'Happiness in the Present Moment'

At the end of today's hot yoga class, the instructor had us close our eyes as she recited a prayer. 

I just had to share it with all of you...

Happiness in the Present Moment
The past has already gone and the future has not yet come.
Let us not drown ourselves in regret for what has passed or on expectations and worry for the future.
Let us come back to ourselves in what is present right now.
Let us learn to recognize the conditions for happiness that are present within us and around us. 

- Thich Nhat Hanh 

Stay Healthy!



A Summer-ish kinda salad

I had a few friends over this weekend for a lite lunch.

I found a Pear & Pomegranate Salad in Chatelaine that I thought I'd give a try - I'm glad I did...

It accomplished everything I wanted it to: It was lite, tasty, fresh and very 'summer-ish!'

Ingredients:



6 Bartlett pears

3 tbsp lemon juice

6 cups mixed greens

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Warm Vinaigrette:

1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil 

4  tbsp pomegranate juice

4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp grainy mustard

4 tsp liquid honey 

salt & pepper

• Core pears and thinly slice; toss with lemon juice. Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to four hours.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, whisk together oil, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until thickness of syrup; about two minutes. 
• In a serving plate arrange the pears and the mixed greens. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the pears and salad. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.    

Stay Healthy!



What's in your grocery bag?

Aim to be a cauntious label reading shopper. Always make a list before heading to the grocery store, and stick to the list. This helps rid of unwanted, unneeded and unhealthy last minute purchases.

What's in my grocery bag today?

Barbara's Puffins (Cinnamon) - This is one of my favourite snacks. It kicks my sweet and crunching cravings in the butt, and it's healthy! It's fruit juice sweetened, made with whole ingredients, low in fat and does not use artificial flavours, additives or preservatives.

Barbara's Fig Bars (Raspberry) - This is a great alternate to cookies. It's fruit juice sweetened, made with whole ingredients, low in fat and does not use artificial flavours, additives or preservatives.

Earth's Own Almond Fresh, Original - With only 70 calories per cup, this almond milk is not only a good source of Vitamon E, but also has a delicious nutty taste. I love adding this to teas, smoothies, and baked goods.

Zucchini - Zucchini is low in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and is a great source of dietary fiber.

Japanese Eggplant - Delicious stir-fried, sautéed, or grilled, japanese eggplant are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre and minerals.

Lemon - I start my day with juice from half a lemon in a glass of water. This adds flavour to plain water and gives the liver a light cleanse. 

Avocado - Avocados have a bad rep due to it's 'fat content,' but what many don't realize is that the avocado is high in good fat. It promotes heart health, has a wide range of anti-inflammatory benefits, supports cardiovascular health, promotes blood sugar regulation, and has anti-cancer benefits.

Apple - 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away!' Check out 10 Health Benefits of Apples.

Fresh Cilantro / Coriander - I love adding fresh cilantro / coriander to salads and stews. Coriander seeds have a health-supporting reputation that is high on the list of the healing spices. Coriander has traditionally been referred to as an "anti-diabetic" plant. It has been used for its anti-inflammatory properties and cholesterol-lowering effects.

Fresh Dill -  Add fresh dill to a plain salad to add a little spunk to your lunch or dinner. Dill protects against free radicals and carcinogens, it is an anti-bacterial spice, and helps prevent bone loss.

Bananas - The banana is potassium-powerd and a high energy fruit. Benefits include cardiovascular and eyesight protection, improving elimination, and promoting kidney health.

Baby Arugula - A dark leafy green, arugula provides a readily absorbable source of calcium, iron, manganese, copper, and potassium, as well as, vitamins A, C, K, and folic acid.

Couscous - An alternate to rice, couscous is great warm with stews and proteins, or cold as a salad mixed with vegetables and greens. Couscous is a good source of protein, fiber, niacin, selenium, and B vitamins.

Tomatoes -  Tomatoes have antioxidant benefits, promotes colon prostate, and pancreatic health, and helps reduce heart disease risk.

Almond Butter - Add it to a smoothie, or use it as a fruit and veggie dip. Rich in antioxidants, almond butter helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, and control blood sugar.

Stonemill Sprouted Grains Loaf - I love the texture of grainy bread. Stonemill sprouted grains loaf helps digestion, control blood sugar levels, and keep energy levels balanced.

Stay Healthy!

Made a wish & blew out the candles - Cheers to a new year!

