How I'm Staying Healthy During My Pregnancy

A couple of my readers suggested I write a post on vegetarianism and pregnancy and how I'm staying healthy throughout so here it is! I wrote a post back in 2013 detailing my health journey and why I eat a mostly vegan and gluten-free diet so I'm not going to get into that now (too long of a story) but please read that post if you are curious as to why I do what I do ; )

What I'm Loving Lately

Dry brushing. I'm hooked on it. I've been dry brushing my entire body every night before I have a bath and have seen great results. All you have to do is purchase a brush, preferably with all-natural bristles (I like this one) and spend five minutes a day brushing your skin, always towards the heart. (Watch a how-to video here.) When you dry brush you stimulate your lymphatic system, exfoliate dead skin, help to reduce cellulite and get rid of toxins in the body. At first it kind of hurts but the more you do it, the more you feel like you're scratching an itch and it will feel good ; ) After I finish my little nightly ritual I slather coconut oil on my body to moisturize. Try it, you won't regret it! It literally takes five minutes and dry brushing is the cheapest and easiest thing you can do to keep your skin looking healthy and young : ).

Barre Body Studio

A few weeks ago I took part in a fun photo shoot for Barre Body Studio, where I'm an instructor and I thought I'd share a few photos from that day as well as explain what a barre class is all about, for those of you who have asked me about it over social media and were thinking of trying it ; ) 

Life, Lately

A lot of FUN has been had by me in the past couple of months so I thought it was time for a 'Life, Lately' update ; ) Clockwise starting from top left:
1. I attended PARKSHOW in Edmonton which I really enjoyed, I can't wait for the next one!
2. It was my one year anniversary of teaching at Barre Body Studio! I can't believe it's been a year already. I really love teaching there.
3. The most beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby of the Hotel MacDonald that I was smitten with ; ).
4. Pulling clothes for a styling session with a client of mine at Simons. I've been really busy with personal styling the past few months, it's been amazing! And my website is back up and running! Yay!

What I've been wearing lately: Outfit #1, #2, #3 and #4. There's a theme here: I love the color red. And scarves.

I was invited to a media "Dinner at Tiffany's" event at the fancy Fairmont Hotel MacDonald and felt like a Princess the whole night! All the guests were able to view beautiful jewelry and were treated to a delicious four-course meal.

A few lovelies at the Tiffany's event (I didn't get the chance to snap everyone in attendance unfortunately!)
-  Fashion bloggers Kira and Sandy Jo 
-  WHERE Edmonton Editor Lindsey Shapka, Janis Galloway of Dress Me Dearly, Fashion Magazine Writer Caroline Gault and Sarah Geddes from Sass Communications
- Me and the gorgeous Lindsey from Over My Styled Body
- New mama Sarah Giuffre from 204 Park and our gracious host Laura Smythe, Director of Tiffany's Edmonton.
This is an event I will never forget!

- I had 5" of my hair chopped off and then highlighted at Ponytails + Horseshoes. (I just wanted a change.) Shanda and Angela always do an amazing job there. My hair feels so much healthier with all that extra weight gone.
- A Christmas party brunch with friends I've known since I was 9 years old last weekend at my friend's beautiful new home.
-Elizabeth from Blushed Beaute did my makeup at our Barre Body Studio Christmas get-together, and Elissa, one of my fellow instructors got a pedicure from Feel Fabulous Mobile Spa. It was an awesome party with students and teachers in attendance; everyone got beautified while eating snacks and sipping on mimosa's ; )

And that's what I've been up to! I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging in the next couple of weeks over the holidays, but I'll definitely be Tweeting, Facebooking and Instagramming (@mariealamode) if you want to follow along!

Merry Christmas everyone!
xoxo

What I'm Loving Right Now

Chunky knits - sweaters and scarves that I can wrap myself in, especially on a chilly day like today!

Barre classes. I loved the mixture of ballet, yoga and Pilates so much, I mentioned in an earlier post I took my teacher training and started teaching a few classes a week at Barre Body Studio and Pilates Eq! Such a fun exercise and a complete total-body workout. You see RESULTS pretty quickly! Ladies, if you haven't tried a class I highly recommend you do. I am completely addicted! And my butt has lifted. Seriously.

