Broccoli Sprouts Can Detox Pollutants

Cancer Fighting Vegetables to the Rescue

A new study out of China that was done by the researchers from John Hopkins University and other institutes from China & United States found that broccoli sprouts were able to flush out toxin pollutants from the body fastener than any other cruciferous vegetable. 

"The results were published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.  They found that throughout the 12-week period the participants taking the broccoli sprout drink increased their rate of excretion of benzene by 61%. 
Benzene is a known carcinogen.  In the U.S. benzene exposure comes predominantly from car and truck exhaust, emissions from coal and oil combustion, evaporation from industrial sites, and gas stations.  Smoking is another source of benzene exposure. "

It is known that cruciferous vegetables like kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts are known to fight cancer by improving the liver's ability to detox and cleanse. These vegetables contain glucoraphanin. "It is shown when glucoraphanin is chewed or swallowed it produces a cancer-protective compound called sulphoraphane.  Sulphoraphane activates enzymes that take up the pollutants and flush them out in the urine."

Just another reason to eat all your broccoli and brussel sprouts to protect your body from built up toxins from our environment! Our WildGreen Organic Juice is a great way to obtain concentrated high quality amounts of kale and green vegetables that your body can easily digest and use correctly in the body. Removing the process of breaking down the fibre allows the body to instantly absorb the nutrients in the organic juice.

You can read more about the study here.

-Michelle Kennedy, CHHC
WildRoots Team

Vega One Starter Kit & Colada Smoothie Recipe

As a health coach I come across a lot of people who don't know how to incorporate more protein into their diets. Especially when they are super busy working out, being parents and working on their careers. I'm a huge fan of Vega Plant Based Protein Powder and recommend it to all my clients! Not only does it provide 15g of protein into one package but it also includes a whole list of added benefits such as:

Vega One Starter Kit

• 50% daily intake of vitamins and minerals
• 6g of fibre
• 1.5g of Omega-3's
• 3 servings of Greens
• Antioxidants
• Probiotics

It's perfect for on the go (shake n drink) or if you are looking to create a delicious smoothie for breakfast or lunch. Super bonus for me is I can recommend it to my clients who have food sensitivities as it's gluten free, soy free, dairy free and no sugar added.

Well Vega has made it easy for my clients to try out the flavors. They have introduced the Vega One Starter Kit that includes:

• 2 Packages of Chocolate Vega One 
• 2 Packages of French Vanilla Vega One
• 1 Package of Berry Vega One
• Tips & Recipe Brochure 

5 days worth of shake goodness for you to try!

I was so happy to see this new product that I decided to create a new smoothie recipe for the occasion.

Enjoy!

Choco Banana Colada Smoothie Recipe

1 frozen Organic Banana
1/2 cup of Organic Pineapple
1/2 cup of Coconut Water
1/2 cup of Almond Milk
1 Package of Chocolate Vega One 

Blend well and drink up!

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

New Season • New You (Health Program)

*Sigh...  Summer has come to an end and it's time to face reality once again. I know how busy people get during the summer months. Trying to cram 3 get togethers into every Saturday and Sunday during the Summer. There's little or no time to think about your healthy lifestyle or exercise. Although we are outdoors more often, the multiple potato salads outweigh the effort we put in.

That's why I thought a 3 Month Fall Program would do the trick to get you back into shape. Whether you didn't achieve your Summer health goals, looking to lose some baby weight and want guidance getting there or you just want to shape up for the winter parties coming up... this program has something for everyone! The Fall Program is infused with positivity. I'm ready to help you achieve those goals you've been humming and hawwing about. There's no better time than now! (cliche but true).

This program can be done in person or via skype (free yoga class not included in skype package). The  program keeps you accountable for your health and the once a week sessions keep you on track to success.

The initial health consultation is complimentary as it's a time for us to go over your health history, current health and all the goals you have planned for yourself. This is also a great time for us to see if we work well together.

Email or message me today to book your initial health consultation.

