my new site!

to my loyal followers! please note I have a brand new website and have moved by blog.  please visit me at www.carrottopsaregreen.com xoxo

let it grow

2016, hey?  Wow.  The first week of a new year is a popular time to think about resolutions and what you want to achieve in the coming year.  There's been a whole lot of ‘doing’ and ‘accomplishing’ in my life over the past two years.  What I’ve learned is that nothing makes time go by faster than crossing off lists and crushing goals. After I received my certificate and school had officially officially officially come to an end, I found myself, and others, asking the question: "So, now what?" And I was continually surprised at the shoulder-shrugging immediate answer that kept coming up: "Nothing".  Wait, what?!  So I've spent some solid hours over the last couple of months reflecting on the source of this ambivalence.  Am I afraid to take a leap?  Am I afraid of failure?  Am I no longer inspired?  And the answer to all of these questions kept coming up as a solid "No."  Rather, what keeps coming up is a very pure and honest desire to allow myself the space to be open to receive opportunity.  I've planted the seeds, and it's time to let them grow.  Of course there will be some 'doing' along the way; the seeds have to be watered, the garden has to be weeded.  So it's not really "nothing"; it's simply a different part of the process.

My Type A self 10 or maybe even five years ago would have read this and scoffed: Opportunity doesn't just come to you! You have to go after it 150%!  Maybe true.  And maybe, just maybe, there's another way.  Bear with me here.  

In her book “Rising Strong”, author and researcher Brene Brown talks about the ego as the “inner hustler”.   She says our inner hustler avoids truth and vulnerability and tells us to compete, compare, please, perfect.  It has little tolerance for discomfort or self-reflection; instead, the inner hustler is a huge fan of avoidance. Personally, my inner hustler has done a great job at different times distracting me from aspects of my self and my life that I didn’t necessarily like all that much, and/or that I was too afraid to look at.  Hustling meant I was too busy to look at any of it: out of sight, out of mind.  Right?  Not quite.  What it really meant is that I was preventing my true self from shining through the hustler's armor.  What I needed was to s-l-o-w down.  And since life will always show you what you need to learn, my lesson showed up as a car accident.  Today, I wear a lot less armor, and I am a lot more clear on who I truly am and how I want to show up in this life.  Yes, the hustler lives on, she's just a heck of a lot quieter.  

Okay, but but but if we're not busy doing and accomplishing 150 million things, then what are we doing?!  What happens when that inner hustler gets to be a noisy distraction again?  In her book on the creative process "Big Magic”, author Elizabeth Gilbert talks about staying open to opportunity.  Ideas are energy swirling around searching for an available and willing human partner. And, if you're too distracted to notice the idea trying to get your attention, it will move on and find someone else.  I love this!  It feels like the complete opposite of hustling.  Gilbert says we have to start forgetting about being perfect, step off the hamster wheel, and "learn how to become a deeply disciplined half-ass."  Talk about a marked departure from my usual line of thinking!  And, I'm 150 million percent buying it. 

So, this year, out of curiosity and in the words of Danielle Doby, I'm cultivating my inner half-ass and giving myself permission to:  “Ditch the resolutions" and I'm inviting you to consider doing the same.  Consider measuring success by your dedication to your path, rather than your list of accomplishments.  Life will happen around you, regardless of your best laid plans.  Let yourself off the hook when you need to.  Stay open to the creative process.  Find the lessons in the let downs.  Be kind to yourself.  Ease up on the distractions.  And celebrate often.  You have the ability to be your own worst enemy or your own best cheerleader.

You choose,

xo

you are the sky

It’s been approximately 100 years since my last post. 

Okay, it’s actually been five months. 

I’ve been struggling to find the time.  Truthfully, I’ve been struggling, period.  I can best compare it to the 18km point of a half marathon: your body is starting to shut down and your mind is screaming at you to stop, why are you doing this?

Because I chose to.  It’s not permanent.  It’s okay. 

These days, those three little truths run in my head on repeat.  As I near the end (10 weeks and counting, to be exact) of what has been a truly life-changing program at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, I am witnessing myself digging very deep into my soul to find the energy and strength to keep going.  Juggling never-ending deadlines that come with a full-time job, classes, assignments, exams and presentations, while trying to nurture my relationships and find time for myself has gone beyond a balancing act.  It’s become an Olympic sport.  And this morning, I did not wake up feeling like a medal contender.

So, why am I writing this?  It’s not to be a Debbie Downer.  I have so much in my life to be beyond thankful for, and I make it my business to focus on that every day (see my gratitude jar post!).  I’m writing because I know that we are all struggling.  It’s what connects all of us.

And we’re all so afraid to admit it.  In writing this, I’m inviting you to give yourself permission to admit it.

