Friday, July 19, 2013

For My Sister


Today, I want to post some thoughts about my sister.  I have been thinking about her a lot lately and just wanted to share my meanderings since it's Friday and I love a good story on a Friday...and I love my sister :)

We are identical twins.  We were born in Grace Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., and we were 7 minutes apart.  I always imagine that on that day, we had already "talked" about how everything would unfold.  Me probably planning everything to the most minute detail, her just saying we would roll with the punches.  And with a little imagination and a few details from our parents, this is how it did unfold...

It ended up that I came out first...I like to think it's because I treasure my sister as my most prized jewel and I wanted to check everything out and make sure if was safe for her to come out.  I was, and always have been, her protector (even though she doesn't need it anymore).  So after some pushing and shoving I finally made my way, somewhat suspiciously, into the world.  Was it going to be safe?  Was it gong to be scary? It was cold!!!  But immediately I knew it was safe.  I saw a really nice man who smiled at me and kissed my cheek and then this really gorgeous lady held me and hugged me!  Wow!  Life was going to be great :)  I telepathically sent my sister a message telling her it was a go ;).

7 minutes later, she came out too!  She was not as happy as I had been and I wondered what was wrong.  So far, it was so wonderful out here...what had happened?  She was very red and the nurse immediately took her up to the NICU for tests.  The nice man that had kissed my cheek went with her and I stayed with the gorgeous lady.  I couldn't stop looking at her.  Her eyes told me that she would always take care of me, and her smile told me that we had already known each other for a very long time.

Meanwhile, up in the NICU, my sister had been put in to an incubator.  Her skin was very red and she was screaming bloody murder.  They ran a battery of tests and came up with nothing.  The nurse walked over to the nice man and said, "Excuse me sir, but there is nothing wrong with this little girl.  Quite simply, she is just very, very angry!"  The nice man was confused, but very relieved and even thought it was a little funny!  So back downstairs they came to be with me and the gorgeous lady.  And we started our life together.

I believe she was angry because I hadn't "rolled with the punches".  Perhaps she was supposed to come out first and I was just so much bigger than her that I strong armed my way out!  My planning and obsessing had made her very frustrated and perhaps she didn't want me to go out to check if everything was safe.  Maybe she had wanted to go first to ensure my safety...I guess we'll never know :).

What I do know, is that since birth my sister has been head strong and determined to follow her heart.  Nothing has stood in her way since that first day when we were born.  The fire within her burns brightly for everything she chooses to do, and her love for her friends and family and even strangers is what makes her such a special and magical human being.  I am honored and humbled to call her my sister, my identical twin sister, and she is my blessing in life.  There are things I am sure I could not have overcome without her.  I am positive that I would be in a very different place in my life without her constant support, guidance and strength.  So I suppose that although I have always thought of myself as her protector, my discovery lately is that she is the one who kept me afloat because it was her to kept me moving forward.  Whether it was her need for my support that made me put my own issues aside, or my need for her care that allowed me to continue I know we were given a life to live together to learn to love, and that is the greatest gift of all.

Happy Friday everyone!






Friday, July 12, 2013

Banana Lemon Smoothie with Kale and Beet Water (Don't Knock it 'Till You Try it!)


OK, I know this recipe won't be for everyone, but for those friends of mine who enjoy trying new (maybe weird!) things and re-purposing ingredients, I think you'll like this one.  Last night I made a Red Beet, Kale and Quinoa Salad (you can find the post from July 11th for the recipe), and I had all of this hot pink liquid left over from blanching my beets.  I didn't want to throw it out since it was so vibrant looking!  There are a ton of uses for it up on the internet, but to be honest with you, a little boring.  I don't really want to die food pink since I find that totally unappetizing-although since I recently developed a "Mad Men" obsession I may create a recipe that harkens back to the 60's sometime in the future.  Anyway, after reading up about it I thought I would rather use the beet water as the liquid in my smoothie in the morning, as an alternative to water or almond milk.  Since I sometimes like a little more sweetness in the morning than just the banana can lend, I thought the beet water might contribute...It did :).  It wasn't overly sweet or beet-y (haha), but I could definitely tell the difference.  A warning to all if you are going to try this: you must use organic produce since the process of boiling or blanching can draw out toxins and leave them in your water.  Also, this is NOT the same as beet juice!  Beet juice is much more rich in nutrients (obviously)....I only wanted to use the water I had so it wouldn't go to waste.  Try it for yourself and enjoy...And let me know if you can think of any other interesting ideas :)

Ingredients:

1 cup beet water (only from organic beets)
2 large leaves of kale
The juice of half a lemon
1 large frozen banana (it could be fresh too, but I would add ice to cool it down)
1 tsp honey (optional)

Throw everything into your blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy right away and freeze any extra in popsicle molds for a refreshing healthy snack later on!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Red Beet, Kale and Quinoa Salad: The perfect way to use up left overs! (Gluten free, Vegan, Vegetarian)


I don't normally love beets, but something about the combination of these ingredients is delish!  I serve it at room temperature, but I think it would be really good cold for lunch the next day!  Super quick and easy and could really serve as a whole meal on it's own.

Ingredients:

2 large beets (I used red, but golden would be delicious too)
1 large kale leaf
1/4 of a white onion, chopped
2 cups quinoa (already cooked)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Cracked pepper to taste
Green onion (for garnish)

I usually make a quinoa salad out of left over quinoa so it is cold when I start building the salad.  It would also be good if it was slightly warm, but really it's up to you :).  Peel the beets, cut them into quarters and blanch them for about 10 minutes.  I like mine to be tender crisp, but if you like them softer just boil them longer until they are a nice texture for you.  One they are finished cooking, drain off the water and slice the beets into bite sized pieces. Set aside and allow to cool.

