Healthy Homemade Granola Bites

For book club I really wanted to make something. I also wanted to make some healthy and filling snacks that I could easily shove in my mouth while entertaining a 3 month old.

I googled granola bar recipes and came across a tasty-sounding one from Oh She Glows.

(You can find the original recipe here)

I changed it up a bit as I didn't want any nuts and didn't have any seeds. 

So here's how to make my Oh She Glows inspired granola bites

• Start by dehydrating some fruit. I used strawberries and pineapple because I had them on hand and like the way they taste dehydrated. Thinly slice your fruit and put them on parchment paper, or tinfoil, or a silicone mat and bake in your oven at the lowest setting (mine was at 170 degrees) for about hours.
• On another baking sheet, toast 2 cups rolled oats in the oven at 350 for about 10 mins.
• In a bowl, mash 3 bananas (heat them in the microwave first for about 30 seconds for easier mashing) together with 1 tsp vanilla extract. 
• Stir in the toasted oats and chopped dried fruit (plus whatever else you want to add - nuts, seeds, etc) plus 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Spoon mixture into a pan lined with parchment paper and press down to make the surface as even as possible. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 mins until firm and slightly golden along the edges. 
• Let cool for 10 mins then remove from pan. Allow bars to cool for at least another 10 mins in the freezer (or longer in the fridge) before cutting into bites or bars.

(Based on the recipe above, sans nuts and seeds, and cut into 25 bites, each bite is about 42 calories)   

The bites are tasty but if you like them a bit sweeter brush the bites with a bit of maple syrup.

The Happy List Redux: The 100 Happy Days Challenge

I didn't do a Happy List for February because I want to put a different spin on it for a little while.

For 100 days to be exact.

Inspired by friends & family on Instagram, I'm going to start the 100 Happy Days challenge.

I can guarantee that I won't be happy all day for 100 days but if this helps me find things to be happy about on those days when things don't feel like they're going my way then the challenge will have worked.

Want to join in?

Go to the 100 Happy Days website for the official instructions (it's not overly complicated, basically just don't use this challenge to make people jealous of your fabulous life).

Then upload your pictures to Instagram or twitter or Facebook using the #100happydays hashtag.

Or do what I plan to do: a weekly round-up of the things that have made me happy each day of the week. 

Fridays will be my round-up day and I'll post my happy things here.

Feel free to send me your happy things for inspiration or if you just want to share them.

100 Happy Days starts now!

Time for a Change

In the last few months or so I had become increasingly bored with my look.

I toyed with the idea of becoming a brunette, but I did that once and ended up pining for my blonde days.

Then one night at work I started eyeing some pictures of wavy bobs and I started to wonder...

It's been about 5 years since I really cut my hair.

I've gone for regular trims but today I made an appointment and took the plunge before I could talk myself out of it

More photos to come!

The Happy List: January Edition

I'm right in the middle of my week of nights (I even took an extra night shift to make my bank account happier). The weather has been so cold lately, so cold that Wednesday's -22 (before the windchill) made me say "oh thank goodness it's warmed up!"  ...so this is a week where I could use some reminding of all the things that I'm happy for.

 

My Happy List.

 

While John & Reese were away for New Years, I got to spend some quality snuggle time with Murray.

I'm happy to have this scoundrel.

 

 

With the weather having recently been indicative of an impending ice age, I'll admit that I've regretted our decision to care for an animal that doesn't do her business in a box of litter.

Putting on 8 layers and trekking outside in -40 degree temperatures was the last thing I wanted to do.

But we ran around and chased each other and chased after sticks until our toes/paws were too cold and then we went back inside to warm up.

 

With the weather improving, I'm enjoying our long park walks again.

And I'm enjoying our post adventure cuddles even more.

 

I'm happy to have Reese.

And I'm happy that the temperature is supposed to be +4 on Saturday!

 

As tired as working nights can make me, I'm happy for my job.

I'm even more happy when I stumble across hilariously appropriate comics.

