happy friday!

P.S. It's better to follow your own life purpose poorly, than to do another’s perfectly.
(from the Bhagavad Gita)

move-ember!

A few weeks ago I set these lofty goals for myself.

And then the insanity that was October hit. I made it to 7 classes before promptly proceeding to fall completely off the wagon...

I missed more bootcamps then I attended (sorry Michael!)

I forgot who Jillian was and barely had my tush kicked by my lovely friend, JaneyB.

Then I came down with a bad case of the blues over my dismal state of affairs. Pathetic, really.

And THEN, finally, I said enough! (That was today) Enough acting like a grumpy tart. Enough whining and complaining. Time to get moving!

And thus... Move-ember!

Move-ember will go a little something like this:

I will attend every darn Jock Yoga bootcamp session if it kills me.

I will attend at least one JaneyB class per week.

There will be one fitness wild card per week.

If I do the math correctly (math isn't my strong suit these days), all of that adds up to over 30 classes... so let's make this a 30 in 30 (30 classes in 30 days) challenge for good measure (and necessary wiggle room!)

Want to join me? I dare you! :)

Happy almost Friday!
mxo


P.S. If Move-ember doesn't work out, I suppose I can always try Movember.

Who's a pretty girl?! ;)

surviving the busy times...

This October is proving to be one of the busiest months of my life. Between Thanksgiving (and four gobble gobble dinners!), the massive office move, my morning yoga bootcamp, traveling for work, traveling for pleasure, and one lovely house guest, I'm surprised I'm still standing.

In the past, very busy periods in my life would lead to sickness and anxiety.... more precisely, sickness brought on by anxiety. I spent five years working full time and earning my bachelors degree at night; inevitably, each year I would come down with pneumonia, bronchitis, infections, the flu, etc... and my anxiety would flare up, sometimes beyond what seemed like manageable levels. I would physically and emotionally run myself into the ground.

It looked a little something like this:


But somewhere along the way, I started to learn how to manage extremely busy times so that they don't blow up in my face. I am learning how to manage my anxiety, and keep myself stable.

This is the number one lesson I have learned:

• Embrace the sloth. I am a type A personality - always on the go, always wanting to do more, plan more, achieve more, etc. One of the most important lessons I am continuing to learn is that downtime is just as important as anything else. Just like a car needs to stop occasionally for refueling, so too do we. Lazy Sundays, mental health days, evenings spent watching mindless TV or whatever your sloth-like poison - it's all necessary for our well being.

That being said, sometimes we all find ourselves in busy times beyond our control. Wedding planning, moving, work demands, family situations, etc all creep and need tending to. When I find myself in such situations, as I do now, I try my best to:

• Eat well. Keep to whole, simple foods and absolutely avoid sugar. Make sure your diet is rich in avocados, bananas, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, fish (especially salmon), garlic, greens, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains and yogurt - all foods that supply the minerals that are depleted by stress (calcium, magnesium, and potassium). Avoid sugar, caffeine, sodas, alcohol - all of these wreak havoc on your adrenals and actually bring on nervousness. Let food by thy medicine... that whole thing.
  

• Go to bed early. Sleep is absolutely vital, especially when you're feeling anxious or stressed. Sleep is the simplest and most effective medicine. So set aside the guilt and judgment, and head to bed as early as you can! :)

• Get up early. Yes, sleep is extremely important, but too much can be detrimental. Very rarely do I emerge happy and healthy if I sleep in until 1pm. For those of us who wrestle with anxiety and depression, the line between sleeping in and hiding from the world can easily become blurred. So get up out of bed, shower, enjoy a quiet cup of tea, go to yoga - just get up!

• Do yoga. I know that is seems counterintuitive to add more to your plate when you're already stressed and anxious, but this is one exception I know is absolutely worth it. Leaving aside all of the esoteric spiritual aspects, many asanas (poses) engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). Translation: many poses stimulate the organs, glands and hormones that are responsible for rest. Further translation: yoga will make you feel more rested. Magic! I am such a believer in this that I continue to wake up at 5am throughout the madness to heal my body and soul through yoga.
  

That's it. Easy peasy. :)

Okay, one final note: if you find yourself on the brink of meltdown, just know that everyone... and I mean everyone... has been or will at one point be in the same anxious shoes. We all go through it.

A happier, healthier and more rested me...

Happy almost weekend!
mxo

world food day...

There are millions of people around the world who need our help to be happy and healthy. Visit Food Banks Canada to find out how you can get involved.

mxo

giving thanks...

