Healthy Practice Tip #6

I don't know about you, but during the holidays, I definitely find myself eating more sweets and other delicious foods. Therefore, taking care of my teeth becomes an even higher priority! Which leads to healthy tip #6! 

6. Brush and floss.

Your teeth (and gums) reflect your overall health, so take care of them! You probably have the brushing down, but get that flossing going too, every time! See your dentist every six months, and brush and floss after every meal! 

My comments: During one of my annual visits to my dentist, I informed my dentist that one of new health goals was to  brush my teeth after every meal (including snacks) rather than my usual morning and evening routine. I was surprised when she said that if I was rushed for time, she'd rather me floss my teeth rather than brush! Of course I asked her why and her response made sense. Flossing helps remove food bits and plaque from the tight spaces between the teeth and under the gums whereas brushing simply cleans the tops and outer surfaces of the teeth and gums.  By removing plaque when it is in it's early form (soft and pliable) you hinder plaque from hardening and turning into tartar.  But what I learned next was even more interesting. Flossing not only prohibits discolored teeth and bad breath it can prevent other diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness!  I was so intrigued by this information that I dug around for some other benefits of flossing and was astonished at how such a simple activity that takes a few minutes can make such an impact on your overall health! Here are a few links that I came across that list even more benefits of flossing! 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/oral-care/products/5-reasons-flossing-is-important.htm

http://www.activebeat.co/your-health/8-ways-flossing-benefits-more-than-oral-health/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=benefits%20of%20flossing%20teeth

So why not start today and pull out that dental floss sitting in the back of your medicine cabinet and start flossing! 

Stay active and anything is possible! 

Healthy Tip #5 That You Already Know-But Probably Aren't Doing!

It's been a few days since my last post. Are you ready for Healthy Tip number 5?  Here it is!  (from www.mindbodygreen.com) 

5. Wear sunscreen

You’ll like the crow’s feet you have from all the smiles, but the scars from the “suspicious moles” removed? Not so much. Save yourself the trouble and slop on that sunscreen.

My comments: We all know that wearing sunscreen is very important, but must of us never apply it, especially in the winter! I will be the first to admit that I hardly ever apply sunscreen as soon as the weather gets cold.  It's hard to think of  the possibility of getting a sun burn when old man winter comes for a visit and the sun sets by 4:30 pm! But regardless of the temperature or the season, the sun still emits ultraviolet or UV rays, which is a type of radiation that can damage our skin and lead to premature aging, ie. the infamous crow's eyes, or even more devastating, cancer.    

Here are some interesting facts for you regarding UV rays in the winter and why wearing sunscreen is important! 

a. Snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays 
b. Altitude can also increase the UV strength by 10-12%
c. Even on a cloudy winter day, up to 80% of UV rays reach the ground 
d. Sunscreen has been proven to protect us from the sun's UV rays and therefore, help prevent premature aging! 
e. Sunscreen can also reduce the likelihood of developing skin cancer! 

So whether or not you are a winter sports enthusiasts, wearing sunscreen in the winter is worth it! But choosing the right products is also very important. Here is a link that provides a quick guide to effective,  year round, sun protection products: 

http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/news/?p=690

Oh, one more thing. Don't forget to protect your lips! They need protection from the sun just as much as your skin does! 


Stay active and anything is possible! 
Donna 

#3 and #4 Healthy Tips You Already Know- But Are You Doing Them?

I missed a few days from writing due to some internet glitches with our service. So here are not 1 but 2 healthy tips that we all know but are probably not doing!  (FYI. Just a reminder that these tips are from a great website www.mindbodygreen.com. I am posting their 15 healthy tips over a span of 2 weeks!)

3. Get your rest

You need it. Turn off the television and smartphone and light up a candle. Take a bath or some deep breaths. Starting the rhythm of peaceful quietude at the end of your day is something that will change your entire state of being. Trust me, if the older version of you with two young kids and a full time career can figure out how to make it happen, so can you. And doing it now will help her a lot.

My comments:  Most people think of rest as sleeping. Well, I'd like to talk about rest in another way. Here is one of definition of rest: "Cessation of work, exertion or activity." I like this definition because it's what most of us rarely do! We are constantly on the go and our minds and bodies are pushed to do more! How much better would we feel, think and behave if we gave our bodies and our minds a chance to "rest?" One can only imagine!  But I'd like to think that we would feel happier, have more clarity and better focus, and we would definitely have more energy! So with all of these amazing benefits, why do we not give ourselves time to rest?  Here's my challenge to you. Today, take 5 minutes away from your phone, computer, or radio and sit in chair and close your eyes. Turn your attention to your breath and just listen. That's all! Just listen to your own breath for only 5 minutes. Then notice how you feel afterwards. 

