Let’s Talk TURMERIC!

 

 

Not only has Turmeric  been used as the Motherload of Spices, but also a healing remedy or textile dye. Turmeric is native to Indonesia and India for more than 5,000 years! The flavor resembles a peppery taste, bittersweet, with a mild scent reminiscent of ginger to which its related. Turmeric is mostly used as one of the ingredients used to make curry powder.

 

Turmeric contains a unique phytonutrient curcumin, which has amazing anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to promote optimal liver function. Turmeric is also rich in minerals such as iron and manganese…..not to mention, it’s low in calories! 2 teaspoons contains around 16 calories.

 

Usually, you can find fresh Turmeric in the refrigerated section of your local market, but most of the time,  I’ll just purchase mine in powder form in the spice section. Turmeric powder however, should be kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, dry place where it will keep fresh for about 6 months. Fresh Turmeric should be kept in the refrigerator. Since Turmeric is used as a dye in some places, be careful when using it as it can easily stain things, including clothes and counter surfaces.

Ways To Enjoy Turmeric

1. You can use it in salad dressings to give it a boost of extra nutritional value and add some color to it.

2. Add Turmeric to egg salad for even bolder yellow color and extra nutrition.

3. Mix some in with brown rice or pastas.

4. Turmeric is a great spice to compliment the taste of legumes such as lentils and or steamed vegetables.

 

Turmeric health benefits include:

• Anti-inflammatory protection
• Promotes joint health
• Promotes liver detoxification
• Promotes heart health
• The curcumin found in Turmeric is said to block an enzyme that promotes head & neck cancer
• Relieves arthritis
• Controls diabetes
• Heals wounds
• Improves digestion

 

 

 

Additional benefits from Turmeric include a concentrated source of heart-healthy dietary fiber, Vitamin B6 and Potassium, energy-producing Iron, and free-radical scavenging Manganese. So not only does it turn any meal into a tasty, spicy plethora of nutritional goodness, but also good to keep on-hand for most natural home remedies, salves and teas for example.

 

No spice cabinet is complete without the goodness of Turmeric! 🙂

YOGI TEA

 

Yogi Tea also known as Chai tea is a vital part of yogic lifestyle.  It aids digestive health, strengthens the nervous system, purifies the blood and boost immunity.  It cleanses the liver and lungs and has even more multiple benefits. Drink this tea everyday day for optimal health! 

 

Ingredients for 1 cup of Yogi Tea:

10 oz water
1/2 stick of cinnamon
3 whole cloves
4 black peppercorns
4 whole cardamom pods (split the pods first)
1 slice ginger- 1 inch thick
1- 2 tea bags of black tea bags
Soy Milk or Almond Milk
Honey to sweeten

 

Preparation:

Boil the spices in the water for 15 minutes
Add black tea and steep for 2-3 minutes
Add milk and heat again on the stove to a boil
Add the honey to sweeten

 

ENJOY! 🙂

 

*The black tea is necessary, nothing can be replaced by it. The black tea acts as a stimulant to make all the other ingredients work to it’s maximum

New Moon + New Changes = New Beginnings

On the New Moon, Sunday March 30, 2014, I went from this:

 

To this:

 

Yes folks, I took the plunge and cut off my 9 year old locs! (dreadlocs) Through our times together, my locs and I have been through many, many stages of evolution, both emotional as well as spiritual.  The New Moon represents, starting over & new beginnings, and now was the  perfect time to release them and start a new hair chapter.

What are you gonna do now, you ask?

Well, I plan to enjoy taking only 2 mins. to wash my hair instead of 30, lol! And since summer’s coming, this would be a perfect time to not have a blanket of hair around my neck.

I DO plan to start another set of locs eventually, but for now, I’ll just let it grow out and enjoy my fro for awhile! Some people have asked me “OMG! Why did you cut off your hair??”

 

I say “Why not?” 😀

3 Ways to Cultivate and Keep a Home Yoga Practice

Here’s a short, but informative article on starting….and continuing a home yoga practice. 🙂

 

By Coraley Letcher

Starting a home practice can be a daunting task. When I talk to students about starting a home practice, the same topics keep coming up: They don’t have the space or the time, they’ve tried but can’t stick with it or when they try, they don’t end up doing the type of practice they would like to. A home practice can teach you to follow your intuition and how to listen to your body. It will teach you to make time for yourself and it will allow you to reap the benefits daily practice can bring.

Below are my top three tips for starting and keeping, a home practice:

1. Keep a journal, calendar, or both.  

Why? It keeps you accountable. By writing on your calendar that you are practicing that night, you’ll motivate yourself to practice so as to avoid staring at your missed commitment the following day. A missed practice can be a big kick in the pants.

I keep my journal on a shelf in my home practice space. When I was working on incorporating consistent practice into my life, having the journal there always got me to go to my practice area, even if I had told myself I didn’t have time, or was too tired to practice. No matter what, I could always convince myself that I had time to jot down what I was feeling in my journal. After a few instances of writing but not practicing, it started to feel ridiculous to be there and not practice. One new habit fed the other.

I have both a calendar and a health journal. I check my practice off on my calendar when I’ve completed it, and I write in the journal even if I don’t do a practice. Both keep me accountable and motivated.

2. Release your expectations. All of them.

Don’t worry about having the “perfect” space to practice. Don’t worry about how much time you were able to spend on your practice on any given day, and definitely don’t worry about the kind of practice you decide to do. Find a spot that’s big enough to roll out your mat and start there. If it helps, you can set up a special space where you can keep your yoga stuff. Try setting up an alter, but don’t let an imagined need for such a space keep you from starting your practice today….

This is your muscles on Yoga……any questions?

Bethania Bacigalupe made this excellent video that illustrates what your body does when you Yoga it up; basically, her pants clearly show the muscles involved and what is being stretched.

Beautiful video, so cool! 🙂

Benefits of Savasana (Corpse Pose)

shah-VAHS-anna), sava = corpse

This pose is also called Mrtasana (pronounced mrit-TAHS-anna, mrta = death)

 

Savasana is a pose of just total relaxation. It can actually be one of the most challenging of yoga poses because you are lying totally still. But it is also perhaps the most important part of a yoga practice. It serves many purposes: physical, spiritual and philosophical.

All of the practices that we do in Yoga, from the Pranayama or breathing exercises, to the physical practice, to the end at Savasana…..is all a metaphor for Life. When we begin, we are focusing on our Breath, the Beginning of Life, our birth into this world. Just like when a baby is born, the first thing they all learn to do is to breathe in air outside the womb, breathing into our belly….this is what makes the first part of the physical yoga practice.

Then we come to the second part, which is the actual body movement, the challenging poses, and balance. This represents our teen and adult years when Life becomes more challenging, requiring more out of you, to push yourself to the limit, and even then….a little further.

Then finally we come full circle, to the completion of  Life which we will all have to enter someday….Savasana. This represents the End and yet it can also represent the Beginning, when we once again come back to the Breath and become reborn fully refreshed and once again, ready for the outside world. When you begin to look at Yoga in that sense, your practice becomes more meaningful and the poses more positive.

 

 

After the exertions of the practice, Savasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself. After a balanced practice, the entire body will have been stretched, contracted, twisted and inverted. These means that even the deepest muscles will have the opportunity to let go and shed their regular habits, if only for a few minutes.

Furthermore, the physiological benefits of deep relaxation are numerous and include:

• A decrease in heart rate & rate of respiration
• A decrease in blood pressure
• Significantly lowers muscle tension
• Reduces general anxiety
• A reduction in the number and frequency of panic attacks
• Provides an increase in energy levels
• Increases focus and concentration
• Decreases fatigue
• Creates deeper and sounder sleep
• Improves self-confidence

 

Savasana provides a perfect time for inner focus an integration. After so much time being bound to the actions of the body, the practitioner’s awareness is hopefully turned inwards and purified of sensory distraction. Savasana then becomes the beginning of deeper, meditative yogic practices. In state of sensory withdrawal it becomes easier to be aware of the breath and of the state of the mind itself. Savasana also gives the nervous system a chance to integrate that in what can be thought of as a brief pause before coming back to everyday Life.

