Happy Shmoopy Day!!

It's Valentines Day and procrastinating couples are scrambling for last minute lovey-dovey ideas. As you reach for the same ol’ box of chocolates that you bought her last year (yes, this is meant for you boys;), stop yourself and ask: doesn’t my lady deserve a little more than a five minute effort to the local Shoppers for a very creative-lacking, chemical-filled, sugar-ridden box of chocolates? Yes, indeed she does!

Here is your opportunity to make up for last years Valentine fail and make her delicious chocolate from your own bare hands. This recipe will literally take you no more than 7 minutes, but with a taste so delightful, she’ll think you slaved away all day in the kitchen (she may even think a full body massage may be deserved for all your hard work;). Oh yeah, and may I mention this chocolate is sugar free, which means she can eat it guilt free. Men, you can thank me later;)

Sinless Chocolate

½ cup coconut oil

1-2 Tbsp raw cocao or carob powder

3-4 Tbsp almond butter

1 Tbsp honey

Put all ingredients in food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.

For a ‘Nutella-like’ spread (need I mention what else this can be used for;), place in sealed dish and refrigerate.

For a truffle-like chocolate, place in ice cube tray and keep in freezer. Do not let defrost for long before serving.

Valentines' Body Spread...uh, I mean Pudding

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2 large avocados, pitted and flesh scooped 

out of peel
6 tbsp cocoa powder or carob powder
6 pitted dates, soaked for 2+ hours and drained
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dash sea salt
Dash cinnamon (optional)

  Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor.

February - Sleep It Off!!

One Marvelous Me challenge complete, eleven to go!!

How did you find January’s Drink Up challenge, drinking between 2-3 L/day? Many of you probably started this month thinking you were already consuming enough. It is only when you start to keep track that you realize often we are way under our optimum goals. Hopefully January’s challenge has at least made you aware and into the habit of carrying a water bottle with you.  Have any of you noticed any changes since you started consuming the correct amount of water? I would love to hear about them!

So it is onto February’s Marvelous Me challenge – Sleep It Off! This months’ challenge is a doozy, I won’t lie. The object is to sleep a minimum of 8 hours/night. I can feel it, many of you are already stressed just thinking about how you are going to fit an 8 hour sleep with all you have to do in a day. Remember, this is a number to aim for. You probably wont be able to achieve this every night, but if we are setting this as our goal, we will for sure achieve this some of the time. It is those nights that you do get a full 8 hrs that I want you to experience. I want you to see how great you feel on a full night’s sleep and how productive you can be. You may have less waking hours to fit everything in, but what matters is how you are spending these hours. You will hoping find that having more energy to get more done in your day is more effective than burning the midnight oil.

Another thing to consider this month is not only the quantity but the quality of sleep you are getting.  Especially on those crazy days that you just cannot get to bed on time, are you at least making the hours that you do sleep count?

Here is an article I wrote a little while back on the quality of sleep you get and what you can you to improve it.

Good ol' eye mask helping me catch up on some zzz's in the car!

Sleep: Not only How Much, but When?

I was chatting with my client the other day about his sleep patterns. He claimed he gets enough, between 7-8 hours per night, but couldn’t understand why he often felt unrested.  So I asked him at what time did he sleep. He is a real night hawk, and often likes to work at night. He claimed it was quite common for him to be up until 4am and sleep until about 11. 

Aha!! That is why he felt unrested!!

Much of the focus is on the amount of sleep one gets and not on the time of day/night that they are sleeping. The time of day is actually a very important factor when it comes to the quality of sleep one gets.  As soon as we open ours eyes in the morning, light stimulates our serotonin production by suppressing the production of melatonin, the neurotransmitter needed for sleep. The best thing one can do when one wakes is go to a sunny window and get a full face of natural sunlight. No need for your cup of Joe after that!! However, this can be counterproductive when you are trying to sleep.

The best hours for sleep are from 8pm-7am, because those are the darkest hours. Even if asleep, exposure to light can inhibit your melatonin production, affecting your sleep. If one sleeps much while the sun is up and has thin window coverings, light is seeping in inhibiting one to experience that deep sleep that is ideal. It is said that even the light from an alarm clock can affect one’s melatonin production by stimulating serotonin. This is what was happening with my client. Although he was sleeping enough, half the hours he slept (7am-11am) the sunlight was coming through his thin drapes preventing his from experiencing a deep, healthy sleep.

