“Recipe of the Week: Bowl of Plenty Summer Salad

This recipe is a great healthy option for people who love potato salad but are conscious of fat and starchy carbohydrate consumption. The addition of green vegetables and herbs boost nutrients and flavor while the mayonnaise is an optional addition on the side.

Servings: 4

Ingredients for salad:

10 to 12 mini new potatoes

3 tbsp Seasoned olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

10 to 12 asparagus spears

6oz sugar snap peas

5 or 6 green onions, sliced diagonally

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

2 tsp chopped thyme (Options for herbs: lemon thyme, oregano or marjoram)

Scrub potatoes, cut in half and either steam, boil or microwave at High until tender. Streaming takes about 10 minutes, boiling 8 to 9, microwaving about 5 mins. Drain, if necessary and tip into a large bowl. Dress while still hot with 2 tbsp seasoned olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Trim asparagus and cut each spear diagonally into 2 or 3 pieces. Remove strings from sugar snap pea pods. Steam or microwave asparagus and peas separately, 2 to 3 minutes until just tender. Add to potatoes with green onions, 1 tbsp seasoned oil, red wine vinegar and thyme. Let cool to room temperature, turning the vegetables occasionally.

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories: 191, Fat: 10.6g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 41mg, Potassium: 505mg, Carbohydrates: 19.8g, Fiber: 3.4g,

Sugars: 3.6g, Protein: 3.4g.

Vitamin A: 11%, Vitamin C: 36%, Calcium: 4%, Iron:8%

Aioli Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Servings: 4

Ingredients for Aioli:

 

1/4 cup Aioli Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise (Presidents Choice)

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in small serving bowl and serve on side with salad.

Nutritional Information per serving (1 Tbsp):

Calories: 52, Calories from fat: 45, Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 165mg, Potassium: 1mg, Carbohydrates: 2.1g,

Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 1g

Vitamin C: 1%

Lisa Goddard BA, BScOT, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor, Owner

“Friday Education: 14 Women Who Were Body Positive Before It Was A Thing”

 

Happy Friday friends:)

Click here to read another great blog from mindbodygreen on 14 empowered women and positive body image. We still have a lot of work to do in this area especially with our youth but we are creating change. If this blog speaks to you please share it and let’s keep the momentum going! Remember we are what we think and that includes how we look and talk to ourselves. The biggest change we can make is to change how we think!!!

Have a good one:)

Sherry

Sherry Morton-Jibb PTS. RYT. FIS. NWS, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor Registered Yoga Teacher. She co-owns Balanced Motion Pilates and Yoga Studio in New Liskeard, ON.

“Blog of the Week: My Yoga, The Goddess Pose”

Happy Wednesday Everyone:) This weeks blog is written by a Yoga student of mine Chantal Lachapelle. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people that inspire me daily. No matter what they are committed to their practice and show up weekly to nurture & nourish mind, body & spirit. Chantal’s blog on Goddess Pose is truly inspiring, honest and will get you thinking of how deep both physically and mentally a pose can effect us! Thank you Chantal:)

Namaste, Sherry

Sherry Morton Jibb PTS. RYT. FIS. NWS, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor Registered Yoga Teacher, Owner

I’ve often skimmed through yoga magazines, looking at the various poses they demonstrate, mentally Fotoshopping myself in lieu of the beautiful model, smiling gracefully into a King of the Dancer pose.  It was, and still is, wistfulness at the umpteenth degree.   I am not the owner of a thin and bulge-less body or of enviably trendy yoga outfits.  Thankfully, time, and a regular yoga practice, has helped me appreciate that I am an Average-Jane yogi.  I show up to class, a willing student, in mismatched fitness gear,   and work my way through the poses.  It’s never easy and rarely graceful, at least on a physical level.  And yet, invariably, it brings serenity both to my mind and body.  And on some (magical) occasions, I’ll be queued into a pose that brings such energy, it floods my senses.  Such was the case with the Goddess pose.

Not long after I started my yoga practice, I was instructed into the Goddess pose for the first time.

