I'll be the first to admit, that I never thought I would join a yoga studio. Until a year ago, the gym was my second home. But when I started training to run a marathon, I knew I had to add yoga to my training program. So I joined a yoga studio and learned about the many benefits that come with practicing yoga. I encourage every one of all fitness levels to try yoga. If you are still intimated or unsure, let’s clear up a few yoga myths and stereotypes that I commonly come across.
Myth 1: You have to be flexible to practice yoga
This is simply not true. In fact if I were given a flexibility test, I would probably be classified as having “poor flexibility”. Good instructors will provide variations of poses so that people at all different levels of can participate. Try not to get discouraged if other members of the class seem way ahead. Yoga is about individual growth. If you practice yoga on a regular basis you will be able to feel and see how your body has changed. You might even notice that one particular posture that seemed so difficult in your first few classes now appears to be easy. This is a great way to measure your own success. Remember that yoga is about working within your own limits.
Myth 2: Yoga is not an intense workout
After 10 chaturungas or an hour of power yoga, I think you’ll change your mind. Yoga strengthens all muscles in the body. A yoga class will take you through a variety of balancing poses, postures and flows that engage all muscles using only your body weight. Yoga not only lengthens your muscles, tendons and ligaments but it will help increase your range of motion.
Most yoga studios offer a variety of different type of classes so that you can choose a class that best suits you. Do not be afraid to try the different styles of yoga. Variety will keep you interested and keep your muscles engaged. Yoga is a great way to add variety to your fitness program.
Myth 3: Yoga is only for those who are spiritual
You do not have to be spiritual to practice yoga. Yoga is about the mind body connection by understanding how your body feels. Yoga also encourages relaxation and can help lower the amount of cortisol in your body and therefore helps to reduce stress. The deep and slower breathing that is encouraged during class not only helps to increase lung function but can set off the body's relaxation response. Before yoga class take note of how your body and mind are feeling. Compare this to how you feel after the class has ended. I guarantee you will feel calm and relaxed after class. This is a great way to end your day after a busy and hectic day.
Once you have found a yoga studio, here’s a list of things you’ll need to get started:
• Yoga Mat
• Yoga Mat Wash
• Towel
• Reusable Water Bottle
Check out Indigo’s Yoga shop HERE for all your yoga essentials
Enjoy your practice! Namaste.
Who doesn't love a delicious brunch? I do, I do! All the more reason I was excited to try this recipe from The Dukan Diet. Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon sounds more like an indulgent and leisurely breakfast rather than restrictive diet fare. And I have a special soft spot for diet food or "good" food that doesn't taste good for you. Wait, don't jump on me. I like the taste of oats and grains and "real food" as much as the next healthy body. But often times, diets – and recipes from diets – have a special aura of je ne sais quoi restraint. I think they all have a whiff of "it's missing something", or "my sandal is looking mighty tasty about now".
These scrambled eggs are not of that ilk. They are delicious. They are easy. And they may be diet food but they don't taste like they're missing a thing. I'd be happy to make them for myself on a lazy Sunday (which is exactly what I did, though I quartered the recipe) or to serve to more fancy company.
Either way, I think this recipe is a keeper and I'm thankful to Dr. Dukan and to Random House for sending it my way.
ps. If the author's name rings a bell it's probably because the Dukan Diet was used by none other than Kate Middleton and her mother to transform themselves before the Big Day.
Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
8 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fat-free ricotta
4 fresh chives, chopped
1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pour the milk into a medium heavy-bottomed pan and warm over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring continuously with a spatula.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salmon and ricotta.
4. Decorate the salmon and eggs with chives before serving.
Excerpted from The Dukan Diet Cookbook Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Pierre Dukan. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada. All rights reserved.
Since I was a kid I have always brown-bagged it. When I was in 1st Grade, I had a seriously cool neon pink lunch pail with an image of Malibu Barbie and Ken driving a sports car. Sadly, there came a day when I realized that in fact, my Barbie lunch pail wasn’t actually all that cool and I traded-up for a bigger, better lunch bag.
