Here are some things that just might bring the spring back into your studies.

• Change all the wallpapers on your phone, laptop, and any other screens that are still displaying cold winter vistas. Visual stimulation generates mental inspiration.
• Treat yourself to a fresh new bouquet of tulips the next time you hit the grocery store. Place them in your brightest vase and display where you’ll view them often.
• Revisit and revise old goals. Cut whatever no longer fits into your current life and create new objectives for upcoming courses and exams.
• Take a retail therapy trip to invest in colourful new pens, a leather-bound notebook or three, and patterned stationary to brighten your desk space.
• Attack closets with a no holds barred pruning session (be a ‘Closet-Ninja’). Store old winter-wear in totes to make way for fresh spring threads.  Create a donation pile for the thrift shop and drop off for the reward of a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from the store volunteers, who truly appreciate the goodwill.
• Nothing makes you stand taller than a new haircut. Trim bone-dry ends and aim for an easy-care new style.
• Head to the library and check out a new book on a subject that has nothing to do with your current courses. Alternatively, read a new book that offers additional insights to your studies.
• Open the windows and let fresh spring air oxygenate your living space, breathing new life into every room.
• Grab a wet cloth and wipe the winter dust from everything—furniture, electronics, and light fixtures (be sure to unplug everything first). Everything looks brighter with a clean patina.
• For an excellent cure for fatigue, plug in your headphones with new iTunes, and go for a long walk or jog around your hood or local park. Or leave the phone behind and revel in the sounds of spring birds singing as they work.
• Release old coloured markers, paints, and crayons from the drawers for an artistic session of scribbling or painting whatever emanates through your hands.
• Sample new essential oils, lighter spring perfumes, or sensual aftershaves. Spring is in the air!
• Try a gentle milk thistle tea or fruit and vegetable smoothie detox for a day or two. Drink ample water and cut back on the heavy dairy and meat diet from cold winter days.  A salad or two never killed anyone either.
• Instead of the same old beer or wine, try out a refreshing fruit spring cocktail next time you’re out with friends. Test new recipes at home to tantalize your tastebuds.  Does anyone have a perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe? Please share!
• Ditch depressing blacks and greys of winter for crisp whites and brilliant colours. Even bright socks with cheeky messages can put a ‘spring’ in your step.
• Seek out a friend or family member with a baby or puppy for soul-soothing snuggle time. It’s hard to beat the affections of a brand-new fur or human baby.
• Sick and tired of cooped-up studying inside? Grab your books and head outdoors to discover cool new places to read. Perhaps a park bench or on your favourite old lounger under a budding spring tree.  Pitch in some yardwork in between courses.
• Release your Instagram photos from digital prison and frame them. I’ve found brand new frames for under $10 from my local Value Village.  Brighten up your walls with a nature or travel theme.
• Gather your buddies for a road trip to a waterfall, lake, or garden. Pack a lunch in your backpack with thick ham and cheese sandwiches, apples, water, and nuts for a healthy and delicious steep in nature.
• If you’re feeling truly sassy: “A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe.” Pierre Berton. Although, you might want to wait until summer for that one.

Ritualizing the changes of Canadian seasons breathes fresh air into the otherwise mundane.  It begins on the inside—change your outlook; change your heart; change your life.