Many of you following ‘The Marvelous Me Project’ have claimed that getting 8 hours of sleep has been a real challenge this month. Although, it may be a work in progress as we move into our next month’s challenge, focus on getting to bed at a decent time. Investing in some thick, dark drapes or one of those eye masks is also well worth it.  Even if you’re up at the crack of dawn and only able to achieve 6 hours of zzz’s, just make sure they’re good ones!

Now get to bed!

Marvelous Me January - Drink Up!

I wanted water to be this years' first Marvelous Me challenge as I found it to be the most important, along with next months' challenge: sleep. Weight loss is most likely the #1 resolution made each year. This is made evident if you ever go to a gym the first few weeks of January compared to mid-March. Gyms everywhere are packed this time of year, but slowly dwindle as people's motivation fountains run dry. Although I am a definite enthusiast of fitness and exercise, I think results are better obtained by starting simple. Hydrate first, then exert. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this liquid. All of our bodily functions and organs depend on it. It helps to flush out toxins (aka fat) and helps to shed pounds. And not to mention, when you are busy reaching for the H2O, you’re less likely to be reaching for soft drinks, coffees or sugary juices. It a win-win situation. Use a bottle that you are aware of its liquid capacity so you can keep track of how much you are drinking throughout the day. Room temperature is best and when eating, if you must drink at all, make sure water is warm.

How much should water should we drink/day?

Drink between 2-3 liters/day. Or more precisely, take your weight in pounds and divide by half. That amount should equal the number of ounces of water you should consume/day (i.e. if you weigh 130 lbs, drink 65 oz minimum/day.

Please drink the cleanest source available to you. If you have a Reverse Osmosis water system in your home, fantastic. If all you have a Brita filter, well it's better than nothing. There is always bottled water but I personally cannot stomach the waste involved. Really, it's a 'pick your battles' type of situation. Choose the one that suits you best.

Me filling up at a fresh, untreated spring near my cottage. Some brilliant person decided to pipe it to make it easier for us clean water lovers!

For those of you who need a little more convincing on how magical this liquid really is, here is an article I wrote a while back. Take a gander (dryer than my normal style but very informative)!

Losing Weight, One Drop at a Time - written in 2009
 Weight loss products continue to fly off the shelves of both pharmacies and health food stores across the globe. Scientists continue to do countless years of research in hopes of making fortunes with the creation of that ‘magic pill’ that promises to shed those extra pounds without diet or exercise. And over weight consumers continue to be persuaded by clever marketing tactics, throwing away their hard earned dollars only to be disappointed by the broken promises of these drug companies and the rising numbers on their bathroom scales. If only they knew that this ‘magic pill’, has been not only in front of their eyes all along, but is completely free with no side effects. All it takes is a twist of a tap.

                                       It sounds too good to be true. Something as simple as water to help one lose weight, however according to Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Batmanghelidj, it’s the truth. Dr. Batmanghelidj believes that much of the cause for obesity is that individual’s cannot distinguish the difference between hunger pains and thirst pains. If one could tell the difference, they would reach for that glass of water instead of that bag of potato chips. And many of these poor food choices contribute to more dehydration, causing more thirst pains being mistaken for hunger pains, signaling one to eat more. And the cycle continues.

                            

                                        Water contributes to weight loss in several different ways. In the simplest context, it acts as an appetite suppressant. When consumed, it distends in the stomach, signaling the sensation of satiety. This is much similar to what occurs when consuming fiber. Fiber, when combined with water, expands in the stomach giving the feeling of fullness. Also, evidence has shown that if one consumes 1 glass of cold water 15 minutes before meals, this will prevent one from over consuming when eating. Water of approximately 3-4 degrees celsius causes the pyloric sphincter to shut, trapping the water inside the stomach. Now less food is needed to fill the stomach chamber. Only once the water has warmed to 37 degrees celsius will the pyloric sphincter open and release the water.