4. Drink water

There are three main ways for toxins to leave your body: through urine, poop, and sweat. Drinking lots of water helps them on their way (and if you didn’t pick up on it yet, plants and moving daily will too). In addition having a hydrated body is a happy body, so fill up that water glass and throw away the soda

My comments: Ah, water. The very basis for all life. I am blessed to live in a country where water is plentiful. I have the ability to live everyday without having to worry about water for survival. But in most North American and European countries, we rarely drink enough water for our bodies and MIND to function properly.  Here are a few examples of how water impacts our bodies. Maybe one of them will stick out in your mind and motivate you to have at least 1 litre of water (in total) for the day! 

1. It's a lubricant: Without water, our joints would become stiff and unable to move! 
2. It's a transporter: Water transports nutrients and oxygen to our cells throughout our whole body and it carries away toxins and waste products our bodies don't need. 
3. It helps our brains function! Our brain is over 70% water and if we are dehydrated, our brain does not function properly. It becomes sluggish and slow. We can't afford that if we are constantly working with very little rest! 

Stay active and anything is possible! 

#2 of 15 Healthy Practices You Already Know-(But are you doing it?)

2. Eat more plants.

Your body craves nourishment in every calorie. Why do you think you can't stop eating that junk food!? Save yourself the trouble of discovering your metabolism can no longer handle all the crap you eat, and fill your plate with greens and veggies.

My comments: At dinner, I sometimes hear my mother's voice or even my grandmother's voice say over and over again, EAT YOUR VEGETABLES! In today's society, with fast foods becoming the main stream,we rarely see or eat anything green on our plates or in our to go containers! If we do, it's loaded with salt and butter, aka FAT!

As you may have read from my blog regarding my 21 Day Adventure Cleanse, one of the primary goals of the cleanse was to eat more plant based foods.  Yes, this meant I had to put more thought into my meals let alone more preparation. But what I discovered was that it wasn't that hard to add more greens into my diet. Eating them raw was the easiest way and to make it more interesting (and sometimes more tasty), I added hummus. Cucumbers, broccoli, and celery either alone or in a salad became my best friends for lunch. At dinner, I steamed my vegetables (ie. spinach, bok choy, brussel sprouts, kale, swiss chard, rapine, dandeline, kohlrabi)  or as a last resort, I boiled them. (keep in mind that if you boil vegetables, you lose a lot of the nutrients if you boil them for too long)

The idea here is to make an effort, even the smallest effort such as eating a vegetable for a snack instead of a bag of chips or a super sized cookie. Once you start here, you can work your way up to adding more green vegetables into one meal a day, 2 meals a day, etc.

If you'd like your taste buds to explore new greens, here's a website that lists over 20 different green plant vegetables!

http://www.vegetarian-diet-tips.com/list-of-vegetables.html


Stay active and anything is possible!

15 Healthy Practices You Already Know and Should Be Doing

I read this fantastic article from Mind, Body, Green's website (www.mindbodygreen.com) that I was going to post in January. You know, that time when most individuals create their "new year's resolutions" list?  But then I thought, why not start today! These are fabulous practices that we should we be doing every day. If not, we should start doing them every day! 

However, rather than list all 15 healthy practices at once, I'm going to list just one a day over the next 15 days. Why? As you read each practice, I want you to really focus on the message. Reflect, visualize yourself doing the practice and figure out a way to incorporate it into your daily routine. I guarantee it will impact your overall well being! 


HEALTHY PRACTICE #1

1. Move your body.

You can't underestimate the power of experiencing the strength of your physical body in healthy ways. Find healthy movement that you enjoy and try to participate in it at least 60 minutes daily. You're establishing rhythms that will support you throughout your life, so get moving!

My recommendation: If you can not fit in 60 consecutive minutes a day into your routine, break it down into 3 segments of 20 minutes or 2 segments of 30 minutes. Then work your way up to 60 minutes straight. Keep in mind that if you are moving, you are improving! 

Testimonial from Olga Valentine!

