A native of Ukraine, Olena Osipov now finds herself in Vancouver, BC where she lives with her husband and two boys. After her second son was born, Olena developed a passion for health and fitness. Her blog and website, ifoodreal.com, is home to many clean eating recipe that Olena has developed. She shares her journey and love of clean eating with others so they can see that nutrition doesn’t have to be boring -rather it is fun and delicious! Olena’s Journey…2:30 - Olena grew up in Ukraine with very simple foods. Moving to Canada changed all of that; she was exposed to much more processed foods. After having her second child and hanging onto extra baby weight, she decided she needed a change. Olena turned her focus to clean eating; 80% of the time is very clean eating so the other 20% is flexible. - Olena is all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Life is not about dieting and unrealistic expectations. When your eating becomes a lifestyle it becomes easier to maintain. ifoodreal.com…6:45 - Olena developed her blog in 2012. She was just starting to really get into the fitness and health world. Her husband encouraged her to make it a business, so she did! Olena gets many comments and emails from followers who thank her for revamping their nutritional views. This is the most rewarding part of what she does. - She would love to help the average family with all things in the kitchen. She understands that not everyone can afford the latest superfoods and trends. Her recipes are designed to fit the busy family lifestyle. You will find a lot of slow-cooker or one skillet kind of meals. Her recipes are influenced by North American flavors with Ukrainian flare. How do you keep your kids healthy?…10:30 - Olena believes that what you get on your plate, is what you have for dinner. That is how she grew up and carried that tradition over to her young ones. Many parents fall into the ‘processed food trap’ because it is easy and kids typically like it. - She also has found success and encourages people to cook in large amounts to have extras throughout the week. School Lunches…13:40 - Many lunches are leftovers from dinner. This cuts down on time spent in the kitchen, allowing her to spend time with her family. She will send her boys to school with thermoses full or soups or other hot lunches. Vegetarian wraps are another healthy option and favorite school lunch. Olena will do organic Mac-n-Cheese as a treat for her boys. Exercise…15:15 - Olena used to work out vigorously 5x a week, but found she could not maintain that high intensity regimen. She is listening to her body more and currently enjoys walking; it has become her preferred style of exercise. (Check out her blog post about giving up wine for 30 days!) - Do what you feel your body needs. If you feel like the gym works with your schedule, great. If walking or a quick jog is what your body is needing, do that! Don’t overcomplicate things. What are your key principles of nutrition?…19:30 - Listen to your brain and your body. Eat whole, real foods. - Don’t calculate every calorie you eat. Advice to someone looking to get healthy… 20:35 - Go to ifoodreal.com and find a yummy recipe. Start cooking! Take it slow but stick with it; progress will come. - Keep it simple. Contact…22:25 - www.ifoodreal.com