Let’s talk about delicious green smoothies, blueberry chia parfait, satiating salads in adorable mason jars, coconut covered cacao energy bombs, buttery roasted veggies, sea salt kale chips and fermented Kombucha with berries!
This foodie lifestyle is for you, my friend! Toss that ‘50% chicken’ sandwich sorry excuse for a meal and make the change. Not only will your food look delicious, it will have your taste buds dancing because it will be real raw food! Yes, raw food is the answer. However, eating raw food doesn’t mean sitting there eating a whole head of raw cauliflower. There’s much more to it than that. You’ll see.
Anyway, after having a baby girl, my tummy was never the same. Some women say we should stand tall and be proud of our bodies and tiger stripes. I am all for empowering women but this wasn’t for me.
I was not happy with my post baby body. I had to take a break from babyland (ha, she’s 3) and focus on myself again, so I focused on raw food, started meal planning, took my essential supplements, made some key lifestyle changes and steadily lost the weight. It wasn’t painful nor should it be. Healthy changes should be fresh, fun and enlightening. Join me and change your life!
Want to feel free and light again! Want to say goodbye to the love handles? No more excuses for missing a holiday event. No more ducking out of photos or hiding behind someone. Let me show you how to get rid of the carb belly for good. Let’s try on the hourglass shape for a second. Are you feeling those Marilyn Munroe vibes yet? I sure am! Join me and get sexy back!
Maybe you’ve had a baby or have been stress eating? I’ve been there and done that chicky. Everything had changed after I had a baby. I had lost my self confidence. I wanted to blend into the wallpaper. That tummy of mine was going nowhere fast. I felt helpless after I had my daughter. I thought it’s true: Your daughter does take your beauty. BUT actually, it doesn’t have to be that way.
I was not happy with how I looked. So I asked myself, what now? I had to take a break from babyland (haha, she’s 3) and refocus my attention on myself again, so I put my nutritional training to work.
I started meal planning, taking essential supplements, making lifestyle changes that gradually led to weight loss…finally! I did it!
No yo-yo diets, no magic pill, no chalky shakes and no burpees…haha, I just had to mention those!
It was slow and permanent change. Nothing dramatic. No fad diet. It is just really delicious and nutritious traditional meals! Let’s go back to your roots and do it right. Grandpa style is back in! You know it!
But, it’s not your fault…we are not always taught how to eat healthy.
We’re just expected to know but we don’t. That’s where I come in. You might feel overwhelmed by all the information out there. You don’t have to hit the books and become a Registered Nutritionist. I can fill you in on what you really need to know to live a long healthy life.
Mmm…I have some yummy news! My girl, Marce, invited me to join her in the kitchen, prepping meals! She is a Vegan Nutritionist and Chef at From Scratch Vegan Nutrition and an amazing friend of mine. These last few weeks have been crazy busy! Together we have been cooking up a storm. It’s so much fun prepping plant based meals for people who want to look and feel amazing!
Vegan Indian Meal
Here’s a quick word from Marce, herself:
“Getting back into a routine after a beautiful relaxing summer can be challenging. Juggling work, school, activities, lessons, chores etc can be overwhelming and leaves very little time to cook dinner, let alone shop and do dishes!! Let us take some of the stress away by offering weekly prepared meals you just re-heat and serve. We deliver right to your door in non-leak glass containers to pop right in the fridge or freezer. Easy to re-heat for dinner or take each day for a healthy lunch. Meals are made with love by experienced nutritionists who are also parents to young children, so we feel your pain!!”
Meals include: mains, sides, salads, homemade dips, sauces and dressing, plus dessert.
2 full meals-$75/week (delivered once a week) 4 full meals-$125/week (delivered twice a week) Discounts when you sign up for a full month
Quinoa /KEEN-wah/ is definitely a winner in my book. It’s an unreal superfood and should be a part of your healthy diet.
Here are some Fun Quinoa Facts:
Fun Fact 1
Quinoa is a complete protein with all the essential amino acids and it’s rich with minerals.
Fun Fact 2
It is full of fiber, iron, magnesium, Vitamin E and B Vitamins. We could all use more of these nutrients. Quinoa would be the perfect solution.
Fun Fact 3
It can be used as a rice substitute. Quinoa is an ancient seed and it’s also gluten free. A perfect tool to aid weight loss.
Greek Quinoa Salad
Salad & Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa Uncooked
156 Calories per serving
1/2 Sweet Red Peppers 1 Cup
5 Calories per serving
1/2 Cucumber With Peel, Raw
6 Calories per serving
1 Tomatoes, Red, Ripe Raw, Year Round Average
3 Calories per serving
1/4 Onions Raw
3 Calories per serving
1/4 cup Feta Cheese
25 Calories per serving
1 bunch Spinach Raw
20 Calories per serving
3 sprigs Cilantro Leaves Raw
0 Calories per serving
3 leaves Basil, Fresh
0 Calories per serving
3 tbsp Olive Oil
90 Calories per serving
2 tbsp Vinegar, Cider
2 Calories per serving
2 cloves Garlic Raw 2 Calories per serving
Nutrition Facts Greek Quinoa Salad:
Insane amount of nutrition over here!!!
