Where Have You Been? On a Food Truck!

So much has changed since the last time I checked in and I've been avoiding blogging because I had to keep this secret for quite a while. I just couldn't not hint at it if I came on here to chat with you all.

So here it is... We are opening up a Healthy Food Truck in our city, Port Moody!
It's called WildRoots Juice Bistro . Scott and I will serve cold pressed organic juices, smoothies, healthy salads, soups, wraps/sandwiches and other healthy snacks. We plan on opening at the end of April but most likely the beginning of May. You can follow adventure on Facebook or Twitter @WildRootsBC


This business idea has been in the background for about a year now. It's amazing to see it all come together and a dream coming true right in front of our eyes. Still at times I feel like it's not real and something is going to happen but then I remember nope... this is real! I love it! We bought the truck in February and it's currently being fabricated to fit our needs. At home we have been narrowing down our food choices/recipes and working on the different juices we will offer.

The "Before" Picture of our Healthy Food Truck

So why a healthy food truck? The idea for the food truck came to me more than a year ago when I noticed that our community was resorting to harmful unhealthy food because they just didn't have any other options when they were on the go. At the same time my mom was told she was at her limit for chemotherapy treatments and the next step was to try new pharmaceutical drugs from Europe. After listening to her tell me "Michelle, I will never give cancer a chance to live in my body again! I will never feed my body junk food again! There's no reason for anyone to have to go through this". I knew it was time to help spread the word about prevention of cancer and other diseases that we can control. I'm huge believer that we can heal and do our best to prevent disease with pure clean food. On the side of the truck I will put up daily health tips, tricks & "did you know...". Education is key!

I have also created a cleanse called "The WildRoots Juice Cleanse" and it was created to align with your 24hr Qi Cycle. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (and other ancient healing traditions in Asia) vital energy flows through the twelve organs and completes one cycle every twenty-four hours. Completing the activity, such as eating, at the right time, ensures that energy flows properly and the digestive system works at its best. Each juice is designed for a particular organ and part of your body, which should be focused on and cleansed. The cleanse is available for delivery around the Port Moody area before we open the truck.

In other news... We got married! :)

So that's what has been happening in my life lately.
How is everyone?

-Michelle
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

Think Arete - If You Weren't Afraid

Happy Friday! I wanted to share something that floated into my inbox this morning. I thought it would be a great way for everyone to start their weekends. Maybe even a few of you won't return to that 9-5 job that doesn't agree with your soul on Monday morning ;)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and don't forget to pursue your happiness and LOVE your life and everyone in it!

            

thinkAreté.theManifesto  |  by Brian Johnson

What would you do if you weren't afraid? 

