Hello…..Is it Me You’re Looking For? March 21, 2012

Hello, it’s been awhile.

Sorry for the extended time away, where to begin?  Things have been up in the air lately and I had to take some time off of blogging to focus on school and for some time, I was training for a competition.  The competition has been put on hold….again….indefinitely…..

Competing and training to compete in a figure competition is all-consuming and it just isn’t healthy.  Some girls rebound, badly and I was starting to see that I might be one of those girls, so competing went out the door all together.  This way, I am able to have a healthy relationship with food, can train the way I want (goodbye HIIT and treadmills, hello bar bell complexes) and can stop being a cranky pants with the kiddos.

So, if you have been following Fresh Nutrition’s facebook page you will notice that I have completely done a 180 in the food department.  No longer am I vegetarian, but I am now eating primal/paleo and I am much better for it.  Bye-bye brain fog and hair falling out, I knew I was in for it when my school tutor said, “why do you want to go crazy, literally, and eat vegetarian?  Eat meat and stay sane.”  She meant this literally, as veg*ns tend to be deficient in B12 and essential amino acids like tryptophan and tyrosine, which are the “happy” amino acids and vitamins.  She implored me to at least eat butter, but I now eat lots of grass-fed meat, plenty of happy fats like butter, coconut oil and lard and lots of veggies.  The result is a strong, relatively lean me.  For those of you who need a macro-breakdown, I have no idea what it is, as I no longer weigh and measure food…..suckas.  I can tell you that my diet is high fat, moderate protein, low carb and as long as I keep the coconut flowing, I have lots of energy.

Did I mention that I stay pretty lean?  Yep, don’t even really have to try.  Got to love a primal diet.

So, with all that said, stay tuned as I tell you why not to eat soy, wheat and corn and why to eat steak, bacon and coconut.

Have a fresh day!

Peg

Loving ME the Way I Am. March 25, 2011

I swear, I’m not being narcissistic, and I wasn’t always this way.

It has been a long process getting here.  I truly love myself, though.  I am smart, a good mother, a good partner to my husband and I am healthy, what more can I ask for?  A few years ago, it was a different story.  I had just given birth to my son, was in the midst of post-partum depression and was trying to get rid of those last 10 (ok, maybe 30) pounds.  I had trouble bonding with my son, we did not have a good birth experience, and I couldn’t get him to breastfeed and in general was not in a good place.  My husband and I have our own business, he is a heating contractor and I felt like I had given all of myself to my child and my husband and I had nothing left for me.

Fast forward three years, and I now enjoy being me. 

How did I get here?  I found my passion, helping people, especially women and a passion for health.  I am studying to become a Holistic Nutritionist and I am becoming a personal trainer.  In short, I made time for ME.  Along the way, I had another baby, with whom I had a wonderful experience bonding with.  I also discovered that you really do need to put yourself first in order to be the best mommy and partner you can be, that really isn’t just lip service from Dr. Phil.

I also made a conscious effort to stop comparing myself to other people.  One of my closest friends carries babies really well, she didn’t gain much weight and she bounced back quickly.  I compared myself to her constantly, but I have realized that she just got the luck of the draw in that department and I have so many other things to be thankful for.  I always compared myself to my sister in law too.  Becky is beautiful and naturally thin with these really long biceps, which are a little more coveted right now in the fitness industry, but there are so many things on my body that I love and I focus on those and not what I can’t change.  I still struggle with comparing myself, but I am leaps and bounds above where I was.

The most important thing that happened to me was discovering “Eating Clean”.  I have cut out EVERYTHING artificial and fake and look for healthy fats and ways of cooking.  I have cut out diet soda, sugars both fake and real and I eat as many green things as I can get my hands on.  If it is fake in any way, I don’t eat it, it really is that simple.  This has transformed my mind and body.  I don’t struggle with my weight, my hormones are fairly balanced and my body works hard for me.  My body does of it what I ask, whether it is a hard yoga class or difficult strength training session.  I fuel my body, not my soul, my family takes care of it and my work as a nutritionist and personal trainer takes care of my mind.

I love me, through and through and in turn, I can give the best of me to the people around me.

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

freshnutrition.usana.com

HealthyMomsHealthyBabies.com

Baked Apple Pie Oatmeal March 23, 2011

This post was originally to have another name, such as: Easiest Breaky Ever, but when I woke up this morning, my kitchen smelled like apple pie.

Good, old-fashioned, soul nourishing apple pie.  I couldn’t wait to dig in!  The best part was, it was the easiest breakfast I have ever made.  My mom and my sister had told me about crock-pot steel cut oats before, I had just never made them.  What the heck was I waiting for?

I love steel cut oats, they are the best oats for you because the are not processed at all, are low glycemic, full of fibre and keep you nourished through out your morning.  Let’s face it though, they are a pain in A#$ to make.  Often the pot boils over, they take 20 minutes of watching and what fresh reader wants that?  Part of the point of Fresh Nutrition is to be kind to your body in a simple way, this crock pot recipe is just the thing!

Baked Apple Pie Oatmeal

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 4.5 cups of water
• 2 cooking apples chopped, you don’t even have to peel them, I used Granny Smith
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Throw it all in the crock pot before you go to bed, wake up and breath in the baked apple goodness, then serve!  I found that I needed a little sweetness to go along with it.  I added a little bit of NuNaturals Stevia, remember, a little goes a long way! 

If your kiddos like those over processed, over sugared packets of instant oatmeal, this is a great breakfast for you.  If the like apple cinnamon, perfect, just add some stevia or maple syrup and your breakfast is done in the morning.  If the like the maple and brown sugar flavour, add some maple syrup when you assemble, it will still be better for them.  Just try to stay away from instant oatmeal, this is such an easy recipe and their bellies will be full all morning.

Today I am working on a post about loving yourself and your body, I am looking forward to having it done!

Have a fresh, healthy day!

Peg

freshnutrition.usana.com

Soup on the Fly March 22, 2011

It was a dismal day yesterday outside and in my kitchen.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but as I get closer to grocery shopping day (Wednesday), my kitchen looks pretty bare.  There is usually a lone banana hanging out on my counter, screaming to be eaten before it turns completely brown and all that is in my fridge is Greek yogurt and spinach.  It’s getting to be that time of the week.  I even had some chocolate cake leftover from Mason’s birthday and was seriously thinking of giving it to him for dinner, I mean, it’s made of beans, it can’t be that bad?  Is chocolate cake for dinner a bad idea?

I was talking to my employee about what to make for dinner, when she gave me a great idea…..lentil soup, but not in the way you are thinking.  Carey had made this great Roasted Red Pepper Soup (note to self, get recipe) and had used lentils to thicken it, what a great idea!!  I know of many people don’t always enjoy or eat lentils, but use them to thicken soup and you can’t even taste them! 

Lentils are a superfood, heart healthy, full of fibre, stabilizes blood sugar levels and are high in protein, an excellent food for a mostly vegetarian to eat!

Curried Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup of uncooked red lentils
• 3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp curry powder, I use Arvinda’s Curry Masala

 

Pre heat oven to 4oo deg F

Peel sweet potatoes and roast in the oven until cooked, about 20-30 mins, meanwhile, chop onions and put them into a pot with the lentils, 2 cups of stock and the curry powder.  Bring to a boil and then lower temperature to low to simmer the lentils until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 mins.

Once the potatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven and place them in a blender with the cooked lentils and the last cup of stock, blend it up and serve.

I use a Blendtec Blender, so I can blend hot liquid, you may want to cool the potatoes and lentils first to keep them from exploding on you.

Don’t forget to join us tonight on healthymomshealthybabies at 9pm EST to learn about parenting without the punishments or consquences.

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

freshnutrition.usana.com

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things! March 21, 2011

I ♥ working out, which means I ♥ workout gear.

These are a few of my favourite things, just like Maria from the sound of music likes to say.

First, all gym rats need a good gym bag.  I just replaced mine, which was about six years old.  I got a teal green gym bag from Lululemon.  It’s big, it has lots of pockets, a wet/dry bag and it looks great.  I will carry it all around the town.

Second, my workout log.  I write all of my exercises down, how many sets, what weight and how many reps.  It keeps the guess work out of what to do, keeps me focused and let me see how far I’ve come.  This one is cute, pink and has a good saying on the front.  It gives me a smile when I look at it.

My Saucony Grid Stabils.  I have worn the same shoes for about 7 years, ’cause if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  These are probably my 6th pair.  Depending on if I am running more, I buy new shoes every 6 months to a year.  I haven’t been running as much due to a foot injury and being pregnant last year, so I probably won’t replace these ones for awhile.

Last, my hot yoga towel.  Again, I picked this up at Lululemon.  It’s great, a perfect size for my mat, silicone grippys so it doesn’t slid around when I am doing floor work or in a middle of a flow, perfect for hot yoga classes.

I off today to do a upper body split workout, it will be a heavy weight day, so I expect to feel the burn….perfect!

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

Yummy, Healthy Chocolate Cake with Avocado Icing March 19, 2011

This is not a hoax, I swear.  I made this cake for my son’s 3rd birthday and he LOVES it.

This cake changed my life.  In my previous life when I ate boxed cake, a “healthy” cake came with the label “low-fat” or “low-calorie”, forget the chemicals that were in it, or that it even came in a box.  This cake though, is a whole food cake.  It is made of whole ingredients and is surprisingly healthy. 

Here is the secret ingredient…….

Are you still with me?

The original recipe called for stevia, but I found the cake was too sweet with it, so I omitted it.

Here is the recipe, adapted from www.healthyindulgences.blogspot.com

• 1-14 oz can of low sodium black beans
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil
• 3/4 Erythritol (please see note below)
• 6 tbsp raw cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp water



Prep:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of cocoa butter.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder, put aside. Beat butter with erythritol until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder mixture and water, and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap.  Let the cake sit over night and it won’t taste beany at all!

Note:

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in fruits.  It is a natural sweetener that is almost non caloric, low glycemic and is low sugar.  It does not affect blood sugar levels, so is there for suitable for diabetics.  You can find Erythritol at health food stores.

Avocado Icing

• 1/2 cup almond milk (low fat milk would work too)
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 cup raw cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup agave syrup or you can use stevia to taste.  I use NuNaturals, it doesn’t taste metallic like some brands.  If you are using stevia, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add slowly, it gets sweet quickly!

Throw all ingredients in a food processor, process to smooth and spread on the cooled cake.

Enjoy your healthy chocolate cake.  Today I am celebrating Mason’s birthday, and taking tomorrow off from writing, so have a fun weekend!

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

Uncleaning my bathroom March 18, 2011

Chemicals are EVERYWHERE!!

We eat chemicals in the form of pesticides, we breathe chemicals through paints, carpets, really anything that has to do home renovations and we clean with chemicals.  How many people think about the chemicals that they flush down the toilet or rinse down the sink?  Got a plugged drain?  Throw some drain cleaner down it, your house is stinky?  Spray some air freshener, but whatever you do, don’t open the window!  According to http://www.thelancet.com/, long term chemical exposure in the home, can compromise our nervous system and our endocrine system, which controls our hormones.

Now I haven’t been conscious of chemicals in my home for a long time.  I admit, I have a wet jet and there are different cleaners in my home, but I have recently started with homemade cleaners and I am really happy with the results.  To make homemade cleaners, you only need to go as far as your kitchen.

The baking soda I used as a scrubber, I just poured it around the edges and the inside of the toilet bowl and scrubbed with the toilet brush.  My toilet bowl is sparkling!  It also worked well in my bathtub.

The vinegar I used as an all purpose cleaner, I used a 1:1 ratio in an empty spray bottle.  A tip for the spray bottle, please label what is in it, you don’t want any major mistakes!  I spray on all of the smooth surfaces, and wiped off, easy peasy!  It cut through soap scum and dusted very nicely. 

Here is a pic of my clean bathroom:

The great thing was, once that horrible vinegar smell wears off, it left my bathroom smelling fresh, not like chemical lemon.  It was great!  Also, baking soda and vinegar  is far less expensive compared to other cleaners out there.

3 years ago today, I went into labour and 26 hours later, I came out with my little monkey, Mason.  So, tomorrow is his birthday and we are celebrating with a FANTASTIC cake, I can’t wait to tell you what is in it.

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

P.S. I forgot to mention that I have recently partnered with www.HealthyMomsHealthyBabies.com, please keep your eye peeled for my webinar.

High Protein Veggie Bowl March 17, 2011

I know, I am supposed to be detoxing my bathroom, I will get to that tomorrow….

So today was spent running around and learning the in’s and out’s of twitter, oh social media, you continue to amaze me!  By the time dinner came around and the kiddos got back from their grandparent’s I was feeling a little brain foggy.  What is a good way to solve brain fog?  A good, well rounded meal of complex carbs and protein.  I was craving Greek food all day, so I managed to get my butt into the kitchen to make a high protein veggie bowl.

For the dressing:

• 1 tub of Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• Garlic salt to taste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Mix it all together and refridgerate.  I use this dressing instead of store bought ranch dressing.  Keeps for about 5-7 days in the fridge.

For the protein bowl:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, washed and cooked (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water)
• 1 can of chickpeas, I used a big can, 28 0z
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 2 organic roma tomatoes, chopped.  Please remember tomatoes are on the dirty dozen list for pestisides, please by organic when possible.
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup goat’s milk feta cheese

Mix it all in a bowl with about 1/2 cup of the dressing and serve.  Easy peasy!

