Tonto-Depp Fires Up My National Aboriginal Day Spirit

Happy National Aboriginal Day (June 21st) in Canada. A good friend of mine recently posted this Facebook article and link about Johnny Depp’s role in the new “Lone Ranger” movie: ‘Depp says he ‘took shot at erasing’ clichés with Tonto role’  (www.santafenewmexican.com)   The by-line reads: Johnny Depp says he tried to turn the clichés about Native Americans on their heads with his ironic portrayal of Tonto in the new film The Lone Ranger.

I think Johnny Depp is hot, a wonderfully talented actor, but a social activist ‘erasing clichés’ about Native Americans he is NOT.

He’s a gorgeous – but ignorant – idiot if he thinks that this work did ANY good for anyone other than him and the movie/plastic industry that will benefit now from a series of crow-hat Halloween costumes, Native-y bangles made in China. Maybe he needs to take another authenTIK tour of a ‘rez  led by ‘expert guides’ (which usually means a White guy who met some Native guys and heard cool stories that they want to re-tell now to share the wisdom…for lots of money). GAG!

This movie – and the marketing of it – makes me FURIOUS on many levels: A Native actor didn’t play a Native role (again). Hey Johnny – sitting with a few Elders and reading some Western novels written by White men doesn’t make you an expert in anyone else’s ways. I have a Masters Degree in Indigenous Education, have been blessed to work with and interview and learn from thousands of diverse Aboriginal people from many Nations and groups across Canada, and advocate for Aboriginal rights in my work and communities for almost 15 years now – yet I dare not call myself an expert. I can continually fight to provide spaces for THEM to tell THEIR stories in THEIR way… and if I do share my insights, I clearly identify that I’m coming from a White, colonized perspective while fighting for social justice and a more inclusive society.

In his interviews, I feel Depp takes a patronizing tone in saying ‘we can help them’ and ‘they can be warriors even though they have pathetic lives.’ He doesn’t own the fact that he is part of a capitalist, racist, colonizing, elitist industry that created and benefits from keeping them down and out.

Here’s an e-card I made up to share today:

Does he really respect the diversity and cultures of the First Peoples of this land? Does he acknowledge their right to self-governance – or at least equal voice at tables and boardrooms where ‘their his-stories’ are told, never mind rooms where their traditional territories are impacted? If not, he’s just another White guy benefitting from exploiting stereotypes, making money by continuing to paint THEM as people of the past, not people of the present.

We need to ask ourselves this hard question: Who benefits most when media/society continues to box Native people into one of seven dated (and limited) roles? 

It’s far easier for big business to continue painting them either as:
1) wise old Elder/healer/Medicine Man, 2) crazy activist rebel/scorned Youth/savage warrior, 3) Pocahontas-style Indian princess, 4) poverty-stricken-drugged-out-helpless-single-mom, 5) noble  environmental activist/tree-protector,  6) drunken broken Indian , and the newest version… 7) corrupt Chief.

Then we don’t have to admit that they are resilient survivors of chemical, political, cultural and economic warfare waged against them by OUR leaders. our policy-makers, our (ack!) ancestors. Aboriginal people have rights written into Canada’s constitution for a reason – many original writings (and even the Royal Proclamation of 1763)  required that governments negotiate with Indigenous people before any British subject (or other colonizer) interfered with them. As Tom Peace wrote earlier this year on www.ActiveHistory.ca,

“The crown, after all, was concerned with “the great Frauds and Abuses [that] have been committed in purchasing Lands of the Indians.” Anyone living on land not properly ceded to the crown was to be removed. In issuing the Proclamation, the British wished “that the Indians may be convinced of Our Justice, and determined Resolution to remove all reasonable Cause of Discontent.” (Click here for the full text)

Many historians acknowledged that without the help of First Nations guides, women and leaders, most settlers would not have survived very long here…and a respectful relationship was needed to build a nation that benefitted all its inhabitants.

But many developers/businesses/exploiters don’t like that concept, because their short-term profit-driven agendas are disrupted and delayed. Natives are becoming more educated, winning more court cases against big businesses who were used to getting their own way. Now they are being more supported by ‘mainstream’ Canadians,  international advocates for human rights and environmentally aware people who see them as the last stance for sustainable global development.

SAY Magazine – Cover of issue 51 Aboriginal voices and perspectives in media copied from http://www.saymagcom

But it is still a battle for success stories or other roles for Aboriginal people make their way into our screens, books, boardrooms and classrooms. If you follow most news, you’d never know that the fastest growing group of successful business people in Canada is

Aboriginal women and that they are enrolling in many University programs nearly at the same rate as non-Native people now ( http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2009004/article/11017-eng.htm).  Media-makers like SAY Magazine (www.saymag.com) and FAIR Media (https://www.facebook.com/realIndigenous) get some stories into ‘mainstream’ news, but it’s still a small ripple fighting a well-established tidal wave of misrepresentation.

Unfortunately, I get the sense that people like Depp who are ”trying to help’ don’t usually want to address or change any of the systemic issues that we continue to ignore. WE  forced/relocated people onto Reservations/reserves, disconnected them from access to economic and education opportunities, stole and then abused their children, attempt to discredit their histories and sciences and connection to environment…all in the name of ‘modern progress.’  How about ‘helping’ by promoting human and Indigenous rights, sustainable development, social responsibility and simple respect for different ways?  How about looking for common ground instead of difference? Or at least, how about insisting that a Native actor play a REAL Native hero role, not a fictional Western interpretation of idiotic sidekick to wise White man?

It is uncomfortable to admit that WE WHITE PEOPLE continue to benefit from lands, resources, medicines, and knowledge stolen from the many diverse groups of First Peoples of North America… and that we still don’t want to share the wealth and opportunities with those whom we shoved aside. Most of US couldn’t even tell you whose traditional land they’re living on, where they went (or why they ‘went away’), which families were the experts/keepers of which types of knowledge for their community, and why their languages and stories and lessons are often tied so closely to the land. Most can’t imagine how racist colonizers imposed racist policies (like making it illegal for Natives to sing their songs, or hire lawyers, or vote, etc.) could possibly impact day-to-day life. What if  you lived in that marginalized group not allowed ‘into’ society? What if every child in your community was forced onto buses and shipped hundreds of miles away to schools where they couldn’t get healthy meals,  got beat for speaking their own language, suffered all sorts of abuse, and had to pray to a whole new set of Gods who just might forgive them for being pagan if they only repented enough? From the hundreds of stories I have heard from friends and students and co-workers, I know that not every residential school experience was horrific, but I can tell you 90% of their stories are heart-breaking and disgusting. Their tears and resilience inspires me to keep challenging the systems that tried sooo hard to break their spirits and connections to their lands.

