Rowena Recommends

Meditation-Do You Do This Often Enough?

October 28, 2018

Stress can have a huge impact on skin health. Stress can stem from many sources but the most common sources include: finances, personal relationships (i.e. with self and/or with others) and work. I’m the type of individual who loves to stay busy so I’m constantly doing something. I like to wear different “hats” so that I don’t ever get bored. Like many others, I often find myself having no “me time”. My most common source of stress is time related as I constantly feel there is alot on my plate and yet, there is not enough time. It is extremely challenging for me to find balance between work and life. How do I fit everything in? How do I relieve stress?

To help relieve stress, I run. It feels so good!!! I also do pilates as I prefer pilates over yoga. If I do yoga, I prefer hot yoga over regular yoga. I’ve never tried meditation but when my friend opened up her beautiful space (Hoame) in downtown Toronto, I had to check it out.

Pictured above is the light room. I participated in my first meditation class mixed with a little reiki in this space. As you lay down on your mat, you are encouraged to get cozy as a blanket is provided for each person. I completed the session with my eyes closed. The instructor, Tara, is phenomenal as she really makes the environment warm and welcoming. As the guided session starts, it’s interesting at how aware you can become of your own breathing and/or body once you let the buzzing in your head stop. The reiki master comes around to each participant and will touch you to transfer energy. The reiki master does not necessarily have to touch you as the energy can be transferred from afar. The benefits of the positive energy can be still transferred among all participants as there are vibrations of positive energy in the room. After the 30 minute session is up, I really did feel more present in my body. I also felt more relaxed.

I’ve never done a Tarot card reading or Angel Card reading but the instructor, Tara, included Angel Card reading as part of the session. We were told to think of a question we would like answered. After we had a question in mind, we went up to pick out two Angel cards. I picked out two cards and it was incredible at how accurate the descriptions were not only to my personal character but also pertinent to the question I had in mind. I picked out the Angel of Sensitivity and the Angel of Truth & Integrity. These are characteristics I strongly I identify with but when applied to the question I had in mind, these are qualities that are relevant as well.

I really can’t decide whether I like the meditation class in the dark room better or the light room better because although both are sessions hoping to achieve the same outcome, they are very different but equally amazing. In the dark room, you look up and see the stars. As the instructor, Fernanda, guided us through the session, it is incredible to feel your body let go of stress. After finishing another 30 minutes, you really do feel ready for bed as you feel very relaxed and in a good place.

Last but not least, let’s talk about the salt cave. Where else in the city can you hang out with over 6 tons of Himalayan Pink Salt? With noise cancellation headphones providing soothing music, you really can escape the city and relax in this tranquil and unique space.

The philosophy of Hoame is simple. It is a space created to hep individuals feel relaxed, restored and rejuvenated. I certainly felt relaxed, restored and rejuvenated after going through all the different rooms. I have yet to check out the private infrared sauna so I’ll be back. 🙂 You have to go and experience it for yourself to become a believer.

Food For Thought: Do you meditate regularly? Would you consider to start meditation if it a means for you to release some stress?
November is Diabetes Month

October 26, 2018

Join me for an educational 1 hour session to learn all about practical nutrition advice for your patients who are living with diabetes. This session will be beneficial even for those who do not have diabetes. Hope to see you on November 1st at 2 PM EST. Refer below for details.
It’s Chili Season

October 24, 2018
Going with the theme of comfort food, let’s continue with nourishing foods which are hearty but healthy.

To make the cooler weather more bearable, dishes like chili help get us through.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp avocado oil

2 lbs ground turkey

3 cloves garlic

2 medium onions

2 bell peppers

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 medium sweet potato or beet

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1-1.5 c water

pepper & salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Peel the beet OR sweet potato.
2. Dice beet or sweet potato into small pieces.
3. Preheat the oven @ 400oF. Bake beet or sweet potato for 40-45 minutes.
4. Heat oil in dutch oven. Sautee onions, carrots and celery.
5. Add turkey to the dutch oven. Sautee the meat until it’s browned.
6. Add the paprika, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper.
7. Add the sweet peppers to the mixture.
8. Add the diced tomatoes, water & tomato sauce. (Add less water if you like your chili to be chunkier).
9. Stir well. Bring mixture to boil. Once the mixture is boiling, bring mixture to a simmer.
10. Salt & pepper to taste.
11. Simmer for 3 hours for full flavour.
12. Once the chili is ready to serve, add the roasted sweet potato or beeet chunks on top as a garnish. You can also avocado slices, cheese or plain Greek yogurt as additional toppings as well.
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Photo by Foodie Factor on Pexels.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What makes your chili individualized? What ingredient do you put in to make it delicious?
Warm Up With a Bowl of Lentil Soup

October 21, 2018
The colder weather is definitely upon us. I don’t know about you but it definitely makes getting out of bed harder for me each and every day. I know that once I am up, it’s just like any regular day but it’s almost like the body has to go through an adjustment period before life resumes as per usual.

With that being said, I’ll be honest and say that I have not been on top of meal prepping and/or cooking at all. I’ve been relying on my usual “go to” place for healthier options (i.e. Aroma) but I’ve also fallen victim to a pizza night as I’ve been really wanting to try Conspiracy Pizza in Leaside. I’ve decided enough is enough as eating out too frequently can affect skin health because at the end of the day, prepared foods may contain higher than normal sodium and sugar levels as well as not have enough fibre.

If you want to make something easy, fast and nutritious, make a big pot of lentil soup. In every 1/2 c of lentils, there is 12 grams of protein. In every 1/2 c of red lentils, there is 4 grams of fibre whereas in every 1/2 c of green lentils, there is 9 grams of fibre. You decide which lentils you prefer to use depending on your texture preference. With this recipe, you will be sure to get lots of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate, Iron and Manganese. Let’s not forget about the protein content so you can be sure you will be full after a bowl of this yummy goodness.

As you may know, antioxidants such as Vitamin A and C are vital in maintaining good skin health. Manganese is a mineral that also can help protect cells from free radical damage. As winter is quickly approaching, it is very easy to fall into a habit of relying on comfort foods (e.g. Mac & Cheese, Pasta, etc.). These comfort foods are often primarily made up of refined carbohydrates which won’t benefit your skin. 😉 Let’s make sure we don’t fall into that habit. Let’s start of with fibre rich and antioxidant rich soup recipe:

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1.25 c red lentils

2 tsp avocado oil

1.5 c diced onions (3/4 of a large onion)

1.25 c diced carrots (~2 large carrots)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

3/4 tsp minced ginger root

1 Tbsp mild yellow curry powder

4 c (1 L) low sodium vegetable broth

2 tsp lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Throw in onions followed by carrots. Stir frequently for ~5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger and curry powder. Continue to stir frequently until spice are very fragrant and/or onions are very tender.
2. Stir in lentils. Cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Pour in vegetable broth. Add in 2 cups of additional water. Stir to mix together. Increase heat to medium-high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are very tender. Remove from heat.
** I like my soup chunky but if you do like your soup on the creamier side, you would use an immersion blender to blend the soup until your desired consistency.

Don’t Forget To add a handful of spinach on top of the soup to get your greens in. 🙂

Food For Thought: With the change in weather, do you get into a funk? What do you do to help yourself to get out of the funk?
A Man, A Can and a Plan

October 17, 2018

Word of Advice: Find a life partner who can and/or likes to cook. Having the shared responsibility of cooking relieves some stress due to time constraints during the work week. It can also be more fun when both of you are in the kitchen trying to create a delicious dish.

As we grow older, the free time we have on the weekend becomes more and more precious. Between spending time with family, running errands (e.g. grocery shopping) and tidying up the place, it leaves little time to socialize. When there are lots of social gatherings on the weekend, grocery shopping does not always occur. What happens then?

Jimmy, my husband, has been a fan of Men’s Health magazine for a long time. There is always a section called “A man, a can and a plan”. This section is dedicated to the readers who are trying to learn to cook with ingredients commonly found in the pantry.

Many of my clients think that dinner has to be very gourmet each and every night. That’s not true. The reality is we are all busy individuals who need to put something on the table in ideally 30 minutes or less.

