Fallen off track

I have certainly fallen off track these days, my blog is far from being kept up to date, school work has been on complete hold for a few weeks...ok so probably pushing closer to 2 months, healthy habits have gone astray and finding time for the gym has become a bit of a memory for the past 4-6 weeks. Time to catch up!

Even though a lot of the things on my to do list have taken a back seat lately, I can say that I have not been feeling as stressed for time, I’ve had more family time, I’ve had more chill time and certainly had more make the pants fit tighter time as well! All of this down time has not been kind to my healthy habits, my oh my why is it so easy to fall off track?

Now I shouldn’t be so pessimistic on the situation. Its not like I’ve completely fallen off track, just dipped my toes into some days (maybe even some weeks) of complete lack of self control. Ok, scratch that, who am I kidding? I did not dip my toes into it, I jumped in with both feet, hands held high screaming woohoo, which has now turned into a few pounds gained and a boohoo.

So, why is it that it is so easy to totally forget all that you have learned and just dive back into old habits and lose the brain for a while? Obviously the old habits didn’t work before; obviously the old habits brought excess weight, lack of energy, lack of motivation etc, so why do we still get called back so often. We say its comfort, comfort food, comfort clothes etc. Really, I don’t know what’s so darn comfortable about feeling crappy, tired, slow, bloated, heavy, foggy, need I say more? I don’t find the extra little weight to be comfortable; I find my jeans tighter, my dress pants tighter and find I'm pissed at myself for getting further behind in my schoolwork, someday I'd like to complete the course in full.

Last week I decided to give myself until after my husband's birthday to get back on track (considering it’s less than a week away). However, really what am I waiting for? Seriously, that’s like a ticking time bomb, ok do whatever you want for the next week and then magically all will be well after that. Why set a time in the future to begin something? Why not today? Why give yourself that extra time to over indulge and get further behind on whatever it is you are avoiding? It certainly doesn't help. If you know you need to change then now's the time. Baby steps are ok, but big change is better and certainly provides a greater outcome in the end.

So, today it begins. I’m not perfect, but certainly need to at least be following the 80/20 rule with the 80% being good and 20% not (since it’s been reversed this holiday season). Clean up the diet, rearrange my calendar to fit in my 3 x week gym time, get some school reading done and get moving in the right direction.

What are you doing to get back on track? Don’t wait for the New Year to change something you know needs to be done today. Find some support if that’s what you need, you’re never alone in your struggles and help is always within reach if you’re willing to speak up when it’s needed. Be sure to make time for yourself and reach for your goals. Remember that everything is attainable and within your reach you just have to be willing to take the first step.

Birthdays

Well another year older and so far I can say that I'm not feeling any different. When you're a kid you can't wait for that next big day to arrive, you want to be that one-year-older. Kids think the world will change with a new number. I guess for some things in life the number really does make a difference.

When you’re a kid that number means you reach the age where you are able to go on that ride at the amusement park, ride in the back of the bus with the big kids, you are allowed to ride in the car in a normal seat (without a booster), as you get older you can get a license, go to the bar in Canada, then you are legal to drink in the US. Really when I think about it these are all milestones that we all anticipate, or most of us anticipate. I have memories of each of them. Beyond this there are the decade birthdays, 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th and so on.

I can honestly say my 30^th came in pretty mild, as I was pregnant with my daughter. For my 40^th (which is still a ways away) I would love to hop on a plane and take a trip, however am pretty certain that it may have to wait till my 50^th but a girl can dream!

Birthdays come and go, we tend to see a few more gray hairs in the mirror, we may have a few more wrinkles, but we’ve also created another year of memories, some good and some bad. It’s a great time to take some time to reflect on the year that has passed by and set a plan for the year ahead. Many people do this at New Year’s but birthdays are a great time to do it as well, however if you’re like me it all happens at once anyway.

Some years we may reflect and find that really not much has changed since last year, other years we may find that alot has changed. Take note of whether you learned the lessons and moved ahead or if you simply got stuck in a rut and stayed static. Without learning the lessons you will simply repeat as you have always done.

Remember, no regrets either, if at once it made you smile then it was worth it.

December has arrived, filled with all things Christmas!

It’s hard to believe just how quickly December seems to be passing us by. Forget November, where did 2011 go? Really, everyone I chat with says the same thing; days, weeks, months and years are flying by! 

Christmas is approaching just as quickly as ever! This year I vowed to myself that I would partake in a few of the Christmas season events that I missed out on last year. It really is a busy time of year but I wouldn't pass up December for anything.

Last night I was fortunate enough to have a night out with my mom and my sister to pay a visit to my Mom's church in Goodwood for “Carols by Candlelight”. The Goodwood United Church is the prettiest church around and the ladies (and gents) who keep the place going are extraordinary as well!  The place is always full of smiles and laughter and I can say that I have many memories in this pretty little place. This time of year it is always decorated so beautifully and the glow of the candle light in the evening always sets the mood perfectly.

