Loulou's views

Finally, warmer days are here! Summer makes me happy, and the warmer temperature and sunshine always motivate me to stay on track with eating well, taking care of my body, and staying on top of my fitness routine. Of course, some days are harder than others, but I find it's easier to stay on track when the weather is cooperating nicely. Although working out several times a week is important in helping you look and feel great, I believe it's what you put inside your body that has a bigger impact. If you feel good from the inside, you'll no doubt look and feel incredible on the outside, too. The best part about getting healthier from the inside out is that it's not complicated. We all know what foods are good for us, and we know that being physically active is important, too. I like doing activities I love, like cycle and barre classes, and spending as much time in the great outdoors as I can, now that it's nice outside.  Whether it's swimming, pl...

Now that spring is here it's time to start thinking seriously about getting back in shape and healthy again, if you happened to have not stuck to a regular program during the long winter months. Hey, I get it–sometimes, it can be hard when it's so cold outside all you want to do is snuggle up on the couch with some not-so-healthy snacks. Although I try to keep working out daily and eating healthy part of my lifestyle routine throughout the year, I take it easy when it's not so nice outside; I still ski, and spend some times outside, but going to the gym tends to not happen every day. However, now that warmer days are coming, it's much more motivating to get my sweat on at the gym on a daily basis, and eat well. Along with eating well and working out, I take a daily multivitamin and a probiotic supplement, Align . If you're not too familiar with Align, let me help you out: it's the number one gastroenterologist recommended probiotic, and it helps relieve and ma...

I was first introduced to The Dailey Method this past summer when I was asked to be a blog ambassador and take part in the #DoItDailey30 challenge. Doing it daily sounded like an excellent idea to me, and I was definitely up for the challenge. I just didn't know quite how challenging it was going to be. The Daliey Method (TDM) is not only popular in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood, but across North America and Europe, as well. TDM is an efficient and effective way to increase muscle length, tone, and balance, all while improving cardio strength, posture, and motivation. The work-outs are amazing and will have you burning calories while you're building muscle in a fun environment with amazing teachers and music. (This is key!). I'm so excited that The Dailey Method has opened their very own Dailey Cycle studio. "Dailey Cycle fuses The Dailey Method's signature focus on alignment and body sculpting with the cardiovascular benefits of indoor cycling to de...

The holiday season was a wonderful time spent with family and friends, and overindulging on delicious foods and baked goods. Now that the holidays are over, and with routine finally back in our lives,  it's time to start eating healthy again. And thank goodness for that, because with an upcoming trip to Miami, there's no better time than now to get back to eating healthy, well-balanced meals. As much as I love getting back into my normal routine, I don't love meal planning (thinking of something different for my family to eat every day can be challenging) or the prep work in the kitchen. I recently had the chance to experience HelloFresh Canada , and my entire family loved it. HelloFresh Canada now delivers healthy, delicious, and convenient meal kits to your front door, so all the hard work—thinking of what you want to make for dinner, and then shopping for the right ingredients—is already taken care of for you. HelloFresh Canada takes care of meal planning, shopp...

Can you believe there is only one week left until Christmas? Yes, the holiday season is upon us, and if you're anything like me, you've been especially busy this month. So busy, you glance at the calendar in disbelief at how quickly the days are going by and a little frightened with all you have left to do before the end of the month... and year. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's easy to forget eating well and maintaining a healthy diet, with all the parties and cookies and festive beverages tempting you. Once you get in the habit of eating well, though (habits usually take 21 days to become a daily routine) it's easier to keep to your routine of eating well, despite the temptations around you. If you're looking to start your day off right, and improve your overall healthy, you should consider taking psyllium fibre. Sounds scary? It's not. It's just a naturally sourced dietary fibre found in Metamucil powder, and it has a long his...

The timing of this post is pretty ironic, considering I'm talking about tips for staying healthy this holiday season while battling a cold. It's the time of year that mostly everyone gets sick, but there are things we can do now to help us stay healthy for the rest of the holiday season. It is inevitable that when children come home from school with a cold or flu, it'll get passed on to the parents, so it's even more important that we take preventative steps to stay germ-free. We're in the midst of the holiday season, and my calendar is packing up with parties. I'm so excited—but I definitely don't want to miss out on any of the festivities because of a cold. Let's keep the kisses under the mistletoe peppermint-sweet and germ-free, okay? There are three easy tips to help protect yourself and your family this fall: eat well, wash your hands frequently, and get the flu shot. Eat Well It's important to keep your body fueled with nut...

