My clients often tell me that they can picture the life they want to live but struggle to make the changes needed to get to that place, while still managing their full-time job/family care/social life/extra-curricular obligations/all of the above. My […]

Firstly: how are you doing? I know the situation – and laws – in every country are different right now. Where I am in the Cayman Islands, I have been so impressed by the strength and leadership our government has […]

The short summary of what I have been reading is: a bit of everything! From celebrity memoirs (Jessica Simpson, I admire your honesty and authenticity) to long-awaited sequels that are more relevant now than ever (yup, The Testaments was truly […]

In the spirit of always keeping this site both “your healthy place” and your safe place, I want to post a few self-care recommendations if you are looking for ways to alleviate any stress and anxiety you may be feeling […]

Have you felt as if emotional eating has taken a hold lately? Perhaps you’ve noticed you are eating past the point of fullness, or snacking when not hungry, on a more frequent basis than you were previously. Or perhaps it’s […]

Self-love has been a much buzzed about topic for quite some time. Aristotle, who lived from 384-322 BC, discussed the value of self-love so long as it wasn’t in order to achieve personal gain, so it isn’t a new concept […]

Another year, another reading challenge in the bag! While the 2018 reading challenge I did with my mom, aunt and sister focused on diversifying the books I was reading, challenging me to choose books from new genres, authors and subjects […]

If you are reading this and found my site, there’s a chance you struggle with your relationship with food. One of the many symptoms of a troubled relationship with food is a desire to go all or nothing – either […]

It’s January 2019 and I am ready for another annual reading challenge! My family loves to read, and my aunt, mom, sister and I regularly challenge each other each year – often following a reading challenge like PopSugar’s – you […]

So many of us have been conditioned to think that it is bad to live in the ‘average’. The in-between. Things have to either be amazing, or suck. Does this apply to you? Do you have an all-or-nothing mentality? If […]

I love to read. I did English Literature in university and reading books is one of my earliest memories (I started writing stories at the age of 7 because I ran through books too fast and was too impatient to […]

Get ready for a few of our top Amsterdam travel trips! We had the opportunity to tag a weekend in a European city along to our annual trips home. With Noel-John being from Ireland and me having extended family in […]

My protein muffin recipes are the most pinned and shared recipes on this blog and, while this recipe follows a slightly different formula from my previous recipes, these line up nutritionally and – in my opinion – are the best tasting ever! […]

Cauliflower crust pizzas have really taken off as a popular Paleo/low-carb-inspired trend. You get multiple servings of vegetables just from your crust, and skip the grains and flour of a typical pizza base. Most of these recipes rely on copious […]

This is one of my favourite grab-and-go breakfasts that is vegan, gluten-free and packed with healthy fats and proteins. Hemp hearts are one of the highest protein seeds you could have while chia seeds help to thicken this porridge and […]

This plate of pancakes looks like the ultimate weekend brunch indulgence but I might just throw some nutritional facts your way to blow your mind: This entire plate of pancakes is just over 200 calories The pancakes have nearly 30g […]

Happy Valentine’s weekend! It’s quite nice having a Valentine’s Day on a Sunday, in my opinion – you can enjoy a romantic dinner out on Saturday night with your sweetheart, or make it a family occasion with Sunday brunch. If […]

Remembering that the main mindset of an emotional eater is an all-or-nothing, black-and-white perspective…today I wanted you to consider how you usually approach your vacations. Do they become events that you build up to by dieting and restricting your food […]

Whether you just took August off for summer vacation or you have a house full of kids getting ready to go back to school in the coming weeks, it’s time to take a look at ways you can keep them […]

Do you ever just want a quick snack – chocolatey enough to kill a craving, sweet enough to be a treat, low in calories but high enough in protein and healthy fats to curb any sugar cravings and fill you […]

These lentil patties have so much flavour and are a great baked, protein-packed healthy alternative to falafels. I love them served with a light Greek yogurt sauce or simply atop a full salad – warm or cold. Make ahead and freeze or […]

Welcome to another edition of Thursday Reads, where I seek out the best couple of articles I’ve seen on the grand inter webs and post them here for you to read without having to sift through all the nonsense. The two […]

Welcome to a new series on the blog, called Thursday Reads. If you are on any form of social media, more than likely you are inundated with shares by friends of articles they’ve read online, or boosted posts from article […]

My view on detoxes is simple: if you are in the throes of emotional eating – really down in the ditches with it – avoid. Anything that’s restrictive or limiting will just send you into a further emotional eating spiral, […]

I talk a lot about the importance of eating slowly in order to avoid emotional eating. Now I’m actually going to talk about slow food. As in, the Slow Food movement. It originated in the late ’80s in Italy as a way to […]

I’m travelling today. I’m going from a hot, humid climate to a cold, humid climate but still – the airplane air and all that airport time does a number on your skin, as does any change in temperature, even if the […]

Today I was honoured to be invited onto Radio Cayman‘s lunchtime show Talk Today with host Sterling Ebanks to talk about New Year goal setting. I joined an amazing team of women – psychologist Dr. Alexandra Bodden, life coach Heather Lockhart and Susanne Clements, operations manager at the Counselling […]

