lifestyle – The Athleisure Teacher

On Turning 40

Published on July 20, 2021 by The Athleisure Teacher2 Comments

Welp. I can’t believe I’m finally putting this one into words. Having summers off as a teacher is a double edged sword, because even when you’re super relaxed, you’re also bored and have tons of time to ruminate on your life and the direction it’s going in.

So….I’m turning 40 in October.

And it’s literally consuming my thoughts, because holy f*@# you guys; I’m old. Like, emotionally I used to feel 25, or maybe that was just pre-Covid times, but now I actually feel old. In my body. In my brain. In my BONES. There’s nothing like a year and a half of instability and parenting around the clock with no social outlet to make you acutely aware of all your grey hairs, aches, pains, wrinkles and general misery.

Whenever I tell people I’m turning 40 this year, they say, “oh well, at least you’ve accomplished a lot.” And yes, this does bring me some comfort. I’m happily married with two kids, a 9 year old girl, and a 6 year old boy. I have the “Million Dollar Family,” as they say, and now I also have the million dollar home, because we upgraded from a townhouse to a large, newer detached home two weeks ago, and I’ve never been more proud of us. I’m well established in my teaching career, having been at the same school since 2010, and of course now I also have this well established social media life, and surely that gives off the illusion of having my shit together.

But being accomplished doesn’t detract from the number being a hard pill to swallow. I want my age to stay with a 3 in front of it, not a 4. The 4 is symbolically a new chapter for me, and one step closer to real, legit middle-agedness. Many say your 40s are amazing, as your children gain newfound independence and you get some freedom, but I don’t want it. I want my babies to stay little forever, and I don’t want to age, and I don’t want my parents to age either.

Anyway, I’m going to plan a massive rager at my new house in October. If you’re reading this, you’re invited, because only 3 people will read this. We all know I don’t actually have any friends. I think I’ll rent a food truck, and do some sort of Mexican themed fiesta with tacos and margs and honestly, it’s gonna be LIT. And yes, I’m aware that 40 year olds can’t say that word, but since I teach teenagers, I will use the Gen Z slang forever, and I’m certain it’ll be okay.

Okay, off to get Botox and fillers, k thx for reading…bai!

At least I don’t look 40. Right? RIGHT? RIGHT????

Gratitude – Pandemic Summer Edition

Published on August 4, 2020 by The Athleisure Teacher2 Comments

Hi hi hi! It’s been a minute since I last wrote a blog just for sheer pleasure, so I decided it was due time. Last week I was having the most lovely convo with a former student, and I realized “my purpose” for all of this public stuff, and it’s my passion for writing. After the conversation, I commit to writing more, in the hopes that I can one day compile all this nonsense into a memoir, or novel of some sort.

This summer has obviously been weird. Let’s just address that before I get into my spiel about how great it’s actually been regardless. At the height of the pandemic, everyone was saying, “summer 2020 is canceled,” and I was so depressed. As a teacher, my two months off are SO SO SO SO sacred. ~~Like, I’d definitely sell my first born to ensure I can be a lady who lunches for at least 6 weeks.~~ (Scratch that, you never read it, please don’t call CAS on me.) Anyway, I secretly mourned the loss of my summer back in April or May, so it was very surreal in mid-June when the economy started opening up, and we all realized, “WOW, we might actually get to enjoy ourselves to some extent this summer.” But, it’s obviously a smaller scale enjoyment, with many precautions and safety measures.

Despite staying local and wearing masks everywhere we go, we’ve been doing quite a bit! My kids have become accustomed to our new lives, and have been so happy 1. spending so much of the summer as a family, and 2. doing the things we didn’t do for four months, like patio dining at restaurants, as well as going into stores and seeing friends again. Seeing their smiling little faces as they get to experience some normalcy again fills me with so much joy. The things we took for granted before are now so cherished by all of us.

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We enjoyed my daughter’s 8th (!!!) birthday on the patio at NextDoor, and they brought her the most indulgent chocolate sundae I’ve ever seen.

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My parents also bought her a Fuji Instax camera for her birthday, so we’ve been enjoying some nature walks to take some photos.

Now let’s talk travel. Obviously planes are not a thing this summer. I decided to forego my annual summer trip to NYC for a road trip to Bayfield, Ontario, population 62 (or maybe less, I dunno, it’s the smallest town ever). This was a tough one, folks. The frantic energy of NYC in the summer just calls me, and not going kind of hurts. BUT, I take comfort in knowing the city I love isn’t itself at the moment. A blogger friend of mine was there visiting and she posted stories of the empty subway, Times Square with tumbleweed rolling through, and stores and restaurants boarded up, and my heart broke. I sincerely hope the cities I love, and the world in general, can recuperate after all of this. Mentally, physically, economically, etc. It’s just all so tragic.

