Let me start this off by saying, I’ve been trying to write this post for months now. Every time I’d sit down to try and gather my thoughts, I’d pick up literally anything around me to distract myself. My phone, a snack, my notepad… literally anything. I would realize that I had laundry to do, or dishes to clean... And before I knew it, the time I’d set aside to write this post was up, and I was on to the next thing. In hindsight, it’s clear to me that I was avoiding writing it because I ...
The Realizations We All Need to Come To | Personal Journey
This morning I felt like I wanted to get all of the thoughts that have been buzzing around in my head, down on paper. I needed a cathartic brain-dump experience. So here we are. And I couldn’t think of a better place than my blog to start. It is a personal blog after all, and an outlet for which I’m grateful has documented many of my life experiences over the years. In putting pen to paper (or finger to keys, in this case), I started realizing that I’ve been in transition these last ...
Eggplant Bolognese | The First Mess Cookbook Recipe [Vegan]
Last week my heartmate and I had a moment where we really (really) started to feel the brutal cold of the winter months. The temperatures had dropped below -20, the snow in our backyard was piling high, and our pup's desire to run out and chase the squirrels away in the mornings had run dry. Poor thing shivers even on the mildest of days. Despite the rain and slush that occurs this time of year, I love winter. Mostly because of comforting hearty recipes! ...
The Value of Having In-Home Medical Services
Last month I booked an appointment for a certified yoga instructor to come to my home and guide me through a new method of yoga. If you follow my journey over on Instagram @inspiredbynick, then you may already know that the yoga studio I’ve subscribed to here in Toronto follows the Bikram method. It’s not my preferred approach to yoga if I’m being perfectly honest, but it is effective. It provides the challenging workout I’m looking for, while also leaving me feeling more enlightened, more ...
Why There’s No Such Thing as a Healthy Tan
A few years ago, I was traveling across Portugal with a close friend. We went, we saw, we conquered. Being on vacation, beach bum status was in full swing, and our tanning competition was on like donkey kong. Whoever could come back from the trip looking dark AF would win. (Raise your hand if you're guilty). Every morning we would scout for the perfect spot: maximum sun exposure + proximity to water. On the flight home we compared shades of brown and olive skin tones, and even asked the flight ...
Achieving Mental Clarity + Putting Mindfulness into Practice
In the past I shared a post about a time in my life where I didn’t feel healthy. I was primarily referring to my physical health, my diet, and my general daily routines. In the post I talked about cleansing my life of toxins and negative energy from relationships that left me feeling drained. Today though, I realize how little attention I was paying to my mental health, being present, and finding calm in a storm of constant adrenal stimulation. It was so easy, almost autonomous, for me to fall ...
Avocados from Mexico & the True Benefits of Plant-Based Fats
There are a number of people I know who equate the colder months of the year to "bulking season”. Whether or not the connection between the two is made intentionally, it is in fact, fact! I’ve read studies from Cornell and the Daily Mail UK that show men and women in North America and the UK tend to gain anywhere between 1.3 - 4.5 lbs during the winter season. Is it genetics? Or maybe our subconscious telling us to put on more weight to store for the winter? I can’t tell you that, but I do ...
10-Minute Chickpea Chilli Sin Carne Recipe (V, GF)
From previous blog posts and YouTube videos I’ve shared, I think it comes as no surprise to anyone that I. Love. Comfort food! And chilli is no exception! A traditional chilli uses ingredients like ground beef, kidney beans, beef broth, etc. But a key ingredient to any chilli recipe is good quality, finely chopped tomatoes. Recently Mutti Canada approached me to create a unique recipe featuring their Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes (Polpa). The catch, however, was to use five ingredients or ...
Are the Classes at Equinox Really Worth It? | *Honest Review*
For those of you who’ve been following my fitness journey closely from losing 100+ lbs, to running the Scotiabank Toronto full marathon, you’ll know that my health and fitness are my priorities numero uno. But after months of doing the same types of exercises at home, I decided my workout routine needed some spice. As you may know, earlier this year when my heartmate and I left our condo and moved into our home in Toronto, we lost the building amenities such as our gym, steam room, yoga ...