Happy holidays

Happy holidays to all my fitness friends! How are you fairing so far with holidays goodies and treats as well as the hustle and bustle? Have you been staying on track with a little indulge here and there? Or are you staying strong and choosing to stay away from anything not healthy? I have been indulging here and there as i have been doing a little baking. I have made my famous Reindeer poop that i normally make with my best friend Mel, who shared the recipe with me a few years ago. This year i de-gluten-ized it and made the recipe slightly healthier. Last night i made an awesome healthy gluten and vegan free gingerbread recipe courtesy of my friend Naomi Jathan. Who is a Registered Hollistic Nutritionist, check out her website here. We were over for dinner on sunday night and she made an amazing clean Pad Thai recipe and we had gingerbread with icing made green with chlorophyl for dessert! So cool!

I just ate two of these while i wrote this entry and heated them up for 20 seconds in the microwave and sprinkled with a little stevia. YUM!!! I also enjoyed with a nice cool glass of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Ginger bread recipe


Wet
1/2 cup softened coconut oil or Earth balance vegan butter
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup fancy molasses
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt


Dry
2 cups brown rice flour or sorghum flour (i used 1.5 cups brown rice flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour)
1/2 cup tapoica flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1.2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 heaping tsp of ginger spice (i found that this wasn't quite enough. I would use a 1 tbsp for a more gingerbread-y cookie)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


In a medium bowl combine wet. Combine dry in another and once mixed add the dry to the wet and mix well.


Form a ball and wrap with waxed paper, place in fridge for 30 min allowing the dough to cool. While it's cooling try this Tone it Up "Hot cookies" workout right in your kitchen! I did one round of it since i had never tried it before:) It was fun!


Once dough has cooled roll it out on waxed paper, no thinner than 1/4" and use your favourite cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men, Santa's, Stars and Christmas trees:)


Place parchment paper on baking tray and bake for 10-12 min at 375.


Reindeer poop


Mix in a double boiler as chocolate can burn easily. Or be risky and keep a very close eye on it if you don't do it in the double boiler.


Melt:


1 cup dark chocolate
1/4 cup Earth Balance spread or butter
1/2 cup natural peanut butter


Once melted mix in 1 box of Chex cereal in batches until all coated with the chocolate mixture.


Transfer to a large ziplock bag once it's cooled slightly and put in 1.5 cups of organic icing sugar and shake it up.


This stuff is majorly addictive and i am really excited that i tried a healthier version this year i didn't feel quite as guilty since it was natural peanut butter and not regular peanut butter.


Let me know if you try these recipes out and what you think.


Remember to enjoy the holidays even the hustle and bustle of it all. And try to keep up with those workouts even if it's just 10-15 min here and there. Do higher intensity circuits and don't stop to get a really good workout in quickly.


Check out the great circuits on both Tone it Up and Blogilates. Most circuits only take 10-20 min so you can add a few together or just do one if you only have time for one! Great killer workouts:)

Pyramid speed workout

I wasn't feeling running outside last night as it was pouring and was looking for a good treadmill speed workout. I found lot's but this is what i did last night. The workout totals 50 min and it's a killer

Run like a Cheetah speed workout

5 min Slow run/jog to warm up

1 min run fast

1 min recovery slow run

2 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

3 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

4 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

5 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

4 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

3 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

2 min run fast

2 min recovery slow run

1 min run fast

5 min slow run/job to cooldown

I just wrote this out and put it on a sticky and put it on my treadmill! Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Hope you all have a great Thirsty Thursday! Remember to hydrate:) If you are reading this make sure you go grab your water!

Oh she Glows Strawberry banana & nut butter muffins modified gfree styles

I love baking on sundays! Pure bliss. Getting in a good walk with Laila and/or a nice sweaty hot yoga session. And then chilling and baking something yummy for our snacks for the week. Today i opted for some sort of banana recipe from one of my fav go to blogs for delicious recipes, Oh She Glows. Now this recipe had gluten ingredients but i just modified and made it gfree. I will put in brackets my modifications and you can make my way if you are gfree or her way if you aren't. I think her way would be amazing as well but my stomach wouldn't have any of that!

Ingredients (9-12 muffins)

