Superfoods!

Just in time for the holiday season it's time for a refresher on superfoods! We need to arm ourselves with goodness to get through the holiday season. So I invited my dear friend, Dawn Vickery, superfood expert and founder of Raw Elements (my source for protein powder, nuts, seeds, etc), to enlighten us. Read her extremely interesting post below. Also, she will be back in December for a delicious superfood giveaway! Stay tuned.

My name is Dawn Vickery. I am the founder of Raw Elements - a SuperFood and Supplements company based out of Ontario, Canada. I am thrilled to be connecting with all of you today thanks to Tosca and The Eat Clean Diet!



15 years ago I was a fitness enthusiast (and still am) working out every day and feeding my body the best way I knew how... or so I thought.  I had a problem though - I was tired all the time.  I ate wonderful food as far as I was concerned - protein powders, lean cuisine (?), tuna, chicken, etc etc etc.  Then, one night, my world was turned upside-down...


I attended a small raw food seminar - the industry was in its absolute infancy at this point.  The speaker reminded the group "You Are What You Eat" and I quickly came to the realization that everything I ate every day was DEAD !! Everything!! Yikes!! He spoke about eating things with a "LIFE FORCE" and encouraged us to eat one ALIVE thing every day to remind our bodies that they are ALIVE. Life Force is your key to energy, rebuilding at a cellular level, and in the end - absolute happiness (in my opinion). 


I changed my diet very quickly. I sought out whole-food plant-based, organic and raw supplements. By the way, raw = heated under 118 degrees so as not to change its molecularity. This was a huge challenge 15 years ago.  The only place to find this sort of thing was Southern California.  Luckily we travelled back and forth to SoCal quite a bit so I was able to meet with some pioneers of the industry and start amazing relationships. Due to the very fact that these supplements were not available in Canada my company, RAW Elements Inc,  my passion and my mission were born.  


I am thrilled to have known Tosca for many years - I remember seeing her in the gym while she was just days away from a contest, and, although I barely knew her, went up and stammered out: "Wow - What do you eat?"  She looked amazing! Many years later, it is fantastic that Tosca and I enjoy talking about all the "new" yet traditionally old products that we at Raw Elements are doing our best to get into Canadian mainstream - this has been a challenge! Eating Clean is a joy and a blessing.  Adding in some ancient superfoods can set you on FIRE!! Repairing your body at a cellular level leaves you feeling like you can jump over the moon.  Beautiful, clean, plant-based organic sources are the only ones we share with our clients.  


Superfoods like... Maca - traditionally used for strength and endurance, Spirulina - used by the Mayans for centuries as a superior source of plant-based protein, and Raw Chocolate - Wow! Most women are deficient in magnesium. Can you guess what is the highest magnesium source on the planet? It's Chocolate! I think we all know this on a primitive level, and I am pretty sure that is why most of us crave it as much as we do. The best part is that we have the best RAW, great tasting plant-based protein powder on the market today. At 16 grams per scoop this clean, alkaline protein can rival any other protein on the market. Did I mention it tastes great?







These superfoods are easily added into any diet. You don't have to be vegetarian, vegan or a raw foodie to enjoy the Life Force these foods and supplements provide. I firmly believe that vitamins and minerals are so important, but must go through photosynthesis in their mother source rather than via a test tube. When we consume them in a clean plant-based WHOLE food we are able to assimilate them fully into our system.  There are no isolates in nature. Mother Nature is an undeniable force we can use to our advantage. Don't miss out of the abundant life-giving foods she provides for our beauty and health. She will never let us down. When you start feeding your body with the "real" source of the mineral things become clear  very quickly - deficiencies are eliminated and cravings are gone. 


My goal and passion is to take the BEST of the Fitness World, and the BEST of the Raw Food World and bring them together, adopting some of each to make a beautifully balanced diet.  Raw Elements and its plant-based pure, organic, super powerful foods and supplements can push your Eat-Clean Living to the next level - even to the moon !! 

My Sweet Pure Friends

It's time for another guest blog. Today I will be featuring 2 of my favorite people: Miss Stella Sehn and Mr. Sheldon hill. They are the hardworking duo behind Sweet Pure Honey - a Canadian company focused on creating pure products from simple ingredients. I love their glosses, honey products, and more. Stay tuned because in December I will be giving away some of their tasty treats. Stella and Sheldon the floor is yours...

