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Episode 39: Staying physically and mentally fit with guest Kate Rees

In today's episode, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist Kate Rees shares her experience with entering the fitness industry, her struggles with food and body image, how she overcame HA, and tips on how to stay both mentally and physically fit. She also shares insights in how to have a healthy relationship with food! We discuss topics of a sensitive nature surrounding weight and disordered eating, so if these topics are triggering for you, please come back to this episode at a later date.

You can find Kate on IG @curvesonkate and make sure to check out her podcast called The Beyond Fitness Podcast on iTunes.

Thanks so much for listening!

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Episode 28: Overcoming Adversity w/ guest Amanda Bergen

In Today's episode, I have Amanda Bergen on to talk about overcoming adversity. Amanda works with Toronto's homeless community, and through overcoming many of her own challenges, she has so much insight and encouragement for how others can overcome adversity when all odds seem stacked against them. We also talk about some of the factors that drive homelessness, what kind of programs are out there, and some possible solutions for what we can do as a society to help those in need.

Amanda is also a professional performing and recording artist who goes by the stage name Empress Harmony and is currently promoting her first conscious reggae single called “Love Love Love” which is available on all major music platforms. She is expected to release her first music video for “Love Love Love” and is getting ready to release her second single in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to check her out on Instagram @empressharmony and download her single "Love Love Love" on any of your favourite music platforms! Thanks so much for listening, everyone!

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Episode 18: Strive to make peace with your body

We strive for a lot of things in life; money, performance, a better body, good grades, but we aren't striving for one of the most important aspects of health-peace with our bodies. If we want to be healthy mentally, and have a good relationship with our body, we need to strive for peace within ourselves, not solely the external aspects. This is a "catch up" episode where I go over where I'm at in my HA recovery and why striving to make peace with your body should be your top priority.

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Episode 17: Against the Odds: Apps, Artificial Intelligence, and Anxiety

In a society where we are more connected than we've ever been before, we are facing both the benefits and consequences that come from our use of social media. While there are so many positives to be connected, we also face challenges with our ability to see life for what it truly is, our attention and self-awareness is being affected, and we seem to be losing touch with what's going on around us. Joining me is Dr. James Cresswell to talk about the impact that social media has on our mental health and what we can do to navigate our way through this digital world.

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Episode 5: Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

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Real Men Eat Vegetables

It would seem that eating sub-optimal food is a right of passage for a man. Chicken wings, hot dogs, pizza, chips, and of course beer, all accompany your typical North American Super bowl Sunday (or any day that involves watching sports). To eat a clean meal while getting together with your male friends almost seems taboo, like you just shouldn’t do it. I may be a woman, but I grew up with brothers. I see this in my male clients and friends, through the men in my family and watch my husband struggle with the same mentality-real men eat whatever they want.

The problem with this mentality is that beyond the age of 21, this slowly starts to backfire. Genetics and metabolism only go so far before you start to experience the pains of an unhealthy diet. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems, weight gain and estrogen dominance are no respecter of persons-male or female. What you used to be able to “get away with” when you were in your teens/early twenties are going to be, or already are, a thing of the past. Continuing down a road of belligerent unhealthy eating for the sake of keeping your manhood is a bad idea to say the least.

The men in my family aren’t particular healthy, in fact, most of my family isn’t really that healthy. From German descent, I grew up eating meat, potatoes, some vegetables (mostly carrots and peas), cream, margarine and lots of processed foods. A typical after school snack was a pack of Ichyban noodles or a bag of microwave popcorn. A typical after school snack for my 6’7 older brother was a whole loaf of bread and half a container of Skippy peanut butter and jam. As I got older, I started to become acutely aware of my body and how it looked. I was a tall child but as I got into my early teens, I started gaining weight. I began to exercise and watched what I ate (aka ate less) because I never wanted to be overweight or unhealthy (my great aunt weighed over 400lbs at 5’4). My siblings didn’t share the same enthusiasm for exercise or eating vegetables as I did and as we all got older, the effects of each one of our diets were plain to see.

