Rowena Recommends

Don’t Forget To Moisturize During Winter

December 2, 2018

Happy first weekend of December! As wonderful as this time of year is, there is no doubt winter is upon us. Our skin routine definitely needs a little bit of help to en sure our skin is well moisturized.

In the summertime, I highlighted a few water-based moisturizers. During the winter time, I find I gravitate towards cream based creams. A particular favourite of mine is the Caudalie Renewal Night Cream.

The Caudalie Vinoperfect line contains a patented ingredient known as Viniferine. Viniferine can be obtained through the grapevine sap. It is extremely effective in improving your skin’s radiance and/or improving the appearance of dark spots.

Read more about Viniferine here:

https://us.caudalie.com/story-ethics-1/our-patents/our-patents-active-ingredients/viniferine-from-grapevine-sap.html#patent-yourskin-content

Make sure to put serum on your face first to help seal in the moisture. Apply the appropriate amount of Caudalie Renewal Night Cream to your face.

Why Do I Love This Cream? I love how the moisturizer has a thick texture but it leaves your skin feeling non-greasy. The moisturizer absorbs quickly. Your skin will feel so soft and supple the following morning.

Your skin will thank you! 🙂

Food For Thought: Does your skincare routine in winter change? What is your go to winter moisturizer?
A Versatile, Easy & Delicious Dressing For All Your Vegetables

November 28, 2018
Tired of the dressing you usually make? Are you always short of time and think your only option is to go for a store bought dressing for your vegetables?

Traditionally, vinaigrette is made with the ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. As every teaspoon of fat (aka oil) gives you ~50 kcals, many individuals have adjusted the ratio to 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Because I like tangy things, I reverse the ratio and do 2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil.

Many individuals ask what does 1 part mean? 1 part is any form of measurement you use (e.g. 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, a measuring cup, etc). Whatever you use to measure your oil, do the same for your vinegar so you know exactly what 1 part is.

Don’t be afraid to make extra dressing for the next time you plan to eat your salad. Dressing can keep for a good chunk of time.

Do you have the following ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry?

Lemon

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Honey

Garlic

Sea Salt

If you said yes to all of the items above, you are all set to make the Honey Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

1 medium lemon, juiced

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

2 large garlic cloves, minced

pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients to a small jar with a tight fitting lid.
2. Shake well.
3. Enjoy. Store in the refrigerator.
Photo by Tookapic on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Isabella Mendes on Pexels.com

Food For Thought: What is Your Favourite Go To HomeMade Dressing Recipe?
Avocado Truffle Balls

November 25, 2018
As American Thanksgiving has just passed, we are definitely counting down to the holidays. I’m sure everyone’s social calendars are quickly following up. Some of us will choose to go out to eat but some of us will choose to attend potlucks. The question is: what do you bring to a potluck?

For individuals who want to stay on track and/or to help maintain skin health, he/she may volunteer to bring a vegetable platter or make a antioxidant rich salad but why not consider incorporating avocado into your dessert?

Avocado- what’s not to love about this wonderful fruit? It is so versatile and can be easily incorporated in many foods. Rich in Vitamin E, this fruit is perfect to help you maintain skin health during the holidays. Vitamin E is important in helping to protect your skin against UV light. Like many fruits & vegetables, avocados can also be a good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed to help make collagen which is the major structural component of skin to maintain elasticity & firmness.

Avocados are an amazing source of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats keep the skin moist so it’s soft and healthy looking. Polyunsaturated fats help to prevent symptoms of inflammation.

Last but not least, we can’t forget the discussion around biotin. Avocados are a good source of biotin. Biotin is part of the B-vitamins. Without biotin, your skin can turn scaly and dry.

