What a glorious Sunday this is panning out to be. Chilly, autumn-like weather aside, I’m feeling pretty darn good right now!

Reason being, I just got home from attending the Eat Well, Feel Well program run by Registered Nutritionist, Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health and Certified Yoga Instructor, Michelle Uy of LoveActionYoga. And let me tell you, these two lovely ladies know where it’s at when it comes to Eating Well and Feeling Well!

The class started off with a nutrition session led by Joy. Today the focus was on foods for heart, brain and skin health. As we know, true beauty comes from the inside out. It’s not what we slather on our bodies but what we put in our bodies (or rather don’t put in them!) that is key to anti-aging. Joy has a truly joyous nature about her and will inspire you to want to eat well!

Next we moved on to the yoga session led by Michelle. Today was all about heart openers and back bends. Did you know you could open your upper back? We practiced this today, and let me tell you it feels amazing. If you are one of those people who holds tension in your upper back (think sitting in front of a computer for long hours) then you will truly benefit from this. This class is intended for all levels, so if you are a beginner don’t be intimidated. Michelle provides gentle guidance throughout the whole class to ensure you are getting the most out of each exercise.

The program runs the course of 6 weeks and every class is different in terms of nutrition topics and yoga exercises. Check out full class details here on Joy’s site. Next class starts in July and space is limited, so make sure you sign-up soon if you’re interested.

I must say this was the perfect way to start off my Sunday, and a great way to wind down after a busy weekend.

It also gave me that added push to get out of bed a little earlier than I probably would have on a Sunday morning to ensure I made it down to the class on time.

Now that I’ve got it under my belt, I can continue on enjoying the rest of my day basking in my rejuvenated body!

Source: janezlifeandtimes.wordpress.com

And on a final note…

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mama’s out there:)

I love salad! 

I can envision all the eyes rolling.

But before you think I’m getting all “Nutritionist” on you and up in your face with my veggie loving ways, I just have to say that this love stems way back to my roots, long before I consciously went down this path.   

When I was younger, I was never one of those picky eaters who wouldn’t eat her vegetables. That was my brother. I was the one with the “healthy appetite”, as my parents liked to tell people. I think I inherited my love for vegetables from my dad, who was known for making hearty salads and robust vegetable soups. In fact, I have many fond memories of patiently waiting at the kitchen table in anticipation while my dad whipped up a big salad for us to share. My mom and brother on the other hand never really shared the same appreciation for this type of meal. 

Flashback to today, my love for salad has only grown bigger. In fact I love huge salads that eat like meals, especially now that the weather is getting warmer and the spring bounty is cropping up into grocery stores and farmer’s markets. 

Just like the seasons, our desires for food are also cyclical in nature. I know in the winter I crave more cooked and warming foods which tend to be a little more dense, while come spring and summer I tend to gravitate towards cleansing foods like raw fruits and veggies which are naturally lighter. We need to trust our intuition in knowing that the foods that serve us in the cooler months, might not lend the same effect come spring and summertime. Sometimes we just have to trust that our bodies will tell us what it truly needs. Unfortunately, if we are numbed by the effects of the Standard American Diet, otherwise known as the SAD diet (which it truly is), you may not be getting the message!

Here’s a look at one of my favourite salads that is super satisfying and very simple to prepare. I have to say I’ve been eating this a lot lately because I truly enjoy it that much!

My Favourite salad!

I start with a big bowl of green leafy lettuce – lately I’ve been using red leaf lettuce.

Next I cut up whatever vegetables I have on-hand. Sometimes it will be as simple as crispy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, while other times I’ll include spring onion, mushrooms and colourful bell pepper. I also like to throw in sprouts – alfalfa works nice here. Or pea shoots, pictured in my salad above. Furthermore, I’ll throw in some fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley or cilantro.

Next comes the best part. I top it with one whole chopped avocado. This is what makes this salad a truly satisfying meal, and one that can easily satiate my appetite come mealtime. Because I spend most of the day in an office environment behind a desk, I really don’t like to eat heavily for my mid-day meal. I find a lighter meal leaves me feeling much more energized and allows for a more productive work-day. By the same token, I also often enjoy this meal for dinner, but depending on my appetite I might throw something else into the mix such as a baked sweet potato if I feel like a bit more. 

For this simple salad, I like to top it with a simple dressing. Homemade of course and never bottled! 

