Dear Diary,

I’m glad to be done with last week’s title and ready to move on to a new one. Literally. This week begins my foray into Ubisoft’s Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013, exclusively for Wii U.  I have used the previous Your Shape games on Microsoft Xbox Kinect, but this year it was only available on the Wii U.

The first time in the game, the Gamepad is used to set up the player profile (height, weight, age, picture, etc.) and also to select the type of workout you want to do.  I chose to go with a program, though there are plenty of 5 to 10 minute individual routines to choose from.  The program I’m starting with is a 4 day Weight Loss program.  So away we go.

Today’s workout consisted of 2 routines, each lasting approximately 10 minutes. The first was all cardio and was like a step program.  Constant moving to the beat of the music (which is actually not bad at all) performing reps of each exercise.  For ten minutes straight, I was moving, never stopping. Swinging arms, lifting legs, hopping back and forth, etc. It was actually very enjoyable and definitely got the heart pumping.

Once that was done, the second routine was a full body workout. This one consisted of several different arm lifts (working out pecs, triceps, biceps, etc.). These could have weights added for a more intense workout, though I wonder how I would hold the Wii Remote at the same time. I guess I’ll have to rig up another velcro holder like I did a few years ago.  Some squats were also on the menu tonight though not nearly as intense as my last day with EA Sports Active 2.  Finally, the workout ended with some really great Ab workouts and a short stretch/cool down.

While the time spent with Your Shape 2013 wasn’t nearly as long as either Sports Active 2 or Nike+, it felt just as intense and I really felt good after. It felt more like a full workout than the other two did.  I think this is mostly because the exercises went from one to the other with no loading screen and no pauses, so this 20 minute workout was truly a full-on 20 minutes.  The only break was between the two sets.

I’m actually looking forward to doing this again tomorrow.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Dear Diary,

Your Shape Fitness Evolved is shaping up to be a really fun workout program.  The sessions are relatively short but intense.  The first of two sessions seems to always be the cardio workout to get the body warm and the heart pumping. Unlike yesterday’s step routine, today was all about jogging and bouncing and keeping the legs moving at all times.  It may have seemed like a lot by the time I was done but it was very enjoyable and it was nice to find a program that doesn’t repeat the same things I did yesterday.

The second session did more leg work as well as quite a few exercises to work the abs.  A little too many for me, actually.  After so many crunches, my abs were actually cramping so I had to ease up and not do as many as Your Shape wanted me to.

Once the two sessions were done, I decided to have a look through all the different routines available in this program, and there are quite a number of them.  I first chose an upper body cool down routine since my abs needed it.  The cool down routines are just what they sound like: simple, non-impact stretches to help ease the muscles.

Once that was done, and since it was late and I am definitely ready for bed, I chose to try out one of the Zen relaxation programs.  Unlike the exercises that require the use of the Wii Remote in my right hand, this one required me to sit on the floor with the GamePad in front of me. Then a circle appears on the GamePad and I need to find a ball of light and keep it inside the circle as it travels in different patterns: figure 8, waves, double heart, etc.  It really did help to calm my breathing and heart rate and was very relaxing, and fun too.

So far, I am really enjoying this new version of Your Shape and it’s turning out to be a must have program for anyone who has a Wii U and wants a good exercise program.  There is so much to choose from here that every day can certainly be something new.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Dear Diary,

It’s day 3 with Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 and I am truly enjoying the variety of activities this program is bringing my way.  As usual, today’s workout consisted of another 2 sessions but at a higher difficulty level, with the first one being a good 10 minute cardio warm-up. This time, however, the cardio was a series of dance steps. I almost felt like I was playing Dance Central or Just Dance.  Unfortunately, there is no instructions beforehand showing how to do each move so I had to just figure it out as I went along.  It didn’t take long to figure everything out but the important thing is that I just kept moving and enjoyed the cardio workout.

The second session provided more full body routines: tricep curls, lunges, biceps, and crunches.  A good all around session once again.