I instagrammed and Tweeted my love for EcoTools earth-friendly makeup brushes the other day. Affordable and effective and made from natural and recycled materials which gets a thumbs up from me ; ).

Nail polish. Confession: I didn't start wearing nail polish until one of my nails grew in incorrectly, like sideways, it was really weird and gross so I had to cover it up with polish. Now I don't go a day without it on my nails and it helps prevent me from chewing my nails. My favorite brands: OPI and Essie! I also have this on at all times.

 This Acne Velocite shearling-lined jacket is everything. If only I had over two grand to spend on it ; ).

What are you loving right now? Have a great weekend!

5 Month Health/Diet Update

So it's been over five months (!!!) since I cut out all animal products and gluten from my diet, due to health reasons and I thought I'd give you an update on how I've been doing. Some of you may be wondering if I stuck with it.... Well I have! And now you may be thinking "What the heck does she eat??" I eat a LOT of fruits and vegetables, salads, quinoa, lentils, beans, gluten-free pasta, nuts, superfoods like goji berries and cacao, gluten-free steel cut oats, hummus, peanut butter (with bananas), lots of guacamole (love it!) with GF tortilla chips, almond or coconut milk instead of milk, raw chocolate (for a treat!), GF pizza with vegan cheese, GF bread, the list goes on. I try and focus on what I can eat instead of what I can't. I'm also not too strict with myself, for example on Thanksgiving I had mashed potatoes with real butter (I forgot to bring vegan butter and didn't want to ask the host to make me a separate dish) and I had a few chocolate Halloween treats last week (I gave in to the temptation) but I didn't feel very good after. Because I eat so healthy 90% of the time, when I put something into my body that has a lot of sugar or something that is really processed, or even something my body is not used to eating anymore I can really feel it! I like eating food as close to its natural state as possible. (The way we were meant to eat it!) But I will also indulge once in awhile and get GF fries with vegan gravy and a Coke at one of my favorite restaurants. But that's about as un-healthy as I get. I just don't crave that many un-healthy foods anymore because they don't make me feel good. It's as simple as that!

The pro's of eating a Vegan and GF diet:

-After a week of cutting out all animal products and gluten/wheat I started to think clearer. Not sure if that makes sense and it's hard to describe. I just felt "lighter" I guess and my brain wasn't as foggy.

-Speaking of feeling "lighter," I lost 5 lbs. right away and then gained a couple back. I also noticed fat starting to disapper from my body, especially in the stomach area and my clothes starting to loosen on my body.

-I have soooo much energy! I'm still drinking my super smoothie every single morning which charges my batteries and if I don't drink it, I definitely feel it. And before I started my new diet I used to feel really lethargic in the afternoons around the 2 p.m./3-ish mark but I don't anymore.

-My IBS symptoms have decreased dramatically, I no longer get those pains that made me have to curl up into a ball.

-Because of all the fruits and vegetables I'm eating and because I'm juicing a lot, my skin is brighter and I honestly feel it has a bit of a "glow" to it. I've also noticed the fine lines around my eyes starting to soften.

-My nails are so long and strong! They used to be so weak and brittle! I think the ingredients in my smoothie have helped with this.
-I do not count "points" or calories or fat grams or any type of numbers anymore, I don't need to. I listen to my body now. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm full, I stop. 

-Because I've been eating healthier, D. has been eating healthier. I've also learned how to cook which he is happy about! I was so bad before (I once started a fire while boiling water) but I'm getting pretty good at it because it's something I have to do if I want to survive ; ). D. still eats meat and dairy and bread and all that but he does enjoy my recipes. Sometimes he'll add chicken or salmon to a dish, if he wants.

This is my "healthy bowl" which is always stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. Actually I have two bowls like this, filled to the brim all the time since I use a lot of produce for juicing.

