Why coffee isn't helping to correct your fatigue

We see it way too often. Towns and cities full of people, waking up tired and going straight for the coffee. Many of us - like myself - love coffee for its aromas, its taste and the ritual of a morning coffee. Oh the ritual! The careful preparation, the feeling of warm mug in our hands, and the thorough enjoyment of each slow sip.

But too many people take these things for granted. Coffee has a purpose and that purpose is energy! It's to wake up. To be able to function! They walk around with their 16oz or larger cups filled with the hot brown liquid. Coffee pots containing 12 servings are gone by lunch time. And do they feel any better? The answer is usually no. They need it to get through the day. But what these people don't know is that their 10-person family-size serving of daily coffee can be acting against them.

First, this is way too much caffeine, but it never seems like it to a "chronic, high-dose" coffee-drinker. This is because our bodies become accustom to these levels of caffeine. One or two cups is no longer enough. Your body knows what you've been giving it. Try to cheap out, and you don't feel the same. The more you consume, the more you get used to it, and the more you need to function at the same level. To make matters more complicated, caffeine can actually intensify anxiety. Feeling anxious like Tweak from South Park? Yeah, your coffee is making that worse.

Yes, you can function on lots of caffeine. Maybe it really does get you through your day. But aren't you just burning through "false" energy? I mean, a little caffeine can be a great help, but what are you teaching your body? We don't have enough energy but we have to keep going! Keep pushing! Keep moving! Keep working and work harder! You've exhausted your system.

In my experience, many of us "type-A" personalities are at the most risk. We can power through anything - and we'll use what we need to to get the job done; to stay up studying, and to stay focused. But we're forgetting something key: Our energy building blocks. We keep burning through such a "Yang" energy - this quick, "hot", full-speed type energy - we need to also build our "Yin" side: the substance and matter. For example, where running and cardio are Yang, Tai Chi or Yoga would be Yin. You can even attend a Yin Yoga class. They're everywhere!

So how do we help build up our energy and actually help our bodies with recovery instead of  continuously burning through energy that we don't have in the first place?

1). Slowly wean down the coffee. Every few days have smaller and smaller amounts of coffee. This won't be fun, but you'll have less withdrawal effects compared with cold turkey. Get yourself down to 2 8oz cups per day.
OR
Cut out caffeine cold turkey and have a week-long wash out period. Then you can start again with 1 cup (8oz) per day. Notice how differently and well you respond to just 1 cup of coffee, instead of 12.

2) Talk to your naturopathic doctor about which botanical formulas, or single herbs, would be best for you and what you're experiencing. Rehmannia and Rhodiola are two great herbs that act more Yin in the body.

3) Avoid other stimulants. Even something like Panax ginseng might be too stimulating if you're finding you burn out easily. Everyone is different, but these herbs are not to be taken lightly.

4) Start gentle exercising like Tai Chi or a gentle yoga (not power flow). Meditation makes a great addition to this.

5) Consider a B vitamin Complex. B vitamins are the building blocks of not just neurotransmitters like serotonin, but they also plug in as co-factors in the Kreb's cycle of energy production (remember that from high school? ATP production?). For anyone on acid reflux medication or on oral contraceptives, B vitamins can be depleted by these medications.

6) Get enough sleep. Seriously. For every night that you don't get enough sleep, you run a "sleep deficit". And your body will make sure that you repay every hour. If you don't, you suffer through the consequences (decreased concentration, adrenal fatigue, headaches and more).

Our schedules are busy. We have deadlines, places to go, things to get done. But if we neglect self-care, everything that we do to our bodies now will have an effect later. Remember to give back some time for yourself. Enjoy a cup o' Joe - just not the whole pot.

How to squeeze in a little exercise on a busy schedule

December is here; We've had our first little flurries and wet snow, we're well into holiday shopping time. Everyone is busy, rushing around, half anticipating, half dreading all the rich foods and treats that come with the holidays. Now is usually the time people find they're just too busy or too rushed to take care of themselves. Workout/exercise routines get lost in the days. The days are dark and colder... wouldn't you rather bundle up all cozy and warm?

