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Day 19 – The Challenge of the Dessert Table

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Have
you ever wondered why we crave sweets? I have. To be honest, I think we
all crave sweet foods once in a while, this is not the issue. The issue
is: we know that refined sugar and other forms of sugar are bad for us,
so why do we still make, buy and eat sugary foods and drinks? That is
the question I am asking myself. How can we modify a situation if we
don’t understand the elements creating it? My goal here is to shine
some light on certain elements that could ease up the ”Holiday Season
Dessert Table” challenge.

Going to the root of the matter…

If you are part of the ”sweet tooth clan”, or the ”I am on a diet” clan, the next week or so will be a challenge. There are tons of interesting concepts on why we still eat what we shouldn’t. My top three favorite are: peer pressure, the need for reward and habits. So let’s take a look at them. 

 

Being part of the clan (peer pressure)

 

Don’t be fooled,
peer pressure doesn’t end at graduation; it is part of life and there to
stay. Being part of a clan (family, social group, friends circle) is a
human behaviour as old as our nature. Before the institution of prison,
the highest form of punishment was to be cast away, shunned, or rejected
from the clan. The expelled member had often brought shame and
dishonour to the group.

 

Because we are
social creatures, our need to belong is intrinsic to us. Jane Howard
expresses this very well. ” Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a
tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you
need one.”  

 

That being said,
the strength of our bond to one another does not imply surrendering our
personal pursuits and values. I often say to my children: “it is not
what you say; it is how you say it that matters.” If you are under
pressure during a Christmas supper, you don’t need to sacrifice your
commitment to yourself. By expressing your present situation in the
right manner, pressure could easily turn into admiration and
inspiration. Being part of the clan does not mean having to blend at all
cost.  

 

Need for reward  

 

Have you ever
heard someone say: “I have worked all day, I deserve a piece of… or a
glass of… or just one….” I bet you did. As a matter of fact, you
probably said it yourself, more than once. I sure did!

 

What about this
one: “I’ve been dieting for 6 weeks, I’ve lost 15 lbs, I’ve done so well
I deserve to treat myself to a _________!” That is precisely where the
whole thing starts to unravel!

 

The worse one is
when a family member, often a spouse or parent says: “You’ve been doing
this diet for so long and you’ve done so well, you deserve a _________,
surely it won’t hurt anything!” The reason why it is even worse than the
previous scenario is that now, not only do you have to stand up for
yourself, but you have to be different from the rest of the clan!
Starting to get the picture?

 

Habits

 

They say it takes
21 days to change a habit. I don’t believe that anymore. If it was true,
addiction to substances would not be a problem any longer. Within three
weeks, an addict would be cured! … We ALL KNOW there is no such
thing.  

 

Habits are
conniving… they develop without a warning. Sometimes, they are so
dubious that it takes someone else to tell us we have ”a problem” or
”a lack of control”. Habits and addictions have a few things is
common; one of them is the way they creep in, and another is the way we
are often unaware of their presence and effects on our body and mind.  

 

The beautiful
thing is that good habits are as tenacious as bad ones. So why not trade
the bad ones for the good ones! It is the same process anyway.
Practice, practice, repeat, and repeat, that is all we need to do. If
you view your food choices (during your diet) as temporary, you are not
creating a habit at all. The old has to give way to your new choices;
then you have the birth of a habit.

 

So before you go to any family or friends gathering for the
Holidays, take an honest moment with yourself to evaluate if sweets or
food in general, are part of a bad habit. If the answer is yes, remember
that you will be faced with this reality over and over again. Make your
own decision and believe you have the strength to respect the vow you
made to yourself. Nobody said this was easy, but we all have the freedom
and the ability to transform our lives… to create new habits and life
patterns that will, in exchange, open the doors to new opportunities
and joy!

Phase 4 tip…

 

In Phase 4, this kind of situation is more than
probable. The worry is that because you don’t have the “diet” as a
crutch, people won’t understand why you are still refusing a dessert or a
second glass of wine. The thing is that you do deserve a reward,
everyone agrees! But a reward should not result in sabotaging your hard
work and devotion. That just doesn’t make sense.  

Christmas Season
is a time of gathering, a time to be a part of a group and a time to
feel that we deserve a break, a good laugh and loving company… Be
prepared as you may well find yourself faced with all three challenges
at once: peer pressure, the need for a reward and old habits that die
hard… take it from someone who knows, the plate of sweets is not a
necessity.

Sincerely,

Julie-Jeanne Darc
Food-Wise Weight Loss
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Day 18 – Remembering where they came from…

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When
we get use to something, we forget it had a beginning. We forget that
someone had an idea and that idea became a tradition and that tradition
became an intrinsic part of our “normal way” of seeing the world. There
is a first time for everything and everything has more than one
beginning. It grows, like a snowball rolling down a hill. An invention
brings life to the next and the next inspires another inventor who
brings forth another beginning. We are all connected, even in the
evolution of inventions, concepts and traditions. One thing gives life
to the next, just like the cycle of nature. The idea is to remember to
be grateful for all those wonderful and impressive people who took part
in the Big story, the story of us.

