Depression Hurts But We Can FIGHT IT!

Today we live in a world, that we have access to anything we want. Society leaves no room for error in the way we look and feel.

Being depressed has been an issue all my life. We all need help along the way, no matter what. When I was younger, no one could talk about depression. It was really bad. We just kept it in. There are many different treatments out there that really work. You need to find what works best for you because we’re all different! First of all, you should evaluate how bad your depression is (mild, moderate or severe). Mine was severe, and no one knew it until much later. Most of my life it was a struggle just waking up. People thought to themselves: “she doesn't look depressed”, but they were just looking at my fake smile I would put on so no one would worry. I’ve had the darkest days one could imagine. Even my parents didn’t know about my depression, only some of my close friends did.

I eventually learned that certain foods triggered more depression, who knew! Sugar and carbohydrates are the worst for me. I changed my diet, so many times in my life concerning my needs. Finally I found balance in my fifties. Although I had my struggles, I had my loving and caring family along the way. My naturopath, Mariola, was a God sent to me. We work together to get to where I am. It took years, but finally, I'm here. My daughter, Tiffany and her boyfriend, Ryan are a big inspiration. Marco is more than just my husband; he’s my best friend that I can always talk to. I can tell him anything. He takes in all my problems and tries to help me find solutions on how to deal with them. Now, we have a new addition to the family, Jovelyn, who has been helping me with my mother for one year now. She adds love to my home. She is a precious gem. Friends and family make a huge impact on us and we must cherish them!

There are medications out there that really help; you just have to find the right one for you. Don't stay depressed. The world is beautiful. Some times you can do a combination of supplements and medication and see how that works. You can work with a naturopath to form a plan of action or even a doctor.

Other reasons for depression:

• You may have a thyroid problem. Take a blood test and see where your thyroid is? Symptoms of thyroid problems: sad, fatigue, low energy, weight gain, weight loss lack of memory and lack of pleasure.

• Food intolerances or allergy are associated with anxiety and depression (that was me) we cannot absorb vitamins when the body is in the inflammation stage. Your gut is the main source of other problems. We need to fix that firsthand with raw Apple cider vinegar before a meal (1 tablespoon in a glass of water)

• Low ferritin (especially in women)
• Low energy, low concentration
• Great source of foods, mussels, oysters, clams, liver, beef, and turkey

• B12 deficiency and folic acid
• Controls energy and nervous system. B12 is essential for memory and mood
• Best form of B12 for bad anxiety is methylcobalamin and methylfolate (stomach issues)

• Vitamin D deficiency
• Food sources: seafood, shrimp, salmon (not farmed and try to buy wild in these foods because the better the quality the less the Mercury and PCB)
• Turkey is a great protein and has lots of tryptophan as bananas and dark chocolate
• Lots of vegetables

Stop eating bad carbs and processed foods because your body will them crave more. Get your hormones checked especially after fifty, there could be an underlying issue there. Take your time and rule out as much as you can, step by step. Patience is definitely required; therefore you need to be serious about wanting to feel better! In the meantime, start a healthy diet and then you can detect which direction to go easier. In the end, it's not only you that suffers, but the people around you, even your pets. There’s so much to look forward to in life, every stage is beautiful (young & old). Lets not give up!

How to Look Young WITHOUT Plastic Surgery

I’m going to be extremely honest and say what most people don’t! Although feeling young has a lot to do with what we put in our bodies, it also has to do with how we look on the outside. It’s important to myself to take care of both the inside and outside of my body, the only problem is the outside is harder. Most celebrities take the easy way out with plastic surgery; I do my research (lots of it) and find the least invasive procedures on the market.

If you want to give yourself a little boost with skincare or treatments of superior quality there is a spa in Montreal called Victoria Park and they offer a wide variety of treatments to meet your needs.

First you meet with one of their consultants, (mine was Sasha, she was very helpful and guided me in the right direction) and you tell them your concerns. They then take the time to explain which procedure is best suited for you and create a budget plan with you. If you are interested in a few different things, they offer some nice packages. Most important of all, no matter how many questions you have, they answer them all!

I discovered that they have a beautiful skincare line, Neocutis that is free of color additives, fragrance, is non-comedogenic and is not tested on animals.