I found this one on my lunch break during a shift where I was mentally preparing myself to start chest compressions on a declining patient who was (at that time) a full code (meaning CPR & the works). I was happy to laugh off a bit of the stress.

 

*For those of you unfamiliar with CPR please (please) know that this is a joke and not actually what happens when you perform CPR. Just a (hopefully unnecessary) disclaimer.

 

I'm happy that I've started work on my Hopes & Dreams for 2014.

I registered myself in a French class!

Three hours once a week til mid April I believe.

Here's hoping I didn't get a bit too big for my britches enrolling in the intermediate class instead of the beginner class.

 

I'm happy that I found a new TV show to binge watch - Scandal.

It's good.

I'm also happy that The Mindy Project is back because I love me some Mindy Kaling and I loooove Chris Messina (have you seen his Aaliyah dance? Youtube it. You won't be disappointed).

 

I'm happy that when I go home in the morning I'm going to jump into my warm bed and fall asleep for a few hours.

 

I'm happy that when this week of night shifts is done, Monday night I'm going to fall asleep curled up beside my husband.

And sleep for probably 13 hours.

 

Another Month, Another Fitness Goal

As seems to be the trend at the beginning of each month, I have once again resolved to live a bit healthier.

This means being more active on a regular basis and eating more home cooked meals instead of opting for the easy but costly (and terrible for you) drive-thru purchases.

 

I have challenged myself to run 75 km this month.

I have signed up for bootcamp classes.

I want to see if I can do yoga once a week.

And I got this great app that walks you through a bunch of exercises as well as short workouts.

It's called My Fitness Buddy and it might be my new favourite.

 

 

 

I did one of the glute workouts, an 11 minute series of exercises doing 20 reps of each with 15 second rests.

You can choose to use your body weight or to add weights.

There are a pretty decent number of workout routines to choose from that I don't think I'll get sick of it for a long time.

It doesn't give you any cardio though so you have to incorporate your own.

 

 

As I mentioned before, it walks you through each exercise which is perfect for people like me who know all of 5 exercises to do in the gym.

 

I'm hoping in the next 2 months to put on some muscle and to get in the habit of incorporating strength training into my routine.

 

I'm very excited to try this bootcamp out today.

I anticipate being very sore tomorrow.

And maybe crying a little bit.

 

I don't do well with being yelled at.

 

 

The Happy List: 09/07/13

 

On Sunday I went for a run - the first I've gone for in too long - and I was in such a good mood afterward. I was out in the hot, humid sunshine and came back absolutely drenched in sweat. There is nothing sweeter than hoping into a cool shower after a run like that.

 

I went to the gym yesterday for a run on the treadmill and it put me in a great mood - especially since I was coming off a night shift and getting ready for an evening shift. I had given myself a pass to sleep literally until the moment I had to leave for work but I was up earlier than expected and made my way down to the gym.

 

Add in listening to the steady pounding of the rain last night from the comfort of the quiet nursing station.

 

I got lucky and avoided all of the horrible road closures, TTC delays, and flooding that literally swamped the city last night.

 

But all of these things made me want to keep track of the things that make me happy each day.

I'm generally a positive person but not always when it comes to myself.

So rather than getting bogged down with the negatives I'm working on concentrating on all of the things that make me feel good.

 

Today:

• Laying in bed for hours after I wake up, watching The Killing
• Yogurt & Berries and giant mugs of coffee
• Good music to accompany a good run
• Snuggles with my cat
• Pickle in a pouch
• Dinner and drinks with friends - one who's back from San Francisco for a few days!
   

 

 

Detoxing Home & Body

In my bid to redo our bedroom I finally got around to putting some pictures on the wall above our bed.

I went to Ikea and - after trying to make a budget version myself - caved and bought the framed Picasso sketches that I love so much.

I then went on a bit of a Picasso binge.

 

 

The quality of my pictures isn't so good because of the glare from the window but this is what the Ikea picture looks like:

 

 

In other news, I've been having some stomach issues off and on for awhile. I can't pinpoint what exactly it could be that makes me so bloated and uncomfortable.

