Ahoy! It's time to tackle week 3 of the spring clean up. Actually, if you struggled to hit your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day last week, this weeks objective will surely help. The goal; a salad a day!

Why a salad a day? Why not!?

Salads are a great way to to throw back some fresh, raw fruits and vegetables with very little time or effort. The flavor combinations are almost infinite, the ingredients are generally cheap, they can be made in minutes.. no.. seconds, and let's not forget about the fact that leafy greens are both nutrient rich and virtually calorie free (although, you don't need leafy greens to make a salad!). I mean, you can't go wrong. We'll, you can, but we'll touch on that in a minute.

If you've never tried using fresh fruit in a green salad before, give it a try, you won't be disappointed. Strawberries, apples, pears, oranges, etc all add a unique flavor and healthy kick. Raisins, cranberries and other dried fruit can also be used to add a sweet chewy texture, but don't over do it as dried fruits tend to be sugary.

Nuts make a for a great alternative to croutons, adding a good crunch and unique flavor. Walnuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios all work great. If you prefer the bread variety, look for a good whole wheat or whole grain crouton for some added nutrients.

Now, the dressings are what make or break a salad. I always recommend making your own fresh dressings at home, which are super simple. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 part acid (citric juices or vinegars) to 2-3 parts oil. I typically use olive oil, but you can add a splash of sesame, peanut, or other oils for flavor. For a creamier dressing you can reduce the oil to 1-2 parts, and add some Greek yogurt or sour cream.

A few examples might be:

A simple Caesar Dressing:

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Greek yogurt

1 clove minced garlic

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauced

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

a pinch of salt and black pepper

or

A simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

a pinch of salt and black pepper

The ingredients can be whatever you like, but the ratio of oil and acid generally stay the same. Try using a variety of herbs and spices to come up with your own tasty dressings, or check out a few of the salad recipes on our site. If you insist on using prepared dressings, try looking for quality brands that use real, wholesome ingredients.

I guess that's about it folks. Theres nothing complicated about making salads. They can be absolutely delicious and make for a great side dish or a complete meal. Whether you're cutting carbs, counting calories or just plain trying to eat better, you can't go wrong with a daily salad.

So now its time to tackle week 2. Since week 1 may have been a challenge for some, I opted to make week 2 a bit easier. The goal this time around is simply to ensure that we are getting a full 5 servings of fruits and or vegetables each and every day. For some, this may be a daunting task, but I assure you, its simple. 

The objective here is to replace some of the processed foods and sugary snacks we would typically eat with fresh nutrient rich produce. If you usually find yourself reaching for a bag of chips, a chocolate bar or a handful of candy, try instead reaching for a fresh crispy apple, a sweet ripe banana or a handful of grapes. Not only will you feel better, both physically and mentally for making the better choice, but you will also likely feel fuller throughout the day as you'll likely be consuming more fibre than you would if you opt to eat the junk.

Also, if your side dishes usually consist of packaged noodles, instant potatoes, or any of the numerous overly processed frozen foods that are available, try to replace them a fresh crisp salad or simple steamed and dressed vegetables. Get creative and make good use of that delicious produce. If you lack creativity, browse through our recipes! I'm sure you'll find something that tickles your fancy.

I will however say this now. 5 servings of fruits and vegetables should be considered a minimum goal for the day. In the upcoming weeks we will be reworking this goal and shooting for closer to 10 servings per day.

So, with that being said, good luck to everyone! If you find a great side dish or snack that incorporates plenty of fresh produce, feel free to post it in the comments section!

Spring is finally upon us. Its time to clean.

No, I'm not referring to that old storage closet or pile of junk in the garage. I'm talking about a fitness and nutrition clean up. I may speak for myself, but beach weather will soon be here, and I'm not planning on missing out this year.

So, here's what I propose. Each week we'll take 1 bad habit related to health and fitness and toss it away. Start small, one step at a time. I'm going to be posting my own clean up goals, but feel free to make your own.

Week 1: Hello water, goodbye sugar.

I'm going to start with, what I believe to be one of the simplest yet most important dietary changes many of us can and should make: Drink plenty of water. No more sodas or sugary juices here, just straight up crisp and refreshing water. It may come as a surprise to some, just how many calories you can save by simply drinking water instead of sodas and juices. Not only does drinking water help prevent the intake of empty calories but it may also help provide consistent energy through out the day as you will be eliminating some of the sugar induced crashes.

Lets look at the numbers for a moment. (1) 355ml can of soda contains on average 160 calories. Most, if not all of these calories come from sugar. How much sugar? About 9 teaspoons per can. I encourage anyone to go to the kitchen and actually measure out 9 teaspoons of sugar. Look at all the sugar, and let it really sink in. Now, if you drink 2 cans of soda per day, which is not unusual, I want you to consider this: 2 cans of soda x 10 days = 3,200 calories. That's right. 3,200 calories. Eliminating those 2 sodas per day will result in a weight loss of almost 1 pound per 10 days. That could be almost 3 pounds per month just by eliminating sodas and sugary juices. Think about that the next time you reach for a can of your favourite sugary beverage.

Forgetting the weight-loss aspect of replacing sugary drinks with water, we should also, probably more importantly, look at the health perks. We've all heard of diabetes before right? How about heart disease? Not very nice diseases be diagnosed with. Drinking just one or two sugary drinks a day may be over doubling your odds of developing these disease. And don't forget about bone-loss and tooth decay. That, for me at least, is reason enough to say goodbye to sodas and sugary juices and say hello to cool, refreshing water.

If you're one of those weirdos who doesn’t like water (just kidding) you can jazz it up with a splash of lemon or lime juice. Or, you could just suck it up and get used it! Which, you will actually do quite quickly. Before you know it, you'll soon begin to appreciate the simple, refreshing nature of water.

Now, I'm not saying you can't enjoy a glass of soda or juice every once in a while, but lets try to make them treats instead of staples.

Now, go pour a glass and drink up.

Does this sound like you?

I saw this floating around Facebook and the first thought that sprung to mind was “Amen”. Now, don't get me wrong, I do a fair amount of jogging every week, but if I was ever in a situation that required some serious hightailin', I'd be worried.

So, I decided it was time to crank up my cardio. I'll be adding some H.I.I.T (High Intensity Interval Training) to my running routine this week. If you're not familiar with H.I.I.T, it basically involves short burst of high intensity cardio followed by short low intensity breaks. This is said to be a very effective method of increasing your cardiovascular fitness or to help you break through a plateau.

I'll keep you posted on the results.

Apply the knowledge I will present to you shortly, and you can happily drop all the restrictive diets you may be on or have ever tried. Forget about temporary weight loss. Forget about the nasty weight gain that follows most failed diets. Forget about saying goodbye to your favourite guilty pleasure foods. Sound too good to be true?

Stay tuned.