Having the right tools makes cooking great meals much more enjoyable and can greatly speed up the time it takes to pull things together. Here are some of the equipment and tools that I love working with. I have added some of my favourite books, superfood faves and fitness gadgets as well.
Superfoods
Boku Super Protein
→ This is my favourite protein powder!!! 100% organic (very few protein powders are!), great tasting and is high in minerals thanks to the lucuma and dehydrated maple syrup. Oh ya, and my clients love it! That says it all right there. Each scoop contains 19g of protein. Read my blog post about Boku Super Protein here.
Boku Super Food
→ All of the Boku products are exceptional, especially the Super Food. It is loaded with nutrition and tastes pretty good for a greens powder.
Matcha Ninja Ceremonial Grade Organic Green Tea Powder
→ I absolutely love this Matcha powder. It mixes up easily and gives you a really nice gentle boost of energy. I am really sensitive to caffeine, and this Matcha doesn’t bother me one bit. It is great before a workout for energy or after for recovery because it is super high in antioxidants. It actually has 137x the antioxidants of Green Tea. Wowza!
Giddy Yoyo Goji Berries
→ All of the Giddy Yoyo products are top-notch. Their Goji Berries are simply the very best I have tasted. My clients also really notice the difference. They are not too hard and not too soft but just right! I love adding them to my smoothies for a nutrition boost.
Giddy Yoyo Raw Cacao
→ This raw Cacao is delicious! Put some in your smoothie for a decadent, healthy treat.
Giddy Yoyo Spirulina
→ This spirulina is completely vegan and has no fishy taste because it is grown in an isolated environment. It simply tastes gorgeous! I love spirulina and would call myself somewhat of a connoisseur. Spirulina is 60% protein, contains loads of beta carotene and iron and other vitamins and minerals. It is an everyday superfood in my opinion. Cleansing, yet gentle enough for all ages. The Giddy Yoyo Spirulina is simply the best by far!!
Giddy Yoyo Cane Juice Crystals
→ This product is completely unrefined and not heat processed ~ the only truly raw dried cane currently available. It is low glycemic and grown in mineral-rich, volcanic soil. I love how well the Giddy yoyo cane juice crystals incorporate with coconut oil for baking. It has a wonderful full bodied taste which is not overpowering at all. Perfect for my picky eater!
Giddy Yoyo Raw Spirulina Chocolate Bars
→ What a great way to get your daily dose of spirulina in. This may sound like an unusual combination, but it actually tastes fantastic.
Giddy Yoyo Raw Pink Salt Vanilla Chocolate Bars
→ My favorite Giddy Yoyo chocolate bar.
Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil Organic ~ 54 oz
→ This coconut oil is so light and creamy and doesn’t have a strong flavor. It works beautifully in baked recipes as it combines with cane juice crystals so nicely. I usually buy this larger size and use it for everything from toast to sautéing/stir-frying vegetables to baked goods. Anywhere you can use butter you can use coconut oil.
Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ~ 29 oz
→ This smaller size is great for the bathroom to use as a moisturizer or for oil pulling, or both.
Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna
→ Coconut manna is my go-to treat. When I am feeling like a snack I will take a scoop right out of the jar. It is somewhat sweet, a little bit fatty and full of fibre and coconutty goodness. It also makes a regular appearance in my smoothies.
Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed ~ small
→ Hempseed is one of my favourite superfoods. It is full of fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, making it a big bang for your buck. I love adding it to smoothies to make them super creamy and filling.
Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed ~ bulk
→ I buy them in bulk ’cause I love them so much.
Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds
→ Chia is another superfood that is a big bang for your buck. High in minerals like calcium, fibre and omega-3s, chia seeds make a regular rotation in my diet. Chia pudding is a yummy, healthy treat.
Dandy Blend Coffee Substitute
→ Dandy Blend is made from dandelion root, so not just a coffee substitute, but a cleansing, healing alternative. My clients who are hard-core coffee drinkers love this stuff. It tastes so much like instant coffee and mixes easily in hot water. Add it to hot chocolate for a wonderful mocha delight!