Going back to the fundamentals…

There is something
to be said about remembering the birth of an event, an emotion or an
invention. When we remember, we give thanks to whom ever gave us that
tradition, that way of life, that method of expression, that piece of
human dignity and that view of the world. We get into a mode of
gratitude which in turn elevates our spirit, our mood and brings us in
touch with a kindness inside that doesn’t only belongs to us; it is the
thread of human kindness. Today I want to show gratitude for one concept
and one invention; together they created the Christmas tree.  

 

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

 

We would think
that the Christmas tree is a Christian concept but it is not. It is a
blend of human interpretations related to the cycle of life and later
on, Christianity. The celebration of a green tree seems to have
originated during King Tut’s Empire (1332 BC – 1323 BC). Throughout the
solstice of winter, the Egyptians would bring in their homes, green date
palm leaves to symbolize life’s triumph over death. In the times of the
Roman Empire, it was tradition to celebrate the solstice of winter by
decorating the homes with light and greens and to exchange coins for
prosperity, desserts for happiness, and lamps for our human journey on
earth. The German and the Scandinavian people honoured the evergreen for
its symbol of hope that spring would be coming back.  

 

As for the
Christian concept, it is a mix of two stories; the first one involves
St-Boniface a German missionary who became the Patron Saint of Germany
(675 – 754). It is said that St-Boniface got furious when he witnessed a
pagan ritual taking place around an oak tree. He cut the tree and from
it, a fir grew. For him, it was a sign from God. The fir was a symbol of
Christianity.

 

The second story
takes place around 1500 with Martin Luther. During one of his winter
walks he noticed a group of young evergreens. He was touched by their
beauty and decided to decorate them with candles to honour God’s
creation.

 

I could go on,
connect more dots, but this would not be an article, it would be a book.
The point is, by knowing and remembering where, who and why we take
part in certain rituals and traditions, we are able to truly be a part
of the celebration, in mind, body and spirit. The Christmas tree is more
than an illuminated evergreen; it is a symbol of hope, gratitude and
beliefs.

 

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

 

Christmas lights as we know them today are the result of one man: Thomas Edison. In 1880, this great inventor was looking for a way to advertise his “incandescent light bulb”. It was two years
later that Edison’s bulbs were displayed in a tree. By the year 1900,
General Electric bought the patent rights and today we all enjoy
Christmas lights!

 

The story of
Christmas lights doesn’t stop there. In 1985, Canada launched the
Christmas Light Program which took place only on Parliament Hill. Today,
there are more than 60 illuminated sites in the National Capital
region. As the years went by, other provinces embarked in the program
and today, it is a National Event! 

 

Christmas
celebration doesn’t have to be about overindulging on food and alcohol.
It doesn’t have to cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Christmas
time should be the sum of what you value the most… And although we all
value food to the extent that without it we would be in a very sad
place, food should not be the reason we get together but rather what
allows us to prolong the time we spend together!

 

By putting the focus on the things that have real value, we free
ourselves from temptations such as desserts and rich foods, and we also
free ourselves from the feeling of missing out. The power of gatherings
lies in the belief we give them. “Phenomenology” is a philosophical
theory which expresses that, only what we see and believe in, is what
exists. The moment you stop believing in something; it withers, fades
and dies, and with time gets replaced with what you now value.

Phase 4 tip…

 

When
everything gets reintegrated into your food list, and nothing is
disallowed, chances are that you forget from time to time, and
especially during celebrations, all the hard work that you put in to get
the body and the health you wanted. By re-evaluating which ritual is
valuable and which one would fall under the “we’ve always done it that
way without questioning why”, you can better see what could be at the
root of some of your previous spiralling out of control. Just as a reminder, if you are a carb addict, it is better for you to stick with tree decoration rather than cookie decoration. You wouldn’t want to wake up at Easter with the sinking feeling that you never saw the last 3 – 4 months or 20 – 30 lbs!
So
remember the stories, they are the ancestors of our traditions, the
foundation of our celebrations. Therefore instead of grabbing a piece of
cake, light a candle and be grateful… And think that you are every
bit a part of the Big story!

 

With an illuminated heart,

Julie-Jeanne Darc
Food-Wise Weight Loss
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Day 17 – How many does it make for you?

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I
left my parent’s home in May of 1984 when I first got married so that
makes for almost 30 years… Now, have you any idea how many non-stick
pans I have gone through over the years? If you’re like me, you don’t
just have one, you have many, and of multiple sizes… And it seems that
regardless of how careful you are with the tools, inevitably, they
become scratched and they start to stick and sometimes, they even peel!

A quick story…

A friend of mine
and colleague at the time, comes into work one morning about 15 years
back, and tells me about all the excitement from the night before. My
friend is a bit shy and tries to keep off the radar as much as possible,
you know the type, but the previous night, this had been completely
impossible when all the firetrucks and the police cars arrived at her
house and blocked every access and the street…

 

You see, right
around supper time, after having cooked a wonderful dinner, just when
they were about ready to eat, they found both of their pet birds, dead
in their cage! A feeling of panick got a hold of them and they did what
every safety conscious individual would do in the same situation, and
called the city to report this, just in case it was related to a gas
leak!

 

Within minutes,
they were surrounded and asked to evacuate their house. A thorough
searched went on for some time before they were allowed to return
inside. No gas leak was found and no reason was provided for the dual
death of the beloved pet birds…

 

Fast forward eight
or nine years and I am reading a report on the toxic gases emitted by
the Teflon coating in non-stick frying pans when they are heated up to a
certain degree. Although the emissions cannot be detected by our noses,
they contain at least 4 gases that are extremely toxic. One of them “PFIB, is a chemical warfare agent 10 times more toxic than phosgene (COCl2, a chemical warfare agent used during World Wars I and II)”
1 The Environmental Working Group has written a paper titled: Canaries
in the kitchen: Teflon offgas studies. You can read this report by
clicking here… 

 

What this report
brings forth are the various studies showing how over time and with
being exposed to high heat, the surface of Teflon breaks down and
releases toxic gases that are extremely bad for you. They are too
subtle for our noses to pick up on them, but they are deadly enough to
kill birds! Was this what happened to my friend’s birds? Who knows?

 

Fast forward yet
five more years and we have an alternative! I don’t know about you but I
really hate it when my food sticks to the pan, especially eggs! If you
like all the convenience of non-stick pans without the health hazards of
Teflon, you need to take a look at the OrGreenic Frying pan. Now, I would love to tell you that it comes in multiple sizes, the video certainly looks promising but I only know of the 10″ pan. You can check it out on this website to see all it can do. Done are the days when you have to baby the pan with plastic cooking utensils. This pan is made to last!

 

Here’s something you can take to the bank… last October, our coach Carolyne posted on our Facebook
something about the OrGreenic pan. My mother, who is one of our biggest
supporters, asked where she could get one. We told her that it was
available at Showcase (there’s one at the St-Laurent Shopping Centre)
where she promptly got one for herself. When I called her tonight I
asked if she still liked it and if it was living up to all its
promises… she simply said that she uses it everyday and couldn’t
imagine life without it! That’s proof for you!

Phase 4 tip…

 

In my mind, it doesn’t matter what phase you are in, nobody
likes food that sticks to the pan. Worse yet is when your food boils
because you can’t get the pan hot enough to sear the juices in… Sound
familiar?  

 

 

This is not
only a cooking tool for people who are trying to lose weight, it is one
for people who are health conscious and want to stay away from toxins
and chemicals!  


There
is still time to get one of these on your wish list but even if you
wait until Boxing day to get one, the thing that you can be sure of is
this… you will never again look at your old Teflon coated pans the
same way!

 

Sincerely,

Lise Hamilton-Carrière
Food-Wise Weight Loss

References

1.http://www.ewg.org/research/canaries-kitchen/teflon-offgas-studies   
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Day 16 – I want some of that!

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Do
you remember those times when your kids devoured broccoli because they
would pretend to be dinosaurs eating “dinosaur trees”? Or the times when
as a kid you ate your carrots first because you were told they had
super-vision powers? It only takes a little creativity and anything can
become amazingly appealing!

Are you worried about your family’s diet over the holidays? Don’t you worry we have a plan!!

So what’s the plan? Change
up the names of your food dishes this holiday season with something
that gets people’s attention. Start by using more descriptive words.
That way it leads people to think it’s tastier BEFORE they even try it.
 

 

You can always
trick your family into eating healthier. Because most reactions to food
come from our mind not our mouth, AND we have the ability to trick our
minds. If we think a specific food is going to be delicious, we are much
more likely to enjoy it!

 

Here is a great
example: ”Consider two pieces of day-old chocolate cake. If one is
named “chocolate cake,” and the other is named “Belgian Black Forest
Double Chocolate Cake,” people will buy the second. What is especially
interesting is that after trying it, people will rate the Belgian cake
as tasting better than an identical piece of plain old cake.” 1

 

Knowing how to
tease your family’s taste buds into liking the food you make with only a
few words on a piece of paper can be a big deal if you’re trying to get
your family away from the holiday cheese ball or chip bowls…

 

”This name game
is called “confirmation bias,” meaning that if you say something is
juicy, people almost unconsciously turn up their “juicy sensors” when
they taste the food. Once their taste sensors are activated, people become pre-programmed to think a dish tastes good.”2 

 

So here are some examples of words you could add to your meals:

 

Meats and Fish: 

 

Succulent Italian Seafood Filet instead of Grilled Fish Filet

                                     

Authentic Spicy Jamaican Chicken instead of  Spiced chicken 

 

Juicy Bourbon Steak instead of Marinated Steak

 

Veggies/Fruits:           

 

Succulent Spring Picked Beans instead of Simple Green beans

                                     

Cajun Red Beans with Rice instead of Beans & Rice (Phase 4)

                                     

Amazing fruit fury bliss instead of fruit salad (Phase 4)

 

Here is a mini list of words to help hype up your dish this holiday season:

 

finger-licking, tongue-smacking, delicious, tasty, tempting,
alluring, bitter, sour, sweet, honeyed, prickly, sugary, mouth-watering,
delectable, heavenly, savory, toothsome, divine, inviting, tantalizing,
luscious, enticing, appealing, attractive, vinegary, appetizing,
scrumptious, enjoyable, delightful, pleasing, satisfying, yummy, fit for
a king, lovely, tangy, flavourful, juicy, succulent, flavorsome, rich,
sugar-coated, syrupy, candied, spicy, peppery, piquant, thirst
quenching, moist, ripe, salty, zesty

Phase 4 tip…

 

Now that you
can enjoy ALL foods on your fun day you can explore the world of
desserts with the same name game. This is certainly easier with sweets
than with meals. Velvety chocolate pudding sounds much better than
simple chocolate pudding doesn’t it? You know that all bakeries have a
real grasp for this concept! So, in turn, be creative and create the
hype your recipe deserves!


The most important
part of the holiday gatherings is spending time with your loved ones.
Enjoying a great meal together doesn’t mean eating a high-fat, high carb
meal! The pleasure resides in the moments spend together, the talks and
the laughter. You will feel absolutely fabulous to have pulled off a
stunning meal and evening with healthy options for your family. Instead
of making 10 batches of cookies this year, make a creative center piece
and name tags for your buffet table and it will attract your guests and
get the conversations started!

 

Keep checking the
advent calendar every day, next week, I will tell you how to create a
WOW factor by decorating with food this year!  

Happy holidays!

Carolyne Sauvé
Food-Wise Weight Loss

References

1.http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21757739/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/how-get-wow-over-veggies-holiday/#.UqtEcvsXURr

2.Idem 
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Day 15 – Homemade Christmas cards and Phase 1 cookies

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At
the age of 25 I already had 4 children. I stayed at home with them for a
whole decade without cable, video games or computers. We did have a
television, but it had one function: to view family movies. Our reality
translated in being organized, creative and busy. Without TV or video
games to facilitate my days, my job was to keep them busy. We cooked,
baked, drew, hiked, danced, meditated and created beautiful collages
together. Halloween brought the art of carving and baking, Valentine’s
Day was mostly about card making and poetry, Easter concentrated on egg
painting and storytelling and finally, Christmas season was all about
cards and homemade cookies. So here is a story about cookies and
homemade cards!

Cookies please!

There is nothing
cuter in this world than a young child baking with his/her mother. If
you never baked with your kids before, here are REALLY important
pointers to remember before you start. The most important thing to
remember is: your kitchen will be a disaster! Don’t try to minimize the
damage, instead, enjoy the mess, it truly is part of the ”mommy and
me” baking adventure. Secondly, put some happy music on, its vibration
will give a beat to the activity and will keep your child interested.
Without music it could seem (after a while) like a chore and your child
will want to move on to ”better things”. Also, make two separate batch
of cookie dough, one for you and one for him/her (or them if you have
more than one child). Once the cookies are ready to eat and store in
gift boxes, believe me, what your child will want is nothing less than
one of your cookies; don’t ask me why, it just happens that way.
Finally, those little Christmas boxes I just mentioned get them at the
Dollar Store; they are cheap and perfect for Christmas cookie boxes.
Just add silk paper and there you have a great homemade gift for
grand-mama.

 

Now you are
probably wondering why I am talking about cookies when you are on a
diet?! No worries, here is a Phase 1 cookie recipe that you can make AND
enjoy! And believe me, no one will know, that’s how good they are. Yay 
!

 

Oatmeal Cookies – (Phases 1 to 4)

 

1 Ideal Protein oatmeal packet

1 Ideal Protein Butterscotch packet

¼ teaspoon Splenda or Stevia

A dash of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 egg white

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Water (enough to get a dough texture)

 

Directions

Heat the oven at
325 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients; add the egg white, vanilla and
water. Mix into a cookie dough texture. Spray the cookie sheet with Pam
olive oil or anything else that you usually use during your diet. Bake
the cookies for 5-10 minutes, check often. Let them cool down, separate
the batches: some to give and some to keep.

 

CARD MAKING

Once you have the cookies all done, it is time for phase 2 of this
creative project: making Christmas cards! The art of making Christmas
cards is not restricted to Christmas trees, Santa’s, or drawings of big
gifts with red bows; but let’s be honest here, receiving a homemade
card of a Christmas tree design from the foot prints of a young child…
ok, my heart is melting. A card like that deserves to be framed and
exposed for everyone to see. Enjoy the Holidays with your kids. Make
time to take time with them. They grow so fast, and so do we. 

Phase 4 tip…

 

Being in
Phase 4 during this season is, in a way, perfect timing. It is the test
of all tests; you will be surrounded with Christmas deserts of all kinds
and for more than one evening. Just remember, it doesn’t need to be a
sad or frustrating experience… it is the beginning of your new way of
life. Enjoy their smell, their beauty and the memories of them but don’t
stop there. Also recall the lessons of the past; the feelings that came
after indulging on Christmas desserts and the extra pounds and the
guilty feelings. Is it really worth it? We probably agree that it’s not.  

So
whether you are in phase 1, 2, 3 or 4, enjoy your Holiday Season
without guilt. Maximize the pleasures of that particular part of
Christmas through your other senses. What will come next this time is a
feeling of victory, no extra pounds and an awesome example of self-love
and discipline! That is worth it.

Sincerely,

 

Julie-Jeanne Darc
Food-Wise Weight Loss 
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Day 14 – The scents and smells at this time of year…

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A
few days ago, I told Lise that I was interested in writing about scents
& smell. She happily agreed and pursued by inviting me to take a
look at one of her 2011 Advent Calendar article on that subject. As I
read her 2 year old article, I realised how connected we all are, and
how important it is to share with each other what we know and what
intrigues us. By sharing our knowledge we are able to see more of the
bigger picture we call life. The more we share and discover, the more we
see and understand. So let’s add and discover together a little bit
more about the impact of scents and smells. You never know, it could
push the boundaries even further, making our world an even bigger
playground!

