Happy New Year Everyone, I hope you enjoyed your time with friends and family and celebrated in the best way you wanted to.

It’s hard not to talk about resolutions this time of year, because that is what everyone is talking about. We are instantly bombarded with the question of what is your resolution – is it to stop smoking, to lose weight,  to budget, to save money, make your own lunch, to stop buying coffee in the morning on your way to work.  All of these are good goals but what else can we focus on? Have you considered your relationships? Like the one you have with food, dessert, coffee, nicotine, alcohol, weed? The one  you have with family, friends, your job, your colleagues? How do these aspects of your life look like? I often think about what is it that we are doing wrong with our resolutions, what is the missing link that prevents us from being successful?  Well I think it’s about our intentions. Have we clearly defined the aspects of our lives that we want to change?  This year on New Year’s Eve I took some time to do some writing, I broke my thoughts up into three sections:  First – what am I grateful for? Second – what do I need to let go of? Third- what are my intentions for the coming year?

Being grateful is an important part and step for moving forward. If it has been a difficult year, it gives you some time and space to think about what was good.  You might just surprise yourself on how many great things did happen to you, even if you originally thought it was not so great. Writing about what you need to let go of allows you to release any pain that is bottled up, helps you heal and creates space for new things. And lastly, writing about what your intentions are for this year allows you to paint the picture you want your life to look like. It sends messages to the Universe of the things you will be actively working towards, and energetically things will begin to transform. 

Each day begin with a breath, an intention and telling yourself you love yourself and are able to move forward…you will see you can achieve all of your resolutions!

Till next time, love yourself and your family

Pina

PS. Taking the Evolution course is also a great boost in that direction!

Dear Friends,

As the new decade dawns,  I would like to extend some deliciously warm wishes of peace your way. I honor the beauty inside you, the divinity, and the strength you possess. May the New Year bring you all that you wish for, your heart’s desires, your potent and poetic dreams.

I sit here musing on the meaning of a New Year, a new decade, new resolutions, new ideas, new hopes, new intentions a new you. The possibility of change is so imminent, so exciting, so  – so possible! The concept of a New Year to incite change is a powerful tool, but alas, limiting. Our Gregorian calendar appears to give us one chance every year to change – to hit the gym more, to eat better, to spend more time with our loved ones… what have you.

A deeper glance reveals that this opportunity exists every new day, every new minute, every new second. A calendar only feels the change into newness by virtue of it needing replacement at the end of the year. But you, you can feel the newness right now, or right then. Right when it’s right for you.

What will it take for you to truly change? To get in touch with your truest desire. To go deep and see, beneath the mask of ego and fear, what it is we truly, truly want. More health? More love? More freedom? More success? Going deep makes life so much easier – little question remains. When you want more success, unequivocally, your choices become easier to make. You avoid the things that don’t get you there, as best as you can. You’ve become certain, that it is what you want, and soon you start to be able to see what it feels like when you get there.  So you solder on. Like when you want more health, sometimes you have to say no to the more social parts, the cheese parts … or when you wish for more love, then it’s no to the negative thoughts, the judgement, the isolation.

This week,  I offer blessings of peace, and wishes for you to realize amazing intentions.

Happy New Year!

With love, respect, and other nutrients,

Ella

So what do you do when all hell breaks loose? You know, when you’ve had a week or two where all things seem to fall apart? Have you ever had such a week when all things go wrong?

…like in a week you find out that your aunt died, having endured a major fight with cancer and major surgery leaving her with one arm and half a torso, and she ends up dying of a heart attack. And that same week, you learn your mother has to go in for surgery, it’s not serious, but it needs to be done soon.  And while sitting with your sister on a Tuesday afternoon going through the list of things that need to get done, she gets a phone call by her doctor telling her she has breast cancer.   Not to mention, you didn’t get that position you applied for at work, your community development project in Africa is going slower than originally planned as the shea butter that was supposed to be selling at 2 Christmas shows this month failed to arrive on time, which meant cancelling the shows and losing the funds…all this does not exclude the blurred days, the weeks that followed going to several appointments, feeling an array of emotions, and bad hair days. And wondering why those pants you bought three weeks ago no longer fit.  And all this is not without wondering about the friends that reach out, friends you thought would reach out but don’t..the run on sentences…and the mind chatter that you wish would just shut the fk up?!

