Check out my website blog for more tips and recipes.
Winter makes me want to cook soups or stews and have hot foods. Try this delicious lentil soup recipe.

​Lentil Soupby Norene Gilletz
This recipe yields 8-10 servings ( if that's too much for you freeze half of it for another meal.) 
It freezes well for up to 4 months. I changed the recipe a little bit from the original recipe.

Lentils are high in fibre, and protein and low in calories and fat. Lentils have B vitamins and potassium. Enjoy this tasty soup!

Ingredients
2 cups dried red lentils
2/3 cup rice (basmati or long-grain)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 Cloves garlic (about 2tsp minced)
12 cups of chicken or vegetable broth  plus 2 cups of water
1 TBsp of ground cumin
1 tsp salt ( to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBsp lemon juice (preferably fresh)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp dried

Instructions
1) Rinse the lentils and rice in a strainer. Drain well and set aside.
2) Heat the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and water, cumin, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for 20-25minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. If too thick, thin with a little water.
3)Add broth to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cover pot from heat and let soup cool slightly.
4) Using either a canister blender or stick blender, puree soup until completely smooth. 
5)Return soup to pot and rehear on medium. Stir in 35% cream, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy as a great starter to a dinner, a light lunch or even a healthy snack.
Serves 4-6.


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Your Health Tip for the week is to do Pranayama (breathing exercises).

It's a Yogic technique that can bring you a sense of calm and peace.
With all that's going on here in Toronto and in the world with the corona virus you can do this every morning or evening or when you need to calm yourself.

There are many types of Pranayama this is just one type. It's called;
Stair Step breathing. 

Take short sips of breath through your nose, as you do expand your belly, ribs, and chest climbing these steps up at the top pause 4 counts. Soften the ribcage as you exhale thru the nose, step down. ( if you have a big yawn or sigh go ahead and do that). Repeat 5x
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Send me an email or message and let me know how it goes.

1) ​Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits have high concentrations of Vitamin C (your body doesn't store vitamin C so you need to consume some every day).
2) Do physical activity, exercise regularly
Going on walks. Do fitness classes, yoga, gardening, dancing and more.
Exercise moderately 5-6 days per week. Exercise helps produce more of the blood cells that attack bacterial invaders therefore leading to less colds and sore throats compared to people who don't exercise.
3) Sleep 7-9 hours a night
Getting 7-9 hours a night
Having a sleep schedule will help, try to turn off your screens 1 hour before sleep, and keep your bedroom as dark as possible when your going to sleep.
​4) Don't smoke
Smoking cigarettes, vaping, etc. They contain so many chemicals and you don't want them in your body. Not to mention affecting your lungs and can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema, and lung cancer.
5) Laugh more
Laughter can boost your immune system as well as your mood.
Try laughter yoga
Watch a comedy
Joke around with your friends

1) Be in the moment

• Don't think about work or the list of things on your to do list.
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2) Be Focused

• on the exercise or movement you are doing

3) Proper Alignment

• In a full plank, are your shoulders lined up over your wrists, heals back, lower belly/abs lifted in and up...

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​4) Challenge Yourself

• Don't mail it in
• Can you add one more bicep curl rep, or two more burpees?
• Always DO YOUR BEST

Panko Crusted Tilapia with Kale Chips and Greek Salad

Ingredients
Panko Crusted Tilapia (serves 4)
2 Tilapia Filets (or your favorite white fish) cut in half so 4 servings
1 egg
Panko 

Put Panko in a ziploc bag or bowl. Then in separate bowl beat egg. Dip Tilapia pieces in egg then in panko so it is fully covered. Then put on parchment covered oven tray/ baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are done. You can add some garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Cook for 15min at 350 degrees, or until the panko looks golden brown. 

Kale Chips

One bunch of Kale (preferably organic)
2 TBSP of Olive Oil
(option to add 2 TBSP of nutritional yeast)
1/2 tsp or a couple of grinds of sea salt, or course salt)

Cut thick stalks out of kale leaves.
Coursely tear kale leaves. Clean kale in water and salad spinner. Transfer dry kale to a bowl. Add oil and nutritional yeast if using, and salt. Spread kale on baking sheet. Bake for around 15 min at 350 degrees. Watch so they don't burn but get crisp.

While tilapia and kale are cooking make salad dressing then Greek salad.

Basil Viniagrette 
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/4 plus a little of balsamic vinegar
a pinch or two of :oregano, basil, garlic powder, and salt/pepper to taste

Set dressing aside. 

Greek Salad
Use a head or two of romaine lettuce, or whatever greens you have, spinach will work well. Cut and clean romaine lettuce, pat dry and add to a bowl.
Then add a handful or two of grape or cherry tomatoes. Cut up half a cucumber, add to bowl.
I like to add 1/2 a red, yellow or orange pepper cut up. As well as a little bit of purple onion cut small. Add feta cheese ( I like goat feta) and olives. If your family likes eggs you can boil an egg or two cut it up and add to salad. Add dressing and enjoy!