We use all of our senses to appreciate this season… or do we…

We give a lot of
praise to the gift of sight; we understand the power of sound, we
surrender to a healing touch and we definitely enjoy the sense of taste,
sometimes more than we should; but what about our sense of smell? Of
all our sensory faculties, smell is the one we are the least conscious
about, yet it is the only one that has a direct impact on our moods and
our memories. The reason is biological. Our olfactory system is directly
connected to our limbic system and more precisely, to our amygdala
which is linked to memory and emotions.

 

The “Proust phenomenon” is defined as the chain reaction
that occurs when a smell triggers a specific memory; we call those
memories, “autobiographic memories” because they are linked to a very
specific moment in time, usually a moment in our childhood .

 

Smells are
everywhere and affect us all the time; we are just not conscious of it.
But let’s see if you can relate to this… if I say warm cinnamon bun,
creamy Egg Nog, or fresh cut cedar log … can you smell it? I sure can!

 

Smells play a very
important part in the recollection of memories and feelings, but they
also participate in the healing of our bodies and our minds. Let’s take
for example cinnamon and mandarin, two smells often present during this
time of year.

 

Cinnamon essential oil

Cinnamon is packed
with a variety of benefits for the body: it combats infections,
minimizes inflammation, as well as is a natural immune system booster
and an antiviral fungal remedy. As an essential oil, cinnamon alleviates
depression, energizes the mind and promotes the feeling of happiness,
no wonder we have cinnamon in so many Christmas products!

 

Mandarin essential oil

The mandarin
essential oil stimulates our mood by making us cheerful and energetic.
It is often mixed with other citrus essential oils like lemon, tangerine
and lemon grass.

 

Diffusing the
scent of cinnamon and mandarin in the air is an awesome way to still
enjoy them. As Lise had mentioned in her Scents and Smell article two
years ago, just smelling a scent, soothes the desire to eat the food
itself; so smell away, it’s calorie free!

 

Now, if you are a
real fan of scents, here is a wonderful mixture of scents, called
“Christmas Spirit”. Just like in pumpkin pie there are several spices
that make up the taste to make it “just right”, scents too can be
combined to acquire the combination that is right for your nose. You
will need the essential oils mentioned below and an aromatherapy
diffuser.

 

In your diffuser, blend:

6 drops of Bay leaf essential oil

6 drops of mandarin essential oil

3 drops of ginger essential oil and

3 drops of cinnamon essential oil

 

Finally, Baseformula
is a great website to learn more about essential oils. They use these
to create other sensational products like soap, lip balm and hand
cream… If you like the idea of making your own products, especially to
offer as gifts, you’ll really enjoy this web site. 


Phase 4 tip…

 

If you are
at the end of your Food-Wise journey, it does not mean that you are at
the end of your wellness discovery. Phase 4 is a great time to go out
there and discover the different ways of living a healthy and energetic
life. A healthy life is a happy life and happiness is the ultimate
pursuit of all human beings.   

Remember, your new
habits are what will give you a new way of living, not your old ones.
Living is about the process, and the process is ongoing. “Are we there
yet” never applies to the process of living. Your world is always
changing, growing and deepening.

 

On a final note,
if you have ever had a real Christmas tree in your home, you know that
the smell of the wood and the spruce is what makes the difference.
Knowing this, we can only take this connection to scents and smells and
make the most of it in the best and most positive way.


Have fun! Enjoy your health and share your discoveries.

Sincerely,

 

Julie-Jeanne Darc
Food-Wise Weight Loss

PS,
if you would like to know where to buy essential oils at a great price
(because they can be pretty expensive in specialty shops… ) try
Amazon…  Take a look at these…

Diffuser
Combo set of 12 essential oils (including Cinnamon Leaf)
Mandarin Essential oil
Ginger Essential oil
Bay Leaf Essential oil
Cinnamon Leaf Essential oil 
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Day 13 – Before you brave the malls…

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Before I start, I want to take a moment with my French audience, so stay with me if you will… 

 

J’aimerais
m’excuser auprès de mes lecteurs francophones du fait que les textes
sont seulement en anglais.  Si vous avez besoin de précisions, n’hésitez
surtout pas à communiquer avec moi.  Comme je manque de temps pour
faire la traduction des textes, je préfère vous en faire profiter dans
au moins une langue plutôt que de ne pas distribuer l’information du
tout. J’espère que vous nous pardonnerez ce manquement et que vous nous
ferez part de vos questions. Il nous fera plaisir de vous répondre dans
la langue de Molière. 

The deal with fast foods!

Over the last two
years, I have always included in the Advent Calendar an article to help
you make good choices when you are stuck at the mall trying to get all
the shopping done and out of the way. This weekend promises to be a big
one at the mall. When you are almost done and realize it is 1:00 pm and
you’re hungry and tired, the choices can be daunting. Should you abandon
the mall and get yourself home quickly to eat only to have to return
later to get the rest done? We all know what parking is like. If your
car is already parked and you have gained some momentum, don’t abandon
your shopping excursion because you need to eat. I have compiled a list
of places that you can go to and still remain compliant with phases 1, 2
& 3 of your program.    