One small change you can make this New Year to battle emotional eating is about setting your day out on the right path. Bear in mind that most emotional eaters adopt an ‘all-or-nothing’ pattern of thinking: I’m five minutes late to […]

I wanted to make a protein snack to take to work with me and I wanted something easy that would use up ingredients in my fridge and cupboard. So these cookies were born. I threw together some gluten-free oats, PB2 […]

As we age we get to know ourselves better. Even at 15 we know more about ourselves than we did at 10, and the same at 20, 25, 30…and on it goes. In particular, we learn what our ‘sore spots’ […]

Happy 4th July to my American readers! You can easily throw some blueberries on top of this bowl and you have yourself a red, white (bananas can look white, right?) and blue breakfast to celebrate! Acai bowls are a delicious […]

Honestly, this recipe doesn’t even take 5 minutes to prep, and all you have to do is put it in the fridge overnight and eat it in the morning! There are endless variations you can do with regards to flavour […]

Catelli sent me their latest gluten-free pasta to sample – this time it’s gluten-free macaroni! I decided to go ahead and make a pasta salad out of this, as macaroni is great in salads and the warmer weather is just […]

This is a guest post I wrote for the Purely Elizabeth blog. We’ve all been there – whether it’s the clichéd tub of ice cream after a break-up, or simply a mindless reaching for that bag of chips when you’re […]

“Let food be thy medicine.” – Hippocrates This is basically the thesis statement (in my mind, not officially!) of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I was trained as a holistic health coach. The idea of healing your body’s chronic and non-acute […]

Everyone procrastinates some of the time, but in general there are two types of people: those who DO and those who…well, think about doing…for a while…until they get a moment of inspiration…but then, oh squirrel!…and then they try again…and eventually, […]

I get this question a lot – and it made me realize: There’s a form of emotional eating that often gets shrugged off and not talked about enough: bored eating. People laugh about it and joke about it and no […]

A few weeks ago I was getting some work done in a Starbucks and I was constantly distracted by a particularly loud group of three women catching up over coffee…or so I thought. My first response was, Oh, that’s nice, […]

One of the first things I do with my clients when we start working together is work on finding out what their fun is. Everyone has a different idea of what they find fun. Sometimes the things you do in […]

I spend a lot of time with my coaching clients talking about why we eat, how we eat, what’s going on when we’re eating. This is important – no, it’s necessary – when looking into emotional eating habits and how […]

Photo: Celebrating my birthday with my friends in the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Calgary, AB. Today is my birthday, so I thought this was a good time to talk to you about morning-after guilt, and how to avoid it. I’m […]

This recipe began with two-thirds of a bag of shredded carrots sitting in my fridge that I didn’t know what to do with. Then I thought, “Oh! Carrot cake!” Well, I actually wanted a healthy snack as opposed to dessert, […]

It was one of those days. I was annoyed and irritated by everything. There was no one event that triggered it – it was more a build-up of stress over the past few weeks that I hadn’t dealt with at […]

Originally published as a guest post for Green Thickies. In case it wasn’t obvious, I wasn’t quite sure how to describe this dessert/snack/breakfast? Except that it’s delicious! As you all know, I am a big fan of recipes that have […]

When I tell clients to throw out their scales and every diet book they own, I see the panic and fear in their eyes. It’s so hard to let go of structure and promises, even if that structure is all […]

Sometimes other people know us better than we know ourselves. Maybe this is because we’re young and still learning about ourselves, maybe it’s the whole perspective thing – we can’t see the forest for the trees, because we’re too close […]

It may be delicious, but lentil dahl isn’t the prettiest to photograph, so I topped mine with a sweet potato cake – rice works just as well! – and surrounded it with roasted balsamic vegetables. I could not stop thinking […]

This post was originally published as a guest post on InSpiral Coaching. Imagine this scenario for a moment: you’re sitting at home on a Friday night without any plans to go out. You’ve had a long week and it’s Friday – you […]

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Have you ever dreaded that question? Have you ever felt you have to perform and come up with an exciting answer to avoid judgment? Today I want to share with you some tips I […]

Today I’m off on vacation! My mother, my sister, my brother-in-law, my niece and I are all off to England to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday and my uncle’s 50th. It’s been two years since my last trip, and it […]

From time to time I want to share some awesome products or resources that I have either discovered or been told about, and that are just too good to keep to myself. Please note – these are entirely separate from situations […]

This Christmas I didn’t take many photos, so forgive me! Above is the wonderful fire at our place in Calgary. Unfortunately, Christmas got off to a bit of a bum start as we had issues with our landlords (including no […]

This is my favourite flavour of soup. Whenever it’s the soup of the day in a restaurant, I have to order it. I must have had hundreds of different varieties of tomato soup at various restaurants! But my favourite is […]

The Healthy Breakfast Challenge is now over (officially, but please do keep eating healthy breakfasts!). And that means that the winners of the Healthy Breakfast Challenge NuNaturals giveaway can be announced…

Hi all! How’s the Advent season going so far? The roomies and I bought and decorated our tree on Saturday as we had a housewarming/Advent party that night – it was a great success and went into the weeeee hours […]