• 1 cup whole grain spelt flour (I used 1 cup of Brown rice flour, you could probably use any gfree flour though, like coconut flour)
• 3/4 cup unbleached white flour (I used almond flour, you could definatley use tapoica starch as well or any other gfree flour that you like)
• 1/4 tsp. Himalayan sea salt (i forgot to add, oops...needed to help preserve them longer and lot's of nutrients in sea salt that an active body needs)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (i forgot this as well, too distracted my making my modifications i think?!?!?)
• 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar) (I find she uses a little too much sugar for my liking so as usual i half the sugar. I used 1/4 cup of organic sugar cane sugar)
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans (I don't like nuts in my baked goods, so no pecans for me
• 1 tsp of xanthan gum (only needed if you are making these gfree)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
• 1.5 tbsp. ground chia seed (or flax) + 1/4 cup water (this is used to make these muffins vegan. This is equal to about 1 full egg)
• 1.25 cup almond milk
• 2 heaping tbsp. coconut butter
• 3 tbsp. nut butter (i used almond butter, i almost think i'd add a bit more next time)
• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 large banana mashed, left a bit chunky
• 3/4 cup strawberries, chopped (i used frozen strawberries, no recommended unless you thaw and drain first, while the muffins are really yummy they are mushy in sections since the strawberries added more moisture as it melted and baked)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Grease a muffin tin and set aside.
• In a small bowl mix the ground chia and water and set aside.
• In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients (flours, salt, cinnamon, Sucanat, pecans, baking soda + powder). Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix all wet ingredients (chia + water mixture, milk, warmed coconut butter, nut butter, maple syrup). Mix well.
• Add wet to dry and stir.
• Fold in chopped strawberries, reserving 1/4 of them to sprinkle on top of muffins.
• Scoop mixture into muffin tin and sprinkle on remaining strawberries.
• I made 12 smaller muffins, you can also make 9 bigger ones. In my oven i baked them for 30 min Angela, from Oh She Glows, baked them for 25 min and she made 9 large muffins)

Yummy gluten/yeast/dairy free pizza crust

The other night i had a hankering for pizza and pizza on my brown rice tortilla's was getting old and i always make extra at dinner for lunch the next day and the tortilla was always soggy and barely edible. So i decided i wanted a quick and easy recipe for a gluten free pizza crust that didn't involve waiting for it to rise. I did a google search and came across a few recipes. One from Veganza caught my eye out of the 5 or so i looked at it. I had no expectations for it to turn out since gluten free cooking and baking can be tricky at times. I was pleasantly surprised.

Here is the recipe. I will be making it again...not next week but the week after for sure!

1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup besan/chickpea flour (OR half cup maize flour; OR half a cup of blended chickpea and maize!) I used Maize aka corn meal flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca
teaspoon of salt
teaspoon of xantham or guar gum (optional, but advisable since gluten is what binds dough together. You need something to keep it together or it'll be a crumbly mess)
tablespoon baking powder
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
up to 1 cup of water, or as needed
small handful of mixed seeds, ground flax/LSA, nutritional yeast, etc (i used flax seeds)

Method:

1. Sift together flours, salt, gum, and baking powder. Stir or whisk until well combined.
2. Add half a cup of water and all the oil to flour mix. Stir until combined, then knead, and form into a dough ball, adding more water as necessary. (Note: this won’t be stretchy like wheat dough. It will be more like pastry dough.) Only add as much water as you need. Too much and the crust will be crumbly.
3. Knead through mixed seeds, etc.
4. Very lightly flour pizza stone/tray (rice flour is good for this). Put the ball of dough on your pizza stone/tray. Flatten it gradually, pressing it into round, pizza-base shape, making sure the edges aren’t crumbly, fixing them as you go. Make sure the dough is evenly distributed as you go. Use a rolling pin to make the process faster. (If it’s not, you can patch holes up by taking dough from other areas – I didn’t have to do this, though, as the dough was quite workable).
5. Roll the edges of the pizza base over, so that the edge centimetre is twice the thickness as the rest of the base, pressing firmly.
6. Bake base for 10 minutes in preheated oven at 450 F. Remove from oven and cool a little. While the base is baking and cooling, sort out your sauces and topping.
7. Add sauces and toppings to pizza. Using a pastry brush, brush edges of pizza base with olive oil. Bake pizza in 450 F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until pastry and toppings are cooked/browning.

Great visit with Dr. Pain

A lot of us runners affectionately refer to our chiropractor Brett Leblanc as Dr Pain. He hurts you sooooo much but all in name of getting you back to your sport as quickly as possible. I went to see Brett on Wednesday for my now confirmed Plantar Fasciitis. Something runners can be prone to. No fun:( From my last post you know that i was really bummed out by this. I love running more than anything and it's my main form of staying in shape and relieving any stress.

During my visit Brett not only confirmed that i do indeed have Plantar Fasciitis but that my ankle movement and mobility in my left was restricted as well as my right, just not as bad. So he pulled, yanked and adjusted those ankles and then began my shockwave therapy treatment, which has accelerated healing powers. SCORE! OMGEEEEE It sure hurt! Basically it's a very intense short energy wave that travels faster than the speed of sound into the affected area. The sessions are about 10-15 min and normally the patient is better within 3-5 treatments. Brett estimates 3 weeks and 3 treatments until i am all healed up AND he even said i can continue running while getting the treatment just not for the 48 hours following. As it's still tender for that duration. My heel is still pretty tender even though it was 48 hours this morning i decided not to run but rather concentrate on my arms and abs again! My arms and abs have taken a beating this week! I have alternated between arm/ab workouts one day and then next yoga or some deep stretching the next alternating. I am going to see how my heel feels tomorrow morning and attempt a run. I find it's not as tender when i have my runners on, probably because my arch is very supported in my orthotics.