What’s even better than my lunch bag is what’s in it! Fresh fruit, veggie sticks and hummus, homemade smoothies and always a great lunch. My meal needs to be vibrant and colourful, packed full of nutrient-dense foods, flavourful and delicious. As well, my meals need to provide me with energy and sustenance.
Here are a few components to make a good lunch great!
- Brain food - Omega-3 fatty acids are Essential Fatty Acids, that is, fat that your body cannot manufacture on its own so therefore they must be obtained through the diet and are necessary for human health. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in the brain and play an important role in memory, performance and behavioural function.Food sources include walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and salmon
- Slow-burning fuel – While carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source, protein can also be used for energy and it helps to keep you full for longer. Protein gets a lot of flack. What matters is the source of protein, quality over quantity is key.
Food sources include quinoa, lentils, spinach, free-range eggs - Sweet treat – If you need something sweet after lunch and often find yourself going for donuts, cookies and candy bars, ditch them in favour of homemade trail mixes, smoothies, kefir with fruit and raw dark chocolate. Eating these nutritious foods in moderation will satisfy your sweet-tooth without the unwanted processed sugars, preservatives and chemicals found in junk food.
Food sources include fruit, dates, raw dark chocolate, nuts and sulphite-free dried fruits
“Tuna” Salad
The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, By Lindsay Nixon
Ingredients
1 15-oz can chickpeas
2 celery stalks, washed
1-2 tbsp pickle relish
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mayo (see The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, p271)
½ tsp kelp powder
½ tsp lemon juice (optional)
pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, mash chickpeas with a fork until coarse and no whole beans are left. Alternatively, pulse beans in a food processor a few times, careful notto puree, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Shred celery with a cheese grater or mince in food processor by letting the motor run.
Transfer to the mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Add more mayo or kelp as necessary or desired.
Check out these cookbooks for more great lunch ideas!
- The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook by Dara Demoelt
- Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green
- Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver
- The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids by Tosca Reno
Are you eating a healthy diet? Fibre? More fruits and vegetables? Less processed food? Or in the words of Michael Pollan: Eat food. Not a lot. Mostly plants. Yup, that sounds like the foundation for a healthy diet.
But are you getting what you need from your food? What you ate as a teenager isn't what you need as an adult or senior. But knowing that your body is changing and facing a host of new needs and challenges isn't something we try to decipher nutritionally. We generally eat by tastiness and satiety. Nom nom=ingesting. Full tummy=stop. Enter "superfoods." While there's no official medical or nutritional designation for a superfood, they're generally described as "foods with high phytonutrient content that may confer other health benefits as a result." Translation: superfoods are like giving your body premium fuel. They nourish and help repair or protect our bodies with their nutritional properties.
So where and how exactly does superfood meet super tasty? It's summer! And everything at the markets is abundantly available so I've scoped two of our favourite spring cookbooks, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson for their take on wholesome, delicious, good-for-you recipes. Here are some easy reminders and recipes to fuel and protect you as you age.
In your 20s: Men and women in their 20s need to have sustained energy throughout the day. Think plenty of diverse sources of protein and a balanced diet. Women are still building up to their peak bone mass stores in their 20s and 30s, and calcium is the key building block. Building strong bones early in life helps prevent osteoporosis and allows for increased mobility later in life.
Eat: Low-fat yogurt and milk but also dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, arugula, bok choy, collard greens). They're good sources of calcium and dark greens also contain vitamins A, C, and K, folate (the naturally occurring form of folate), iron, fiber and the fat soluble vitamins A, K, D and E. They are truly nutrient powerhouses.
Superfood recipe=SNED Kale Salad OR Plenty's Arugula Salad with Figs, Goat Cheese Pomegrante Vinaigrette (photo at top of article)
Kale Salad
toasted coconut & sesame oil
To make a more substantial meal of the salad, stir the finished baked kale into a couple cups of cooked farro, wild rice, or quinoa—whatever you have on hand, really. It’s also great alongside a bit of grilled tofu or over a bowl of soba noodles. Important: If you can only find finely shredded unsweetened coconut (it’s more common), reduce the amount to 1/2 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g.