And the con's:

-The most difficult part of changing my diet was the reaction I got from my family and relatives at first. All of them are meat eaters. My parents even own a buffalo farm. So a lot of family members couldn't understand how I could stop eating all animal products (I was a Vegetarian before that so they were used to me not eating meat already) and things like bread, and buns, etc. "What do you EAT?! Lettuce?! What do you eat at a RESTAURANT? What if you go over to someone's house for dinner and you can't eat ANYTHING? Where do you get your protein and iron from? That diet can't be healthy! How can you live without meat, diary and wheat?? Are you doing this to lose weight? Because you don't NEED to lose weight!" - These are the types of reactions I got. I just had to tell them that I'm doing this for health reasons and I feel so much better eating this way, it's my choice. I can bring my own food to other people's houses if I need to. And not to worry, I make sure I get all my vitamins from the foods I'm eating and supplements, if needed. People shouldn't judge! I don't judge anyone for eating a couple of Big Macs, why does anyone need to judge or scoff at me for making healthier choices? Luckily my family is now much more supportive and I think they have a better understanding of why I've changed my diet. My Mom even made me a GF and vegan cake for my birthday, which was delicious!

-Going out with friends for dinner. Most people can have anything they want at a restaurant but with my diet I can have maybe 2 or 3 dishes on the menu, unless I go to a Vegan restaurant or one that has a Vegan, GF option. But most establishments only have one or the other, not both! So that's a bit difficult...

-I have to really take the time to prepare myself, for example, if I'm going out of town and staying in a hotel, I make sure I have enough healthy snacks to eat and have researched restaurants I can enjoy a meal at. This was really easy for me to do when I was in California in September, there were soooo many options available to me! And they had Whole Foods' stores everywhere. We don't have any in Canada : ( So I go to Planet Organic, which is about 1/3 the size of a Whole Foods.

I am also still working out about 3 or 4 times a week going to Pilates and Barre classes and I actually started teaching group Pilates Mat classes again at a Pilates studio in my city! I love it! I missed it so much. I've stopped doing the Tracy Anderson DVD's, they are too hard on my knees : (.

To wrap up this post, I am really enjoying the benefits and results of my new lifestyle. I know I call it a "diet" but really it's a whole lifestyle change and I think I'm going to stick with it for the long haul. It's been somewhat of a challenge but it's been so worth it.

Interview With Actress Teresa Palmer

You may know Australian actress Teresa Palmer from starring in films like Warm Bodies, Bedtime Stories, I Am Number Four, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The Grudge 2 (just to name a few!). But the 27 year-old beauty is much more than a celebrity whose star is rising fast - Teresa is also the co-creator of Your Zen Life, one of my favorite lifestyle websites and an inspiration to many people around the world thanks to her 'Tez Talks' videos on Youtube and her positive outlook on life. I was lucky enough to interview her about healthy living, staying grounded in Hollywood, working with Liam Hemsworth (!) and much more. Read on to find out why Teresa is such an inspiring role model and the most down-to-earth actress in Tinseltown.

Please tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind Your Zen Life, how it came to fruition and what it's all about.

YZL is an online portal for all things health and wellness. Phoebe Tonkin and I decided to create a platform in which people from all over the world had access to information on positive living. We were at dinner in Los Angeles when we discussed our passion for using our profiles to be of service and to affect positive change in the world, this is where the idea was born and it evolved from this point.

Teresa and her best friend, actress Phoebe Tonkin

I know eating healthy is very important to you. What is your diet like? 

I try to eat organic wherever possible. I'm typically vegan, however, in my pregnancy (I'm currently five months along) under my midwives recommendation I had become vegetarian. I used to be hyper militant about the food I put into my body, however, now I believe I have a much healthier approach to my diet and ensure that it's well-balanced yet not so strict that I don't allow myself the freedom to indulge every now and then.

Do you see a nutritionist? What advice would you give to people who want to live a healthier lifestyle, starting with a healthy diet, but may not have access to a nutritionist?