What I’m really enjoying about this program is the incredible variety of exercises available. Even after the daily program is done, there are plenty of other things to do. Each day, Your Shape provides three random “To Do” items as a challenge.  Performing these challenges nets some extra coins to spend within the game.  I have yet to understand what these coins are for, but I’m assuming it will be for buying extra routines down the road.  Coin rewards and build in achievements all provide some fun incentive to continue coming back every day.  As if getting fit and losing weight wasn’t enough!

Saturday, January 27, 2013

Dear Diary.

My final day (during the course of this project, anyway) with Ubisoft’s Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 for the Wii U.  What a really great and enjoyable week it has been.  I feel good, and the workouts each day provided something completely different and interesting on a consistent basis.  With so many different workouts to choose from in this program, its no wonder every day can be something new.  Today’s double session began with another Cardio burn routine with lots of different types of lunges and fast jogging, with a consistent bouncing movement between each drill.  It lasted just over 10 minutes and definitely got the heart pumping and this cold room warmed up fast.

As most programs near their completion they tend to give the player everything they’ve got so I was expecting something entirely killer for the second session.  I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a 6 minute Pilates workout that concentrates on strengthening the core muscles.  I have never done Pilates before and I really enjoyed this more relaxed set of drills.

I have realized, through this week, that I enjoy the toning and core training workouts much more than the high intensity cardio routines.  Perhaps this is what I should be concentrating on right now so I don’t burn myself out too quickly.  When this Healthy Gaming project is complete, I feel like I will definitely come back to Your Shape 2013 on a regular basis.  The sheer number of exercises available can easily keep someone busy for a very long time.  Anyone who owns a Wii U and is looking for a workout program, this is definitely the one to invest in.  I feel great after using this program and am a little sad that I’ll be saying goodbye to it for a while as I move on to another program.

Dear Diary,

It’s the beginning of week 2.  I guess I’m really doing this, aren’t I?  While it’s only been a week, I actually felt that I ‘needed’ to do a workout tonight.  Since last week was dedicated to Nike+ Kinect Training, this week begins a new program. It may be older than most of the titles in this project, but it still packs a great workout: EA Sports Active 2.  This program is just over 2 years old already and, unfortunately, it shows, not only in graphical prowess but the Kinect tracking technology is quite outdated compared to last week’s Nike+ Kinect Training.

The one thing that EA Sports Active has over all the other Fitness titles out there is the addition of a Heart Rate monitor that constantly tracks your heart rate during the workout.  I really wish other fitness titles did this too because heart rate is something everyone should track during a workout.

I had used this title back when it first released in 2010, but decided to start the program again from the beginning.  There are two programs to choose from: a 3 week cardio program, or a 9 week full body workout.  I chose the 9 week full body workout to get a good variety of drills from the title.

The 9 week program is “Designed by certified personal trainers, the EA SPORTS Active 2 9-week program provides total body conditioning using progressive exercise. It provides a fitness roadmap to help keep users motivated and on track of their fitness goals. Additional mini-programs will also be available to add on, keeping workouts fresh and inspiring.” – EA

Today’s workout was around 25 minutes long and I was sweating up a storm by the time I was done. Unlike Nike+ Kinect Training that gives a small rest period between drills, this one just goes from one drill to the next. The only break received is during the load time for the next activity.  Unfortunately, the Kinect tracking is subpar compared to titles created today and does not show an actual representation of me on the screen. The upside to that is that the avatar on screen is in way better shape than I am!

As I did last week, I have set up the program for 4 days this week.  Wednesday will be day 2.  I’ll dive more into the types of drills then.  The workout today was intense and sweat inducing, but I feel great!

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

Dear Diary,

Day 2 of EA Sports Active 2’s 9-week program and I’m ready to move on to another title.  There were several times today that the sensor completely stopped the workout and told me that I couldn’t be found so I’d have to log in again.  Fortunately it didn’t leave the workout and simply continued where it left off but this was quite frustrating.  Additionally, I found that floor exercises aren’t actually tracked at all.  To test this, I did nothing for a couple reps of a pushup and it still continued to count advance the rep count.

