Healthy Life Lessons

Well well, how is your 2016 shaping up so far? I apologize for the dearth of posts lately, things have just been super busy.  I have a list of meaty posts I have been wanting to write but haven't had the time.  But I promise I will get to it! Looking back, was 2015 a good one for you? It was a great one for me actually...especially compared to 2014.  The year I turned 40 was one that was full of existential angst.  I went through some hard times asking myself hard questions that most of us find ourselves asking from time to time: Am I enough?  Should I____ What if____? Most of it revolved around my professional self.  I grew up in a home where academic achievement was everything.  There was great pressure to excel in intellectual endeavors and financial stability was highly valued.  Its ironic then, or perhaps its the result of, that both my brother and I dabbled in well paid, stable jobs and ran the other way screaming and, instead,...

  Even though every Torontonian knew the green, mild weather wouldn't last, the snow storm this week still feels like a shock to the system. Really, we are still doing well relative to most years at this time.  We seriously only got our first snow this week, at the end of December, about a month later than usual.  And its still pretty mild, with temps above freezing. What gets me though is the greyness and bleakness of the landscape.  I am going to try my mood light again this winter, but I don't hold much hope it will make me feel any sunnier.  For me I don't think it is an actual physiological need for sunlight that gets me down so much as just needing a nicer view. You know how there are television stations that just broadcast a fireplace or fish tank to help people relax? Well, I am sure there must be something like that with beautiful landscapes.  At one place where I used to go for massages they have a big television in the waiting room...

  Friday we are throwing our annual New Year's Day party. For the last time. I realized that for the past few years I hate hosting it.  Actually, I have grown to hate hosting parties period. I love other people's parties though.  You see, I can leave whenever I want.  The problem with hosting is you can't tell people to get out. I am an extroverted introvert.  This means that I adore socializing until I don't.  I hit a limit with how much interaction (especially large group interaction) I can handle and then I need solitude.  I think having children has increased this tendency in me because, as any parent knows, you rarely get solitude, even in your own home, when you have kids. Adam is even more of an introvert and basically hates parties.  So when we finally admitted to each other how much we were dreading the event this year, we happily agreed this would be the last one. I also hate all the work involved, so I've switched to a ...

Good morning, I hope you have had happy holidays so far! We were in Florida last week at my in-law's place near Orlando and had a wonderful, relaxing stay. It was way too hot and humid for me - caused a few killer headaches - but it was great for the girls who spent a lot of timing swimming with their cousins and having a blast. I will miss the view from our condo though... Sitting out on the screened in porch was lovely, even with the heat. I will miss the sunshine too.  Toronto is still uncharacteristically mild for this time of year, but it is so grey and blah. Adam and I both feel refreshed, having eaten well, exercised and slept a lot.  I made it to one of the resort gyms 3 times to lift weights, and did some of my Tae Bo videos.  Of course, I brought along Essentrics, because doing my stretching is a must! Eating nutritious food is easy because we stay in a spacious condo with a full kitchen and cook most of our meals.  I made us gigantic egg w...

Too often when we travel, whether its for business or pleasure, we derail our healthy lifestyle with all or nothing thinking.  Because we can't stick to our exact eating and/or exercise plan, we throw in the towel completely and make poor choices. Most of the time it is very doable to stay on track, even if you have to adopt a new and different routine from your usual. Perhaps you won't get in as much cardio as you normally would, or you'll have to pack some resistance bands rather than using free weights, but as long as you get in as much activity as you can, you're good.  Maybe you can't drink your daily green smoothie for breakfast, but no doubt you can find an alternative to eat that is yummy and nutritious.  Just because you can't be perfect, doesn't mean you need to stop trying.  Its all about doing your best in every situation. You can't ask any more of yourself! Planning ahead is key.  Pack healthy snacks for the plane/train/car.  Don't...

  One of the hottest trends right now is health tracker devices.  It seems even barely health conscious people have gotten hooked on tracking their daily steps, sleep patterns, calorie intake, etc. Apparently this type of quantitative feedback can help motivate some people to stick to their health goals.  Personally, I've never been interested, but maybe that's because the one area where I never lack motivation is my health, especially in terms of nutrition, exercise and sleep. One frequently overlooked but critical aspect of personal health care is oral hygiene.  Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is not just a matter of keeping your pearly whites beautiful and preventing bad breath.  Gum disease has been linked to cardiovascular disease and other systemic inflammatory responses.  If you need a bit of a kick in the pants about your oral hygiene and love gadgets, you will want to check out Oral B's new Smartseries electric toothbrushes with Bluet...

  For her annual Hannukah party, my mother-in-law asked me to make a quinoa salad.  I instantly decided I wanted to come up with a new recipe...something really unique.  Something kind of special.  I think this fit the bill, and it was definitely a hit. Not only is this salad delicious, its full of superfoods to keep you feeling fabulous.  If you want to make it a main course salad, just throw in some chickpeas for protein.  Its very quick and easy to make too, which I am sure you will appreciate for the busy holiday season.  If you're entertaining, this salad will look lovely on your table and impress your guests. Salad 1 cup uncooked quinoa 1 bunch black kale (lacinato kale), finely chopped 1 persimmon, diced 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup roasted, sliced almonds 1/4 cup dried cranberries Cook quinoa according to package instructions and let cool.  Transfer to serving bowl, along with the rest of salad ingredients. Orang...