My brothers, in particular, started to display health symptoms from the effects of eating poorly the older they got. They eat a ton of meat, processed foods and little vegetables. They may claim they eat vegetables, but it’s usually only a token slice of tomato on a burger or a few veggies thrown on the side of a heavy meal consisting mainly of meat and starch. Both are overweight and both have health issues that are directly linked to what they consume as well as their lack of exercise. And they’re not the only ones. Most of the men in my family (and women) don’t exercise or consume anywhere near the recommended amount of vegetables. Nutritionally they are starving, but physiologically they are overfed. If I bring up eating more vegetables to them, they often sneer and mock me saying “my food eats what you eat”, like not eating vegetables makes them more manly.

Think about this for a moment though- when we accumulate fat, we store more estrogen (a predominantly female hormone) in our body. The more fat we have the more we synthesize estrogen from other hormones. Having high levels of estrogen signals the body to make more fat cells which in turn causes more estrogen. In men, this means fat on the butt, hips, thighs and chest (the infamous man boobs)…not super manly, and not at all healthy. I love my brothers, but eating less vegetables and more junk doesn’t make them more manly.

My husband used to make fun of me because I crave vegetables, but now he does too. He still eats the chips and drinks the beer, but on a much smaller scale. He cut out sugar just before we met and dropped 40lbs in 6 months. His workouts became more focused and his eating became cleaner once we got together. Now he sits beneath 10% body fat. You can see his muscles, he’s strong, has a ton of energy and is quite the spectacle if I do say so myself. But most of all, he feels masculine because he’s healthy. He’s healthy because of the food he eats and the food he doesn’t eat.

Eating vegetables alone won’t make you healthy, but it’s sure a good start. A simple guideline I follow and coach my clients to follow is that at least 50% of the food you eat should be in the form of non-starchy vegetables, if not more. If you start to incorporate more and more healthy foods, you won’t have room for the unhealthy foods. Add exercise on top of that, and you have the basis for a healthy body.

Real men care about their health.

Real men are grateful for the bodies they have and in turn honour them with healthy foods and exercise.

Real men cook.

Real men give a damn.

Real men eat vegetables.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful week and don’t forget to eat your veggies!

All my love,

LJ

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Healthy Chickpea Crackers

One of my favourite snacks has always been crackers. Unfortunately, most crackers are pretty unhealthy and not a great source of nutrients. Most crackers from a box are processed, refined and stripped of their nutrient value. On top of that, they are often filled with vegetable oils like canola, safflower, sunflower or cottonseed oil which are unstable inside the body. Most boxed crackers are full of refined carbs and unhealthy fats and have little to no protein or fibre content- the more you eat, the more you want to keep eating!

These crackers are made with chickpea flour so you not only get the fibre from the chickpeas, but you also get quite a bit of protein. They are great on their own, but even better with some veggies and hummus on the side (just in case you didn't get enough chickpeas)!

The recipe, as always, is very simple but it does require a bit of effort to produce them. Here's what you'll need to make these tasty and healthy crackers:

Ingredients

2 cups chickpea flour

1/4 cup avocado oil

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp ea salt

1/2 cup water

Directions

Start by preheating your oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix. Create a well in the centre of the flour and add oil and water. Mix until combined with a spoon. Using your hands, form one big dough ball. If the mixture is too crumbly, add 1 Tbsp water more at a time. The dough should stick together but not be too wet. Once you have your dough ball, cut it in half and place one half on a sheet of wax/parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over it to roll it out. Roll it out fairly thin and make sure it's even. Place the bottom parchment paper with the rolled out flour onto a baking sheet. Using a pizza slicer, slice horizontally and vertically making squares in the flour. Do the same thing with your other half dough ball; cover, roll, slice. Place both baking trays in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Make sure you check them around 13 minutes to make sure they don't burn. I usually let mine bake for around 18 minutes but at the 15 minute mark I will take the pieces on the perimeter out since they usually burn quicker. When they are firm and starting to turn golden brown, take them out of the oven. Let them cool completely before storing them in a ziploc bag or airtight container in your pantry- no need to refrigerate! 

Let me know what you guys think and how they turned out for you. Happy eating, everyone!