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
3 1/2 lightly packed cups / 3.5 oz / 100 g chopped kale, stems trimmed, large ribs removed
1 1/2 cups / 3 oz / 85 g unsweetened large-flake coconut
2 cups / 9 oz / 255 g cooked farro or other whole grain (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C with two racks in the top third of the oven.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the olive oil, sesame oil, and shoyu. Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil mixture.
Spread the kale evenly across two baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the coconut is deeply golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way. If the kale mixture on the top baking sheet begins to get too browned, move it to the lower rack.
Remove from the oven and transfer the kale mixture to a medium bowl. Taste. If you feel it needs a bit more dressing, add some and toss. Place the farro on a serving platter and top with the tossed kale. Serve warm.
serves 4
Recipe and photo excerpted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson Copyright © 2011 by Heidi Swanson. Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Arugula Salad with Figs, Basil, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Serves 4
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp pomegranate molasses salt and black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
1½ cups arugula
¾ cup mixed purple and green basil leaves
8 ripe figs, at room temperature
2½ oz young and creamy goat cheese
Place the shallot, mustard and pomegranate molasses in a medium bowl. Add some salt and pepper and whisk vigorously as you slowly pour in the olive oil. You are aiming for a homogenous dressing.
Add most of the arugula and basil leaves to the dressing, reserving some to finish the salad, and toss gently. Lift the dressed leaves onto a large serving plate, spreading them out to line it.
Cut the figs vertically into quarters and arrange over the leaves. Next, dot the figs and leaves with teaspoonfuls of cheese. Scatter the reserved leaves on top, drizzle with extra oil and season with
some salt and pepper.
Recipe and photo excerpted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi Copyright © 2011 Chronicle Books
In your 30s or 40s: This is when most men and women are building careers and juggling families. It's also when life gets busier and it's easy for take-out, dining out and fewer workouts to become the norm. High blood pressure and stress take a toll leaving us at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and other illnesses.
Eat: Foods rich in omega-3-rich fish oil supplements for a healthier heart (salmon, chia seeds, walnuts, ground flaxseed) and cut back on the salt and take-out. Start adding more brussel sprouts and cabbage into your diet. These vegetables are from the cruciferous family, known to have a compound that exhibits anticancer, antidiabetic and antimicrobial properties.
Superfood recipe=Plenty's Sweet Winter Slaw
Sweet Winter Slaw
Serves 6
Dressing
6½ tbsp lime juice
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp chile flakes
4 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil
1¼ cups macadamia nuts
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chile flakes
7 inner leaves of Savoy cabbage (6 oz in total), finely shredded
½ red cabbage (10 oz), finely shredded
1 mango, cut into thin strips
1 papaya, cut into strips
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely sliced
¼ cup mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1½ cups cilantro, leaves picked and roughly chopped
To make the dressing. Place all the ingredients, except the oil, in a small saucepan and reduce over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat. Once cooled down, strain the sauce into a bowl and add the oil. Put aside for later.
Place the macadamias in a frying pan over medium heat and dry roast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly colored on all sides. Add the butter. When it has melted add the sugar, salt and chile flakes. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly to coat the nuts in the sugar as it caramelizes. Watch carefully as it will only take 1 to 2 minutes and the sugar can burn quickly. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Cool the nuts, then roughly chop them.
Place the shredded cabbages in a large mixing bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients, including the nuts. Add the dressing and toss together. Taste and add more salt if you need to, then serve.
Recipe and photo excerpted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi Copyright © 2011 Chronicle Books
In your 50s or older: Men are increasingly at risk for prostate cancer as they age (1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with the disease). For women, heart disease is the #1 killer of women older than 65. Early detection and risk prevention are critical for both.
Eat: Men should start adding a small handful of pumpkin seeds or a tablespoon of pumpkin oil to their foods. Pumpkin is rich in zinc—an essential mineral that plays a vital role in prostate health and may protect it from early damage that could lead to cancer. Women should try to eat foods rich in antioxidants (tart cherries, black rice, blueberries and blackberries) and more whole grains. The antioxidant boosting properties will help protect your heart, while whole grains do double duty for both cardiovascular benefits and weight control (a post menopausal side effect).
Superfood recipe=SNED Oatmeal with Prunes, Hazelnuts and Yogurt.