The One Voice Choir from Uxbridge sang for us last night (which I can happily say my Aunt Donna is a part of), as well as an exquisite performance by Michael Hardock, Hayden Kerry, Victoria Ianou, Raphaella Cameron and Anthony Holt. Mixed in with the local talent was a Christmas story and a sing along which we all participated in. I have to say I sound much better in the car, alone, belting out Christmas carols than what I did last night! But no one was there to hear me sing and Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas without a visit to mom’s church and a night of singing carols.

Saturday we were fortunate enough to get a private session with Santa! Sweet World Media, Deborah De Ville, John Wood and Glen Buchanan put on a Photo with Santa event to raise funds for the Bonner Boys splash pad and Abby and I just couldn’t pass it up! Her pretty pic arrived today in my email box and made my day so I thought I would share it here.

They did such a fantastic job that I’m really hoping they do it again next year. Santa couldn’t have done a better job too! He’s a pretty busy guy this time of year with lots of events on the go but always a jolly soul with much love to share.

This time of year is filled with Christmas parties, baking, gingerbread house building, parades, the Living Nativity, the Festival of Lights, School concerts, Daycare Christmas and so on but you can bet I’m looking forward to making memories at each one.

I’m hoping you all find time in your busy schedules to enjoy some of the great festivities that are going on around you this time of year. You don’t have to be religious, you don’t have to celebrate Christmas and you don’t have to have children in order to find the spirit of the season and enjoy.

It's early, but Merry Christmas to everyone!

On a funny note, it was just yesterday that I was declared to be the meanest mommy ever which Abby quickly continued with "you are on Santa's naughty list and he's going to bring you coal in your stocking"! Could be an interesting December in our household!

Rice Paper Rolls

I had the worst craving today for rice paper rolls and peanut sauce, so dinner was created. I've made rice paper rolls many times before; they are easy and versatile. The ingredients are a snap because you can change it to whatever you feel like or have on hand.

Alternatively, peanut sauce is not something that I have ever attempted, so I decided to wing it (as usual) and made it with what I had and what I thought would be a good combo, whatever I did worked.

  

For the filling I used the following raw vegetables:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Green onions
• Red pepper
• Cabbage (sometimes I slightly cook it to soften)
• Shrimp – I was using raw shrimp so to cook it I heated some olive oil in a small frying pan, added the shrimp, squeezed ½ lime over it while it cooked till pink (also added a few Chinese peppers to spice up the shrimp)

 Peanut sauce

• 2 cloves of garlic - pressed
• equal amount of fresh ginger - finely chopped
• ½ lime squeezed
• 4 large Tablespoons of natural peanut butter (no added sugar or salt)
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Heat all ingredients together until warm (essentially you just need to warm enough to melt the peanut butter so it will mix with the remaining ingredients)

To assemble the rolls is quite easy:

1. Soak a few sheets of rice paper in some warm water for a minute or two until soft
2. Place your filling inside
3. Roll and eat
4. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping

That’s it, quick, easy and yummy.

Side note – don’t do what I did tonight, I soaked some of the sheets of rice paper got busy with something and attempted to make my rolls, needless to say the first few fell apart. You don’t need to soak them any longer than what it takes for them to soften or they will fall apart.

Shrimp is what I had on hand, however you could certainly prepare these with chicken, tofu, sprouts, rice noodles inside (are a really yummy addition).

Use your imagination and create your own version, you will be glad you did.

Where does your motivation come from?

I’ve had a few interesting things happen since I started writing this blog. I’ve had fantastic feedback, met some new people (virtually) and learned a thing or two along the way. When you post things up on the internet you kind of go off on a whim and hope that people will enjoy and take an interest in what you put out there but you never know who, if anyone is actually reading or paying attention to what you are saying.

  

I was speaking with someone (a blog reader) recently about health and fitness and motivation (which sparked this post) and had the following thoughts in regards to reaching your health and fitness goals, however, really they apply to any goal you reach for:

• Motivation is the key ingredient to attaining your goals
• Small attainable goals make it so much easier to achieve the much larger accomplishment that you are  aiming for
• Everyone wants to feel good about themselves and when you have smaller more manageable steps to take it makes it easier to accomplish things and provides a “winning” feeling, which in turns sets the motivation back in motion
• People often find themselves overwhelmed and feel that they have to miss out or lose out to get to what they are reaching for

So, the question is how do you find your motivation or what motivates you? We’re all different; we are all motivated by different means. Find your motivation and you’ll attain those goals that sometimes seem to be just outside of your reach.

I’m not sure of what my motivation was to take charge of my life. The verdict is still out on that one. Was it a book I read, was it something someone said, was I tired of how I felt, did I reach a birthday and realize that I wasn’t who and where I wanted to be? Most likely a combination of all those things, whatever it was it doesn’t matter, I found motivation somewhere and went with it.

When I decided to tackle my weight issue and joined Weight Watchers all those years ago I had two main motivators, those are clear:

1. Competition – my sister joined with me to provide support, I always thought she was the competitive one however it seems we both share that trait (she just has more of it).
2. Exercise points – the more I exercised and the harder the type of exercise the more I was allowed to eat on the program

Not only was it a competitive game between my sister and I but it was a competition with the group of people that were all there together. There’s something to be said about the power of people and being accountable for that number on the scale, not only to you but to others as well.