Anyway…Bayfield. Okay, so it’s not my fave little town and there are much cuter ones (Prince Edward County, Muskoka, Collingwood), but we decided to try something new. It’s a 2.5 hour drive, and there is one strip of restaurants and shops, but DANG the restaurants are amazing. Also, we snuck onto the private beach, and it was well worth it. No one was remotely close to us, and it was clean and quiet.

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Just casually pretending I actually ruin my hair in pools.

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The requisite blogger beach shot.

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Y’all wish you had a forever work wife as amazing as mine!

July was honestly so fun and relaxing. I feel so grateful for all the little things we’ve been doing and it’s truly been the perfect balance of self-care/time to myself, and family time. August is shaping up to be amazing too. We have a little family road trip up to Ramada Jackson’s Point to celebrate my son’s 5th birthday, and we are also celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in late August, with a stay at a hotel downtown and dinner at an incredible restaurant! My philosophy this summer has been to LIVE. To be present, mindful, and soak it all in (safely), before the reality of “back to school” (whatever that will look like, let’s be real, a total sh*t show), and possibly a second wave.

Are you guys enjoying your summer and making the best of a really weird time? Let me know in the comments!

XO,

Athleisure Teacha OUT.

Overcoming Anxiety Triggers

Published on February 17, 2020 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Let me preface this post by saying I’m not a mental health professional, nor do I have any real expertise on this subject. I’m merely writing about my own experiences and what has worked for me and my own anxiety.

I’ve always been a relatively anxious person. Despite not having a clinical diagnosis, it’s something I’ve had to cope with for most of my adult years, and even some aspects of my teenage years, to a lesser extent. I’d say my anxiety is mild. I’ve only had maybe one or two panic attacks in my life, but whenever I have medical testing or procedures done, I get my blood pressure taken and it’s perpetually high due to anxiety. Once I calm down, it goes back down, but the fact it can get so high is proof that my mental health can have a serious impact on my physical health and I feel the symptoms of anxiety in my body.

With this being said, I think the most important part of coping with anxiety is being aware of your triggers. And since I’m astutely aware of mine, I thought I’d share them with you today and talk a little about how I cope with them, or even how I’ve overcome them.

1. Winter driving anxiety

In 2007, I had a pretty bad car accident on Valentine’s Day. I was driving downtown to meet my boyfriend (now husband), and it was snowing. I sped up to pass someone who was going at a snail’s pace, and I hit a guard rail, went OVER it, and essentially drove down into a ditch next to a ravine. I was fine, but I’ve forever had winter driving anxiety and PTSD from the incident. For many years post-accident, I’d have my husband drive me to work on snow days because I just. could. not. BUT – here’s my tip for overcoming this anxiety. Just get back in the saddle. Literally. Avoidance strategies won’t help in the long run, and recognizing that you can still drive safely in the winter is so integral to overcoming your anxiety. It was probably last winter when I started driving myself to work on snow days, and I haven’t looked back (except to check my blind spots and rear view mirror). The key is to drive slowly, defensively, and recognize that you’re not in a rush. Especially given that if you’re late, everyone else will likely be too. Snowy conditions are just not a time to let that type A urge of punctuality consume you. But if you don’t take that initiative to attempt the winter driving again, you won’t get better. The end.

2. Social anxiety

Never in my life had I previously gone to an event or party alone. EVER. The thought of it made my heart palpitate and my palms sweat profusely. But since I started this blog a year and a half ago, I’ve been invited to multiple events and tastings without a plus 1. GASP. Sans plus 1 was initially something that instantly triggered me. But I’m happy to say I’ve since overcome this fear and now attend events solo. Don’t get me wrong, I’m awkward af once I get there, but I still go. How? With the help of my BFF; CBD.

CBD

I take a few drops under the tongue about 45 mins to an hour before the event, and it helps me to be more even keeled and rational about what I’m about to do. CBD doesn’t make you drowsy and doesn’t contain THC, so it’s safe to drive on, and it helps immensely with clarity and focus. When I take CBD before an event, I feel more calm and ready to tackle social situations. Overall, I highly recommend it to help with sleep after a long day, and also when you need a little extra help with staying afloat during the day. My preferred brand is CBDMove, because it’s flavoured. I love the mango, and they also have watermelon and a couple other flavours. You can order CBDMove on CBD Cargo and use the code CARGO15 for 15% off your order. You’re welcome!