OK...
 So...uh...what exactly are you waiting for?
 This isn't a dress rehearsal...
 Wake up!
 Here's the deal: What we can be, we MUST be.
 Period.
 There's no getting around that one.
 So, turn off your TV. Put down your drink. Get off the medication.
 Quit numbing yourself. The pain's not going away.
 Not until you Think Areté.
 Think Areté?
 Yep.
 Gandhi got it. Einstein got it. Mother Theresa got it.
 Tiger gets it. Gates gets it. Oprah gets it.
 The Greeks got it.
 Get this: Guys like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle said that if you want happiness you better live with Areté--a word that literally means virtue or excellence but has a deeper meaning...something closer to “constantly striving to reach your highest potential.”
 Areté.
 How beautiful is that? It was one of the highest ideals of Greek culture.
 It should be one of ours.
 Tragically, it's not.
 We seem to be more interested in resumes, accolades and 401k's.
 Speaking of retirement...
 Who came up with that? Work our asses off doing something we're not passionate about so we can accumulate enough money to pay the bills from our stress-caused illnesses while we bitch about what we should have done when we were still young.
 Hmmm...can't quite figure that one out. Seems like it makes a bit more sense to go ahead and dare to live now...
 Why not Think Areté?
 Live to your highest potential--moment to moment to moment.
 Not in the mood?
 Fine. Then live with regret, anxiety, and disillusionment.
 Your call.
 Think about it. When do we feel most alive?
 Exactly. When we're being ourselves--our highest selves.
 You want happiness?
 Think Areté.
 Dream. Grow. Stretch yourself.
 Rip off the tie. Jump out of the cubicle.
 Dream. Think. Dare to be crazy.
 What are you waiting for?
 Think Areté.
 Live. Love. Smile. Hug. Laugh. Dream. Do. Create.
 Have fun. Be intense. Be audacious. Be unreasonable. Act impeccably. Breathe.
 Be you. Be different. Get paid to do what you love. Dance in your underwear on your way to work...
 Why not?
 Ditch the tie. Escape the cube. Leave the 8-5. Trash the resume.
 Ignore the critics. And the cynics. Burn the corporate ladders. Laugh at the ceilings.
 Quit the bitching. Open your mind. End the laziness. Overcome the fear. Transcend the conditioning...
 Why not?
 Move the world.
 Change the world.
 Push the human race forward.
 Whatever you call it, go out and do it.
 When?
 Now.
 Not when you have enough money or once you do this or do that. That's nonsense.
 It's not gonna be easy, but go out and live your dream. Now.
 You deserve it.
 And, if that doesn't move you: The world deserves it.
 Think Areté.

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Graphic Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/272467846179116604/

The Road to Recovery

I'm not much for sitting around and so when an injury strikes I have to learn how to deal with it.
About 3 weeks ago I was out hiking with Scott and we took along our friends dog as we were babysitting the cute fella. He's a really big and strong dog (rhodesian ridgeback) and while we were going along my foot slipped out from underneath at the same time he pulled to smell a tree. I fell HARD! I was slow to get up but I thought it was only my leg and thumb that suffered the most. A couple days later I could barely stand up and I couldn't sit down. I finally gave in and sent myself to the chiropractor only to find out there that I had a sprained pelvis! Who gets a sprained pelvis?!

First day back on the trails with Keena

A sprained pelvis can get quite annoying as you find out quickly that you use it a lot. I couldn't jog, do intense yoga or even sit to use my laptop. I kept pushing myself to stretch into the activity and I was determined I could make it work. This idea was stupid and I was not getting better. I had to learn that with any injury you must take the time to let it heal itself. There was nothing I could do to make it heal faster and being someone who is impatient, this drove me nuts. Not having control of things is the most challenging thing for me in life.

After having a minor meltdown one day, I gathered myself back together and informed myself that I needed to be gentle with myself. Would I be so stubborn, aggressive and unloving to a friend who suffered a fall or injury? NO! so why was I allowed to beat myself up? I'm not allowed. So I took a couple days where I just laid on my bed and read or surfed my phone. I took a longer walk each day and could see some improvement. I was being gentle, finally.

I tried challenging myself last week to see if I got take it up a notch but I'm not quite there and instead of pushing myself I took a step back and asked what I could do right now to just keep the healing going. Small steps will help me get to my main goal of being back to my healthy strong self.

Are you being rough on yourself for something out of your control? How can you take small steps to help the recovery process instead of feeling stuck?

-Michelle 
Certified Holistic Health Coach

New to Yoga

I've found something new for me and I absolutely adore it! It's Yoga!

Over the past few years I've tried yoga here and there but always found it to be a challenge. Not physically but mentally. Stuck in my head were the thoughts "is this almost over" , "ugh, I hate being told what to do", and "I should be doing ____ instead of yoga right now". All these caused me to become irritated with yoga.

I couldn't understand how people developed this intense love for yoga. I tried giving it a shot at home but nope.. again easily distracted and left it behind until. Until recently when I was adamant about meditating every morning for at least 15minutes. This helped me become grounded (being in the present moment), control my breathing and set intentions for the day. My days became a lot more in the moment and less worrying about the past and future.

One day I saw that one of our local yoga studios (I live in the Vancouver area- there's lots!), Kushala offered an early morning class. I'm a morning person and am truly willing to try new things early on in the day so I thought I'd give it yet another shot. I walked out of the class thinking "hmm, that was different and I like it". Putting it out there and wanting more, the universe gave me a kind nudge and gift. Kushala Yoga had a deal for the summer - 2 months unlimited for a cheap price. Okay, I got the hint and I snagged the deal.

It's been 11 days since and I'm so in love with Yoga! My days are so much calmer. When stressful situations arise I don't react as I would have a month ago. My body is transforming into a long lean working power house that holds my found again spiritual side. I'm being challenged to try new things at my classes and I'm actually taking the risks. My thinking is going deeper into my true self and I'm wanting to express my true self to the world, accept me as I am. My posture when I do other exercises or even sit/stand has improved (my core is building). There are so many benefits that are naturally adding up after each class.

I'm aligned again and looking forward to the rest of my summer yoga journey. I will give you all an update on the rest of the yoga journey in September.

*Side note: Lululemon has come out with a great app that locates the nearest yoga studio near you and what their schedule is. Check it out here: Lululemon Om Finder

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Yoga for Starters - Namaste infographic by HealthCentral.

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

My Life Update : What Is A Health Coach?

I'm taking steps towards my goal - dreams - purpose in life right now!

September Favourites (so far) : Sunsets, Tea and Smoothies



September is going to be the start of some really exciting things in my life. School officially started yesterday and I was an eager beaver and jumped right into studying. I'm attending the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York to become a health coach. I can officially start practicing in February. It's really interesting to meet a wide variety of people from across the world that are enrolled into the program. I love that the common interest is to create healthier lives for everyone in the world.

So what is a health coach you ask?
A health coach guides you to better overall health. Food is not the only thing that determines how healthy you are. It comes from a balanced combination of healthy relationships, fulfilling career, staying active (getting exercise) and spirituality. A health coach helps you recognize where you can improve in your life to find that overall happiness and health. Once recognized, set out and determine how to improve your health, setting goals and creating plans.

We've probably all been there at once when you can eat all the veggies you want but the scale doesn't move. Think back... were you happy at work? were you constantly arguing with others? was there no love in your heart for others? Sitting down a majority of the day? All these factors can bring down your overall health.

When your overall health is down for large periods of time, it leads to disease.

Preventable diseases is one of the reasons I wanted to become a Health Coach. It upset me to see the people around me year after year be diagnosed with diseases. Or hearing about peoples family members being diagnosed with a disease way to early in their life.

A few simple (sometimes challenging) life changes and you can prevent so much turmoil from entering your life and the ones you love.


Would you ever consider seeing a health coach?

-Michelle

Start Before You're Ready : New Health Plan

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


img via


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

Motivation for a Sleepy Monday

Yaaaaaaaawn! okay... enough of that. It's time to hit the street running and get energized for another week of so many possibilities and opportunities.

Here's some Motivation & Inspiration to get your week started!

In this world - there is NO ONE else LIKE YOU! You are one of a kind.

img via

No one talks like you
No one smells like you
No one listens like you
No one thinks like you
No one believes the same things as you
No one has the exact opinion as you
No one sees the world like you
No one remembers what you remember
No one loves the same way as you
No one can be you

Don't try to be someone else or act like someone else. You are beautiful and brilliant in your own way. No one can be like you.


Be The Best Version of YOU





-Michelle

Fitness Love : Nike Plus & Free Run - Running Shoe

I'm a huge gadget/techy geek at heart and I love finding the best app for anything.

Nike Free Run - LiveStrong Edition

I've had Nike Free Runs for a couple years now and I LOVE them! I never bothered to get the sensor to go in them to connect to my Iphone as I wasn't really into running for a while because of my problems with my back. Just in the past year my back has gotten tremendously stronger and it was time to start amping up my runs. It was also time to get my geek on!