I don't actively see a nutritionist, I've seen one twice in the past. Advice I could offer is to gain knowledge on healthy ingredients and make sure you always look at the back of products and read all the ingredients so you know what to look for and what to avoid. A healthy diet consists of well rounded, well-portioned meals with a good balance of protein (eg. nuts, tempeh). Try to avoid red meat and dairy and any other animal products if possible which, in my opinion, ultimately leads to better health. Indulge in healthy fats in the form of avocados and olives and include an abundant amount of greens, fruits and try to make sure you are having lots of different colors (your plate should visually look like a rainbow of food) you can ensure you're making healthy food choices. Also, at the grocery store: shop along the peripheral boundaries where the fruits and vegetables, healthy unprocessed, organic foods are. The closest to nature your food is, the better it is for you.

I understand you Juice! Care to share a favorite recipe?

My greens juice is my favorite! I love doing chunks of pineapple, cucumber, mint, lime, kale and spinach. I try to have a green juice once a day to ensure I'm getting an adequate amount of healthy nutrients.

How do you stay fit?

I balance my week between Pilates, yoga and a combination of weight training and cardio. I try to work out at least four times a week, for an hour a day.

Is it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on location for a film?

It really can be, especially when you don't have access to organic foods. It's important to plan ahead and bring food to work with you, to ensure that you're never in a situation where you have to make a poor food choice.

One of my favorite parts of YZL is your inspirational 'Tez Talks' videos, where you speak from the heart, about your personal experience regarding all sorts of issues women face today, including body image. What are you hoping to achieve with these videos and what can your viewers look forward to, regarding upcoming vlogs?

‘Tez Talks’ has become one of the most important aspects of what I do with my life. I really feel blessed to be in a position where I have access to good information and I have had a lot of time to work on self-development. As a result of the position I am in because of my career, I understand and recognize that I have a voice that can reach a wider community. I feel inspired to share my experiences with people and try to lead by example in a positive manner as I think there's so much negativity in the media today that's fueling people to lead unfullfilling lives. I know there's a different way and from the enthusiastic response I've had from viewers, it encourages my desire to continue to work together in this way.

As a famous actress living in L.A., a city that some may assume is superficial, you are a very down-to-earth person and seem truly comfortable in your skin. How do you stay grounded and true to yourself?

I'm very selective in the types of people that I have around me. I embrace authentic, spiritual, loving people who I surround myself with. We're each other's special community and understand the fragility of life and the blessings that it brings. Being around people like that makes it so much easier not to stray from that sort of thinking.

  

How do you feel about young actresses/celebrities getting plastic surgery and feeling the pressure to stay thin? And do you personally ever feel that pressure and if so, how do you deal with that?

That is an epidemic in our industry, which is awful because we are on the world stage. Beauty should be embraced at all stages of life and also there should be more celebration of the state of one's spirit rather than what size pants they wear or how many wrinkles a person has. When you radiate with love, it makes you so much more of a beautiful person. I don't place judgment on those who choose differently but in my personal belief, it is a waste of time to try and live up to another person’s idea of what physical beauty is.

You're a very spiritual person.  In one 'Tez Talks' video you talk about 'Manifesting Greatness and Love' and how you manifested your fiance, Mark. Can you tell me a little more about that?

I'm a huge believer in manifesting, I think when you ask for it in the right way, it comes to you. I believe no dream is too big and my greatest dream was to meet a partner who shared the same beliefs and ideals about life. I manifested Mark, as well as many other things in my life, manifesting is easy once you understand that it's all about the approach and how you must stay in a high vibrating frequency in order to create the space for other high vibrating things to enter into your realm.

With her fiance - actor/writer/director/producer Mark Webber

You have mentioned in your vlogs that you have gone through some tough times in your life. What advice would you give to people who are fighting some sort of battle at the moment and are reading this interview right now?

Just to understand that life is full of peaks as well as valleys and that every adversity we face is an opportunity to grow. And to understand that the pain you feel is one of the greatest gifts in life because there is a lesson in it; I now look at pain as a beautiful healing rather than something to be fearful of.

Who or what inspires you the most?