Photo by Foodie Factor on Pexels.com

Give this avocado truffle recipe a try. Your guests won’t even know there is avocado in there. 😉

Ingredients:

1 medium avocado (mashed)

One bag dark chocolate chips (melted)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp kosher salt

2.5 Tbsp cocoa powder

Toppings: unsweetened coconut flakes OR sprinkles

Instructions:
1. Melt the chocolate in either the microwave or the stove, taking care not to burn it. Once melted, stir in the mashed avocado, brown sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt and 1 ½ tbsp. of the cocoa powder until thoroughly combined.
2. Place the truffle mixture into the fridge for 30-45 minutes and let cool until partially set.
3. Use a tablespoon to dollop out the truffles and form balls with your hands.
4. Roll in the remaining 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder or other desired toppings (e.g. unsweetened coconut flakes).
Food For Thought: How often do you have avocados? Will you eat avocados a little more frequently? Remember a portion of avocado is 1/4 at each time. Individuals will have up to 1/2 at one time but because avocados are calorically dense, you need to be conscious of that should weight be a priority.
Coffee- Your Lifeline in a Cup

November 21, 2018
There are days when I wake up and I don’t need any caffeine to get my day started; however, there are also days where I absolutely need a cup of coffee to get my day started.

During nutrition consultations, I find individuals are more willing to change any other aspect of their eating habits as long as they get their caffeine fix.

Coffee and/or tea can be a healthy part of your diet; if you don’t drink coffee or tea, don’t start because of health reasons. If you are a regular coffee or tea drinker, it’s a sigh of relief in which coffee is back on the “good food” list. Recently, a review of studies completed by BMJ indicates drinking 3-4 cups (250 mL) of coffee may have benefits including:
- Individuals live longer
- Coffee is no longer considered carcinogenic
- Coffee intake may be of particular benefit to liver disease including cancer
The Key Take Home Message:

When drinking coffee, please consider the amount of fat (cream/milk) as well as the sugar you add.

Please try not to go over 200 mg – 400 mg of caffeine/day (2-4 cups of coffee/day). It would be ideal if one can stick to 300 mg of caffeine per day which is equivalent to drinking 2 x 8 oz. cups of coffee per day. Pregnant women should not go over 2 cups of coffee/day.

A lot of individuals say they drink coffee; however, when asked what the difference between all the different types of coffee drinks, they are stumped. Here’s a little chart where you can learn a little bit more about each coffee drink variation. 🙂

Rowena’s Go To Options:
1. Chemex
My husband and I grind our own coffee beans at home. We’ll enjoy a cup every morning.

Rowena’s Favourite Coffee Beans
1. Illy Dark Roast
2. PC West Coast
3. Pilot Heritage
At home, I drink coffee with a teaspoon of cream.

2. Cafe Misto or Cafe Au Lait

I am such a fan of the growing coffee culture in Toronto. I try to support as many small businesses as I can.

If there are no small cafes to go to, my usual go to place is Starbucks. I find the coffee at Second Cup very acidic and I don’t find Tim Horton’s coffee all that flavourful. I know- it’s not very Canadian of me to not like Tim Horton’s.

At Starbucks, I will usually order a tall Cafe Misto. If you are a fan of Second Cup, you can order a Cafe Au Lait. They’re the same thing. This drink is half coffee half milk. I usually go for the skim milk. As a result, this drink gives you 60 kcals. I don’t add any sugar to this drink. I find it tasty as it is. On average, a tall cup of cafe misto will give you 115 mg of caffeine.

I also order a tall non-fat cappuccino or non-fat latte from time to time. What’s the difference?

A tall non-fat cappuccino from Starbucks will give you 60 kcals as well but gives you 75 mg of caffeine. On the other hand, a tall non-fat latte will give you 100 kcals and give you 75 mg of caffeine. Please refrain from adding sugar.

3. When short on time, I quite enjoy a cup of Nespresso. I use the Vertuoline at home and every cup comes out perfect each time. 🙂 My favourite flavour is hazelnut.

Did you know? I was not always a coffee fan. Growing up, tea or coffee wasn’t a huge part of my diet and/or lifestyle. It wasn’t until my husband came home with this Nespresso machine that I even got into coffee. Since that day, my life has changed to include coffee

For a cute and cozy spot to grab a coffee for yourself and/or with a friend, you can always count on Boxcar Social.

Although from the outside, De Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters may not look like anything special, many places around Toronto use their beans. You can always count on this place for a good cup of coffee.

