The ideology of feminism and the propulsion of female empowerment has, in the last couple years, exploded. Stand silent in the middle of a crowded subway car; walk down a busy street; sit at a sunny patio with more than just bees buzzing around. Listen. Or, as some people might call it, eavesdrop (insert bashful emoji). You might notice how the conversation has shifted. Yes you might also overhear the daily mundane, yet in between those updates and observations are stories with a new type of hero — the empowered female.

As with many things, empowerment starts with awareness, knowledge and conversation. The explosion of modern feminism has lit up so many shared and singular issues, inspiring another statement I’ve come to believe wholeheartedly: Empowerment (female, male or un-gendered) is empathy. As much as we don’t want to admit it sometimes, because it can seem counterintuitive, we need to empower others as much as we need to empower ourselves. It’s how we truly become understood, building a cohesive society that respects and cares for each other.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting my old high school stomping grounds, the Scarborough Town Centre, to check out a pop up celebrating just this. Created by female-driven agencies Kastor & Pollux and August in Bloom, GRL PWR features 15 toronto brands curated specifically for their celebration of this very topic. It was incredible to walk in and immediately be surrounded by both an incredible selection of must-have products as well a like-minded people shopping with a purpose. To be exposed to brands that effortlessly embody this movement is inspiring and motivating — especially since many of them are small, local and still growing.

It was hard to know where to begin, but eventually I was able to hone in on some stand-out pieces. Here are my top ten finds from the GRL PWR pop-up:

1. Ephermal Magazine

2. Orange cantiliever from Make Moves Vintage

3. Gel pens from Paper Plus Cloth

4. Gender Freedom Club merch from NEW FRDM

5. Guschlbauer puffs

6. Love Yo Self tee from Peace Collective

7. Common Goods Studio ceramics

8. Snaffle & Mane’s plant collection

9. Bath salts from Cardea Auset

10. Greenhouse Juice

Photos by Jess Baumung

The theme of our first meeting of the new year was “your best self,” modelled after Indigo Books‘ own focus entering 2017. So it’s only natural that when it came to sustenance for our literary discussion, we’d turn to a company that served the healthiest food options: The Fix & Co.

It all started with a passion for family, healthy eating and cooking.

Founded by two cousins, Tamara Spinatsch and Adrianna Stadnyk, The Fix & Co redefines the concept of “fast food” by delivering healthy options directly to offices, businesses and homes in the community. With a brick and mortar in Etobicoke, they focus on the West End Greater Toronto Area. Luckily for us, we were barely made the Eastern edge of their border.

What did we get? More like, what didn’t we get. We started with their Oat Bowl, which was topped with nuts, seeds and seasonal fruits. We washed that down with a selection of their cold-pressed juices including On The Mend, Fixer Elixir and The Antidote. Since our meetings take a couple hours at the very least, we also got a couple salad options and a platter of incredible light treats. Overall, the spread was impressive.

The Fix & Co takes pride in its food from ingredients to presentation. Whether ordering for yourself or taking advantage of their catering service for a larger group, you won’t be disappointed.

I honestly can’t remember the first time I met Catriona Smart. It must’ve been at a Nike Training Club sesh 3 years ago now. Yet though our paths crossed quite a bit over the years, it wasn’t until around this time last year that I plucked up the courage to ask her to grab a coffee with me.

What inspired me to reach out was her blog post, 21 Things I Wish I Knew At 21. It was a beautifully simple yet poignant way to reveal not only a ton of wisdom, but also that she was going through a divorce with the father of her daughter after 14 years together. At this time, I too was struggling with my own marriage and needed perspective, but no one around me could relate exactly to what I was going through. Catriona did and she graciously accepted my cry for help.

I’d always looked up to her, but for her to take time to sit down with me and talk about such personal experiences was faith-affirming. The conversation touched a lot of topics, not only relationships. It was then and there that I was truly inspired. I’ve since looked to her as a model business woman in this industry. To use a platform to do better and greater things is always admirable, especially the way she does it with kindness, charity and a disregard of what could be crippling fear in the face of pursuing your passion.

I might not have asked her to be my official mentor — I would argue I have many mentors for various parts of my life — but I definitely consider her one. It’s important to have a role model to look up to, someone you can talk to for perspective, advice and even counsel. It can be daunting to reach out to someone you admire, but so long as you do it from a genuine place, no one would see it as anything but the deepest compliment.

Share your own mentorship stories

To show Catriona how grateful I am for her help, I surprised my mentor with a delicious heart-shaped pizza from Boston Pizza. This meaningful gift, however, goes beyond its yummy ingredients: $1 of every heart-shaped pizza, as well as Future Prospects dessert, sold on February 14th supports Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects. Additionally, a $2 donation towards a paper heart will give you $5 off your next meal. All donations go directly to the Foundation.