{For the Goddess pose, begin in a wide stance, with your feet turned 45 degrees and bend the knees in the direction of your feet in a squatting position (making sure that your knees remain stacked over your ankles).  Raise your arms to shoulder height and bend 90 degrees at the elbow with your hands facing forward, fingers spread.  Tuck your tailbone slightly and draw your shoulder blades lightly.  Keep your palms and your feet soft as you engage your core and gaze forward.}

In the mere minutes we stood in Goddess, I was overwhelmed with a sense of strength.  It made me feel as though energy radiated from my core. It was overwhelming and humbling, completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful.

In a blog on the Yoga Tree website, Chrisandra Fox Walker aptly described the Goddess pose, writing:” [it] … strengthens the lower body, activates the core, releases the breath in the abdomen and helps to integrate the upper and lower energy centers of the body.   [And that] … one of the sweet benefits of Goddess Pose is in learning to balance and integrate the pairs of opposites – will and surrender, strength and softness, activity and receptivity – which can inspire growth toward wholeness in your entire being.”1

I love that description.  And I love that, even I, Average-Jane yogi that I am, can access the gift of yoga through participation alone.  No glossiness or perfection required.

Since then, I’ve been striking the Goddess pose spontaneously, whenever and wherever I can.  It still hasn’t lost its magic.

That’s my yoga.

“Recipe of the Week: Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette”

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Happy Monday Everyone!

This is one of my favorite salad dressings. I always make a double batch so I have lots. You can change up the herbs if you like, have fun with it!
Source: Julie Daniluk, R.H.N.: Meals That Heal Inflammation
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil Pressed Extra Virgin
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
2 Roasted Garlic Cloves or 1 Fresh Garlic Clove

Instructions: Blend in blender or use immersion blender. Refrigerate left overs
Nutritional Information (per 1 tablespoon): Calories: 54, Fat: 5.3g, Sodium: 0.4g, Carbs: 2.4g, Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 2.2g, Protein: 0.1g.

Sherry

Sherry Morton-Jibb PTS. RYT. FIS. NWS, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor Registered Yoga Teacher. She co-owns Balanced Motion Pilates and Yoga Studio in New Liskeard, ON.

“Vlog of the Week: Shoulder Strap Stretches”

Hi Everyone, please click here for some great stretches for the shoulder.

“Recipe of the Week: Herbed Carrot, Leek & Rice Soup”

Herbed Carrot, Leek & Rice Soup

(From: For the Love of Soup-Jeanelle Mitchell)

This is a wonderful way to use some of  the delicious veggies and herbs in your garden ( or from the Farmer’s Market).   Enjoy !

The green flecks of herbs give this partially pureed soup some colour and lots of flavor. The rice adds a thick, creamy texture without the calories.

2 tbsp safflower or olive oil

2 leeks, white and light parts chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

¾ cup short grain rice

5 medium carrots, scraped and chopped (about 3 cups)

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

3 cups water

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dried thyme

4 sage leaves, chopped, or ¼ tsp dried sage

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Garnish: low-fat sour cream or yoghurt*

Directions

– In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks, onion and celery, saute for 4 minutes. Stir in rice and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add carrots, stock, water, basil, thyme and sage, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20minutes or until the rice is tender. Partially puree soup in the saucepan using an immersion blender or transfer a portion of the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return pureed soup back to the saucepan and simmer until heated. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with sour cream or yoghurt, if desired.

Nutritional Information for Recipe:

Calories: 287, Carbohydrates; 47.6g, Protein; 5.04g, Fat 8.82g.

*Nutritional Information doesn’t include the optional garnish.

 

“Friday Education: Health Benefits from Grass-Fed Beef and Lamb”

Happy Friday everyone.

Click here for today’s link that relates to the recipe for lamb that I posted on Monday and also relates to the concept of mindful eating.  When completing my Healthy Eating /Weight Loss Coach certification recently I was quite impressed to learn of all the nutritional benefits for grass-fed meat and animal products.  Locally we have a couple of sources of grass-fed beef.  Contact me if you would like that information.

Have a great weekend 🙂

Lisa

Lisa Goddard is a Certified Pilates Instructor with special training in Pre and Post-Natal Pilates. She co-owns Balanced Motion Pilates and Yoga Studio in New Liskeard, ON

“Blog of the Week: Keeping it Pure: The Journey of Mindful Eating”

Keeping It Pure: The Journey of Mindful Eating

Mindful eating – what a concept. Definitely a first world concern, when we have such abundance and choice. Here, in most cases we’re not concerned with the concept of ‘if’ we will eat but when and what we choose to eat. In this we are blessed. But… back to that phrase “mindful eating”… what does it mean exactly?