Sure, MY English and Ukrainian ancestors were poor white immigrants who struggled in a foreign land and worked hard to start new lives here in Canada. I’m not discrediting their resilience and efforts – but their struggles PALE in comparison to Native people who were not given the same opportunity to own land and benefit from its riches!  My ancestors did not get beaten in school for speaking their language, nor have their religious symbols (and grandparents’ bodies) stolen for museums, nor watch families die from small pox from Hudson Bay blankets that were intentionally infected and then distributed along the Coastal communities. (http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/amherst/lord_jeff.html). My White ancestors were allowed to work and live ‘in town’ to benefit from schools, jobs, health care services and networks; they were not forcefully relocated and prohibited from fishing, hunting or trading on lands and waters that they’d lived on sustainably for thousands of years before OUR arrival.

#epicfail

Depp could have made a real impact by using his fame/political power to bring to light some of these issues – maybe even help to disrupt the ‘stale pale male’ thinkers that continue to make millions in the box offices, through Happy Meals, and with tacky swag by perpetuating negative, ignorant and easy to promote stereotypes. But the only thing he erased was authentic Native voices and perspectives

I don’t think Depp did ‘his homework’ examining his real role in all of this. And  I admit that I have only seen movie trailers and read articles like http://jezebel.com/johnny-depp-wants-to-fix-racism-with-tonto-514398140 and http://www.hitfix.com/comedy/annotating-the-racism-of-johnny-depps-tonto posted by writers at groups like FAIR Media who state: “Indigenous Peoples reserve the right to define how and where we are represented in popular culture. We know that stereotypes and cultural mockery harms our children.”  I will see the movie sometime, but they won’t get a lot of money (or probably respect) from me.

I hope that this movie – and all the discussions about it – bring awareness to two things: a) buying movie-inspired toys and Native-y bangles or clothes made sweatshops overseas will get you mocked, not admired, and:  b)  with new media channels like Facebook and Twitter, racist crap like this will be more critically analyzed and discounted than ever before. Its long-term impact on dismantling stereotypes and promoting Native voices and stories is yet to be measured – but I’m hopeful posts like this might turn a few Whitebulbs on.

Don’t get me wrong, Johnny Depp can still tickle me with a feather any day – I just hope he’s not upset when I don’t take him for a tour of our Coast Salish territories (Vancouver) blaring my latest Inez Jasper album http://youtu.be/QgOluBcedw0, don’t invite him to stay for some Hawthorn tea (from Siska Traditions http://siskatraditions.org/), don’t give him some canned salmon from my ‘Sechelt sista’ Shona Lee Shuter or ‘Gitxsan girl’ Carla Ekins, won’t share my bannock made by my friend, Francis, and don’t want to take him to National Aboriginal Day festivities with me this week (www.bcaboriginalday.org).

Wait a sec… maybe I could take him as my token ‘White-guy-saver-of-Indians’

Native Bling – Thru Haida Eyes jewelry and Corrine Hunt glasses

Naw, I’ll stick to my hand-made authentic Native bling: my copper dragonfly bracelets by Marilyn McKee Thru Haida Eyes, my Denise Brillon Artifaax earrings, my Corrine Hunt glasses, and my copper paddle necklace from Melaney Gleeson-Lyal. pic.twitter.com/0LKK1Wsn.

They feel better on my skin – and conscience.

Depp is  still invited to ‘creep into my teepee’ any time he comes to the beautiful Coast Salish territory of Vancouver where I am blessed to work and live… but leave the fake crow hat at home, will ya? I’d hate to wait for him to rescue me from the savages.

Medicine Wheel teachings – A Lakota /Sioux interpretation by Don Warne

Medicine Wheel teachings – in Don Warne’s description of this traditional symbol for many North American Indigenous Peoples, he adds in the Four Sacred Elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth) and includes the interconnectivity and interdependence of the animals, planst and energy. Based on his Lakota /Sioux teachings (Don is Oglala Sioux).

Who says that is ‘authentic’ Aboriginal art? Rejoining the dialogue at Klahowya Village

I’m baaack! After getting ‘life’ in order over the last year, I’m ready to rejoin some dialogues and blur up the blogging world, lol.

Aboriginal Tourism BC’s Klahowya Village Tour Guide (Derek Lilly, left) takes me (right) and Aboriginal BEST Provincial Coordinator Bruce Lacroix (centre) on a walking tour of Aboriginal artisans, dancers and drummers in Stanley Park.

This post is inspired by a visit this Monday to  Klahowya Village, a wonderful cultural experience hosted by Aboriginal Tourism BC.  This pic from 2008 shows me (right), the provincial coordinator of the Aboriginal BEST program, Bruce Lacroix (middle), and an AtBC cultural guide, Derek Lilly (left) enjoying the shade of the tall cedars of the Coast Salish territories.

I recognized Derek in a group of Klahowya Village tour guides; he’d worked with Bruce and I the previous year when he came to Vancouver for the annual train-the-trainer program that Bruce coordinates in support of the Aboriginal BEST entrepreneurship and small business development program (www.aboriginalbest.com).  At the time, Derek was working in the Upper Similkameen Band in Hedley, BC as a guide for the Aboriginally-owned mining tour experience called ‘Mascot Mines.‘  It was wonderful to reconnect with Derek and to see him working hard to continue promoting Aboriginal business development for artisans and performers in the growing industry of cultural tourism!

Derek gave us a walking tour of Klahowya Village, its artisan booths, and the stage area where traditional drummers, storytellers, and dancers perform all summer.  He shared some cultural knowledge of the beautiful Coast Salish People and their traditional territories – the lands upon which Stanley Park is located. Then we jumped on the  Spirit Catcher Train to weave our way through Stanley Park, looking for Sasquatch and enjoying the wonderful Aboriginal art pieces strategically placed among the gorgeous lakes and tall cedars.   I’ve gone back to wander through the Village a few times since then, because whether by train, bike, wheelchair, stroller or foot,  experiencing Klahowya Village is both educational and exhilarating.

