Welcome!

Thank you for visiting! Walking the Walk is meant to be a source to assist you in your quest for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Through my own lifestyle, I hope to give you creative ideas that make adopting a healthier, more holistic lifestyle as enjoyable and easy for you as possible!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Free Shiatsu On Saturday, August 20th!!!!!


After my last post about the miraculous effect of Shiatsu, I just found out that the Shiatsu School of Canada is offering FREE SHIATSU TREATMENTS on August 20, 2011!!!!

Trust me, you'll definitely want to take advantage of this deal!

Where to go: 547 College Street, Toronto ON
What time: 11 am to 3 pm
For more information call: (416) 323-1818 ext 23


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Shiatsu who? Shiatsu YOU!


Shiatsu (pronounced "she-at-sue") is a therapeutic massage that originated in Japan. Unlike Registered Massage Therapy, Shiatsu massage works by stimulating pressure points along meridians of the body and can therefore aid in rebalancing the body's energy. This is a good thing, as asian medicine believes that an imbalance in body energy is the main cause of disease.

I first got interested in Shiatsu massage when I began working at the Shiatsu School of Canada in March of this year. They have this amazing student clinic where, every Wednesday, one can get an hour long Shiatsu massage from a student therapist for only $35 (a standard hour-long Shiatsu massage is valued at $80). And don't think that a student is in anyway inexperienced; these guys have to practice on each other for 6 months straight before they are allowed to treat the public.

I found a great therapist and Shiatsu massage has benefited my back, my alignment as well as my digestion. For all of you looking for a great alternative therapy, let me strongly suggest you try some Shiatsu and start to feel like a new and improved you!

Where to go:

Shiatsu School of Canada
547 College Street
Toronto, ON
M6G 1A9

The Easiest "Pasta" I've ever made!

A few days ago I bought an amazing contraption called a Spiraliser. It looks like this:

I was very excited to try my hand at spaghetti-like 'pasta' made from zucchinis, so I watched the following youtube video and got to work!

The end result? Raw zucchini pasta with tomato basil sauce! And yes, it tasted every bit as amazing as it looked.



Where to get it: The Big Carrot, located at 348 Danforth Avenue in Toronto, ON
How much does it cost: about $40
How easy is it to use: So simple and entertaining to use, you'll throw away your TV and dedicate your lives to making yellow squash noodles!

Magical Morning Smoothies

One of the first things I noticed about student life at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine was how incredibly important the Morning Smoothie was to the average student. Every day I would witness my colleagues shuffle in to the first class of the day with matching Magic Bullet cups that contained different blended concoctions of fruits and vegetables.

For the first time in my life, everyone around me was forgoing the Egg McMuffin in favour of a fiber packed, nutrient dense super drink that could be easily whipped up at home, in the time it takes to say "I knew I shouldn't have hit the darn snooze button again". And why not? Everyone knows the benefits of a healthy breakfast as it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Although I'm no expert, it occurred to me that I may know some great smoothie recipes since I enjoy one nearly every day. Pictured above is one of my favorite "Green Smoothie" recipes that can be found below:

1 handful of fresh spinach leaves (about 1 cup, loosely packed)
1 frozen banana, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 tbsp peanut butter (can also use almond butter, tahini, cashew butter)
1 cup almond milk (may need a little more depending on desired consistency)
1 scoop Vega protein powder (or 2 tbsp Hemp protein)
1/2 tsp Spirulina powder
1 tsp Udo's 3-6-9 Oil blend
1 tsp raw honey (optional, depending on how sweet you like your smoothies)

Blend the almond milk and spinach in a hand held blender (I use my Magic Bullet) until there are no whole spinach leaves, as nothing is worse than getting a huge mouthful of raw spinach when you first dig into your smoothie. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately or save for the morning commute.

Note that the above recipe is very easy to change. For example, kale or broccoli instead of spinach, mango or fresh strawberries in place of frozen blueberries-let your imagination run wild with this and your taste buds will thank you!