If you follow my journey along on Instagram @inspiredbynick, you may already know that I’ve recently finished a full year of Invisalign treatment. One year and $6000.00 cdn later, I’m answering: Is Invisalign really worth it? Right off the bat, I’ll share that yes, I think it was worth it. Was I in love with the process? No. Am I happy with the results? One thousand percent yes. I started my treatment in August of 2017. I had crowding in my bottom front teeth, and two teeth in the top row ...
Life.Inspired
Where I’ve Been + Where I’m Going | Inspired by Nick Blogging + Vlogging Future
Have you ever been in a place where you were so comfortable that you began to wonder what your next great challenge would be? Perhaps you’ve been in your role at work for some time and are looking for new opportunities. Maybe you’re become comfortable in your routine at home and you just wish you could change things up a bit. Starting a new chapter can be scary, but you know that deep down you’re ready to turn the page on where you are right now. That’s where I was at last month. I ...
Iced Maple Matcha Lattes | Easy Vegan Summer Drink Recipe
This week I was visiting family in Montreal, and if you’ve visited before, you know that Montreal summers can be scorchers! My mom had never tried matcha before, so on a day where even our eyelids were sweating from from the summer burn, I made us some iced matcha lattes to stay cool! While I’m a huuuuuge almond milk lover, Mom’s always been pretty finicky with it. The taste, the texture… something about it just never quite jived with her. So she was a little reluctant to try these iced ...
Why 7-9 Hours of Sleep Matters | The Low Down + Impact Sleep Has on Our General Health
I recently listened to a podcast that featured Dr. Matthew Walker, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, whose work I’ve been following for some time now. Dr. Walker is the Founder and Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science and the author of “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams”. When it comes to taking care of and tending to my personal health, I see four facets that play together. Sleep, obviously, is a major ...
Superfood Smoothie Stacks to Help Alkalize Your Body
Sometimes (usually on Sundays) I like to get fancy with my breakfasts. A couple layers of chia pudding, superfood smoothie, some coconut yogurt… you know, the usual. ;) My friends joke that with these layered chia cups and the endless smoothie bowls on my instagram page, that I should open a smoothie shack. I mean, I’m not saying that isn’t a possibility… in the distant future maybe, where I’m retired, growing my own coconut trees, and living in Hawaii? Not a bad idea! ...
Mushrooms, Tonics + Adaptogens | The Lowdown + Q&A with Wellness Expert Anna
The Power of Mushroom Tonics and Powders I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that foods have healing properties. Even more fascinating to me is how our ancestors, across time, culture and religion, would make various types of tonics or teas to remedy and combat disease. Isn’t it just so cool?! Forgoing taste for health benefits has never been a problem for me. I’ve eaten some pretty weird shhhh in my day, some with awful taste - all so my body could reap the health benefits + healing ...
28 Lessons Learned in Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Enlightenment
The kabbalists saw birthdays as a time for reflection -- whether or not we have fulfilled our calling. On the progress we’ve made on our pursuits of health and happiness, and our spiritual callings. Today I turn 28 years young. Twenty eight. What progress have I made in my pursuit of health and happiness? Spiritual enlightenment? Good question. How do I know if I’ve made progress on spiritual enlightenment? And to what end? Or is it really all about the journey, versus the ...
How Friendships and Building Communities Contribute to Health + Longevity
In Buddhism there’s a single term that encompasses multiple types of friendship; Kalyāṇa-mittatā. It represents the overarching concept of “spiritual friendships” within their community, whereby friendships are formed by individuals who share similar ethical values, as well as a mutual pursuit of enlightenment. I like that. The mutual pursuit of enlightenment. I like to look at friendship as the collective energy of two (or more) people. Think about the energy you give off after ...
DIY All Natural + Chemical-Free Surface Cleaner
Here’s a small note from a genuine place in my heart, to yours. For a long time, I didn’t feel healthy. I thought I needed coffee to wake me up in the mornings, a drink (or two, or three) on Fridays as a reward for getting through the week... A time where I thought chips “made with avocado oil” had to be healthier. I mean, right? Where checking my phone and answering emails were my first priority in the mornings. I felt sluggish in the afternoons, my sleep cycles were off balance, and as a ...