Anne Thibodeau - Nutrition, Habits & Lifestyle

Almost 4 years ago, I walked into Country Moments Spa & Wellness Center to meet with Amanda Watson to see if I could rent some office space so that I could start seeing my nutrition clients in person.

At a time in my life when I was faced with so many unknowns, so many uncertainties, she welcomed me with open arms and, so selflessly, she enabled me to grow my business, and gave it a home.

And that’s exactly what the spa had become for me – a second home, a place of solace, of calm. The staff there and our regular clients became family. I felt like I belonged, like everything was so aligned. Of course, it didn’t come without its set of challenges, but for the first time in my entire adult life, I genuinely loved what I did and was excited to go to work when I woke up in the morning.

And in the blink of an eye, last Sunday evening, it was all gone. A fire took our lives as we knew it and turned them completely upside down.

My heart aches for Amanda – having lost everything she’s worked so hard for over the last ten years. My heart aches for Tracie and Cassie, the estheticians who gave their clients their all and more. My heart aches for our Café staff, Flo, Cam, Emily and Sienna who showed so much thoroughness and dedication to their work. My heart aches from not only the loss of the building, but for all it could have been. We worked so hard to bring the spa and café to their full potential and it feels like we were so close to having it all figured out.

They say you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. And while that’s not entirely true in this case, I’ve been feeling immense feelings of guilt since Sunday. I wish I would have taken the time to appreciate what we had there just a little bit more, that I would have taken more pictures, that I would have documented more of the fun times we had, more behind the scenes moments.

So, this week, I sat with those feelings and started going through my photos.

I was reminded of my first office in the spa, putting the extra sinks in the café after our first official inspection, the handwritten notes on cups and treat bags, fun candid moments, that time my husband and I worked the café alone during a market day, finding the tiniest lost kitten in the basement, the movie and wine nights, the workshops, our waffle and snack boards, our ice cream, all the drinks we created and the food! So much food! From chocolates and cookies for Valentine’s Day, to mug cakes, ice cream, our now famous cinnamon smash and of course, the Buddha bowls.

Creating these bowls for the community over the last years was a dream come true for me. Being able to express my creativity, while creating nourishing, balanced and tasty meals for our customers was such an amazing experience that I’ll cherish forever.

So, with a heart full of a storm of emotions, I want to say thank you. Thanks, Amanda, for giving me the opportunity to flourish and grow with your business. Tracie, for being the best food tester ever, and for always making sure that nothing “dodgy” was going out to our clients. To all of our loyal customers, whether we knew you by name, or by your drink of choice, know that we appreciate you and your support so much.

To the community who supported our team on Sunday as we were crumbling, your presence, kind words and gestures meant the world to us. And lastly, to the emergency crews who came to the rescue to fight the blaze that tore through the spa, Matt, Al, Anthony and your teams, we respect and honor you. You are true superheroes.

This isn’t the end. This isn’t goodbye. This is a pause, a chance for realignment so that we can come back together, better and stronger than ever – one day at a time.

In the meantime, my little nutrition business will continue to run virtually – I am dedicated more than ever to help women learn how to make the best food choices for themselves and prioritizing themselves and their needs so that they too, can feel fulfilled and content in their lives.



“What we once enjoyed and truly loved, we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us” – Helen Keller

The garden is in full bloom!!

We’re enjoying beans, bush beans, zucchini, cucumbers lately, and the cucamelons have started making their appearance!

Started my day today with my beautiful new coffee mug in the garden. The colors are so bold and vivid! What a way to start the day 💚

Nothing better than a garden tour after a few days away!

Kale, lettuce, calendula, marigolds and herbs are in full swing, and baby beans, peas, tomatoes and cukes are making their appearance 🥒 🍅 🌿 🌼

A nice (and rare!) beet harvest, which I used tonight to make a beet and aragula salad with maple pralined walnuts and honey goat cheese, alongside some herb and garlic bbq’d chicken!

I can now say that I know exactly how long 16 feet is, and that it doesn’t fit in the box of a pickup truck! 😆

I knew I wanted to add cattle pannel to my garden this summer to act as an arch - and a few good friends helped make it happen and I just 😍😍😍 the end result!

Thanks to you Amanda, Will and your Jodale Property Maintenance trailer for getting them to my place and to Jf Tibodo for manhandling them into our garden boxes, despite your skepticism and alllll the mosquitoes!

Follow along for garden updates throughout the season!

