I love it when I cruise the wonderful Web and find a random post that just resonates in my mind and I think: I have to share this! I just stumbled across this blog post, Have You Been for a Run Lately? The Author, Mark Vanderkam, asks some pretty important questions about how to achieve balance in our every day lives. What are we seemingly too busy to do, and how does this affect our productivity? Check it out, and then my friend, get your butt outside…

Ok yes, it’s Kelly Osbourne BUT she did lose some weight and looks fantastic! I don’t know if she did it all on her own, or had a mess of personal trainers and crap we regular folks can’t afford, but in this this article she tells us some simple (translation: common sense) tips on how she did it. I don’t care who you are; if you’ve got a weight loss story and your tricks could be helpful, I’m gonna listen. You know? So go Kelly!

I know it’s “Hollywood” and no doubt she’s touched up, but I’ve seen the other pics and this girl, no matter how much we love to hate her, LOOKS good. In the article she mentions one way to cut out calories is soda. As North Americans we love our damn soda…and those are empty calories folks. Personally, if ‘m going to drink my calories I’ll save them for the Honey Brown Ale when I have a burger or a glass of our current fave red (see wine blog)…save them for when it counts I say….

But back to Kelly…another great tip I thought- get rid of your microwave. It’s too easy to fill your freezer with those less-than-good-for-you frozen meals that say they’re healthy (when really they pack a whollop in calories AND fat). Sure it’s easy to pop something in the microwave for 3 minutes but answer me honestly- are those meals remotely satisfying to you?

I look for inspiration where I can find it…I don’t care who is inspiring me or what they look like. If they’re doing something I think is great and can maybe teach us something, then I’m going to lean in closer for a 2nd look.

My struggle continues. I lost myself this past year and gained some weight back. I’m looking for ideas in all corner…and within. Choose your calories well.

Be well.

Namaste.

CM

It’s that time again folks! Here is a mish-mash of stuff that I’m excited about this week…

San Francisco, I love you. Kudos to the powers that be in office for the most recent ban that involves one of my fave-places-to-hate, McDonalds! What have they done now you ask? City Council has decided to BAN HAPPY MEALS (and other “meals” as supplied by these chain fast food joints that offer toys with meals over a certain calorie and fat %). It’s just one little step to making healthy food more accessible to all; especially low income families that eat out at McD’s because it’s affordable…and yes, for the damn toy. I think this is a HUGE move and if other cities can get behind it and enforce the same ban on all other meal-deals for our kids, then we might be on to something…

I’m one happy camper when I stumble upon sites like this. My head was spinning at all the reusable options for lunches, leftovers and more! The name says it all: Life Without Plastic. Yeah man.

Remember back to grade school…did you carry a lunchbox? I remember the start of each school year and the huge decision that faced me…what lunchbox THIS year? This site, Lunchboxes.com, has something to satisfy every desire and every memory. Trust me. I lost myself in this site today. Over and over…

I don't love Hello Kitty, but I do have a soft spot for nerds.

I wanted to talk about Vegan Lunch Box again…I love this lady. And her little Schmoo. Looks like she hasn’t written much LATELY but her blog is a riot to look through, the pics will wow you and make you believe, maybe, just maybe your little one WILL eat their lunch after all. If you’re not familiar with Bento Boxes you really do need to check this site out, or go straight to the source, Laptop Lunches.

Oooh. Ahhh. So pretty. So organized.

Bran Buds. For real. I put them on all my OTHER cereals….yet to try them on salads. But super crunchy and nutty. Is it sad I’m excited about Bran Buds?

Yup. This really gets me going.

It’s been AGES since I did one of these posts and I honestly don’t have a clue why! My ‘bookmarks’ tab on my computer is seriously full of cool sites and links I’m excited about…but I just haven’t done anything with them. Well, that’s all about to change…

Yummy Earth Candy is all about loving the candy WITHOUT artificial colors, sweeteners and flavors. Not possible you say? I haven’t tried these yet but how can so many people be wrong? The company has been getting rave reviews from Rachael Ray and the Today Show’s food critic. When I think about it- the idea of a lollipop made with REAL FRUIT does sound good….imagine….

Oh and did I mention they’re an organic company? Founded by 2 dad’s who were frustrated at the sweets available to their children? Gluten-free, peanut-free, corn syrup free…the list goes on.

This may be just the right treat to hand out this Halloween! The lollipops are available in 21 fruit flavors. That beats the 5 flavors in a pack of Life Savers any day. In my opinion.

DID YOU KNOW?  October is Vegetarian Awareness Month? So go hug a Veg-Friend, take part in Meatless Mondays in your home and take small baby steps to help reduce your meat consumption….

