Recipes, healthy living tips and anecdotes from everyday living from a mom, counsellor and fitness expert, as I stumble my way through life with my zany family.
Recently I was sent this book to review. I'm thinking that we're pretty over-saturated in the gluten-free department these days and I'm kind of sick of hearing about it. Yes, celiacs need to avoid gluten absolutely for sure, and there may be some who have true sensitivities, but I'm not convinced that other folks really benefit from avoiding gluten, and there certainly isn't any scientific evidence to support this.
Anyhoo, I was curious to see if this book would be novel in any way.
Nope.
It's certainly a good deal for $20, you get over 500 recipes. But aside from a few exceptions, I did not find this book particularly exceptional. Most recipes are Italian or American inspired, with a few Asian ones thrown in for goog measure.
There are no photos whatsoever, nor is there a lot of information about how to avoid hidden sources of gluten, although strangely some of the recipes call for 'gluten-free' varieties of a lot of foods I didn't know needed to be classified as such, like yogurt or raisins. I suppose, however, that any food could be contaminated with gluten just as products often declare 'may contain peanuts'.
There are only a handful of vegan recipes, but a whole chapter devoted to vegetarian dishes. For me, I found most of the recipes used ingredients I don't like to use like white sugar and butter.
The only recipes I found interesting were the ones in the quick bread, appetizer and dessert chapters where they use gluten-free flours for baked goods and crepes.
If you want or need to follow a gluten-free diet and don't have any other dietary restrictions (low-fat, sugar-free, vegan, etc.) than you might like this book because it has so many recipes covering a wide variety of dishes. But frankly, it's nothing special.
If you are a parent of young children, or are not yet a parent, you may be wondering when to start discussing sex with your kids.
As an infertility counsellor, believe it or not, this issue comes up with my clients all the time. For anyone using donor sperm or egg, there always needs to be a discussion about how to disclose this information to the child and when to do so. But regardless of whether your children were naturally conceived, the product of donor or adopted, the answer as to when to start talking about sex is the same: as early as possible!
Believe it or not, humans are sexual creatures from the day they are born. We do not suddenly become aware of our bodies or develop sexual urges after puberty. Also, nowadays children are exposed to sexualized images and messages very early on.
Beginning to talk to your kids about sex can begin as early as age 2, and should definitely start as soon as they are asking questions about their bodies. What you say and how you present the information will differ, somewhat, depending on the child and on their developmental stage, but it should always be accurate, involve correct anatomical names, and be presented in as simple and non-judgemental a way as possible.
There are lots of books that can help you with this, but if gadgets are more your speed - or more the speed of your little ones - than you may want to check out the new Birdees App that provides detailed information on anatomy, sex and reproduction tailored specifically for children in all age groups.
However you decide to discuss this stuff with your kids, just make sure you do it, and do it sooner rather than later. Remember, you as a parent have the power to help your children develop a healthy attitude towards sex and their bodies. Be approachable. Be accepting. Be open-minded. Stay calm and welcome their curiosity!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
I'm stressed. I've got some important career-related decisions I have to make and I'm struggling with them. I hate making these kinds of decisions. Essentially I'm trying to weigh risk versus potential benefits, and, like many people I don't like uncertainty. Nor am I a big risk-taker, at least when it comes to financial matters.
So one day last week I arrived home after a meeting feeling particularly conflicted and anxious so I did what I always do when I feel this way: I baked.
I decided to make cookies using some of my sugar-free chocolate chips, and see if I could make some gluten-free ones that would pass muster with my fussy folks.
Whoa Nelly, these were a big hit with everyone! Sweet, soft and super chocolately, no one suspected how darn healthy they were. Big A declared them, "Awesome!"
See, sometimes stress is a good thing!