Even though we might be screaming on the inside, we want to present to the world that we’ve got everything under control.  We can handle it.  We have endless amounts of time and energy.  We can get it all done.  We are superheroes.  Bring it on.  

Because admitting the alternative feels terrifying, vulnerable and maybe even shameful.  

What if we made the struggle okay?  What if we gave ourselves permission to have a total meltdown?  What if we admitted, even just for a minute, that we don’t have it all under control and we can’t do it all?  What we resist, persists.  So why not give into it. Feel it.  And then practice letting it go.  Practice changing your story around it.  Our thoughts create our reality.  All of a sudden, the struggle becomes an opportunity to grow.

Today, I made the struggle okay.  I cried.  I admitted out loud to feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and like I was unraveling.  I didn't resist any of it.  And around lunch time, I chose growth. What followed were so many unexpected and supportive gifts throughout the rest of my day. I am constantly reminded that when we choose growth, we are also choosing to open ourselves to receive the love and support that is always there for us in the form of friends, family and the universe.   This morning I was greatly supported by members of my amazing network (1,000 thank you's Mike, Mom, Natalie) who mirrored back to me that all of those feelings, while real, don’t have to be true.  Having these feelings doesn’t ‘mean' anything:  it doesn’t mean I am out of control, or incapable.  All it means is that I’ve momentarily lost perspective.  I know you have an amazing support network out there, too.  So use it.  I’m sure members of your network have leaned on you, many times.  There’s nothing to be ashamed of.  You’re a sweet soul having a human experience.  Everything you’re feeling has been felt by all of us.  There’s nothing unique about you, in that sense.  Your uniqueness lies in what you choose to do with all of it.

This is not a dress rehearsal,

xo

giving presents of presence

Holy crap.  It's December 13?!

If you're anything like me, you're wondering where the heck did 2014 go?  It's hard to believe we are less than two weeks away from Christmas and three weeks away from a new year.  This likely has many of us reflecting over the past year and starting to set intentions for a new one.  It also likely has us eating more, sleeping less and generally a little more stressed.  Am I right?!

When I think about the 'point' of Christmas and what makes me feel happy at this time of year, I think about spending time with family and friends, watching Christmas movies, going for walks to look at Christmas lights, decorating and sitting in front of the Christmas tree, listening to carols, drinking eggnog and eating my Mom's Christmas baking.  And, when I think about the reality we often face around Christmas, I think about never-ending to-do lists, writing Christmas cards, Christmas shopping, and an overflowing calendar of social commitments (usually involving a lot of food!).  I know which side is more enjoyable for me, yet I struggle to remain there: it's so easy to get caught up in the madness.  So this year, inspired by the holiday campaign for the retail company I work for, I'm really challenging myself to choose happiness: to focus on and stay grounded in what I actually love about this time of year. Could you imagine how different it would be if we all did the same?  This holiday season, I'm challenging you to give the gift of presence to yourself, and to the ones you love.

What does it mean to give yourself the gift of presence?  To me, it means slowing down and paying attention to what you need.  It means taking care of your body and your mind.  It means saying 'no' when you need to. It means nourishing your body 80% of the time with foods that your body will love you for, and making the choice to indulge in all the other foods 20% of the time without punishing yourself.  It means taking time for yourself each day to check in.  It means getting rest.  It means filling your mind with kind and gentle thoughts about yourself.  It means finding joy in every task.  It means moving your body in a way that feels right, whether it's a run, or a yoga class.  Above all, it means taking care of yourself, before taking care of others.  Because if you're not showing up for yourself, how can you show up for others?

How can you give the ones you love the gift of presence?  Ask questions, and listen to their answers.  Disconnect from everything other than your connection to the present moment. Put your phone down.  Put your work away.  Stop thinking about that email you need to send, or the argument you had with your spouse, or the crisis you dealt with at work earlier in the day.  Give that person your undivided attention.  Look them in the eye.  Make them laugh.  Resist telling them how busy you are.  Invite them to talk about their holiday experience so far.  What's troubling them?  What are they enjoying?  Listen, listen, listen.  Play with your kids.  Take your dog for an extra walk.  Say hi to your neighbor when you see them.  Spread joy.  Show up.

My guess is that we'll discover that this is the greatest gift we could give ourselves and others.  Far greater than the latest Apple product or some other must-have gift we can't afford. We all want to be heard, and to be seen.  It's really so simple to hold space for ourselves and those around us.  And it costs nothing.  Commit to it.

be here.  now.
xo

pumpkin tops are green, too

Hello pumpkin lover,

Well, the days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting darker, and the weather, well... it's wet. It's officially fall in Vancouver.  I've been making a lot of soups the last few weeks.  It's an easy meal to throw in lots of different ingredients making a big batch that you can eat it all week is a huge time saver.  If you read any of my posts last fall, you know I'm a little nutso for pumpkin... in fact, I may or may not have eaten a slice of pumpkin pie the size of my head last night for dinner...

