Just relax...

Last night I got into a pretty serious discussion with my boyfriend regarding my job and what it actually entails.  I'm an office manager for a small environmental company and, generally, I love it.  I'm free to do whatever I feel is necessary to make the company run better and my boss is a pretty flexible guy.  However, he is also one of the most difficult people I've ever worked for.  He has no concept of patience and his mind goes a mile a minute, which is fine, as long as you're not the one who gets asked to do several different tasks at the same time for a project that he'll forget about starting in about two hours.   

Anyway, I don't really want to rant too much about him, but really, I could go on for hours.  The short story is that he makes me upset pretty often.  I pride myself on doing good work and I'm always out to prove that I'm capable at my job.  My boss, however, asks me questions very frequently, which I can't possibly answer or he asks something that is completely out of left field and has no connection to anything that the company has been doing and I'm left scrambling to try to keep up with his ever-changing erratic thoughts.   Now, I don't like saying "I don't know".  I absolutely hate it.  I want to be able to have the answer he's looking for, every time.   Unfortunately, I don't and he makes me feel pretty stupid for it.  He doesn't mean to, I know this, it's just the way he is and it's not personal.  Anyway, a lot of the time this really gets me down because I do try very hard at work and he makes it kind of seem like I'm never doing the right thing.  His favourite phrase is "here's what I would've done....".

Okay, so that's a part of what upsets me about him and working for this company (and yes, there is a lot more I could go into).    I don't like that I come home frustrated and bring my stress home with me.  Last night we decided that a large part of my job is to DEAL with my boss.  Truly, it is a task in itself that deserves a pretty decent paycheque.  Just thinking of dealing with him as a job I'm paid to do makes me feel better about it all.

It's funny, just now I received an e-mail from him that has now made me pretty upset.  Perfect timing.  It probably upset me more than usual because I'm actually writing about work and bringing up feelings that usually get me pretty angry. 

I need to calm down about this.  I've been trying to focus on positive things in my life, and just treat work as a way to fund my fun.  Though I love what I do, and I'm working towards being a consultant, I still need to be able to shake off the work burden when I get home.  If someone out there has the same work stresses and has found a way to deal with it positively (and I know you're out there!), feel free to give me some advice and some tips on how to unwind.  

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Mother Mother!

Last night I went to see one of my favourite bands, Mother Mother in Victoria.   I had to wait around after work because, since I'm doing the Candida diet thing, I didn't really want to go out for dinner with my co-worker and have that temptation yelling in my face.  Also, I brought a very excellent salmon and quinoa spinach salad.  So, instead of going out for eats, I opted to eat my salad at the beach with a Yerba Mate tea.  I'm quite picky about my teas, so I really wanted a type of lemon ginger Yerba Mate that I get from a local coffee shop chain.  However, every single one of those stupid coffee shops was closed by 5:30pm!  Who closes at 5:30pm?!  Apparently every cafe here in this sleepy-ass city.  So here I was, driving around getting angrier and angrier, just about ready to run over the next person that jaywalked in front of me, and then I found an open coffee shop!  Hallelujah!   Grumbling and probably pretty sour looking, I bought my tea and then drove to the beach where I sat in my truck (it was too chilly to sit outside), ate my dinner, and calmed down.  

Victoria is a very beautiful place.  I often forget that because I'm usually running errands when I'm there and I rarely take the time to stop and admire the vast expanse of ocean and mountains around me.   While I was sitting and relaxing, I watched people running and walking their dogs, and man, were there ever a lot of runners.  I swear, everyone in James Bay and Cook St. Village (the areas of Victoria that I was sitting in) must have forgotten how to walk and can only run.  Not that I'm complaining, I think it's awesome because I'm a runner as well.  I decided, as I sat there, to most definitely run along the Dallas Road sea wall sometime (maybe many times) soon.  This picture show the grass, the ocean, and then the Olympic Mountains in the US (and also a jogger and my cracked windshield), pretty nice.