1. First, test new methods on a small part of your garden first. Handy garden ideas may work great in one area of Canada, but not in another.  Start small and ‘grow’ from there.
2. Healthy soil will provide healthy plantings—it’s that simple. Nutritious soil begins with healthy roots.  You’ll require organic matter (compost or manure) on top of the potting soil.  This enriches soil with nutrients that help a garden thrive.
3. Improve plant longevity and the likelihood of blooms by aerating the soil twice a year. With an auger bit on a cordless drill, simply puncture holes throughout the garden area.  Fill select holes with grit (gravel/sand).  Aerating increases oxygen in the root zone, and that equals healthier plants.
4. Coffee grounds are a rich source of nitrogen for soil, so mix them in a compost pile with shredded paper or dry leaves. Nitrogen helps the ‘good’ microorganisms in soil to grow and reproduce.
5. Where slugs are a problem, eggshells have long been a solution. Crushed shells sprinkled around plants prevent slugs from damaging leaves since they don’t like the sharp edges.
6. Collect your leftover winter bath Epsom salts, dissolve 15-30 ml in 1 litre of water, and add—in small quantities—to soil. It helps produce, such as tomatoes, develop due to its nutrient-rich magnesium sulfate, thus eliminating the need for expensive fertilizer.
7. A practical way to deter insects from plants is with a tin foil barrier. Wrap around squash or tomatoes—bugs don’t like crossing aluminum foil.
8. You don’t have to purchase expensive insecticide. Make your own with 5 ml liquid dish soap and 1 litre of water.  Spray on infested plants.  It suffocates or dehydrates them (I know it sounds awful, but you want to eat your vegetables).  This insecticidal soap also does double duty for washing debris from leaves.
9. Many garden novices don’t water long enough or deep enough. Spend roughly one-minute watering larger plants to reach the plant roots, but don’t drown them.
10. Be mindful of placing plants (and pots) correctly. Plant shade plants in the shade and full sun plants in a sunny area. Eager gardeners succeed by planning ahead for seed and plant placement.
11. Additionally, equip yourself with a compass and figure out directions and where the sun faces in your garden. Doing so assists with ideal plant selection and placement.
12. Remember to create drainage holes in pots to avoid root rot. I place a layer of small rocks in the bottoms of all my pots and so far, so good.
13. Take notes on what works and doesn’t in a gardening journal. This can become a rich source of material in the years of gardening ahead.
14. Don’t give up gardening because a few plants died. It’s inevitable to lose some plantings.  Take note and move on.
15. Relax and let nature take its course. Gardening isn’t rocket science, but it is miraculous when you discover how life insists on living—an excellent learning tool for children and grown-ups alike.

Get growing and don’t wait for the weather to warm up.  Start seeds inside because before you know it, the sun will shine again.

Farmers’ Markets are abundant sources of fresh and nutrient dense goodies, but increasingly expensive—and the cost of groceries can be downright shocking to the wallet.  Furthermore, you can never be 100% sure what kind of spray may have been doused upon that head of lettuce in the store.  Growing your own garden is not only wholesome but puts you in control of what does and does not go in the soil.  So you can reduce chemical intake and increase nutrient content of the food you consume—a worthwhile accomplishment for any time of the year.  When you grow your own garden, you can make it organic and pesticide free.

I grew lettuce in a container just outside my door for the last two years and I had fresh greens for my salads for months.  I simply followed my Dad’s advice (whose garden in northern BC I miss to this day) and chopped down the leaves needed.  Miraculously, new leaves would grow back within the week—it was so satisfying and rewarding.

I’ve had varying success with dill, basil, and cilantro, but the rosemary, chives, and lemon thyme flourished constantly and for a long time, even in colder weather.  I appreciate snipping all kinds of aromatic herbs all summer long into my salads and grilled vegetables fresh from my little herb garden.

Undoubtedly, gardening benefits the whole family.  When children get involved in planting and growing food, they learn where their food comes from and become ecologically literate.  This may be the most important life skill they ever acquire.  Additionally, gardening has several more advantages over buying from a store.

• It’s an excellent form of exercise; regularly working in a garden improves strength, endurance, learning, problem solving, and dexterity, in addition to sensory awareness.
• Gardening is naturally mood-lifting and nurtures emotional healing and stress relief.
• Exposure to sunshine for even ten minutes while weeding and cultivating increases your Vitamin D intake, reducing your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
• ‘Friendly’ bacteria in gardening soil inhaled or ingested in the form of vegetables not only improves the immune system but may also reduce allergies.
• Most gardeners already know how much happier and calmer they feel after a good stint in the garden. ‘Horticultural therapy’ has been tested on patients with depression and mental illness with positive results.
• Say goodbye to hot yoga and sweat out toxins while working in the garden instead.

