90210 chic

If you watch 90210 you've probably seen the ads for the Bebe for 90210 collection that they've been featuring on the show. While these type of collections are often rather lame, this one is actually kind of impressive. I'll definitely be picking up some of these pieces!

Love love looove this white blazer from the collection that Naomi is wearing. I've been searching for the perfect white blazer for quite a while and I think I've just found it!

Adriana's vibrant red top is so versatile and can be dressed up or down. The perfect red piece to add to your wardrobe!

This cute tie-front shirt Silver is sporting is the perfect Spring piece to pick up this time of year!

Check out the rest of the collection here

Oscar Wild

So the Oscars are this weekend (already!) and I for one have been a little surprised by the nominations. The nominees for Best Picture were:

• Black Swan
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

I predict The Fighter is gonna take the Best Picture award, as well as Best Supporting Actor, Christian Bale. This wasn't my first choice of movies to see but I LOVED it! It was SO GOOD.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Black Swan and I could see it winning. The King's Speech was really good and its getting rave reviews everywhere. But True Grit? The Social Network? Toy Story 3? The Kids Are All Right?  I mean, did they pick names out of a hat? No disrespect, but I don't think any of those are necessarily Oscar material. The Kids Are All Right was good, but not great. I've heard great things about Toy Story 3 but Best Picture? That might be a bit of a stretch. I also don't think Inception is worthy of Best Picture - did anybody really understand it?

The Social Network was actually really good and I think its maybe not being taken seriously because it is about Facebook.

I'm DYING to see 127 Hours!! To be honest, I don't even know what Winter's Bone is about, and I think True Grit looks like something I'd rather pull my hair out than watch.

I say its going to be a close call between Black Swan and The Fighter.

My predictions for the other main awards are as follows:

• Best Actor: Javier Bardem (because I love him, he reminds me of my boyfriend, and because that would be an amazing win). I think Colin Firth is worthy of the title, but also James Franco would be awesome
• Best Actress: Natalie Portman or Michelle Williams
• Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
• Supporting Actress: I'm really hoping for Helena Bonham Carter!
• Best Director: Sooo tough! David O. Russell for The Fighter or David Fincher for The Social Network

We'll find out this Sunday I suppose! So whip out your champagne and party dresses, the Oscars are coming!

Spin City

Spinning has always been a foreign, sounds-fun sort of thing to me. But yesterday I decided to take the plunge and try it, in an effort to look somewhat like Jennifer Aniston, who is a notorious spinner. Let me tell you, that girl works damn hard for that hot body!

It was a 45 minute class and the only word I can think to describe it would be torturous. Constant changing of speeds, standing up, leaning forward, always changing positions but your legs are doing all the work. At first I think I had the technique wrong because my legs were aching beyond belief - they were doing all the work. I switched my weight so I was putting a lot of it on my arms, which relieved a lot of the pain from my legs until you have to stop holding on. I think it'll take a few classes to get the technique down, but I like the fact that you control you hard you go so you go at your own pace, but its still very challenging.

But let me tell you, spinning is not very friendly to your lady parts. Its really not very comfortable, especially for 45 minutes! My upper, inner legs are really quite sore now.

Today I can barely walk. Pain would be an understatement to what my legs are feeling right now. Walking down the stairs is the worst - and sitting - excruciating actually! But I'm interested in keeping with it to really strengthen my weak leg muscles. Next time maybe it'll be a little easier. Wellll...probably not!

I'll just keep picturing Jennifer Aniston to get me through!

Fashion week extraordinaire!

As you may know, New York fashion week closes today! Then its off to London, Milan and finally Paris. Yesterday one of my favourite designers, Phillip Lim showed in NY, and it was nothing short of amazing in my opinion. I'm loving the vibrant green and blue, as well as the menswear trend that is surely here to stay

Dieee for this finale dress!

Also showing yesterday was the amazing Oscar de la Renta...

And the ever so chic Victoria Beckham also showed yesterday to rave reviews...

Check out the full collections at www.Style.com

Quinoa soup

I've recently created a very delicious and healthy soup. I used chicken broth and added extra water to dilute the high sodium. Then I added all my favourite and available veggies, including:

• carrots
• peppers
• onions
• celery
• zucchini
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• tomatoes
• various spices such as fresh ground pepper, basil, parsley, and Herbamare sea salt

And then I added cooked quinoa for some protein! I thought I'd just try it to see how it would turn out and it was actually really good! The quinoa tends to sink to the bottom a little bit so you have to stir it up. All in all, it was a great way to incorporate the endless health benefits of quinoa to your diet in a different way!