It happened again today seemingly out of the blue.

I get bloated to the point where I convince myself I've been pregnant for 3 months and am just starting to show.

It's bad.

And it's uncomfortable. When the bloating hits I have to lie on my stomach or with a pillow pressed up against my midsection just for some relief.

 

So I decided that I would try something my best friend tried a few times before she conclusively knew she was gluten intollerant:

 

The Brown Rice Cleanse.

 

I don't think I'm gluten intollerant. I eat a lot of bread. And generally there are no ill side effects. I don't think I'm lactose intollerant either cause I eat a fair bit of cheese, again, with generally no ill side effects.

But I feel like dairy might be the culprit...

 

Anyway, the cleanse works like this:

for one week (7 long days) you eat only foods that are gentle on your digestive tract which gives your body a chance to heal any damage done by foods that don't agree with you.

Sounds like a fantastic plan.

But basically you have to eat the most boring diet - brown rice, vegetables (but no corn or mushrooms and I also saw one incredibly restrictive diet plan that said to cut out tomatoes too but I'm going with the less harsh plan because if I followed the serious one I'd either die or John would find me hiding under the bed eating a 20 lb wheel of brie and then what good is the cleanse?), fruits (no bananas, no citrus other than lemons and limes)...

...you know what?

Computers have the copy and paste function for a reason

 

(From corehealthmuskoka.com)

 

"What’s allowed on the diet?

1)Brown rice, preferable organic

2)Fresh vegetables, any kind you like, lightly steamed. Onions are especially good for cleansing and are very sweet and tasty when steamed. Try a plate full with some fresh garlic.

3)Fresh fruits, any kind, except oranges and orange juice. With fruits and vegetables, it is best to consume only organic produce whenever possible. However, as this is not always possible, buy in season and locally grown fruits and vegetables, and wash them thoroughly befreo eating. When buying dred fruit, purchase only unsulphured dried fruit.

4)Fresh garlic and ginger

5)Cayenne pepper and/or non-salt herbal seasoning (e.g. "Vegit")

6)Vegetable and fruit juice – the best is fresh pressed from a juicer, otherwise juices with no additives, sugar, chemicals, and little or no salt (can be found in health food stores)

7) Other foods allowed are lentils, rice cakes, sesame seeds, ocean-going fish, free-range chicken, humus, tofu, and tempeh

8)Absolutely no shellfish (i.e. shrimp, oysters, scallops, clams, lobster, etc.) or catfish "

 

 

In a nutshell, I'm pretty sure the first few days, if not the entire week, are going to be miserable.

But I want to fix this bloating and find out what's wreaking havoc on my digestive system.

 

Here's hoping by the time next Saturday rolls around I look & feel like this:

 

Even though I can guarantee with almost 100% certainty I will look and feel more like this:

 

Mainly because caffeinated beverages are a big no-no and coffee is my life force.

 

Also the girls at Sugar Mountain are going to wonder what happened to me.

I'm almost a regular there.

 

Wish me luck.

I'm pre-writing a lot of this week's posts because otherwise I think if they're written in the moment they'll be very angry.

If you follow me on twitter get ready - I anticipate running the gamut on emotions this week.

 Desperate, bored, rejuvenated, clean, bargaining.

But probably a big dose of hangry.

 

Feel Good Friday: Dates on the Fly

Sorry I'm technically a day late. I guess the last feel good Friday was also posted on a Thursday so...clearly I don't adhere to strict deadlines.

 

Last weekend was probably the most fun I've had in a long time.

On Friday night I got together with some friends from middle school for drinks.

We had a reunion a month or so ago and since then have managed to stay in touch with has been really nice.

 

Our original plan involved a patio but my goodness it was cold.

We braved a patio for a bit, huddled close to the heating lamps, and then moved locations to another bar, also on a patio, but at least with a roof.

 

 

On Saturday morning I got a text from my good friend and talented soap-maker/cake-decorator/smartest-person-I-know asking if I had any plans.