Whether you’re a garden newbie or a seasoned green-thumb, gardening is for everyone.  Sowing fresh food and colourful flowers is also an effective and gratifying antidote for a late to arrive spring.  Surely, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Margaret Atwood

All that’s required to start your home garden is a container of some kind, the right soil mix (which you can find at any home/gardening store), and seeds or sprouts already growing.  Gardening supplies can be as simple as some empty food cartons filled with soil to special (and pricey) ergonomically correct garden tools and endless accessories from those fancy outdoor gardening stores.

Further, helpful gardening apps are available for tech lovers on both iOS and Android to help you become a gardening pro in no time: Flower Checker, Garden Answers, GardenTags, Into Garden, My Soil, Plantifier, and SmartPlant are several to check out.  Then, prepare to reap the gifts of an abundant garden in the warmer months ahead.

For one thing, the new employer is likely to ask pointed questions about what you’re looking for and how you’ll fit in with the company.  For another thing, he or she may also ask about previous job challenges and how you solved them.  Knowing how to communicate your skills, experience, and ethics is going to give you an advantage over less prepared candidates.

In addition to presenting a positive face to the company, consider more specific work principles to present to a prospective employer.

• How will you increase sales or clients for the company? Remember, if you’re not generating an increase to the business, they’re not making more money and may no longer be able to afford you down the road. Basically, if the company is not profitable, you won’t be either.
• A potential employer wants to see you demonstrate your familiarity with the company, its products and the services provided. You establish your interest and curiosity about the company if you’ve taken the time to research. Simply navigating through the company’s website and LinkedIn profiles will assist you in answering a potential client’s questions and communicate clearly and professionally that you’re prepared to work hard for the company.
• Furthermore, you should be able to demonstrate self-awareness, your skill set, and pertinent experience and how it will benefit the company.
• Prove you are prompt by arriving on time for the interview and show courtesy and politeness to every staff member you encounter. Your initial actions validate that you take the position seriously.
• Employers also want to understand your willingness to learn new things and that you’re teachable and possess a positive ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Demonstrate the ethics of loyalty and responsibility by refraining from bad-mouthing previous employers, instead focusing on previous wins.
• When you take pride in your work but also own up to your mistakes, a prospective employer views you as professional and transparent; this makes them feel confident they’re hiring someone with solid core values.
• Even if this isn’t going to be your chosen career, when you treat it as a valuable step towards your goals and appreciate the extra skills you pick up along the way, employers are more apt to help you achieve your goals.
• If you can both follow direction and take initiative, management will see you do not need to be asked to do something twice. Most bosses do not want to micro-manage their employees.
• Lastly, potential employees who exhibit consistency and have produced a measurable, quantifiable amount of work in past employment are desirable employees.

It’s helpful to remember that scoring a new job is not all about you, it’s about creating a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties.  Respecting coworkers and remaining professional will take you a long way in both your career and any new work relationship—indeed, in all areas of your life.  Success may be a long and winding road, but there are no mistakes or bad jobs, only learning experiences, or, at least, lessons learned.

Apply Critical Thinking and Filtering

Critical thinking will take you beyond a basic education, while filtering out unnecessary or frivolous information can make you more efficient in completing your schoolwork.  In practicing critical thinking you open your mind to new perspectives on the human experience—mind broadening—to say the least.  In filtering out unnecessary information while note-taking, you learn how to speed through reading material, comprehend key points quickly, and grasp the concepts and reasoning behind them.

Attend Lectures and Presentations

Avoid limiting yourself to what is available strictly through your online university.  Search and discover informative YouTube channels and Lynda.com for supplementary educational courses.  You may find valuable short courses, from ten minutes long and up, in addition to lectures on subjects you’re presently studying.  Now, you’ve just added useful material to your course load.  The sky is the limit!