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Vegan, Sugar-Free + Gluten-Free)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 flax eggs
1 cup xylitol, erythritol or stevia baking blend
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups almond meal/flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar-free or regular dark chocolate chips or chunks
Whisk together wet ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together dry ingredients and add to wet. Mix in chocolate. Let batter sit for about 15 minutes. Roll into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet (leave enough room for them to spread). Bake at 350F for about 16 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from baking sheet (at least 30 minutes or they'll fall apart!). They'll firm up even more and get chewy the next day. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Makes 18 large cookies.
Note to self: Photographing the cookies on the chocolate-smudged parchment paper looks crappy.
Reply to self: I don't care, I'm busy and lazy and hate photographing food!
Monday we had a park playdate in the morning and then we took the girls to Vaughan Mills in the afternoon. Adam took them bowling while I cruised the mall.
Now it's back to reality, but at least it's a 4-day week. And at least I've now found a way to make sugar-free frosting. Yes, sugar-free frosting.
Who doesn't love frosting? My kids, like most kids, usually gobble it down and then leave the cake.
Personally, I like really sweet, sugary frosting, like fondant. If it's more like sweetened whipped cream, that I don't want any part of it, that makes me gag. I don't like marshmellow or boiling icings either. Just the straight up powdered sugar kind.
I try to avoid sugar as much as possible, so I don't eat frosting very often these days. So I was very excited to discover Swerve carries a powdered sugar alternative and even more excited when I found that it's now carried by Low Carb Canada! It's made from erythritol, so it doesn't affect blood sugar, and it's calorie free. And for those of you who avoid anything 'artificial', it's a 'natural' alternative sweetener.
For my first experiment with it, I combined a 1/2 cup with a 365g container of quark cheese (quark is like cream cheese, but it's much higher in protein and it's fat- and salt-free), a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and a squirt of vanilla stevia. Then I iced a gingerbread cake I'd made. It was fabulous! Next time, however, because if I am going to eat frosting, I want it to be SWEET, I might use more Swerve, but I still thought it was pretty awesome. I made the cake as a "Happy Mother's Day to Me" treat last weekend ;)
Of course no amount of frosting can sugar-coat the situation in Oklahoma today. My thoughts are with everyone there affected by the tornado.
Not only is it Victoria Day here in Canada, but it's Infertility Awareness Week!
To kick things off, I've got information on how to maximize your fertility provided by Dr. Victoria Maizes, who has just published a new book: Be Fruitful.
Simple Ways to Increase Fertility
Seven Tips from Victoria Maizes MD
Age matters!
Today many women are putting off child bearing until later in life, and it is affecting
their fertility when they do finally start trying to conceive.Women in their 20s have a 25% chance of
conceiving each month while women in their early 40s have only a 5% chance.
Don’t
stop eating fish!While women should avoid fish that contain
high levels of mercury, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish,
other fish are safe and very important to the pregnant woman’s diet.Fish is the best source of omega 3 fatty
acids, which are critical to a baby’s brain development and can even help
prevent post-partum depression.
Ditch the
junk food!Processed foods are filled with exactly the wrong kinds of carbohydrates
and fats that lead to high glycemic indices and interfere with fertility.
Take folic
acid!Taking multivitamins with folic acid BEFORE
conception and through the third trimester helps protect against autism as well
as neural tube, cardiovascular and limb defects.
Exercise, but not TOO much!Too much exercise can
cause infertility.When trying to
conceive, it is not the time to train for a marathon, or even participate in
very vigorous yoga classes.Vigorous
exercise may temporarily stop menstrual periods or shorten the latter half of
the cycle interfering with conception.
Make your home green!When planning a pregnancy, either avoid
buying new furniture and carpet, or buy green products instead.Also avoid new paint, which releases high
levels of chemicals into your home.
Be
particular about containers!Stay away from plastic food containers, Tupperware and
refillable water bottles while trying to conceive.Plastic contains BPA (bisphenol A), a
chemical that has strong estrogen-like activity that interferes with normal
hormone function.BPA is also found in
the lining of many canned goods.