Exercise is a great way to keep warm, you just have to actually do it. Often times when I feel like I'd rather curl up in a cozy ball of blankets on the couch I'll actually force myself to go upstairs and change into yoga wear. By the time I have my gear on - which includes a sports bra and tank or t-shirt - and I'm walking around my house, I feel like I can actually do something. I feel motivated not be lazy because I'm already ready. 

When the mornings and evenings are so dark, it's much better to opt for indoor workouts - for safety reasons. Workout videos - either downloaded, DVDs or YouTube videos - are a great way to keep moving and stay fit. You can exercise on your own time. Even on really busy days you can sneak in 20 minutes of movement. 

Movement tips for those with super busy schedules:

1) Wake up and before getting dressed, go through the motions of 3 Ashtanga Sun Salutations. Move slowly, don't push yourself - this is to help wake you up and warm up your muscles. Don't forget to breathe through them!

2) Have a 10 minute break? Find a room, basement - any floor space - make sure you have a pair of shorts or yoga pants and do a few minutes of animal flow across the room. "Ape" and "Beast" are easy to do in smaller spaces and are great even for beginners. Even 5 minutes can make a huge difference in your day. 

3) Sitting at a desk all day? Sit on a Yoga ball. You can move, rock, sway and engage your core while doing your work. Bounce a little too!

4) Need to stretch your legs? Squeeze in a few squats while you're at it. Go slow. Have a chair to desk in front of you for balance if you need it. Start with 4-8 reps. Click here for proper squatting technique and the awesomeness of squatting!

5) Sitting in front of the TV after a long day? Why not do a plank and hold it for 30 seconds during a commercial break. For each minute of commercials, do 30 seconds of plank. It will help strengthen your core and upper body. Work your way up to 60 seconds. 

As always, I still recommend getting outside during the day. Fresh air feels great and there's no reason to be afraid of the cold if you're dressed for the weather. Get out those leg warmers and bum warmers and boots! Don't forget your scarf, mittens and a hat, and layer up :) 

How to be a socially-functioning Ochlophobic introvert

I have always been an introvert. I'm the type that wants my space but also hates being excluded. I also have Ochlophobia (fear of being surrounded by huge crowds of people). The anxiety is awful - like I'm being suffocated and I can't escape because gravity is keeping my feet glued to the earth's surface and no one around me thinks anything is wrong.  I like my alone time, my space. But it was never fulfilling enough. Once you hang round with certain people, you realize how amazing they are for you. They provide an energy and feelings that you can't get on your own. Be alone for too long and you become swallowed in loneliness.

I had to learn that we as humans are not islands. We can be temporary hermits or have our own little personal "getaways", but we can't live without each other. We need the connection. We need to share with each other, to learn from each other, to grow. We need to be touched - we need hugs! It releases hormones in us that send signals to our brains. (In childbirth we call Oxytocin the "cuddle hormone")

So how does a girl balance this without her brain blowing up? It's about the balance of energy. Being around the positive energy of people we love but also re-charging our batteries with that alone-time we crave.

1) Be social in small groups : No need to go clubbing downtown in huge crowds; hang out with your core group of friends or organize events in smaller groups. This is where we're most comfortable. Our good friends have made the cut. We know that they make us happy, we make each other laugh. It's an environment of positive energy. No need to mess with a good thing. And when someone new comes around, yeah, we like to put them through a screening process. We're cautious with new energy. That's okay too. Take a deep breath and observe.

2) Escape to nature when you need it: If you're living in the city or your workplace is busy, filled with busy-body people, spending an hour or two on a crowded streetcar or subway, make the time during the week to get outside in a non-populated area. Hike through a forest. Walk barefoot in a large grassy park, run through a meadow, sit and look out at a body open water (lake, ocean, stream - depending on where you live).