                             

                                        Aside from over-eating, weight gain can also be a result of fluid retention and constipation. Many people associate excess water with excess weight, however fluid retention is not caused by the over-consumption of water. On the contrary, water retention is actually a result of dehydration. The body views dehydration as an emergency state and must act accordingly. To reverse this state, the body kicks into survival mode by holding onto and storing every drop of fluid possible. Only once the body is well hydrated will it release the stored water. Many individuals may not even realize they were retaining fluid until they were able to shed excess weight from areas they struggled with for so long. Diuretics can offer some temporary relief by forcing out the stored water, however nutrients are lost as well with this method, creating more of an ‘emergency state’, causing the body to retain more fluids. Therefore, water consumption is the best remedy for water retention and weight gain due to retention. Constipation can be treated the same way. In a dehydrated state, the body will obtain water from wherever possible and the colon is a primary source for this. A dehydrated colon cannot function properly and results in constipation. If one cannot rid of their food properly and develops a back up of waste, naturally they will gain weight. Keeping the body well hydrated will refrain the body from storing or pulling water from internal sources and contributing to complications.

                             

                                        Like all organs in the body, proper kidney function depends on adequate water consumption. The kidneys’ work to cleanse and filter the blood, and rely on water to accurately do this. If the kidneys’ are in a state of dehydration and unable to carry out their responsibilities, the liver must now compensate to assist with the kidney’s duties. This puts burden on an already over-worked liver, causing a chain-reaction and inhibiting the liver to perform properly. The liver’s main function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy by use of enzymes. If the liver is over burdened, it will metabolize less fat, causing more fat to be stored, resulting in weight gain.

                               

                                        Many people share the complaint of not being thirsty and use this as the reason for not drinking adequate quantities of water. The human body is very intelligent and has learned to adapt to various situations and environments over the last million years. If thirst signals are continually ignored, the body will attempt a different approach for notifying one of their dehydrated state (i.e water retention, kidney failure etc.). However, once supplying the body with the proper amounts of water, thirst signals will ‘turn back on’, notifying when it is in need. The key is to listen to these signals and not misinterpret them for something else. According to The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray, the body needs 32 to 48 oz of water/day. The quality of water is of great importance, however according to Dr. Batmanghelidj, quantity still remains the priority. Although many drinks may contain large quantities of water, many contain diuretics and dehydrating contents that will only worsen ones’ state. For maximum weight loss and prevention of obesity, amongst copious other health conditions, water must be drunk in its purest form.

                                

                                       As the waistlines’ grow, so does the population of obese people creating what some may even call an epidemic. Obesity does not only affect adults but even the un-born due to the rate of obese mothers, creating children with life-long struggles with excess weight and illness. According to the National Institutes of Health, and estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to obesity. These numbers are ludicrous considering the simplicity of treatment for this disease. Who would have thought that the answer for obesity came from something used everyday. A tool we have come to rely on to do our dirty laundry, clean our dishes, wash our bodies, cook our food, help create our food, provide us with electricity, transport our ships, but for some reason is not multifaceted to heal our wounds. Instead of searching for that ‘magic pill’, realize the magic that flows from your tap.

The Marvelous Me Project II

I opened the Alive issue for this month and right there, staring back at me, was my idea!  12 Months of Wellness is the name of the article, setting a health goal for each month of the year, a very similar plan to The Marvelous Me Project. Not as nutrition based but still very similar. I knew I should have pitched them my idea!  Another ‘should have/ would have’ of 2012 but that aside, there are many accomplishments of 2012 that I am proud of. And The Marvelous Me Project, even if only reaching my small group of readers here on my blog, is certainly one of my proud accomplishments. That is why we’re doing it again!! This time, I have experience behind me. Knowledge of what works, and what doesn’t. What’s realistic and what’s a little too ambitious. And what gave the best results and made me feel the most marvelous! So as an experienced ‘Marvelous’ woman, let’s do this thang!

First thing, I feel like 2 resolutions/month is a little too ambitious. As a very proud, highly competitive person, this is hard for me to say. But when discussing resolutions last night with a dear friend, she mentioned how she wants to be more accepting of her limits. This resonated so much. I have a trouble with the ‘N’ word and often pile way too much on my plate. I am following her lead and learning to accept my limits. 2 health goals/month is totally achievable but what I found is that sometimes the process became so difficult that I stopped enjoying it. I lose interest real fast (esp. as a Gemini) if I am not enjoying myself and that’s not good. Success is almost guaranteed if you enjoy what you are doing, therefore I thought changing the Marvelous Me Project to 1 resolution/month was ideal. However, this means this 1 goal has to be done REALLY well. It allows you to apply more focus and energy to this goal making it impossible not to follow through. Right? Damn straight! Also, with 1 resolution/month this allows me to make a ‘best of’ list of the resolutions that gave the most marvelous results.

