May
19th

Food is nothing but fuel for our bodies, yet it is so much more.

Food brings people together, cultures revolve around food, people look to food for comfort, rewards and pleasure and much, much more. Food is the answer to so many things: do you want to show your appreciation for someone? Buy them dinner. Are you stressed or sad? Indulge in ice cream.  Want to lose weight? Stay away from junk food.

Food is so deeply engrained into our culture that it has become so overly-complicated. Over-eating, under-eating, clean eating, dieting… food should be simple yet we tend to over think it and cause unnecessary stress in our lives.

As I’m writing this, I’m having an immense craving for cheese puffs. I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t have one!! In a perfect world, I would just go get the damn cheese puffs but my mind is telling me to resist because I’m going out for dinner later… and that I’m going to Vegas in 2 weeks and I want to look good… and I had an easy workout today. But I want it so bad. Gimme!! How has my relationship with food turned so complicated?!

But in reality, I just went to get those cheese puffs. Why? Over the years as I slid into this healthy lifestyle and as my philosophy on food and fitness evolved, I’ve discovered a new mindset that now comes naturally:

I don’t let food rule my life.

By setting some simple rules for myself, I eat anything I want. I don’t feel bad. I don’t feel guilty. I don’t feel regretful. This makes me happy because I love food.

Here are some basic rules everyone should follow:

• Indulge all you want in anything that grows from the ground or in trees.
• Avoid anything is packaged and contains ingredients you’ve never heard of.
• Once in a while, treat yourself to something “bad” (see above point) if you really love it.
• Enjoy, savor and appreciate every single bite.

Here are some rules I’ve set for myself. This may or may not work for you depending on your lifestyle, personality and many other factors. Everyone has to find their own way and this is my way.

• Eat healthy during the day and indulge at night (because that’s the time I like to eat). People say you should eat more during the day and taper off at night but that’s when I like to chill out and perhaps watch a show while snacking on some good eats. It makes me happy so why not?
• Or eat healthy during the week and indulge on weekends when I usually go out. I’m too busy working during the week anyway so there are less distractions for me to fill myself up with junk. This is when my willpower is the strongest so I’ll use it to my advantage.
• Cook at home most of the time so I can indulge as much as I want and don’t feel guilty when going out to eat. You never know how much butter and fats they put into their dishes.
• Exercise lots. This is easy because I love exercise.
• Never feel guilty about overeating or indulging. I can always push a little harder during my next workout. I love food and like I’ve always said, I will NEVER not eat things I love just because it’s deemed unhealthy or fattening. Knowing I have the discipline to make sacrifices elsewhere makes me feel a lot better about food.

How is YOUR relationship with food like? Are you still struggling with it or did you already overcome it?

Apr
17th

If you’re especially health conscious, then you might already pay close attention to what you eat – but what about what you drink? Most people know that it is important to drink plenty of water, but this is often easier said that done.

Here are just a few top tips which you can follow in order to ensure that you always drink enough water.

Make it your daily routine.

Why not try keeping a glass topped up or a bottle fill next to you throughout the day? That way, whether you’re working on your latest project or relaxing with a game of Binguez , you will always have water close at hand that you can sip throughout.

When I started my healthy lifestyle regime years ago, the first thing I did was drink more water and I was surprised at how much better this single change already made me look and feel.

After a while, drinking water throughout your day will simply become a habit, and you won’t event have to think about doing it.

Remember that you shouldn’t simply take a bottle of water with you when you go for a run, or when making a trip to the gym. If you spend much of your time on-the-go, where it may not always be possible to sit down and have a glass of water at frequent intervals, then it can be well worth packing a bag with a bottle of water in. I bought a protein shaker bottle and when I wasn’t drinking shakes, it was always filled with water. The bottle holds about 800mL of water and I refilled it at least 6 times per day and carried it with me everywhere.

It is recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day but this number really depends on your lifestyle. The safest thing to do is to drink as much as you think you need.. and remember that most of us underestimate how much we need. So always drink a little more! Especially if you are active.

If you don’t like drink water on its own, try mixing with honey or lemon and then slowly incorporate pure water into your diet. Before my water addiction started, I would drink a lot of pop, juice, bubble teas and other drinks overloaded with sugar but now my taste buds have changed so much that I can’t really handle too much sugary drinks any more.

