Fitness and Health Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Delsuites' Blog
Browsing Category

Fitness and Health

Community Events, Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Fitness and Health

How to Beat the January Blues in Toronto

January 6, 2017

The exciting buildup to Christmas and New Year’s is over – now it’s just cold. However, don’t get too sad as January holds plenty of fun things to look forward to.

You may be feeling a little bit blah  January Bluesafter the holiday season. You’ve returned to work, you’re a little bit worse for wear after indulging in too much eggnog and cookies and the January days can be dark and dreary. However, there are many ways to lift your spirits and avoid the January blues. Here are some of the great things that you can do in Toronto this month.

The Next Stage Theatre Festival

January 4-15, 2017

Brighten up your January with some excellent theatre and comedy. This year the festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of offering a diverse showcase of thought provoking and funny theatre. Since it began 10 years ago, the festival has been attended by over 75,000 guests. Check out the schedule here to see which plays, improv shows and comedies are currently on.

The Second Annual Something Strange Circus Sideshow Festival

January 21, 2017January Blues

The second year of the Something Strange Circus Sideshow Festival will be an eclectic gathering of freaks and geeks from all over the world. From ventriloquists to contortionists to sword swallowers to stuntmen to burlesque dancers and much more, this show will baffle and amaze you.

Eat Some Poutine

On a cold January day, there’s nothing more comforting than piping hot chips smothered in rich gravy and squeaky cheese curds. Poutine is a Canadian

January Blues

delicacy and there are many great places in

Toronto to feast on this warm and satisfying dish.

Fancy Franks offers special poutines with unique toppings such as Korean Beef Ribs and a fried egg or BBQ Pulled Pork and a deep fried pickle. The poutine at Leslieville Pumps is made with rich dark gravy made from the beef smoker and aged potatoes. For more suggestions, check out this guide to the 15 Best Poutine Spots in Toronto.

Go Tobogganing

Zooming down a hill on a toboggan with the fresh winter breeze in your hair is a great cure for the January blues – it will bring you back January Bluesto the carefree days of your youth. You’ll have lots of great tobogganing hills to choose from. Check out Riverdale Park East for an inviting slope and great views of the city skyline, or Withrow Park for a steep incline that has a set of stairs along the side to make getting back to the top easier. Donora Park, in a quiet residential area, has a smaller hill that is very kid-friendly.

Ripley’s Aquarium Beach Bash

January 27, 2017

If the January cold is really getting to you, why not pretend that you are in the tropics for a few hours? The Beach Bash in the Six is a beach party in the middle of winter where you can party in your swimsuit, sip on a rum cocktail and go for a ride on a surf simulator. It might be freezing outside, but it’s summer in here!

How do you like to beat the January blues in Toronto? Let us know in the comments below. Check out our blog too on some fun things to do in Toronto!

Business Travel, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

How to Relax After a Busy Day at Work

November 18, 2016

Relax After a Busy DayA few suggestions for recharging your batteries and how to relax after a busy day at work.

Some work days can be so exhausting that even though you were simply sitting at a desk all day, you feel like you have run a marathon. Perhaps you had to speed through some work to meet a deadline, or you had to mediate in tense and stressful meetings, or you had to do a mind-numbing task that leaves you mentally drained. If you have had a day at the office, when you come back to your home in your furnished accommodation, your priority should be to relax, recharge and rejuvenate yourself. Here are some simple tips on how to relax after a busy day.

You might be tempted just to put on some trashy reality television and zone out with a bag of potato chips, but here are a few different ideas for relaxing after a busy and draining day at work:

Create an at Home SpaRelax After a Busy Day

You can totally immerse yourself in a soothing spa-like environment, without having to pay the expensive prices that spas charge these days. With a few little touches you can turn your bathroom into your own private home spa. Scatter a few tea light candles around the room and turn the lights down. Burn some incense or use an oil diffuser with a relaxing scent such as lavender. Treat yourself to some luxurious bath bubbles and run the hottest, bubbliest bath ever. As you ease yourself into the hot bubbles while the candlelight flickers around you, you’ll forget about everything that was stressing you out.

