"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food"

The body is a seriously amazing organism.
Keeping us going on a daily basis through an endless number of chemical and neurological reactions that we never see or think about, we eat and the body garners and utilizes nutrients from our food resulting in better functioning and efficiency. However, the body is also a storage house, and has the ability to hold on to the things we actually don't want in our system...
While the market is teeming with a variety of cleanses and detox formulas to clear our systems of excess waste, one area that is rarely touched on is the storage of heavy metals such as mercury and aluminum in the body.

Some people spend thousands of dollars undergoing intravenous chelation therapy to rid their body of these metals, however, I recently stumbled across an article detailing the benefits of cilantro as a natural chelae. As metal substances in the body have been associated with autism, muscle pain, Alzheimer's and memory loss, it would be wise to consider doing this cleanse for 3 weeks at least once a year.

DETOX PESTO

Ingredients
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium)
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium)
• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (vitamin A)
• 2/3 cup flax seed oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (vitamin C)
• 2 tsp dulse seaweed powder
• Sea salt to taste

Process the coriander and flax seed oil in a blender until the coriander is chopped. Add the garlic, nuts and seeds, dulse and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Add a pinch to sea salt to taste and blend again. Store in dark glass jars if possible.

Combined with the benefits of the other ingredients, this recipe is a powerful tissue cleanser. The pesto is delicious on toast, baked potatoes, and pasta.

enjoy!

What Do You Crave?

A craving is the body's way of telling us what it wants. Sometimes however, what we think can be satiated with chocolate actually goes much deeper.

Here are some common cravings which indicate what your body really needs:

Chocolate = Magnesium (Raw nuts/seeds, legumes, fruits)

Sweets= Chromium, Carbon, Phosphorus, Sulpher(Broccoli, cheese, grapes, fresh fruits, chicken, dairy, legumes, cranberries, kale)

Fatty Foods= Calcium (Legumes, cheese)
Carbonated Beverages= Calcium (Kale, Leafy greens)

General Overeating= Silicon, Tryptophan, Tyrosine (Nuts, Seeds, Sweet Potato, Raisins, Vitamin C supplements, Red Peppers)

via Naturopathyworks.com

MAXED OUT!

As much as waking up to teach my 630am classes on Monday and Wednesday pains me, the crew that I get to instruct on these mornings always put me in a great mood! With about 20 "regulars" I have to be on my toes to come up with new ideas, and I always end up pushing myself a little harder as we bust it out together.

Here is just one circuit that we did today:

60 Seconds High Knees

50 Seconds Cross-Over steps the Bosu

40 Seconds Burpees

30 Seconds Split Jumps

20 Seconds Floor touch and jump

10 Seconds Push-ups

1 Minute Side Plank with weight (30 Seconds/side)

REPEAT 4x

Come by Steve Nash Sports Club Downtown to check it out!

Yogurt & Fruit EXPLOSION!

If you're like me and find yourself craving something sweet at the end of a long day, try mixing your favourite fruit with some vanilla yogurt. It will curb your appetite, but is light enough to keep you from feeling too full before bed.

Pictured Here: Raspberries, Pineapple, Grapefruit and Banana

YUMMMMMMMMMMM!

Your Body: A Declaration of Love

I am your body.

Your elegant protection. Your outer shell and armour.

Given to you. A gift. To teach the greater lessons of your life.

I am the gut feeling. The butterflies in your stomach. The tingle in your spine.

I am the conduit for energy that allows you to live the life your spirit desires.

Even when I am broken, tired, weary, or aching, I am the heart of your endurance. Your carrier.

I will teach you the meaning of willpower when you let go of the extra weight. The meaning of patience when you sprain an ankle. The meaning of presence when you flow and breathe in yoga. The meaning of acceptance when you look in the mirror and feel nothing but an overwhelming gratitude.

I will ground you and lift you up. Be the source of endless inspiration. I will be the beginning, and the starting point that changes everything.

I will be with you in the end. This vessel that carries you through life.

Your beating heart. Your breathing lungs. Your strong legs and awakened eyes.

I am your body.

1/2 Ironman Vancouver

This weekend Troy and I competed in the 1/2 Ironman Vancouver which takes place at Spanish Banks. The morning started at an early 530am for race prep and a quick dunk in the ocean before the official start at 630... The swim in the ocean went surprisingly better for me this time around, despite the waves and current, Troy and I managed to stay together and get through this first part relatively easily (without any panic attacks on my part at least :) )

The bike was a challenging 21.5km loop around UBC which we completed 4 times... That's 4 climbs up the hill from Jericho to UBC, and 91 kilometres of biking on false flats and long stretches where the headwind alone was enough to tire even the pro bikers (who lapped me for sure). Deadly.

Once we were finally off the bike it was time for the 1/2 Marathon- a run through the trails and along the water at Spanish Banks. I admit, this was the part where I wanted to quit about 50 times before finally crossing the finish line... I was definitely dehydrated (my own fault) and the sun beating on my hurting body was just one more aspect of this course that made it all the more intense.... But I persevered while my family and friends cheered from the sidelines and although this race felt longer than Victoria, I somehow managed to shave off 3 minutes from my time (5 hours and 45 minutes), and Troy did amazing at 5 hours and 10 minutes.

Next Stop: Penticton to watch Dalts crush the full Ironman!

Not feeling great here... one step at a time.

My Mom's camera work

Troy making it look easy

Water stations! I took my time here.

Post-race talk

So happy to be DONE!