To me, mindful eating is about making informed, ecological, behavioural and nutritious choices about the food we choose to eat. In an ideal world we could strive toward eating locally grown, organically raised food that has little or no processing in order to prepare it. That definition covers the informed, ecological and nutritious part of mindful eating. But what about behavioural choices?

This is where we make choices about where we eat, how we eat, who we eat with and when. Do we treat each meal or snack with celebration or gratitude? Do we remember to chew enough and swallow before putting more food in our mouths? Do we notice the appearance, tastes, textures, smells and colours of our food? Are we seated comfortably but with good posture for digestion? Are we giving our meal our full attention?

Practising mindful eating can be a big piece in the weight loss journey. However, in our busy world, sometimes mindful eating can be challenging. With a bit of planning (and unfortunately sometimes extra cash) we can eat ecological and nutritious food. The behavioural goal of mindful eating can require more diligence in the world of business lunch meetings, eating on the run and eating in front of computers and televisions. Personally I struggle with this goal more and more. I find the busier I get the less well I do with this one. My digestion (or lack thereof) is the single strongest pull back to the behavioural habits of mindful eating. If you also struggle with mindful eating and wish to make some changes for the better, you may enjoy clicking here for some great tips. I will try to follow these tips too (I’m also going to try the recipe J ). Let me know how you do with mindful eating… I would love to hear your stories. And if you have any tips to add, please do… I need all the help I can get with practising mindful eating while enjoying a busy life.

Lisa Goddard BA, BScOT, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor, Owner

“Monday Recipe: Lamb Kebabs Marinated with Yogurt and Mint”

Lamb can be a delicious red meat alternative to beef or pork. Although it is preferable to buy locally raised animal products, our Ontario lamb is often grain-fed for much of the year. While some Australian lamb is grass-fed, often it is grain-finished. Lamb from New Zealand is 100% grass-fed which changes the flavour and boosts the nutrition of the meat considerably. On Friday our educational link will feature grass-fed animal products and why they are being sought out as nutritional powerhouses.
Lamb Kebabs Marinated with Yogurt and Mint
Serves 2
6 oz. lean lamb loin or boneless roasting lamb
1 medium onion
(If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them for about 2 hours in water prior to barbecuing)
Marinade:
Mix together-
¼ c. low fat plain yogurt
½ tsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp honey
½ Tbsp fresh mint
1 ½ tsp olive or avocado oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cut lamb into cubes and coat with marinade. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, chop onion into skewer-sized chunks. While grill is preheating, pass onion and lamb chunks onto skewers, alternating. Grill for about 10 minutes while basting with marinade and turning occasionally. The lamb will be slightly pink inside when done. Or cook longer if you prefer lamb well done (in this case it is advisable to have marinated lamb overnight).
Serve with a green salad (4 cups dark green lettuce, 4 slices tomato, 1 cup cucumber)
Nutrition Information per recipe:
Approximate calories: 500 kcal, Carbohydrates 46.5 g, Protein 41.4 g, Fat 14.6 g
Source: TrueStar Health

Lisa

Lisa Goddard is a Certified Pilates Instructor with special training in Pre and Post-Natal Pilates. She co-owns Balanced Motion Pilates and Yoga Studio in New Liskeard, ON

“Friday Education: 8 Ways to Create a Mindful Morning Routine”

Happy Sunny Friday

Tthis weeks education is on morning routines! Remember small changes produce lasting results!

Have a great weekend.

Hey, Click here to check out this pin on Pinterest: Want to start your day off on a healthy + happy note? Create a mindful morning routine by taking time for yourself. Here are 8 of my favorite ways #selfcare #morning.

Enjoy!

Sherry

Sherry Morton-Jibb PTS. RYT. FIS. NWS, Certified Pilates Mat & Reformer Instructor Registered Yoga Teacher. She co-owns Balanced Motion Pilates and Yoga Studio in New Liskeard, ON.