3) Look up at the stars at night and remember how ridiculously gigantic the universe is. Think of how much space is out there. Let those thoughts of wonderment make you appreciate life, everything you have and of not being alone in such a vast galaxy. The second point here is that being alone in the universe is not all its cracked up to be. Even the Doctor (as in Doctor Who) takes a companion with him.

4) Journaling and colouring: Start writing. Write down your thoughts, feelings. If you need an escape from this world and this reality, write fiction. No one needs to see it but you. Introverts are energy-protectors. But if we shelter ourselves too much and bottle up our emotions, we build a time-bomb within our selves. Best to get it all down on the page and out of our stewing heads. An alternative: Adult colouring books!

5) Call your mom. Sometimes we drift away from family. We get busy, we have our own lives; or maybe there's family tension. Either way, never lose connection with your mom (or any family member who means the world to you). When you feel like you don't want to be social but you need to hear a human voice, call your mom. It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 38, that lady will always be there for you. Or even better, drop by her house for a hug.

6) Practice your breathing. Deep, slow breathing can calm the nervous system. Breathing is more effective at controlling your nervous system and immune system than you think. (I'll be posting more on Wim Hof's incredible methods on a later blog).

7) Schedule alone time or alone activities as well as social ones: Your daily "to-do" list should always contain at least 1 item that is for your own sanity; An activity for stress relief, or fun, whatever. List things that you have to get done, as well as the ones you want to get done.

Paleo Coconut Lemongrass Shrimp

One of the many things that I love about my partner is that often times he'll go to the market/grocery store and come home with something that we've never cooked with before. This week it was lemongrass. We both love Thai food and we've seen lemongrass enough times to know it smells incredible and it tastes awesome in curry dishes; But we've never cooked with it (from scratch).

Seeing it in the fridge, I knew I had to do something with it. So I went to a few paleo recipe sites, picked one that sounded easy enough, and went to work.

Check out the link below for the recipe that I used as a base for my cooking last night - the author deserves credit - thanks "Steph"! However, the dish that I created looked absolutely NOTHING like this picture. There's something called "breaking the coconut milk" which I obviously didn't do so my "sauce" looked well, not silky smooth, but viscous and thick.

Not going to lie though, it was so delicious, I'd make it again in a heartbeat.
Here's the link, but check out below for my modified version of it: http://stupideasypaleo.com/2012/06/16/shrimp-in-coconut-broth/

Paleo Coconut Lemongrass Shrimp (makes 2 servings)

1 lb raw shrimp (with shells/not-peeled)
1 can of coconut cream (I used Blue Monkey coconut cream which is the best I have found so far!)
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 stalk of lemongrass, (chop off the top few inches, peel off the outer rind, then "bruise"/slightly crush the lemongrass with the flat surface of a chef's knife and slice it in half length-wise.)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into halves or thirds
1 green chili pepper, chopped
1/3-1/2 cup chopped leeks
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups stringless sugar snap peas 
1 tsp butter or ghee

NOTE: remove the seeds from the chili pepper if you only want a mild/medium spice. Otherwise, keeping all the seeds in will make this dish super spicy!

1.  Peel the shells off the shrimp and put them aside. Put the peeled shrimp in a bowl and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.
2. Place the coconut cream/milk in a large skillet. Add the shrimp shells, wine, lemongrass, thyme and garlic. Let simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes (shells should turn pink). 
3. Remove the shells (I used the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out all the juices) and discard. 
4. Add the shallots, leeks, sugar snap peas. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes. Then add the shrimp and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked. 
5. Add the butter and stir. Remove the lemongrass and discard. 
6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Turning goals into values

I've been working a lot on goal-setting with clients (as well as on social media), but this is really just the beginning of the journey. Goal-setting is great. We should always be striving for something new, a greater achievement, greater learning, and overall improvement. But there comes a point where some of those goal-related activities integrate themselves into your life and if they were to disappear, you would miss them.

This is where intrinsic values come in. It's about doing something for your own pleasure; it makes you feel good about you.

I love running 10km races because of the experience:
I set a goal for myself: I want to run the whole race without slowing down beyond 6 minutes/km, and finishing around 55mins.