Today’s workout included several running drills followed by squats, squat jumps, a few pushups, soccer goal-tending, more running, more squats, bent over rows (with weights), lateral rows (with weights) and a proper warm up and cool down period.  Honestly, today felt very similar to what was done on Monday so the variety factor isn’t quite apparent yet.

I have to question the order in which some exercises are placed. For example, today found the drills moving directly from jogging, straight into reverse lunges, followed by lunge jumps.  All three leg drills one after the other.  By the time I started the lunge jumps, I was completely wiped.  Unlike other more precise programs, like last week’s Nike + Kinect Training, this one doesn’t track movement very precisely, so a simple jump was all it takes to ‘fool’ the program that I was doing the proper drill.  It may be cheating, but there was no way I was going to do 45 proper lunge jumps after doing a run around the track followed by 16 reverse lunges!

There’s still two more days to go with this program and I will stick to it. I would really like to see more variety in the workout and more full body stuff rather than a concentration on legs which these past two days have been.  In today’s workout, of all 29 drills, only 5 of them worked the upper body (pushups, 2 types of rows, and 2 types of crunches).

Perhaps it was my mood that caused me to truly dislike today’s workout. I’ll see how I feel when I come back to it again on Friday.

Friday, January 18th, 2013

Dear Diary,

Well today the program seemed to mix things up a bit more by adding in more upper body routines.  Unfortunately these routines consisted of the same two drills: Bent Over Rows and Lateral Rows.  These two exercises were repeated three times each during the course of 26 drills.  The rest of the routine included more running and jogging, followed by a whole lot more jumping, whether it be forward and reverse jumps or side to side jumps. Regardless, there was a great deal of jumping going on tonight.  Fortunately, EA Sports Active 2 took pity on me tonight and decided not to do repeated lunges.

One new “fun” drill was added tonight where it usually puts games such as soccer goal tending or dodgeball: a Boxing Heavy bag. While this type of activity is usually somewhat fun, the Kinect sensor was having trouble deciding if I was actually punching or not.  Additionally, with some of the punching spots located lower on the bag, I was required to squat down and then punch.  EA Sports Active was having a whole lot of trouble sensing that I was squatting and punching at the same time.  With these sensor troubles, the routine became less of a fast paced aerobic workout and more of a slow and simple punch, punch, squat down, punch, punch, stand up, punch routine with no speed allowed else the action not be recognized.

Even though I completed the 30 minute routine, I am finding that I really don’t enjoy this program at all.  I keep wanting to go back to the more intense but enjoyable Nike+ Kinect Training.  One more day left in this week’s Healthy Gaming project and I will probably say goodbye to EA Sports Active 2 for good.  Now its time for more water.

Saturday, January 19th, 2013

Dear Diary,

Oh, you have got to be frakin’ kidding me!  Today’s workout consisted of the following activities one after the other with no breaks:

• Fitness Trail (jogging, high knees, high kicks)
• Squats
• Squat Jump Repeats
• Split Squats x16
• Split Squat Jump Repeats x30
• Mountain Biking (a combination of squats, squat jumps, and high knee kick running)
• Squat Holds (holding a squat for 20 seconds)
• Squat Jump Repeats x30
• Alternating Reverse Lunges
• Split Squat Jump Repeats x30
• Fitness Trail – Sprint
• Squat Jump Repeats
• Squats
• Squat Jump Repeats x30
• Split Squats x16
• Split Squat Jump Repeats x30
• Mountain Biking
• Squats with Knee Raises
• V-Sit Crunches
• Reverse Crunches

Is this program trying to kill me?  At the beginning of each workout, it breaks down the day’s routine into percentages for 4 different body focuses. Today was supposed to include 39% legs.  Does that above-listed program look like only 39% legs?  Try 100%!

