Tag: healthy
I feel like I’m always on the run. Both literally (training for a race) and figuratively — with my flex schedule, I’m typically dashing from one event to another during the day and into the evening sometimes, or heading out to meet friends for dinner or a workout.
Which means I need to make sure I’m fueling my body well. I have had some days that I’ve scheduled so tightly so that I can get all of the meetings and events done back to back that I forget to include a meal. Doh!
So I value healthy snacks as much as I do my meals. Besides helping prep me for my workouts and restore my energy after a sweat sesh, wholesome snacks help me get through the flights and long waits in airport lounges when I travel.
PRANA is one brand that’s a mainstay in my kitchen. This Canadian brand’s products are certified organic, and they’re also all vegan, kosher, preservative-free and sulphate free. That’s not all, they’re also non-GMO, too. And they taste great. Do a blind taste test of say their almonds against some you buy in bulk, and I swear you won’t be able to go back.
I try to have a small breakfast every day and a snack 30 minutes to an hour before I exercise (without a snack to give you a small boost, you could be low on energy and this could mean you’re won’t be able to workout to your full potential). Greek yogurt is a usual go-to for me and I top it with PRANA raw almonds. I use their almonds when it comes to dessert, too — by adding a drizzle of honey to the yogurt and nuts, or by eating a few almonds with a piece of dark chocolate (I always seem to have a steady supply of plain dark chocolate at home, one of the perks of my job is a lot of chocolate!).
I also am unexpectedly a fan of chia pudding, which I make with PRANA ProactivChia. Unexpectedly because I can see how the texture is off-putting to some people, but when you top it with fresh fruit, some coconut chips, and yes, PRANA Almonds, the crunch and flavours make it less “slimy” (as one friend calls it). I find it’s a nice change from the Greek yogurt and I like incorporating probiotics into my diet when I can for a healthy gut.
And I prefer PRANA ProactivChia because it’s not just chia seeds, but the brand’s exclusive blend of chia and probiotics. In fact, each serving of PRANA ProactivChia provides 4 billion live probiotics, which helps promote healthy gut flora (while the chia is a good source of fibre, omega-3s and calcium).
And because half of my life seems to be on a plane or waiting in an airport lounge, in my handbag, I keep something from PRANA to snack on, such as this Kilimanjaro Deluxe Chocolate Mix. Just a small handful, though; I have to remind myself to watch portion sizes when snacking on nuts and trail mix, because I could easily just keep eating and not realize I’m polishing off the package (in case, you’re wondering, a serving size of this Mix is a ¼ cup). Best of all, with its mix of almonds, walnuts, cashews, sultana raisins, dried cranberries and dark chocolate, I can feel good about my snack providing protein, antioxidants, fibre and vitamins A and C.
But since I tend to crave savoury snacks more often than sweet, I dig much more often into PRANA Coconut Chips, They’re dry roasted so they’re nice and crispy (so there’s that satisfying crunch I crave!) and I’m partial to Jive (the Spicy Chili flavour). So they’re good replacement for the potato chips I would eat daily if I could without hurting my health.
With a focus on healthy, wholesome snacks such as those from PRANA, I have the energy to make it through my active lifestyle feeling energized. And I haven’t even yet tried all of the products from the wide PRANA range (I’m definitely eyeing the PRANA Sumsuma sesame squares!). Oh, and for that chia pudding, it’s simple to make: just add three tablespoons of chia to one cup of liquid (I usually use coconut milk but I’ve also made it with almond milk; you can use the milk of your choice!).
Bon appetit!
(sponsored)
October 14, 2016
You know when you’re in a good groove and everything is coming together nicely in life and you’re getting things done? That’s all the time, right? Ah, if only it were that simple.
When you #LiveInSync and have your life in alignment, that’s when you can push yourself to reach for…well, greatness. Now, I know that sounds dramatic, but by greatness I mean trying to achieve your full potential, and that’s always changing as you grow as a person. It may mean completing a race you’ve always wanted to do or going for that lofty promotion, for example, or taking the plunge and moving to that city you’ve been dreaming of. Reaching for greatness means striving for those goals that can sometimes seem so daunting you don’t even share them with anyone, or goals you’re afraid you can’t accomplish…but living in-sync is what can help get you there.
Living in-sync is a constant juggling act because there’s an endless number of things being thrown your way that force you to readjust. Lately, for me, having to travel regularly has been forcing me to recalculate my route. It throws my schedule off, and this can make life very chaotic. Two months ago, it was back pain I had to contend with. A while before that, a strained friendship. Life is always throwing things at you, and how well you manage these challenges is determined by the degree to which you’re in tune with yourself.
I’m always working to be as in-sync as I can be, because the payoff—that feeling of being at one with myself and capable of reaching my goals—is worth it.