I first met Donna when I was looking for a personal trainer to help me prepare for my climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. She had recently returned from climbing Everest Base Camp herself, so I knew I was in good hands. I instantly fell in love with Donna’s infectious smile, positive attitude and most importantly, realistic approach to health and fitness. I felt like she actually LISTENED to what my goals were, what my likes and dislikes were, what my time commitment was like, etc. and THEN developed a program that would actually work for me. In this day and age, listening is a rare skill and it is refreshing to finally meet a trainer who does it so well. This is something that I always felt was missing from other trainers I had worked with, who just threw me in a program that they claimed was tailored to my needs, but that I always felt was exactly the same for their other clients.  

6 months after successfully climbing Kilimanjaro, I found myself living in Montreal and reading an email from Donna with news that she had just moved to Montreal as well! Lucky me! I had previously mentioned to Donna that I have always had a personal goal of running a marathon. She convinced me that if I really wanted to, I had enough time to start training for a half-marathon. Over the next 10 weeks, Donna was my coach, mentor, motivation, biggest supporter, and number one fan! Each week of training she held me accountable for my runs and pushed me harder than I thought I could push myself. 10 weeks later I ran the Niagara Falls International Marathon in 1:40 and placed 6^th in my category. I would recommend Donna to anyone looking for a personal trainer, run coach or even just healthy lifestyle motivator. She truly cares about her client's goals and happiness; she's simply the best. Thanks Donna!!!!  

My 21 Day Detox (AKA Adventure Cleanse!)

I don't know about you, but when I hear the words Detox, Fasting, and eating clean, lots of words, images and physical symptoms come to mind. ie. deprivation, moodiness, crankiness, starvation, anger, food rage, headaches, dizziness, tasteless and boring foods, yucky green vegetables and being miserable for several days! So why would I even consider doing a 21 day detox? Well, if you know me personally, you know that I am a slightly competitive and that I love to take on new challenges. It was also one month after I completed my first Ironman and I was looking for something to challenge my mind and body. So when my yoga studio (Studio Breathe) presented a 21 day detox program, I enthusiastically signed up! 

The 21 day detox was inspired by Kris Carr's "Crazy Sexy Diet" book which included a 21 day adventure cleanse. Therefore, I will refer to my detox program as my adventure cleanse. 

This adventure cleanse entailed the following: 

1. Move your body every day for at least 30 minutes (this included taking classes at the studio. I could even double up on taking classes to receive more stars or I could do an activity on my own as well)

2. My meals had to follow a plant based diet filled with freshly prepared gluten free whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts and fruit.

3. Foods to abstain from were 

    caffeine (especially coffee)

    dairy

    alcohol

    gluten (wheat products)

    sugar (all kinds)

    processed foods (junk food)

    animal products (dairy and all meat, including fish)

4. Each morning start with fresh lemon and hot water followed by a smoothie or fresh juice

5. I was encouraged to have liquids even at lunch time. However, if I was still hungry, I was encouraged to have snacks such as nuts, seeds, a bowl of berries, a piece of gluten free bread with almond butter, or a gluten free hot cereal topped with almond milk and agave. 

6. Chew mindfully at every meal

7. Option to do a half day fast on the 7th and 14th day (this did not mean starve myself and not eat at all!)

8. Meditate for a minimum of 10 minutes a day

I was also encouraged to be creative and try different meals and snacks. Which is exactly what I did. As a result,  I discovered Mary's Organic Crackers (try the Jaleppeo ones if you like spicy) Wow! What flavour and you'd never know it was also gluten free! I also tried a variety of different hummus, (roasted red peppers and garlic anyone?) consumed dates and drank dandelion tea with a tablespoon of cocoa powder to satisfy my sugar cravings. I even began to make my own soups and veggie burgers! I know. Me? Cook? Who would have thought! 

The first few days of the cleanse were tough. I didn't have the infamous headaches I was told I would have, but I did feel cranky. Mostly because I was not eating my usual foods and I really missed my morning routine of having that one cup of cappuccino in the morning after my yoga class. Talk about craving! But what I discovered was that it wasn't the actual coffee itself that I missed, it was my routine. I loved going to my yoga class and then walking into my favourite local coffee shop (Lili and Oli). It was always filled with interesting people who were hunched over on their computers, lap tops, or cell phones. Some people even had real books! I also loved the smell of  the fresh pressed coffee, the scrumptious sweet home made pastries and how the local dogs would lie sleeping underneath the tables. THAT is what I missed the most about not having my cappuccino each morning. 