The End Result? Pasta with Axiany Tomatoes and Sardines. Pasta doesn’t take long to cook. Once the pasta is cooked, he decided to sauté the pasta in some garlic and oil. As we had leftover Axiany tomatoes, Jimmy threw them in and sautéed the tomatoes as well.If we had leftover broccoli or rapini, we would have thrown that in as well. The final touch included opening up a can of sardines. I personally don’t like much heat in my food; therefore, I did not add some hot chilli flakes but Jimmy loves spice so he added some chili flakes for some kick.

Recently, on our way home from France, we flew through Lisbon. At the airport, we passed by this store (Comur) which sold canned fish. Normally, in North America, canned goods are usually regarded as budget food. Sardines are considered budget food as a can of sardines can go for as little as 99 cents CAD. The minimum price of a box of sardines at this store was 7 Euros. Naturally, as a Registered Dietitian, I was intrigued to find out why these sardines cost so much. The most expensive item we saw at the store was 40 Euros. It was a canned squid! Don’t worry, we stuck to the 7 Euro option. 😉

Jimmy and I both were curious what was so special about this can of sardines which cost 7 Euros. When we came back to Toronto, we went hunting for different types of sardines. We noticed that the majority of sardines are packed in soybean oil or canola oil; however, the more expensive options ($4-$6 CAD a can) would be packed in olive oil.

We did a blind taste test (Jimmy took sardines out of each package and let me taste it on a plain white plate); I was able to taste the difference between the two cans. The 7 Euro can of sardines definitely tasted and looked a lot better. 🙂 It was well worth the price. Jimmy and I both have learned now that sardines can also be considered a gourmet food.

Have you ever heard of the Comur Brand? They have a wide variety of canned fish including sea bream, seabags, white mullet, sprat, class fish, horse mackerel, calamari, smoked trouts, smoked salmon, tuna, mackerel, smoked mussels, baked codfish, smoked cod fish, sardines and octopus. Would you pay a premium to try these products?

Food For Thought: Do you like sardines? As an alternative to salmon, sardines can also be a source of omega-3 fats in addition to being a great source of calcium as you would eat the bones as well.
When in France, stop by a pharmacy to stock up on your beauty products

October 14, 2018
When in North America, the pharmacy is the last place I would think to pick up good quality skincare products as individuals often flock to a beauty store like Sephora.

Walk into any pharmacy in Paris and you’ll find plenty of good quality, high end skincare products (e.g. Sisley, Caudalie, Darphin, Filorga, etc.) at a much more reasonable price. Although the pricing is in Euros, the pricing is still much lower even after it is converted back to CAD or USD.

Many individuals predicted I would buy lots of clothing options while in Paris; however, they were wrong! 🙂 The majority of my purchases in Paris included skincare. I don’t know if you have noticed Filorga in Toronto yet but it is available at select locations. Filorga is available only at certain locations because these products are very expensive. For a day cream and a night cream, I spent over $400 CAD but in Paris, the price tag is much more reasonable. After speaking to an aesthetician in the store, she did not think this brand was appropriate for me as she did not think I needed something as “heavy duty”. I went with her recommendations including plenty of products from Darphin. Because I am a fan of Caudalie, I could not help but stock up on a few of my favourite products but now I am wondering if I should have bought some Filorga products to test it out on my own skin. Other aestheticians have told me that anyone over 25 years old is fair game to use anti-aging products.

Here’s a snapshot of what I brought back from Paris:
1. Darphin Age Defying Dermabrasion
2. Darphin Illuminating Oil Gel Cream
3. Darphin Illuminating Oil Serum
4. Darphin Hydrating Kiwi Mask
5. Caudalie Overnight Renewal Cream
If I was to buy all this in Toronto at Sephora, it would have cost me $534.50. I bought all those products for $313 CAD so it’s a saving of 40% for me. 🙂

I really enjoy using Bioderma Sensible H20. Here in Toronto, a bottle of this stuff is considered to be reasonably priced at $19.90 CAD. Did you know you could pick it the same bottle from a pharmacy in Paris for 2 euros?

