Tag: quick

Uncategorized

[Recipe Post] Lower Cortisol with Dessert? Yes Please!

STRESS!!!

Its causes are absolutely everywhere. Would you agree?

Our natural “fight or flight” stress response is supposed to help us escape injury or death in an emergency and then return to normal after we’ve, well, fought or flew. But, in our society, with stressors basically ever-present – it becomes a long-term reaction. It becomes chronic.

You might already be familiar with the main stress hormone, called “cortisol.”  It’s released from your adrenal glands in response to stress. It’s also naturally high in the morning to get you going, and slowly fades during the day so you can sleep.

Now did you know that too-high levels of cortisol are associated with belly fat, poor sleep, brain fog, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and even lowers your immunity?

Do you experience any of these? Keep reading – I have a list of foods, nutrients, and lifestyle recommendations to help you lower this stress hormone naturally! Continue reading “[Recipe Post] Lower Cortisol with Dessert? Yes Please!” →

Uncategorized

[Recipe Post] Cafe-Style Summer Drinks, without the Cafe Lines and Name Typos

With the warmer weather comes patio season, and that often intertwines with frosty cafe beverages with or without caffeine. While I am no stranger to these cafe offerings (especially on a lovely day out or a little walk amongst the shops), it does get pricey to buy one each time. Not to mention the amount of wasteful packaging that might accumulate in your bins, if you’re like us and try to remember to bring a tumbler but don’t always manage (it’s a work in progress).

My classic ice-cold bev tip for when you want that cafe taste but not the expense or the trash OR the questionable additives:

Continue reading “[Recipe Post] Cafe-Style Summer Drinks, without the Cafe Lines and Name Typos” →

LoveBites, Uncategorized

LoveBites: Eat Yo Veggies

Your friendly reminder to not rule out fresh-prepared and frozen fruit & veg. They are amazing time-savers in the kitchen, especially if you find yourself frequently slammed with fatigue, cramps, sadness, or other PMS symptoms you have to deal with, on top of needing something to eat, on top of worrying if that something is even healthy. If you’re going to eat for convenience, this is still a step in the right direction.

Remember when you can get your butt to the store to read labels – make sure there’s nothing funky added like sugar, salt, colour, etc.

I’ve professed my love for ready-to-eat beet spirals lately, and I use frozen fruit (I love the PC Organics power fruit berry blend, and mango chunks) in my smoothies all the time. I’m also a fan of frozen broccoli And butternut squash chunks, and use fresh salad greens mixes to eat as salad as well as to throw into pasta sauce, curry, soup, and of course smoothies. And while they’re not just simple veggies, I like to grab a bag or 2 of Ikea frozen veggie balls (sneaky veg!) when I’m there.

What are your go-to time-saver fruit & veg choices or tricks?

Uncategorized

[Recipe Post] A Healthy Hormone-Lovin’ Mexican Poutine

What do you get when you want sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cashew cheese? In this case, I made… a healthy Mexican poutine? Whatever it was, it was a delicious way to eat my colours and get a good range of hormone-healthy antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats. Continue reading “[Recipe Post] A Healthy Hormone-Lovin’ Mexican Poutine” →

Uncategorized

Coffee: To Drink or Not To Drink?

You either love, love, LOVE it (I do!), tolerate it as a means to get through the day, or flat-out hate it. You know if you actually like the taste, or if it’s just a thinly-veiled excuse/vehicle to deliver mounds of sugar and cream to your bloodstream. You know how it makes you feel (i.e. your digestion, your appetite, your mental acuity, etc.).

But then you have all the crazy headlines sending you mixed signals, with some that say coffee is great, and the next day that you should avoid it!

And even more confusing, some people can manage to consume coffee on the regular with seeming ease, citing that it’s their super-power elixir that carries them effortlessly through errands, workouts, homework, and more; while there are others who experience a plethora of not-so-super symptoms ranging from jitters, restlessness, anxiety, digestive distress, and counter-intuitive energy lows and sleepiness after one cup.

There is actual science behind why different people react differently to it. It’s a matter of your genetics and how much coffee you’re used to drinking. Continue reading “Coffee: To Drink or Not To Drink?” →

Uncategorized

[Recipe Post] Potlucks on Plants + Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

Navigating holiday food can be hard enough when you’re making a lifestyle change, as those of us who are vegan know intimately well. The same goes for anyone taking on a change for their own health reasons, whether it’s gluten-free, keto, paleo/pegan, anti-candida, etc., etc., etc….

Then there’s the challenge of potlucks and worrying if you’ll find anything to eat that falls within the parameters of your new habits. Cue filling up on grocery-store veggie platters (sans dip), fruit trays, and steamed veggie sides… and when things get dire, lots of chips. It can be pretty easy to fall off the health-wagon in the face of both temptation and minimal “safe” offerings.

So what can you do? My top 3 strategies are: Continue reading “[Recipe Post] Potlucks on Plants + Italian Stuffed Mushrooms” →

Uncategorized

Rainy Days are for S-O-U-P! How to Make Delicious “Anything Goes” Soup for #Procrastimasters

Chances are when we think of making soup, we think of standing in the kitchen all day, chopping and pre-cooking a LOT of vegetables, stirring, seasoning, tweaking to perfection, letting the ingredients simmer for hours on end before finally savouring.

But, on a cold rainy day, sometimes you just need to have soup RIGHT THE EFF NOW. Continue reading “Rainy Days are for S-O-U-P! How to Make Delicious “Anything Goes” Soup for #Procrastimasters” →