Here are 100 things I am grateful for this Thanksgiving 2011:

1. My husband. He is my best friend, my rock, and the love of my life.
2. My family, with all of their quirks and peculiarities.
3. The plethora of amazing friends in my life. my core. How grateful I am to be surrounded by so many inspiring, amazing people.
4. My cat, Charlie. She's one orange ball of crazy love.
5. My beautiful semi near the park.
6. High park.
7. Yoga.
8. Being able to exercise and practice yoga every single day.
9. Yoga teachers like janey b...
10. and michael decorte...
11. and davian den otter...
12. and jana webb...
    
13. and misha steiner (i miss u!)
14. My job. though i may sometimes complain, i know how lucky i am.
15. Toronto. i live in the greatest city in the world.
16. Summer in toronto.
17. Patios.
18. Autumn. Ontario is especially beautiful with coloured leaves.
    
19. Winter (that's right, i like winter!)
20. Okay, and spring.
21. Thanksgiving...
22. ... and CHRISTMAS!!!
23. Live Food Bar. Organic, vegan, deliciousness. and the owner is a true gem.
    
24. The TTC, especially streetcars.
25. My Blundstones. They are a little like the winter jacket I bought last year - how the heck did I survive without them?!!
26. Blogs!!
27. Music.
28. CBC Radio 2, perfect music for the workday!
    
29. Farmers markets.
30. Big Carrot and Kensington Market.
    
31. David's Tea in Bloor West Village.
32. The Lunchbox and Tea Tree Cafe.
33. Learning, and my endless quest for "useless" information.
34. That I have finally stumbled upon my passion(s).
35. That we are all unique. There are so many amazing people to learn so much from.
    
36. My hair - always exactly the same, and thus, entirely predicable!
37. Ruth's Foods chia goodness.
38. Holy Crap cereal.
39. Sunwarrior protein powder.
    
40. Kale. I adore kale.
41. and goat cheese.
42. Wine!
43. Chocolate!!!
44. The lovely opera singer who hands me my daily metro newspaper.
45. The daily metro crossword. It makes me feel smart.
46. Books!! So many books... about so many things!!
47. Long weekends.
48. Brown rice.
49. That brown rice comes in noodle form!
50. Rice milk lattes.
51. That brown rice comes in milk form!
    
52. El Coco Loco Nicaragua, and all of the inspirational work my brother-in-law and his lovely gf are doing in Nica through Waves of Hope.
53. Clean sheets.
54. Strangers who immediately offer their seats when I dare to board a packed streetcar during rush hour with two giant bags and three massive pies.
55. The new texting service on the TTC.
56. My bicycle. I love my green Frieda even though I neglect her so.
57. Roncesvalles.
58. The Beaches (I'm not hip enough to call it "The Beach").
59. The fact that after living in TO for almost 20 years, I am still discovering amazing new places and neighbourhoods!
60. Change.
61. This weekend's forecast! It's October!
62. Having the right to vote...
63. ... and to choose my life path.
64. Canada. Enough said.
65. Pizza Libretto and Woodlot - oh my!
66. 889 Yonge.
67. energy Xchange.
68. Tula.
69. Iam Yoga, etc etc.
    
70. That half of my grandparents are still alive.
71. Mentors.
72. Having friends to visit all over the world.
73. Free healthcare.
74. Guess jeans. Finally jeans that fit!
75. That the 504 streetcar finally goes to Dundas West.
76. Spirulina.
77. Being Erica.
    
78. Twitter. It took me awhile to get on board, but now I get it.
    
79. Peppermint oil. Perfectly natural pain relief.
80. Lululemon yoga pants. If I could, I would live in these pants.
81. Christmas is only two months away!! I really, really love Christmas.
    
82. Autoshare. Genius invention.
    
83. All of the amazing restaurants in TO.
84. Trains.
85. My washer and dryer. I know, sounds lame, but I really love my new machines.
86. That I can take a bath or shower whenever I want! When you've backpacked through Central America (or anywhere else), this is something you come to value.
87. All of the traveling I have been able to do.
88. That I have climbed mountains and volcanoes, scuba dived and sandboarded, seen ancient Mayan ruins and tasted delicious food around the world.
89. My Polish roots. It took me awhile to accept them when I was a kid, but now I am grateful for my unique Polish quirks. Polska!
90. Pickles.
91. Babcia's pickle soup. OMG.
92. Babcia.
93. Airplanes that bring Babcia to me and me to Babcia. I don't like flying, but I sure am grateful that I can get across the Atlantic in 6 hours.
    