So, what do you do?

Well, taking a break from it all is a good start.  Just Stop.

BREATHE..yup, we need to do it every moment of our day to continue to exist. It sounds simple enough but it’s amazing how we forget when you feel your life is a mess.  With all that goes on in everyone’s life, it’s important to stop and breathe… stop for a minute to regain focus, strength and gain clarity.

Stop doing, or try doing what you think you should be doing, you are usually just spinning your wheels and not getting far anyway.  So turn off the phones, the ipods, the facebook, the msn, the twitter, the tv, turn off the lights and shut your mind down.

Breathe…focus on that for a while each day, see what happens. My guess is that at some point on some random day, you will find strength and the courage to move again.

Til next time, love yourself and your family.

Pina

I know, talking about the bowel can be a little uncomfortable at times, but it’s a sacred (yes, I actually called it sacred) place that needs to be addressed.

Although I might be a minority with this thinking, I believe a bowel movement is like a good status report. Businesses get regular reports to assess their status. And likewise, we get regular reports on how our bodies are working. Maybe that’s why some people say “I’m going to take care of some business”…..and sometimes even call a toilet “the office”.

I was inspired to write this after reading Jennine’s story “Everyone is Beautiful”. I’m a big believer that humans are sensory creatures, and they way we dress up and show up speaks volumes about how truly beautiful each of us is. And don’t be confused by the word beauty, “beauty comes from within” and if you remove the propaganda of the media from your mind you will recognize just how true that really is. The way we present ourselves defines us to others. It gives someone the opportunity to take a deeper look or to just pass us by.

Flickr Photo: International Womens Day 2009 by Wiccked

Beauty (to me) is not reflective of body shape, designer labels, a pristine hair cut or perfectly manicured hands. Beauty is seeing the truth, the authentic and the pure. And if you take the effort to make sure that is evident in your personal appearance you will notice a shift in your reality -  it will open doors, lead you down a path and take you on a journey.

The big question is, do you look like yourself? If I were to pass you on the street would I be able to see who you clearly are through your appearance? Is your appearance aligned with your spirit, is your essence visible, are your philosophies clear? Think about the colours you choose, the accessories you adorn yourself with, the silhouettes and lines you pick, the scent you spray, your body art (tattoos, piercings). Everything you select reflects who you are at your core. And if you choose baggy clothes that lack colour, neglect jewelry or fail to brush your hair (unless that’s intentional) you are sending a message. What do you want your message to be? Soulfully Confident, Sophisticated and Determined? If you take the time and effort to decide where you want to live, how you want raise your children, what steps your going to take to grow your business don’t forget about YOU in the process. Honour Your Style and your True Beauty will shine through.

A few weeks ago I was at the Wellness Fair at Sick Kids Hospital.  I was sitting down at the booth sipping on my green tea latte watching all kinds of people walking past me; young, old, men, women, children, tall, short, thin, fat, doctors, patients, etc.  I sat back and started to watch people just move.  What I thought would be such a boring activity turned into such a surprising revelation.  Almost every person I observed was holding tension somewhere in their body; shoulders scrunched up to their ears, wrist tightness, stiff neck, belly sucker, tight hips, tense face and the list goes on.  In between the time we are born and when we die, we go through the ups and downs of life and the stresses, change and joy it brings along with it.  Our bodies go through major wear and tear from both physical and emotional experiences.   We pick up bad habits and certain areas of our bodies compensate for other areas in our body.  The functionality of our bodies start to change and we don’t even realize it.

When I was seven-years old, I went over a railing and fell down two flights of stairs and landed hard on my bum.  It was a traumatic experience for me.  My parents didn’t think to take me to the hospital because within a few minutes I was able to stand up and walk and wasn’t experiencing any pain.  For a couple of weeks after, I dreaded going to the washroom because I would sometimes get a sharp pain in my lower back.  The pain eventually went away and life went on and I forgot about it.   It wasn’t until twenty years later that I discovered that I was holding so much tension in my lower body due to that experience.  I held onto that experience in my lower back, pelvis, hamstrings and hips and instead of releasing the tension I held in these areas, I compensated by constantly holding my belly in, holding my breath and many other things that I am now trying to reverse.  With knowing all this information today, I am doing the work now to undo all the compensating I’ve been doing for many, many years.

