Health Food

Author: Amber French

WINTER, no wait don’t leave!

Winter is almost over, I swear it’s true. With the winter we have had in the Greater Toronto Area (and many other North American cities) we are going to hit spring hard. My favourite thing about spring and summer is the return of the BBQ, as both a noun and a verb. I love cooking on the grill  – yes the veggie girl can BBQ!

I love grilling veggie burger and veg dogs obviously, but I also love grilling corn (in the husk of course) cooking pizza’s on the grill and chopping up all the veggies in the fridge seasoning with salt and pepper and throwing them in my BBQ basket.

This summer all of us Canadian’s are going to spend every possible minute outside. This will mean LOTS of BBQ’s and LOTS of food. I love having BBQ”s because all ages can attend. Kids, parent and GP’s can all hang out and people can come and go as their schedule permits. I love the potluck atmosphere that accompanies a great BBQ and especially the frosty beverages that are a must. All necessary components of a great summer get-together, but they can gang up on our healthy game plan over a few warm months.

I spent many years obsessing about 1) what I was going to wear to each event (especially if there was a pool involved) and 2) psyching up and convincing myself not to eating everything in front of me. These both usually led to a feeling of failure and overindulging EVERY TIME!

We insist on perfection from ourselves when we are at a social function. We are determined to eat well, be witty and have extremely well behaved children. The story in our head is if that expectation of perfection is not reached will be rejected. This occupies our though so much of the time that we forget how to relax and enjoy the situation as it actually IS.

Enjoy yourself, enjoy your kids and company, stay active and eat what truly makes you happy.

Fortunately we are naturally more active during the warmer months However, remember you can’t exercise away a bad eating habits.

Here are a couple of my favourite BBQ bulge beating tips.
•    Breathe and eat whole foods
•    Make a flexible plan
•    You don’t have to eat it all
•    Don’t limit or berate yourself
•    Skip the fillers – buns, chips, pop etc.

Limiting yourself and convincing yourself that you need to “behave” yourself at the next party  before you even get there is setting yourself up for failure. You will indulge-feel bad-indulge again-feel even worse-give in and eat everything in sight.

If you breathe before you chose your food, it will keep you present. Breathe before you eat and again before you fill your plate a second time. This will reduce grazing and give your brain a chance to have a say on that second helping.

Keep things flexible and know that you will have several bbq opportunities.

Eat the foods you recognize, corn on the cob, grilled veggies, lean proteins, guacamole, veggies and hummus.  This goes for your drinks, skip the processed pops and juices. Mix your drinks with fresh juices, water or ice.

Most importantly don’t waste a beautiful opportunity to hang with those you love in the warm weather our bodies crave, worrying about your limits and what others may think. Have fun and Enjoy…

Author: Amber French

Promoting your new healthy lifestyle/food choice/workout   – the do’s and do not’s.
When we humans find something that we like, we like to share. And when I say share I mean shove it in the face of anyone who will listen and write-off anyone that won’t.

I understand the enthusiasm and I may have been guilty of this a time or two in my life. However I have learned a few things. A) Some people are never going to care about what I had for dinner and perhaps more importantly B) leave the door open.

I have had clients devastated that there significant other wasn’t jumping on board with their new healthy habits. They were ready to end the relationship and didn’t feel supported. I know the feeling however we need to slow down and like Ghandi said “be the change you want to see in the world”. You need to cement this new habit, you need to weather the highs and the lows and fall off the wagon a few times. You can’t let other commitment (or lack thereof) decide whether you want to live your life as healthfully as possible.

It is super important to recognize sabotage and toxic people and deal with them accordingly, but make sure you are writing off important people just because they are leery of the new direction your journey is taking BIG DIFFERENCE PEOPLE!

It is great to have a partner in crime when it comes to a healthy lifestyle for sure. But it isn’t necessarily a prerequisite. Your relationship isn’t doomed because he won’t juice or she won’t go Gluten-Free.

Maybe you are the type to try on new lifestyle choices like others try on underwear. Maybe your inner circle needs to see you commit and reap benefits before they are even ready to talk about making some changes in their own life. Be patient and kind and leave the door open for questions and curiosity and in the meantime become your own expert and cheering squad so you are prepared when your loved ones come seeking your help regarding their own healthier frontier.

Top 5 Do’s
•    Do be excited and enthusiastic.
•    Do learn all that you can about your new healthy lifestyle
•    Do walk the Talk
•    Do be your own cheering section
•    Do post a sign reading “newcomer’s welcome”
Top 5 Don’ts
•    Don’t end your relationship over food choices
•    Don’t let other’s doubts dampen your enthusiasm
•    Don’t judge – anyone – ever
•    Don’t talk only about your healthy choices, you are more than what you ate for dinner
•    Don’t discount anyone, it’s NEVER too late to turn over a healthy leaf

Respect the journey, yours and everyone around you. Be the beacon of healthy living and be open to questions from those that are important to you. You may be surprised who asks for your guidance!

Author: Amber French

I have noticed quite a few post on Social Media lately referring to the fact that the title “Organic” should in fact just be the norm and that everything else should bear the burden of a special designation.

I love that people are having this conversation and I think it goes a lot deeper than just organic foods.

Why are so willing to accommodate things that are devoid of health, and question foods, lifestyles, and choices that are full of vital health because some view them as difficult or unappealing? I don’t know about you but I find Chemotherapy unappealing. Potentially necessary and a weapon in my own “what If I get Cancer” arsenal, but unappealing AND difficult.

I recently had the great fortune of seeing Kris Carr speak with Gabrielle Bernstein in New York City. She is a well-known author and phenomenal speaker who continues to survive cancer for over a decade. She is great at departing her own wisdoms in a very inviting manner. Part of the reason that I identified with her is her positivity. She doesn’t preach, you barely even know you are learning from her. She is just the type you want to hear from and be around as much as you can.

I choose to talk about my own lifestyle choices in that way. I COMPLETELY agree that whole foods especially organics should be the norm, because they are, well, the norm. They are food as it comes in its most natural state. It hasn’t been modified or contaminated. However, I don’t feel the need to get defensive about not eating meat when people as questions. I see is as an opportunity to cook and share and feed. All things that I love to do.

Defending your food choices in whatever shape they manifest shouldn’t be about “I am right/you are wrong”. What I want to defend is the choice or the option. I want to defend against things that prohibit me (and others) from EASILY making the choice towards Whole Plant Based Foods.  I want them to be accessible everywhere and cheap (or at least the same as their counterparts) cause Hell you didn’t have to do ANYTHING to them!!!

I want Whole Foods to be as convenient as Fast Food, so I can drive up to a window and have someone pass me a banana when I don’t feel like getting out of my car. I want to be able to call someone and have real Whole Food meals delivered to my door (no matter where I live).
I want my kid’s fundraisers to be healthful and vibrant and their hot lunch options to be recognizable and healthy.

I have been so fortunate that I don’t seem to get judged on my choices. I am sad for those that do. But I want more. I want my choices to become so mainstream that people don’t even notice them as different.

That’s not so much to ask is it?
Come share an apple with me and let me tell you about my choices….

Amber

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse