How was your weekend? Did you spend some time making the men in your life feel special on Father’s Day? I had a FaceTime date with my dad yesterday and even though it’s not the same as being face-to-face, it’s better than nothing, and much better than paying $4000 which is the current fare for a round trip flight to the Middle East. What did we do before the internet!?

It’s been a while since I did a post about things I’m currently loving, and I’ve had a list going for the last couple of months that I’m excited to share with you today. So without further delay…

1. Barlean’s Total Omega 3-6-9 Swirl.

Answer me this: When it comes to getting your healthy fats, would you rather:

1. Eat real food that contains these fats, like salmon, nuts, and seeds?
2. Choke back a capsule that tastes like plastic and is the size of a horse pill?
3. Slurp up a spoonful of high quality healthy fats that taste like a decadent, luscious orange creamsicle?

My first answer is #1, but my second answer is #2. Even I, the girl who loves salmon almost as much as she loves carrots and watermelon (and that’s a lot) probably don’t get enough omega-3 healthy fats each day. I’ve gagged on enormous fish oil pills, but continued to take them because I knew I should. After all, the omegas (3, 6, and 9) are brilliant for cardiovascular support, reducing inflammation, and keeping our skin looking vibrant and healthy.

I first tried Barlean’s Omega Swirl one day when a product demonstrator was offering samples at Whole Foods. I certainly consumed (and probably exceeded) my recommended daily intake of omegas that day – all of the flavours were delicious! There are all sorts of blends – fish oil (in key lime, lemon, mango peach, and pina colada), flax oil (blackberry and strawberry banana), and omega 3-6-9 swirl (the creamsicle flavour that I have) are just a few. Barlean’s also makes a vegan omega 3-6-9 swirl in blueberry pomegranate, which tastes brilliant like all the rest.

The product had been in the back of my mind ever since that day at Whole Foods, and about two months ago I ordered a few bottles. You can stir it into smoothies or yogurt, or just slurp it straight up from a spoon each day, which is what I prefer to do because it tastes so good!

2. Nori.

Yes, it’s the toasted seaweed that’s used to make sushi, and yes, I like it plain! Lately I’ve been making heaps of wraps like this one with my nori sheets, but if I’m just looking for a snack, I’ll tear up a couple of pieces and eat them like chips. Seaweed is wonderful for supporting your thyroid, which is crucial for so many things, from determining how fast your body uses energy to hormone production. Health benefits aside, it’s delicious and makes for a very convenient gluten free, grain free wrap substitute. This is exactly what I used it for yesterday…

Stuffed with tuna,cucumber, peppers, avocado, and cilantro.

(and if you missed my Big Fat Nori Wraps a couple of weeks ago, be sure to check em out!)

3. Satsuma Body Butter from The Body Shop

Do you have a scent that reminds you of your childhood every time you come in contact with it? I’m not talking about those less-than-desirable scents, like the cigarette smoke that has become forever absorbed into the seats of his car. I’m talking about the ones that made you happy and to this day, continue to do so. I have a couple of these: the smell of Trident citrus gum (that’s the yellow package), and the smell of my aunt’s house. Her perfume is Dune by Christian Dior and smelling it reminds me of the fun summers I spent at her house lounging by the pool with my cousin, making those knotted friendship bracelets (because we were so super cool). And here’s another one:

Satsuma is by far the best scent that The Body Shop has ever carried in my humble opinion, and I remember when I was about 5 an got my first kid-sized satsuma shower gel. If you’ve never smelled it, just know that it’s lovely. Recently I found out that The Body Shop was having a 70% off sale, so as a treat to myself on my first day of my new job last week, I purchased an enormous satsuma shower gel and jumbo satsuma body butter.

If you smell mandarin oranges, chances are I’m in the vicinity.

4. Lululemon’s Power Y Tanks.

In the past, I’ve been alllll about the Cool Racerback. They’re the perfect tank for long-torso-ed ladies like me and come in all sorts of fun colours. The Power Y tank has been avoided because the first one I ever tried was far too short and not flattering in the slightest. It wasn’t until I was making some crucial purchase decisions in the changing room last month that one of the women working at Lulu informed me that they’d changed the style slightly and the newer Power Y tanks are longer. I was hooked after trying on a couple, and my collection has continued to expand. My bank account on the other hand, is moving in the opposite direction….

5. Anything on the BBQ.

I said at the beginning of June that I was going to be doing lots of grilling this month, and even though I think we’ve had more rainy days than sunny ones, my BBQ has been getting a lot of action! My favourite creation so far has been this….

…. which I’ll post the recipe for soon!

So tell me…

• What have you been loving lately?
• What’s your favourite thing to cook on the grill? Mine is cedar planked salmon…. mmmmm!

