I want to preface this post by saying I don't have a serious illness, disease, or any other ailments that have led me to a naturopath. Partially out of curiosity, and partly due to recent experiences, I wanted to see what kind of insight a naturopath might have for me.
At work we go through very busy and stressful periods. Every day is go-go-go, but there are certain times during the year where even THAT gets ramped up. Last time I went through this, I got pretty bad stress/anxiety. I was getting stress headaches, feeling fatigued all the time, and even feeling dizzy.
I decided to see a naturopath because I want to make sure I am well prepared for next time. Since I don't eat a lot of meat, I feel like maybe I'm missing some basic foundation so my body can thrive in these situations. I was mostly concerned about vitamin B's and protein.
I wanted someone who could look at my lifestyle, diet and other situations, and give me some tips for strengthening my body from the inside. I definitely looked in the right place.
I met with a doctor and we discussed why I was there, she asked many questions, and listened intently. She was super sweet, into a lot of the same things as me, and we gushed over how much we love the Oh She Glows cookbook. Is it weird that I kind of want to be her BFF?
Then we went through my normal diet. According to her, I have a pretty good foundation, I just need to introduce more protein into breakfast (vegan protein powder being her suggestion) and add more substance to my afternoon snack, especially if I have a yoga class that night and don't plan to eat dinner until 9pm.
She gave me a few supplements, explaining why/how each one would help. What I liked about this was that she gave options - vitamin D? Doesn't matter where you buy it. Magnesium? Doesn't matter what brand. The only one she particularly stressed was a certain vitamin B "stress blend", because of the high dose and my high stress/anxiety related to work. If I was going to spend the money anywhere, this is where, she said.
I'm very fortunate that I could make an appointment like this without a serious illness. I am extremely grateful for a healthy body. Now I feel that if something were to come up, it's the first place I would go again.
Time to get get hopped up on some supplements and hopefully get back on the right track! If you're looking for a naturopath in Ottawa, let me know :)
01.25.15 SUNDAY FUNDAY
I spent the today preparing for the week ahead.
4 loads of laundry.
Groceries.
Baking.
Cooking.
I'm covered in flour and need a shower.
But what have I accomplished in all this time?
1) Cooked chickpeas and black beans, and then froze 'em. Did you know BPA can be found in canned food? Unless the can says BPA free, you can't be sure. So I'm trying to buy dried beans instead. The problem? It takes much longer to cook. But with the help of this website, I decided to give freezing the cooked beans a try.
2) Made my favourite recipe from the Oh She Glows cookbook: Classic Glo Bars. These are my favourite to eat in the morning at work. They keep me full and are a great boost to the day. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, shredded coconut? YUM!
3) Chocolate chip cookies. Okay, so these aren't healthy at all. I haven't made anything for the man in a while. I figured it was time to making something a little less "exotic". Since the beginning of time, my mother has been using this recipe from Nestle Toll House. It's probably the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Unfortunately I burned more then half of them, so better luck next time I guess?
4 loads of laundry.
Groceries.
Baking.
Cooking.
I'm covered in flour and need a shower.
But what have I accomplished in all this time?
1) Cooked chickpeas and black beans, and then froze 'em. Did you know BPA can be found in canned food? Unless the can says BPA free, you can't be sure. So I'm trying to buy dried beans instead. The problem? It takes much longer to cook. But with the help of this website, I decided to give freezing the cooked beans a try.
2) Made my favourite recipe from the Oh She Glows cookbook: Classic Glo Bars. These are my favourite to eat in the morning at work. They keep me full and are a great boost to the day. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, shredded coconut? YUM!
3) Chocolate chip cookies. Okay, so these aren't healthy at all. I haven't made anything for the man in a while. I figured it was time to making something a little less "exotic". Since the beginning of time, my mother has been using this recipe from Nestle Toll House. It's probably the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Unfortunately I burned more then half of them, so better luck next time I guess?
Hope your Sunday's been swell :)
Labels:
Healthy living,
Life,
Recipe
01.23.15 FIVE THINGS
We're just getting to know each other again, so I can't get too crazy on you yet. But I feel like it's only appropriate to set the tone of this blog by giving you a little insight into who I am.
MY NAME IS KELLY, BUT I USED TO GO BY KELI. I have another BFF named Kelly, and to reduce confusion, I started to write my name as Keli when I was a kid. Into my teens, my friends would still refer to me as Keli. I used to think of changing the official spelling of my name, but then I "grew up" ;) Although sometimes I still think Keli would have been pretty cool...
I AM A FLEXITARIAN. I have weird eating habits. I don't like lots of meat- these days I stick to minimal steak, fish once a week, and eggs about once a week. Other than that, I like my veggies. I'm cautious about going completely vegetarian because I'm scared I won't get the protein my body needs. I'm very diligent about what I eat to ensure I eat enough vitamins as it is, so going full vegetarian scares me a bit.
DOING NOTHING IS MY IDEA OF A PERFECT WEEKEND. Seriously. My favourite thing is doing nothing and maybe that's boring to you, or maybe it doesn't sound like a good time, but I'm a total homebody that loves Netflix marathons and being in bed by 10. It's a good thing I met Mike at work because I doubt I would have met anyone doing anything social.
I AM IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND. I call him my walking cliche. Everything I've ever heard anyone say about their loved one, he's that for me. The man who makes my heart beat just that much faster. The man who loves me at my worst and my best. The man who makes me feel beautiful every day, especially when I feel it least. We've been dating only a year, but it already feels like a lifetime. And I don't plan on returning him.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. I've gone through the motions. I went to school, got a degree, found a job, turned it into a career, etc. I'm almost all definitions of the term "grown-up". But really, I have no idea what I'm doing. And I don't think any of us really know what we're doing. Being a grown up means going with the flow along the weird path your life is on, but at the same time you're creating your own path. So how are we supposed to know if it's the right one?