Okay, and THEN I got to to see Mother Mother.  Stoked!  They're a local band, I think quite a few of them are from Quadra Island, which is just North of where I am.  They're all fantastic musicians and it's inspiring to watch and listen to them.  The lead singer and guitarist, Ryan Guildemond, has the most amazing on-stage energy.  Wearing suspenders and an extremely puffy front mohawk (a little bit like TinTin), he totally rocks the hot farm boy look.  Plus, he's not too bad looking.  Actually, the whole band is pretty good looking, and very talented.  The bassist, Jeremy Page, busted out a clarinet solo in one song, and a sax solo in another.  I was in the back so it was kind of surprising to hear a clarinet playing all of sudden.  Clarinet from nowhere!

If you've never heard Mother Mother before, I highly suggest taking a listen-loo at a few of their songs.  I quite like "Hayloft" and "O My Heart".  So good.  

Candida Cleanse - Day 6

Yes, I skipped a few days, but it was the weekend and I don't have a computer at my house (weird, I know) so I couldn't post anything.  Not that I would have anyway because I was SO TIRED.  I fell asleep sitting up a total of THREE times this weekend.  I'm not one for falling asleep in uncomfortable positions so this was pretty bizarre.

I'm inclined to say that the cleanse was what was making me so sleepy and lethargic (I didn't even want to get off the couch to go to the bathroom.....but don't worry, I did), but I'm not really sure as my boyfriend was as sleepy as a hibernating bear as well.   We both looked like this:

Perhaps I've got a little cold or something.  Well, whatever it was I'm feeling a heap better today.  Though I didn't sleep too well last night (someone was snoring directly at my head), I wasn't tired this morning when I got up, nor as I went for my run.

My energy, in general, hasn't been very high since I started the cleanse.  I've found that it really picks up when I eat something, but it doesn't last for very long.  I've been trying to eat several little things throughout the day just to keep myself going and that's working out pretty well.   I made a wicked lemon and garlic chicken stirfry on Saturday and the leftovers are my lunch for today.  I had a giant omelette for breakfast (with A LOT of garlic) and I've got a spinach salad with salmon for dinner.

I'm going to see a local band tonight, Mother Mother, so I prepared many snacks in case I pull a 'falling asleep sitting up' stunt at the show.  That would be a little embarrassing.  If you've never heard Mother Mother, I suggest giving them a listen because they are totally fantastic.

I accidentally...

...bought these boots the other day.  I found them online and then kept going back to the site and looking at them.  I did that for about two days and then pulled the trigger and bought the hell out of those little guys.

I'm super stoked for them to get here because it won't be open-toed shoe weather for a while, so I'm in dire need (not really) for some close-toed awesome shoes.

I would like it to be sunny and warm right now.  I have clothing in my closet that is just waiting for the weather to heat up.  Come on come on come on!

Candida Cleanse - Day 3

I'm getting a bit bored of posting what I'm eating, probably because it's been mostly the same stuff for the past few days. Tonight, however, I'm going to try and make baked lemon and dill salmon, so we'll see how that goes.



This morning at the gym I did my usually Friday treadmill workout and then went and hung out in the sauna. After the sauna I stepped into the shower and immediately felt nauseous. It's since gone away, but I'm still feeling a little queasy as I sit here and type this. Hopefully it's nothing too bad, I'd hate to be sick on the weekend!

New skirt!

There's a secondhand store just down the road from where I work, and I have to refrain from going in there every day.  They're very picky about what they bring in and, as a result, they have a ton of great stuff.  Usually when I go in there I end up spending more than I mean to, but it doesn't make me feel too guilty because you get quite a lot of clothing for the price you spend.   The last time I was in there I bought a pair of camel leather slouchy boots with this fantastic stacked heel.  They reminded me of cowboy boots, and they'd definitely be the boots I'd wear to a barn dance.  Not that I'd go to a barn dance.  Or maybe I would, I have no idea.

