Cheese please :)

Dairy....how can such an innocent name be so EVIL! Let me explain.  Dairy gets a bad rap lately for numerous reasons, but mainly it's inability to digest properly in our bodies. This can cause gas, bloating, nausea, (lactose intolerant people have it the worse) and it's extremely high fat and sugar content are definitely not good in my books. Now before you ask "what about calcium from milk", leafy green vegetables (think kale and spinach) are loaded with calcium and a heck of a lot easier for your body to digest. I'm not even going to get into some of the articles I've read about the poor mama cows who have to remain pregnant all the time to keep pumping out all that milk, OUCH.  Not to mention the hormones they are given which also end up in our bodies, no thanks.  I think you are getting the picture on where I stand.

So why all this dairy talk all of a sudden? Well it's Thursday night and I'm at home watching my fiance eat a huge bowl of Macaroni and Cheese and it smells delicious. I have been pretty much dairy free for at least 6 months (OK it's possible some really good aged cheddar or cookie dough ice creams has found it's way into my mouth once in a while) but for the most part I stick to my guns and don't really miss it. At this moment however, his concoction is smelling much more tasty than my chicken and broccoli dish I'm eating...again. He argues it's healthy because he's added roast beef and broccoli...I don't buy it.  Here is a pic of the roast beef he was using though that we cooked in the crock pot two nights ago. Still so much meat left, yummmm.

I haven't quite mastered how to re-create too many recipes that include dairy, the sauces can be tricky so I've called up my beautiful sister for one of her recipes. She eats mainly vegan and always makes the best soups and stir fries. She has a guilt-free/dairy-free Vegan Macaroni and Cheese recipe that is delish. I'm going try making my own batch this weekend and show my honey what HEALTHY Mac and cheese really tastes like ;)

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (found at Community Natural Foods or Planet Organic in bulk foods)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Two sprinkles of white or black pepper (whichever you prefer)
1 + 3/4 cups nondairy milk (unsweetened almond milk works wonderfully and I recommend using this over soy or rice milk)
1.5 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp light (yellow or white) miso paste (I prefer white, found at Community Natural Foods or Planet Organic)
1 tbsp lemon juice
6-8oz Rice Pasta or other Gluten-Free Pasta (cooked)
1 tsp truffle oil (optional, but HIGHLY recommended) (found at Community Natural Foods)

Cooking Instructions:

Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind–just don’t let the cashews turn to a paste. 

Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.
In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch and oil(s). Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until cornstarch dissolves.
With the food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice.
Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve.
*I often add steamed organic broccoli, zucchini, and or asparagus to this dish. You could add organic, grain fed meat as well to up the protein count. NOM NOM!!

*I don't have a full picture yet but here is what the sauce looks like from some my sis made. Pure almost cheesy goodness. Thank you sister for helping us enjoy some comfort food again!

If you have a favourite meal or dish and would like to try and health it up a bit,  please let me know and I'll see what I can do! Or if you've done this already yourself and are open to sharing, I will feature you on this blog. Food is MUCH better shared so let's all get cooking! (and my favourite....eating :)) *I've heard that comments people try and leave on my blog aren't working all the time and I'm honestly not sure why. I'm looking into things so hopefully I hear from more of you soon :)

Have a great night everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends celebrating today. And happy shopping on Black Friday tomorrow...sales sales sales!