If we do not do the work in releasing the tension in our bodies and we hold onto it, our bodies become tighter and less functional.  If left without any kind of release, it starts to affect other parts of our body, our breathing and our day-to-day activities resulting in pain, frustration and irritation.  If perhaps we knew we were holding tension in our bodies, we would make more of an effort to get to the bottom of why it was happening in the first place.  Rarely, if we’re experiencing tension in a particular area in our body is that the originating cause.  In almost all cases, it is simply an area of where the body has chosen to manifest.  It could be an old injury, a negative childhood experience, an illness, stress, whatever the cause; I think we can all agree that it’s time for some letting go and healing.  A great saying that I read in a book from an unknown source is “If we listened to our bodies when it was whispering, we would avoid having our bodies scream at us in the future.”

It’s absolutely true, in life we settle.

Seth Godin mentioned it on his blog “We settle for something not quite right, or an outfit that isn’t our best look, or a job that doesn’t quite maximize our talents. We settle for relationships that don’t give us joy, or a website that’s, “good enough.” I don’t know about you but the last thing I would want is to live a life of mediocrity. As children most of us are encouraged to be amazing, to strive for our dreams and to do what’s in our hearts.  I remember listening to the stories about Superman and Wonder Woman, watching Care Bears and reading my ultimate favourite kid’s book Jillian Jiggs about good friends, good intentions and an unstoppable stream of creativity: the infectiously upbeat tale of disarray, distraction and blissful disobedience that makes us glad we choose adventure.

What is it about these tales that motivates us? It is the fact that these characters chose to be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity. You need to be different if you want to be above average. And in order to be different you have to have a dream, you have to think BIG. Without a dream/passion it could cause you to slide into mediocrity on autopilot.

Are you doing what you want or what you should? Are you trying to meet other people’s expectations? Are you choosing what’s safe rather than what is right?

In work, in love, even in your wardrobe – dare to be different, raise the bar. Instead of having 10 dresses in your closet that you like, why not have 5 that you love! That makes you feel amazing, that you radiate with confidence when you’re in them. Avoid mediocrity like you would the plague. Because everything is a choice. Ultimately the choice you make distinguishes Wonder Woman from Paris Hilton.

Maybe every Tom, Dick and Harry goes to Holt Renfrew to be outfitted in the best attire. Does that mean you should do the same? No. Figure out what’s at your core, what your represent, what kind of Superhero you are and play accordingly. Maybe you got your pants from Holt Renfrew but you got your jewelry at the One-of-a-Kind Show from a local artisan, your shoes from a vintage shop and you made your top from a pile of others. Is that radically different or what? Pave your own path, one that is different, bold and unique.

In today’s society we are conditioned that more is better. That we need a lot of stuff. Think back 15 years ago – life was a bit different. We only had one family car, one television in the house, a couple of favourite things be it jewelry, toys or electronic devices. We spent more time enjoying the beautiful outdoors, we shared the television spending time together as a family and quality meant more than quantity.

By subtracting we can add so much more value. Pairing down to one email address vs. three we spend less time on the computer  and more time with our loved ones. Getting rid of one car in the driveway reduces the carbon footprint we are leaving on the environment and reducing the amount of stuff we own helps the planet become more sustainable. I too was a little skeptical that little things such as this would make much of a difference, checkout  The Story of Stuff, a 20 minute video that will completely change your outlook of our impact on this planet.

You may be asking do we really gain through loss? Can we actually add value by subtracting? Best-selling business author Jim Collins starts each year by choosing what not to do and each of his to-do lists always includes “stop doing” items. Collins advocates that developing a strong discipline around first giving careful thought to prioritizing goals and objectives, then eliminating the bottom 20% of the list…forever.

Jim Collins made the “stop doing” argument in an eloquent essay, which appeared in USA Today:

“A great piece of art is composed not just of what is the final piece, but equally what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit – to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort – that distinguishes the truly exceptional artist and marks the ideal piece of work, be it a symphony, a novel, a painting, a company, or most important of all, a life.”

I’m learning that simplicity is a huge part of elegance and in my pursuit of just that I’m making more of an attempt to pair down and make things easier in my life, to be more productive and more importantlyto make room for what’s truly important. What has been a great deal of help is Leo Babauta’s website Zen Habits and The Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life.

