Hello loyal blog readers, clients, family and friends.  I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who gave condolences last week following my grandmother’s funeral and wake. It meant so much to my family and I.

My nanny, Lillian Wood, would have been 91 this October. She gave birth to 9 children and spent most of her life on the family farm. She was a nurse during World War II and was always considered a strong woman. Nanny had a lot of faith and was very active within her community and church.

My fondest memories of nanny were in the kitchen. God could that woman cook; biscuits, cakes, roast chicken dinners with all the fixings. Perhaps my nanny’s good cooking fostered an early interest in nutrition!  Nanny was also an avid quilter, knitter and crocheter.

I can remember spending lots of time with nanny on the farm growing up. We’d milk the cows, play with the barn cats and pull weeds from the garden.  Nanny taught me how to give and how to work, which to this day are the cornerstones of my nurturing career.

When you stop to think about it, living till 90 should be a celebration of life (not death).  The average life span of a Canadian female is 82, which means nanny outlived most of her friends. My grandfather, Raymond Wood, passed away when I was 7 years old. Nannys health remained good until her 89th year when she developed Type II diabetes and moved from the family farm to a nursing home. 

So thank you nanny for all that you’ve done. When I see a single feather lying on the ground I’ll know you’re still around. For they say angels speak through feathers and wings.  I’ll keep my eyes peeled and think of you during my sleep. 

Rest in Peace Lillian Wood October 1919- August 2010  

Do you need a push towards a healthier direction? Perhaps the summer months have left you full of dietary indulgences.  If you’d like to lose weight, but don’t know where to turn….consider See Results.

Canadians coast to coast are able to lose weight online with Registered Holistic Nutritionist Rachelle Wood. Miss Wood has already helped her province (PEI) lose over 60 000 pounds, and is the author of the online See Results weight loss program.  This completely customized weight loss approach is able to help all clients, even those with existing medical conditions. 

A recent study for the Journal of Medical Internet Research praised online nutritional tracking tools for improving the likelihood of clients keeping excess weight off over time. The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was published online on July 27.   See Results offers online dietary counseling with Registered Holistic Nutritionists across Canada.

The See Results Program offers: 

• Customized meal plans using food groups and portion control
• Hundreds of healthy, family favorite recipes
• Interactive tracking tools to encourage weight loss success
• Daily coaching with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist
• A private and secure profile only your nutritionist can see

See Results is available to purchase by subscription for only $49.99 a month.  It’s an affordable means to work with a Nutritionist from the privacy of your own computer and environment.  See Results is changing the way Canadians eat, and clients are getting great results. 

Here’s what some of our clients are saying about the system. 

“See Results is the weight loss solution I have been waiting for. It’s so easy to use and my family loves the recipes. The written articles are so motivating. Rachelle is always available to answer my questions, and pat me on the back when I weigh in. “ PEI

“I’ve tried other diets before, but this was no comparison. For the first time in my life I learned what I was doing wrong before, and what I needed to do to keep the weight off for good. I lost 6 pounds in the first week, with an average of 2 per week after.  I can’t thank you enough.”  ON

“I first found out about Rachelle’s program from a friend in PEI who had great success in office. When she created See Results I couldn’t wait to join. In only 2 months I’m down 15 pounds and for the first time in my life, LOVE cooking. I’d highly recommend this program to anyone.” BC

Now if you’re ready to make a lifestyle and dietary change, See Results can help.  As a thank you for being a loyal blog reader, I invite you to use the code:  HEALTH2010 to receive a $5 discount, but hurry the savings won’t last long.

Stop fad dieting and start living, choose to work with Canadian Registered Holistic Nutritionists and join See Results. 

I’m feeling tired, sluggish and a little irritable. Its day 3 of my 7 day Recleanse and as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and experienced cleanser I already know what to expect. Detoxification is kind of like having the flu, your symptoms progress until eventually your immune system overpowers it. Then you feel radient, youthful and re-energized. Trust me, it's worth it!

 I was asked by Prairie Naturals via twitter to review this cleanse with 20 fellow Canadians. Our start date was June 22. Testers were asked to “tweet” daily using the tag #Recleanse and share with others their experiences.  I’m having so much fun tweeting new people and offering my detoxification tips and expertise to other testers.  You can follow the twitter feed here, or the facebook group here.

The Recleanse is simple to use and what I consider a mild detox. This 7 day system works by taking supplements with breakfast and supper, as well as following the provided detoxification meal plan. The kit contains 2 supplements with over 25 powerful herbal ingredients like: dandelion root, red clover, parsley, triphala, rhubarb and slippery elm. The combination works to improve internal organ function while emptying out the bowel.

The Recleanse diet emphasizes eating more low density carbohydrates and a moderate amount of good quality protein/fat/high density carbohydrates and consists of a high volume of food.  I’ve tweaked my program a bit to suit my dietary needs and lifestyle. Here’s what I ate on Day 2.

Morning Drink: 1 c warm water + ½ lemon + 2 TBSP Bragg’s apple cider vinegar + pinch coconut sweetener

Breakfast:  1 c almond milk + 1 scoop hemp protein powder + ½ banana + ½ cup berries

Snack:  1 kiwi + 10 natural almonds + small freshly pressed carrot/apple/ginger juice

Lunch: 3 ½ ounces cooked salmon + 3 cup garden salad + ½ cup brown rice

Snack: 1 c water + Recleanse Refigure Lemon Mango smoothie mix (sample provided)

Supper: 4 ½ ounces halibut + 2 c cooked broccoli + 1 c cooked asparagus + ½ c brown rice

Snack:  1 serving Greens+ powder + 1 c water + 10 natural almonds

Beverages: plenty of good quality water, 1 cup of organic black coffee, unsweetened homemade green ice-tea.