BUT! I also love the perks (extrinsic value): First, I get a medal and my running bib, which I proudly display on my wall after the race. Then there's the free T-shirt, the bag full of magazines, samples, and fun stuff.

After the race I usually recover for a few days, taking a break from running.

Truthfully, I could stop right there. It would be so easy just to not run anymore. I reached my goal. I had fun. I'm not planning another race anytime soon. So why keep going?

It's that little part of me that knows I'm a runner. I even run in my dreams. My happy place is when I'm running in the forest. It's my escape. I'm content, alone and totally happy in my own zone. And after I finish - I own that moment. It's mine and no one can take it from me.

That's where value comes in - the more intrinsic kind. I keep going - I get out there every chance I get because it makes me feel good. Do I care how fast I run? No. Do I care how much ground I cover? Not really. Do I meticulously monitor my heart rate, calories burned, steps taken? Definitely not. I stop caring about all that because they stop having meaning. When I'm not training for a race, it's just me and the forest (and most recently, Joe Rogan's voice in my head as I listen to a podcast). My feet on the dirt and the grass, my pace, my breath, and all my cares melt away.

Will I still work on achieving more? Absolutely. My next goal is to run a 15k or 1/2 marathon race, but for the time in between I can be easier on myself and just do what I love.

Find that peace. Find something that truly makes you happy and every once in a while, let the numbers and extrinsic values fade away. I love my medals and free t-shirts, but I love me more.

Weight loss and the hormone connection

It's very common for me to hear from a patient/client "I exercise and eat healthy, but I still can't lose weight!" There are 2 reasons why this happens: 1) the client doesn't understand what's causing them to retain the weight and hasn't changed their approach to fit their needs; 2) The expectations for fast results are too high.

We all want to look good and feel great right away. And it's no wonder! The media and advertisements that surround us enforce the idea that weight loss should be quick and easy so you can be happy fast! Some of the worst culprits are those with their before-and-after pictures and those that guarantee quick results - "lose 10 lbs in a week!"

So how realistic is it? Sure, if you're clinically obese or have a lot of water retention, it's very easy to lose 10 lbs in the first week of any lifestyle change. But that's just your body reacting to such a huge change to your established eating habits and the new demands of using muscles you probably haven't used in a long time. Healthy and sustained weight loss takes time. There's no other way around it.

Weight is just the mass of your body (in lbs or kg) x the force of gravity. Stop thinking about "weight loss" and start thinking about changing the composition of your body. Muscle is heavier than fat. Fat stores energy, muscle "burns" energy. Your goal should be to figure out how to get the best performance out of your body - make it run more efficiently. But there is so much that affects this!

It's combination of:

• Balancing multiple hormonal systems
• Assisting your body's natural detoxification (liver function)
• Giving your body the proper fuel, and in the required amounts
• Strengthening different aspects of functioning 
• muscle use/strength
• endurance/cardiac health
• optimizing oxygen use/breathing

Hormones:
Why do we collect fat on ourselves? It's preservation. We store fat like a backup generator. If your body has been through enough stressful "disasters" it learns that it should keep some resources on hand. Even if your "disaster" is just chronic stress from family or work.

Keeping constant high cortisol levels in the body is enough to tell it to keep the bunker stocked and ready! If you're constantly stressed out, or doing solely long cardio exercise, your cortisol levels are more consistently elevated as opposed to following a normal cortisol curve - which regulates your sleep-wake cycle in addition to so much more. Ever tried to do 30-60 minutes of cardio late at night? Did you notice having a hard time falling asleep?

Excess estrogen can wreak havoc with mood (irritability), cravings, fatigue, and abdominal fat gain. Thyroid hormones affect your metabolism and help regulate mood, heart rate, cholesterol (which makes other hormones!), energy and so much more.

