5 Steps to Success

Well, it’s that time again. Summer is (unofficially) over, lots of people are back at school and work, and it’s the season of new schedules and routines - although I'm still trying to wrap my head around how that happened so fast. With all the new things that you may find yourself fitting into your life, it’s common that you might be struggling to find time to take care of yourself. This time of year seems to be a slippery slope for many people, with holiday dinners and autumn treats right around the corner (there’s already tempting Halloween candy in grocery stores!). Before we know it the holidays will be here and we’ll be tempted to fall into old habits and possibly overdoing it on the comfort foods. Instead of slipping down the potentially slippery slope ahead, take action now to commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Here are my 5 favourite tips for success to give you the upper hand this season, whatever challenges you might face.

Have A Plan 

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else” -Yogi Berra 

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with so many different diet/exercise/lifestyle plans out there. Often they can be conflicting and downright confusing. The best way to know if something works for you is to trust your intuition and try it out yourself. Not every way of exercising or eating will work for you, and I’m a strong believer that one person’s food can be another person’s poison. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. The only way to know if something will work is to try it out, but I urge you to stick to one plan and follow it for at least a week or two to really get a feel for whether or not it works for you. Remember why it is you're doing what you're doing - write it down if you need to be reminded - and stay focused by surrounding yourself with motivation (supportive people, pictures, blogs, etc.). After some time if you don’t see any progress, or you're not enjoying it and you feel miserable and tired, try something new!

Set Realistic Goals 

When you decide to make a change for the better, it’s easy to want to jump all in and give up ten different things in your life to begin a strict diet or exercise regime. My advice would be to take it slow. Think baby steps. If you want to start eating gluten free, for example, don’t also cut out animal products, smoking, drinking, and sugar at the same time, or you’ll likely set yourself up for failure.

Give yourself something achievable to work towards, and make sure your goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Based.

Track Your Progress

You’ll want to have a way to track your progress to know that you’re working towards your goal. If you’re trying to lose pounds or inches, snap a before picture, take measurements, or record your starting weight. One of my favourite ways to track my progress is to keep a journal. I write down what I did, ate and drank and how I felt throughout the day. This is a powerful way to clue into what is working and what might be standing in your way towards true wellness, because after all, it’s not about the number on a scale or tape measure, but how you feel on a day-to-day basis.

Don’t Lose Faith

If you fall off the wagon, get right back on! Who cares if you ate a whole pizza for dinner or you skipped a workout. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed and should give up on your plan! Observe how you feel about it, then forgive yourself and let it go. There’s no point beating yourself up for something in the past. Brush it off, stay positive, and keep on moving forward.

Celebrate!

Make sure to reward yourself for even the smallest accomplishments. Maybe you’re down an inch or a pound, or you held triangle pose for the whole posture today. Whatever it is, recognize every accomplishment and congratulate yourself! I wouldn’t suggest making food a reward for these everyday achievements, especially if your goal is to lose weight, but allow yourself to FEEL GOOD about it. Make yourself a delicious pot of tea, run a hot bath, or pick up a feel-good book and spend some time revelling in how great it feels to be you!

Good luck on whatever journey you're on!

Lots of love and light

Namaste

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Warning: These are highly addictive

I made these beauties the other day and they definitely didn’t last very long. Once you get the basic recipe down, try experimenting with other nut butters or find a way to add your own special touch by adding a creative topping like coconut or cacao nibs.

Chocolate

2 tbsp raw cacao
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1-2 tsp natural sweetener (maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.)

Peanut Butter

2 tbsp peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp natural sweetener
small pinch of Himalayan salt (optional)

1. Combine the chocolate and peanut butter filling ingredients in two separate bowls.
2. Using either silicone baking cups or half of a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, pour the peanut butter mixture first, followed by the chocolate, into 6 baking cups. 
3. Place in the freezer to set for about an hour.
4. Unwrap and enjoy!

Give these bad boys a shot and let me know what you think!

3 Tips to Navigate the Grocery Store

I've put together my top 3 pieces of advice for anyone looking to make healthier choices at the grocery store. Hope you find these helpful!