The instructions suggest avoiding: pre-packaged foods, alcohol, most dairy, mushrooms, peanuts, farmed fish, yeast, frying and hydrogenated oils. Limit caffeine to 1 cup of coffee per day. I took my Recleanse diet a few extra steps by choosing to eat organic food as much as possible. Recently I decided to eliminate all corn/soy/canola from my diet, as I’ve been reading a researching the harmful effects of GMO foods. As a Holistic Nutritionist I believe GMO foods produce negative side effects and should be avoided. 

I think this cleanse is a great “beginner” tool for the inexperienced cleanser. It is simple to use and produces very mild symptoms. I caution you to seek medical/nutritional advice if you’re thinking about cleansing. At Rachelle Wood Nutrition we create customized detoxification programs for our clients after reviewing any medical complications and lifestyle factors prior to making recommendations.

To all my “Recleanse” friends I wish you good health, and look forward to tweeting with you online at our celebration chat party June 29th! Stay tuned for my Recleanse completion post early next week. If you're Recleansing too, I'd like to know how your doing. Please post any comments below.

Yours in Recleansed health,

Rachelle Wood, RHN
CEO Rachelle Wood Nutrition Inc. 

http://seeresults.rachellewood.ca 

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to travel through 5 Canadian provinces.  I’ve always been fascinated with the cost of food. This probably came from my previous employment as manager for Natures Harvest health food store and Smythe Street Superstore Natural Value Manager.  While stopping in each province I visited local health food stores, grocery stores, cafes and airports on the hunt for new products.  

When it comes to food, Ontario = Accessible.  I noticed that this province stood out from others when it came to quality and price.  In Toronto I stayed in Bloor West Village (aka Korea Town) where fresh fruit and vegetable stands overtook several blocks of sidewalk. Each morning I would walk “downstairs” to the street vendor to buy fresh fruit. A box of local strawberries sold for $2.00, while the imported mangoes were only $0.79 each.   

In Ottawa I visited an impressive small grocery store called Farm Boys (which actually inspired me to write this post ).  I loved everything about this store: service, cleanliness, quality and most importantly price.  Farm Boys stocked MANY organic, specialty and local products.  You can buy 3 bunches of radishes for $1.00, and 5 English cukes for $4.00.  I was especially impressed with the deli section, and they even stocked the famous PEI Cows Extra Old Cheddar cheese, YUM!! 

A quick trip to Gatineau, Quebec as well as a stopover at the Montreal airport showed me how the Quebecois eat.  The Gatineau grocery store was relatively well priced, with seasonal produce stocked at the front. The tomatoes were on sale for $0, 88 a pound.   Even the sandwich I ordered at a café in Gatineau was healthy, well priced and washed down with local full bodied coffee. Delicious!  At  the Montreal airport I grabbed an Odwalla Lifefood fruit smoothie which filled the void in-between my flights.

When I see my favorite foods less than 1/3 of the price in Central Canada (compared to PEI)-  it makes me want to fill my suitcase even more. I’ve been known to fly a few special goods home. A trip to Toronto is never complete without a shopping trip to China Town. Last time I picked up a HUGE bag of organic brown rice for $2.29. In Ottawa at Farm Boys I picked up a bag of 12 organic lemons for $2.99. They made it all the way home in my checked suitcase.

My clients often complain about the high cost of food in PEI. Because we live on an Island the majority of food must be imported across Confederation Bridge.  If customers are willing to eat seasonal and local foods, the price will be less expensive.  It is cheaper to buy Island produce, especially when in season. I like to shop at the Riverview Market in PEI, and feel good about helping out my local farmers and supporting the Island economy. 

Are you a frequent traveler? What are your thoughts about regional food prices? I’d love to hear your thoughts and write your comments below. 

Now here’s a recipe that makes me think SUMMER! Blended with many textures and tastes, this salad makes a great meal for lunch or supper.  Its Oriental homemade dressing nicely accents the tart spinach and sweet mandarin orange combination. Many restaurants serve a version of this salad, but you can make it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Make it tonight for supper!

This recipe is compliments or Rachelle Wood Nutrition, and can also be found within the online weight loss program See Results. 

 
Warm Chinese Chicken Salad

3 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
½ pound baby spinach, washed
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
3TBSP soy sauce
1TBSP honey
¼ TSP ground ginger
2 TBSP oil
1 pound chicken breast cut into 1 “ pieces
3 TBSP scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine lettuce, spinach and oranges in bowl. Whisk together soy sauce, honey, ginger and 3 TBSP of water. Set aside. Heat oil in wok, stir fry chicken until done but still tender about 5 minutes. Add scallions and garlic, cook another minute. Add sauce and cook, tossing for 30 seconds. Pour chicken and sauce over greens and toss. Sprinkle with chow Mein noodles or raw cashews (optional). This recipe is low in fat and high in fibre. It's a favorite with weight loss clients. 

Do you have a healthy recipe to share with other blog readers? If so, email it to us. Did you try this recipe? Don’t forget to rate it below.