-Michelle

Certified Holistic Health Coach

Back To Basics - Roasted Vegetables

A common question I hear amongst my health coaching clients is "How do I incorporate more easy to make vegetables into my diet? So I thought I would share with you all my #1 solution  - Roasted Vegetables.
It's my go to dish during the fall and winter months and quickly adds a ton of veggies to any meal.

 

I will admit, I used to be intimidated by these roasted veggies until one day I had no choice to do it myself. Funny thing - It's crazy how easy this dish is to make! Toss in all different kinds of veggies like brussel sprouts, sweet potato, carrots, potato, yams, peppers, and for flavor onion & garlic. You can also add in half way through any softer veggies such as broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms.

 

Roasted Vegetables

 

Wash, Chop, Bake and Eat!

 

1. Wash your veggies, give them a good cleaning.
2. Chop them up into cubes, think baby blocks style. Be sure to that they are all relatively the same size. I like to cut the onion and garlic a bit smaller so the taste can really get in there.
3. Throw everything into a casserole dish and drizzle olive oil all over. Add some sea salt and salt n pepper. Mix it all up.
4. Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes. Half way through - toss the veggies up a bit, cover again with tin foil and place back into the oven.
5. Once they are done you should be able to place your fork through the vegetable without effort.

They make for great leftovers. There you go - lunch planned now too!

 

Enjoy!

 

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Have You Checked Your Tongue Lately?

Have you looked in the mirror lately and stuck out your tongue? What color is it??
I know... sounds weird but your tongue is a great indicator of what is going on inside your body.

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A bright redish color may indicate that your insides are inflamed and you are needing to cool down. Maybe not just food wise cool down but maybe slow down in life too. If you've been feeling irritated, agitated or angry it might be time to change up your diet as something is not agreeing with you. Most often when I see that clients are a redish color I notice they've also been having too many spicy foods and consuming too many foods that they have a sensitivity/allergic too which causes a disturbance in their digestion tract. The coating of your tongue can indicate different situations in the body as well. A whitish coating on your tongue can indicate that your body isn't properly digesting food.

A healthy tongue is a light pinkish color, has a light clear coating, is moist and is able to move freely (not swollen). To keep a healthy tongue and body I recommend cleaning your tongue daily. This removes the toxins that have built up your tongue from the day and night. You can purchase a tongue scraper from most pharmacies or I recently learned that you can use the edge of spoon. It is important to scrape from the back of the tongue forward and do not scrape too hard (be nice to your tongue).

Keep those tongues healthy and CLEAN ! 

-Michelle Kennedy

Certified Holistic Health Coach

HHC in Women's Health Magazine

Did anyone see this in the December issue of Women's Health Magazine?

That's me, a Holistic Health Coach!

Health Coach featured in Women's Health Magazine

I can help you shed more than just pounds though. It's time to get rid of those lingering health problems or concerns of yours.

By the end of my 6 month program you will be feeling amazing!

Contact me if you'd like more information or visit my website at www.revive-healthcoach.com

-Michelle

New Website Launched: Holistic Health Coaching

Ladies and Gents..... I give you:  My New Website!

Join me for a Health History consultation

www.REVIVE-healthcoach.com

I've been a busy bee lately (or should I say elf?!). I'm no website designer but I've given it my best and created my own website for my Holistic Health Coaching Practice.

Man is it nerve racking to put yourself out there. When you present something straight from your soul that means the most to you, it can become a tad bit scary. But this is what I'm meant to do in life and I'm happy to help people.

Hope you enjoy it!

Please pass it along to any of your family or friends who you think would benefit from health coaching program.

Lots of love,
Michelle

The Soda Pop Ban Debate

What's your opinion of the ban on super sized sodas in New York City?

I think it's a good idea. People don't realize how many calories they are consuming and how much sugar is in them. People also don't take in account the amount chemicals they are consuming when they drink the diet and normal soda pop. Over time a large consumption of soda pop can catch up to your health and cause harm.