Anyway, I went my little store two days ago and bought a few things that I deemed necessary at the time. I also bought this skirt.
I love the tortoiseshell buttons, the little belt, and the pockets.
Unfortunately, it was too cold up in here for me to wear a black blouse that would have looked better, but summer's a-coming!
I absolutely love pencil skirts, especially high-wasted ones.  They're an item of clothing that I can wear and not feel like my body just isn't meant to wear it (like some other clothes, not naming any names).

Candida Cleanse - Day 2

Okay, so yesterday went pretty well, I think.  I don't feel any different having started those supplements and added a large amount of protein to my diet.  I know things don't just change overnight, though, so I'll just wait and see.  

I still haven't had time to get groceries, so here's what I've got so far for today (hint: it's exactly the same as yesterday).

Breakfast:
2 large eggs (scrambled)
1 cup spinach
1/2 tomato
Pinch paprika
Too much pepper

Lunch:
2 cups spinach
1/2 tomato
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 can Tuna (canned in water)
1 tbsp Olive Oil and Lemon dressing

Snack:
Blueberries, maybe about 25
2 unsalted rice cakes
1 1/2 tbsp almond butter

Candida Cleansing - Day 1

Though I'm the kind of person that enjoys eating well and exercising pretty regularly, I've never really had that much energy.  It always seemed pretty odd to me that even though I do pretty much everything that people say is "good for you", I still feel as though I'm dragging myself through each day.  I've been trying various things to see what might be causing this lack of energy (and usually depression) to see if it might be food/exercise/sleep related.  I've tried a strict raw vegan diet, a lactose-free diet, a gluten-free diet (which I have to keep up anyway because I've got Celiac's Disease), six meals a day, three meals a day, various supplements, various cleanses, and other random things.  I've been to the doctor's office so many times to no avail that I've just decided to try sort through this on my own.  You can only go for so many blood tests that come back showing nothing before you want to slap your doctor upside the head.

Anyway, this trial and error has led me to attempt a Candida Cleanse (read that in a very serious sounding voice, like Mufasa).   I've pretty much been avoiding doing one for years because I love fruit....and sugar.  I love sugar so much that I would even go so far as to say I have a little bit of an addiction.  I can't just have one candy, or one piece of chocolate.  When I say that to people, they laugh and tell me that I have no willpower.  I don't think willpower is part of it, myself.  I can stay away from candy just fine, but if I slip up and have one little piece, then it's over for me.  The floodgates open and it's incredibly hard to close them.   I'd love to be able to have one square of chocolate and save the rest for a bit later, or have one candy and then be able to say 'no, thank you' to having more.  To get to that point (and now I'm coming around to the whole point of this post), I feel as though I need to somehow defeat that sweet tooth and get my body able to have sugar and not have it lead to a train wreck.

For those of you that don't know what Candida (or Candidiasis) is, read over this.  Candida Albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and gas.  The Candida yeast is a part of the gut flora, a group of microorganisms that live in your mouth and intestine. When the Candida population starts getting out of control it weakens the intestinal wall, penetrating through into the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.  As it spreads it produces toxic by-products that cause damage to your body tissues and organs, wreaking havoc on your immune system. The major waste product of yeast cell activity is Acetaldehyde, a poisonous toxin that promotes free radical activity in the body. Acetaldehyde is also converted by the liver into ethanol (drinking alcohol). Some people even report feeling a drunk or hungover feeling along with debilitating fatigue from the high amounts of ethanol is their system.

Everyone has Candida, and a significant proportion of us may have Candidiasis, or an overgrowth of Candida. Candida starts to cause trouble when there is some change in your body that allows it to overgrow. This change could be anything from a few courses of antibiotics, a prolonged diet rich in carbohydrates and sugar, or even something as common as a lengthy period of stress at work*.

Here are some symptoms of Candida overgrowth:

• Abdominal Pain
• Fatigue
• Bloating, Gas, Indigestion
• Oral Thrush
• Joint Pain
• Weight Gain
• Fungus (Athlete's Foot)
• Confusion or Dizziness
• Rashes and Itching
• Depression and Mood Swings
• Cravings for Sweets, Bread and Alcohol
• Acne

* Candida info from TheCandidaDiet.

