Category Archives: Health & Fitness

My Electronic Muscular Stimulation Experience at Body InVest

30 Tuesday Jun 2015

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It has been a long time since I’ve blogged … but today I had something I had to share! Electronic muscular stimulation (EMS) at Body InVest.  And I have to say it was pretty intense and awesome at the same time. And not because I got to dress up like the borg  Laura Croft in a cool suit!

Me after my workout!

Me after my workout!

In 20 minutes I got an intense workout for my entire body that I know I will feel for days to come. Elise my coach explained everything we were doing and really pushed me (I believe she secretly enjoys turning up the intensity on all those cuffs) to my max. She also shocked me by telling me that she lost 2 dress sizes by working this program! I think I might be hooked.

If you want to give it a try you can contact Elise at elise@bodyinvest.ca and get a trial session like I had today for only $25. You won’t be disappointed. 

I think I need to go take a nap! Will let you all know how I feel tomorrow…

Freshii Juice Cleanse

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

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Happy New Year! It has been so long since my last post! I actually don’t even remember what it was about. I do have some new posts to write on my trip to Whistler over new years – hopefully I will be able to give some advice to other first timers to the wonderful western ski resort!

Today’s post though isn’t about travel and fun but recovering from too much fun. I’ve blogged a lot about my different cleanses and detoxes and thought it fair to share this one day Freshii Juice Cleanse which has been quite tasty so far!

For $30 for one day you get 4 juices and a salad which is pretty reasonable. The four juices you get are:

  • Green Energy
  • Carrot Zinger
  • Mighty Detox
  • Red Power

And the salad is the Metaboost.

Freshii has a great app that you can load payment and find locations but it wasn’t the easiest process to book or pick up… maybe I am exaggerating but I did have to send an email with my order and when I went to pick it up at 8am they hadn’t even heard of me and my stuff wasn’t ready. But stuff like that happens! Not really a big deal.

Well it’s time for me to go have my salad. Let me know if you give the cleanse a try or want to hook up for a salad!

My nourishment for the day

My nourishment for the day

 

Going gluten-free changed my life

12 Saturday Jul 2014

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Over a month ago I posted that I was going to try going gluten-free to help with the symptoms of my auto-immune disease Hashimotos. I was sadly a different person – tired, grumpy, didn’t feel as excited to face each day as I used to. They are dozens of symptoms that go with this disease but everyone is affected differently.

Even this years birthday cake was gluten-free

Even this years birthday cake was gluten-free

So gluten-free was going to be something I tried. I started with a meal delivery service that was gluten-free, vegetarian and dairy-free but things really didn’t take off til I did my 10 day transformation cleanse. You can read more about it here.

I look back to the date of that post about my 10 day journey and realize that it was just two months ago but so much has changed, for the better!

  • the weight I lost has stayed off or at least the inches have
  • I have more energy and drive that has me back in the gym lifting weights and doing more to be active
  • I feel less agitated and more content with things in general

Now, I am not going to push gluten-free living and I know some medical professionals say it can be bad for you if you are not suffering from celiac, what I will say is that you have to listen to your body and find out what works best for it. Mine obviously prefers to be gluten-free, dairy-free and 99% caffeine free. I have also given up diet pop as part of this process.

There are surprisingly so many options these days for gluten-frees (that is what I will call us people who avoid the G stuff). Here is a list of some of my favourites:

Bard’s Gluten-Free Beer – I tried a couple and this one is the most tasty to my preferred flavour profile. It is a pale beer with no bitter, hoppy taste.

Tori’s Bake Shop – they made the yummy cake pictured above. I’ve had several items on their menu and their coffees – delish.

Green Zebra – this is where I order my meals from to help me through the week. It is really helpful when I get busy and don’t have time to cook lunches.

St. Anne’s Bakery – a bit of a distance but if you have a friend spending a day there call in your order the day before. I recommend the hamburger buns, raison bread and the lasagna (note it isn’t dairy free). Get several trays of the lasagna!

O’Doughs – they totally live up to their tag line. “Too good to be gluten-free”. Available at Loblaws, Whole Foods and Organic Garage, they are the best buns I have tasted. It is nice to be able to enjoy a BBQ in the summer.

Today I plan to check out a gluten-free bakery in Dundas while visiting there. If you have a gluten-free find, share it with me!

My 10 Day Transformation

13 Tuesday May 2014

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Last week I posted about Rob Ford’s experience and mentioned that I too was doing a bit of a rehab; against sugar, fats, bad carbs and processed foods. I was just starting my 10 Day Transformation. That was the first quarter of my journey and it was a struggle. My goal was to to make it to Friday and I am happy to announce I made it to the final day! And I feel great. And for the hard numbers:

I have lost 10 pounds and 3 inches overall. I wish I had before and after pictures but I can tell you I pulled a pair of skinny jeans from the closet and they did fit!

Now I know you’re thinking well you are just going to gain it back when you pig out this week but I am not going to head down that path. My cravings are actually gone and I haven’t felt this good in many many months. I don’t want to ruin that. If you have been reading my blog you know that I have an autoimmune disease, used to be a competitive fitness model and have tried a juice cleanse in the past. This is different.

