Master the science of health, happiness & productivity!

Only 7 spots left for the September 2015

#TheLifeDelicious wellness coaching program –

register TODAY!

If you've been thinking about joining me for this program, I encourage you to jump in with both feet now!

What's this program all about? In a nutshell: mindfulness.

By learning how to use your mind to super-charge your brain, you can significantly reduce the sum total of your stress (mental, physical, nutritional, chemical, electromagnetical), creating an enormous amount of space for health, happiness and productivity.

By harnessing the power of self-directed neuroplasticity, you can hard-wire self-nurturing rituals for stress management, exercise and nutrition.

When you change your brain, you're not fighting against willpower. This allows you to develop healthy, happy and productive habits that are simple and satisfying to practice.

That's right, you can literally change your brain so that your lifestyle effortlessly weaves in self-nurturing rituals for stress management, exercise and nutrition.

I've done it and it's changed my life in the most incredible and seemingly magical ways.

I enjoy an absolutely delicious diet, packed with a variety of nutrient-dense foods that fuel my body, and the perfect amount of decadent indulgences that fuel my spirit.

Once I committed to starting an anti-sedentary revolution, I broadened my view of "exercise" to include all forms of physical activity, which has allowed me to improve and maintain my physical fitness in less time.

I knew I couldn't keep this knowledge to myself, so I created The Life Delicious wellness coaching program, a curriculum of carefully curated lessons and activities that we'll work through together by meeting for one-hour private sessions, once a week for 12 consecutive weeks.

Take a brief look at the curriculum and get more details about the program here.

If an incredible and seemingly magical new way of living – a heightened way of being – tickles your fancy, don't delay! Get in touch and let's get this started!

Email me at catherineroscoebarr@gmail.com.

Best,

Catherine

P.S. If you know someone you think could benefit from this program, would you please send this page to them? Thank you!

How to get the most from your ClassPass membership

Click on individual images for class information.

Part of The Life Delicious holistic wellness curriculum focuses on trying a wide variety of different physical activities that challenge your body in numerous ways. The more challenges you throw at your body the better prepared it will be to rise to the different physical occasions that life throws at it.

Plus, you’ll be way less likely to get bored when you’re trying a ton of exciting new things!

I’ve never been a one-gym woman, I’m more of a dabbler, so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard about ClassPass!

It was like something I’d dreamed: a pass that gives you access to dozens of different fitness studios from barre to bootcamp to boxing to CrossFit to dance to salsa to spin to yoga to Zumba!

I liked it so much I became an affiliate. Interested in signing up? Use my link and save $30 off your 1st month! >>> http://class.ps/d43vU

Before you dive in, here are a few things to know.

1. Map it out

(Image: ClassPass)

There are more than 100 participating Metro Vancouver fitness studios that you can access with your ClassPass, so check out the map (scroll down) to see what’s in your ‘hood – and plan adventures to places across the city that you’re curious to try. Click the little bullet icon to see the full alphabetical list.

2. Get the right rotation

It’s important to work a balanced blend of cardio, strength and flexibility into your fitness schedule. Once you’re signed up, your ClassPass member page can organize available classes by type, date or location. Try to pick at least one day per week each for strength (like bootcamp), cardio (like spin) and flexibility (like hatha yoga).

3. Choose wisely

You can visit each participating fitness studio a maximum of 3 times per month, which includes studios with more than 1 location – i.e. you can visit Semperviva locations for a total of 3 classes per month.

4. Pack your bags

(Image: ClassPass)

There are more than 30 cities in Canada, the US and the UK with ClassPass, and with the launch of their new International Flex program, you can use your membership to workout at participating fitness studios when you travel!

5. Know the inside scoop

Vancouver ClassPass memberships are $89 per month. If you’re planning a vacation, you can put your membership on hold for $19 per month, while there’s a $79 reactivation fee if you cancel your membership and then rejoin.

You can reserve your spot in class online 1 week in advance. There are limited classes per studio, and limited spaces per class, available to ClassPass users, so it’s worth choosing your preferred classes ahead of time and putting a reminder in your calendar to reserve your spot as soon as you’re able to. For example, you can register for a class next Tuesday at noon this Tuesday at noon, but not sooner.

Check out ClassPass’ FAQ page for more information.

Bittered Sling Bistro Pop-Up

Wild sockeye salmon cured with autumn bog cranberry bitters, with roasted and pickled winter vegetables, avocado fondant, crispy bits and shrimp salt. (Image: Issha Marie)

Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek are a much-loved power couple in Vancouver’s culinary scene, and were recently featured in BC Business magazine for their entrepreneurial savvy.

Both exceptionally accomplished in their own right – Mote, an award-winning bartender, sommelier, international spirits diplomat, and bar manager at UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar, and Chovancek, a celebrated chef, avowed champion of the Slow Food movement, and executive chef at Café Medina – the two are co-proprietors of Bittered Sling, with a line of bitters (Bittered Sling Extracts) and a series of events (Bittered Sling Bistro).

Collaborative events

Lauren Mote (left) and Danielle Tatarin slinging cocktails at Cibo's bar. (Image: Issha Marie)

“Bittered Sling Bistro was launched in 2011,” says Mote, of the collaborative pop-up events (that had been on a brief hiatus until this January) she moderates that blend spirits (mixed by herself and special guest) with sumptuous, seasonal cuisine (prepared by Chovancek and host chef), as the visiting bartender “guides participants through an informative spirit tasting session and creates cocktails to accompany each dish.”