Sending you many blessing and love,
Sam xo

Namaste

According to yogajournal.com, the gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgement of the soul in one by the soul in another. Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

I just completed a hot yoga class and as usual we end the class saying "namaste" and bowing to each other. This might be my favourite part of the class. To me it feels like we are giving thanks to our bodies, to our teacher, and to each other for being together in unity and doing something wonderful to start or end the day. I've really missed yoga lately. I used to be pretty consistent with two-three classes per week but generally in the summer my need for hot yoga decreases (it's just too damn hot for added humidity) and with ironman training and my classes at 2110 Fitness, most of my time is filled. However, it's more mentally I've noticed the shift. My thoughts are a bit more scattered and I seem to be stressing over all the things I "should" be doing, instead of just living in the present. Yoga teaches us to live in the present and stop dwelling on regrets of the past or worrying about the future. All we really have is right here, in this very moment. It's relieving isn't it? When you find yourself stressed or overwhelmed, try stopping yourself and taking a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and let the air fill your lungs and calmly exhale. I even do this at my desk at work, its helps bring me back to the "now" and focus on the task at hand. Try it, I think you'll notice a positive change.

Speaking of stress, I was sick AGAIN last week and just starting to get over a nasty cold. The weather has rapidly changed in Calgary from "OK it's cold, to holy S**T my eyelashes are frozen!" so the flu season is definitely upon up. Even with all the vitamins I take etc, I couldn't avoid it. So this time I decided to accept I was sick and not ignore or try and beat it. I've been pretty crazy at work the last few weeks so taking a day off wasn't exactly an option. Instead, I paired way back on my workouts, I think I only made it to a class once, and went to bed early every night. So many us try to "work through" a cold or flu but really we are working against ourselves. Taking time to get proper rest and fuelling your body with healthy foods is the best medicine we can take. Although I hate to admit it, but Advil cold and sinus was my saving grace to get through my meetings this week. No one likes to chat with someone with a kleenex hanging out of her nose...not cute at all.

I unfortunately missed a fun jewelry party my girlfriend was having last night and I also cancelled a spin class and coffee date this morning but sometimes you just need to take care of yourself. Which brings me back to the start of this post and going to yoga. Not working out and being sick does not make for a pleasant moi so yoga had to be done. It feels gentler on your body to me and helped get my mind clear again so I'm very glad I went. Namaste really works I'm telling ya. What's your favourite activity to manage stress or help you feel better? It doesn't always have to be bustin your butt at crossfit or spin; sometimes meeting with a good friend and talking does wonders, or even going for a walk or shopping can lift your spirits. The importance comes from knowing when to take action and when to rest...it's a lifelong learning process I'm discovering.

After yoga I immediately drank (or inhaled some might say if they saw me) a coconut water with some liquid iron and took my vitamin C and D pills. Then I showered all the sweat and hopefully my cold out of my system, put on my comfiest sweats (they are so old but I can't throw them away), and made the easiest omelet known to man. 

Here is how I make my omelet below so you can make one too:

Instructions:

Turn burner onto medium heat and spray frying pan with non-fat cooking spray (pam or something similar).
Place frying pan on burner and add one tsp of coconut oil and a small handful of your favourite frozen vegetable; peas, broccoli etc.
Take two eggs or one egg and three egg whites and beat together in a bowl.
Pour onto frying pan and add Mrs. Dash and cinnamon (I have a clear obsession with cinnamon as you've likely noticed).
Once eggs start to bubble a bit or you see the side of the omelet lifting, take a large spatula and gently flip over to cook the other side.
Repeat this a few times until your omelet is cooked to your liking. 
Turn off burner, place omelet on a plate to cool and enjoy! Easy peasy. 

I ate my omelet with some Mary's gluten free crackers for added crunch and a large tbsp of unpasteurised sauerkraut...freakin love that stuff.

I don't really have any plans the rest of the day and I love it. I'm sort of hibernating and just enjoying the peacefulness of our house while sipping tea. Life is good isn't it? :)

I hope you are all having a great weekend so far and whatever you are doing, try and remember to breathe and simply enjoy the moment at hand. 

Namaste <3

Sending you many blessings and love,
Sam xo

(He's just too cute, had to share!)

All you need is LOVE

John Lennon sang it best, "all you need is love". I truly believe this. Amongst everything that can happen throughout our lives, we couldn't survive without love. You don't have to pay for it, you don't see it at a store, you LIVE and BREATHE it. Love is created all around for us to embrace and give back in return. Are you accepting of love?  One of my favourite quotes is, "life happens when we are busy making other plans", so get out there and enjoy it!