Lastly, if you’ve been trying to eat a little cleaner and need an extra boost, check out the following review posts from some of my blogger friends, who recently got their hands on a copy of my latest e-book, Living the Whole Foods Lifestyle: A Complete Guide for Fast (Clean!) Food:

• Laura from Mommy Run Fast, who has just launched a round of Sugar Detox Teleconferences which sond fantastic!
• Erika from MCM Mama
• Kimberly Anne from Manifest Yourself
• Elle from We Can Begin to Feed

If you’re interested, you can hook yourself up here!

And with that, have a lovely day and I’ll see ya back here on Wednesday with a crazy delicious recipe of the week. Those of you with a sweet tooth are definitely going to enjoy it!

Before we get to this week’s fitness chat, it’s time to announce the winner of my healthy cookbook giveaway! The lucky lady who will receive a copy of Best Health Magazine’s Swap and Drop Diet Cookbook is….

Congratulations Courtney! I’ll be emailing you soon to get your shipping info. For anyone who missed it, there are some fabulous healthy cookbook recommendations in Monday’s post that were left in the comments. I cannot wait to check these out!

Alright, it’s time to sweat!

Work It Out

Ok, here comes a question that is either going to make you go “oh my goodness, YES!” or “ummm….. NO!” Do you ever get the urge, either in the gym, at home, or pretty much anywhere, to just throw yourself into a super crazy, balls-to-the-wall, high-energy workout that leaves you feeling winded, physically exhausted, yet super proud of yourself and high on endorphins? Yeah I know, you’re probably thinking “That confirms it: She’s crazy.” But just in case you’re not, and if you’re the type that shares this sick little craving with me, then I’ve got just the thing to satisfy it.

(Source)

The Crazy Lady Workout

This routine consists of 4 moves that you can do almost anywhere, any time of day. Yes, people may look at you like you are indeed a crazy lady (and that may be partially true) but you’re the one who will have the rock-hard bod if you keep this up! You’ll start with 10 reps of each exercise, moving from one immediately to the next. Take only as much rest as you need after completing the push-ups, then repeat the whole thing again with 9 reps of each move. Keep going, resting only as much as you need and decreasing reps to 8, 7, 6, 5, etc, all the way down to 1. Time yourself to see how long it takes, and attempt to set a new personal record next time!

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

Is it just me, or is Maroon 5 on a roll these days?! I had a couple remixed versions of their new songs on my half marathon playlist, and the other day I heard Love Somebody, which is equally as fabulous. It’s not really a sprinting sort of song, but more of a cruise-y, feel-good cardio song. Let me know what you think!

Have A Read

• 101 kicks in the butt - If you ever lose motivation to run (or work out in general), Runner’s World has got 101 reasons that will get you back on track!
  
• How yoga can help you on the job – via Women’s Health. Turns out it’s even better for you than you thought!

Alright, before you head off, tell me:

• What single exercise makes you work the hardest? For me, it’s a tie between burpees and tuck jumps. Both make me grit my teeth, but they’re both super effective!
• What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Firstly, let me say that I’m so happy to hear that there are some other cookbook junkies out there! If you missed Monday’s post, on my favourite healthy cookbooks and want to enter to win a copy of Best Health’s Swap and Drop Diet Cookbook, be sure to pop on over and get your entry in before Thursday night. Thanks to you guys, there are now many new books on my must-have list!

And now, over to our recipe of the week!

1. Recipe of the Week: Alright grill masters, this one’s for you!

Do you ever find yourself deciding to marinate fish, meat, or tofu in the morning, only to find yourself wanting to eat something completely different by the time dinner comes? If you’ve defrosted your meat, it’s not like you can just go sticking it back in the freezer, and regardless of what you’ve marinated, you don’t want to let it go to waste. Tell me I’m not the only one that experiences this?

Anyways, this recipe is perfect for those occasions. I started marinating my tofu one morning, and by the time I got home from work that night, I had a huge craving for fish. It was also raining outside and I am not one to fire up the BBQ in the rain. (Besides, I had to take these photos and I didn’t want to risk screwing up my camera.) The next night I was out for dinner with friends, so by the time I actually got the tofu on the grill, it had been sitting in its sauce for about 3 days. While I’d never do this for any protein aside from tofu or tempeh, this turned out to be an absolutely wonderful decision.

The Veggie Goddess Bowl with Grilled Tofu Steaks isn’t so much a recipe as it is an attempt to incorporate as much colour as possible into one meal.

Underneath it all is a wonderful base of mixed greens and quinoa, and plopped on top is a rainbow of super delicious, crunchy, flavour-packed goodness thanks to the cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, home-grown sprouts (although you could just buy them), spiralized beets, and radishes. I’ve got an obsession with pumpkin seeds, so there’s a smattering of those on top for good measure (and healthy fats!)

As for the tofu, be sure to oil up the grill a little bit to prevent sticking. This will also make the gorgeous grill lines on each piece, which in my opinion, make them look and taste even better.

