Live it up at Alma Spa!

Have you checked out Toronto’s newest natural eco quick spa? For myself, I am not really one for the spa or weekly manicures for that matter but Alma Natural Spa may have changed that!

Upon arrival I was greeted right away at the door by the owner Katie, and my aesthetician who was already waiting for me. But before that I should mention that there wasn’t a scent in the air that was unfriendly. Just the pure smell of essential oils and freshness. This is a true indulgence for me, as I can’t tolerate the toxic fumes that are often wafting the air in most traditional quick spas.

I found my cozy chair for my pedicure, all ready to go with a pillow for my back and a nice warm bath for my feet. A tea menu featuring Steeped and Infused loose teas, was brought to me within seconds along with a warm lavender pad for my neck. I couldn’t believe the exceptional, personalized service and comfort I was being given.

The pedicure was simple, clean and efficient. I got to pick my eco non-toxic paraffin and formaldehyde free polish and then I was off across the way for my mani. All fresh supplies were being used on my hands, and there was no weird pink creams, or bright blue alcohol being used to rub off my polish. I was in bliss

Since my first experience was so positive, I decided to get a gift certificate and bring my hubby along for the next one. He is a guy that is comfortable enough in this environment and boy, did he love his man buff! Plus it was nice to share some down time together in their cozy space.  For myself, this time around I wanted to experience a mani without polish, which they cleverly call the “sport manicure”.  This is ultimately the perfect solution for my busy and active hands. Polish for me is only for special occasions.

This is definitely a place I am going to frequent, to take care of my nails and also just allow me to unwind even if it’s just for 30 minutes. Beyond their amazing mani’s & pedi’s, I have yet to experience there other services such as waxing, message therapy and reflexology. I know there will always be a cup of tea waiting for me, an Eco-inspired health or lifestyle book or just the comfortable ambiance of a place that exudes cleanliness and overall appeal. Not to mention some really cute posters with quotes hanging on their exposed brick walls.

Of course you are going to pay a little more here for your nails then the average quick spa, but you are saving your health. Also what you are getting in return as far as customer service, you can’t really put a value on that!

Thanks Alma, for being a friendly local spa that I am sure to tell all my friends, family and clients about.

Wean Green – Thinking outside the box!

With the growing consciousness for less packaging and waste it is worth investing in storage items that are long lasting, eco friendly and that look good.

I have recently gotten my hands on some fabulous glass storage containers from Wean Green.

A company whose philosophy is well rooted around creating small enough containers that mom’s could use to store baby food and kids snacks. Whether it’s a home made puree of vegetables or for other dried snacks.  It is nice to be able to have it all portioned out and ready to-use on demand.

These containers are not only eco, fun and come in different shapes and sizes but they can be used by anyone! Let’s think outside the glass box, as I am confidant that teenagers, adults and full time CEO’s can easily load their containers with foods and snacks will compliment their lifestyle and mealtime add-ons.

Some of these containers appear to be on the small side, but that just forces you to be more creative with the space you’ve got. It also is perfect because when you make a full batch of a recipe – let’s say for something like pesto, it’s nice to be able to portion it off for each time of use. The largest size is big enough for a hearty sandwich so before you start getting squeamish that there’s not enough room, let me give you some insight as to how some of these weeny containers can benefit your life.

Here are some of favourite uses for these containers:

Making sauces, dips and spreads. This is a perfect way to store them in indvidual sections so that they can be used without defrosting or using a whole batch of a recipe all at once.

In particular for something like pesto, or sundried tomato dip…both are great store, seal and freeze for future use.

 

Salad Dressings. Whether you are packing it up and taking it for lunch or keeping it in the fridge – either way it is sealed, airtight abd the best part is that it’s homemade! Try this one!

Trail Mix and dry snacks. Packed in your bag, purse of kit or in the cupboard you can use a slightly bigger container to store your fav nuts seeds and dried fruits. Give it enough room to shake and mix all in. Also portion our your favourite crackers, cookies, chips from my favourite companies. That way you don’t have to use a plastic baggie or eat right out of the box (which may sound good in theory, but there is something to be said about portion control when it comes to snacking).

Puddings, Yogurt or Frozen Desserts. Whether you are making a homemade sundae or parfait and having that all portioned out is great for not only portion control but makes it easy for your when you know you want dessert – it is all ready to go for those nights that you want to curl up in front of the TV with a yummy dessert in hand. it is also great for taking breakfast or a snack with you for the day. You don’t have to worry about peeling back the lid of a yogurt container – simply fill it up at home and you are good to go.

 

Banana Cream

2 frozen banana’s

1 tbsp coconut butter from Artisana

1 tsp lacuma powder from Navitas Naturals

 

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and creamy.

Remove, scoop into a wean green container and top with hemp seeds, goji berries and cacao.

 

I am doing a GIVEAWAY. I am offering you the chance to get your hands on one of these beautiful containers.

 

But first you must tell me…

Why you want to try a Wean Green container?

What you would put into your Wean Green containers?

Tweet about @weangreen and @marniwasserman and mention this post! (Sample Tweet below)

“I want to win an @weangreen from @marniwasserman to store my delicious food! #giveaway #ecohappy“

Become of a fan of Wean Green and Delicious Knowledge on Facebook and mention this post!

If you can accomplish all of this ++….you may just be the lucky winner!

TERMS & CONDITIONS: MUST live in Toronto!!! (no exceptions, the winner has to be able to come and claim prize)

Blended Heaven -a Review of David’s Tea

What can I say, I am a tea lover and have been for years. I am always excited to try new blends, combo’s flavours. Ever since David’s Tea came into my life, I have just been loving their blends.

I have to mention, that it’s not only about their tea…but about the whole experience. They have the friendliest staff at almost every location. They are always eager to give you a sniff or a taste of the latest features or whatever your heart desires.

They have natural sweeteners like honey and (agave) as well as alternative milks such as almond milk. They are  eco-friendly and respective of packaging, which I like! If you bring in your own tumbler or one of theirs you get a special discount – which is always nice!

To make me an even happier customer, they sent Abby (my assistant) and I some yummy samples of their summer tea collection to test out. Not that I needed to be swayed any more!

So here is what we got:

Luscious Watermelon

Raspberry Nectar

Green and Fruity

Midsummer’s Night Dream

Three Lemon Green

Don’t they all sound amazing?

The first one we tried was Luscious Watermelon.  We couldn’t decide if it reminded us of Jolly Ranchers or some version of a lip balm we used to wear, but either way it was a much more delicious (healthier!) alternative!  Next we tried the Raspberry Nectar tea.  It has a nice zing from the lemon grass.  It would be refreshing and perfect as ice tea on a humid Toronto summer day.  Green and Fruity was amazingly refreshing, it would go really well with a bowl of fresh fruit (local Ontario berries for example ). Then we tried Midsummer night’s dream – which is citrusy-mint. It has a unique flavour that is cooling and intriguing. Lastly was the 3 lemon, which was truly a favourite of mine. There is nothing like a lemon tea to finish off my night. It is light and cooling and infused rooibos and loaded with antioxidants.

The best part about any of these tea blends, is that they can be steeped and chilled. Making a refreshing iced tea or something to put in your water bottle to sip on during these incredibly hot days.

If that’s a way to drink water, I don’t know what could be better!

Now we want to hear from you…do you drink David’s Tea?

If so, what flavours are your favourites and why? Do tell! We want to hear!

Keeping it Klean

I am holding out and waiting for my brand new shiny klean kanteen, the Reflect!

I can barely count the days until I get one. I look on the website everyday and can’t wait. I keep checking in with Lisa Borden to find out when I will get my hands on one.

Of course I already have three, but they are not the same. The reflect is smooth, shiny and has a bamboo top that looks like it seals the deal! I’ve got two klean kanteen’s with sport caps, are great, but I can’t say they are leak proof. So I am looking forward to having one that keeps all the liquid in – considering I bring mine with me everywhere I go!

I also have the insulated, which is also amazing – keeps my hot drinks hot (I’m talking 8 hours hot) and cold, cold (keeps my smoothie chilled for hours, as if I would ever leave it that long).

So in case you don’t have one already, I am going to tell you at least 10 reasons why you need one!

• holds your water and liquids to take on the go
• they are BPA and toxin free – pure stainless steel

• no need for plastic water bottles

• great for traveling

• great to bring to work

• they “klean” really easily

• keeps water or drinks, smoothies cool and fresh

• keeps your herbal and green tea warm all day long

• great to use for exercise, hiking or to bring to the gym

• there are multiple colours to choose from

• they are good for all ages – from infants to grown ups

• your friends will be jealous…as it’s actually cool to carry your own water bottle these days

Do I need anymore reasons?

Do you have one? Do you want one?

A Vegetarian Wedding…What?

It is possible to go vegetarian, even if it is just for one night! Since vegetarian/vegan weddings seem to be the topic of discussion lately – thanks to Chelsey Clinton whose wedding this summer happens to be on the same (calendar) day as mine next summer – I thought I would take this opportunity to express my approach and connection to the situation.

If you didn’t know this already, I am in the midst of planning a wedding. My Fiance, Ryan and I got in engaged in February! We are very excited for our wedding next summer on July 31st 2011. We are making it as ECO and GREEN as we possibly can and on that note, we made the decision a little over a month a go to have a vegetarian wedding. It wasn’t an easy decision at first, but realized that I wanted to share my knowledge, expertise and passion for plant based foods with a room full of people that are most important to me.  I want to show them how truly amazing, wonderful and creative a vegetarian meal can be. What better chance and what more captive of an audience than to showcase this at our very own wedding. The decision was ours (Ryan is fully 100% supportive of this) and this is what we are truly content with our decision. Everything about the evening is going to be magical from the setting on the lake, to the flowers, to my ECO- vegetable dyed organic silk dress and of course the most important detail, the menu. No, I am not cooking up all the food at my own wedding. I am lucky enough to be sitting down with the chef at my venue to create the menu of my dreams (you are just going to have to wait at least a year for these details!)