Oatmeal
prunes, hazelnuts, brown butter & yogurt
As much as I love chunky, hearty steel-cut oats and long, lazy breakfasts, there are mornings when I don’t have extra minutes to spare. Enter old-fashioned rolled oats. A pot comes together in about 10 minutes, simmering away while I get dressed. You’ll make a cranky mess of the pan, but you can simply let it soak while you’re out. Any cooked-on oats will wipe off later in the day with little effort.
Swirling a bit of plain yogurt, cream, or (even better) crème fraîche into each bowl of cooked oats before eating helps emphasize the oatmeal’s creaminess. And when it comes to toppings, the combination of toasted hazelnuts, prunes, and brown butter is hard to beat, although some days I just enjoy the oatmeal straight with a sprinkling of muscovado sugar. Be sure to use rolled oats here, and not instant oats.
3 cups / 700 ml water
1 1/2 cups / 5 oz / 140 g rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/4 cup / 2 oz / 60 g plain yogurt, cream, or crème fraîche
8 prunes, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
20 hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Drizzle of brown butter
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the oats and salt. Turn down the heat and simmer until the oatmeal has thickened and the oats are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in the yogurt and most of the prunes. Taste. Add maple syrup if you like a bit of sweetness and sweeten to your liking.
Divide the oatmeal into four small bowls and top with the remaining prunes, the hazelnuts, and the tiniest drizzle of brown butter.
serves 4
Recipe and photo excerpted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson Copyright © 2011 by Heidi Swanson. Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
I love running and I'm a runner. There I said it.
I once thought that running was something that only super fit people did. It was for serious athletes—not for me and the other huffer and puffers of the world. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't choose running because I wanted to run. I (like many others) wanted and needed to change my lifestyle so it started with baby steps, literally. The first minute running (interspersed with 4 mins of walking) was one of the longest minutes of my life. It felt like a Jerry Bruckheimer slow-motion inaction sequence. I didn't enjoy any part of it until it was over. But it was the first step towards a healthier, happier life.
That was 5 years ago and now I can't imagine my life without running. It would be like me never reading another book—inconceivable. But if I could do it all over again, I wish someone would have told me this:
1. Start Slowly, Build Gradually
Running is a long view sport and it's perfectly normal to feel awkward and slow. It rewards consistency and dedication in years, not days or weeks or even months. If you're a complete newbie, consider the couch-to-5k running plan (C25k). It's a free program designed to safely (and gradually) build your running strength. Or sign up for a learn to run clinic, where you'll make friends and meet other new runners.
2. Invest in Good Running Shoes 
This is the one non-starter. Whether you run 5 miles or 100 miles a week, your feet and body need decent shoes. The impact of running is roughly two to three times your body weight with every foot strike. Don't take shortcuts or scrimp on the shoes.
3. Set Goals and Targets
So you're not an elite medal-winning athlete. Big deal. The vast majority of us aren't. But setting short, mid and long-
term goals keeps your running a sense of purpose and personal satisfaction. You can track your progress weekly, monthly or annually. Start a running log. I use both runningahead and dailymile. Join a forum. Ask questions. I never thought I'd be able to run 10 minutes without stopping and now I've just completed my first half marathon. Go figure. You never know how far you can go until you try.
4. Soak it Up
The running community is incredibly supportive and you'll find a wealth of information, support and advice on any topic you could possibly imagine. Surround yourself with other runners, literally and figuratively. There's a lot of valuable advice and training available, whether your goal is to run for fitness or to qualify for Boston. 
Essential Training Guides
Marathoning for Mortals
Kara Goucher's Running for Women
Daniels' Running Formula
The Competitive Runner's Handbook
>The complete list
The Runner's Library
Born to run
Once a Runner
Pre
The Perfect Mile
Duel In The Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon
Running with the Buffaloes
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss
>The complete list
Inspiring Movies About Running
Chariots of Fire
Prefontaine
Without Limits
The Spirit of the Marathon
Saint Ralph
Running Brave
>The complete list
Who to follow on Twitter:
@nytimeswell
@ginakolata
@NP_RunningBen
@runnersworld
@coachjenny
5. Never lose sight of the big picture
Did you skip your long run? Need to repeat week 6 of c25k? Need to cut short a scheduled run? Don't sweat it. One of the great things about running is that it's all about the long view. Progress is measured in weeks, months and years. So it's ok if the family vacation needs to come first or you make a little extra room for a butter tart or a superhero movie. Running is part of your life, not the other way around.