I found this article today, entitled “7 Helpful Ways to Cope with Feeling Fat.” I love the message because lets face it, no matter how diligent we are at getting to the gym, going for that run, not eating a donut in the morning….we still FEEL fat at times. It just happens. This article addresses it and gives some realistic ways to get back into the right frame of mind.

Dr. Natura Colon Cleanse. This is not a fast process but I’m learning patience and I’m slowly starting to feel better. I think I’m going through this phase though, as my body releases all those toxins that have been weighing it down. I suddenly got a head cold (I usually breeze through cold/flu season) and my face is breaking out in a crazy way…I’m trying hard to not go hide under a tree. I honestly have to wonder though, is this because my body is going through this cleanse and thus trying as hard as it can to get rid of all the bad ‘crap’ (no pun intended, really) inside of me? Makes sense to me. I do hope this phase ends soon though.

Gardein. Yum. My Guy and I are loving this stuff….possibilities are endless. But we love Tofu too. All praise to the Tasty Tofu.

Apparently this company puts Braille on the packaging…and apparently what should be the way of all companies, is a FIRST! WTF is wrong with that? Why isn’t braille on more packaging??

I can’t see braille on this packaging to the left…however I’ll take their word for it. I think it’s a great idea and shame on other companies for not doing this too…

While there are many other things I’m excited about, this will have to do for now. I got My Guy coming home soon, haven’t seen him since 5:02 this morning and Aslan, mad at being brought to the clinic today, is moping under the bed.

Seize the day, Namaste and all that good stuff!

So many things to write about today; where to begin? As I settle down to write, I have CNN on in the background as they prepare to rescue the first of the 33 trapped miners in Chile. I can’t help but marvel at the strength of the human spirit in times of struggle and of all the countries to endure yet another test of faith and hope, it falls to the Chileans to show us again how strong they truly are.

While I rejoice in that story and keep an ear tuned to my TV for the first sounds of the siren…I’m thinking also of how truly inconsiderate and rude mankind can be. It’s quite the opposite feeling from the joy of a rescue, to the realization that not everyone out there thinks in the same terms as myself, and My Guy. We had an experience today that reinforced this and it’s challenge to not take it personally. My Guy is looking for a new car, right? He finds one he’s interested in, calls the owner (private sale) and expresses relief at getting through to them after busy signal and that the car advertised is EXACTLY what he’s looking for. The Car-Seller seems eager too, happy to hear from a prospective buyer and expresses empathy that they too, know how hard buying a car is! A time was agreed upon to meet and My Guy and I hopped in my car to drive out to The Valley (not exactly a short ride away either) to see this car. We’re not even half way there and we get a call…the Car-Seller has sold the car. “It just happened” she reported to us. I can only imagine: a gun was held to her head and she was forced to sell the car, it just happened….yes….poor soul.

I guess we believe in handling things a little differently. My Guy believes in honoring a prior commitment and that as the 1st person to express interest in the car, he should have at least been able to see it. But to get a phone call half way to the meeting point, only to be told “I’m sorry, it just happened, it sold..” is pretty damn lame. So this is one little story about how people really need to think about their actions, beliefs and how they affect others. Sometimes I just wonder, why can’t we all just get along?? Is someone, somewhere, watching the Human Race, and smirking at the fine mess we’ve made of day to day issues?

Treat others with the same courtesy and respect you expect. Simple. Nothing more to it.

On a different note, it’s day 12 of my Cleanse. So far, so good…I don’t have anything HUGE to report. Things are….ahem, errr, “moving” along so to speak. I find the tea EXTREMELY effective and am taking every 2nd or 3rd evening now. In keeping it real, I haven’t lost any drastic amounts of weight yet, I don’t feel things are going that much differently now except for the fact I’m beginning to feel more ‘regular’ and have less bloating pain. I am well aware however that is only Day 12 in a 90 day Cleanse so I’m perfectly content to keep going.

If you are interested in Colonix and try to live a healthy lifestyle, than I think you’ll be impressed with how ‘natural’ this product is. I’m not overwhelmed with harsh medicines or chemicals and I don’t feel like I’m doing harm to my body. I can understand every single ingredient listed on the 3 products and better yet, I can even pronounce them!

My knee pain used to be 15/10 for pain; or off the charts. Now I’d say it’s about an 9/10. Progress! I’m still taking Advil, still wearing the sleeve to compress it because frankly, it just feels better…

Day 3 of my Cleanse today….so far so good but because this is a 3-part cleanse, I personally struggle with remembering to take the tea in the evening. My Guy suggested I set the alarm on my cell phone to remind me every night around 9 pm. He’s so smart!! As I took my capsules this morning, I thought “Oh no! I forgot the tea last night!” It seems high maintenance but I understand the need for the 3 parts and until I do it a bit more, I probably will struggle to remember.

As My Guy reminded me this morning, “You have trouble remembering to shoot your cat…” My cat is a diabetic…and yes, I am guilty of forgetting the odd shot. But back to the Cleanse. If you’re considering Colonix, one thing to know is the powder you mix into a drink daily, is NOT some fancy-schmancy fruit flavored concoction. It tastes herbally (is that even a word?) and tastes ‘green’. When I say green I mean no taste of chemicals, preservatives or over-processed ingredients. If you’ve ever followed the advice of a Naturpath, and taken supplements in the form of brownish colored capsules, it’s reminiscent of that…

I mix mine into OJ and while it doesn’t mix up to a super smooth consistency, I find the taste  palatable. There is a slight fennel taste for sure…and not something I dread drinking.

So far my bowels are the same, but it IS only Day 3. I have several readers, and friends, who are eagerly awaiting the outcome of this Cleanse…

Now I must enjoy my Sunday Relaxing….

The Food Channel recently released it’s Top 10 Snack Trends of 2010 (jeez and the year isn’t even over!) I thought I’d break it down for you, add my comments and maybe alternative suggestions? Depends what’s on the list exactly; you see, I haven’t exactly looked at the list thoroughly yet. The story caught my eye this morning and I thought, “Hey, I should blog about that…”

10. “Nostalgia’s New Again.” The article mentions such dietary necessities (not) like Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho-Ho’s. *Shudder* Now I am not opposed to yummy treats…but c’mon! Twinkies?? Hasn’t it been said there are so many preservatives in these things they are incapable of molding? I love old stuff; old stuff can be cool…when we’re talking antique furniture or metal lunch boxes….let’s not go back to the snacks of the past.

9. Bold and Spicy is IN, bland is out. I don’t know about you all, but I do prefer some flavour to my snacks…who wants bland?

8. Yogurt. This makes me happy. I love to see that North American yogurt sales are sky-rocketing and consumers are embracing this seriously yummy, and low calorie option for a sweet attack. When was the last time you looked in the yogurt section of your local grocer? The flavour combo’s, milk fat percentages and sizes are out of this world! If you can’t find a yogurt within all that, there’s something wrong with you. I try to keep yogurt in my fridge all the time because I often get cravings for something smooth, cool and sweet (and I think, “YES ICE CREAM!”)…so while yogurt isn’t ice cream, it does satisfy me.

7. Sweet & Salty. Oh yeah. Kettle Corn- need I say anything more?

6. The Granola Bar. Praise the bar! All hail the granola! These guys are a staple in my daily life…I have them in my purse for quick snacks and they’re a great snack to offer kids instead of stopping at a store for a chocolate bar. Like yogurt, the varieties available nowadays are really amazing. If you’ve read my earlier posts you know I am a fan of Nature Valley and Kashi. Both brands offer superior ingredients, low fat and calories and great taste. Yes, really.

5. Fruit in all it’s glory. Yay! Fruit is here to stay and it’s about time we embrace it. It’s portable, low calories, delicious and good for us. Fruit is sweet…mmm sweet.

4. Nuts for nuts. I support the nuts. Hey, head out of the gutter people…I’m talking about almonds, pecans and peanuts to name a few. These are best in their raw form; the fat is a good fat as long as it’s eaten in moderation. A handful of nuts with a piece of fruit makes a smart choice for a snack…so does throwing on some seeds and slivered almonds on your salad at dinner. Nuts make sense. I always wanted to be a Nut Farmer.

3. Liquefy it. I guess we’re all loving our smoothies, anti-oxidant laden fruit drinks, energy beverages and so on…that’s all good as long as these drinks don’t replace the idea of a REAL MEAL.

2. “Grazing is the new Snacking”. This is what the Food Channel says. Really. I’m a fan of grazing. I do it. But one should keep in mind, grazing is SMALL amounts of usually good for you type things…not a half scoop of ice cream 8 times a day.

1. Chips and Dip. Huh. Really. This is number one?? The article goes to explain this isn’t just your run of the mill chips and dip- it’s been redefined. We’re talking falafel chips, hummus, black bean spread and pita chips. Ok, cool. I can definitely dig that.

Don't do it alone...