20% of yummy fat! Remember fat does not make you fat! Sugar does.
20% of your daily dietary fiber!
13% of your daily calcium!
26% of your daily iron!
19% of your daily potassium!
A whopping 10.5 grams of protein!
Only 2.9 grams of sugar!
Only 311 calories per serving!
I sound like an infomercial but it’s all true!!! Just take a look below!!!
Instructions:
Step 1
Prepare black eyed peas. This needs to be done the day before. Soak them overnight or for 8 hours. Then boil for an hour in a stock pot of fresh water. Drain the foamy gray water and rinse with fresh water. Now, the black eyed peas are ready. Cool them in the fridge.
(This is the way my Nuni, maternal grandma, did it in India. She passed on this traditional cooking tip to me. During my nutrition studies, I was reintroduced to her method of prepping beans. This long process helps remove gas from the beans so you won’t feel like Gassy Jack! Prepping beans may sound daunting or time consuming but slow food is the answer. If you don’t want indigestion, boil the beans.)
Alternatively, you could also just open a can of beans.
(Some rare companies do prep beans before canning them. Do your homework.)
Step 2
Boil a cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. It should only take 15 minutes to puff up. Cool it down in the fridge.
Step 3
Chop, slice, spiralize or julienne all the veggies and herbs. Combine vegetables, herbs and quinoa.
Dressing:
Step 1
Stir olive oil, balsamic vinegar and minced garlic together.
Step 2
Pour the dressing mixture on top of the colourful salad. Stir it all together and enjoy your nourishing meal.
Warning:
It tastes so good and is so satisfying, your body will thank you. Sugar cravings may subside and weight loss may occur if it is eaten regularly.
The 7 Day Eat Fresh Challenge is all about a Master Grocery List that won’t break the bank, Meal Planning and Delicious Vegan Recipes that you can use over and over again.
As you can see I love my spiralizer, I made pesto zucchini noodles aka zoodles today and the family ate them right up. Zoodles is such an adorable name and to top it off they taste delicious. I also made zoodles with marinara sauce and my friends loved them!
The great thing about the spiralizer is you can make virtually any kind of vegetable fun and delicious. I make curly yam fries in coconut oil, spiral cucumber and carrot salad, and yummy potato pancakes too! It was the best $30 bucks I ever spent. I swear I don’t have shares in the spiralizer but maybe I should!
We started the 7 Day Eat Fresh Challenge last Sunday and now it is Saturday and it wasn’t easy! My hubby cut out meat and that was huge for him. I cut out meat, sugar and coffee and it was a challenge. We both had detox reactions. I was exhausted! I napped for 3 hours on the first two days but boom on the third day I went to work, had a meeting and meal prepped too! Meal prep is quick and easy because veggies don’t need to be cooked for long.
I had a super power!
I had limitless energy!
Who was this lady?
I think it was Wonder Woman.
No 3 o-clock slump! I wasn’t tired.
No need for coffee at break! I love my antioxidant-rich matcha lattes with cashew milk. Mmm, craving a cup right now!
No reaching for the box of Lindt chocolates at work that looked sooooo enticing. They didn’t even whisper my name.
I feel like a whole new me. I am thoroughly enjoying this side of the fence.
A lot of my coworkers are vegan or vegetarian and love it. Their skin is always glowing, they’re energetic and they eat delicious meals! Their liver, kidneys and colon must be so clean from the detoxing effects of all the fruit and veggies that they are eating. Why wouldn’t I want all that? So here we are!!!
Intro to a Plant-Based Diet!!!
Hey Gurl,
Have I got the Detox for you! I am offering an Intro to a Plant-Based Diet that will help you shed pounds and energize you to the core. I will show you all the steps to successfully complete a Plant-Based Challenge. You will be glowing and feeling fantastic after the 7 Day Eat Fresh Challenge! Your skin, kidney, colon and liver will all thank you! Don’t you want to look and feel great?! I will show you how to thrive on those 7 days. I will provide a 7 Day Grocery List, Meal Plans and Recipes for a Plant-Based Diet. Maybe you will love it so much that you will extend it to 14 or 28 days! You never know. Once you get energy from fresh food, you may never look back! Goodbye fatigue, stubborn tummy weight and sleeplessness! Hello world!