My name is Sheldon Hill. I have been an apiarist or a  beekeeper (as we are more commonly known). I am the co founder of Sweet Pure Honey. We live in a small community in Saskatchewan called, are you ready for this, Porcupine Plain... I know! I once loathed this name when I was young, but now it's pure gold. The name sticks in your head like a bad radio jingle - permanent damage, but brilliant for a small business like this that we run with our three kids.


My name is Stella Sehn and I am the inventor of Sweet Pure Honey balms.  Our 2-ingredient organic balm contains only Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil and Raw Beeswax.  We gently heat and create our products with inspirational purpose. As we are the actual beekeepers and producers, all the money goes directly to support our farm and local community. 


Together we are the pair behind Sweet Pure Honey simply striving to live healthy creative lives our children can look up to! First of all, we are very proud to be supported by Tosca. We love knowing our products fit her Eat-Clean philosophy and lifestyle. Secondly, we would like everyone to know how committed we are as a company to providing simple and efficient products from nature without the interference or manipulation of man. Aside from honey, the other ingredient we use is the best coconut oil around - Organic Extra Virgin, which is what initially spiked Tosca's interest. She commented on how good it was and wanted to know our source. We're going to make her sweat for a while, but will probably give in on this request at some point! As for the rest of you, read on for what its like to live the life of a beekeeper...


The Life of an Apiarist: 
I am a Beekeeper so honey and beeswax comes to mind. To this day, twenty years since our start, I am still amazed at the purity and efficiency of the food product that is  honey. After the larval stage  of a bee (egg, larval, pupae ) it will be the only food that it will survive on for duration of its life. Think about that for a moment and try to name another food that offers that sustenance. I can't think of too many. When we "pull" or harvest the honey it is during the warmest part of the year when the thermometer hits 25 to 30 degrees Celcius (plus a whopping 70+ percent humidity).  That is when I put on my coveralls fitted with a hood, lift very heavy boxes as fast as you can (more reps means a better workout), and drink about a gallon of water a day just to recover from sweating - and you sweat a lot in this job! After 4 to 5 hours each day I am wiped out. That is when I eat about two or three large tablespoons of honey! Thanks to the nutritive properties of honey, in about a half an hour I can feel my muscles returning "normal" and my brain becomes clear again. Just in time for another round!


I enjoy being in nature and the bees are fascinating creatures in the way they organize themselves and make collective decisions for the good of the hive. We still don’t fully understand why they do some of the things they do. It is intriguing being a part of that culture of beekeeping, a culture that is thousands of years old.

Gives Are Coming!

It's that time of year again! With Thanksgiving behind us and the December holiday season quickly approaching we are welcoming back our most favorite time of the year... GIVES!

Just like last year you can follow along with us each day for the month of December to participate in a few small ways to give back. You'll feel good from the inside out. 

Best of all, I'll be giving away LOTS this month. So stay tuned... 

GIVES ARE COMING STARTING DECEMBER 1ST!

Slow Cooker Recipe

Image Courtesy of Tiffany & The Gracious Pantry

I am excited to have guest blogger The Gracious Pantry here with me today. She creates some seriously delicious clean recipes including Slow Cooker Spinach & Chicken, which she has graciously shared with use today. Just switch the chicken for turkey and you've got a great way to use your Thanksgiving leftovers. I absolutely love her story. Thank you for joining us today!


I grew up eating clean, even though back then it didn’t have a name. My grandmother cooked for the family, and clean food was all she knew. Needless to say, as a child, I didn’t have a weight problem.

Then life happened and I got too busy to think about my health (or so I thought at the time). I started eating all the wrong foods that are so characteristic of the American diet. Over the course of about 15 years, put on a whopping 114 pounds!

Happy Happy Turkey Time

Be grateful for the possibilities presented each day. It's your day! Make it a good one. Thanksgiving blessings to my American friends and family. Love Tosca PS. What's for dinner at your house?

Thanksgiving Temptation

I've been in New York City this week talking about Just the Rules - my latest book full of easy, simple tips to help you manage over the holidays and well after.

Watch me on Good Morning America talking with the lovely Tanya Rivero about greens, sweet treats, fats, alcohol and LP + CC!

Gotta love avocado and sparkling water!

IronMan Wendy!

I am thrilled that today's guest blogger is none other than newly medaled Ironman, Wendy Morley. When she isn't on the race course she is the fearless books department manager at Robert Kennedy Publishing who I work closely with on a daily basis.

Read on for her incredibly real and inspiring account of her 1st Ironman...

Here I am, ready to leave Panama City Beach, Florida after completing my first full Ironman. I had decided I would need a vacation after the event, which took place Saturday, November 5th. 