Mark and any other person who faces adversity bravely and dedicates themselves to a life of service and self development. I honestly get inspired by different people, everyday.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself living with a big family, continuing to grow the wellness community that Phoebe and I have created. Developing film, TV and book projects with Mark. And expand Tez Talks to be a portal where I can travel and talk about my experiences and reach out to a more global audience and continuing to be of service. 

You have the whole day free to do anything you want. How would you spend it?

With Mark. I would do a yoga class in the morning, have a green juice. Go on a picnic with Mark, my mum, best friends and the kids then spend the rest of the afternoon at our friends beach house doing water sports and hanging with family. I would finish the night off with a veggie BBQ and watch a horror film after the kids are in bed! Pure bliss!

If I came to your house and opened your refrigerator, what would I find in there?

Spinach, tomatoes, gluten free wraps, glass bottle of water, olives, sundries tomatoes, miso paste, onion, half eaten avocado's, celery, tempeh, kombucha (when I'm not pregnant), Fabes fruit sweetened gluten-free cookies.

Top 5 Favorite Books

1. The Baby Book by Dr William Sears

2. By Myself and Then Some autobiography by Lauren Bacall

3. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

4. A New Earth by Eckhart tolle

5. Anatomy of The Spirit- Caroline  Myss

Favorite websites you visit frequently:

www.tinybuddha.com

 
www.justjared.com (sucker!)

 
www.thekindlife.com

 
www.ohsheglows.com

Favorite Beauty Products:

Artistry Creme LX moisturizer

Artistry Youth Xtend products

 
Almond oil for whole body

 Teresa is the global face for the prestige beauty line ARTISTRY

5 Things you cannot live without:

1. Fiancé, family and friends

2. Organic whole foods

3. My black stretch pants!

4. Phone

5. Your Zen Life and Phoebe Tonkin!

(I have to ask you this question because my local readers would kill me if I didn't ask!) You recently shot a film in my hometown, Edmonton, with Liam Hemsworth, John Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton and Oliver Platt. What was your experience like filming here? What was it like working with such amazing actors?

I LOVED Edmonton. I fell in love with Noorish restaurant whilst I was there. It was a really sweet city. I had fun going to Yoga and taking a run in the park in the city. I loved the enthusiasm of the people there and how much they embraced us all. I loved all my costars, it was a pleasure working with both Liam and John again. It felt like a close knit little family. Liam has a cracker sense of humor and always had us laughing. I'm actually working with his brother Luke right now, who is so similar to him.

Teresa and Liam filming 'Cut Bank' in Alberta this past summer

What's next on your plate?

I'm shooting Kill Me Three times with Simon Pegg, Sullivan Stapleton, Alice Braga and Luke Hemsworth. I just wrapped my film The Ever After with my fiancé Mark Webber and Melissa Leo. I wrote the film, produced it and financed it so that was exciting. I have a Terrence Malick film coming out called Knight Of Cups with Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett. Then of course I'm getting married in December and my baby comes in Feb so I'm very excited to start this new journey!

100 years from now, how would you like to be remembered?

As a wonderful mother and wife who alongside her family helped create a beautiful change in the world towards consciousness and positive living.

Teresa recently posed pregnant for WHO Magazine's Body Issue

You can follow Teresa on Twitter here and Your Zen Life here.

My Health Journey

I know I usually talk about fashion and beauty on this blog but today I want to talk about my health journey, which has become very important to me and the main focus in my life right now. I have never talked about this on my blog before and I feel a bit vulnerable putting it out there but I want to be honest and open with you guys, my lovely readers, and maybe something I write in this post will resonate with one of you and help you on your journey.