 

As I have said
countless times, this is the best time of year to be dieting and here’s
another opportunity for me to show you why… Practice makes perfect! If
you didn’t have to make these decisions at the mall right now, you
would likely not learn what choices are good for you for future
situations.

So here are a few tips to surviving at the mall.

If there is a
grill, head that way first. The Japanese cuisine is actually perfect for
what you are trying to achieve… which is to get lots of protein, stay
away from fried foods and ensure you get two cups of vegetables.  

 

At the Gloucester
Mall, you can find a place called Edo Japan. Awesome food right around
$10. You can even double the meat for only a few dollars! Incredible!
Ask that they cook it with no sauce (you can add some soya sauce at the
end). Tell them you don’t want rice, they will actually increase the
portion of vegetables without you having to ask. I trust you to stick
handle the few pieces of carrot out of the way and enjoy!

 

At some of the other malls in Ottawa (and many other places in Canada and the U.S.) you can find a restaurant called Teriyaki Experience. Check out their menu online. Same idea as with Edo, you can double the meat and get a super meal for about $10.

Here are the locations in Ottawa. They define their food as: “Quick,
water-based cooking done right in front of your eyes. Great for
take-out with sit-in options as well. All main meal options offered are
under $10.”

ST. LAURENT SHOPPING CTR.  1200 St. Laurent Blvd.  (613) 746-5067 
CARLINGWOOD MALL  2121 Carling Ave.  (613) 729-8050 
PLACE D’ORLEANS  110 Place d’Orléans Dr.  (613) 834-9366 
BILLINGS BRIDGE  2323 Riverside Dr.  (613) 730-8181 
RIDEAU CENTRE  50 Rideau St.  (613) 695-1600 
BAYSHORE  100 Bayshore Rd.  (613) 519-0388 
240 Sparks  240 Sparks St.  (613) 800-0450 

Now
if you are at Costco and your entire family is lobbying to eat there,
go for the smoked meat! Leave the bread and eat the meat. It’s not the
leanest meat but in a pinch, it will certainly do! You can buy a tray of
veggies in the store to complement your meat… et voila! You can even
have the dill pickle! LOL

  

There
are a few novelties since last year. The first one and this is a big
one is the salad bar at Farm Boy! If you are mall hopping, make a quick
stop at Farm Boy (and this holds true for any day of the week not just
shopping days). Over the last 8 months, each store has been retrofitted
to have a salad bar. On the one side there are mixed salads, but on the
other side, they have fresh ingredients and protein that you can put
together to make a super lunch/dinner. If you were planning ahead and
brought your IP pack with you, then all you need are vegetables. You can
even purchase single servings of the Lemon Garlic dressing that is so
yummy. You know that the Greek dressing and the Italian dressing (Farm
Boy brand) are acceptable too!  

 

Another
delightful discovery is Freshii. Sadly, there are only two locations in
Ottawa (one on Sparks street for all you downtown workers and one on
Laurier for University of Ottawa patrons) but my, what a place to have a
great lunch! They offer so many choices of ingredients for your build
your own salad that you won’t know where to start. Everything is fresh
and because you make the selection of each ingredient, you don’t need to
remove anything. Just dig in!      

 

OK,
finally, we should take a look at the really bad places… like the
double arches and other places like it!   But first, a quick story! When
Rachel (she was our amazing Orleans coach a few years back) and I
returned from a training weekend in Boston back in October 2011, we
stopped at Exit 17 on Hwy 40 (near Hudson). We were tired, it was 8:30
pm and we were hungry.   The only thing that was open was Burger King!
Rachel, eager to not step off Phase 1, especially after having spent the
entire weekend doing a perfect job of staying on (even at Cheers in
Boston), made a great suggestion.

 

A double burger each with a salad.
We took the two burger patties from our burgers and broke them into
pieces onto the salad (after scraping the ketchup and other condiments
and using the bread to soak up the excess fat). We also reclaimed the
two slices of tomatoes from the burger to add to the salad. I had a
single pack of Walden Farm’s Ranch dressing in my purse that we
shared… Are you getting the picture? We were both so pleased with this
solution and I hadn’t even been the one to come up with it.   Kudos
Rachel! 


Phase 4 tip…

 

At this time
of year, there are so many opportunities to eat fattening things that a
trip to the mall should probably be handled as if you were still on
phase 1 & 2. The comment that I get most often is the difficulty
with frequent “fun days” in any week. If you are shopping on a day that
is not designated as “fun day”, take this opportunity to revisit the
good habits you had developed during Phases 1 & 2. You will be glad
you did and it will serve as a refresher course. At any rate, it’s not
only a question of weight… it is above all a question of health and
there can be no doubt that fast food remains at the bottom of the food
chain when it comes to making healthy choices.   

I hope these tips
will help you in a pinch. There is always something you can eat. The
more you practice, the better you will get at making the right choices.
It is still not the ideal situation to go to a fast food… but if you
have to, better be prepared!

On these parting
words, enjoy your weekend, try and plan for all eventualities and don’t
skip meals! You’re not doing yourself any favours by going too long
without food… your body AND THE SCALES will be only too happy to show
you why next week!

 

Have a great day… until tomorrow!

