Miss Jane wins!

What does it take to beat the Gluten Gorilla ? It takes 111% and more. Over the past 4 months I have given my health all I have inside of me and out. I went from being very sick to becoming very healthy in a remarkably short time. The key my success is perserverance, commitment and being positive at all times. Along with my mindset, I have found and brought into my life incredible supports from my Naturopath to my Trainer. Of course, my #1 support is always my husband Brandon, who always adapts to whatever my health needs are.

I precisely followed the guidelines and reccomendations of my Naturopath, Jen Newell. My supplement program was followed and will be continued to be followed each day as prescribed. I was open to whatever treatments we were going to pursue and always took them on with a positive mind focusing on the outcomes that would come from the treatments. I knew that each small change I made was for the better and together over time all those small changes would result in my ultimate goal of becoming healthy again. We did a 12 week detox which is a huge commitment but really made all the difference to my health. Just so you are aware I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the care of a Naturopathic Doctor.

My eating plan is key to my life. I love my Naturopath because she very keen on nutrition, we spend a good deal of time discussing and emailing each other sharing nutritional finds. I have eaten extremely well for many years, I don't eat at fast food restaurants ever! I don't eat conventional junk food ever. 'We are what we eat', is what I believe and follow. I want to be healthy and strong so I therefore eat accordingly. My husband and I have tried many ways of eating for 20 years, so for us to get to this place in our eating it is natural. We make all our food from scratch with good quality, mostly organic ingredients. Our cupboards and fridge only house good healthy foods. We spend money on groceries for our health and do not eat out at restaurants (Although, we recently found our first place to eat out once and a while) In the summer we grow a wonderful plentiful garden with organic seeds and soil, we are working towards turning 100% organic over the next 4 years. All our meals are made with love and balanced to meet our cooking guidelines.

One of the best things to strengthen our immune systems is exercise. With my trainer, Jen Mulhall owner of 365 Thrive, I have taken my exercise from dormant to thriving. In the past 2 months I have begun to fit training back into my life in a way that would not compromise my health. I am now at the point where my conditioning and strength is significantly improved. Currently, Jen is writing my next phase of training for me. I have begun to add weight to all my barbell exercises and I am thrilled with how quickly my strength and muscle memory is coming back. At my last measuring session I had lost a total of 17.5 inches off my body. This week my deadlift reached 75 lbs, my bench press hit 65 lbs and my weighted barbell squat was 55 lbs. I have reached the weights which I left off with when I had to stop my training program due to poor health. If you are planning to get into good shape and have significant goals, I recommend a trainer to create a training plan for you. If you want success you need to commit to it. A trainer will guide you towards success.

It is my hope to inspire others to change their lives make it what they want for themselves. My success has led me to a 20 pound weight loss and huge changes in my body. Think of what it could do for you. Be Strong.

Gluten Free Pizza Night

Brandon used Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix to make a mean pizza. 

My birthday gift for Brandon this past December were graphic pizza plates from Crate and Barrel. We were a little concerned once I was identified as having a Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance that we may never have pizza night again.

Over time exploring with gluten free cooking you begin to develop a new routine when cooking and shopping. However, the gluten free flour mixture is something that takes a great deal of time to explore. Brandon discovered this wonderful pizza flour mix that is wheat, gluten, corn, soy, dairy free at Whole Foods today. It turned out to be a great find and made a great pizza crust. Saturday Pizza Night has been rediscovered in the Holden Steen house hold.

These Are Not Your Flinstones Vitamins

The truth is we need to eat well to make our bodies healthful. However, a few good quality supplements can support your body and its many organs that run daily underneath your skin, bones and muscles. After having a couple of followers ask about supplements I thought it would be a good idea to share with you my daily supplement routine. 

