Recharged Review

I couldn't resist posting this review from Basil & Spice about the Eat-Clean Diet Recharged even though I am supposed to be on vacation! Call me a work-a-holic! I know it and love it! Okay, now I'm signing off for sure!

Weekend Off

I set my alarm beautifully to go off at 6:00 am then realized at 6:30 am that I had neglected to turn the dial to AM! OH MY! How fast can a girl get ready? Answer: 15 minutes! Helpful hint and saving grace: pack the night before and select your travel outfit the day before, too. I had also packed my oatmeal, dried fruit and tea bags beforehand too.

Even the snowstorm didn't hold us up too much.

Now we are through the trial that is customs and security today! I actually steel myself for the marathon. There were no fewer than 4 security checkpoints not counting the one before you board the plane.

Finally a few minutes to catch my breath with Bob before boarding.

On the schedule for our quick trip to Miami?

A long beach run
Dinner out
Rest
Relaxation
Gallery visits
And no expectations or deadlines for once!

I will send lots of pics.

Yahoo!

See you soon. I am officially OFF for the weekend!

Tosca

Iron Goddess!!

Competing in a sprint-distance triathlon is my lastest & greatest goal. I'm preparing for the big event... the Iron Goddess Triathlon in Michigan. Here's my training plan so far:

Cycling: I have my road bike on blocks and a trainer so I can ride indoors until the weather gets better. I try to ride at least twice and sometimes three times per week for now going a minimum of 12 miles. But I am throwing in some harder training to build my strength.

Running: as much as possible wherever possible – indoors and out!

Bricks: I do bricks most of the time. This means I am cycling 12 miles and then jumping right into my running shoes for 4, 5 or 6 miles. I try to do at least one long run each week. That means I am running more than 6 miles and obviously will build up my endurance so I can run longer as time goes on.

Swimming: I swim in my own little indoor pool which is lousy for lengths but I swim the perimeter for now so I can build up my lungs. As soon as the snow and ice melt I plan to get into a wetsuit and swim in local water holes so I get used to the dark, muddy conditions. They freak me out so I have to push past that. I am a bit claustrophobic.

I have a long way to go but I try to work on breaking through barriers at least once a week.

Cheers,
Tosca

New To This... Cycling

On Friday I attempted my first road bike training class at the Riverdale Training Complex in Caledon. We were hooked up to a simulator that had us climbing Mt. Lemmon in Arizona. Here are some photos my husband took of the night. They each say a thousand words! It was hard work climbing 5200 feet uphill for 15 miles over 1 1/2 hours of grueling pedaling. Of course I was humbled by the task and by learning how to shift all 23 gears. I did feel sick at one point but I never stopped and I did not give up.

Enjoy,
Tosca

The man beside me is Don Coats who helped me purchase my road bike and who runs the classes. He knows what he is doing!

Sometimes you have to stand up while you pedal but apparently this is not terribly efficient for cyclists to do. I am practicing the push/pull of cycling to get better at it.


This is a look of focus and determination on my face - the climb is getting harder.


Almost at the top!


I did it!! Now it's time for a post work out stretch for my burning quads!

Georgetown Health & Wellness Seminar

Saturday's health and wellness event in Georgetown was a huge success! We had a fabulous turn out of about 250 guests. Thank you so much to those who participated and to Susan Wilson for organizing the day. I had an excellent time meeting fans of the book, signing books, taking pics and hearing success story after success story.

Here are some photos from the day:

With even coordinator Susan Wilson...


A full house!


A very busy booth!! Thanks team!


An entire family of Eat-Clean Diet success stories!!


Dawn, Lesley & Franca! My Sisters in Iron who were also participating the in fair.

My ice breaker is always the Butt Grab. Everyone has a laugh when we do it.


The best part of these shows is meeting people!

Have You Been Inspired?