I spoke at length to a woman at Lifestyles Market here in Victoria yesterday about Candida and she had some interesting things to say.  She told me that I probably wasn't getting enough protein.  I don't really eat meat, save for fish, and I don't even eat fish all that often.  I don't really like tofu, either, which doesn't help.  I eat a fair amount of almond butter, but that definitely doesn't provide enough protein for a whole day for anyone.   She said that upping my protein intake would help a lot with my sugar and carb cravings (which are totally rampant right now).  If you're thinking you might have a Candida overgrowth, make sure you check your protein intake first, just to be sure.   

I wasn't too into dropping sixty dollars on a cleansing kit, as I didn't really like the ingredients that were in some of them, so she suggested two products to me to start with, Fungafect Whole Body System and Dr.Ohhira's Probiotics 12 Plus. 

Dr.Ohhira's Probiotics are made in Japan by a company that has devoted its time to digestive research.  It's 100% vegetarian and dairy and gluten-free.  The probiotics help maintain the proper pH of the colon fight pathogenic bacteria that can hang out in there. Go to the website for more information.   

The Fungafect is made by St. Francis herb farm and serves to deal with systemic Candidiasis (yeast overgrowth).  More info can be found here.  It contains Oil of Oregano and Pau d'Arco, so it doesn't taste very awesome, but hopefully it works!

Alright, so now I've got the supplements down, the biggest challenge is the Candida diet.  You can eat a variety of food on the diet, including pretty much all vegetables (except for carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn and any other starchy vegetable), plain yogurt (this is under debate, so I'm going to try and avoid it), beef, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds (except peanuts and pistachios as they have a high mould content), herbs and spices, some oils (olive, sesame, flax, coconut and  any other nut or seed oil), organic butter. See?  It doesn't seem so bad, right?

But now, here's a list of foods that you must avoid: fresh fruit, canned fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, cheese, anything with citric acid, alcohol, caffeine, anything made with wheat, rye, oats, barley or spelt (ie. anything with gluten), mushrooms, condiments (mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup), ANY kind of sugars, vinegar (except for apple cider), peanut oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, canola oil and margarine.  

A more complete list of foods can be found at TheCandidaDiet.  

The reason I'm writing about my decision to do this Candida Cleanse is because writing about it will keep me honest.  I'll post what I eat each day and hopefully it'll inspire me to keep eating well.  

Today's menu:

Breakfast:

2 large Organic eggs, scrambled with 1 cup of spinach and 1 small tomato.

Lunch:

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/2 can Tuna (canned in water)

1 tbsp Flax Seed Oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Snack:

2 unsalted rice cakes

1 1/2 tbsp natural almond butter
1/2 cup blueberries (I know they're technically not allowed but I have a bunch on my fridge and I don't want to let them go to waste because they were priiiiiicey!)


Dinner:
2 cups spinach
1/2 tomato
1/2 can Tuna (canned in water)
1 large hard boiled egg
2 tbsp Lemon Tahini Dressing
1/2 cup bean sprouts.


Yes, my dinner was much like my lunch because I didn't have time to go grocery shopping after work. 

Window Shopping

I really enjoy clothes.  I like to flip through magazines and covet all the amazing things the models are wearing.  I like to imagine myself in that particular pair of leather booties, or that pair of high-waisted bell bottoms.   I was flipping through a magazine at the grocery store today, I think it was People (it had crazy Charlie Sheen on the cover), and saw an ad for the website Piper Lime.   I didn't really want to buy the magazine just so I could remember the name of the site, so I'm quite pleased with myself that I managed to trap it in the sieve that is my memory.  

The site is pretty awesome.  They promise free shipping and returns for all you stateside dwellers (I live in Canada and they don't seem to ship up here), and their selection is great.   I've already found about seventeen pairs of shoes that I don't need and several blazers that I could probably use in many different outfits (I'm a liar).   Check out this rolled-sleeve blazer by Elizabeth and James.  I love it.  It's a bit pricey for me at $395usd, but I could sell my kidneys.  Maybe.

I also really liked this pair of high-waisted bellbottoms by 7 For All Mankind.  They're called the Rachel Bellbottom because Rachel Zoe has apparently been wearing the heel out of these.  I have pretty high hips, so high-waisted jeans have always been my jeans of choice. They haven't been back in style for too long, but I'm so happy they are.  Now I don't have to worry about my body shape fitting awkwardly into  super and ultra low-rise (honestly, who needs an ULTRA low-rise, come on now) jeans.  Plus, I watched Smokey and the Bandit the other day and Sally Field was totally rockin' pants like this and I thought "damn, look at her ass!".   It looked phenomenal!  I was totally inspired to go out and buy me some classic 70's bellbottoms, but then I looked at my bank statement, did a little bit of calculations, and decided I'd rather be able to drive to work for the next week than buy a pair of jeans.  But they will be mine.  Oh yes, they will be mine.  

Links of Importance (and Awesomeness)

The Pioneer Woman - An absolutely fantastic cooking site with delicious, fill-your-boots type fare.
Gluten-free Goddess - If you want amazing gluten-free recipes, check this site out.
Karina's Kitchen Shop - Gluten-free grocery shopping made easy (by the Gluten-free Goddess).
Whole Living - I think this has something to do with Martha Stewart, but, despite that, it's kind of neat.

To Sauna, or not to Sauna?

Each weekday morning I wake myself up at five am so that I can sleepily warm up my truck, scrape the ice from its windows (lately, anyway), and drive half an hour to the gym near my office.  I then spend about an hour and a bit working out, sometimes tired, sometimes not.  No matter how I feel, though, I always try and end my gym experience with a stint in the sauna.   I have become completely enamoured with that little sweatbox, and here's why.....

For me, at least, having a sauna (yes, that's what you say, "having a sauna", funny) is my moment of Zen for the day.  I'm not one to use such phrases as 'moment of Zen' very often, but sitting in the sauna is as close as I can get to being completely relaxed.   Sure, I usually read some magazines and get myself up-to-date in the world of wealth and glamour (ie: Hollywood), but many times I've just laid on my back on the wood bench and listened to the muted hubbub just outside the door.   The sauna is an escape.  Once you close that door behind you, you shut out the stresses of your day, the babbling little voice in your head that constantly reminds you of things you have to get done and those other women in the gym that like to chat on their cell phones in the changeroom (we don't all care to hear about how your husband is being a dick, thanks).   You can relax, if only for a little while, and pay attention to your body as it works to pump out the toxins that have accumulated over the days.  It's amazing to think that even while you're laying there, your body is working away, almost as if it weren't attached to your mind at all and had a crazy mind of its own.

Of course, you can't forget about all the positive things that scientists and wellness experts have said about saunas.  To me, though I love the relaxation of the sauna, it's nice to know that it's pretty good for you as well.  According to a Harvard Health,  the average person will pour out a pint of sweat during a short stint in a sauna. This heavy amount of sweating allow your body to eliminate toxins through your skin.  Many people find that they don't sweat too much during their first saunas, but don't worry, it takes a bit of time for your body to clear out the build up in your pores and start sweating freely.  I've found that I wasn't much of a sweaty person when it came to working out, but since I've been taking regular saunas, my pores aren't blocked up and I sweat like a maniac.  


A typical sauna room generates dry heat of up to 120°C (248°F). Your pulse rate will jump by 30% or more in the sauna, allowing the heart to nearly double the amount of blood it pumps each minute.  Of course, if you have high blood pressure, perhaps a sauna is not for you.  You should definitely consult a doctor first if you have heart problems but want to enjoy the benefits of taking a sauna.


Yet another benefit of a sauna is that it allows your skin to properly get rid of all the junk that you cram into your pores day after day (creams, deodorants, makeup).  As a result, many people experience clearer skin and an all around healthier skin tone.

