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

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!

Living Food

For my birthday, my bestie J took me to a raw food "cooking" class in the popular St. Lawrence Market. The lady teaching the class (the owner of Cruda Cafe) was SO inspiring in her views of food as medicine that I have been obsessed with raw food ever since!

On a recent trip to Vancouver, I was completely spoiled as my hotel was within walking distance from 2 amazing raw food restaurants: Gorilla Food and Organic Lives.

Since I believe a picture is worth a thousand words, feast your eyes on my recent pics and see if they also inspire you to take up raw cuisine!

This breakfast crepe was from Organic Lives and was filled with fresh strawberries and pear slices and drizzled with a mouth-watering strawberry maple sauce. The crepe itself was so thin and delicate and a perfect mate for the fresh fruit. I also got the fresh almond milk to round out the meal and was pleasantly surprised at how much better fresh raw almond milk is than the boxed variety!

The above 2 photos are of the Kunda Linguini Rising and the Choco Gorilla Almond Shake at Gorilla Foods. The linguini is zucchini noodles tossed in a pesto sauce and layered with tomato marinara sauce and a tenderized kale mix with a sprinkling of crushed nuts. Even after 8 hours of walking all around the city and working up an appetite, I still wasn't able to finish this meal all in one sitting!

Finally, the Ocean Wrap (again, from Gorilla Foods). It was a perfect lunch on a hot day. The salty walnut pate balanced the sweetness of both the nori and carrots, and the rest of the veggies offered that satisfying, refreshing crunch.

Gorilla Food

gorillafood@gmail.com
604 684 3663
101-436 Richards St.
Vancouver, BC

OrganicLives

info@organiclives.org

777 588 7777

1829 Quebec St.
Vancouver, BC

Back health

When I was 21 years old, I threw out my lower back while lifting a kayak incorrectly.

The next 3 days were spent lying on the family room couch, completely immobilized from the pain. In other words, they were the worst days of my life.

Since then, I have sought Chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massage and restorative yoga and I have found them all to be extremely helpful and have not had a back episode for the past 3 years--well, almost.

2 days ago, after a routine yoga class my lower back suddenly gave out in the change room while I was getting out of my yoga gear. Since I'd been so proactive with my back care, it came as a huge shock! Ultimately, I believe my proactive measures helped to lessen the severity of this episode, as I am already nearly recovered and was still fully mobile throughout the ordeal.

I remember my doctor saying that the second time someones back gives out, it is usually much worse than the first. Due to my back strengthening precautions, I was able to ensure that this second time was not as severe and also not as long lived.

If you have ever suffered from back pain, there are steps to lessen the pain and occurrence without taking prescriptive drugs. A little yoga, chiropractic adjustment and massage can go a long way to helping strengthen your back.

Superfood #1: Quinoa

The amazing grain originally from South America known as Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is the darling of the vegetarian world because of its high concentration of protein.

Nearly every lunch I pack contains the grain because it is so nutritious and easy to prepare, not to mention completely tasty (it has a nice nutty flavour). How do you cook it? Add 1 c. of rinsed quinoa (you have to rinse the naturally occuring soapy residue off the grain) to 2 c. boiling water. Cover and turn down to simmer for 30 min. Fluff with a fork and voila! A healthy, versatile whole grain!

I like to make an unconventional Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with my cooked quinoa. I then store it in the fridge for office lunches, as I serve it over sliced spinach.

I found pre-rinsed quinoa at Costco in Calgary and Lethbridge for a very good price, but quinoa is fast making its way into regular grocery stores everywhere.

Unconventional Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad:
-1 garlic clove, lightly crushed but still mostly whole (just to add flavor, not to overpower it!)
-1/4 c. flax oil
-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
-2 tsp dried parsley (or 1/4 c. fresh)
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 medium tomatoes, diced
-1 red bell pepper, diced
-1 cucumber, diced
-1 19 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1 1/2 c. cooked quinoa, cooled

Add together the garlic, lemon juice, flax oil, parsley, s+p in a small bowl and set aside. Add all remaining ingredients to a giant, fridge-safe container and mix, then pour the flax oil mixture over top. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 min before you serve. Toss lightly before you serve over a bed of shredded spinach leaves.