I understand that everyone has a right to choose what they eat or drink but we are still in the times of extreme marketing and advertising that hypnotise people and then have them addicted to the sugar.

Check out this infograph that presents some interesting facts:


Source: everyday HEALTH


-Michelle

Cancer Update

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

As you may know, my mom was diagnosed with cancer back in August. It's been quite the roller coaster of emotions from one week to the next. She's an incredible strong woman who is continuing to work while she does her chemo treatments. Her lump in her neck has gone down (woohoo) and the cancer in her lungs has begun to respond to treatment. This round of chemotherapy will last till the new year.


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Overwhelming heavy heart while the brain reminds me to keep positive and remove the sadness. It's a constant conflict but I'm lucky that I am constantly surrounded by optimistic positive influences. I think the hardest part is seeing someone you love so sick. There's no controlling how she is going to feel each day. She may have plans to come over and visit but by half way through she has to leave as she starts to feel too sick. That's when I want to jump in and take her place. Just give her a break from it all. She's learnt through trial and error that the body responds to what you feed it. So there's no bad fats anymore and tons of healthy fruits and vegetables that keep her from being sicker than she needs too.

Now here's a kicker, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer a couple weekends ago. He's got melanoma on his back and goes in for an operation in the end of November. He's only in his late 60's and suffered a heart attack a couple years ago. Man, the saying "when it rains, it pours" is quite true! Gramps likes to keep to himself about his health issues but I'm always going to be there when he needs some support. I've got my positive thoughts and fingers crossed that the operation goes smoothly and everything is back on track.

While performing health history consultations with people over the last little while, I've noticed a frightening trend. Almost every single person I've talked to has someone in their life who has been diagnosed with cancer. And so often when you run into someone around town and the topic of cancer comes up, they know someone who is battling cancer. This absolutely astonishes me, disgusts me and motivates me. How does it motivate me? Since studying at IIN to become a health coach, I've learnt so much more on how it's possible to prevent many cancers and to never give cancer a chance to live in your body. We are what we eat! By also monitoring our stress levels and increasing happiness, I believe there is hope to bring the rate of new cancer patients down and help current cancer patients recover. I want to help people learn how often we put our health in danger through nutrition & lifestyle and how it is preventable and reversible.

Take Control of Your Health, Before it Takes Control of You

I have a dream that one day we teach our children the ways to prevent cancer & illness through nutrition and well being. I want it to be a common fact just like how we now teach our children about sex education.

Knowledge can change the world!

-Michelle

5 Interesting Water Facts That Will Benefit Your Health

Our body is made up out of 75% of water and our brain is made up out of 85% of water. Water is crucial to our health. Water is believed to be more important than food! We could last for a while without food but could not last for days without water.

5 Interesting Water Facts 

1. Often times when you think you are hungry for food it is in fact your body sending signals that you are dehydrated and need more water. Try having a glass of water before reaching for food.
2. Drinking warm water in the morning helps to activate your brain and metabolism. Drinking cold water actually makes your body work harder by trying to warm the water up to body temperature. It's best to drink cold water in the afternoons.
3. Water can be used for therapy. Showers can make you feel refreshed and awakened. When you are feeling sick it's important to take several showers to clean the "gunk" off and let your body breathe.
4. It is recommend that men drink 13 cups of water a day and women drink 9 cups. It's best though to get in tune with your body and find what amount works for you.
5. Above all, water can heal. Next time you have a headache, try drinking more water and you will be amazed that the headache will ease off or disappear all together. Water can flush toxins out of your body and make room for fresh healthy cells.

It's important to take in natural, clean water. Coffee, soda and tea can actually have the opposite effect and dehydrate you. Try to avoid water that contains chlorine and when possible filter your water.

Are you good at getting your proper amount of water in a day?

-Michelle

Healthy Weight : Halloween Candy Comparison

Oh those little bars of sweet goodness. How can anyone resist? Before you reach into that bucket or bowl, let's go over the facts and maybe it will make you think twice.