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Salmon and Basil Fish Cakes Recipe

I am absolutely IN LOVE with these fish cakes. They are so easy to make and they taste like they're straight out of a restaurant (if I don't say so myself)! I created these because I wanted a variation on salmon that tasted great and wasn't so boring. These will definitely hit the spot! Here's the ingredients you'll need:

Fingerling potatoes

Wild salmon

Basil

Egg

Gluten free all purpose flour

Salt

Avocado oil for cooking

Start boiling your potatoes until they're fork tender. Once they're cooked, drain the water and mash them in large mixing bowl.

Next, you'll need to remove skin off salmon and chop the raw fillet into bit sized chunks. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything together. 

Once you have everything mixed together, heat avocado oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form patties out of mixture and place them in the pan. This is what they'll look like before you cook them.

These bad boys will cook really fast, so make sure you watch them. They should take about 5 minutes per side, but depending on what kind of stove top you have, this time will vary. Once the side that's cooked is golden brown, flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes. This is what you'll end up with.

I honestly have not gotten sick of these since I started making them. You can serve this with a salad and yam fires, rice and steamed veggies, or eat them on their own as a snack. Whatever you do, just make them; you will not be disappointed. Here's what I paired mine with for a superb dinner that I didn't want to end.

Please let me know how you like this recipe and how it turns out for you. The compact version of this recipe, along with the ingredients you'll need is listed below. Happy eating!

Ingredients:

3 medium fingerling potatoes (or small white potatoes)

1 fillet wild salmon (about 12 oz)

1 large egg

½ cup loose packed fresh basil

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (I used gluten free)

1 tsp salt

Avocado oil to fry with

Directions:

Start by boiling the potatoes until fork tender. Once the potatoes are done boiling, drain the water and mash them in a large mixing bowl (no need to take skins off as they give the cakes a more rustic look and you get the nutrients from the skin). Cut the skin away from the salmon and discard. Chop salmon into bite sized chunks and mash the meat into the potato. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Heat avocado oil in large skillet on medium heat. Form 4 patties out of your potato/salmon mix and place in pan. Cook each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown being careful not to burn it (they will cook fast). Flip over and cook other side for another 5 minutes and voila, restaurant worthy fish cakes!

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If you want to be successful, you've got to change your identity

I'm 29 years old. 

In my short time on Earth, I've lived quite a full life. I've had to face hardships from a young age and continuously jump over hurdles with every passing year. Every time I had a goal or a dream, it seemed like there was always a million obstacles in my way. From tangible obstacles to mental obstacles, I've had to push through adversity time and time again. Now, I find myself face to face with my next challenge; going back to school to eventually get my masters in Psychology.

At 29, I'd like to say that I'm grounded in who I am and what I have to offer the world, but the process of going back to school has brought up an obscene amount of insecurities. First of all, before I do or take anything that has to do with Psychology, I have to upgrade my grade 12 math. I will be in night school from September to December studying and doing everything in my power to make sure I not only pass, but that I pass with a great mark. I didn't take math in grade 12 because I thought it was more important to party and do drugs and kiss boys. I didn't think that I would ever need math because I didn't think I'd ever go to University. I grew up believing I was stupid, that I wouldn't really amount to anything. No one took me seriously- and more importantly, I didn't take me seriously. I could link my low self-worth back to my childhood and talk about how being sexually abused by family members made me believe I was nothing other than a body, but as I got older, I made my own choices of what I was going to do and what I was going to believe about myself. I've gone through terrible things but it has always been in my power how I chose to respond. 

Fighting through the belief that I was dumb and ditzy was very real for me as I worked at getting my Personal Training Certificate at Mount Royal University in 2010 (which I also had to upgrade science to get into), but I did it. I managed to graduate with a 3.4 gpa because I fought through the lies about who I was. Even though I achieved my goal, I find myself face to face with those same lies again now. 

"You're not smart enough".

"You're not going to pass your math class".

"You'll never amount to anything".

"You're not going to be accepted into the psychology program because your marks aren't good enough".

"You are worthless".

As I face these giants yet again, I have to remind myself that I am not the sum of what people have said about me or the sum of the things I have said about me. I am the sum of what I believe. My future is determined by how I respond when I'm standing face to face with adversity. Thoughts of defeat and low self-worth will always try to take root, but you have a choice what you're going to do with those thoughts. When those thoughts come up, here's your options;

1) You allow them to take root and let them wreak havoc on your brain physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Or

2) You say something different about yourself and change our identity. 

We identify with some pretty toxic thoughts and beliefs, don't we? "I'm not______" (you fill in the blank), permeate through every fibre of our being. We believe what others say and what we say about ourselves so strongly that it shapes and moulds every action we take or don't take. If you grew up poor, you might have the belief that you'll never make money. If you grew up with a disability, you may have the belief that you'll never achieve what others can. If you grew up in a small town, you may believe that you'll never go anywhere else or make anything of yourself. You have placed your identity in external things. 

We need to change our identity if we want to break through what seem to be insurmountable barriers.

We need to change our story.

Instead of saying "I'm not...", start saying "I'm the kind of person who...".

"I'm the kind of person who doesn't give up when times are hard".

"I'm the kind of person who stays humble".

"I'm the kind of person who people want to be around".

"I'm the kind of person who understands what it takes to be great".

"I'm the kind of person who willingly receives correction and is willing to admit when I'm wrong".

"I'm the kind of person who eats healthy and works out".

"I'm the kind of person who makes it in this life".

If you want to change your life, you have to change your identity first. Who do you say you are? Once you start to change your identity, you have to follow through with your actions. You are accountable to you, no one else. If you say one thing and do another, you will know and it won't make you feel good about yourself. Change what you say and start to speak out what you want your life to look like. Start saying the qualities you want to possess, not the qualities you think you're going to stay stuck with. Our brains are malleable-they are able to change. They change through our thoughts and words, whether for our benefit or to our detriment. 

The next time you are face to face with your giant, look it in the eye and say, "I'm the kind of person who won't be defeated". The more we speak the truth about who we really are, not who our ego or other people say we are, the more we will start to believe it and act upon it. Words are so powerful that they can ruin friendships, marriages, self-worth, future success and contentment. What kind of words or phrases are you identifying with right now that are causing you to shrink back or to stay stuck? Change your story by changing your identity. 

Our mind has infinite power waiting to be tapped into. In order to utilize that power, we have to uproot the toxic and negative thoughts and words that are actually causing decay inside our brain. I challenge you to start off each morning by saying what kind of person you really are and what you're not going to stand for any longer. Because, that's just the kind of person you really are. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and invest in your well-being. If you'd like to know more about how to keep yourself healthy physically, mentally and spiritually- subscribe to my blog by filling out the form below or heading over to my subscribe page on my website www.jadednutrition.com. Have a great weekend, everyone!

All my love,

LJ

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How to stop binge eating in the evening

"I do so well with eating during the day, but then I end up eating all night and can't seem to stop".

This is an issue I used to struggle with and a complaint I've heard hundreds of people make when it comes to their diet. Why do we end up binge eating in the evening despite our best efforts and success throughout the day? Eating at night can be a habit we've adopted, but it could also be the cause of other reasons. I've listed three reasons you might binge eat at night and what you can do about it. 

1. Your definition of successful eating is skewed

You may think that you're "doing good" during the day, but your version of good could be all wrong. Many people think that they're doing well because they've been overly restrictive, but restricting your food intake will almost always lead to a binge or overeating later. Restricting food isn't a healthy practice and it's not doing you any favours if you struggle with binge eating. Your body needs a certain amount of calories and nutrients each day to run at an optimal level. If you restrict caloric intake or nutrient intake (or both), your body will start to run a deficit and you will become hungry. When it's late in the evening and you're daily tasks are done, it's harder for you to ignore how hungry and nutrient deficient you've been throughout the day and it will be virtually impossible for you not to overeat or binge. 

The Solution: Make sure you eat nutrient dense foods consistently throughout the day. Don't skip breakfast and lunch thinking that you're doing yourself a favour by eating less calories- it's not about counting calories, it's about eating high quality foods that are loaded with nutrients. Oftentimes, it's these types of foods that are naturally low in calories anyway so there's usually no issue with weight gain (unless you're eating a pound of cashews everyday). Make sure you eat enough during the day so you don't go into the evening starving.