I also highly recommend a dog, animals are full of unconditional love :)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see one of my greatest friend's marry her prince charming at the Banff Springs Hotel in Calgary. And let me tell you, love was in the air! And not just between the bride and groom, but their family, friends and even the atmosphere was all filled with something very special and sacred. I love LOVE. Always have, always will, and I've made it my mission to spread as much of it around as I can. Since I'm in a committed relationship (get your minds out of the gutter!) the love I spread is of friendship, humour and really trying to make people happy and smile. How do you share love? Sometimes you will make a connection with someone you just met and it will impact your life forever. Remember that every encounter has its place in our lives, if we're open to it. Just some food for thought for you today :)

The people we had the privilege of meeting this weekend, many from out of town (Toronto, Halifax, PEI) were all so gracious and excited to celebrate, the energy was infectious. It was so fun hanging out before the wedding and even more fun reminiscing with the bride to be about when we lived together and all the crazy memories we've shared over the years. She is an amazing friend and her and her husband I know will live happily ever after. Here are some pics from the wedding, check out the hot bridesmaids ;)

 

Alright, now that the mushy part is done, let me share what we ate on the weekend! The chefs at the Banff Springs definitely didn't disappoint. The rehearsal dinner on Friday, wedding on Saturday and brunch on Sunday were all delicious, along with the many bottles of wine we consumed...opps. I had every intention of sticking to my gluten-free nutrition plan, however some pumpkin cheesecake and sticky toffee may of snuck onto my plate, damn you sweet tooth! I did bring a few trusty Elevate and Quest bars for healthy snacking in between the wedding and pictures etc, but this stuff was too good to pass up. Here are some pictures below of our brunch; buttermilk pancakes and chicken sausage, a palate sorbet cleanser in between meals at the wedding (may of also been used as a wine glass, nothing but class over here!), a gourmet chicken dish, Swiss chard, carrot cheese cake, sticky toffee pudding (a PEI favourite) and room service dishes. SO GOOD!

That's pretty much the wedding recap in a nut shell, mixed with speeches, tears, lots of laughs and dancing. It was fantastic. Now I need to start working on planning my wedding. I still have a year right?!

I mentioned in my last post that I would share some quick snack ideas I grab when I'm in a rush (which is too much lately), so here you are:

Elevate bars:

My favourite "protein bar" by far. They are made with all natural ingredients (that you can actually pronounce), are gluten and wheat free, have a mixed balance of protein and carbs and taste great. Here is the website if you'd like more info: http://www.prosnack.com/

Quest Bars:

Quest bars are quite popular on the fitness front these days so I had to find out what all the hype was about. They have 20g of protein, 4g of fiber, no added sweeteners and considered to be low carb. They are also relatively low calorie (about 170 per bar) and taste pretty good I must say. I've heard they can be hard to find in Calgary, but I've seen them at Nutrition House and GNC. http://www.questproteinbar.com/

 

Home made Bars:

Obviously the best choice since you can use your own ingredients but I admit I only make these once in a while. I've found a few different recipes online and created my own concoctions but they are all very similar. In an effort to finally post this blog, I am giving you a borrowed recipe (with a few modifications I've made) from PaleOMG, a blog I read frequently. These bars taste delicious and here is her exact link to them: http://paleomg.com/strawberry-protein-bars/

Protein Bars (nut free)

 

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 8-10

 

