Tuesday 22 January 2013

In need of a getaway

Do you ever feel like you just need to escape your life for a bit?

 I am incredibly fortunate to have such amazing people in my life, but lately I have been feeling like I was stuck in a rut or going through a mid-20’s crisis which sounds a bit overdramatic, but I was really looking for a change.

 I wanted to do something that was exciting and new and most importantly, I wanted to try to do it on my own. What I did might not sound too adventurous to most people, but I have returned with a new sense of pride in myself for not being afraid to stretch my comfort zone and try something new.

 This past week I had some time off work and decided that I would like to take a small trip by myself. Everyone else was working, and I didn’t want to waste my time off doing nothing around the house, so I decided to plan a road trip to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I have heard wonderful things about Ottawa, but was nervous about the 7 hour drive by myself, and finding my way around an unfamiliar city.
Parliament Buildings, Ottawa

The drive to Ottawa was fairly uneventful, but I found that I really enjoyed the quiet time to myself. Listening to my favourite music, taking time to think and enjoying the scenery as I headed North was actually one of the most relaxing moments I have had lately.

 I stopped by the Ikea in Ottawa as I have heard that it is one of the largest in Canada and I enjoyed a rather quiet walk around the empty store. I also couldn’t pass an Ikea without stopping for their incredible meatballs and Mac ‘n’ Cheese!
Empty Ikea Restaurant


I decided that I wanted to make the most of my very short trip to Ottawa, so I left bright and early the next morning and headed around the corner to the Museum of Nature. I felt slightly uncomfortable being the only single person walking around the museum, but I quickly became so engrossed in the different exhibits that I happily wandered around for a few hours. My favourite exhibit would have to be the dinosaurs, as I just think they are the coolest thing ever (I'm not 5, I promise!). I also really enjoyed the marine exhibit as well as the exhibit about volcanoes.

Ottawa Museum of Nature
T-Rex!!
 

 After learning everything I possibly could from the museum, I set out on a long and cold walk from one end of downtown, up to the Parliament Buildings along the water. The architecture of these buildings was incredible and I loved how serene it felt to look over the canal in the winter.

 Rideau Canal
 

After a long and exciting solo day, I was happy to meet up with a friend who took me to the Byward Market area of Ottawa. This was one of my favourite parts of Ottawa as it was full of neat shops and nice restaurants. We ate at cool restaurant that had a really fun atmosphere. I decided to make the most of this “try something new” motto that I had, so I let my friend pick what we would eat and was really glad I did. I am a slightly picky eater so when lamb tacos were ordered, I was pretty hesitant. Trying something new is definitely something that I should stick with as these tacos were literally the best thing I have ever eaten at a restaurant! If you ever find yourself in Ottawa, make sure that you stop by the Sidedoor in the Byward Market for the best food you will ever have.

 
Overall, I had an amazing getaway and am so glad that I decided to push myself to try new things that would have made me feel uncomfortable before. I can’t wait to see what I get to try next!

You Are What You Eat


Pizza, McDonald’s, All-You-Can-Eat Sushi...

They say that you are what you eat, and thinking back over what I have been eating makes me feel pretty sick. My favourite food was anything that included carbs, specifically pasta, and it really has been doing nothing positive for my health. I constantly felt sluggish, lazy and unmotivated to do anything, and I am pretty sure that the disgusting amount of carbs and sugar that I had been consuming might be to blame. It also didn’t help that veggies were my enemy and I was lucky if I got a single serving of fruit or veggies each day.

What I needed was to rethink my approach to food. Sure, all that junk I was eating before tasted good, but it definitely wasn’t good for me. The life changing idea for me was to recognize that food should be used as fuel for my body, not to comfort myself after a bad day.

 The vitamins and minerals in foods like lean meat, leafy greens and colourful fruit would provide my body with the energy it needed to get through the day, without needing an energy drink pick-me-up at noon.
Google Images
So how was I going to make such a large change in my eating habits without feeling like I was being deprived of what I loved?

I began to make gradual changes to my meals throughout the day. My favourite and easiest change so far has been making an energy packed breakfast smoothie and changing up the ingredients so that I don’t get bored. Frozen fruit such as mangoes, peaches, raspberries, strawberries and bananas are excellent additions to any smoothie.

 

 The secret to getting the most bang for your buck in the morning is to sneak veggies into your fruit smoothies. Leafy greens like spinach and kale can be added to fruit smoothies, and you would never taste the difference. Kale has been called a veggie powerhouse that is known for benefits such as improving your metabolism and digestion, as well as being full of health boosting vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids. Carrots and celery are also easy to add as they have such subtle tastes that they won’t overpower your breakfast.

 I found that by making this simple change in the mornings, I had more energy throughout the day and made better choices overall. I even stopped craving the carbs and energy drinks that I had relied on to get me through the day!

 In my next post I will go into detail about the other changes that I have made to my eating habits. I will also begin to post the different smoothie recipes that I am trying out to hopefully inspire someone else to get the best possible start to their day.

A Fresh Start: An Introduction


Hello, and welcome to my blog, A Fresh Start.

 Allow me to quickly introduce myself. My name is Kiersten and I have a pretty awesome life. I have an incredible husband who supports me, even with all of my crazy ideas. I have a very busy household with three cats and a dog, thanks in part to my inability to say no to my awesome husband. I recently completed my Psychology and Teaching degrees, and have been lucky enough to be hired as an Elementary Occasional Teacher right after school, which in my area, can be pretty hard to do. So from the outside, my life seems pretty good, right?

 Then why, at the ripe old age of 25, do I find myself feeling incredibly frustrated with the way that I have been living my life? The answer: Because I am wasting it!

 I have allowed myself to slip into a sad, boring lifestyle where all I do is think up incredible ways to spend my time. Instead of making those plans into a reality, I have been wasting my life away procrastinating like it’s my job and missing out on amazing opportunities to improve my life! This blog will be the place that I come to share my new goals, plans and eventually success stories as I work my way through the mess of a life that I have created, and hopefully find a happier, more exciting life at the other end.

I intend to find new ways to organize my life including being better prepared for each day and ways to keep my house running smoothly.

I have never taken the time to properly take care of my body, and rather than start a fad diet or a lose weight quick program, I am going to take the time to learn what my body truly needs and begin to implement a healthy lifestyle change that will make me a stronger, healthier version of myself.

Finally, I will look for new ways to achieve my dreams such as travelling, buying our first home, and becoming more successful in my career and marriage.

 I have never created a blog before, so please be patient with me as I try to get the hang of it. I would love to hear comments from other people about ways that they are working to improve their lives and I am looking forward to this much needed Fresh Start!