Enroll in a Course you Wouldn’t Normally Take

Classes that teach excellent life skills include psychology, sociology, and management, and these will further benefit your understanding of so many other things, like understanding people’s motivations.  Subjects like these bring much more insight and value to anything else you may be pursuing.

Find a Fresh Study Space

While the obvious benefits of an online education are sitting at home and not having to drive or take public transit to a bricks and mortar school, there are definite drawbacks.  For instance, working from home has the obstacles of TV, friends, and family to distract a student from getting anything done.  Finding a corner coffee shop or renting a shared office space may provide the disciplined or stimulating atmosphere you weren’t even aware you’d been craving for studying.

Practice Your Networking Skills

Think you’re safe hiding behind your computer at home, learning in a solitary bubble? Think again! Start emailing, messaging, phoning, and texting everyone from your tutor to your fellow students and gain new friends, new awareness, and answers to your burning learning questions.  Add everyone to your social media accounts—you never know where these connections may lead on your future career path.  This includes your professors and tutors.  I had a favourite professor from college that I later ran into doing his book signing in a local bookstore and now have a signed copy that I cherish.  Include all alumni and faculty to expand your circle of connections.

Save All Your Notes and Course Materials

This may be a difficult task to follow for fellow pruners like myself, but a cinch for natural hoarders.  You never know when you might need to reference important reading material and helpful notes you wrote.  Keep it all at hand and you’ll never be at a loss in your future career role.

Getting the most out of your education doesn’t have to be mundane reading and research 24/7.  Use your imagination and creativity to make it that much more rewarding (and fun) for the long haul—and relish the positive impact for life.

I gained a great deal of wisdom by reading about other people’s experiences.  And so, here are twenty tips I’d give to my younger self if I could.

1. Education matters. Regardless of what anyone says, if you choose not to invest in an education both financially and time-wise, you’re limiting yourself in several ways to a lower income and fewer opportunities.  Why wouldn’t you want to increase your chances of freedom and better life experiences?
2. Refrain from ruminating on other people’s actions and behaviours; concentrate on your own instead. Be the person you admire and work on your own skills, mental attitude, and abilities.
3. Train your mind to focus on the good around you instead of the bad. The sooner you do this, the quicker it becomes a habit and orients your neural pathways.
4. Give your parents and those around you the best gift of all: your independence, and pay your own way in life. Take responsibility for your health and well-being while you’re at it.  Get a part-time job, exercise, and learn to cook and eat healthy.
5. Instead of wasting time and energy trying to decipher what other people think of you, focus on being your best self. You cannot know how people perceive you, and it’s not your job to figure it out anyway.
6. Treat everyone of all walks of life the same way you’d treat a family member or good friend—with respect and compassion. You never know what anyone else has been through or how they may positively affect you in the future.
7. Spend time exploring your values. Revise your values regularly.  Also explore what you value in others and what you will not compromise on—this will save a lot of heartache and frustration later when choosing who to spend your time with.
8. Do not betray your own values and morals to fit in with anyone. Doing so destroys your peace of mind and self respect.
9. Practice using your intuition, or heart, to make choices and decisions. Your intuition rarely lies; by contrast, your emotions are like the weather—ever-changing and unpredictable.
10. Distance yourself from toxic people and situations. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll attract healthy relationships and circumstances.
11. When terrible things happen, consider the inherent illusion of time. Nothing lasts forever and tough times eventually pass.  Seek help if needed.
12. Don’t always trust what your eyes tell you. What looks beautiful and attractive on the outside can be covering up an ugly, or worse, hollow core.  Surround yourself with people that have inner beauty; they’re the people who will help you succeed and add value to your life.
13. Accept that sometimes we must do what we don’t really want or feel like doing, from unpleasant jobs to tough school assignments. Disciplining yourself to do the best you can delivers you faster to what you want and builds character and determination along the way.
14. Avoid the trap of complaining and blaming others for your lot in life. It’s a vicious cycle that leads nowhere.  Focus on your blessings and take responsibility for what you can change instead.
15. Remain open to other’s point of view—read, travel and communicate with as many people as possible. It’s the best form of education and understanding how the world works.
16. Take time for yourself and to spend by yourself, whether it’s being out in nature or working on a hobby. Time alone heals many wounds.
17. Never take family or friends for granted. Show your appreciation of them.  They can be gone in an instant.
18. Spend more time cultivating your talents, skills, and knowledge and less time killing time.
19. Enjoy all your senses to the fullest—touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. Ultimately, we lose our taste buds and vision deteriorates, among other distressing aging symptoms.
20. Give and receive freely—of your time, money, and talents. A healthy and happy life was not meant to be lived on a budget.  You’ll be amazed at what you receive in return.

