6 products that most women would do best to avoid

I recently saw the swag bag that's being given out for those who participate in one of the Women's runs, here in Toronto. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good swag bag. It's one of the perks of running a race.

What grabbed my attention was the number of items in this "Women's swag bag" that can actually sabotage a woman's hormonal health. Maybe not dramatically or from a single use/consumption, but long-term, or for those who already have hormonal issues.

Here are a few examples of products that most women should avoid, while trying not to call out specific brand names.

1) Commercial brand granola bars
           These are often laden with sugar; Both in the number of types of sugar and in the grams per serving. Upon reading the ingredients label you'll notice that a single product can contain all of the following: Brown sugar, Honey, Glucose, Sugar, and Glycerin. That's 5 different "types" of sweeteners in a single granola bar (as listed by a specific brand), with 5g of sugar and only 1g of protein and only 2g of fiber per serving. Shouldn't a granola bar be high in fiber?
           Additionally, we find chemical preservatives like BHT, artificial flavouring, and "modified milk ingredients." On a scale of healthy snacks, this one shouldn't even be an option.

2) "Nutritional" or Meal replacement shakes
           It makes me sick that we actually feed these to people. Sure, they're fantastic for helping certain people gain weight, but that's because each serving contains roughly 40g of carbohydrates with 1/2 of that coming from multiple sources of sugar and even more added sweeteners.

         Additionally, there are multiple ingredients that aren't well tolerated, especially as we age. 

→ Carrageenan is what researchers in animal labs use to induce inflammation. It can also be a cause of headaches and migraines for some women. 

→ "Vegetable oil" often contributes to high omega-6:omega-3 ratios in the diet - meaning more inflammation. This can manifest as IBS, joint pain, painful periods, depression, and brain fog.

→ Milk protein concentrate. Not a terrible ingredient for the average person, but as we age we lose our concentration of available lactase enzymes. Thus, as we age, we become more lactose-intolerant to some degree. For women specifically, I often recommend avoidance of all or most cow dairy as it is a common aggregator of digestion issues, hormonal imbalances, and increased inflammation.

3) Vaginal lubricants and wipes

      Vaginal dryness can often be a sign of a hormonal imbalance of estrogen. Avoid products that contain:

→ Glycerin: a sugar that introduced vaginally can lead to a greater incidence of yeast infections. 

→ Parabens like ethylparaben, methylparaben, etc. These are known hormone disruptors. 

→ Polypropylene glycol can be irritating, especially to sensitive tissue.

4) Commercially branded Hair and Body products that contain:

→ Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates: these are foaming agents that can dry out skin and can cause reactions for those with sensitive skin. 

→ Cetyl or Stearyl alcohols: avoid products that have alcohol near the top of the ingredient list if you have dry skin or eczema. Alcohol in creams or body products can be even more drying and cause eczema lesions to become painful.

→ Fragrance: fragrances that are not disclosed as essential oils are often synthetic and are known hormone disruptors. They can also induce headaches and other neurological symptoms, not just in the user, but in those around them. 

→ Parabens for the same reasons as above.

5) Anti-perspirants

       Using aluminum products to clog your sweat ducts stops you from being able to eliminate toxins from your skin in those areas. We're supposed to sweat. It's part of our homeostatic regulatory system, and part of the body's detoxifying system. If you're using products like the ones above, your body has to get rid of those chemicals like phthalates, and it does so through sweat, urine and feces. If you're excessively sweating, it's time to have the root cause evaluated. 

Read more on one of my previous blog posts and make your own deodorant! 

6) Tampons

    As a previous user, I can understand the frustration with me adding tampons to this list. But the problems that tampons can cause go beyond toxic shock syndrome. Tampons soak up everything they're in contact with; Not only menstrual fluid, but your natural vaginal secretions and discharges. This fluid is critical for maintaining proper vaginal pH (prevents you from getting bacterial vaginosis - itching, redness, and subsequent infections), keeping tissues moist and happy, and keeping your vaginal flora healthy. If you tend to get yeast infections frequently, stop using tampons all together. Some women who have other sensitivities or sensitive skin would also do best to avoid tampon use due to fragrances, bleaches and dioxins. 