I threw everything I love – that is healthy – into this recipe and came out with a winner. It was one of those that miraculously turned out right the first time (this almost never happens, trust me) and I […]

It’s US Thanksgiving this week so I’m sure, as usual, many of my friends to the south are getting ready to wear their stretchy pants. However, there’s no need to wear your stretchy pants if you’re equipped with some healthy […]

I had one of those yoga classes today that I just HATED. Halfway through the class, I was just wishing evil on the teacher. I was so mad at her for ‘lying’, I was so mad at the class for […]

Last Sunday my roommate Olivia and I decided to road trip it to Banff and Lake Louise for a lovely day out. The weather was cold – about -12 – with a slight wind, but we dressed for the weather […]

How has the Healthy Breakfast Challenge been going for everyone?? We have been having some major fun here. My roommates and I enjoyed a baked pumpkin French toast casserole, a la Chocolate Covered Katie, on the weekend. I used xylitol […]

We’re moving into the season of constant food…and most of it isn’t good for you! As winter falls upon us (well, at least it is here in Calgary!) and Christmas draws ever closer (egg nog lattes are in Starbucks now! […]

Hi all! I thought it was high time I wrote an update post, to see how you are all doing and to let you know something I have been up to recently. I’ve been heading to friend’s weddings… Celebrating friends’ […]

This recipe is so embarrassingly late it’s not even funny – it’s been on my to-replicate list since my trip home to Cayman in March, when I ate a similar dish from local (amazing!) bistro Icoa. If you don’t believe […]

Something a bit different for Thursday Thoughts today… Rather than a bunch of random thoughts thrown at you (!), I thought I’d respond to some reader requests. A few of you pointed out that I have never actually done a […]

I know, I know, another breakfast recipe. Don’t blame me! I’m just gettin’ all kinds of breakfast inspiration right now! My first idea was to make a baked banana bread protein oatmeal, like the baked apple pie oatmeal I posted […]

A couple of weeks ago I gave you the recipe for an apple protein cake that I whipped up. That is a great low-cal, high-protein healthy snack, but sometimes you just want cake. This is the recipe that my protein cake […]

It’s time for a new breakfast recipe because – you know – there haven’t been 1000 of those on here lately. At all. Why am I getting so creative with breakfast lately and not with my other meals? *shakes head* […]

You knew it was coming..! I ended last week with a protein waffle recipe so I thought, why not make it 2 for 2? Seeing as how I’m totally obsessed with protein waffles right now. I previewed this beauty in […]

For previous Thursday Thoughts, click here and here. Food Thoughts: Man, oh, man have I tried some great recipes from the blog world lately. Some of my favourites? This mac ‘n’ cheese, this Samoa protein shake, this copycat WF salad…amazing. […]

I love granola bars, but I do not need yet another snack option that just offers me pure carbs. So I decided to try and make protein granola bars, basing my recipe off of my favourite granola, my Healthy Peanut […]

I got a waffle maker last weekend (on sale for $19.99 in Target on my US trip – I couldn’t resist!). Since then I’ve been going to town, playing around with some protein waffle recipes. I have a delicious vegan […]

Thanks for all of your comments and questions on last week’s Part 1 post. I know a lot of you are thinking about the surgery or just had it, so hang in there (or, if you haven’t done it yet, […]

I love the idea of a Cobb salad. The reality is a little sad – not only is it loaded with fat, but it feels heavy to eat. However, I know that the salad has the makings of something really […]

A number of you requested that I blog about my experience having laser eye surgery, and – 7 weeks after my surgery date to the day – I am FINALLY getting around to writing this post. This is going to […]

I’ve posted lots of flavour variations of my protein muffin recipe by now: lemon poppyseed double chocolate apple maple walnut banana nut But I didn’t do the most basic muffin variation of all: blueberry muffins, of course!

NuNaturals are a big favourite in the blog world, for their absolutely superior stevia products that leave no aftertaste and no bitterness. I just love them. I was fresh out of my stevia packets and was relying on a supermarket […]

If you need a quick go-to meal for your midweek slump (or any-day slump!), look no further. As I mentioned in my meal planning post for on-the-go eating, the easiest way to approach dinner when you’re well and truly stumped, […]

I haven’t done a workout post lately, mostly because I’ve been sticking to my fitness schedule: Zumba class twice a week Gym twice a week Running (or, if my knee doesn’t like running, a hike) once a week At-home circuit […]

Do you love Indian food? Is that a stupid question? I’m sure some people aren’t big fans, but even the pickiest eaters I know go nuts for Indian – it’s kinda like sushi that way. I have always loved Indian […]

I have a delicious and easy dinner for you guys today, as promised on Wednesday, – but before I get started, it’s June 1st, so I have to wish my big sister Katherine a happy birthday! Our family is strange […]

You guys all really seemed to like my first Thursday Thoughts post last week and we got some great discussions going! Seeing as, well, I have a lot of thoughts in a week, I thought I’d continue it.

