baked coconut chickpeas

The response to my last post has been absolutely overwhelming. Thank you, thank you, thank you... and I plan to cover more soon. :)

But for now, it's Meatless Monday and it sure is a rainy one! 

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a recipe for jerk chickpeas on one of my favourite blogs, Oh She Glows. I wanted those badboy peas then and there, except that I didn't have most of the ingredients and I was already in comfy pants (it's a violation on a Sunday afternoon to trade comfy pants for real clothes).

Dressed in comfy pants and without ingredients, I was forced to get creative with what was in my pantry and boy oh boy, did it work out!

I made up a super easy peasy recipe for baked coconut chickpeas!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
• 2-3 tbsps freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.
• 2 tbsp tamari (organic and gluten-free if possible).
• 1 tbsp coconut oil.
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (the thicker, full-fat version works well).
• 1 tbsp maple syrup.
• 1 tsp cinnamon.
• 1 tsp tumeric (you could also use curry if you're feeling sassy).
• 2 large garlic gloves, smashed and chopped.
• 1/2 of a red pepper, finely chopped.
• 1/2 cup red onions, finely diced.
• Few pinches of red chili flakes. 
• Pinch of salt and pepper.
• 2 tbsp parsley or cilantro and/or a big handful of arugula and/or chopped avocado and chives for garnish. 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 
2. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish, except the garnish. Give it a loving stir.
3. Cover and bake for 30 mins. Uncover and bake for another 15 mins if you'd like it drier.
4. Throw peas over some quinoa or brown rice, or serve as a side.
5. Garnish with your greens of choice... and enjoy!

Really, it's one of those recipes where you can throw out the recipe and just mix ingredients until it tastes yummy.

Happy rainy Monday of tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

doing the work: coming clean...

"Until you learn to heal the wounds of your past, 

you will continue to bleed into the future."

~ Iyanla Vanzant

Oh boy! What a busy week it's been. Busy, but amazing. 

During my dinner date with one of my very best friends, I realized that despite knowing her for almost 10 years, she didn't, until Friday, know a big part about me.  

Then I realized that perhaps few people do... and really, that's just silly. It's time to share.

Here goes...

Last year, I wrote about the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.

There are a lot of chapters to each of our stories. An eating disorder is one of mine.

Like for many, junior high was essentially torture for me. I had gained a few pounds before I started grade seven, as many preteen girls do; that chubbiness, combined with my enrollment in the full time "gifted" program (an odd social experiment), essentially made me the perfect target for prepubescent torture (oh yes, I also went to band camp).

I dealt with it as I knew best - I threw myself into sports and, at the tender age of 12, I started my first diet. 

By the end of my first year of junior high, I had dwindled to a tiny size and the interventions began. I had anorexia.

Interestingly, I have blocked out most of the memories around this topic. All I know is that while I managed to heal the anorexia, my distorted and unhealthy body image has plagued me until today. In my twenties, I developed a new coping mechanism: at times pushing myself too far with exercise and always dissecting every morsel that went into my mouth. I became a pro at setting myself up for failure and beating myself up for it. Not surprisingly, I made myself physically sick.

I'm sharing this (long) story for two reasons:

• While doing my homework, I have realized that the very first step to moving forward is to evaluate where you're starting.It's essential to come clean.  

• The very act of coming clean can help others tremendously, even if it's just to know that they are not alone. That's the main point of this blog, after all: to share my journey so that it may, in whatever small way, help someone else.

Phew! What a long post! As always, thanks for reading... and happy Sunday!

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

P.S. I've moved Sabbath Sunday to Sabbath Friday/ Saturday for the next little while. I'll explain later. :)

healthy on the cheap: thrive in 30

 

Truth: I have a bit of a crush on Brendan Brazier. He's a vegan Ironman, general health-atarian, and founder of the amazing Vega products.

He has also written many books like Thrive Diet,  Thrive Fitness, Whole Foods to Thrive, etc.

But here's why I'm writing about him on this Thrifty Thursday: Thrive in 30!

For absolutely free, you can access free videos of Brendan covering content from his Thrive books, such as:

• How to combat stress using whole, plant-based foods and
  high net-gain nutrition
• The whole food truth about protein, fats and carbs—
  and how balancing your diet will help you build a younger body
  
• How you can alkalize your body’s pH to combat disease,
  improve sleep and lose weight
• What superfoods to use to balance hormones,
  detoxify body or lower cholesterol
  
• How to identify common foods that cause unexplained, mystery illnesses
  
• How to use nutrition to strategically fuel your body so you’ll have greater endurance, maximize the return from your workouts and recover faster
  
• Why nutrition, exercise and sleep are the secret
  to empowered mental health
  
• Long-term strategies that will help you transform your health for life

It's pretty darn amazing, and it doesn't cost a penny. Not one.

