New blog address!

To my dedicated Eat-Clean Diet® blog readers,

It is with great excitement that I announce the launch of my new and improved Tosca Reno blog. My blog has undergone a facelift, but the motivation and inspiration will remain the same as always.

Please follow me to my new blog as this one will no longer be updated.

Thank you for your dedication. You mean the world to me.

Tosca Reno

P.S. Please also join me on Twitter and Facebook!

A True Inspiration: Jack LaLanne 1914 - 2011

Jack LaLanne and I at his 95th birthday party (photo: Robert Kennedy)

It is with great sadness that I learned of Jack LaLanne's passing last night.

Jack inspired three generations of men and women to better their health and fitness. He laid the foundation for the modern fitness movement, taught us to stay away from sugar and processed food and encouraged millions of women to start lifting weights!

I had the pleasure of working with Jack and his wife Elaine over the last few years and enjoyed his fierce zest for living life to the maximum. I will take his lessons with me forever. And if I ever have a day when I feel too tired or too lackluster to work out I remember Jack towing 70 boats with 70 people for one-and-a-half miles through the strong currents of Long Beach, while handcuffed, on his 70th birthday!

I send my deepest and heartfelt condolences out to Elaine and their family.

Sincerely,
Tosca Reno

Send your condolences to Jack's family.
Learn more about Jack LaLanne.

Yummy Muffins!

Today I embarked on a snowshoeing adventure with my dogs. In order to fuel myself properly I started off the day with yummy muffins. Here's the recipe and a few pictures. Enjoy!

Davidson is investigating the best way to go!

Look all the amazing snow! I love it!

Maggie's snout is covered!

My husband, Robert, loves his birdhouses. Here is one of many!!

There was lots of elevation on my hike. Good for the glutes!

Sunday Morning Moist Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup plain rice or almond milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda

1/2 teaspoon each cloves, cinnamon and allspice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

pinch sea salt

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 egg whites beaten until foamy but not stiff

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup blueberries

1 large apple cut into pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line muffin tin with parchment paper liners

3. Place oats in medium prep bowl and pour milk over.  Mix and let stand while you make the rest of the recipe.

4. In another medium prep bowl combine flour, ground flax seed, spices, baking powder and soda, lemon zest and salt.  Mix well until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  Set aside.

5. Put egg whites in mixing bowl and beat until fluffy but not stiff.  

6. In small prep bowl mash bananas and add chopped apple.  Mix well.

7. In large prep bowl combine flour, soaked oats, egg whites and banana mixture.  Add blueberries.  Fold until all ingredients are just blended.  

8. Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  

Yield:  Makes 12 generous muffins to enjoy on a sunny Saturday with delicious coffee.

Indigo Yorkdale

Wednesday night's Your Best Body Now book signing at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto was incredible! I met some truly amazing people who have done wonderful things since learning how to clean up their diets. Read on to be inspired...

This was exciting to see in the store window. Thanks Indigo!

Great set up for the event. 

Meeting very special guest, Eloise, who's daughter-in-law Rachel is pairing The Eat-Clean Diet with her breast cancer treatments and achieving great results. 

Meeting glowing Marina who has lost a stunning 80 pounds on her journey.

Meeting gorgeous Kim and Lesley.

Thanks to everyone for waiting so patiently. 

I like to spend a few minutes with each person and answer any questions they may have. 

Rosemary and her family came out to the signing last night. 

I've met her and her lovely family a few times. Keep eating your broccoli!

Thanks to Robyn for coming out and telling me how she used 

The Eat-Clean Diet to handle post-pregnancy weight. 

An inspiration to all, Jessica has lost an astounding 8 dress sizes since I saw her last in November 2010. Keep up the good work girl!

Thanks to Debbie for coming out. It was a pleasure to meet you!

Thanks to Elita and her very good 2 1/2 month old son for coming to meet me. 

On Your Radio Friday Morning

My radio tour continues on Friday morning with these 2 great cities:

Rochester, New York: 8:35am-9:00am EST WACK-AM 1420 with Dr. Rus Jeffrey LISTEN LIVE

Los Angeles, California: 11:10am-11:30am EST KKZZ-AM 1400 with Kim Pagano LISTEN LIVE

The Marilyn Denis Show

I had an absolute BLAST yesterday on Marilyn Denis's new talk show, The Marilyn Denis Show. Wow! She's such a genuine person with a lot of energy and spark. I know many Canadian women (myself included) connect with her and are excited she's back on TV.

