Healthy Life Lessons

As an active family of four, we produce a ridiculous amount of laundry. We also suffer from the aches and pains that tend to go along with sports and fitness. For Adam and I its our daily workouts (and aging) that all too frequently lead to tendonitis or a muscle tweak. Big A dances for 5+ hours a week and does circus classes and Little A has soccer games and practices 3x a week and they often end up with sore muscles or a sprain. So we are no strangers to sports tape, topical pain creams and various body braces. Recently, Incrediwear offered to send one of its injury braces for us to try. Since she overdid the trampoline training at circus camp last summer, Big A has had on and off issues with one of her ankles. At the time the pain was so bad, her doctor thought it might be a stress fracture, but it was then determined to be a sprain. Big A now finds if she is not careful, she can easily re-injure the area. So I requested an ankle brace she could try. Incrediwear is distingu...

If you do not know how to cook and would like to learn how to simple, health meals, thank look no further. The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook  may be intended to help people cook diabetic-friendly meals, but really the book is good for anyone with little cooking experience who wants a step-by-step guide for creating nutritious recipes. Published by the American Diabetes Association, and written by Dietitian, Jackie Newgent, the book is chock-full, not only of easy-to-prepare, tasty recipes, but also everything you need to know to get you started in the kitchen if you do not already have the basic knowledge and skills. The chapter on a diabetes-friendly lifestyle provides advice some specific advice for diabetes but also some that really applies to everyone: exercise, choose whole grains, eat healthy fats, reduce sodium, and avoid sugary beverages. There is a step-by-step guide on diabetic-friendly cooking, which, again, can really be utilized by anyone looking for ...

I named this salad the Tel Aviv Salad because it is inspired by a dish I had while we were in Israel (at a restaurant in the Tel Aviv Carmel Market). The dish was roasted cauliflower with raisins in a beet tahini sauce...and there might have been some other things in it I am forgetting. I have incorporated roasted cauliflower, beets and tahini, but also added a whole bunch of other middle eastern flavours too. It is absolutely delicious and you can eat it warm or cold. Tel Aviv Market Salad Salad 1 large bunch kale, chopped 4 beets, diced and roasted 2 heads cauliflower cut into florets and roasted 6-8 dried permimmons, diced (or 1/4 cup raisins) 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 1 can chickpeas, drained Dressing 1/2 cup tahini Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp ground cumin Season, to taste Whisk together dressing and set aside. Combine salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Drizzle dressing over top, toss and serve.

Feeling stressed? Too busy, spread to thin? Isn't everybody? Or do you suffer from anxiety. Always worrying, having difficulty concentrating, sleeping, relaxing. As a psychotherapist I find the most common presenting issue my clients have is anxiety. Occasionally it's stress from some life circumstances. Stress and anxiety are not the same thing, but I will get to that later. If you are looking for tips on managing stress and/or anxiety, than this little book may be helpful. The Little Book of Game Changers , written by Jessica Cording, is a straightforward guide to making small changes to your thinking and lifestyle that can assist with stress management and reducing anxiety. Cording, a registered dietitian and health coach, has sections on mind, body and spirit. Chapters include topics ranging from self-reflection, to money management, to morning routines, to nutrition, to loneliness and food guilt. Stress is a response to a 'threat' and anxiety is a react...

As a therapist and personal trainer, my advice to you is to never set new year's resolutions. I never do. Why? Because it is not an effective way to make changes in your life. For anyone. Most of the time resolutions fail, and then people blame themselves and assume its because they are lazy, lack self-discipline, are worthless, etc. Then people have even less confidence the next time, which pretty much sets anyone up for failure before they even start. The problem is people usually make resolutions around things they believe they 'should' do. But 'shoulding' is not usually a driver of action. Even if you really want a particular outcome (lose weight, spend less, etc.), unless you are 100% committed to the process required to achieve that outcome, you are never going to see it through to fruition. I see this all the time with clients of mine who say they want to see a change in themselves of their life, but really are unwilling to make the behavioural or per...

Most people I know hate protein bars. Adam and I love them. They are convenient and satisfying for us weight lifting folks. Some are truly terrible taste-wise, and many are far from healthy. For the most part, I stick with Quest Bars or Costco's protein bars and I probably eat 3-5 a week max (except when we travel I tend to eat them more so I don't ever get hangry). Recently I tried 2 new (to me) Quest bar flavours because I found them on major sale (they are bloody expensive!). First, was Mint Chocolate Chunk. The base of the bar is chocolate and then there are crumbly chocolate cookie pieces and green mint chunks. The base is okay and I like the mint chunks but I could do without the cookie pieces. They are kind of tasteless. Overall, I did like this bar a lot, but after I finished the first box I bought, I had enough and gave the whole second box to Adam. Next I had to try Pumpkin Pie. I have a cinnamon/spice addiction so I was very curious how these would ...

It seems like winter has come early this year. Though I don't mind winter nearly as much as most people - since I hate summer and hot weather - it's still been disappointing because it means that autumn, my absolute favorite season, was cut short. No matter what the season, its important to fill your life with little pleasures, so here are ones I am enjoying right now. Once it gets dark before I leave the office, its very important for me to be visible on my bicycle while going home in the evenings. I was sent Runlites mittens to review a few years back, and I have to tell you, I adore them! The lights are extremely bright, and I love that they are rechargeable. They came with thin glove inserts but I lost one last winter, and, besides, they weren't warm enough for Canadian winters. So when it is super cold, I wear another pair of gloves or mittens underneath. I am often stopped by other cyclists or pedestrians who comment on how awesome they are. I am also taking...