Kitchen Equipment
These are some of the best investments in your health that you will ever make. And yes, they are splurges. And yes, they will make your life so much easier and your food take so much better. You can do it. Simply look at what you spend your money on. A few dinners and lunches in, instead of out and you will have saved up enough to buy one in no time.
Blendtec Blender with Fourside Jar
→ FYI, this is one of the best investments in your health that you can make!! I prefer the Fourside Jar, it is a bit smaller and I find it blends a bit better than the larger Wildside Jar. The larger Wildside Jar is great for making puréed soups and for large smoothie-lovin’ families.
Blendtec Twister Jar
→ The twister Jar allows you to purée small quantities and thicker items like nut butter and hummus. Mine gets a workout puréeing the chunks out of meals for my picky eater.
Cuisinart Food Processor
→ Cuisinart is the original food processor and is the best, in my opinion. This one comes with 3 different bowl sizes too-bonus!
Kitchen Aid Mixer
→ I have had my Kitchen Aid Mixer for almost 30 years and it still looks brand new. I find the basic unit is all you really need, but if you want to get fancy and have lots of space, splurge on the heavy duty one.
Juicer
→ I love my juicer, there is nothing quite like a fresh, healing green juice to make you feel energized and alive.
Excalibur Food Dehydrator
→ You can make super healthy grain-free crackers, kale chips and other goodies in the dehydrator. This dehydrator runs at very low temperatures and is much more energy efficient than using your oven.
World Cuisine Spiral Slicer
→ This spiral slicer is such a fun tool. You can make delicious raw pasta dishes with this baby. I even got one of these for my mom after she tried my Raw Pad Thai and loved it.
VitaClay Crock Pot
→ Simply the most awesome crock-pot there is!!! It cooks in clay which keep loads of nutrition and flavour in your food and cooks in half the time that other crock pots take. I especially love cooking beans in it. They are ready in about an hour!
Kitchen Gadgets and Tools
Trust me, you need these. Supply your kitchen with the right equipment and cooking great meals can be simple and fun.
Bamboo cutting board
→ It just feels good to cut on bamboo.
A good knife
→ This is my favourite knife. We have other more expensive chef knives but this is my go-to, stay-sharp, cut-through-everything knife.
Rasp/grater
→ You gotta have a rasp, great for ginger, garlic, lemon and orange zest.
Garlic Twist
→ Love this tool. It was a gift from my mom and I love it, so easy to clean.
Silpat Baking Mat
→ This is the mat that the professional bakers in France use. I have used other silicone mats but Silpat is the best. Cookies brown up nicely and never stick. Simply flip it over to cook fries and other savoury items.
Cookie Scoop
→ This special one-ounce scoop is the perfect size for cookies.
Burger or Large Cookie Scoop
→ This standard three-ounce scoop is the perfect size for burgers. I use mine for making my Sprouted Lentil Burgers or giant cookies.
Good quality Measuring Cups and Spoons
→A heavy-duty set of measuring tools will last forever. Buy a good set, the cheap ones break and will not last. Also, some of the cheaper ones are not even accurate!
Whisk Set
→ Use the tiny whisk to emulsify salad dressings and the larger ones to sift together your dry ingredients when baking.
Healthy Cookware
Quality cookware will last a lifetime. These make great gifts for your significant other (or yourself!!)
LeCreuset Round French Oven
→ My favourite, favourite pots by far. These pots are an investment but will last forever and make your food taste so much better. Yes, it’s true the pot will make a difference in the taste. I recently made 400 servings of a stew that needed all of the pots in my kitchen and I was amazed how different the taste was for the batch cooked in these pots ~ so much richer. I have the 5.2 litre (serves 6-I use this every day) and 6.7 litre (serves 8-I use this for bigger batches of stews). The smaller 3.3 litre is on my wish list and would be great for side dishes.
LeCreuset Baking Dish 12 x 9-inch
→ Forget the glass lasagne pan. When you are serving up a casserole or dessert to guests, this rustic presentation can’t be beat. Eat out of dishes that look nice!! Presentation is everything. This one is stoneware too, so it cooks evenly and is a healthy choice as well.