A good quality multivitamin is important to keep the body strong, just in case you are not balancing your meals well or are tight for time, the multivitamin will give your body what it needs for the day. Now if you have any allergies like myself you need to check your labels carefully. Most reputable companies will declare that they have no soy, corn, wheat, gluten, dairy, all of which are very important to me. I can't have my supplements making me sick. My past two Naturopaths recommend Progressive, which is a Canadian company and I have been pleased with the brand. I use the Active Women multivitamin because I am an active woman and my husband Brandon, uses the the same one for men. http://www.progressivenutritional.com/

I take 2 fish oil with each meal, unless I use cod liver oil in the morning protein smoothie or have fish for my meal. It is highly recommended that you find a good source of fish oil. I have been using Ascenta for a few years now and it also has been recommended by both of my Naturopath's. It comes in liquid and capsule form, depending on your needs. If you are having it with all meals and need to take it with you to work, I recommend the capsules. I have just sourced out the larger bottle as Brandon and I go through a bottle rather quickly. http://www.ascentahealth.com/

My favourite supplement for the past few years has been Vitamin D, it is beginning to be more common knowledge now. My Naturopath, Jen Newell suggested high quality drops, so I changed over from capsules. I love these drops, you can put them on anything and I mean anything. I usually put them in a small glass of water so that I know I have actually ingested them. You can put them in a water bottle or in your protein smoothie, whatever works for you. I take 4000 i.u's a day and can take up to 8000 i.u's if I feel I am fighting something. Available through a Naturopathic Doctor. http://www.nfh.ca/en/products.html

I have a dairy allergy (cow and goat) and I am also lactose intolerant. Therefore I take a calcium supplement daily. If you are concerned about getting enough calcium in your diet you may consider adding this to your daily supplement routine. There are other ways to get calcium such as almonds and broccoli for example but you want to make sure that you don't become calcium deficient. I use the same brand as my multivitamin, Progressive which is ND recommended also. http://www.progressivenutritional.com/


Now I have two special little finds to share with you. Firstly, when I was beginning my detox I was getting colds easily. My Naturopath suggested that I take Allimax. This product is made from specially formulated garlic in capsule form, with no odor for your common knowledge. When you are sick with a cold you can take up to 10 in one shot. I have continued taking 1 a day regularly for the past 2 months. If I feel any signs of sickness I have 3 to 6 depending on the symptoms. I haven't got another cold since and I am still detoxing. I love this product and HIGHLY recommend it. It isn't cheap but is well worth you expense as long as you are a preventative person. http://www.allimax.ca/


I saved the best for last. I have all my life on and off, suffered from wicked PMS. So bad that it has been known to put me in bed for the day. I had been on a Vitamin B Complex and discussed this with my Naturopath, Jen Newell. She immediately put me on a new supplement and immediately I began to see results. What is it?, it's made by Vitanica and is called Women's Health Phase 1, Premenstral Support. My cycle that immediately followed after beginning to take this supplement was significantly altered and for the better I must say. My 2nd cycle after taking this for over a month, I had no PMS symptoms at ALL! In fact, I went to the bathroom and found that I was getting my period, on time but with no warning or signs at all. I have had my period since I was very young and it has taken me 30 years to experience what I would say is normal for most women. This is a miracle supplement. If you suffer any difficulties with your period or most importantly PMS, look into this supplement for yourself. Available through a Naturopathic Doctor. http://www.vitanica.com/

Seeing as my period has altered so greatly I asked if she could recommend something for my minor cramping that I am experiencing now. We had a bit of a hiccup to start as the product I bought is derived from corn (one of my allergies), but we were not aware of this. My naturopath did some digging around for me to find a product corn free. It's Magnesium Malate, taken for cramping, sore muscles (those will be coming soon), stress and sleep. I am all set for my next period, ready to knock the socks off of those cramps. http://www.aor.ca/html/products.php?id=153


I hope that you have a good quality supplement routine that you follow. If you are not sure, go to a local health food store and talk with the people. They usually have a great deal of knowledge and if they don't find another store. I have one store I go to because they have really good deals but the sales people have no personality and very little knowledge in my opinion. This is not good for someone who doesn't know what they are looking for. I was just referred to a great store Nature's Source, in Mississauga, Ontario that is better than any of the stores I used in Toronto.