But as I continued on through the cleanse, my cravings and crankiness subsided and I began to feel a sense of renewed energy and creativity.  My stomach became flatter and I actually began to "feel clean" on the inside. My whole digestive system seemed to be working like a machine and I stopped feeling bloated and gassy. In addition, my skin never looked better! No more pimples or blotchiness. (is that even a word? Donnaism!) 

As a result of all these amazing symptoms, my inner creativity was ignited. If I could feel this good from abstaining from certain foods, what would happen if I ate more natural and plant based foods? After 7 days, my cleanse already showed my how much I could benefit, so why not take it a step further? So I completely took out gluten from my diet and started having more smoothies. I also started to make more juices, more GREEN juices. 

According to Health Canada's Food Guide, the required amount of fruits and vegetables is 4-10 servings.  Do you know how many fruits and vegetables it takes to make an 8 ounce glass of juice! I could never eat that many fruits and vegetables on their own! Even when I was training for the Full Ironman! So, what did I do? I started to cut and peel A LOT of fruits and vegetables the day before I used them. At first, this was very tedious. Why can't I just throw the whole orange or apple in the juicer? Wasn't there good nutrients in the skin? But once I got into a routine, I realized that it wasn't that bad and it didn't really take me that long. After awhile, I even started cutting and peeling my fruits and vegetables right before I used them. Crazy I know. I get up early enough as it is and to add in a routine of cutting and peeling before I start my day (and without any caffeine) one would think I had lost my mind. 

As I started juicing more, I learned that I could use the left over pulp to make other meals, such as veggie burgers and soup. That was a huge relief because I hated wasting all the left overs even after I put it through the juicer twice! 

By week 3, I made a major discovery.  I was actually listening to my body.  I mean REALLY listening. In fact, I connected with my body so much that I could actually feel my body responding to the food I ate (or drank). For example, after I drank a green juice (ie. spinach, celery, cucumber, ginger and apple), I had more energy and I was better able to focus.  Just what I needed my husband thought, more energy! But it's true! I also felt that I had more clarity.  When I trained a client, I was more attentive and in tune to their moods. I was also able to complete my "to do" list almost flawlessly. Well, maybe not flawlessly, but it was definitely more manageable. 

I also learned to CHEW my food. (when I ate a solid meal that is) During my meals, I would often count to 20 as I chewed. After awhile, I didn't have to count any more. I naturally chewed my food as if I was counting to 20. As a result, I not only ate slower and ate less, I actually tasted my food. 

By day 19, I learned the most important lesson of all from my adventure cleanse, "forgiveness".   Let me explain what I mean by forgiveness. 

One of my personal goals during the cleanse was to take yoga every day. This included Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yin and Restorative yoga.  These various practices helped open my eyes to see just how hard I was on myself physically and mentally.  How I viewed my body and how I envisioned I SHOULD be. ie. faster, stronger, more flexible, more focused.  After this discovery, I was left with the challenge of what to do about it. The solution? Be more kind and more gentle to myself.  I had to learn to forgive myself for having off days. Now everyone has an off day and everyone has a different meaning of what constitutes an off day. For me an off day meant if I ate a full bag of chocolate chip cookies, or if I forgot to call my mom back, or if I ran slower than my estimated time, or if I lost my balance in a yoga pose, or if I couldn’t push through an intense plyometric work out, or if I had a full bottle of wine (over a course of an evening) instead of a glass.  (I told you everyone has a different perspective of an off day!)

I also had to learn to love my body as it was. We all go through stages when our bodies might gain and/or lose weight or gain and/or lose strength and flexibility. Hopefully these change are not drastic. It's only natural that it will happen. It's how you react to it that makes all the difference. Training for the Ironman, I was constantly evaluating my body and how it was responding to my training. I didn't put much emphasis on eating natural, plant based foods because I was already taking protein powders, supplements and eating gels and bars like they were going extinct!  But this cleanse helped me realize the value and the benefits of eating more plant based foods not just for training but for overall health.

By day 21, I felt beautiful, more loving, more forgiving, more energetic, more focused, clean from the inside out, and very creative. So, the big question is, what now? Well one thing is for sure, I'm going to keep experimenting and making smoothies and juices every day.  I'm also going to continue to do yoga and meditate every day, if only for 10 minutes. And if I can't? I will forgive myself! 

Stay active and anything is possible!