Every holiday season I bake goodies for my loved ones. They used to be just tasty but since I’ve changed my lifestyle, I’ve been searching and trying out healthy recipes (well, heathier recipes).

Now I’ve had some hits over the past few years – check out this testimonial:

“So far I’ve tasted those crunchy, gooey chocolate delights and they are deeeelicious! There were so many unexpected textures that my mouth was in bliss as the sweet and crispy tastes collided lovingly with each other!”

Emmanuel Lopez, Motivatorman.

Wow, eh? Now would anyone be interested in what this “crunchy, gooey chocolate delight” is named? Leave a comment and maybe, just maybe, I’ll share the recipe with you all, too.

Interestingly, only a few of my family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances made any New Year’s Resolutions this year. When I asked those who didn’t, “Why not?”, they almost all replied with, “Most people break them within the first week, so why bother?”

If you want to change something in your life, this post is all about why you should bother.

Change is meant to be gradual

I’m not sure what the weather’s been like in other parts of the world but it’s been beautiful here in Toronto, Canada. In fact, it’s too gorgeous!

Yesterday was 14ºC (57ºF) when only 5 days ago we were experiencing -17°C (1.4 ºF and with the wind-chill it felt like -30ºC or -22 ºF !). Everyone I’ve spoken with has been feeling “off”. Some people reported trouble sleeping, others complained of headaches, some mentioned being moody, and others couldn’t pin point the disturbance.

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I just tried out this Eggplant Chili Recipe and got RAVE reviews from my boyfriend, friends and co-workers.

The only adjustments I made were to the spices: I increased the chili powder to 3 tbsp (I like spicy so I’d like to use 5 tbsp next time) and both the cumin and oregano to 2 tbsp each.

And thanks again to my friend Denise, the nutritional numbers health nut, for the following nutritional value information:

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Just in time for your New Year’s Resolutions!

Strengthening your core muscles are important because all of your movements are supposed to originate here. Strong core = excellent balance.

Here is the first video in a series of Pilates for Beginners. This exercise is called the Front Support Stretch and reminds me of the plank , my favourite core move.

For now, concentrate on perfecting your technique, but remember to have fun!

Are you the type of person who cringes when another New Year’s Day or birthday passes? Do you focus on the rising numbers and think, “Another year gone and it was shorter than the last!”

I admit that since turning 25, I’ve often thought there won’t be enough time to do everything that I want to before I die (a natural death). Instead of letting these scary thoughts incapacitate me, I use them as reminders and motivation. They remind me to slow down and savour every moment I have on Earth AND also to motivate me in finding a way to buy more time.

But how do you buy time? What is time, anyway?

Time is a man-made concept, a tool to measure change. Age, therefore, is an objective, quantifiable way to roughly describe the change a person has experienced during their life.

Well move over, ‘cause there’s a new and more accurate tool in town! It’s a private and free online survey designed by a couple of doctors called the RealAge test. It takes into account the many facets of a lifestyle which contribute (either positively or negatively) to the natural process of aging.

The bonus to knowing your Real Age is the power that comes along with this knowledge. The RealAge website gives you loads of healthy lifestyle tips that will actually help you start reversing the aging process today!

Make healthy choices everyday because when you do, you sip from the Fountain of Youth each time.

It’s never too late for a New Year’s resolution.