Lower risk of problems in midwife-assisted home births, study finds

Having had our two babies at home with incredible midwives, this study brings a smile to my face. Obstetrical care is a very personal choice, and I think a lot of women would consider midwifery more readily if women knew the facts!

"A large-scale study finds that Canadian women who delivered at home faced fewer difficulties, and researchers hope it may put to rest any safety concerns surrounding the practice."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/lower-risk-of-problems-in-midwife-assisted-home-births-study-finds/article1270829/

Quick meal ideas....

Since being on our Healthy-Active metabolic program, Arnel and I have discovered some secrets we'd like to share! These tips have helped us prepare quick meals on days when eating healthy and food prep is not only the last thing on our minds, but nearly impossible.

- Stocking up at Costco: ORGANIC frozen peas and ORGANIC green beans. Of course fresh is best, but on those days when meal planning is out the window, these really come in handy! We either steam them in under 5 minutes or lightly saute in coconut oil, ghee or butter. Add some seasoning, and presto...we have green in our meal! Hey, did you know that butter and coconut oil are rich sources of medium chain triglycerides, which makes them an ideal energy source for the body, they are not stored as fat!
- Stopping by Sunterra or your local Market: Shaved Roast Beef and Turkey (the real stuff of course, not the deli processed variety!) Arnel enjoys his warmed up and seasoned - it is great, and allows you to eat shaved meat in a different way (it doesn't have to be in a sandwich!), in under 10 minutes. Organic is best of course when it comes to animal protein.
- Farmers market for ORGANIC sausages- Our Market is full of vendors offering organic turkey, chicken and beef sausages. These are an alternative to hotdogs and conventional smokies which are full of nasty fillers. We especially love that these sausages are not made of poor quality meat sources and they have no nitrates or nitrites(more on this at a later blog). They are great on the BBQ, but if we are pressed for time we pop them into the toaster oven for 10 minutes, while sauteing veggies. It's a fun meal to do on the weekend!
- Chop extra onions! Onions and garlic are our absolute favorite way to flavour veggies! I always chop a lot extra, and store in the fridge for our next several meals. It saves time, and is the basis for all our sauteed veggie dishes.
- Pre Cut Yam Fries: Yams take no time to cook in the oven, most of the time is spent cutting them up into edible pieces. Everyone in our house loves yam fries, so I make a point of preparing at least 5-6 large yams at once, julienne style, so I can freeze what I don't bake. Olive oil, sea salt, rosemary and a dash of pepper are all that is required! We cook them at 400F for 15minutes or so. Delicious!


Happy eating!

Healthy Active- UPDATE!

Well...its been ten days for Arnel and I on the Healthy-Active metabolic program. It's been an incredible kick in the you-know-what. It has forced us to eat with intention because food preparation is vital to success on this program. Essentially, the program is based on 40 blood markers (6 vials of blood!). Each person has unique metabolic results, and differing foods are chosen to specifically maximize metabolism and harmonize hormones, so really the program is for anyone. Arnel, for instance, has no weight to lose, in fact he wants to gain 10 pounds, so his program is modified so that he still receives the benefits of harmonizing his insulin and cortisol, while not using any weight.

I know there are a lot of you on the program, so we've been taking pictures of our actual meals to help give you all ideas. Thank God Arnel is a culinary genius! The variety of food allowed is great, and the portions are generous.

So, how do we feel? Awesome! I have lost 6 pounds and both of us have renewed energy and vitality. It requires a lot of dedication, but worth it! It took me a full week for my system to adjust to my new metabolism, but I am already seeing and feeling the benefits. Rather than a diet, I truly feel we are establishing some wonderful dietary principles for a long time to come.

mmm...Beano!

We are so excited to report that Cafe Beano has almond milk! Beano is our absolute favorite cafe for warm beverages - the Indian Tea is my favorite, however I'm not a fan of soy or cow's milk, so the addition of almond milk to the menu is such a treat. I'm impressed that there is enough demand to warrant this addition, way to go! If you haven't been there, it's located just off of 17th Ave on 9th St SW. If you're visiting from out of town, you don't want to miss this favorite, local destination.