Ingredients

• 1 package (6 ounces) of Paleo Dried Strawberries (Could you any dried fruit as long as it's not processed with added sugar)
• 1 container (7.5 ounces) of PaleoKrunch Nut Free Cereal (Could you Love Crunch Granola which is what I used)
• 3 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate or homemade coconut butter (Can buy at Community Natural Foods or Planet Organic)
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter (I used almond butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 scoops Formulx Vanilla Protein Powder (protein powder of your choice or omit completely)
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Add dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until the strawberries begin to break down into small pieces.
2. Then add paleokrunch cereal to the food processor mix well until combined with the dried strawberries.
3. Add coconut cream concentrate, honey, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, protein powder and salt to the food processor and mix until completely combined.
4. Line a glass 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Add mixture from the food processor into the baking dish and press down evenly to flatten out throughout the dish.
5. Place in freezer to let set for an hour or longer.
6. Cut into 8-10 granola bars or whatever size suits you.
7. Keep refrigerated until serving.
8. I've added this as my favourite part of the recipe: Make your favourite hot cup of coffee or tea (my pumpkin chai-tea latte is a great choice), wrap yourself in your coziest blanet on the couch, and dip one of these babies into your drink and enjoy. Pure bliss right ;) 

 

 

OKAY, this blog is officially done. I might need to start making them shorter so I can post more frequently, but I always seem to have so much to say! Happy Hump day all, have a great day!

Sending you many blessings and love,
Sam xo

Supplements, supplements and more supplements.

Wowza I am sore today. Triathlon training kicked my butt Tuesday night and I swam and did weights a few times this week. My swim stoke is finally improving, THANK GOD so I'm feeling better about that. Practice makes perfect right? Our brick training on Tuesday consisted of one hour of spinning inside, a 45 minute run outside (in the freezing cold), followed by core work and I was SPENT.  Our teacher has participated in various triathlons and a lot of the people in the class had completed Ironman's etc so it was quite motivating actually. It's definitely more fun to workout in a group from my perspective. If you're tired or just not feeling it, seeing other people work hard and have fun is infectious in a good way. Do you prefer working out in a group or on your own? At times it's nice to just get into the gym and do your thing but having that extra motivation can also take your workout from good to great. Thinking twice about doing your workout happens to the best of us, but positive habits form from taking ACTION. Just get up a go!

Our instructor on Tuesday chatted a lot about proper hydration and fuelling your body for these intense workouts. Once you hit the 45 to an hour mark, your body will begin to burn your carbohydrate stores and you will need to replenish to maintain your energy levels. I was never one for sports drinks/gels  but some may have their place if they are not loaded with sugar. I'm going to discuss supplementation in this post and some of the things that I use to enhance my workouts and overall health. This is just what I do and it's important to remember that everyone is different. Your needs will be different based on your activity level and goals but these are a few I suggest:

Vitamin D: The sunshine vitamin :)

With winter fast approaching, I think vitamin D is especially important because of our days getting shorter and lack of sunlight. Have you ever heard of SAD? According to wikipedia.org: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, was considered a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. Symptoms of SAD may consist of difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, tendency to oversleep and over eat, especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks, withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities, and decreased sex drive. SCARY!

Since the majority of us want to hibernate in the winter, our Vitamin D levels are even lower as we generally receive it's benefits from the sun. I definitely suggest trying to spend at least 15 minutes outside each day to give you body the sunlight and fresh air it craves but also try supplementing with at least 1000 IU per day of vitamin D.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): is basically a mixture of different forms of linoleic acids that our body can not produce enough of.

Numerous medical studies have shown the benefits of CLA including; an increased metabolic rate, providing a positive benefit for our thyroid, especially hypothyroidism. It can also assist in decreased abdominal fat by helping balance out our hormones, and also enhances muscle growth. I just purchased some CLA after my research so I'll keep you posted on any results!

Ultima Replenisher: Naturally replenishes the electrolytes we all need to feel and function at our best according to ultimareplenisher.com. Too many drinks are loaded with sugar and salt, preservatives and/or coloring so I was pretty happy when I found this and it tastes great! It is sweetened with Stevia a naturally derived sweetener and so far I haven't had any stomach issues from it at all. It you workout a lot and don't feel your plain water is cutting it, give this a try. I bought mine at Planet Organic but I've seen it at other health stores around the city as well. 