#1 turn off: It's SUGAR and when we eat sugar it has us wanting more in mere minutes. The chocolate bars are also loaded with preservatives and chemicals that cause harm and discomfort in our bodies.

I've gathered a couple of my favourites from the past :

• Resse's Peanut Butter Cups : 80 calories - 4.5g fat - 7g of sugar
• Peanut M&M's : 93 calories - 4.7g fat - 9.1g of sugar
• Skittles : 80 calories - .8g fat - 15g of sugar
• Butterfinger : 100 calories - 4g fat - 11.5g of sugar

Why not opt for one of these 100 calorie snacks that will actually do your body good and provide proper energy.

100 calories =

• 3 cups of air popped popcorn
• 1 cup of baby carrots and table spoons of hummus
• 1/2 Larabar

and if you are craving more of a sweeter taste:

• 5 Hershey's Dark Chocolate kisses
• fruit is always great a better choice when you are needing something sweet

Although it's not that exciting to choose the healthy snack, it's important to remember that those calories add up quickly. If you choose to have 3 of those "small bite" chocolate bars in one day, you would have to do an hour of moderate exercise (fast paced walking) to burn off those 300 calories.
Why set yourself back?

When you have a craving for candy or treats how do you avoid the temptation?

-Michelle
Holistic Health Coach

Positive Life : Vision Boards

I'm a visual person. I have to see something for it to really resonate inside me. This is why I love Vision Boards. Back in 2009, after I left my job of 9 years I created a vision board to bring more positivity into my life. 6 months later, almost half my board was being lived. In the beginning of 2012 I decided it was time to make a new one. This time I added on my health coaching business and also my health retreat. I'm on track to make the majority of the vision board come true.

I find vision boards help me bring together all my possible thoughts, dreams, wishes and goals. It's a way for me to see them outside of my, at times, judgemental head. It's a great way to make a declaration to the universe that you want something and you are on a mission to make it happen. It can help you gain a clear focus of what exactly you are striving for in life.

Vision boards are not just meant for material or career goals but you could even have a section on how you would like your relationships with a boyfriend/girlfriend to generate or flow in your life. I think this is why I love Pinterest so much. It's the same type of idea, boards for categories that really connect to our lives. Although I prefer making my own physical vision board that I can see, read and contemplate on every day. Some people prefer to make them, tuck them way and come back to the board in 6 months to a year to see what has come alive.

Another great idea is to add words to your vision board that motivate or inspire you. It doesn't have to be the typical motivational words but even just a single word that connects to your soul every time you read it.

Easy steps to creating a vision board:

1. Find your favourite magazines from around the house. Flip through them and whatever stands out, clip it out. You can figure out it's place in your vision board later. Just make sure to lead with your natural intuition.
2. On a large paper board, arrange the cut outs the way they connect to you. For instance: I laid mine out by categories such as house/home, career, relationships/family, appearance/fashion, health, and my large dream.
3. I like to add the words on last, where I find they will stand out most.
4. Start gluing!
5. Hang the vision board some where that you will be able to see everyday or most often. You can actually take a picture of the board and place it as a computer background, phone wallpaper or screen saver.
6. Have fun! This is for you, it doesn't have to be perfect.

I'll be creating my Health Coaching Business vision board this weekend.

Have you ever created a Vision Board?
-Michelle

Fitness Love: Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer

Energy Drinks have always been a weakness for me. I don't have a lot of energy from being anaemic (not enough iron in my body), so I usually require a little boost before I workout. I used to grab an energy drink on my way to the gym from a corner store. I knew it was very bad for me but I just needed something so I wasn't dragging through my run. Everything changed when I found Vega Sport - Pre-Workout Energizer. 

I'll admit I was a little doubtful if it would give me the same energy as a Rockstar or Red Bull. Luckily I was wrong and it actually was tremendously better than the "others". It comes in a small package that is handy to carry around in your purse or gym bag. Throw a couple in your car and all you have to do is add it to water. No more empty cans in my car either - bonus! I made sure to drink it 20 minutes before my workout and I could feel the change in my body. There was no energy spike and then crashing. It's a gradual energy increase that is perfect for exercising. I love that it doesn't over stimulate your body either. When I drank Rockstar my speech actually became slurred, it was scary! With Vega Sport there's no caffeine headaches and I never have trouble getting to sleep at night when I work out in the afternoon/evening.

