What do you want to read?

It’s your turn to have a say! I am giving you, my “Fully Nourished” reader the opportunity to give me some ideas for my article content. There are a plethora of things to write about, I have ideas all the time, things I want to say, discuss, share. But it is also good for me to know what you want to read about, learn or discover. Maybe you have a burning question or an in nutrition, health or food that you want explained. Maybe it’s a recipe to test – really whatever you want!

Right now there are quite a few different avenues that I am writing for: My Blog, Chatelaine Magazine, on Bamboo Magazine and Tonic Toronto Magazine. As you can see there are a few different places for me to feature some of your ideas for content. So speak up and share!

I would love to hear what you want to read about!

Please take some time and give me your ideas:

What kinds of recipes would you like me to test out, demo, show you?

What kind of content for articles would you like to read about?

Is it a nutrition related, food related, a specific question or trend?

Share your thoughts right here and I will do my best to get through as many of your ideas as possible!

Real Life at the Whole Life

When you are as immersed in the nutrition and wellness field as I am – it’s hard not to classify yourself as a junkie. Most of the time, it’s for personal pleasure and just plain old keeping up to date with the latest! But more often then not, things are loaded on my plate? (No pun intended). Meaning – because I am in this line of work, people naturally approach me and ask all kinds of questions. Which is great, keeps me on my toes – but sometimes I don’t have the time or all the answers. That is why it is important that people empower themselves and become their own junkies. Find out what’s real and what’s not.

Which is great to a certain extent. We are in at age in society where we have everything we need available at our fingertips. Almost everything can be found online, in a book, magazine or health food store. This can be confusing and overwhelming though, as there is SO MUCH information out there. I’ll admit, it is tough when you are sitting at home by yourself trying to sift through articles, books and web pages…so why not get off your butt and experience your health in real life!

If you have the opportunity to go to a venue where all like-minded individuals and experts in the field come together for a weekend to bring you all of their wellness services, products, specialty foods and more – then why not take advantage. What I am talking about here is the…

Annual Whole Life Expo 2010

It is  at Metro Toronto Convention Center (North Building) – there will be a plethora of goodies to choose form, a range of talks, lectures and workshops to attend – and you may just get to experience whole health at first hand in person.

So on November 26, 27 or 28^th – come and make it out to the show. I will not have a booth at this show – but I will be there walking around, schmoozing and saying hi to all my like minded “nutrition junkie” friends!

Or if you are committed to BOOK YOUR TICKET ONLINE NOW -  post a comment below letting me know you did so and you will get 10% off your next Fully Nourished Cooking Class!

Hope to see you there!

UPDATE: I HOPE YOU MADE IT OUT THIS WEEKEND!

If you didn’t, here is a brief description of what you missed and what you can look forward to the next time you attend. I came on Friday night and again on Sunday. One day is never enough, especially when I have so many people to say hello to and so many goodies to pick up. Some of my favourite people to visit and products to pick up are :

Natural Calm: My good friends Dale and Linda are the perfect team to represent this amazing product line. Natural powdered magnesium, relaxes your body, calm’s your nerves (literally) and makes for a nice elixir before bedtime. Having trouble sleeping and keeping your leg’s still? Then you need a daily dose of magnesium. I should also mention that you can only absorb the calcium in your body with enough magnesium. Dale and Linda are also the people who I went to Africa with in May. A large portion of their proceeds go towards Organics 4 Orphans – and incredible organization that supports communities in Kenya to eat more Greens!

The Fairy’s Tonic: Zoey is miss Kombucha herself. This is one of the tastiest fermented health promoting beverages you will ever drink. Just 1 oz, and your body and mind are buzzing. Sip before or after any meal throughout the day and your body will be very happy!

Vega: For incredible, raw, vegan, plant based supplements – Vega has it all. Bars, shakes, smoothies to go. You don’t need to think twice about getting healthy food in on the go. Vega’s products are so complete and well rounded, loaded with protein, fiber and slow burning carbs you will feel amazing all day long!

Raw Elements: My friends Dawn and Brent are behind this amazing company. They are my supplier for all good things raw from goji berries, probiotics to my favourite protein powder Sun Warrior. If you didn’t get any at the show, you can order online and use the coupon code MW007 to get 5% off your order.

Upaya Naturals: An incredible resource for all your raw supplements, foods and equipment. They are always up to date with the latest products. Even the incredible cashew ice cream I mentioned last week from Blue Mountain Organics.