Where can you find the cutest cup of coffee? Look no further. Go to Himalayan Java House. They do customized latte art. You can either tell them what you would like or you can have them surprise you. You won’t be disappointed.

Check out this cute customized art latte I got.

Have you tried coffee in a cone? I found this novelty at Balzac’s.

https://instagram.com/p/BQq0Gn2gco_Wq7O_Cb1SMPURwG–kPhrs0yW-k0/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQq0Gn2gco_Wq7O_Cb1SMPURwG–kPhrs0yW-k0/

Have You Had Your Cup of Coffee or Tea Yet Today?
Abnormal Beauty Company

November 18, 2018

I vividly remember the first time I stepped into the original Abnormal Beauty Company store in the Distillery District in Toronto. I remember walking around the store and being absolutely shocked by the prices. You’re thinking I was shocked because the prices were through the roof expensive when in reality, it was the complete opposite. All the products were beyond reasonably priced.

Since then, I have seen the Abnormal Beauty Company expand to include locations in the Queen West neighbourhood, Financial District (the Path) and Yorkville. I know they have opened up a location in New York but who knows where else is next. 🙂

I really like the philosophy of the company since the products are good quality but priced very low. This allows individuals to explore products he/she may not normally explore and/or use. On the other hand, because these are products mostly broken down into ingredients, it may intimidate individuals who may not be as well versed in the topic of skincare.

I was so sad when the company temporarily closed it doors for a week but I am happy to see it has since reopened. I was in the Yorkville area last week and its Yorkville location is definitely still open.

For newbies, here’s what I would recommend:

The Original Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

This serum contains hyaluronic acid. This ingredient is meant to sit on the surface of your skin to help draw out moisture so that your skin can look more hydrated temporarily. This serum is meant to be used in conjunction with your moisturizer. At $6.90 CAD, how can you go wrong?

Buffet + Copper

The original Buffet formulation is a blend of many anti-aging ingredients. The benefit of adding copper peptides is to help maintain immune system and to help with anti-inflammatory responses. Again, this serum is meant to be used in conjunction with your moisturizer. At $14.90 a bottle (original Buffet formulation) or $28.90 a bottle (with copper peptides), you still getting a steal of a deal given the anti aging properties of this product.

I can’t wait to go back and try more products.

Food For Thought: Have you gone to check out the Abnormal Beauty Company? If you have, what are your favourite products?
Mindfulness

November 14, 2018

This time of year is my favourite. This is a time of year where everyone gets together to celebrate good times. It truly is a time of celebration with family and friends. It is a continuation of being thankful for the circle of support you have and to continue to make wonderful memories together. Food is often central to social gatherings. As we all are busy penciling in the social gatherings in our calendar, let’s make sure that we are mindful of what we put in our mouths to avoid the 10 lb weight gain over the holidays.

What does the word “mindfulness” mean to you? As part of a healthy lifestyle, we need to be mindful and/or aware of what we are putting in our mouths. We need to become more aware of triggers for reasons why we put certain foods in our mouth.

We often think we eat out of hunger; however, did you know there are many different types of hunger?

Types of hunger include:

1, Eyes

How many of us have heard the saying of “Eat With Your Eyes”? When you see something that looks pretty and/or good, you naturally want to eat it.

2. Nose

Many of us have heard that we eat with our senses. This is definitely true as not only do we eat with our eyes but our nose is a very important in enhancing the joy of eating.

3. Mouth

How many of us often having cravings for a certain texture, flavour and/or temperature? It’s important to eat a variety of textures, flavours at various temperatures to keep the mouth hunger satisfied. Keep it interesting for our mouths. 🙂

4. Mind

Many of us fall victim to this type of hunger. Although we may have had breakfast 10 minutes ago, we feel the urge to have a small snack right now. Although we are in the midst of a really good meal, we’re already thinking of what we may have for snack and/or the next meal later on that day. There is no end to mind hunger because the mind is telling us that we need to eat even though we may not actually be hungry.

Social media may play a role in mind hunger as some individuals may have a list of places where they want to try in a day just because these eateries are located in the same area. Even if they may not be truly hungry, they are still going to go to all these places because they want to check these places out.