The points system helped empower me, it put the controller back in my hands, and it pushed me to try new things and to become creative, therefore giving me more options and a greater level of self esteem each time I reached a new level of achievement.

My motivation to step away from the Weight Watchers program came when the plateau I was on seemed to have no end in sight.

My motivation as to why I started to study nutrition was mainly for my daughter’s health issues, which thankfully have improved dramatically, however I don’t believe I can attribute them to her dietary habits.

I found new knowledge and pursued a different path, totally entered into a world of the unknown out of my comfort zone but I kept an open mind and it was worth it.

Motivation to keep going – I found myself, there is no going back. I've learned my lessons and none of them were easy.

Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins

I was in search of some more healthier snack/breakfast/lunch options for the kids. You know, the kind that they may actually eat.

Turns out that the Pumpkin Chia Muffins that I have been making are a hit with the teenager so I thought I would seek out some more options to try.

I did a google search for millet and banana (or something like that) and found one on the http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/ site called Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins. I have some millet in the cupboard that I need to use up. It really is a tasty grain, I just haven't experimented much with it, so thought I'd try this.

Reasons why I have adapted the original recipe are:
a) to use a few healthier options than what were listed
b) to use ingredients that I had on hand, since I tend to improvise
c) and simply because I could

Ingredients:
2/3 cup millet
1 1/2 c kamut flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 honey
2 T grapeseed oil (or coconut or olive oil)
1 c coconut milk (or almond, rice, soy, dairy, your choice)
1/2 c carob chips (dark chocolate or cacao would be other options, however I find if there are chocolate chips or any chocolate in the house it calls my name, I used to be able to leave the carob chips alone, however seem to be developing a taste for them as well....what to do!)

• Preheat oven to 375
• Measure the millet into a food processor or coffee grinder or blender and pulse into a fine flour texture. Pour into a medium bowl.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients, stir with a fork (because this is how I sift!).
• Add the bananas, honey, oil, milk alternative and chocolate chips, stir until mixed well, but don't over stir.
• Grease a muffin tin, fill up each one and bake for approximately 20 minutes depending on your oven. 17-22 minutes to be safe.

 Makes approximately16 muffins.
Note - since you will have empty muffin spots in your pan simply fill the empty ones half way with water so you don't burn those open areas.

Nutritional Highlights:
Millet - another great gluten free grain (under debate as to whether or not this is a safe for those suffering from Celiac disease) which has a higher protein content than wheat, corn and rice. It is hypoallergenic and a good source of fibre.

Kamut - an ancient wheat, with a higher protein content and nutritional value than regular wheat products.

Note - these were a hit with the kids! Bonus! Next time I think I may reduce the honey to 1/4 cup though, I find with carob chips that they tend to have a sweeter taste, therefore I will attempt these again with less added sweetness next time.

Happy Baking!

It is what it is, or is it?

Far too often lately I’ve been hearing the same words, “IT IS WHAT IT IS”, in reference to so many different situations. Heck, I’ve even been guilty myself of using this expression far too often. I actually started to write a post about this quite a few weeks ago and then got sidetracked with another.

It is what it is! The Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/) defines it as:

"A phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually means "it will be what it is," as in "it ain't gonna change, so deal with it or don't."

(I took the cleaner version of the definition from urban dictionary!)

Learning to change what you can and accepting what you can’t is a great life lesson that is not such an easy one to come by. Now this lesson isn’t saying that you can't put up a fight, have your say or go to bat for what you believe in. It simply means, if you have any possible power to change something that is not right then you'd better step it up and be heard! And if you don't, then you need to find a way to accept it and move on.

Stepping up and being heard is often NOT where my issue lies.  Personally, I find I often have lots to say and will often share it with whoever will listen, sometimes whether they like it or not! The problem for many seems to be in the acceptance and moving on portion. Often times we are not prepared for an alternate outcome to a situation, we often anticipate that it will unfold in a completely different direction and when it doesn’t go as planned we have a choice as to whether we are going to deal with it or not.

Each time I hear this phrase it simply makes me want to stomp my feet and yell, “its not!” or “it doesn’t have to be”! Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be “it is what it is”, some days and some things are worth putting forth additional effort to change the outcome of whatever it may be.

Should you catch yourself using this expression (and I bet you will), be sure that you have exhausted all avenues of possible change before giving up and resorting to it being as it is. There may be some situations not worth the fight, there may be some situations that are unique and there may be times where there is nothing that you can do about it, and there are times that you have made the choice to not push further.

Unique situations happen every day and because they are “unique” there is never a cookie cutter solution, you must be prepared for an alternate outcome, often times we are not and that is where the issue really lies. It’s not the fact that you can’t change it, you simply were not prepared for the outcome and therefore not prepared to be faced with the choice to do something about it.

So, before you utter these 5 little words again, think about your situation. Can you change it? Are there steps that you can take, if so remember it only takes one step to move in a new direction. Before you simply accept something for “it is what it is”, make sure that its your choice to do so.