Growing up as a dancer, I had the perfect ballet body. I was long, lean, strong and tall and could eat two quarter pounders, fries and a coke at McDonald's (which I did often) and not gain a pound because I was constantly burning calories. I took dance classes 5 times a week and I loved dancing - it was my life- until the tendonitis in my knees forced me to cut down. When I stopped dancing as much, I gained about 10 lbs. and for the first time ever I had to watch what I ate. I cut out all red meat and lost some of the weight by exercising and non-healthy dieting. But a year later, after a very painful breakup with my high school sweetheart (and entering my first year of college), I could not stop binge eating. Clearly, I was eating my feelings. I was out of control. (For those of you wondering, I did not purge after I would binge, thankfully.) I ended up gaining 25 pounds in a very short period of time and hated how I looked. Especially since I was in theater school at the time and was constantly surrounded by mirrors in dance class and rehearsals, plus I had to wear skimpy costumes for some of our productions. So I decided I had to stop the binge eating and focus on getting skinny again!! (I should have been focusing on self-love but that would come much later.) So I started dieting and the weight started to come off.  I also started doing Pilates, which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed it so much I later got my Mat Certification, and I still teach today, along with teaching Barre classes. I should mention here that I did not eat healthy at all while on this diet though. I basically would eat food with the lowest amount of calories and fat possible, devoid of any real nutritional value, just so I could eat more throughout the day. I didn't eat enough food either, I was always hungry (and cranky) when I went to bed. Over the course of a year and a half I lost around 35 lbs. I was way too skinny but I was obsessed with my weight and food. It was horrible. I couldn't enjoy life because I was too busy focusing on how many calories or fat grams were in everything I put in my mouth and staying thin. It was my way of staying in control during a time in my life where I felt very out of control.  With some guidance and help, I eventually put on a bit of weight that I was comfortable with and started to relax about food but it was really hard.

 Just in case you wanted to know where your gallbladder was located ; )

I am pretty sure the extreme dieting and rapid weight gain and weight loss had something to do with me getting gallstones at 18 years of age. Except I didn't know they were gallstones until I was 26!! I thought they were just "cramps!" Finally my doctor ordered an ultrasound and yup, I had a ton of large gallstones that were causing me intense, curl-up-in-a-ball pain for years! So I had surgery and got my gallbladder removed. (I also contracted a nasty staph infection which was just awesome!) Anyways, shortly after my surgery I decided to become a Vegetarian (for various reasons) and thought I was eating really healthy! Wrong. I was anemic and was put on an iron supplement by my doctor. And I was still having intense pain and bloating in my stomach, among other stomach problems I'll spare you with. I thought removing my gallbladder would have helped that? When I went back to my doctor she told me I should probably get a colonoscopy (FUN!) and get tested for Celiac disease. When both tests came back negative, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Sydrome. (Even more fun!!) She signed me up to see a dietician. Before seeing this dietician I had to journal what I ate for 3 weeks and when I showed her what I had written down she basically told me that if I keep eating the way I was eating I would be very malnourished and more susceptible to illness and disease. She asked if I would consider cutting out dairy and gluten. No way. I wasn't ready then. I already didn't eat meat, if I had to cut out dairy and gluten what the heck would I eat? Grass? So my dietician gave me a list of foods I should try adding to my diet, to help with my IBS as well as give me enough iron and protein to help with my anemia. I felt a bit better adding more nutritious foods to my diet but I was still feeling tired and every now and then I would get that intense pain in my stomach and it would blow up as if I was 4 months pregnant.

It wasn't until I met and started spending time with and really listening to my good friend Lisa, who writes Life By Leese when she moved back to Edmonton from New York City that I realized what you eat can actually make a difference in how you feel. I mean I guess I knew that all along but I was too lazy to make the necessary changes to live it. (Lisa gave a really good interview here to Keltie Colleen, which really inspired me, you should read it!) She is studying to be a holistic health counselor and is so passionate about healing through nutrition, health and wellness and living a healthy, fulfilling life that her positivity rubbed off on me and I asked her what I should do to help my IBS and another chronic illness I've been suffering with since I was a child (that's a whole other post!) and like the dietician I saw, she recommended cutting out all dairy and gluten. Dammit, I love my toast and I love my Dairy Queen Blizzards! But she just asked me to try it for 2 or 3 weeks. So a few days ago Lisa was kind enough to take me shopping to Planet Organic and Save-On Foods where I picked up a few staples to start with, including the items above. (The rest is in my refrigerator.) She also gave me recipe ideas, tips on juicing (which I have been doing for the past couple of months already) and ultra-healthy smoothie-making. I am slowly cutting out dairy and gluten from my diet and I'm not going to lie, it has been really hard so far. I have to consciously make healthier choices. But Lisa told me, "Don't focus on what you're cutting out, don't focus on what you can't have. Focus on all the great foods you can have and all the new, delicious foods you'll be adding to your diet and how they will make you feel." I know being Vegan and gluten-free will be hard at first but I'm willing to try. So that's where I'm at right now with my diet. I hope to be completely dairy and gluten-free by the end of this weekend, I'm just slowly weaning myself off. Right now, I'm feeling really good, with more energy than I've had in a long time. And I'm not counting calories or fat grams at all!

