Well, having never done a video blog before I was very unsure of what to do. And since I wasn’t really that into sitting in front of a video camera and talking to you all.. I made a video of photos. Our challenge this week was to make a video and share with you the things we have done to improve our health and lessons we have learned along the way.
delicious snack
I think I just found my new snack! One of the ladies in my Kin’s GreenFighter Challenge posted a recipe for Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas so I thought I’d give them a try. We love roasted chickpeas for snacks in our home, but I had actually never considered making them sweet! Usually we add sea salt, garlic, paprika etc…
THEY ARE DELICIOUS! … I didn’t really follow the recipe that was provided (no measuring done for this one). When cooking I usually consider recipes a guideline (which is why I rarely bake!)
This is how I made them (again measurements are approximate!)… one day I’ll actually measure for you ha ha
Let me know if you tried them… they are such a good option for a crunchy snack – and now, thanks to the recipe Alicia shared. I’ve learned they can be a sweet treat as well
Happy Earth Day!
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970 … after U.S. Senator Nelson witnessed the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. On the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. And so became an annual event.
Earth day .. should be every day. We all can take steps to help our earth.. to leave this earth a better place for our kids, grandkids .. their kids. Be a good ancestor! Think ahead, what are YOU leaving for our future generations?
In our home we do our best to teach our kids to be conscious of the impact they have on this earth. We each have to do our part.
Trim your Waste …. We recycle anything that can be recycled (and nowadays there are more and more opportunities to recycle).
We use reusable bags when shopping. Think about it… when you grocery shop, on average how many bags do you use? Let’s say 5? How often do you shop? Twice a month? More?… So if you used reusable bags for the entire year you alone could avoid using at least 120 plastic bags!
Shop local or grow your own food. I love when it’s Farm Market season. We will buy our berries in large quantities and freeze them for the year. You can find jams, veggies, fruit all sorts of goodies at our local farm market 
Plant your own food. Don’t have room in your yard/condo? Why not check out a local community garden. Only a 5 min drive away from us is Maples Discovery Garden you can rent a plot from them and start growing your own herbs/veggies etc. My friend Ginger and her family have a plot there, they have inspired our family to look into renting a plot and growing our veggies/herbs etc. as well!
Not only are you eating local you are also then increasing the number of plant based meals you consume! And who can’t use more green in your life! (spinach or kale salad anyone?)… and you just can’t beat fresh herbs!
And if you want a glass of wine at dinner… there are so many local wineries and even breweries for you to sample from.
Carpool when possible. Often in our household we are pulled in so many directions with little time between activities or activities at the same time in different cities, we do our best to arrange for car-pooling. Not only does it help schedule wise, it also helps the environment.
Unplug and power down unneeded electronic devices and appliances. Chargers, computer peripherals, home entertainment devices and other appliances can all be unplugged when not in use. This can help reduce your utilities bill and carbon emissions simultaneously. This morning when I left for work, I shut down my computer (it won’t be used all day and often I am in the bad habit of leaving it on… all the time!), I unplugged the toaster oven, microwave, cell phone chargers (those tend to get left in the wall even without the phone attached)…
Disconnect and Reconnect… if you have teenagers in your house, you know they love their phones, electronics etc. (we have 2 teens and they are attached to their phones – okay, so am I!) Even our 2 year old loves the iPad etc. So disconnect, leave the phone, the TV, the iPad grab the kids, family, friends … and go outside… play, go for a walk, enjoy nature! If you go for a walk bring along a garbage bag and pick up any garbage along the way.
I encourage you to make one positive change for our earth today and every day…
yup.. I’ve figured it out! Work your ass off and then work some more... ! That’s right, no pill, no 2 week diet, no magic soup, no specific workout routine… none of that will get you there if you aren’t ready to take it on yourself and get YOURSELF there!
Exercise: walk, run, bike, swim, dance, lift weights, join a gym, take a belly dancing class, go to yoga, get a DVD, find a wii/xbox game … whatever it is… do IT. Scared to try something? just go and try it! who care’s if you aren’t perfect (uhh Angie? yeah I’m talking to you!) whatever you do, you are doing more than the person sitting on the couch saying “I wish I could lose weight/get fit/be skinnier”. Leaving that fear at the door has been awesome. I’ve gone on my own (big step for me!) to classes/activities. I’ve done belly dancing class, pole dancing, yoga, Zumba, HIIT, meditation classes, bootcamps, run clubs, water aerobics, played hockey …. just go for it! You never know what you may fall in love with!
Eat: yup, eat to lose weight. Don’t starve yourself! Don’t try a fad diet (as tempting as all those “after” photos look) Eat, enjoy, be creative, try new food/recipes. Take a nutrition course, take cooking glasses.. use google to your advantage. Prep food ahead of time, plan meals, don’t grocery shop in a rush when you are starved and have a kid hanging off your arm (although at times that can’t be avoided!)