In fact, bottled salad dressings are one of those things that I suggest people boycott completely. Why take a perfectly healthy salad and drench it with chemical preservatives, artificial flavours and processed fats? Avoid them even if they are low-fat or fat-free! In fact, these types of dressings are oftentimes more offensive to the body than their full-fat counterparts. Besides, making your own dressing is super simple. 

In order to make a good salad dressing at home, all you need to include is 3 things – an acid, a sweet and a fat. Three ingredients – that’s it! Further flavourings can be added by using chopped garlic, dried or fresh herbs, and a little sea salt. But these additions are all based on preference. 

For example, when eating the above salad, I like to make the following dressing. For the acid component I use the juice of one whole lemon, although you may prefer to use your favourite vinegar. For the sweet I opt for a packet of Stevia, which is a natural sweetener with almost zero calories and won’t affect blood sugar. You can find it in your local health food store in either liquid or packets. And for the fat, well in this case since I’ve topped my salad with avocado it’s not really necessary to add any oil. If I were to eat this salad sans the avocado, however, then I would include a little extra-virgin olive oil. The same goes for cheese and nuts. If I include a little goat cheese or a handful of slivered almonds on my salad, I find I can skip the oil and instead just do an acid/sweet based dressing with lots of fresh chopped herbs and a little sea salt. 

Here’s to keeping it simple! 

Elaine

Just for fun! (And a day late I might add.)

Ever wonder what a nutritionist buys for groceries? Here’s your chance to peek into my grocery basket!

I thought this would be a fun post since this seems to be one of the questions I get asked quite frequently.

I admittedly do a lot of grocery shopping. I actually love food shopping! Sometimes I laugh to myself when I think about what the people at my local grocery store must think about me. I’m that girl who’s always lurking in the produce section, examining the avocados trying to find the ones that have the perfect firmness and aren’t overly ripe. It’s not uncommon for me to hit up the grocery store 3 times per week, and this is sometimes on top of my health food store and farmer’s market visits! It’s not that I buy loads of stuff each time I go (notice I said grocery basket and not cart?), it’s just that I always like to eat fresh. I also go through a lot of produce in a week, making it necessary to make frequent trips, even if it’s just to pick up a couple heads of lettuce and a few avocados (there I go again!). Furthermore, you can only stock up on so much fresh produce at once before things start to go bad. Wilted greens anyone? Also, if I’m going to buy fresh fish or meat, I prefer to cook it that way (from fresh!), rather than tossing it in the freezer to cook later.

Sooo…

Here’s what’s in my grocery basket! (Note: I don’t buy ALL of these things every single trip).

Greens for juices, smoothies and salads – (usually 2-3 of the following) – kale, dandelion greens, swiss chard, collard greens, spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce, parsley, cilantro, etc.

Veggies for salads, soups, sautéing, baking and snacking! - tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, celery, sprouts, green/red onion, mushrooms, beets, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, sweet potatoes and whatever else is in season.

Fruit – apples, lemons/limes (for juices and salad dressing) and whatever else is in season (i.e. berries, etc).

Avocados – I buy a lot of these!

Grains and legumes - quinoa, millet, sprouted grain bread, chickpeas (for making hummus), etc.

Organic/free-range eggs, fresh wild fish (often salmon), goat cheese (occasionally), almonds (for homemade almond milk), etc. 

Note: Although I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, I don’t eat a lot of meat or dairy. Whenever I buy either though, I try to get the highest quality I can get my hands on!

Organic unsalted butter, olives, dark chocolate (70%), tea (loose leaf herbal, green and rooibos – I love David’s Tea!)

Other staples that I replenish as needed (sea salt, stevia, tamari, cold pressed coconut oil, EVO, raw honey).

Of course there are other items I buy infrequently, but for the most part these are my staples.

There you have it!

What’s in your grocery basket??

Now here’s some advice we would all be better off taking. Myself included!

Easier said than done though, right?

Seems we are all a bunch of busybodies these days with our hectic schedules, countless commitments and endless to-do lists.

Speaking for myself though, it seems to come and go in waves. And I know a lot of the time it’s the product of my own creation and often due in part to procrastination.

If you’re like me at all on this Sunday night, wondering what happened to the weekend (is it really over?), then the below read is for you.

After reading it myself, I admittedly feel more inspired to do some reprioritizing in certain areas of my own life. Sometimes it just takes a bit of a reminder. In this case, the common expression “It’s the journey, not the destination” warrants repeating.

Hope you enjoy!

Inspiration for busybodies - By the way, this blog is a great resource for information if you’d like to become more of a minimalist and declutter your life. I highly recommend it:)