balance – The Athleisure Teacher

Thankful.

Published on October 8, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving friends! I know I haven’t blogged in forever, but the reason for this is threefold:

I’ve been bogged down with planning and marking at school.
I’ve been focusing on our podcast (episode 2 about food and nutrition as self-care is now available on the podcast app! Just search “Self-care with Lauren and Blair” to listen!)
Aaaaand I just haven’t been inspired to write, unfortunately, and I didn’t want to blog for the sake of blogging.

But here we are, and damnit, I’ll try to write something relatively coherent and engaging for all of y’all, because I know my 5 loyal followers want it.

What am I thankful for this year? Like, a lot. It’s been a really good time both personally and professionally, and I need to make a list because I love lists and lists are awesome.

1. My health. Always first and foremost. How lucky am I that my body is healthy enough to allow me to do high impact exercise 3 days a week? To run around with my children? To get out of bed every day and live a productive life? I will never ever take this for granted. When I sit on that spin bike, I thank gd for my health multiple times. I also thank gd I’m not pregnant, because being in that body really freaking sucks, but that’s a whole other blog post.

2. My family. I mean, duh. I’m eternally grateful that my children are happy and healthy and not the spawn of Satan. I also feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband, the best parents, and the cutest of sisters eva.

appleorchard

Apple picking when it’s still hot out is fun too. (TB to a few weeks ago…)

3. My friends. I tightened my inner circle A LOT this year and it’s been very liberating. I have the world’s most patient friends, because for the last four months, my conversations, meals, and life in general have revolved around Instagram. They don’t get to eat until I’ve photographed (or rather, they’ve photographed because I’m a shitty photographer) their meals, and my conversations with them are a steady stream of follows and unfollows, podcast plans, and asking which picture to post. I’m sorry guys. I really truly suck. You’re all amazing for tolerating me.

4. Impromptu weekend trips to NYC. The fact the most incredible city in the world is just a one hour flight away is nothing short of amazing! I don’t want to live there, but every few months I just feel the pull of the city and gravitate towards it. It’s an addiction, I suppose, but the energy, food, nightlife, and shopping are beyond magnetic.

5. My job. I have the best students this semester. We have the most interesting class discussions, and they’re all so engaged and participatory. It’s rare to get a group where the majority of the students have strong opinions, so this is pretty much English teacher heaven for me! Also, in case people think teenagers are rude and disrespectful, I want to tell you that every morning, my students come into my class and greet me with a “hello” or a “good morning.” When they leave the class, they say “have a good day miss,” or “bye!” They’re such mensches! I really appreciate their warmth and kindness, because it keeps me in a good mood and sets a really positive tone for the day.

6. Refined carbohydrates and gluten. Pizza. Donuts. Tacos.

This maple bacon donut from Dipped Donuts in Kensington Market is pretty much the epitome of fall in Canada, amirite? I think I am most grateful for this donut. Like, I love my family and stuff, but…donuts win.

Best of Summer Eats

Published on September 3, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

As you are all fully aware of, I spent approximately 95% of the summer eating. So I thought it would only be right to share some of my best summer eats with you all, and hopefully inspire you all to the level of gluttony I achieved.

Enjoy! (Especially because I likely won’t have time to blog in the next coming weeks as I get acclimatized back into my work routine.)

Best salad (starting off light) – Parallel Salad at Parallel, 217 Geary Ave., Toronto

This new Middle Eastern restaurant has been getting lots of hype, and rightly so. They nailed it with this salad of kale, sweet potato, lentils, walnuts, and beet tahini. It was filling from the vegan protein, and was tangy and savory AF. Note: there is also goat cheese on this salad, but I fear all things goat, so I omitted. I’m sure it’s even more delicious with the cheese.

Best pasta – Gnocchi Gorgonzola at Scaddabush Italian Kitchen and Bar (various locations across the GTA)

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I eat a lot of carbs, so I consider myself a carb connoisseur. This gnocchi wouldn’t be something I normally order, probably because I don’t think I like Gorgonzola cheese, but these little babies were cooked to perfection, and the sauce wasn’t nearly as rich as I anticipated (but still plenty rich). Basically this dish was a solid 10/10 for me, and I highly recommend it, and various other pastas and pizza from this Italian restaurant.

Best avocado toast – Oliver and Bonacini (various locations across the GTA)

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This avocado toast was to die for. It had hummus on it for a little zip, and it was essentially a salad on bread, with tons of fresh veggies. I put bacon crumble on top for $2 (I think), and it added some much needed protein, saltiness, crunch, and just general happiness.