The next three I'm going to mention focus more on Intestinal health and assist in digestion and healing your gut lining. So good I promise.

Probiotics:

Magic pills are what I refer to them as. Most (almost all) diseases start in your gut. So the old saying "trust your gut" brings this to a whole new level. Our stomach's are made up of fluids, acids and bacteria, some good, some bad. When are bacteria levels are off due to stress, poor eating habits, etc an overgrowth of yeast can occur and we get a stomach ache or something worse can happen (autoimmune diseases are on the rise).

According to http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/6-healing-benefits-of-probiotics, each of us has more than 1,000 different types of bacteria that live in our digestive tracts, helping us to break down food and absorb nutrients. But when we take antibiotics -- medicine that is designed to kill destructive, illness-causing bacteria -- the drugs can also kill the healthy intestinal flora that helps us digest. About 30 percent of the patients who take antibiotics report suffering from diarrhea or some other form of gastrointestinal distress, according to the recent JAMA study on probiotics and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. As a result, doctors commonly prescribe taking probiotics to "repopulate" the digestive tract with healthful bacteria. The study found that it was a viable solution for many.

But probiotics can also help with other types of digestive issues. Research has shown that probiotics can be helpful for people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS -- a hard-to-treat condition that can have a range of intestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. In one study, female IBS patients experienced some alleviation of symptoms like abdominal pain and irregularity when they were given a supplement of the bacterial strain, Bifidobacterium infantis.
Even for those without an urgent problem, probiotics can help with overall digestive management. Challa argues in his book, Probiotics For Dummies, that good bacteria help "crowd out" bad bacteria. That's because the intestine is lined with adherence sites where bacteria latches on. If the sites are populated with good-for-you microbes, there's no place for a harmful bacterium to latch on.
I can't say enough good things about probiotics. Please try them!!

Digestive Enzymes:

You know the feeling you have after a big meal? Stuffed, uncomfortable, tired...all of these can be eliminated quicker with the help of enzymes. They assist your body in breaking down your food instead of leaving it in one big lump in your stomach. They ease digestive complaints, including gas, heartburn and symptoms that could be caused by of irritable bowel syndrome.

Aloe Vera Gel (Yup I drink it):

Aloe vera has natural, cleansing abilities that help your stomach feel amazing. Its sooths heartburn, indigestion, constipation and other digestive ailments. All you need is about a tbsp each day or night and you will notice a difference. It's not just a plant you keep in your house! Aloe also has anti-inflammatory properties and many of the daily vitamins we need such as vitamin A, B, C, E and Folic Acid.
 





I also in the winter months take 1000mg of Vitamin C per day to help fight off the cold season. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant to aid in eliminating free radicals accumulated in our bodies and is also great for your heart. Iron is another supplement which I discussed in a previous post.

I know this may seem like a lot, but it's really not. You can't put a price on your health and although we try and eat as healthy as we can, it's impossible to receive all the nutrients our bodies require from our food.

Next post I will be discussing a few meal replacements I use when I'm in a hurry and meals/snacks you can have prepared when you need to grab and go.

I am off to Banff again for the weekend to be a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's weddings at the Banff Springs Hotel. I will post pictures soon! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Sending you lots of blessings and love,
Sam xo

Back at 'er

It's been a week since I've posted, yikes! For that I am very sorry. I could list off all of the things I've been doing that have made posting nearly impossible but in reality, they are just EXCUSES. We are all busy and when I started this blog, I committed to keeping it up and here I am, apologizing already. Can you for please forgive me? I'm kicking my own butt lately so you are going to see a positive change in me and more posts :)

Okay, now that the hard stuff is out of the way, how is everyone doing? It's Monday again and it is damn cold in Calgary! My iphone says it's -5 right now brrrrr. Who's in for hibernating??  Changing our clocks back on Saturday and getting an extra hour of sleep last night was so awesome. Okay maybe I like winter a little bit then....but just a bit. I saw this picture below and had to share with you. God I wish junk food was healthy :)