I didn't so we came up with an impromptu date to walk around the Chinatown/Kensington area of Toronto and grab lunch somewhere.

After a nice lunch at Springrolls we enjoyed the sun and shops in the area.

This involved trying on a fancy dress of kitten fabric, trying on numerous tiny hats, and sampling a buying donuts, cheese, and pretzel bread.

 

 

 

After taking some pictures with a $90 slab of cheese, sampling some rather expensive kinds, and buying a slab of gouda to split, we found some greenspace and sat on the swings in the park.

 

It was one of those days where we had no real plans but everything lined up perfectly.

We have plans to go back and do it again - there are too many Mexican restaurants there that need to be given a fair shot.

 

Thanks again for such a wonderful day Danie!

Feel Good Friday: a confession I've wanted to get off of my chest for awhile

 

If you love alliteration as much as I do then you might appreciate this new series I want to start.

Feel Good Fridays.

Dedicated to health & wellness, beauty inside and out.

 

I thought for the first ever Feel Good post that I would share something with you that I've wanted to talk about for a long time.

I've written posts before but they always ended up saved in my drafts, too terrifying to publish publicly.

It's strange and honestly very frightening to lay it all out on the table but sometimes it's the best way to really heal.

Plus this is like my diary so if you're not in for a heavier post then turn back now.

 

 

For the past (almost) 10 years I've dealt with an eating disorder.

Webster's Dictionary defines it as:
"any of several psychological disorders (as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior"

That was my attempt at lightening the mood. We are all aware that every good speech starts with a dictionary definition.
I won't go into detail but I can assure you that pretty much any mental image you're conjuring in your head right now I've likely experienced.

This may (or may not) come as a shock to some people, but my close friends and family are well aware that I've had this problem for a long time.
It ebbs and flows - both my weight and my state of mine - but I've found that the times that it gets out of control are when I'm under a lot of stress.

It started the summer between the end of high school and the beginning of University.
I can't pinpoint when it stopped being a healthy lifestyle and moved into more dangerous territory but I can remember going for a long run one day because I felt guilty about eating several cookies.

Then I had a hard time adjusting to being at a new school where I didn't know anyone and most of my friends had gone away for University so I was suddenly alone in my own city too.

In between classes I started going to the gym because it meant I didn't have to sit alone in the cafeteria. I had been eating healthier during that summer and then I was cutting out high calorie foods and then I was trying not to eat more than I had burned off that day.
It became a fixation and it took my mind off of missing my friends and the challenges of university.

I won't post my weights but by Christmas I had dropped somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds and on a 5'3 body that is a lot.
I can remember my mom rubbing my back one day then confessing how worried she was because my spine was so prominent.
(To be fair even when I'm rocking some extra weight my spine still sticks out. I lovingly refer to it as my stego-spine because it might as well be stegosaurus plates).
She also made me get on a scale in front of her to prove I weighed what I said I did.

But then I started to make friends and my friends came home and I was going out more and eating again.
And I gained all of the weight back that I had lost, as well as an additional 10-15 lbs.
My metabolism had essentially shut down, convinced it needed to save every calorie I put into my body. Which only meant that I felt very uncomfortable in my new body and which led to other complications.

Things sort of stayed stagnant, I'd have good days and bad days, until eventually, about a year later, I was back down to my regular weight.

I started going to a support group a few years later when I confessed everything to John.
He was so supportive. He listened, never once judged me, and started researching it and keeping notebook. He looked up every way to support me and it's something I've never forgotten.
I went to a once weekly group at Sheena's Place for a few months but eventually stopped going. I found a lot of the stories to be inspirational but many also made me feel only like I was a failed anorexic.
So to stop myself from falling back down that rabbit hole I decided to focus on myself and try just leading a normal life.

And it worked!