What is the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects program? Created in 2014, it focuses on providing Canadian kids in need with role models in their community through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kids Help Phone, JDRF, Live Different and other programs that mentor kids to their full potential.

Photos by Jess Baumung.

Let’s not kid ourselves, joining a book club is as much about the experience as it is discussing books. Without good food and delicious drinks, a person might as well be back in school. I wasn’t going to tolerate any dropouts on my watch, so I knew the first Lit Squad meeting had to be perfect.

Yet hosting was easy. Armed with some beautiful decor from Indigo‘s Fall 2016 collection, I immediately knew I would serve a healthy charcuterie board complimented by a ton of fruits and vegetables. I picked everything up from Loblaws, including these standouts: San Daniele’s prosciutto, Boursin’s cranberry and pepper soft cheese, Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn and seasonal cherries.

We washed everything down with a pretty decent sangria, if I do say so myself, featuring a base of Apothic Red Wine. So it wasn’t long before we cracked open an Apothic White. At this point, the conversation really began to flow.

It’s safe to say the first Lit Squad meeting was a success. If you weren’t able to follow along as we live-Tweeted and Snapchatted away, the video will be out soon — stay tuned! Until then, visit The Lit Squad on Indigo’s Reco app for a list inspired by Shoe Dog and so much more.

One of my favorite things about travelling in Spain is the food — and the experience that comes with it. Estrella Damm is again bringing the Spanish tradition of tapas and beer to Toronto with its Tapas Journey. Nearly 40 restaurants across the city are participating between now and August 21st, offering three dishes and a pint of beer for only $20.

A few friends and I visited three of these restaurants, which may be the best way to do it. After all, what’s a journey if there’s no real legwork? We stuck around the Queen West neighborhood, but this is one way to enjoy an area of the city you don’t happen to visit very often as well.

Photography by Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Estrella Damm

First, we hit up Lamesa, a tropical spot inspired by Filipino cuisine. Chef Daniel Cancino prepared ceviche, octopus and pork belly to perfection, each better than the next. Fresh and savory, I’m never disappointed when I dine here.

SCALLOP KINILAW

ESCABECHE

LECHON LETTUCE WRAP

Next up was Milagro, a short walk from Lamesa. This Mexican eatery is not afraid of spice, which complements a cold glass of Estrella beautifully. There we enjoyed another octopus dish along with quesadillas and three incredible, saucy meatballs. It’s clear that Chef Arturo Anhalt knows his Mexican food — he was born in Mexico City, after all.

QUESADILLAS DE FLOR

PULPOS EN ESCABECHE

ALBONDIGAS EN CHILE ANCHO

A little further down Queen Street was our third and final stop, Nuit Social. My first time there, I was immediately attracted to its bright neon sign outside and its minimalist decor inside. Known for its social environment, it was the perfect place to end our #TapasJourney. Chef James Dearham capped our evening with a fresh tomato salad, stuffed olives and, wait for it, pig’s head with fruit.

TOMATO SALAD

STUFFED OLIVES

TESTA

I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Friday night. You can’t go wrong with good company, good food and a little bit of adventuring.

Photography by Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Baro

I don’t know what had me moving more, the fiesty Latino music or the delicious morsels being served out of Chef Steve Gonzalez’s new food truck. It was the Latino Street Party of the year and everywhere I turned there was something better to take in. Nestled in a spacious alleyway off of King Street West, the festive air was not random. Something big was about to be announced.

After three successful years, Gonzalez was forced to close down Valdez, a King Street staple. But that wasn’t about to stop Gonzalez. Instead, he decided to throw a big party to announce his latest venture — Baro. Set to be an impressive multi-storey space complete with a second floor raw bar, 2,200 loft space for events and private functions as well as an all-season patio, it will reimagine traditional latin culture and cuisine.

Until Baro’s doors open, people will want to keep their eyes peeled for #GonzalezonTour. The food truck will take the party on the road, bringing delicious dishes to such destinations as Toronto Taste, The Stop’s Night Market and The Neighbourhood Festival by Luminato.

About this new venture, Gonzalez shares, “I’m very proud of what our team accomplished at Valdez. We gave Latino culture a home on King West. Baro will take that vibe to the next level and give us an opportunity to share a bigger melting pot of unique Latin American flavours. Being on tour this summer will allow us to reach more audiences and get the word out on the street about latin food — we want everyone to discover their inner latino in our neighbourhood at Baro. There really is something for everyone and every occasion.”

Sit at a restaurant, coffee shop or any place with food and drink long enough and you’re bound to witness a group of millennials standing around a table shifting plates, artfully arranging sunglasses and snapping photos of whatever they ordered. Thanks to social media, everyone’s a food photographer these days. Including me (insert the blush emoji).

But until recently, I just went with my gut when it came to taking these kind of photos. The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, a not-for-profit organization representing approximately 220 members who grow greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, invited me to a food styling event in which I learned some key tricks of the trade to make my imagery significantly better.