 

There are different variations to achieving Savasana:

• Lying flat with a folded blanket or small pillow under the head

• Placing a pillow or bolster under the knees. This position is perfect for those with back or knee issues or pregnant women.

• Legs propped up on a chair with blanket under the hips

• A folded blanket under the back

 

Which ever variation you choose, make sure you body is fully supported in a way that fits you so that you can be able to completely enjoy the meditative and restorative experience that Savasana has to offer. Softly begin to close your eyes, refocus on the breath, slowly deepening as you progress, and relax and allow the Earth to support you. Savasana can be performed anywhere between 2-7 mins. is sufficient time to allow the body time to restore and integrate all the energy that has been raised.

 

Remember to just breathe…….and let go. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Let’s talk EGGPLANT!

Is it an egg? Or is it a plant? 😀

Eggplant belongs to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. While different varieties of Eggplant can vary slightly in taste and texture, they can generally be described as having a  bit of a bitter taste and spongy texture. It’s that unique texture that makes Eggplant a versatile vegetable that can be used in so many different types of recipes.

Eggplant also comes in a variety of colors ranging from lavender, to jade green, orange and yellow…and in a variety of shapes and sizes. Eggplant is a great source of Potassium, Dietary fiber, Copper, B1 Thiamin, Manganese, and Beta Carotene. In addition to the vitamins and minerals that it contains, Eggplant’s health-promoting properties are also provided by an anthocyanin called nasunin; this phytonutrient provides protection from oxidative damage to cellular structures and also provides Eggplant with its deep rich color and flavor.

You can find Eggplant pretty much all year round. Usually, its peak season runs from August through October. From what I’ve researched, these are the months when its concentration of nutrients and flavor are the highest.

And of course, I can’t leave without providing you all with one of my simple recipes for this beautiful vegetable! For a quick snack, you can make Eggplant Mini-Pizzas:

1 Large Eggplant

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup of pasta sauce

4 oz of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

 

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut Eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds

Brush both sides of the slices with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet, and place in oven for about 7 min. or until tender.

Top Eggplant with pasta sauce & Mozzarella cheese

Continue to bake slices until cheese is melted. Serving size: 2

Enjoy! 🙂

Hooray, it’s SPRING!!!

 

Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes the exciting and sometimes terrifying task of spring cleaning. Simplifying your life is an important piece of the wellness puzzle, so it’s natural to want to dive headfirst into the challenge. If you’re putting together your spring cleaning plan of attack, consider bumping these three often-overlooked areas to the top of the list, and you’ll find the rest becomes a whole lot easier.

1.  Online

Spring cleaning doesn’t stop in our everyday life, but in our internet life as well.  Cleaning out your online “space” can help you feel more organized and relaxed — particularly if you spend a lot of time online. If your email inbox looks anything like mine, you probably have a lot of unnecessary clutter, old letters, even junk mail. Take the time to clear the inbox, and don’t forget to unsubscribe to regular updates you no longer want. Apply the same principles to your social media. Is your Facebook news feed feeling a little crowded these days? Maybe it’s time for a friends list purge! Is your Pinterest account stressing you out? Reorganize those boards and toss a couple of dormant ones. Your brain will thank you.

 

2. Workout regimen

Spring is symbolic for new beginnings, a new start. Do you want to start a gym membership? Or feel more comfortable working out at home? Whatever exercise fitness routine you choose, always start out slow and remember to take rest days in between. I know how it is when you haven’t worked out in awhile and when you start, the feeling is so good that you sometimes feel as though you can do it 7 days a week….slow is always best. Your body actually recovers and builds more from rest days, so take advantage of it, smile….and have fun!

 

3. Start a morning “Mind & Body” routine

 

 

Drink a glass of water before breakfast.

The benefits of proper hydration are invaluable. Get some water into your system early to keep your energy up, and jump start your digestive system.

Wake up early enough to get ready without rushing.

Give yourself an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning to slow down your routine and provide a buffer for emergencies. The extra time can prevent arriving at work already stressed out.

Meditate

Begin a short 5-10 min. meditation sequence. Meditations works wonders for our brain and a fantastic way to start mornings with a calm and centered being. Set a positive intention for yourself and perhaps write it down on a piece of paper or sticky note and take a look at it throughout your day as a reminder.