All the goodies

All the goodies

First, it comes with a coach who sends you a message every morning. Daniel from Inspired Life in Carrot Commons is the coordinator/ coach and is always an email away if you need him. Second, is the high quality supplements and shakes that are full of nutrients and good stuff your body needs so that you won’t get tired and cranky and potentially bite off your co-workers head for walking buy with a wonderfully fragrant cup of Stabuck’s blonde (ok so maybe I miss coffee but decaf tastes just as good as the real thing).

I can’t really say enough good things about it and while I lost wait – it was so much more. I feel like my old self with tonnes of energy and just a happier disposition. I am looking forward to becoming more active again and continuing with a better lifestyle. If you want real proof though – My boyfriend decided to do it after seeing how great it made me feel. He is on Day 2!

Now if you want a NEW YOU. Inspired Health is offering a great deal for anyone who signs up by May 24th at 6pm will get a free infrared sauna session! You just have to let them know you heard about the transformation through my blog.* You can also sign up and pay online. Feel free to post any questions you may have here.

 

 

 

* I have not been compensated for this post, I am just a big fan after running through the program these last 10 days.

Going Gluten-Free

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

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This is a short post… almost a cry for help. Well not a cry (that’s just me being a drama  queen) just a request. I am attempting to go gluten-free to help with my Hashimoto’s (read more about my broken thyroid) and am going to start researching how to start living sans gluten! If you have some advice, tips, recipes please share. I will try and chronicle my journey here. I don’t anticipate success right out of the gate!

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month!

02 Sunday Mar 2014

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March is know for coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb… for green beer, sometimes Easter and the spring equinox. Did you know it is also Colon Cancer Awareness Month?

Have you had a colonoscopy? Is it time to book one? If you you are looking for experienced GI doctors, a comfortable atmosphere and almost no wait time then I recommend you check out GI Health Centre.

Now I will disclose that GI Health Centre is a client of mine (check out their new website!) but last month I accompanied a close friend for his ‘procedure’ at GIHC.  It felt more like a spa when you walk through the doors and check in. The colonoscopy was done on schedule and without any complications. We got a full report with pictures.

Now if you have a history of colon cancer in your family or are 50 years old or older you should be calling right now to book a colonoscopy. Colon Cancer is treatable and survivable if it is found early enough. Don’t let the fear of a colonoscopy prevent you from being in control of your colon health!

The couple that juices together…

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

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I am pretty sure you can guess by the title where this is going but I will tell you a bit of a story of my last 2 days. I decided to try juicing again but this time with OTG3 and for two days only AND I convinced my other half to give it a try. Huge feat since he is a guys guy who loves his beer, wine, red meat, pizza, wings but he did agree to try it.

My meals for the day

My meals for the day

So the juices came Monday and we started Tuesday. There are six juices and one difference is the yummy cashew milk which my guy says taste like Kaopectate. (Just in case you don’t know what that is – read the wikipedia for Kaopectate) And this time I don’t have that killer cold that had me at home for two days.

Well this time is much tougher and it doesn’t help to have us both cranky and tired each evening. Last night was touch-and-go for a bit! (Actually, my guy never even raises his voice to me but wow was my patience wearing thin as we worked through some projects at night)

Tonight is the last night and even the dogs’ all natural chicken treats look delicious (they are all natural and really just look like chicken jerky).  I actually must confess to breaking down and eating a bunch of steamed asparagus.

I will probably do this again with another juicer – while it is a challenge I do feel better each time I do it and my skin always looks great.

Not sure if they guy will be in to the next one!

At the end of the juice cleanse

24 Sunday Mar 2013

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So I made it… sort of.

My last day was Friday and I have to fess up to actually having dinner that night.  With my cold I just wanted something hot and spicy so I did have some vegetarian pho at Hanoi3 Seasons – which has the best Vietnamese in the city.

Before sitting down to break my fast I weighed myself on the same scale I had before I started and can report a 5-6 pound loss.  Now while I didn’t do the cleanse to loss weight, I am not going to complain about that added bonus.

All-in-all it was a great experience that I plan to repeat monthly (although I am going to request a little more palatable green juices – if that doesn’t defeat the whole purpose). I also ordered some juices and elixirs for this week that I am excited to try:

Love Your Liver: Cranberry, orange, carrot, beet

Cellulite Blast: Orange, Grapefruit and lemon

Tropical Intervention: Apple, Celery, Carrot, Pineapple, mango, papaya, spinach, Kale

POMPOM ME: Pomegranate, Lemon, ginger

Immune system Kick: Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne pepper

Now, I truly believe I am almost over this cold, that has held other people hostage for 3 weeks, because of the juicing. The 3 days also served as a start to a healthier everyday me which was what I was hoping.

Who knows, maybe next I will make it through the last couple hours! I also plan to get a workout in next time and maybe some yoga. I did have a massage Saturday morning which was also helpful I am sure in pushing the toxins to my lymphatic system.

I don’t expect that I will refrain from all the goodies next weekend but I think I will be smarter about my choices in general!  If you want to do your own cleanse – check out Raw Juice Guru (no, they aren’t paying me to promote them) or Belmont Raw which has a location in Leslieville.

Cheers to a new week!