What are you favourite healthy on the cheap tricks?

Happy tumbling & stumbling!
mxo

wednesday tidbit...

 

exactly.

mxo

1thing...

It's rainy outside...

... and cold

... and it's Tuesday, which means it's too early to start talking about the weekend.

If you're feeling a little glum, don't fret. You're certainly not alone.

Here's 1thing that has really, really helped push me through my glum moments: it's 1thing!

"The global gratitude journal that helps you tell the happy story of your life, 1THING at a time."

Each day, the site will send you a prompt to think about and log the 1thing you are grateful for at that moment (or many things). What's even better is that you can see everything you have been grateful for in the past (in case you need a little reminder), and you can see trends in your gratitude log (apparently I am often thankful for almond mylk lattes). AND you can see what others are thankful for... AND you can access gratitude tips... AND it's free. 

One of my bestest friends got me hooked on this site a few weeks ago, and I have been diligently filling out at least 1thing each and every day. I have set the prompt to arrive in my inbox at 3pm. A little burst of gratitude is a far better mood lift for the mid-afternoon slump than any sugary treat ever was (or is). J'adore 1thing!

And here's the thing, we always have at least 1thing to be grateful for, even if it's just the fact that you are able to be online contemplating your 1thing...

Much love... 

... and happy tumbles and stumbles!

mxo

P.S. Images from today's post are from 1thing. They even have daily illustrations.... pictures!!! :)

sweet potato kale quinoa yum...

Happy Monday!

Last week I shared my perfect lunch with you. 

Today I'm going to deconstruct it. You're getting one of my very favourite go-to recipes:  

baked sweet potato with kale and quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 red onion
• 5 kale leaves (I used flat green and curly red)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Big pinch sea salt
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

Chop onion and baked potato into large, bite-sized chunks. De-stem kale leaves and rip up into pieces.

 

Place onion and baked potato into a casserole dish. Top with coconut oil and salt. Bake at 375f for 40-45 minutes. Reduce heat to 350f, add kale to casserole dish and bake another 10-15 minutes. The potato should be tender, but be careful not to burn the kale. That's it... oh, and enjoy! :)

It's a perfectly balanced meal with protein (quinoa), complex carbs (sweet potato), greens (kale), and healthy fats (coconut oil). 

You can also skip the quinoa and just serve the potatoes as a lovely side.

Happy t&s!

mxo

doing the work: the living of life

When I set my mind to something, I want results and I want them now. Better yet, I want them yesterday. And I want them to be extraordinary.

When I picked up yoga again a few years ago, I wanted to do a headstand immediately.

When I started running, I wanted to run a half marathon without any training.

When I started eating well, I wanted to have glowing skin and boundless energy after my first green juice.

But here's what I've learned after a week of doing my homework: it doesn't work like that. What's more, when we are so focused on the results - awaiting that glorious moment when everything will click into place - we miss out on what might actually make it all click: the living of life.

Here's an excerpt from Geneen Roth's "Why Weight" which REALLY struck a chord this week:

I have a friend, someone I love very much, who has spent the last few years either traveling around the world or in meditation retreats. In four years, she's worked for six months, and those months were spent making enough money to leave. She reminds me of the participants in workshops who keep looking for the answer, keep waiting for the click, and all the while, miss what could be producing it for them: the living of life. Waking up, dreaming, laughing, fighting, loving, crying, sweating, sleeping - and noticing. The boredom, the sadness, the rage, hate, joy, the hunger of being alive. Notice it all. The ordinary happenings of a day.

This friend of mine keeps opting for the extraordinary in just the way we keep waiting for the magic. We keep thinking something is going to happen that will make it all make sense. And when it doesn't, my friend goes on another retreat or flies to somewhere else in the world. Just as she does, we wait. We wait.

"When is the little thing going to click that will make it all change?"

The answer is that there is no click. Or the answer is that the click is now, here. If you value the experience of getting there instead of the result of being there, one moment is just as good as the next. Learning about your hunger, tasting a raisin as if it were the first you ever ate, stopping when you are satisfied, not stopping and noticing how you feel, it's all part of the process of waking up to being alive.