It IS possible to train yourself to love and crave for water.

Mar
29th

These are my staples that I keep my fridge stocked with at all times.

Tuna. This is my go-to protein for a quick and easy snack or lunch. Tuna salad, tuna sandwiches, tuna patties, tuna everything!

Frozen fruits and veggies. Fresh is always the best but frozen is just as good because they contain the same nutrients and you don’t have to worry about shelf-life. I always keep frozen strawberries and mixed veggies in stock.

Apples and bananas. Bananas are a miracle fruit for me. If I need an extra boost of energy or something quick to satisfy my hunger, they always do the trick. Apples on the otherhand bloat me up at random times like no tomorrow but they keep me full for hours. I also love apple-anything desserts and will sometimes bake them with some cinnamon and Splenda for a quick treat.

Baby spinach. I always have a huge bag of these in hand. Great for salads, a side or just dumping them in a pot of noodle soup I’m making.

Egg Whites. I LOVE egg whites. I do eat whole eggs too with the yolk but egg whites in liquid form are great to have around. Egg white omelettes with some spinach and cheese, egg whites fried in a tiny but of EVOO with a savoury seasoning like Maggi. So simple but keeps you filled and satisfied.

Napa Cabbage. I’ve been obsessed with napa cabbage for the last couple of years. I love cooking it in noodle soups or with bean thread with chicken stock.

Tofu. Yummy and easy protein.

Whole wheat pasta. I LOVE the taste of whole wheat pasta and I always keep them on hand because who DOESN’T like pasta? I especially use them a lot to whip up a week’s worth of tuna pasta salad for lunch.

Chick Peas. Can I say: HUMMUS?!

Dec
22nd

cut liquid calories.

Say no to:

• Pop
• Shakes & Smoothies
• Fruity Juices
• Alcohol

Okay in moderation:

• Black Coffee
• Tea
• Red Wine

Always say yes to:

• Water

Nov
9th

If you didn’t know me well, you would think I was super unhealthy.

1. I don’t go a restaurant to eat a salad. Ordering a salad at a restaurant is seriously the biggest waste of money ever. I can make a cheaper, yummier and healthier salad at home in 5 minutes.
2. I can’t stand chicken breast… and white meat. I don’t care if it’s the #1 protein for most people, but I’d never force myself to eat something I don’t like.
3. I never hold back when I go out. What’s the fun in that? Poutine, duck confit, lobster grilled cheese, Grey Goose … keep it coming!!
4. Dessert? Yes, please.
5. I talk a lot about junk food online. But would you rather have me talk about salad? You don’t make friends with salad.

On the contrary, I eat clean and healthy 75% of the time, especially during the work week and when I’m home. Most of my meals and snacks consist of REAL foods that grew on trees or from the ground. I usually pack my own lunch, I eat tons of protein, good carbs and healthy fats and I somewhat watch my calorie intake. I do indulge in some processed foods during the week, but I watch my portions.

I eat A LOT though, and my boyfriend definitely knows! I’m constantly snacking on something or complaining that I’m craving for something really bad (and he better get it for me or someone is going to get hurt)… even “clean” foods mean calories but I workout hard enough during the week to keep the weight off (I rarely workout on weekends).  Some of my friends told me that they THOUGHT they worked out hard… until they worked out with me.

You know that saying, WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER? I apply it to all aspects of my life, including health and fitness. Stay disciplined during the week by eating fairly clean and pushing yourself SUPER hard at the gym and then have plenty guilt-free fun when you go out!

YOU? If you can’t commit to as much exercise as I do, eat less during the week and omit the fairly from the clean. If you want to give up, remind yourself how good it feels to be able to go out and indulge, guilt-free. You know how crappy I would feel if I’m eating a garden salad and drinking water, while all my friends are eating steaks and drinking Caesars? That would’ve resulted in me, ordering a steak for myself after 3 minutes of watching them eat theirs— even though I know I didn’t push myself at the gym that week… and feel even worse afterwards.

BUT what if you did have a little too much fun? Don’t beat yourself up over it! Just push yourself a little harder next time you go to the gym and stay committed! Or get fat.

It’s your choice. What do you want more?