Mixed Emotions About Returning to Klahowya Village this year

Fire in Spirit Catcher Train building destroys artwork, tools but not spirits of Aboriginal Artisans, photo provided by http://www.atbc.com

But this year, I returned to Klahowya earlier than anticipated.  An arsonist set fire to the Spirit Catcher Train departure building just after midnight only one day after the cultural exhibit opened for the summer this National Aboriginal Day (June 21st).   I was invited to attend the Cleansing and Healing Ceremony organized by AtBC and Coast Salish community leaders, and was amazed at the level of support for the artists and organizers.   Vancity immediately set up a donation fund and provided marketing support to raise awareness of the impact of the fire on the artists and Village (see link, bottom of this page).  Drummers and singers from various Coast Salish Nations came together to sing beautiful songs of peace, healing, forgiving and welcoming. The sound of their voices and drums seemed to echo through the dense forest, connecting us to the heartbeat of Mother Earth and reminding us all that we are just little parts of a bigger world.  We must all work together to protect nature – and Others – to create more harmonious relationships.

A group of women did traditional Healing Work, moving carefully around the space and the artists while using cedar boughs to ‘brush away’ any bad energy; they worked diligently to cleanse the area to make room for healing, new growth, and renewed prosperity. The speakers asked for prayers of forgiveness and healing for those who caused the damage – an inspiring concept in the spirit of Aboriginal transformative justice.

The Ceremony ended with words of gratitude from the organizers and host Nations, and it felt like the air had cleared somehow. Though I arrived that morning at Klahowya filled with mixed emotions of anger,  sadness and frustration, it’s safe to say that I left that afternoon with a sense of peacefulness and renewed hope.  =)

Inspired to Post

I also left inspired to write this story, because I had time to talk afterwards with Shain Jackson – an incredible Aboriginal artist, entrepreneur, and advocate for celebrating authenticity in Aboriginal art.  I’d met him briefly at the Native Education College fundraising dinner the week before, but didn’t get a chance to arrange an interview time. We’re revising the Aboriginal BEST Student Training Manual this summer  – so contact me, by the way, if you have ideas/comments/quotes/resource reviews you’d like to include!).

Shain Jackson is a Sechelt Nation artist, a member of AtBC, and owner of Spirit Works Ltd., developing and promoting an Aboriginal Authentic Art branding and certification program

Shain is a proud member of the shíshálh Nation (known by most people by its English name, the Sechelt Nation),  located along the West Coast of BC.   He is selling and displaying at Klahowya many of his carved bentwood boxes and unique jewelry pieces made at his Spirit Works studio and gallery.    After reading a blog post that Shain wrote explaining the importance for educators, consumers, and artists to join in the discussion about what is authentic Aboriginal art, who makes it, who decides what the criteria are to be considered ‘authentic’  of learning more about important topic…I realized that I could bring this issue to light through my social media sites, too.  Shain – who is also a laywer – wrote:

“Aboriginal Artists and businesses have grown wary of competing with art products which depict our designs but are supplied by non-Aboriginal companies and for the most part are produced overseas.  This practice is not only disingenuous to the buyers who would like to purchase something truly of our cultures, but it also redirects much needed resources away from some of the most marginalized and impoverished communities in the country.  This is a very serious social and economic issue which warrants immediate attention.

As individual Aboriginal artists, and as a group, we have begun a campaign aimed at gaining legislation to protect one of our most valuable sources of income; income which in the past has been instrumental in the survival of our people and our way of life.  Similar laws have been in place south of the border for 20 years in the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.

While we engage in this fight for recognition, in the meantime, as Aboriginal makers of truly Authentic Aboriginal Products (those designed, produced, and distributed by Aboriginal people) we have developed a symbol meant to address the issue.”  

See the logo that the group has chose to represent Authentic Aboriginal Art and read the full article in Shain’s full post called, “Aboriginal Authentic” (January 2010, http://trulyauthentic.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/aboriginal-authentic/#comment-204)

I agree completely with Shain, the AtBC team, and the hundreds of artists they have worked with to develop the Authentic Aboriginal Art brand – and legal framework to support their idea.   For about the last 11 years, I’m honoured to work with and learn from many diverse, talented Aboriginal artists  to help them better market/identify/explain their work, their processes, their culture, etc.  Note that when I say ‘we’ in this message, I carefully position myself and identify as a non-Aboriginal teacher and consultant who works with (and donates time to) many Aboriginal artists and cultural groups… and I constantly advocate for Aboriginal control over authenticity decisions and the promotion of their goods.  I see my role as an ally as someone who can (with your permission) stand beside you,  in front of you, and behind you to help get your voices and perspectives heard and better understood in classrooms and boardrooms.

I admire the artists’ calls to raise awareness of the (lack of) authentic art in the market – it sickens me to see cheap knock-offs and promotional pieces where companies appropriate/steal or just ‘buy’ rights to art… then don’t cite the artist/Nation/story, etc.   Shain voiced the views of many other artists, Aboriginal leaders and social justice advocates when he began making international headlines during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He and other artists publicly chastised VANOC and the Four Host First Nations group for using the term ‘Authentic Aboriginal’ on products that were not made byAboriginal artisans, and often not even made in Canada! As did many other news agencies, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) covered the story at .

The issue of cultural authenticity and appropriation popped up again this spring when American Outfitters was sued for promoting their ‘Navajo’ designs.  I followed many Facebook posts and blogs by people disgusted with AE’s insensitivity and disrespect for cultural knowledge, especially when they were asked (then ordered, by law) to remove the unearned reference.  I may write more about this to provide educators with some excellent resources examining the effects of cultural (mis)appropriation, because it was a concept I hardly understood until I had a better understanding of the colonial history of assimilation – and invite your ideas, too.

So what is ‘Authentic’ Aboriginal art?

I commented on the “Aboriginal Authentic” blog about the incredible work AtBC and the artists have done to create a three-level criteria for ‘authenticating’ Aboriginal artwork that is based on truth and transparency.  According to their WordPress post, to earn the “Authentic Aboriginal Product” label, the item for sale must meet the following criteria (according to

1. Must be designed by an Aboriginal person – An Aboriginal person must have established the original design for the item being sold.  This means the artwork displayed on an item, in addition to the design of the item itself;
2. Must be produced by Aboriginal people – This means that the item must have been created by the hands of an Aboriginal person.  This does not mean modern tools or technology cannot be used and that we are frozen in time in respect to our methods of production.  Nor does this mean every component of an item must be created by an Aboriginal person (such as beads, thread, buttons, and other materials) however it does mean that the main body of work must be created by an Aboriginal person here in Canada.
3. Must be Distributed by Aboriginal People – This means an Aboriginal person is responsible for wholesaling to the retail market.  This segment is meant to address the exploitation which has occurred all too often in our communities when a non-Aboriginal actor takes advantage of needy conditions to purchase items for literally pennies on the dollar.  Although these items may be designed and produced by Aboriginals, the social and economic issues are not practically addressed.

For now, I look forward to following and supporting the work to create and promote an Authentic Aboriginal Art program and to revisiting Klahowya Village.  It’s open again from 11am to 4 pm weekdays (5pm Friday to Sunday) and it’s wonderful!

The Spirit Train is rolling… and there’s Sasquatch sightings already http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlduuZ2gXdA&feature=player_embedded  Come check it out if you’re living or traveling to Coast Salish Territories this summer!

In honour and respect,   Kristin =) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relevant links to topics in this article

• To make a donation to support the Aboriginal artists impacted by the fire at the Klahowya Village:  Visit any Vancity branch to make a donation to “Klahowya Village Artisan and Miniature Train Fund” The account info:  #440255, Branch 12.  People also donate via an on-line banking transfer or by calling Vancity at 1-604-877-7000. To donate on-line visit the link https://atbc.wufoo.com/forms/donations-for-artists-affected-by-recent-fire/.  Check out why Vancity supports Klahowya Village =) https://www.vancity.com/MyCommunity/OurChangeProductsAndServices/FirstNationsAndAboriginal/Klahowya/
• Klahowya Village in Stanley Park http://www.aboriginalbc.com/packages/klahowyavillagestanleypark  open 11am to 4 pm weekdays (5pm Friday to Sunday) LOVE IT!
• Shain Jackson’s Blog Truly Authentic:  http://trulyauthentic.wordpress.com
• Shain’s company Spirit Works Limited http://www.authenticaboriginalproducts.ca
• Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (ATBC): on-profit, membership-based organization “committed to growing and promoting a sustainable, culturally rich Aboriginal tourism industry.”   http://www.aboriginalbc.com
• Native Education College Awards and Fundraiser – http://www.necvancouver.org/award-recipients
• Upper Similkameen Band and  Mascot Mines  http://www.mascotmine.com
• Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) – the first and only national Aboriginal broadcaster in the world! Its programs are “by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples, to share with all Canadians as well as viewers around the world.”   APTN http://www.aptn.ca
• Free – Aboriginal BEST (Business Entrepreneurship Skills Training) Program  and follow Aboriginal BEST on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/aboriginal.best  Registration is open for for organizations to apply NOW to bring a BEST to your community, and for people to register to take the fall 2012 courses now. Visit http://www.aboriginalbest.com/

Balancing Workouts as an Entrepreneur

Running my own business means that I’m usually the marketer, salesperson, closer, customer care representative, administrative assistant, HR manager, janitor, and event coordinator. Though I’ve been really committed to making time to work out on my own, at the gym, or at the Fit Chicks Boot Camp this year, today I’m too busy typing reports, editing Youth-written (amazing!) articles for RedWAY BC News, leading phone coaching sessions, setting up appointments and making phone calls.

I’m struggling to remember to get up and move at least once an hour, have finished one pot of coffee already, and am starving (and it’s 2pm). Bad girl! Taking a break to type this makes me realize that I gotta eat some protein and carbs now so that I can fuel my brain for the afternoon AND eat a small but healthy dinner before Fit Chicks Boot Camp tonight.  If you watch their video (below) you’ll see the importance of drinking 3 litres of water, eating regular (and healthy) meals, and planning your day to reward yourself with good health.

So this post is done for today – or I’ll be really done tonight in Boot Camp! Enjoy Wacky Wednesday, everyone!

Fit Chicks Boot Camp Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wxrAJAp4lM&feature=player_embedded#!

Avoiding Winter Weight (and Waste Cases)

Triceps are located at the back of the upper arm - read full article called "Weak Triceps Tripping You Up? Get Toned!" at http://www.iemily.com/article-836.html

I’m feeling tired today – physically and emotionally.

Physically: I survived (and dare I say enjoyed?) last night’s Boot Camp with my Chick Sergeant, Leah. My triceps (those muscles on the back of your upper arm) are barking this morning because we did dips and tricep extensions (see pic at right).

Emotionally: I survived (and did not enjoy) one of “those nights” where this formula created havoc:
alcohol + ego + lack of emotional intelligence = arguments + yelling past midnight

No, Leah didn’t drive me to drink last night – I was the sober one again. Let’s just say that my tolerance has run out for idiotic behaviours from people who think it’s OK to be a waste case on a week night. But after a 2-hour discussion this morning, my roomy and I talked through a lot of stuff, said our peace, shared good bye hugs with open hearts, and helped him pack up his stuff to move out. I wish him well in the future. =)

But I’m pooped. So I’m taking the easy way out this morning by sharing an article posted Dec. 28, 2010 on the Fit Chicks website (http://www.fitchicks.ca/blog/2010/12/avoid-winter-weight/). I like their tone and simple advice:

Avoid Winter Weight

Hey chicks,

We hope you’re having a FANTASTIC holiday season! We’ve missed you and can’t wait for the New Year, but in the meantime – we’ve got some fab tips to share!

Holidays are meant to be relaxing, but we know that they can be stressful and mess around with your fitness goals. (There doesn’t seem to be time to work out and those goodies keep calling your name!). The good news is: you’re almost done with the holiday season! Bad news is: wintertime can still be a challenge for many chicks.

But don’t worry! We’re here to help you stay on track with our Five Ways to Avoid Winter Weight!
Ready?

Five Ways to Avoid Winter Weight

1. Sneaky Workouts!

Don’t have time for an hour-long workout? It’s okay, chick, use the time you’ve got! 20 minutes is FAB (use your CHICK PACK for some at-home workouts) or even incorporate small moves into your day. Calf raises while you’re cooking? They count! You can also check out some chicktastic tips here: Five Easy Ways to Burn 500 Calories

2. Change your Comfort Food
No need to panic – we’d never take Mama’s Famous Mac’N’Cheese from you! But focus on why you choose those heavy or sugary treats and what alternatives might work. We know hot cocoa makes you feel cozy, but make it healthier or try a delicious decaf tea like chocolate mint or chocolate chai.