5. Emotion

Did you have a bad day OR did you receive a really good piece of news? Do you eat when you feel very stressed out? Do you often change eating habits when you are exhausted? On either spectrum of emotions, happy or sad/ tired or stressed out, you may eat more than you normally would. When you are sad, you are looking for a source that quickly makes you feel good in the moment. When you’re happy, you often celebrate with a treat which is okay but when it happens often, it may not be a good thing. When you realize you are eating to fill emotional needs, it may be time to find other ways to overcome certain emotions (e.g. sadness, loneliness, boredom, happiness, stress, etc.)

6. Cellular

Do you ever experience moments where you feel like your body is telling you that it needs a certain type of food? Sometimes this occurs when there is a change in season or when you are feeling sick. This type of feeling may also occur after you have denied yourself a certain something for a period of time.

7. Stomach

This is real hunger. This is the physical hunger. We should eat when we feel hungry but how many of us experience real hunger now?

Food For Thought: Write down what you eat in a full day (24 hours). Can you identify the types of hunger you experience?
Isura- What Does This Certification Mean?

November 11, 2018

Healthy skin is not only a result of what products you use on the outside but skin health may also be a result of what products you may also be ingesting. Many individuals take supplements to help ensure nutrient needs are met every day. How do you know these natural health products are safe to take?

As a Registered Dietitian, I always encourage food as the first line of therapy but there are scenarios where supplements could of benefit to someone.

Personally, I am chronically low in Vitamin D; therefore, I need to supplement 5000 IU of Vitamin D per day. I also need to take 600 mg of Coenzyme Q10 or 300 mg of Ubiquinol per day.

Many clients have asked me what brands of supplement do I suggest? Here is what I ask them:

Have you noticed ISURA certification on the bottle before?

ISURA is Canada’s only independent natural health supplement and food product verification and certification organization that provides mass spectrometry and non-GMO testing from seed to table.

Check this video out to learn more about ISURA

Food For Thought: What Kind of Supplements Do You Take? Does your supplement have the ISURA certification?
Beef- The Honest Truth

November 6, 2018

“Cut down on red meat consumption”. How many of you have heard this common saying before? At the same time, we have also heard the common saying of “You’re low in iron? Eat more beef. Beef will get your iron stores back up in no time”.

Is beef good or bad for us?

The truth is many of us have shamed beef for a very long time but others continue to swear by eating beef. Many clients have told me that no cut of meat ever comes close to the taste of beef.

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Gilbrae Farm in Ontario recently. The family, the Wilsons, who farm and own the farm is very passionate about what they have been able to achieve on this farm.

The farm has ample room for the cows and/or calves to graze as the farm spans 500 acres. It was really neat to see the cows/calves up close.

My hope for this post is not to provide consumers and/or readers with more information about beef farming practices so that everyone can make more informed choices the next time they go grocery shopping for an animal protein source. In this post, I hope to address some common concerns when consuming beef include:

1. “I’ve heard beef contain hormones and antibiotics.”

Antibiotics are cautiously used. Farmers do care about the well being of their animals. Antibiotics are only meant for treating sickness. Antibiotics are expensive. Not only are antibiotics expensive but veterinarians need to come assess the animal in question. Veterinarian visits can be quite costly as well.

When the antibiotic is administered, it is important to note that all cattle sold in Canada for meat that have been treated with antibiotics must under a withdrawal period. The withdrawal period is the period of time where no antibiotics can be used before going to the market.

2. “Grass Fed Beef Is Best”

Where do you normally picture cattle? They are usually grazing in the fields on grass. Cows eat forage for the majority of their lives. Forage includes grass, clover and alfalfa. During the winter, forage is fed to cows in the form of hay or silage.

Based on what I just told in the above paragraph, how can the cow fatten up? The cow has no opportunity to fatten up because it’s like asking a human to gain weight on a diet full of spinach. Grass fed beef is leaner as a result.

3. “Grain Fed Beef is Not Natural”

Cows all start out with the same diet. They forage and graze in the pastures and/or eat hay or silage. As mentioned above, it’s very hard for cows to fatten up on a forager’s diet. As a result, at ~3-4 months before cattle go to market, farmers will skillfully adjust the diet consisting of grains like corn or barley. With a diet containing grains, a higher quality marbled product will result.