Plantar Fasciitis isn't the only thing treated by Shockwave therapy. It also treats a slew of injuries:
Achilles Tendinopathy
Scar tissue treatment
Tennis elbow
Jumpers knee
Calcific rotator cuff tendinitis
Stress fractures

He also gave me 2 exercises to help as well...one before running and one after. Although i haven't been running this week i have been doing them anyways so i remember them and start getting the benefits from them. So here's hoping i mend quickly:) I am staying positive despite it! Keep on keeping on.

Maintain the positivity

I'm not gonna lie i was feeling really down on myself all day. I was and still am a little about my injured heel. This is day 3 of it hurting and i am self diagnosing myself with Plantar Fasciitis. I'm off to see my chiropractor tomorrow (i find he's more like a physiotherapist though with his treatment methods) for an official diagnoses. But i have many of the symptoms (hurts more in the am and gets better throughout the day, dull aching pain) and a few of the risk factors (high arches, an avid runner and tight calf muscles).

While i had been preoccupied with feeling sorry for myself all day it wasn't until i got home and did a 20 minute Lululemon easy yoga workout followed by Tone it up's stretch and release as well as foam roller workout that i started to feel better about my situation and myself. You cannot be too hard on yourself for an injury or play the "what if" game that's not going to help you get any better and it's going to end up delaying the healing process. I need to keep my chin up and keep on trucking. It will get better and i need to think positive thoughts like this to help myself heal and help me get through this. At this point i don't know how long it'll take to heal but i am optimistic that since it's only day 3 and i am smart enough now not to push through and seek help immediately that it will heal quick and if it doesn't then so be it. A longer break then wanted but c'est la vie.

Our bodies are really smart and tell us when we need to dial down the intensity of our workouts and tell us when to give it a rest and do some workouts that are easier on the body. I think it's important to take a week here and there where you aren't as intense with your workouts and walk more, do some easy stretching yoga, easy bike rides etc. I did relax a little after my last half marathon but not enough i only took the day after off and was back to running by Thursday. Perhaps this is a lesson to take more time off running wise after a big race like a half marathon or a full marathon? I still plan on doing the full in May in Ottawa if this heals up quick enough. If it doesn't then Ottawa May 2012 wasn't meant to be as the time to complete my first full marathon. I am going to listen to my body, as hard as it is, and take this time to do lot's of active rest and i can still work on my abs and arms:) So it's a time to concentrate on those areas more. If this ends up being longer than a week off running healing process then i will get back into pool running like i had to a little over a year ago during my last injury. I had hurt my ankle while training for the Legs for Literacy full marathon and never was able to do it.

I'm going to try to keep my head up high and not let this get me down. There is a reason for everything and a lesson to be learned with each set back whether an injury or something else in your life. Life isn't meant to be easy, it's full set backs and roadblocks that make us stronger and better as a person, as a whole.

How do you guys cope with set backs and roadblocks in training and in life? What are your positive strategies to keep positive? I would love to hear them.

Trying new workout's

Hey all. So i know it's been awhile again! Sorry. Life gets busy as you all know:) I just wanted to share and talk about a new fitness blogger i have discovered. Cassey Ho of www.blogilates.com she is the creator of Pop pilates in San Francisco. She not only posts great workouts but lot's of recipes too. I haven't tried making any of them yet. But they all look great and she even has one for a healthy microwave oatmeal muffin! Nothing like a quick clean snack!

So if you are looking for something new and to switch it up i would definitely check her out! Yesterday i did 3 of her workouts. I did the RIP workout which is basically an arm/ab circuit done in the plank position for the whole circuit...whoa kicked my ass. I also did the Slim n' sexy summer arms workout and this one was so hard...my arms were jello after. I then wanted to work on my abs some more so i did Cinch that waist ab circuit. To end it off i did Tone it up's Ghost Buster cardio 3 times through instead of the 5 times since i was doing my long run this morning. Not so smart the day before a long run. My legs were on fire for my whole run this morning. But it felt great despite that.

Karena Dawn from Tone it up running in an Oakley ad.

I just got back from a walk with Laila and my mom...nothing like a good walk to get the lactic acid out of your legs i find! I will foam roll like crazy tonight and i plan on going to hot yoga tomorrow to stretch it out even more. Speaking of which i am really enjoying hot yoga at Dynamic Fitness in Moncton. If you haven't checked out a class there i truly recommend it. I try to make it twice a week as i find it really compliments my running which these days is my main focus and workouts. I typically run 3 days a week. Mondays is a tempo run about 8-10km, Wednesdays is a speed track workouts at CEPS and Saturdays are my long easy runs. I find i injure myself if i run anymore than 3 days a week so i cross train with hot yoga and full body or arm/ab circuits. The great thing about circuit training is that they work your cardio at the same time. I love having a home gym now. I'm slowly building it. I have a treadmill, some weights, a kettle bell, bosu and gym quality stability ball. Which is almost all i need. I would like to get some more weights though some 10's for sure. I really don't lift heavy anymore now that i am into circuit training and running being my main workout. I would like to get an elliptical one day too though as i find they are great for cross training and that's one thing i miss using at the gym.