3. Bundle Up!

We know it’s Canada, but that’s a lot of months to be spending indoors. Head outside for some of our country’s fab winter activities or try a new one – snowshoes, anyone? Not only does this work your bod, but the fresh air and sunlight improve mood and reduce cravings. Check your city’s parks and recreation website for local skating rinks and ski hills. In a pinch a hill and a garbage bag will do!

4. Spend Time with Friends
Why can this help? With the winter often comes winter blues and, in some cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). For many this means isolating and engaging in emotional eating (or not eating – which isn’t good either, chicks). Check in with your doctor if you suspect you suffer from SAD and be sure to spend time with supportive peeps.

5. Adjust Your Portions
A lot of us are active in the summer which means we burn more energy, which means we need more fuel. But come winter time we often work out less while still eating the same portions. If you are working out less, be sure to adjust your food intake accordingly because you’re not burning it off anymore. Think of it as “calories in, calories out.” If you put lots of calories in and don’t exercise to get them out, they’ve got nowhere to go! One exception? Those green veggies! Eat up

6. Have Fun and Go Easy On Yourself (Okay, so we threw in a bonus).

You might gain some weight, chicks, and that’s okay. It doesn’t change how fabulous you are! Just remind yourself that you are one fierce chick and plan to make some changes. Negative self-talk is tempting, but it only makes change that much more challenging.

Hope this helps, chicks! And, of course, another FAB way to beat the Winter Weight is to come out and play with us! Don’t forget that our New Year’s Promo has been extended: Sign up for January AND February and get $50 off! Just type in “newyear” into the promotion code.

Have a FAB day!

FIT CHICKS

I end today’s post with a thanks to the Fit Chicks for sending cheerful and inspiring articles my way – even on tired days, it’s good to stay focused on the big picture – creating a healthy balance between emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health.  Cheers to all the chicks and Chucks who need a boost today. =)

2 workouts to turn Blue Monday into Do Monday!

Monday, Monday. I woke up surprisingly excited and energetic today, even though many radio, print and TV reporters talked all day about how the third Monday of January is supposed to be the most ‘dreary, depressing day’ of the year.  Theories abound about why today, the third Monday of January, is supposed to be an especially depressing “Blue Monday’ – but I boil it down to the quadruple whammy of poor weather and three saddening yearly events:

1.  First, mid-January in the northern half of the world is darker than the rest of the year; we’ve suffered through a lot less sunshine hours since the winter solstice, and what little light trickles through is less direct light. That means:
a)  It’s just plain dreary (and this year, it seems especially rainy or snowy. Mentally, a build-up of gloomy weather can be depressing. The renewing energy of spring and warmth of summer can seem so far away when I’m sick of overcast,cold days and long, dark nights.
b) Less exposure to direct sunlight causes serious physical effects on our bodies because of a shortage of Vitamin D.  This ‘sunshine vitamin’ is critical for bone health, cell growth and repair, and immune system preservation. Health Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, most doctors (including TV’s “The Doctors“, and health advocates like Lance Armstrong Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a significantly higher risk of most cancers, heart disease, autoimmune diseases (including the flu). A study published in 2010 in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Nutrition Food Research by vitamin D researcher Dr. William Grant explains how higher levels of Vitamin D prevent breast cancer and regulate proper cell growth in most tissues –  a function that researchers now believe slows or even eradicates the spread of cancer cells.”  All sources we found recommend that Canadians take a daily dose of at least 400 IU of vitamin D.

2.  Something those doctors or a pill can’t prevent is this saddening event: by now, most of us have also received our January bills. Whether it’s higher than normal phone bills, credit card bills, or bank statements, by now all of your holiday food, gifts, events, and travel purchases/spending/splurging from December are adding up right in front of you. Even if you didn’t go overboard, it still sucks to see the bills in your mailbox or inbox at once.

I appreciated this clinical pharmacologist’s simple explanation of Vitamin D, “When we are exposed to sunlight, the UV rays modify the chemical structure of Vit D via the skin tissues, in such a way, where the liver and kidneys will be able to activate Vit D for the real use in our body.  So basically it is stored, UV prepares it, liver and kidney activate it, body uses it!” (See the Yahoo.com story http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090203064704AAtazut.

 

3.  The first pay cheque of the new year is in – and probably already spent. See point 2, above. 

4.  The rejuvenating feelings of hope and inspiration one often feels looking forward to ringing in a new year –  accomplishing new things, setting new goals, making then tackling new year’s resolutions –  has probably faded (if not died completely). This weekend I heard a variety of admissions of guilt and defeat from friends reflecting on 2011 so far that seem to range from slight disappointment, “I hit the gym pretty good for the first week, but let it slide,” to the expectation of defeat or self-fulfilling prophecy, “I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay on my diet,”  to frustration, “I thought for sure I could quit smoking and save money this year, dammit” to angst, “I thought for sure 2011 was going to be better! Why hasn’t my luck changed?” 

As people struggle create new, healthier routines, there’s a little steam let out of our engine when we realize that it takes continual, consistent effort to overcome procrastination – never mind apply the discipline necessary to change old habits and routines.  There’s tons of advice about ways to set and achieve goals – setting realistic goals and determining priorities, defining a clear strategy, getting people on board who can help you and support you, etc. In the http://www.aboriginalbest.com/ course, we talk about setting SMARTTY goals, or ones that are:

