Healing Cedar Wellness
  • Home
  • About us
    • Dr. Ali Famouri, ND
    • Clara Cohen, R.Ac | DTCM
    • Dylana Elliot, RMT
    • Dr. Hyegwi Koh, R.Ac | DrTCM | RM
    • Jacqueline Harrison, RMT
    • Dr. Imane Squalli, ND
    • Jenna Knight, R.Ac
    • Lisa Lawrie, RMT
    • Rachel Mole, RMT
    • Robin King, R.Ac
    • Dr. Samantha Petrin, ND
    • Sara Utecht, RMT
    • Shannon Halpin, RMT | HCW Owner
    • Zack Young, RMT
  • Services
    • Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine >
      • FAQ
    • Cosmetic Services >
      • Cosmetic Acupuncture
      • Cosmetic Procedural Servcies
      • Microneedling & Nanoneedling
    • Craniosacral Therapy
    • Infrared Sauna
    • Gua Sha & Nervous System Acupuncture
    • Massage Therapy
    • Naturopathic Medicine
    • Resources >
      • Women's Health, Fertility & Pregnancy
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition & Recipes
  • Products
  • Fees
  • New Patients
  • Contact us

Blog

3 Tips For Healthy Meal Planning (With Recipes)

2/24/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
I assume you know what a nutritious diet consist of, so I won't talk about healthy nutrition. We are all aware of what's good and what's bad for us in terms of food (at least, I hope so). All we need is to be prepared. 

Here are 3 tips to help you be prepared:

1- Meal Planning: this is the hardest one for people, but it pays off tremendously in the end. My husband and I spend our Sunday evenings cooking for the week (okay I cook, he keeps me company). We drink a glass of wine and have great conversations, our bonding time if you will. For about 2 hours, I cook our weekly meals. I make 3 to 4 different dishes (see below for ideas) and put them in containers. I hard boil eggs. I cook meat and fish which can be paired with a salad as a quick meal. We both bring our food with us to work. We eat real, nutritious food, and also save money!

2- Keep snacks handy: if you're hungry and you're away from home, the easiest thing to do is stop somewhere and grab food. Unfortunately, there aren't many healthy options around. Keep water with you at all times; have nuts or seeds handy (they make a quick, healthy and fulfilling snack, and don't need a fridge); and make your own trail mix, ensuring you keep a bag in your car or purse. 

3- Eating out: you need to be mentally prepared for this one. There are healthy choices at most restaurants and coffee places. Not perfect choices, but at least options. Order foods that are wholesome, such as grilled and sautéed meat or fish, with vegetables, and with the least amount of sauce.  No bread, no dessert, but enjoy a glass of wine if you wish. Remember, you're there to enjoy the people you're with. At the coffee shop, have a tea, coffee or any natural beverage, no food unless you brought some nuts to munch on. At the convenience store, fresh fruits and unsealed nuts or seeds are probably your only healthy options.

Coquitlam acupuncturist
Here are some healthy menu planning ideas:

Breakfast:
  • 2 Brown Rice Cakes with almond butter, 1 apple & Green tea (this one is for people who just need a light start to their day);
  • 1 Cup of cooked quinoa, with 1/4 cup of almond milk, chopped walnut, cinnamon & chia seeds (this is for people who have tendency to feel cold easily);
  • Smoothie with one avocado, an apple, 1 juice of a lemon, kale, spinach and celery with ground flax seeds (this is for people who have tendency to feel warm often);
  • 1 omelete made of 2 eggs & 2 egg whites, chopped mushrooms & grilled asparagus, sea salt and pepper & green tea (for those who like some savory food upon waking).
Lunch & dinner:
  • Thai Coconut Chili
  • Cooked quinoa with sautéed veggies (asparagus, garlic,mushroom, red & yellow peppers all chopped), add sea salt, paprika and olive oil. Option to add cooked chopped chicken or salmon
  • Grilled meat or fish, with a big salad (mixed greens, sliced tomato, sprinkle goat cheese, sunflower seeds, olive oil & lemon juice)
  • Ratatouille Gluten free lasagna
  • Salad as a meal: arugula, chickpeas, tomato, red & yellow peppers, walnuts, add chopped grilled tofu, meat or fish to it, dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and Italian seasonings).
Snack:
  • Handful of nuts or seeds with a fruit
  • 2 hard boiled eggs with cucumber slices (perfect for a warm summer day)
  • Almond butter on apple slices
  • Plain goat yogurt with berries
  • A glass of wine with a piece of dark chocolate (great evening snack)
  • Mashed yam with cinnamon & nutmeg & cashews (great for the cool winters)
  • Smoothie: parsley, beets, strawberries, and almond milk.

You've heard it before: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Once you start being prepared for most of your meals, eating healthy won't be that difficult. 
To health!

Clara Cohen
Registered Acupuncturist at Healing Cedar Wellness in Port Moody 

2 Comments

How I made my husband enjoy a healthy diet

1/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you having a tough time changing the health habits of your significant other? Almost ten years ago, I met a great guy who is now my husband. When we met, we had the love of the outdoors in common, so our dating process was filled with kayaking, hiking, mountain biking and camping in beautiful British Columbia. 