My two cousins who are both teenage boys, play a lot of sports. I always hated them seeing me drink an energy drink when I would preach to them to stay away from it. After my cousins hockey game the other weekend I gave him one of the Vega Sport packages to try out. The next day I got a text (rarely happens lol) saying "I love this stuff! and where can I get more?". This cousin is 16 years old and is devoted to a healthy body and fitness. He said he couldn't believe the energy it gave him and he was able to achieve a full workout session at the gym and all while never losing his endurance.

My Rating:  5 STARS

Benefits of Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer

• Instant energy and slow burning fuel
• No crashing!
• Organic sprouted brown rice syrup enters the blood stream quickly (due to high GI index) and gives you instant energy.
• Organic palm nectar provides slow released energy (due to low GI index) = no spike no crash
• Convenient packages
• Two flavors: Acai Berry and Lemon Lime
• Tastes similar to a berry or lime iced tea
• Equal or less in price to other energy drinks
• It's a blend of 13 plant-based ingredients

Do you require an energy drink before you workout? Or do you enjoy having one every once in a while?

I'm curious to know how you build up your energy before exercising.
-Michelle

Did You Know? Gummy Vitamins

Eeek! It's one of those things that make me cringe, Gummy Vitamins! and especially if you are feeding them to kids.

These buggers are sneeeky!

Gummy vitamins do not improve your health. The gummy's are usually coated or combined with corn syrup (sugar). Not only is sugar unhealthy for your body but it also starts cravings for more sugar. To create the gummy vitamin the manufacturers must heat the material to very high temperatures that pretty much kills all the nutritional value in the vitamin. This leaving you with  : A Daily Candy.

With kids, it's important to avoid teaching them that eating candy everyday is an okay thing to do. Small kids don't understand that it's supposed to be a vitamin. All they see and think is candy, candy, candy! Creating a daily habit of eating candy is very unhealthy for any child.

I know it may be heard to get your children to take vitamins if they are picky eaters but it's best to try to get them to receive more vitamins and nutrients from the food they eat. Load your kids up with as many organic veggies, fuit and lean protein as you can. There is some vitamin & supplement companies that provide vitamins for kids that do not contain corn syrup and other high content sugar substances. They also try to make it kid friendly by shaping the vitamins into characters.

All you adults who pop those gummies back every day... let's be honest.. something that tastes that good, can't be good for you! Don't worry, I used to be fooled too ;)

Have you fallen for Gummy Vitamin temptation?
-Michelle

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Health Coach: The Ups & Downs of a Healthy Weight

As a healthy coach I not only want to help people learn to avoid cancer and disease but I also want to help them with weight issues. 

Lots of people assume I have always been this weight and it comes naturally to me. They assume that I have never had to work hard for my body and I've never struggled with my weight. Well let me tell you, they gotta it all wrong...

Feeling healthy and happy

I don't share this with a lot of people because it's a thing of the past but I want to be open and true with my clients and let them know that I've been in their shoes before, I want to share my journey through weight loss with you all.

When I was around 5 years old I was super tiny and a healthy kid. I was always outside and wanting to go go go. My family always had to drag me inside from playing. From the age 10-12 I started putting on more and more weight. I believe it was caused by a number of factors. Moving to a new school, staying inside more/less active and be self conscious of the weight I had put on. There were days when I would go out to the playground and kids would tease me about being fat. At the time it didn't really hurt me but it's one of those moments that gets drilled into your brain for the rest of your life. My eating habits didn't help and my family didn't know much about nutrition. We ate meat and potatoes or pasta. Always with a bun or bread on the side. I became a big snacker too.

The summer before I went into high school, I decided to start walking every where instead of taking the bus or asking for a ride. I was back to being outside and active again like I was when I was 5. Without even meaning to, the weight started to slide off. When I went back to school everyone noticed and commented. It felt great to be complemented. Like monkey see - monkey do = I started paying attention to what my mom was saying about dieting and keeping up with the latest diet fads in magazines. I started to try diets, running and working out. It became natural to worry about what I was eating and how my body looked. I kept a pretty standard weight during high school but had poor eating habits. I would sometimes only have a slurpee for lunch because it was what I was craving and I didn't want to eating anything else as I was afraid of gaining weight.

The year after high school I became clinically depressed. I felt lost in life, my family became healthy so I no longer could be the care giver and I had a poisonous relationship with my boyfriend that I could not give up. I became very vulnerable and insecure. It didn't help that my boyfriend at the time was lets say "not so great" and more attracted to other girls. Feeling like I wasn't good enough (physically), I started to control my weight intensely. There wasn't a certain point when I began my deadly downwards spiral. Slowly I became anorexic. I started to lie to family and friends that I was perfectly fine and I was eating. Truth was, I wasn't okay. My lowest weight was 108lbs - 113lbs and I'm 5'8. I would eat one piece of fruit in the morning and a snack at night. I would also run or walk for 30min everyday. I stepped on the scale 3 times a day. I was obsessed and it was something I could control when I felt like I had no control over anything in life at that time. I was also receiving lots of attention, so it felt good and I couldn't see anything wrong. I look back now and I can say I looked so unhealthy and unattractive.

At my unhealthy lowest weight

I never went for help for my anorexia directly but I had gone to a naturopath for my depression. He had found that I was allergic to several common foods and I had a brain allergy to sugar. Once I had something new to focus my attention on and something to control, I slowly returned to a healthy weight. I gained a new interest in health and nutrition and started learn about how the food we eat tremendously affects how our brain functions and our bodies feel.


With my knowledge of health and fitness I now maintain a healthy weight and am not afraid to step on a scale. I understand that a healthy combination of mind, body and soul can bring happiness to your life. There's been times when my weight fluctuates due to stress or something in my life being out of balance. I've learnt how to reflect and make corrections. I love the way I feel inside and out when I'm eating healthy, working out and my life is in balance for me.

I want to help people feel alive and healthy!

Have you ever dealt with weight issues?
-Michelle

Did You Know? : Milk

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I remember the days when I was little and we had milk in our cereal every morning and a glass of milk with every dinner. These days I reach for the Almond Milk. Oh how times have changed.
Over the last couple of years I've learnt more and more about milk and how it actually isn't that great for our bodies. Just recently though I discovered my last tad of knowledge about the side effects of milk that sent me into the "Absolutely No Milk" category.

Did you know?

• We are the only mammal that drinks milk from a different mammal? We are naturally only supposed to drink our own milk. Milk from a cow is meant to make a calf grow 8 times it's birth weight by it's 1st birthday. Calves grow to be 1000-2000lb animals! Babies also require milk from their mothers to grow quickly in the first few years of life but don't require cow's milk to continue growing afterwards.

• You don't require milk to get your calcium intake for the day. You can actually receive more calcium from other sources. Sesame seeds contain 90mg per tablespoon, 1 cup of broccoli contains 178mg and 1/2 cup of Tofu contains 258mg. The average daily dose recommended is between 700-1000mg. It's also not bad to take a calcium supplement if you are lacking calcium. People don't realize that we consume a lot of our calcium through our food we eat.

• It has been found that the majority of the world population is lactose intolerant (lactose is found in cows milk). Being lactose intolerant causes upset stomachs, digestive problems and unnecessary bloating. So why do we want those symtoms?

Now here's the fact that pushed me over:

• A majority of cows are milked while they are pregnant. This meaning that we take in a very large amount of hormones from the cow. These hormones can't be filtered out and have a great effect on our bodies. In studies this has shown to increase the risk of cancers, especially breast cancer.