Are you wondering why I bought serum? It’s not an essential product but if you want to fight signs of aging, it’s better to have this type of product in your routine. Serums are formulated with a high concentration of active ingredients. Serums are particularly easy to absorb as they are typically smaller molecules. Serums are meant to be used after cleansing but you will need to put on some moisturizer afterwards. Serums do moisturize the skin to a certain extent, especially if it contains hyaluronic acid, but the moisture level is not high enough in serums to create the barrier to lock the nutrients in the skin.

Food For Thought: When you go to Paris, make sure you stop by a local pharmacy to stock up on good quality skincare products at very reasonable prices.
Dairy Free Yogurt That Actually Tastes Good

October 10, 2018

Are you an individual who is trying to follow a dairy free diet? The reasons for individuals following a dairy free diet can be quite varied as some may be avoiding dairy to improve skin health and others are avoiding dairy due to lactose sensitivity and/or milk protein digestibility issues. Others may simply avoid dairy in his/her diet because he/she does not like the taste of dairy containing products.

Whatever the case may be, I am glad to see there is a wide array of dairy free products on the market. The issue is: how many of these products taste good? I am not an individual who follows a dairy free diet; however, given my curious taste buds and my belief that I must try all products before recommending to clients, I often finding myself bringing some dairy free options home.

Yogurt is a very popular snack option for all. For the individuals who are following a dairy free diet, despite the wide variety of choices on the market, the most common complaint I hear from individuals is that the taste is lacking and/or the taste just does not compare to dairy containing yogurt. I, too, must agree. I’ve tried brands including Yoso, Amande, So Delicious (soy and coconut yogurt) but I can’t bring myself to strongly recommend any of these options as absolutely divine and delicious.

I am happy to say I have now found an option where I am happy to support and strongly recommend as delicious and healthy. Although not widely available in Canada yet, I can always count on Summerhill Market to find the hard to find but delicious options. Say hello to Kite Hill yogurt. 🙂

I wish they would bring over the Greek styled Almond Based yogurt by Kite Hill as I have yet to find an option on the shelf where there is an equivalent plant based yogurt which offers 11 grams of protein in one serving. I had the pleasure of trying the Greek styled Almond based Yogurt while on vacation in the States recently. I emphasize “Greek styled” as authentic Greek yogurt does not quite taste like that. 😉

Food For Thought: Are you an individual who is trying to follow a dairy free diet? Have not found an option that will satisfy your taste buds? Look no further because Kite Hill truly does make some wonderful options.

Have you heard of Summerhill Market? Come to this market for some hard health- conscious options that would not be readily available in other parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

October 7, 2018
Thanksgiving weekend is the beginning of entertaining season as this part of the year is often filled with lots of excuses to eat good food in good company.

Often times, Thanksgiving is a also a time where individuals express gratitude. My question is why dedicate certain times in the year for everyone to express gratitude? The movement to express gratitude on a daily basis is gaining popularity.

I truly believe life is always better when you wake up each and every morning knowing that life is good. Lesson: Don’t ever compare yourself with anyone else but you. As long as you are being the best version of yourself, that’s all that matters.

During this weekend, I hope that everyone gets to spend time with everyone that is near and dear to his/her heart. Don’t let work or excuses get in the way of spending time with loved ones because there is nothing more important than the time spent with your cherished ones.

As I grow older each year, here is what I am grateful for:
1. The Health of My Family and I
  1. Despite living a healthy lifestyle, my mom is both a survivor of colon cancer and lung cancer so every gathering that I have with my family is extra special.
2. Quality Time With Your Loved Ones
  1. As everyone grows up, schedules become so busy. Every get together is truly special so cherish every moment. The saying is true: it’s quality over quantity.
3. For the unexpected acts of love and/or random acts of kindness I receive each and every day
Here’s a throwback to when my husband, Jimmy, and I visited the world’s most iconic symbol of love. There are no words to describe how stunning the Taj Mahal is. When gratitude is present in one’s life, he/she is often more positive and willing to give love to others. These lovely concepts of life are all interconnected. Here’s a gentle reminder to surround yourself only with love every single day.

Food For Thought: What Are You Grateful For?
Apple Picking- What To Do With a 20 Lb Bag?