If you missed the show, please feel free to check out these links to view both of my segments:

Nutrition

Fitness

Green Room Fun 1

Green Room Fun 2 

Here are some photo moments from yesterday too:

Getting primped! 

Thank goodness for Valeria Nova, my makeup & hair saviour!

Lacing up! Loving this cool purple shoes & orange laces combo.

Ooooh! The beautiful set & lovely crowd. Getting nervous!

Meeting fellow guest Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua, ND

Looking fierce for 64! Meeting Suzanne Somers after her segment.

On set after my fitness segment.

Signing Your Best Body Now for guests after the show.

Will I Be On Your Radio Thursday Morning?

Tomorrow I have a satellite radio tour. See if I am hitting your airwaves:

Gainesville/Ocala, Florida: 7:35am-7:44am EST 96.7FM with Larry Whitler LISTEN LIVE


Columbus, Ohio: 7:50am-7:59am EST 1490AM with Dan & Mike


Green Bay, WI: 8:50am-8:59am EST AM 1600 WRPN with Jason & Team LISTEN LIVE


National Internet Radio: 9:00am-9:09am EST KJAG Radio with Jiggy Jaguar Radio Show LISTEN LIVE


Corpus Christi, Texas: 9:10am-9:19am EST KCTA AM 1030 with David


Raleigh, North Carolina: 9:30am-9:39am EST WCBQ-AM 1340 with Dr. Alvin Augustus Jones


Phoeniz, Arizona: 9:50am-9:59am EST KWKM-FM Power 95.7 with Jean Barton LISTEN LIVE


Albuquerque, New Mexico: 10:20am-10:29am EST KWYK-FM 94.9 with Dana Childs


Colorado Springs, Colorado: 11:05am-11:14am EST KCMN-AM 1530 with Tron Simpson LISTEN LIVE


National: 12:00pm-12:20pm EST Frankie Boyer Show LISTEN LIVE

Indigo Yorkdale Tonight

My busy Wednesday continues with my Indigo Book Signing TONIGHT at 7pm at Indigo Yorkdale. 


Can't wait to meet you and sign your copy of New York Times Bestseller Your Best Body Now.


See you there!


-Tosca

What's On Tap for Wednesday

This morning was a blast on CHUM FM's Roger, Darren and Marilyn Show. I hope you were able to catch it. If not, I have a busy busy day coming up tomorrow and I certainly hope you can join me for all of these exciting events:

1. Marilyn Denis - Canadian media powerhouse, Marilyn Denis, has just debuted her new show airing on CTV weekdays at 10am. I am thrilled to be one of her 1st guests. Not in Canada? No problem. Watch live online at 10am EST tomorrow morning wherever you are!

2. Indigo Book Signing - Join me tomorrow evening at 7pm at Indigo Yorkdale for a meet and greet and signing for New York Times Bestseller Your Best Body Now.

For more information on these or any events please visit my events page.

-Tosca

Listen Live Tuesday AM

The busy week begins! 

Listen live Tuesday morning at 8:20am EST on CHUM FM with Toronto favorites Roger, Darren & Marilyn.

-Tosca

5 Things to Do...

I am thrilled to be featured in Sweetspot.ca's list of 5 Things To Do in Toronto next week.

It's going to be a busy week, but we're going to have lots of fun!

Check out what's on tap here for next week's radio, TV, and book signing madness all in the name of New York Time's Bestseller Your Best Body Now.

AM Buffalo

Here's the video on my latest appearance on AM Buffalo yesterday morning promoting New York Time's Bestseller Your Best Body Now:



It's January and there is no better time to fill your cupboards with healthy foods and get to the gym! Do it now!
-Tosca

No New York

My goodness! What a wallop of snow we've received on the US eastern seabord and up into Ontario.

I did manage to make it to Buffalo for my appearance on AM Buffalo (video coming soon), but I was unable to proceed to New York City as flights were cancelled. This means my appearances on Good Day New York and Good Morning America will be rescheduled for a time when it's safer to travel.

We're on our way back to Ontario now.

Stay safe on the roads!

