My Happiness File – Day 6

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….why does food play such an important role in making me happy?

I don’t think it’s the food itself but the social aspect that surrounds the food. Two of my happy moments today occurred at meals.

The first event that made me happy today was taking my youngest daughter out for lunch. We went to a nice little restaurant in uptown Toronto close to where she lives. It was easy to make healthy choices and the food was delicious but more importantly I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. We both write blogs and we discussed how her DIY wedding blog and business were coming along and she gave me some tips on how to resolve some issues I’ve been having with my blog.

Today the sun finally came out and it turned into a beautiful afternoon. When I took my daughter back to her apartment we decided to pick up her dog, Lucy and head over to the off leash area over at Sunnybrook. Watching her dog run along the path into the woods with such joy and freedom made me smile and getting some exercise and fresh air put me in my happy place.

When I got home tonight my husband wanted to go out for dinner. I wasn’t sure that going out for two meals in a row was such a good idea but he seemed really keen on going out so I agreed. It turned out to be a happy evening and again I was able to make healthy choices for my dinner. I ordered grilled fish and a side of perfectly cooked beans and broccoli and started with a grilled radicchio and arugula salad. The fish was grilled with bones in so it forced me to eat slowly and carefully to avoid choking on a fish bone. At the end of my meal my husband actually applauded me. He said it was like watching a perfectly executed symphony. His analogy put a big smile on my face.

My Happiness File – Day 5

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..spending the entire day with my husband brought many happy moments today

Today was my first day off the detox cleanse and I was able to enjoy my first coffee in four days. Heavenly!

My husband took the day off work today so that we could spend the day together. After our walk this morning and enjoying the first solid food I had in over three days we got into the car and went for a day trip north of the city. We had a great time checking out the Apple Factory and buying a few vegetables and some specialty items for our Irish dinner on Sunday and then we made our way to Spirit Tree where we had a nice lunch. I’ll write more about our experience in my next post.

After lunch we started driving around looking for the Cheltenham Bad Lands. K set his GPS on his new phone and off we went. We got so lost. I’m sure we drove 20 k in the wrong direction before we turned around. We did eventually find it. For the rest of the afternoon we found our surroundings pretty uninspiring. The one thing that did amaze us was how much snow was still on the ground just 30 k north of Toronto.

On our way home we decided to stop at the movie theatre and take in a show. We ended up seeing Zero Dark 30. I really liked it and I didn’t think I would. Before the show started I made K set his phone so I could play the interactive pre show on-screen game. I came in second and won a slice of pizza that I will probably never redeem. Made me happy anyway.

All in all it was a great day.

Results of the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox Cleanse

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…… and my first happy moment today

For the last three days I was following the Doctor Oz 3 day detox cleanse. I felt I needed to give my body a boost. I’d recently experienced a hormonal change in my body, my weight loss had come to a stop and I had just gotten over a cold.

Dr. Oz’s cleanse seemed very doable. All the ingredients were easily accessible and some of the ingredients I already had in my house. There was also variety. Each meal for the day was a different recipe. Finally the smoothies were about 350 calories each and because each of them had some kind of fat in them they were very filling and satisfying.

The Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox Cleanse

Here is how each meal looked for the last three days.

Breakfast

Lunch

On the first day we forgot to add the coconut oil. It makes a difference and shouldn’t be skipped.

Dinner

The surprise ingredient in this blueberry mango avocado smoothie is cayenne pepper.

This morning when I got on the scale I was down 6 pounds. Yippee! Now I know that a lot of this is water loss but it’s enough incentive to keep me on the right track with my eating and move forward with my weight loss journey. Plus I do feel better. My skin looks better and the aches I was feeling during the cleanse apparently were due to my body getting rid of the toxins. All good.

Life of Pi and Day 3 of the Cleanse

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..two more things that made me happy today

Earlier in the week two of my friends and I made plans to see the Life of Pi. Today was the day. It was a perfect day to see a movie. It was overcast and winter temperatures have returned. I guess old man winter is not done with us.

I was surprised that the movie version we were seeing was in 3D. I’ve never seen an entire movie with 3D glasses and I’m pleased to say that it was a very pleasant experience. In fact it was downright beautiful. Having the birds fly towards us and the fish swim in our direction was magical.

I read the book years ago and was curious how such an unusual story could be made into a movie. The animal scenes in the life boat were tastefully recreated but I know some people that would find them somewhat disturbing. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and it was easy to see why it won four Oscars.

The last thing I’m happy about is that I completed the Dr. Oz Three Day Cleanse tonight. As you know I had to do the last two days on my own. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it without my husband’s support but it wasn’t as hard as I thought. Tomorrow I’ll explain the program and reveal my results.

Have you seen a good movie lately?

Cheers!

My Happiness File – Day 1 Continued

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….. now that the day is coming to an end I can complete my list

Earlier today I introduced ‘My Happiness File’ and I posted one thing that had made me happy. Since the idea is to post at least three things that you are grateful for or happy about I need to beef up my list.