S – Specific – ‘I’m going to get in better shape’ is too general, vague and uninspiring. It becomes more easy to understand when you get specific…reducing my calorie intake, quitting smoking, eating fresh veggies with every meal day, moving around while I’m talking on the phone, etc.
M – Measurable – Don’t forget to add times/amounts/dates to those specifics so there’s something to measure your progress against. The specific goals above become measurable if they’re changed to say, ‘I’m going to get in better shape by reducing my calorie intake to 1500 calories now; quitting smoking by the end of the week; eating two cups of fresh veggies with three meals and one snack every day; walking or at least doing 10 knee lifts, lunges or knee bends while I’m talking on the phone, etc.”
A – Advertised – write them down, share them in a blog, make a dream board, post task lists on the fridge, write goals at the top of your calendar, change your screensaver scroll, tell your cheerleader friends, record a message then listen to it daily, talk about them with your counselor/teacher/parents… do whatever it takes to anticipate resistance (from yourself and others) while spreading the word and intent that you’re not going to be swayed from the bigger picture goal. Plus, people always want to help you celebrate your successes along the way, because it often inspires them to set and achieve goals, too!
R – Realistic – make sure that you set attainable, realistic goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure by aiming for a crazy result; don’t take small achievable, methodical yet determined steps and actions (like squirrels or marathon runners) to get in the habit of achieving little victories along the way towards larger successes
TTY – stands for True To You – let’s face it, if it’s not something YOU really want for YOU, then YOU won’t get behind it. I got nagged a lot to quit smoking, but nothing happened until I felt disgusted by the waste of money, bad taste in my mouth, and fact that it seemed to be getting harder to dance for hours every month that I smoked.  Until your yearning for your goal becomes so strong that you can’t ignore it any more, or (as in my case) only when the pain/cost/discomfort becomes so much that you want to do anything to relieve/avoid/reduce it, you may not have the motivation or discipline to stick to your plan.  YOU are the only one who controls YOU, so set your sights on something you really want to accomplish so that you have a better chance of doing it.  

Click on this picture to read more about setting and acheiving new year's resolutions for the family

Check out http://credit.about.com/od/reducingdebt/tp/new-years-resolutions.htm for some more ideas about reducing debt in the new year and visit this article about making resolutions for the whole family at http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/holidays/tp/New-Years-Resolutions.htm (see pic, at right).

Keeping all of that in mind – along with the SMARTTY goals I advertised in last week’s blog entry at https://spiritlinking.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/i-got-homework-the-fit-chicks-are-reading-my-mind/ – and after typing reports (and this blog) this morning, I headed off to the gym for a one-hour elliptical and core workout with Rose. 

I’ve got a few exciting meetings this afternoon, so I’ll make up a healthy dinner (but eat only half now, half after Fit Chicks Boot Camp tonight) so that hopefully the stigma of ‘Blue Monday’ will be transformed into something like ‘Do Monday’ or “Woohoo Monday.”  Hope everyone has a great week!

Caught you, Canada! Where’s the balance in spending $18 Billion on fighter jets? SHAME!

As I finished my healthy little breakfast this morning and got ready to head to the gym, a thread in my buddy’s Facebook site spurred me to finish this post sooner rather than later. I envision my blog as a way to do some internal reflection, some external resource searching, and hopefully some community building as I explore the concept of finding ‘healthy’ balance in all 4 apects of human life (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual).   I’m seeking to constantly find balance between developing my physical needs and physical health, the emotional aspects of life, my own mental/intelligence growth, and my sense of spirituality (see my first blog entry @ https://spiritlinking.wordpress.com/about/). 

 This holistic (and hopefully healthy) way of thinking also feeds into my relationships with people/projects/organizations with whom I work and support.  Thinking about the larger global picture (while paying close attention to smaller, local details) influences how I analyze decisions about physical ‘things’ – the physical (tangible, touchable) parts of life that include my body AND its sustainable physical surroundings. I’m thinking more critically about where my financial resources come from and where they go.  What are society’s costs (envrionmental, social) and who benefits most from all of my housing decisions,  food, clothing, assets, cars, entertainment, business purchases, ‘stuff’ I buy for myself, others, our house, etc.? 

So I was infuriated when I read Dave’s Facebook post and it’s responses.  I feel both the subject of the discussion and responses offer up a shameful display of unbalanced, ridiculous decision-making that occurs when priorities (and therefore resources) are misplaced, short-sighted and generally out of whack. 

Here’s the start to Dave’s blog. He was commenting on the Canadian’s government decision this summer to spend $9 Billion to buy and another $9 Billion to maintain a bunch of new F-35 Fighter jets. 

Dave wrote, “‎$9B on F-35 fighter jets for Canada? Is there a war aboot to break out!?    Let’s spend the money on education to keep stupidity from breaking out.”     (yes, he probably meant to say aboot as a joke about our Canadianisms) For backgrounder info about the decision made in summer 2010 (when they didn’t think many of us were watching – and I guess, I wasn’t!)  here’s a link to the CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/16/canada-jets.html 

Posts on Dave S.’s  site ranged from supportive ‘likes,’ to sarcastic yet agreeing responses, to pleas for more commitments to boost up the military.  Dave M’s commented about the need to boost up our military strength based on his experiences of  ‘spending more than 25 years serving in Canada’s Armed Forces in both the Navy and the Air Force, and if I have anything to do with it, nothing is going to happen to Canada on *my* watch.’     OK Dave M, I’m all for supporting the Armed Forces but not in ridiculous ways without any consideration of what we really want to promote as valuable to Canadian lives! 

My response would be “I’ve spent more than 25 years teaching in both the private and public sector, and if I have anything to do with it, nothing like this ridiculous spending by stale pale males would happen agaain Canada on *my* watch without my students and co-workers screaming for transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility!”

I typed a response to Dave’s post, and noticed only men commented on his ideas so far. I felt the need to share some femi-wisdom out there, so here’s the just of what I responded to Dave’s comment:

How about we all take a step back to take a critical look at WHO actually benefits from those spending decisions (which capitalists, politicians, communities, and citizens). Who takes into account the real cost is to the ‘rest’ of us. Do those stale pale males in power really think that we’ll be attacked by air by someone? That they’ll invade the north? Or that we need tons of jets to ‘peace-keep’? Hey, I loved Top Gun too – especially the beach volleyball scene – but  I completely agree with Dave that $9Billion to BUY 65 F-35 fighter jets for Canada is ridiculous. Pssst – don’t forget the cost estimated to maintain them is at least ANOTHER $9 BILLION. That’s $18 BILLION estimated… or $276 MILLION PER JET.   Do we even think about the real value of that amount? That’s over a quarter of a million $1,000 bills.  What if a quarter million people could spend $1000 each to boost up their education, their living conditions, their food, or their local non-profit organization or charity?   As the article http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/16/canada-jets.html reminds us, these ‘strategists’ also dumped $2.6 billion to upgrade the aging CF-18’s a little while ago.