Precisely.

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

courage and coco...

This is what last night looked like:

• Comfy pants
• Organic red wine
• Dark chocolate
• Charlie (my cat) and I on the couch...
• Watching We Bought a Zoo.

It was perfect. 

I'll admit, I chose the movie because Matt Damon was in it (he's dreamy), but it ended up being so very sweet and even better, inspiring!

I picked up one very important life lesson from the flick:

"All you need is just 20 seconds of insane courage 

and I promise you, amazing things will happen."

What would life be like if you infused every single day with just 20 seconds of insane courage... :)

It's a rainy spring Saturday in Toronto, perfect for staying home and taking care of some outstanding to dos.

It's also perfect for making coconut protein bliss bites!

Ingredients:

MIA: one date... because I ate it. :)

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup flavoured protein powder (I used vanilla Sunwarrior, my fav)
• 1/2 cup grated coconut (sulfite-free), reserve half
• 8-10 soft medjol dates, pits removed
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp pure organic vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 tbsp nut butter (if your mixture is dry, you can use some nut butter to help bind everything)

Method:

Place all ingredients (but only half of the coconut) into a food processor and blend until small pebbles form. Roll into balls and roll balls in remaining coconut. Refrigerate. Makes approximately 10-15 bite-sized balls.

Perfectly delicious snack for the mid-afternoon munchies! Enjoy.

Happy Saturday of tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

fitness friday...

Enough said.

Happy t&s,

mxo

healthy on the cheap: Qi Herbs & Nutrition

Fact: It's Thirfty Thursday.

Fact: I just discovered Anthropologie where I bought the cutest flapper-style dress.... but it was 50% off!

So sue me! :)

For serious though... I realize that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can add up. Eating organic and buying superfoods + vitamins + random healthy goodies certainly can! But it doesn't have to be ridiculous.

Here's one of my not-so-secret healthy secrets: Herbs & Nutrition (Qi Natural Foods) in the Annex.

From BlogTO

This place is a mecca of fresh, healthy deliciousness at very reasonable prices. Something is always on sale and even when it's not, it's easily 20% cheaper than anywhere else I've come across. The owners work directly with farmers and companies to keep costs down.

They have a massive selection of vitamins and superfoods, bulks grains and dried fruit, beauty products, etc... AND bonus: they recently added fresh organic produce and meats! 

I adore this super happy healthy market... and my wallet does too. 

Check out BlogTo for more info.

Where do you like to shop for healthy things?

Happy tumbles and stumbles,

mxo

doing the work: get organized!

Last week I wrote about my new plan to work on my somewhat out-of-whack relationship with food. Having a direction is great, but turning it into a goal with an action plan is even better!

Without further ado, it's time to get organized!! 

Fun fact: I LOVE to organize. When I was a kid, I would ask to clean my friends' rooms. 
Parents loved me, kids thought I was weird. 'Tis the story of my life. :)

... but back to organizing!

The goal: to learn to eat with pleasure and drop the guilt trips already (lofty, no?!)

The timeline: ha! if only...

The plan: study, study, study! Yay!! Homework!!

Here is my glorious pile of study material:

In this pile, you will find:

1. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. This might as well be my bible, and she might as well be my role model. This book is jammed back with great information not only on what to eat, but how to eat and how to live in a crazy sexy way.


2. The Happiness Project by  Gretchen Rubin. The book that inspired this blog way back when in 2009. It's time for a reread.


3. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth. This is my other bible. This profoundly insightful and comforting book leaves me with "ah ha!" moments every time I read it... and I've read it a lot.


4. Why Weight? by Geneen Roth. This is a newbie in my collection. It's a workbook compliment to Roth's ideas (including those captured in Women Food and God).


5. Diary of an Exercise Addict by Peach Friedman. Also new, and just for fun (though I suspect it will be insightful fun).


6. Mastery of Love by Don Miguel. Personally recommended but not shown as my Chapters didn't have it. How dare they tamper with a organize-aholic?!


7. A crisp new journal to chronicle it all! Mine says, "Always do what you are afraid to do" right on the cover. Perf'.

The plan is to spend one honest hour each day going through this stuff - reading the books, working through the workbook, sharing any great wisdoms, etc.

In addition, I vow to not eat in front of the computer or TV for awhile... oh geez. 

Wish me luck! 

Happy tumbling.. and stumbling!

mxo

my perfect lunch...

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

It's just 24 hours...