Take a Walk

Walking is a great way to relieve stress and help you feel more calm. The physical exercise will release endorphins in your brain which will improve your mood. Plus, the fresh air and sunlight will also benefit your mood and overall well-being. Look for a nearby park in Toronto or nature trail and go out exploring. It doesn’t matter if you walk with a friend or a four legged friend or just bRelax After a Busy Dayy yourself – you’ll benefit either way and will help you relax after a busy day.

Work On a Creative Hobby

Many people find that having a creative hobby that they enjoy really helps them to relax and recharge when they come home from a stressful day at work. It allows them to turn off their analytical left brain and use their creative right brain for a while. Often being immersed in the act of creating something can put you in a calm “flow state” and allow you to forget about everything else for a while. Your creative hobby can be anything you are interested in, whether it is knitting, painting, wood working, jewellery making, drawing or anything else.

Watch Something that Makes You Laugh

Another great way to unwind after a busy day at work is to put on a funny movie or TV show or watch videos of your favourite comedian. Researchers at the University of Maryland in the USA have linked laughter to healthier blood vessels, reduced stress, higher anti-body production and a stronger immune system.

These are just a few ideas for relaxing after a busy day on the job – what’s your favourite way to relax after a busy day?

Business Travel, Family Vacations in Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk, Toronto Family Travel

Quick Healthy Snacks when You are Busy

August 8, 2016

Quick Healthy SnacksIt can be incredibly challenging to eat healthy when you are travelling. Whether you are on a long flight, a bus journey or an epic road trip, often the only food available is from convenience stores and fast food outlets. Greasy fast food will not only pack on the calories, it will make you feel bloated and tired when you are in transit. If you can bring along some quick healthy snacks on your trip, you can refuel with nutrients that will give you energy and help you feel great.

Looking to prepare some healthy foods for your next trip but don’t know where to start? Here are a few ideas of some quick healthy snacks:

Dried Fruit

This travel snack ticks all the boxes – it is healthy, tasty and extremely portable. It is also great for kids because it won’t make a mess or cause stains in the car or the plane. There are many great tasting types of dried fruit including dried bananas, apple rings and dried peaches. Look for fruit that has doesn’t have any additives like sugar, colour, flavor or preservatives.

Hard Boiled EggsQuick Healthy Snacks

Having travel snacks that are high in protein is important, because the protein will keep you feeling full for longer. Hard boiled eggs are a great travel snack, so boil up a few before you go and keep them in a container. They can last a long time if you don’t peel the shell, as the egg itself is the perfect wrapper.

Trail Mix

Another great portable healthy snack is trail mix. You can bring it along in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag and grab handfuls whenever hunger strikes. There are lots of different types of trail mix out available out there in the bulk section of the grocery store. Or, you could make your own by combining the nuts, seeds, dried fruits and other items that you prefer.

Granola BarsQuick Healthy Snacks

A store bought granola bar can be the perfect item for keeping you fueled up when you are on the road. However, when choosing your granola bar be aware that some brands are loaded with sugar that you may as well be eating a chocolate bar! Look for these quick healthy snacks with low sugar and plenty of natural ingredients.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a fantastic food! It offers lots of protein and energy and it’s very portable. You could bring along a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter on a road trip and stop for sandwiches whenever you are hungry. You can also bring along some crackers or celery sticks for spreading peanut butter on – whatever tastes good to you. Finally be sure to check out some healthy on the go snacks children love.

These are just some ideas for portable quick healthy snacks that are great to bring with you when you are travelling, so you can satiate your hunger without filling up on junk food and arrive at your destination or furnished apartment in Toronto feeling great.

Business Travel, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

Why Work Wellness is Important

July 22, 2016

Work WellnessIt comes as no surprise that people are more productive and motivated when they are feeling healthy and energized. It seems so simple, yet why do we often ignore the importance of overall work wellness in the workplace?

A work wellness program can have a lot of benefits, including increasing the profitability and success of the company as well as enhancing the lives of the employees. According to statistics by the Institute for Healthcare Consumerism, businesses that implemented a work wellness program experienced a 28% reduction in employees who called in sick.