It was Sunday, November 7th, 2010 that I signed up for the event – yes, one year ahead of time. Most Ironman events sell out in under an hour once they become available the day after the race, so you really have to make your decision and go for it. 


I did my first triathlon in 2008 – a “try-a-tri.” This is a mini-triathlon designed for beginners thinking about whether they’d like to do it. I was not a swimmer, cyclist or runner at the time. I wore an exercise outfit on the swim, used an old mountain bike on the bike and got a stitch on the run. As a fast-twitcher through and through (read: sprinter/weight trainer –– no long distances!) I had thought that short distance would be enough, but over the next couple of years and dozen or so triathlons I kept going longer and longer. After years of “fitness” training, which I still love, I needed a challenge, and going longer was it. 

Slow Cooker Call Out!

I am excited to be sharing Slow Cooker Recipes in the coming weeks from some very cool people.

BUT I need help from you!!

If you want to share your favorite Slow Cooker recipe with this fabulous little network we have going here please do so here.

Yeah Slow Cookers!

That's Life!

I am not sure if I can write a meaningful blog at this point.  All I want to do is dump everything on the table like a big jigsaw puzzle and try to make sense of things.  It has been that kind of week.  I feel happy in some cases because I get so much joy from what I do in life.  YOU are my joy.  I mean that, right down to the core.  I love that I can jump onto the Kitchen Table and my sites and see all of you helping and supporting each other in your daily lives.  Certainly each of us has had hardship.  It is an inescapable fact of life.   I have struggled through family issues, illness in the family, exhaustion, a punishing schedule and so much more all of if pouring down on me in just one week.  There has just been so much bad news to deal with this week and so little sleep - it's so hard to handle.  Yet YOU are the example.  I see people who have much more of a challenge than I this week, but there you are reaching out and helping someone else and that makes me so very proud. There are no fans like Eat-Clean Diet fans.  I wish I could have a cup of tea all of us together and have girl party.  It would be so much fun.  So thanks for being you, being there and being my example this week.

Keep it tight.
Tosca

Getting an Oxygen Cover!

Whenever my husband and I go anywhere we are inundated with women asking us what it takes to get on the cover, or assuming I get covers because I'm married to the boss. Anyone who has watched Tosca: Flexing at 49 knows that is so not true! That is why I am so thrilled to have Oxygen's art director Stacy Jarvis here to share with us the behind-the-scenes secrets to landing the famous Oxygen cover! Take it away Stacy...

Hi, I’m Stacy Jarvis, art director for Oxygen magazine. I’m thrilled to be today's guest blogger.


When Tosca asked me to write a few words for her fans on how we go about selecting a cover for Oxygen, I jumped at the chance. I can’t tell you how many times a week I’m asked the exact same question. Let me take you through it.

New York Net Fix

Here we are in New York City.  It is 8:30 in the morning and I am sitting outside of the Flatiron building in this bustling city with Bob.  The sun is shining like crazy and I can't believe it is mid November.  The other thing I can't believe is that I can sit outside here in the middle of the street basically and hit the internet.  I sometimes feel like a junkie looking for me next fix when I am on the road - where can I get my next hit of the net?  That translates to the next meal, workout, sleep and drink of water.  Yikes! What do I sound like?  But these are the things I really really need in order to function best.  Call me crazy.  Call me a fanatic but that is me.  Notice I did not say I was looking for my next hit of say doughnuts, French fries or grease.  I keep it clean while on the road because if I expect to do well in my business meetings or the rest of my daily doings I need to depend on the healthiest functioning version of myself. Here is what is not healthy about what I do  .... i have spent the last 48 hours travelling from Victoria, B.C. and then back again to NYC.  I have had minimal sleep, minimal meals (certainly not the ECD prescribed 6 per day) and minimal hydration.  This was a marathon.  It is unusual  I have to let up on myself realizing this is just a busy time and will get back in the saddle over the following days.  It's ok.  We all hit speedbumps now and then.  Or as my brother Ron likes to call it, "blowing a tire."  Yep, I have blown a few tires this weekend but maybe with a bit of fresh O2 I will once again be riding high. I love the thrill of it all and as the NYC breeze blows around me, I am pumped and super happy. See you soon. Love Tosca

Pre-Gives Warm Up Recipe

Is holiday spending starting to stress you out? 


Give the gift of Eating Clean by making your own, easy-peasy nut butter for family and friends. Put your butter in pretty mason jars and design unique labels! Don't forget to include the ingredients! 


Read on for the recipe below...

Beauty Baby!