Sincerely,

 

Lise Hamilton-Carriere
Food-Wise Weight Loss

PS.
I know you won’t take this as a license to go to the fast food every
day. You don’t want to make a habit of it (especially with all the MSG
restaurants put in their food) but at this time of year, we are just
scrambling to get everything done with the little time we have.
Solutions are what we need! 
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Day 12 – The Great Outdoors

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Here
we are on December the 12th and it looks more like January outside than
it does December.  Technically, we are still in the fall season but
there is really no trace of it out there.  Well if the winter is here,
we might as well enjoy it! 

Dog sledding and hot chocolate, a true Canadian tale!

 

I smile when
people are surprised at how cold it gets here… its Canada and in
winter…. Yes it’s cold! So I figured, why not make the best of it and
enjoy our Canadian winters! Once you get involved in winter activities,
the ugly cold side of this season seems to lose a bit of its chilling
power. I have to admit; the thought of spending a day skiing at
Mont-Tremblant excites me! If you can‘t get everyone to buy into skiing,why
not simply opt for tobogganing with the family! It is cheap, fun and
believe me, quite the exercise. There are as many winter outdoor
activities as there are preferences. Today I will share one with you:
dog sledding.

 

I was raised with
dogs. I am not talking about a cute lapdog at the end of my bed; I am
talking about lots and lots of outdoor dogs. For many years, my father
had an outdoor expedition company. Wild camping, wild river canoe trips,
survival expeditions and during winter, nothing less than dog sledding.
There are different ways to experience this kind of outdoor sport: our
way was pretty intense. Let me explain the difference. Some companies
focus on the simple experience of sitting in the sleigh for an hour,
wandering in nature trails. Other companies get involve with the city
during events like Winterlude where a track is prepared for potential
clients who will pay to get a 10-15 minute ride on the sleigh.  

 

My dad wanted to
offer adventure; a challenge for the mind, the urban citizen and
naturally, a challenge for the body. His expeditions took place in the
middle of nowhere, hours away from civilization. For 3 to 7 days, the
explorers lived an incredible experience. Each of them had his own
sleigh with his own dogs (7-9 dogs per sleigh). Each explorer learned to
talk to the dogs, understood the terrain as well as developed a
relationship with the sleigh. The whole group would travel in the woods
for about 6 hours a day, 3 hours in the morning and 3 more hours after
lunch. You really do connect with nature during such an experience. You
truly live the beauty of silence, the connection with the rest of the
planet… nothing interferes with the moment, it is all about the
immediate present and it is an awesome feeling!  

 

One thing I have
noticed during those expeditions, is how good everything tastes and how
comforting a hot beverage is when you are outside ALL DAY!  

 

Today, there is no more Huskies or Malamutes, no more sleighs
and no more wild winter expeditions with European tourists; but I have
profound memories that I keep close to my heart. Usually, it takes a
simple cup of hot chocolate or cappuccino to feel the experience of the
trails again, the sound of the snow sliding under the wooden skies of
the sleigh and the pure feeling of freedom.  

 

Smells, tastes,
sight and sounds are lived in the present as well as in the past. By
creating beautiful, odorant and tasty memories, we assure ourselves a
vast collection of them, which in turn provide us with tones of smiles
and beautiful moments.

 

So if you are like
me and hot chocolate brings with it warming moments, don’t be sad, you
can still have a warm cup of coco! You just need a packet of chocolate
drink, warm water and a pinch of cinnamon and voilà!  

Phase 4 tip…

 

As I was
describing the adventures with the dog sleds, it occurred to me that
after a long day outside, a person brings an intense appetite to the
table. If you are doing some heavy duty activities, don’t worry too much
about what you are going to eat. Remember the savings account and the
chequing account concept… if you are spending more than you are
putting in, you need not worry about the body having any of it left to
put into storage/savings!  
Have a wonderful day and don’t forget, happiness is the accumulation of beautiful moments.

Sincerely,

 

Julie-Jeanne Darc
Food-Wise Weight Loss
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Day 11 – What’s that delicious smell?

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You
know that moment when you walk into a room and a rich tasty smell wraps
every single molecule of air you breathe? That smell that makes your
stomach grumbles right away…

It’s because of the spices!

 

I know that some
spices have that effect quite drastically on me. My personal favourite
is Garam masala. Good gosh does it ever smell amazing in my house when
we use it! The beauty of it is that along with its great taste, it also
has many beneficial attributes for my health and my family’s health.
This is what I want to tell you about today. The healing power of
spices! They don’t just turn bland food into fun, full flavoured foods;
they also help you heal your body!

  

I have been researching spices and their health benefits over the last few weeks and have found a great book with proven uses and effects of specific spices. The book is called; Healing Spices: How to Use 50 Everyday and Exotic Spices to Boost Health and Beat Disease. The doctors that worked on the analysis are very passionate and reveal many uses I never would have thought about! 

Here are some common spices you should add to your diet if you experience any of these symptoms.

  

Insulin resistance: 1 gram of fenugreek seed daily soaked in hot water.

Stress relief: Spice up your veggies and meats with Basil, Mint or Rosemary

Motion or morning sickness: 1 gram of ginger 30 minutes ahead of travelling

Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes: 500mg of cinnamon a day (=1/4 tsp)

High blood pressure: 1 gram of garlic extract

Flu/Cold prevention: 1 clove of garlic a day

Mild Depression: 15 mg of Saffron twice a day

Cholesterol Problems: 1 clove of garlic a day

Migraines: 1 to 2 grams of ginger at first sign

  

Here are two amazing spice blends that you must have in your cupboard for fast delicious meals.