I enjoyed my 3 day Dr. Oz cleanse, and actually it made me aware of the way some foods were affecting me (once I started eating some of the regular foods I eat again). For example, I’m a popcorn addict. I had some popcorn after my 3 day cleanse and 1. I got bloated 2. I got a killer migraine 3. my joints got achey. Years ago I did an allergy challenge diet… I’ve been very lax on foods that I was “sensitive” to. Yes certain foods I MUST avoid (eggs) due to severe allergies, but all the other stuff I just knew I’d deal with these reactions and left it at that. Last week, those reactions to just eating popcorn reminded me that, it’s no longer worth it – I don’t want to have those reactions. It’s not worth headaches, looking 8 months pregnant, stomach aches, sore joints (yes, food CAN and will do that to you).
Be consistent: for the past few months I wake up each day and (most days) reset my thinking. I don’t have an “all or nothing” attitude the way I used to. OR if I do, I’ve learned to recognize and correct it as best as I possibly can. i.e. I had a healthy breakfast but then I went to Starbucks for lunch and had a latte and some other high calorie nothing food.. it doesn’t mean the rest of my day is shot. It means the next meal will be healthy. It means I will go for a walk, go to yoga… OR just accept that yes I ate that food and I enjoyed it. So now, I ask myself – will I actually enjoy this, is it worth it?
Accept yourself now. Look at yourself. Be thankful for who you are now. Yup, I’m heavier than I want to be. However, I’m pretty sure that the people around me really could care less. They don’t like me for the weight I am or my clothing size... they like me for me. Yes, I can get whiney when my back is hurting so bad I can barely walk. But then I remember I can walk…. there’s others that can’t – that would do anything to just walk. Be thankful for what you have now. Take pride in the person you are right this very moment!
Plan ahead & make a date with yourself &/or friends: One thing that I’ve done for the past 2 months is sit down and map out all the hockey, badminton, ultimate, track and field, gymnastics dates and times and then work around that schedule and find time for me to fit in fitness. Right now fitness consists of yoga and walking (with a slight jog added in when my back is feeling okay). If it’s 6:30am or 8:30pm I make it happen. Some days I do miss it, some days just don’t go as planned. Again, it’s not the end of the world. Move on..
Yes you will get “stuck”, you may have a bad week/day … you might not want to drag yourself out of bed. Do you remember how good it feels to finish that workout? Do you remember how much healthier you feel when you eat well? Is that worth it? To me it is! Get up early to exercise, or after the kids have gone to bed. There’s so many days I want to lay on the couch in the quiet after our 3 kids are in bed. Go do that late yoga session, or take 30 mins to walk or do weights. A strong positive mental attitude will get you over those moments when it seems like nothing is working. And we all know there will be days like that, because that’s how life rolls.. it’s how you deal with it that makes the difference! I tend to only focus on my weight (the number).. I’ve stopped that. I look at things I’ve accomplished that I could never have done 6 months ago, 2 months ago, last week…. I’ve progressed. My number may not have gone down on the scale, but I FEEL better, I FEEL healthier… I am stronger, my balance is better…. celebrate every little positive thing on this journey called LIFE!
Today I started Dr. Oz’s 3 day Detox/Cleanse. So far .. all is good. Granted ……. it IS day 1, and it’s only 3pm (ohhh!! time for my “snack drink”). So far the only thing I miss is my coffee. I’m doing this Wednesday – Friday because 1. I’m not in the office those days (to my co-workers you are welcome!) and 2. the rest of my family is at school or work all day so they won’t have to deal with me if I get ummmm slightly “hangry” (they have told me is when I get hungry – I get angry!)
I enjoyed the breakfast and lunch smoothies, maybe because they consist of things I would normally put in a smoothie anyways? Even our toddler drank the lunchtime smoothie with me and she gulped it down! (okay so I took a little artistic license with lunchtime) I forgot to buy lime, so I added a chunk of fresh ginger & some avocado (negleted to put the coconut oil in). Also I can’t have too much almond (hives, tightness in chest) so I used unsweetened coconut milk. I’m wondering how dinner will be? I’ve never put cayenne in a smoothie before!!
I’m drinking lots of water, and thankfully I have a lot of ginger root & lemons here because that’s how I’m flavouring my water (also with fresh mint leaves) makes drinking water that much easier!
So this is the gung-ho me talking on day one – ask me again tomorrow how things are going?!
Okay come on … admit it.. you just started singing didn’t you? When I hear “my favourite things” I suddenly want to run in a field in Austria whilst twirling my dress made out of curtains …. annnnnd back to reality!
The challenge this week for us GreenFighters is to share with you some of our favourite things, and so… I present to you, my favourite things… NOW try not to sing!
Raindrops when running & making me hustle
20lb dumbbells and feeling my muscle
Great tunes on iPods making me sing
These are a few of my favourite things
Cream in my coffee and crisp juicy apples
Winning at negative tough mental battles
Cold dreary weather turning to spring
These are a few of my favourite things
Fresh Breakfast smoothies to drink in the morning
Feeling my healthy body transforming
40 degree heat and yoga and stretching
These are a few of my favourite things
When the day’s tough, when there’s no zing
When I’m feeling sad
I remind myself of my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
hot yoga
I have really enjoyed discovering Hot Yoga at Oxygen in Walnut Grove, they have a great variety of hot yoga classes and I have found that while I’m recuperating my back (and still wanting to stay active and healthy) this has been
a great solution.