During my Best Ever You radio interview the other day I was asked what my beauty routine includes. I thought this was a really interesting question considering I spend so much time talking about food and very little time talking about makeup! Truth is, living an Eat-Clean life has completely changed my skin. It's taut, even, moist and looks younger than it did 20 years ago, BUT that does not negate my love of makeup. Talking beauty is fun and I can't wait to share what I do with you. So here's a glimpse into my makeup cabinet...

Don't Miss This

I can't believe it! The holiday season is quickly approaching. I am not quite sure where September and October went, and I know that November will fly by with all of my travel. I hope to see you at some of the upcoming events. If you can't join me in person please visit me here on the blog, on Facebook or on Twitter. I am always having some sort of interesting conversation about living an Eat-Clean life and I can't wait for you to hear from you. You are the reason I am doing this, by the way.

And should you be interested in sharing this amazing lifestyle with someone else, I want to share with you a fantastic holiday deal... for $33.95 you can get both the The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook & The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2. 


And don't miss a chance to listen to my podcast with Best Ever You. We had an amazing chat yesterday on some of the most crucial topics for your health... especially sugar! You can even download it and play it on your iPod on your morning drive. It'll make the traffic a little less terrible!

There's lots more to come so stay tuned to the blog recipes, tips, and just general good advice on life.

Thanks Winnipeg!

Putting your makeup on at 4 am is no easy task but that is what I was doing early Sunday morning in preparation for my appearance in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  This was my second visit to the often wintry city, but all I felt was warmth and happiness from the wonderful people I met there. 

I was invited to speak at an event hosted by Safeway and Revive Fitness.  Ainsley McSorley and her partner Riley Bolonchuk did a spectacular job of promoting this first-time event selling well over 500 tickets in record time. Chapters also manned a red-hot book table where ECD books were available until they began to sell out. So fun! 

You all asked such great questions and left no stone unturned when it came to Eating Clean, lifting and even sex. I had a blast listening to you and we all learned from each other. There were so many emotional success stories! I hope you don't forget to send me them. You know who you are and you promised! 

I can't wait to visit another spectacular Canadian city. Who's next?  Oh yeah! It's Victoria this weekend. Wahoo!

Love to my new Canadian friends in Winnipeg and to you Ainsley and Riley.

Keep it tight and tell me where you are in Canada right now.

Tosca. 

Read the Label

I found this super interesting study the other day and felt compelled to share with my Eat-Clean readers. It discusses the conundrum that most people don't pay as much attention to food labels as they think they do.

Well, we know better over here in Eat-Clean Diet world!

Reading the label is absolutely key. What's the main rule of thumb? You want to avoid food labels with anything other than recognizable food... get the picture? Check out the video above if you don't.

I think it's time to reintroduce the 1 ingredient challenge. Go to the grocery store and get only food items with one ingredient on the label. Guess what - you'll find most of them in the produce section! And the rest will be around the perimeter of the store. I want to hear about your experience here.

P.S> More tips like this are in Just the Rules!

Michigan, New York, Toronto, Winnipeg...

There is a lot of travel in the works for the month of November. You can check out if I'll be coming your way for an Eat-Clean seminar or visit. Remember, travel isn't an excuse to eat poorly. Carry on what you can... nuts, oatmeal (you can ask for water from a flight attendant), protein powder, and even fruit if it's dried or if you are flying domestic. Just remember to leave your water bottle empty until you have gone through security! For fitness types this it the busy season because shows are beginning after a summer off. Here are a few spots I've been hitting up and there more to come...

A Bridal Eat-Clean Tale...

In the spirit of continuing our guest blogs, we have Danielle Hampton sharing her bridal story. I would like to call her diet-shake Danielle, since she found herself stuck in that rut during university, but just in time for her wedding she became Eat-Clean Danielle. One of her keys to success is: "I always play the "whole tape" through in my mind when I am considering derailing my efforts through a poor food choice or not working out. I think about how I will feel after eating that unhealthy thing or skipping exercise, and that's usually enough to keep me on track". She is now so committed to health that she maintains a daily Blog and Twitter feed.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story, Danielle.

I still remember that moment like it was yesterday – it was mid-afternoon on that hot summer day, and I had a quick moment to myself. Outside of the bathroom door I could hear my bridesmaids talking, their voices rising and falling with excitement. I looked down at the dress I had so carefully chosen a year earlier, it’s intricate lace and beadwork sparkling under the one hanging light. I looked in the mirror at myself; my makeup was done, my hair twisted up and away from my face, a white flower over my left ear. I was about to get married. And I had never, ever felt more beautiful.