Last week I was in Winnipeg and decided it was my duty as a Naturopathic Doctor to do some research on a turkish hammam spa. Hydrotherapy is in my scope of practice and detox is definitely one of my specialities. The Hammam at the Ten Spa is a modern reinterpretation of the Turkish Roman hot air bathing ritual. Amazing experience. Turkey is now on my travel list.
When my name was called I sat in a robe and pestemal (a large tea towel that is dress code in the hammam) in a tiled heated room to acclimatize to the heat. I was served a traditional bitter and sweet treat that serves to sustain me through my treatment. I had a cup of moroccan mint tea and a turkish delight sweet. After 10 minutes or so I had a quick shower in the heated spa before I proceeded to the aromatic salting area where I self applied salts while seated on a heated bench. I really started sweating now and the salts were very rough at the same time being rejuvenating.
Then the fun began. There was a huge heated communal marble slab in the middle of the heated room where I laid down while the hammam attendant rinsed me off with different temperatures of water for the next 60 minutes. During this time there was also a foot and scalp massage ..... ridiculous.... now if this wasn't enough I then proceeded to a private room where I had a traditional soap scrub treatment.
For the first 20 minutes I was 'gommaged' - a full body exfoliation with kese, a rough cloth mitt that scoured my pores. I couldn't believe all the dead skin cells!! After the gommage a pure olive oil soap, in some sort of pillowcase that lathered up like crazy, was massaged into my skin. It felt like a feather and I was covered in bubbles. Warm, cool, and then cold water was then used to rinse me off for the next 20 minutes.
I then proceeded to the acclimatization room again where I self applied aloe vera gel, and drank and ayran - a salty yogurt drink to replenish.
Wow. I was in a daze the rest of the day and will never forget this experience at The Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. (www.tenspa.ca)
About Me
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fish Friday Change-Up
Fridays usually means fish in our house. Today I went to see Tony at Snappers as I do every Friday to pick up some treats. The salmon steaks looked great today so I picked 2 up as well as some fresh Ontario tomatoes, and some broccoli that looked nice and crisp at Fresh and Wild next door.
I usually do dill, olive oil, and a touch of sea salt and pepper or lemom pepper and a quick broil for the fish. Today I wanted to shake things up a little and do a quick sauce instead. I did 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper on the salmon steaks. I put it the oven on broil and wham bam a nice saucy fish dinner.
We're also having crunchy broccoli (from Delicious Detox, page 75)and a fresh tomatoe salad (touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of fresh basil).
Took me 5 minutes to prepare everything and in 15 minutes we were sitting at the table eating. YUM.
I usually do dill, olive oil, and a touch of sea salt and pepper or lemom pepper and a quick broil for the fish. Today I wanted to shake things up a little and do a quick sauce instead. I did 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper on the salmon steaks. I put it the oven on broil and wham bam a nice saucy fish dinner.
We're also having crunchy broccoli (from Delicious Detox, page 75)and a fresh tomatoe salad (touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of fresh basil).
Took me 5 minutes to prepare everything and in 15 minutes we were sitting at the table eating. YUM.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Chatelaine Online
Totally forgot I did this piece for the online version of Chatelaine. It's a little interview I did on weekend detoxes.
http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/article.jsp?content=20100708_153730_0015
If you haven't checked out the online version of Chatelaine before, toot around the site. I was really impressed with how concise and clean the information is. It's super easy to read, the style blog is great as its short and sweet, and the health section has a couple of good tools including a BMI calculator.
http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/article.jsp?content=20100708_153730_0015
If you haven't checked out the online version of Chatelaine before, toot around the site. I was really impressed with how concise and clean the information is. It's super easy to read, the style blog is great as its short and sweet, and the health section has a couple of good tools including a BMI calculator.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mark Your Calendars!
Mark your calendars for the most up-to-date list of media and appearances for the me and Delicious Detox (www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com):
1. On Thursday August 5th in the morning I will be chatting detox with Billie Jo and Jay from 102 ClearFM in Winnipeg.
2. On Thursday August 19th (6 pm), Friday August 20th (noon and 6 pm), and Saturday August 21st (noon) I will be in Port Carling at Wellpath Clinic for a detox seminar and cooking demo. http://www.wellpathclinic.com/img/pdf/Muskoka_CookingClasses.pdf more information.
3. Saturday September 11th I will be at the annual health fair for The Apple Market here in Mississauga to chat and sign books. For more information: http://www.theapplemarket.ca/
4. Saturday October 23rd I will be at The Five Tibetans Boutique in Kitchener for a 2 hour detox seminar and book signing. For more information: http://www.fivetibetans.ca/main.cfm?id=B08532CB-BEB0-18B1-AB7923B5C8B461FB
I'll keep you all posted when new appearances are booked. All the best... I'm off to Winnipeg!