The point here is to educate women and have people in general be more informed on the products they're purchasing and using in and on their bodies. 

Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie's book Slow Death by Rubber Duck discusses the environmental toxins that we expose ourselves to everyday, but also on the mechanisms our body has for eliminating them. It is an eye-opening read that I highly recommend. 

I also recommend EWG's webpage Myths of Cosmetic Safety for more information: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/myths-on-cosmetics-safety/#.Wr_BWmYZNsM

How to charge "light" and "dark" batteries

Okay, it's been way too long since I've posted. You'd think since it was summer that the "relax" factor would be cranked up, but as usual life gets busy, hectic, and I'm pulled in a dozen different directions.

I was sitting and trying to figure out how to juggle everything meanwhile realizing that I stopped taking care of myself the way I used to. Without a race to train for, I started putting more of my time and energy into my clinical practice but found that there was more on my "to-do" list than I had thought (a blog post being one of them - and one of the things that got sacrificed).

A friend and co-worker stepped in to offer support and I got a little Reiki treatment from her. Afterwards she told me, "You're mind is like a hurricane." And it was. I was all over the place - I couldn't keep my mind still. Everyone around me needed me for something and I needed myself. I needed to recharge my batteries. Both sets were empty and I wasn't getting the chance I needed to recharge.

What am I talking about? Charging two sets of batteries? It's how I like to think about my energy. In traditional Chinese Medicine you could equate a similarity to Yin and Yang.

My "Light" Batteries:
I consider Light batteries to be Yang in nature. Yang is movement and energy. We use these on a daily basis. Some people like coffee to help with their Light energy: caffeine gives you a boost, coffee improves mood to some extent.

Light batteries are easily charged just by listening to your body throughout the day and making sure your basic needs are met - both biological and social! Need a snack? Maybe some water? Want to go out and sit in the warm sun?

Ways to charge your Light Batteries:

• Literally spend time in daylight! Look out the window, go for a walk, get out in nature! Sit outside and get a little sun exposure. 
• Make sure you're well hydrated. When was the last time you had something to drink like water or tea?
• When was the last time you ate? What did you eat? Do you need a snack? Make it a good clean healthy one!
• When was the last time you were social? Do you need to go chat with a co-worker for a few minutes and take your eyes off your computer? Catch up with a friend; Even a quick phone call or text message to put you into touch with friends. 
• Do something that you find fun; Any activity that brings you joy. 

My "Dark" Batteries:
Dark Batteries can be harder to charge. I consider dark batteries to be more Yin in nature. They are substance/matter - your reserve energy. Like a back-up generator. When we try to take care of everyone else around us and stop meeting our own basic needs, those Light batteries run out quick and we start pulling energy from our dark batteries. If these become depleted, now we really start to feel it. Coffee alone doesn't do it. Our sleep might start to suffer, anxiety might start creeping around; we become exhausted.

How to charge your Dark Batteries - Stage 1:

• Get enough sleep (8 hours minimum). I would argue that we could all use at least one night of 9-10 hours sleep per week. Sleep is huge here. If you can't get it in during the week, make up for it on the weekend. 
• Spend time in a dimly lit room, especially before bed. Dark batteries sometimes require actual dark; away from stimulation. Keeping lights dim and screens away before bed can really help with sleep. 
• Learn to say "no". If you're being pulled in a hundred different directions or people are asking too much of you, make a list, prioritize it, and learn to say no to a few things. Other people will have to understand. This is your health we're talking about! 
• Quiet time and reflection time. Take a day to be less social. Have time for yourself. Stay quiet and just recharge. Read something for enjoyment, take a nap, do some Yin or Restorative Yoga, whatever you feel like you need. Don't push yourself too much or do anything strenuous. 

Charging your Dark Batteries - Stage 2:
For some people, Stage 1 is enough to feel better. But for others, if dark batteries have been depleted for too long, they almost forget how to recharge and need additional support.