Has eating clean inspired you to change your life and go after your dreams? A few months ago I spoke about eating clean at a women's business conference in Peterborough, Ontario. One special lady heard me speak and decided to pick up the courage to start her own business embossing flowers. Now she is having a ball! Check out the beautiful flower she sent to me. Thank you! They're very unique! Fill us in on how you've changed your life since beginning your journey with me and the Eat-Clean Diet.
Love,
Tosca

Harlequin Shoot

I have been preparing for this Harlequin shoot for several weeks and how the days have flown by! Paul Buceta shot 30 exercises destined for the pages of the new book, Best Body Now, which I wrote and which will be out in the fall of this year. It's amazing how much effort goes into shooting! My muscles were so sore even now! But I feel great and am happy that we captured some fit and fantastic images.

The shoot attracted a lot of buzz. Guests dropped by all day long to watch what was going on at the Robert Kennedy Publishing studios. My editor from Harlequin US, Sarah Pelz, dropped by to watch as did Tara Kelly, Art Director for Harlequin Canada. Even my daughter dropped in to keep me in line. No diva's on the set please!!

I will keep you posted on the book. See some behind-the-scenes shots below!

Cheers,
Tosca

Getting nipped and tucked on set...


Letting the experts review the shots...


Shooting some video for the website...


Getting silly...

Recharged Review

The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged has been reviewed by DietsinReview.com. Check out what they have to say here.

Georgetown Health & Wellness Fair Saturday!

What are you doing tomorrow afternoon? I will be speaking at the Georgetown Health & Wellness Fair in Georgetown, Ontario. My talk begins at 1:30pm. It will be followed by a book signing at 2:30. I am very much looking forward to this event. If you're in the area please stop by. For tickets and information please click here.

Thanks Examiner!

Here's another great review of the Eat Clean Cookbook for your perusal. If you like what you see grab a copy here.

The Good Fat and the Bad!

What kind of fat are you putting in your system? The good or the bad? Healthy fats come in the form of nuts, seeds, healthy oils (think coconut for cooking and olive for eating), and more. Even a small amount of saturated fat is necessary in our diets, but lets get it in small doses from plant sources (think, avocados). I discuss a lot of healthy options in the Eat-Clean Diet.

Trans fats are BY FAR the ugliest fats we can put in our body. They have been littering our food for years! Many cities and businesses have made efforts to remove these toxic elements from foods. The likely culprits? Processed foods. A no-fail way to avoid trans fats is to Eat Clean! But how can we work to get rid of trans fats from our foods for good? Aside from making healthier choices we can also support Canada's Heart and Stroke Foundation in their campaign to kick the trans fat habit. Read, learn, and participate here. Our kids don't need to pollute their body with harmful added and unnecessary extras. Let's give them the Eat Clean boot!

People Magazine

This is pretty exciting. I was asked by People magazine to share my thoughts on "100 Easy Ways to Change Your Life". Of course Eating Clean is the way to go! Here's a snippet from the mag. Pick up the latest People Extra special edition for the full article and more.

Long Week Ahead...

Today is Day 1 of my photoshoot with Harlequin. We will be shooting all week to get a slew of pictures for the book. I have been "Cooler 1-ing" for quite awhile in order to be in tip top shape for the next few days. I'll keep you posted on the progress of the shoot. I'm on lunch right now (a healthy one, of course) but we'll be back at it soon. Happy Monday to all of you.

Some Fun Things for Friday!

More good news for the Eat Clean Cookbook!! Lifescript.com has named is as one of their 10 best diet cookbooks. Thanks for the honour. I'm really proud of it, too!

Great interview with Momlogic.com! Read up to learn more here.

More EXTRA!! Here's another segment I did with Amy Barnes on Extra that aired last Friday. They didn't post this part on the website. Enjoy it here!

Enjoy and Happy Friday one and all. It's been a long week and I am happy to see the weekend arrive!

Thank You

Your support has been incomparable. My family and I truly appreciate your kind words. We sat together and read all of your stories. They definitely reminded us how important our little pups are to our lives, and helped us get through a difficult experience. Thank you!
Love,
Tosca and Family

Bailey Kennedy

Today is a sad and rough day in our household. For the past few days we have known that our beloved golden retriever, Bailey (who has been in numerous pics with me and the family... see some below) must be put down today. He has a terrible form of necrotizing cancer which is causing him to suffer greatly. His usually sprightly self has been quiet and withdrawn the last few days. This horrible cancer will end his life, though we would prefer not to have to do it at all. The humane thing to do in our family's opinion is to lift him out of his misery and remember him as the joyous and intelligent creature he was. We will miss his door-opening antics, his cute little curly sashay in his back end, his gorgeous face and eyes, and his constant company. His little friend Davidson will also miss his constant companion. They were like "me and my shadow". Bailey has had 13 lovely years with the our family and his memory will live on forever.
With Love,
Tosca

Holiday Pictures

Here are some VERY belated Holiday Pictures...