Travel gives us the chance to rapidly learn skills and absorb information we cannot in front of our lap tops.  Learning how to organize a travel itinerary on the fly or speak five different languages from home is not the same as doing it while exploring another country.

1. Living in a different culture gives you first-hand experience of how others on the planet spend their day: unique mealtimes, religious rituals, and much more. Diving in and developing personal understanding of the history, social habits, and motivations and perceptions of another culture provides incredible insights.
2. You’ll discover how people are portrayed in the news and in the movies greatly contrasts with how they are in real life. Travel opens your mind to the similarities and differences of people in other countries that you may never comprehend otherwise.
3. If you believe you have a certain ‘type’ of person you like, from girlfriend to study mates, think again. You may find yourself drawn to people of diverse backgrounds and cultures while traveling who enrich your life in ways you never imagined.
4. Travel imparts life skills, such as independence and patience, under all kinds of circumstances, from delayed flights to rioting locals. You become your own boss and must book accommodations and decide how to fill each day.  Indeed, if you’re shy now, chances are you won’t be after traveling.
5. The science of nature, climate change, and animals becomes much sharper when you explore new regions of the world.
6. You’ll discover exotic new foods and flavours, as well as cooking techniques you can take with you.
7. Reading about historical buildings and landmarks is one thing; touring outside and inside of them provides an astounding new understanding of the past.
8. Viewing beautiful works of art in a book or magazine is inspiring. Seeing them in brilliant detail before you—there are no words.
9. Absorbing a new language is much faster when you can practice it daily with the locals.
10. Travel plucks you out of your comfort zone and drops you straight into chaos, the unexpected, and unfamiliar. Your deepest held beliefs and attitudes will be challenged.  Amazing adventures and spontaneous experiences await which you’re likely to remember the rest of your life.
11. Connecting with other travellers can lead to new career breaks down the road, unlikely sitting in a classroom.
12. If you genuinely want to get to know your friends and family, you undoubtedly will under the pressures and challenges of travel. Plus, people tend to talk openly in surprising new ways while away from home.

Whereas a traditional education can turn into a new career, a travel education can also broaden the mind, feed the soul, and lead to new relationships and connections with people of diverse backgrounds.  Travel further nourishes the senses and trains you how to survive wherever you find yourself.  In the words of Saint Augustine: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” A trip abroad can inspire a new way of living in the world that staying where you are cannot.

Education is certainly not confined to a classroom or online setting.  Besides, traveling develops emotional and intellectual intelligence.  Travel and education genuinely go hand and hand.  Combine them both and you’re unstoppable because a curious mind contains no borders.

I grew up with “pink is for girls, blue is for boys,” and the belief that a husband would take care of all my needs after high school.  My brothers grew up with the belief that their spouses would do all the cooking and cleaning for them (insert eyeroll here).  These beliefs were imparted simply from observing the unwilling roles our parents took on.  Looking back, it makes me appreciate the wider options available today.