Last week I went out and bought my Nike sensor and an arm band for my runs and hikes. Scott and I headed up for a hike/run at Buntzen and it was awesome to finally see our distance, speed and calories burned. It also got us reved up to push ourselves a little harder. The next time we went out we ended up doing 11km and accomplishing some major hills. This past Tuesday we were ready to beat our 1st time - Oh we nailed it! Our competitive nature has kicked in.

This app has got us wanting to get out more often, try new routes and push ourselves. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a workout app. It's interactive, you can see your results online and compare your efforts to the community.
 

Left: Large Hike Run - Right: Trail Run (time to beat)


Has anyone tried the Nike Fuel Band? I'm going to be downloading the running app tonight but afraid that it won't work while I'm running the trails that is out of cellular signal.

-Michelle

Weekend Summary : Fireworks and Rides

Hello lovely people!
This past Saturday was one of the busiest Saturdays I've had in a long time...

My BF and I started our exciting adventure by taking the bus to our local fairgrounds/amusement park called "Playland". The company I work for put on this event day in which they paid for our admission and had a BBQ inside the park. I've been to Playland many times but recently I've had no want to go. It's in much need of an upgrade. The last few times I went on the crickity old wooden roller coaster, I've walked off with bruises from being thrown around lol. We made the best of it and it was nice to see people from work out of the office.

After a couple hours at Playland we headed downtown Vancouver to watch the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks. This is our annual fireworks display that is on a large barge right off the beach downtown. It's always a guranteed spectacular show put on. It runs on 3 different nights and each country in the competition has a night to display their talent. We got to see Vietnam. The fireworks go to music which you can tune into on the radio. On Saturday it attracted 300,000 people to the shores to watch.

Fitness Goals for the week:

• I love this routine that FitSugar posted. I'm going to add these quick little routines to my cardio in the afternoon.
• I'm also going to beat my time in running my 4k trail with my dog.
• I'm going to do 3 sets of abs each day.

What is your fitness goal for this week?
-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Olympics Time! London 2012

Happy Friday!

Hope you all had a great week. I just came back from an awesome 4k run with the dog this morning. I decided to take today off from "normal work" and have a day to myself. After my run I had a delicious Natural Vega Energizing smoothie filled with some banana slices, strawberries, almond milk, water and chia seeds. It hit the spot! Last night my BF made a delicious healthy salmon cake (recipe to come). It's very healthy and I have to say it's the best one I've ever tried.

Today is the start of the Olympics and I am super stoked to cheer on all the athletes. Seeing an Olympic event live is on my bucket list. I hope to watch a Summer Olympic event one day. We were lucky enough to have the Winter Olympics here in Vancouver back in 2010 and the vibe that swam through the city was the most thrilling feeling. Every person you met on the street had a smile on their face and excited to tell you their story. The pride that overflowed from Canadians and all countries was incredible to witness.

Cheers to all the athletes of 2012 and good luck! What a vigorous journey it must be to get to the Olympics and so overwhelming to finally to be there and compete.

My favourite finds of the week:

I'm a sucker for infographs and I love this one on the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar to your health

Tomorrow we are heading to the beach to watch these Fireworks

Feeling the heat? Need to cool off? Cool off with Super Foods

I freaked out when I saw this recipe. A healthy alternative for my ice cream addiction.

One of my favourite photographers - amazing color

Have a wonderful weekend!
-Michelle

My Fitness Love: Pilates for Your Abs

Mid-week and it's my Thursday. I have this Friday off and I'm going put it to good use. I'm thinking of doing lots of outdoor activities to take advantage of this sunshine that doesn't stay around here too long.

Angi Green image via

 This week I've come across a couple articles and women who have inspired me to think about a "big goal" to tackle. I'm going to be completely honest with you : I've never made a huge fitness goal before. I've made goals to lose a couple pounds or get ready for a vacation. I've never REALLY pushed myself. I'm trying to think of something I can do that will motivate me to push it. In the mean time I'm on a mission to get my abs and body looking similar to Angi Greene's. The picture featured to the left is the image that inspired me this week. I know I can do this and have seen my body been close to looking like this before. To me she symbolizes health and strength.

I'm debating taking pictures to track my progress and be accountable. This also... I've never done. What do you guys think of the idea of me tracking my progress through photos?

To achieve these abs I've decided to make a couple changes to my diet. I was noticing that my body was taking too long to bounce back after having a drink (or maybe 2). My body was becoming too dehydrated and having to restart the whole process to get my body to feeling amazing was becoming stupid. I've decided to only have my "couple drinks" one day on the weekend, if I even do decide to have one. If I do decide to have a drink during the week I will only have a glass of red wine (soak in those antioxidants). I have already noticed a huge difference with not having that extra drink during the week.

I've also eliminated any diet pop from my diet. The truth comes out... I enjoyed having a diet pop every once in a while. No more for me. It's clean, lean and mean here now.

So on to abs and core talk... my favourite ab exercises that I've tried over the years is by far, Pilates or modified Pilates! It's incredible how quickly your body responds to the pilates moves for your core (power house).

I first learned Pilates core moves from a DVD I purchased. It was part of the "10 minute Solution" series. It was a great place to learn the basics and in a week I could notice a difference. I've adapted over the years adding a few different moves in my ABs Routine.

I'll share my more intense Pilates Ab Workout in another post.

My Top 3 Pilates Exercises for Your Abs/Core :

1. The Criss Cross : Similar to doing a bicycle crunch but once you do 3 motions of the bicycle you hold your left elbow to your right knee and raise your straight left leg (with pointed toes) from the floor to above your hips (point toes to ceiling). Repeat for the other side.
2. The Tummy Tuck: Starting from a plank position you bring your left knee to your right elbow across your body and return to plank. Repeat on the other side for 20 times (10 for each side).
3. The 100: start with laying on the floor. Bring legs together and straight up to a 45 degree angle. With your arms beside your side, reach towards your feet with a 45 degree angle also. Bring your shoulders off the floor and head lifted up. Pump your arms up and down for a 100 times. You can do them in sets of 10 going with your breath.

 What ab exercise is a staple in your routine?
-Michelle

#WIAW Series - Fitness Theme

I've joined the "What I Ate Wednesday" #WIAW series created by Peas and Crayons.
 


The theme for July is too focus not only on the healthy food but what your fitness focus is. So here is my #WIAW for July 18th (yea yea it's Thursday now but hey... better late than never).

Breakfast: Strawberry, mango, banana smoothie. Added one scoop of Vega Natural Energizing Protein powder. 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of almond milk.

Snacks: Small nectarine, celery sticks with hummus dip and two mushroom caps stuffed with crab.

Lunch: Green salad with a tomato, orange pepper, sesame seeds and tuna. Balsamic Vinegar/Olive oil dressing.

Dinner (not pictured): Cod fillet with a sprinkle of panko crumbs on top. Side of green beans with Serrano pepper.

Fitness: This week I focused on getting back into my usual fitness routine. I was away in Seattle on the weekend and then sick for a couple days. It threw me off but yesterday was the first day I felt back to normal. I went for my usual morning HIIT run with the dog and after work I went and played tennis with the BF. Like usual there was lots of laughs and the usual competitive spirit from both of us. We played for about an hour.

How are your fitness goals coming along this summer? Keeping to them?

-Michelle

Are You Living Up to Your Full Health Potential?

Now and again I ponder: am I living up to my full health potential?


img: via

Am I doing everything in my capabilities to feel good about myself from the inside out?
It's good take a moment and re-evaluate your health and see if you are living up to the full potential you are capable of doing. Taking this time to consider your health gives you a chance to see where you can improve.

I know with my body that it is capable of looking a certain way. I am able to have a body that is fully toned and I am capable of working out for 80-100 minutes a day. Am I currently living up to my full potential? - No. This means for me, it's time to re-evalutate and see where I can get back on track and improve. I know how my mind feels when I am at my full health potential and it's amazing. Being at that point is in my control.