3. Sick kid anxiety

This is the one trigger I don’t cope well with, but I’m working on it. Despite being a mom for almost 8 years, the times when the kids get sick are still really hard for me. Specifically with regards to fever and puke, I don’t tend to handle it well. I can mutter “this too shall pass” to myself over and over all day, but it doesn’t seem to help. When the fever spikes, or the vomit starts spewing, you can just stick a fork in me, because I’m done. Witnessing your children when they’re miserable is really hard. If anyone has tips for overcoming this anxiety, I’m all ears!

I’d love to hear some of your own coping strategies in the comments or DM me on Instagram; @theathleisureteacher!

In Anticipation of Summer Break

Published on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 by The Athleisure Teacher1 Comment

OMGGGGGGGG hi friends. I’m well aware I am legitimately, certifiably, the world’s worst blogger. I don’t want to know how many months it’s been since I last posted. BUT, here I am, June 25th, just a few more exams to mark, and then I’m free for two whole months! I promise to be present and post often. Promise. Pinky promise.

I swear the anticipation of summer break is sometimes better than the actual summer break. People have been asking me if I have a lot of plans, and other than the August long weekend in Prince Edward County, I do not. I made a conscious effort to keep the summer open to be spontaneous. On weekends, we’ll go to Wonderland and the park and splash pads with the kids, and during the week while they’re in camp, I’ll do my standard morning workout followed by leisurely lunch thang. And hopefully I’ll have a lot of tastings and events lined up, in light of the momentum my Instagram has gathered over the last few months. These pictures are some highlights of the last couple of weeks, which scream SUMMER to me.

Exhibit A: Dinner at Rosalinda – margs, shorts (American Eagle outfitters for those who like), wedges, and a cute aesthetic. The embodiment of summer.

Rosalinda

Exhibit B: Watermelon macaron from my SPOT (it’s a wholesaler called the Bakehouse in Markham, but they do allow walk ins). It actually tasted like watermelon and dang, it was cute to boot!

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Exhibit C: Ice cream cones from Chocolats Favoris – OUR favourite ice cream place. We only go when we’re celebrating (in this case, it was both kids getting their swimming badges), because it’s stupid indulgent and rich, but it was the first of many ice cream dates to come this summer, and I’m here for it.

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Exhibit D: Mimosas on the patio at a brunch tasting – This restaurant is called King Rustic, and having attended this tasting with all my friends this past weekend, I can honestly say this is the epitome of summer anticipation. My goal is to drink a summery beverage on a patio at least once a week. I know I’ll exceed that goal, but best to set the bar low for me so I can actually follow through. (Dark pic, but shorts are Aritzia, top is Lululemon x Soul Cycle.)

KingRustic

So there you have it. What I’m most looking forward to in July and August. What are YOU looking forward to? Leave me a comment or hit me up on my Insta @theathleisureteacher and let your girl know! XO, worst blogger ever.

Cancun 2018

Published on January 2, 2019 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

New year, who dis?

Happy 2019 friends! As I look back and reflect on 2018, I’m honestly so grateful I was inspired to start this blog in June. It’s opened the door to so many opportunities for me on Instagram. I’ve met so many wonderful new people, said yes to things that were waaaaaay outside my comfort zone, and even began a podcast all about self-care! Having a voice and a creative outlet has been so wonderful for my mental health, and it’s lead to me conquering so many of my fears and anxieties. I socialize and go out more often, drive downtown (where as I used to say no to things because downtown driving scared me shitless), and it’s just generally made me less self conscious in public (hello taking food photos with a ring light while other patrons stare at me). It’s also brought me and the hubby closer together, as he’s often my partner in crime on my foodie outings. He’ll take the photos (he has more of an eye for the aesthetics and plating), and then I edit and post. We’re quite the duo!

Anyway, this post isn’t about my year in review. It’s about our trip to Mexico over Christmas. We stayed at a resort on the Cancun strip called Panama Jack, and it ended up being a solid choice. It was a last minute booking, and we weren’t disappointed at all!

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When we first arrived, we asked for a larger suite. The rooms are quite small, and we needed to accommodate both kids on separate beds, because we just knew they wouldn’t sleep well together in the same bed. So we opted for a room upgrade for about $50 USD a night. Pricey, yes, but worth it I think. It was still a smaller room, but we fit two beds in for them, had an ocean view, and also had 24/7 access to a VIP buffet that served tons of delicious food and top shelf alcohol. The room itself was super clean, modern, and had solid amenities. The only downside was it didn’t have a bathtub, so the kids had to shower, which isn’t their favourite, but it was massive and we made it work.