Birthdays - They come once a year and end as fast as it takes you to blow out your candles. It's the one day that's all about you, that celebrates you... Who you are, what you've accomplished, your past, your present and, of course, your future. 

It was my birthday yesterday. Every year I look forward to spending the day doing things I love to do with people I love - Last night's festivities included attending Billy Elliot at the Canon Theatre, followed by dinner. Billy Elliot was fantastic and I recommend it to all!

I find that birthdays are also a time to evaluate ourselves and our lives. A time to think about all the things we've learned, the experiences we've had, and the hopes and dreams we have for the new year.

I thought I would share some of the things I've learned over the years...

Embrace who you are and what you stand for. Loosing you is a great loss to everyone you know, will know and could know.

Sexy means never trying too hard - Salma Hayek Pinault

It takes way too much effort to be mad & upset. It's just so much easier to confront the problem, deal with it, smile and, finally, laugh it off.

Change is wonderful - Stop fighting it, embrace it!

Tears are your heart's way of telling people you care.

Love comes when you least expect it. Always keep your heart & mind wide open.

Trust yourself. No one knows you better then you. Learn to listen to that ache/knot in the bottom of your stomach; it always means something.

Good friends are hard to come by... Keep them close.

God has a sense of humor - Roll with the punches and expect the unexpected.

Life's not suppose to be fair, so why expect it to be?

Hard work always pays off.

Open your eyes. What you're looking for & what you need tends to be close by.

Fashion is what you make it. Don't loose yourself by following cookie-cutter trends. Add pieces of you to stand out amongst the crowd.

Everyone needs a 'Me' day!

Take care of your body. It's the only one you get & it's with you forever - Eat well, hydrate, meditate and exercise.

Never regret the past. It's made you who you are today.



Stay healthy!

Dust off your runners...

Life's been extremely hectic lately. I've, unfortunately, been neglecting various areas of my life -My social life, my friends, my blog, myself... I will do better, especially now that things are starting to get back to normal. 

Exercise has been on my mind. It's been awhile since I've had a sweat-worthy workout.  When my good friend @notamodelblog posted 'So I received a letter yesterday...' I saw it as a sign to grab my runners and get back into shape. 

The new workout trend seems to be 'Make Exercise Fun!' It can be anything from skipping, dancing, yoga or swimming, to jogging, skating, zumba or biking. The secret is finding something you love to do and doing it. I am going to be spending the next few days having 'fun' and trying to find the best workout for me!

Jennifer Hudson's all about incorporating fun into her workout. She recently was on Oprah sharing some of her workout and diet secrets...Check it out here

Stay healthy!

Meet Green Shushi

I've mentioned my friend Nour numerous times, well, she too has now embraced the world of blogging.

Allow me to introduce you to Green Shushi.

What's it about?

"Green Shushi is a blog about my journey towards a healthier and dairy-free lifestyle, trying to achieve a more plant-based diet, and experimenting with different recipes along the way!" - Nour

Stay Healthy!

Happy New Year!!

It's that time of the year again. The time of the year where we reminisce about the past 12 months and look forward to the future 12.

Are you where you want to be? Have you done everything you set out to get done in 2010? What will 2011 bring? Where do you see yourself in a year?

We can't help but evaluate and reevaluate what was, what is, and what's to come. It's human nature and we're all victim of it.

What are your plans for 2011? A new job, a new way of life, a different perspective, more exercise, more risks, less routine, more travel...

Whatever your plans are don't forget to enjoy New Years Eve and New Years day. 

Many of us get caught up in making the plans, and get overwhelmed by thinking of the past and future that we forget to enjoy the now. Embrace what is and for at least one night set your thoughts aside and take the day to just enjoy. Enjoy the end of another year and the beginning of a new one. 

New Years Resolutions?
This year I am going to choose to do something simple. Something that will not involve too much work. This year I choose to pay attention to the now, to make sure that whatever I am doing I am doing with an open mind and with full attention. I choose to enjoy everything I take part in and I choose to find the positive in everything I am involved in.

Wherever you are and whatever you do I wish you:

Happiness & Joy

A Peaceful Heart

A Life Full of Love

The Strength to Fight for What YOU Want

To Always Be In the Now

To find the Positive in Everything that Finds it's way into your Life

To Just Be

From the bottom of my heart I wish you a very

Happy New Year

Stay Healthy!