Make Allergy Season Enjoyable

Many people love the fact that the weather is turning the corner and spring is in the air! Many people also experience allergies this time of year that can leave them feeling drowsy, stuffy, itchy, congested and irritated. A suggestion to help keep your nasal passage way clean and clear is neti pot irrigation. This is a simple and quick self care regimen that you can incorporate into your morning and/or evening routine that can help manage the severity of the symptoms that you may normally experience. If you have asthma or severe allergies, please talk with your doctor first about adding this to your routine.

You can purchase a neti pot at most local convenience or drug stores or online at places like Banyan Botanicals. When you use the neti pot make sure you use filtered, sterile water that is room temp or slightly warm to touch. Fill the neti pot about 3/4 full of water then mix 1/4 teaspoon non- iodized salt into the water in order to make your saline solution. Follow directions on your neti pot box or check out this link here for more instruction: www.yoga108.org

After your neti pot experience make sure to use some nasaya oil. Or plain, organic sesame seed oil in your nose. This oil will prevent your nostrils from drying out, which makes you more susceptible to allergens and infections. Just place a few drops on your pinky or ring finger and gently wipe the inside of the nostril with a thin layer of oil. Dab the tip of your nose with a napkin to wipe up any excess oil from the face. To learn more about this technique and to take it a step further visit Banyan Botanicals for a video and product information.

Enjoy easier breathing this season and take time to actually stop and smell the fresh rain, flowers and spring air. 

Breathe easy!

Oil Pulling Leads to Total Body Detox

I have been seeing a lot of chatter about oil pulling on social media and have been seeing it pop up on the web as an alternative health suggestion for many health issues. It is something that I tried a few years back but then discontinued because my morning routine was growing to large, to fast. But I have recently picked it up again because a few of my clients have been asking about it and I want to be able to speak from experience as I regurgitate information from ayurvedic and medical texts.

Oil pulling is an ancient ayurvedic method of healing for the gums and teeth, as well as detoxifying the entire body.
The benefits of this practice are quite expansive and worth the 20 minutes of your time in the morning. You may do it while you focus on other things like cleaning the house, washing dishes, folding laundry, taking the dog for a walk, or my favorite, getting some morning reading in before my day gets crazy.

What it Does:

• Brightens and whitens teeth, reduced plaque and bad breath
• Reduces stiffness and pain in joints 
• Relieves nasal and sinus congestion
• May help with migraine headaches
• Regulates menstrual cycle and provides relief from PMS
• Helps with clearing skin
• Boosts energy
• Benifits the throat, voice and eyes
• Improves the lymphatic system
• May help to alleviate allergies
• Boosts the immune system
• Helps with insomnia
• Possible remedy for jaw soreness and TMJ

How it is Done:

• Wake up
• Splash your face with cool water and rinse out your eyes
• Drink a large glass of warm water
• Try for your morning evacuation 
• Before you brush your teeth and on an empty stomach, take 1/2 up to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, sesame oil or sunflower oil and swish it in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Ultimately you are going for 1 tablespoon of oil for 20 minutes, but if you need to work up to that, start with less oil for less amount of time and give yourself a few days to get used to it.
• Make sure to move the oil around slowly in the mouth and swish it through the teeth. Try to get the oil in all the nooks of the mouth. Lightly, lightly gargle a few times before you spit it out. 
• DO NOT SWALLOW any of the oil, it is absorbing and pulling toxins from your body that you do not want to reabsorb. 
• When your 20 minutes is up spit out the oil in your toilet or trash, you do not want to spit it into the sinks, as it will clog your pipes. 
• Rinse out your mouth with warm water and then brush your teeth and scrape your tongue.

NOTE: Do not do this for more or less than 20 minutes (after you have worked up to your 20 minutes). More than 20 gives chance to reabsorbing the toxins through the mouth that you are trying to get rid of. Less than 20 is not nearly as effective. Definitely brush your teeth afterwards. It takes about 15-20 days of doing it every day, to see results. If every day is not possible try for every other day, shoot for at least 4 days a week, which is better than not doing it at all!

Serve Yourself a Bowl of Health

Making your own food is not only an act of labor, it is an act of deep love, for you and those you are cooking for. Yes, it can be time consuming sometimes, but in the end the act of creating can bring to you more than you expect. 

Here is a quick recipe that is packed with all kinds of great warming spices, cooling coconut, grounding root vegetables, protein packed lentils and chickpeas and digestive kraut. 

Recipe:

1/2 cup lentils (soak in warm water in the morning so they are ready to use when you get home from work) 

1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 cup canned (if using dry, soak in warm water in the morning as well)

1 large sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch chunks and roasted

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/3 cup diced onion

2 inches fresh minced ginger

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (if you want/like more spice)

2 teaspoon cumin seed

4 small -medium carrots

1 cup broccoli

3 cups vegetable broth or water

1 cup full fat coconut cream or thick coconut milk

2 cups spinach or kale

kraut of choice

Fresh lime cut into quarters

Instructions:

Soak your lentils and chickpeas in the morning. Set aside in a bowl. When you get home and are ready to cook, rinse the lentils and chickpeas separately, and then put them in separate sauce pans. Cover both with 2 inches of water, typically 2-3 cups. Add a sprinkle of ginger powder and black pepper to the water, this will help with the bloating feeling that some people get from these two foods. Turn on medium high and bring to boil, then bring to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until tender. 

While the beans and lentils are cooking, clean and chop your sweet potato. Toss it in olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a dutch-oven or large soup pot melt coconut oil and then add in the onion, stir for about 2 minutes then add the garlic and ginger, sauté for about 1 minute all together. Then add the spices and cumin seeds, mix well until fragrant. Add the carrots and broccoli and stir until they are coated in the spices. 

Pour in the broth/water and coconut cream/milk, bring mix to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Toss in the sweet potatoes, lentils (with their cooking water if any is left) and chickpeas (drain if using canned, if using freshly cooked, add the cooking water too). Then toss in the kale or spinach. Stir and simmer for 5 more minutes. 

Serve alone or over rice or quinoa. Top off with your favorite kraut and a squeeze of lime juice. Share with those that you love!

Drink Your Immune Booster - Turmeric Tea

Turmeric Tea - An Immune Booster/Helper
Any time you start to feel a scratchy throat or signs that you might be getting sick, make this tea and relax while you help boost your immune system. It is a great idea to drink this during busy travel times too. 

1 cup hot water (DO NOT Boil)

1-2 tsp turmeric

1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp unpasteurized honey (raw)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (optional)

1 - 2 teaspoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar or 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

Mix everything BUT the water together in your favorite drinking mug. Then pour in the hot water and mix together. Drink while hot.

NOTES: 

-Pasteurized honey actually creates mucous so you do not want to use pasteurized honey in your diet.

-Do not boil the water, boiling water and honey, when they come in contact, creates a toxin. So make sure that the water is just under a simmer. 

-Turmeric is an immune helper, has anti-inflammatory properties, has antioxidants and works directly on the back of the throat.

- Raw honey helps to sooth the throat while drying up mucous.

-During cold season keep sugar consumption down because it causes mucous. 

Turmeric Drink for Kids (or Adults)

1/2 cup hot water (DO NOT Boil)

1-2 tsp turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger  or  1/8 - 1/4 tsp powdered ginger

3-4 whole cloves

2-3 cardamon pods

1/2 teaspoon Funnugreek seeds (optional, helps turmeric and ginger to do its job, has synergy with these spices)

1/2 cup almond, coconut or cows milk

1/2 - 1 tsp unpasteurized honey or maple syrup 

Place spices and water into a pot, bring to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk and bring to a simmer again. Strain contents by using a wire strainer or cheese cloth, into a favorite drinking mug. Add honey or maple syrup. This is medicinal but also very enjoyable. A chai sort of drink for those days when you need something soothing. Kids will like the creaminess of the tea and it should help with their fold or flu. 

NOTES:
-Fennugreek seeds can be found in Indian grocery stores. But if you do not have them then this tea will still work to help with immunity. 

- When making the drink for a child, start on the lower quantities for the spices and then work your way up, making sure that it is not to spicy for them.You can always dilute it with more milk.