• What have you eaten today in general? What about throughout the week? It can be worth doing a Diet Diary and look at your food trends over the past week. 
• Look to eliminate refined and added sugars. Avoid processed and fast foods. Focus on a variety of vegetables to make up the most of your plate, with healthy fats and proteins with it. Grains should be a side-dish only and I would argue that most people in this state would do much better to eliminate dairy, gluten grains and corn, as these tend to be more inflammatory. 
• Consider some nutritional support. Talk to your naturopathic doctor about adding a high-quality B-complex to your daily routine, or Magnesium malate, to assist in energy production. It might also be helpful (depending on your specific situation) to get a few weekly B12 injections. 
• Get additional support. Make sure you have someone to talk to. Find out if you would benefit from other therapies such as acupuncture or massage. 
• Pace yourself. Eliminate things that are toxic to you (food intolerances, negative relationships, etc), and then nurture your body. I'm a big fan of Kate Hudson's book, Pretty Happy, which describes the pillars of our well-being and how to re-gain that balance. Practice meditation, journal or create your own "Drawing Board" as described by Hudson. 

5 New - and more creative - ways to Journal!

We frequently read about and are told how good journalling is for stress and anxiety. I'm a true believer in this, after all, this is how I started blogging. By not writing, I was anxious and felt like I had a lot bottled up. Not just emotions but words, ideas and thoughts.

You might call me a bookworm or a book and reading enthusiast, but not all of us are. We're not all writers, or even necessarily creative in a conventional way. But some of us do tend to get caught up in our heads. Maybe we spiral with our thoughts. Maybe they wake us in the night or prevent us from falling asleep in the first place. Maybe there's something we want to say to another person but we want to choose our words and our message very carefully. Journalling is one of the best ways to help guide us through these processes but when left with a blank page, sometimes our minds also go blank.

So in classic book-nerd fashion I spent a few hours at Chapters/Indigo in a euphoric state, falling in love with dozens of titles and books wanting to take all of them home with me. As a writer and a blogger, writing off the top of my head comes a bit easier, but there are times I want and need to be guided. I want my brain to be stimulated by an idea; Other times I need my brain to be more focused instead of wanting to explode with a hundred different thoughts.

I was so excited by what I found and wanted to share these amazing resources with you. So here are some unconventional ways to journal:

The 52 Lists Project is a book in which you will create a list for each week of the year. Each page will prompt you with different inspirations and ideas for making lists to help with your own self-discovery and expression. Some include listing your favourite movie characters, the best road trip songs, places you want to visit, etc.

Not only are you prompted with what to list, but it gives you the opportunity for self-reflection.











642 Things to Write About is a wonderful book and resource for those of us whom writing comes a bit easier, but still experience the dreaded writer's block. If you want to be creative without sharing your works with others, this is a great way to stretch out those writing muscles.















Wreck this Journal: A creative and very unconventional way to journal, this book will guide you through "exercises" and practices for literally wrecking the book. You might be instructed to rip out a page and crumple it, or spill some coffee on it.
It forces you to make mistakes and be content with imperfection. A great exercise for those who tend to
 perfection. You are given full permission to be messy, to break a book and make it look used.  And even better for those who will get a great sense of relief from the messy and somewhat destructive instructions instead of solely relying on journalling as a writing exercise.

What's even better is that Keri Smith's collection of "Wreck This Journal" is now up to 5 different books/journals.





Finish This Book, also (partially) written by Keri Smith, requires you to literally help her finish this book. Inside is a series of missions - if you should choose to accept them - with guided instructions.

This book takes the guess work out of the equation and all you need to do is follow her instructions, using your own words and creativity along the way.










The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook was just one of several workbooks found in the Well-being book section that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques.  These types of workbooks are extremely helpful for helping you get to the root of any emotional and mental issues you're experiencing.

This book will guide you step-by-step to help you recognize your feelings and the experiences that accompany them. It will help you to identify your triggers for anxiety and stress, and teach you how to utilize stress management techniques.

Workbooks such as this are wonderful when you feel stuck or when you're struggling to overcome a specific or general type of stress.

