11 - 2017 - Choose2be Nanaimo Fitness

Easy No-Cook Granola Bars

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 16, 2017 | Nutrition

Homemade granola bars are a simple way to make snacks ahead of time, especially when you want something easy to pack for school, work or busy days. Making them yourself also lets you adjust the ingredients, sweetness and texture based on what your family likes.

This recipe is no-bake, flexible and easy to store in the fridge or freezer.

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup peanut butter or another nut or seed butter
½ cup honey, maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
4 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Grind the Oats

Add the oats to a blender or food processor and pulse until they are partly broken down. You can leave them more textured or grind them finer depending on the consistency you prefer.

2. Process the Seeds and Raisins

Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, flaxseed and chia seeds to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is chopped into smaller pieces.

3. Add the Nut Butter and Sweetener

Add the peanut butter and honey or maple syrup. Blend until the mixture starts to come together.

Gradually add the oats and continue mixing. If the food processor becomes too full, transfer everything to a large bowl and finish mixing by hand.

4. Add the Chocolate Chips

Stir in the chocolate chips once the mixture has cooled and is evenly combined.

5. Press Into a Pan

Line a baking dish or tray with parchment paper. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan.

The more firmly you compress it, the better the bars will hold together.

6. Chill and Slice

Place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer until firm. Once chilled, remove and cut into bars or squares.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Make Them Your Own

This recipe is easy to adapt. You can use almond butter, sunflower seed butter or another nut or seed butter. Raisins can be swapped for cranberries or chopped dates, and you can add coconut, cinnamon or other seeds if you like.

If the mixture feels too dry, add a little more nut butter or sweetener. If it feels too sticky, add a bit more oats.

A Practical Homemade Snack

These bars contain oats, seeds, nut or seed butter and dried fruit, so they provide a mix of carbohydrate, fat, fiber and some protein.

They are still an energy-dense snack, especially with nut butter, sweetener and chocolate chips, so I prefer to think of them as a homemade snack rather than label them as automatically “healthy” or “better” than every packaged bar.

The biggest advantage is that you know exactly what is in them and can adjust the recipe to suit your family.

More Choose2be Recipes

If you enjoy easy homemade snacks, you may also like Raw Nanaimo Bars, No-Cook Peanut Butter Cake, Mexican-Style Zucchini Lasagna and Cookie Dough Energy Balls.

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Zumba: The Perfect Dance Fitness Revolution for Body and Soul on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 9, 2017 | Dance

If you’re looking for a fun way to get in shape and stay healthy, look no further than Zumba. Zumba is a dance fitness program that combines various styles of dance and music into an energetic, full-body workout. As a fitness enthusiast and certified Zumba instructor for over 10 years, I can attest to the numerous benefits that Zumba has to offer.

Zumba was first introduced in 2001 by Alberto “Beto” Perez, a Colombian dancer and choreographer. Beto was inspired to create Zumba when he forgot his traditional workout music and instead used his personal collection of salsa and merengue music for his class. The students loved it, and a new form of exercise was born.

Fast forward to 2006, when Zumba released its first DVD set. As soon as I saw it on Amazon, I ordered it and fell in love with it immediately. Coming from a background in bellydance and fitness, I found that Zumba was the perfect combination for me. It combined my love of dance with a full-body workout that left me feeling energized and motivated.

In 2007, I attended a Zumba teacher training in Montreal with Beto himself. After completing the training, I started teaching Zumba classes and was amazed at how much people loved it. The music variety and the fitness disguised into a dance party were the perfect combination to get people moving and having fun. Over the years, Zumba has expanded its musical repertoire to include a wide variety of styles, from Latino music like salsa and cumbia, to funk, afro-cuban, Brazilian, flamenco, hip hop, jazz, and more.

One of the things I love about Zumba is that it brings people of all ages and fitness levels together. I’ve taught Zumba to seniors, in high schools, in elementary schools, for fundraisers, and for university students. It’s a great way to get a full-body workout while having fun and socializing with others who share a love of music and movement.

Dance is not only good for your body, but also for your brain. It increases coordination, balance, and agility, while also providing a great way to destress and boost your mood. Many of my students have told me how much better they feel after a Zumba class, and how it has helped them overcome anxiety and depression.

If you’re new to Zumba, don’t be intimidated! The purpose of Zumba is simply to move your body and have fun. There is no right or wrong way to do it, and no dance show to perform. The advice I give to participants is to start from the ground up. Try to do the steps first, then add the hips, the arms, and then the hands. Add your own special flare to it and make it your own.

