Healthy Life Lessons

What the heck is BFR, you ask? For everyone you ever want to know about it, this site covers it. As a basic explanation, BFR is: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a training strategy involving the use of cuffs or wraps placed around a limb during exercise, to maintain arterial inflow to the muscle while preventing venous return . BFR can be used with resistance training, or with other modalities, including walking. Programs of resistance training with BFR and low loads (20 – 30% of 1RM) appear to increase strength. BFR programs appear to increase strength more than resistance training without BFR when using matched (low) relative loads but are either similar in efficacy or slightly less effective than conventional resistance training with unmatched (high) relative loads. Programs of resistance training with BFR and low loads (20 – 30% of 1RM) appear to produce hypertrophy. BFR program...

I am embarrassed to admit something about the back story to this product review. Initially, the Kinin company contacted me, and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their aromatherapy pens. I thought they meant writing pens that contain essential oils. So, you know, you're sitting at your desk working, or writing out your to do list or grocery list and relaxing with a lil' aromatherapy. Um, no, they meant pens like a vaping type device that you inhale. Oh, that kind of pen! 😜 I was a little suspicious since vaping is not really my thing, um, at all. I even contacted them just to confirm there is no tobacco or nicotine or anything in them. They assured me that there is none. The pens contain safe, organic, essential oils that the pen simply vaporizes and you do, indeed, inhale. As you know, I am very scent-ual...as in, I love perfumes, and scented products! Though I would not say I regularly practice 'aromatherapy', I do see its value. Even research has s...

If you get SAD in the winter, than you know how important it is to find joy in small pleasures. Here is what I am loving right now... Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick My lips always feel dry in winter (along with my hands!), so I have to have something moisturizing on them, but I also like lipstick when I'm going out (to make me look a wee bit presentable). All of the lipsticks I've tried up to now, haven't moisturized enough. So ironic as it is (isn't Florida like the most humid place in the U.S.?), I picked up this Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick and adore it. It is super moisturizing and I love the colour I picked up! Of course, as my luck would have it, I don't think its available in Canada 😭 Old Navy Mesh Compression Leggings I have bought many brands of compression leggings, and though these are the least expensive, they are also THE BEST! As a petite woman, I also love that the XS size actually fits me, and is the perfect length!! O...

You know I love strong flavours and heat in my food, so, of course, I am a big jerk chicken fan (or jerky chicken as my kids call it). Its such a delicious, aromatic, punchy spice combo, there really isn't anything else quite like it. So I was more than happy to review some of Grace Foods  jerk products. Unfortunately, whoever delivered the package, dropped the box too hard on our front porch, and the bottle of jerk paste smashed. It leaked out of the box and made one heck of a mess! This totally sucked, because aside from having to clean up the mess, I have tried their jerk paste and love it. In any case, I still had their jerk marinade and barbecue sauce to try, and several cartons of their coconut water. One hint I have for you about something as concentrated as the jerk paste, is that a little goes a long way! For that reason, I was eager to try their marinade, that I could use more liberally in a recipe (recipe is forthcoming). I used it to make a jerk chicken stew, ...

Summer. Oh summer. While it might be the time of year kids can't wait for, its often a parent's nightmare. If your kids are of school age, then they will have, or soon will, get bored of daycare and you will have to look for other options for your little ones. We still have to work, after all! In Toronto, getting your kids into their desired camps has become a blood sport. You have to show up early and on a mission. Otherwise, everything will fill up before you have a chance to fill out a registration form. Even if you have the whole sign up thing aced, if your kid is picky, you can end up struggling to find a camp he/she will enjoy. Well now there is a new, unique option for kids in Toronto, SPFX Kids Camp ! It teaches kids aged 9-13 all about special effects makeup, something I think most kids would totally dig (my kids will tell me dig is a lame term no one uses any more, but I don't care!). SPFX Kids has been created by Misty Fox, a model, single mom, and celeb...

One of the 'processed' foods I do have in my diet are protein bars. I love them. I am not perfect. I can live with that. For years I've eaten Quest bars, but lately have been sticking to the protein bars from Costco , because the ingredients and macros are similar, and they are WAY CHEAPER! I have always wanted to try One bars, but they are equally as expensive as Quest bars, so I didn't think there was any use getting hooked on them. While we were in Florida over Christmas, however, I purchased a few just so I could see what all the fuss is about. I got one in Birthday Cake flavour, which I have heard tons of raving about, and one in Maple Glazed Donut. The One bars are similar in size and macros to Quest, but overall, the One bars, at least these 2 flavours, are softer and sweeter than the Quest bars I have tried. I tried the Maple Glazed Donut flavour first and was surprised by how much I love it. Unlike most people, I don't like bars that are too soft, ...

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2018! If I had to sum up what 2017 was like for me, I would say pretty great on a personal level but horrendous on a global level. Though there is obviously overlap. The political is personal. This is a health blog, but I could totally write a daily blog blathering about politics and existential issues. In fact, I would be lying if I didn't admit this is what is on my mind most of the time these days. Unfortunately, it feels like there were so many horrendous events over 2017 that I've lost count. The one that put me over the edge though, was Charlottesville. I felt a deep anxiety beginning after that, that just seemed to get more overwhelming as time went on. A few months afterwards, my friend gave me the novel, The German Girl, to read. It is historical fiction set around the St. Louis tragedy. The St. Louis was a boat full of almost 1000 Jewish Germans seeking refuge from Hitler in 1939. Cuba initially promised they could come, but wh...