Click here for the recipe!

2. The Steeper from David’s Tea. Oh friends, have I got some magic to show you today.

Meet my latest obsession. The thing that my summer could not possibly be complete without. The thing that I am currently in awe of every single time I use it.

Rather than just telling you about why The Steeper is fantastic, I figured it would be much better demonstrated in a video… so here you go:

For anyone out there who is a David’s Tea fan and hasn’t heard yet, buying The Steeper for $20 also gets you a super cool tea club card. Tea club members get $15% off all loose leaf tea purchases of 100g or more all summer long. Like you needed another reason to go, right?

So tell me…

• What have you been grilling lately?
• What’s your favourite warm weather beverage?

1. Running on Carrots (because I eat more carrots than anyone else you know – trust me, even more than your most carrot-loving friend)
2. 365 Days of Salads (because I really do eat at least 1 salad every day)
3. The Cookbook Junkie

Cookbooks are to me like Harry Potter and Twilight novels are to…. Harry Potter and Twilight fanatics. I can’t claim to have read a single Harry Potter book from cover to cover, nor have I seen Twilight, apart from maybe a few seconds which involved a lovely shot of Taylor Lautner’s abs. However, I know exactly what page to find the BBQ tempeh recipe on in my Fresh cookbook (it’s page 132) and page 71 in my copy of Clean Start by Terry Walters is stained purple because I’ve made her Chopped Salad with Blackberry Shallot Vinaigrette so many times.

When you write a blog that is approximately 40% focused on fitness and 60% focused on food, it’s difficult not to be thinking about it all.the.freaking.time. Add to that the stacks of cookbooks that sit on my bookshelves, and it’s no wonder why I have dreams about succulent fillets of cedar planked salmon and being the next Food Network star.

I’ll admit that I own cookbooks that I’ve never made a single recipe from, but I’m totally content with that. In my opinion, a cookbook with beautiful pictures and lists of ingredients that I can almost smell as I read them is better than any sort of fiction. You can’t go running to your kitchen and expect the gorgeous Taylor Lautner to be standing there, but you can go running to the kitchen and make Tosca Reno‘s eat-clean carrot cake from the Eat Clean Cookbook. And if you do, it will make your house smell amazing.

While there are a few books that I’ve only drooled over and have yet to actually use in my cooking endeavours, there are also many that I absolutely love and use over and over again. Here are a few of my favourites, as well as the most recent addition.

1. The Eat Clean series of cookbooks by Tosca Reno

Tosca, the Eat Clean Queen, has a whole bunch of books available, 4 of which have a spot on my bookshelf. In Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook, the focus is mostly recipes. In the Eat-Clean Diet® Cookbook, Eat-Clean Diet® Cookbook 2, and Eat-Clean Diet® Recharged, there’s a more emphasis on explaining what exactly clean eating is, how to incorporate it into your lifestyle, and how it can be adapted for vegans and vegetarians. All of them contain delicious recipes and I can’t say that any of them have ever steered me wrong!

2. Clean Start by Terry Walters

I LOVE this book. The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are amazing, full of colour, and totally drool-worthy. The book is also vegan and gluten free, so it’s a great option if you have these dietary preferences or are cooking for someone who does.

It’s organized by seasons, which I think is particularly useful, especially since we’re so used to having produce shipped in to our groceries year round and sometimes it can be difficult to remember what’s in season vs what isn’t. My first review of Clean Start can be found here, and it’s a book that I constantly go back to for inspiration. It’s a follow-up to Terry’s first book, Clean Food, which I’ve yet to buy but I can certainly find room for it on my shelf!

3. Fresh by Jennifer Houston and Ruth Tal

I don’t live in Toronto, but if I did, I’m sure I could find an excuse to make my way to Fresh every single day, perhaps even more than once.

I can’t say enough about their food – it’s all absolutely delicious, as are the juices on the menu. I’m always re-creating dishes that I order there, and am so thankful that Jennifer and Ruth have published a few cookbooks (including the one that I own) to share some of the restaurant’s most popular recipes. BlogTO voted Fresh’s quinoa-battered onion rings some of the best in the city, and I wholeheartedly agree!

4. Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr and Chef Chad Sarno

The cover of this book reads “150 plant-empowered recipes to ignite a mouthwatering revolution” and that’s a very accurate statement for what you’ll find inside!

Chef Chad Sarno is the Lead Culinary Educator for the healthy eating program at Whole Foods Market (one of my favourite places on earth), and he’s co-written this book with Kris Carr. If you’re not familiar with Kris, she’s the woman behind the Crazy Sexy Diet, a “nutrient dense, plant-happy approach to eating and living“. She’s also a cancer survivor and director of the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. In Crazy Sexy Kitchen, Kris provides an explanation of why a plant based diet beneficial for everyone, tips for creating plant-based magic in your own kitchen, and advice on how to enjoy food to its fullest potential.

