Hello, I'm Pamela. Welcome to my...
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It’s hard to eat really cold salads during those winter months, so I decided to make a warmer one. I love the taste and texture of baked kale more so than raw kale, because I find it easier to chew.  The longer leaf dinosaur kale is easier to bake or eat as a chip, however I’ve baked purple kale and curly kale and I enjoy it all the same. I thought for this salad in particular, the curly kale would look pretty.  For the tuna, I prefer purchasing a good quality one that’s packaged in a jar versus a can. You can buy tuna in olive oil or water which is always the better choice over soy oil.

 

Ingredients:

  • organic curly kale
  • jarred tuna
  • red onion
  • organic cherry tomatoes
  • black italian olives
  • black pepper
  • balsamic vinegar (optional)

 

Directions:

  • wash and remove the stem off the kale leaves
  • pat dry the leaves
  • place on a baking tray and drizzle olive oil and fine sea salt
  • bake at 350f for 10-12 minutes max
  • once baked place desired amount on your plate
  • add a few slices of red onion
  • 5-6 olives
  • a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes
  • tuna
  • this salad is great without vinegar but if you prefer it you may add some as well!
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This all-natural smoothie bowl is high in vitamins and minerals, rich in antioxidants and tastes delicious! This is a great way to boost your immunity without having to sacrifice on taste. My kids love this smoothie-bowl for breakfast or snack! If you prefer having it as a smoothie just add more liquid and blend a bit longer. Enjoy:)

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup wild frozen blueberries
  • 1 ripe banana (frozen or not)
  • 2 cups frozen kale
  • 1/2 cup organic vanilla rice milk  or milk of choice
  • 1 handful natural sunflower seeds
  • 1 handful natural raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1-2 tbs all natural peanut butter
  • 1 tbs chia seeds
  • 1 tbs wheat germ
  • unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 tbs cacao nibs

Directions:

  • blend the first 6 ingredients in your high-speed blender and pour into your bowl
  • add peanut butter
  • add chia seeds
  • add wheat germ
  • sprinkle coconut flakes
  • top with cacao nibs
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A real simple and purdy lookin’ dish inspired by my favourite seasonally grown Ontario peaches. Use your favourite pita and or flatbread to make this beauty!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 medium size plain pitas or flatbread
  • 1  or 2  ripe peaches/brown sugar/coconut oil
  •  fresh arugula (wild or regular)
  •  sea salt/pepper
  • fresh ricotta cheese
  •  liquid honey
  • olive oil
  • balsamic glaze
  • handful of raw pistachios (to be crushed)

Directions:

  1. wash and slice peaches in half removing the pit and leaving the skin on
  2. brush coconut oil on all sides and sprinkle brown sugar on the inside of the sliced peach
  3. grill on your bbq flipping every so often for  2-5 min. until softened and grill marks are apparent
  4. warm your pita or flatbread over your grill top
  5. add arugula once your pita is warmed
  6. drizzle olive oil/salt/pepper to taste
  7. once peaches are grilled, slice them in thickness of choice and place them over the arugula
  8. using a teaspoon, scoop dollops of ricotta and place throughout pita but not over the peaches
  9. crush a handful of pistachios and use a desired amount to sprinkle over entire pita
  10. drizzle balsamic glaze all over and enjoy!
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By Lucy Wyndham, Nutritionist and Freelance Writer

What Should You Eat After A Work Out?

Over 50% of Canadians don’t fully understand nutrition. This is problematic for people who work out regularly, as post exercise nutrition can have a huge effect on their fitness goals. Recent research has found that what you eat after you exercise is an essential part of maximizing your results, so good nutrition will help you to lose weight and gain muscle – but on the other hand, poor nutrition could hold you back.

Here is a useful guide to post work out nutrition so that you can follow a healthy, balanced diet, whether you are cardio crazy or obsessed with strength training.

The Importance Of Protein After Exercise

While you are exercising – whether you are running for miles or lifting heavy weights – you are effectively tearing up and breaking down your muscles, and this causes the them to have low levels of glycogen. When you finish working out your body will then try to repair the muscles and replenish glycogen levels, but this requires protein. So if you are eating lots of protein you will see results faster – but if you aren’t eating enough, you may not notice any muscle gain.

It is also worth noting that protein is especially important for power lifters and strength trainers, as the more weight you lift, the more damaged your muscles will be. But how much protein should you be eating? On the days that you work out you should aim to eat at least one gram, eating at least 50g after the work out (official US guides suggest around 50g a day).  However if you’re getting more than 35% of your daily calories from protein, it is likely you are eating too much.

Including Protein In Your Post Work Out Meal

There are lots of great sources of protein but plant-based options are optimal for your health. There’s a common misconception that you need to consume lots of poultry and fish in your diet to hit your protein requirements, but actually there are plenty of vegan alternatives that are arguably better for you. Protein can be found in nuts and seeds, lentils, whole grains and soy products, but it’s important that you combine your protein with carbs to get the most from your post-workout meal. You might try some whole grain crackers with cashew nut butter, a lentil burger in a brown bun, or the old classic of baked beans on toast mixed with roasted vegetables on the side.

Post work out nutrition helps to replenish your glycogen levels so that your body can recover effectively. This will make it easier for you to reach your fitness and health goals.

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After putting this salad together, the only thing that came to mind was caprese. Since my watermelon looked like tomatoes at first glance I figured this was an appropriate name.  I used an ice-cream scooper to scoop out my melon, but feel free to cut your melon in any shape you wish. If you prefer this salad on the sweeter side, drizzle honey overtop once complete. I love this sweet + salty salad as an appetizer or refreshing side salad especially on a Summer’s day. **If you are using the pecans, be sure to make them before hand or let them bake while you’re putting the rest of the salad together;)

I based my portion on the size of my serving plate. The bigger your plate, the more watermelon you need. I eyeballed this dish, so it’s really a matter of preference when it comes to how much cheese or how many pecans you prefer. The is no right or wrong here, just have fun with it!

 

Ingredients:

  • watermelon
  • feta or goat feta cheese
  •  mint leaves
  •  olive oil
  • sea salt & pepper
  • liquid honey (optional)
  • pecans (chilli powder and maple syrup)

Directions:

  1. drizzle maple-syrup and chilli powder over half a cup of pecans and mix well or shake well in a closed container. Then place in a flat tray and (bake @350f for 10 min)
  2. scoop out or cut watermelon slices of your choice and place them on your platter
  3. crumble goat feta or regular feta overtop
  4. add washed mint leaves
  5. add sea salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil to taste
  6. add pecans throughout
  7. drizzle honey overtop for extra sweetness
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If you’ve ever dreamed of eating pie for breakfast, or enjoying it for your snack, let alone dessert, here’s a healthy one that can make your dreams come true! The wild-blueberry and chia filling makes this an antioxidant, omega-3, high-fiber super-pie! Serve with a vanilla yogurt of choice, coconut-whip or indulge with your fav vegan or non-vegan vanilla ice cream for dessert!

Filling Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen wild blueberries
  • the juice of half a lemon
  • 2-4 tbs honey
  • 4 tbs chia seeds
  • 2 tbs organic corn starch
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

  • using a stainless steel pan over your stove top, place frozen wild blueberries on medium heat
  • squeeze the juice of half a lemon
  • add honey and vanilla extract
  • add chia-seeds
  • add corn starch and stir well until contents thickens
  • no need to cook longer than 5-7 minutes

Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked quick or rolled oats
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 tbs coconut oil (melted)
  • ½ cup nut of choice
  • 3 tbs honey (preference)
  • water (if necessary)

Directions:

  • using your high speed blender or food processor blend oats until they form into a flour texture
  • add nuts of choice (cashew/walnut or almond)
  • add salt to taste
  • add coconut oil
  • add honey (if you prefer your dough sweeter)
  • if dough needs to be stickier, add a few tablespoons of water
  • blend all until dough forms in your blender
  • using your fingers form dough in your pie dish and bake for 10 min. at 350f
  • add blueberry filling to baked dough, cool and enjoy;)

 

 

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This was my first time adding arrowroot powder/flour/starch (all the same) to my baked goods and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. The muffins were quick to bake and came out the perfect fluffy texture! This powder derives from a tropical plant and can be used as a thickener. It’s GMO-free, gluten-free and vegan. It’s also one of the easiest starches for the body to digest and contains more fiber than potatoes. Arrowroot helps to boost immunity so it’s an excellent addition to your cooking/baking!

I made both carrot/raisin and coconut/chocolate chip muffins using  my recipe and they were equally delicious. These muffins are also school-safe!

Ingredients:

  • organic rolled or quick oats
  • arrowroot flour/powder
  •  organic coconut oil
  •  1 ripe or overripe banana
  • cinnamon (optional)
  • pure Canadian maple syrup or liquid honey
  • baking soda (aluminum-free)
  • flax-meal (and water)
  • unsweetened coconut-flakes and mini-vegan chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
  • OR alternatively 2 grated organic carrots and raisins

Directions:

  1. in a bowl create 3 flax-eggs by mixing 1 tbs flax-meal to 3 water (stir well and let sit 10 min)
  2. using a blender/food processor blend 2 cups of oats into a flour
  3. add 1/2 cup arrowroot flour
  4. add 1 teaspoon baking soda and cinnamon to taste (optional)
  5. add 1 ripe banana
  6. add 1/3 or 1/2 (if you prefer much sweeter) of either honey or maple syrup and blend all well
  7. lastly, add the jelly-like flax meal to the above for the final blend
  8. Stir in either 2 grated carrots and a handful of raisins OR 1/3 cup coconut flakes and 1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips
  9. bake no more than 20 minutes at 350f and set aside to cool
  10. store and freeze or enjoy warmed with your favourite spread
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Whether most women want to admit this or not,  they have probably had a horrible relationship with food at least once in their lives,  if not on-going in their life.  Whether it’s abused to numb pain, fill a void or restricted in some way in order to gain control, it’s self-destructive behaviour nonetheless. When these very emotional behaviours become chronic, it can get dangerous and eventually this obsession or addiction can take over ones life.

Unfortunately, I too was a victim of this at one point in my life. I had spent my entire life extremely active in dance and ate whatever I wanted to without ever worrying about my weight. Yet, in my very early and confused 20’s I figured maybe I wouldn’t get away with that anymore. I thought if I ever stopped dancing I wouldn’t be able to eat whatever I wanted and so I should probably “get healthy” and start watching everything I ate.  Sadly, I spent an entire year of my life completely obsessed with calories (not nutrition).  The only thing on my mind was what I was going to eat that day and if I could stay within my unrealistic low-caloric range. This extreme way of living made me ill pretty quickly.  Apart from losing unnecessary weight, I felt completely depressed because I began detaching myself from social gatherings and wasn’t enjoying much of anything, let alone food anymore.

When I finally consulted with a Nutritionist, she made me understand that I was really only hurting myself, not making myself healthier.  She also made me realize that my obsession had absolutely nothing to do with food or my weight, but more so with wanting control of my life at the time!  Like most young people, I found what path to take in life pretty daunting and overwhelming and so that was my way of being in control.  I now look back in awe of what I put myself through. Even though it was so long ago, it’s a time in my life I’ll never forget.  I regret not having spoken to a professional sooner, and wasting so much of my energy and time into something I should have never been focusing on whatsoever! I’m both lucky and thankful I got to the root of it and got myself back to normalcy.

Any type of eating disorder comes from the mind. I place eating disorders in the mental illness category as they usually coincide. The can either derive from or often bring on depression and anxiety.  Some are more severe than others for sure, but people can carry this with them for a lifetime.  Regardless, disorders of any kind always stem from something deeper.  Once that’s figured out, there’s a better understanding as to why so many women have the habits that they do.  In some individuals there are obvious physical signs, while in others they are so well hidden. Whether you’re restricting, bingeing, counting calories or over-exercising etc, it’s a bad place to be in and not a healthy way to live.

It saddens me to see both young people who suffer with this as well as mature women who continue to go through life in this negative state of self. In order to change your habits, you must change your thoughts. Coming to terms with something you’ve deemed as normal for so long can feel scary, but realize that you are the only person responsible and in charge of your life. Admitting you need help is always the first step.

Overcoming that difficult phase of my life was truly life altering. It tested my strength in ways I never imagined and it helped me grow as a person. It also sparked a keen interest in studying and understanding nutrition. Realizing that too much control can be damaging, made me see how much opportunity for happiness I was denying myself of.  Sometimes the only thing we think we CAN control is what we eat, but while eating healthy is good, obsession is most definitely not. There is so much more to life than putting all your energy into tormenting yourself with guilt over every bite!

What I learned most from my experience was finally understanding the meaning of balance and following my own version of it. It has taken me years to become confident in that alone.  I LOVE food, my culture celebrates it, but I really had to learn how to nourish myself properly and how to indulge without guilt. Since then, I’ve actually never looked at the calorie content of any food. I’ve focused on the ingredients and that’s made the most sense for me. I really began to listen to my body, and feed it what it wants.  I eat intuitively and don’t have a smoothie because everyone says it’s healthy, or skip the dessert (if I really want to indulge in it) because who knows how many calories it may be….In the moment, I eat what’s best for me, my body, my palette and my lifestyle. Most of all I eat guilt-free!

