Daily mindfulness practice can be a powerful tool in your body’s ability to defend against illness. Ignite your own, internal healing powers with these simple, but significant, spiritual strategies. For many of us, dropping temperatures are a cue to boost our immune defenses so we’re not sidelined by every virus that makes its way around workplaces and schools. Dosing up on vitamin C and keeping oil of oregano at the ready are great for keeping sickness at bay, but they only address the physical body. An often-overlooked strategy for staying healthy is caring for our emotional and spiritual well-being. Negative, self- destructive thoughts and long periods of stress can wear down our defenses, making us very susceptible to illness. Read…

Childhood is a time of incredible growth, discovery and learning. Every new experience and everything your children touch, taste and do shapes who they are becoming. The same is true of their inner world: the trillions of bacteria that call your child’s body home are shaped by their interactions with your child— and their environment. How we choose to clean our homes, pack their lunches and take care of our kids when they are sick have an impact. Dirt, bugs and guts In our quest to eradicate germs and keep our kids safe, we may actually be doing our children’s immune systems a disservice. Letting kids play in the dirt, and avoiding anti-bacterials in favour of good old soap and…

Move over avocado toast…Mermaid toast is the newest Instagram craze. This inventive piece of toast, inspired by the Vibrant and Pure recipe, brings underwater magic to your mundane mornings. I was super inspired by the ombré blue colour of this toast, as I love all things turquoise, and wanted to recreate it the moment I saw it. Now, this isn’t by any means a breakfast I’d put on my meal-plans unless you have about 30 extra minutes to spare and want to smear around various shades of almond cream cheese. It’s also a LOT of almonds (the cream cheese is made of it) so it is a bit dense. Consider it a special treat or replacement for the spoons of almond…

With the cold months approaching we know you’ll appreciate this cozy cranberry pear bake recipe. Because who doesn’t want to nuzzle up to a delicious dessert while also supporting a healthy immune system? This warm and sweetly spiced treat is rich in antioxidants to help fight those free radicals and keep our defenses up against colds and cases of flu. Pears are plentiful this season and ‘pair’ nicely with cinnamon, walnuts, and pecans. See how we did that? Along with being rich in antioxidants, pears contain lots of fibre to help lower cholesterol and inflammation. Cranberries are packed with antioxidants too. In fact, did you know this tiny, tart berry contains one of the highest concentrations of those immune-boosting nutrients…

SERVES: 4-6 PREP TIME: 1 HOUR INGREDIENTS 1 medium kabocha squash (approx. 2-3 lbs) 1 tbsp avocado oil pinch of salt 1 tbsp ghee 1 small onion, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp yellow curry powder 1 tsp garam masala 4 cups vegetable broth 2 gala apples (or any sweet variety), peeled, cored, and rough chopped 1 can full-fat coconut milk salt and pepper to taste garnish options: fresh basil, sage, red pepper akes, toasted almonds or pine nuts METHOD Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the stem, and cut the squash into wedges. Remove seeds and stringy bits and discard. Place the wedges on a parchment paper…

SERVES: 4 AS A SIDE TIME: 30-40 MINS INGREDIENTS 2 medium size beets, shaved thin on a mandolin 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 packed cups arugula, washed and dried 1 small fennel bulb, shaved on a mandolin or thinly sliced 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds handful toasted almonds sprinkle fresh herbs (hyssop, fennel herb) - optional • 8 slices of prosciutto LEMON VINAIGRETTE 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp dijon mustard juice of 1 lemon (approx. 2 tablespoons) salt and pepper to taste METHOD Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. In a bowl, toss thinly sliced beets with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (you may need two). Bake for 15 minutes, ip,…

With the winter months comes cold and flu season. It’s important to know which foods are great to focus on and the ones to stay away from when we are trying to avoid illness and keep our immune systems strong and healthy! Choosing a variety of fresh produce, including local and seasonal food choices, is important to make sure we are getting all the different nutrients we need to keep a healthy immune system. Also, having good quality animal proteins and a variety of healthy fats, including nuts and seeds is very important! Avoiding processed food, fried food, and refined sugar may help keep the immune system from becoming suppressed. In the winter months, focus on incorporating varieties of winter…

It’s a popular belief that ‘home is where the heart is’. However, I’ll argue that they’ve left one thing out… ‘home is where the HEALTHY heart is’! Health is the foundation for a healthy family, and home, well, that’s wherever we hang our proverbial hat, isn’t it? For many, improving one’s health is easier said than done. If you were to Google getting healthy, you’d find yourself heading down a deep rabbit hole of information pertaining to getting fit. That’s because fitness is a direct extension of our health. We know that moving our body with a bit of purposeful intention that we can create a positive change in our health. This is otherwise known as ‘working out’. Now, before…