I've read about saunas helping with weight loss, and I suppose I'd have to agree to a certain extent.  I would imagine that sitting in there for a while does aid in weight loss due to the amount of sweat that is produced and the rate at which your body is working, but I wouldn't label "taking a sauna" as a valid workout.   Good for you?  Yes.  Going to make you lose 25 pounds?  No.  Let's be realistic here, people.


Though I go to a women-only gym, and I am usually the lone girl in the sauna at seven in the morning, I sometimes like to imagine that I am a mob boss, awaiting the arrival of some lackey that will spill the beans on who betrayed my trust.   I would also be wearing a gold chain and several gold rings, one of which would be shaped like the head of a tiger.   Alternately, I enjoy the idea of hanging out in a Roman Bath, but without all the undertones of sexual indiscretion.   Saunas have been around for a very long time, they've been around Finland for over 2000 years, and it's not hard to see why now they're such a staple in many countries and cultures.  


According to Benzocaine.org, the Finnish sauna was originally a simple lakeside log cabin, wood-lined and heated by a special stove overlaid with stones.  It is believed to have been derived from a Scythian custom dating back from the 5th Century BC, of inhaling intoxicating vapours from hemp seed and water thrown on hot stones.  The sauna became widely know in Europe in the 18th Century when visitors to Finland were amazed to see men and women taking steam baths together, beating themselves with twigs to stimulate blood circulation.


It's too bad that my gym doesn't include a twig or branch to smack yourself with.  Maybe I'll bring my own next time....

Here are some sites that talk more about the benefits of saunas and sweatiness:
Pure InsideOut
A Question to Dr. Weil
Sauna & Steam Bathing Explained

Okay okay okay

This MIGHT seem like I'm a little too gung-ho on my first day of blogging, but check. these. out.

These little beauties are from Forever 21.  They remind me of both a tablecloth that my Nana used to have and an apron that my Mum used to wear while butchering muffin recipes.

Perfect little spring shoes, though a tad hard to drive the old manual vehicle in. 

Post the First.

To start things off, here is a bear saying hello with his back leg because he clearly hasn't been taught proper etiquette.   Hello, Bear.  Use your front paw next time.

So, this is my first post of my new blog.   I almost want to put the word blog in quotation marks because it's kind of cliched these days.  "Oh, you want to know what's going on in my life?  Check out my blog." Well, now I can say that to everyone.  No more telling lengthy stories about my day, no sir.  This mouth is going to shrivel up from disuse.  Wouldn't it be odd if that actually happened?  I'm sure there would be a ton of people out there with little prune-like mouths that could barely form the word "falafel" without several attempts.

This is the post where you get to find out a little bit about me.  No deepest, darkest secrets stuff, just the basics.  I'm a twenty-six year old (and I dislike using numbers when I'm writing, I may as well get that out right now) girl with money on my mind, got a ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye.  No, wait, that's Coolio...sorry.   I wasn't lying about the age, though.  I live in a beautiful house that my guy and I just bought a few months ago, which is located in the boonies.  Well, that might be an exaggeration, but it sure isn't a metropolis.  I'm thinking maybe 1500 people live in my quaint (a nice way of putting tiny-ass) town.

It's not too bad, though, because I work in the city and it's not a super long drive to get there.  

Let's see, I love to read fiction books, anything by an author with an amazing grasp of the English language will do just fine.  Also, I DO judge a book by its cover and have quite a few interesting things on my bookshelves.  I've recently (as of six months ago) become addicted to running and fitness in general.  I've always been an off and on kind of exerciser, but something happened and I don't really want to be 'off' anymore.   I've taken to waking at 5 am each weekday (hence, the blog address) and heading off to the gym in the pitch black.  Sometimes I run, sometimes I take a spin class, but I always end my workout in the sauna reading some trashy magazine and being shocked at how whatshisface cheated on whatsherface with  whatshername.  I always leave the sauna feeling like I have a pretty awesome, normal life....and I need more shoes. 

More on all this later as I must shift my focus to something quite a bit more mundane (work).