So I’ve given myself an hour to write tonight…I’m not 100% comfortable still in my ‘writing’ area but it’s shaping up slowly. A work in progress if you will…

I mentioned I’ve gained some weight back lately and My Guy and I decided to work together more vigorously at getting out and working up a sweat. (mind out of the gutter please!) Just knowing I have his support makes a world of difference. I don’t know if the average person, like my co-workers for example, can tell I’ve gained weight but I certainly can and that’s the issue. I’m not totally happy in this body in it’s current shape- so I need to fix that. It’s so much better to have a support system, and have that person you can go out and do things with. If you’re struggling to lose weight, or to even start on a fitness regime- grab a buddy. I can’t stress how hard it is to do this on your own…

When I lost over 50 lbs several years ago, at the beginning of my journey…I started alone. I had just left a relationship, moved to a new neighborhood and was depressed at the recent changes in my life. I felt I had nobody to ask to help me, and so I struggled through alone. I won’t lie…it was hard. Looking back I feel pride I did it yes…but I remember alot of loneliness during that time. There were people I could have asked but I didn’t want to ‘burden’ anyone. I know now, a true friend would NEVER think it a burden to help someone on a path to being more happy and healthy.

Having My Guy to come home to, and walk with or run with just gives me that added little kick-in-the-butt I need. After all, us BOTH getting out and moving only makes our relationship stronger….right?

I’m back to marking on my calendar with a funky little sticker, when I do get out and get my heart racing and blood flowing. I suggested this a few years back when I needed any little thing to keep me going…and I still stick to it. Looking at the calendar covered in smiley faces and seeing my effort laid right out in front of me really makes me feel good. Life is short and we gotta take care of the little things that make us feel GOOD. Plain and simple…

Grab a buddy, get out, get moving and feel how good it can be. Remember baby steps and go at your OWN PACE…

Love CM

So many thoughts to put down but all they do is swirl about my head, taunting me to put them to the screen. I want to jump up and scream “I’m so happy!” but my headache of the past 3 days is causing me to be less than exuberant. I want to write a million words but my computer and writing set-up at the new digs isn’t all that comfortable. Yet. Despite these things, I wake up and embrace each day and look forward to coming HOME to my new home and My Guy. It’s been a while since I’ve truly let myself feel like this; and let me tell you, it’s exhilarating.

As Melissa over at Sugar Filled Emotions would ask: what am I thankful for?

- I’m thankful I moved back to Van city; even though I was just across the bridge, it feels like I’ve come home…

- I’m thankful we asked for a recommendation for a full and rich, IN YOUR FACE, red wine tonight at Firefly Fine Wines and for under $20 received what was the best red I’ve had in a long time. It was pure velvet on my tongue….a Malbec from Argentina by the name of Domaine Jean Bousquet. Once I finished my glass I suggested My Guy run back to the store and get a case of the stuff. Yeah, it’s THAT smooth. It’s proof a really great wine doesn’t have to break the bank. Oh and no, he didn’t go get a case…

- I’m thankful mom’s ultrasound was all good…

- I’m thankful I live closer to 2 very special people in my life whom I haven’t spent nearly enough time with as of late (G & L) It’s never too late to rekindle friendships; if you are missing someone, pick up the phone and call them. Don’t let people you love slip past you.

Enough about being thankful…let’s get to the nitty-gritty. I’ve put on some extra weight and it’s my promise to myself and to My Guy, to shed those pounds and be who I was. I’m ok with how I look; but I don’t LOVE how I look. I’m not the woman I was 2 years ago when the weight loss was kind of still new feeling and I was on cloud 9. Now I feel as if I shouldn’t have slipped. I feel like these extra pounds are weighing my spirit down and to work hard at losing them, would probably boost my self esteem. People say I’m not fat but that overweight girl inside of me will NEVER quite see that. I will always see who I was in the mirror…these pounds need to be lost FOR ME and me alone. I need to prove to myself I can do it again.

If there is something you’ve been putting off, maybe now is a good time to tackle it. I’d love to write more but damn this work space is sucking right now. Sleep well.

CM

I have to admit I was a little surprised to read celeb chef Mario Batali was in the process of writing a vegetarian cookbook. I absolutely love watching the Food Network but often had to change the channel if too much meat was being flung around. Now while Mario did introduce me to a side of Italian eating I hadn’t seen before, I just couldn’t handle the odd cuts of meat (cheek, tail etc). I realize they are delicacies and all that, and I’m not one to push my beliefs on anyone….HOWEVER…I chose to not watch. An article in the New York Daily News reads he has confirmed he is writing it and also that he has cut down his meat consumption to five days a week. I don’t care what a person cuts their meat intake to, just the fact they are cutting it makes all the difference. It tells me they are aware, they are willing to make a change…and who knows, five days may go to three and so on and so on….

Little steps…

So yay I say to Mario for penning a vegetarian book! Stay tuned for the info.