-Tosca

What's On Tap for My New York Appearances

Snowstorm or not I am making my way to Buffalo this evening for my scheduled live appearance on AM Buffalo tomorrow morning at 10am EST with Linda Pellegrino.

I will also post video after the appearance.

The rest of the week's events will depend very much on New York State weather conditions, but you can check my events schedule for more information.

Stay warm and drive safe during these winter storms.

-Tosca

Costa Rica or Bust

This year as a special treat Robert and I decided to take our children and a few boyfriends (not mine... hehe) on a trip to Costa Rica for their Christmas gift.  I had been thinking about this idea for a long time as I find that as the children get older I want to build memories with them rather than give them a load of material things they may not remember next week.  

Here we are after a lovely family dinner.

It turns out the idea was a fabulous one and I don’t think we could have expected the joyfulness generated by spending time together as we did for eight days.  Of course I still prepared and hosted a big Christmas dinner for 15 on the 25^th but we were soon packing our bags and leaving Caledon even before we could finish off the turkey leftovers.  

This was everyone’s first time in Costa Rica.  The terrain was marvelous featuring not only the Pacific Ocean, which is the coast we visited, but also stunning mountains, geography shaped by volcanoes and a few rain forests as well.  Marine life was abundant in the sparkling ocean waters including some unwelcome jellyfish which attacked relentlessly during a surfing lesson.  Bob and I escaped that unpleasantness!  

Me and Bob on an ATV. I'm driving! But we're stuck!

Although we spent a good deal of time relaxing either on the beach or poolside, we managed to play a little too.  The first adventure included driving ATV’s into the forest and then ziplining through it all the while being serenaded by howler monkeys and noisy parakeets.  If you weren’t careful you would get a nasty splatter from the monkeys.  Thankfully we were all wearing helmets.   We were never dirtier nor had we ever had so much fun!  And how delicious was that ice cold Imperial cerveza afterwards?  Perfect! 

Here we are up in the Costa Rican canopy during our ziplining adventure.

A further expedition included a boat cruise to Honeymoon Beach along with snorkeling.  Honeymoon Beach was supposed to be private, but we discovered many other couples there when our little boat arrived.  Where else are you going to go when it’s your honeymoon?  There was a lot of honeymooning too, believe me!  The snorkeling was not the best I have ever seen but we did manage to see some colorful fish, an octopus, flying sting rays, sea urchins, eels, and a sea snake.  The coral reef was pretty much absent.  But the sunset was spectacular.  

Our New Year's Day snorkeling and sunset boat cruise to Honeymoon Beach.

It is a rule for us when we travel with our children that they must always join us for dinner.  We always dress up and enjoy the whole dining experience from cocktails to appetizers to the main course.  It was wonderful to have Kiersten’s boyfriend Julian and Rachel’s boyfriend Mat along to round out the bonding.  Bob was happy to have them along for male support as most of the time he is the only man in the harem!  Julian showed us how the surfing was done – up every time!  Mat is a scratch golfer having attending school in California on a golf scholarship.  The “Elsies” Chelsea and Kelsey lived the party life enjoying the club and disco, swimming and getting noticed by many young fellows also on vacation at Paradisus.

It was a sparkly New Year's Eve filled with dancing, champagne & amazing fireworks.

As for Bob and I, we enjoyed the relaxation of the trip by spending time with each other just getting caught up. But we also worked out almost every day.  My heart is full as I realize how lucky we are to have had this time together and with our children and friends.  

Please enjoy the wonderful pictures from our trip.

Keep it tight!

Tosca

Watch Tosca's Interview with Celebrity Trainer Ramona Braganza

Tosca recently had the amazing opportunity to interview celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza who trains Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Zac Efron and Kate Beckinsale - to name a few. 

Watch as Tosca gets all the deets from Ramona as they discuss their personal philosophies on training, and Eating Clean. Tosca even unveils the green viagra to Ramona in this one-on-one interview! 

Tune in now! 

Extra Extra!

I'm a little behind on posting this video of my latest Extra Lifechangers appearance that aired just before Christmas, but better late than never. Enjoy!

2011 A New Year A New You: New Year's Resolutions - Tips from Tosca and the Team!

Setting New Year's Resolutions is a lot like making a lane change while driving, unless you're moving in the direction you want to go it's impossible to get into the desired lane. If you were always stuck in one lane you'd be on the road to nowhere. We want to help you get moving in the direction you want to go and to make the lane change from a stale and stagnant life to the life you have always dreamed of living! 