Now that the Cannes Film Festival is officially over, I have rounded up my favourites from the photos that have emerged since my first Cannes fashion post last week. I know we all had fun picking our favourites, so let’s […]

I love bundt cakes – that is probably evident due to the fact that this is my third bundt cake recipe on this blog already (out of only five cake recipes – one of which is a cupcake recipe…yikes!). Click […]

I thought I’d start off the weekend in fine style, by offering you guys a giveaway to launch the summer :). It’s been a while since my last giveaway and I do love hosting these because they are just a […]

This is a new series I *thought* about introducing and then decided I’d give it a try. What the heck, right? Basically, there are often thoughts or ideas I have that I want to share but they aren’t worthy of […]

I know I said I’d post a round-up of the salads I ate this month once I had completed my challenge, but I’m doing a lot of repetition and didn’t want to post that many photos of salads, so I […]

Ah the Cannes Film Festival. This festival launched last Wednesday, 16 May, and runs till 27 May 2012 and gives the movie world a preview as to what the next critically acclaimed films are that could be possibilities for next […]

These were one of my favourite treats growing up. When my church had a potluck recently, I wanted to make something special for the kids, so I went back to my own childhood and thought about how much I LOVED […]

So I’ve kinda been inundating you with protein muffins in the last few months. After my first ones – Lemon Poppyseed Protein Muffins – were so popular I asked if anyone wanted any other flavours, so along came: Double Chocolate […]

In the past few months, I have had a few reader requests for posts about meal planning, meal building and healthy snack ideas. I previously addressed meal planning and balanced meal building (though if there is anything more specific you […]

I hope you guys enjoy these Recommended Reads posts. Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved reading, so much that I ended up doing it for a degree haha (English Lit) – but as time gets busier and our […]

That’s kind of a long title. My bad. Too many ways to describe this smoothie! Protein smoothies are a big part of my life, and although I usually try and keep them green and healthy, I like to have a […]

My sister Katherine’s baby shower was last weekend in Calgary, and it was a great time. It was super nice to meet some of her friends, who I have never met being that we live in different cities. I had […]

When I’m back home, one of my favourite places to go is Sunset House. They are a dive hotel (a hotel known for hosting scuba divers, not an actual dive, lol) and their bar is where I spent many a […]

I love having a breakfast that feels like a treat. Although I can’t handle a lot of sweetness in the mornings, I do like to start off my day with something that feels indulgent yet something that I know is […]

Yes, technically April is over, but there were some leftover days that weren’t covered in last week’s photo round-up, so this is the last one for April! I am still undecided about whether or not to do May’s challenge. I […]

Source It could be argued that all poses in yoga are full-body poses. The great thing about the yoga practice is that it certainly encourages the body to work as one. The key for me is to centre my body […]

As the weather is getting warmer my breakfast tastes are moving away from my many oatmeal loves towards something a little – well, cooler. I’ve always been a cereal fan but I have been on a great kick lately of […]

Hi all! As I am still recovering from eye surgery, things are a little blurry over here (literally), so I have to use today’s post to direct you over to Naturally Sweet Recipes, where yesterday I guested! As soon as […]

Are you guys still with me on this? We’re finishing up Week 4, and I will have one final post next week to capture the remaining few photos between now and then. I’ve really enjoyed doing the challenge so far […]

This is another young adult book – as those of you have read my blog for a while know, because I write young adult I prefer to read that in my spare time too as it helps me ‘keep up’ […]

After I posted the above image as part of my What I Ate Wednesday Veg Pledge Challenge post just over a week ago, a lot of you requested the recipe, so I figured I’d better hold my end of the […]

Earth Day is this Sunday, so in celebration of this necessary and worthwhile celebration, I thought I’d put together a guide of my favourite eco-friendly, toxin-free and otherwise all-round awesome products! Gaiam 750ml aluminum water bottle – here on Amazon.com, $8.12 (on sale) […]

For Week 1 and Week 2 pictures, click here and here. This has been fun and challenging to remember! But I’m enjoying the challenge so far and the way it makes you look at what seem like obvious subjects in a different […]

Ah, Tupperware. Our best friend. I have written previously about meal planning and grocery shopping here. This post is a bit different. This post will take the basic building block formula of a healthy meal: COMPLEX CARBS + PROTEIN + […]

You asked, you will receive! I have posted my protein muffin recipe before with two other flavour variations: The original, Lemon Poppyseed Protein Muffins Double Chocolate Protein Muffins After posting the chocolate version I asked if you would prefer to […]

No Friday the 13th bad luck needed here – this recipe is as easy-peasy as 1-2-3! This is a great ‘use-up-what’s-left-in-your-fridge’ meal. You can throw anything and everything into it and it will still taste great. It’s just a twist […]

For Week 1’s pictures, click here. As I said last week, I decided to come late to the party and give the whole Photo-a-Day challenge a go! To keep myself accountable, and to have a log of the images I […]

The weather is getting warmer! Yay! And I hope you all had a GREAT Easter weekend. If you want a way to enjoy warmer weather and keep the Easter treats going but without the guilt…I have the thing for you! […]

Happy Good Friday! I hope you all have fun plans for Easter. And if you need a recipe to bring along to a brunch or event – I have one for you. No matter that they’re healthy; no one will […]