I was a lucky guest at Mote and Chovancek’s most recent collaborative dinner during Dine Out Vancouver at Cibo Trattoria (sister venue to adjacent UVA), where the theme, Mexican Hat Dance, inspired a lineup of incredible tequila cocktails paired with three courses of absolutely delicious food.

With The Keefer Bar’s beverage director and general manager Danielle Tatarin mixing cocktails with Mote, Cibo’s executive chef Faizal Kassam preparing food with Chovancek, and Cibo’s general manager and wine director Robert Stelmachuk graciously presiding over the room, it was an epic night of laughter, learning, attentive service and utter deliciousness.

Mindful ingredients

Both Jonathan Chovancek (left) and Faizal Kassam are proponents of local, ethical, sustainable food. (Image: Issha Marie)

I’m a huge fan of whatever Mote and Chovancek are doing – cocktails and live Jazz on a Saturday night at UVA, and Sunday breakfast at Café Medina are two of life’s greatest pleasures – but I wanted to know even more about this dynamic Bittered Sling duo, who share many of my own values in supporting local, eating in season, and patronizing ethical and sustainable purveyors, and they agreed to a little Q & A.

I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know them better too, and encourage you to visit them at UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar, Café Medina, or wherever they put spirits to glass and food to plate!

Q & A

What’s your in-a-nutshell philosophy on food and drink?

Lauren: Food is, and always will be, a catalyst for bringing people together — whether it’s for a social occasion or just a conversation. We’re advocates for deliciousness, which is a very tangible thing but also draws on memories and experiences. When I think about our relationship with food, I start daydreaming about Osoyoos cherry season in January, intercity gardens that produce veggies with a story, the weathered hands of a farmer delivering the perfect carrots, fishing for spot prawns that you'll eat later that afternoon, fresh scallops sold right off the boat — the list is endless. The story behind the food is what makes it so memorable.

Jonathan: My philosophy is that it needs to be delicious, preferably in season and sourced from somewhere with high ethical and environmental standards. Food is about sharing and creating memories. Quite often a dinner is less about what you are eating and more about whom you are eating with.

What’s the most exciting part of what you do?

Lauren: Sharing with others! Not only do we feed off one another’s energy, but both Jonathan and I are keen to develop apprentices and up-and-comers in the industry. We’re always happy to offer connections, advice, to be an ear or a teacher, and to help to make dreams come true. We love helping others grow, and we never lose sight of our own professional and personal goals, too.

Jonathan: Lauren is the most exhilarating and inspiring hospitality professional I have ever worked with. Events with her are electric, and magic happens when I get to cook dishes to complement her beverage programs.

Bittered Sling Bistro flourishes on collaboration, can you speak to that and the culinary community in Vancouver?

Lauren: Collaboration is what keeps this city's vibrant culinary scene evolving. There are so many chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, and professionals in this industry who work so hard to create great culinary experiences. Bittered Sling Bistro aims to offer a glimpse into the richness of this community in an accessible, friendly and educational way. I think we achieve this each time, and it's always different depending on the characters involved, the spirits and the stories.

Jonathan: Vancouver is a very small but mighty town, and it's an honour to collaborate with bartenders and chefs in this city. Bittered Sling Bistro has introduced me to such a wide range of bartending talent.

What’s next for Bittered Sling Bistro?

Lauren: This isn’t a one-time thing for us. Bittered Sling Bistro started in 2011 as an educational program that brought spirit categories and bartenders to the forefront and gave them a platform for creativity. Only time will tell what lies ahead for us but it was such a thrill to bring it back again, and with a sellout crowd!

Jonathan: Hopefully more pop-up events to come in 2015!

#TheLifeDelicious Instagram Recipe Roundup

Training for a Marathon

My most incredible race experience to date: the Reggae Marathon (I did the 10k) in beautiful Negril, Jamaica.

If you’re thinking about running a marathon – or any length of race – there are four key training tips you should know before you begin, says veteran athletic conditioning coach Jason Chamney, founder of Fitness Science Corporation and LeanRunner.  “They’re not complex, they’re just stuff everyone should know,” he says.

“Distance running is one of the most abusive things you can do to your musculoskeletal system, and building it up to tolerate that duration of work is key," says Chamney.

Running is an incredible way to get fit, relieve mental stress, spend time outdoors, and see new places (check out my story on the Reggae Marathon for The Province), but it’s very important to be safe, train smart and avoid injuries.

Also: chafing. I wish my inner thighs and I had done the research for this story before my race in Jamaica. I wore short-shorts and can’t begin to explain the pain I endured following the repetitive rubbing of my thighs, made worse by the inevitable presence of salt and sand on the seaside racecourse. Ouch. And I only ran 10 kilometres!

Head to BCBusiness.ca to read the full story on how to train for a marathon, and essential gear you'll need.

5 surprising tips for a better sleep

(Image: Lululemon)

I love bedtime. I love the ritual of winding down, getting clean (don't forget to floss those teeth!) and curling up in my cozy bed with a great book.

As a child I loved the bedtime ritual my parents created of reading me a story, tucking the covers in around me, kissing me on the cheek, and telling me they loved me. Sans the story, this cherished ritual continued until I got married and left home at 23.

As an adult, my wonderful husband has carried on this tradition and always takes the time to tuck me in, kiss me, and tell me he loves me (if he doesn't come to bed at the same time – I'm an early bird, he's a night owl).

I love sleep. But I've always been a light sleeper and have struggled with bouts of insomnia over the years.

However, as I've become more mindful my whole life has changed, and one of the benefits is kick-ass sleeps!

If sleeping was an Olympic sport, I'd win gold.

By practising sleep-supporting rituals I've been able to take my sleeping game to the max (and when I don't, I really feel the difference: the delayed and ungraceful dismount from bed, the inefficient groggy wandering around while my brain boots up, the increased likelihood of skipping my working, the muted tone set for the day).

Thanks to these sleep-supporting rituals, most mornings I bounce out of bed with jazz hands, ready to dance through the day. Although I do try to keep my early-morning enthusiasm to a minimum around my dear husband, who is not a morning person and likes his mornings slow and quiet.

I love to hear what experts have to say about sleep (check out my post featuring sleep crusaders Arianna Huffington and Brendan Brazier) so I can continue so improve my own sleep and find new ways to help my clients maximize the quality of theirs.

When I first heard Dr Natasha Turner, a sleep expert, naturopathic doctor and New York Times best-selling author of The Supercharged Hormone Diet, speak at a fitness conference last year I could barely sit still – she had so many sleep-related nuggets of wisdom to share! I immediately read all of her books.

I couldn't keep this knowledge to myself, and my excitement about her sleep tips turned into an interview and blog post for Lululemon.

Click here to read the full article, 5 surprising tips for a better sleep, at lululemon.com.

Energy Rituals for Stress Management

Vega-energy-rituals

Creating energy rituals frees up precious time for productivity, creativity and community by reducing decision overload. (Image: Vega) 

This post was originally written for Vega (myvega.com).

Happiness guru Catherine Roscoe Barr shares simple tips for streamlining your daily routine

Energy is a limited resource. Wasting energy cuts into your achievements and aspirations, and as a result, wasting energy creates stress.

As a happiness expert and wellness coach, I teach people how to reduce their stress and get the most out of this one-and-only amazing life. Managing your energy is a great place to start.

The Life Delicious

In 2009, I created my company, The Life Delicious, as an outlet to teach others what I know about happiness, through my work as a writer, speaker and wellness coach.

The Life Delicious stands on three pillars, The Trifecta of Wellness:

• stress management
• exercise
• nutrition

I found stress management to be the missing link from the exercise and nutrition gospel I preached as a fitness professional. I believe that overall health starts with mental health, and stress management is vital for mental health.

Energy Rituals

When I began thinking about managing energy, I came across The Energy Project, whose CEO and founder, author Tony Schwartz, created the concept of energy rituals: “highly specific behaviours done at precise times.”

I've taken this concept and applied it to the Trifecta of Wellness, creating energy rituals for stress management, exercise and nutrition.

The Organized Mind

Creating energy rituals frees up precious time for productivity, creativity and community by reducing decision overload.

“Neuroscientists have discovered that unproductivity and loss of drive can result from decision overload,” says neuroscientist, musician and author Daniel Levitin in The Organized Mind. “It’s as though our brains are configured to make a certain number of decisions per day and once we reach that limit, we can’t make any more, regardless of how important they are.”

By creating energy rituals, you’re making important, self-nurturing decisions ahead of time and freeing up mental energy for productivity, creativity and community.

Energy Action Plan

Let’s take a closer look at four different areas of stress – mental, physical, chemical and electromagnetic – so you can create a personal stress management energy action plan.

1. Mental stress

Mental stress is insidious. It’s easy to slip into patterns of negative thinking and difficult to realize what an enormous impact it’s having your life. Our brains have a negativity bias – a penchant to scan the world for danger – which served us well when we were on the lookout for saber-toothed tigers and caveman foes, but less so now that many of our foes are less dangerous and even imaginary: a stranger jumping the queue, an insensitive colleague, a perceived disagreement with a loved one, or thinking that you have bad luck.

The good news is that it’s possible to reduce mental stress by overcoming our negativity bias and re-wiring (or re-training) our brain to scan the world for the positive.

Try this:

• Set aside 1 minute each day to write down, or at least think of, 3 or more things that you’re grateful for and/or positive experiences that you’ve had that day. This re-wires your brain to scan the world for the positive, and reduces mental stress.
• Set aside 5-10 minutes each day to sit in a quiet spot and focus on your breath going in and out, your torso expanding and contracting. Every time you have a thought, acknowledge it, let it go, and return to focusing on your breath. This teaches your brain to be mindful of the thoughts that are entering your mind.

1. Physical stress

Our bodies are meant to move and a sedentary lifestyle can cause both mental and physical stress. Physical activity produces feel-good chemicals, like endorphins, and keeps our bones, joints and muscles strong and functioning properly. Exercise – physical stress – is necessary for metabolism, muscle growth and maintenance, but must be balanced with periods of rest and renewal. On the other side of the coin, too much exercise, too often, too intensely can put you at risk for injury and push your total stress load over the edge if you’re already struggling with high levels of stress in other areas of your life.  Listen to your body, pay close attention to proper form, and balance a physically active lifestyle and active recovery (like gentle yoga or low-impact swimming), with those high intensity workouts.

