Harmony House Wellness
227 Eagle Street, Suite 202 L3Y 1J8 Newmarket, ON, Canada

2021 is going to be a BIG YEAR. This post is pretty personal I’m putting myself on notice and making it Facebook official here are some of my personal goals for the year... 2020 was a year of transformation. There have been many changes happening behind the scenes (some intentional, some not so much). 2021 is going to be about putting it all together! ... Today is significant for 2 reasons: 1) it marks the beginning of my last year in my 40's 2) it was 2 years ago (yesterday) that I opened Harmony House Wellness in our new location! Our team at Harmony House Wellness has come together beautifully, I am very grateful and blessed to work with such amazing practitioners! Over the past 2 years, I have been so focused on nurturing my business, that I lost some focus on myself. My goal this year is to flip the switch and practice what I preach! I, of all, people fully understand what it is like to balance family, business, and health....all while battling hot flashes and emotional eating (give me a like if you can relate). But, I also know that it can be done. My goal is to put myself out there and lead by example. I will present myself, the good and the bad, throughout my journey of getting back on track, dropping pounds, addressing emotional binge eating, and entering my 50's feeling absolutely amazing! When you share your goals publicly, it makes them more REAL and it gives them even more power. What is one of YOUR goals for 2021? Be brave and share them with me below! Let’s make this happen! #metime #backontrack #emotionaleating #newmarketnutritionist #harmonyhousewellness #newmarketontario #yorkregion Photo credit: Ximena Vasquez

DIET SODA ALERT!!! If you drink diet soda because you think it’s better for your heart than regular soda, a SURPRISING new study found out some pretty interesting info... What matters: your overall lifestyle choices.... Researchers in France found that people who regularly drink beverages with artificial sweeteners had a bigger risk of heart disease and stroke than people who avoided diet beverages altogether. In fact, their risk was about the same as people who drank the regular sugar-packed version of the beverage! Researchers said this doesn’t mean diet soda causes cardiovascular disease. They said it might be linked to other lifestyle choices made by the people who regularly choose diet drinks. For example: drinking a diet soda, and then eating chips or a sugary dessert. This finding came from a study following the health and nutrition habits of 100,000 people in France. REFERENCE: www.webmd.com//2/diet-drinks-dont-do-your-heart-any-favors #dietsoda #metime #harmonyhousewellness #newmarketnutritionist #newmarketontario #yorkregion #healthyeating

We at Harmony House Wellness want to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday. This year many of us have developed an even deeper appreciation of what it means to be able to hold our loved ones close. I know I do. One of my favourite traditions this time of year is walking around the neighbourhood and looking at the holiday lights and staying home with my family with no schedule. We do crafts, watch movies, and the children have a tree to decorate any... way they want. But this year we are doing some things differently. This year we will be seeing all of our family. Sounds defiantbut it’s not. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we are getting together online with various family members while we open gifts. Members that we would not have seen otherwise. The big takeaway has been that just because things are DIFFERENT, it doesn’t mean they are worse or somehow less special. There’s more to the holidays than our rituals! It’s about enjoying and sharing the magic of the season. Is there anything different that YOU are doing this year? Let me know below! Happy Holidays! #holidayfun #metime #harmonyhousewellness #newmarketontario #yorkregion

Join acupuncturist Marisa Schembri live on Sunday December 13 @ 10 am as she talks about her health journey that led her to acupuncture Integrated Pathways to Healing

You HAVE to pick one of these holiday season foods. Which do you pick!? #metime #holidayfun #newmarketnutritionist #newmarketontario #yorkregion

MINDSET MATTERS! It’s the season for gratitude! It’s pretty easy to be thankful for the upbeat things that make us feel secure, happy, and healthy. I’m talking about your home, your family, your car, holidays, kittens, pumpkin pie, etc. I am very grateful for so many things this year!... But this season I’m challenging myself to be thankful for some more unconventional things that weren’t always so upbeat. Like social isolation this year, homeschooling, and GROWING Harmony House Wellness with the most amazing team! Do I wish some things could have been avoided? Heck yes. But thinking about what if’s doesn’t change the fact that it DID happen. Personally, I’ve realized even more deeply how fortunate I am to live and work in York Region. Most of all, how much I appreciate my team, our clients and this most amazing community. For all of your support...I thank you It’s not so much about learning lessons it’s more about resetting priorities, appreciating people, valuing time, being present, and standing up for what you believe in. What unconventional things do YOU feel gratitude about this year? Let me know below

Q: Every afternoon I get tired and hungry! What should I do? A: There are a couple things to try! First, make sure you’re eating enough for breakfast and lunch, and include some protein-rich foods. Protein can help keep you feeling full and satisfied and is less apt to contribute to that midday lull feeling.... Second, drink some water or herbal tea. Thirst is very often felt as hunger. If you are still absolutely famished, there is nothing wrong eating a between-meal snack! Make it a healthy choice that can tide you over until dinner. Planning ahead so you have something on-hand is key here! Think about items like fruit, nuts, or Greek yogurt. REFERENCE: https://today.duke.edu/2012/04/takefivecravings