It looked pretty much like this....

Soo yummy!

Hot body: Jennifer Aniston

We all know how amazingly attractive our favourite Friend, Ms. Jennifer Aniston is. Everyone knows she loves yoga, and it shows! Just take a look at one of her Smart Water ads:

Look at those abs! But now she's looking even hotter - is it possible?? For her new perfume that launches this month, Jen went sexy & topless for the ad campaign. Take a look at what John Mayer's missing:

Damn, girl! Can you say HOT? Holy smokes this woman keeps getting better and better looking! And for those who've seen her new film with Adam Sandler, Just Go With It, you've seen her hot bikini bod up close. Personally, I'd take her over Brooklyn Decker any day! We bet Brad, John & whoever else are kicking themselves now!

Yoga classes just got a lot busier!

Happy V Day

Fashion Week!!

Wednesday marked the kick-off of New York Fashion Week! How exciting!!! Some of the highlights from the past few days are:

Thursday 10th:

• BCBGMAXAZRIA
• Mara Hoffman
• Christian Siriano

Friday 11th:

• Perry Ellis
• Rebecca Taylor
• Rebecca Minkoff
• Nicole Miller
• Cynthia Rowley

And todays top shows:

• Jill Stuart
• Prabal Gurung
• Vivienne Tam
• Charlotte Ronson

Flabby belly is a dangerous belly

One of the most common areas people want to lose weight or tone up is the stomach. It seems to be the body part most people complain about and the first they want to lose. Research shows it can also be the most dangerous place to have fat.

Visceral fat is the fat in your tummy behind the subcutaneous fat, which is the outer layer you can grab. Visceral fat surrounds your organs and basically controls your metabolism. Belly fat can lead to such things as heart disease, cancer, stroke, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and even sexual dysfunction.

All the more reason to get that cardio in and be burning fat! They say visceral fat is the easiest fat to lose. Hooray! Research shows that walking just 30 minutes a day can cause you to lose that weight and keep it off. Switching between walking and running, as well changing the incline on which you walk will cause you to burn even more calories!

A leaner belly can mean better sleep, a healthier heart, higher metabolism, better sex! So get on that treadmill or that park path and walk it off!

Alexander McQueen: one year today

Its hard to believe its been one entire year since we lost one of most influential, creative and innovational designers of all time. The fashion world is still reeling from Lee Alexander McQueen's untimely death last winter. He was such an extraordinary craftsman and his talent was limitless. Lee's right-hand woman for over 10 years, Sarah Burton has taken over the house and is creating some really beautiful pieces, I must admit. Thankfully there is someone as talented and wonderful as Sarah at the helm of McQueen's empire.

Below are some of Alexander McQueen's most memorable, iconic and extraordinarily crafted pieces. It is truly breathtaking the craftsmanship of his work. What an unbelievably talented man...

There will never be anyone who can take the place of Lee Alexander McQueen. What an extraordinary loss not only for the fashion world, but for the rest of the world as well. We shall never forget...

God bless you Lee and may you rest in peace. You are deeply, deeply missed. And I hope that wherever you are, that you are at peace.

Yet another reason to avoid trans fat

We all know how bad trans fats are for you but new research shows they could even be harmful to your mood. According to Healthnews.com, a group of Spanish scientists have discovered a link between consuming too much trans fat and your risk of depression.

This study, conducted by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed the lives of 12,059 Spanish participants over a six year period, tracking their lifestyles, illnesses and dietary intake. They found the participants whose diet consisted of more than 0.6% of calories from trans fat had a 48% increase in depression compared to the participants who consumed almost no trans fats in their diet. The study also found that eating a heart-healthy diet that includes omega-3s such as olive oil actually reduces your risk of depression.

Just another reason to say no to those french fries!

Skinny Canada!

While I really don't agree with the BMI system, I found this study rather interesting. Its a study published by Global Post of the fattest countries of 2010. Surprisingly, America is not #1. And quite excitingly, though not particularly surprising, Canada did not even place! YAY! We are a polite, healthy nation :)

The percents are the percentage of the population with a BMI over 25, which is considered overweight.

The top 10 fattest countries are as follows:
1. Nauru 95 percent
2. Micronesia 92 percent
3. The Cook Islands 92 percent
4. Tonga 92 percent
5. Niue 84 percent
6. Samoa 83 percent
7. Palau 81 percent
8. United States 79 percent
9. Kiribati 77 percent
10. Dominica 76 percent

Other countries that made the list were Kuwait (75%), Argentina (75%), Mexico (73%), Australia (71%), Egypt (70%), Greece (70%), Belarus (67%) and United Kingdom (66%).