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If you are still needing that "milk" in your cereal or coffee why not switch to Almond Milk? One cup of Silk Almond milk (unsweetened) contains 45% of your daily recommend intake of calcium.

Do you drink milk? Have you ever thought about switching over to Almond or Soy milk?

-Michelle

P.S. -This was in no way endorsed by Silk or any other Soy Milk or Almond Milk Company. This is solely based on my personal studies and findings.

Healthy Weight : Keeping Smoothies Skinny

Beware: Smoothies are usually considered a meal and I'm a Smoothie Freak! Love em!
 

Smoothie Art

A large percentage of smoothies that are offered at on-the-go places have the same amount of calories as a meal. Liquid calories can be dangerous! There is also a large amount of sugar in smoothies (natural or added) and should be consumed in the morning or early afternoon so your body can burn off all that extra energy/sugar.

There's also healthy smoothies and then there's "smoothies" which are actually just milkshakes in disguise. Smoothies can be a great meal replacement if made correctly and be amazingly beneficial to your health. Adding Kale into your smoothie everyday is an easy way to get those extra greens.







A run down of some of the smoothies offered at "on-the-go" places:

Jugo Juice - a fav "on the go" one

Mc Donald's Peach Smoothie - 545g serving

320 calories / 70g carbohydrates (sugar) / 65g of sodium

Dairy Queen/Orange Julius - Strawberry Banana - 587g serving

320 calories / 82g carbs / added sugar and fructose corn syrup

Booster Juice - Mango Hurricane - 24oz

336 calories / 78g carbs (sugar)

Starbucks Strawberry Banana Smoothie (soy) - Grande

290 calories / 58g carbs (sugar)

To give you an understanding of how it compares to a restaurant breakfast:
A waffle at IHOP (no syrup/no butter) is

310 calories / 37g of carbs

Now I'm not saying go grab a waffle instead of a smoothie but I'm showing you that a smoothie is pretty much a meal and can sometimes be considered an unhealthy meal if you don't know what's going into it.

The BEST thing to do : Make them at home so you know what is going into them and how much is going into them. That way you can also make meal sized or snack size.

Here's an example of a smoothie I make at home most mornings for breakfast:
  

Magic Bullet - your best friend in the kitchen!



• 1 small frozen banana
• Handful of frozen mango chunks
• Handful of blackberries
• Large handful of Kale
• 1 scoop of Vega (Natural) Energizing Protein Powder
• 1 tablespoon of Flax Seeds
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of almond milk

Blend! and slurp!

Amazing added ingredients for smoothies:

Kale : High in Vitamins A, C & K. Great source of Iron and fights fatigue. I can notice a huge awesome difference in my skin when I add Kale.
Flax Seeds: Great source of fibre and Omega 3's.

Chia Seeds: High in calcium, iron and magnesium. They also contain Omega 3's.
Coconut Water: Filled with potassium and 5 different electrolytes. My favourite brand is Zico.

To milk or not to milk?
I'm not a fan of using milk but instead I like to use almond milk or soy milk. I find that milk is not easily digested by anyone and causes more harm then good.

What do you put into your smoothies? Are you a smoothie lover?

-Michelle



Healthy Recipe : Salmon Cakes

A favourite healthy recipe created by Scott and loved by all our friends!

This recipe originally started off as a salmon burger. Scott had made them into patties and stuffed them in to a fresh whole wheat bun. It was delicious but it was too much. We all sat around holding out stuffed bellies claiming it was the BEST salmon burger we've ever tried but it was just way too much food.

Ta-da : the salmon cake was born. So the next week (it's that good) we made them and tried it without the bun. The flavors are so incredible that it was amazing on it's own. The curry sauce underneath compliments it perfectly. You don't have to have the sauce but it's a nice touch.



This recipe is unlike the "cakes" that you get in restaurants that are filled with stuffing's and are not healthy for you. This is full of fresh ingredients and a touch of panko crumbs to hold it together. I like to add a salad on the side as you are getting a ton of protein from the salmon. We've also had baked sweet potato fries and quinoa as a side. It goes great with anything.