New workout circuit

Made up a new circuit today while doing my workout! Inspired by Tone it up. I paired it with Karena's lean arm's workout and Tone it up's Total body stability workout. Hope you all enjoy!

Do this circuit 3 times
This workout works the chest, triceps and abs

20 deadlifts with shoulder raises
20 push ups on the bosu dome side down
20 tricep dips
20 chest fly's with back on bosu
20 crunches on bosu
20 v sits twists on bosu with 10 lbs medicine ball
Hold plank for 40 sec on dome side of bosu
20 Tone it up tummy tucks on bosu dome side down

This workout was killer!!! I also made up a little circuit last week too that's shorter. Here that is too:

Do this circuit 3 times 15-20 reps
This circuit works the chest, lower back, upper back and shoulders

-Push up on bosu dome side down - lift one leg up for 10 reps and then lift other leg up for another 10 reps
-Shoulder press
-Bent over row
-Lower back extension with row to shoulder rotation at top

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Gluten free bread maker Country bread

Well it's been too long again since i last wrote! I find it hard to sit down long enough to get a post out these days! I will try to write more often, will be easier now that fall is here. We just got back from Vegas and our wedding a little more than a week ago. It was amazing! But i was very jetlegged, exhausted and dizzy because of the both not fun at all! Today was the first day i felt rested. FINALLY!

One of our wedding presents from our friends Eric and Johanna was a bread maker and Johanna made me a few recipe cards too with gluten free recipes! How sweet and thoughtful. I had told her how much my loafs of bread cost ($7-10) and she took pity on me...and gluten free bread can also be very dry and awful too.

I made my first batch Saturday and was really nervous i would mess it up. I heard that it takes a few tries to get it right. So i set to work with the recipe card she made me called "Gluten free country bread"

3 extra large eggs lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cups potato starch flour
1/3 cup soy flour (i used quinoa b/c i can't digest soy)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup instant skim dry milk powder
3 tbsp organic sugar
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 instant yeast

1. Place all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk together.
2. Beat eggs lightly and stir in other wet ingredients
3. Pour wet ingredients into bread pan followed by the dry.
4. Create a hole in the upper corner and pour yeast that's been proofed into it.
5. During the first kneading cycle, use a rubber spatula to scrape ingredients from the sides of the pan.

My bread maker has a specific gluten free cycle. So hopefully if you have one it has one too.

Tone it up's Bikini max burn workout with a half marathon training twist

Well summer has gotten the best of me and i haven't had as much time to blog it seems. But today i am inspired and have some time to post my workout this afternoon (my home made pasta sauce is heating up as we speak and i'm trying to make zucchini pasta for the first time, basically zucchini cut up in "noodles" and put in boiling water for 1 min easy peasy and lean and green for those of you who follow Tone it Up you know what i mean:) )

Ok so since i am a few weeks in to my half training i have taken Tone it Up's Bikini Max burn workout and turned it into a training run as well as toning workout.

Keep in mind that i have made this harder and you should have a good running base before attempting it! And listen to your body if it says stop then stop. But as Karena and Katrina say you do need to push yourself and feel uncomfortable too to see change in your physique.

20 jumping jacks
10 burpees
20 lunges
5 min run
15 pushups
15 dips
20 lunges
5 min run
40 sec plank on hands
20 tummy tucks each side (Don't know what a tummy tuck is? Check it out here)
20 bicycle crunches each side(Different style of bicycle crunch check it out here)
5 min run
40 sec plank on hands
20 tummy tucks each side
30 bicycle crunches each side
5 min run
40 sec plank on hands
20 tummy tucks
30 bicycle crunches
then finish off with a tempo run for 25 min

Try this out and let me know what you think!

Summer is here

It's been a great and busy summer already. We just got back last Wednesday from an extra long weekend in NYC, then i was off again driving to my friend Jenanne's cottage on Saturday morning. I am beat. 28 hours of driving in total to NYC there and back and then another 4.5 hours of driving to and from Jenanne's cottage. And to top that i am not sleeping. I toss and turn all night. I will admit though that i had an amazing sleep at Jenanne's but i think the sangria we consummed during the day helped that. I started drinking coffee daily on the way to NYC July 8th and i think that may be my issue. I only ever drink coffee here and there and i find it's really affecting me when i drink it. I love the energy i get and don't seem to crash. I only have been having one a day in the mornings but i have been enjoying L and XL hot and iced varities with stevia and chocolate unsweetened almond milk...YUM! But today after another crappy sleep i am stopping to see if that's the culprit of my shitty sleeps. Sticking to green tea today which is my normal hot and iced beverage of choice. So here's hoping this works! I will keep you posted.