We focused on two #SpringIntoFlavour-themed recipes (a chicken fajita and a soba noodle salad), both of which highlighted the organization’s incredible selection of produce. Below are the three main takeaways that stuck with me:

1. Keep your ingredients looking fresh by brushing them with glycerin. For vegetables in particular, a spritz of water on top of this layer will make it look as though they were just washed with the water droplets will stick more stubbornly.

2. Manipulate the lighting. First of all, natural light is the best kind of light to take such photos in. Yet sometimes due to poor timing or the lack of an ideal space some reinterpretation is needed. To manipulate the light, all a person needs is a white board to bounce lighting, black board to absorb it and foil to illuminate specific areas. All of these can be affordably purchased at an art store.

3. Tell a story. It’s important not to just take a shot of a well-styled plate of food. By placing ingredients or other objects like menus, books or even those sunglasses around the dish, more context is given to the image. This encourages viewers to connect to the image even more.

The latter was made easiest thanks to the inclusion of such delicious, colorful and local vegetables. I used them both sliced up artfully in the dish and whole around it. But my favorite was creating a deliberate mess that made my images look more approachable and, strangely, beautiful. It didn’t hurt that I was able to snack on them throughout the session.

Don’t be afraid to visit your favorite farmer’s market this summer to stock up on local produce. You never know when you might want to style your own mouthwatering photoshoot. Visit my Instagram page to learn how I can help get you started!

(This blog post was sponsored by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers but the opinions are all my own.)

I’ve been to Mexico before, but it was only after visiting Mexico City that I truly began to appreciate everything the culture had to offer. From the architecture and art to the street vendors and friendly faces, it wasn’t what I’d expected at all. But I loved it all.

The food was one of the things that stood out the most. So when I was invited to sample Fonda Lola’s lunch menu in Toronto, I was 100% down. The newly opened Mexican restaurant might have some surprises up its sleeves, but it looked more authentic than most with its mismatched furniture, subtle but still vibrant colors and welcoming atmosphere.

For the lunch menu, the owner essentially turned some of the most beloved dishes into incredible sandwiches and even added a few unexpected options diverse Torontonians would appreciate. This included a Filipino-inspired sandwich of adobo chicken and rice. Yes, it was stuffed with rice.

Although the food is enough to keep people coming, the atmosphere and service is just as noteworthy, making the entire experience great from beginning to end. I can’t wait to check out Fonda Lola for its weekend brunch, especially now that the weather’s getting nicer and strolling along Queen West is always a great way to spend a weekend morning.

Last month I was lucky enough to have breakfast with an amazing group of women in celebration of the launch of Stacey Garlicky’s debut book, Food, Sex & You. Through this book, the mental health advocate and registered psychotherapist shares her own exploration of body image, self-esteem and self-worth in an effort to help others overcome similar challenges.

This is a hot topic right now.

From the phenomenon of selfies to controversial ad campaigns and unnecessary Photoshopping, positive self-image has been taking a harsher beating than usual these days. We’re all guilty of putting ourselves down, but the ideal standards of beauty continue to go in an impossible direction, especially since manipulating your own image has become easier than ever with the proliferation of photo editing apps.

Kim Kardashian and everything she represents — or doesn’t represent — took over much of the conversation during our breakfast at Colette. It’s interesting to see how one person can be so polarizing — or perhaps confounding would be a better descriptor. Yet at the end of the day, we all walked away understanding that as much as the landscape is changing for women, much still remains the same.

I can’t wait to crack open the book. My reading list has become pretty long, but once I do I’ll be back with my thoughts on it.

Up until recently, I’ve never experimented with supplements. But the more active I’ve become, the healthier I behave and the more research I pore into what I should be doing to stay as optimally fit as I want to be. Short answer? You really are what you eat.

When I was first introduced to Genuine Health‘s products, it was to try out its greens+ Extra Energy line just before a tough workout. I genuinely loved it (pun intended). So I was excited to try out its newest line, fermented Greek yogurt proteins+.

On the technical side, Genuine Health’s fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ packs in 25g of protein, but in a way that is more fully digested and absorbed by your body. The fermentation of this particular supplement promotes just that. The first of its kind to be made out of Greek Yogurt, the supplement is also very tasty. Stay tuned for my own original recipe soon!

In the meantime, Genuine Health has also created some delicious fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ bars for those who really need to grab and go — my favorite being the Cinnamon Pecan. I swear by these. With 15g of protein — also harnessing the power of fermented foods for better digestion and absorption — the bars are coated in vanilla, making them seem more like a treat. There’s really no reason why you’d choose, say, a chocolate bar over these. They’re that good.

Overall, my experience with fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ has been positive. As someone who leads a very active lifestyle, it’s important for me to fuel my body properly. Genuine Health helps me do that.