1. On Thursday August 5th in the morning I will be chatting detox with Billie Jo and Jay from 102 ClearFM in Winnipeg.
2. On Thursday August 19th (6 pm), Friday August 20th (noon and 6 pm), and Saturday August 21st (noon) I will be in Port Carling at Wellpath Clinic for a detox seminar and cooking demo. http://www.wellpathclinic.com/img/pdf/Muskoka_CookingClasses.pdf more information.
3. Saturday September 11th I will be at the annual health fair for The Apple Market here in Mississauga to chat and sign books. For more information: http://www.theapplemarket.ca/
4. Saturday October 23rd I will be at The Five Tibetans Boutique in Kitchener for a 2 hour detox seminar and book signing. For more information: http://www.fivetibetans.ca/main.cfm?id=B08532CB-BEB0-18B1-AB7923B5C8B461FB
I'll keep you all posted when new appearances are booked. All the best... I'm off to Winnipeg!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Mangoes, Mangoes, Mangoes! AND Pumpkin Seed Crusted Shrimp
One of my patients brought me a box of mangoes this week! Sooooo thoughtful AND delicious. Thanks NA!
I love mangoes. Not only because they are delicious and sweet but also because they evoke great childhood memories. Every year my parents would bring around 10 guys from St. Lucia to work on the tobacco farm and every year a couple of them would bring a couple of boxes of mangoes for us. We would keep them in the fridge and almost every night after dinner mom would peel and slice a few mangoes for us. Oh how I wish mom would peel and slice my mangoes now! Ha! They are slippery to peel and of course that pit in the middle doesn't make it easy but they are worth it.
I usually just peel the whole mango and slice and eat but if I'm making a salad or need the mangoes to look good I slice in half around the pit, score the mango half into squares and then edge the knife underneath to release the squares.
Since I have a box of mangoes, Chris and I are having a mango salad for dinner tonight, along with my favourite way to eat shrimp. Sometimes when we're entertaining I'll do Pumpkin Seed Crusted shrimp as one of the appetizers as they are quick and tasty. We're also starting with the Fresh Salad Rolls that are in my cookbook, Delicious Detox (www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com) on page 54.
The mango salad is featured in this August's Zawada Health newsletter which will be available on the website on Wednesday (www.zawadahealth.com under Newsletters) and below is the recipe for the Pumpkin Seed Crusted Shrimp.
1/4 cup unsalted and raw pumpkin seeds, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
12 medium shrimp, peeled
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the center back of the shrimp, being careful not to cut all of the way through. Open the shrimp and flatten the two halves so that it resembles a butterfly. Remove the vein. Season shrimp with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and brush the tops of the shrimp with Dijon. Dredge the shrimp in the coarsely chopped seeds to create a coating on one side. Transfer the shrimp to the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes.
This recipe is from an old Christine Cushing tv episode on the Food network. I wrote it quickly down while it was on tv and still have this tattered piece of paper in my recipes folder.
I love mangoes. Not only because they are delicious and sweet but also because they evoke great childhood memories. Every year my parents would bring around 10 guys from St. Lucia to work on the tobacco farm and every year a couple of them would bring a couple of boxes of mangoes for us. We would keep them in the fridge and almost every night after dinner mom would peel and slice a few mangoes for us. Oh how I wish mom would peel and slice my mangoes now! Ha! They are slippery to peel and of course that pit in the middle doesn't make it easy but they are worth it.
I usually just peel the whole mango and slice and eat but if I'm making a salad or need the mangoes to look good I slice in half around the pit, score the mango half into squares and then edge the knife underneath to release the squares.
Since I have a box of mangoes, Chris and I are having a mango salad for dinner tonight, along with my favourite way to eat shrimp. Sometimes when we're entertaining I'll do Pumpkin Seed Crusted shrimp as one of the appetizers as they are quick and tasty. We're also starting with the Fresh Salad Rolls that are in my cookbook, Delicious Detox (www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com) on page 54.
The mango salad is featured in this August's Zawada Health newsletter which will be available on the website on Wednesday (www.zawadahealth.com under Newsletters) and below is the recipe for the Pumpkin Seed Crusted Shrimp.
1/4 cup unsalted and raw pumpkin seeds, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
12 medium shrimp, peeled
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the center back of the shrimp, being careful not to cut all of the way through. Open the shrimp and flatten the two halves so that it resembles a butterfly. Remove the vein. Season shrimp with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and brush the tops of the shrimp with Dijon. Dredge the shrimp in the coarsely chopped seeds to create a coating on one side. Transfer the shrimp to the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes.