Best dumpling/dim sum – Yu Garden, 8750 Bayview Ave., Richmond Hill

While all the other dim sum restaurants we used to frequent north of the city have gone out of business, Yu Garden has been around for quite some time. We were reluctant to try it, because it’s very authentic Chinese food from Shanghai. They’re known for their soup dumplings, and other than the odd scalding here and there from the various times we’ve gone this summer, I have nothing but good things to say about this place. The food is incredible and you will leave very very very satisfied.

Best cocktail – Green Sangria from Scaddabush Italian Kitchen and Bar

What can I say? This delicious fruity concoction pairs well with gluttony, carbs, and cheese. I drank this on their adorable patio multiple times this summer. Runner up for best cocktail goes to Radisson Admiral Hotel (249 Queens Quay W., Toronto), for their delicious white sangria as well…

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Best pizza – Sorelle and Co. (various locations across the GTA)

Never in a million years would I have thought that the best pizza I’d have this summer would be a vegan one! I did eat a lot of pizza this summer, so that’s saying a lot. This Sorelle and Co. pizza was topped with tons of fresh veggies, and was perfectly balanced and not greasy like most of the pizza I traditionally consume. I highly recommend it!

Best ice cream – Cacao 70 Dip Shop, 180 Enterprise Blvd., Markham

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Once you eat your ice cream smothered in decadent chocolate, you can’t go back. There was way too much ice cream in here and I had trouble finishing it, but the rich coffee flavoured chocolate (pictured right) was to die for!

Best appetizer – Kung Pao Caulifower at the Keg (various locations across the GTA)

kungpaocauliflower

So this summer I won a whopping $300 gift card to the Keg from an Instagram food account (Shout out to ToFoodies)! I don’t eat steak/don’t really care much for meat in general, so this cauliflower app was the real MVP for me. It was fried and tasted like Kung Pao chicken. It was incredible!

Best vegan dessert – Cookie Dough Cinnamon Bun at Cinnaholic, Promenade Mall, 1 Promenade Cir., Thornhill

cinnaholic

Feast your eyes on this baby for a moment, will ya? It only cost me $10, but it was well worth every penny. You’d think the frosting mixed with the chocolate sauce, chocolate chips and vegan cookie dough on top would be a bit much, but somehow I managed to devour the entire thing. Pro tip: I recently tried a basic cinnamon bun there and was disappointed. It didn’t fill me with the same kind of happiness. So my suggestion is if you’re going to go there, go hard and splurge on something extra.

Best sushi – Tomo Japanese Restaurant, 9625 Yonge St., Richmond Hill

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The sushi at Tomo is fresh, high-quality, and super delicious. Pictured are the dynamic roll (above), and the spicy beef roll (below). The service is amazing too!

Carrots and Cake

Published on August 15, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Oh haaaaaay! It’s been a hot minute. Sorry friends; this past weekend we threw a joint birthday party for the kids, and frankly I’m still recuperating. It wasn’t quite the type of rager I’ve been enjoying this summer, but it’s left me exhausted regardless.

This little cutie turned 3 last Saturday!

And of course he just wanted alllll the mommy cuddles cuz he’s a total suck and being a high school teacher who has seen her share of teenage mama’s boys, I know this means I will probably let him live in my basement til he’s 40, making him pizza pockets and calling his employer to let them know he’s going to be late, but it’s all good because I lololololooooooove him so freaking much.

Wow, the puke green wall really accentuates my crazy.

So my best friend snapped this pic because she was all like, “Leave it to the Athleisure Teacher to be eating carrots at a birthday party.” Full disclosure: this is NOT the only thing I ate. Yes I do gravitate towards the fruit and veggie platters (just not the dip because there’s a 236% chance that at least one nasty person has double dipped or stuck their indoor play place germ infested finger in that shit), but we all know I’m about balance, so I usually treat myself too. I make a conscious choice between pizza or cake, but not both. It all depends if I’m feeling sweet or savoury that day, but usually it’s savoury because pizza is life and I don’t want to live in a world where I can’t eat carbs or cheese.

And because you all come here for the adult content…

sorelle

I had a beautiful lunch with one of my favourite friends last Friday at Sorelle and Co., the cutest little vegan bakery with amazing savoury lunch options. I got to hear about her new puppy, and snagged the most incredible s’mores tart to take home for later.

We also had an impromptu photo shoot, because…hmm…well…we had a photo shoot because I’m vain. Yup.

sorelle1

RBF.