Until my final year of university.
That summer (our first anniversary) John woked on a dig in Jordan (the middle east, not Jordan Ontario) and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. At one point I went 4 days without eating.
I dropped a bit of weight but not nearly as much as the first time and I was able to gain what I had lost back thanks to a romantic reunion and an insane amount of delicious food in Europe.

I went a full year without harming my body but old habits have a tendency to die hard. Things didn't change and, again, I'd have good days and bad days.

I'd have days where I felt good and days where I hated what I saw in the mirror.

I'd have days when I laughed and days when I cried.

Days when I enjoyed myself and days when I cringed thinking about how much I had eaten.

 

But even though I wasn't healthy, I believed I had things under control.

 

Until the latest relapse last summer.

Again, more stressors. Graduation. Trying to find a job. Planning a wedding.

I started my training for the sporting life 10 k earlier than usual and kept it up.

That turned into almost daily runs, none shorter than 45 minutes.

 

I was going for 10 mile runs and eating almost exclusively vegetables.

By July I had dropped to the weight I had been at my worst. And then I lost a few more pounds.

 

My best friend invited me to grab a coffee then tearfully confessed how worried she was about me.

My mom continually asked was I okay? Was I eating? Had I fallen into my old habits? Even my dad asked and he notoriously avoids those kinds of situations.

Another friend who I had confessed to years ago called to offer support because he had seen pictures from my bachelorette and was worried.

John begged me not to lose any more weight.

Even my boss at the time told me I was not allowed to lose any more.

 

The sad truth is that while the scale confirmed I was in fact losing weight, I didn't see it in the mirror.

Looking back now I see it.

 



 

Once I realized how concerned everyone was, I started cutting back on my running and started eating more. And I gained the weight back, to the point where I no longer fit into my bridesmaid dress for my best friend's wedding! I had to have it let out in the hips and even then it was still tight but I was too embarassed to ask for them to let it out more.

 

I could tell you that right now I'm not starving myself and that I'm perfectly healthy and cured but that wouldn't be true.

The nasty thoughts and sick mentality aren't something you can just turn off, especially when they've been a part of your life for a decade.

 

I know I have a tendency to overdo physical activity. 'Anorexia athletica' I've seen it refered to. Add it to the other titles I identify with.

I still binge eat sometimes and sometimes eat only tomatoes.

I have good days and bad days and I suspect I always will but I've said it many times before - I'm sick of being unhappy when I look at myself.

Why? Our value is not determined by a pant size or a number on a scale.

I don't want to deal with stress anymore by counting calories instead.

 

So here is my promise to myself.

 

I will be happy with who I am because I have people who love me, really love me, and it doesn't seem right that they have no problem loving me regardless of my weight when I don't.

 

Today 'I'm going to eat better' stops being code for 'I'm going to severely cut calories'.

Today 'I need to go to the gym more' stops meaning 'I need to burn at least 500 calories every trip'.

Today 'I'm fine' stops meaning 'I'm struggling'.

 

So often I want to jump on the "eating disorders are just people being selfish and self-absorbed and wanting attention" train because I know so many people suffering from illnesses that they don't inflict upon themselves. And let's be serious here, I feel stupid admitting that I struggle with something that I do essentially inflict upon myself.

 

But mental health issues are like that image of an iceburg that I hate.

So much of it is below the surface.

I wish I could shut off the voice that screams in my head when I overindulge and I wish my heart didn't sink when the scale says something higher than what I wanted to see.

I wish I didn't automatically turn to dieting and over exercising when I get stressed.

 

It's my coping mechanism and even though I'm well aware that it's a bad strategy, it's strangely comforting at times.

Which is sick, I know.

 

All I ask is that you don't judge me, and just read this as a long overdue confession that I needed to make in order to start healing my mind and my body.

 

I know I'll never look like this (Chicken Tuna, my instagram creep crush) :

 

mainly because as much as I may over do it, I'm wayyyyy too lazy to commit to the kind of gym time and diet that this body requires.

 

But I do want to get strong instead of skinny.

 

I want to be healthy - body, mind, and spirit.

 

And honestly I think that's the first step in this new, right direction.