I’m always running late, so it doesn’t surprise me that I’m late to this party too. For months I’ve seen these Photo-a-Day challenges flitting about, first on Pinterest and then, as bloggers began to take part more and more, I […]

How was everyone’s April’s Fool Day yesterday? No one got ‘punked’ too badly? It’s so good to be back! Back to reading my favourite blogs and posting on the regular :). Hope you guys enjoyed some of the fab guest […]

Source Spring fashion is ALL about the brights. From electric shades of pink, yellow and orange to vibrant hues of blue (I am in LOVE with the shade of Kim K’s skirt, above) and green – your favourite colour is […]

Hi all! I’m (hopefully!) in the air as you read this (yup, I’m flying Continental!) and will be home tonight. Keeping you going for my last day of vacay is the wonderful Brittany over at Itty Bits of Balance. I […]

Ali is one of the sweetest bloggers I know. She’s a devoted mom and wife who has taken a really proactive stance to healing her family through the foods they eat. I have so much respect for her and the […]

I’m delighted to introduce Kristine from Busy But Healthy for today’s guest post! Kristine lives in the Vancouver area as well and I discovered her blog fairly recently. We have similar eating habits (sticking with high-protein snacks as often as possible, and […]

For my non-vegan pumpkin protein pancakes (amped up using cottage cheese), click here. These pancakes are for my vegan friends who need a much-needed protein punch, as I always do. My banana protein pancakes were pretty darn popular (well, with […]

I miss you guys! I’m having a great time on holiday soooo…I thought I’d bring you along with me ;). (Ignore the HUGE pineapple chunks – I’m a bit of pineapple fiend). On Monday I left you with this lovely […]

Hi all! I am really excited about today’s guest post. I LOVE Kris from I Heart Wellness, as she spreads her words of wisdom through her upbeat, positive and fun blog. From guiltless treats (my faves!) to life-changing words, she […]

Source The lovely sisters who blog at Naturally Sweet Recipes were pretty much the first bloggers I found who share my no-refined-sugar mentality. They bake their recipes with ALL natural sweeteners that are low on the glycemic index, like coconut […]

For my first guest poster, I am so excited to introduce you to Char of Char’s Kitchen! I’m sure many of you know her; she’s certainly been on my blogroll for a while :). Char lives just a ferry ride […]

I’m in the air as you read this (well, possibly. I don’t know when you’re reading this after all!) But yes, today I am headed home for two weeks in the sun. I haven’t been home in two years, as […]

Does this look amazing? I won’t be modest here. It is! And can you believe…drumroll please…one of these babies is just 83 calories??? They’re the first thing I made following my 4.5 week cleanse when it ended mid-February. They were […]

An ongoing battle with me and my diet is ensuring I get enough protein. This might be a common issues among vegetarians and vegans, but my naturopath has advised me to go for a balance of 150g or so of […]

Mousse-pudding? What is that? Well, the texture is lighter than a pudding but not as fluffy as a mousse, so let’s go with mousse-pudding, shall we? Hey – it’s two of my favourite desserts in one! We’ve seen tofu mousses […]

Do you love hot yoga? Have you ever tried it? I find people either fall into three categories when the topic of hot yoga is brought up. They either react with: passion (they love it! They’re obsessed with it!) hate […]

I go through phases with spaghetti squash. I so often forget about it (and I don’t eat a lot of pasta, so there isn’t much going on to remind me about it!), then all of a sudden I’ll see the […]

UPDATED TO ADD: I have now posted these in Double Chocolate flavour as well…click here! I love lemon poppyseed muffins. And I am also constantly on the search for a healthy baked good that I can enjoy with my morning […]

Here’s Part 1 if you missed it! I threw an Oscar watch party last Sunday and had themed eats to go along with it. My Johnny Dipps and Brad Pitt-a Pizzas were posted on Tuesday, so now it’s time for my favourite dish of […]

Happy Leap Day! Today is the 29th February – a day we only get once every four years. So enjoy it! My day was disappointingly low on protein, but I was busy and on the go today so it was […]

I had a couple of friends over to watch the Oscars on Sunday night and I put together a – very cheesy – spread of eats. The above photo was posted on my Instagram on Sunday, with the caption: “Yes, […]

If you want to continue enjoying the pancake load I thrust on you earlier this week, do so. I have it in good faith (aka Mama Pea), that this week is Pancake Week. So forget about Tuesday being Pancake Day. […]

Moroccan food is to die for. I love it for its complex mix of earthy and spicy flavours. And as for vegetarian (note: this dish is vegan and gluten-free) options – well, Moroccan food is the bomb-diggity. (Yeah I know […]

Haha, I just had to… Pinterest isn’t just useful for finding outfit ideas or recipe inspiration. I use it all the time for fitness ideas – from individual exercises to full-on routines. I actually enjoy planning my own gym circuit […]

I heart these cookies! I know that is the lamest pun ever, but it’s still true so I thought I’d say it anyway. If you can’t decide between your favourite treats this Valentine’s Day, why should you? Just go with […]