So lets get to it! The 12 Marvelous Me Goals are: (drumroll please;)

January – Drink Up

February – Sleep it Off

March – Contagious Smile

April – Spring Cleanse

May – Breakfast Bonanza

June – Soaking & Sprouting

July – Fitness Focus

August – Yoga

September – 100 Mile Diet

October – Fall Cleanse

November – Nine Out

December - Meditation

I will of course go into detail about each one at the beginning of each month, but the idea is to focus on the one goal and do it everyday of that month. If you have already implemented some of these goals into your life than please change the challenge to something that will benefit you. For example, if you drink pop, try to cut it out for a whole month. If you bite your nails, try not to for a whole month. You get the picture. Your Marvelous Me Project can be completely  designed to suit your needs and changes you want to accomplish in 2013. What ever your resolutions are, we all have the same goal for 2013. To be (more) Marvelous!!!

Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Stuffing

My brother & sister-in-law hosted Christmas dinner this year in their new home. It was beautiful! Our parents would've been so proud! I think it is only when you host a dinner as important as Christmas that you truly appreciate all those dinners your parents and grandparents hosted all those years. Wow, its a lot of work and they always made it seem so effortless. My contribution and to help lessen the load was the stuffing, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. This also meant I was able to put my own healthy twist on these dishes. This is the stuffing recipe I used. Its gluten free and very nutritious! And although the holidays are a time to enjoy and indulge, with all the drinks, sweets and hors d'ouvres, you may want to try to limit some of those faux pas' at the dinner table (especially if you are saving yourself for dessert;)

Ely & Jason - the host/ess' with the mostess!!

 

• 2 cup quinoa
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
• 1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped
• 1 apple, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.       Rinse the quinoa and put in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to the boil and  

     cook for about 15 minutes or until the grain is soft. Drain.

2.       While quinoa is cooking, fry the onions in the butter until soft.

3.       Add the celery and walnuts and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

4.       Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl.

5.       Use to stuff the neck cavity of the turkey. For vegans/vegetarians - keep in separate 

     casserole dish and cook for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Still Your Girl

One of my last dances with Dad

It was close to 2 am when the phone rang. Who knew that that oh-so-familiar sound had the power to change my life forever.
10 years ago today I became a fatherless daughter.

I am not sure when the realization occurred, but it must have happened when I was quite young. Possibly before I even started talking. Who knows, maybe it happened the moment my father laid eyes on me in the hospital 33 years ago. Either way, it is no secret I was a daddy's girl for as long as I can remember. I am not sure how a little girl knows she has a grown man wrapped around her finger but I will admit it - I knew. Over the years, the power that came along with this title was certainly taken advantage of too many times that I'd like to admit. There wasn't much I could do to hinder the twinkle my father carried for me in his eyes. But not only was this twinkle reflected in my own eyes, the light I carried for my father was almost blinding!!

The very first man I loved was most certainly the most charismatic man I have ever loved, even to this day. My dad was a bad boy, which secretly made me proud. I would often find myself bragging in the school yard about the his wild ways. Jay, Sam & I still love to talk about our bad ass dad. He was most certainly the life of the party, who I of course as a teenager, still managed to think was lame. Especially when he blasted his country music in the minivan on family outings. Or when he forced me to watch Julia Childs cooking shows with him on Saturday mornings. Or when he begged me to help take off his cowboy boots because he loved them snug. But even when I thought he was lame, I was always proud to call him my dad.

My father was the toughest man I have ever known. And his past would explain why. With an alcoholic father who was never there and eventually died at a young age, my grandmother was forced to raise her two kids on her own. She did the best she could. But with little options, my father was put into an all boys home at the young age of 12. I assume this was supposed to be a temporary solution, however my father remained there until he was 18 and old enough to live on his own. He grew up quick and he grew up strong. Some of the stories he shared with us about his time at the all boys school in the 60's explained where my father got his grit. My father never did finish high school but he never let that get in the way of his goals. Using his gift of the gab, he became a very successful salesman, traveling this country coast to coast. He continually raised the bar and always met it. My father had drive like no other and tried his hardest to pass this trait onto his kids. He pushed us academically almost to the point of exhaustion. I didn't understand it at the time but now I do. He wanted to spare us the blood, sweat and tears that he shed for so long.

There wasn't much my dad didn't know or couldn't fix. He always knew the right words to say and how to make me instantly feel better. That is why the phone call I received 1 decade ago felt more like my life was the one that ended, not his. How was I to go on? How could I possibly get through this difficult time without my dad?