2. You're eating too much sugar

Sugar consumption is a huge factor when it comes to weight gain, disease and eating challenges. When we eat sugar, our blood sugar spikes. The more sugar we eat and the higher content of sugar the food we eat has in it, the higher our blood sugar will spike and the harder it will crash. When we get this dramatic rise and fall in blood sugar, we generally feel pretty terrible. We feel great when it rises and awful when it falls. When it falls and we lack energy, we then start to eat more sugar to get that same feeling again. If you start your day with a big glass of juice, or milk which has the sugar lactose, your blood sugar immediately surges. Pair that with a couple slices of toast with jam or a bowl of sugary cereal and you're in for a plummeting mid-morning. Most people usually skip lunch, have a light lunch or eat a carb heavy lunch which again dramatically impacts blood sugar and insulin levels. By mid-afternoon, our metabolism naturally dips which is when most people will reach for one of two things; caffeine or more sugar. Blood sugar spikes again and crashes leaving you absolutely ravenous when you get home. You may then have dinner which could be fairly nutrient dense, but because you've spent the day eating sugar instead of nutritious whole foods, your body is literally starving for nutrients even though it may be over fed. Sugar begets more sugar because of the hormones secreted when we eat sugar, and the rise and fall of our blood sugar sends us into a trajectory of even greater sugar consumption which tends to happen in the evening when we're tired and have nothing else to do but eat. 

The Solution: Start your day with healthy fats and protein instead of carb heavy, sugary breakfasts. Make sure you're eating carbs that are high in fibre and fill up on low sugar fruits and veggies in between meals. DO NOT SKIP EATING FATS! Fats will help your body stay fuller longer and keep your blood sugar at bay so it's not spiking and crashing. The top three nutrients to strive for at every meal are protein, high quality fats and fibre. 

3. You're tired or stressed (or both)

Binging in the evening can also be the result of hidden stress or the simple fact that you're tired and need to sleep. There are so many different reasons that stress happens, so you'll have to pinpoint what those exact causes are for you. You may be stressed about money, relationships, your health, your job. You could be lonely, bored, angry, resentful, lacking a spiritual connection or just generally unhappy with where you're at in life. All of these things can cause us to retreat into food. You could also be exhausted from working all day, taking care of kids, taking care of your house, running a business, always being on the go and not sleeping well. This can also cause you to turn to food for energy because food is such a quick and natural source of energy. 

The Solution: First and foremost, make sure you elevate the importance of sleep. In order for your body to function at it's highest level, it needs adequate sleep that's deep and restful. If stress is your issue, try to navigate the areas of stress as best you can. Talk to people around you instead of keeping things bottled up, change the areas of your life that you're unhappy with and find purpose that will bring fulfillment into your life. Eliminate the things that are causing you the most stress if at all possible and create an environment of peace, contentment and joy. This is obviously easier said than done, but with constant engagement in managing your life, you can start to build a better life for yourself. Always ask yourself what you're using food for in the moments when you're eating under stress. If you're not really hungry but hiding from something, running away or numbing, ask yourself what you need other than food in that moment before you turn to food. 

There are obviously many other reasons one would binge eat, especially in the evening, but I wanted to bring awareness to a few areas that so many people can relate to. The binge is a mindset, not a problem. Once you understand why you binge, you can change your behaviour for good or at least be aware why you're doing it. I also included a couple different recipes you can start your day off with that will keep your blood sugar stable so you feel satiated for longer throughout the day which could help you eat less in the evening. 

Do you struggle with binge eating? What are some of your triggers and have you don'e anything that's helped your journey? I'd love to know in the comment section below!

Recipes to start your day off on the right track

Strawberry protein smoothie: 1 c strawberries, 2 mini cucumbers, 2 Tbsp chia, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (plant-based is best), 1/2 c water. Blend all ingredients and pour into bowl. Top with raw walnuts, pumpkin seeds and shredded coconut. 

or

Egg and veggie scramble: 2 eggs, 1/2 c chopped red peppers, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 c shredded zucchini, 1 cup packed spinach, other veggies of choice. Saute your veggies in avocado until just cooked (don't over cook). Add eggs and scramble in. Add chopped avocado on top for some extra healthy fats. 