On another note i have decided to start a little 40 day challenge and i have picked some goals i want to complete within 40 days. Jenn Thiel author of the blog Smile with your Heart started doing them last October and is still going strong with them. She always has a reward for herself at the end too...doesn't have to be material. It can be anything:) I think it's a great way to keep yourself accountable and ensure that you get some goals/bucket list items done within a time line. It also takes about 21 days to make something a habit, so to really cement it why not 40 days? I am going to do mine alongside Jenn's which started July 11 and goes until August 19th, 2011. I have created a list of goals which i will add to the side of my blog i think they are listed at home in my journal.

I'm off to try a noon yoga class at Bodywise Yoga in Moncton. It's a Vinyasa class. My gym membership is now on hold so i am still trying to figure out which yoga studio i want to get a punch pass at.

Learning the art of patience

"Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success."

-Brian Adams

I get  an awesome dose on inspiration through The Daily Love emails in my inbox every morning (along with Smile With your Heart) and today the quote above was in The Daily Love email and it really resonated with me. Patience is something i struggle with and something i am working on to improve my mental health. Gotta work out your mind and make it healthy just like your body. It isn't healthy to feel impatient with people and in turn becoming annoyed or frustrated with their behaviour. The person in question is not forcing me to become impatient with them i am choosing to act this way. I am responsible for my actions and the responses i have to people's behaviour and i am choosing to practice patience.

Impatience drags you down and brings on a sleu of negative feelings that bring your mood down. Something i have suffered a lot from over the years. Why am i letting myself be pulled into this negative thinking and then letting my head spin around it and eventually becoming anxious over it? Just seems silly now that i realize i choose to act this way. I am working a lot lately on becoming healthier mentally i want to beable to control this and not let myself get worked up over the small stuff. It's coming slowly but surely. I find yoga and meditating help me a lot mentally. I challenge you to try a yoga class out at your local yoga studio if you haven't yet. You would regret it. As for meditating i simply downloaded some free guided podcasts on iTunes!

Whenever i get impatient i start to take some very deep breaths and imagine myself pushing the impatient thoughts from my head. There is no room in there for that crap! Get it out. And i keep telling myself that i am choosing not to let another person's behaviour get to me.

We are all in a rush these days and find ourselves getting impatient with a slow cashier, someone walking slow, driving slow etc...Jenn Thiel of Smile with your Heart made an amazing point in one of her past blogs, in these kinds of sitations we need to thank the universe for testing our patience and helping us to practice this. What a great positive way of looking at it! So thanks universe for helping me practice lot's lately:) It's getting better with all this practice one day i won't even have to think about it anymore and the little silly things won't get me down anymore!

With my blog growing and changing with me i am thinking i need a new name. "Buff to the bone" just doesn't cut it anymore as i am focusing on healthy minds now as well as physical health. Any ideas? Suggestions? I am going to be brainstorming!


Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. I am off to hike in Fundy again tomorrow CANT WAIT. I love it there. My pass is good until next June, i want to get snowshoes and check it out in the winter...i hear it's amazing:)

Get outdoors rain or shine!

The start:)

Ahhhh another great hike in Fundy today! The day was threatening for thunder showers (less than 5 mm though) with sunny periods and it was just that! My mom and i went to Fundy today and hiked the Moosehorn and Laverty Falls which Moosehorn goes into. What an awesome hike! It's about 8.3 km and Moosehorn is quite difficult at times we felt like billy goats climbing up rocks and around them. We saw 3 or 4 huge waterfalls and lot's of little ones. Laverty and Moosehorn are probably my favorite trails at Fundy. We brought miss Laila bum and she had a ball too and is currently passed out on her bed. She is DONE.

If there is one thing you do this summer it's get out and explore Fundy. It's gorgeous and the trails are awesome. One of my goals this summer/fall is to hike all the trails i even bought a season pass today since it'll pay for itself in 4 trips and it makes me accountable. I can't let it go to waste now can i? My goal is to go to Fundy every Sunday i possibly can rain or shine! Today we didn't let the threat of severe thunderstorms scare us away and we are so glad we went. My mom and i are beat! We were so mellow and chill on the beautiful drive back home. Just sat and cruised along a couple times i was way under the speed limit something unusual for me as i'm normally always rushing around from point A to point B...but lately i have been taking my time more, you miss so much when you are constantly rushing around. It's so nice to just breath and be in the moment. 

