Post Holiday Revival

We hear about cleanses all the time but we rarely seek out if it is right for us or not. We are a nation who constantly wants to scrape, clean, cleanse and diet.....but we are also a nation that is worn out, depleted and running on reserves. If we keep scraping and don't do anything to build, we will dip into our reserves (ojas in ayurveda terms) and will slowly deplete our life force energy. So, I offer you a nourishing cleanse after the holiday in order to recover from the larger quantities of food eaten and the extra cocktail that was too yummy to pass up. Don't feel guilty of what happened this holiday, hold fond memories of the wonderful gathering of friends, family and food and then get back on your horse and slowly detox and come back to your healthy eating patterns.

7 Tips For a 7 Day Gentle Cleanse

1) Wake up and drink a glass of hot water with lemon, then drink another glass of warm water on its own. Stay standing until the urge to go to the bathroom is strong so that you know the intestines are working to let go of the waste accumulated over night. If this does not work right away, keep at it for a few days, this will help you get on a healthy elimination schedule.
2) Breakfast: if you are not hungry just have a bowl of fresh fruit and/or some herbal tea. If you are hungry have a small bowl of oatmeal (no sugar) or a bowl of steamed veggies and quinoa. Add ghee!
3) Stick with three meals per day. Try not to snack. Eat Kitchari for at least 2 of your meals. Fresh fruit or light soup can make up the third meal. Click here for kitchari recipe. If you don't have the desire or time to make Kitchari (which takes no more than 20 minutes in your kitchen) then just have steamed veggies and quinoa or white rice on hand to warm up whenever you are ready for your meal. White rice is easier to digest then brown rice so it is better for this type of cleanse. I use quinoa for protein, but if you need, add an egg to your lunch for extra protein.
4) Don't eat past 7pm.
5) Eliminate all sugar, animal protein and deep fried foods from diet.
6) Allow yourself to rest and get a full nights sleep. Rest is very important in order to help the body detox and rejuvenate. To help with sleep rub organic, pure sesame oil or almond oil on your temples and feet before bed. A hot bath in the evening can also help yourself wined down. No TV or computer at least 2 hours before bed, allows your mind to start to calm down from the day.
7) Make sure to move just enough, but not too much. We don't want to deplete the body, but we want to keep the blood pumping and our heart active. Opt for 30 minutes of walking, yoga, outdoor bike ride or skiing. Get outside for fresh air!

Follow these simple 7 steps for just 7 days and I am sure you will feel great starting off 2014! 

Holiday Travel Tips

It is that time of the year! Most of us will hustle and bustle to the next town, city, state or even country. Traveling is exciting but can also leave us feeling light headed, ungrounded, frazzled and even sick. Traveling can be very taxing on the system but with a few Ayurveda based tips, you will feel better, keep the travel sickness away and enjoy your destination.

1) Sip warm water throughout the entire trip. Travel with a thermos. Any time you can, fill it with hot water.  Bring some lemon and lime pieces with you if you need a little flavor (but don't drink lemon/lime water the entire time, too much citric acid is hard on the enamel of your teeth).  Flying (and driving) is very dehydrating and dehydration makes you more susceptible to headaches, dry nose, jet-lag  and  catching a cold/flu.
2) Stay away from: sugar/candy, cold foods and icecream, soft drinks, and dry snack foods like chips, peanuts and crackers. All these things have either dry, light or cold qualities and the sugar creates a breeding ground for germs. You need more grounding and rich foods when you fly. So find some oatmeal, soup or a a hot sandwich. Better yet, bring some of your own food to snack on like home made muffins with almond butter, veggie and fruits slices, steamed greens with ghee etc. By eating these warm, heavier, nourishing food you will feel more grounded and settled. Stay away from fast food!
3) When you land at your final destination, drink a cup of warm milk (almond or organic whole milk preferred) with a dash of cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, turmeric and a teaspoon of Ashwagandha powder. Ashwagandha is very grounding, calming, nourishing and building to your nervous system, which has been depleted and rattled from flying or driving. You can purchase capsules or powder here. Make up the spice mix before you leave home and carry it with you so you have it right away. If you can't have the warm milk right away, drink it before you go to bed that evening.
4) Get outside as soon as possible and take a 10 minute walk. Fresh air and sunshine will help to settle your nerves and system and help the body come back into its element.
5) Get in the time zone ASAP. Try not to take a nap, go to bed when night time comes, that way you can wake up around the same time as everyone else and get into the grove quicker.

