Nielsen Fitness - Personal Training Toronto

Beans are one of nature’s healthiest foods – they are low in fat, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol and are packed with fibre and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and the B Vitamin folic acid.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation reports that eating beans may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Studies suggest beans are useful in managing diabetes, may cut risk for high blood pressure and may help in losing weight.

If this is enough to make you want to incorporate more beans into your diet, try this recipe that trainer Lars recommends:

Mix the following together in a large bowl. Any ingredient can be omitted depending on food preferences.

2 cups chopped green beans – cooked until tender
1 can chickpeas
1 can black beans
1 can lentils
1 sweet red/green/yellow/orange pepper, diced
1 cup sweet corn
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Chilli Lime Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable/olive/flax oil
1 tsp grated lime rind
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Note: Fresh organic beans are recommended, and canned beans should, as always, be drained and rinsed. This recipe makes a great meal or snack and keeps well for several days in fridge. Check out our recipes section for more great food ideas

I came across the following article today which asked the question ‘Is organic food worth the money?’ The question caught my attention because recently my fiancée and I decided to begin buying organic wherever possible – especially meat, eggs and dairy.

This lifestyle change was the result of my fiancée reading the book Skinny Bitch, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, which strongly advocates veganism and draws attention to the health – and in some cases, ethical – implications of eating factory farmed meat, dairy, and eggs, and chemically-doused produce.

Now, with little difficulty, the majority of the meat, dairy, eggs and fruits and vegetables we’re buying are organic. We find the flavour and quality of the food to be better, and we are resting better at night knowing we aren’t ingesting growth hormones, antibiotics and chemicals.

From a price-point perspective we’ve discovered that it is far more cost effective to buy from the speciality or organic section at our local Loblaws Superstore instead of at exclusively organic grocery stores (like Whole Foods). We have been amazed at the selection and to find that in many cases, organic is only marginally more expensive than ‘regular’ - if at all. In fact, last weekend, we bought organic oranges at a better price-point than regular ones!

The author of ‘Is Organic Food Worth the Money?’ spoke to three of Canada’s top chefs to get their take on whether organic is worth it. The verdict: sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. They unanimously agreed that organic is most important for meat, dairy and eggs, and least important for cereals and other grain-based foods.

I think there’s still some mystery out there about what ‘organic’ really means. I know more than a few people who think it’s a marketing gimmick to appeal to the wealthy. The truth is, organic food is simply food the way nature intended. I personally think it’s a shame that we’ve gotten to the point where this is the exception rather than the rule.

I’m not going to tell you to eat organic but I am going to suggest you give it some thought and do some research. At the very least you’ll be in a position to make an informed decision about what you want in your body.

Written by Lars:Click to read profile

Salba is an ancient grain that can be added to many of your favourite meals, and helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, manage the effects of diabetes, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, lower the glycemic index of a meal, promote regularity and much more. I add it to my protein shakes, oatmeal, and salads to add a little fibre, and EFA’s to my diet.

Gram for gram Salba has 50% of folate of asparagus, 15x more magnesium than broccoli, 1.1x more fibre than all bran, 2.5x more vegetable protein than kidney beans, 8x more omega 3 fatty acids than salmon, 3x more iron than spinach, 2x more potassium than a banana, 7x more vitamin C than an orange, and 6x more calcium than milk?

If you want to try a 3 day challenge, request for a sample at www.sourcesalba.com

Written by: Micheline click to read profile

1/2 c plain or vanilla yogurt
25gm protein powder (2/3 of a scoop), chocolate or vanilla
berries or other fruit - optional

-mix yogurt and protein powder and let sit in fridge 20min+, stir, add fruit and enjoy!

Written by Lars:Click to read profile

Energy Balls

½ cup raisins ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 ¾ cup chopped figs ½ cup chopped peanuts
1 cup chopped dried apricots ½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped pitted dates 1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ cup natural peanut butter ¾ cup unsweetened coconut

Place raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, and transfer to food processor, reserving water. Add figs, apricots and dates. Process for about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add peanut butter, cinnamon, peanuts and seeds. Mix, if mixture is dry add 1 or 2 tbsp of reserved raisin water. Roll into balls then roll in coconut to cover.

We’re excited to announce that our site now includes a section devoted to healthy and nutritious recipes. Nielsen Fitness welcomes your contribution, so feel free to post your favourite healthy recipes and/or nutritious snack suggestions.

Many people do not drink enough water. I’ve always encouraged everyone including my clients to drink a minimum of 6-8 glasses/day.

Water is essential for proper organ function. That includes your liver, kidneys and skin. Enough water will maximize your immune system, body temperature, digestion, cellular respiration, and the repair + lubrication of joints and tissues. The water we drink should also be clean because we need it to transport nutrients to cells and excrete waste out of the body. Clean water is essential to life and vitality.

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