Try this:

• Start an anti-sedentary revolution! Since you’re likely at a desk for your job, schedule your day into alternating sedentary and active blocks, so you’re never sitting or standing still for more than an hour at a time.
• Schedule a workout, even a mini 10-15 minute workout, at least 5 days per week, alternating strength training, cardio and flexibility for a balance of physical fitness.

1. Chemical stress

Vega creator, Ironman, and author of the Thrive book series, Brendan Brazier, says that over 40-percent of the average person’s stress comes from nutritional stress – i.e. consuming too much empty-calorie food and not enough nutrient-dense food.

Try this:

• Fuel your body and mind with fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds – and look for local, organic options when possible
• Cut out, or drastically reduce, processed and packaged foods

1. Electromagnetic stress

Electromagnetic stress, especially in the form of screen time – TV, computer or hand-held device – can disrupt your sleep, by raising cortisol levels and reducing melatonin production, which prevents your body from properly performing its nightly regime of renewal and repair.

Try this:

• Stay away from screens for at least an hour before bedtime – read, journal, meditate or have some fun between the sheets instead
• Dim your lights or use candlelight for at least an hour before bedtime to promote melatonin production and optimize your sleep

Free up precious time for productivity, creativity and community by creating energy rituals to address mental, physical, chemical and electromagnetic stress on a daily basis – let me know about your success!

The Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

A spread of probiotic rich foods I have at home: Vega One nutritional shake, Genuine Health greens+ whole body nutrition, kimchi and sauerkraut.

In researching my first article for Canadian Living, I was blown away by bacteria – especially by learning of the 100,000,000,000 of them that are living in our bodies, called our microbiota!

Beyond digestive health, a diverse microbiota is absolutely essential for optimal overall physical and mental health.

For this story, I was so lucky to interview Dr Alan Logan, a researcher, digestive health expert, naturopathic doctor, and author of The Brain Diet and Your Brain on Nature.

On two separate occasions we spoke at length about bacteria, fermentation, mental and physical health. I was fascinated to learn about the numerous ways we can support and expand our microbiota and help them thrive, so they can help us do the same.

Read the full article, with tips on working beneficial bacteria into your diet, at canadianliving.com.

August Instagrams

     

  

  

  

  

5 Must-try Fall Fitness Classes in Vancouver

Johanna Ward's DanceFit class at the YWCA is an amazing workout that's ridiculously fun. (Image: akanekondo.com)

For my latest assignment for BC Living, I set out to discover some of the best fitness classes in town, some incredible instructors, and some awesome apparel to look great while you work out.

I am so fortunate as a fitness, food and travel writer to learn about an experience so many amazing things! Research is often my favourite part of the job, as I get to know some incredible people doing wonderful things in our community – and that was definitely the case for this assignment.

Check out these classes if you want to have fun while you get fit!

Read the full article on BCLiving.ca.

The Science of Health, Happiness and Productivity

Last month, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Forum For Women Entrepreneurs' blog!

I shared to two powerful yet simple approaches guaranteed to help you bring your best hustle, creativity and energy to the world: changing your brain chemistry for immediate health, happiness and productivity, and changing your brain structure for long-term health, happiness and productivity.

Head over to FWE's blog to read the full article.

Nouveau Resilience

Rebirth and renewal

With my 35th birthday, a new job for my husband, and my parents’ retirement to the West Coast in the recent past, plus another move (our 12th since we’ve been married!) in the near future, rebirth and renewal have been on my mind lately.

I came up with the term “nouveau resilience” while lunching with my beautiful friend May Globus, who's such a ray of light, and also happens to be my birthday twin!

We were talking about the qualities necessary to weather the inevitable storms that life brings. Last year in particular was a very difficult year for my family, with an unprecedented number of fierce storms.

Silver linings

One of the silver linings was that during that time, I was putting the finishing touches on my wellness curriculum – immersed in information on consciousness, mindfulness, meditation, positive psychology, gratitude, self-nurturing, connection, stress management, exercise and nutrition – and practicing what I'd learned.

I used to believe that resilience was something you’re born with, either you have it or you don’t. Until last year, I don’t know if I would have defined myself as a resilient person. Now, I do.

Psychology Today defines resilience as “that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. Even after a misfortune, blessed with such an outlook, resilient people are able to change course and soldier on.”

Positivity, optimism and grit

I now believe that everyone can learn to be resilient, armed with positivity, optimism and grit. I feel truly, deeply compelled to share the tools I've discovered that have allowed me to rise from the ashes and come back stronger than ever.

Nouveau resilience defines the ability to overcome the brain’s natural negativity bias, cultivate a positive outlook, harness the happiness advantage, and view failure as a bridge to greatness. Every day provides the opportunity for nouveau resilience. Every moment, every breath.

Check out Angela Lee Duckworth's TED talk, The key to success? Grit., below:

Every breath is a rebirth

In her new book, Running With Nature, Mariel Hemmingway beautifully captures one of the biggest shifts in consciousness I’ve gained from mindfulness and meditation: every breath is a rebirth.

“Every inhale is the birth of a new moment, and every exhale is its release, a micro version of the life and death cycle,” she says. “Each breath, each inhale and exhale, is another opportunity to consciously change and release the things that no longer serve us well and allow us to start anew.” 

Today – this very moment – you can begin to cultivate nouveau resilience.