Life has decided to throw several curve balls my way since his passing and somehow I have manged to pull through. The only explanation that I have for this is that I was privileged to have the best role model a girl could ask for. Whenever in a pickle, I ask myself what my father would say. Anyone who has had the privilege of knowing my father would know that he had A LOT to say;) But mostly he would tell me, 'you will get through this'.
He has yet to prove me wrong.

My father was always a man of his word. In every sense. His motto was 'I'm here for a good time, not a long time'. Dying from his fifth heart attack at the young age of 52 proved that. Although I admired his ability to always follow through, this was one time I wish he didn't. I was mad at him for years. Still am. Mad that he didn't cheer throughout my valedictorian speech like I know he would've. Mad that he wasn't there to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. Mad that he will never meet his first grand son, Rowan. Mad that he'll never meet my kids. But mostly I'm mad that all I have for my husband and kids are stories.  Stories of the most influential man of my life. Stories I promise to keep sharing until the end of my days.

A decade has passed but I'm still your girl, Dad. xox

         

Oma's Arrows

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Although this was not my intent, I ended up reading this at the service for Oma. Hence, much of this post is a personal message intended for her family.

Sitting on the bus on my way to Montreal, with the oh so familiar scenery from the 401, I am lost deep in thought over the many teachers that have blessed my life. I am not referring to my school teachers, but the teachers that have taught me some of life’s most important lessons, like what it takes to be a mother.

Kristy called me this morning at 6:30. “Oma is gone”, she said, her voice strong and calm.  One of the many extraordinary qualities she inherited from her great-grandmother. Yes, Oma is Kristy’s GREAT-grandmother! Unheard of today for a 33 year old woman to still have her great grandmother in her life. And it doesn’t stop there. Oma became a great-GREAT-grandmother 8 years ago when Corey was born. Like stripes on a captain’s uniform, these additions to her legacy have definitely been well deserved.

I met Oma 26 years ago when Kristy invited me over for our first play date. A true modern family, Kristy lived with her mom and Oma and Opa. At first, I felt sad for Kristy that she did not have a dad and thought about how difficult that must be. But my empathy quickly dissipated as I saw how lucky Kristy was. She was blessed with one of the best father’s a daughter could ever ask for and no one, but two wonderful mothers that cared and nurtured her to their greatest ability. This was a home bursting with love.

It was just Thursday evening, grasping my cell phone tight in hand as I had been doing all week, knowing that 500kms away, my extended family’s hearts were breaking as they prayed for Oma’s passing, that an important message was shared with me. I love how, although in completely unrelated circumstances, messages come to you when you need to hear them most.  It read – ‘we are all born with arrows. Sometimes these arrows need turning.’ Oma has turned her fair share of arrows. More than most should in one lifetime. But as the true matriarch she was, no matter how difficult it was, Oma never hesitated to turn and twist each arrow when it came to her family’s well-being.  All of us here right now have been fortunate enough to witness a colossal love, greater than no other. A mother, a matriarch, who’s love spawned 3 mothers.

Mars, look at your daughter, your pride and joy. I know you are forever grateful to Oma for all her love and with that you did what Oma would’ve wanted most: you took the love she gave to you and passed it to your daughter.

Kristy, you have been blessed with love from Oma, your grandmother and your mom. You have inherited generations of love. This truly explains your relentless strength.

You both have been privileged to have been taught by a true master. And you are both doing what Oma would have wanted most: passing this love on to your children. But one thing you also did, something that Oma never asked for, is you gave much of this love back to her. As much as you were blessed by her love, Oma was blessed by yours.

And Opa, there are no words to explain the inspiration you and Oma have been to those around you. A true Romeo & Juliet of our time – a love like no other. On my wedding day, I envisioned the love I wanted to share with my husband and you & Oma came to mind. With so much darkness out there, your love for Oma was and is a light. In the dictionary next to love, there should be a picture of the two of you! I know you are suffering today as your heart not only feels broken, it actually feels like your missing half of it. Please remember, Oma’s love is ALWAYS here. You are not missing any part of your heart and it certainly is not broken. Your heart is actually larger than most as you were blessed with Oma’s love for so long – your true soul mate. This love will never go away.

We all die. All we can ask for is that when we go, we are surrounded by the love of those who’s lives we have some way made better while we were here.

I smile today knowing Oma was most certainly surrounded by such a love.