The take-home message is that it's not ever one or the other. All of these hormones are connected and affect each other. For example, a high cortisol level over a sustained period of time can affect your thyroid. It will also eventually deplete your adrenal glands which have been pumping out cortisol for you like crazy for way too long. This is what we call "adrenal exhaustion": morning fatigue, decreased recovery from exercise, low blood sugar and burn out - this also eats up your DHEA levels, important for the production of estrogen and testosterone.

Is it any wonder why people are having such a hard time losing weight?

Working with your naturopathic doctor and healthcare team can help you figure out where the imbalance is, how to correct it and then to develop a proper nutrition and lifestyle plan to make your body run efficiently. This doesn't just mean "eating healthy" but actually ensuring proper caloric intake, optimal protein intake and absorption (ESPECIALLY for vegans and vegetarians), and timing of fuel, in addition to many other lifestyle factors.

hyroid hormones regulate our metabolism and organ function. They directly affect heart rate, cholesterol levels, body weight, energy, muscle contraction and relaxation, skin and hair texture, bowel function, fertility, menstrual regularity, memory, mood and other bodily functions. Without enough thyroid hormone, every system in the body slows down. Those who suffer from hypothyroidism feel tired and tend to sleep a lot. Their digestion is slow and weight gain typically occurs. They can also experience extremely dry skin, hair loss, even slower mental processes. In fact, without enough thyroid hormone, attaining your perfect weight is almost impossible. - See more at: http://drnatashaturner.com/4-week-thyroid-boosting-plan-seen-marilyn-denis/#sthash.GkuXxnVa.dpuf

hyroid hormones regulate our metabolism and organ function. They directly affect heart rate, cholesterol levels, body weight, energy, muscle contraction and relaxation, skin and hair texture, bowel function, fertility, menstrual regularity, memory, mood and other bodily functions. Without enough thyroid hormone, every system in the body slows down. Those who suffer from hypothyroidism feel tired and tend to sleep a lot. Their digestion is slow and weight gain typically occurs. They can also experience extremely dry skin, hair loss, even slower mental processes. In fact, without enough thyroid hormone, attaining your perfect weight is almost impossible. - See more at: http://drnatashaturner.com/4-week-thyroid-boosting-plan-seen-marilyn-denis/#sthash.GkuXxnVa.dpuf

My favourite "feel better" tea

I had the misfortune of contracting a head cold with major sinus pressure and headache this week. As soon as my throat was getting raw and my face was painful to touch, I had a mini panic moment that I might be getting the same terrible sinus infection that I had last year, one that lasted well over a week.

I decided to act quick; to get ahead of body and ramp up my immune system so that I could get back to life. The difference it made? I prevented a secondary bacterial infection unlike last year. And unlike my last illness, I was able to rid the cold in 3 days vs. the 10 it took me last year and the 14 it took me the winter previous.

Apart from my supplements and a botanical tincture full of echinacea, what really helped pull me through it was my favourite "sick" tea:
2 parts ginger tea, 1 part lemon myrtle, plus 1 tsp honey.

Don't have any ginger tea or lemon myrtle in the house? Dig up the ginger out of your freezer (which is the best place to store it) and make it from scratch:

1. Remove the "skin" from the ginger and thinly slice the ginger. You'll need about 1/4 -1/3 cup for a pot of water (~ 3 cups)
2. Slice a lemon into about 4 slices
3. Meanwhile, have a pot of water on the stove and bring to boil
4. Add the ginger and lemon (you can give the lemon a little squeeze before dropping it in). Optional: add a stick or two of cinnamon and/or a few cloves.
5. Simmer on low heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes. 
6. Remove from heat and pour liquid into your mug. Add 1 tsp of honey and enjoy. 

It's warm, delicious and will also help resolve any nausea. For me, it's comfort tea. It's also amazing in the winter on those frigid cold days - definitely add the cinnamon and cloves!

The love/hate with menstrual cups and why you should say goodbye to tampons

When I first heard about the Diva Cup I was really taken aback - What? You put a cup in you and it collects your menstrual flow?!  This concept was truly weird to me, especially in a culture where we're told how happy we will be using tampons with braids so that we can run and jump in the air as often as we like.