My very simple and favorite juice recipe: 

2 apples, 2 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 2 celery stalks, a bunch of kale and a bunch of dandelion greens
(sometimes I will add a pear or lemon and a knob of ginger for extra taste)

In the past couple of months I have also started to amp up my workout routine, exercising 4 times a week instead of 2 or 3. I've been active all my life but I stopped doing a lot of cardio when I stopped dancing, I would just do Pilates or Yoga. I know how important cardio is for your heart, health and well-being so I've started walking when it's nice outside and also doing Tracy Anderson's DVD's. Her Metamorphosis package includes a 30 minute dance cardio section (along with a muscular structure section which is SO hard but you really see results!!) where she basically happily flails around and you have to follow her moves. I found it hard to keep up with her and the music really repetitive so I press play but do my own moves and choreography while listening to my iPod and basically dance around my living room like a boss for half an hour. Sometimes I look at the TV and follow her moves for a minute but then I get back into my own groove. When Tracy stops, I stop. It's a great workout! I do it twice a week, even though she says you should do it 6 times a week for 90 days to "transform" your body. But I get bored easily so on the other two days, I'll go to the Pilates studio and work out on the machines or go to a barre class, or do Ballet Beautiful or Barre 3 at home. I also teach 3 classes of Barre and Pilates a week now.

At the end of the day, for me it's not about just looking good, it's about feeling good, physically and mentally.  Because if you don't have a healthy mind and body, what do you have? And I finally realized this only recently! And only recently have I started to love my body. I wish it hadn't taken me this long but I'm glad I am now finally on the right track : ).

 

Thank you for listening : ). Have a wonderful weekend!

Six Picks (What I'm Loving Right Now)

Kelly Oxford's "Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar." It's a book of essays the hilarious Twitter Queen and hot mom of three wrote and it's laugh-out-loud funny. I read it in two days. I've been following Kelly Oxford on Twitter for a couple of years now (along with her other half-a-million followers) and when I found out she had a book coming out I pre-ordered it right away. I don't normally buy books either, I borrow them from the library but I knew this one was going to be good and that I'd read it more than once. And what's really cool is that she was born and raised in Edmonton! (She's now living and working in Hollywood.) This book is a great read, right up there with Tina Fey's "Bossy Pants" and Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" Funny stuff, kids.

VOLUSPA candles. I got mine at LUX Beauty Boutique. The containers for these candles are gorgeous, don't you think? And they burn forever. This scent is quite light. D. can't stand strong-smelling candles, he says they give him a headache so this one is perfect for our home.

 This perfect Walker Leather Biker Jacket from ALLSAINTS.  Must. Save. Up. 

Tracy Anderson workouts. I started doing the mat workout DVD on the left a couple of years ago and I liked it but I thought it was reeeeeally hard. I ended up yelling expletives at my T.V. and talking directly to Tracy as if she was in my living room: "Do I really need to do FORTY REPS on one side?! And how come you're not even breaking a sweat and I'm drenched?!" Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I thought I'd stop being such a wuss and give it another try and I did it 4 times last week and even ordered the Metamorphosis DVD pack to switch things up a bit. Still waiting for it to arrive in the mail...Hey, if I can get a body like Gwyneth Paltrow's (who is one of many Tracy's celebrity clients), I'm willing to do the work! Just not 6 days a week like Tracy recommends. Really, who has time to work out 6 days a week?! GWYNETH PALTROW DOES. 