The book also features recipes from guest chefs including Pam Brown, Fran Costigan, Richard Landau, Tal Ronnen, and Sarma Melngailis (co-founder of the famous Pure Food & Wine, a raw vegan restaurant in NYC that I dream of visiting some day.)

And now, a newcomer to the collection…

I was recently given a copy of Best Health’s Swap and Drop Diet Cookbook to review, and finally had a chance to sit down with it for a good read this past weekend. The book is all about showing Canadians that they can make healthy swaps without sacrificing flavour. It contains 160 recipes, all of which feature easy-to-find, wholesome ingredients.

After  reading through it from cover to cover this weekend, these were my main thoughts:

• A large emphasis on weight loss and weight maintenance, with nutrition information calculated for each recipe.
• Beautiful, vibrant photos.
• In addition to recipes, there are some great educational pages that cover topics such as healthy swaps for less-healthy foods, entertaining tips, meal planning, and keeping portion sizes in check.
• Recipes don’t include prep times (just an FYI in case this is a make-or-break for you)
• Not a ton of vegan-friendly recipes. This is the main drawback I noticed. There are 3 recipes for meatless sides and a good proportion of vegetarian dishes in the book, but vegans might be a little disappointed.
• Great sidebar tips on each page that provide ideas for alternative ingredients and how to add variety to the recipes.

I’ve been given permission to share one of the recipes from the book with you, and those of you who love salmon as much as I do are going to love this!

• What are your favourite healthy cookbooks? Any gems I should be checking out?
• What are some of the key things you look for when buying a cookbook? If you get more of your inspiration online, what sites/blogs do you browse most often?

The giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and will close this Thursday, June 13th at midnight EST. I’ll announce the winner in Friday morning’s post. Good luck!

How has your week been? I hope you’ve had a good one, and that you’ve got some fun yet relaxing plans for the weekend. On my agenda is a run, a yoga date with one of my friends, a former co-worker’s bridal shower, and a barbecue. Lots of plans, but I’m looking forward to them all!

(Source)

Work It Out

It’s been a while since I posted a nice gritty lower body workout, so that’s what I’ve got in store for you today. I hope your legs are ready, because they’re going to feel like jelly when you’re finished! The key to this routine is to do the moves nice and slowly, and actually try to think about the muscles doing the work as you perform the exercises. The slower you go, the longer your muscles are under tension, and the harder they have to work. It’s easy to want to quit, but just know that all that sweat and burning in your legs will mean a stronger bod later!

(Source)

The Lethal Leg Workout

Perform the entire list of exercises in the list below 3 times through, taking as little rest as possible between moves. After each set, take 2-3 minutes to recover, then jump right back in and keep going. Be sure to focus on slow, controlled movements with proper form, rather than fast (likely unsafe) movements with a limited range of motion. You’ll have a barbell on your shoulders for the majority of the workout, so be sure to pick one that allows you to complete the specified number of reps, but still challenges you. When you’re all done, be sure to stretch out all the muscles in your legs and glutes, and treat yourself to a nice foam rolling session and hot shower. Your legs will love you for it!

Click here to print the workout.

Turn It Up

This week’s song was one I heard while driving to the gym at around 4:15am on Tuesday morning, and I’m SO glad I had my phone on me to Shazaam it because I would have never known who the artist was. And no, it’s not a new song. In fact, it’s practically ancient. Google tells me it was originally recorded in 1996, and when you hear it, I’m sure you’ll agree that it sounds tremendously pre-2000s.

A question to those who were young adults at the time: Was ‘jellyhead’ used in the way we’d use the term ‘d-bag’, ‘complete tool’ or ‘moron’ today? I was 8 years old in 1996, and I don’t remember this being the case, but the song Jellyhead by Crush makes me wonder if that was a cool word at the time. Either way, it put a smile on my face. The Motiv8 Pumphouse remix is now on my iPod, and if you catch me cracking up on the treadmill, you’ll know what tune I’m listening to.

Have A Read

• The Best Restorative Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress - via Greatist.com. Do some of these tonight to wind down after a busy work week!
  
• The Best Ab Exercises of All Time (well, in the opinion of 20 fitness experts!) – via Shape.com
• The Best (and Most Fun) Outdoor Workouts - via iVillage

In keeping with ‘the best’ theme from the above links, tell me…

• The best meal you ate this week
• The best workout you did
• The best song you rocked out to this week (and if you haven’t yet done so, do it today!)

How’s your day going so far? Firstly, I want to say thank you so so much to everyone who has downloaded my brand spankin’ new e-book already. If you missed my post yesterday introducing Living the Whole Foods Lifestyle: A Complete System for Fast (Clean!) Food, feel free to check it out. I really hope this will be a valuable resource for you, whether you’re just starting down the path of eating clean, or if you’ve been on it for some time now and just need a little extra motivation.