Don't get me wrong, I love running and jumping, but there were downsides to tampons that no one really told me about. We're well aware of toxic shock syndrome: You leave an absorbent material internally, it absorbs moisture, it sits there, bacteria grow, bacteria start "shooting out" toxins (so-to-speak) and your body goes into a toxic shock. Bad news bears. But I never really thought about how the "absorbing" part really affected my body.

The vaginal canal is lined with healthy mucous. It's a natural lubricant produced with the help of estrogen to keep the area moist. It also acts as a "vagina cleaner" by carrying away bad bacteria and allowing good healthy bacteria to flourish. Your tampon, although it absorbs your menstrual flow, is also taking up a lot of space internally, and while there, absorbs your normal vaginal mucous. So the loss of that great mucous can mess up the bacterial flora and your vaginal pH (which helps prevent infections!).

So now what? You can use pads; they make for a healthier vagina, but many women hate dealing with "the mess". Well-known brands often use bleaches, synthetic fibers and chemicals/additives which make them super absorbent, but they are in constant contact with your lady parts which can potentially take up the chemicals and additives.

Your best option would be a 100% cotton pad like Natracare or Organyc. They're less irritating than conventional pads for both regular menstrual use and postpartum when that area is particularly sensitive.

Another great option is the menstrual cup. I personally am a Diva Cup user, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that women either love it or hate it:

The Pros:

• No waste! You're saving landfills by keeping your cup in good shape.
• With good care, it can last up to 10 years. This means cleaning it with a gentle fragrance-free cleanser (or Diva Wash) after each emptying, and boiling in water for 5 minutes at the end of your period.  
• You can monitor your bleeding. You can measure the volume of flow, the colour, clots, etc. This can reveal a lot of information about your cycles, which your naturopathic doctor can help you with. 
• You can run, jump, swim with it in and never even know it's there. Swimming becomes more enjoyable when you're not worried about strings showing.
• You don't feel it. When inserted and positioned correctly, you shouldn't feel it. It also shouldn't leak, unlike most tampons.
• You only need to worry about "changing" it twice per day (with normal bleeding volume). Empty once in the morning and again before bed. No worrying about changing pads and tampons throughout the day. 

The Cons:

• It only comes in 2 sizes so many women found that it just wasn't a good fit for them. This may be because of differences in a woman's anatomical structure, or due to the position in which the cup is inserted.  
• If you suffer from major dysmenorrhea (painful periods) the added internal pressure of an object close to the cervix may increase cramping/pain.
• If you have really heavy periods, there is a chance it can overflow.
• Because you have an object inserted, there is added pressure on surrounding structures. You might notice that your urine is flowing a little slower than normal. 
• Be aware of it during a bowel movement. The same muscles that help with bearing down vaginally also help with bearing down for a bowel movement. When you're in the bathroom, beware that the cup might be pushed down and may need to be readjusted. 
• Yes, you have to empty it into your toilet and then clean it in the sink. Some women hate this part of it. But you should only have to do this 2x per day. 

Every woman should find the menstrual method that works best for them. I love my menstrual cup but realize it's not for everyone. We all deserve a happy, healthy vagina, so listen to your body. 

Farmer's Market meals

One of my favourite things about June is the start of the Farmer's Market. I've been helping with our clinic's booth at Fairmount park in Toronto (details HERE) and it has easily become the best day of the week!

The fresh fruit and vegetables are always enticing, especially when the farmers cut the grown sprouts right in front of you. Many vendors have gluten-free and vegan food options ranging from cookies and nanaimo bars to spinach lentil curry with rice. The coordinators and other vendors are some of the nicest people I've met and there's a true sense of community all around.