Ooh I love this one! I’ve made things naturally sweetened, vegan, and all-over healthier before, but this time I’ve made it gluten free too! Yay! You know how I love to ‘make over’ Starbucks treats: Better-than-Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins […]

**NEW! Download this workout using the link at the end of this post! Gym workouts are just two of the six workouts I do per week at the moment. Each week, I do: two yoga classes (hot, hatha, flow, yin, […]

So did you watch the Superbowl? Wikipedia states that the Superbowl is the second biggest day (after US Thanksgiving) for food consumption in the US. So, you know, a food post felt appropriate. It’s not as big of a deal […]

I’m finally putting my new Nikon D5100 to use. Yay!!! Sorry (ahem)…that aside… This is one of those dishes that is the ultimate comfort food, and yet so good for you that I’ve been able to have it (many, many […]

So I finally got around to hitting up a Zumba class, which was a goal of mine towards the end of last year and eventually got bumped to 2012. However, it featured prominently on my inspiration board for this year, […]

*Note: Don’t worry if you haven’t read these books – there are no spoilers in this post (the most spoilers are in the synopses I pulled from Amazon.com!) If you’re like a million other people in the world, you’ve probably […]

(Sorry about the crappy lighting peeps…) One thing vegetarians and vegans often miss when they omit meat from their diet is the simplicity and reliability of a “meat and potatoes” meal. I don’t mean we miss meat (I’m sure some […]

Source There are lots of bloggers who have done a post on this before, and everyone has a slightly different approach. All I have to say is, if you are planning your meals then you’re already ahead of the game […]

Source Have you guys discovered this website yet? I can guarantee that if you haven’t been to the website itself, you have seen its style boards all over Pinterest. *This isn’t a promotional deal or anything, I just honestly found […]

Because I can’t have dairy, gluten products or much of anything else on this cleanse, I’m posting a recipe I made just before Christmas that I never got around to posting and that I can now only DREAM of…sigh! This […]

View from my office yesterday morning. Despite the fact that it perhaps is the wrong season, I’m into smoothies right now. Why? Well, maybe because I have to be. My 12-day Wild Rose Detox ended on Tuesday (yay!) so I […]

Did that get your attention? 🙂 We all know that spot training – i.e. working out a specific muscular area of the body in order to lose weight in that area – doesn’t work. You can’t control where your body […]

This is another of my favourite recipes from Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet – in fact, this is probably my most favourite recipe of all from the book (I previously blogged my adapted version of her amazing cupcakes). It’s also […]

It’s Friday the 13th, but I’m not that superstitious so I have already decided that today will be a fabulous day. These falafels might help make it a little bit more fabulous…it is after all, Day 8 of my 12-day […]

How’s your week going peeps? It’s Thursday so it’s nearly TGIF – just hang in there! That photo has nothing to do with this post except to show you that I’m having fun with my new camera – and to […]

As I showed you earlier this week, one of my goals for this year is to increase the amount of protein in my diet and to keep my diet ultra clean. As a vegetarian who limits my gluten and dairy […]

If you’ve been a part of the blogosphere for a while – either as a blogger or as a reader – you’ve no doubt heard of oats in a jar. If you haven’t, you’ll be so glad you read this […]

Hey peeps! If you stuck with me this week kudos to you (See Parts 1, 2 and 3). I promise this is the last Christmas post! And dare I say the best, because it is a dessert recipe, after all? […]

Onto the big meal! For the appetizer posts click here and here. There is no way to really make this meal look pretty, unfortunately. Most traditional roast dinners are a bunch of veg, potatoes and meat smushed together on a […]

Yesterday I covered the appetizers I made in advance – which was most of them, as I was making the whole Christmas Day meal on the day, so all the better to get the appetizers out of the way! However, […]

As you may remember, my camera was sold on eBay before Christmas and so all of my Christmas pics were taken with my iPhone (my new camera is on its way; I bought it in the online Boxing Day sales […]

Some snapshots from the day…I may have been playing with my Instagram a bit too much as well, so don’t mind some of the effects :).

Just a quick note to say… Source Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! See you next week :).

Christmas is a GREAT time for cupcakes, especially my “Let it Snow Cupcakes” (courtesy of a simple sprinkling of coconut). When it’s cold outside, there’s no better treat than a warm chocolate fudge cupcake. Now, don’t hate on me, but […]

This recipe deserves SO many more words than I just shoved into that title, but I thought I’d give you a break after nine of them! 🙂 This goodie isn’t a cookie, so I have called it a Christmas ‘treat’ […]

Source You guys, I’m excited. You’ve nearly done it! Now, there are two approaches to take to this final week of training: If this ‘final week’ is the week right before your race, please omit one of the running days […]

The Christmas tree is lush and green, Our cards are hung up to be seen.