Still, not everything I experienced was stereotypical.  I received a green tractor for Christmas one year that I thoroughly enjoyed riding around the house.  I was given the freedom to play outside in the mud, race my bicycle down the street without my hands on the handlebars, and climb trees and monkey bars, just like a monkey.  But I was labeled a ‘Tomboy.’ To be sure, I think my childhood freedom gave me the confidence to work in male-dominated fields and try things I never would have otherwise.

What fascinates me is how ardently people work to protect gender stereotypes, as if their way of life were somehow threatened by people who, for instance, simply want to be a different gender.  Is another person’s desire for change that scary? Are they afraid we’ll all end up being gender neutral? Is freedom of choice too frightening to consider?

I’m further fascinated by how our world has been shaped by the domination and control of patriarchal societies.  The wisdom of countless female medical doctors, writers, and scientists has often been wholly disregarded and outright prevented by some males.  What a different world it would be if both sexes had been given the same opportunities to voice and share their wisdom, knowledge, and unique personal experiences instead of primarily the males.  Historically, males and females have been driven into predetermined roles.  It was, and still is, incredibly unbalanced.

Yet, I still catch myself assuming most men love to watch sports, cannot communicate their feelings, and expect their female partners to clean up after them.  Experience has shown me it’s not true, but numerous misleading labels remain.

We can all question ourselves about our own assumptions regarding the world around us.  We can open our eyes to the fact we’re all living on the same big rock hurtling through space.  Everyone is unique, but we’re all connected and made of the same material as the stars twinkling in space.  In the end, gender stereotypes do not help us advance as a species.

I’m interested to see how gender casting is going to unfold—will women in all countries come into their power? Will men feel secure enough to discuss their feelings and do crafts without being bullied and ridiculed? Will the Kardashians finally go away? Here’s to hoping.

Although, theoretically, gender equality is a human right, there remains a staggering number of families, communities, and countries where the power largely rests in the hands of males.  Females are still prohibited from voicing a different opinion, in addition to being given opportunities for education and political involvement.  Change involves the education, action, and receptive attitudes of all genders.  Everyone can work together to effect progressive change, embrace gender neutrality and remove unnecessary labels.

Although the security of a full-time job and a regular paycheque has undeniable advantages, it comes at a cost.  Canada has the lowest paid time off in the world (often a scant two weeks/year), and you may further be expected to put in an exhausting 50-hour work week.  France offers 30 paid vacation days, so unless you plan on relocating to France, two weeks off per year is a probability at your new workplace.  Luckily, there are countless rewards to working autonomously.

1. You have the option of working from your own comfortable home office, with your cat, dog, and/or kids at hand. Say goodbye to expensive childcare, restaurant, commuting, and pet sitting costs.
2. You don’t have to spend your precious time commuting, deciding what to wear to work every day, or making work lunches, which frees up more personal time to do other things, like exercising or cooking healthy meals.
3. The sky is the limit on your income. When you work for yourself, you decide how little or how much effort to sink into your business, or how many clients you want generate.  In addition, this gives you the option to weed out toxic clients that you’d otherwise be stuck with working for a corporation.
4. You choose your hours of work. If you want to start at 4 am and be done by noon and have the remainder of the day to spend as you choose, you can!
5. Self-employment rewards you with working doing something you love and leaving the days of working at a job you loathe in the past.
6. Self-employment is rarely dull. With varied agendas and tasks, you can focus on what you do best.  Working for an employer often entails showing up at the same place for the same amount of time every day, year after year.  Furthermore, if you don’t like paperwork, you can hire it out and remain focused on other activities you relish, such as sales or inventing.
7. True entrepreneurs are notoriously creative. They use their imaginations and are motivated to solve problems and make life better for others.  This can be hugely rewarding and beneficial in ways you may never find in a regular job that commonly deters creativity and innovation.
8. If you’ve ever worked for a sexist, racist, or downright horrible boss, you will appreciate the value of being your own supervisor. You run your company according to your core values as opposed to getting sucked into the train wreck of many dysfunctional businesses.
9. Not only can you create a higher income level, you can also write off heaps of bills on your income taxes, like gas, utilities, office supplies, and rent.
10. Requesting time off for sick days or holidays can have a demeaning and deflating effect on your morale. Companies can make you feel guilty or like an outright liar for requiring health and wellness time off for yourself and your family.  You can kiss all that goodbye when you own the company.