My heart goes out to any person suffering from minor disordered eating or a very serious eating disorder. For me, it’s important to use this social platform as a way to help, teach or inspire others to live healthier lives. My background and experiences has helped me to understand and access my clients one-on-one much easier.  My goal is really to help people change their perception of themselves so that a real lifestyle switch is made and the better food choices simply follow.  It’s impossible to truly love your body without having a healthy mind or having any true love and appreciation for yourself.  I hope that if anyone reading this is suffering, they have the strength and courage to make the decison to get help and begin change.  Everyone deserves to live life happily and enjoy every bite!

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In promotion for TSC’s Healthy Living Campaign, I was gifted 3 small Kitchen Aid Appliances  and asked to create one recipe that requires the use of all three! The appliances used are the mini 3.5 cup chopper, the hand-blender and the hand-mixer.  Upon receiving the appliances I noticed that they were not heavy nor bulky. They were easy to put together, easy to use and easy to clean! Lastly, they come in so many colour variations …the pastel blue is my favourite!

If you’re looking for a less-bulky, smaller version of both the large Kitchen Aid food-processor or mixer, the mini-chopper and hand-mixer are really great alternatives. If you have little ones, hand-blenders are great to have around especially if you’re constantly pureeing food. I also love them for soups and smoothies of course.  All three items can be easily integrated for everyday use.

Here is a link to the products page:

https://www.theshoppingchannel.com/pages/productresults?nav=N:101075&rd=1

Below is my vegan version of one of my favourite desserts, coconut-cream pie. I found all organic/vegan ingredients at my local health-food store. This pie is made in three layers and despite the three steps, it’s actually quite simple to make. The coconut taste is very strong, so you really need to be a coconut fan to enjoy this!

Ingredients:

  • organic rolled or quick oats
  • natural almonds
  • coconut butter not oil (please read directions on the jar on how to mix contents before use)
  •  fine himalayan sea salt
  • water
  • maple syrup (honey/coconut sugar may be used in replacement)
  • 1 can organic coconut-MILK
  • 1 can organic coconut-CREAM (please be sure to refrigerate this the night before along with your mixing bowl)
  • organic cornstarch
  • organic icing-sugar
  • unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions for crust: (used Kitchen Aid 3.5 cup mini-chopper)

  1. blend 1 cup oats and 1 cup almonds into a flour
  2. add pinch of salt
  3. add 3 tbs coconut-butter
  4. 2 tbs honey or pure maple-syrup
  5. 4 tbs water
  6. press the ‘puree’ option and blend until dough begins to form and stick together
  7. using your fingers, press dough into a 9″ round glass pie plate and bake for 10min. @350f and set aside to cool

Directions f0r filling: (used Kitchen Aid hand-blender)

  1. pour 1 can organic coconut-milk into a pot on your stove-top over medium heat
  2. add 1/4 cup of EITHER pure maple-syrup/honey/coconut-sugar (please note that the maple-syrup or coconut-sugar will darken the colour of your filling)
  3. add 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
  4. using the hand-blender, begin blending
  5. slowly add 3 tbs of organic cornstarch (one at a time) while continuing to blend until contents is well mixed
  6. let mixture cook for 4 minutes max.
  7. you may pour mixture into another bowl OR over your already baked crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more until hardened.

Directions for Topping: (using the Kitchen Aid hand-mixer)

  1. upon opening the coconut cream (that was refrigerated from the night before) dispose any liquid
  2. place the remaining cream into your cold mixing bowl and add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  3. using a sifter, begin to add icing sugar while using your hand-mixer to whip the cream
  4. please note: the amount of sugar used is to taste (1/4- 1/2 cup is sufficiently sweet)
  5. once a thick cream is formed, slather over your pie
  6. sprinkle with a desired amount of coconut-flakes
  7. keep pie refrigerated until ready-to-serve

 

Disclaimer: My opinion of these products are my own and in no way affiliated with either TSC or Kitchen Aid.

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Cacao is rich in the mineral magnesium which is essential for relaxing both your all muscles in the body including your heart.  So if you’re going to indulge, why not do it with a little added health benefit;)

This recipe is dairy-free and requires very little work!

Ingredients:

  • cacao powder
  • coconut oil
  • pure maple syrup or honey
  • organic vanilla extract
  • various additions: crushed nuts/coconut flakes/chili flakes/sea salt

Directions:

  • in a pot over your stovetop, melt half a cup of coconut oil
  • add half a cup of cacao powder
  • add 1/4 cup maple syrup (more if you prefer sweeter)
  • 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
  • whisk until well mixed
  • (if you’d like add crushed nuts to bottom of each individual mould.  Pour mixture into mold
  • sprinkle himalyan sea salt over top
  • refrigerate for at least 2 hrs or more until hardened
  • (I keep my chocolate in a glass sealed container in the fridge to maintain freshness)