Thirsty Thursday: Brain Power Smoothie

This week's recipe is a smoothie. It's excellent to drink in the morning; especially if the day ahead of you requires a lot of brain exercise. It's also a good one to give your child before setting off to school. This recipe makes two smoothies.

1/2 cup soy yogurt

1 orange peeled and cut into chunks

8-10 strawberries (you can also use frozen if you need to- 1 cup)

1 tbsp lecithin granules

1 tbsp protein powder

1 tbsp honey- raw and local

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

6-8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Ingrdient Spotlight: Lecithen

Acetylcholine is an important- if not THE most important- neurotransmitter for memory. The body makes this neurotransmitter from choline which is a B complex vitamin. Studies have shown that choline has significantly enhanced the memory of healthy young adults. Some evidence also proves that it can enhance memory, mental function, and thought transmission. This occurs through the strengthening of the neruons in the brain's centers that controls memory. Lecithin is a a good source of choline. Oranges (included in this smoothie) provide a good source of it as well.

Healthy body or Healthy Wallet?

My husband and I were having conversation about organic foods and our lifestyle. He made the most intriguing statement. He said, “I’d rather have an unhealthy wallet than an unhealthy body.” What led to this statement was the fact that we both get questions from people all the time like, “How can your family afford to eat all these healthy, organic foods?” He is correct in his statement. In fact, how can we afford not to eat the way we do? The food industry has made it more intriguing for families to eat junk. They put a lot of additives, preservatives and God knows what else to make it more appealing to the taste buds, and then they top it off by making it extremely cheap. Consider the infamous dollar menu. How cheap can a family of five eat on that? But, is that really worth your health? People need to have self respect. You are worth way more than that dollar menu. You are worth putting healthy and wholesome food into your body. You are worth the best. Love yourself, eat well. You may need to cut back on other things in life like social outings, entertainment, etc. But you can make it work. My family…we are not millionaires, but being healthy is our highest priority. You can love your family by extending your life and their lives as well. Unhealthy habits WILL catch up with you. It may not be tomorrow, next week or even next year, but eventually you will get out of your body, what you put in it. Women, you have the power to change the way your family eats. All it takes is the desire, the will and just a little research. Find your farmer’s market. Get to know the farmers. They will work with you. Look for deals, sales and coupons. Grow your own food. Make it work. You have the power. We hear about the health care debate every day. Health care reform is what you put on your plate on a daily basis. There are circumstances beyond our control, I know. But if you are healthy when those circumstances arise, you will be better prepared to combat whatever comes your way. The real cost of cheap food is not pretty. Is it worth your health? Health is a gift…your body is a temple. Honor it.

Back in Action

It's been a fun but wild ride the past few weeks. Traveling, visitors and track have kept our little family on the go. However, things are beginning to slow down and I have lots of ideas for new posts. Please stay tuned for the good stuff....a review of a local boutique, farmers market visit, yoga, nutrition, garden updates, juice recipes, etc, etc.

A mini vacation prep

I think I may have a slight virus trying to take away my zest.....however I will prevail. After experimenting WAY too much with Alicia Silverstone's Kind Diet desserts, I think I'm going to take a few days and clean out my system. So today, I will go extra high raw, if not 100%. We will be travelling over the weekend so I think this is a good idea since I will be facing the challege of healthy eating on the go. I have bought a few vegan instant soups- miso, pad thai, etc and also some oat and flax instant oatmeal. Of course, I will take lots of raw goodness with me as well. The hotel also has a fantastic gym where I will be working out. Remember friends, traveling doesn't mean you have to make unhealthy choices. You just need to do some essential planning and research. Even if your hotel doesn't have a fancy fitness center, you can plan a workout right in your hotel room, do stair intervals or just get out and go for a run.

My packing list includes:

Healthy instant soups

Instant oatmeal packs

Assortment of herbal teas

Water bottles

Fresh fruit: apples and oranges travel well

Dried fruit

Nuts and seeds

Almond milk

Raw honey

Nut butters

RUNNING SHOES!

Workout attire

Yoga mat

I will be posting my Thirsty Thursday recipe momentarily. I will have to get in that kitchen and see what pops into my head. I don't want to go to the market because I want to eat what's in the kitchen since we will be leaving on Friday. That means the juice will have something to the effect of apples, blood oranges, berries, mint, parsnips....I also have a lots of greens at my fingertips. Hmmmm, let's see where that takes me. Stay updated. Recipe and pics on the way....

Applying Yoga to Different Aspects of Your Life

It was 12:45 am and I was awakened by the cry of a four year old. After consoling my delirious child and returning to my own bed, I found it difficult to return to sleep. I'm not one that has difficulty falling asleep. I fall asleep immediately. I don't really need more than 7 hours at night. The only trouble I have with sleeping is if I have to get up for some reason in the midst of it. If I am brought to a fully conscious state in the middle of the night, my mind begins to wander. I start thinking about what I am doing the following day, what I'm going to make for breakfast, what chores need to be done, different sequences of yoga asanas to teach, etc, etc, and etc! I considered going down stairs for a while but then I thought about the regeneration process my body so desperately needed. "How will I get back to sleep?" Then I thought about what was keeping me awake....my mind. I decided to think of something to calm my mind and I suddenly thought about savasana. For those of you who do not practice yoga, savasana is the time at the end of your practice when you lie flat on your back, palm up, eyes closed, mind is still. This is time of total relaxation. If thoughts come into your mind, you do not attach to them. Instead, you let them flow freely and allow your mind to become very still. So, I removed my pillow from behind my head. I chose lay quietly in corpse pose (savasana) for a few moments. Typically in my yoga practice, following savasana, I would begin to wake my body back up into a conscious state. Instead, I rolled onto my side as if I was breaking my savasana and pulled my legs up in a fetal position, and instead of rising to a cross legged position for "Namaste," I returned to sleep. No time was wasted. I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Yesterday I was reading an article in Yoga Journal about prescribing the practice of yoga for different ailments and using its healing powers. Studies are being conducted by Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD of Brigham and Women's Hospital (which is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School) to prove that yoga can be an important possible cure for the health care system in this country. He notes that this is not his job but his mission in life. I truly believe that he has a good case. I have used yoga instead of tylenol or motrin for menstrual cramps, head aches, as well as other aches and pains. I have also used my practice to combat stress and now have used it successfully to combat an insomniatic moment. As I humbly approach the teaching aspect of yoga, it is my hope that I can spread my passion and joy for yoga and that my students can apply it to all aspects of their life. I have heard the saying before and will keep it in my conscious mind to take "yoga off the mat" and use it as a tool in the many different facets of my life.