Now, over to our usual subject matter!

1. Recipe of the Week. One of my favourite things about spring and summer is potlucks. My friends and I do them regularly, and I love the surprise of seeing all the different types of dishes that people bring to share. Many of my friends are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-intolerant, or lactose intolerant, so sometimes making a dish that will please everyone takes some thinking. As an advocate of all vegetables (except for a select few, like turnips, which I think taste like farts) you can usually count on me to bring some sort of salad.

Dietary considerations aside, another tricky thing about potlucks is food safety. Depending on how long you’ll be sitting around chatting before dinner, some foods really should be refrigerated in order to avoid any nasty bacteria growth. Rather than counting on the host to have ample fridge space, I like to use plant-based protein in my salads, which can sit outside or at room temperature. (On the other hand, if your chicken or other meat gets a little too warm, watch out!) One of my go-to plant-based proteins:

Beans! White navy beans to be precise. On the weekend I found an enormous bag of these in my kitchen cupboard and felt inspired to turn them into a big, shareable salad. With a couple of other ingredients….

I turned them into this:

That’s an Arugula and White Bean Salad, and the only tool you need to make it look pretty is a vegetable peeler!

Arugula is one of those greens that I treat myself to occasionally because buying some usually means buying a rather expensive plastic box of it. Ignoring the price though, it’s so good for you. In addition to containing plenty of chlorophyll (which helps to create a more alkaline environment in your body -  a very good thing!), it’s a naturally detoxifying, inflammation-fighting, cancer-fighting food. Superhero? I think so!

Oh, and a little note in case you’re reading, Mum: This is the ‘spicy leaf’ that you don’t like. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. If you’re like my mum and don’t enjoy slightly spicy greens, feel free to sub in spinach, mesclun mix, or watercress. All of them would work!

Head to Greatist for the recipe!

2. Skechers GOwalk shoes. If  you’re one of my long-time readers, you may remember that last summer, I was all about Skechers GOrun shoes. I was dealing with a weird case of achilles tendinitis at the time which lasted about 3 months, and was completely out of commission running-wise for 2 of them. I was sent a pair of Skechers GOruns to try out, and much to my surprise, I was actually able to run without pain.

I was recently contacted by the company again, this time regarding Skechers GOwalks, a new style in the Skechers sport shoe family. Since I’d had such a great experience with my GOruns, I happily agreed to test a pair. They come in all sorts of cool bright colours, and as you may have noticed in the various shots of my running shoes on the blog, I’m all about the neons!

Unfortunately none of the brights were available in my size, so I received a pair of black ones. (The exact model can be found here.) Upon first look, I was a little underwhelmed because they didn’t look super exciting. However, knowing that you should never judge a book by its cover, I took them for a walk to the grocery store after work yesterday and my mind was very quickly changed.

As I head into half marathon training, I’m very conscious of the fact that I should be protecting myself from injuries in my feet, knees, and hips. I LOVE wearing ballet flats and sandals (and hey, it’s summer!) but let’s be real: they’re not the most supportive option, nor are they very comfortable if you have to walk long distances in them. I can honestly say though, that Skechers GOwalks, are incredibly comfortable. They feel so cushioned throughout the sole, but they’re super light at the same time (only 3.5oz or 100g per shoe!) I found the shoes really easy to slip on, and I’m pretty confident that I could walk for hours in them.

Oh, and if you’re a big fan of wearing ballet flats, I’m sure you’ve noticed that they get stinky over time? Like, really stinky? Yeah, me too. Another awesome thing about the GOwalks is that they have an anti-microbial sock liner that helps to reduce odour, so you don’t have to worry about that any more! I’m definitely going to be using them as my post-gym shoes because after a long run, one of my first priorities is getting my sweaty socks off!

So tell me…

• Do you have any great summer potluck recipes to share? Let’s start a link-up in the comments. I’ve got some get-togethers scheduled for the next couple of weeks and I’d love to hear some of your ideas!
• Have you tried GOwalks yet, or do you have a favourite walking shoe?

After several months of writing…

and recipe development…

and tasting…

and tweaking…

and photographing…

and re-photographing…

It’s finally done,

and you can get it here!

If you’ve been reading for the past couple of months, you’ll have heard me make many noises about the e-book I’ve been working on. I’m pleased to finally announce that it’s ready, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

So what is Living the Whole Foods Lifestyle: A Complete System for Fast (Clean!) Food all about?

It’s a follow-up to my first e-book, Creating a Whole Foods Lifestyle. In that book, I covered the essentials – what eating clean means to me, how to stock a whole foods pantry, and 10 recipes to get you started. Living the Whole Foods Lifestyle is part 2: It’s the simple system that you can start putting in place today to make eating clean easy.

