Happy New Year!!!!

Well another year has gone by and what a year full of personal accomplishments and adventures it has been.This is the time that I take to sit down and write the pros and cons of the year passed and my dreams and goals for the new year.It is the best time to write a few notes in my grattitude journal. Everyday I write something that I am thankful for, no matter how small,this helps me start the day on a positive note and gives me that extra boost and energy to have the best day ever!!!
If I stop and think of all the great things that have happened in my life this year, I am very proud of my accomplishments...
1. I started my first cooking seminars in January 2010 with 7 participants and now at the end of the year, I am pleased to announce that close to 300 people have enjoyed and lived the seminars, many of which have changed their lives for the better.
2. I cut my 10 inch ponytail for "The Angel Hair for Kids Foundation" (they create real hair wigs for children that are victims of alopecia, burn victims or cancer victims). These wigs go to children from less fortunate families. This was definitely a highlight for me this year. What a feeling!!!
3. With the success of my cooking seminars, I decided that the next logical step would be to create my own health website. My nephew Eric (a very talented web designer), really helped me make my dream come true. He included me in every exciting detail and it has been a very positive journey. I really wanted this website to be a great tool for anyone that has always struggled with their weight, that wish to maintain their weight loss or that just want to learn to make healthy meals for their loved ones.
4. I did my first recipe video for You Tube...very exciting...quite the experience!!
5. I actually attempted my first roller coaster ride "The Comet" at The Great Escape Theme Park in Lake George this summer. I promised myself that I will never do that again!! What was I thinking!!! The only good thing that came out of that life experience is that I could see that my 12 year old son Alex was so proud of me for trying...at least something positive came out of it right???Ha!ha!
6. I climbed "Mount Hurricane" in the Adirondack Mountains in the Fall with 5 friends. This was quite the climb, very challenging but beautiful at the same time. What a view of Saranac Lake at the summit, so worth the climb and the view was breathtaking!!
Now its time to sit down and write down my goals and dreams for 2011...I know that there will be a few more recipe videos added to You Tube. I would love to try zip-lining or parachuting, definitely horseback riding, most probably a family trip to New York City or Disney.
We will see what path our lives will take this year...its always exciting and life is a big bag of surprises, you have to live it out while you are young and healthy!!!You have to have dreams.....
But most of all, the best thing that 2010 gave me is LOVE with my husband and son, WEALTH with my wonderful family,FRIENDSHIP with amazing friends and the number one thing is definitely HEALTH!
When we are younger we are consumed with our wants and needs. As I get older I realize how all of these pieces of the "life" puzzle fit together to make it as perfect a life as possible....

Happy New Year and stay healthy.....

Sylvie Thibert

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.

In this day and age we need to get back to the basics, to live the true meaning of Christmas. Over the years, Christmas has become so commercialized that we seem to have lost the true meaning of it. We no sooner finish one event (Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving) that the stores are already selling products for the next holiday. We are in a society that is fast-paced, forgetting to stop and take the time to sit down with family and friends and relax.

I remember when I was younger, how we would all go to the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve as a family and then come back home to great food that my mom had prepared all day. We would open gifts that Santa had brought, sing songs and play games. What a fond memory. I also remember that orange that was always in my stalking along with a few candy canes and other treats that we only received at this special time of the year.I really cherish those memories and I am happy that I got to appreciate the simple things in life. It really helps me appreciate what I have today .One thing that I know for sure, if you have health and happiness you are a very rich individual.

When you stop and think about it..Christmas is a time of giving and being helpful and generous towards others. My sister and her husband every year choose two less fortunate families in the surrounding area and bring them a month's worth of groceries and Christmas gifts individually wrapped for everyone in the home. Every year my family picks an angel with the name of a less fortunate child off the Sears Christmas tree, to try to make a difference and realize how lucky we truly are.Some friends devote their Christmas day helping, preparing and serving a Christmas meal at the local food bank. Now this is the true meaning of Christmas.

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year. It is personally my favorite. Everyone seems happier and friendlier than usual. Children are always so excited about the visit from Jolly Old St-Nick. It is truly a magical season and we need to try to live this special time of the year, all of the excitement through their eyes.It is the one time of the year where I really don't mind if it snows, nothing like a beautiful white Christmas!!

I wanted to live this Christmas with good old-fashioned tradition. This is why I decided to participate in my first "Home for the Holidays Christmas House Tour" with my sisters, here in Cornwall  a couple of weeks ago. It was truly amazing and a breathtaking life experience for sure for everyone that lived it.

http://cornwallfreenews.com/2010/11/home-for-the-holidays-christmas-house-tour-november-24th-2010-from-5-9-pm/

The seven  homes had many unique Christmas decorating ideas created by volunteer decorators and home-owners. Delicious appetizers (and very original I must add...) were served at each home. This year's proceeds went to the Boys and Girls Club of Cornwall and surrounding area.(a very worthy cause for sure..)

So, I guess that what I'm trying to say is that we need to make memories and build traditions with our loved ones. This way when they grow up they will have great Christmas values and they will be able to pass this on to their children and future generations

Stay healthy....merry Christmas from my home to yours....

Sylvie Thibert

David "Avocado"Wolfe

With a masters degree in nutrition, and a background in science and mechanical engineering, David Wolfe is considered one of the world’s top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, herbalism, chocolate, and organic superfoods.
Leading the field with his vision, mission, education, and business, David has over 15 years of dedicated experience and understanding of the inner workings, the delicate chemistry, and hardcore mechanics of the human body and how the body is affected by the modern-day stressors of today’s fast-paced, over-worked, and unbalanced lifestyle, which is literally a “killer” to our beauty, health, and longevity. Through his down-to-earth and simple approach, David shows us that no problem is created without a solution and that we DO have the opportunity, right at our fingertips, to make new choices about our lifestyle and take our health back into the power of our own hands.
David Wolfe empowers and inspires people to take charge of their health even up against all the modern-day demands of bills, technology, environmental pollution, commuting, and inflation. By making simple, informed decisions, David shows us that we can all enjoy quality time for ourselves and with our family, because, after all, Health is Wealth!

David has founded several all-green and eco-friendly businesses that continue to lead the world with the most innovative, highest quality, organic superfoods and healthy-lifestyle related products and information.
His celebrity fan base includes Woody Harrelson, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Assaraf, Anthony Robbins, Steve Jobs, Angela Bassett, and many others.
A highly sought after health and personal success speaker, David has given over 1700 live lecture events in the past 15 years.
David Wolfe is also a gourmet chocolatier (cocoa beans and nibs).Just ask David about chocolate — he won’t be shy to tell you why chocolate is the greatest, most prosperous, nutritious, mood-elevating, highest energizing, and top weight loss aphrodisiac food on the planet!
Listen to David speak of this amazing superfood!! You can.taste the difference, your body will thank you for it!!!

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert

My Favorite Inspirational Video

This is the courageous journey of Dick and Rick Hoyt (known as "Team Hoyt")...they are such a great example of positive thinking to all of us. We have one life to live and we need to get out there and get the most out of every day. Life is a gift and we can't let anything stop us from living our life to the fullest!!!

This has to be one of my favorite motivational stories of courage and love. When you are feeling down and need an extra boost to keep going on your journey, take a few moments and listen to this story and you will find that stenght within you to continue on.

You just feel so empowered to do anything that you wish to do after you view this emotional video filled with such motivation and determination.

Go ahead , sit back and get ready for this story of never giving up and living out your dream....don't let life pass you by and make you regret things that you could have done while you were young and able to live out your biggest desires....make sure to have tissue near you as you view the video below...very touching..

Take care and stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert

What Is Hydrogenated Oil, Trans Fat???

Hydrogenated oil is made by forcing hydrogen gas into oil at high pressure. Both animal and vegetable fats can be and are hydrogenated. In general, the more solid the oil is, the more hydrogenated it is.

Oils have been hydrogenated to prolong the shelf life of products (peanut butter, jam, Cheez Whiz) it makes the oils more stable.It also has a higher melting point, and is often used in frying and pastries for this reason (margarine, Crisco...). The chemical structure of the oil is changed, which could result in negative health effects.

The unstable fatty acids in oil are unsaturated fats, which have been determined to be healthier for consumers, acting to reduce cholesterol in some cases. When hydrogenated oil is made, these healthy fats are converted into a new type of fatty acid, known as a trans fat. Trans fats are not at all good for one's health. In some highly hydrogenated oils like margarine, trans fats can make up almost half of the total fat content.

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Trans fatty acids work to increase LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and they also decrease HDL cholesterol, which is "good" cholesterol. This means that the fats in hydrogenated oil are far more damaging than even saturated fats, which medical professionals have already determined to be harmful. There is also evidence to suggest that trans fatty acids may bio accumulate in the body, because the digestive system has difficulty figuring out what to do with them. As a result, a diet high in trans fats will result in weight gain.

Consumption of hydrogenated oil has been linked with diabetes, coronary disease, and obesity in a wide number of scientific studies. In the 1990s, many activists began to lobby for clear food labeling, indicating when products contained trans fats. Other activists went further, attempting to ban trans fats because of their detriment to human health. All medical professionals agree that people should limit their consumption of hydrogenated oil to avoid exposure to trans fats, and should eat foods with healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, and olive oil.

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert

Law Of Attraction...

The following video is very inspirational. It really gives you the feeling that you can go out in the world and succeed at anything that you put your mind to accomplishing. That is what "The Law of Attraction " is all about...what you put out in the Universe, you attract and bring into your daily life.

I am also a strong believer that the way you treat others eventually comes around. If you treat others with respect and as equals you get that back. If you treat them as lower than you, that can only bring negative vibes into your life...think about that..

No one can stop you from living out your dreams except for yourself. You can  become who you want to become in life but you have to invest time and effort into it. It will not fall from the sky, it has to be earned.
Life is a gift and we were all placed on this earth to do something special with our individual talents, please don't waste them and say later on in life..."I should have..."

"The Secret"( book and video)  really made me realize while I was living my weight loss journey,that I could do whatever I dreamed of doing if I just put my positive thoughts to work. It gave me the courage to get through days that didn't seem as easy and it made me a stronger person.

I always try to turn a negative situation into a positive one because negatives only bring you down in life. You need to surround yourself with positive people and thoughts all of the time. Sure, life will throw us unpleasant challenges at times but we have to try to see how to get over that hump without losing sense of who we are and realizing how strong we really are emotionally and spiritually.Who knows if you keep working at your dreams what you may become one day...like these following individuals soon realized....

We can all be leaders , think for ourselves and show those that are around us that we can make a difference when we set our minds to it. We can all think for ourselves and live by example. We do not need to be followers and believe everything that is said to us daily....we can make up our own minds and live OUR life!!

Stay healthy.....

Sylvie Thibert

Lead By Example..

Unfortunately, this is a familiar sight often seen in 2010. These days it is very common to see a 1 year old sucking on a french fry or chicken nugget (they even offer the animal and dinosaur shaped ones) at any local restaurant. These restaurants also have designated areas for children, like a Play Land built right into their establishment or a small room that has every video game imaginable that attracts children.

A lot of the food is genetically modified and does not decompose after years of being purchased. Check out this next video.

The ultimate plan of these companies and a big part of their marketing strategies is to make the children want to go back. Don't worry, someone is getting paid big bucks to come up with all of these great ideas. That clown is smiling for a reason....your wallet!!!

Next time take a deep breath outside...now ask yourself, does it smell good??? Do you ever stop and wonder why there are so many seagulls outside (they eat anything). When you realize that there are no healthy food choices in there, please take a stand, turn around with your children, get back in the car, stop at a local grocery store, buy real food , go home and create a fantastic meal and your family will thank you for it.

Our son  is 12 years old and to this day he just has no craving for soft drinks what so ever. We are very thankful for this..there are so many children today that cannot live without it , they even have it with their breakfast.

A very big trend that is a dangerous one is the amount of teens that have energy drinks daily...these are loaded with caffeine and  could be a potential health hazard that can lead to heart palpitations, diabetes etc...teens and young adults often stay up late and have a hard time functioning during the day so they rely on these drinks to give them that extra boost that they need to get through their day. Some even go to the dangerous side and mix these with alcohol...this is a recipe for disaster as you will hear in the following video.

As adults and parents we have to lead by example. If our kids see us drinking these like there is no tomorrow, what are we showing them?? We have to show them that there are natural ways out there to get energy and to feel alive and awake during the day. The first thing is to get enough hours of sleep,eat live food and be active!!!

Think of this for one second,  if you ask your kids "Where do you want to eat tonight?" what do you think they will answer you "The Green Door Restaurant"??? I tell you, if ever you have the chance to enjoy this establishment's wonderful food while you are in Ottawa....spoil yourself, live and enjoy it and your body will thank you for taking time to taste incredible natural dishes!!

http://www.thegreendoor.ca/

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert