Kamfort Food / Kamfy Living

10 Ways I’m Going to be Healthier in 2018 – 2018 Healthy Goals

01.07.18

Happy New Year everyone!!! And welcome back from the holidays! I hope you all had an amazing end of 2017 and are excited for the year ahead. I’m sure many of you have made new year’s resolutions/goals and a lot of them may be about getting healthy. So, today I’ll share with you the 10 ways I plan on staying healthy in 2018 and my 2018 healthy goals!

1. Start your day off right – Eating a healthy (mini) breakfast

Starting off with one of my number one 2018 healthy goals is eating a healthy breakfast. Last year I tried intermittent fasting for most of the year, however, I would get hungry and my stomach would growl a lot at work. So, this year I think I am going to cut back on IF and start eating mini healthy breakfasts in the morning. Enough to get me going through lunch. Gursheel always takes overnight oats for breakfast, so I am going to start as well. But making a very small amount because I hate eating in the mornings. I may even make smoothies. Check this post for my favourite healthy smoothie recipe that tastes amazing!

orgain protein powder smoothie

2. Make a grocery list on your phone

I started doing this towards the end of 2017 and it was so so helpful. I have the Google Keep app on my phone and I keep track of common grocery items we buy. So if something runs out at home, I just pull out my phone and add what I need right away. We go grocery shopping once a week, Friday evenings, and I make sure I don’t go more than that. So one grocery shopping trip a week and I should have all the things I need. Also, be sure to check out my post on how I save on groceries! Having a grocery list on your phone makes it easy for you to always have food at home. Having your fridge and pantry stocked makes you not go out and buy food spontaneously and therefore helps you be healthier.

3. Put an end to mindless eating

Gursheel and I love snacks and usually when we are chilling at home, we get the urge to eat and we take a look at what we have and grab it. We were huge chips addicts for the first half of 2017, where we ate chips everyday! We have now transitioned to buying no more chips and eat healthier snacks instead. So, just having more healthier snack options at home keeps us prepared. One of our favourite snacks to munch on currently is cheese and crackers! I also love hummus and pita chips! I’ll also be sharing some snack ideas on the blog so watch out for that!

4. Cut down on sugary carbonated drinks 

I used to drink Ginger Ale or pop 3 times a week, if not more. But I have decided in 2018 to limit it to just once a week instead. Friday nights are pizza nights and Ginger Ale is the perfect drink, so I’ll save my once a week drink for Fridays!

5. Eat more plants – try new fruits and vegetables

For our lunch, Gursheel and I usually eat 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of vegetables. We used to only get one type of fruit and vegetable all the time. But, now, when we go grocery shopping we try to get new fruits and vegetables. Usually we go for the one that are on sale, which are usually the ones that are in season as well. So another one of my 2018 healthy goals is to continue to eat the rainbow in terms of fruits and vegetables and start adding those we have never eaten before as well!

bento box review

6. Exercising and Walking more – no more elevator 

For the first half of 2017, I used to walk over an hour a day to and from Union Station and my work. However, the GO train got super expensive so I found an alternative, the TTC. It’s great because the subway stop is right by my work and I don’t need to walk in this freezing cold. However, although it is saving me over $2000 a year, I am losing 5 hours of walking a week! So, I need to find a way to make up the 5 hours of walking. I’m lucky my job is not a desk job and I walk most of the day. However, I do use the elevator a lot. So, this year my goal is to stop taking the elevator and walk up and down the stairs as much as I can. I’m on the 8th floor so this should be a good work out. On top of that I am going to continue my twice a week workouts – BootCamp and Core Fusion Balance at Hart House!

7. Getting outdoors more – travel somewhere once a month

When I lived in BC, I used to run weekend mornings with my friend. Since moving to Toronto, I think I ran outside just once and gave up due to lack of a friend to run with and the cold weather. So, this year, another goal is to get outdoors more. I don’t think I will get back into running, but another one of my 2018 healthy goals is to go on more hikes and explore more of Ontario. The license plate in Ontario does say ‘yours to discover’. So, I’m going to aim to travel to a new location once a month. This just means finding a cool place and driving there and doing the hikes in the area!

8. Meal Prepping 

I used to meal prep a lot when I lived in BC and was vegan for several years. Currently, I pack our lunches the night before and it takes me around 20 min to get the snacks and breakfast ready for the next day. This includes washing and cutting up the fruit and vegetables and preparing the overnight oats. We usually take leftover dinner as our lunch, so I just pack it into our bento boxes the night before. Oh, and a side note, these bento boxes are AMAZING!!! So, although we most often eat a healthy lunch, breakfast and dinner on workdays, I think we can save more time by meal prepping. We usually eat quite unhealthy on the weekends, so meal prepping one day a week should help us reach for healthier foods on the weekends as well!

pantry organization on a budget

9. Doing more Simran – spiritual health

As a Sikh, it is important to do Simran (meditation) to help us achieve our greatest purpose of life – to meet God. There are many different types of meditation out there and they all have an impact on our spiritual wellness. However, through Simran or remembering  God, your soul achieves salvation by uniting with God himself. Although union with God is my number one goal in life, I always seem to forget and need to remind myself to do Simran. Last year, a couple of our friends introduced us to MySimran programs and Gursheel and I started going multiple times a week. Then, we just got lazy and stopped going altogether. Although you don’t necessarily need to go to the Gurdwara to do Simran (you can do it at home), I am able to turn off my mind much more easily at the Gurdwara than at home. This year I am going to start going to Simran programs at least twice a week and try doing Simran daily at home as well. This is definitely my hardest but most important goal this year!