Laverty Falls

The storm started to roll in about 3/4 through the trail. It was crazy the thunder was so loud, yet where we were on the trail it was clear with a few white fluffy clouds. Then we got closer to the Laverty falls and saw the big dark menacing cloud. The whole hike up the Laverty Falls trail we could here it yet the sun was trying to shine through up ahead. It started to pour too but the trees were so lush and thick they canopied over us and kept us dry and we could hear the huge rain drops hitting the leaves with the odd one making it through to us. 

On the way back through Alma, we stopped at a cute organic cafe called An Octopus Garden Artisan cafe and bake shop. I love it (you must check it out the next time you are in Alma, it's on the left hand side right beside the pizza place as you come in). I stopped a few weeks ago when Laila and i went for our first hike. It's an artisan cafe/gallery and has some art, knit clothing and blown glass on display in a gallery upstairs. My mom and i got some loose Fruity green tea to go and i got a gluten free Peanut butter chocolate square OMG it was heaven. So yummy...my mom's square was called Mermaid something. I wish i could remember now as it was a cute name. We even discovered that they have live music as well as jam nights on Friday evenings. I will definitely make a trip out just for the live music.

The end:)

Hope you all had a great weekend and got outdoors a bit. If not get outside this week and next weekend too for hike or a nice walk. Hope you all have an awesome week. Fingers crossed for some more sunshine after all this rain.

Inspired!

Well it's been a weird past few weeks for me. I feel like my body and mind have been through a lot which resulted in me getting sick Sunday. Started with a sore throat as soon as i woke up and continued throughout the day. I had no energy. My body was forcing me to slow down something i am learning to do as well as listen to my body. I have been reading a blog called Smile with your heart by Jenn Thiel since last week. My good friend Kendra introduced her to me. She had told me about her many times before and i never really took the time to look. And wow i am amazed by this inpsiring Vancouver woman with a zest for life, travelling, yoga, running and the great outdoors.

Random bridge and platform on the path by the river by my house

Since Friday i really have been working on me, i created my first vision board. So cool. You have to try to it if you haven't basically get some bristol board, scissors, some old magazines and glue and make a collage of what inspires you, your goals, things on your bucket list etc. I do recommend sitting down and making some goals for yourself as well as i bucket list before even starting on the vision board. Then things will just come pouring out to you. It's therapeutic to create one. I am not totally done mine yet. Still a few things to add. One of my main goals was to learn to meditate to help with my anxiety and to help quiet and slow down my mind. I have started already and wow i notice i difference already. I downloaded some guided meditation podcasts for FREE through itunes. How cool is that?

Petticodiac River aka Chocolate River by my house

Pretty lupins

I feel like i have grown and changed so much over the last week it blows my mind. I feel more positive, inspired, driven and happy for what i have. I feel like i appreciate nature more and more the more i get out there and just look around me. I have been so addicted to facebook and twitter lately that i haven't even been really looking around me and appreciating whats there on my walks with Laila. That was another goal of mine to really decrease my online time especially checking facebook and twitter ever 30 min that is TOO MUCH. My body has been craving to disconnect and recharge and i'm finally listening...since Sunday i have only been on facebook and twitter about twice a day! That is CRAZY for me...i don't even want to go on. I want to enjoy what is happening around me and be involved in the conversations and life! My psych said months ago that i need to decrease how much time i am spending online. And i did for awhile and then just stopped and it increased again. Constantly feeling the need to be connected and check email, facebook, twitter etc was in fact making me more anxious and it was stimulating my brain so much that it was hindering my sleep even more as if i didn't already have enough sleep issues:)

Alright that's enough for today:) Hope you all had a great day. Get out and enjoy the fresh air and the sun...i just did:) Had a great relaxing walk with Miss Laila bum! I will talk about my goals/bucket list in a post to come. 

Take the time to disconnect from the world

Yesterday i did something i hardly ever do. I disconnected myself for the day from all social media facebook, twitter and email. Now it wasn't the whole day but the majority of it and wow it felt great. Not anxiously checking to see if i had another @mention on twitter or a new message on facebook. I am quite addicted to checking facebook and twitter, i check it about every 30 min to an hour...so to disconnect myself for the majority of the day is quite the task for me! This is something i am going to do more of. I didn't even check it this morning until i got to work! Crazy! I took the time for myself this morning and meditated and then slowly got ready for the day not rushing one bit.

Learning to meditate was something i have challenged myself to this month. I am doing guided meditations right now with some lovely podcasts i found. And they are great. I am the type of person who's head is constantly spinning and i am always rushing from point A to point B. And i get easily anxious or stressed. So meditation is something i need to do for me, something i need to do to quite this busy mind of mine. I always thought meditation was silly but it's becoming more and more apparent that this is something my mind needs and craves and i haven't been doing it for all these years when my body has been crying for it. I take care of my body physically now it's time to take care of it mentally and become mentally healthy.