In addition to traditional Zumba classes, I also offer a variety of dance classes, including bellydance. Bellydance is a great way to understand how your hips and torso can move, and I explain 5 basic movements in this article.

If you’re in the Vancouver Island area, check out my calendar of current Zumba classes and dance classes. And for those who want to take their Zumba workouts to the next level, check out my Zumba bundle.

In conclusion, Zumba is a fun and effective way to get in shape and stay healthy. It’s a workout that doesn’t feel like work, and it’s a great way to connect with others who share a love of music and movement. So why not give it a try and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?

Eating for Health and Savings: Tips for Grocery Shopping on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 2, 2017 | Nutrition

Improving Your Diet and Saving Money on Groceries

Over the years, my diet has changed considerably, and so has my grocery shopping. In this post, I will share with you my journey towards a healthier diet and my tips on how to save money on groceries. If you are in Vancouver Island, Nanaimo, this post will be especially useful for you.

First, let me clarify the word “diet.” For many people, this word has a negative connotation because it means to restrict oneself from some kind of food in order to lose weight. In this post, when I talk about diet, I simply refer to the kind of food I eat.

I used to eat for pleasure, indulging in high sugar food and dessert. This type of diet was not good for my body or my mind. I often felt guilty for the food I ate and was stuck in an unhealthy pattern. I’ve also tried to have a diet that kept me lean and even tried doing a body fitness competition. I had to lower my body fat as much as possible. However, lately, I’ve been trying to eat food with an environmental consciousness, and that’s why I’ve become a vegetarian. As a mother of two young boys, I have limited time to cook, so I need simplicity. My partner and I also made a commitment to find new ways to eat healthy nourishing food while maintaining our budget.

It seems like in the last few years, it’s getting harder to stretch our dollars on food. The price of food has gone up a lot, and we need to have a plan in place to know how to spend only so much money on food. It’s been estimated that food will go up 5% just in 2023, and for most households, groceries are the biggest expense they have. Therefore, I wanted to share a few tips I’ve discovered on how to save some money on groceries.

First tip to save on grocery; try to grow some food during the summer. Some of the essential food that we grow are tomatoes, potatoes, squash, corn, beans, onions, garlic, and almost forgot honey. These food items are easy to grow and store to eat during the winter. It’s also really nice to know that your food will help the environment and are grown without chemicals or GMO. Growing food is also a great opportunity to be outdoors with our kids, and there are so many discoveries to be made in the process. We currently have the opportunity to rent our neighbor’s yard and grow food on a half-acre. Be aware that there are so many options to grow food even if you don’t have the space. I believe it’s one of the best time and health investments you can do for yourself and the Mother Earth.
Second tip to save on grocery; buy bulk food. We like buying bulk food like oatmeal, rice, quinoa, raisins, beans, sunflower seeds, popcorn, nutritional yeast, coconut oil. It seems like a lot of money to put up front when you buy such a big quantity, but you can save so much money in the long run. It can also limit all the trips to the grocery store.
Third tip to save on grocery; don’t buy processed food. Take the time to research some good recipes and plan ahead of time. Making your meals from scratch is one of the biggest ways you can save money. The more prepared food is, the more it usually costs, and it’s usually pretty unhealthy. Also, when you cook, make sure you make too much so you can freeze some, take it for lunch, share it with friends. That will also help you save some excuse to have to go out to buy some food because you are hungry and are running out of time.

In conclusion, making changes to our diet and grocery shopping habits can have a significant impact on our health, our budget, and the environment. By growing our own food, buying in bulk, and avoiding processed foods, we can save money, eat healthier, and reduce our carbon footprint.

It’s important to remember that making these changes doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With a little bit of planning and creativity, we can find simple and delicious ways to incorporate nourishing foods into our daily routine.

Overall, the journey towards a healthier and more sustainable diet is a continuous process, and it’s important to be kind to ourselves along the way. By embracing small changes and celebrating our progress, we can create a positive and sustainable relationship with food and the planet.

In terms of improving the post, one suggestion would be to include more specific information and resources about local options for sustainable and affordable food in Vancouver Island and Nanaimo. This could include farmer’s markets, community gardens, and local grocery stores that offer organic and locally sourced produce. Adding relevant keywords related to health, fitness, and sustainable eating practices can also help with SEO. Additionally, including more personal anecdotes and experiences can make the post more engaging and relatable for readers.