Some new friends include:

Girlnola: Stephanie is just buzzing with energy. Her granola is packed with antioxidants and superfoods. She also makes yummy truffles that are delicious and make great little gifts especially for the holidays.

Nud Fud: With Julia you will get a collection of healthy, organic and even raw bars, chips and cereals. Loaded with whole foods like nuts, seeds, dried fruits and veggies.

Some other Fav’s

Mark and Bridgette’s Chocolate

Two Girls Cooking

Traditions Miso

Camros Eatery

Vita Mix

Prana

Live

The Benefits of Seeing a Nutritionist!

I would like to welcome Jillian Gile – our Guest Blogger for today…Enjoy!

We all try to eat healthy, but in this day and age the amount of information available to us can be downright overwhelming.  The list of must-eat and do-not-touch items can be contradictory, confusing, and misleading.  On top of that, if you’re eating a diet high in processed foods, you may actually be undernourished.  That is where a nutritionist comes in.

A nutritionist, or nutritional therapist, has a degree in nutrition and nutritional education.  This highly qualified individual will be able to determine what exactly your diet needs, what nutrients you might be lacking, and how to improve your eating habits.

One of the biggest benefits in seeing a nutritionist is, obviously, if you’re looking to lose weight.  Whether you have a slow metabolism, need calorie adjustments, or need more information on what makes a food “healthy,” a nutritionist is able to help you.  Reading labels can be a good step in the right direction, but a nutritionist has expert training that can show you details you may have overlooked.

Hand-in-hand with weight loss come vegetarian diets.  Many people choose to cut out unhealthy foods by simply focusing on eating only vegetarians and plant-based proteins.  Celebrities tout this style of diet, but what they’re not telling you is that they have a team of nutritionists and chefs keeping their nutritional needs balanced.  If you’re looking into becoming a vegetarian, you may want to schedule an appointment with a nutritionist to make sure you aren’t overlooking any important diet supplements or health issues.

A good diet can boost your immune system, cut down on sickness, and even ease PMS symptoms.  Nutritionists can do a variety of tests to see what nutrients you need to bring about these changes.  Diet changes can bring about a huge change for a variety of maladies, like anemia, heart disease, or digestion problems.

If you are an athlete, trying to become more active, or training for any sort of activity, a nutritionist might be able to give you the energy boost you need to reach your next goal. As you become more active, your dietary needs will change – you’ll need more calories, more protein, and maybe even more fat in your diet.  A nutritionist can show you exactly how to keep up with your body’s needs.

Allergies seem like the realm of pollen and cat dander.  Over-the-counter remedies abound, so why drag a nutritionist into the mix?  You may not be aware that food allergies also exist, and come with symptoms far beyond sniffling and sneezing.  A nutritionist will be able to improve your health and daily life simply by pointing out remedies you didn’t even know you needed.  If you have any unexplainable symptoms, it might be time to see a nutritionist.

Nutritionists can also point out medicine interactions that you didn’t even know existed.  Did you know that hormonal birth control can interfere with caffeine metabolism?  That cranberry juice can inhibit certain kinds of infections?  If you’re looking for some natural remedies, or worried about the efficacy of your prescriptions, a nutritionist can point you in the right direction for the best health.

Most of all, a nutritionist acts as a coach.  They are available to teach you how to make healthy decisions, learn how to cook healthy meals, and discover healthy alternatives to old favorites.  Even if you don’t have any special health or diet concerns, a nutritionist is able to provide you with great recipes that might really shake up your family meals. If you are trying to make a change in your life, using a nutritionist – in addition to seeing your doctor and even a personal trainer – can be the boost you need to really see results.

Jillian Gile is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on earning your online nursing degree for the Guide to Health Education.

Are you a nutritionist?

Do you see a nutritionist?

What have you learned, conquered or healed?

Delicious Retreat RaWp-up

I have always wanted to go on a retreat – especially one that was focused on health and wellness. I never really got the opportunity to pursue this interest. So instead, after finding out about the House of Verona in Collingwood Ontario – it wasn’t long  before I decided to host my own retreat. There is nothing better than gathering a group of like minded individuals and guiding them through a weekend of laughter, learning, sharing and cleansing!

I put the word out in February that I was going to host a delicious retreat up in Northern Ontario and it only took about two weeks before 10 + spots had filled. I was so happy and excited that people wanted to share and escape the city for a weekend away. Because it is spring, the topic of the weekend was cleansing, nourishing, rejuvenating while eating raw, organic and vegan food. It is not very often that you get to experience all of this at once!