Week of "Awesome"

One of my favourite books is The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha. After having read it I've come to appreciate the little things even more. Over the past week during an amazing vacation, here are my top "awesome" moments:

1) Jumping into the perfect wave. I love big waves not far from shore. Some are too high with their white caps, and you basically have to dive under them or you'll be swept along their path. But if you're lucky, you get the most perfect high wave, just high enough to barely jump over; your feet lift from the sandy bottom and you just ride over that wave - hopefully without having lost part of your bikini (which yes, happened quite a lot to me). Awesome.

2) Laying your beach towel on the sand and having it actually be comfortable. We were too cheap to rent beach lounge chairs and so we went old school and laid our towels on the sand. We're also very cleaver so we dug little ditches in the sand with headrests and made a "built-it" sand chair so we could lay comfortably and still see the ocean. Awesome.

3) The feeling of a cool/warm shower after a long day on the beach. On day 1 I came back from the room with seashells in my bikini. I seriously don't know how I brought them back with me, but my suit was full of sand and shells. Washing all the sand off and cooling my sun-bronzed skin... awesome.

4) When you're stuck with American change and actually get a chance to get rid of it at a toll booth. Awesome. Equally awesome: knowing I get to go back to my Canadian "monopoly" money and not having to worry about $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills all looking the exact same!

5) Biking 40km along the coast and feeling amazing afterwards. Our muscles may have been super warm and tired (actually I would say that my quads were burning and my butt was so effing sore from the bike seat), but biking along the ocean and coming back with a "runner's high" made it all worth it. Awesome.

6) When your flights are all on time. And they board early. And there is very little turbulance. And the screaming children are sitting nowhere near you. Awesome.

7) Getting upgraded on the plane to a seat with more leg room. Awesome

8) Remembering that you have "Finding Nemo" on your laptop and your plane has power outlets so you can watch your own movie during the flight. Awesome.

9) When you're trying to do a self-portrait photo of you and your boyfriend and someone walking by you just offers to take the photo for you. Thank you to the man at SailFish marina for taking some beautiful pics of us without me having to figure out where my finger needs to be to push the "camera" button... while trying not to cover the lens... and trying to make sure we're both in the shot... Awesome

10) Coming back to the room after a very long day out in the sun to the most incredible pillow-top (king-size) mattress with fluffy pillows!! and because it's so comfy, you have the most amazing sleep ever. Awesome. (Not awesome: getting back home to reality and realzing how terrible your real mattress is. And small. Any mattress is small compared to a King-size one. And my pillows aren't as fluffy...)

11) Going to bed and realizing that you didn't burn out in the sun at all! Yay sunscreen! Double awesome: you actually got an pretty nice tan and actually look like you were on vacation.

12) Finding out that the airport sells gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. And eating that delicious 200-calorie chewy cookie. And it's delicious. Awesome. 

I'm so grateful to have had the chance to go to Florida again this year with my Honey. It was a well-needed break and our next adventure (clinic) starts this week. Back to the real world!

Klout ... it reminds me of a Scott Westerfeld novel

Has anyone else heard of Klout? It's like a social networking site that tracks how influential you are, based on your activity and responses in other social networking venues. This is all brand new information for me.

I just recently added myself to Klout and, surprisingly, I'm semi-addicted to checking my Klout scores every few days. And to be honest, I don't even know what it means. Yesterday I was a 49 today I'm a 50. Apparently Barack Obama is a 100 and Britney Spears is around 90-something. So really, I have no idea what my "50" actually means, but there's something about scores that are addicting.

It's like my blog. I LOVE checking the stats on my viewers and on the number of views I get. I'm still amazed at how many views I get from countries like Russia, Germany and the UK. It's amazing that I've reached so many people and I'm so grateful!

But there's something funny about this whole situation. It reminds me of a Scott Westerfeld novel. Specifically, "Extras" in which currency doesn't quite exist but is replaced by credits that you get for how influential and productive you are in society. Westerfeld's characters are obsessed with being influential over the internets. They kick stories and see how many people respond, going to incredible lengths to kick the best stories that will gather attention from the world.

Isn't that what we're doing? I mean, by blogging and by using something like Klout? Is there something that I'm missing here? Blogging for me is like having my own column in a newspaper or magazine. A place of writing-freedom. It's an author's dream. I'm grateful just to have an avenue in which to write, but to be able to influence others... there's something so powerful about that.