Who is it for?

You want to eat clean. You really, really do. You know it’s good for you and that it can help you look and feel great, inside and out. But you’ve got a million and one things to do, and spending hours in the grocery store and in your kitchen just isn’t topping the list. Your desire to cook fantastic healthy meals comes and goes, but it’s particularly tough to stay committed when you’re really hungry and short on time.

Sound familiar?

Good news – I’ve got a solution. I want to show you how easy it is to eat clean AND still be able to do all of the other things you enjoy. In this book, I’m spilling my secrets on how I save time in the kitchen while still fueling my body with the foods it needs to stay healthy, fit, and energized.

I’m a firm believer that eating well doesn’t have to be a complex concept, and in this book, I’ve outlined a 5-step, easy-to-follow guide for simplifying this often over-complicated topic. In this 48-page book, you’ll find:

• A list of versatile, timesaving ingredients to keep on-hand in your clean-living kitchen
• My favourite kitchen gadgets that make meal prep a breeze
• A printable meal planning template, recipe planner, and grocery shopping list
• 13 squeaky clean, super delicious recipes that feature those superhero timesaving ingredients

If you’d like to get your hands on it right this very minute, you can order your copy here!

How was your weekend? Despite some rainy weather, I have to say that mine was pretty darn great. Do you ever feel like you just need to chill out, stay in, and have a weekend of ‘you time’? That’s exactly how I was feeling come Friday afternoon, so I made a point of getting my errands out of the way early. On Saturday morning, Jess and I ran 9.2 miles bright and early at 6:45 and that totally started my day off on a high.

After that, it was some cooking for the blog, some magazine reading, and a very long overdue haircut!!!

No major changes, except for the 4 rather significant inches that I got chopped off! Having hair whip you in the eyes on windy day runs is not fun, so this was my #1 priority on Saturday!

Now that we’re heading into a brand new month, let’s have a look back on what happened in May. Was it a good month for you? Mine was a little all over the place – some highs, some lows, some great days, and some where I wanted to just curl up under the covers and stay in bed. However, I think it’s really important to focus on the positives, so let’s have a look at my self-assessment for the past 4 weeks.

Oh this happened alright! Considering it was my first race of the season and only my second outdoor run of the entire year, I’d say it was pretty darn strong. I’m 4 minutes off of my goal time this year (a sub-1:30) and I know that a new PR is within my reach. Now it’s just a case of training for it, and my training plan for the 2 months leading up to SeaWheeze on August 10th is already being drawn up. This year’s SeaWheeze shorts arrived in the mail last week too, so that means we’re getting close to go time!

This happened – sort of. I’ll admit (a little sheepishly) that I think my body is a little overtrained at the moment. My recent weekday runs have been feeling much more tiring than usual, and I’m not just sweating up a storm – it’s more like a tsunami. I’ve also had a cold (or maybe it’s allergies?) over the past 2 weeks which hasn’t helped. However, I did make a point of getting out to some fun fitness classes, including a step one last Sunday which was an absolute blast! I typically take about 3-4 classes to get back into the ‘step groove’, but I could actually do all the combinations that the instructor was showing us and I was actually getting it!! Small wins, right? The only downside: My calves have been sore for an entire week following the class. I’ve been on my foam roller religiously, and thankfully when I woke up on yesterday morning, there was just a little mild stiffness. This is a great improvement in comparison to the old-lady-hobble I was doing every morning last week!

Because I’ve been feeling a little run down, I’m going to give myself another week of grace to do some different classes that I don’t normally do. My half marathon training will start up again on June 10th, and even when that happens, I’ll make myself take it easier on days when my bod is telling me it just needs a rest. Last year seemed to be the year of injuries for me, and I’m determined not to let that happen again!

I can’t say I met the 10 min per day goal, but I definitely managed 5 minutes per day. I find it easiest to meditate just before meals eaten at home, and since starting this practice have found that I really enjoy my food more. I’d like to also work in an evening meditation session too, but we’ll get there eventually!

Done! My mum and I met up in London (that’s London Ontario, not to be confused with my sister’s current home in the UK) and visited one of their farmer’s markets for the morning. We had lots of fun browsing around all of the different vendors, trying samples, testing out beauty products, sniffing soy candles (OMG some of them were SO amazing!) and stocking up on locally grown produce. Then we went out for lunch to a vegan spot called The Root Cellar Organic Cafe, where I had a delicious cashew, carrot and ginger soup and a green juice. Their menu was pretty limited, but what we ordered was really tasty. Sadly I don’t have a photo of the two of us, but I do have one of my soup!!

Hmmm… ok, this was the goal that received the least attention, but that’s not to say no progress was made. Leanne and I made a couple of recipes when I visited her in Montreal, and I was able to learn a lot from her just by watching her set up shots of our food. Case in point: This mystery recipe, which I’ll be sharing in my free monthly newsletter on Thursday:

This weekend I dug up a box of props I’d packed away last summer, so I’m looking forward to playing with those when I make new recipes this month.