We spent this weekend in Banff and completed the Banff Winter Start Race at the Caribou Lodge and Spa, so fun! Basically a few hundred people get together at 7pm and run in the cold in crazy costumes and glow sticks, up and down a mountain for about 5 miles. They had to change the route this year because a bear was sighted getting cozy where we needed to run. The race ended up only being about 6.5km so left us more time to party :) The race itself wasn't difficult but man was it slippery. When your only lighting is a few glow sticks, the challenge definitely increases. I think the funniest costumes I saw were a few guys in Cheetah onsy's, a group in banana suits, and then full on Christmas tree's running up the mountain. Good job guys. We went for the "tight and bright" theme and lots of glow sticks. I bought these neon Nike shorts at Winners and they were perfect. After the race we cooked a huge dinner with some friends; chicken, meatballs, squash and kale salad, in our suite at the Hidden Ridge resort (http://www.banffhiddenridge.com/ definitely recommend this place) and then headed to the Banff Brew Co. for some very hydrating glasses of wine and beer...work hard play hard right?! The night ended way too late so most of yesterday consisted of napping and eating but sometimes a girl's just gotta have fun :) Here are a few  pics:

 

I did do some cooking yesterday so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. Today is the only night I don't have something going on, so having healthy items in the fridge is a big relief. My new obsession lately is root vegetables; beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, ginger, onions, garlic, yams, turnips etc. They are so good for you and very filling. I peeled and cut up about a thousand veggies yesterday and put them in our crock pot to simmer for the day. Now I can add these babies as a side dish to any meat and we are good to go. I still have grass fed meatballs in our freezer, have you tried the recipe from my earlier post? We also have some left over baked chicken with cinnamon (weird combination I know) that I served on Saturday night to our friends (they liked it!) so I feel good about our meals for the week. Tonight I'm going to bake some more coconut flour muffins (they don't last long in our house) and clean my room! Clothes are EVERYWHERE and it's driving me (and mostly my fiance nuts). You'd think being 30 I could keep my room clean but I can't. I organize it and somehow the messy fairy finds her way back in and messes things up. It's not my fault..really :)

 

Here is a quick way to prepare the root vegetables and some pictures. I really recommend these for the winter and according to Best Health Magazine, here are some other reasons why root veggies rock:

Root vegetables grow underneath the ground where they are able to absorb high amounts of minerals and other nutrients from the soil. They are also able to absorb important nutrients from the sun through their leaves. Root vegetables can be enjoyed throughout the year, as they can be eaten fresh in the summer, and will keep well in a dark cellar throughout the winter days.
Most root vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates, which break down into sugar in your body to give you energy and the ability to function properly. They are also high in fiber and phytonutrients, and normally are low in fat as well as in calories. Additionally, they are generally high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, and contain essential minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and small amounts of iron.

Root vegetables are awesome!

Instructions:

Peel and cut up your favourite root vegetables into small chunks. My favourites are listed above.
Place in your crock pot and add almost a full box of low sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth, your favourite seasonings and simmer for 4-6 hours. The longer they cook, the more flavour they will absorb. Every few hours, stir vegetables and make sure broth is being evenly spread out. I use a turkey baster to drizzle the broth on the top vegetables.
Once done, turn off crock pot and let cool. You can freeze the vegetables if you'd like or store in the fridge to add to any meal. Yum!

 

 

Tomorrow night I start extra Triathlon training from 6:30-8:30pm through the City of Calgary. It is brick training where we bike for one hour and run for the other hour (OUTSIDE..we are nuts). It's a way to get your body used to transitioning from one exercise to another and increase your endurance. I'm going to be sore, please wish me luck!  

 

Have a great week everyone and I will have a new post for you on Wednesday.

 

Sending you lots of blessing and love.

 

Sam xo