Maybe we have it all wrong.

Maybe the key to doing more is to do, well, nothing. At least for 60 seconds at a time. Whil, a new initiative by Chip and Shannon Wilson (whose names you might recognize from a certain Vancouver-based yoga clothing company), hinges on this concept with micro meditations designed to be practiced anywhere. Like wherever you happen to be at this very moment. It’s simple: breathe, focus and set a goal for the next few hours.

Now power down and get started. —Kelsey Dundon

http://whil.com

It's been such an epic flu season, it may be time to call for back-up.

To shore up our immune system, we’re gulping down omega-3 via NutraSea’s range of flavoured fish oils, which can can be added to cereal, juice, or taken as is. The kids’ oil has a bubblegum flavour (200ml, $21.99), or give them a quarter dose of the adults versions (and take one for yourself!) Our favourite is the apple flavour fortified with Vitamin D (200ml, $28,99).

Which, as you may recall, we are supposed to get from the sun. Unless you live in Canada. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

At your local health food store and online at https://shop.ascentahealth.com

Detox, cleanse, restore - no matter how you say it, giving the body the occasional break from caffeine, carbs and cocktails is a good idea.  

But no need to pull the '90s juicer out of its (unopened) box: popular food cart The Juice Truck has developed The Juice Cleanse, a program that does all the healthy heavy lifting for you. As a first timer, I opted for the 3-day cleanse  and the night before my start date, a box of carefully labelled bottles, along with instructions (the juices have to be consumed in a certain order), was delivered to my door.

Developed by a nutritionist, the ingredients are right on the bottle (organic veggies and fruit, cold-pressed for maximum nutrition) and surprisingly easy to drink. The 7 daily juices hydrate, energize and stave off hunger;  each bottle seems to magically know what you need at each point in the day, like the Protein Milk, a mix of cinnamon, hemp and vanilla, which satiated end-of-day sugar cravings.

Three days later we're feeling brighter, lighter and ready to give up coffee for good. Well, maybe just lighter and brighter. —Maria Tallarico

The Juice Cleanse, from $195/3 day, www.thejuicecleanse.ca

Your little one doing lion’s breath?

Now that’s cute as a button. Newly opened YogaButtons,

Vancouver’s first yoga studio devoted to kids, offers classes for babies four months and up in a sleek (think Eames elephant stools), bright and cheerful space in Kits.

Can’t imagine your tiny tot meditating? That’s where stories, music and dance come in – to keep mini yogis entertained while they engage with their breath. And if the little one gets as hooked on yoga as you are, pick them up their very own mat from the selection of kids accessories sold in-studio.

Happy baby, indeed. —Kelsey Dundon

Classes $10 (kids) and $12 (adults); YogaButtons, 2525 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-739-9642, http://www.yogabuttons.com/

If you think life coaching is all about organizing your lists and increasing output, think again.

Our recent series of coaching sessions with Life Compass was hardly that. The focus was personal transformation and integrating values into our daily life. After a gruelling questionnaire (What do you see as your life purpose? What is your definition of success?) we had our first conversation and were given a challenge: throw away the lists. Well, that particular challenge didn’t work out so well for us, but we did learn a lot. Here is a list (oops) of three things life coaching has helped us change in our lives.

1. We’ve stopped checking Facebook more than three times a day, as it was cutting into the time we spent with REAL friends.

2. We’ve stopped living life for the future. Life Compass Coaching taught us that happiness is about learning to enjoy all the good moments of life, whether it be that amazing trip or simply watching your dog swim in the ocean.

3. We’ve learnt to accept life as it is, even as we strive for change. This was a big challenge, but certainly a worthy one. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Life Compass Coaching, first session is free, following sessions cost $100 per hour. www.lifecompasscoaching.ca

It’s suggest that you bite them, tear them, or clip them, but whatever way you choose, trimming a baby’s nails is never fun.

What if we told you that there was a magical machine that would make baby manicures stress-free? Zoli’s award-winning Buzz B nail trimmer is a buffing machine, which gently files down the nails using textured pads. There are two different settings, and four different pads (depending on baby’s age.) The pads are soft enough that they won’t damage skin, and the Buzz B works on infants and toddlers.

Yes, we know it sounds expensive, but the good news is, the Buzz B is only $36, which is less than the cost of a manicure. Now, if only they’d invent a magic machine to paint our nails for us. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Buzz B Nail Trimmer, $36 at www.safandbenjamin.com

I recently diagnosed myself as having fallen into an exercise rut. (Symptoms include: humbled by a Kerrisdale granny at ballet boot camp, scanned the yoga studio for an emergency exit, and found myself running away from hills rather than up them.)

Enter MG Pilates, a new private studio in Kits. At MG Pilates, experienced instructor Matthias Gustavsson will design a program to suit your individual goals and fitness level. Whether you are a reformer expert, recovering from an injury or in need of a fresh approach to your exercise routine, Gustavsson calls on over a decade of Pilates teaching experience to help you find your optimal function and balance. After three sessions, I’ve already noticed improvements in my core strength as well as in my overall motivation to run, stretch and practice.

The MG Pilates studio may be serene, but prepare yourself to work extra hard over the one-hour session ($95). Pilates is a total body work-out and splurging on private classes means there’s no room for the cheating maneuvers I usually pull.

Bring it on, granny. —Julie Whelan

Three 45-min introductory private sessions: $225, MG Pilates, 2130 Yew St., Vancouver, 604-724-4332, www.newmovespilates.com

We never thought babies would need a chiropractor, but it turns out that pediatric chiropractic care can be very useful. What’s not to love about a natural way to solve colic, prevent allergies, control asthma, and help baby sleep? Here are some facts from Dr. Stephanie Bonn at Coco Chiropractic in Vancouver:

1. Chiropractic adjustments help to stimulate nerves, and can help solve colic and reflux problems. So much better than medication!
2. Chiro can help support the parasympathetic nervous system to naturally relax a baby (how you feel after a yoga class!)
3. Chiro improves the child's lung function and increases their threshold to allergies. Asthma and allergies are two things we don’t want our kids to inherit.

It’s nice when someone’s got your back. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Coco Chiropractic, Suite 120, 1020 Mainland Street, Vancouver, 604-688-5437, www.cocochiro.com
Outside of Vancouver, use the Canadian Chiropractic Association’s locator.

The best advice sometimes really does come from around the water cooler.

When a co-worker opened a packet of purple powder and slipped it into her water glass at 3 p.m. on a sluggish workday, I took note and went out to track down my own extra energy supply. My Vitality is a vitamin rich pick-me-up that helps to re-energize while reducing stress levels.  Caffeine-free (it relies on natural ingredients) and flavoured with juice concentrates, this mid-afternoon routine is worth scheduing in, especially if it steers us away from an afternoon snack served from a vending machine.

Drink in the energy boost. —Jaelyn Molyneux

$5.99 per three pack at www.drinkintuition.com

Junk food, we need to have a word with you.

We get it – you’re irresistible. You’re salty, you’re sweet and you’re always there for us when we crave you. But you see, we’re trying to stick to our eat-healthier-and-work-out-more resolutions so it’s time we parted ways. We’re going to opt for plant-based recipes designed for peak athletic performance (or at least the occasional jaunt on the treadmill) instead. While we may not be able to stick to the whole Thrive Foods diet, we love snacking on homemade energy bars instead of, you know, junk food.

So brush that potato chip off your shoulder. —Kelsey Dundon

Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier ($20.36) www.amazon.ca