….and remember that e-book I was writing?

I’ve been going on about this forever but I have one word for you, friends: TOMORROW!

5 Goals for June

Lastly, here’s what’s going on this month:

1. Finalize my new training plan and stick to it!

It’s time to get my half mary game face on once again, this time incorporating the lessons I learned in my May race in order to break my 1:30 goal: Practice hills, and run outside. I’ve already started doing both of those with my new training partner (that’s you, Jessica!) and it’s going really well so far. The goal is an ambitious one, but I’ve got 2 months until SeaWheeze and I’m determined to get there.

2. More. Yoga.

And meditation too. As I read, listen, and personally experience how great these things are, it makes me want to spend even more time doing them. Unfortunately they don’t always take priority because I find it difficult to schedule them in, but I know I need to. On the weekend I was listening to an interview that Rich Roll (pro vegan ultraendurance athlete extraordinaire) did with the CEO and co-founder of MindBodyGreen.com, Jason Wachob. He and Jason were talking about the power of mental strength and focus when it comes to performing well in athletics, and I couldn’t agree more. In the past I’ve been all about physical training but have neglected the psychological side. The truth is that it’s just as important so I think I’d be silly to ignore it.

3. Complete as many What’s Beautiful 3.0 challenges as possible.

I first posted about this initiative from Under Armour earlier this month when I talked about what beautiful means to me, and have been having such a blast with it so far! There are a bunch of challenges posted on the What’s Beautiful 3.0 website, and I want to tick as many of them off of my list in June as I can. If you haven’t signed up yet and want to, you can do so here. If you’d like to check out my challenges so far, you’ll find those on my athlete profile – if you follow me, I’ll follow ya back!

I’ve also got some nice visual inspiration up on my fridge to help keep me motivated…

4. Transition smoothly into my new job.

Yep, you read that right. I’m leaving my current job and as of June 12th, I’ll be working in a new full-time position for another employer. It wasn’t too long ago that I told you guys I was moving into my current gig, but after months of feeling  stressed, unhappy, and just not myself, I’ve decided to make a new transition. Wish me luck!

5. Get grilling!

Firing up the barbecue and the smell of delicious food cooking on it makes me tremendously happy. It’s one of those things I associate with great friends, summer, sunshine, and generally just having a fabulous time. I’ve already started doing a little bit of it…

…and there’s plenty more where that came from. Watch for some grilled recipes coming your way this month!

So tell me…

• Did you set goals for May? How did you do?
• What’s on tap for June? I’d love to hear what you’re working towards and how you plan to achieve it!

Happy Friday to ya! Can you believe that tomorrow is the first day of June!? Where is the time disappearing to? I’ll be sending out my free monthly health coaching newsletter next week, so if you’d like a little extra dose of motivation, a bonus healthy recipe (revealed in the newsletter before it makes it up on the blog!) and a sweet little note from yours truly, be sure to sign up! In the meantime, let’s chat about fitness!

(Source)

Work It Out

Since my half marathon at the beginning of May, I’ve been taking it easy and not pressuring myself to do any super gritty runs. However, now that June is very, very near, it’s time to ramp things up again and get back to training. Today’s run is one that I did earlier this week and oh.my.goodness. Sweatstravaganza if there ever was one! As silly as it sounds, hills intimidate me so I’m making sure that I incorporate plenty of them in my SeaWheeze training. Not only will this week’s routine help you to build strength and power, but you’ll be done in only 30 minutes! Fancy joining me? You know you want to!

(Source)

The Hot Mess Hill Workout

This run is best done on the treadmill so that you have full control over the incline. In real life (aka outdoor, real-road running) hills just happen whether you want them to or not, but I like this workout because you can gradually increase the intensity. In total, you’ll do 4 hills while maintaining a constant speed throughout. After warming up for 5 minutes on a flat (0% incline) and finding a challenging but sustainable pace, you’ll start the first hill. For this one, you’re only going to run ‘uphill’ for 1 minute. Then you’ll knock the incline back down to a flat and run 4 minutes at the same pace. Each hill gets more challenging as you extend the ‘uphill’ part and decrease the flat portion. By the time you get to the 4th hill, you’ll be running up the slope for 4 minutes, then hitting the flat for 1. After all of this is over, cool down for 5 minutes and stretch.

You can choose your single speed for this workout, and the % inclines that you complete the uphill portions at. I’ve indicated in the RPE column below how intense your effort level should feel along the way, so aim to run at a speed and incline to match those levels.

Click here to print the PDF.