Now your turn.
MY NAME IS KELLY, BUT I USED TO GO BY KELI. I have another BFF named Kelly, and to reduce confusion, I started to write my name as Keli when I was a kid. Into my teens, my friends would still refer to me as Keli. I used to think of changing the official spelling of my name, but then I "grew up" ;) Although sometimes I still think Keli would have been pretty cool...
I AM A FLEXITARIAN. I have weird eating habits. I don't like lots of meat- these days I stick to minimal steak, fish once a week, and eggs about once a week. Other than that, I like my veggies. I'm cautious about going completely vegetarian because I'm scared I won't get the protein my body needs. I'm very diligent about what I eat to ensure I eat enough vitamins as it is, so going full vegetarian scares me a bit.
DOING NOTHING IS MY IDEA OF A PERFECT WEEKEND. Seriously. My favourite thing is doing nothing and maybe that's boring to you, or maybe it doesn't sound like a good time, but I'm a total homebody that loves Netflix marathons and being in bed by 10. It's a good thing I met Mike at work because I doubt I would have met anyone doing anything social.
I AM IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND. I call him my walking cliche. Everything I've ever heard anyone say about their loved one, he's that for me. The man who makes my heart beat just that much faster. The man who loves me at my worst and my best. The man who makes me feel beautiful every day, especially when I feel it least. We've been dating only a year, but it already feels like a lifetime. And I don't plan on returning him.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. I've gone through the motions. I went to school, got a degree, found a job, turned it into a career, etc. I'm almost all definitions of the term "grown-up". But really, I have no idea what I'm doing. And I don't think any of us really know what we're doing. Being a grown up means going with the flow along the weird path your life is on, but at the same time you're creating your own path. So how are we supposed to know if it's the right one?
Now your turn.
01.11.15 Dairy Free Broccoli, Cauliflower and Potato Soup
I'm not a chef. I don't know how to make special fancy dishes. I mean, I just recently learned how to cook Brussels sprouts. But I like to experiment with new recipes.
I like simple. I like minimal work. I like as few dishes and ingredients as possible.
At the same time, I like to eat dairy free if I can. And I like to eat vegetarian most days.
I've been on a huge soup kick lately. When my boyfriend asked me "when are you making me some broccoli soup?", I figured today would be as good a day as ever to try it out.
By combining a few different Pinterest recipes, I came up with my own version of Broccoli, Cauliflower and Potato soup. Bonus: it's dairy free!
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of broccoli (not sure how much in cups. I cut up the whole head I bought from the store)
3 white potatoes
1 tbsp of onion powder
5-6 cups vegetable broth (I eyeballed it)
Salt and pepper as desired
Directions:
Peel and chop the potatoes. Chop the broccoli. Chop the cauliflower.
Add vegetables, vegetable broth, and onion powder to a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low.
Once potatoes are cooked through, remove the pot from the element. If you want your soup to be a bit thicker, you can remove some of the broth at this stage. I didn't do this, so it was a bit runny. I don't mind it either way.
Transfer the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth. To get through all the soup I need to blend about 3-4 batches. My blender is quite pathetic and needs to be retired.
Once the soup is blended, add salt and pepper as desired. I use no-salt broth so I can control the amount of salt I want to add.
And voila. Serve with crackers, a warm bun, or enjoy it as it is!
I like simple. I like minimal work. I like as few dishes and ingredients as possible.
At the same time, I like to eat dairy free if I can. And I like to eat vegetarian most days.
I've been on a huge soup kick lately. When my boyfriend asked me "when are you making me some broccoli soup?", I figured today would be as good a day as ever to try it out.
By combining a few different Pinterest recipes, I came up with my own version of Broccoli, Cauliflower and Potato soup. Bonus: it's dairy free!
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of broccoli (not sure how much in cups. I cut up the whole head I bought from the store)
3 white potatoes
1 tbsp of onion powder
5-6 cups vegetable broth (I eyeballed it)
Salt and pepper as desired
Directions:
Peel and chop the potatoes. Chop the broccoli. Chop the cauliflower.
Add vegetables, vegetable broth, and onion powder to a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low.
Once potatoes are cooked through, remove the pot from the element. If you want your soup to be a bit thicker, you can remove some of the broth at this stage. I didn't do this, so it was a bit runny. I don't mind it either way.
Transfer the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth. To get through all the soup I need to blend about 3-4 batches. My blender is quite pathetic and needs to be retired.
Once the soup is blended, add salt and pepper as desired. I use no-salt broth so I can control the amount of salt I want to add.
And voila. Serve with crackers, a warm bun, or enjoy it as it is!
Labels:
Dairy free,
Healthy living,
Recipe,
Soup
01.10.15
A new year, a new space, a new story.
It's been almost 1 year since I took a break from my old blog, Enter Kelly.
A year since I've blogged.
A year since I've shared my stories.
A year since I've had my own corner of the internet.
And I miss it.
I knew I would. I look back at blogging with fond memories. I had a lot going on and was ready for a break.
But now I'm ready to start again. To start fresh. To start new.
I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to this, but that's okay. I won't feel guilty if I don't blog every day, every week, or even only once a month. I'm not blogging with the intention to gain a following, make money, or be the best blogger there is. I'm doing this for me.
I miss my creative outlet. I miss being able to tell stories. I miss having a place that's mine.
So welcome to my new place. :)
Labels:
Life
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