Now the other challenge i have for myself for this month is to start disconnecting more from the internet, social media and my iPhone. I want to learn not to crave checking it all so much and i want to take time for me. It's not good for my anxiety to constantly feel the need to always be checking! So i won't be going on in the mornings anymore before work. I will be taking that time to meditate instead. So much more beneficial and rewarding and what a great way to start the day. Ahhhh. I also vow to get off the internet an hour before bedtime so i have a chance to unwind and quiet my brain down before sleep. I was getting really good at this in the winter months but all of a sudden stopped. I want to get back to this. And summer is such a perfect time so much to do at nights. I won't want to be sitting at my computer checking facebook and twitter obsessively.

Now about my day yesterday. My fiance, Shannon and our boxer Laila all went on a fishing trip. I don't really fish i just wanted to go along to relax, disconnect and be out in nature. We went to Cannan River by Coles Isalnd. It's only about 45 minutes away from Moncton and it's beautiful. The water was sooo calm. I just sat and relaxed, read a lot and talked with Shannon. It was amazing. Laila was pretty well behaved but get's a little obsessed with the lures and wants to bite them, we don't let her get close and we are trying to train her not to and to just lay down in the boat. She was getting it after awhile. She is such a sweetie. I am quite in love with our big girl:) Fishing trips are something i hope to go on more of. It's so nice to be out in nature like that and just enjoy the peace and quiet and the disconnection from the world.

I challenge you all to disconnect one afternoon of the week even and just get outside and enjoy nature with a friend, boyfriend, husband, wife, girlfriend or even a family member. Just get out there and take all the beauty of nature in.

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Running, hiking and cookies

Ahhh i am loving the warmer nicer weather we have been getting lately. Although today was rainy this morning and cloudy all day it was still nice. Late afternoon my fiance, Shannon and i went out for a little four-wheeling trip. We have trails minutes from our house and so much woods to explore. Today we discovered the dam and a lake. So pristine. I am curious if you can swim in it. I will have to do some asking around. We also came upon a deep brook, which links up to one of my favorite hiking trails, the Dobson. Minutes by car from our house as well. Everything is so lush right now. I plan on running about 12km tomorrow morning and i may just take a drive up to Fundy park, about 45 min away and take Laila for a hike up there. I love summer and being outdoors. It's amazing. I sleep so much better after a day of being outside...ahhhh. Bliss.

I am really working hard on getting my speed up this summer running wise. My friends Jaclyn, Kendra and i have been joining the local triathalon group for their intense speed workouts...they kick our ass hardcore. I can't wait to beat my personal best again come October for the Legs for Literacy half marathon. I can do this! Right now i am in maintenance/speed training mode. I haven't started my half training yet. That won't come until the end of July. Jaclyn and Kendra are doing the Legs full again this year. I was very tempted but decided to stick to my beloved half marathon. I will do a marathon eventually i am thinking it will be my get back into shape after a baby goal:)


Alright on to the cookies. As you know I am always on the hunt for healthy cookie recipes as i love my snacks:)


3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.

The dough is a bit looser than regular cookie dough but don't worry. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 1 tbsp in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes.

Artificial sweetners: a sweet poison

Now i have been against artificial sweetners for quite awhile now after doing lot's of reading about it and have made a concious effort to avoid processed, chemically, man made foods...only whole foods for this girl!!! I will admit that i am not perfect but actually since becoming gluten free there are a lot of processed foods i cannot have anymore, a blessing in disguise! I am no longer tempted by the processed crap because i now know what it feels like to be stomach ache, gas and bloat free! Why would i want those symptoms to come back for 5 minutes of bliss and then DAYS or a WEEK worth of pain? Not worth it if you ask me. Now i don't buy all organic foods but i try to buy as much as i can, it just gets expensive so i have to pick and choose what i get. Bananas they have a thick protective outer layer so i don't normally buy organic there but grapes, berries etc dont have a layer you peel off so i buy organic there.

Now on to chemical sweetners! If you want something sweet make it/bake it yourself with a natural sweetner like honey, maple syrup, agave or organic sugar like sucanat that is less processed and bigger pieces of sugar cane and not bleached white! Or even stevia, which is derived from a plant and just as sweet if not sweeter (i am not a fan of the taste though as it kind of tastes like fake sugar) And if really must have a pop go for a regular coke rather than a diet coke...at least it's not a chemical sugar! And a little tiny bit better for you! Also did you know that when comsumming fake no calorie sugar your body keeps waiting for the calories it gets from sugar and when those don't come your body then craves these calories so you end up eating more! So in an effort to save calories you end up eating more. Is that worth it? Not that i am in to calorie counting at all but still a very interesting fact! On to the article my father sent me this morning. It's a long one but worth the read.

Next time you think about having fake sugar think twice and opt for the real kind! Take care of your body don't poison it!

A MUST READ FROM A RETIRED PHYSICIAN!
In October of 2001, she had stomach spasms and she was having a hard

time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything

she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.



By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies

and was on 24 various prescription medications.

The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her.

She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying.