 1.     Shop the perimeter of the store

While shopping, it’s best to stay on the outer edges of the grocery store, avoiding the middle aisles as much as possible. The reason for this is that the areas outside of these aisles are where you’ll find the whole, nourishing foods that are the best for you. Opt for products that have as few ingredients as possible, and preferably ones that you can pronounce! Depending on where you shop, you can easily make your way from the fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood counters, bakery, and maybe sweet bulk food section where you can find raw nuts and seeds. All your bases covered in less time, all while avoiding the unnaturally processed “food” found in the centre aisles.

 2.     Buy local and organic wherever possible

When possible, opt for fresh (or frozen) organic produce. Not only can you rest assured that you’re avoiding pesky chemicals and pesticides that are sprayed on conventionally grown fruits and veggies, this is an excellent way to ensure that you’re not eating any freaky GMO franken-foods. Did you know corn is one of the top 3 genetically engineered crops?

There are some foods that are much more important to buy organic, and some conventionally grown produce that is fine to consume. Refer to the table below from the Environmental Working Group to make sure you’re spending your money wisely while buying healthy chemical-free produce for yourself and your family.

Although organic is ideal if you’re looking to avoid pesticides, there are definitely benefits from buying local produce even if it’s conventionally grown. These foods are fresher as they haven’t had as far to travel as food from halfway around the world. That means you’re getting more nutrients out of the food and into your body! You’re also supporting local farmers this way. A great way to find local food is to check out a farmers market nearby, and get to know the people growing your food!

 3.     Use reusable bags

Reusable bags are becoming more and more popular, with many big box grocery stores selling their own for around a dollar. There are also amazing (although less well-known) reusable produce bags that you can use in lieu of plastic bags to store your fresh finds. I use these ones from Flip & Tumble that I found at a health food store in Victoria.

Many stores have paper bags available, either for free or for a small charge. Don’t forget that these are reusable as well! You can usually get a good 4 or 5 uses out of a single paper bag, which can then go on to be used elsewhere around the house and eventually be recycled or composted.

The trick is to remember to bring your bags with you! Try to keep some in the car or your purse to make sure they’re always handy.


All the best on your next trip to the grocery store. Feel free to leave a comment and share your favourite shopping tip.

Much Love and Light.
Xoxo

Raw Chocolate Love

I have a new love - raw chocolate. Over the past year or so I've been hearing more and more about raw chocolate and it's health benefits. I discovered raw cacao nibs and raw cacao powder and have experimented with them in recipes like smoothies, homemade power bars (or balls), and other delicious raw recipes, but I hadn't yet put together how raw cacao could be used to make the sweet, melty, fabulously decadent chocolate that I knew and loved.

As I progressed on my health journey I started to learn about the health benefits of this wonderful superfood. If you haven't heard much about it yet, it's definitely worth looking into, and making raw cacao a part of your life. Did you know this superfood is the highest antioxidant food in the world? It is said to be the top source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, manganese, and chromium. It has also been found to improve cardiovascular health, build strong, healthy bones, increase longevity and elevate your mood and energy. How amazing is that!

Many of us crave chocolate, although we usually get our fix in the sugary candy bars found at the supermarket. Our bodies are on to something here. A craving for chocolate is not a bad thing, and it's not proof of a lack of will power. It makes sense that our bodies (which are much smarter than many of us give them credit for) would crave something that is so beneficial for our health! It's a shame, though, that the chocolate that is readily available to us is processed, laden with sugar, and lacking the beneficial properties that the cacao nut possesses in it's natural state.

That's where raw chocolate comes into the picture.

If you look for it, you might start to see raw chocolate bars and products on the shelves of your nearest health food store. My favourite brand is Giddy Yoyo, a Canadian company that sells a variety of health food products, most notably their wide variety of flavoured raw chocolate bars. Check our their website in the link above, or on Facebook. I'm in no way affiliated with this company, I just really love their product and what to share it with you! Keep your eyes open and you might find it sold in the most unexpected places. I was definitely surprised to see it in the impulse buy section leading up to the check outs at Winners.

Leave a comment and let me know of any other brands of raw chocolate worth trying! I'd love to hear your thoughts, or your favourite flavour combinations. Also, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming recipes on how to make your own raw chocolate at home.

As always, thanks for reading!
Much love and light.