The thing about power though, is that people always want to harness it. And then exploit it. I really don't care to compare myself to Obama or Britney, but using Klout has me thinking... how far away is our reality from great science fiction novels?

Plastic surgery (or "surge") is already a reality. I myself having had my breast reduction am now considering laser eye surgery to correct my terrible vision. It's amazing what we can already do, but think of how close we are to other types of "surge". Also talking about Westerfeld's novel, we already have Maglev technology! I had no idea!

Most of the sci-fi novels that I read have a similar theme: what happens when humans fail and the earth can no longer support us. Sometimes I truly believe that James Dashner might not even be that far off. (Spoiler alert!) We develop a virus to control the population and it unpredictably mutates at an alarming rate... Sun flares hit the earth creating mass destruction... and the virus spreads like wildfire, embedding into our brains essentially turning anyone who isn't immune into a zombie-like being. Maybe a zombie apocalypse is a little far fetched, but setting an unpredictable virus on the loose sounds just like something our governments would do in desperate times.

I guess only time will tell. It's scary to think of where we're heading, and how infinite the possibilities are. How far will we go until we're exactly like a sci-fi novel? I think Westerfeld accurately captures the essence of human nature. His earlier novels like "Pretties" and "Specials" depicts how governments think, and what actions they take based on the actions taken against them. It's eye-opening when you see the similarities. Although they might seem like superficial books, his writing truly reveals so many levels of human thought and development.

Growing Up as a Girl

The 2nd edition of my book was just approved and is now up with it's ISBN all published and up on the internets.

If you haven't seen in on my website or on www.ebookguides4life.com, I've written 2 books that were published online; one of them being "Growing Up as a Girl."

Through my teenage years, I was raised by my dad. And really, it wasn't an easy job since he was raising both me and my sister from the ages of 12-18. So I couldn't always go to him with all my "girl" problems. He really tried his best, and I give him full credit for it, but at the same time, sometimes you just need to talk to an older (and more experienced) woman.

That became my reason for writing this book. I'm sure there are young girls out there who feel awkward talking to their big sisters or moms, or maybe they don't have that figure in their life. So I wrote a true-to-life book with my own experiences (and embarrassing stories) from high school so that someone could either learn from it, or laugh at it.

Here is a list of the chapters from the 2nd edition:

Mean girls
Self-esteem, body image and breasts
How to: Shave your legs, dye your hair, etc.
Bra fitting
Tattoos and piercings
Getting your period
Dating
Sex
Birth Control
Getting your first PAP test
Drugs and Alcohol
Eating right and exercise
Getting your driver's license
Picking classes in high school and undergrad
Internet privacy
How to deal with your parents
And a just for fun section on Must-see movies!

I want to encourage and empower future generations of women, and this is my stepping stone. It's basically a reflection on my high school diary... things that I know now that I wish I knew back then.

I completely understand that today's teen girls are a bit different from when I was in school, but really, other than the whole "cell phone" revolution, we still deal with the same situations. I mean, I'm sure Degrassi uses some of the same story lines/concepts from the 80's and 90s as they do today.

If I've peaked your interest at all, you can find a free excerpt on the ebook website by clicking here (there's a link to the PDF on this page).
Keep in mind that my books are based my own experiences and opinions; and apart from my Guide to being Gluten Free, I haven't included any references, except for a few website addresses. It was basically a fun project of mine; wanting to share my crazy teenage thoughts.

What's "heat" got to do with it?

Well, I have to say that putting any type of meat into a slow cooker turns it absolutely amazing.
It's like putting coal into an alchemy machine (yes, I just made that up), and in 8 hours on low you get solid gold.

I've found "Paleo Slow Cooking" by Chrissy Gower to be really hit or miss. The sweet potato jalapeno hash with sausage was by far my favourite dish. This is definitely going to be a repeat breakfast! I used Sundried Tomato and Basil Gluten-free sausages from McMaster's Meats in Georgetown, and it was the perfect flavour! However, according to my spice-enthusiast boyfriend, there just wasn't enough "heat".