LeCreuset Baking Dish 9-inch square
→ I love using this one for brownies and squares or a small serving of fruit crisp.
Large LeCreuset Stock Pot
→ A large stockpot is handy for cooking up big batches of broth and soup. The enamel coating is a healthy choice and makes for easy clean up.
LeCreuset Sauce Pan
→ This beautiful pot is a splurge but will last forever and cooks everything so unbelievably well. Rice turns out beautifully every time.
GreenPan Ceramic Non-stick Skillets -8-inch, 10-inch
→ These heavy-duty, eco-friendly skillets and frying pans are the best.
Staub Round Cast-iron Teapot/Kettle
→ What is so great about this kettle is that it is also a teapot too! Boil your water and then throw in your tea bag or tea strainer. It also keeps your tea warm for a very long time.
Glass Water Bottles and Storage
Glass is the only thing I use to store my food in. If you still have plastic in your house, recycle it or donate it.
Covered Measuring Cup
→ Most people don’t know that you need to use the dry measure for dry ingredients and the wet measure for wet ingredients. In baking, this can make the difference between success and failure. I like this one because it has a lid so you can prepare ingredients and keep them covered in the fridge until you need them.
Cube Glass Containers
→ Absolutely love these for storing lunch-sized portions in the freezer. Also, use these in my son’s lunch for snacks. Great for baby food and purées.
Rectangular GlassFood Prep Container – 6 cup
→ These 2 compartment glass storage containers are fantastic for prepping lunches.
10 piece Glass Storage Set
→ The true seal glass containers are leakproof and come in a fresh green colour.
Wide Mouth Canning Jar – 1 litre
→ This smaller 1 litre jar is perfect for storing superfoods, nuts and seeds.
Wide Mouth Canning Jar – 2 litre
→ These large jars are perfect for storing dry goods such as beans and grains, and they look nice too.
Glass Water Bottle
→ Glass water bottles are the only way to go. These ones are heavy duty and tempered so very sturdy. Note: I much prefer glass water bottles to stainless steel ones. No worry about heavy metals leaching into your water with glass.
Cookbooks
The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon
→ Angela’s photography and recipes are impeccable. An absolutely lovely cookbook.
Oh She Glows Everyday Cookbook by Angela Liddon
→ Just as good or better than the first one.
Isa Does It by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
→ Isa is gifted in the kitchen. There are some fantastic simple, everyday recipes in here and the book is so beautifully designed too.
YumUniverse by Heather Crosby
→ This book is incredibly detailed, stunning and informative.
Clean Food by Terry Walters
→ Anything that I have tried from here has been a great success. I love the seasonal take on the recipes. Another of my go-to books.
Get It Ripe by Jae Steele
→ This is Jae’s first book. She is a very talented chef/baker/nutritionist and now mid-wife. Multi-talented for sure. This one of my staple kitchen cookbooks.
The New Enlightened Eating by Caroline Dupont
→ By Caroline Marie Dupont, one of my mentors. This is the third edition of this book. Simple recipes and great flavour combinations. Caroline has great taste and it shows in all of her recipes.
The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten
→ I have all of the cookbooks from Alissa and Tom. They are a great combo-chef and nutritionist as well as parents of young children. Great advice for family-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and egg-free recipes.
The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier
→ Brendan Brazier is a pioneer in vegan sports nutrition. This book is one that I often refer to for sporty recipes.
Thrive Fitness by Brendan Brazier
→ This book has great sports nutrition advice and recipes, similar to the first one but with more fitness tips and sports specific recipes.
Health Books
Energy Medicine for Women by Donna Eden
→ Donna Eden is gifted. Get this along with the cards for excellent information about energy medicine. Easy daily exercises. Don’t like to meditate? Don’t want to do yoga? Then get this book and the cards for a 5-minute daily tune-up that will change how you feel instantly!!
The Energy Medicine Kit by Donna Eden
→ These cards come along with the DVD, which is helpful to make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly. Use these daily.
Energy Medicine by Donna Eden
→ The original edition for both men and women.
Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis
→ A great resource if you are looking to eat a healthy, vegan diet.