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have a great day and happy eating!

All my love,

LJ

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More doesn't always equal more: over exercising will not get you in better shape just like being overly critical will not help you succeed in life

When I first got into fitness, I fell in love. I loved the way I felt, I loved how strong I was getting and exercise became my escape. When I started to see the benefits of exercising four times a week, I thought that if I did six times a week, the greater results I'd experience. I religiously went to the gym six days a week and reluctantly took the seventh day off- in my mind, more equaled more. I carried on working out like this for many years and over those years, I developed an abundance of injuries. The first injury I got was a stress fracture in my tibia (shin bone) from excessive running and jumping. At that time, running made me feel alive. I had gone through so much pain in my youth that running made me feel like I could escape everything for that moment. I would run 10-15km a day on top of weight lifting for another hour. The impact my body was taking was too great and eventually it broke down the best way it knew how.

When I fractured my tibia, I could hardly walk. I wasn't able to put any pressure on my leg without it hurting and I was forced to stop running. After a painful visit to the physio, I was told that I wasn't going to be able to run again for 6 months. I remember exactly where I was when I heard those words even to this day. I burst out crying in his office and with a compassionate heart, he had consoled me that it wasn't going to be forever. He designed me a back to running program where, just as he said, I was running again 6 months later.

You think I would have taken a cue from that injury to slow down a little, but I just couldn't. Exercise wasn't about being healthy for me at that time- it was my escape from reality. The more issues I had that I refused to deal with, the more I would exercise. The next injury I faced was a shoulder dislocation while exercising, then I sprained my lower back while kickboxing, I fractured a bone in my foot, then I tore my hamstring, quad and hip flexor all on the same leg within a year because I wouldn't slow down and give my body rest. Those were the main injuries, not to mention all the little aches and pains I pushed through because "more equaled more" and the 'no pain no gain" mentality I had. 

How many of us think like this? It makes logical sense that if you can get results doing a moderate amount of something, how much better will the results be if you do more f it!? This is usually not the case though. Why? Because rest is a critical component of our lives that we need in order to regenerate physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our body needs adequate rest in order to function the way we want it to. Without recovery, we simply get injured- the body will slow us down for us. Without mental rest, we can easily become exhausted. In fact, we can't learn much of anything if we over work! Studies have shown that our attention span is between 20-45 minutes max, which means that we need to take a mental break (even 10 minutes) in order for us to function at a high level. We also need spiritual rest; we need to put down our weapons against ourselves and others and sit in the peace and love that comes from being one with God. 

When you give yourself constructive criticism, it can be a good thing that pushes you forward, but if you constantly judge and criticize yourself, it will drag you down and keep you from moving forward. When I became aware of how over exercising wasn't helping my body and started to give myself the rest I needed, my body started to change- I dropped 3 dress sizes in two years without even thinking about it. My husband brought this up to me one day when I was being overly critical of myself. He told me that just like I believed exercising as hard as I could every day was going to make me better, I also believed being hard on myself relentlessly was going to make myself better. I wasn't getting better emotionally though, I was always depressed and felt like I could be better- I was never content. 

Thinking about dropping my weapons against myself seems counterintuitive because I've been hard on myself for so many years. It did serve a purpose for a time, but it's no longer serving me well anymore. I think we all need to take a rest from the judgment and criticism we give ourselves every day if we want to become more content and joyful people. Just like over exercising isn't going to give you the body you want, being overly critical isn't going to give you the life you want either. Put your weapons downs, take time to rest and be kind to yourself. Your body, mind and spirit will flourish when you do. More doesn't usually equal more. 

Are you a believer in more = more? Do you feel exhausted, frustrated, depressed, or are you always injured? It may be time for you to develop a new mindset about rest and recovery in all areas of your life. Your body, mind and spirit need proper rest- make sure you give it freely. Thanks so much for reading!

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Is your body summer ready??

In this video I share five ways you can beat bloating, shed water weight and feel great in your skin for summer and moving forward! I'd love to know what some of your tips and tricks are to get ready for the summer- leave me a comment below!

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Recipe of the week: Red Lentil Wraps

Hey everybody!