10. Emotional/mental health – be more patient and empathetic

Emotional health is an important part of overall health but is often overlooked. By being emotionally healthy, you  are in control of your thoughts and feelings and are able to manage everyday life challenges. One thing I need to work on is my patience. I can so easily get frustrated with people or things that are slow to understand or do things. By being more empathetic towards people will hopefully help me be more patient. I used to volunteer at the Vancouver Crisis Line as Crisis Counsellor for several years and it was such an amazing experience. I learned so much about people and mental health and also learned to be more empathetic. Also, I learned to not judge people to0 much because you have no idea what kind of struggles they are going through in their life. Because everyone is struggling with something, although they may not tell you. So, my final goal is to volunteer again for a crisis line. I applied to an organization before the holidays so hopefully I get accepted! I also want to start making more of an effort to talk to the people around me as well. Usually I am more than happy spending all my time with Gursheel and just talking to him. But I want to start connecting with those around me as well!

Overall health is a combination of the food we eat, how we move our body and how we take care of our mind and soul and therefore my 2018 healthy goals include a bit of all these things. I hope I can stick to these and have a healthy year ahead!

What are your 2018 healthy goals? How do you stay motivated throughout the year to achieve these?

Kamfort Food

Quick and Easy Fudge Recipe for the Holidays

12.31.17

Last week I shared with you all an easy puff pastry dessert idea. Well I’m back again with another quick and easy holiday dessert that can be made in five minutes! And it is a quick and easy fudge recipe! It is so delicious but not very healthy! But it is the holidays, this is the time to indulge a bit. I made this fudge in a 9 x 13 dish instead of an 8 x 8 so the fudge pieces are thinner. This way you are getting just the perfect amount of sweetness and no sugar overflow occurs!

You can prepare this recipe the night before and leave it in the fridge/freezer overnight. You can even use this fudge for party favours!

This quick and easy fudge recipe is made with just two ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. To customize it you can use white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or even peanut butter chips. And then you just add in whatever you want as your add ins. I decided to use vegan marshmallows (Dandies) since we had a bunch at home that we weren’t really using for anything else. I also added in almonds for a nice crunch and a little bit of healthiness 😛

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

quick and easy fudge recipe

 

This quick and easy fudge recipe couldn’t be easier!

I’m thinking to bring this fudge with me to BC. Let’s see if it lasts! Hahaha! 😀

What are your plans for the holidays? Comment below!

Quick and Easy Fudge Recipe for the Holidays
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: GetKamfortable
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 24 pieces
Ingredients
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup vegan marshmallows (Dandies)
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
Instructions
  1. Line a 9 x 13 dish with parchment paper. For thicker fudge pieces, use an8 x 8 dish instead.
  2. Grease the parchment paper so that the fudge is easy to take out afterwards!
  3. In a pot, heat up the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Use medium heat and make sure you are constantly stirring so you don’t burn the chocolate. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can also heat it up in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler. But in a pot works perfectly fine as long as you are constantly stirring on medium heat.
  4. Take the pot off the stove and add in your mix ins. I just chopped up some almonds and also mixed in some vegan marshmallows (I used the Dandies brand).
  5. Now scoop out your fudge mixture into the greased dish and place in the fridge or freezer overnight. Or just spoon out some fudge and eat it right there! It is the holidays no one is judging 😛
Serving size: 6 people
Kam Travels

My In Flight Travel Essentials and Packing Tips

12.24.17

I am leaving for BC tomorrow and I am so excited!! It’s been a year since I saw my grandparents, older sister, nephew and I’ll be meeting my second nephew for the very first time!!! It’s also been half a year since I saw my younger sister and my parents and I have been looking forward to this day since the day they left Toronto! AHHH CANNOT WAIT! I’m hoping this crappy weather won’t cause any delays! Anyways, I thought this would be the perfect time to show you all how I pack my in flight travel essentials and also tell you my favourite packing tips and tricks!

I am just going to be sharing my in flight travel essentials today, but I may do a post on how I pack my carry on and checked bag in the future!

The biggest tip for packing in flight travel essentials is to just pack what you need. I know sometimes we think oh we might that or I should pack that just in case. Well, from my travel experience, the just in case packing doesn’t really ever help. Even if you do realize you need a particular item as you travel, you can just go ahead and purchase it when you need it. I doubt it will often ever come to that though. So, yes, biggest tip: pack light and only what you need. This helps you keep your packing to a minimum and won’t stress you out having too many things in your bag that you can’t even find it easily.