Everyday we make the decision on how we are going to feel. What you put in your mouth determines the way you feel. You may pick up that candy bar and feel great or you may feel guilty/terrible but only you know how it's going to make you feel about yourself. These are the decisions that come across your plate everyday. I know that working out more than 30 minutes a day makes me vibrant and transforms my body. Exercising creates a healthy mind for me where I am able to be present when choosing, cooking and eating my food. It is my choice to work out or not.

I'm going to choose to live up to my full health potential!

This is a typical day in my FHP plan:

• 30 minutes of HIIT in the morning
• 10 minutes of abs workout
• Drink half my body weight in water
• 2 green teas
• Breakfast Smoothie (only fruit of the day)
• Handful of nuts or a healthy grain
• Lean mean green lunch (veggies & lean protein) or Omelet
• Veggies with hummus dip
• 60 minutes of running trails or playing tennis
• Lean mean green dinner (fish and veggies)
• Rest time (7 hours of sleep)

Now it's your turn: Are you living up to you FHP (Full Health Potential)? Where can you improve to be at that place where you know you are able to conquer the world?

-Michelle

5 Tips on How to Avoid Weekend Weight Gain

I have to admit: I fall into an unhealthy eating blunder on the weekend more often than I would like. Weekend weight gain!


Appies & Brunch on the Weekend


This past weekend there were a bundle of events happening and I didn't want to fall into the trap of wasting all that hard work exercising and eating lean and green to go to waste. Sometimes we can get caught in the moment of having fun with friends and family and get carried away with our food choices. I've learnt how to make minor adjustments and plan ahead. I wanted to share with you how I'm making changes to avoid the weekend weight gain.

On Saturday evening we decided we were going to have an "appy night" so I knew I had to get in more exercise than normal to counter the calories I would be taking in later on. We went for an hour hike along the lake on Friday evening and woke up early Saturday morning to fit in some tennis before the sun was too hot to handle. Knowing how much work I had just done helped me be conscious of what appetisers I chose and how many I consumed. Your appetite may increase from doing more exercise so be careful not to eat more as you actually may not need that extra food and it may just be your body craving some protein or even water.

Stay Active - Get Outside

Sunday came around and that's always a hard day to push through for me. I had brunch planned with a girlfriend and I created a plan in my head before I left. Okay.. what am I going to eat? What is a healthy choice that I will find to be delicious? This let me look at the menu in a different way when I got to the restaurant. Instead of feeling limited, I now was excited to find exactly what I had planned on eating. No last minute decisions and no stomach winning over the brain. My girl friend and I decided to split a fresh veggie eggs benedict. It had just a touch of sauce on top and was placed on a whole wheat english muffin. To go along with the one egg, we split a crisp seared ahi tuna salad - more protein and vegetables = perfect.


Being honest here: I love to have a couple drinks on the weekend (really.. who doesn't?). Well I've noticed over the last few months that if I go over my "selected amount" of drinks, well.. I can see it in the mirror and it ain't pretty! There's the bloating, puffy face and the weight around the mid section that sneaks in. So I decided I needed to take control of this nasty habit. Not eliminate completely but just take control and give it some guidelines. I've set a limit for each day and I don't allow myself to exceed it or if I do... a big warning goes off in my head reading : "Muffin Top Growing". I've also found "Skinnygirl Cocktails" and love the Lime Margarita one over ice. Fits right into my "healthy liquid" plan for the weekend.

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid weight gain over the weekends:

• Set your day off right and rev up that metabolism by eating a healthy breakfast meal full of protein and fibre. This keeps you feeling full and prevents you from grabbing for those munchies

• If you're heading out to eat and being a good girl by eating a salad or veggies: avoid creamy dressing/sugar dressing and ask for a balsamic dressing. Calories saved instantly.