Here are some tips from Tosca and the Team:

Set New Year's Resolutions to help you get into your fast lane! 

Reflect! Reflect on 2010 and ask yourself some key questions: what did you achieve? Did you fail at something? How do you want to do better? Were your goals attainable? Were they reasonable? What held you back? Did you have a support system? 

Write it down! Get out a pen and a piece of paper and write down what you see yourself achieving in the next week, month, 3 months and so on. Write it all down. It could be something as simple as getting a manicure once a week to losing 20lbs in time for the summer. Stick this somewhere you can see it, like on the fridge or your bathroom mirror. 

Start small! When getting ready to make your resolutions, take a good hard look at your life and the things you want to achieve and assess whether or not your resolutions are attainable. Do you see yourself actually achieving these things in the next year or will you just end up getting frustrated and throw in the towel? Be honest and real with yourself. You don't have to move a mountain this year but you might be able to move a few inches.  

Plan ahead! Think of the tools you will need in order to achieve your goals. Is it a gym membership? A cooler? A journal? A support system? Whatever it is think about it and act! If you have all the tools you'll be less likely to make-up excuses.

Be accountable! There is a lot to be said for tracking your process. Write in a journal, create a blog or make a motivation board - whatever you need to track the progress of your resolution. Becoming accountable for your actions will help you stay on track. Whether it's weight loss goals or lifestyle changes you're hoping to achieve, you want to be able to look at where you started, how far you have come and what you see yourself moving towards. Consider joining our interactive community, the Kitchen Table where you can share stories, photos, meal plans and recipes as well as meet a support system to help you along the way! 

Make 2011 about creating the best you! Achieve your resolutions and share you journey with us! 

What you can expect from us? In 2011 Tosca Reno and the Eat-Clean Diet® Team are hoping to implement some dramatic changes:

- The blog will have a fresh new face in January

- We are launching 2 new books - which we will be announcing in the spring

- Watch as members of the team train for another half marathon

- Continued support in your health and weight loss endeavors

- Shout outs and celebrations to our success stories - are you going to be one of our next cover models? Remember Meghan Murphy? 

- Announce our V.I.P Eat-Clean Diet members and watch as we are sponsoring our pro-team to go to the Boston Marathon

If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see change on our toscareno.com website share your comments on the blog. 

What would like to see Tosca do most?

1. Triathlon

2. 1/2 Marathon

3. Compete in a physique contest 

Cheers, 

Tosca Reno and the Eat-Clean Diet® Team

Learn more about Tosca Reno, the Eat-Clean Diet® and the Eat-Clean Diet® Series on our websites! 

Please join our  Facebook, twitter and the Kitchen Table communities to get frequent updates and endless support from fans and followers of the Eat-Clean Diet® ,  the Eat-Clean Diet® Team and Tosca Reno herself. Tosca and the Team are always here for you and will see you through this journey every step of the way! 

2011 A New Year A New You: Top 5 Reasons Why the Eat-Clean Diet® Is the Lifestyle Diet of 2011

The New Year brings on a wave of resolutions regarding health, wellness and weight loss. It is a time to reflect on the last year's mishaps, trips, and falls and set new standards for the New Year. People become charged with inspiration for creating their best body yet, eating well and really getting it "right" this time. Diets, training regimes, you name it are all revamped and set in place. But, where do you start? There are so many "diet" plans to choose from, there are so many books, magazines, people but does anything really work? Questions start zooming into your head: what if I fall off the wagon? what if I put all that weight back on? What if I can't achieve my goals? It's a a tizzy of resolution action floating around in your brain! 

Well the Eat-Clean Diet® Team and Tosca Reno, are here to help! We want to shed some light on what makes the Eat-Clean Diet® unique from other weight loss plans and how it is sustainable, maintainable and attainable to follow. Unlike many diet plans the Eat-Clean Diet®  is more like a lifestyle change, it encourages you to change your eating habits but not restrict them. Instead of eating less food, you eat more! What you eat more of is healthy, nutritious food not processed, refined junk. The Eat-Clean Diet®is a guarantee, not many fad diets can say the same. Once you begin to Eat-Clean you'll see the weight come off and stay off. 

Top  5 Reasons Why the Eat-Clean Diet®  is the Lifestyle Diet of 2011

1. A calorie is not a calorie: as Weight Watchers announced in fall 2010 a "calorie is not a calorie", the Eat-Clean Diet® has been advocating this for years. Calories cannot be accurately measured. The way in which we consume food and metabolize food is different for everyone. What we can measure is the source of the calorie and the nutritional value of that calorie. Think: the calorie from a donut is not the same as a calorie from an apple. 

2. Clean food is plentiful: Despite what many people may think, there is great variety when it comes to clean foods. It's not just apples or chicken. Foods range from fish, nuts, eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice, quinoa, beans, legumes, plants, bison, lean beef, and chicken - the list goes on. The food is also delicious! Once you train your taste buds to eat only clean foods, you'll wonder how you ever indulged in sweet, refined or processed food. Clean foods have fresh taste and texture. Having such great diversity in food saves you from craving and indulging in junk food that packs on unwanted pounds. 

3. Eating Clean is not restrictive: Many diet plans encourage you to restrict the amount of calories you consume, leaving you starving, tired and weak. When you restrict calories you train your metabolism to turn off - doing your body and your health a disservice. When you eat clean you are encouraged to eat 6 times a day to keep your metabolism running in tip-top shape. You won't go hungry, but you will be feeding your body healthy nutrition. A lifestyle that encourages you to eat when you are hungry is key to maintaining any weight loss or gain that you are hoping to achieve. You won't feel deprived and you certainly won't feel weak. 

4. Eating Clean helps you achieve the body you've always wanted: Because you are feeding your body nutritious food regularly and speeding up your metabolism, you will create the body and shape you were intended to have. This body functions with vigor and energy - it is lean and toned. In the quest for weight loss or maintenance, it is 80% nutrition, 10% exercise and 10% genetics. A huge element as you can see is diet, and eating clean ensures that your diet is extremely healthy.

5. Eating clean builds the best health: Sugar, processed foods, chemicals and junk food all hinder you from achieving your best health. Foods like these set you up for a long history of health problems ranging from diabetes to cancer. When you eat nutritious, healthy and clean food you are building up a body with the best health. This is a body that can fight off disease and illness, - one with glowing skin, long nails and healthy hair. You will lean out and gain definition! Nutrition in means nutrition out, and you want to put the best nutritious foods in to your body. Get rid of all that junk! Ground flaxseed, blueberries, fish and leafy greens should be the first items in your grocery bags and the first thing on your dinner plate.  

Cheers, 

Tosca Reno and The Eat-Clean Diet® Team

Learn more about Tosca Reno, the Eat-Clean Diet® and the Eat-Clean Diet® Series on our websites! 

Please join our  Facebook, twitter and the Kitchen Table communities to get frequent updates and endless support from fans and followers of the Eat-Clean Diet® ,  the Eat-Clean Diet® Team and Tosca Reno herself. Tosca and the Team are always here for you and will see you through this journey every step of the way! 

2011 A New Year A New You

The New Year is fast approaching and there is no better time than a new year to create a new you! This year, you might be aiming to loose or gain a few pounds, tone your body, increase your health or perhaps you simply want a change of pace. Tosca Reno and The Eat-Clean Diet® Team want to help you set and achieve whatever goals you have set for 2011. 

After a few too many indulgences over Christmas and the Holiday we want to help you get back on track, and set you moving forward for your best year yet! The Eat-Clean Diet® Team and Tosca Reno want to reflect with you on the unique and special elements that make the Eat-Clean Diet® a lifestyle change for everyone. We want to prepare you for setting attainable health and wellness New Year's Resolutions and we want to see you through those resolutions! 

Follow us on the Blog, Facebook, twitter and the Kitchen Table as we enter into a brand new year together! 

Cheers, 

Tosca Reno and the Eat-Clean Diet® Team

Learn more about Tosca Reno, the Eat-Clean Diet® and the Eat-Clean Diet® Series on our websites! 

Please join our  Facebook, twitter and the Kitchen Table communities to get frequent updates and endless support from fans and followers of the Eat-Clean Diet® ,  the Eat-Clean Diet® Team and Tosca Reno herself. Tosca and the Team are always here for you and will see you through this journey every step of the way!