Lastly, remember you’re not alone. Wave if you cross paths with a fellow runner. Chances are they’ll wave back. I will! Runners come in all ages, shapes, speeds and sizes - including some famous faces. Here’s a list of celebrities who are also runners and their recent/best races:
Marathon (42 k)
Lance Armstrong 2:59, 2:46, 2:50
Haruki Murakami 3:31
Ben Mulroney 3:47
Edward Norton 3:48
George Bush 3:44
Ryan Reynolds 3:50
Will Ferrell 3:56
Bobby Flay 4:01
Gordon Ramsay 4:05
Oprah 4:29
Shia LeBoeuf 4:35
Al Gore 4:58
Valerie Bertinelli 5:14
Katie Holmes 5:29
Half Marathon (21 k)
Jerry O'Connell/James Marsden 1:50
Jennifer Beals 1:57
Hugh Jackman 2:04
Sara Rue 2:27
Julia Roberts 2:29
Jennifer Love Hewitt 3:09
Relationship and sex therapist Dr. Teesha Morgan reveals the truth about sexual happiness and three tips to achieve it if yours needs a boost.
A three step plan to having a great sex life
Many married women seem to have that token single girlfriend who, without fail, fills their heads with stories of passionate sexual dating encounters over Wednesday wine nights. Although these wine-induced, sexually salacious evenings can prove to be a positive thing by creating a space for open communication and bonding, it can also lead many women, within long term relationships, to doubt their levels of passion and how satisfied they are within their current relationship. So the question remains: Who is really having better sex? The single girlfriend experiencing the highs of a new romance, or the married couple of ten years?
More doesn't mean happier
Science has been probing this question for years, conducting countless studies on both single and marital sexual behaviour and satisfaction. The results? Turns out it’s quite the paradox. Based on the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) results of married and cohabiting couples' sexual activities, women generally seem happier with their sex lives than we would think; although married women have sex less frequently, engage in less oral sex, and are less likely to experience orgasm, they are more likely to derive physical and emotional satisfaction from sex than women in dating relationships.
Maybe it's all in your head
According to research, marriage would therefore seem to have a leg up on the single women lifestyle, if we look at it from a satisfaction point of view. Unfortunately, this trend doesn’t seem to last, as a striking change happens between the ages of 45 and 59. During this period, men’s satisfaction increases substantially, while women’s satisfaction decreases significantly (there are many reasons for this, including the not-uncommon scenario of men in their late forties and fifties divorcing and often remarrying younger partners, while women have been generally less able to divorce and remarry because of their relatively limited resources, but that's another article!).
The scientific validity of these trends is strong; however, no one has to fit into the statistics box unless they choose to do so. In general, people’s sexual and relationship satisfaction within their marriage, or short-term fling, depends on whether they believe that they have a “good deal”—that is, whether they think the partnership is beneficial to themselves, or at least equally balanced.
When you need a little help
Within the context of short term flings, our new partner’s faults are harder to see, and we often become distracted by new sexually passionate connections. However, as time goes on, and marriage ensues, our love glasses become clear and our partner often doesn’t look as rosy—or appear as sexually suave—as they use to.
To counter this effect, try a few of these simple tips:
- Remain physically active: The more you work out the more energy you will have and the more your sex drive will increase, leading to more sex and therefore a higher craving for sex.
- Create a sexual bucket list and literally schedule these items into your life: The combination of planning and novelty will not only retain a sexual spark, but it will also eliminate the possibility for sex to be placed on the back burner.
- Consciously and consistently remind yourself of the qualities within your partner that turn you on: Focusing on these thoughts a few times throughout the day can create a type of mental ‘sexual sizzle’ that does wonders for your subconscious sexual desires.
Related links:
- Do you have G-spot envy? Now try and find the A-spot and U-spot
- Three secret weapons for a happy relationship
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