So how do you make a meal using farm fresh ingredients? Or how do you improvise a meal with very few ingredients? Well, knowing I'd be starving after a long day and a nice evening run, I grabbed a few items totaling $20:

Bag of arugula
Bag of sunflower sprouts
6 Hot Turkey pepperettes
and a bundle of multi-coloured tomatoes

When I got home I rinsed the greens and put them in a bowl. On top I added:
one ripe yellow tomato, chopped
1.5 turkey pepperettes, chopped
Some fresh basil and a few blueberries

The dressing:
About 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
a splash of orange juice
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

The salad turned out great! Light enough for the end of the night, but filling enough that my tummy is happy. The only thing I'd change would be blueberries. The other flavours went great together. And the best part is that I still have so much left over. I guess we'll see what next week brings and what new combo I'll put together :)

10 things you should have in your kitchen to make cooking enjoyable

Cooking is like meditation. When in the kitchen I sometimes imagine I'm on my own cooking show. When you have the right tools for the job it makes it that much more enjoyable. I believe that about many things. With the right running shoes, walking and running is awesome! With the right tunes, a long car ride just turned into a sweet playlist marathon. The same is true about cooking.

1) A good cutting board. I love my bamboo board. It was free from a pharmacy convention a few years ago and it has stood up to the task of handling my veggie cutting needs. It's easy to clean, is durable and is a good large size so it stays put on my counter

2) One really great chef's knife. A chef's knife is the broad one used for many chopping needs (well, obviously). Mine is from the Pampered Chef and is my ultimate chopping tool. A dull knife is like a cooking mood killer. You'll work harder than you need to, it'll take longer to make dinner and can be very frustrating. Invest in one really great sharp chopping knife.

3) Speaking of knives, I also really love a good pairing knife. But mostly because of how much I hate eating apple skins, so having a knife that's the perfect size for peeling off apple skins just makes me so happy. Really that's it. I just can't stand the peel of an apple. If there's something you really dislike, get a kitchen tool for that exact purpose and it'll make life much better.

4) Magic Bullet. This thing is so versatile that it should be in every home. The extra blade (the flat one) is so worth it, you'll ground flax seeds and coffee beans as if they are being crushed by the Hulk. Not only can you "bullet" practically anything, but this truly "magical" appliance will give you latte/cappuccino foam WITHOUT A CAPPUCCINO MAKER.
Brewed coffee + 1 tsp coconut oil + magic bullet (and sprinkle with cinnamon) = a foam-topped coffee treat

5) A slow cooker. Not only will this miracle-maker cause even the toughest cuts meats to slide apart like butter, but it only requires you to throw a bunch of stuff in it when you're groggy in the morning and then you come home to a delicious-smelling house and DINNER. It's ready! You don't have to do anything other than put it on a plate, and even that's debatable. A word of caution though - you cannot be so groggy that you forget to turn it on. One of the most disappointing things in the world is to come home anticipating the smell of cooked roast and finding it raw and cold. 

6) A silicone flipper. There's nothing more heartbreaking then trying to flip over an egg in a pan, it getting stuck on some half-melted jagged edge of your plastic flipper and it breaking the egg like a hyena ripping apart its prey. I think that's all I need to say. Get a non-stick silicone flipper... it's like a whole new world of egg-flipping.

7) Parchment paper. You can use it for anything and everything that goes in your oven. I line baking sheets and baking pans with it. Basically anything that I don't want to scrub clean for an hour afterwards. There's no need to worry about ingesting or absorbing aluminum. There's no wax-paper-melting-in-your-oven-because-you-didn't-know-wax-paper-would-melt-in-your-oven. But it works the same way that wax paper would - making everything not stick. Cookies bake nicer, chicken doesn't char to your pan, brownie bits aren't clinging to the walls of your pan. It's a win-win-win: it's compostable, makes cleaning up easier and leaves you with more brownie bits to eat.

8) An immersion blender. You will make soups if you have an immersion blender. And they're really fun to use. And easy to clean. Basically soften your veggies in vegetable or chicken broth (this is great for squash soups) then immersion blend it and you have perfect soup. No need to "transfer half the contents of your pot to a blender and work in batches". This old-school method will lead to the lid blowing off your blender, soup on your ceiling and burn marks on your face. An immersion blender is the easy way out. Blend in the pot, push a button and the blade end comes off for easy cleaning.