All tips apply for car and plane travel.

Safe and happy travels and Merry Christmas!

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. 

Turkey Day Digestive Tips

I thought that some of you may want a few tips so that you don't go to bed the night of Thanksgiving, with an aching full belly and feeling the effects of a food coma. Follow these simple steps and feel better about the day, and the days following!

1) Try to eat your meal late lunch or early evening time when the digestive fire is still at its highest. Meaning that it will able to digest and burn through the food at a better rate, then later in the evening when it is preparing for sleep.
2) Cut ginger into dime size rounds and sprinkle each piece with salt and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Eat 1-2 pieces before the meal. Ginger helps stoke the digestive fire and gets it ready for optimal digestion.
3) Scope out the food scene and just dish up your plate once. After you eat, don't regret what you put into your body, most likely the food was prepared with so much love that you will be smiling. Just enjoy!
4) Sip 6 oz warm to hot ginger tea or water with your meal.
5) Enjoy a small helping of dessert and (if you are a wine drinker) have an 6oz glass of red wine at this point of the meal as an digestive aid.
6) After the meal, lay on your left side for 10 minutes, helping the stomach to digest the food and empty into the small intestines. After that get up and move around, go for a walk, get the body moving.
7) Before you go to bed have  a cup of warm fennel or ginger tea.
8) Upon waking the following morning, drink a cup of hot water with 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice.
9) Reflect on your thanksgiving day and bring to mind 3 things that you were thankful for experiencing!
10) Breakfast should be very light, i.e. juice, broth or a small bowl of fruit.

You should feel fresh, joyful and energized. Most importantly, enjoy those around you and be thankful. Open your heart to the friendships that are around you and take the time to EXPERIENCE the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Make it a Great Day

"Have a great day"...... we hear and say this phrase a lot. Sometimes it has become an automatic greeting or a place holder to an awkward silence. However, my dear friend sent me a message the other day, correcting herself in this common phrase. She wrote, "actually, I meant to say, make it a great day. That way no one else or something else can dictate your day. It is all up to you."
 I sat with this for a few minutes and let this message reach down into my core. She was so right. There are so many times when I allow others to affect the way my day progresses and the way I feel. I get caught up in other peoples emotions, or get upset if something may not go the way I had wanted it to. And then I let other things go by me without much notice. Missing many valuable, happy, profound, subtle, lessons I am sure. Only because I am so caught up with what someone did or did not do or how something did or did not play out.
I want to offer you the idea of making your day the way you want it to and not to let yourself get distracted by others. Sure, be gentle, be kind and be supportive, honor what others may be feeling or projecting. But don't let it alter your mood. Don't let it alter the way you envisioned your day. Hold space and then move forward, reminding yourself that other peoples emotions have nothing to do with you and that what you continue to give out into this world, will keep coming full circle (karma). Meaning, the more positive, happy, joyful feelings you put forward, the more great things and people will keep being placed in your life.
So go on, move forward, make it GREAT!

Buckwheat - A Powerful Seed

Why Buckwheat is Good For You

 (and a buckwheat granola recipe)

Buckwheat, an amazing seed. Not a grain actually, and it is gluten free. People with gluten allergies or celiac disease can eat buckwheat. So don't let the name fool you! You can sprout it and dehydrate it or cook it up like a grain. In this recipe we will look at how to sprout buckwheat. But first lets talk benefits!

What makes buckwheat such a great seed is that it has a unique amino acid profile (it contains all eight essential amino acids) that gives the power to boost the protein value of beans and cereal grains eaten the same day. It is also a cholesterol - lowering food, it has the ability to reduce and stabilize blood sugar levels following meals, it is very low on the glycemic scale and it reduces hypertension. It is even said to be one of the most "complete sources of protein on the planet' according to www.naturalnews.com. And I can't leave out that it is is high in lecithin, which neutralizes toxins and purifies the lymphatic system, helping out the liver. And with high iron it is a good blood purifier. There is much more too, like it is good for the brain and contains all of the B vitamins.....I could go on but wanted to at least give you a reason for why you should incorporate this seed into your diet more.