I'm so excited to be sharing a new and healthy recipe every week for you to try. As you all know, I absolutely love food and love cooking. I know not everyone shares my love of finding new recipes to try and cooking, so I've done the leg work for you. All of the recipes I'll be posting come from other bloggers. I will post the recipe and a link to their websites so you can try other recipes from them. I will also say in each blog if I've modified the recipe in any way to suit my specific tastes or needs.

This weeks recipe turned out SO good! I didn't know how they were going to turn out because I've never not cooked lentils before I've eaten them, but wow-I was shocked! These lentil wraps are super easy and quick to make. They are also naturally gluten-free, high in fibre, high in protein and make the perfect accompaniment to a beautiful side salad or a ping hot bowl of soup. 

This recipe is from the website Veggie Jam which you can get to by clicking here! 

3-ingredient lentil tortillas

Ingredients

3/4 cup red lentils (150 g)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Drain and rinse the lentils well. Soak them in 1 1/4 cup filtered water for at least 3 hours.

Blend the soaked lentils together with the water, salt and pepper until smooth. The dough should be slightly thick, like pancake batter.

Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat. Transfer 1/4 cup* of the dough to the pan and spread the dough evenly to a thin circle. Cook till the upper side begins to harden, then carefully flip and cook from the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cooking time per tortilla is about 1-2 min. They should be slightly browned (see photos).

Serve directly or store covered in the fridge. To reheat, simply place them on a hot pan.

Recipe Notes

*1/4 cup servings makes lentil tortillas the size of corn tortillas. I don't recommend making them much bigger.

Below is the picture of what the website says they should look like and it was very close to what my outcome was. You know how sometimes the food you make looks nothing like the picture? Mine looked almost identical. She said it should make between 7-8 small tortillas, but I only got 4 out of mine. I did however not follow the recipe 100%. Instead of leaving the soaking water with the lentils, I drained them again after the 4 hour soak to remove the phytic acid. I then eyeballed the amount of water I thought was left from the sad and added 3/4 cup into the blender with the lentils. I also added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder to make them a bit more flavourful. 

I was surprised at how quickly these came together and am wondering if I should have added a bit more water. I had to use a spoon to spread out the batter in the pan. They really only took 2 min to cook each and turned out amazing. Not only are they quick and easy to make, they are also a great plant-based protein so you can add your toppings and know you're eating a balanced meal.

Head over to veggiejam.com and have a look at her other recipes and let me know how this one turns out for you! Happy eating, everyone!

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[lenajade1212]

Intermittent Fasting: The Secret to Health and Weight loss

Do you struggle to lose weight? Are you suffering from a lifestyle related illness? Fasting could be your secret weapon!

[lenajade1212]

Is what you're fighting for worth the cost?

We all have things that we fight for everyday- that are close to our heart. Often, when we fight for something, we will be met with opposition both internally and externally. Everything we fight for comes with a cost and we have to determine if those costs are worth the fight.

[lenajade1212]

Food Rehab for Food Junkies: Amazon Reviews Needed!

Hello everyone!

I've been having such a great past couple weeks hearing that (almost) everyone has gotten their copy of Food Rehab for Food Junkies. I can't even begin to describe what an incredible and terrifying experience it's been to have my story and work out there. I have received the most wonderful and heart warming feedback from so many of you-thank you so much.

I'm asking you to help me and the progress of my book by giving Food Rehab for Food Junkies an Amazon review. The more reviews I can get on Amazon, the more traction Food Rehab can make. It's been a goal of mine for years to be able to help people change their relationship with food and with their body by getting healthy on more than just a physical level. The world needs to know that health doesn't come in a diet or a program, but comes from dealing with the things that cause you to be unhealthy in the first place. 

All of your support has been exactly what I needed throughout the process of publishing and I thank each and every one of you for standing by my message of true health; Food Rehab has really been a dream come true. Please help me by giving me an Amazon review and letting me and others know what you thought of the book and what readers can gain from  reading it. You don't need to have bought it off Amazon to review it, you just need an Amazon account. Once you've written a review, let me know by sending me a message so I can thank you personally. After all, I wrote this book for all of you!

Click here to be directed to the page where you can write your review. Thanks everyone, happy reading!