Have I got the Detox for you! I am offering an Intro to a Plant-Based Diet that will help you shed pounds and energize you to the core. I will show you all the steps to successfully complete a Plant-Based Challenge. You will be glowing and feeling fantastic after the 7 Day Eat Fresh Challenge! Your skin, kidneys, colon and liver will all thank you! Don’t you want to look and feel great?! I will show you how to thrive on those 7 days. I will provide a 7 Day Grocery List, Meal Plans and Recipes for a Vegetarian Diet. Maybe you will love it so much that you will extend it to 14 or 28 days! You never know. Once you get energy from fresh food, you may never look back! Goodbye fatigue, stubborn tummy weight and sleeplessness! Hello world!
Join us and learn 5 easy ways to lose weight! We will focus on breakfast and easy peasy I will give you 1.5 hours of fun and practical advice that actually works.
Weight Loss is the Fabulous Side Effect of the 80/20 Food Rule!
Yes, you heard right! Weight loss is the fabulous side effect of the 80/20 Food Rule. Isn’t it amazing when you lose weight without trying? What now? You’ve never lost weight without trying? Well, you are in for a treat!!!
Part 1
What is the 80/20 Food Rule?
You eat 80% whole organic foods like local, seasonal fruit, veggies, seaweed, roots, beans, bison and ancient grains. The remaining 20% can be fun food. You can divide it anyway you like. For example, you could have a full serving of Mediterranean quinoa salad with garbanzo beans and a glass of vino. The cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, quinoa and homemade vinaigrette would be the 80%. The goat feta cheese and vino would be your 20%. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Another way to play it, is give in to four cravings a week. If I’m craving butter chicken, I should sit down and enjoy a bowl with garlic butter naan. Don’t worry, that still leaves 17 healthy meals a week! I know, it sounds too easy to be true!
On the other hand, some people look forward to a whole cheat day! That can be dangerous! You could outdo all your hard work in one day. Imagine you eat healthy all week and binge on Saturday. It’s never a good idea to gorge on “unicorn” buckies but kids these days, eh? Gotta try everything once. Ain’t that the saying? So, if you want to go down this path, that’s cool. Enjoy yourself, just rein it in a little if you feel the need to unbutton your jeans!
Part 2
Pobody’s Nerfect!
Hopefully, I’m not the only nerd out there and you got that! Yes, nobody’s perfect! I don’t always eat 100% organic whole foods. Some friends and family say, “Oh, we could never eat like that!” Yeah, I get it. Neither can I but I try my best for 80% nutritious food and 20% fun food. Everybody needs a break! This is where the 80/20 Food Rule comes in. One friend said, “Oh, I’m the opposite…I eat 20% healthy and 80% junk.” That’s okay too! We all have to start somewhere. Aim for 30% nutrient rich meals…then 40%…then 50% and before you know it, you’ll be at 80% if that’s your ultimate goal.
Some go-getters aim for a 100% perfection. It usually blows up in their face and they end up in a fast food joint. I prefer a gentler way. 80% is better than torturing myself and eventually quitting because it is impossible to stick with. Say yasss to the wine, dark chocolate or cake. Slow and steady wins the race. It’s a process and diet change. It won’t happen overnight. I’m also happy to say it’s not boot camp. I’m definitely not a drill sergeant but I will get you there eventually.
When you try these meal plans, you will notice your plate will look bright and colourful. You will feel lighter and more energetic. It’ll be fun and motivating to prepare and eat your next meal. You will no longer feel bogged down by heavy carbs or need sugar to get through the 3pm slump. Excess tummy weight will slide off of your body as a side effect! You can kiss those love handles buh bye!
The 80/20 Food Rule makes sense and it works. You will notice your energy levels elevate when you eat by the Rule and you will feel your energy levels crash when you indulge on 20% sweets or carbs. Naturally, you will lean toward the more blood sugar balancing meals and the cravings should lessen because you will be satisfied with the nutrients from 80% of your meals.
Test it out for a week or so. You can post foodie pics on our online food diary to show us your progress. If you need more support or help with easy nutritious meal plans, contact me at Work with Me! Good luck ladies!!!
The funny thing about nutritionists…we are a quirky bunch. For example, when my husband first met me, my kitchen was full of jars of kombucha and mother. This was almost ten years ago when barely anyone had heard of it. I’m surprised he didn’t run for the hills.
Let me tell you about two of my healthy habits that come across as weird.
The first strange habit is having dessert first. I cannot imagine indulging after I’ve eaten a full meal. To a nutritionist, it’s the stuff that nightmares are made of. Family, friends and waiters think I’m rebelling when I order dessert first. Haha, I’m not really. I have my reasons.
The other odd habit is not having a drink with my meal. Isn’t it funny how we are expected to have a drink with our meal? If we don’t, our meal looks and feels incomplete. My mother in-law still offers me water or juice with my meal. She hasn’t gotten used to the idea that I won’t drink it. It’s been almost 10 years! I swear I’m not depriving myself. I just want optimal digestion.