I’ve had the opportunity to work for many successful businesses, with awesome benefits from free wine and beer samples to all-expense-paid business trips to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.  Conversely, I worked for managers who asked me to “wear more skirts,” lied to my face about a wage increase, told me I needed a new hairstyle, and assumed I would travel for business on my weekends off.  I don’t miss any of it.

Surely there are downsides to self-employment and working for someone else has its place when you have others dependent on your income.  However, owning and running your own business is an enviable ambition to work toward, opening an exciting new pathway to creativity, opportunity, financial success, and deep personal satisfaction.

Undeniably, without our precious heart organ beating away in our chests, life as we know it ceases to exist.  Fortunately, there are a huge number of lifestyle adjustments we can make to ensure a healthy heart.  Enjoying the benefits of a vigorous heart for all the decades of your life is easy with a bit of effort.

1. Eat a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables. No one died from eating too many vegetables (as far as I know).  A plant-based diet provides a high antioxidant and bioflavonoid intake, the ingredients that help your body prevent heart disease.
2. Opt for brown rice and grainy bread as opposed to the white, overly-processed breads. White bread products lack fibre.
3. Incorporate oily fish varieties into your diet as omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to be heart-healthy. Salmon and tuna are great choices.
4. I am a self-confessed salt-addict and my heart could be suffering because a high-salt diet can increase blood pressure, adversely affecting the heart. Herbs and spices are the ideal, flavourful alternatives.
5. Drink alcohol in moderation (or not at all, if that’s your thing).
6. Reduce sugar intake, or try organic, unpasteurized honey instead of white sugar in your coffee and tea. Honey also has antioxidant properties as well as immune-boosting benefits.
7. Reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids from your diet. Most trans fats are found in fried foods, baked goods, and processed food products that have hydrogenated vegetable oils added.  Trans fats increase LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while lowering HDL cholesterol, which greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
8. Reduce or eliminate saturated fats from your diet. This type of fat is primarily found in animal derived foods, such as dairy and certain nuts.  This type of high-fat diet increases levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, consequently raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.
9. Keep your meat consumption low and replace some of your meat with more poultry, fish, eggs or beans. Doing so increases your fibre and nutrient intake while keeping saturated fat intake lower.
10. Increase your intake of fibre. In addition to fruits and vegetables, stock up on heart healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts, seeds, and legumes, along with whole grains to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

A heart healthy snack that has been around since 1885, popcorn also satisfies our craving for crunch.  Going without butter seems wrong to me, so I go with option B and use grass fed butter as a topping.  Grass fed butter is also a healthier than the margarine and other hydrogenated oil butter options.  Hydrogenated oil has been proven to be extremely bad for consumption:

“Hydrogenated oil is a man-made food substance that is used widely throughout the food supply for its cost efficiency and technical advantages.  Also known as trans fats, these oils have become more known for their damaging health effects.  Many scientists and health professional believe trans fats are so dangerous they should be banned from the food supply.”

Get in the habit of reading the ingredient list on many popular grocery store items, which are coincidentally well-advertised.  You may be shocked to see how often you see hydrogenated oil listed.

And just to get you started on the popcorn, here’s a savoury recipe that should satisfy some cravings for tasty snacks.

Happy Heart Savoury Popcorn:

As much air popped organic (non-GMO) popcorn as you desire (around 12 cups, popped)
60-70 ml butter (preferably grass-fed)
30 ml parmesan cheese
3 ml oregano
3 ml basil
3 ml garlic salt
½ ml crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Melt butter in small pan over low heat.  Stir in seasoning for one minute.  In a large bowl, pour over popcorn and gently toss.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Toss again to coat.  Crunch away!