I’d rather spend the $18 BILLION this way… start with about $100,000 to have military ‘strategists’ and economists and human rights leaders sit down together for a week (or even a month) to up with a sustainable, well-thought out short- and long-term plan that makes ‘sense’ in our modern world where terrorism and natural disasters can best be fought through education, empowerment, and compassion of ‘common citizens,’  NOT false fears, chest puffing, and metal or medal flashing. How about a compromise:  let’s get 5 new jets for about $4 BILLION and then put the other $14 BILLION into funding real needs that’ll make a difference to most Canadians today and in the future. Maybe then more would volunteer and support actual PEACEkeeping initatives locally and abroad. 

Some early thoughts for $14 Billion – how about funding:
 a) public schools that are closing and/or cutting services like counselors, special needs aides, art and gym classes (and maybe really ‘splurge’ to get some healthy food programs for the 20% of Canadian kids that are currently living in POVERTY so don’t get a healthy breakfast or lunch – I”m sure their brains work well!), 
b) affordable housing for families, students and seniors (our family could barely afford the $1,800 per month for my Mom’s care home, and she was an early boomer in need),
 c) stop crazy increases in college and university costs – hmm, maybe even make degrees in medicine, nursing, technology, teaching, eco-industries HALF-PRICE so we can benefit from a better educated, more compassionate generation soon,
c) support hospitals that are closing because of funding cuts and nurse/doctor shortages (see point B again), and, maybe,
d) some sort of waste treatment/recycling/garbage management and awareness campaign so industries and communities don’t keep dumping EVERYTHING into the oceans, landfills and poor countries,
 e) reduce unemployment with some creative strategies to address the REAL threat of crumbling infrastructure of our roads, highways, waterways, bridges, garbage disposal/recycling, and mass transit systems.

Then, in 5 more years, we might be a bit better prepared to deal with the impeding threat of 1) GLOBAL shortages of fresh water, affordable and healthy food, and oil because we’ll be focusing on sustainable, eco-friendly energy sources and new technologies; 2) our retiring baby boomers who’ll be draining our health care system and needing more services (but not paying much in taxes) ; and maybe 3) education systems that are supporting critical thinkers who can challenge (and maybe avert) idiotic, self-serving spending decisions like this latest shameful shopping spree that serves only a few.

I suggest we all watch Sarah McLaughlan’s video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0O2LMqnHGg for some insights into where balanced, holistic, more sustainable thinking could help ‘spend’ taxpayers money in a more HUMAN, beneficial way locally and globally.

But for now, it’s back to the gym to keep this body moving again. Gotta get ready for Fit Chicks Boot Camp again tomorrow night =).

Did a fast Friday workout

Had too much work to do this morning, so didn’t get a chance to hit Fitness World until 4’ish. But did some a really strong half-hour cardio workshop with Rose the added on a circuit of arm exercises; still got sweaty and ‘enjoyed’ the burn. I now have enough visits for the Fitness World promo, so that gives me another entry. I swear I’m gonna win an iPod shuffle this time!

Found my old ‘Secrets of Fat Free Cooking’ (1995) cookbook and began to read it this time. As the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. There’s lots of really insightful tips – such as these easy ones:  regular cottage cheese has 5 grams of fat low-fat ones have less than 1 gram. Think of it – for a nice big bowl of cottage cheese, you could save 10 grams of fat. Considering that most people my age (41) at my weight (never mind) on a ‘healthy’ diet need about 20 grams of fat per day, switching to low-fat cottage cheese saves me half of my daily intake. I’ll look up the proper measurements/info and post more later, but for now, I’m going to make a healthy dinner and maybe have glass of wine tonight.

Still some stiffness – so maybe Satuday will be my rest day. Eat well, keep drinking water, and heal up. =)

First ‘real’ post – got motivated by Phillip Technophilia site

To those of you very comfortable with blogging, this may not seem too amazing to you.  But I got inspired to do my first ‘real’ comment to someone else’s blog after reading Phillip Djwa’s blog and a response on his site called ‘Technophilia and Social Progress.’

The comments about ‘Digital literacy and Media Literacy‘ from a few years ago – visit http://www.phillipdjwa.com/?p=83 – made me want to respond with some ideas that have been brewing (or should I say, festering?) since I took the Media, Education, Culture and Society course  (EDUC 710) from Özlem Sensoy back in 2009.  BTW – I rarely say should,  but this course SHOULD be mandatory for all educators because it really provides valuable insights into the way that mass media influences all  of our expectations, hopes, fears, perceptions, and attitudes about race, gender, culture, religion, level of abilities, sexual orientation… all aspects of diversity. 

If you need some tangible proof of the benefits of doing more critical thinking about the need for media literacy, just look at the kaffuffle this week in the news about calls to remove offensive words from classic works:

1) An ‘expert’ and a publisher of Mark Twain’s famous novel ‘Huckleberry Finn’ will replace the word nigger with the word slave. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/04/entertainment/main7212343.shtml

2) Canadian broadcasters are banned from playing Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing because of the derogatory homophobic slur faggot.  http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/20110114canada_broadcast_standards_council_dire_straits_song_should_be_censored/srvc=home&position=recent 

I gotta question why people think they can WHITEwash (yes, think hard about that term) parts of history so that it doesn’t offend people today. Um, hello??? How about we dive headfirst into discussions about WHY those words are offensive, how they took root in the first place, and how they’re still used A LOT today even though any educated HUMAN takes them out of their vocabulary but not their mind.  Why try to ignore the colonizing/racist/sexist/capitalist/homophobic perspectives of our history? Why don’t we spend some time really reflecting on those terms to wonder, where did they come from? Heck, where my new shirt come from? How did my parents get to ‘buy’ a house in Canada when others were forcefully removed from the land without consent or permission?  Why don’t gay couples get the same rights as others?   Do you really think racism, homophobia, exploitation, and colonization are things of the past?

How many people say condescending or patronizing things like, “Oh, I have a friend who’s gay,” or “I work with a Native person,” as if it’s a novelty or as if that makes them ‘know’ what it’s like to be considered an ‘outsider’ by mainstream society. The stale, pale, males still rule the roost (hold political and economic positions of power) baby, don’t ignore it.  Though I strongly believe that there’s a shift in many people and organizations towards valuing social enterprises (not corporate profits), community health (not individual wealth), family values, social justice issues, and diversity, we all gotta own up to the fact that those nasty words and ideas have contributed to where our society is today.  It’s simple to point out that there’s a global recession because countries and individuals are wasting lots /consuming more than they need or can produce; over 20% of BC kids living in poverty because of lack of affordable housing, high living costs, and no nutrition programs in schools.  Why not realize that removing bad words doesn’t make the past injustices and current state of chaos and denial go away?!