Today was a very satisfying day. Here’s what made me happy.

2. I’m always happy when new people come to my site and make a comment and I’m doubly happy when they answer a question that I post. Today I was introduced to Erica at Gratitude Equation. It’s a lovely site with quotes, challenges and reflections about happiness and gratitude. You should check it out.

3. The weather was beautiful and my husband and I got out to a favourite organic market in the Junction. We’ve decided to try a 3 day juice fast (more about that later) and everything we needed we were able to purchase today. I love it when things come together when working towards a goal.

4. I saw a recipe recently on Lattes and Leggings that I wanted to make. Pasta with Kale, Beans and Turkey Sausage I made a few changes to the recipe. I replaced the recommended pasta with 1/2 the amount of Kamut pasta (gluten free, low GI), doubled the amount of turkey sausage, increased the amount of kale by 50% and replaced the mascarpone cheese with cooking cream cheese. I found myself singing and dancing while cooking dinner. I was in a happy place. The recipe makes enough to serve 4 and with a salad possibly more. My husband loved it and that makes me happy as well. Good thing because we have at least one more meal in the freezer.

5. We got out for our evening walk again tonight. I love how my legs feel lighter and my pants fit comfortably. Being able to walk quickly and without pain makes me happy and makes me feel good.

Did anything make you happy today?

Eating Out, Food Poisoning and March Break

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….. health wise it’s been a difficult weekI

It all started with a sore throat last weekend and then it became a full blown head cold by Monday. A friend of mine was supply teaching at my school and she suggested that I take off a morning so that I could sleep in and get the rest I needed to recover. She offered to come in and teach my library classes. I took her up on her offer Wednesday morning.

Getting that extra rest really did help and I started to feel better. My cold is pretty much done. On Thursday my husband took me out for dinner. We went to a new restaurant where the menu was completely unfamiliar to me. There was a lot of pork and sausages on the menu but there were some healthier options or so I thought. I ended up ordering an arugula salad with mushrooms and a small grilled steak. To drink I had a mineral water with a wedge of lime.

The food was delicious but soon after I finished my meal I started to feel sick again. At first I thought that my cold was coming back but it was worse than that. I started running a fever, I had a headache and I ached all over. Once I got home I knew that I probably had a case of food poisoning. After being home for about an hour and a half I was violently ill. I never throw up. In fact the last time I did vomit happened over 30 years ago when I was pregnant with the twins and suffered from a bout of food poisoning.

I felt immediately better after losing my dinner but I wasn’t 100% so I went to bed. Later in the evening I woke up and I realized that I was dehydrated. I took some water and went back to bed. In the morning I didn’t feel too bad so I decided to go to work.

I probably should have taken the day off but because it was the day before March Break I knew that the board could insist that I get a doctors note to say that I was ill. Without a note they could dock me a day’s pay. When I got to school I had a terrible headache. I found some Tylenol and it did help. I had no appetite. I had a coffee and 3 small cookies. I couldn’t even eat lunch.

By dinner tonight I was looking forward to comfort food and my husband made a mashed cauliflower, chicken marsala and a vegetable succotash. It was perfect. After dinner we did our 3.6k walk. I think I’m on the mend.

Tomorrow we’re planning on getting out the bikes and going for a nice long ride. Do you have a March Break or Spring Break? What kind of things are you planning to do?

Welll I thought I had sent this off yesterday but apparently it’s been sitting here in a draft. I thought I had solved this problem but I guess not.

Update: I didn’t get out for that bike ride but we did go to High Park with the dogs and I got some great shots that I will post later.

Cheers!

Getting Ready to Run

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mama Cormier

… I’ve signed up for Girls on the Run

Last year I started my weight loss journey in April. Earlier in the year I had agreed to be one of the coaches for a group of 8 to 11 year old girls who wanted to run a 5k race. Little did I know how much I was going to enjoy running. My original goal was to walk the 5k but as I trained with the girls I found I started to run. It started with running 50 metres and then walking but gradually the running distances became longer. The day of the race I ran about half the course.

Today I’m happy to say that we’re participating in Girls on the Run again. This is a big deal for us because we really believe in the program. Not only does it promote fitness in young girls but there’s a huge emphasis on building positive self esteem and treating others with respect and kindness.

For me personally I wanted to start running again and I needed a venue to get me going again. As some of you know I’ve plateaued with my weight loss. Even though I’ve been sick I started walking again and it feels great. I’m also back on track with my eating.

Today I started with a two egg omelet with lots of vegetables and a cup of coffee. Lunch consisted of left over chicken from last nights dinner and a Brussels sprouts and spinach salad and dinner was oven baked salmon and sweet potato and a large salad. For a snack I had raw carrots and humus and 1 oz. of cheese. I also drank a lot of tea today to keep my throat hydrated. Drinking a lot of water and tea also helps keep your appetite in check. I’ve always known this but I’m not very good at it. Maybe being sick was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to drink more than I would normally.