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
→ This book by Kris Carr, cancer survivor shows us how to clean up our diet and world and explains it in a simple, fun way.
There’s Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon
→ A super informative read, and scary too!
Green for Life by Gillian Deacon
→ Simple tips to green up your life.
Ecoholic Home by Adria Vasil
→ Reminders and tips on how to keep your home (however humble) clean, energy-efficient and healthy. Ecoholic Home addresses the green side of the economic crisis, and includes a resource guide for finding designers and contractors, and for renovating and shopping green.
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
→ The China Study gives critical, life-saving nutritional information. Dr. Campbell’s exposé of the research and medical establishment makes this book a fascinating read and one that could change the future for all of us.
Spiritual and Self-Help
E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout
→ Get this book. It will change the way you think and act ~ it will change your life! There are lots of easy experiments for non-believers.
May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein
→ I love Gabrielle Bernstein. She is a modern day radical and I love what she is doing for young people today.
The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
→ This is simple, straight-shooting advice for everyone, young and old, working or not.
The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms by Danielle LaPorte
→ I have to admit that I have a huge girl-crush on Danielle LaPorte. She is a straight-shooter just like me. I love the way she writes and the book is so beautifully designed too.
The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by Danielle LaPorte
→ This another thought-provoking read. Danielle has such a great perspective on things and I love her voice.
Power, Freedom, and Grace by Deepak Chopra
→ Deepak has a way of putting the most complicated spiritual concepts in a way that make sense to everyone. This is my favourite of all of his books, so far.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
→ I have this one as a paperback as well as the audiobook. Get the audiobook so you can play it over and over again like I do. You don’t have to have everything falling apart to listen to this. Pema has great advice for every day and is a delight to listen to.
Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie
→ This book will change the way you look at life and is the book that I recommend most often to my clients to read. Sometimes you can’t change life, but you can accept it for what it is and end the struggle. Simple, yet so profound!
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
→ This is a fantastic book, one of which I recommend to friends and clients that are looking for, or need, a bit more mindfulness in their life.
Fitness Equipment
Bosu Balance Trainer
→ The Bosu is a must for your in-home gym. Watch the DVD that comes along with it or workout with a trainer to get some insight on how to properly use this awesome piece of equipment. Brilliant, genius design.
TRX HOME Suspension Trainer
→ The TRX can effectively workout your entire body. This can be used by any fitness level or age. My mother-in-law uses it to keep her 78-year-old body in tip-top shape.
Daily Energy ~ Flow Yoga by Shiva Rea
→ My favourite yoga DVD. I have others, but this one is short and sweet and a full body workout. Shiva is a truly inspiring yogini!
More Daily Energy ~ Flow Yoga by Shiva Rea
→ This is an update to the first Daily Energy, so you get a bit more variety with the same type of workout. Nice to add in the mix.
The Grid ~ Revolutionary Foam Roller
→ Foam roller is a must to easily massage out the kinks. This one is textured to get into the tissues effectively. It is also hollow so very light and can be easily taken when travelling.
The Sprinter Stick ~ Muscle Massager
→ The muscle stick is great for warming up muscles or getting rid of the kinks. It is especially great for the IT Band and we take this one with us on our ski trips to massage out the quads after a big powder day.
Manduka BlackMatPRO
→ I never thought having a great yoga mat would make that much of a difference – but it sure does!! This one is thick, super sticky and longer than most other mats. It is a bit heavier than your average yoga mat, so you can choose to get a lighter one for taking to class, if you want. I just love this one so much that I prefer to lug it around with me, just as it is.
Kettlebell
→ Kettlebells have completely transformed my workouts! It is unbelievable but true. I do a 16-minute HIIT workout a few times a week with these and my arms and legs have never been stronger. I use the 15 lb. weight the most.
The 12-minute Athlete App by Krista Stryker
→ This is the App that I use to do my HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. It is well designed and easy to use and a fantastic workout too. I like to use it with kettlebells for a really effective workout. Don’t waste your life in a gym. The 16-minute workout is what I do about 3 times a week. My strength has increased substantially within weeks of starting this program and it has improved my cycling as well ~ more power for those hills. At $2.99 it is a bargain!