Once upon a time, there was a woman named Eve, who, unable to resist the luring temptation of a fragrant orchard, took a bite of forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. Perhaps Eve was bored. Perhaps she was ovulating and had a desperate craving for something sweet. Perhaps life in the little garden was becoming stressful or claustrophobic. Perhaps she felt out of control or lacked passion in her life and in order to numb her emotions or soothe herself from Adam's lack of attention or his ambivalence in starting a family, she chose to indulge. Perhaps Eve was an emotional eater. But as Eve soon discovered, neither the bite, nor the whole fruit fulfilled her as she had hoped. Not only did she realize she was naked but that she had contempt for the way she looked. Perhaps Eve suffered with body dismorphia. Eve tried to stop eating the forbidden fruit and eventually avoided eating altogether but that didn't work and she ended up eating until she could no longer breathe. The point of this is that Eve lost her intuitive ability to nourish herself. She no longer had balance in her life and was willing to do any and everything to get that back. 
Heaven on earth…I so needed this…
@ScandinaveSpa #Whistler #beautiful #nature #health #wellness #relaxation #majestic #spa
Excited to share some behind the scenes images from my shoot this weekend!
This production is a part of a very special project that centers on my work as a coach, where I share the tools that I use in my life to keep myself healthy and balanced as well as some of the philosophies that I use in working with my yoga students and clients to help them achieve their goals of looking and feeling fabulous!
The project will be launching this summer…more details to come soon…
Food Prep!
Ever heard of that saying ‘plan to prepare or prepare to fail!’ When it comes to transforming your lifestyle, I would have to say that planning has to be your numero uno priority.
This is an example of a food prep done by my friend and fellow Eat Clean Diet Ambassador Padme Armadala who is a passionate clean, recipe chef in her own right and always posts picture of my recipes looking fabulous.
I wanted to share this beautiful photo of her food prep so that you can see how much effort actually goes into eating clean, especially if you have a busy life! Knowing what you are going to be eating and snacking on throughout the day can make all of the difference in helping you achieve your goals.
It may look daunting but once you get your groove on, you’ll leave your Louis Vuitton behind in place of some BPA-free tupperware & a insulated cooler bag…ok maybe not that far…one on each arm?
Yoga To Balance & Awaken Your Chakras
This is one of my favourite and most powerful practices to do very early in the morning. This practice must be done on an empty stomach and preferably during the spring or summer seasons when the body is exposed to more light.
I usually start with my Chakra Balancing Meditation
With each of these poses, practice consciously bringing your energy and breath to the chakra that you are focused on and enlivening it by brightening the colour associated with each chakra.
Advanced practitioners, contract your bandhas and maintain ujaay breath throughout.
Yoga Flow:
warm the body
5-10 Sun Salutations Ashtanga Style
Sahasrara Crown Chakra (White)
Sirsasana A (Headstand A) - hold for 25-50 breaths *note the full pose is for advanced practitioners only, beginners can do half-headstand or downward dog
Ajna Chakra 3rd Eye Chakra (Violet)
Pachimottanasana - Seated Forward Bend - Hold for 25-50 breaths with legs straight and peace fingers holding big toes or palms under the feet. Bring the center of your forehead to rest upon your legs or on a block.
Vishuddha Chakra Throat Chakra (Indigo)
Sarvangasana - Shoulder Stand & Halasana - Plough Pose - Hold for 25-50 Breaths then transition in to plough for 10-15 breaths *note, this is an advanced pose, beginners may practice supported shoulder stand or Viparita Karani (legs up the wall)
Anahata Chakra - Heart Chakra (Emerald Green)
Urdhva Dhanurasana - Upward Facing Bow/Wheel Pose - Hold for 10-15 breaths *beginners may practice bridge pose.
Manipura Chakra - Solar Plexus (Yellow)
Navasana - Boat Pose - Hold for 5 breaths then lift into inclined plane. Repeat 5 times, for increased intensity, practice breath of fire during this pose.
Swadhisthana Chakra - Sacral Chakra (Orange)
Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose - Start by simply flowing into this pose and then climax with a hold for 10-15 breaths.
Muladhara Chakra - Root Chakra (Red)
Bakasana - Crow/Crane Pose - Hold for 5-10 breaths, contracting mula bhanda.
Rest in Savasana for 5-10 minutes
I love this chart on plant-based protein options. Whether you are a vegan or not, having a visual guide to portion sizes is so handy.
I have this one downloaded to my phone so I can use it as a quick reference when I’m out or on trips.
What are your favourite plant-based proteins on the list?
(image: thriveforward.com)
“Every accomplishment begins with a decision to try.”
What is it that you want for yourself? Say it out loud.
I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!
Good.
How did that feel?
There is always a certain power and energy behind the first day of a new week and month.
As a coach and someone who has been through the ups and downs of starting over and starting fresh more times than I want to count, I understand the importance of making a commitment to yourself and how difficult and intimidating starting over can be.
Let me tell you something that I learned, something that changed everything for me…
You have the freedom to create a healthy lifestyle that you actually enjoy.
Enlightening right? I know.
I used to think that I had to really push and punish and be strict with myself to feel and look the way that I wanted. What I noticed was how the restrictive, punishing way..the way I thought was the right path to my goal backfired on me over and over again.