Maybe sometime soon can actually get down to the social progress part of becoming agents of change. I think those words need to be critiqued and remembered as reflections of times in our collective history, because maybe more than textbooksin schools it is the music, movies, radio broadcasts, non-fiction stories, jokes and now weblogs and Facebook entres sayings that make up a culture.  Sure it’s nasty and hard to admit that many people still enjoy unearned privileges because our ‘modern society’ has been built on the backs of others. Yes, many people still hold no regard for environmental awareness nor equality for people of all ages, abilities, colours, backgrounds (because that means we all might have to give up a little of our own status, power, comfort or knowledge), but I think discussions such as this are important because they can reveal who’s behind which ideas, and why. 

Techophilia and Social Progress Phillip Djwa blog

Here’s an idea – why not have students go through all the ‘Huckleberry Finn’ books to put a line through the ‘bad words’ just so they can see how racist those times were? Maybe they’ll better understand that although Huck may have been a creative little rebel, he was also an uneducated, racist like so many others in his time! 

And how about just bleeping out the word ‘faggot’ like it’s a swear word on the radio, so that people at least stop to wonder, “hmmm, what was the bad word there? Oh yeah, that sexist and homophobic word that is so uncool in the new millennium.”

Anyhow, visit Phillip’s blog ‘Digital literacy and Media Literacy‘ for some really interesting insights about how technology can open the dialogue for social progress – and check out my post. I think I’ll revisit some of the assignments from that course to fuel this section each week. And as always, I invite your comments. =)

Thunder Thighs Thursday

So my legs were pretty achy again this morning. When I walk it feels like thunder bolts shoot up my quads and hamstrings. Darn lunges and squats, I bet! On the positive side, it’s nice to know they’re still in there under all that winter insulation.

I went to the gym this morning at about 8:00 am with Rose. We did a moderate cardio-focused workout because my muscles need some rest from all this boot camp blitzing. 45 minutes of elliptical and some stretching before a HOT shower and some sauna stretching helped with the stiffness, I think. Feeling pretty proud of my accomplishments so far… only a few more weeks to go to meet those goals, but I’m gettin’  ‘er done!

 

Meet our Chick Sergeant, Leah, showing us her favourite stomach
and thigh exercise – the bicycle move. Check out some of our Boot Camp
babes in the mirror: There’s me with the my red sweaty face
in the background (in blue), then Ladeane in green, then Carly
flat out on the foot (you can only see her knees, lucky girl)
and Shannon in black on the end, making sure
her brain doesn’t fall out, lol

Last night’s Boot Camp class didn’t seem as hard as the first one – and I think I know why:

1)  I knew what was coming – kinda.

 Fit Chicks Boot Camp is all about short intervals – it’s kinda like tricking your body by mixing exercises up so that you don’t get bored and your body doesn’t catch on to what the heck you’re doing until it’s too late.  Getting tired of 30 seconds of wind sprints? BAM – hit the mats to switch to crunches. Stomach now begging for mercy? BAM – get up and do a medley of leg squats and lunges. Butt burning? Do form-perfect arm extensions and flys, then mix it up with some more wind sprints, then those damn plank and push-up exercises. 

I’m sure our Chick Sergeant, Leah, knows what she’s making us do in which order and why, but I don’t (I got a pic of her in action, at the right of this page).  But that’s part of the fun of boot camp – there’s lots of simple yet challenging exercises that your Chick Sergeant can pick from to keep your body (and mind) guessing and to adapt to your needs and the energy levels of the class. Hmm, did I really say fun and boot camp in the same sentence? wow.

2) I knew that I wouldn’t die. 

Even though I was still gasping for air while strafing at 8:40 pm, two things kept me going… I knew I could survive if I made it only 10 more minutes, and I felt confident that my Chick Sergeant, Leah, wouldn’t push us too far. She was pretty attentive to each of us by kindly warning us to watch our posture or form during the moves, or in my case, she suggested slowing down if my facial expression looked too pained or stressed.  ‘Better to go for the full hour at a moderate yet challenging pace than hurt yourself and not want to continue. 

I move so fast that it's hard for the camera to catch me, lol. Carly (top of screen) and Ladeane are 'enjoying' the reverse chest presses, too.

3) My body was better fueled for exercise.

No running out of gas tonight! I followed the Fit Chick suggestions to increase my water intake and eat smaller, healthier, more regular meals so that my body gets into the habit of burning (not storing) what it has in it. 

Here’s the details of some simple changes that I think really helped. I followed Fit Chicks suggestions (and some common sense) to:

• increase my water intake – I’m not a sipper, so although I cut my coffee intake to two monster cups then changed to water/juice mix for the rest of the day, I still only finished one glass of water/juice while I was working.  I had to chug huge glass of water (10 oz – more commonly known as a pint of beer) right before each meal to get my intake over 3.5 litres. Was easier than I thought. 
• add in multi-vitamins – by pulling the Vitamin D, E, C and multi-vitamins out of the cupboard and moving them on the ledge above the sink, I’m reminded to pop them down each day.  Don’t forget to check the expiry dates – I’m sure I”m not the only one who intends to follow doctors’ and health experts’ advice by buying vitamins, yet we forget to take them… and they do expire.
• make a really healthy large batch of food so there’s no excuses like ‘no time to eat healthy’ – I used leftover roast beef to modify my mom and Nana’s shepherd’s pie recipe. I simply doubled the veggies that go in the meaty bottom part and then made the potato mixture far less fattening and healthier than normal.  Instead of taking the skins of the potatoes and adding butter and milk to make the top of the ‘pie,’ I left half of the skins on (more nutrients like fibre, iron, potassium and Vitamin C…  check out http://www.livestrong.com/article/82674-nutrients-potato-skins/ for more details) and then used only a teaspoon of butter. Instead of sour cream or milk, I added a big scoop of low-fat cottage chees which made the topping creamier. YUM!
• eat smaller, more regular meals – I’m not sure if it’s my mental commitment to just eating smaller portions, or if actually eating more regular, evenly spaced meals has helped, but yesterday I ate

Anyone else have boot camp stories/advice/experiences to share?