The Life Delicious curriculum celebrates the principle that every moment, every second, provides the opportunity for rebirth, the opportunity to begin again.

The Life Delicious curriculum provides stepping stones toward nouveau resilience.

The curriculum is built on ideas and concepts that helped me overcome a very long struggle with negativity and hopelessness. These are principles that have changed my life, and my clients' lives, in the most incredible and seemingly magical ways.

To learn more about The Life Delicious curriculum check out my wellness retreats, private coaching packages, and corporate wellness talks!

#trulyethicalBC: Urban Digs Farm

The heritage breed pigs at Urban Digs Farm are fed a wholesome and almost entirely organic diet, and are free to roam around their large enclosure. 

*** Urban Digs Farm is now called Blue Sky Ranch‏! ***

Where does my food come from?

Becoming a food writer gave me a new lens through which to look at the food I was eating.

As a fitness professional for over a decade and the product of a stay-at-home mother who cooked all of our meals from scratch, I’ve always been interested in healthy nutrition, but learning the story behind the ingredients through meeting some of BC’s most incredible chefs has drastically changed the way I eat.

I used to think from the perspective of “protein” and “vegetables,” especially during my days as a personal trainer working in a gym where many of my colleagues subsided on such bland meals as poached chicken and steamed broccoli. I didn’t think beyond the shelves of my grocery store. I didn’t consider how the pristine chicken breasts and neatly stacked rows of vegetables made their way into my shopping cart.

Because I was so detached from the source of these products, I didn’t think about how the animals were treated, what chemicals had been sprayed on the vegetables, or how far the packages had travelled, and at what environmental cost, to arrive on my plate.

Origins

The ducks at Urban Digs Farm have the space to snuggle with each other, stretch out on their own, or splash around in their little pool. 

When I began to interview chefs and look closely at their menus, they highlighted their ingredients’ origins: Agassiz hazelnuts, North Arm Farm beets, Lois Lake steelhead, Maple Hill Farms chicken.

This made me think about my own ingredients’ origins when I was cooking at home. When I began asking questions, I often didn’t like what I discovered. In some cases, I was completely horrified.

I take full responsibility for my own ignorance but I was still very angry that many of the products I’d been buying, with deceptive marketing depicting nutritious, sun-ripened plants and happy, frolicking animals, were grown or raised under very shameful circumstances.

Empowered action

As I began to get really nosy and ask a lot of questions, I discovered the power I had to make informed choices and the influence that every dollar I spent carried. My mood changed from anger to empowerment. It became evident that a small army of compassionate and concerned businesses was rising and by buying their products I was helping them, in very small part, grow.

When I met Erin Ireland, a respected food reporter and owner of To Die For Fine Foods, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. This is a woman who oozes compassion and authenticity. A few years after we met, I heard her captivating Pecha Kucha talk (watch it below) and was very interested to hear we’d had a similar journey with the way we thought about and approached food.

During one of our beautiful nature jogs with our dogs, Effie (hers) and Charlie (mine), we hatched a plan to visit local farms to see with our own eyes how they operated. As both animal lovers and food reporters, we felt a strong pull to act and speak with authenticity and transparency. We wanted to be sure that the wonderful new restaurant we were sharing on social media, or writing about for local publications, was getting their ingredients from equally wonderful producers.

#trulyethicalBC adventure

So began our #trulyethicalBC adventure, a series of road trips to discover who’s doing great things in our community and share them with everyone we know and the reach of our combined media outlets.

Follow our #trulyethicalBC adventure on Twitter and Instagram (@erinireland and @lifedelish) and look for posts on our websites (itstodiefor.ca and thelifedelicious.ca).

First stop: Urban Digs Farm

The pigs at Urban Digs Farm love getting a belly rub from owners Julia Smith and Ludo Ferrari.

If you follow Urban Digs Farm on Twitter (@UrbanDigsFarm), you’re treated to adorable images of their chickens foraging around the farmyard, ducks lounging in the sunshine or splashing in their pool, and pigs rooting around in the rich, peaty soil or having a nap in their cozy sheds.

We wanted to see these happy animals for ourselves so when owners Julia Smith and Ludo Ferrari invited us out for a visit we pulled on our gumboots, hopped in the car, and made our way to their beautiful little plot in South Burnaby.

It was a real privilege to spend nearly two hours with Julia and Ludo as they showed us some of the work required to raise animals with their fierce ethical conviction.

5,000 pounds of organic food diverted from landfill each week

Julia shows us some of the organic produce, brew mash, and yogurt they diverted from the landfill to feed their animals.

One of the first things that struck me was how they feed their animals. Firstly, it’s almost entirely organic feed. Every week they pick up over 5,000 pounds of mostly organic food from a nearby grocery store and brewery, diverting it from the landfill – even though it’s practically in perfect shape! I had no idea how much food waste occurs in the grocery business.

It sounds pretty great to get truckloads of organic food for free but the time spent in transit and on opening hundreds of packages is a huge time commitment. I also learned that organically-grown, ethically raised animals take at least twice as long to raise as factory farmed animals, so this commitment is magnified. Not to mention the time spent rubbing bellies, patting heads, and checking on each and every animal individually to make sure they’re thriving.