What is a Work Wellness Program?Work Wellness

A workplace wellness program is not a short term solution, it is a complex and long term strategy. A good program should outline short and long term goals for improving the wellness of employees. It should be integrated into the very fabric of the company’s culture and it should focus on all aspects of employee health including sleep, nutrition, fitness, ergonomics, disease prevention, stress management and much more. It can also consider health issues that are relevant to the particular working environment or industry.

Where can you start? There are a number of wellness initiatives that an employer can implement, including flu shots, yoga, smoking cessation programs, group exercise classes, in-office massage therapy, mental health counseling, health fairs, newsletters, gym memberships and so much more. Every company is unique and so are the needs of the employees. The right wellness plan will integrate many aspects of health into one comprehensive overall strategy. When this sets the tone for the workplace, health and wellness will become part of the company culture.

The Benefits

There are so many positive Work Wellnessoutcomes to looking after the health of your employees. The benefits of implementing a work wellness program include:

  • Reducing sick time and absenteeism.
  • Attracting the most talented workers.
  • Improving decision making and productivity on the job
  • Improving employee morale
  • Better employee loyalty and retention
  • Reduction of workplace conflicts because employees are less stressed and unhappy
  • Improving creativity and problem solving ability
  • Better prevention and management of diseases
  • Lower healthcare costs

Delsuites understands the importance of work wellness and has worked to implement it into the workplace. One of the ways they promote employee wellness is that they have introduced massage therapy for staff. This has a number of benefits including reducing stress, releasing positive endorphins, easing back, neck and shoulder pain, promoting circulation and much more. A quick massage in the workplace can be just what our staff members need to pick them up and keep them feeling energized in the middle of a busy day.

 

Business Travel, Downtown Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk

The Top Vegan Restaurants Toronto

May 6, 2016

Vegan Restaurants TorontoSometimes vegans can find it difficult to discover a great place to eat, as their options are usually quite limited. However, in the city of Toronto animal-free living is becoming more popular and more and more excellent vegan restaurants Toronto are springing up. There are many great establishments that serve food so delicious that you won’t even notice anything missing. Here are a few of the best vegan restaurants that Toronto has to offer:

Howtown Vegan

If you miss those classic meaty comfort food staples, this is the best spot to enjoy satisfying dishes such as vegan chicken and waffles and mac and cheese. They taste just as good as the original but no animals were harmed in the making of these nostalgic and filling dishes.Vegan Restaurants Toronto

Khao San Road

One of the best Thai food restaurants in Toronto, this spot has a dedicated vegan menu that is complete with curries, garlic tofu, squash fritters and vegan pad Thai. The food is fresh, fragrant, spicy, flavourful and exciting, bringing you the authentic flavours of Thai cuisine.

The Urban Herbivore

This restaurant focuses on serving fresh, simple and delicious vegan fare. The portion sizes are huge and they always use high quality tasty ingredients. It’s also a great spot to grab a quick lunch in the city, as they offer a great selection of sandwiches and baked goods.

Live Organic Food Bar

Live is an all raw vegan restaurant that serves up food that is animal-product-free and totally fresh and uncooked. For example, one of the most popular dishes is the Live It Up Lasagne which is made with raw zucchini noodles, basil pesto, cashew ricotta cheese, garden veggies, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and marinara sauce. Check it out for meals that arVegan Restaurants Torontoe as healthy as they are delicious.

One Love Vegetarian

This colourful take-away offers vegan and vegetarian food with a Caribbean twist. It started off as a soup kiosk in the World Café at the Harbourfront Centre food court and its popularity has allowed it to grow into a restaurant of its own. Try the spicy Jamaican pumpkin and pea soup, the caramelized plantain or the basmati rice and lentils.

Bolt Fresh Bar

Vegan Restaurants Toronto

Vegan Restaurants Toronto

This restaurant offers a range of healthy options, including grain bowls, salads, smoothies and juices. Everything is juicy and prepared fresh

and all of the ingredients are sourced from local suppliers. Try the delicious and filling tofu, avocado, kale, quinoa and carrot bowl. When you want a lunch that will leave you feeling nourished and energized – this is the perfect place to stop.

These are just a few examples of the best vegan restaurants Toronto, so you can enjoy a delicious meat free meal. With the vegan lifestyle becoming even more popular there is no doubt that Toronto will have even more great vegan and vegetarian food options available in the future.