The second biggest tip is to categorize and use different pouches/bags for different types of items. For example, place all your charging wires, etc. into one pouch and all your toiletries in another. This really helps keep everything in your bag contained and also helps you find a particular item quickly. The pouches I used today I purchased from Aldo a couple of years ago. They came in a set of 3. I couldn’t find the exact ones, but I thought this floral pouch, this set of 4, and this organizer are pretty nice and affordable.

And finally, the third tip I have for you is to keep your most valuable items as well as items you would want if your checked in luggage got lost on you as your in flight travel essentials. This includes your laptop, kindle, chargers, toiletries, etc. So, if there is a chance your luggage is lost, you at least have the items that will make you feel clean and fresh and you won’t lose your most valuable items.

I love using a backpack when traveling to hold all my in flight travel essentials so that I don’t need to carry too many things in my hands. I love this one I’ve had for many years from MEC. Since many of you have asked me in the past, I tried hard to find this exact one online but it seems like they don’t sell it anymore. It’s such an amazing backpack though. It is waterproof and heavy duty and I got it for only 20 bucks! I love it! I found this amazing one on Amazon if you are interested. And the luggage tag that has my name calligraphed is a wedding gift from my sister! One of the best gifts I’ve ever received! And Gursheel has one as well! Try these luggage tags on Amazon, they are so cute as well.

in flight travel essentials

in flight travel essentials

Okay, so now for my in flight travel essentials! Like I mentioned, I keep different items in different pouches to represent a particular category:

TOILETRIES

For toiletries, I collect the travel size items and travel accessories I receive from the dentist, samples that come in the mail or the mini shampoos, body washes, and lotions you get from your hotel stays. Traveling is the perfect time to use these items and you can also have fun on your travels trying new products if you receive samples!

in flight travel essentials

Okay, so for my in flight travel essentials I need a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. I like to feel fresh so I always brush my teeth when we are about to land. I also pack some deodorant, hand sanitizer, hand lotion and lib balm so my lips and hands don’t dry out and I feel fresh.

In my toiletries bag I also include my little first aid essentials. I have a couple bandages, Advil as well as my Saje essentials! Peppermint Halo is perfect for headaches and the Arrive Revived mist is so refreshing. I find planes always dry out my skin, so I usually mist this onto my face to stay feeling fresh. I also included some of my favourite Saje blends that help with sleep and digestion as well as a mini perfume from Saje that smells amazing!

in flight travel essentials

CHARGING WIRES AND CORDS

I always pack my chargers in my backpack so I am sure my phone, laptop and Kindle never run out battery. I also included my bluetooth headphones in this pouch since it is a wire. Hehe!

in flight travel essentials

in flight travel essentials

ENTERTAINMENT

I always read on the plane. It makes the flight go so much faster and I find the best time to read for me is when I’m traveling or commuting! I spend 80% of my time on the plane reading. If I finish all the books I have stored onto the Kindle (very likely, haha), I make sure I have a bunch of podcasts downloaded onto my iPhone! I love podcasts! Finally, I have my laptop so I can write some blog posts, or watch a movie.

in flight travel essentials

in flight travel essentials

WARM STUFF

I find planes to be so cold so I always pack a blanket scarf and a pair of socks. It’s perfect to bring a blanket scarf as a in flight travel essential. Since it is bulky it will give you more storage in your checked in bag and it will keep you warm on the plane. The first thing I do on the plane is take off my shoes and put on a pair of socks. I love feeling warm and cozy!

in flight travel essentials

in flight travel essentials

MISC.

This category just includes a couple random things I include in my backpack. I keep a large pouch which I will use as a clutch when I get to my destination. I also always take a mesh laundry bag to store all my dirty clothes. So, when I get back home I can throw the entire thing in the laundry. I also keep a notepad with a pen in case I get any ideas on the plane!

in flight travel essentials

FOOD

I always take an empty water bottle. A water bottle is a life essential for me and I almost never go anywhere without it. I love my S’well bottle since it keeps my water cold and I love drinking fresh, cold water. I also usually take a granola bar or a little container with some nuts in it to munch on in the plane.

IMPORTANT ITEMS

For this category, I keep a pouch that includes my wallet, iPhone, keys, a pen and my Pixie Mood card holder which contains all my important everyday cards. I also keep our flight information or any other important items in this pouch. I added the wristlet strap so that I can a little more security with this pouch!

in flight travel essentials

in flight travel essentials

That’s all! These are my absolute in flight travel essentials that make my flight more enjoyable and comfortable. Keeping the items in different pouches keeps my backpack more organized so I can find anything I need quickly! I’m all set for my flight tomorrow! So excited to be going back home to BC and see my amazing family!!

Are any of you traveling during the holiday season? Check out my African Safari packing guide if you enjoyed this post!