Cleaning Out the Fridge

That's what I did late Tuesday morning in anticipation for my visit to the Temecula Farmer's Market on Wednesday. I had a lot of veggies and fruits to use up. As a result, a few yummy creations were made.

Aduki Bean and Veggie Soup

Of course this is something that I made up as I went along.

-1/2 box of organic vegetable stock

-water as needed

Veggies:

-Several carrots cut into rounds

-2 celery stalks, sliced

-1/2 onion, diced

-1 large leek, sliced

-1 handful of broccoli, chopped

-1" piece of kombu seaweed, chopped (locals, I found this at Sprout's Natural Market)

-1/2 daikon radish, diced

-2 cloves garlic, pressed

-shoyu, sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

I simmered all the veggies in the vegetable stock/water until soft. I then added a can of Eden Organics Aduki Beans and simmered for 15 minutes longer.

That was my lunch. I went to yoga with my daughter and when I came home, my husband heated the soup again but he added lasagna noodles and black beans. What a treat to come home to after a challenging power yoga session.

Juice- Un-named :)

While the afternnoon soup was simmering, I made a delicious juice. I used the following fruits and veggies:

-1 parsnip

-Several small carrots

-2 apples

-1 small orange

-1 star grapefruit

Run throught that juicer...refreshing!

Umeboshi Radishes

I also had some radishes that needed to be used. Following the lead of Alicia Silverstone in her book The Kind Diet, I decided to pickle them in umeboshi vinegar.

-5-6 radishes, thinly sliced

-1/2 cup of umeboshi vinegar

1 cup of water.

Place ingredients in a jar and cover with cloth for 24 hours or up to 3 days. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Yoga Pose Spotlight: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Since I began losing weight nearly a year ago, there has been one aspect of my exercise routine that has remained constant throughout. That one aspect is my yoga practice. Not only does it strengthen your muscles and increase their flexibility, it aids in weight loss, digestion and helps to calm the mind and spirit. I fell so passionately in love with this practice that it led to my decision to become a certified group fitness instructor. (which I completed this weekend...yay!) I want to share my joy and passion for yoga while helping other find the same joys and benefits of the great practice yoga.

This post will focus on Warrior II pose. The Sanskrit name for this pose is Virabhadrasana II

Benefits:

Strengthen the quadriceps, as well as the muscles in the arms and the core.

Instructions:
1. Stand in tadasana, mountain pose, and walk or jump your feet out about 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart.

2. Turn your right foot out to the right side. Your left foot should remain in the forward position. The heel of your right foot and the arch of your left foot should be in alignment.

3. Bend your right leg. Your right thigh should be parallel to the floor. Be careful not to let your knee shoot over your toe. Your left leg remains straight.

4. Keep your hips square; do not let them roll forward, compromising your alignment. Your spine should be straight and there should be no tilt in your pelvis.

5. Bring your arms out to a tee. The right arm is over your right leg and the left arm behind. Be sure to keep your shoulders relaxed, back and down

6. Draw the belly button in toward your spine. Tighten your core.

7. Reach out through your finger tips.

8. Your gaze, or drishti, is forward over the middle finger on the right hand.

9. Engage the triceps which will support your arms. Engage the quadriceps to support your legs.

10. Hold the pose for at least five breaths.

Repeat the asana on the left side.

Beginners: Make sure the right knee stays tracked over the middle toe of the right foot. Don’t allow the knee to extend over to the left.

Advanced: Try to hold the pose for ten breaths.

Namaste!

Thirsty Thursday

Simplicity

Many of my juice recipes have several ingredients. Today, I am going to keep it simple and refreshing.

Here are the ingredients:

2 green apples

2 stalks of celery

1 parsnip

1 handful of fresh mint

Run all ingredients through the juicer and bottoms up! Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.

Health Benefits of Mint:

I love juicing mint. It gives the juices such a refreshing taste. I especially enjoy it now that I can pick it fresh from my garden. After performing some research, I have found that mint not only tastes great, but it has a variety of benefits. Mint is known to soothe the digestive tract and help with indigestion. It can be used to reduce the severity and duration of the common stomach ache. This can be especially helpful for school age children who wake up with those dreaded stomach aches before school in the morning. Mint possesses antifungal properties and can slow the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi in the gut- this is especially helpful for those that suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Mint may also be considered an anticancer food and can be helpful in preventing certain cancers such as colon, skin and lung cancer. It is also a powerful antioxidant and is rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, B12, thiamine, folic acid and riboflavin as well as manganese, copper, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, fluoride and selenium. This fabulous herb also has blood cleansing properties. So you don't like it in your juice? Try steeping it in a cup of hot water....there's nothing like a cup of fresh mint tea.

For other healthy and refreshing juice recipes, type "Thirsty Thursday" in the search box on the upper left hand corner of this page.