This recipe is from an old Christine Cushing tv episode on the Food network. I wrote it quickly down while it was on tv and still have this tattered piece of paper in my recipes folder.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Surprise Visit and Injury TLC
Friday morning my sister Angela surprised me with a visit. She lives in Edmonton and I just went there to visit her 3 weeks ago but she needed some TLC so decided to come home.
She has been active her whole life, playing volleyball at the university level and then doing pro beach volleyball for a few years before yoga became the center of her world. She now owns a couple of Moksha studios in Edmonton and is seriously the best instructor ever! :)
Anyway she was missing beach volleyball so decided to start up again only to re-injure her back. She has a herniated disk that WAS under control. Her body wasn't dynamic anymore because she had been so focused on yoga - long stretchy muscles - which is the opposite of volleyball muscles - short, quick, dynamic. So even though she is super strong and lean, her body was not ready to quickly transition to volleyball.
We had such a great weekend. In between a shopping trip, some good food and drink, and lectures on healthy eating, I used a couple of homeopathic remedies with her to get some of the inflammation down and did some acupuncture. RICE was also key - rest, ice, compression, elevation. She leaves tonight... short but sweet visit.
Oh and she loves animals and being outside so Sunday morning we walked through High Park because I wanted to show her the petting zoo. A cute little zoo (FREE!) with bison, peacocks, wallaby's, sheep, etc. If anyone is looking for something to do (with or without kids) High Park in the west end of Toronto is fabulous. Huge pond with tons of geese, lots of green space to have a picnic, free zoo, HUGE childrens playground, lots of off-leash areas for dogs, and some nice running and cycling loops. A Dream in High Park is also playing again this year - Romeo and Juliet is the play they are putting on this year. It's pay what you can for a couple of hours of Shakespeare outdoors. Chris and I did this a couple of years ago with another couple to see As You Like It. We packed a picnic and sat on the lawn watching the play. Lots of great options.
Love you Ang!!!
She has been active her whole life, playing volleyball at the university level and then doing pro beach volleyball for a few years before yoga became the center of her world. She now owns a couple of Moksha studios in Edmonton and is seriously the best instructor ever! :)
Anyway she was missing beach volleyball so decided to start up again only to re-injure her back. She has a herniated disk that WAS under control. Her body wasn't dynamic anymore because she had been so focused on yoga - long stretchy muscles - which is the opposite of volleyball muscles - short, quick, dynamic. So even though she is super strong and lean, her body was not ready to quickly transition to volleyball.
We had such a great weekend. In between a shopping trip, some good food and drink, and lectures on healthy eating, I used a couple of homeopathic remedies with her to get some of the inflammation down and did some acupuncture. RICE was also key - rest, ice, compression, elevation. She leaves tonight... short but sweet visit.
Oh and she loves animals and being outside so Sunday morning we walked through High Park because I wanted to show her the petting zoo. A cute little zoo (FREE!) with bison, peacocks, wallaby's, sheep, etc. If anyone is looking for something to do (with or without kids) High Park in the west end of Toronto is fabulous. Huge pond with tons of geese, lots of green space to have a picnic, free zoo, HUGE childrens playground, lots of off-leash areas for dogs, and some nice running and cycling loops. A Dream in High Park is also playing again this year - Romeo and Juliet is the play they are putting on this year. It's pay what you can for a couple of hours of Shakespeare outdoors. Chris and I did this a couple of years ago with another couple to see As You Like It. We packed a picnic and sat on the lawn watching the play. Lots of great options.
Love you Ang!!!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
It's Hot and Humid.... Let's Not Turn the Oven On
Delicious raw berry crisp recipe..... It's hot outside. It's humid. I love it. This is what summer used to be! All the hot summer days growing up on a tobacco farm... this would be the time of the year that dad would be starting to get out the irrigation pipes and start setting up to water those plants! What a fun time of year it used to be. Ah to be a kid again (or a teacher!) with no cares and enjoying those hot summer days.
In the midst of this beautiful weather the last thing most people want to do is turn on the oven. Here's a quick (REALLY QUICK) dessert you can whip together right after dinner or if company is coming!
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups mixed berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, more or less to taste depending on sweetness of berries
1 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a (7- x 11-inch) dish, toss berries with maple syrup. Put pecans, walnuts, dates and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Scatter nut mixture over berries and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
I got this from the Whole Foods website. Great idea. Stay cool.
In the midst of this beautiful weather the last thing most people want to do is turn on the oven. Here's a quick (REALLY QUICK) dessert you can whip together right after dinner or if company is coming!
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups mixed berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, more or less to taste depending on sweetness of berries
1 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a (7- x 11-inch) dish, toss berries with maple syrup. Put pecans, walnuts, dates and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Scatter nut mixture over berries and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
I got this from the Whole Foods website. Great idea. Stay cool.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)