 

Moroccan blend: 

5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
5 teaspoons ground cumin
5 teaspoons ground coriander
2 1/2 teaspoons allspice
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

 

Mexican taco blend:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

If
you were around last year, Lise had talked about spices on Day 2 of the
2012 Advent Calendar. This is such a big subject with complicated
facets that I thought it merited an encore. Depending on your ethnic
origin, you may have a background rich in flavours from exotic or Middle
Eastern regions or you may have been brought up on salt and pepper…
There is so much to learn about spices and our goal is to enrich you
with trusted references! 

Phase 4 tip…

 

Cocoa powder
(flavanol rich) is known for a variety of health benefits not the least
of which is its naturally occurring antioxidant powers. Not only does
that sound great but it also tastes great! Adding cocoa to your diet
will improve your digestive track, your immune system, your arteries,
your cardiovascular health; it will help in lowering your LDL (bad
cholesterol), normalizing blood pressure, helping with memory loss and
slowing down skin ageing. So add it to your fun day baking and your warm
drinks whenever you can!
So
now, you are likely wondering what this Garam Masala which I love so
much is all about, so here goes: Masala means “a blend” and Garam means
“hot”. In the typical blend, one would find black and white peppercorns,
cloves, cinnamon for which the virtues have already been described
above, black and white cumin seeds, and black, brown and green cardamom
pods which have so many health properties that you won’t believe it.
From teeth and gum infections to lungs and pulmonary tuberculosis… and
from digestive disorders to breaking up kidney and gall stones…
Imagine all the ways you can help yourself and your family by adding a
dash of this and a dash of that!

Sincerely,

 

Carolyne Sauvé
Food-Wise Weight Loss
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Day 10 – Something for your wish list…

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On
Tuesdays, I like to provide kitchen tool ideas because I find that
there’s always someone out there thinking up new things to make my life
(and yours of course too) easier!  

The tool that keeps your salad fresher longer!

 

Have you ever
heard of salad in a jar? I have to admit that until just a few months
ago, I had never heard of any such thing so of course my curiosity got a
hold of me and off I went looking. The principle of salad in a jar is
that on Sunday afternoons, you take out all the ingredients for that
week’s salad recipe and cut everything up. Line up five “wide mouth”
canning jars (Mason is the name that comes to mind) and fill them up
with your salad ingredients, close them up, remove the air and voilà,
your lunches for the entire week are made!

 

Now there is an
order in which to add the ingredients. Think that when you empty the
jar, everything that is on the bottom will end up on the top so you want
to have all your wet ingredients at the bottom. These are not only the
ingredients that are wet but also those that can sustain being wet for a
number of days. This means of course that you can add the dressing
right away since it won’t be touching the fragile lettuce.

 

There are a number
of vegetable combinations that you can make; the choice is veritably
unlimited and ultimately, you want to go with what your taste buds
prefer. We all agree that salads can take a bit of time to make,
especially in the morning, but when you make them all at the same time,
you make the task that much shorter.

 

Now if you browse on Youtube, you will find a number of videos
with recipe ideas, same goes for Pinterest, however, most of them (if
not all of them) contain ingredients that are not phase 1 & 2
approved. So instead of putting in links here, I decided to add this
picture that tells you how to layer your food. This is a good time to
let your imagine run wild!

 

OK, so the secret
is in the removal of the air from the jar. I have to tell you that I was
fascinated by this concept. Here is a quick video on how to do it… YouTube

 

So where can you
find the tools to make this weekly habit easy? Well for starters, if you
already have a vacuum sealer, you are almost there, all you need to
purchase is the jar sealer. You can find this for less than $10 at Amazon.ca. 

If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you need not worry, there is a manual tool that works just as well. Watch this video to see how it works. This manual pump is also available at Amazon.ca for $8.95 along with three reusable bags…  

 

If you have always wanted a vacuum sealer but don’t where to start, check this Costco deal… I don’t think you can go wrong!  

 

You can think of these items as an investment. The idea of having
your lunch already made will make it that much easier to get up in the
morning , especially during the winter months!  

Phase 4 tip…

 

The wonderful part
of Phase 4 is the addition of different ingredients that you can add to
your salads. Think of avocado, cheese and nuts! Both cheese and nuts
offer enough variety to make incredible salads taste different every
time. Maybe you have been a cheddar kind of person, if so, maybe it’s
time to try some new cheeses, same goes for nuts! Get out of your
comfort zone and try new things. The first time I had blue cheese, it
was on a spinach salad with a raspberry dressing and pecans! I will
never forget just how good it tasted! I thought I was having dessert
instead of salad!
The
bottom line is this… salads can be boring or they can be fun! I use
to dislike the idea of a salad for lunch and thought to myself…
“nothing says I’m on a diet more than me having a salad for lunch”! Well
let me tell you that I have changed my mind completely on this! When
you start experimenting you create new tastes that are far from the
traditional tomato, cucumber and lettuce salads. The trick is having the
right ingredients in your fridge and assembling your salads in
advance… By the time you eat them, it will feel as though someone else
made them for you! Enjoy!

Sincerely,

 

Lise Hamilton-Carriere
Food-Wise Weight Loss