So I'm cheating today. 

I am taking a few hours away from Sunday Sabbath to take care of some admin matters (like my taxes... zoinks!) which means I'm fully, 100% plugged into all technology... and I regret it already.

It seems this whole business of unplugging is very chic these days! 

Look, Leelee Sobieski is doing it!

From the May issue of O

This really stuck with me:

"When I had a daughter, Louisanna, two and a half years ago, I started recording every funny or sweet thing she said or did on my phone. But on one of our unplugged days, I realized I'd been so focused on capturing those moments that I hadn't been feeling them. I'd missed opportunities to connect with my daughter because my face was always hidden behind my cell phone... I need to let this moment exist. I don't have to capture everything. I just want to experience it."

Less capturing, more experiencing. With that, I'm signing off.

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

juice, juice, juice...

 

Everyone, please meet Old Faithful.

Old Faithful, please meet everyone.

Old Faithful is the juicer that has been in my family for... hmmm... 15-20 years. Old Faithful almost retired a few weeks ago, but after come coaxing, he's back in full gear.

I have a special place in my heart for Old Faithful, and our relationship has been rekindled recently as I have become a green monster!!

Folks, I am obsessed with green juices. I crave them, I dream about them, I love, love, love them. 

Seems crazy, yes? Probably... but my cells thrive on the quick jolt of pure happy, healthy enzymatic energy.

Some of my juices this week. 

Here's why juicing is super duper important:

• Almost instantly, juicing provides your body with a jolt of optimal fuel to nourish your cells and restore your immune system.
• This powerful fuel is made of of loads of vitamins, enzymes, minerals, protein, and oxygen. 
• Green juices balance your pH and make your skin glow.
• Unlike eating veggies (also very important!), green juices are absorbed very quickly and easily by the body. Smoothies and full veggies takes more energy to digest.

For more details, check out the lovely and amazing Sammiches.

Here's how to build a great green juice: remember the 3 to 1 rule (3 veggies to 1 fruit)

• Start with a base: either a few stalks of celery or half a cucumber (please peel if it's not organic)- counts as 1 veggie
• Two large handfuls (or more) of greens: kale, spinach, swiss chard - counts as 2 veggies.
• Add one fruit: an apple, a pear, half of a peeled grapefruit.
• Feeling fancy: add some ginger, a squirt of lemon or lime, or some garlic.
• Want a super duper detox: add some parsley or cilantro, a beet or two, some cabbage or fennel.

Oh yes! And make sure to drink your green juices on an empty stomach. Drinking during eating slows down digestion.

That's all for this lovely spring Saturday!

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

shake your tush!

"Of diet, meditation, and exercise, which do you think is the most important for a vibrant God pod glow? 

Whichever one you're not doing. Zoinks!"  the lovely Kris Carr

Zoinks indeed! That's all. :)

Happy fitness Friday... the 13th!

 

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

mxo

healthy on the cheap: yoga!

Happy Thursday, lovelies!

I just came back with a date with one of my very favourite people, Vrinda from Buddha Body Yoga (a.k.a. Mama V). I am spinning with new ideas and plans... but more about that at a later time.

Today is Thrifty Thursday. Now, I realize that being healthy can add up... financially, that is. Between juicers, supplements, yoga classes, and all of the other lotions and potions, it can all leave your wallet.. well, thin. But I want to share that while health can seem luxurious, it certainly doesn't have to be. You can do healthy on the cheap!

Today's edition: yoga on the cheap!

Here are some ideas for practicing yoga in a community setting, while giving your pocketbook a bit of a rest.

Kula Yoga:

I recently stumbled upon Kula Yoga in the Annex and I absolutely adore it. They have a great deal for first-time students: $40 for a month of unlimited yoga! But, what's even better is that they have a large selection of $8 classes!! And they are offered at times that are accessible for those of us stuck in cubicles between 9-5pm. AND they often have free classes for students at exam time!! I highly recommend this studio.

Introductory Specials:

Most yoga studios in the city offer an introductory special of some sort for new students. Kula's is $40 for the first month. 889 Yonge (and Thompson) also offers the same great deal ($40 for 30 days), so do the various Moksha studios. With the plethora of yoga studios in Toronto, you could keep trying these introductory specials for many, many months!

Passport to Prana:

Now this might be one of the absolute best yoga deals around. $30 for one year of unlimited classes at various studios throughout the city. The catch, if you can even call it that, is that you can only use it if you are a new student at the studio and you can only use the card once per studio. But, with over 70 participating studios, it will take you awhile to run out. 