First harvest of the season in my brand new, handmade by my hubby, garden trug! 💚

Rhubarb, asparagus, thyme and chives straight from my backyard - sounds like a strawberry rhubarb crisp is happening tomorrow 🍓

Once your rhubarb is established, it magically and totally effortlessly grows bigger, year after year - one of the first signs that spring has arrived 🌱🌞

It’s important to pull each stalk directly from the base of the stem vs cutting them - this signals the plant to keep producing more new leaves.

What else should I whip up with my harvest?

One of my clients had a realization last week –

Not only has she been learning about what it looks like to eat balanced meals, but she’s ALSO learning how to make that work for HER, considering her lifestyle and her past food habits and beliefs.

Towards the end of our session, she said: “you know, you’re like a nutritionist AND a life coach bundled into one!”

To which I replied: “actually, I am!!”

And that is exactly why I chose to add health and life coaching certifications to my nutrition background before starting my practice.

Anyone can tell you what foods to eat to improve your health – but if you don’t know how to apply that information to your own life, it’s probably not of much use to you.

It has to work – with your schedule, with your tastes, with your lifestyle.

Otherwise, you’re on a diet and your efforts (and results) will be temporary.

And that’s the last thing I want.

Ready to experience a mindset shift when it comes to food? To eliminate the notion that certain foods are “bad” and that you have to avoid them in order to achieve your goals? To stop feeling so overwhelmed with food?

Hi 🙋‍♀️ My name's Anne, and that's where I come in! Get in touch! What have you got to lose?

The best way to make sure you’re eating a nourishing, balanced lunch is to be intentional and prepare it ahead of time!

It doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time!

An extra 5 minutes of prep after packing up the kids lunches this morning means I’m having a well-balanced lunch, setting me up for a successful busy afternoon!

On the menu today, a refreshing salad with tomatoes, pickles, chickpeas, a hard boiled egg and tuna! I’ll top this with some Ume plum vinegar (I’m obsessed!) and be good to go!

The good, the bad and the ugly of cholesterol…

❤️ The good: HDL or high-density lipoprotein is a type of “good” cholesterol that can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

❌ The bad: LDL or low-density lipoprotein is known as the “bad” cholesterol and makes up most of your body’s cholesterol. It can raise your risk for heart disease and stroke by collecting in the walls of your blood vessels.

😈 The ugly: The HDH/LDL ratio – the higher the ratio, the higher the risk for heart disease.

Did you know that…

😵 Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the Western world?
🩸 Too much cholesterol in your blood builds up and can cause atherosclerosis – a form of heart disease

💊 Dietary fibre intake is associated with decreased risk of heart disease, as well as having been shown to increase the efficiency of LDL-lowering drugs (statins). Are you getting enough fibre?

Do you struggle with high cholesterol as my recent client did? She was pleasantly surprised to see how just a few tweaks to her lifestyle and nutrition could play a role in lowering her cholesterol levels...

..maybe you will be too!

Initial consultations are always free and can be scheduled either virtually or in-person at Country Moments Spa & Wellness Center

Book online or send me a private message to get started!

Has your healthier lifestyle been sidelined over the last few years and replaced with overindulgences to compensate for the hardships you faced during the pandemic?

Do you know what to do to instil positive changes, but you’re not doing anything about it?

Are you sick of dieting without noticing any changes and wish you could simply know what you should be eating, and understand why once and for all?

Why not come in and chat with me at the beautiful Country Moments Spa & Wellness Center? I’m once again opening up my beautiful office for in-person appointments! Initial consultations are free for a limited time!

Of course, virtual consultations are also available!

Let’s work together to find a sustainable nutrition and lifestyle plan that works for you and your family, so that you can have the energy to be your very best, every day!

Schedule your in-person or virtual appointment here: www.countrymomentsspa.ca

Who’s excited to get their gardens planted?!? I know I am 🙋🏻‍♀️

So excited in fact that this year, for the first time, I attempted to grow my very own seedlings. I’m so proud to say that I’ve been growing some of these since February and now, they’re ready to move in to their new, larger outdoor spaces!

So while supplies last, come grab your seedlings while you pick up your coffee and treats at Country Perks Café!

We are fully stocked on:
🍅 orange, yellow and bumblebee (multicoloured) cherry tomatoes
🌱green and yellow bush beans
🌿 Brussels sprouts
🥬 purple kale
🥒 pickling cucumbers
🌶 spicy red Espelette peppers
🧄 horseradish
🌻 sunflowers
🌼 crackerjack marigolds (a great companion plant to your tomatoes to keep the pests away!)
🌈 rainbow chard
🍎 empire apple tree saplings
🍃 chocolate mint and peppermint
🌳 variegated hostas

What are you most excited to watch grow in your garden this season??