Saute the onions until translucent and then add to the quinoa.  Add beats.  Chop the kale finely and add to quinoa along with the olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.  I find it is important to use coarse sea salt and cracked pepper since it helps to break down the kale.  Stir until the kale turns a more vibrant green and the mixture is combined.  I served mine garnished with green onion and a dollop of greek yogurt on the side.  I think this recipe would also be really delicious with cumin and turmeric too...or any fresh herbs!  enjoy :)

Monday, July 8, 2013

Take what you need from wellness posts, but only you know what really makes you happy!



Sometimes I feel like I am constantly being bombarded with Facebook posts, LinkedIn articles and other social media or wellness sites that are telling me how to live my best life.  I tend to get wrapped up in them, try different things and sometimes even change my screensaver to quotes of the day that really inspire me.  But it is not fulfilling.  I don't find it to be incredibly motivating.  In fact, sometimes I think it is really counter-productive.  It isn't good enough to just say inspiring things and quote them on social media or leave them as a reminder on my iPhone so that I'll try to "Stay in the moment" more.  Actually, sometimes that screensaver serves as a constant reminder that in fact I am NOT staying in the moment, and so makes me feel guilty that I am not doing what I told myself I was going to do.  It's like it's not good enough anymore to just "be".  To just do life in a way that makes you happy that has nothing to do with any of these inspirational daily quotes, the constant focus on healthy living (my blog included) and other philosophies that don't necessarily take into consideration the pressures of real life.

You know what?  Life isn't easy.  And people aren't perfect.  And we all have vices.  That's OK.  I refuse to feel bad about myself because 3 weeks ago I ate a tuna sandwich that had tons of mayo in it and was made on non-gluten free bread.  I love my life, and I am extremely blessed, but I work very hard and I have a lot of things on my plate.  If I need that sandwich to give myself a little comfort after a long week, I am not going to feel badly about it and, in fact, I am going to savour the taste and the moment.  Monday morning I get up, make my coffee with almond milk, have a healthy breakfast and move on-without obsessing about every single event that didn't necessarily coincide with the quote on my iPhone that says "Where there is no struggle, there is no strength".  There was no struggle involved in scarfing down the delicious, mayo laden tuna sandwich.  I just did it because I felt like it.  And I think there is strength in that as well.

I know I am not alone in feeling the overwhelming pressure to fit into this box of healthiness, wellness, happiness and perfection.  Sure, you feel better when you feed yourself with good things, exercise and cut back on the booze.  Those things are great!  It's just that when you "fall off the wagon" so to speak we are conditioned to believe that this is a failure and that we must get back on track and follow the rules.  And then you feel guilty and focus on the negative aspects of yourself rather than the awesome person you are who is just trying to do life well under the pressure to succeed.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  I just really doubt that I am alone in this feeling.

Without sounding preachy, just do what makes you happy!  You don't need to search the internet to find that out.  We all know deep down what makes us feel good.  If it's laying on the grass in the sun when you "should" be cleaning, just lay in the sun!!  If you feel like having a glass of wine after a hard day, just have it!!  And if you feel like eating a non-gluten free baked good, just savour it, don't feel guilty; it's not the end of the world and that one delicious pasty will NOT make you gain a ton of weight.  Listen to you, not to us bloggers.  We're all just putting out there what makes US happy.  The only person who can tell you what happiness is for you, is you.  Take inspiration from others, but listen to yourself.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

The easiest, healthiest most delicious dessert ever! Banana "Ice Cream" (Gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free)



So you want something sweet, but that time of year has come and you don't want to look like a whale in a bikini...I have the PERFECT solution for you.  Banana ice cream.  This is the most satisfying and delicious dessert I have ever made.  Seriously.  I can't believe I didn't know about this sooner.  You can even eat if for breakfast and feel good about it.  How bout that?!  In addition to the fact that its healthy and yummy, the bananas give the added bonus of an instant energy boost and de-stressor.  Their high potassium content and dose of tryptophan will leave you feeling almost instantly more alert and more positive...I tried it last night while studying and I swear to you I noticed a difference.  Just make sure that you use fresh bananas and not store bought frozen bananas because the store bought ones are blanched first which reduces their nutritional value by quite a lot.  But who doesn't have a few too-ripe bananas kicking around?  Next time you're about to toss them, throw them in the freezer for a treat that you will be obsessed with!  Oh yeah, and I forgot to add that it's super quick and hardly any mess...you can't go wrong with this.

Ingredients:

4 medium size over-ripe bananas (the riper the better since they get sweeter and sweeter as they ripen)
1 can coconut milk
Garnish (I used chocolate chips since the man likes chocolate, but I think I'll try coconut or almonds next time for a bit of texture and crunch)

Freeze bananas whole, in peel for at least 24 hours (mine were probably in there for 3 weeks since I was keeping them for shakes, banana bread etc.).  When they are frozen through, take them out of the freezer and peel them.  Don't worry if a bit of the pith gets left behind as it is very high in potassium and fiber.  Break the bananas into about 3 pieces and place into blender (I need to do mine in 2 batches for the best results).  Add the coconut milk (half if you are doing it in 2 batches like me) and blend until it is smooth and creamy.  Pour the mixture into a freezer safe container (I use an old yogurt container) and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Scoop into bowl, garnish with your favorites and enjoy!   Alternatively, you can pour the mixture into popsicle forms and have them as an individual snack.  Try to leave some for everyone else (I bet you can't!).