When we visited the farm, we checked in on the chickens and ducks on our way to see their beautiful, boisterous heritage pigs who were just finishing up a snack of organic yogurt, greens and brew mash – the nutritious leftovers from beer-making that would otherwise be thrown in the garbage. There were stacks and stacks of cases of 100-gram yogurt containers. Can you imagine how long it would take to open enough teeny tiny containers to feed over a dozen hungry, growing pigs?

Reducing carbon footprints

As Julia pointed out, this is a good way to raise animals – maybe we should only eat animals raised on (perfectly good) food waste, instead of growing feed that requires an additional carbon footprint.

The pigs at Urban Digs Farm not only have a net zero carbon footprint, they’re carbon positive! With their strong muzzles, built for rooting, they’ve pulled up entire fields of invasive quackgrass, preparing the fertile soil for nutritious vegetable gardens. The peat bog they’re located on is some of the best land in Canada, says Julia.

The pigs are allowed to carry out their natural, highly social behaviours, while they divert organic waste from the landfill, spare the cultivation of fields for feed crops, provide fertilizer from their manure, and do the job of heavy machinery by removing weeds and preparing the soil for nutrient-dense produce.

This, said Julia as she lovingly rubbed one of her pig’s bellies, is an example of why farm animals are an important part of the agro ecosystem.

We were beginning to get the idea of how much work it took to raise their animals in alignment with their values, and how much love and compassion there was behind their efforts.

Eggs and fresh whole chickens from the farm are available at the Urban Digs Farm Market.

To support Urban Digs Farm and nourish your body with their wholesome food, look for their products here:

• The Beasty Box, a "nose to tail" butchery box
• Vegetable Harvest Box
• Pig shares
• Urban Digs Farm Market
• Retail Markets in the Lower Mainland

The Urban Digs Farm Market is located at 4992 Byrne Road, Burnaby, BC and is open Thursdays from 1pm to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm.

Check their website, urbandigsfarm.com, for regular updates. As of June 18, here’s what they have in store:

In addition to lovely spring produce and eggs we'll have fresh whole chicken, whole ducks, duck breasts, heritage pork and red angus beef. All our meat is super sustainably and ethically raised on pasture.

Here's a more or less complete list of what's for eats this week:

• Broccoli
• Arugula
• Garlic Scapes
• Daikon
• Sunflower Shoots
• Pea Shoots
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Napa Cabbage
• Bok Choy
• Honey
• Eggs
• Whole Duck
• Duck Breast
• Red Angus Beef
• Bacon
• Pickles & Preserves

In addition to picking up lovely spring produce, you can also visit the baby chicks, ducks, chickens & pigs, and see how our spring crops are coming along.

We are really easy to get to by car, transit or bike. There are miles of beautiful biking/walking paths right at the end of our street so why not make an afternoon of it?

We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Life Delicious’ 21 Favourite TED Talks

What you'll learn from this collection of passionate experts is incredible, and all of their insight is packed into less than 25 minutes per video. I hope you'll find these talks inspiring, informative and thought-provoking! They're arranged in alphabetical order by speakers first name because I could never pick my absolute favourite, they're all so good!

Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep

Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes

Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

Daniel Amen: Change your brain, change your life

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

Eric Goodman: The unexpected physical consequences of technology

Goldie Hawn and Daniel Siegel: The power of mindfulness

Greg Wells: Sleep better, eat better, move better

Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight

John Ratey: The importance of movement

Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Lissa Rankin: Is there scientific proof we can heal ourselves?

Matthieu Ricard: The habits of happiness

Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems... palsy is just one

Rick Hanson: Hardwiring happiness

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

Susan Cain: The power of introverts

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do

Did I miss any of your favourite TED Talks? Tweet me @LifeDelish!

The Life Delicious on Shaw TV

Catherine Roscoe Barr | The Life Delicious

My dear good friend, Johanna Ward, host of Shaw TV’s go! Vancouver and YWCA fitness instructor extraordinaire (seriously, go to one of her amazing, thrice weekly DanceFit classes) came over the other day to talk about The Life Delicious!

We exercised on my patio, talked about stress management in my hammock, and made a tasty, quick and easy curry in my kitchen. Watch the segment below.

What is The Life Delicious?

The Life Delicious is the convergence of stress management, exercise and nutrition.

Health, happiness and productivity blossom where stress management, exercise and nutrition converge!

When you prioritize self-nurturing, by creating energy rituals for stress management, exercise and nutrition – by filling your mind, body and spirit batteries – you bring your best self to the world.

When you prioritize self-nurturing, you inspire others to do the same. Imagine if everyone brought their best selves to the world!

The Trifecta of Wellness: stress management, exercise and nutrition

As a full-time personal trainer and group fitness instructor for nearly a decade, I felt there was something missing from the conversation about exercise and nutrition. In general, people know it’s important to “eat well” and “exercise,” so why is there such a serious lack of implementation? Why isn’t everyone loading up on fresh greens and gym memberships?

I believe the missing link is stress management.

A healthy mind makes anything possible. Self-nurturing – a balanced diet, rich in nutrients and open to occasional indulgence, and an active lifestyle with a diverse selection of physical activity – becomes so much easier when you have a positive, mindful, open attitude.

The Life Delicious harnesses the power of self-directed neuroplasticity

Your brain is an ever-changing, ever-evolving organ. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, refers to your brain's malleability, it's ability to physically change throughout your lifetime.