• When choosing an alcoholic drink: think simple. Less ingredients and fresher the ingredients the less it will stick to the body. Try a vodka soda with a lime. Avoid those sugar blended drinks. It's a meal in a drink!

• Water, water, water - you may think you are hungry but it may just be that your body is needing some water to keep up with you on the weekend. Try to have a glass of water between each special drink you have. Frappes included!

• Stay active - you may not want to hit the gym on your weekend but find another way to exercise. Maybe even take the dog out for an extra long walk in the morning. Just don't do nothing, find something fun.

Do you have any tips to staying on top of your healthy eating lifestyle over the weekend? I would love to hear about them in the comments below or you can find me on twitter @mishy_moe and tweet me your smart tip for keeping lean through the weekend.

-Michelle

Why Do I Blog?

I'm currently attending "Blogging Your Way" e-course (highly recommend) and our homework this week was to do a blog post on : what blogging means to you, why you blog in the first place?

Blogging means to me: A Starting Point.

I have been reading blogs for years now and always wanted to start my own but I didn't know what to blog about. In the last few years I have really searched to find what my passions are and what naturally comes to me. I've found that my passion is Health & Wellness and spreading positivity in any way. I wanted to use my blog as a starting point to building a community of like minded women who care about their wellbeing and want to live each day in a positive light. I want to meet new individuals from across the world and share experiences and knowledge. I would love to collaborate with different people that are outside of my existing community. I also wanted to use this blog as starting point in helping women (&men) create a healthy life.

I want to use this blog as a way for me to get out my comfort zone. A way to push my boundaries. Sharing my opinions/thoughts and speaking out loud for all to judge or accept is a huge accomplishment on it's on for me. I also wanted blogging to be a way to push me and learn more about digital photography (another passion of mine).

This blog will also document my journey from becoming a Health Coach to opening our Health Retreat - B&B in the Caribbean. I love that I can share this journey with other people and have their support when times may get rough and of course sharing all the EXCITING times too!

I've learned alot so far on Blogging Your Way but what really stands out to me is learning the etiquette when blogging and how to deal with the different personalities. I also have loved learning about creating a brand.

Thanks to all the teachers at Blogging Your Way!
I've really enjoyed the teachers and the community of fellow students (waving hello!)

I look forward to staying in touch with them all.

-Michelle

Top 10: Bucket List for the Summer of 2012

I don't want this summer to pass me by again! 

Weekend getaway to Napa Valley

So when I saw this post at Inspired Coast, I couldn't resist and had to do my own bucket list for the summer. So many times the Fall season hits me with a thud and I realize I didn't accomplish everything I had thought about doing only because I had forgotten about them. This time.. it's here on the blog for all to see if I've done it or not.

Last Updated on 07/31/12
So here is my Top 10: Bucket List for the Summer of 2012  :

1. Kayak or Canoe in the Port Moody inlet and along the coast of downtown Vancouver. We are hoping to take the dog with us - cross your fingers please.
2. Watch a movie at the Twilight Drive-In. It's one set price and you get 3 movies! Can't beat that.
3. Taking a day for myself to really dive in to my photography. Start the day by watching some lessons and then head out to try them. CHECK
4. Run 60 minutes every morning for 10 consecutive days. I'm currently doing 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. I want to bump it up.
5. Travel (somewhere) for a long weekend. Vegas? Northern California? Osoyoos? Oregon? Ideas welcome.
6. Start brushing up on my Spanish with my boyfriend. We are going to need to learn Spanish as it will be the main language where we want to have our Health Retreat - B&B.
7. Start school becoming a Health Coach - big one for me! CHECK
8. Watch the fireworks at English Bay - Vancouver's annual fireworks competition. CHECK
9. Take a bike ride around Stanley Park
10. Hike up the local mountain and have a picnic at the top.

Bring it on Summer! I'm ready for you this time.

Any plans for the summer?

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up

Happy Weekend!