I was given a couple of samples of REN's Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask at LUX Beauty Boutique's Birthday last weekend and all I can say is OH MY GOD. My skin felt and looked tighter and brighter after using it. It didn't irritate my skin at all, which I thought might happen. I need to go back and purchase a bottle!

Amanda Bynes' Twitter page. I was hesitant to post this because she's obviously suffering from a mental breakdown and I don't want to come across as making fun of her (but I will come across that way, I know). I really do hope she gets some help as she clearly needs it. But, I have to be honest with you, I check her crazy Twitter page twice a day! With tweets like "I want Drake to murder my v*gina," and "I can't wait to go down on this food," reading her feed is sometimes the highlight of my day, and of course very entertaining. She's a complete train wreck and I can't help that I find her utterly fascinating, kind of like when Britney Spears was going off the deep end circa 2007. I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't help watching her downfall. It's like when you drive by a car crash, you can't not look, you know? You can close your eyes but you know you're gonna peek!

Happy Almost Friday!

Lately...

Clockwise starting from top left: 1. Nicole Campre's A/W 2013 show at Western Canada Fashion Week. 2. More of her gorgeous designs. 3. I was featured in this month's Where Magazine along with my friends Janis and Vickie. 4. I had a goal of doing Yoga 3-4 times a week (and I was meeting it!) but last week my hip came out of place and now it's off to physio I go! : (

1. I bought a Breville juicer! I love the juice I make but it's a pain in the ass to clean! But it's so worth it. 2. I received skincare from GM Collin and Yonka, I'll be doing reviews of both lines so stay tuned! 3. Funny story about this shovel: My 4 year old nephew had scribbled on his parents' garage with permanent marker so to hide it, he put a snow shovel over the graffiti. Smart kid! 4. Breakfast for dinner!

1. Breakfast Television (click here to read more about it and see the clip.) 2. Wearing my Zara necklace for Western Canada Fashion Week. 3. With my friends Janis and Jessica at Malorie Urbanovitch's A/W 2013 fashion show last week. Click here to see my coverage. 4. Malorie's beautiful designs.

My silly cat, Prints Whiskerson Sultenfuss The First. Such a weird, feisty, at times hostile and vicious yet lovable, silly and cuddly furry creature! Basically, she's schizophrenic. I'm 100% serious.

Have a great long weekend and Happy Easter!

International Giveaway! Barre3's 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD

I shared with my readers a few months ago that I've been doing Sadie Lincoln's Barre3 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD once a week at home since September after learning Madonna was a fan.You can read more about that here. It totally kicked my ass at first but now I can do all the moves without grunting because I'm getting so much stronger. I absolutely love this workout which incorporates Ballet, Yoga and Pilates to "develop the length of a dancer and the strength of an athlete." This method is toning my entire body and exercising and carving muscles I didn't even know I had! I was so thrilled when I found out the kind souls at Barre3 wanted to sponsor a giveaway on my blog and gift one lucky reader with a copy of their 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD and a fitball and even more excited when they told me they'd ship it anywhere in the world!

To enter you must be a subscribed follower of Marie a la Mode via google or Bloglovin' and must leave a comment with your contact info if you don't have a blog I can reach you at. That's it! One entry per person please. The winner will be announced a week from today. Good luck!

To read more about the Barre3 method and to see if there's a studio near you please click here.

Nike Footstickers

 For Yoga

Combat Cardio

Dance
via
 

Leave it up to Nike to come up with a form of footwear that you can use for activities that don't require footwear like Yoga and Contemporary Dance. These are called footstickers and can give more grip, protection and support than just bare feet. This is fantastic if, like me, you sweat a lot in Yoga and it drips disgustingly down on your mat which then becomes a smooshy wet slip and slide for your feet but not so great if you're a dancer wanting to nail a triple pirouette on stage. When I was a dancer 99% of my turns were done on the ball of my foot (if I wasn't wearing pointe shoes) and if I slapped these footstickers on my tootsies I doubt I'd be able to master any type of turn in them. Not only that but I'd be afraid I'd twist my ankle if the grips are really as "grippy" as Nike claims they are. But hey, I'd be willing to try them! What about you?