Experience-dependent neuroplasticity describes the passive structural changes your brain undergoes with day-to-day thoughts, actions and experiences. What you think and do changes your brain, for better or for worse.

Self-directed neuroplasticity describes the conscious, mindful sculpting of your brain’s neural pathways. You can physically change your brain by consciously focussing on the positive. Whether you end your day by writing down a list of things you’re grateful for or positive experiences you've had, or just take a minute or two to ruminate on gratitude and positivity, you are changing your brain.

When you consciously focus on how great you feel when you eat nutritious food, move and challenge your body, and spend time doing things you love and with people you love, you are changing your brain.

Neurons that fire together wire together

Using your mind, you’re changing your brain to scan the world for the good, and you’re creating strong pathways and associations between healthy behaviours (mindfulness, physical activity and nutritious food) and happy, positive and resilient feelings.

So the next time you’re trying to manage a stressful situation, deciding whether or not to exercise, or planning your next meal, healthy options will spring to mind, reinforcing them even further.

This is such a powerful and easy-to-implement way to make a balanced, healthy lifestyle practically effortless. It’s made all of the difference in the world to me. It’s kind of magical!

Check out the fabulous TEDtalk with neuropsychiatrist Rick Hanson below on “hardwiring happiness.”

Click on the image below for the 12-minute workout I shared with Johanna.

The Life Delicious | Catherine Roscoe Barr

Click on the image below for the coconut lentil curry recipe I shared with Johanna.

Coconut Lentil Curry | The Life Delicious

To learn more about The Life Delicious mindfulness-based wellness philosophy, click here.

Recipe: Coconut Lentil Curry

Having a stocked pantry and freezer means always having a quick and nutritious meal at your fingertips!

I shared a version of this easy, delicious, healthy, one-pot dish with Johanna Ward on Shaw TV's go! Vancouver. All of the ingredients came from my pantry or freezer. It's become a regular Plan B meal, when I'm low on groceries and even lower on the energy to make a laborious dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients • 1/2 cup green or red lentils (green are a crunchier, red are mushier) • 1 can coconut milk • 1 tbsp curry powder • 1/2 bag frozen spinach • 1/2 cup frozen edamame • 10 frozen shrimp, 1 chicken breast (chopped), 1 brick tofu (chopped), or 1 cup cooked brown rice. Instructions 1. In medium saucepan, bring lentils and coconut milk to boil, stir in curry powder, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed. 2. Add spinach and edamame and cook for another 7 minutes. 3. Add shrimp, chicken, tofu or rice, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until shrimp or chicken are cooked through.

Books: Recent Recommended Reads

Books are such a gift. It's such a gift to be inspired, to be informed and to be swept away by a story.

Here’s the best of what I’ve been reading lately. Click on their titles for more information.

1. All In: You, Your Business, Your Life

by Arlene Dickinson

2. Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself

byAlejandro Junger

3. Clean Gut: The Breakthrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing your Health

by Alejandro Junger

4. Joyous Health: Eat and Live Well Without Dieting

by Joy McCarthy

5. Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) 

by Elaine Lui

6. Maximize your Potential: Grow your Expertise, Take Bold Risks and Build An Incredible Career

by Jocelyn K Glei

7. Meals That Heal Inflammation: Embrace Healthy Living and Eliminate Pain, One Meal at A Time

by Julie Daniluk

8. Money: A Love Story

by Kate Northrup

9. Off the Beaten Path: A Hiking Guide to Vancouver's North Shore

by Norm Watt

10. Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing your Personal Health through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing

by Herbert Benson

11. Running With Nature: Stepping Into the Life You Were Meant to Live

by Mariel Hemingway and Bobby Williams

12. Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All

by Russell Simmons

13. The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love your Amazing Body

by Cameron Diaz

14. The Better Mother

by Jen Sookfong Lee

15. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering your Health and Rebuilding your Immunity

by Donna Gates

16. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph From the Frontiers of Brain Science

by Norman  Doidge

17. The Great Canadian Bucket List: One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences

by Robin Esrock

18. The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-free Living

by Amit Sood

19. The Signature of All Things

by Elizabeth Gilbert

20. Thrive Energy Cookbook: 150 Functional, Plant-based Whole Food Recipes

by Brendan Brazier

Workout Wednesday: 12-Minute Circuit

12 minutes, 3 exercises and 2 pieces of equipment for this fun, functional full-body circuit workout

You’ll need:

• Jump rope

• Yoga mat

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can’t gather the momentum for a workout? I have those days less and less as I deepen my understanding of the gift of moment and its incredible benefits for focus, creativity, energy, positivity and self-confidence.

I never feel worse after a workout, end of story. I know that it’s a super highway to feeling good, mentally and physically.

Yesterday, however, I was still in my bathrobe at 10am, having got up early to finish and submit a writing assignment for an awesome magazine. I was out of my usual routine of “wake, drink water, meditate, exercise” and having trouble gaining the momentum to get up and sweat.

The sun was making a rare appearance, amidst days of rain, so I knew I needed to get outside. I wanted something short and intense because I was planning on indulging that afternoon at Vancouver Magazine’s 25th Annual Restaurant Awards followed by dinner and movie with my husband.

I’m really fortunate to have a big patio and I felt like using my skipping rope – because even though it’s incredibly challenging it makes me smile like a big kid – so I came up with this little 12-minute workout that I’m excited to share with you!