Honestly, it is programs like this that really turn me off of exercise altogether.  I had to stop the program at least 3 or 4 times today just to catch my breath and let my legs recover. For a program that is supposed to be a full-body workout, this one concentrates way too much on the lower body.

I don’t think I’ve ever so desperately wanted a workout to be over.  Now that it is, and this week is done, I can honestly say I will never return to EA Sports Active 2 again.  It’s a good thing this fitness game isn’t available anymore, and the online servers are no longer active, because I can not recommend anyone use this over something like last week’s Nike+ Kinect Training.

Dear Diary,

Well, I did it. I actually took my first step and began this new fitness plan. I always told myself that I would start one before but it never happened.  It’s been over a year since I’ve done real, proper exercise and, although this first workout seemed tough, it felt good to get moving again.  This week I will be going through a program designed specifically for me to target high heart rate and fat burning courtesy of Nike+ Kinect Training.

Today’s activity was simply a test to determine my Nike+ Fitness and Athleticism scores in order to develop a set of activities tailored to me and my goals.  My Fitness score is 35 and my Athleticism score is 61.

“Fuel Print is your fitness benchmark. It’s made up of the core pillars of Fitness and Athleticism and is calculated as a percentile.”  - Nike

Fitness pillars consist of Strength, Flexibility, and Endurance
Athleticism pillars are Power, Balance, and Speed, Reaction, & Agility

After a 4 week program, a fitness test can be taken again to see how these numbers changed. It may have just been a set of drills to test my abilities, but, my goodness, I am wiped.

Nike+ Kinect Training did a good job tracking my movements and I didn’t really encounter any major problems. There were audio cues to notify me that I was doing something wrong and it was quick to pick up the corrections.  As I progress through my program I’ll keep an eye on whether or not this stays true.  For now, I have scheduled a 4 day program that actually starts tomorrow.

They say that people who publicly advertise that they’re doing a new fitness routine stick to the program more often than those who don’t. I hope this bodes well for my success.  I guess we’ll know if that’s true if I show up again tomorrow…

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Dear Diary,

What have I got myself into? Nike+ Kinect Training is kicking my butt. Big time.  I wasn’t even through the warm up when I already wanted to quit; I couldn’t catch my breath.  Today was Day 1 of my training program as yesterday was just drills to assess my abilities.  I think it thought I was better than I actually am. Nonetheless, I survived the 27 minute workout which, I am happy to say, included both a proper warm-up and a 5 minute cool down which is something that other workout programs tend to forget.

Today’s workout was all cardio and my heart rate was through the roof for most of the session. They really pushed me hard but each individual workout was only about 30 seconds or less.  It’s the speed at which they get you to perform that keeps it challenging.  At one point, I was even playing dodge ball as several balls were thrown at me and I had to move out of the way fast enough.  Other drills include a hurdle jump from left to right, but to succeed, my feet must actually clear the on-screen hurdle.

This program certainly has a great variety of exercises to keep it interesting and fast paced.  As I progress, it measured not only the calories burned, but the NikeFuel I used.  NikeFuel is a general measurement of how much activity someone exerts and is the same calculation for everyone. This is so that everyone, no matter your skill, can compare results.

So far so good. I’m out of breath, sweating, and ready to quit.  I must be doing something right, eh?

Friday, January 11th, 2013

Dear Diary,

I’m beginning to think Nike+ is trying to kill me. I think I test better than I actually perform. Today was the second day of the 4 week program that Nike+ Kinect Training put together for me on my journey to better cardio and fat burning.  While Tuesday’s session was all about cardio, today was all about strength and mobility training. Exercises such as the Single Leg Hip Lift, the Plank, Kneeling Pushups, Mountain Climber, and Lunges were on the menu.