Instagram Health Trends I Can’t Get Down With

Published on August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

When it comes to health and wellness, social media can be a double edged sword. On one hand, Instagram can be motivational and inspirational; encouraging people to get fit and make better choices. But on the flip side, there are some pretty extreme perspectives and fad diets that are pervasive in those little squares, and I think it can be dangerous for impressionable people who are grasping at whatever they can to lose weight. Today I wanted to share some of these trends with you, because as per usual, I have some pretty strong opinions on them.

Intermittent fasting: I’m sorry, but why the eff are people starving themselves again? Isn’t that so 1983? Letting your stomach growl for 16 hours a day can’t possibly be a thing. I don’t care how much weight you lose; starvation isn’t cute. I eat every 3-4 hours because if my blood sugar dips, I get bitchy af. I can’t imagine not eating for 2/3rds of the day (are you proud of my math skillz guys? Is that even right? 16 out of 24 hours is 2/3rds, right?)…that’s just masochistic.
Bulletproof coffee (and the keto diet in general): MORE BUTTER! Gimme allllll the butter. WTF? How is this a thing? Before I launch into my tirade, let me actually share what Bulletproof coffee is. Some guy invented it when he went traveling abroad to like the Himalayas or some shit and he put grassfed butter (or ghee) in his coffee and also something called MCT oil which is ideal for brain function and mental clarity. Allegedly it keeps you full for hours, but that’s because it has 17,000 calories or something like that. I tried one recently for the first time, and let’s just say that MCT oil gave me a case of the shits like I’ve never experienced in my life. Never. Again.
No fruit: Bitches be putting cauliflower and zucchini in their smoothies now instead of bananas and blueberries. Apparently fruit has too much sugar. Mmmkay then. I’ll just be over here adding your unused banana to my smoothie. Enjoy drinking your blended cruciferous veggies. Get it girl!
No bread for toast: Now we make toast with thinly cut sweet potatoes. I can’t with this. I will eat bread forever because carbs make MY brain function, and I really like bread. Don’t pull the bread from under my toast, thankyouverymuch.

So yeah, my rant is over, but just remember to always do you, boo. What works for me is balance and moderation, eating ALL the food groups, and eating ALL the livelong day. Maybe that isn’t the case for you, but I strongly caution you to avoid these Instagram “health and wellness” traps, because I honestly just don’t see how they’re smart choices.

Body built by carbs, fruit, and very little butter.

XO, The Athleisure Teacher

On Food Freedom and Intuitive Eating

Published on May 29, 2018 by The Athleisure Teacher7 Comments

Being a mother and in my 30s has been very liberating for me in terms of how I perceive food. In my 20s, I struggled with disordered eating for several years, surviving to a large extent on skinny vanilla lattes and protein bars, and took immense pride in barely tipping the scales at 100 lbs.

But in 2007, the disordered eating stopped. Why? Because I was forced to stop eating. I was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal blockage, and had multiple abscesses in my bowel, which had to be cleared with IV antibiotics before I could have surgery to remove the blocked piece of intestine. For three long weeks, I was in the hospital with no food by mouth. I was kept alive (barely) by IV fluids and a PICC line to my heart (which later resulted in a blood clot in my arm; a story for another day). I weighed 90 lbs, and I distinctly remember leaving the hospital in XS sweatpants that kept falling down because my waist was too narrow to keep them up.

Since then, I’ve had a wake up call about food. I am so blessed to have a working bowel that can process and absorb nutrients. We take food as sustenance for granted, and being deprived of it was a sober awakening to never starve myself again. Now, I don’t deprive myself of anything. I do have a relatively clean diet, but mostly because I actually *love* healthy food. I nourish myself with vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and good quality dairy, but every day I have a little treat, and on the weekends I splurge. I like tacos, and ice cream, and pizza, and wine, and I find embracing these “forbidden” foods, has actually helped me keep a relatively stable weight for many years now (pregnancies aside; that’s when I allowed myself to become a gluttonous beached whale). I personally would never do a diet like Keto or Whole 30 (no offense to those who do, and find it works for them), because I don’t believe in cutting out entire food groups. I’d never measure my foods into containers that restrict portions (again, no offense to those that do), because I have a healthy appetite, and portion control isn’t really my thing. Balance and moderation are the key to happiness and health for me.

Food freedom is really the most liberating feeling in the world. I don’t stress if I “cheat” too much, or put on an lb. or two, and I just eat. I eat when my body tells me it’s hungry. I eat what my body is craving. I eat because I can.

First I eat the tacos, then I wear the bathing suits.