She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest

daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be

taken care of. She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip

to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.



On March 19, I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and

she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she

had MS. I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I

asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As

a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.



I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!

I e-mailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.

My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and

told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk!

The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but, she

sure felt a lot better.



She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would

call me when she got home.. Well, she called me, and said her doctor

was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if

they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she

was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda...and literally

dying a slow and miserable death.



When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill,

and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her

way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelchair!



This article saved her life. If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label;

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL

CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' marketed as 'Nutra Sweet,' 'Equal,' and

Spoonful.'



In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the

United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and

systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was

causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to

lecture on exactly that subject.



I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous:

When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood

alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid,

which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison

found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among

other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.



Many people were being diagnosed in error.

Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!



Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis,

especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.



The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He

or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that

it may become a life-threatening condition.

We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once

taken off diet sodas.



In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the

symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned

and hearing loss improved markedly.



This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.

During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using ASPARTAME (Nutra Sweet,

Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms,

spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, Cramps, Vertigo,

Dizziness, Headaches, Tinnitus, Joint pain, Unexplainable depression,

anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you

probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!'



People were jumping up during the lecture saying,

'I have some of these symptoms.. Is it reversible?' Yes! Yes! Yes!



STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels!

Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem.



Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to

be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a

nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke

addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!



Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple

SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you

crave carbohydrates.. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!



These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat

cells, particularly in the hips and thighs..

Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve

'tissue specimens.'



Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT

store it IN our body!



Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the 'diet

products' and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients

lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.



Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics.

We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient

with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame.

The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control.

Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that

aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the

other amino acids necessary for a good balance.



Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE.

Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain

barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing

various levels of brain damage, Seizures, Depression, Manic

depression, Panic attacks,

Uncontrollable anger and rage.



Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics

as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of

children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in

their behaviour when these chemicals have been removed from their

diet.



So called 'behaviour modification prescription drugs' (Ritalin and

others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in

the first place!



Most of these children were being 'poisoned' on a daily basis with the

very foods that were 'better for them than sugar.'



It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of

diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the

Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War

Syndrome.



Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental

retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early

pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders

and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.



There are many different case histories to relate of children

suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances

talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the

use of this deadly poison.'



Herein lies the problem:



There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included in 100

different products and strong objection was made concerning its use.

Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings,

and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have

very deep pockets.



Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED!

There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this

deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced.

Everybody wants a 'piece of the Aspartame pie.'



I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.



And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American

Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the

Conference of the American College of Physicians?



This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.

These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their

link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and

are required to endorse their products.



Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would

require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially

regarding pregnant women, children and infants.



The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers

and the problems existing in the general population regarding

seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and

behavioural symptoms.



The bill was killed.



It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are

responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on

an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you're informed now!



YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!

Jamie Eason's Cinnamon swirl protein bread (GF styles)

I hope you all had a great long weekend! I sure did! We celebrated my mom's birthday on Friday, Saturday had my friends Sarah and Chuck's wedding and Sunday night had a BBQ with friends! Today i worked out first thing at home instead of hitting up the gym then i gardened all day and managed to get my boxer Laila out for a 5k walk. I think I'll sleep well tonight!

What did you guys all get up to this weekend? Were you active? Did you get a chance to garden?

Here is the latest recipe i am trying. I can't wait to eat this tomorrow for my morning snack. Yummy. It may not 100% turn out since i put 1 too many eggs in. It's currently in the oven baking...i can smell the Cinnamon...mmmm. 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup organic sugar or stevia (i used half and half because i got sick of ripping apart stevia packets)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups oat flour  (i used GF oats and buzzed them up in a blender to make a flour) + 2 scoops vanilla brown rice protein powder or hemp seed protein powder or even whey. I find rice protein and hemp protein easier to digest
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup organic sugar or stevia (I only used 1/3 cup since the protein powder i used was sweetened already)
• 2 egg whites or 1 whole egg (i read this wrong and used 2 egg whites AND a full egg)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray loaf pan with non-stick spray. I used a 9x9 square pan. If using loaf pan the cooking time will be different!

In a small bowl combine:
1/3 cup organic sugar and/or stevia
2 tsp cinnamon
(set aside)

In a large bowl combine:
(whisk together)
1 1/2 cups oat flour + 2 scoops vanilla brown rice protein or hemp protein
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup organic sugar or stevia (i used 1/3 cup)

In a medium bowl combine:
(whisk together & add to large bowl)
2 egg whites or 1 whole egg (I used 2 egg whites AND 1 whole egg)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

Pour a shallow layer of batter into the loaf pan (about 1/4 of the batter). Sprinkle heavily with half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter & cinnamon/sugar on top. Draw a knife through the batter to marble.

Bake for 20 to 25 min. if using 9x9 pan. Bake for 45 to 50 min. if using loaf pan. Let cool for 10 min. Bread will be dense.