I have to say, I really can't stand the BMI system. It only takes into account your height and weight, which is a rather inaccurate test of whether someone is overweight or not.  Helloooo, muscle weighs more than fat! What about athletes that are almost all muscle? I would bet they rate as "overweight" or even "obese". It makes more sense to go by fat percentage of a person's body.

Nonetheless, Canada still didn't even place! Woohooo Canucks!

The right carbs = leaner tummy

According to RealAge, a health website which I am addicted to (the weekly emails rock!), choosing the right type of carbohydrate can cause you to lose belly fat. Said carb is whole grains. We already know that whole grains are good for our hearts and help fight off diseases, but now curbing stomach fat is just another great reason to choose the brown rice or whole wheat pasta!

Here's the kicker: you gotta go all or nothing. You can't be mixing great whole grains with refined and processed white carbohydrates, like bread. You need to be eating ALL whole grains. They recommend getting 3 servings a day. Whole grain cereal, bread, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice are all great options!

Doesn't that look yummy?

What's a Bieber?

As you may have heard or seen, Justin Bieber & Ozzy Osbourne teamed up for a Best Buy commercial to air during the Superbowl yesterday. Personally, I wasn't very impressed. Though I did enjoy Ozzy's line "What's a Bieber?"
Take a look at People.com

Superbowl food hangover

If you're anything like me, you're feeling pretttttty shitty after yesterday's superbowl feast. I am a very healthy eater and I made sure to eat beforehand, but the party I went to was FULL of bad food. Ughhh. I did eat a lot of veggies though, and minimal chips, dip, wings, & other crap. But after all the chips, veggies & other appetizers there came white rice, chili, caesar salad and hot dogs. NIGHTMARE! I just ate a bit of rice, chili & salad with minimal dressing. I also decided to treat myself and have one small cupcake and one very small scoop of ice cream. Thankfully I left not feeling too bad and went for a long, treacherous walk! But this morning on the treadmill I really paid for it! All that crappy, processed, fatty food TOTALLY weighed me down & I had to work so much harder just to finish my regular workout. Not cool. I'm not even a big football fan! Thus, I'm boycotting any more sports events.

So if you're feeling a food hangover today, you're not alone. Tomorrow will be better.

Eat some veggies, friends.
xoxo

Skinny Bitch

While I’ve always cared about my health and what I put into my body, I recently read a book that changed my life. I watched Food Inc a few months ago and was absolutely horrified at what I saw. I already knew some of the information in the documentary but was blown away by seeing the situations. Fresh off forcing myself to watch every minute of the movie, I picked up a book I didn’t know too much about but had been wanting to read for awhile. Said book is called Skinny Bitch.

I had seen it in the bookstores and heard a bit about it but didn’t realize it was intense VEGANISM! Written about 5 years prior to Food Inc and this whole influx of information we are exposed to now about factory farming, Skinny Bitch blew the lid off the factory farming “secrets”. It goes into gross detail of how cruelly the animals are treated, as well as how they are prepared for consumption. It is definitely enough to turn one vegan. I was literally in tears on one page and on the verge of being sick on the next page. It is disturbing to say the least. But it is a MUST-READ. Even if you have no intentions of being vegan, please PLEASE read this book so at least you are aware and can make better choices about the meat and animal products you are consuming.

I went completely vegan after reading this book for a few weeks and am still living a mostly vegan lifestyle. Organic free-range chicken once in awhile, pure honey, and organic free-range eggs rarely. You can get vegan cheese, veggie burgers, soy yogurt, soy/almond/rice milk, meat & seafood substitutes, soy butter, you can get everything vegan! And they are good! The book, as well as the follow up, Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, offer so many awesome suggestions and alternatives to eating animal products. There are also a whole slew of other books including Skinny Bitchin’ and Skinny Bitch: Bun in the oven. They’ll tell you the best & worst brands, delicious recipes, everything. I am obsessed with this franchise! (I should be getting commission for the amount of times I obsess over this to people!)

But honestly, it truly changed my life. I am so SO excited to make my favourite foods with alternatives such as whole wheat flour, rice milk, soy yogurt, soy/vegetable butter instead of the fatty regular kind or chemical-ridden margarine (BIG no-no!), and all the other alternatives! There are replacements for all the regular unhealthy ingredients we normally use. Its so exciting!

Kim Barnouin, one of the co-authors, recently wrote a full on cookbook called Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook which is full of new recipes, brands, alternatives, so many great suggestions. There are vegan cupcakes, pizza, soup, stew, smoothies, cookies, everything!

