• Spiralized raw beets (you could just as easily shred these with a mandoline, no spiralizer needed)
• Shredded red cabbage
• Pea shoots
• Shredded carrots
• Cucumbers
• Bruschetta (diced tomoatoes, onions, fresh basil w/ balsamic vinegar)
• Baked garlic balsamic tempeh (fermented soy product)
• Roasted rosemary yams
• Quinoa
• Sunflower seeds and black sesame seeds
• Fresh lemon wedge
• Maple tahini dressing (Mix tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup together and add hot water until a desired consistency is reached)

• Kale
• Spinach
• Water
• Apple
• Banana
• Avocado
• Fresh lemon juice
• Ginger

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Dried apricot
• Pumpkin seeds

• Steamed brown rice
• Braised bean curd sheets
• Stir-fried broccoli
• Pumpkin soup with cashews, barley, and lotus seeds

I’m definitely not a yoga fanatic but I’ve dabbled in a few different types of classes. I’ve tried both regular/hot pilates. Hot pilates was a pretty good workout, but my favourite has to be aerial yoga! It’s basically yoga but using hammocks!

The studio Michelle and I go to for pole also offers aerial yoga. I think in the first class, we actually inverted - I was so uncomfortable being upside down, but after a few classes I started to get the hang of things. It definitely helps with flexibility and it's fun learning how to position your body within the hammock so you can balance in different poses.

 

Tree Pose

Straddle

King Pigeon

Attempting front splits

Leg wrap

  Obviously I'm not a pro lol, it's just for funsies and another way to challenge myself. Definitely check it out if you're looking to try something new.

I've been vegetarian for almost 10 years now and I gotta say it's easier now than it was when I first started. Most restaurants now offer at least 1 vegetarian alternative and I find that full-veg restaurants are more popular than they used to be. To date, I've only tried one western style vegan resto which was good, but I love me some Chinese food which is why my list of fave places to eat are Chinese-vegetarian. 

Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

280 W Beaver Creek Rd
Richmond Hill, ON 
Website 



I probably frequent this place the most out of all other restaurants because it's close by, reasonably priced, and sooo good. I've had dim sum, lunch, and dinner here before and love it all but I definitely go here the most for dinner. I order the exact same thing almost every time; so much so that the waitress knows my order before I even place it.

My favourites:

• Sweet and sour chicken (featured in pic above)
• Lemon chicken 
• Shanghai noodles 
• Shark fin soup
• BBQ pork pastry (only available at dim sum on weekends)
 

Lotuspond Vegetarian Restaurant 

3838 Midland Ave
Toronto, ON 
Website


This is my favourite place to go for dim sum, not so much for dinner. Pricing here is also reasonable.

My dim sum favourites:

• Seaweed roll (featured in pic above)
• Shrimp dumplings 
• Baby bok choi dumplings 
• Pan fried turnip cake 
• Lo mai gai (sticky rice wrapped in leaf)

Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen

3290 Midland Ave 
Toronto, ON


Another great spot for a low-cost dinner. This place is pretty small and I think it's been around for over 20 years. My family always gets take out from here.

My favourites:

• Rice noodle with beef in black bean sauce (featured in pic above)
• Lo han vegetable chow mein 
• Pan fried stuffed bean curd rolls
 

Wu Tai Vegetarian Restaurant

8425 Woodbine Ave
Markham, ON
Website
 
This place is definitely more "high end" compared to any of the above restos. It doesn't look that nice from the outside but it's presentable once you walk in. You'll be able to tell that the quality of food is better than that of the other restaurants listed above. The service is really good plus the décor and dishware are fancier than what you would see at a typical Chinese eatery. On that note, be prepared to dish out a couple extra bucks per plate (teehee @ awful pun). 

My favourites:

• Crispy tofu with sauce (featured in pic above)
• Pan fried dumplings 
• Mushroom and vegetables dumplings

If you're looking to cut down on meat or try something different, I'd definitely check these places out!

I recently tried chia seeds after hearing about them for some time.  I thought people just sprinkled them on yogurts or salads and that they’d be like sesame seeds, which I don’t really care for. While in Edmonton, my sister-in-law made chia seed pudding and it was totally not what I expected. Chia seeds absorb liquid and form a gel-like coating when soaked for a few hours.  They remind me of this Vietnamese dessert that has basil seeds in it. Anyhoodles, this superfood has tons of health benefits. Here are the ones that piqued my interest:

• High in protein
• High in calcium
• High in fibre
• Provides energy

All good in my books, plus this recipe is reallllly simple.

What you’ll need:

1 c. unsweetened almond/soy milk
1 c. plain/vanilla yogurt
2-3 tbsp. honey (or more, if you’d like it sweeter)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. chia seeds

What to do:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chia seeds, just until blended
2. Slowly add in chia seeds, bit by bit, whisking the mixture in between
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight

Be sure to stir before serving. You can serve this with berries to add even more healthy goodness. “Chia-ck” this recipe out for yourself :)

Shooting Star

I’ve been experimenting with green smoothies for the past year or so after a nutritionist came in at work and raved about how good juicing is for you. She also mentioned green smoothies and how you could basically throw in any leafy greens and fruits. I didn’t have a juicer at home but I did have a blender, so I went the smoothie route.

A friend and I decided to do a juice/smoothie cleanse for a day (no solid foods whatsoever – practically impossible for me since I’m always eating). I had no idea what I was doing. The first few smoothies I made were SUPER THICK and CHUNKY, it had a grainy paste-like consistency. You could eat it with a spoon (sooo gross). Anyway, I only lasted until dinner time, hah.

So, what did I learn from that first experience?
    •    I can never put celery in my smoothies – the taste is way too strong
    •    Water is key in making your smoothie a juice-like consistency
    •    The order of which you put ingredients into the blender matters (especially if you don’t have an awesome blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec).
    •    You don’t need a high-end blender. I use a regular Cuisinart one – it just takes longer for it to blend

After dabbling into a few combos of veggies and fruits that were bearable but still pretty gross, my sister-in-law recommended the glowing green smoothie recipe.  I adjusted the ingredient proportions and now, this is my go-to daily drink!

What you’ll need:

1.5 c. water
2 large leafs of romaine lettuce
1 c. spinach
4-5 ice cubes
1 apple - chopped into cubes (I like using granny smiths – the sourness helps cut the vegetable taste)
1 pear – chopped into cubes
1 banana
½ lemon (juice)

What to do:

1.  Put water in the blender. Add the romaine lettuce and spinach. Press down with fingers.
2. Add the ice cubes – the weight of the ice cubes will help push down the greens into the blades
3. Pulse a few times then put blender on high. Honestly, it may not move for a good 5 seconds but just keep it on high until it does
4. Once it’s looks like dark green water (it will still have bits and pieces of leafiness but don’t worry you’ll be blending it again), add the apples, pear, banana, and lemon juice (be sure to remove any seeds! I forgot to once and the entire drink was super bitter)
5. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds, or until it becomes smooth. The colour should lighten because of the fruit.

This will make about 3 servings. I've tried throwing in a few kale leaves in addition to the spinach and lettuce and it's good too. If you're sensitive to the "green" flavour then maybe just try out the original recipe first. Also, I like to freeze my bananas, just make sure you chop them before putting them in the freezer.

It's best to drink this right after you make it but you can store it for a few hours in the fridge. It will separate and look really nasty, but all you have to do is give it a good stir. Happy smoothie-ing!