9) A radio or music dock in your kitchen (less practical for cooking, but makes it more fun).

10) A sous-chef. My boyfriend and I take turns being each others' sous chef. One of us will take charge while the other one assists. We start yelling things out like they do on TV like "Yes Chef!", "Five minutes for the mushrooms!" and "BEHIND!" when we're walking behind each other with hot or sharp things. A sous-chef makes cooking more enjoyable because you have help and it's something fun to do together. Then you get to sit and enjoy this amazing dish you both created.

Goal setting with your workout plan

I'm not a fan of the word "exercise" because it sounds like a chore. Instead I call it a workout. Because it's work, but it's something I enjoy doing and it makes me feel awesome :)

You can get out of that "exercise plan" mentality by changing it to a workout goal; a strengthening goal. And goals are freaking amazing!

I ran my first 10km race last weekend and finished at 53:41. For anyone who runs a lot, this may not seem like a very competitive time, but for me, it was my personal best and I'm ecstatic about it! Considering I've only been running for 2 years, a 10k was my marathon. Almost a full hour of running, not tiring, not feeling too sore, controlled breathing... it's a lot of work to get to that point. But I signed up for this race, along with 3 amazing girlfriends and decided that I would not let myself down. I would finish in under an hour.

Setting this goal was important. And the fact that I had to pay for this event meant that this was some serious business! I ran twice per week (adding in strength training and hip work through the week), extending my distances and using "Map my run" to keep track of my pace and distance. I made motivating playlists filled with songs that made me happy and picked beautiful scenic trails to run. The fact that I was happy and my soul felt free made up for my exhausted lungs, my red flushed face and my legs that were sore by kilometer 8, but on auto-pilot.

I also translated my goals to yoga. They call it a "practice" for a reason. Keep practicing and you keep improving. Flexibility gets better the more you stretch a muscle. Balance is more stable the more you use those muscles that keep you in that position. My "Royal dancer" went from wobbly to sturdy and extended. I went from staying in a lunge for a few seconds, to deepening it and wrapping my arms around my legs at the same time.

There's always room for improvement (I'm now working on arm balances and headstands!) but what keeps you going is that goal. Have a goal in mind, dedicate yourself to it and celebrate when you achieve it! My other advice is to keep your goal reasonable. I wasn't about to go straight from running 5km's to doing an actual marathon. It's about steps. Choose your next step, work hard and be proud of yourself.

My view along the waterfront trail

Nurturing your soul

Self-reflection is one of the most valuable concepts and exercises. My last blog post was almost a full year ago to the day and today was the day I chose to read such reflection from about that time. I've taken some time off to work on myself. I've learned many lessons, ones that I will undoubtedly share but for now I wanted to talk about nurturing your soul.

On my journey of self-reflection I learned about nurturing my soul. It was something that I've tried to keep with me, tried to remember, but life gets busy. We put others before ourselves, we put commitments ahead of what we truly want to do with our time and we start to lose ourselves. That's what I felt. My wake up call was when my partner told me that I had been unhappy for quite a while (since starting a new job). I thought I was happy but I stopped doing things that nurtured my soul. You probably already know what these things are - if not, you may want to start a list.

Examples of things that are on my list (if you need some inspiration): running, yoga (especially when you get to lay down at the end!), hiking through the forest, talking to my sister, head massages, reading while drinking the perfect cup of coffee, making a pillow fort and cuddling with our big puppy. 

Think about what makes you happy. What makes you feel like you? My work schedule occupies a lot of my time, so I dedicate those spare minutes and hours to my sanity. I had to stop taking that job so seriously and stop devoting all my energy to it; because at the end of the day, there was nothing left for me.

There are times we need to be selfish - but it's not selfish at all. It's about taking care of ourselves so that we can be well enough to take care of others and serve our purpose in this life.

It's like that safety talk that they give you on an airplane. If the oxygen masks drop, you're instructed to put it on yourself before you help your loved ones put theirs on. If you don't put the mask on yourself first, you won't be conscious long enough to help anyone else.