Float

What is Float?

On a basic level, it is the practice of entering a sensory deprivation tank filled with warm temperature controlled water with a high concentration of Epsom salts. You are able to float with ease in a space where you do not feel anything, see anything or hear anything.

Now why would you want to do this?

There is a plethora of physical and mental benefits that are listed and supported here. Some of which include, relaxation, boost to immune system, pain management, magnesium absorption, stress relief, meditation, and heightened senses.

Our experience

The first time we went to Float Toronto, it was with great enthusiasm, curiosity and a touch of skepticism.   Personally, we have found an instant improvement mentally and physically. The first time it took the majority of the time allotted to really allow ourselves to let go; to relax our muscles and release control of our bodies and minds.  Every visit since, it has become increasingly easier to enter into a meditative state.  When we can remove the clutter of our minds we can then begin to allow our body to relax, decrease muscle tension, blood pressure, stress and increase endorphin.  In an environment of increasing technology, expectations, activities, social media, and the overall hustle and bustle of the city; it feels essential to find a place to allow us to find this inner quiet space to reconnect with our self awareness.  

Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies

This recipe has been a work in progress but always a favorite! Last night we paired it with the So Delicious diary free vanilla coconut milk ice cream and drizzled it with the MaraNatha dark chocolate almond spread.  Guilt free but always remember portion size

Ingredients
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 cup flour (used whole wheat)
1 cup cooked sweet potato
1 organic egg
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 bar broken up dark chocolate (over 70% quality dark cacao chocolate)

- Preheat oven to 350
- wrap a whole sweet potato tin foil and cook in the oven (around an hour, until tender throughout)
- meanwhile in a bowl, whisk dry ingredients, adding dark chocolate at the end to coat in flour
- once sweet potato is cooked, blend to a smooth consistency and mix with egg and coconut oil
- combine dry ingredients, mix well
- use a bit of the coconut oil to coat the baking dish, put in mixture (use flat surface to even out) bake for 10-12 min
(for extra sweetness added a thin layer of organic dark chocolate almond spread (or nutella))

Tangy Grapefruit Green Smoothie!

Not only does it taste delicious, but there are many well known (and less known) benefits from pink grapefruit.

It has been known to aid in weight loss, provide you with plenty of Vitamin C, help to maintain a healthy heart, aid in digestion and MUCH MORE.

Benefits of Grapefruit

This morning's smoothie is a great way to get all the benefits along with your greens!

Grapefruit Green Smoothie
2 servings


1/2   pink grapefruit
1 handful organic fresh spinach
1/3 lemon
1 small frozen banana
1/3 cup frozen peaches
1/3 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 cups cold water

First blend the spinach and 1 cup of water. Add the juice from 1/3 lemon, frozen fruit, protein powder, and 1/2 peeled pink grapefruit.  As you blend, add the remaining cup of water until desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Baked Coconut Crusted Chicken

Looking for a chicken finger substitute? Something less greasy, with less breading and not fried. Try out this easy recipe for a crispy light chicken you can pair up with some sweet potato fries, salad or veggies.

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shredded

1 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tsp cayenne

dash of salt & pepper

1 egg white

1/4 cup olive oil

2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375 F, line baking sheet with parchment paper

In one bowl mix dry ingredients, in another whisk egg white/olive oil

Remove fat from chicken breasts, butterfly (or use mallet to create thinner pieces), cut into pieces about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3-4 inches long

Dip each tender into dry ingredients, then dip in oil/egg, then lastly back into dry ingredients - pressing the chicken into bowl.  

Place the chicken strips on baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the chicken over and bake another 10 minutes.

Turn the oven to broil, and continue baking for 3-4 minutes until chicken has evenly browned.

Acai Super Smoothie - Best One Yet!

I had to post the recipe for this morning's power packed smoothie.  This recipe made enough for 2 Enjoy!

Acai Super Smoothie

handful of spinach
pomegranate seeds
1 small spoonful of spirulina

Blend these ingredients with 1/2 cup cold water to start.  Add the following ingredients after:

1 pack unsweetened Acai
1 ripe banana
frozen blueberries (no sugar added)
frozen strawberries (no sugar added)
1 scoop vanilla whey
1 cup of cold water

Blend with the previous ingredients, add more water depending on the consistency you like.

Benefits of "Superfoods" Spirulina, Pomegranate, Acai, and Spinach.

Finding Your Path & Creating a Healthy Balance Lifestyle

For some people there is nothing better than lacing up their sneakers and hitting the pavement, for others it is the rush of heavy lifting or the rhythm found from an energetic Zumba class.. we are all built differently, we all find our joy in different places and no fitness plan or "diet" is a "one size fits all".

 

Just Move

Find the thing that you get excited to go to.  Whether it is convenient or social or your escape, find activities that make you move and schedule them into your week.  Taking care of ourselves should always be number one priority because it is impossible for us to take care of others without getting ourselves in order.  Make a commitment to creating a healthy lifestyle by enjoying the things you choose to spend your time doing. 

