Balanced Living

Back to School Snacking

Posted by Arja on August 16 in Nutrition

We’re just a week or so away from back to school here in Ontario, and that means that families are kicking into plan and prep mode.  Before you get lost in a sea of new backpacks, lunchboxes, and pencil cases, have you put much thought into back to school snacks?  Lunches are important, but snacks, those mini meals that sustain us from one meal to the next, are often an afterthought.

Meatless Meals – How to be a Healthy Vegetarian

Posted by Arja on August 9 in Nutrition

Yes, you read that correctly.  “A healthy vegetarian”, implying that not all vegetarians are healthy.  There’s a lot of information out there about the health benefits of eating more plants and less animal products.  For the record, I agree wholeheartedly, and while my family and I are not vegans 100% of the time, we do eat a number of plant-based meals and have dramatically reduced our dependence on animal products.  What I’m seeing, however, is a growing trend of people incorporating more vegetarian and vegan meals into their diets who are on their way to becoming unhealthy vegetarians.

Trying New Things – Adventures in Sprouting!

Posted by Arja on August 2 in Nutrition

I love to experiment in the kitchen, especially if it means discovering a homemade or DIY version of a food my family and I enjoy eating!  There’s something very satisfying about eliminating one more thing that I need to purchase at the store, and it usually means that I also get more control over the finished product and what goes into it.  Home grown sprouts have been no exception, requiring minimal (and basic) equipment, and little effort.  The bonus is that the gardener in me also gets the satisfaction of growing something in my kitchen!

The Business of Fat Loss - Why You Don’t Need a Packaged Food Program to Get Healthy!

Posted by Arja on July 24 in Holistic Health

The business of fat loss is a tricky one.  Everywhere you look there is yet another product promising to help you shed unwanted pounds.  Even cosmetics companies are jumping on board, adding shakes, snacks, and energy boosters to their product line-up.  For someone looking to shed unwanted pounds, navigating your way through all the products and trying to decide what will work best for you can be daunting, to say the least.  Well, let me make it easy for you.  Don’t buy into the hype.  The best way to lose fat and get healthy in the long run is to find a way of eating and living that makes you feel good, and that works for your body.

Cool Eats for Hot Days – Grilled Salmon with Asian Zucchini Slaw

Posted by Arja on July 17 in Fish, Salads

Well, it’s official.  Toronto is in the middle of a scorching heat wave, and if it’s as hot (or hotter!) wherever you are, than I imagine you’re in search of ways to eat meals that require very little actual cooking!  There are an infinite number of ways to eat a salad – with or without meat or fish, with nuts and seeds, ass boiled eggs, sheep or goat cheese – but at the end of the day it can still get boring to eat some mixture of leafy greens and veg, no matter what it’s topped with.