Salmon Cakes

This recipe will make four 8 ounce salmon patties.

600 grams of salmon ( I found that a rough chop for this patty works
best for flavor and it will juicier)
1/4 cup of chopped green onion
1/4 cup of chopper red bell pepper
1/4 cup of panko (may need to use more with different salmon)
2 egg yolks
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and lightly mix. You don't want the salmon to be torn apart.
Preferably refrigerate for 20-60 minutes to let in bind and the flavours combine. Separate the mixture into 8 balls. Lightly press them down to form more of a pattie than a ball.

In a frying pan with coconut oil, lightly crisp the salmon cakes on both sides to get a crunch. Then put the cakes in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Optional:
a nice squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

As for the light mayo for the plate:
Light mayo mixed with Thai red curry paste (this tastes absolutely
amazing, the stronger the mix the better it goes with the salmon cake)


This is now a staple meal in our house.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

-Michelle

Start Before You're Ready : New Health Plan

When a new season comes along it brings the opportunity to create new healthy habits.


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September is the perfect time to jump back into a healthy routine. Although it can get pretty hectic in the beginning of September with everyone coming back from vacation and kids returning to school, it's actually easier to get back to a normal routine. The amount of unplanned outings goes down and there's more time for scheduled activities and exercise. The number of unhealthy food temptations thankfully dwindles down too.

When to begin? Now! When creating a new plan for your health, there is no better time than right now to start it. It doesn't have to be made into a huge deal. Just take the first step. Don't make excuses of why you should wait for tomorrow or next week or when everything is a bit calmer. Your health routine/plan is a way of life and not a "diet". If it seems overwhelming, just take small steps at first.

For example: If your goal is to run a half marathon and you've never ran before, you wouldn't go out and run 5k on the first day. Your body would go into shock and you would more than likely quit on your new goal. Take it easy and gradually build up. The same principles apply to your eating habits. You don't have to go all out on the first day. Gradually eliminate unhealthy chemical filled foods from your diet each day till eventually you are eating only those vibrant and natural lean proteins, veggies and fruits.

Happy September Everyone!
Do you have any new goals for this Fall or Winter? I'd love to hear them.

-Michelle

Healthy Recipe : Halibut on Beet & Zucchini Salad



Beet & Zucchini Salad

This week we decided to have my mom over for a nice evening dinner. Well that's what we had hoped. Like always, things didn't go as planned (but we love it that way). My mom's doctor appointment ended up going longer than expected and then a nice surprise, my aunt stopped by to say hello. We ended up eating dinner around.... say 9:30pm lol.

This recipe is great for a light meal. It's fresh and the dill combined with the beets and zucchini is amazing! Besides the salad having to marinate the recipe can actually be made very quickly. We were lucky enough to receive our beets from a friend who has a garden in the city. There is nothing like fresh organic vegetables. The difference in taste between organic and not organic is astonishing. If you ever want to test the difference, try buying a piece of celery from organic and not organic.

Halibut with Beet & Zucchini Salad

1  zucchini

3  beets

4  3-5 oz halibut fillets

3 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)

2 cups of arugula

3 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Cut zucchini and beets into paper thin rounds. In a large bowl toss zucchini and beets with 2 tbsp of Vinaigrette (recipe below). Set aside and marinate for 20-60 minutes.

Preheat pan over medium-high heat. Brush halibut fillets with 2 tbsp of vinaigrette and cook till almost fully done, about 3 minutes per side.

Before plating, toss dill, arugula and pine nuts into zucchini mixture.

One each plate: lay a portion of salad mixture down and top with halibut. Spoon small amount of vinaigrette over fish and salad. Serve immediately so the salad doesn’t wilt.

Vinaigrette

2 tsp of lemon zest

½ cup of lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

½ tsp of sea salt

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of fresh oregano (chopped)

Grounded black pepper to taste



Halibut on Beet & Zucchini Salad

Enjoy!

-Michelle