The more I use this program, the more some of the flaws come out of it, but these are probably more due to the Kinect hardware than the game itself. A few times the program just wouldn’t recognize that I was doing what it wanted me to do and kept telling me to do it. For example, one of the exercises required one hand on my hip with the other hand straight down at my side.  While I was mimicking the trainer exactly and my silhouette on-screen was in position, Nike+ kept telling me to put my hand on my hip.  I was! No matter what I tried, it just wouldn’t recognize it.  Eventually, it turned off tracking and the exercise continued.  Additionally, some of the floor drills have trouble seeing me completely even though my Kinect sensor is above my TV and should be able to see me without a problem.  None of these issues break the workout, however, and it still continues to try to kill me with exercise.

I do have to question the order of some of the drills, though. First it had me doing pushups which, this time around, took me to fail.  Immediately after, and with no break, it went straight into doing the Mountain Climber, another drill that requires me to hold myself up off the ground with my arms! My arms were already failing due to the pushups! It seems to me that these two exercises should have been spaced apart to allow the arms to gather strength again.

30 minutes and I was completely exhausted. I honestly believe that this program may be trying to give me too much all at once. To go from no exercise program to this seems to be overkill and I wonder about the accuracy of the initial assessment tests. It may think I’m more fit than I actually am.

I guess we’ll see if I’m still alive after tomorrow, the final day in this week’s program. Until then…

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

Okay so I didn’t do my workout on Saturday like I was supposed to. I had some friends over for a night of gaming so my 3rd workout was pushed to Sunday.  The positive thing is that I still did it!

Dear Diary,

You know, as much as these Nike+ Kinect Training workouts have been brutal and I feel like I’m dying every time I do one, I have noticed already that I feel so much better overall.  I’ve been beginning to sleep better and I feel like I have more energy during the day.  While I haven’t noticeably lost any weight yet, I know that will come with time.  It’s been a very long time since I’ve done any kind of fitness activity like this and I’m sure my body just needs time to adjust to the sudden change before it decides to give up on some of this excess fat.

Anyway, today’s workout was another cardio session that lasted around 24 minutes total.  Instead of 10 or 12 different drills, this one consisted of the usual warm up followed by two sets of 5 drills with a two minute break in-between each set.  Today, Nike+ had me doing High Knees, Burpees, Dodgeball, Mountain Climber, and Hurdle Matrix.  While it may not sound like a lot of exercises, this combination sure does get the heart pumping and breath short.  Each drill only gave me around 15 seconds to catch my breath before moving on to the next which was hardly enough time to grab a drink of water.  Overall, though, the 24 minutes did seem to move fast.

Nike+ Kinect Training is a tough program to follow as they really push you hard. It will definitely take some strict discipline to bring oneself back to this every day.  Those that do, however, will certainly benefit from the programs here.  Anyone looking for an intense daily workout need look no further than this title.  Nike+ also has a free iOS companion application for this program in which you can track your progress, the drills you’ve completed and even see what coming up in your next day’s activity.  Nike+ has a full line of products for the fitness enthusiast and Nike+ Kinect Training is evidence enough that they really know fitness.

It may be a tough and intense program, but it is definitely worth the effort.  My body and mind are already thanking me for doing this.

» It’s the beginning of a new year and the time when people begin looking at all the things they’ve wanted to do over the past year and deciding to begin now.  And why not?  Most people like things that are neat and even and the start of a new year means it’s time to start new things.  Only those who are determined to see it through, however, will keep at their, dare I say, resolutions?

Well, I have a resolution that I’d very much like to keep this year: to become healthier and more fit and to lose some extra pounds.  I also want to have fun doing it.  In the past I have had gym memberships through my employer and I have used them, but never truly enjoyed going to the gym.  I just find it boring and I never really know what to do when I get there.  So I’m going to do something different this year.  I am going to put the fitness titles that I have for my gaming consoles to good use…and actually use them.  I will also write a weekly blog post right here chronicling this journey.