Let me explain myself and my little nutritionist quirks. I’m not a weirdo.
Having dessert first has its health merits. When my professor said she always has dessert first, we all had a chuckle about her indulgence but she was serious and then it all made sense. Oh, the clarity!!!
She explained fruit and dessert digest very quickly through our digestive system. If we have it after our meal, it will start to ferment on top and cause gas. Even if we have an early nightcap, red wine or alcohol can ferment on top of our meal causing discomfort and gas possibly interrupting a romantic date. Not cool.
My second point, lay off the water at mealtime. Drinking water before or during a meal removes the digestive enzymesin your saliva and all the enzymes down the digestive tract. You really do need enzymes to break down your food.
Unfortunately, this is not where your problems end. The water or juice dilute your stomach acidso your meal will not be broken down or absorbed optimally. Leaving you nutrient deficient with excess water weight. Boo.
The funny thing is we sell loads of digestive enzymes and apple cider vinegar to help with digestion. For all we know, people could be downing their meals with a gallon of water defeating the purpose of their expensive supplements. Oh, the horror!
Don’t get me wrong. I love my water. You should drink 2 litres of water daily to keep hydrated. Just don’t go to town on it during your meals. You could have a sip or two at mealtime. There’s a time and place for everything.
For example, drink a glass of water before bed and upon rising. Drink water while working. Knock yourself out! Everyone thinks I’m nuts when I say no thanks to water at the dinner table. Sometimes, I give in and accept it but I rarely drink it. Honestly, I don’t want anything to do with it but the choice is yours. You could drown away your mealanytime.
Some people say, oh I need it in case I choke. Well, that’s a whole other topic my friend. I could go on for days about this. I’m having so much fun! No, really. This is what I do for fun. Nerd alert.
Did you learn a new tidbit about digestion today? Please like if you did.
Do you follow any of these nutritional quirks or do you have any of your own? Haha, I’d love to hear about it in my comments section.
Oh no, it’s 3-o-clock! My tummy is grumbling and I’m starting to feel hangry. Don’t panic! Don’t go to the office kitchen for a pick me up. There’s always coffee, chocolate, donuts or chips in the staffroom. Avoid it at all costs!
Instead, have yourself some Mason Jar Magic(ha, I should patent that)! Show up at work with these glass beauties! Plain, ordinary veggies are magically transformed intogorgeous meals. They’re easy to make and stay fresh refrigerated for 4 days but mine disappear way before that. You will not evenhave a desire to reach for those sugary treats at the 3-o-clock slump. Instead, you will raise your adorable vitamin packed Mason Jar. This will literally save youfrom eating empty carbs and blah beige food.
Your family, friends and colleagues will love your cute Mason Jar concoctions and feelinspired to join you. I was actually a member of a Smoothie Club and Salad Club at work. It fun, healthy and easy. We all brought one ingredient and created a smoothie or meal together but that was so 2010 (ha, jk. I’d still do it if I still worked there).
The new, cool thing would be creating aMason Jar Salad Club. Now, that’s an idea! I kind of have a MJS Club already. My munchkins help cut up all the veggies and fill up the jars. The little one just cuts mushrooms with a butter knife but I’ll take all the help I can get. By the end, the kids have had fun, snacked on veggies, learned a life skill and the fridge is packed with healthy to-go meals. That’s a win-win!
I recommend you keep these in your fridge, at work and in your purse if you are getting groceries, taking the kids to their activities or running errands. They’re a lifesaver, literally. Mason jars will curb nibbling on fast, unhealthy snacks. The recipe follows. For other health tips, join me and feel lighter!
MASON JAR SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients:
Dressing
Avocado
Fresh basil
Squeezed lemon
MCT Oil
Vegetables
Cucumber
Red and yellow peppers
Tomatoes
Romaine lettuce
Organic kale
Instructions:
First, blend all four dressing ingredients together.
After that, pour 3 tablespoons of dressinginto each mason jar.
Then add the cucumbers to the bottom of the jar. Hearty veggies such as cucumbers, carrots, radishes and celery do well saturated in dressing.
Next, add yellow and red peppers, snap peas or any colourful vegetable. Don’t forget to cover the whole rainbow as you are layering your ingredients. Every colour represents a different vitamin.
After that, add tomatoes, beets, mushrooms and softer veggies. You may also add ancient grains, raw nuts or seeds for a more filling meal.
Finally, pack in romaine lettuce and organic kale. It’s a good idea to switch up the greens every week.
That’s it!!!
*Try to prepare 6+ mason jars at a time. They will be gone before you know it!
*Unfortunately, I did not invent Mason Jar Salads and would like to thank whomever created them for combining beauty, health and raw food.
Hey there, gorgeous!
