Month: January 2017

Healthy Hot Chocolate

Here’s a great little recipe compliments of Belle Nutritionist Laura De Sanctis! 
Cold weather in Toronto got you craving hot chocolate?  When the weather gets cold and it’s a snow storm outside (think #snowTO), nothing feels better than curling up with some hot “healthy” cocoa, staying inside and watching Netflix.
Instead of having a conventional hot chocolate made with cow’s milk, here’s a healthy alternative that won’t make you feel guilty, bloated or gassy, especially for the lactose intolerant people. I promise!

Ingredients

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp of maca powder
1/2 tsp of ground chia seeds (optional)
2 tbsp of cacao powder
1-2 tsp of coconut sugar

Directions

Heat up almond milk and bring to a boil.
Pour almond milk in a cup, stir in maca powder, cacao powder and coconut sugar.
Enjoy!
Nutritional tip – Maca powder is a healthy root grown in Peru.  It helps boost energy and balances hormones. Also, try making your own almond milk, free of nasty additives like carrageenan. It’s easier and cheaper than you think. Here’s a homemade all natural almond milk recipe to try! 
*I’ve also swapped out conventional white sugar (simple sugar) for coconut sugar, which is low on the glycemic index – meaning it won’t create such a high spike in blood sugar. This keeps insulin levels stable, which is key for a healthy metabolism and weight.
Stay warm out there! For more info on Belle Nutrition programs, click here! 

The Only New Year’s Resolution You Need to Keep

‘Tis the season of starting fresh, seeking motivation and getting pumped up by phrases like “New Year, New You!” The majority of us have New Year’s resolutions for 2017 – whether or not we actually write them down or say them out loud.

I’m a big fan of goal setting, and do honestly believe in the power of writing down your intentions for the year ahead. That said, the past year taught me that even the most organized of plans can go awry.  Some things are truly beyond our control. We cannot control all our circumstances, but we can decide how we react.  Instead of looking back at 2016 feeling defeated or doubting in our ability – remember this: embrace resistance.

That’s it. The only New Year’s resolution you need to keep is a promise to yourself that you will embrace resistance, you will keep moving, you will start on your journey and continue to push through those difficult moments when you’d probably prefer to throw up your hands and crawl back into bed.

Because resistance is normal. It does not mean you have failed, or are destined to fail. Because the hardest part of any new project is getting started. The energy is takes to set a big boulder in motion is massive. Once that boulder picks up speed and starts rolling along – life gets much lighter. So remember, when you’re pushing hard against something that feels like it won’t budge – embrace resistance. It won’t always be as difficult as it is in the beginning. You’re making progress, even if you can’t see it right away.

girl power...it was rolling down the hill, she stopped it, I grabbed the camera, what can I say?

There is no perfect set of circumstances waiting for you.  There is no perfect time. You already have everything you need to start. The pursuit of perfection is a big fat lie we tell ourselves when we are afraid to take a risk.

The process of growth, it seems, is the process of falling down. Growth is measured by the gentleness and awareness with which we pick ourselves back up, the lightness with which we dust ourselves off and the openness with which continue to take the next unknown step, beyond our edge.

Wishing you a 2017 filled with health, light, love, and truly powerful growth.  We are in this together!

New Year