MYTH OR FACT Writing your goals down is an important part of the goal-setting setting process. . ... . . FACT ! It’s tempting to believe that simply thinking about your goal (keeping it in mind) is effective. And while it’s definitely helpful to THINK about your goal, actually writing it down takes it to the next level. According to self-development expert and author Brian Tracy, most of us have about 1,500 thoughts a minute (!!!!). Most of those thoughts overlap, plus they are jumbled, vague, and unfocused. Writing your goals helps give you clarity and motivation to see them through. Rereading and clarifying your goals over time also gives them more power! Takeaway: It’s worth spending a few minutes thinking about and then writing down! your goals! And if you want to boost the power, REREAD your goals every single morning. Do you write down your goals or do you keep them in your head?

Quick tip to help you avoid the iffy sniff test when it comes to leftovers ... Make sure you label ALL of your leftovers and prepped food BEFORE you put them in the fridge or freezer! It doesn’t have to be a fancy label. A piece of masking tape and a magic marker will do the trick. Just write what’s inside the container and (most important of all) THE DATE.... I know we always THINK we will remember when we put that leftover stir-fry in the fridge, but too many times we don’t! There’s no point in doing meal prep ahead of time if you just end up throwing it out! Do you label everything before you put it in the fridge? Let me know below! :-)

HERE’s my word for seasonal treats MODERATION! It’s a popular misconception that nutritionists and health coaches only eat steamed chicken and vegetables, kale salads and protein shakes. Or that we were somehow magically gifted with the desire to only eat so-called health foods.... I can only speak for myself here, but I love to indulge once in a while in my favourite treats!! It is very easy for me to binge eat. It has been a part of me since the 7th grade. My love/hate relationship with food is not a secret (message me if you ever want to chat about it). Meal planning has become a very important part of my life. I do allow myself to have treats and I have actual conversations with myself (sometimes out loud) before I indulge. Here’s how I do it and still feel healthy and strong 1) I make sure to choose my favourites. I know what my goals are, if my treat doesn’t make me weak in the knees AND serves no nutritional valueis it worth it? 2) I watch portion size. Sometimes it is totally worth it! My "weak in the knees" treat is cheesecake. I do not keep cheesecake in the house because I WILL EAT A CHEESECAKE! I choose to indulge in cheesecake when I am out to dinner, or if I can buy a slice. Then I enjoy every bite. 3) I don’t worry about the occasional treats, because I know I’ll go back to my normal meals the next meal. Seriously, it’s the things we do CONSISTENTLY that make all the difference! Not the things we do every once in a while. What do you think? Do you have a health strategy for the holidays? Let me know in the comments!

WEEKLY CHALLENGE TIME! It’s the HOLIDAYS!! This week, your challenge is to share your favourite holiday recipe. How much fun is THAT?! It would be great if you have a healthy recipe, but if you have a special treat you enjoy making this time of year, share that too!... Living a healthy life is all about MODERATION... and that means picking and choosing which treats are worth it. I’ll get it started with one of my fave holiday recipes . it’s an adapted version of chef Alton Brown’s granola recipe. It’s AMAZING. While this is a clean recipe, portion control is definitely the name of the game because it’s calorie-dense. *Ho-Ho-Holiday Granola* (makes about 16 servings) Ingredients: 3 cups (270 g) of rolled oats (not instant!) 1 cup (125 g) chopped pecans 1 cup (125 g) cashews cup (75 g) shredded coconut cup (85 g) plus 2 tbsp (30ml) organic maple syrup cup (60 ml) coconut oil (melted!) 1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt 1 cup (150 g) dried fruit (I love cherries, cranberries or blueberries or a mix!) Heat your oven to 250F (120C). Place the oats, nuts and shredded coconut in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat mixture and mix well. Spread mixture evenly on two sheet pans. Place the sheet pans in the heated oven. Cook for 75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so everything bakes at an even pace. Remove from the oven and place in a large bowl. Add the dried fruit and mix well. When it has cooled, place it in sealed containers so it stays fresh. What’s YOUR holiday treat recipe? Please share it in the comments! Want to see more challenges like this? Join our private Facebook community where we share challenges, recipes, tips, and motivation to get on, or stay on, track to dropping pounds, increasing energy, and feeling absolutely amazing inside and out! https://www.facebook.com/groups/harmonyhousehealthsquad

LEFTOVERS: Yes or No?

MYTH OR FACT Replacing the sugar in recipes with honey is a healthy choice. ... . . IT DEPENDS! The Fact: honey contains antioxidants, trace amounts of minerals, and has antibacterial qualities (especially higher-quality varieties!). It definitely has more health benefits than refined sugar. The Myth: despite those benefits, honey is still sugar and that’s something most of us get way too much of! It is also calorie dense (it has a lot of calories for the amount of nutrients). Eating too much added sugar is linked with many chronic illnesses and diseases. The takeaway: enjoy honey but do it in moderation! REFERENCES: www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-honey-good-for-you https://directorsblog.nih.gov//americans-are-still-eating/