Currently I have the below list of “games” that I can use and I will start by using one of these games each week.  I will do a workout three or four times per week using one title and will write about what I did and how I felt about the workout and the title in question.  Once I have gone through each of the available titles (more titles could be added), I will start the cycle again and compare my experiences to the first round.  Currently these titles are:

• Nike+ Kinect Training (Kinect)
• Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 (Kinect)
• Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 (WiiU)
• Dance Central 3 (Kinect)
• Just Dance 4 (Kinect)
• UFC Personal Trainer (Kinect)
• EA Sports Active 2 (Kinect)
• Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure (Kinect)
• Michael Phelps: Push the Limit (Kinect)

I am hoping that this chronicle will keep me honest and keep me motivated.  I’ve been putting this off far too long and it’s time I got back into a regular routine and I will use this weekly diary as my motivation to do so. So come on back each Monday as I make this new journey and use my hobby as a means to get fit.  It’s time to prove that gaming isn’t always synonymous with an unhealthy lifestyle.

This lunch ‘main’ includes fresh roasted chicken breast, homemade hummus and a variety of cold vegetables. This is a pretty typical lunch for my 10 and 13 year olds, and is packed with water, fresh fruit and usually a home baked lunch treat.

My five year old’s Goodbyn is an awesome lunch container to pack, it holds SO much. This lunch includes a no-crust pizza (cheese, pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni and olives), fresh veggies, an apple, homemade coconut flour mini carrot muffins and some dehydrated bananas. His lunches are always sent with water, but today he’s also getting a mini probiotic yogurt drink. I don’t buy a lot of packaged foods, but an occasional packaged snack goes a long way towards making a 5 year old feel ‘normal’ and this particular brand comes in small portions that are reasonable for a small child.

Another big kid lunch, based around some roasted pork loin on romaine lettuce, fresh vegetable sticks, a small portion of cheese, dehydrated bananas and a homemade gluten free chocolate chip cookie. This one also includes a small yogurt drink, an apple and of course a bottle of water.  My older kids keep their big stainless steel water bottles at school and fill them up there, since they’re also allowed to have them in class.

Very similar to his big brother’s lunch above, this lunch has pork loin roast, assorted vegetable sticks, more dehydrated bananas (my kids love dried fruit! we use our dehydrator a lot), an apple and a yogurt drink.

Need some more ideas? Check out Gluten Free School Lunches Part 1

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is a concept. I don’t measure and what goes in my cereal jar depends partly on what I have on hand, as does the quantity. I do however use the same key ingredients in each batch:

• hemp hearts
• ground flax seed
• chia seeds
• cinnamon

This makes up the bulk of the cereal, usually with hemp hearts and flax seed in more or less equal amounts. I use a LOT of cinnamon, as it adds flavour without calories in addition to being anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and good for blood sugar control. You could add nutmeg, ginger or any other spices you like. I happen to be a bit of a nut for cinnamon.

From there I add any combination of the following:

• raw pumpkin seeds
• raw sunflower seeds
• walnuts
• brazil nuts
• coconut sugar

You could add any kind of seed or nut you like to customize it to your taste and nutritional needs. If you like dried fruit, you could add that in as well.

To prepare, pour a small amount of cereal in a bowl and add boiling water. A small portion goes a long way since it’s very nutrient dense. Let it stand for a couple of minutes to allow the flax and chia seeds to gel. Top with dried or fresh fruit if you like, and some milk type beverage or heavy cream. My favourite way to eat it is with apple slices quickly pan fried in coconut oil and topped with coconut milk. But it’s also good as-is! Most mornings I just add a little coconut milk and call it done.

And that’s it! It takes only a couple of minutes to mix up enough cereal for the week. It’s easy to do and much more affordable than pricey gluten free cereals while packing a ton of nutrition. Add whatever ingredients YOU like to YOUR cereal, and let me know if you come up with any interesting combinations.