Planning ahead for the weekend – I created some delicious recipes and planned out all the meals.  I basically took all of my favourite raw meals and created a full menu with them. We started each day with a green juice, smoothie and a yummy breakfast of sprouted bread with acai berry jam, sprouted buckwheat, almond milk and superfood toppings. Then all of our other meals varied between thai coated kelp noodles with collard wraps, savoury nut based dips with LIVE crackers, marinara and pesto pizza with caesar salad, onion-flax bread sandwich with carrot beet and kale slaw and two desserts: mango, banana “ice cream” and chocolate avocado pudding. Did I mention that this was a DELICIOUS retreat?

Trio of Raw Dips – Living Flatbreads and Green Salad

Onion Flax Bread with Walnut Pate and Kale Slaw Salad

Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal with Goji, Coconut and Cinnamon

Acai Berry Jam on Sprouted Kamut Bread

Marinara and Pesto Pizza with Brazil Nut Crust

That was just part of it, the rest of the weekend revolved around learning and sharing. We watched the film Food Matters, had an interactive discussion about cleansing and immunity, learned how to blend smoothies, roll nori, sprout, make nut milks and what essential equipment to have in your kitchen.

Raw Nori Rolling Lesson

Making a Green Smoothie (with Sun Warrior) Lesson

The last component of the weekend allowed for healthy lifestyle activities like yoga, hot baths at a local spa and a hike up blue mountain. We managed to cover a lot in two days- but everyone got something out of it. I had participants from Ottawa, Waterloo, Oakville and Toronto -  everyone had something to offer to the group, with varying areas of expertise and knowledge in health and fitness – we all learned from each other which was the best part! I am even more thrilled that long lasting friendships and bonds were created. From the positive energy and feedback I got from this group, they will always remember their Delicious Weekend Retreat. Thanks to all who joined!

Refreshed after a dip in some hot baths!

Invigorated after our hike to the top of Blue Mountain

Please continue to check my website for details about my next Retreat, October 15-17th – Autumn Immunity and Renewal!

Nourish YOUR Well-Being this Year!

My yogi tea this morning had the quote “May this day bring you peace, tranquility and harmony….” these are words that we need live by everyday. However today these words seemed to be perfect as I was on my way out to pamper myself with wonderful treatments and appointments that would only strengthen my well being. It is so important that we take time for ourselves for the things in life that we love and that make us feel good. Since holiday time is coming up there is (hopefully) plenty of time for you to reconnect and figure out what do you want out of next year and what can you do to “nourish” your well being. You may have some specific health goals in mind, or may be you just want to treat yourself to something that will make you feel good about yourself. I mean that is what life is all about…right?

I spend so much time talking about food. But today I am going to dedicate this post to your whole being and your lifestyle! I have had the luxury over the last few months to meet some amazing practitioners, and like minded with an emphasis on wellness, healing, green, eco, health etc…(you get the point). Most of them are local to Toronto however some of them you can find in New York and even Australia. the world. I want to pay tribute to these people who I have met in my life.

So let’s start local:

Live toxic free and become familiar with the best “ECO” goods, from kleen kanteen to Eco Me bags and other household and personal products with Borden Communications

For the perfect rejuvenation for your face and get your skin glowing, have a treatment with Raman Sekhon at Vida Skin Studio

Pamper yourself – anything from a bikini wax to polishing your nails, facials and pedicures Iris Bocknek does it all – au natural!

Escape the city and take a retreat to relax, learn and eat the best foods nature has to offer with House of Verona (Collingwood, ON) – stay tuned for my Spring Rejuvenation Detox Retreat at house of Verona in May!

Refine your self image and your wardrobe with Wendy Woods and The Refinery.

Give your body to Denise Mitsche at the Pilates Room for just one hour – and your body will feel balanced, open and relaxed!

Discover Eastern medicine right in your home with practitioner David Liang – reflexology, acupuncture and so much more!

For an amazing at home holistic and aromatic massage have Melanie Leeder come to your home or meet her in Muskoka for dockside treatment!

For an empowering and uplifting and healing body experience have Laura Hames give you a body talk session (in New York only!)

Apply Kinesiology to your body and eliminate allergies…Greg Shreeuwer at Universal Health (in Australia Only) can help you to reach your health goals!

This is just a start! I am going to keep adding to this list. If you want to add some tips from wherever you are in the world or here locally in Toronto, please share. What are your wellness pleasures? how do you NOURISH YOUR WELL BEING??

The picture at the top is of me looking at my view at the Wickaninnish Resort in Tofino.