Sprouting the buckwheat allows for the seed to come alive again so that your body can absorb the live enzymes and vital nutrients. Sprouting also cleanses the colon and alkalizes the body.

Sprouting:
Take one cup (non roasted) buckwheat and pour into a bowl. Cover with water for 15 minutes. If it gets a little gelatinous do not worry. Buckwheat does that when exposed to water.
Drain.
Transfer drained buckwheat into a sprouting container, a colander (or a bottle that you use cheese cloth and a rubber band for the opening). Let sprout for 2-4 days, depending on the temperature in your house. Less if hot, more if cool.
Rinse the seeds 2 times per day with cool water and drain the water each time. Make sure that whatever you have the seeds in they can properly drain and get air. If you are using a colander just place a thick damp cloth over the top and elevate the colander. You will see the sprouts within a day or 2. Let them get about 1/4 - 1/2 inch long.

Dehydrating:
Spread buckwheat on a baking sheet and place in oven at lowest setting with the door propped open, for 4-8 hours. You know it is done when the seeds are light and "pop" in your mouth when you chew them. They should not turn brown or burn. Or place in your dehydrator for 6-8 hours.

Buckwheat Granola Recipe:
Preheat oven to lowest setting (I used 170 F)
Pour sprouted and dehydrated seeds into a bowl
Add:
      1/4 cup raisins, crushed almonds, sunflower seeds and any other nuts or dried fruit that you like
      2-3 Tablespoons sweetener like raw organic honey or grade A organic maple syrup
      1-2 teaspoons liquified coconut oil
      1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
      1 teaspoon cinnamon
      Optional: add 1 teaspoon vanilla, hemp seeds, coco nibs or raw organic coco powder,  organic, non-sweetened shredded coconut (experiment with whatever you like)


Mix all together. Spray cooking sheet with coconut oil. Spread the mix evenly out on the sheet. Place in oven on middle rack, bake for about 4 hours or until dried completely. Remember, while baking, leave the door cracked open for air flow.
Let cool and scoop out into an air-tight container. Store in a cool dry place.
Serve in yogurt, with warm or cold milk or eat by the handful as a healthy snack.

Weave Your Roots for Strength

Weave Your Roots for Strength

I recently went out to Utah to watch my sister give a presentation at her graduation, as well as receive a few awards and her  Bachelors of Science in Dental Hygiene. So proud! The main speaker that evening, Dr. Joseph Mirci, spoke about trees and their roots and how some trees have shallower roots than others and how that translates to people that become the patients of these new graduates. He also stated that the Red Wood Forest has some of the largest trees in the world, yet red wood trees have some of the most shallow roots.  What holds the trees up in tough times and in hurricane force winds, is the fact that the root systems grow together. They actually hold on to each other and create a web underground that helps them endure whatever nature has in store for them.
I thought about this for awhile. What does my web look like, what roots me, how do I ground myself? What do I need to weave in more of to strengthen my web?  I realized that the answer to these things are what I hold dear to my heart, that don't cause me stress, that create a feeling of lightness, yet sturdiness. Things that push me to grow, but don't drain me of my energy, people that fill me up and help me become a better person. All these things are my support. And all these things will look different to each individual. It is all unique and personal.
Something else happened that actually brought me to Utah and allowed me to see my sister graduate.  My Sister got a bad abscess in her mouth and had a dangerous infection that was leaking into her blood stream. I hopped on a plane to be with her and I felt so lucky that I was able to. I know we sometimes let money, or time, or other mundane commitments keep us from our loved ones. But being there to help bring my sister back to health, was worth so much more than anything I would have done back home. It added another root to my underground web. It filled me up in a way that was special. It allowed me to be there for someone who I love with all my heart (I would have done it for any of my family members)!
Sometimes we get caught up in our projected timelines, sometimes we think to rigidly and firmly, sometimes we miss out on opportunities because we don't think they are practical. I want to pass on the realization that sometimes these opportunities fill up our tanks so that we can be better, be happy, and shine brighter, because these times are what strengthen our root systems so that we can withstand life!