Note the photograph was taken before mixing, since it’s prettier that way. You’re going to want to shake it up before eating it ;)

This novel grassroots campaign was started by a group on Ontario students in an attempt to de-normalize fast food, which has become all too common in our society. They are asking people – students in particular – to pledge to boycott fast food for the month of November. As a parent I absolutely love that this group of young people have taken the initiative, and their slightly edgy campaign with lots of graphics, videos, iPhone wallpapers and more is sure to grab the attention of their peers. I can’t help but think that the best people to speak to teens are other teens, and love how much traction this campaign has gained in a short amount of time.

For more info, check out their Facebook page and check out their press release below. And please join me in taking the pledge to go fast food free this November. We deserve better!

Ontario students launch fast food boycott

Friday, October 26, 2012, Toronto, ON – Earlier this week, the Ontario Medical Association reported that a third of kids in Ontario are overweight or obese and that the health of an entire generation is in jeopardy. Today the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association L’Association des Élèves Conseillers et Conseillères de l’Ontario” (OSTA-AECO) is calling for students across the province to boycott fast food all November. The Stick It to Fast Food campaign is designed to change how students think. Students are encouraged to go to stickittofastfood.org to make their pledge and join the boycott.

“This movement has attitude and will speak to students, unlike other healthy eating campaigns,” said Hirad Zafari, high school senior and President of OSTA-AECO. “We want to make fast food un-cool.”

Stick It to Fast Food is a grassroots student response to the nutrition-related health crises facing Canadians including obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers. ”Eating fast food is part of daily life for many people, especially teenagers,” said Yoni Freedhoff, an Ottawa-based doctor and obesity specialist. “We need to de-normalize the use of fast food. The fact that students are taking this initiative is wonderful.”

Kent Van Dyk, a chef and culinary arts teacher in Ottawa, thinks this boycott is a great idea. “We need to do everything we can to turn kids off fast food and get them thinking about eating better and cooking for themselves,” he says. “We need to stigmatize fast food and what better way than having young people lead the charge.”

The campaign’s logo was designed by Toronto-based design firm Key Gordon, and provided pro bono to OSTA-AECO. When asked about the logo, Grant Gordon, Creative Director at Key Gordon, said “I know some in the media will say the logo’s a bit obscene, but what’s truly obscene is the amount of salt, sugar and fat fast food companies are feeding students. I’m impressed that the students are standing up for themselves and taking bold action.”

As part of the campaign, Stick It to Fast Food will be releasing videos, memes and images, and will provide recipes and recommended readings on its website for students to learn more.

The OSTA-AECO, students elected by their peers, represents the collective voice of over 2.4 million students in the province and is the largest student stakeholder in education.

Let’s just get the giant disclaimer out of the way: I’m not a vet, nor do I have any kind of education in animal nutrition. I’m not recommending you feed your pet exactly the same way I feed mine, but rather I want to introduce you to the idea of cooking fresh food for your pet.  If after reading this article the idea of feeding your dog or cat a homemade diet is appealing to you, I implore you to  research your own particular pet’s needs before starting. Visit your vet, purchase a pet food cookbook, have a plan before you begin. 

Many commercial pet foods contain ingredients that are not “human grade” meaning suitable for human consumption. If it does not say “human grade” it on the package it is made with meat or other ingredients that are not deemed fit for human consumption. This sometimes means diseased animal tissue, styrofoam packaging and even euthanized pets. This is not the kind of diet I want my pup to be eating! In addition the pet food industry isn’t strictly governed, so there are not the checks and balances in place to ensure the food is safe, or even that what is in the bag matches what is on the label.  In addition, kibble is dehydrated which isn’t biologically appropriate for cats and dogs. They are carnivores and their bodies were designed for a higher moisture content than what is provided by dry pet food.

One very important thing you need to be aware of if you’re preparing a homemade diet for your pet is that nutritional deficiencies appear much faster in dogs and cats than they do in people.  So if your pet is not eating a balanced diet they can suffer health consequences much sooner than a human consuming an unbalanced diet, including organ and skeletal degeneration.