Community Centres, Libraries, Churches, etc:

Check your local library, church, community centre, etc for deals. Some are amazing! I was first introduced to yoga in a church basement. It was pay-what-you-can and it was amazing. 

What's your favourite way to do yoga on the cheap?

Happy t&s,

mxo

Crazy Sexy Week

I disappeared again - sorry about that!

Here's what happened in the last week, in rough chronological order:

1. I had a physical and emotional breakdown over Easter.
2. I got so frustrated with my dismal state that I decided to take my health and happiness into my own hands. 
3. I started a mostly raw, very green cleanse (inspired by one of my role models, Kris Carr).
4. I had a follow-up session with Joy McCarthy (read about my first session here).

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = the perfect reset at the perfect time, and the start of a new direction.

What I have known intuitively for awhile, and what Joy confirmed today, is that I need to focus less on dietary restrictions and labels (raw foodist, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc), and instead focus more on my emotional health, especially when it comes to food. 

So many of us desperately cling to diet after diet, food trend after food trend, and we do "all of the right things", but we continue to suffer. What we often ignore is all of the other toxic aspects of our lives: jobs we might hate, bad relationships, maxed out schedules, etc. 

Here's what I've realized recently: health and happiness are holistic. We each have a perfect blend of where we need to be mentally, physically and spiritually to be happy and healthy. But you can't be happy or healthy if one of these elements is drastically off balance. You can take all of right supplements and eat all of the right superfoods, but if you're not addressing the other elephants in the room, you're not going to get very far.

I believe the key pillars to health are:

1. Nutrition - are you eating foods that truly nourish your body and enrich your soul? how is your relationship with food?
2. Exercise - are you moving your tush every day? are you pushing yourself too hard?
3. Stress - what are you doing to curb stress in your life?
4. Sleep - are you sleeping a solid 7-8 uninterrupted hours each night?
5. Job - do you like what you do? are you stressed about your finances?
6. Relationships - do each of your relationships support you? are there toxic relationships you can let go of?

While each needs to be addressed, it can be overwhelming to tackle everything at once! In the spirit of breaking things down into manageable pieces, start with the one pillar you know is the most off balance.  Personally, I'm going to attempt to tackle my guilt-ridden, misguided relationship with food.

So here's what I propose (for me): I'm throwing out all rules, labels, and 30-day challenges that I've set for myself (because they didn't come from healthy places). Instead, I will listen to my body, provide it with the nourishment it most desires, and I will try to enjoy every single morsel. Generally, I'm going to start being good to myself holistically.... oh yes, and I'll share my journey with you!  

The road may be bumpy but I'm not afraid of a little hard work! 

What do you most need to do right now, what one step can you take to steer you towards your most perfectly happy and healthy self?

Happy tumbling & stumbling!

xo

P.S. Phew! What a long post! Oops... :)

divide and conquer

It's Wednesday... I think.

I have spent the last two and a half days hiding in the woods.

This was my view at breakfast yesterday whilst I ate my massive salad and rested my sore legs after our treacherous uphill run (my friend totally kicked my rump!):


It was nice to unplug.


Aside from eating massive salads, running, and Golden Girls marathons (you read that correctly), I also did quite a bit of reading. One of the best tidbits I stumbled across was the idea of divide and conquer.


In her book Your Best Body Now, Tosca Reno writes:

I break down each seemingly unsurpassable challenge
into little, manageable pieces that I can wrap my mind - and my solutions! - around.
It's so much easier to tackle a huge issue when you divide and conquer.

So simple, and yet so powerful.


For example,

• If you need to lose 100 pounds, don't get overwhelmed thinking about the entire 100lbs. Instead, think about the 3lbs you plan to lose this week.

• If you need to quit smoking, concentrate on not smoking this hour, this day, or this week.

• If you want to become more active, don't worry about all of the gym time you need to put in this month. Instead, just take the stairs every chance you get today.

The power of this is twofold:

1. Small tasks are far more manageable.

2. If you fall off the wagon, it's a lot easier to get back up again. Rather than feeling like you failed at the entire goal, you simply dust yourself off and attempt the next small step.

So, on this lovely spring Wednesday, think of a goal you'd really, really love to achieve. Now break it down into itty bitty pieces.... and tackle the first piece now.


Wake up with a plan for the day, and focus just on today...

I'll share a few of mine soon. :)

Happy t&s,
mxo