I presented my poster presentation at the reception and hobnobbed wi

Good morning! How was your weekend? I am eating my beret right now because I had an amazing time in Quebec!  Guess I shouldn't have been so grumpy.  I'll recap the whole thing for you tomorrow. For now, I'll share a tasty little recipe.  I was trying to come up with a new treat for the girls' lunch boxes and was stuck on the idea of something oaty and chocolatey, but hadn't much gotten beyond that.  Then this recipe was published on Oh She Glows, and it was like Angela had read my mind.  Only problem was her recipe uses almond flour and nuts are not allowed at school.  So I tinkered a bit and came up with a nut-free version that is safe for school and got all thumbs up from the girls...in fact, they LOVE these!!!  I am sure you will too. I replaced the almond flour with gluten-free buckwheat flour, which also binds better compared with most gluten-free flours.  I doubled the original recipe, but also lightened it up by using a bit less coconut oil and ad

Hey there. I'm a bit grumpy today. Today is my 40th birthday.  Happy birthday to me!! That's not why I'm grumpy. I'm grumpy because all week I've been fighting some stomach bug that has left me nauseous and with a very upset tummy.  Oh, and tomorrow I leave for the CFAS conference which is being held in Quebec City.  I don't want to go to Quebec City.  I've been there before when I was 11 years old.  I don't care if its historic and picturesque. I don't like French food. I don't feel like being humiliated by how poor my French skills are after not using them for so long (at one time I was basically bilingual).  If I have to go to La Belle Provence, I would rather go to Montreal.  On the bright side, I usually have a good time at this conference.  I'm presenting a poster again based on the research we presented last year, which at that time was incomplete.  I'm also staying at a very nice hotel, and as any parent knows, a few

My dad-a big cheesecake lover- nearly wept when I told him about making this cheesecake with the girls and then giving most of it to the neighbours.  Adam just didn't want the temptation in the house and the girls realized it wasn't their thing.  I am not usually a big cheesecake fan, but I have to admit this turned out pretty awesome.  Probably a good idea we gave it away... Black and White Cheesecake 2 cups cookie crumbs, regular or gluten-free (I used whole grain oat biscuits) 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened 1/4 cup agave syrup 2 lbs light cream cheese, softened 4 eggs 1 1/4 cup granulated stevia 1 tsp vanilla extract 350g unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup agave syrup 1/2 cup unsweetened plain, vanilla or chocolate almond milk Combine crumbs, oil and agave in food processor.  Press into parchment lined 9 inch springform pan. Combine cream cheese with eggs, stevia (or other sweetener) and vanilla in blender or processor and blend until smooth.  Pour into c

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is generally one of the first treatments fertility clinics offer to patients.  It is less invasive and less expensive than IVF.  But it is still expensive and has a very low success rate relative to the cost.   So I was intrigued when I was recently sent information about a new product called The Stork, that basically allows you to do an IUI yourself in the comfort of your own home. This is also an interesting option for same sex couples using a known donor! One thing I will caution you of, however, is that it is important to get fertility screening done first if you have been struggling to conceive.  Because if the issue is low ovarian reserve/poor egg quality, blocked fallopian tubes, severe endometriosis and/or uterine abnormalities, than this won't likely help.  You'd be wasting your money on this.  Similarly, if there is a serious sperm issue, something like IVF and ICSI would likely be required.  This is actually a great option

We did it. Its over. It was amazing, but admittedly, I don't know if I'll do it again. I am proud to say that my team, the Teal Magnolias, raised over $7,000! Here's a brief recap. I got up at my regular 5am hour, showered and ate my usual massive bowl of oatmeal with egg whites and chia seeds and downed 2 iced coffees.  We caught cabs at 7am and got down to the Rogers Centre at 7:20am to get organized. At about 8:45am they started getting us out on to the street.  At the beginning it was very slow walking because there were over 3,000 of us, and they don't close down the streets like they do for marathons, so we were on the sidewalk, maneuvering around pedestrians, etc. in the downtown core. The route was extremely winding, not a big loop, so we were all over the place, but eventually got out of the downtown, headed west to Roncesvalles, and then way north and west again, through Bloor West Village, and out to Etobicoke, where finally things were less

  Source We are nearing the end of the Toronto International Film Fest !  Know what?  I could give a shit. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good film as much as the next guy, but I find our obsession with celebrities to be perverse. Every year at this time, people become obsessed with catching a glimpse of the stars when they come to town.  I really don't care if I see any of them.  They are just human beings like you and I.  Some talented, some just lucky or in the right place at the right time.  Some have big hearts and minds while others are just assholes.  Speaking of celebs, RIP Joan Rivers... If there is one thing Robin Williams' suicide should tell you, its that all the money and fame in the world doesn't make you have a perfect life. And it doesn't make you happy. You know what makes me happy?  This was a great first week back to school.  Big A got top results on a word test and loves her new class and teacher.  Little A has eased back into ki

Its been ages since I baked with plaintains, so I snatched up a massive one at the market this past weekend. I am trying to figure out how I am going to fuel myself the day of our big walk and I am thinking these might be a good bet, along with some Quest bars and fresh fruits and veggies.  We were told they supply snacks and lunch, but I have no faith they'll come through with anything that meets my nutrition needs and standards (I'm guessing juice and bagels or other high carb, low nutrition crap).  But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. In any case, these turned out so well, I don't think I need to save them for any special occasion or event.  These taste so much like they are made with grain flour, its amazing.  I couldn't even detect the plantain taste. Vanilla Spice Plantain Power Cakes 1 large plaintain, somewhat ripe (i.e. not green) 1/2 cup egg whites 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Vega) 1/4 cup granulated stevia (optional) 1 tsp va

  Okay, I'll admit right up front that I met Tom Holland in person and we really connected, but I still think I was as objective as possible when I reviewed this book.  Little did I know at the time, however, that Adam had just finished reading his book about marathon training! Tom is a spokesperson for Nautilus retail fitness equipment and I was invited to come check out their latest cardio machines, the Bowflex Treadclimber and the Max Trainer. As far as cardio machines go (I'm currently on a cardio machine-free life), these are top notch.  Both offer low impact but high intensity workouts on sturdy equipment that have all sorts of connectivity options to allow you to track your progress. I spent a while chatting with the Nautilus company reps and Tom about fitness and health promotion and just how tough it is to get people on the exercise bandwagon.  They're from New York, so we had a fun discussion about our favorite healthy restaurants in Manhattan and we co

Is it seriously the first day of school?  How did this happen?  The summer flew by!  I don't usually feel that way.  Usually the heat and humidity make if feel like it is dragging, to me.  But with the delightful weather this year, I am really sad to see it go...even if this past weekend was really stinking hot and sticky! This weekend was filled with successes and, um, learning opportunities. What was successful: Trip to the Ex - We took the girls and Big A's boyfriend and had a blast.  We were there on Friday from 11am until 3:45pm and we only left because we had to get to Adam's parents' house for dinner.  The kids could have stayed a few more hours! Family fun - the girls had a great time with Adam's siblings' kids Friday night and with my brother's kids and my parents on Saturday. Sunday the weather was extreme so I insisted we go to Vaughan Mills mall.  We managed to find the girls leotards for gymnastics, a new lunch bag for Big A and t