Although this is very important information, the logical part of my brain thinks that if I can handle the nutrition requirements for growing humans, I can safely meet my dog’s nutritional needs. By making my own dog food, I have complete control over the specific ingredients that go into her food. I know exactly what she’s eating and that the food is healthy, fresh and good quality. Her food is cooked at low temperature – with some raw fruit and veggies for treats – which has more nutrients and enzymes than commercial pet food which is “rendered” (the term for the boiling down of all the junk that goes into “crude protein”) and then dehydrated.

There is a lot of advice out there about transitioning your pet to a homemade diet, but I found the following information consistently:

• Transition your pet slowly allowing them to adapt to the new diet over time. An abrupt change can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.
• Visit your vet twice annually for check ups rather than the standard once a year to ensure his or her nutritional needs are being met
• Even with a well researched and balanced diet, most vets still recommend a nutritional supplement  for optimum nutrition and to prevent illness

 
I chose to transition Sadie by mixing her kibble with homemade food. I started with mostly kibble and little bit of fresh food and adjusted the ratio gradually. She had absolutely no problems making the change. She is currently eating fresh food mixed with kibble, and once the kibble is gone she will be eating homemade food and taking a supplement.
 
Dogs have a high need for protein and moisture and a low need for carbohydrates, so her meals usually consist of one or two types of protein, along with vegetables, healthy fat and sometimes a little extra like blueberries for antioxidants or pumpkin puree for vitamins A and C. Although dogs have no nutritional need for grains, I do sometimes add some quinoa to her food since we always have it on hand and it has protein and a variety of amino acids. She eats many of the same nutrient dense foods we eat, and she loves them.
 

Some things I do:

• Offer a variety of protein sources, animal and vegetarian, such as beef, poultry, legumes, lentils and eggs.
• Cook with small amounts of healthy fats like coconut oil and olive oil.
• Cook her meals at the same time as ours, often using the same core ingredients, in order to save time.
• Add very small amounts of spices that support digestion, like cinnamon, turmeric and ginger.

Some things I don’t do:

• Use my dog as a garbage can. She doesn’t lick plates or eat the kids leftovers, she gets her own meals prepared especially for her.
• Load her up with rice, oats and other grains in order to make her food less expensive.
• Feed her old food that is questionable for human consumption. If I’m not sure if it’s good for us, I don’t feed it to her just to use it up (however she doesn’t object to still-good but slightly wilted vegetables).

Since many people have asked, here are some examples of meals my dog has been eating. Please note that I’m not offering these as recipes or suggesting that these are the perfect meals for your own pet. All meals are offered in rotation and supplemented and are not necessarily individually balanced.  However all ingredients are wholesome, nutritious and delicious. Sadie particularly loves blueberries and lentils :)

Ground turkey, green beans, carrot, quinoa, coconut oil, small amount of apple peel

Navy beans, peas, quinoa, coconut oil, blueberries

Ground beef, red lentils, carrots, baby spinach

Black beans, sweet potato, spinach, fish oil and bone broth

That’s my personal story about why I decided to transition my dog to a homemade diet. It’s working very well for us, it isn’t difficult or too time consuming and my little pup is extremely happy when meal time rolls around. We’ll continue to monitor her health and be open with our vet about her diet, and I feel positive that together we can ensure her continued good health.

For the full review, click here: Dancercize.

Over the summer I had the opportunity to volunteer at an event where I was leading groups of students who were in grades 7 &8.  We were discussing the benefits of walking to school. The first question I asked was pretty obvious “How many of you walk to school?” The number of kids who raised their hands was a little surprising, more than half of the students did walk to school. I was so impressed. Admittedly these were high school students who live in a major city, but still I was happily surprised. The reality is that as our neighbourhoods grow schools seem to be getting further away from students. And, as our lives in general get busier we have less time to spend walking to school. The question becomes, does it really matter how kids get to school? How is walking to school any better than taking the bus or getting a ride in a car?