Do one thing that makes you happy before breakfast.

Listen to music, look at pictures of puppies online, or watch a cartoon. Do one thing that makes you smile, then go tackle your day a little happier and healthier! 😀

Aloha Festival on the “Island” of Tempe, Arizona

I went to the Aloha Festival a couple of weeks ago and had a BLAST! I try to go every year when they have it around March when the weather starts to warm up down here, usually in the high 70’s to mid 80’s.  Being in the atmosphere: the delicious smells of various Polynesian cuisine prepared by the vendors, the sounds of drum beats from the music, and the beauty of the dancers representing cultures from many islands of the South Pacific always fills my soul and brings a smile to my face 😀 !

Me at Tempe Town Lake which is next to the festival. You can take boat rides out here and enjoy the wonderful scenery:

Polynesian performers:

So if you’re ever in the Phoenix area around the beginning of March, come come and stop by to experience the richness of this beautiful event! All entertainment is FREE, the only thing you pay for is food and if you want to purchase clothes, jewelry, & keepsakes from many of the vendors. You won’t leave disappointed! 😀

 

15 tips for Empaths & Highly Sensitive People…

I’ve been an Empath for as long a I can remember. There were times when I could not endure crowds because of the large amount of energy I would receive from many different directions, or watch the news and witness all the bad things that happen and have those images and feelings to stay with me for days at a time. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned to ground & center myself and release those energies I should not be stuck with.

These are some great tips for those having the same issues dealing with the plethora of energies around them 🙂 :

Empathic ability allows you to read and understand people’s energy. This ability may be genetic, passing from generation to generation. You may share this ability with a relative, so look at your family tree; does anyone else seem to fit the description? Empaths have the ability to scan another’s energy for thoughts, feelings and possibly for past, present, and future life occurrences. Most empaths are unaware of how this really works, and have accepted that they are sensitive to other people’s energy. The ability to correctly perceive and to some extent mirror the energy of another is a challenge. This gift allows us to steer ourselves through life with added perception. You need to be selective and have coping skills in place, if not you will easily be overwhelmed.

These are some excellent methods for coping:

1. Schedule time with you:

Spending time alone creates the space needed to release emotion, energy and stress.

2. Positive Affirmations:

Short messages that train thought patterns. An example: “Let me receive what is in my best and highest good at this time”

3. Shielding:

Placing a protective shield of white light that is around and encasing you in a bubble, remember to make a grounding cord so you don’t float away!

4. Chakra Cleansing and Balancing:

Regular cleaning of the chakras will keep your energy field free of negative or unwanted energy. Re-balance them by bringing in energy that will create alignment and balance.

5. Centering:   

Align yourself with spirit and get out of Ego.  Try to live in the moment and whatever emotion comes up express and release it.

6. Stones:

Some people find that crystals and gemstones aid in clearing negative energy and maintaining balance. Choose yours by trying several different stones,and by paying attention to how each feels.

7. Aroma therapy:

Essential oils can enhance well being. Choose what elevates or calms your mood.

8. Forgiveness:

Forgiving others and forgiving self is one of the most powerful tools you have. It will clear your energy and raise your vibrational rate.

9. Grounding:

We have a grounding cord in the root chakra that connects us to the earth. Being aware of this and using this cord to both send negative energy into the earth where it is absorbed and drawing nourishing energy up from the center of the earth will increase your energetic flow.

10. Meditation: 

Quiets the mind so you can center, be present and listen to the voice within.

11. Soothing Sounds:

Relax yourself using music or nature sounds.

12. Animals and Nature:

Being in Nature or spending time with our pets is a great way to relax, clear energy and connect.

13. Smudging: 

The Native Americans have been doing this with great results for years. Burning sage while stating an intention is a great method for clearing energy.

14. Yoga: 

Yoga is effective because it combines breathing, centering and grounding. A wonderful way to raise vibrational energy.

15. Gratitude and intention journal:

Ending the day by writing a list of things you are grateful for and then stating an intention to work towards keeps the energetic flow steady.

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/03/15-tips-empaths-highly-sensitive-people.html