Stay calm!Hormonal changes associated with chronic high
stress signal the brain that this may be the wrong time to reproduce.The brain responds by altering its signaling
to the ovaries.
Victoria Maizes MD is the executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a
Professor of Medicine and Public Health.Her newest book is
Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and
Giving Birth to a Healthy Child.For
more information about fertility visit her website victoriamaizesmd.com or follow her on
twitter @vmaizes.
While all of Dr Maizes suggestions are valid, I do feel it is important to mention that many causes of infertility have nothing to do with lifestyle. For example, you could be born with a bicornuate uterus or endometriosis, or a genetic disorder that causes sterility. You could have blocked fallopian tubes or a pituitary tumour. So please, never ever assume that someone you know facing infertility will overcome the problem just by 'relaxing' or changing their diet. Often medical intervention is necessary and this is very frustrating and upsetting for individuals struggling with infertility to hear.
Also, while poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking, can definitely age you prematurely, don't assume that living a really healthy lifestyle can allow you to beat age-related infertility. Fertility begins to decline after a certain age and often this is genetically determined, so believing you can wait until your 40s to conceive because you eat all organic food and do yoga is simply wishful thinking.
I got pretty darn lucky this week: I got asked to attend TELUS's First Wellness Learning Centre Session featuring Lyzabeth Lopez and the Samsung GALAXY S4!
Me and a group of other wellness bloggers got to visit the TELUS House in downtown Toronto for this fantastic event.
TELUS employees who work in this building are lucky to have fabulous, immaculate facilities, including a first rate gym and fitness studio. I love any company that promotes employee fitness and wellness!!
The event kicked off with a butt-kicking workout led by Lyzabeth, and then we were fed a healthy lunch and, you won't believe this...we each got to take home a Samsung GALAZY S4 phone! We got a presentation about all of this amazing products' features and honestly, I almost fell off my chair. I called Adam immediately after the session to beg him to let me switch my plan to this phone, and I am thrilled to say, he agreed!
Here's some info about the phone:
About the Samsung GALAXY S4 from
TELUS
·It
captures life’s meaningful moments: sporting
the world’s first-ever Full HD Super AMOLED display, the GALAXY S4’s five-inch
screen showcases images in stunning resolution. And with its Dual Camera mode
(including a 13-megapixel rear camera), you can capture life’s moments in as
many ways as you can think of – and enjoy them seamlessly through TELUS’ 4G LTE
wireless network experience while you’re at it!
·Breaks
language barriers with S-Translator: say or
text what you need translated and the GALAXY S4 will read or text the
translation back to you. This is a must-have feature for avid travelers!
·Provides
Effortless Innovation: features like Smart Pause, Air View,
Air Gesture and Optical Reader detect your motions, face and voice to enable
screen control with no need for finger touch activation (and you can use the
screen with gloves too!)
·Group
Play: like to share what you love? Connect with those around you to
play and co-create content, without the need for a Wi-Fi connection or cell
signal.
·Toss
it in your bag, worry-free: constructed with Corning’s Gorilla
Glass 3, this phone is as beautiful as it is tough, and can withstand the daily
bump and grind.
The Samsung
GALAXY S4 is available from TELUS for $199 on a three-year term or $650 month-to-month.
For available general plans and pricing, please click here.
I also love that TELUS has partnered with a great cause (all the attendees were lucky enough to also take home one of these limited edition cases, and TELUS made a $50 donation in each of our names to Rethink Breast Cancer:
TELUS and Rethink Breast Cancer
TELUS
has a long-standing history supporting the fight to end breast cancer. Since
2008, TELUS has given $5.4 million towards research, early detection and
treatment of breast cancer in Canada.This year, TELUS will be
encouraging Canadians to “raise their paws to support the cause”and will donate $300,000 to Rethink
Breast Cancer (and QBCF in Quebec).
How
can I get a case?