94. My iphone. It keeps me organized and connected.
95. Yoga, yoga, yoga... and kickboxing, spinning, pilates, etc.
    
96. The fact that I absolutely love to exercise.
97. Massages.
98. Apple crumble.
    
99. That if we try hard enough, we can all find at least one thing we are grateful for, even if it's the fact that we're still breathing.
    
100. Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! mxo

gobble gobble...

Oh boy! What a busy week it has been!

My body is humming from all of the magnificent yoga classes, and my tum tum is singing after a week of being on my Joyous Health regimen. I have so much to tell you about, but since I'm oh-so-sleepy, I will have to leave you with a few recipes for now.

It's almost gobble gobble time (translation: THANKSGIVING!!!). September to January is my absolutely favourite time of year, and one of the main reasons is THANKSGIVING!!!

Here are some of my favourite easy peasy recipes which I hope you can incorporate into your gobble gobble plans.


Coconut Sweet Potato Butternut Squash Soup (from my gorgeous friend Amanda)

• 2 large sweet potatoes
  
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 litre veggie or chicken stock (make sure it's low sodium if you're using store bought)
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• Sea salt
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 handfuls spinach, rinsed well
• Pumpkin seeds (optional, for garnish)

1. Peel sweet potatoes and squash. Chop both into one inch cubes.
2. Place cubes in a large pot and cover with 1 litre of stock. Add two bay leaves. Add a small pinch of sea salt.Bring everything to a boil over medium heat, then cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until cubes are soft.
3. Puree heated stock and cooked cubes with an immersion blender or a normal blender (make sure the glass can withstand the heat). You may need to add some extra water.
4. Pour the pureed mixture back in the pot. Add coconut milk and curry paste. Stir and cook on low for another 10 minutes. Right before serving, throw in spinach.
5. Pour into your finest china, drizzle with maple syrup and garnish with pumpkin seeds and a dash of cayenne (all optional)... oh yes, and enjoy!
   

These lovelies are butternut squashes... yum!

Roasted Cauliflower (from Kind Diet)

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Maple syrup for drizzling (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375f.
   
2. Slice cauliflower just like a loaf of bread, keeping the slices about 1/2 to 1 inch think.
   
3. Place slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. Flip and bake for another 15 minutes.
5. Drizzle with maple syrup, or not, and serve. Simply delicious.
   

Cranberry Sauce (from my momma, and Kind Diet!)

• 4 cups raw cranberries
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Juice from 1 (or 2, depending on size) orange
• 1/4 cup water

1. Rinse your berries thoroughly.
   
2. Place berries, maple syrup, orange juice and water in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil over low to medium heat, stirring often.
   
3. When the mixture reaches a boil, cover and reduce heat to low simmer. Cook until berries start to pop, about 1 hour.
   
4. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Naked Apple Sauce (from Oh She Glows)

• Many, many, many apples (let's say 5lbs, and ideally organic Ontario apples)
• 1/4 cup sugar free apple juice.

1. Cut apples into quarters, removing core (but leave the peel on!)
2. Transfer apples and apple juice into slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours. That's it!
3. Totally optional: add 1 tsp of cinnamon (or more if you like cinnamon).
   
4. Totally optional: blend mixture if you want super smooth yumminess.
5. Totally optional: add some maple syrup... just because, if you haven't noticed, I love my maple syrup!
   

Hopefully that will be enough to get you thinking... :)


And finally, since the point is to give thanks, challenge yourself to list 100 things you are thankful for.


Happy gobble gobble, everyone!
mxo

wise words on a sad day...

kale pesto pasta...

There is something about a chilly autumn evening that makes the heart sing for comfort food. In my case, it was healthy comfort food... and no, that doesn't have to be an oxymoron.

I just made the most delicious kale pumpkin pesto over brown rice spaghetti a la Joyous Health. It was so delicious in fact, that I had to share the recipe with all of you! (Also, it takes 15 minutes to make, most of which is waiting for the pasta to cook! Amazing!)




Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 large black or green kale leaves, washed and destemmed.
• 2 handfuls of fresh arugula.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds.
• 2 gluggs of hemp seed oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
• Healthy pinch of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Toss everything into a food processor and blend, blend, blend. Cook a twoonie-sized amount of brown rice pasta, strain and mix in pesto. That's it! I crumbled a little fresh goat cheese on top for extra love. Healthy comfort food!

Enjoy!
mxo