Since Chelsey did make the decision to have a meat option at her wedding there  has been some dispute about whether one should have an all veggie wedding or not. Even though it was a bit of a debate for me at first, I chose to stick with my well rooted plant based philosophy along with our values as a couple.  It only makes sense, as I try to encourage my clients and the people around me to find other ways to be satisfied without meat (even if it’s just for one meal).  Since meat is usually the focus of the meal at most weddings, without it, often people can’t imagine what that meal would be? That is where I want to shine, and show people that a delicious (and filling) meal can still be in store even though it is vegetarian.

I have to tell you, this is a new era, where health and wellness are at the core of living a balanced life. The more I immerse myself in this wonderful land of veggies – the more I fall in love with it and the more amazing, wonderful and caring people I am meeting not too mention the incredible foods I am always discovering along the way. We need to be compassionate even if it is just for ONE night of your life. It will be worth it. I promise.

So having a vegetarian wedding just makes complete sense to me, since teaching vegetarian cooking classes is not only my business, but mine and Ryan’s lifestyle (for reasons of health, animal rights and just pure satisfaction). Allowing our guests to experience our vegetarian wedding – will not only show them what we are all about- but it will also prove that they can be perfectly satisfied and content with at least ONE blissful meal eating plant based foods! Something for everyone to try once in a while

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK…

Did you have a Vegetarian Wedding?

Would you have a Vegetarian  Wedding?

Would you be satisfied/happy at a Vegetarian Wedding?

Why or Why Not?

The Nourished Traveler

It is so important to make sure you nourished when you are away. That may mean that you have to pack a yourself a whole bunch of goodies to take with you on the go just in case! It really is the worst thing when you are away somewhere with no access to healthy food. If you choose not to bring your own food for whatever reason, then it is important to make use of the internet and source out some of the healthy, vegetarian and organic restaurants and stores that may be nearby. There are some great resources for you to use like Happy Cow which is an amazing site with listings of health centered and vegetarian restaurants and health food stores located all over the world. I have used this resources many a time – in London, New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Vancouver – you name it!

After just coming back from vacation to Scottsdale Arizona, a common landing spot for the Wasserman family – I was more impressed this time than ever before. I have been traveling here with my family for years. The first few years – most meals were centered around your standard American chain restaurants ( Cheesecake Factory, Houston’s, P.F Changs) as the years passed and as my palate became more refined (and discriminating) I have had a yearning for more sophisticated and health based options – which Arizona clearly lacked. Luckily we have a “place” ( or a second home) down there and I have the ability now to stock up on my favourite groceries from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s which usually takes care of breakfast and lunches for me but often dinner is out at a restaurant and now finally I had places to go! So after much research online and just merely keeping my eyes open my family and I have now found more places to eat here than I have ever imagined. An amazing restaurant called True Food Kitchen - has become a new favourite. It is a restaurant built on the foundation Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. “The dishes feature whole grains, omega-3 rich fish, organic fruits and vegetables, whole soy products and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as ginger and turmeric. The result: food that is delicious, satisfying, healthy and environmentally responsible.” This makes me so happy and of course fully nourished! Then there were some other hidden gems along the way like Pizza Fusion a happy eco organic pizza place that has gluten free crust and goat cheese! So as you can see I was very well nourished while I was away!

So here are some quick tips to make sure you can be just as successful on your next vacation!

Things to bring with just in case you have limited resources:

- quick grab goodies like healthy snack bars (lara bars, pure bar etc..) trail mixes (raisins, almonds, goji berries, walnuts)
- organic whole grain crackers or spelt flatbread
- organic dark chocolate bar
- a loaf of spelt or kamut bread or gluten free bread or rice cakes
- a jar of almond butter or now you can get them in little squeeze packs
- dried fruit (mango, apple, pear slices)
- seaweed (nori, dulse)
- rolled oats so that you can make them anywhere ( you may want to bring some cinnamon too!)
- a bag or box of spelt, kamut or brown ricepasta (this can really come in handy)
*** For the record – if you know you are going to be somewhere where you don’t have many options on the menu and you have the guts to do so, bring in your own pasta – ask the head chef to make it for you and just add some tomato sauce or olive oil, order some steamed veggies and voila you have your very own healthy pasta dish! ( I did this while in Scottsdale, at a family dinner at a hotel – the only options for me were cheese layered lasagna or white pasta with tomato sauce – neither would satisfy – so I worked a little magic and instead of sitting there starving – I had an amazing dinner!)

Or if you are in big city (Vancouver, Montreal, New York, L.A, Chicago, Miami) be sure to:

- check out web resources such as happy cow or you may find a local website that has listing of local restaurants
- go to any health food store (such as whole foods) and ask if they can recommend restaurants
- find areas in the city that cater to a healthy living lifestyle and you can ask there – also any yoga studio or spa may have some ideas for you

Don’t be afraid to nourish yourself and ask questions as you may discover some amazing organic and friendly places where the food is delicious!

If you have any suggestions or other resources to share all readers please leave a comment below!