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The food and the drinks were amazing. Generally speaking, the staff at the resort are very eager to please and provide amazing service. Everyone seemed happy and friendly, and the chefs were really into presentation of the food. Most of the food tasted as good as it looked. I mostly had omelettes made every morning for breakfast, and tacos for lunch. I drank mango margaritas mostly, but they also had this drink that I think is called a Miami Vice or something and it’s green, red, and yellow, and it was delicious as all heck. My daughter ate relatively well, but my son did not. He survived on fries, boxed cereal, ice cream, and mac and cheese. Some things they just couldn’t do, like Asian food night. It wasn’t working for me. Also, full disclosure, we did get food poisoning one night, which is pretty common in Mexico at an all-inclusive where the water can be contaminated, buffets have lots of hands touching things, and food might not be kept at the required temperatures. My other complaint is they only had 2 a la carte restaurants, neither which took reservations, which meant long line ups if you didn’t go as early as 5:15 pm! Other all-inclusives we’ve been to have had upwards of 10 a la carte restaurants with ample seating. But on the plus side, this was a smaller resort, with everything in close proximity, and we liked not having to walk far to the pool, restaurants, our room, etc. Especially because our bellies (okay just mine) were constantly full of tacos and margaritas, so frankly we were lazy af most of the time.

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They also had an amazing coffee shop in the lobby where I was able to get hot coffee and cold brew daily. This might’ve been my favourite feature of the hotel. The weather wasn’t great (extremely windy, overcast and rainy some of the days), so I’d often just sit at the coffee shop or get over-caffeinated and work out at the indoor gym.

The best part of this resort was how kid-friendly it was. EVERYONE there had young children, and those who didn’t chose the wrong hotel. They had so many amazing activities geared towards kids, and there was an amazing water park with tons of water slides that my kids had a blast going on. The kids club was for children 4+, but we lied about our 3 year old son’s age (let’s pray no one from the hotel reads that), and they took him along with my daughter. So every afternoon between about 1 and 3 or 4 pm, we’d drop them off and have some time to ourselves by the pool. They’d come back from the place with candy, face paint, arts and crafts, and other awesome things that made us confident with our decision to drop them off daily.

Overall, despite our illness (there was a doctor visit in there too in addition to the food poisoning, because my son got a high fever for a couple of days), we had a really great time. Because he was ill, he was pretty sleep deprived and miserable for a lot of it, and badly behaved, but we made the best regardless. Going to all-inclusives with kids isn’t easy, but I’m glad we did it, and I think we’d probably go back to one…

….without them.

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Toronto Christmas Market

Published on December 3, 2018 by The Athleisure Teacher2 Comments

This past weekend I visit the Toronto Christmas Market in the historical Distillery District (55 Mill St.). This year it runs from Thursday November 15th to Sunday December 23rd, and is free on weekdays and $6 per person on weekends. The market has a bunch of vendors and pop-ups with gifts, little chotchkes (I totally spelled that wrong), amazing food, and other fun things (shout out to Beekeeper’s Naturals for having a vendor there so I could stock back up on my lifesaving bee propolis throat spray).

The highlight of our visit was these cookies and cream donuts from Holey Dough.

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There were 6 mini donuts ($9) in there, and we split them halfway. They were perfectly light and airy, and went down a little too easily because they weren’t too rich. We both agreed we could have easily eaten all 6 ourselves.

Other than that, we mostly just strolled around and window shopped, stopping periodically for a photo op (PSA: It’s much prettier at night with all the lights, but alas my grandma lifestyle does not allow for evening outings much lately). If you’re looking for a meal beforehand or after, I highly recommend El Catrin, which serves amazingly authentic Mexican street food and cocktails.

Name a more iconic duo. I’ll wait.

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Obligatory lifestyle blogger photos.

Coat: Aritzia

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Town Shoes

Headband: Saks Off Fifth

Purse: Marc Jacobs

My 37th Birthday

Published on October 25, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Yes, I am aware I’m legitimately the world’s worst blogger. BUT…I’m back. I swear. Life is really getting in the way of my oversharing, and I recognize it’s a problem. I promise I’ll find some inspo and get back to my regularly programmed blogging schedule ASAP.

Aaaaaanyway, this past weekend I celebrated my 37th birthday. I had something called “the Birthday Experience” at Assembly Chef’s Hall (111 Richmond St. W. if you haven’t been, highly recommend for delicious food), and it was so much fun! Included in my package was 5 guests, a bottle of champagne (it was pink obvs), and the most insane, OTT, extra cake by Short and Sweet Cupcakes.

Mostly did it for the photo ops. Just being transparent as always.

Yup, it was all for the ‘Gram.

We had some delicious food. This was the burger and parmesan truffle fries from Resto Boemo, which is owned by that hunky former Canadian Bachelor, Brad Smith.

Guys, I’m so unbelievably fine with aging, it’s not even funny. It’s so liberating and fun!

Oh look, it’s me, in cake form.

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.

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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)

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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

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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!

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