Crazy, did this week ever go by quick?! Don't get me wrong... not complaining at all. This weekend we have plans for a birthday dinner tonight and I've been craving these sushi cones from there. They are not your typical sushi cone. We asked the waitress last time what makes them so different because we tried making them with rice paper once before and it just didn't taste the same. The secret wrapping ingredient - soy paper! Now we have to go search for it.

My pups and mom are coming over for a visit on Sunday. I've really missed my dogs lately (the Bernese mountain dogs). My mom took over looking after them when I moved into my condo recently. We have my boyfriends dog, Keena but I just miss my Big Fluffy Bears!
Oh! and we are going to make some Paella. I'm thinking of doing a blog post on this recipe as my boyfriend makes a crazy paella dish! Mmmm drooling already.

Here's some interesting tidbits for the weekend:

Blueberry, Strawberry and Jicama Salsa - perfect for the beginning of summer.

Have you heard about Tough Mudder? It's happening in Vancouver/Whistler this weekend. It's crazy and I think I might make this a future goal.

Job well done! Congrats to the people of one of my favourite sites, The Everygirl. They made the Forbes Top 10 sites to follow for Millennial Women.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

Let's Be Real & Authentic: Dreams & All

So lately I've been thinking about my blog and how it wasn't sitting right for me. It felt like I was trying to be someone else. There were lots of elements I believed in but it wasn't coming from my soul. As you might have noticed I changed my subtitle of the blog from "Holistic Life Coach" to "Health & Wellness". I decided that being a "health coach" was more my style then anything else. I love to give advice on life and overwell being but I have a passion for Health & Fitness more than anything and want to help people change their lives for the better.


{via}

I'm planning to start school to become a health coach at the Institute for Integrated Nutrition beginning in July or September. I'm super excited to start this as I had originally found this program 3 years ago and at that time didn't know if it was the right thing for me. I've tried many different avenues (career wise) in these past 3 years and found that my true passion is to help people with their health and wellness. Help them create new habits in the way they think and approach life (positivity). I believe positive thinking is a major factor in helping people stick with their new diet & exercise routine and new way of life. My idea is that it's done through:   Diet - Exercise - Positivity - Attraction. I want people to create new habits that stick around with ease in their life.

What do I plan on doing with this? :
My plan is to start coaching people 6 months from now. I already have the knowledge but I would love to have the credentials to ensure people feel comfortable coming to me for help/guidance. Eventually I would love to start taking on one on one consultations with people on the Internet and in person. Creating a health and wellness PLAN personalize for them. I'd be there for them every step of the way, giving them all the support they need.

Now the big DREAM:
This is something that has been uneasy to bring up in the past because it meant I had to vulnerable with people and let them know the "real" me and be open to judgement. Now who really wants to be judged?! The thing is though... I'm ready now!

My partner (boyfriend) and I have decided that we would like to open a Health & Wellness Retreat - B&B in the Caribbean. Clients would be able to spend some of their time that they have off work (vacation time), resetting their life from unhealthy to healthy. They will be able to create new healthy habits which they can then implement back at home. I would be helping them create the plan in the beginning and teaching them each day while they are there on how to improve their health & wellness and fitness (mind, body,soul).



Guest Room {via}

 My boyfriend is an amazing cook and will be going to school to learn more skills. At the retreat he will offer cooking courses on healthy cooking. It will be great to show people how you can take an unhealthy recipe and make a few changes/substitutions and it can still taste good! The basics of healthy cooking will be offered too.

The retreat offers rest & relaxation too - it is your vacation/holiday after all! Enjoy the sand, sun and beaches aaaand maybe some wine ;)
Check out my Pinterest board : Health Retreat- B&B on how I envision it so far


Phew! That felt good to get out. The exact details may change a bit in the future - you just never know but the main goal/idea will stay the same. We've already started making changes in our life for this to happen. It's a super exciting time now that we have a dream out there in front of us.

What do you think of our dreams and goals? Would you go to a health & wellness retreat in the Caribbean?

-Michelle xo