It's spring, but it's supposed to snow tomorrow. That's just not sitting well with me, because I'm ready for warmer days—days where I can just put on a little dress and cute wedge heels and meet my girlfriends for a drink on a patio or shop... outside... without freezing! Even though the weather isn't great, you can still grab your friends and do something fun indoors—like head over to the National Women's Show  at the Shaw Centre. You can shop your heart out at over 250 exhibits, discover the latest fashion trends, watch a few fashion shows, enjoy some tasty treats and drinks, and plan you next getaway (somewhere warm, I hope) with the help of travel pros. It can be a bit overwhelming heading into the Shaw Centre for the National Women's Show, but they've divided up into sections so you can make sure to visit what you're most interested in: Festival of Fashion Business and Career Centre Beauty and Wellness Travel and Adventure World ...

Every year, I talk about making resolutions and sometimes, I don't follow through. Pretty common, right? However, this year—2016—I made realistic resolutions about taking better care of myself, starting from within. That means spending more time actually working out and being active, and not just talking about it. This means using my gym membership more than I did a year ago, and it means getting out and having fun with my children. There's nothing like having fun while staying active, like taking bike rides with the family, playing soccer, swimming, or skiing. I'm also eating better. It's amazing how even minor changes make me feel good right away; sure, I have cheat days where I indulge in dessert or chips, because you have to enjoy everything, in moderation; but overall, eating better makes me feel better, and sets a good example for my children. I'm taking daily vitamins, too. My favourite vitamins are  Nature's Bounty , especially Nature's Bounty ...

I don't often talk about health issues on my blog. However I thought it was important to bring up an issue that is near and dear to my heart and to spread the word about having The Talk about heart attacks.  Yes, I'm only in my 30's, however it is important to make sure we're aware of the warnings signs of hearts attacks and what we can do in emergency situation. This issue became really personal to me because last year, my father recently found out he has a pretty serious heart condition. Since then, I've become much more aware about heart attacks, what causes them, and what we can do to better prepare ourselves if we're in the same room as someone suffering a heart attack, or even if we are having one ourselves. Here is what you should know: In the event of a heart attack, call 911, then crush or chew two ASPIRIN 81mg tablets. This is vital and might help save your life or the life of someone you love. Did you know that one heart attack hap...

We have all been affected by cancer one way or another. We have felt the loss and pain of loved ones being diagnosed with this disease, we have friends and relatives who have lost their battle, and we've seen friends beat this disease. These people are now survivors we can all look up to. It seems there is someone else I know who is diagnosed with this terrible disease every month, but the good news is, every day, more and more people are becoming survivors, defying the odds, and every day, there is more research being done and we're this close to a cure. Go, science! I believe in our lifetime we'll see incredible advances for the prevention and treatment of cancer, and we'll also, hopefully, be witness to a cure. A few weeks ago, Cancer Care Ontario added two new cancers to its online cancer risk assessment tool: kidney and melanoma. My CancerIQ is a confidential, online tool that allows Ontarians to determine their personal risk factors for melanoma, breast, cervic...

I recently sat down and had a difficult discussion with my children. I talked to my boys about how certain messages they are being exposed to—when they are online, reading magazines, or watching television—are unhealthy. The messages I'm talking about are the ones that say young people have to look a certain way to be accepted; how dieting is good; and how young people can lose weight, quickly, to attain the "perfect" body. These unhealthy, negative body messages affect both boys and girls, and these messages are everywhere—targeted to children under the age of 16. I'm so glad Multi-Grain Cheerios launched a campaign to raise awareness about unhealthy body image messages—which are disguised as "harmless entertainment"—because it's time we do something to stop these harmful messages. The ads we see in magazines, online, and on television are making young people lose confidence in themselves and in their healthy bodies. Dietainment is what I'm t...