Turn It Up

Sunshine, beaches, lounge chairs, fruity cocktail drinks, and Bob Marley. All five are things that come to mind when I hear this week’s featured tune, You Never Know (Could You Be Loved) by Audio Playground. Shazaam led me astray when I tried to find out who sings this (it told me the artist was ‘Karaoke Singing the Songs of Bob Marley’ – silly Shazaam). Thank goodness for radio DJs because they saved me hours of Youtube searching. Here’s one to kick off your weekend!

Have A Read

• Is your workout feeling harder than usual? Here are 6 surprising reasons why this could be – via Shape.com
• 5 core workouts for stronger running - via RunnersWorld.com

So tell me…

• What’s on your fitness agenda this weekend?
• Think about what you got up to this month. What was your best day? How did you spend it?

How are you today? Let’s cut straight to the chase with our recipe of the week because it NEEDS to be shared right.this.second. It was lunch on the weekend and as I was editing the photos in Lightroom, I was getting more and more excited by the second to tell you about it. Here goes.

1. Recipe of the week. In addition to my current avocado obsession, I’ve also been totally into seaweed. I wrote a post a long time ago about why eating seaweed is great for you, and although some types can be difficult to find, I’ve recently discovered that one of my grocery stores carries nori sheets in packs of 10 for about $3.

On the weekend, I bought their last package (and am convinced that I’ve single-handedly cleaned out their stock over the past month) because I’ve been dreaming up a recipe for a giant nori wrap and was determined to make it happen.

Rather than using rice as one of the fillings, this wrap is grain-free. Inspired by the veggie sushi I ate at Crudessence in Montreal, I made a chunky curried hummus-like spread in the food processor and used that as the base for my Big Fat Nori Wraps.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been growing some sprouts in my sprouter jar, and it just so happened that they were perfectly crunchy at the time I was making my wraps.

One of my pet peeves about nori sheets is that they’re not as big as tortillas, and therefore, it’s difficult to make a big roll with them. However, there is a simple solution for this problem and that’s to stick 2 sheets together using nothing but water and your fingers!

It doesn’t look pretty at first, but trust me on this one – it works! After piling in a bunch of veggies and rolling up the sides of the nori sheet, which went much more smoothly than I anticipated, I had this:

These wraps are flippin’ awesome. Nothing makes me happier than a meal full of colour, and that’s exactly what’s going on here. You could totally play with the chickpea filling and even use a different source of protein if you’re paleo or don’t like chickpeas.

I moistened the edge of the nori when I was finished rolling it up and the whole thing held together really well. I’m not sure that this would be the case if you made these at night for a take-to-work lunch the next day (they might be a little soggy), but I’m going to try it out.

Click here for the recipe!

2. Organic purple prairie barley. Remember when I told you about finding freekeh at Bulk Barn? Well that wasn’t the only new-to-me whole grain I came across on that trip. Meet this beauty:

That’s purple prairie barley, and according to the bulk bin,

“Purple prairie barley contains high protein for a barley and is packed with beta glucans and antioxidants. It also has a low glycemic index. Purple prairie barley is a true hulless barley therefore pearling is not required to make it edible for humans and the full nutritional benefits of the kernel are retained. Its unique colour, texture and flavour have come to make it a prized ingredients in soups, pilafs and salads.”

Nutritionally, each 1/4 cup contains 100 calories, 0 fat, 6g fiber and 4g protein. In case you wondered, if you see hulled barley at the grocery store, this means that only the outer hull has been removed. On the other hand, pearled barley means that the outer husk and bran have been removed which also takes away some of its nutritional content. Pearled barley cooks faster, but the whole grain form of barley (which is the category that purple prairie barley falls under) requires a longer cooking time.

The directions on the bin said to cook 1 part barley in 2 1/2 parts water, bringing the pot to a boil, then reducing to a simmer for 90 minutes. I don’t know about you, but long cooking times like this make me kind of reluctant to cook whole grains, even though they’re super healthy. This is also why are so many quinoa recipes on this blog. Anyways, back to the barley.

Since I didn’t have the time nor the patience to cook my barley for 90 minutes (and really, who does?), I soaked it overnight on the weekend which meant only having to cook it for about 30 minutes.

Then I threw together a quick pilaf for my take-to-work lunch yesterday. This turned into more of a salad (the veggie lover in me just can’t resist). Also at the party…

• spinach
• cucumber
• red onion
• radish
• chickpeas
• celery

My dressing was a mixture of pureed lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh dill, apple cider vinegar, honey, and garlic, and after letting all the veggies sit in the fridge coated in dressing for the morning, their taste by noon was super flavourful.

As for the purple barley, it kept some of its pretty purple colour even after being cooked, and I loved how nutty and chewy it was. This is definitely a more sturdy grain, much like spelt berries and wheat berries in texture and taste. If you’ve got the time to cook it, I’d recommend giving it a try!

So tell me…

• What’s the best take-to-work lunch you’ve made lately?
• Did you try anything new yesterday?