Getting back to the basics of eating right and taking care of your body is always a good place to start when trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle.  I am not an expert by any means when it comes to health and wellness, and all opinions in this post are purely my personal thoughts on what has worked for me. Most people will agree though, that eating a balanced diet consisting of plenty of fruit and vegetables, together with regular exercise, is a surefire way to keep your body healthy and your weight in check.

Slowly but surely I’m getting back to an overall healthy lifestyle. This week has been all about positive changes for me and I am determined to keep it up. At the beginning of the week I decided to eliminate all white, refined sugar from my diet for at least a few weeks. As you know, I have a serious sweet tooth that just won’t let up and some drastic changes are seriously necessary. I’m not saying that I won’t ever eat anything sweet again, but I’m focused on keeping it off of my plate for as long as it takes to reduce the cravings that have been my daily struggle since I was pregnant. So the short-term goal here is two weeks without the highly-processed, refined white stuff. Wish me the best!

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll remember I posted a picture last week as I started back to the gym for the first time since giving birth. Well, over the weekend, as a family we joined a new gym that will allow me access to better times for spin and body training classes – as well as a very flexible babysitting program (essential for moms with little kiddies). My starter goal here is to make it to the gym at least twice a week. Three would be ideal – but let’s not push it.

And now for the most delicious part of my healthy lifestyle change: incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet! It certainly can be hard for busy moms to remember to eat their greens and a variety of colourful produce throughout the day, so I was thrilled last week when cold-pressed juice shop Green Press opened up in our neck of the woods. Drinking your fruits and veggies is such a delicious way to make sure you’re getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals, and Green Press makes it easy with their wide assortment of cold-pressed, organic, raw and unpasteurized juices.

I was able to sample all of their handmade juices last week and now I’m officially hooked! I wish I could have brought the entire lineup home with me, but thanks to owner and Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N) Samar Harb, I did leave the store with my top six picks. Reluctantly, I shared the yummy juices with my husband and toddler (they really need them too), but was able to down most of them all by myself. My two favorite concoctions were Mean Greens and Grapefruit Mint.  Packed with superfoods, Mean Greens contains plenty of leafy greens, green apple and lemon. The mix is potent and energizing. I literally feel healthier just drinking this one! For a bolt of morning energy I opted for Grapefruit Mint. Although some people have an aversion to Grapefruit, it’s definitely one of my favorite citrus fruits, and mixed with refreshing mint, the combo is sweet and tangy, and such a lift in the morning.  Although realistically I won’t be able to drink cold-pressed juices every day, it certainly has kick-started my love of vegetables again and hopefully will help me stick to a good routine.

Green Press is located at 270 Lakeshore Road E. in Oakville, and offers juice cleanses, fasts and of course their delicious assortment of cold-pressed juices which are also available by subscription and can be delivered right to your home.

* Thank you Green Press for collaborating on this post. All opinions are my own.