Okay, story time: I have an amazing boyfriend, who can cook pretty decently, but we have a difference in opinion when it comes to flavouring and spice. Now, I do love Indian food and a little "kick" to my food is always welcome, but unfortunately, my mouth is not equipped with a fire extinguisher like his. One morning he offered to make me breakfast - and really, who am I to refuse food being cooked for me?! That would just be crazy; So I let him do his thing in the kitchen, making me frittata to which he said he added just a tiny bit of jalapeno.

I braced myself because I knew we had a difference in palates. He can chug a bottle of Sriracha like it's a refreshing splash of morning dew and lemon drops and a gentle wind would blow across his face. Meanwhile with me, even just a taste of the hot sauce in my world would cause thunder to take over and giant dinosaurs would rampage the earth, crushing houses!, crushing mountains!, tossing lightning bolts into the ocean and electrocuting all of the fishes! The earth would open up and liquid hot magma would unfold from the tectonic plates, slowly devouring the planet as we know it! That is what hot peppers do to me. I turn into the unhappiest dragon of all.

So after my wonderful boyfriend presented me with this lovely looking vegetable egg frittata, I took a few bites and immediate I could hear the roar of the dinosaurs. I looked at him and asked him how much jalapeno he put in it... Turns out that my piece of frittata had all of the pepper and he didn't bother to remove the seeds because apparently "that's where the heat comes from."

Least to say, I never let him forget that moment and from then on he understood that when making me any dish, he had to "sarah-fy" it. So making this sweet potato and sausage hash was amazing for me. But when I make it again, I would use either two jalapenos - instead of just one (with seeds removed) or, add just a couple of the seeds to bring a tiny bit more heat into the dish. I also modified it slightly by adding a bit of cayenne for the boyfriend too. It still wasn't hot enough for him, but I loved the flavour!!

So if you decide to buy this book, realize that not every recipe is perfect. She also uses a LOT of tomatoes in her recipes, so if you're following an anti-inflammatory diet, your recipe selection becomes much slimmer.

I also didn't appreciate her use of Penzey's spices since they aren't available in Canada and trying to substitute with something here just isn't going to give that exact flavour. But for all you 'Muricans out there, go nuts - I'm totally jealous that you have access to Penzey's products.

The Birthing Right

I was fortunate enough to be with my sister during the delivery of both her babies, and was able to help coach her through the pushing of her second. I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life - mostly because she's such a tiny girl and I didn't know how it would physically possible for her to push out an actual infant. I thought about her first baby's head crowing and then the doctor's saying "hmm... yeah, sorry folks, but that's as far as she's gonna go."

Me holding my niece Lyla, 2007
The day we brought her home from the hospital

But my sister did an amazing job, and she has two beautiful babies to show for it (who are now 4 and 6), but I will never forget those days, and what it was like to be around the hospital staff. I don't know how some women do it - just show up at the hospital and let them run the show. I would be terrified! Some of the nurses are just so amazing and kind, and others (like in any profession) are demanding and angry and have no empathy.

They see a young girl in the hospital and automatically assume that girl is incompetent; when breastfeeding is difficult the first or second time around, they shove formula at her (or send her home with it later). I'm sure it's some marketing scheme by Nestle or Similac (I can't remember which one we were sent home with) to give hospitals free cans of formula and push them on new mothers who are going through so much already. (Plus, who doesn't like getting free stuff?).

It's extremely frustrating for me to see. It's as if we're expected to put all of our trust in our medical system. I think that's the scariest thing I've ever written. Our whole medical system is so backwards to begin with: We have the government funding symptom palliation instead of prevention and health awareness; covering prescription drugs and not supplements. It's terrifying to think of women being vulnerable (I don't know many women who can deliver their own baby) and need support, and medical doctors and nurses act like they're the most knowledgeable and powerful people in the world.

Why not educate these women and present them with choices instead of just forcing them into a decision they're unsure of (for example, getting an epidural). That's the one thing I really picked up on at the hospital with my sister - I felt like we were always judged, or when my sister asked a question, it was like they were scolding parents, treating her like a child.

The Birth House by Ami McKay has become one of my favourite novels. It's so interesting how women gave birth before the medical system snaked it's way in with stirrups and Twilight Sleep; And also how they were able to convince women of their methods, meanwhile, completely removing women from their own birthing experience.