 

Try a boutique fitness facility or yoga studio that often offer introductory incentive rates for a month to allow you to try it out.  Find or Organize a Bootcamp (outdoors, indoors, Womens only, military, there is something for everyone).  Joining a gym nowadays doesn't mean you have to get on the hamster wheel (if you don't enjoy it) or be overwhelmed by all the crazy contraptions (if you are not comfortable with weights).  There are also many classes.  If you really want to lift weights (which I highly recommend), hire a trainer for at least a couple sessions to help you put a program together that you'll enjoy and teach you how to use things properly so you make the most of your time.  Finding a trainer that is enthusiastic about what they do and that represents and lives a healthy lifestyle is imperative.  Using proper form is necessary to prevent injury and get the results you are looking to achieve.

 

Nutrition

 

Notice I said nutrition and not "diet".  Eating should not be a reward or a punishment.  Part of why eating clean foods can seem so bland and uninteresting is the affect that chemicals in the processed foods/drinks we consume have affected our taste.  Part of it comes from the little time we spend cooking our own foods nowadays.  Just as we need to train our bodies physically we need to train our mind/body to eat for nourishment and necessity rather than just convenience.  We should watch what we consume but it is not necessarily advantageous to count every calorie as it really doesn't provide a real picture of what you are putting in your body. Start with substituting.  Instead of that Grande Latte, consider downsizing and or cutting out drinks with added sugars and milk.  Consider substituting regular milk for alternatives such as almond/coconut.  If there are labels and ingredients, you are likely looking at processed foods which cause havoc on our systems and are often depleted of any real nutrition.  Fill your fridge with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and limit the processed accompaniments.  Plan your meals, whether cooking ahead of time or simply having the ingredients necessary to prepare your own meals, cutting out eating out will have a huge affect on your waistline and wallet.  If this isn't possible, there are many options available in the city for healthy meals and snacks delivered to your door such as FitOrganix, Four925 and Fuel Nutrition. 

 

One of my favorite guides is Joyous Health, a easy read filled with amazing recipes and tips.  Do not deprive yourself but rather retrain yourself to look at eating differently. 

 

 

There is no quick fix, an hour a week out of the 168 available is not enough to counteract poor diet choices, desk jobs and overall dormant lifestyles.  Life is about creating a balance.

Passport to Prana - Travels of a Wandering Yogini

After 8 years at my current studio and the many amazing teachers I've been blessed to practice with and would credit for a big part of my life transformation, I am rolling up my mat and hitting the road with my Passport to Prana in hopes of finding a new home to begin my next journey - teaching.  I have had the privilege of receiving such amazing energy and knowledge and physical prowess from my husband/personal trainer Christian De Pinho as well as my gym buddy/personal trainer  Rachel Z along with a number of incredible yoga teachers which has encouraged me to share with others; through this blog, social media and hopefully through teaching one day. 

With that said, Let this Next Journey Begin!

As I have not yet mastered the art of self practice, I needed an interim place to practice while waiting on my passport to arrive.  Having just purchased my first gym membership in what feels like a gazillion years at Goodlife, I figured I may as well put it to good use (to make up for many wasted memberships in the past) and try out one of their Hot Yoga classes.  Now I've often heard negative issues with yoga classes in the past (flatulence, sweaty smell, general chaos) and never quite understood where it came from.... Until my first gym yoga class.  While waiting in the area outside of the hot room there was a stale stench of sweat and when the doors opened, all etiquette went out the window.  A few tips to make it more enjoyable for all levels of yoginis:

1. Arrive at least 15 min before class and get settled in so that practice isn't interrupted.

2. Consider mat placement to allow for space for everyone in class

3. Shhhhh  Once you have entered the room take the time to dial it down and clear your mind - otherwise place your mat and take conversations to the waiting area to avoid disrupting others

4. Reconsider and resist lathering in that robust cologne/perfume before class, while lovely I'm sure, it can be rather offensive in a closed humid room

For more helpful tips check out YYoga's Studio Etiquette

I will say that I did enjoy the teacher and the class was fairly fast paced and allowed for some modifications to really make it your own practice.  I would recommend taking a basic class at a smaller studio to really learn proper form and sequence as it will assist in faster paced classes.  I will be back - with my essential oils in hand!

Passports have arrived! I first went through the list of accessible studios to cleanse those which may not be suitable for us.  Sometimes sticking to the basics is best and while I am always up for trying something different, there are some classes geared to very specific groups that did not entice my sensibilities.  Every yoga class should embrace every person at any fitness level, any age, any ethnicity and I don't feel an environment that tries to be "trendy"  or segregate is the right studio for me.

To compliment our Sunday workout, my bestie and Partner in Crime Rachel and I normally try to fit in a yoga class after.   Stretching out those muscles and releasing your joints feels amazing and is very key to preventing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). 

First stop, we headed to Yoga Sanctuary - Danforth for a Vinyasa Level I/II.  Finding a class that fits your fitness level really is important to ensuring you get the most from it.  However, I do find that sometimes class descriptions are definitely left to interpretation.  While the space, teachers and fellow yogis were very warm and inviting, I am not certain that this was a level II class.  I love a studio that provides equipment to really deepen your practice and I would recommend the space for people in the area.  The hot yogini in me would recommend an extra layer of clothing to keep warm in those cooler months though.  A bonus of this location is being close to The Big Carrot - nothing like a delicious, organic, protein smoothie after class to build that muscle!

Stay tuned