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011 – the first year of this cookie swap devised by Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen – is now coming to an end! Today is the day we […]

I know, I know, it’s an oxymoron, ‘homemade takeout’…I just thought I’d confuse you for a Friday morning ;). Before I get into our takeout recipe this week make sure you check the blog on Monday! That’s right, it’s time […]

Source Wow! We’re nearly there folks, so congrats for getting this far! There’s just one more week left after this one and you’ll be good to go for your 5K – how are you feeling? 🙂 Because I know we’re […]

For the first of my Christmas cookies series – Better-than-Starbucks’ Ginger Molasses Cookies – click here. So, I uploaded these pics, deleted the ones I didn’t like, and then chose the one above – my favourite – and now that […]

If I can get you to bear with me for one second, I promise you those aren’t worms on your soup (and if you weren’t seeing that then I’m sorry, get that image out of your mind!) Balsamic onions are […]

Source Happy December! It’s the start of Advent. The start of chocolate Advent calendars…you know, for those of us that still get those (*looks away sheepishly). Look, there’s no harm in indulging during the holiday season. None whatsoever! And even […]

This is everything in my WIAW. A lot…a lot of snacky things. Looking at this made me realize what I had only half noticed otherwise: I’m in a really snacky mood lately. You know how sometimes it takes writing down what […]

Have you seen those big ginger molasses cookies in Starbucks, and drooled? I have drooled, I’m almost certain. They are so big and perfectly coated in sugar crystals, and look so warm and inviting and like such a great accompaniment […]

Well, Christmas is coming up, so I figure that’s a good time for gift-giving, no? And it has been a few weeks since my last, so I think it’s time for another giveaway! I was originally going to do this […]

Source Holiday season is upon us! Parties, soirees, get-togethers, family time…it all offers the opportunity to play dress up. C’mon, we all know that at this time of year we have way more license to sparkle! There can never be […]

Source Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! I hope you’re relaxing and enjoying your holiday. When you come back, you might be in more need of this running plan than ever – just saying…I know how those Thanksgiving meals […]

Happy Thanksgiving for my neighbours to the south for tomorrow! For this week’s What I Ate Wednesday (thanks to Jenn for hosting!), I thought I would combine it with my monthly feature, Blog Love, in which I link up some […]

Source You know, even though I live in Vancouver, Canada, and we celebrate our Thanksgiving in October, I never feel in the Thanksgiving spirit until the American one rolls around. Weird how that works. I guess it’s the power of […]

Vegan and gluten-free too! (If you want it to be). Why do I make tortes and not pies, you ask? Here’s the simple and honest truth: I can’t be bothered to make my own pastry when so many companies (hello, […]

Do you love Mexican food? I LOVE Mexican food. I’ve blogged before about how ethnic food was my saviour when I became a vegetarian four years ago. The ethnic food influence has been pretty evident throughout the recipes I’ve blogged. […]

Source I don’t profess to be an expert at running. And one thing I’ve never been is a long-distance runner. When I say long-distance, I’m being a bit generous to myself. In truth, I’m not even a medium distance runner. I […]

Source Sometimes – especially with make-up – it’s better to let the photos to do the talking. Here are some looks I’m finding beautiful lately…

(Yes, I really want this book!) I need your help. All of you knowledgeable foodies out there! As I mentioned in last week’s What I Ate Wednesday post, my naturopath has suggested I try out food combining to see if […]

I wanted to tell you guys about this little badge you may have seen on my homepage recently. I am so excited to be taking part in the first Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by Lindsay at Love and […]

Today is an important day no matter where you live. In the US I believe it’s called Veteran’s Day, in the UK and Canada we know it as Remembrance Day (other names include Poppy Day and Armistice Day) – whatever […]

One of the things I love the most about blogging is the blog community. I’ve shared that before, especially in posts like the monthly feature I began in October, Blog Love. I don’t feel like the blogging world is competitive […]

I’ve been confused by a few things this past weekend. For example, how does ice freeze like this, when it’s lying flat in the freezer? Please some science genius email me and explain this because it’s baffling. Also, photography has […]

I’ve told you before that I love cookies. I officially turn into a Cookie Monster when they’re around. Alas, the soft, gooey, chewy Mrs. Fields cookies I loved so much growing up now make me feel so ill from all […]

One of my favourite things to order out has always been Chinese lettuce wraps. Wraps are one of the few things I can almost guarantee will still be healthy even once they’ve been cooked by a restaurant (why do they […]

Source When I was home for the summer after my first year at university, I started training for a duathlon. I bought a road bike and woke up before work every day to cycle 10-20 miles, and then went for […]

This summer I was flicking through my mom’s copy of House and Home magazine and came across a recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini. It looked and sounded delicious – and was vegetarian, of course – so I gave it a […]

Well, we all call it oatmeal on this side of the world but I like alliteration! This oatmeal really is packed though…packed with vitamins. You get vitamin A from the pumpkin, vitamin B from the oats and wheat germ and […]

People often think that those of us with “special” diets can’t enjoy treats. To them I say, behold the LARABAR. LARABARs give you no worries. If you’re vegan, no worries. If you eat a raw diet, no worries. If you’re […]

Again, major annoyance at having to take dinner photos under harsh lighting thanks to dark fall nights…sorry for crappy pics! Anytime I start to make stuffed mushrooms, my mom will repeat the adage: “Life’s too short to stuff a mushroom.” […]

Source And pretty strong abs too! I first tried Pilates when I was in high school and got a bit addicted to it for a while. I directed a school play when I was in my final year of high […]