October 3, 2018
Autumn is upon us. I would consider this time of year to be one of the happiest as there are many wonderful holidays to look forward where there will be lots of good opportunity to enjoy delicious food in a great company.

Although apple picking has not yet become an annual tradition for us, my husband recalls apple picking to be one of his fond memories of his childhood. Recently, we went to Applewood Farm in Stouffville for some family fun.

As expected, it was bustling with families. My absolute favourite varieties of apple include Honeycrisp and Pink Ladies. The apple has to have some serious crunch! 🙂 The varieties of apple we ended up picking included: Honeycrisp, Cortland and Red Delicious.

What Have We Done With the 20 lb bag so far?

We have definitely made apple sauce to go with pork tenderloin. How did we make the apple sauce?

I peeled Cortland apples. I diced the apple. I sautéed some shallots in a pan. I then threw the apple pieces into the pan. When the apple pieces seemed soft enough, I took the pan off the heat. I then threw the apple pieces into the Vitamix and added 1/2 c of water (I like chunky sauce), a pinch of sugar, a drop of lemon juice and a drizzle of honey. Blend together and voila! 🙂 You have apple sauce. 🙂

If you, too, are trying to figure out how to use up your apples from apple picking, you have to try this recipe out (courtesy of OHEA but I made my own modifications). These apple pie breakfast cookies are absolutely divine. I was able to make 30 cookies from one batch.

Ingredients:

2 c quick cooking rolled oats

1 c whole-wheat flour (yes- I used whole wheat flour and the cookies still turned out moist)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 c packed brown sugar

3 c finely chopped honeycrisp (Gala, Empire, McIntosh or Ambrosia would be good varieties as well) apples (yes- I leave the skin on for extra fibre)

1 c unsweetened applesauce

2 Tbsp oil of your choice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375oF. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, apples, applesauce and oil of choice.
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
4. I happen to have a cookie scoop which is 1/8 c; therefore, I used this to measure out the batter. 1/8 c= 2 Tbsp; therefore, if you don’t have a cookie scoop, mix 2 Tbsp of batter together. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes (you know your oven best so your baking time may be shorter or longer).
These cookies are just sweet enough in the sense that you can taste the natural sugar from the apples. It’s perfect. 🙂 You definitely won’t feel bad after eating one or two of these cookies.

Food For Thought: Make these cookies ahead of time; due to the texture, they can freeze well. These cookies would be amazing with a yogurt so this would be a great breakfast combination.

I am currently on the hunt for a delicious apple muffin recipe. If you have made delicious apple muffins before, I’d love to hear from you. Until next week! 🙂
What Do You Use To Wash Your Face?

September 30, 2018

Some of you may know that I recently went to Greece. Besides the stunning scenery, the amazing olive oil and the delicious wine, I brought back some sea sponges to clean my face.

Do you use a synthetic scrub for your face? Do you use a cleansing system like Clarisonic? In the past, I have used many synthetic scrubs. I have always found that after a while, I need to throw them out as they may have bacterial growth invisible to the eye. I still do use Clarisonic from time to time but after being educated about sea sponges in Greece, I believe this will be a new regular staple in my beauty routine from now on.

Upon first glance, these sea sponges don’t look like much but these sea sponges really are something special. The sponges live in the Aegean sea; they are aquatic animals and are one of the planet’s simplest organisms. They are prized for their delicate exfoliating power gentle enough for daily use. In the end, you are only left with radiant skin.

I am most impressed by the fact that the sponges are able to naturally inhibit the growth of bacteria. As the sponge is extremely resistant against tearing, one sponge can last up to 10 years of use.

As a result, I ended up picking two sponges. I brought a honeycomb sea sponge and a fine silk sea sponge. The honeycomb sea sponge is used during shower time on the body and the fine silk sea sponge is used daily on my face. 🙂 I love it. I regret not bringing more back. The store gave me their card and said they can ship anywhere in the world so I can’t wait to place my next order with them. 🙂

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Would you consider to use a sea sponge? It’s organic, durable and biodegradable. You don’t have to worry about bacterial growth! 🙂 Think of the beautiful skin you will be left with.