How do I #LiveInSync? To start, I exercise regularly (and to commit to that, I put it into my calendar and register for events so I commit to training). Without exercise, I feel sluggish and not as sharp. I can’t say I love working out (it’s usually more of a love/hate type of relationship with most sports). But I recognize we are nothing without our health. I’m grateful to have never had any serious health issues, but with friends and loved ones who’ve been affected by health concerns and disease, you realize being healthy is everything.
With fitness, there’s also the reward of seeing what I’m capable of accomplishing; I’m the girl who could barely run one-minute intervals not that long ago, and have now completed nine marathons (and, in one case, was less than two minutes away from qualifying for Boston). That type of accomplishment can make you feel like you’re capable of anything and that confidence affects how you approach life. For example, I may not have swum any sort of distance since I was little, nor do I bike other than for leisure, but I recently decided to do a tri. Consider, too, it’s not long ago that I never would’ve even considered driving in a city I do not know, but I did that for a week this spring. I believe my accomplishments in running have helped me be more fearless with these other pursuits.
Being in-sync involves more than just fitness, of course. Following a healthy diet fuels you to be your best. And so I put effort into making sure I get more veggies in my meals (that’s where I can falter) and while I will indulge in dessert or a cocktail, it’s definitely as an occasional treat (it’s all about that 80/20 rule; that ratio works). Except for maybe when it comes to French fries. Those are my weakness and I can’t stop eating them. We all have our vices!
Being in-sync calls for getting enough rest, too. Getting enough sleep helps me function better for work and play. Besides rest, though, decompressing mentally helps keep me clearheaded. And although I don’t meditate or practice yoga regularly, I need quiet time to just be with my thoughts, so I fit it into my daily life in my own way. Often it has to be when I’m running (it can be hard to find a window of free time otherwise), or I use the time I spend walking around the city to work things through in my head. When I’m traveling, and there’s the chance to enjoy a great sunset or sunrise view, I do what I can to schedule my day around dusk or dawn so I can use that quiet half hour or so to just be.
I think of life as an intricate net. And when you live in-sync, that net is flexible and resilient — it’s nurtured and strengthened by the things you do to help you stay on track. So when something is thrown into it, your net handles it with ease. When not in-sync, it’s as though that net is being pulled and stressed in many directions; the cords are taut, straining and weakening, in danger of snapping. So, to be your best self, you need to maintain that net regularly. Sync it up, ladies!
(Now, who else has an N*SYNC song stuck in their heads??)
Being InSync is that special state when body and mind are aligned, we are in touch with our core, and we are driven from within to achieve our full potential. The positivity that radiates from being InSync will benefit all aspects of a person’s life — at work, in personal relationships and in the all-important relationship with oneself. Activia is an expertly designed yogurt with exclusive B.L. Regularis, carefully selected ingredients and a refined texture. Activia, #LiveInSync.
This post was brought to you by Activia From Danone via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed here are those of the influencer and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Activia from Danone.
September 6, 2016
As I’ve mentioned, I’m working with Staub and trying out some of their products, and first up is their super adorable tomato cocotte.
For years, I’ve longed for a Dutch oven, namely Staub or Le Creuset. But the cost always stopped me from investing in one. How much braising and soup-cooking do or would I do, after all? (Oh, in case, you’re wondering what the heck a dutch oven is, it’s a large heavy cast-iron pot that you can use on the stovetop or in the oven. ) Now that I’m in a much smaller space (with limited storage space), is a large heavy pot really something I need?
And the answer is yes. I now wish I hadn’t stalled all these years to get one. For one, you can simply use it in whichever way you use a large pot (even if you’re not braising, I mean), I have no idea why but I never thought of it in this way, I really thought of it only for stews. Plus, this tomato cocotte from Staub is so cute that if you don’t have anywhere to store it, it looks great sitting on your stovetop (and even the classic Staub cocottes do as well). Plus, it may cost you a few hundred but it’ll last you a lifetime. Trust, you’ll come to love your heavy, sturdy cocotte very much.
On top of this, of course, there are all of the wonderful dishes you can make in a Staub cocotte. For one, I only recently learned you can bake the easiest no-knead bread using your Staub. Freshly baked bread is one of my weaknesses but I’ve never been motivated to make it from scratch because it seems like so much work, but this one is virtually zero work. I’m more than a little obsessed with this recipe. (And I run…so it’s OK if I eat all those carbs, right? Or that’s what I tell myself…) And there’s delicious recipes like this healthier version of chowder I made (I mostly followed this Canadian Living recipe for Cauliflower Corn Chowder — I had to substitute a few ingredients based on what I had in my kitchen). Next, I plan on trying a ratatouille recipe, and the recipe for braised brussel sprouts, which you can find on page 19 here in this Staub recipe book.
June 6, 2016
Next page
Previous page