So we had the outdoors and traveling in common, which was fantastic, but when we decided to move in together, it wasn't an easy ride at first.

Because I enjoyed cooking, I was in charge of grocery shopping and meals preparation. And because he had an office job that required him to dress up, he was in charge of laundry and ironing (yes ladies: it's true, I don't do laundry!).

When we first dated, I was shocked at his fridge supplies: orange juice, milk and ketchup: that was it! He ate out every day, fast foods, hitting the Food Court at work, and a quick coffee in the morning: yikes! No fruits, no veggies! He also was allergic to dust, animal dander and every spring, had hay fever. He was covered in rashes on his legs and had one bowel movement every week (Oh my!). 

Coquitlam acupuncturist
So when we moved in, I decided to turn his health around. It was tough and I had to make small changes weekly because, let me tell you, I came across a lot of resistance.
He used to say to his friends: "There is no food in our house", while our fridge was full. Because no junk food meant no fun to him. He used to say: "What is that? Bird food? It looks funny" at every meals during the first year.

I took it slow and Each week I changed only one thing:
  1. Introduction to meatless dinners
  2. Fresh Fruits salads for snacks 
  3. Almonds and dark chocolate for hiking 
  4. Tasty salads with goat cheese, walnuts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
  5. Spaghetti squash Ratatouille Lasagna
  6. Plain yogurt with stevia and organic strawberries
  7. Broccoli with shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil 
  8. Quinoa with coconut milk, seeds, and cinnamon for breakfast
  9. Grilled fish, asparagus and mushrooms with rosemary and seas salt
  10. Sweet potatoes Gluten Free Thai Chili
  11. Summer smoothies after a sweaty tennis game

I never bought junk and made his lunches and breakfasts: he saved money (which he was very happy about) and in spite of the resistance, he ate it all, admittedly with some complaint at first, but soon realized his health was improving. I also added supplements and acupuncture to his regimen. 

Acupuncture fertility
Today, he has no allergies, his skin is rash free, and has a daily bowel movement. He probably will be embarrassed I'm mentioning his daily bathroom ritual (Dr. oz opened a whole new world to us since he talked about poop). He's never sick with the flu and hasn't miss a day of work in years. He loves healthy foods and actually will request my brown rice stir fry dishes, grilled asparagus, quinoa salads and smoothies. Of course bad habits die hard. He still likes fast foods and will enjoy it once in a while, but at least not every day and keeps telling me, he owes me his health. So it's all worth it!

When you find it difficult to keep your kids or partner on a healthy path, remember that in the long run, they will thank you and appreciate the effort you made on their behalf. Just do it slowly, incrementally and with love, the reward is so worth it.

And for the record, I brought health to my hubby but he opened up a new world to me,  and now I really enjoy reading the news and watching science fiction movies with him. In the past ten years, we have grown from each other and our relationship is stronger each year because of it. 

Here's to health, family life, and constant growth.
Clara Cohen
Port Moody & Coquitlam Acupuncturist
Healing Cedar Wellness

0 Comments

    Healing Cedar Wellness'
    Blog

    Our fantastic team of practitioners contribute to our blog articles. Together we aim to restore balance within the body, educate each patient and guide them on their journey to optimum health. Our clinic offers natural health for the entire family, from babies to older adults and everyone in between.

    Archives

    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    Categories

    All
    Acupuncture
    Allergy
    Anxiety
    Arthritis
    Chinese Herbal Medicine
    Constipation
    Counselling
    Depression
    Diet
    Endometriosis
    Fatigue
    Fertility
    Gluten Free
    Healing Cedar Wellness
    Immune System
    IVF With Acupuncture
    Lifestyle
    Massage Therapy
    Menopause
    Natural Health
    Naturopathic Medicine
    Nutrition
    Parenting
    Port Moody
    Pregnancy
    Recipe
    Stress
    Weight Loss


    Disclaimer
    Healing Cedar Wellness.com Terms And Conditions Of Use

    All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owners of this site will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owners will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.This terms and conditions is subject to change at anytime with or without notice.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About us
    • Dr. Ali Famouri, ND
    • Clara Cohen, R.Ac | DTCM
    • Dylana Elliot, RMT
    • Dr. Hyegwi Koh, R.Ac | DrTCM | RM
    • Jacqueline Harrison, RMT
    • Dr. Imane Squalli, ND
    • Jenna Knight, R.Ac
    • Lisa Lawrie, RMT
    • Rachel Mole, RMT
    • Robin King, R.Ac
    • Dr. Samantha Petrin, ND
    • Sara Utecht, RMT
    • Shannon Halpin, RMT | HCW Owner
    • Zack Young, RMT
  • Services
    • Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine >
      • FAQ
    • Cosmetic Services >
      • Cosmetic Acupuncture
      • Cosmetic Procedural Servcies
      • Microneedling & Nanoneedling
    • Craniosacral Therapy
    • Infrared Sauna
    • Gua Sha & Nervous System Acupuncture
    • Massage Therapy
    • Naturopathic Medicine
    • Resources >
      • Women's Health, Fertility & Pregnancy
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition & Recipes
  • Products
  • Fees
  • New Patients
  • Contact us