My next fitness goal is to run the entire 5k without stopping. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Rest, Tea and Fresh Air

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. healthy eating and a little exercise and I feel better

When I woke up today I still had a sore throat. I read some more and then made myself a breakfast of whole wheat toast with avocado and tomatoes and a great cup of coffee. Yummy! I don’t often eat bread but when I do it’s almost always for breakfast.

After breakfast, K and the dog went for their morning walk. I decided to pass. I wrote to my son in Rotterdam and tidied up the kitchen. For lunch I heated up some leftover homemade vegetable soup. Why do soups always taste better the next day?

After lunch the dog wanted to go out again and my husband wasn’t home so I decided to dress warmly and get some fresh air. It felt good to get out and I ended up walking much farther than I had planned. I also took my camera in case I came across some interesting shots. Winter hasn’t left us and signs of Spring are few and far apart. There are still patches of snow and ice but large areas of brown grass and mud are starting to take over the landscape. I was hoping to see some signs of new growth but it’s still too cold. It felt great getting out but I’m afraid I had too much tea with honey and lemon before I left the house and I had to get home in a big hurry. I love how the pictures of the grasses and the decaying Queen Anne’s Lace turned out. Taking my camera on my walks has opened my eyes to the beauty of the most mundane things.

For dinner tonight we roasted the capon we picked up at the market yesterday. The lady at the meat counter was right about how delicious this bird would be. It weighed almost 7 pounds and we probably have enough meat left over for three or more meals.

To go with the chicken I made a great Brussels Sprouts, spinach and bacon side dish and fresh green beans. My husband made a mushroom sauce but the chicken was so moist that it didn’t really need it.
After dinner K went for his walk without the dog or me. He felt that the dog probably had enough exercise for the day and I wasn’t sure that I should push my luck by going out again. As it turned out the dog had to go out again so I ended up going for a shorter walk anyway. All in all I walked for a total of 4.3 k. Not bad for someone who wasn’t planning on any exercise today.

Cheers!

A Trip to the Market

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. not just any market….the St. Lawrence Market

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a very raspy voice. I lay in bed for a spell and read while my husband and the dog went for a walk. When I finally emerged from the bedroom it was going on 10:00. I took a Tylenol, made myself a cup of coffee and K whipped up some eggs for us.

After we cleared up the dishes I started to feel better and in a low whisper (my voice wasn’t back to normal) I asked my husband if he still wanted to make a trip to the St. Lawrence Market. He was game and seeing that it was going on noon the market would probably be less busy.

Well if it was less busy it must have been horrible earlier in the day. The place was swarming with people. We walked around to take in the sights and compare some prices but we soon realized that we were hungry. I guess our morning eggs didn’t stay with us for very long and we knew that shopping when you’re hungry is not a good idea.

It was so crowded that we were feeling somewhat claustrophobic and finding a place to sit down to eat was next to impossible. We left the market and walked up Front Street and found a restaurant where we could sit and have a leisurely lunch. It was also easier to make healthy choices. We both ordered salads with a protein and tea. After our meal we shared a cookie. We were both shocked when we saw how big the cookie was. I’m glad we shared it but I really thought it was going to be half the size. I guess I could have eaten half of my half but that old European custom of cleaning your plate won out.

When we went back to the market we bought a capon to roast for Sunday dinner and lots of fresh green vegetables. One big change we’ve made in our eating habits is to include a lot more leafy green vegetables that are high in anti-oxidants. Some of the vegetables we bought included kale, dandelion leaves, romaine and arugula.

Even though it started off bitterly cold this morning you know spring can’t be too far off when tulips appear in the markets. I bought 3 bunches. Nothing lifts my spirits faster than fresh cut flowers.

When we got home I went out again to purchase the things we couldn’t get at the market. For dinner we had a kale salad and oven roasted chicken breast. No dessert.

I arranged the flowers into 3 separate bouquets and placed them around the house. The buds are still pretty tight but in the next day or so they should open up nicely.

As the day comes to an end my throat is still sore and raspy. I think I’ll make myself a hot tea with honey and lemon and read some more of my book. Hopefully I’ll feel somewhat better tomorrow. No plans as of yet but if the weather is nice I’d like to get out for a walk again. I’m missing my walks.

Cheers!

January 2013 Photo a Day – Delicious

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….what’s delicious to you? Is it the chubby cheeks of your toddler, the hunk at the gym or a cake you plan on eating for afternoon tea?

Delicious for me usually involves food but lately the colour of food determines how delicious it is. I no longer crave ‘brown’ foods and I am drawn to green, orange and yellow foods. More and more of our meals involve salads and lots of colourful vegetables.

For more delicious photos go to http://www.nolagirlatheart.wordpress.com