Cows can’t digest grains naturally. What can farmers do? Farmers can use antibiotics known as ionophores. Please note: ionophores are classified as an antibiotic but ionophores do not serve the same purpose as those types of antibiotics used to treat sickness. At the farm, the farmer mentioned that they use Monensin. What do ionophores do? Ionophores worked by controlling the type of parasite that can infect cattle and also allow beneficial bacteria in the animals’ rumen to become more efficient. Essentially, ionophores are responsible to change the gut flora in cows to help them better digest grains to avoid acidosis. Why would cows develop acidosis? Cows apparently aren’t very good mindful eaters. They do not know when they have had enough; therefore, there is always a very good chance that a cow may overeat. If a cow overeats on grains, acidosis occurs and death may be the result.

Given a blind taste test, 10/10 individuals always will prefer the taste of grain fed beef versus grass fed beef. Taste is king!

4. “I have high cholesterol. I don’t eat beef because it has extremely high levels of saturated fat. ”

During the farm visit, the farmer and the organizers of this event had said something that shocked me. They said that the level of saturated fat in extra lean ground turkey and extra lean ground beef is the same. I took this piece of information with a grain of salt so I did my own investigation at the grocery store. To my surprise, it is true! There is minimal difference between the level of saturated fat in turkey vs. beef. The level of saturated fat is actually highest in extra lean ground chicken. Can you believe that?

Beef is considered to be one of the best sources of iron, protein, Vitamin B12 and zinc.

Food For Thought: After addressing some of the most common consumer concerns about beef consumption, how do you feel about consuming beef?
Sleep

November 4, 2018
Are you getting enough sleep?

Sleep is definitely a factor which can help you achieve glowing skin. If you don’t get enough sleep, there is a chance where it may affect cortisol levels. If you have too much or too little of cortisol in your body, detrimental effects to your skin can result.

According to the National Sleep Foundation in the US, here are the sleep duration recommendations:

Newborns (0-3 months)

14-17 hours of sleep/day is recommended but some newborns may also be fine with 11-13 hours of sleep per day. On the other hand, some newborns need 18-19 hours of sleep per day. The saying that no two babies are alike is true. Try not to sleep less than 11 hours or more than 19 hours per day.

Infants (4-11 months):

12-15 hours of sleep is recommended; however, some infants may thrive on 10-11 hours of sleep per day. Some infants may need up to 16-18 hours to function optimally. Try not to sleep for less 10 hours per day or more than 18 hours per day.

Toddlers (1-2 years old):

11-14 hours of sleep per day is recommended. Some toddlers may be fine on 9-10 hours of sleep whereas other toddlers are safer with 15-16 hours of sleep. It is not recommended for toddlers to have less than 9 hours of sleep or more than 16 hours of sleep per day.

Preschoolers (3-5 years old):

10-13 hours of sleep per day is recommended. It may be appropriate to allow preschoolers to sleep for 8-9 hours but other preschoolers may need up to 14 hours of sleep. It is not recommended for preschoolers to have less than 8 hours of sleep or more than 14 hours of sleep per day.

School aged children (6-13 years old):

9-11 hours of sleep per day is recommended. It may be appropriate for some school aged children to sleep for 7-8 hours per day whereas other school aged children may need up to 12 hours of sleep. It is not recommended for school aged children to have less than 7 hours of sleep or more than 12 hours of sleep per day.

Teenagers (14-17 years old):

8-10 hours of sleep per day is recommended. It may be appropriate to recommend 7 hours of sleep but it is not recommended to sleep for less than 7 hours per day. Some teenagers may need 11 hours of sleep per day but it is not recommended to sleep for more than 11 hours per day.

Young adults (18-25 years old):

7-9 hours of sleep per day is recommended. Some individuals can function optimally on 6 hours of sleep but some may need anywhere between 10-11 hours of sleep before they can function optimally. It is not recommended to get less than 6 hours of sleep per day or to get more than 11 hours of sleep per day.