I’ve signed up for a full year and don’t plan to stop! I’ve been doing 3-5 classes a week, the instructors are so awesome there & always offer help in modifying for my injuries etc. If you’ve ever considered giving Hot Yoga a try, I really recommend it.
I love my running shoes, my favourite shoes so far, the bright colours on a rainy day (have you looked outside today?) make me smile. I love lacing them up and heading outside for a walk. I’ve accepted that for now, I can’t push myself to run and I am 
(somewhat) okay with that. I have gone running a few times in the past couple weeks and have definitely paid for it later on in the day. So for now, I walk.
My smoothies are another favourite thing, I can throw any combo of fruit and veggies in there with some protein and I have a delicious meal ready to be enjoyed
cranberry & veggies w/ chocolate protein powder
My favourite meals are salads, again being able to throw such a variety of foods in … okay.. it excites me. The other day I had a craving, I wasn’t sure what for but I wanted something kinda sweet. I came up with a citrus salad with goat cheese and shaved dark chocolate… can you say YUMMM????
Citrus Salad
Orange
Grapefruit
Avocado
Boursin Cracked Pepper & Cranberry cheese
shaved dark chocolate
Another favourite thing… okay well PERSON is my awesome trainer Andrea. She has a boutique studio for women in Cloverdale. Anyone intimidated to go to a gym, or wanting more than just an on-your-own gym workout – go see Andrea. Even though, at the moment I’m unable to do the HIIT classes, TRX classes or weight lifting, Andrea remains to be a wonderful supportive inspiration and I hope that I will be back training at Life Designs Fitness Studio very soon!
I love getting creative in the kitchen and trying new meals….. what are some of YOUR favourite things on your health & fitness journey?
Saturday was another in-store challenge for us Greenfighters. We were collecting donations for the Canadian Cancer Society & providing Daffodil pins for those that donated. There is a prize for the GreenFighter that sold the most pins, and one of my fellow fighters has stated that if she is the winner she will be shaving her head! Her story, along with all the other fighters’ is inspiring. Each of us is doing this for a very special reason and I have to give a shout-out to all my fellow GreenFighters … you are ALL doing an amazing job! And keeping so many people inspired.
I love reading about their progress, or their ups and downs.. because, really… that’s life! They have all put themselves out there and shared so much – keep up the great work. We are all winners in this one!
My Saturday started out early, 6:30am taking my son to the hockey rink and then meeting up for coffee with a friend & heading out to Fort Langley to photograph some amazing women that meet every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening as part of Abreast In A Boat, a Dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors.
Inspiring to say the least, these warrior women are out there paddling together and sharing a special bond.
What an awesome way to start the day!
I then headed off to Kin’s Market at Guildford for some Cancer Fundraising. Met and chatted with some wonderful people (and a friendly bearded dragon!). We had delicious fruit samples, kids activity books, baloons etc. for all to enjoy.
Finished off my day by going to a Canucks game. All in all a great Saturday!
I’ve been telling my Dr. this for months and months now… stretching, exercise, X-rays … nothing
Today I got my CT scan results.
Lots of medical words that I’m going to have to look up… (I got her to print report for me)
Basically :
So now… on to an MRI
Dr. told me to lose weight (insert cynical laugh here!) ummmm YES, that IS what I’ve been attempting to do for 6 months! Why I’ve come to you repeatedly asking “what’s wrong” “something isn’t right”. The answer: don’t eat late at night, cut your carbs. BIG SIGHHHH
And work on my core, once again .. I’ve been doing this for months. Not that I expect instant results, but I’d hope something would have happened (in the weight loss department) by now. And the pain? It doesn’t get any better.
At the very least, I know that all those times that I’m in tears trying to walk up the stairs, or that I feel like I’m really OLD when I get up out of bed in the morning… barely able to take a few steps at first. They aren’t in my head, I’m not dreaming up pain. I know why Advil etc. does nothing. I just “grin and bear it”. Pain is constant, some days way worse than others. However, life goes on – there’s other people out there dealing with more pain and sickness than this… and so … I grit my teeth and keep going. It’s not the end of the world! Hopefully there will be more information once I get my MRI.
I do my exercises that my physiotherapist gave me, I do yoga, I stretch, I workout, I lift weights, I do cardio, I log my food, I eat my veggies, I drink my water, I rarely drink alcohol, I rarely eat packaged foods, I pay attention to what I’m eating, I take my vitamins … is that not enough? One day it will all come together right? And the pounds will drop?
I’ll keep lacing up my shoes, I’ll keep eating well, going to yoga, exercising, walking – I’ll continue to make my body better and healthier!
my road to better fitness and health 