This idea of simplicity is also true of Style & Fashion. Less is far more powerful. De-cluttering your wardrobe to only the clothing you absolutely love and feel amazing in or removing one element from an outfit that changes it from great to stunning. This form of subtraction allows you to project confidence, adds an element of interest and intrigue and most importantly we see you before we see your clothes.

What are you going to subtract from your wardrobe or life this week?

This past long weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. I went up North to mom & pops for a weekend of indulging, laughing and enjoying myself. I must admit, I probably ate a few too many slices of that organic free-range turkey which I fully enjoyed every last bite. Did you eat more of mom’s turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy than you probably should have or a second helping of apple pie? Don’t waste another second feeling guilty about it. Instead, take the control back into your hands do something about it.

Get back on track today! Here are 3 tips:

1. Keep your energy high with a “greens” drink. There are no shortage of juice bars in the city of Toronto and if you live outside of Toronto, I’m sure you’ve got great options (just google “juice bar”). Here’s the rule when you buy fresh juice – GO GREEN! Avoid high sugar juices such as those with only fruit. Instead, go for kale, spinach, celery, ginger and some apple. The apple gives the juice a bit of sweetness. And if you are feeling a little experimental, go for a shot of wheatgrass. I love green drinks because they are soooo very alkalinizing (and goodness knows most of us are all far too acidic), blood sugar balancing (keep cravings away) and energizing. Green drinks are like liquid energy and very balancing.

2. Plan your snacks to keep your metabolism revved. I know you are busy throughout the week, and this is precisely why you want to organize what you will eat during breaks at work. Instead of running to starbucks for a latte and a muffin that sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster leading to eventual cravings and weight gain, aim for a healthy snack like veggies and dip or almonds and apricots.

2. Avoid mindless evening eating. Do not eat 2-3 hours before bed and if you have to snack avoid carbohydrate snacks like a bowl of cheerios, right before bed. If you are starving before bed and you’ve already drank a large glass of water with lemon, then try 2 spoonfuls of yogurt or 10 raw almonds – this is sure to cut the craving. Foods with good fat are your secret weapon for curbing cravings.

-Joyous

From time to time I call the kitchen the “nutrition lab”. I give the kitchen this title because that’s exactly what it is. It is a place where we take one item (food) and change into another item (a meal) to make it edible, and hopefully enjoyable. We can use the nutrition lab to manipulate the foods we eat in order to get the most out of it. Below I illustrate a few tricks in order to get the most nutrition out of your food.

Popeye had it right when he said “spinach makes ya strong”. What he didn’t tell us is how to prepare spinach to get the most nutrition out of it. Raw spinach is loaded with nutrients. It has plenty of iron, vitamin C, and fiber. It also contains high amounts of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. However, if we consume spinach in the raw state, the minerals are not easily absorbed. They are bound to a compound called oxalic acid. When spinach is cooked, the minerals become unbound and thus available for us to absorb.

Eggs can be a great food to have as part of a complete diet. They have received some bad press over the years, attributed to their high cholesterol content. This has since been debunked by various scientific studies and deemed ‘pseudoscience’. Eggs contain high quality omega-3 fats in their yolk. In order to get the full value of these fats, eggs should be cooked at as low a temperature as possible. This is due to the fact that the omega-3 fats are very unstable and get destroyed when exposed to high heats. Therefore, in order from best to worst, eggs should be eaten soft-boiled, poached, hard-boiled, lightly fried, then scrambled. (Stay away from fried and scrambled eggs due to the high cooking temperatures)

Nuts can be hard to digest for some people. If you are one of those people, you might want to consider soaking your nuts. Nuts are essentially the seeds of a plant and will only start growing (germinating) once they are watered. To prevent a seed from growing before it is planted, it has enzyme inhibitors. These are compounds that bind up the nutrients in the nut so they can’t be used for growth. But, once we soak the nut, these nutrients become more available to the nut and therefore more available to us when we eat them. Presto, a more digestible nut!

There you have it. Simple ways we can increase the nutrition of spinach, eggs, and nuts. With this information you can get the most out of every dollar spent on whole, nutritious food. Have fun in the “nutrition lab”.

Have fun in the lab!

Josh