Starting
in May and while quantities last, TELUS will include this free, uniquely
designed case with each purchase of a white Samsung GALAXY S4. To show its
continued support to breast cancer prevention efforts, TELUS will also donate
$25 to Rethink Breast Cancer (or QBCF in Quebec) for each purchase of a white
Samsung GALAXY S4.
Join the conversation on Twitter by tweeting using
the hashtag #raiseyourpaws.
About Rethink Breast Cancer
Launched in 2001,
Rethink is the first-ever Canadian breast cancer charity to bring bold,
relevant awareness to the under-40 crowd; it strives to foster a new generation
of young and influential breast cancer supporters, infuse sass and style into
the cause and, most importantly, responds to the unique needs of young women fighting
breast cancer. No pink ribbons required.
One of the purposes of this event was to demonstrate how the technology can be used for wellness. We receiving an exciting presentation about a new app coming out called UP by Jawbone. Given all the evidence that tracking one's activity and food intake can help people stick to their diet and exercise programs, and help them to reach their goals, I think this is very exciting:
UP by Jawbone: Available at TELUS
UP by Jawbone: a wristband and app that aids in tracking
how you sleep, move and eat, ultimately helping you use this information to
make healthy life changes.
The wristband,
available in eight different colours, tracks things like your movement and
hours of rest. This tracking system is advanced enough to track hours of deep
sleep vs. light sleep, the amount of time it took you to fall asleep and even
how many times you woke up!
The UP app
displays data tracked from the band on your Android device’s dashboard and
prompts you to track things like meals and mood. UP is flexible enough to track
nutritional information from package barcodes and even photos you’ve taken of a
meal!
The app helps
you set alerts, reminders and daily goals, tracking your progress over time. It
then provides insights to keep you motivated.
How can YOU get
one?
Up by Jawbone
will be available online and in select TELUS stores across Canada starting this
summer.
As if all that wasn't enough, TELUS provided each of us with a new yoga mat, awesome glass waterbottle and a few samples of Biosteel sugar-free recovery drink to equip us for future workouts.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO TELUS FOR INCLUDING ME, I WAS HONOURED TO BE PART OF THIS EVENT!
After a week in New York filled with more animal protein, sugar and alcohol than usual, it's back to basics: a mostly plant-based diet! But even Adam gave this meal high marks. It's delicious and hearty enough to satisfy the biggest carnivore.
Serve in your favorite tortillas along with the stewed peppers and onions, or your other favorite toppings such as cheese/vegan cheese, avocado, chopped lettuce, onions, and tomatoes, etc.
Barbecued Beans
1 cup sprouted bean mix (or any kind of sprouted legumes)
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups cooked beans)
1/4 cup bbq sauce (your favorite home-made or store bought variety)
1/2 cup tomato salsa (your favorite home-made or store bought variety)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbls tomato paste
1 tbls mild chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
Combine sprouted beans with 2 cups water in a covered pot. Bring to a boil and then remove lid, turn heat down to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until at least half of liquid has been absorbed. Add in remaining ingredients and continue to cook until it thickens.
Stewed Peppers and Onions
2 red bell peppers, sliced in strips
2 green bell peppers, sliced in strips
1 red onion, sliced
1 Spanish onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 can tomato paste
Place all the ingredients in a skillet or deep fry pan, except for tomato paste. Set heat to medium and cover with lid, stirring occasionally until onions and peppers start to soften. Remove lid and stir in tomato paste. Continue to cook for at least 20 minutes until veggies have stewed down and are soft and sweet.
To assemble burritos, place desired amount of bean mixture into the centre of each tortilla and add some of the peppers and onions and/or other desired add-ins. Roll up tortillas and spoon more of the onions and peppers over top. Makes 4-6 HUGE burritos. Both peppers and onions and beans can be frozen.
Unfortunately I have no photos of the finished product as Adam and I devoured all of them (yes, all of them), before I remembered. Oops! What can I say, they were delicious!
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