Christmas moments with my brother, sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, nieces & nephews, including an intense run with my sister-in-law, Tammy, in preparation for our triathlon.



Skating with the kids and dogs on the pond on Christmas Eve! My skates are at least 20 years old. Yikes!

Present time! Bob and I are unwrapping a very unusual gift from our kids... A lovely crane for the garden from my favorite home decor store.


Here we are at the wedding in Austin, TX on New Year's Eve. What a party in pink!

And finally, my attempt at golf!! This should be good for a laugh...

#1!!!

Eat-Clean Diet Recharged is the #1 book under FITNESS in the Globe and Mail!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/bestsellers/

Have You Seen It??

I was really excited to see the Eat-Clean Diet Recharged when I was at the airport last Saturday. It had great exposure in both Austin and Dallas airports.

Here's Eat-Clean Diet superstar Allison Earnst with the Eat-Clean Diet in New York's La Guardia Airport. Very cool! She was in NYC shooting her Woman's World cover. Keep your eyes peeled for her cover and for Recharged! Thanks Allison!

Back to Work...

January means back to the grind in the land of the Eat-Clean Diet. I have been keeping especially busy this week with lots of radio, TV, etc. Here are a few links for you to check out:

1. EXTRA - Here's a piece I did with Amy Barnes!

2. MORE Magazine - Love being their diet guru! But don't forget this is a lifestyle!

Learn More About Me and Eating Clean

http://www.anediblemosaic.com/

Book of the Decade

I am BEYOND honored!!

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook has been included in the list of Books of the Decade amongst Canadian readers as selected by Indigo.

Read more here.

Thank you very much for your patronage.

This is extremely exciting for me as a Canadian author!

Yeah!!!!!

Welcome To My New Readers!

Wow!!

Welcome to a bunch of new followers to the Eat-Clean Diet blog! I am so happy to have you as readers. You encourage me to keep on doing what I love to do, which is encouraging you to live healthier each and every day.

I hope you are able to learn a lot from the blog. I like to think of it as my daily dose of Eat-Clean reality. How on earth can someone with 5 kids and a full-time job manage to Eat-Clean and exercise every day of the week without a personal trainer and a personal chef? You'll definitely find out here!

I tend not to answer too many questions on here because I like to keep it personal rather than educational. If you have questions visit the FAQ section on my Eat-Clean Diet website, or join the ToscaReno.com forum. You can also learn more about me on my personal website ToscaReno.com.

I will do my best to update each day, but I also keep posts on Facebook (become a fan) and Twitter (follow me there, too).

Thanks for joining.

I'd love to hear how you learned about the blog. Tell me in the Comments section!

A Big Welcome Hug,
Tosca

New Year - New You

Hey Y'All.

Still in Texas - making our way back to Canada today. What a fantastic week away. I did not take a break from training or dieting but I sure did relax with my family and my friends. I ran a deadly 5 miles in Texas Hill Country near our hotel, I swung a golf club out on the driving range - I have never golfed before and I now sense a new love coming on - I love the sound of that club as it connects with the ball. I also did my bricks and read a lot. Love it!!

I will post pictures as soon as we land and unpack much later tonight.

Let me thank you for support - I consider you my extended family and look forward to your comments, stories and advice. All of you triathletes have been super full of information for me. Let's stay in touch about training and prep okay? Also my Sisters in Iron I do love the iron game and still get a thrill when I hear from you about your latest successes and challenges. We grow together.

I also want to thank you, the vigilant ones who let me know when the flavor of the blog is sour - no one wants garbage on this site! I welcome your comments, stories and your friendship but for goodness sake let's keep it clean!

Love and hugs from Texas y'all!
Tosca