Source I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s a photo of Eeyore heading up a post about happiness. Well, Eeyore is a donkey. A sad donkey, it’s true, but a donkey! And in yoga last night our teacher told us a […]

I get that summer is full of barbecues and late, lingering dinners thanks to the long, light evenings. I get that we no longer have that luxury, thanks to fall’s cooler temperatures and earlier nighttimes. I get that burgers are […]

Look what came in the mail…! Yummy, I love LUNA bars almost as much as I love getting mail. Okay, maybe slightly more. I’ve eaten LUNA bars pretty religiously for a couple of years now. I first tried them back […]

Photo from April Taylor via Pinterest There was a lot of baking going on last week (ooh let’s see…sour cream bundt cake anyone? Chocolate chip cookies? Apple walnut cake? Or how about some pumpkin cream cheese muffins? Yeah. A lot […]

So it’s been a busy baking week. I’ve thrown a lot of sweet things your way. Today I thought I would change direction a bit. Give you something savoury to help you down off that sugar high. Oh wait – […]

The Cookie Monster is kind of a nickname I gave myself (is it lame to give yourself a nickname? Especially one taken from a Muppet? Oh well). If I’m being disciplined (which isn’t often), I can say no to sweets. […]

Fall means apple season. I spent a few years of my childhood living in England, my parents’ native country, and fall there (actually, autumn there) was so beautiful and, well, appley (yes, I made that word up). We lived three […]

I’ve been promising these for a while. And I also promised a food-heavy week on the blog this week. I keep my promises. I’m sorry the muffins took a while, but I also promise they’re worth the wait. (You’ll see […]

Raise your hand if you know lots about stevia. If you don’t know anything, keep your hand down. Mine would be somewhere in the middle. Then the lovely people at NuNaturals sent me an email asking me to review some […]

Photo from Pinterest.com A couple of weeks ago, I said that I had taken the first step in putting myself out there with my writing. As that post was already crazy long, I said I would share details with you […]

Photo credit to Shape.com This fall as we all head back indoors for our workouts, I have a killer circuit workout for you – no boredom, guaranteed! But first, if you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen my […]

Who said pie has to always be sweet? No, I know, most of you like sweet pie. Hey, I like sweet pie (see the end of this post for more on that)! But I also love my veggies. This recipe […]

So I’m moving this weekend. In what I thought was a moment of genius, I made triple the amount of two of my freezable dinner recipes last weekend and popped them in the freezer to keep me going once I […]

Wanna go dancing? Here’s the thing about dancing: whether you’re good or bad, trained or just a bedroom mirror dancer (you know what I’m talking about…), I don’t know anyone who can dance and not feel better afterwards. It makes […]

So Glamour’s big, fat September 2011 issue included readers’ votes on the best beauty products on the market. I always prefer these features because it shows you what real people use and I trust that more than what a paid […]

Oh these were goooood. I mean gooooood (in case you didn’t get that the first time). The recipe came from my beloved magazine, Vegetarian Times, that comes to my mailbox every now and again (it only does 9 issues a […]

I’ve mentioned before that I write in my spare time, so I thought I would dedicate a post to my writing journey, for those of you interested or for fellow writers. No doubt this post will bore the life out […]

True story: in a reference letter that my high school Business Studies teacher wrote for my college application, she put: “I have never met anyone as freakishly organized as Anna.” That statement tormented me for a while as I tried […]

What did you all do last weekend? My sister was here for a long weekend trip and because we are having phenomenal weather this September, we planned a weekend of water- and beach-based activities. This started with a whale watching […]

Risotto is one of those impressive dishes. Well, I think it is anyway. Yeah, sure, the name is fancy and Italian, but also it takes a bit of time to make and can taste so rich and flavourful that even […]

So on our recent road trip (blogged about here and here), we were staying with my parents’ friends, Alan and Ann, who live in the Okanagan. However, Ann was on holiday in England at the time of our visit so Alan […]

If the title of this blog post just sounded like a tongue twister, that’s okay. I’m very new to yin yoga too, which is why this post comes with a huge disclaimer: I am NOT a yoga teacher or even […]

Get it? Other Greek goods…other Greek gods? Okay, maybe I was reaching a bit. Anyway, on that road trip I talked about yesterday for the long weekend, we visited our host’s favourite local restaurant in Penticton, Theo’s Restaurant, which touts […]

As I slowly begin to transfer my old posts from Guiltless & Gourmet to this new blog, I realize there is an advantage to this. For you guys, anyway. Any recipes I was making for the first time I have […]

So, always up for a good time, my friend Alica and I purchased TeamBuy vouchers for a stand-up paddleboarding lesson and rentals with Windsure Adventure Watersports on Jericho Beach in Vancouver. True to form, we waited until the last weekend […]

We had some guests around on Saturday night for dinner and as it is finally summer on the west coast and we’re enjoying some warm days, I didn’t want to be in the kitchen too long cooking. So I made […]

I LOVED the book One Day by David Nicholls. It was a wonderful modern take on the classic romance saga. Nicholls is first and foremost a screenwriter who has successfully forayed into the world of fiction writing. Not surprisingly, however, the […]