So I have decided to start my journey in Doula training, so that I can offer that support to women and help talk about the choices that they get to make regarding their birth. My training will begin in late March and I'm expected to attend 3 births as part of the certification. I think it will be an amazing opportunity to empower women, to offer support and to witness the joy childbirth.

Recipe Book Review: Paleo Slow Cooking

I've been considering going back to being 100% paleo for a little while now, and to get myself back into it, I bought a new cookbook. My dad bought me a slow-cooker for Christmas and I've been putting it to good use! I was really hoping this book would give me new "slow-cooking" inspiration.

I'm also very serious about cookbooks and recipes, so I'm going through this book and am giving my honest feedback. Checkout my website www.thehealthyfox.ca for my already approved cookbook list, and we'll see if this one makes the cut.

The book is Paleo Slow Cooking by Chrissy Gower. I've already tried a few recipes, with mixed results, but I can't judge a book based on only a handful of recipes. So tomorrow I'll be heading to McMaster's Meats in Georgetown to stock up on some free range chicken, grass-fed beef and gluten-free sausage and trying out 3-4 more recipes.

This book has been really hit-or-miss so far. The apple almond cereal was one of the worst things I've ever made. But I've never been a fan of cream-of-wheat (which is what the author compares it to) to begin with. Who would have thought?! You have apples, honey, almond flour, blueberries... it sounds delicious! Unfortunately, when you put it into a slow cooker for 6 hours, it comes out as slop that has burnt a nice layer of black sugar right onto the stoneware and tastes so bland that not even the berries could make it taste better. I ended up throwing the entire thing in the trash which is heartbreaking! I hate wasting food!

I also tried the Hot and Sour soup - you'll notice I have my mom's recipe listed on my website - so I thought that by having the chicken cooked slowly would just make this soup melt in your mouth. Again, I stand corrected. There was just way too much chicken for this recipe and not nearly enough chicken broth for it to be a soup. It turned out to be chicken mush. Like soggy shredded chicken. It was also severely lacking in the chili-garlic department.

But I have to give Chrissy credit, the Spaghetti Meat Sauce was amazing!

It's just unfortunate that many of her recipes contain spice mixes from Penzeys - a product that's not carried in Canada (to my knowledge) and there are sticky rules to having it shipped here. So I have to improvise.

My goal for the next week is to make these recipes (which depends on what's available from my butcher tomorrow):

Jalapeno Sausage Hash - a breakfast dish made with sweet potatoes
Chipotle Chicken Stew
Minestrone Soup - we'll see how this one stacks up to my recipe (keeping in mind that my original recipe isn't quite Paleo)
Orange Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Backup recipes to try:
Slow Cooked Ham
Fire-Roasted Pork Loin

I'll be posting my completed review next week! Wish me luck in these new kitchen adventures!

Book Club

Okay, so I finally decided to go ahead and make a blog. I mean, I guess it was about time. I've been writing for as long as I can remember. And as it turns out, I haven't quite committed to writing a full-length fictional novel yet. Usually I get 3 chapters in and then the idea fizzles away. So maybe blogging is actually a great idea to satisfy my writing ADD.

My friend Laura and I are in a 2-person book club, but I want to share all of my recommendations with the world. Some books are just so amazing that they need to be shared.

My most recent Chapter impulse buy was Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. If you loved Room by Emma Donoghue, you will likely fall in love with this book. It's the story told by Budo, an imaginary friend of a kid with autism named Max. I literally cried through the last 2 chapters of this book (and the epilogue), but that could also have been due to hormones... the same thing happened when I watched March of the Penguins. Seriously, water works through the whole thing, and I'm almost certain it was the penguins that made me cry... not the calming tone of Morgan Freeman's voice.

I also recommend this book to all teachers out there. It's a beautiful story of compassion, and the understanding of differences in the way we all think - the view of a teacher, a mother, father, kids and imaginary friends.. I also wonder if I ever had an imaginary friend as a kid and what exactly did this friend look like? If you have an excellent imaginary friend story, feel free to post it :)