All my love,

LJ

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[lenajade1212]

The "Pegan Diet", WTF???

It seems like every time you swing your hot designer handbag, there's a new diet exploding in the media. This time I've heard it all- The Pegan Diet. What the H.E double hockey sticks is the Pegan Diet, you ask? It's a combination of a vegan diet mixed with a paleo diet. 

Vegan and Paleo diets are very different and have a different focus behind them. Paleo peeps don't eat grains or beans, which is a staple for the vegan community. Vegans don't eat animal products for ethical and health reasons-Paleo peeps devour meat, poultry and fish. Both vegan and paleo followers stay away from dairy and eat lots of veggies, but the Pegan Diet is said to take elements from both diets and avoids the drawbacks each of them contain.

Now I have to say, I respect Dr.Mark Hyman (creator of the Pegan Diet), but to me, this sounds like a fancy shmancy way of saying "eat whole foods". There are restrictions and guidelines however, so The Pegan Diet it is still in fact, a diet. Dr. Mark Hyman's rules for the diet are as follows:

Eat mostly plants: 75% of your diet should be plant-based focusing on low glycemic fruits and veggies to limit blood sugar spikes. 

Eat healthy fats: consume fats from coconut, avocado, olive oil, nuts and some animal products. Stay away from high omega-6 containing oils like canola, soy, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, corn, etc. 

Eat lots of nuts and seeds: these will help you get protein and healthy fats.

Avoid dairy and gluten

Eat gluten-free containing grains sparingly: Consume less than 1/2 c of low-glycemic gluten-free grains per meal and no more. This could include wild rice or quinoa.

Eat beans sparingly: Dr. Hyman suggests eating lentils instead of starch heavy beans.

Eat meat like it's a condiment, not the main event: Consume small portions of animal protein, less than your typical 4-6oz. 

Again, this looks like a predominantly plant-based diet, which I just so happen to follow myself and write about in my book Food Rehab for Food Junkies. Darn, I should have coined the term "Pegan Diet" (insert sarcastic tone)! Nevertheless, I think it's your typical diet that restricts where restrictions may not be necessary. 

Restricting all beans or grains or even animal protein is a recipe for disaster. Protein and complex carbohydrates keep us full and satiated, we need both these macronutrients to keep our muscles thriving, our metabolism high and our brain happy. Take away carbs and you won't be able to think clearly. Take away protein and you'll be hungry and probably end up bingeing. This diet looks like another form of the Ketogenic diet with the inclusion of some higher carb foods (but not much because he's pretty adamant on you eating them sparingly). 

Why can't we just get off the diet train once and for all? Why do we need fad after fad claiming to be the "holy grail"? Why can't we just eat in a way that's sympathetic to our bodies, to the environment and focus on tuning into what our body needs instead of forcing other people's opinions on ourselves? Don't be sucked into yet another fad way of eating. Listen to your body and how it feels after you eat something and make up your own best diet for you.

I don't eat dairy, I don't eat a lot of animal products. I eat about 4 oz of animal protein a day and the rest of my protein comes from beans/legumes, grains, nuts and seeds and vegan protein powder (I use hemp protein and fermented protein powders). Most of my diet comes from vegetables, but I don't know how I would stay full if I only ate 1/4 c of brown rice with my salad. Fats help keep you full and I love healthy fats and eat them, but I also have a body that doesn't digest large amounts of fat well, that's why I felt awful when I did ketosis. I feel my best when I eat a predominantly plant-based diet with the exception of eating small amounts of high quality chicken and using eggs when I bake (I can't eat eggs as they are for whatever reason). My body requires something different from your body-how I eat might not be the best for you and that's ok. 

I think the Pegan Diet has some good elements to it (as do most diets), but is another fail, just like every other diet out there. The word diet should be used as a noun, not a verb. Eat whole foods and ditch the diet mentality. If you feel better eating more meat, then eat meat. If you feel better eating more beans and grains like the vegans do, do that. Be your own boss-, after all, no one knows your body or what you need better than you. 

What do you think about The Pegan Diet? Are you more Paleo or Vegan? I'd love to know how you eat and why. Thanks everyone, have a great day!

All my love,

LJ