Quinoa is an excellent grain to eat, I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  It is a complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids and is higher in protein than most other grains.  I am having leftover quinoa for breakfast tomorrow with some almond milk poured on top.

Today I also made Mason’s birthday cake, it turned out really well, here is a sneak peak for you.

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

A Day in the Life Of….. March 16, 2011

Good morning!

I thought I might write to you about what a day in the life of my eating looks like.  After pondering eating meat again, I have decided that I will eat red meat, but will limit it to once a month.  Yesterday, I had a hard Back and Arms day at the gym, here is what my eating looked like:

Breakfast: 2/3 cup of egg whites, one egg and a green smoothie, made of spinach and pinneapple

After gym: 1 vegan protein shake.  This particular brand is a mixture of pea, cranberry, rice and hemp protein.  It has the highest amount of protein out of the veggie brands and is complete, with all of the essential amino acids.

Lunch: Left over Coconut Curry Lentils, recipe coming and greek yogurt

Snack: More greek yogurt

Dinner: Left over green lentils with rice and edamame, yum!

Treat: I am attempting to make Hot Chocolate out of Almond Milk and protein powder, will let you know how it works out.

Today was maybe a little lentil heavy, but I needed to finish what was left over.  I also could have used more veggies, there is always tomorrow!

About protein powder:

High quality Protein powder can be difficult to find, and in my experience, unfortunately, you get what you pay for.  I spend $$ on my protein powder, I use Absolute Whey or Progressive Harmonized Whey.  Why?  It comes from New Zealand cows, where they are not allowed to use growth hormones or supplemental antibiotics in their farming practices.  Those brands also do not have additives and do not contain fake sweeteners.  For my vegan powders, I either use Vega or Proteins+, for the same reasons, it is high quality and has no fake sugars.  If you buy your protein powders from big box stores or vitamin stores, please proceed with caution and please spend money.  The cheaper powders are just that, cheap.

I am having coffee this morning with a good friend and then I hope to detox my bathroom and use homemade cleaning products, look for what I use in my next post!

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg

I Like my Yoga Hot, at Moksha Yoga Peterborough March 15, 2011

Last night was a sweaty night in the yoga studio.

I’m a strength training gal, have been for awhile and considering I am in the process of becoming a personal trainer, I am thinking that isn’t going to change any time soon.  I love the feeling of the lactic acid building in my muscles and the burn the next day, makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.  Here is the issue with strength training, I’m pretty stiff through my legs and shoulders and I knew that yoga would help with that.  I also have abdominal separation from when I had my kiddos, and Krista, my PT teacher let me know that yoga would help with my forward rotation in my torso, helping to bring my abs back together.  When I heard that Kiersten Henrisckson was going to be opening a Moksha studio and that Ryan was going to be doing the heating system, I got pretty excited. 

Last night was a stiff night, on the weekend I was doing maximum strength exercises in my course and I was a pretty hurting unit.  I decided to take the 8:15pm class, Moksha has a variety of class times that are accessible to most work schedules.  This was my second class and I arrived at the studio pretty excited.  The studio is in a very accessible location in Peterborough, right on the main street and has a large parking lot.  I walked in, noticing again how spotless everything is.  Built with sustainable materials and using environmentally friendly cleaning products, this is my kind of place.  The change rooms are large and clean as well.

I walked into the actual studio, it was definitely warm, I’m a sweaty person and it doesn’t take long for me to start sweating in the studio.  As class started, I was instantly relaxed by Kiersten’s voice, her method of teaching is extremely warm and inviting.  Going from pose to pose gives you a great workout, my heart was pounding the whole time!  Kiersten has a very easy style, she shows many modifications and everyone is so involved with their own practice, if you are a beginner, you will definitely not be singeled out.  At the end, in savasana (corpse pose), I was far more stretched out and relaxed then when I came in.

The end of Moksha yoga is always the best for me, not because I didn’t enjoy my practice, but the way I feel.  I am stretched out, there is no tension in my neck or shoulders, my head feels lifted and my hips are relaxed, I am blissed out!  The more I go, the more I realize who important it is to my general fitness, I am looking forward to continuing my practice, aiming for about 3 times a week.

For those of you interested in Hot Yoga in the Peterborough area, please visit Kiersten at Moksha Yoga, http://www.mokshayogapeterborough.com/.   You will not be disappointed!

Headed to the gym today for a good back and arms workout, check in tomorrow to see what I am eating.

Have a healthy, fresh day!

Peg