Seasonal Eating: Autumn Edition
I am a big believer in seasonal eating. Why? First off, it’s our best way to eat local. Our climate in Canada is one of four distinct seasons (even though it doesn’t always feel like it). If we pay attention, the fresh local foods available to us are usually what our body is craving in that season. And in the fall there are fruits and vegetables that if stored properly, will last for months and months, still allowing us to get a bit of that local freshness well past when growing season ends and the the ground freezes.
Feel like the weather gets cooler and you start craving more comfort foods? No coincidence, our body is starting to ramp up for those cooler days and nights and wants to keep us warm and comfortable. That’s where autumn foods come in.
Last month with your Thanksgiving meal, I’m sure some may have enjoyed squash, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, carrots, beets – the list can go on to include all our local fall veggies. I encourage you to include these foods not only on occasions like Thanksgiving, but also in the days and weeks to come while the weather gets cooler and we start to crave those warming foods. If you’re worried about the cravings that cooler weather brings on, indulge in a variety of these fall vegetables and you may be surprised that it can help with cravings for not so healthy comfort foods.
Is it healthy to add oils or butter when cooking or roasting some of these fall veggies? A little oil added can actually help with the uptake of vitamins and minerals in your food and may make your food even more satisfying. Just keep to low processed additions that don’t have any extra ingredients and if cooking with them, don’t cook at high temperatures. I personally love using a bit of avocado or coconut oil when roasting some fall vegetables or a small pat of butter on a baked potato or even some sour cream. To avoid heating oils, you can also drizzle a little olive oil with sea salt on cooked vegetables as a great way to finish off the dish. Complete the meal with a good source of protein for a well balanced meal that will keep you feeling satisfied today and in the cool days to come.
What’s In Your Salad??
Maybe a better question to start with could be what aren’t you putting in your salad? The great thing about a salad is you can add all kinds of vegetables packed with water, vitamins and minerals. You can add so many types of protein to make it into a meal and fats to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. Salads don’t have to be boring and they really are a great and easy meal idea for those hot summer months we just experienced when you don’t want to heat your house with cooking and for those hot days when you don’t feel like eating heavy foods. As the weather cools, we can add a bit more fat, protein and those fall veggies to a salad, to make it more heartier when our body starts craving warming foods.
At this time of the year, I urge you to go to a local farmer’s market and check out what types of vegetables (or fruits) that you can chop into a salad. Look for different colours, textures and try them out. Even if it’s not your favourite, cut up into a salad it can add a little variety and may blend well with the other flavours. Tomatoes, cucumber and peppers are your obvious choices. Grated carrots can add a great variety to a regular salad. Grating vegetables on a salad gives you a bit of flavour and variety. Sliced beets can be made into a salad on their own but can also taste great in a mixed green salad. Different types of lettuce, kale, swiss chard or other greens can add variety and nutrients. Toss any type of berry or sliced apples or pears into your salad for a sweeter taste. Radishes can have a strong taste but you won’t even notice that when tossed into a mixed salad. Celery adds some crunch as well as increases the water content of your summer meal. Don’t like raw vegetables? Try topping your salad with roasted vegetables.The list can go on. Try something new you haven’t tried before.
Protein is a great way to make your salad into a satisfying meal. Chicken done any which way is always a great choice for a salad topper. Pulled or sliced beef is a great addition. Sliced boiled eggs, tuna, salmon are all good sources of protein but keep the salad feeling light.
Hemp seeds add flavour and are also a good source of protein.
Healthy fats will also keep you feeling satisfied and offers you lots of nutrients so don’t be tempted to skip out on them. Oil and vinegar salad dressings ( olive oil is my favourite salad oil) is a perfect start. A few olives can add that extra bit of flavour and satisfaction so they make a good addition. Nuts and seeds will add some crunch and taste great in almost any salad. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are my favourite. Sprouting seeds is also a fun way of getting lots of nutrients and flavour into a salad.
Last but not least add some fresh herbs to your salad. They will complement the taste of almost any salad and they come with their own health benefits. Oregano, basil, chives, parsley, dill – they are a great addition dried but even better fresh at this time of the year. Good thing with herbs too is a little goes a long way in terms of good health. As the weather cools, consider growing them indoors or add dried herbs to your dressing.
Don’t let your salad be a boring side dish. Utilize it to add some colour and satisfaction to any meal. Enjoy.
Healthy Habits to Combat Anxiety
At times we all feel a bit anxious, but for some, if symptoms are not controlled, it can interfere with daily living and the choices we make for ourselves. There are so many things that can bring on and increase anxiety: stress, change, illness, challenges, insecurities, taking on too much – all things that many individuals tackle on a regular basis.
I myself have always been an anxious person. Looking over my life, I can pinpoint times when I have been in control over my anxiety and other times when my anxiety has seemed to control me. I know it takes real work to re-gain that control and not have anxiety run my life.
What are the common symptoms of anxiety: constant worry (not always justified), disturbed sleep, fatigue, panic attacks, racing heart as well as a fear of doing things that normally wouldn’t bother you.
Having experienced anxiety myself, I know there are things we can do to help in controlling these feelings.
Some healthy habits to combat the symptoms associated with anxiety are:
- Find a place or activity that calms you. My happy place is walking in nature with my dogs. There I can focus on the sounds of nature, beauty that amazes me and I can clear my thoughts or spend time in prayer. Your happy place may be walking in the rain, getting lost in a good book, soaking in a bath (another of my favourites), sitting by water – it doesn’t matter where or what – it’s all about a place or activity that allows you to relax and focus on something positive.
- Eat protein and healthy fats at every meal – fluctuating blood sugar does anxiety no favours so make sure you are eating enough food that will stabilize blood sugar levels and will fuel your brain and nervous system. Eating regularly will also come into play with keeping your emotions stable.
- Avoid reliance on sweets and caffeine. There is nothing wrong with a treat here and there or your daily coffee or caffeinated beverage but you can’t rely on them to keep you going. If consumed in larger quantities, these substances can also negatively affect sleep habits which can increase anxiety all on its own.
- Speaking of sleep, make sure you get enough and look for natural solutions if you are not sleeping well. A good night’s sleep is healing for the body and will help prepare you for everything you face the following day.
- Remember, true recovery from anxiety isn’t an overnight process so give yourself a break and time to heal. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon and keep practicing self care exercises to keep your system balanced. Making simple changes over a period of time and maintaining these changes is what is going to make the difference for the long haul. Give your body time to heal and regain strength and before you know it, you’ll be able to handle new challenges and the stress of daily life that much easier.
Take time for self care – one step at a time, one bite at a time and breathe, you got this.
Stress and Hormone Health: What’s the connection?
Young or older, despite where we are in life, stress will influence our day to day routine. There are all kinds of sources of stress, some big, some small, some that are good for us but a lot that is hard on our bodies. A little stress here and there keeps our systems alert and ready for action. However, when stress carries on for an extended period of time or has major impacts on our daily life, our body will start to feel the effects of it, especially our hormone system.
When we think of hormones, we often think of reproduction, puberty or menopause; all the hormones that take our body through major changes. There is so much more that hormones do behind the scenes like controlling our blood sugar, regulating our flight/fight response, helping out with metabolism – the list can go on and on. There are many things that can affect the health of our hormone system, stress being a major factor. Weight gain around the middle ( and the inability to lose weight),fatigue, headaches, cravings, depression, anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, changes in reproductive health, infertility, excessive menopausal symptoms can all be signs that stress has had negative effects on our hormone health.
Good thing is there are many things we can do to boost our hormone health and eliminate these symptoms naturally. Along with finding ways to deal with stress, there are many foods that can feed our hormones, calm our nerves and boost our brain health. Not all our systems work the same so different things will work better or differently depending on your personal health. A good place to start though is eating foods high in B vitamins like leafy greens, seeds, salmon, meat sources, eggs and avocado. Controlling blood sugar with healthy fats and good sources of protein through out the day is also a great place to start.
So if you are dealing with a lot of stress, hormone care is essential to keep you from feeing burnt out and run down. A few additions to your diet and/or tweaks to your eating schedule can make all the difference on how your body handles stress for the long haul.
Take time to admire the spring flowers and have a wonderful day!
Is It Tea Time Yet?
One of my favourite times of the day is tea time!! When is tea time? For me, if I have the time late morning, always after lunch, iced tea late afternoon to quench my thirst and most nights an evening herbal blend to wind down with before I go to bed. I am all about everything in moderation but that is the beauty of tea: there are so many kinds, so many flavours, so many ways to drink tea, besides water it is my go to drink. Tea is great for an energy boost, to help you wind down, to help you warm up or even to help you cool down. The benefits of tea are endless. Depending on what kind you are drinking, there are probably a list of health benefits to go with them.
One of my favourite teas, is my after lunch matcha. Matcha is a green tea that comes in a powder form so instead of just getting the benefits of what you steep out of the leaves, you actually consume the leaves. This makes this tea full of antioxidants and rich in flavour. For me, matcha tea gives me a dose of energy, yet at the same time leaves me feeling calm and content. When I feel a cold coming on, I reach for my matcha because I know it will make me feel better.
How about the taste? First few times, if you are like me, you’ll hate it!! But before you know it, it will become one of your favourite drinks. It does have a very earthy flavour but for all the goodness it offers, it is worth giving a chance. 1/2 tsp. of powder is about the right amount for one cup. You can go up to 1 tsp but for most, it then becomes too rich. It is definitely a less is more type of thing – you don’t need large amounts to reap large benefits. When looking to buy Matcha, the price can be a bit intimidating but a little goes a long way so it will last you a lot longer then if you bought a regular box or bag of tea.
How do I drink my matcha? Once I add my half teaspoon to water that is just off the boil, I add a teaspoon of honey, just a drip or two of milk, and a generous amount of cinnamon. Lately I have also been adding in a mushroom mix that blends in very well and adds just a hint of flavour. Then I whisk it all together and it becomes my afternoon treat.
Don’t enjoy it as a tea but want the benefits of a powder that boosts your antioxidants, makes you feel energetic, yet calm and focused at the same time? Matcha tea powder can be added to smoothies, baking, cooking or even to home made soaps.
So go enjoy a homemade matcha. I am sure this won’t be the last tea blog I write as I drink some pretty good teas packed full of goodness. I had to start with my fav. though. Cheers to afternoon Matchas!!
Winter Sunshine
Dark days linger. Even with a fresh layer of snow, it’s hard to see past the grey skies. But one morning you awake to a red sky that eventually turns into beautiful sunshine. The sunshine makes the snow glitter, birds and squirrels are out enjoying it and you yourself start to feel just a bit more energetic. You put your boots and warm jacket on and out you go and soon you can feel that hot sun on your face. It’s like you can feel sunshine’s vitamin (Vitamin D) oozing through the pores of your skin. On a day like this, you feel renewed energy, a chance to tackle fresh opportunities on the horizon.
As true as this is for dark stretches of winter, this is sometimes how life is as well. I myself have been slowly emerging from a dark time of loss in my family that left me feeling tired and worn out. But even through the tough times, I held onto the rays of light and the saying “better days ahead” slowly became reality. Life is full of challenges, some big, some little, some lasting a day or less, some lasting months or even years. But those tough days do make us stronger and make us appreciate all the goodness in our life.
My goal in the last several months has been peace – in all areas of my life and in my heart. That meant accepting things I couldn’t change, and accepting myself as who I am at this present stage in my life. Once I did that and became ok with who I was at this present stage, it gave me room to move on and work on restrengthening myself, from the inside out.
Life is definitely a journey. My point here is we all have good days/months/ years where we power through and meet our goals. And we also have times where we have to push, where we are tired and self care is often put on the back burner. The important thing though it all is to accept ourselves during every stage of life. Even if you aren’t eating perfect, not getting enough sleep, skipping workouts etc. it’s ok. Better days lay ahead. We don’t have to be at the top of our game all the time. Life comes with enough stress, be your own cheerleader, and keep marching on towards the day when things get a little easier and you start to see the sun rising above the grey clouds.
Cheers to fresh starts, sunny skies and food that fuels us through our journey. Recipe For Wellness – meeting you where you are at.