By the way, how awesome are my snazzy new shoes? They’re the New Balance Minimus 10 Road. I love them! I got them from the amazing folks at Forerunners in North Vancouver. Ken Greenaway and Jerry Ziak are total pros who will make sure you’re in the proper shoes.    

The Workout

Throughout these exercises, focus on engaging your pelvic floor then your transverse abdominis as you exhale, spine elongated (maintain length between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones), chest lifted, shoulders back, and traps, neck and jaw relaxed.

Perform each exercise below for 1 minute with total focus on perfect form.

You can set your smartphone timer for 1 minute and reset between each exercise or use a free app like Ugi Fitness (read about the “hysterically hard” workout, which I love, here), and customize it to 1-minute intervals with no rest in between for 12 minutes (it also gives you a 10-seconds-to-go alert for each minute).

When you're done, make sure to take a few minutes to stretch. I like to begin with a couple of sun salutations for a gentle cool down and then move into some static stretches. Click here for more info on stretching and sun salutations.

1. Jump rope (nice and easy to start, shuffling from one foot to the other)

2. Squats

• Inhale as you lower your hips back and down, engaging your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves for a smooth, controlled decent

• Keep your knees strong, without wobbling, and equidistant apart

• Exhale as you raise your hips, squeezing your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves for a powerful ascent

3. Jump rope (feet together, double bounce, still fairly easy)

4. Superman + shoulder blade squeeze

This is a great way to work your middle and lower back without any equipment

• Lie on your front with arms stretched out to the side, elbows slightly bent, and thumbs up

• Gently begin to slide your shoulder blades down your spine and then squeeze them together to lift your arms off the ground

• Then squeeze your lower back to peel your chest off the ground

• Be sure to keep your neck and jaw relaxed, and look straight down, keeping the length in the back of your neck

5. Jump rope (feet together, a little faster)

6. Squats (option: jump squats)

• Make them jump squats for added intensity!

• Be sure to land softly, absorbing the shock to protect your joints

7. Jump rope (feet together, see how high you can jump)

8. Superman + shoulder blade squeeze

9. Jump rope (alternating high knees)

10. Squats

11. Jump rope (slalom / side to side)

12. Superman + shoulder blade squeeze

Recipe: Chickpea Salad

This fresh, crunchy salad recipe is a really tasty accompaniment to grilled fish or poultry, and holds up nicely for leftovers the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped with stems removed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/3 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Generous pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch cinnamon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine.
2. Let sit for at least 1 hour before serving to let flavours meld.

Travel: Victoria

The food scene in Victoria is crazy awesome right now! There are so many fantastic restaurants serving utterly delicious food that’s local, seasonal, sustainable and ethical.

I’m especially excited about the new Victoria Public Market, with tons of tasty vendors, Be Love, a new restaurant serving to-die-for organic cuisine and awesome drinks, and Fol Epi organic bakery, with out-of-this-world baked goods, breads and pastries.

But Victoria is one of my favourite places to visit beyond it's fabulous food and drink, and there will be a lot more of the historic city in my future as my parents are retiring there later this year. They're big walkers and with their enthusiastic help I'm slowly discovering all of the city's scenic, historic and natural nooks and crannies.

Every time I visit Victoria, I discover something new. Here are a few stories I’ve written about British Columbia’s quaint capital:

• BC Living – Victoria’s Food Festival: Dine Around and Stay in Town, February 20, 2014
• Homes & Living – Victoria spas combine indulgent, natural ingredients for stunning results, August/September 2013
• The Province – Taking a historic tour of venerable Victoria, August 17, 2012

Below are highlights from some of my recent visits. Click the titles to visit their respective websites.

STAY: Beaconsfield Inn Bed and Breakfast

(Image: Aaron Barr)

STAY: Inn at Laurel Point

(Image: Inn at Laurel Point) 

STAY: Fairmont Empress

(Image: Aaron Barr)

EAT: 10 Acres Bistro and Bar

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: AURA Waterfront Restaurant

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: The Bengal Lounge

(Image: Bengal Lounge)

EAT: Bubby's Kitchen

(Image: Bubby's Kitchen)

EAT: Camille’s Fine West Coast Dining

(Image: Camille’s Fine West Coast Dining)

EAT: Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub

(Image: Aaron Barr)

EAT: Veneto Tapa Lounge

(Image: Veneto Tapa Lounge)

EAT: Be Love

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: Victoria Public Market – Vij’s Sutra 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: Victoria Public Market – La Cocina de mama Oli 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: Victoria Public Market – Roast Meat Shop and Sandwiches 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: The White Heather Tea Room 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: Fol Epi organic bakery 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

EAT: Fry’s Bakery 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)

VISIT: Boathouse Spa and Baths at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel 

(Image: Boathouse Spa and Baths)

VISIT: Spa Magnolia at The Magnolia Hotel 

(Image: Spa Magnolia)

VISIT: SORA Spa at the Hotel Grand Pacific 

(Image: SORA Spa)

VISIT: The Pedaler cycling tours 

(Image: The Pedaler)

VISIT: Discover the Past walking tours 

(Image: Aaron Barr)

VISIT: Silk Road Tea 

(Image: Aaron Barr)

VISIT: Royal BC Museum

(Image: Aaron Barr)

TRAVEL: Harbour Air 

(Image: Catherine Roscoe Barr)