Sound familiar? Why not try something different this time?
When it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle you love starting today, here are somethings to consider:
- Eat healthy foods that you LOVE! Take time to shop and prepare delicious meals that you look forward to. Use yummy foods like fruits, healthy fats and high quality proteins and whole carbs to craft things that really nourish your body…and YES this can include sweet things too!
- Take the time to rest and sleep early. This makes all the difference. Tuck into bed with a good book and then set a decent time for lights out. You will start to crave your rest and before you know it, your mind and body will begin to feel energized and relaxed.
- Choose a training program that makes you feel good!! Stay away from the tortuous, brutal training sessions that you hate because chances are you body will resist them too and you will fall right off the wagon quickly. Mix it up! Try classes, running, weight training and cross training.
- Spend time with your spirit whether it be through yoga, meditation, walks with your besties, music, good books and time with nature.
My invitation is for you to start fresh, start today! Harness the power of this new fresh month and week to fuel you. Use every single day this month as an opportunity to create the healthy life you have always wanted and you will come to learn that you will never have to ‘start over’ again.
Seriously.
Do you ever just want to look FEAR in the face and just ROAR?
After spending years of my life shackled to my fears, I have finally learned what it takes to break-free and leave fear in the dust. No longer does it control my life or have any bearing on my decisions and let me tell you, there’s a totally different view from this mountain :D
Check out my article on ‘Living Fearlessly!’ in Oxygen Magazine’s ABS Special Issue, on shelves as of yesterday.
Here, I share my tips and tricks on how I live fearlessly and how I use fear as an indicator on how to navigate what I am truly feeling. From this place of truth, I am able to view the situation clearly so that I may choose LOVE over fear and thus make decisions that positively impact my life and my health.
I hope you get a chance to check it out and thank you always for your support of my work. To check out more of my articles and published stuff, click here. Lots of love xo
Just brought home my babies! I have been in love with wheatgrass for years and have been juicing my own in a vintage press that I found for $5 at a junk store.
It’s by far the most vital, energizing, health beverage that I have ever had and I absolutely adore having my own little stash at home so that I can juice it whenever my heart desires.
Do you have a health drink that you love? Do tell!
Today was a tuffy. There was a family situation that arose and thankfully everything is now ok but as I was going through the day and the process of dealing with the situation, something struck me.
I no longer turn to food for comfort or emotional support and haven’t done so in a long, long time.
I don’t think I have ever really given myself much credit for this or really taken a moment to contemplate this subject deeply. I suppose when it passed, it passed and I never really wanted to delve deeper as to why it did…I was just so freakin’ grateful that I was finally over it.
Many moons ago, a situation like what happened today would have sent me head first into a box of Oreo cookies or something equally as gross.
Well maybe gross isn’t the word but more like harmful. Yes, that’s it. I would have reached for something harmful to my body. This would open the flood gates because hey, I already had a bunch of cookies what’s a couple spoons (okay bowls) of Ben & Jerry’s finest going to do?
And so it went.
And so I lived.
Looking back on those moments and having the utmost compassion for those who struggle with this daily I feel that it is important for me to share that it is not only possible to overcome emotional eating but that the solution to the issue is one that you already know, have already heard and probably don’t want to hear…but I’m going to tell you anyway:
Healing is a choice that starts now. A choice supported by a deep love for yourself that comes by transforming your day into one filled with kind and loving decisions.
Everything from taking the time to devote to a practice that feeds your spirit, to exercise, to drinking pure water and eating pure foods, to attaining adequate rest to surrounding yourself with positive, loving people to continuing to learn and inspire yourself and TRUST ME…what will start to happen is that you will fall in love with the person you are and will no longer want to do anything to harm her.
Hope that makes sense. If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up as always xx
(image: blogbenjerry.fr)
No Bullshit Fat Loss Strategies That Work:
- Buy Healthy Foods Only. Enough for your whole week so you can stick to your fat loss plan. Don’t buy junk food - avoid temptations.
- Prepare Food in Advance. Cook your food for the day on waking up or when you get back from work. This takes about 1 hour.
- Make Double Portions. Speeds up preparation. Prepare 12oz chicken and eat half at lunch and half at dinner.
- Eat The Same Every Day. Removing choice kills cravings and makes you see food for what it is: fuel for your body. Switch it up every 3 weeks.
- Eat at Fixed Times. Don’t wait until you’re hungry or feel like eating. Eat every 3 hours. Build consistency.
- Take Food with You. Take food to work, to school, to the movies, etc. This ensures you’re eating foods that will make you lose fat.
- Eat Before Going Out. Avoid ending up eating junk food because you’re hungry. Eat before you leave home and take food with you.
- Enjoy a ‘PeaceMeal’ at least once a week. This is a meal that you can enjoy free of measuring out portions or paying close attention to ingredients. It may also mean enjoying a dessert. This will help to balance your body and mind so that you are not feeling restricted. Eat out so you can’t overdo it.
- Track Progress for Motivation. Pictures, body fat, measurements and strength gains. Aim for 2-3% fat loss/month (use a fat caliper).
(article adapted from: stronglifts.com, image: googleimages)
