Soaking, why would you do it?

Why soak certain foods? Because soaking makes things more digestible, especially for those of us who get gassy or bloated easily. It is a simple step and can make a world of a difference on how you feel after a meal with beans, legumes, peas, dried fruit or nuts.

Soaking reduces the amount of dryness (which can cause bloating and gas) as it heightens the water element in the food. This water element supports the digestive fire as it breaks down the food in the stomach. When you cook, add some salt, pepper and turmeric, these spices will also help cut down on the air quality in beans and legumes.

If you notice that some of these foods create discomfort try immersing 1/2 - 1 cup in room temperature water over night. Cover while they rest and then rinse and cook as directed. If you are soaking nuts or seeds, allow to soak no more than 8 hours, then rinse and lay on cooking sheet and dry in oven set at the lowest temperature for about 6 hours. If you are going to consume the nuts or seeds right away, no need to dry them. Dried fruit is not always easily digested by everyone either so soaking it in warm water for 30-60 minutes can help.

To make soaking more pleasing think about getting a pretty bowl or container that you find aesthetically pleasing. That way, when you need to soak something you can place it on the counter as more of an art piece and less of something that you see as clutter.

How You Eat Is Just As Important As What You Eat

Here are 11 healthful tips on how to eat so that you may digest your food optimally. If you have digestive issues and/or feel super tiered after you eat, these tips will help your digestive system come back into balance. How you eat is just as important as what you eat.

1. Eat in a quiet, settled atmosphere
2. Offer some sort of blessing or thought of gratitude towards your food before you eat
3. Only eat when you are hungry
4. Wait until previous meal is digested before you put anything else in your mouth (besides water). Usually give your stomach 4-5 hours in between meals 
5. Chew your food thoroughly and eat at a moderate pace
6. Sip 4-6 oz of warm water with a meal. Stay away from iced and carbonated beverages with your meal
7. Eat to a point of comfort. Eat to satisfaction, not full. 
8. Postpose eating if you are upset 
9. Always sit down to eat (sitting in the car does NOT count) 
10. Eat around the same time every day
11. Rest for a few minutes after each meal, laying on your left side will also help with digestion after a meal.

Try a handful of these recommendations until they become habit and then layer on a few more. Your digestion should get better and stronger by following these tips.  

Cheers!

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!

Ginger - eat it, drink it, smell it

Ginger is becoming very popular these days and the tea isles are brimming with ginger tea claiming to help digestion, bloating and even the common cold. I am happy to say that the hype about this root is true and that if you have not incorporated this herb into your diet, now is as good of time as any!

Ginger is a medicinal plant that has many positive effects on the body. Here are a few ways that you can start to incorporate it into your daily life.

• Drinking ginger tea after a meal can help with digestion.

• Chew the root to help sooth a sore throat.

• Breath in ginger essential oils when you feel a headache coming on. 

• Apply the fresh root as a rouge, as it stimulates circulation.

• Grate ginger root into stews, sauces, oatmeal, and teas in order to help with the digestive process. When added to the cooking process of beans, mung beans or lentils it will help with flatulence (add turmeric and black pepper as well as grated or powdered ginger to help with bloating that may come from these foods). 

• Bake with ground ginger root for a warming spice. Great for cold weather foods to help the body feel warm.

• Ginger is great for nausea, so bring some with you when you travel if you are one who gets motion sickness easily.

• Ginger helps with spasms or cramps, so those of you who have painful cramps during your menstrual cycle should try to consume ginger at least 1-2 times a day, 2 weeks leading up to your period. 

• Eating a coin size piece of raw ginger before you eat a meal, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and add a dash of salt to the ginger and chew mindfully. Once you swallow you will feel your stomach start to warm up, this is your digestive fire burning at a higher level so that it can metabolize what you are about to feed it.

• Ginger essential oil will help relieve and clear out a head cold. Breath in a combination of 3 drops of each: basil, eucalyptus and ginger essential oils. Add these to a pot of steaming hot water and cover your head with a towel as you bend over the pot and breath deeply.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREATH IN TOO HOT OF STEAM. Wait for the water to cool slightly so that you can breath in the steam comfortably.

IMPORTANT: Ginger is heating and for some, may cause stomach distress. If you experience diarrhea or stomach pain after using ginger for a few days, back off. Not all herbs work for every-body, so it is important to make note and use your best judgement. There is always an alternative, although trying powdered ginger over fresh is also a good experiment, as fresh vs dry ginger is used differently by the body and might make a difference for those people who cannot handle fresh ginger. 

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!