These books (in particular the first one) are a big wake-up call. I most definitely recommend reading them so at least you know. Wouldn’t you want to know that the USDA stamps items “organic” when in fact they were not produced organically in any way, shape or form? Or that less than 10% of cattle killed for consumption in the US are tested for madcow disease, when countries such as Japan test 100% (as they should)? [Although it doesn’t matter because even cows that test positive for madcow disease are often still sold for consumption in the US.] Or that the FDA approved the use of chemicals that are known to cause cancer to be used in factory farms?

Why is it that young girls seem to be reaching puberty so much earlier, like at 9 years old?! Its because of all the hormones being fed to the animals, chickens in particular, so they grow really large in a very short amount of time, for more profits. And then WE end up eating those hormones and antibiotics and chemicals and everything else they feed them. Why have our bodies built up such an immunity to antibiotics and other drugs? Because we’ve been eating them in our meat since we were children! Its also the reason for sooo many cases of cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and so much more.

Okay, I’ve preached enough. Clearly I’m a supporter of these books and a vegan lifestyle, but I’m not trying to change you or the world. (I’d really like to change the factory farming ways though!) I just want you to do your research and make your own decisions! Watch Food Inc. Read Skinny Bitch. Read Eating Animals by Jonathon Safran Foer. Just read and watch whatever you can and do your research to inform yourself! Thats all I’m asking.

Guilt free chocolate chip cookies

The other night I created something amazing: healthy chocolate chip cookies. Yes, that's right. Cookies that you don't have to loath yourself for eating. I followed a simple cookbook recipe but substituted a few of the ingredients for healthier ones.

Instead of chemical-laden margarine I used Earth Balance natural buttery spread. I did have the whipped kind which they don't recommend for baking but the cookies turned out ok. On the website they tell you which types of baking and cooking each product is good for and they have the perfect alternatives to using butter or margarine! I am obsessed with these products! They even have a whole slew of yummy recipes made healthy like mac-n-cheese, brownies and fettucini alfredo! What a GOD SEND!!! Check out their products here: Earth Balance Natural Spreads

I also substituted regular flour for whole wheat flour, carob chips instead of chocolate chips and brown instead of white sugar. I actually wanted to use my favourite sweetener, agave syrup, but I didn't have enough of it. Its so naturally sweet that you need 3/4 of a cup of agave for every 1 cup of sugar! Amazing! So that will be my next project: agave chocolate chip cookies.

Anyway, lets get to it. Here's the recipe and feel free to change & add things to create your own!

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter or buttery spread
1 egg
3/4 cup carob or dark chocolate chips

• Mix dry ingredients together until even. Add butter and egg. Mix in chocolate chips
• Roll into medium size balls and flatten with fork.
• Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

**If using agave nectar or syrup, use 3/4 cup for every cup of sugar. Lower the temperate by 25 F and bake for an extra 10 minutes.
Note: I had to add a pinch of water to get the ingredients to mix but that may have been because I used the whipped buttery spread (which they don't recommend for baking) instead of the regular.

And voila! Obviously these aren't health foods that you should be stuffing your face with all day, but its an option when you have those sugar cravings and you don't want to feel guilty. We need to indulge a little!

Share your own recipes for yummy, healthy desserts!

SAG = such amazing gowns

Ok, can we talk about how amazing the style was at the SAG awards on Sunday?? UNREAL! From de la Renta to Marchesa to McQueen (I'm still dying for Mila's dress!) to Louis Vuitton...the list goes on and on!

Mila Kunis' McQueen dress was by far my favourite. AMAZING Sarah Burton, absolutely amazing!

I'm also soo in love with Rosario Dawson's J Mendel gown

Dianna Agron's lacy Chanel Haute Couture rocks

Glee's Heather Morris looked stunning in cream chiffon Romona Keveza

Glee's other stunner of the night, Jayma Mays wore a peach Jenny Packham gown

Natalie Portman was so cute with her ever-growing baby bump in white Azzaro

Love the rich colour of Kim Kardashian's Marchesa gown

Looking hot is the best revenge! Eva Longoria was gorgeous as always in draped Georges Hobeika

The queen of great colour choices, Mariska Hargitay totally rocked Isaac Mizrahi's purple gown

Now thats vintage worth keeping! Kyra Sedgwick wore simple yet amazing vintage Thierry Mugler

Better than the Oscars! It was definitely a great year at the SAG awards for style this past weekend! Everybody looked amaaaazing. Mila, feel free to donate your McQueen stunner to moi. Call me