Adults (26-64 years old):

7-9 hours of sleep per day is recommended. Some individuals may need only 6 hours of sleep to function optimally whereas others may need 10 hours of sleep. It is not recommended to get less than 6 hours of sleep per day or more than 10 hours of sleep per day.

Older Adults (>65 years old):

7-8 hours of sleep per day is recommended. Some individuals may need only 5-6 hours of sleep whereas others need 9 hours of sleep per day. It is not recommended to have less than 5 hours of sleep per day or more than 9 hours of sleep per day.

Do you have trouble getting good quality sleep?

Here are some tips to improve sleep quality:
1. Go to bed and waking up around the same time each and everyday helps to build your body’s internal clock.
2. Look at your alcohol consumption. Alcohol may be able to help someone sleep faster but the quality is compromised.
3. Are you sensitive to caffeine?
4. Are you having fluids too close to bed which may affect your sleep quality as you will have to get up several times a night to relieve yourself?
5. Monitor your screen time before bed as the light from the screen may affect your body’s internal clock. Your body may see the light from the screen as time to wake up and not go to bed.
6. Are you exercising regularly? Regular exercise helps with improved sleep quality.
7. Is your room dark enough and/or quiet enough?
I believe this video summarizes the benefits of good sleep quite well. Take a peek.

Food For Thought: Don’t skimp on sleep. Make sure you get enough hours of sleep per day not just for glowing health but for your overall health.
Happy Halloween!!!!

October 31, 2018

Did you know there is an association called the National Confectioners Association?

Check out their webiste: alwaysatreat.com

How happy would you be if you had a job at the National Confections Association? This organization represents all of America’s Leading Chocolate and Candy Companies.

Let’s face it. Whether we like to admit or not, we all enjoy a sweet here and there. I know of many individuals who don’t think a meal is complete until they’ve had something sweet.

Given that today is Halloween, let’s talk about how to navigate through the abundance of candy and/or treats that may enter the house. Everyone says the candy is for kids but adults benefit too. 🙂

Step 1: Devise a Plan

a) We talk about portion control all the time but when it comes to trick or treating, it is sometimes not enforced. Children love the concept of sugar, candy and treats. The more they are able to get, the happier they are. As parents, it is your role to set limits. If it means buying smaller pumpkin trick or treat pails, do it. As a role model figure, you have set the limit but still given your children the freedom to make choices (i.e. go to the different houses to get candy and treats).

b) Children often understand candy are treats. How often do you allow your children to have treats in a week? Negotiate how often the child and/or children are allowed to have candy as their treat.

What if you have no children and have lots of leftover candy which could not be handed out? What happens if your child brings back more than anticipated treats into the house? Here are some tips:

a) Would you consider freezing your treats? Going with the philosophy of “Out of sight, out of mind”, I find many clients have success with this method.

b) Put all treats on a shelf out of your sight line. Further reinforcing the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy, this method has a very good success rate as well.

Step 2: Understand what a portion of candy is

What is the suggested portion for candy?

I have had many individuals who say they eat have a square of chocolate every single day. As part of a healthy lifestyle, you can incorporate 100 calories per day from confectionery products.

Step 3: Always make sure you eat before you enjoy your treat.

Referring back to the suggested portion size for candy, it is 100 kcals per day. I don’t have an issue with individuals having a square of chocolate every day IF it meant that it was enjoyed after a well balanced snack and/or meal. It becomes an issue when individuals often reach for the treat out of boredom and/or hunger due to the lack of balanced snack or meal because that’s where 1 square of chocolate often does not cut it. It will lead to an overconsumption of sweets.

Food For Thought: Do You Find Yourself Often Craving Sweets? Think about why you are craving sweets. Is it because you are hungry and don’t have a well balanced snack on hand (you’ve left too long of a time gap in between meals)? Is it because you’re bored? Are you reaching for sweets in response to an emotion (i.e. anger or sadness)? I will write about mindful eating in a future post but individuals often demonize sweets but the truth is a healthy lifestyle can incorporate sweets. A 100 calories can be from confectionary treats per day.

If mindfulness is not a skill you have mastered yet, you could always jazz up a clementine. Grab a Sharpie and get artsy! 🙂