Within one week, I saw amazing results! I have tried multiple skincare lines for many years, but this one lives up to its name. You feel like your skin is clean, glowing and plump all the time. The hyaluronic acid in these products turns back the clock. Another product that makes your skin smooth is daily microfoliant by Dermalogica. Very gentle exfoliation. I know, I have very sensitive skin and these products work beautifully. (This one was referred by Nancy, who is very qualified to do procedures like lumicleanse and BBL (broadben light)

Combining these products with their spa treatments, like microdermabrasion and BBL, you can have the skin you've dreamed about for many years.

I did a silk peel Dermalinfusion (microdermabrasion), which was done by Jennifer who is very qualified and has a very gentle technique.  It's not irritating and leaves your skin extremely clean to absorb products. Depending on your skin, you can have one to brighten, clarify, hydrate or vitamin C. The technician will evaluate your skin. Lastly, I choose to do a BBL treatment with Nancy or Tania.

All these are only available at Victoria Park in Montreal. For more information you can visit their website www.vicpark.com

They have a beautiful team of professionals to meet your needs. I highly recommend them and their products. I suggest to give it a try because who doesn’t want to look beautiful at any age?

Cheers to aging!

My Favorite Cosmetics

Let me start off by saying my favorite cosmetics are from Suzanne Somers because I love the ingredients she puts in them. They are very hydrating and clean. Always remember what you put on your skin is just as important as what goes into your digestive tract. It disrupts hormone production and can make you very sick, as I was.

The toxic burden can also make you very blotted and fat. Now there are organic skincare and cosmetics that preform well. Be ware of the word natural. It can be misleading. Read the labels to make sure it is to your standards.

Here are a few I love:

• Suzanne Somers

• Zulu Luxe (sold at Tau health store) the new store in Laval on Saint Martin is gorgeous. Check out the cosmetics. There is also one in Pointe Claire.

• Anne Marie Borland (Tau)

• Gabriel cosmetics (Tau)

• Bite Beauty (Sephora)

• Tarte (Sephora)

• Josie Marian (Sephora) (Her Argan oil is great and hydrates a great deal)

• 100 Percent Pure

• Pure Ananda Natural Cosmetics

You have many to choose from depending on what you want and your budget.

I have personally tried all of these and they are all great. Some are totally toxic free like Suzanne Somers and 100 pure and some have fewer chemicals, either way you can lesson your toxic burden with all these. Indulge!

An Allergic Reaction to Toothpaste

            After all the moisturizing I was doing, I was still getting very dry at the corners of my mouth. One night, my daughter Tiffany had her friend, Chelsea Brossard, come over and we started talking about skincare, as we always do. She mentioned that SLS in toothpaste can cause some people dryness in their mouth, which was something she found herself having trouble with for a little while. It was then I realized that I had run out of my usual toothpaste and started using regular commercial ones until I would buy more of my own. It was then the sores and dryness started. So I realized I had to quickly go back to my own brand, Kiss My Face, which is free of SLS and everything went away.

            Imagine, SLS is an ingredient I'm allergic to! More and more, younger people like Chelsea are very well informed and take the time to research. I was amazed at how much Chelsea knew. You always need to do your own research on any matter. That's how I got where I am today!

            I feel great and it’s because I don't trust the products on the shelves. You may think they are fine, but many times they are not. Make sure to read the ingredients. Although it does take me longer to shop, I believe my body deserves it! Watch what you ingest, do your research and you will be less sick! I was lazy to buy my toothpaste and look what happened… We can't control all the chemicals around us, but we can control what we ingest.

Cheers to healthy aging!

Gluten-Free and Lactose-Free Never Tasted Better Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here is my recipe for gluten-free as well as lactose-free chocolate chip muffins that taste great! 

Ingredients:

3 C. all purpose gluten free flour

1 C. somer sweet (or white sugar if you don’t have)

1 T baking powder

½ t. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ¼ C almond milk

½ C. unsalted butter, softened

1 t. vanilla extract

½ C. dairy free chocolate mini chipits

½ t. ground nutmeg

Seeds in 1/2 a vanilla bean (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt
3.  In another bowl, stir together milk, eggs, butter and vanilla until blended
4.   Combine both bowls and chocolate chips
5.  Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups
6.  Sprinkle a few grains of coarse salt on each muffin
7.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Happy Easter and Passover

          Life is about love, family and friends. We had a beautiful rib roast dinner thanks to my friend Rita who guided us in the right direction with her own recipe. This was a very great year because of a special person that became part of our family, Jovelyn. She helps me with my mom and is not only part of our family but is now a very good friend of mine. We are so happy that she stayed Saturday night an enjoyed this wonderful evening. 

          My daughter, Tiffany and I made this delicious rib roast accompanied with gravy, asparagus, salad, Sephardic Charoset (part of the Passover tradition), turmeric rice and roasted baby potatoes. Tiffany and I get inspired to cook so many dishes and may I add, her boyfriend Ryan is a really good cook too! We spent the whole day in the kitchen, we had a ball! For desert, Tiffany made us a Passover delight, her Jewish choco crunch dessert served with fruit. We enjoyed some good wine and lots of laughter, which made it a special night to remember!

Here is the Special Occasion Rib Roast Perfection with Sauce Recipe (good for 6 people)

Ingredients

1 (3-rib) Standing rib roast (7-8 lb)

6 Cloves of garlic, sliced to fit in holes

1/2 C. Extra virgin olive oil

1 T. Fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T. Thyme
1 t. Steak spice 

3 White onions, halved

3 Large carrots, peeled and cut in 3

Generous amounts of freshly ground pepper and salt

Sauce ingredients

1 C. red wine

2 C. Beef Broth

1 Bay leaf

½ t. Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F
2. Poke lots of holes all around rib roast and place garlic inside
3. Place carrots and onions on the bottom of a casserole dish then place rib roast on top.
4. Rub oil all over rib roast. Then sprinkle rosemary, thyme, steak spice, salt and pepper all over the rib roast and rub it a second time so that the rib roast becomes friends with the spices.
5. Place it in the oven for 30 minutes
6. After 30 minutes, take the roast out, lower the temperature to 350°F.
7. Cover the roast with aluminum foil and place back into the oven for 1hr 20 minutes.
8. Remove it from casserole and let it rest for 20 minutes on cutting board with aluminum foil around it before beginning to carve it.
9. In the meantime, make the sauce. Pour off any fat from the casserole. Place the casserole over high heat (use 2 burners if necessary) and deglaze the pan with wine and broth, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
10. Once solids are dissolved, pour liquid into a saucepan and add the bay leaf and pepper. Reduce for 5 minutes over high heat.

Enjoy

Listen to your body; it's talking to you!

             Just lately, I have been getting migraines frequently. I was trying to pinpoint what was the cause. My lower back was hurting me and I would get migraines. I realized I slouch a lot and my posture wasn't so straight. When I pick up heavy things, it hurts my back.

            We don't always want to have to depend on others. Finally, my chiropractor told me that my lower back was inflamed and I had to put ice on it as well as on my neck. I finally did and realized how important it is to take care of our bodies! Your body is talking to you. If you ignore it, you will be sorry in the future. Migraines come from somewhere; it’s up to you to figure out where it stems from.       

             We’re generally too lazy to do the work but don't you think your body deserves it? I sure do, it’s worth it!

Old Makeup – File 13

            I recently got an eye infection and finally realized that it was my mascara. I try to use it for as long as possible, but that’s not a good idea, even if it is free of chemicals. No preservatives to keep them long. You must discard them after two to three months. As I get older, I find myself much more sensitive to dyes and perfumes; therefore I try to buy much toxic free make-up, skincare, shampoo and hair masks as possible. I buy many of these products from Suzanne Somers and Tau (A Montreal health store). I love Suzanne's under eye concealer and shampoo. Imagine putting coco butter, cranberries and argan oils on your lips instead of lead? That's a no brainer! Now you can be beautiful and don’t have to ingest harmful chemicals that cause sickness in the future.

            Organic make-up has improved so much, since years ago. Take a look at David Suzuki's website enlightening us on ingredients to avoid, he refers to them as the dirty dozen. Then see if you still want to use commercial brands anymore.

You decide!