Ok.  I did.

Deciding that I should at least eat some vegetables for dinner tonight, I got my hands dirty, jumped outside my comfort zone, left the recipe books alone and experimented with some of my favourite ingredients.  The end result?  A vegan pumpkin, ginger, coconut curry soup.

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 gloves of garlic, chopped
1 thumb of ginger, chopped
2 tbsp curry (or more if you like)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 can of organic pumpkin
3 cups of organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup of organic coconut milk
1/2 cup of cashews (soaked and drained)

1. chop your onions, garlic and ginger, and combine/grind your spices in a mortar and pestel (if you don't have one, you can just combine in a dish!)
2. melt the coconut oil, adding the onions, garlic and ginger until slightly soft.  Add all your dry spices and continue to saute until soft
3. Add vegetable broth and canned pumpkin
4. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 25 minutes
5. Remove from heat and pour into Vitamix (or other highspeed blender) with cashews and blend until smooth
6. Pour back in pot and pour in coconut milk (because I also used some cashews, I only used half a cup but you can use more if you like!)
7.  Serve, and inhale.

There you have it!  It's rich, so you'll probably find you won't need a huge portion to feel full.  I served mine alongside a big kale caesar salad.  You'll be amazed at the rich and creamy texture of the soup, even though there's no dairy in it.  I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with vegan dishes as I'm constantly impressed by the flavours we can get without the use of any animal protein.

In need of more pumpkin inspiration?  Check out my chai spiced pumpkin muffins and post-workout pumpkin pie smoothie recipes!

And remember...it's okay to eat pie for dinner,
xo

adrenal fatigue: "the storm before the calm"

Hi friends!

It’s hard to believe my six-week break came and went, and now I'm back to school in full swing!  First up is Herbal Medicine – so far it’s kind of like a trip to Hogwart’s!  Very fun.  And that’s really my intention for school during my second and final year – to have fun and enjoy what I’m learning.  To be disciplined with my ‘me’ time, and to focus more on staying grounded and finding a balance for myself, somewhere between feeling good and doing well.  Cause let’s face it, this whole over-achieving and over-extending in order to keep all my proverbial balls up in the air is not a whole lot of fun.  (Please feel free to remind me about this the next time you hear me fretting over my next exam!)

Whether you work full time, part time, you’re a student, a parent - most of us city-dwellers are chronically over-extending ourselves physically, mentally, or both.  And most of us keep burning the candles, expecting our bodies to keep up with what our minds want us to do.  Unfortunately, it’s not sustainable, and you can end up totally exhausted, or worse: sick.  I’ve heard the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ thrown around over the past year, and recently we discussed adrenals in class in a bit more detail, and also learned about some supportive herbs.

So, what the heck are adrenals?  Quick anatomy and physiology lesson:

Your adrenal glands are located on top of each of your kidneys, and they’re responsible for synthesizing the stress hormones that essentially manage and signal the stress response in the body, specifically: epinephrine (adrenaline), norephinephrine, cortisone and aldosterone.  The stress response in the body can be broken down into three stages: the short-lived alarm reaction stage (or “fight or flight” response).  If stress continues, it will take us into the resistance stage.  The resistance stage cannot be sustained forever either, meaning without proper support, our adrenal hormones become depleted and we end up in the exhaustion stage.  Enter: adrenal fatigue.  At this point, your adrenal glands can no longer keep up with the demands of stress placed on your body and you're most likely left with a weakened immune system and inappropriate inflammation in the body, as well as a host of other symptoms.   Adrenal fatigue can set in after prolonged periods of stress, illness, a crisis or trauma, as well as other factors such as poor diet, substance abuse and too little sleep or rest.  

Some stress is necessary – for example the pressure we feel from stress can help us accomplish our goals.  The trick, however, is to make sure that the stress is not prolonged and that you’re taking steps to strengthen your body’s response to stress.   Signs you’re likely headed for adrenal fatigue or are already there:

*  You are always on the go and unable to slow down.  You’re ‘tired but wired’ much of the time.

*  You’re struggling to deal with day to day stress, feeling overwhelmed much of the time, you have a very short fuse and may even suffer from anxiety attacks.

*  Mentally, you’re foggy and are not able to stay focused on one task, you have chronic racing thoughts.

*  You have frequent infections, and it seems to take you longer than others to recover from illness or infections or trauma.

*  You have trouble falling asleep or you fall asleep well but wake up several times during the night and often wake up feeling exhausted.

So, now that you’re here, what can you do about it?  Thankfully, mother nature has provided us with some amazing herbs containing 'adaptogens’, to help. An adaptogen is a herbal action that ‘adapts’ its function to the specific needs of your body in order to support adrenal function and counteract the adverse effects of stress.  How cool is that? 

Ashwagandha and Rhodiola are two adaptogenic herbs that are great for adrenal support.  Both can be taken in either tincture or capsule form.  Try to find a herbal dispensary in your area.  Gaia Gardens and the herbal dispensary at Finlandia are both great places here in Vancouver and the people who work there are great resources and will help you with dosing and also put together anything you ask for. 

Ashwagandha is an ancient herb commonly used in Ayurvedic healing and is widely used to combat the effects of stress as well as improve the immune system.  It also has anti-inflammatory benefits.  Ashwagandha is a safe herb; however, it should be avoided during pregnancy.  In addition to balancing the nervous system, Rhodiola is known for increasing energy, helps with depression and also supports the immune system.  

If sleep is something you struggle with, you could make yourself a relaxing tea with lavender, passion flower, chamomile and lemon balm, all of which act to relax your nervous system. Again, you can get these dried herbs from either Gaia or Finlandia and mix them yourself in equal parts.  You should steep 1 tbsp at a time for your tea and this particular tea should be drunk before bed.  Some quick notes about these herbs:

Lavender: relaxant, helps with digestive healing, sleep and exhaustion. If lavender is too floral for you to drink, you can also spritz your pillow with a lavender essential oil infusion or drop some essential oil in your bath.  Avoid excessive use during pregnancy.  

Passionflower: relaxant, helps with irregular sleep, anxiety and depression.  

Chamomile: helps with digestive healing and is also anti-inflammatory.

Lemon balm: relaxant, helps with digestive healing, anxiety and depression.

Traditional Medicinals is an organic brand of tea that has a wide range of infusion blends and is another great and very convenient option.  I love having their chamomile and lavender blend before bed.

There are also lifestyle choices we can make to support our adrenal function.  Personally, I measure my level of stress in relation to how grounded I feel.  Keeping up with work, and school, and exercise and friends, I often find myself sending my energy outward and upward and it doesn’t take long before I find myself feeling overwhelmed and stressed.  Beyond the standard “exercise, eat well, practice yoga, meditate, get lots of sleep and avoid sugar, caffeine, drugs and alcohol” spiel, the following are some tips that I practice regularly to stay grounded:

·  1.  Practice saying ‘no’.  If you are using the word ‘should’, chances are you’re pushing yourself to do something your body instinctively knows it doesn’t want to do.  This could be deciding whether to accept a social invitation or whether or not to head out for a run.  There are times when it’s appropriate to push ourselves, and times to listen to the voice inside that’s telling us to slow down.  If the word ‘should’ sneaks in there, that’s usually a clue to listen up.

·  2. Spending time in the home we’ve created for ourselves can be incredibly grounding.  Schedule a chunk of time for yourself in your calendar each week where you spend time at home.  Maybe you light candles or incense, listen to your favourite music, read a book, spend time with your kids, or with your pet, or maybe you lie on the couch watching Netflix.  Whatever it is, make it non-negotiable time for yourself to do exactly what you feel like doing.  I encourage you to think small.  You’ll be amazed how the smallest things can make a huge difference to your sense of well-being.

   3. Commit to taking a break from social media each week – maybe that’s a day on the weekend, or an evening during the week.  Scrolling through our friends’ highlight reels on Facebook and Instagram can make us feel like we’re not doing enough or experiencing enough and all of a sudden we start “should’ing” ourselves into a tailspin.  Everyone’s experiences and lives are different, and focusing our energy inward instead of outward on what others are doing can really help us to feel grounded in our own present moment experiences.

Finally, a shout out to all you fellow exercisers out there: keep in mind that while exercise is incredibly beneficial for the body, excessive and high-impact exercise is very stressful on the body and a surefire way to lead us right into adrenal fatigue.  So make sure you’re resting at least one day a week and consider some supportive herbs.  Taking rest days will not affect your athletic performance in a negative way; in fact, you’ll be amazed at how strong you feel after you’ve given your body and mind an opportunity to recharge.

Stay tuned for a future post on digestive herbs!

Help yourself,

xo

let's talk about sweat, baby...

Hi friends,

Summer's in full swing here in Vancouver, and we are all sweating more.  For those of you who know me well, you know I am a HUGE sweat-er.  I'm the gal in HIIT class dripping on the floor, the gal on the dance floor shaking my tail with my friends whose bangs are stuck to her forehead 10 minutes in, and the gal who is begging for someone to turn down the heat.  What can I say, I'm a pitta dosha through and through ;) And truthfully, it's been a source of embarrassment for me, almost my whole life.  Let's face it, sweating and body odor have become issues in our society to be ashamed of and we go to great lengths to cover it up.  We are quick to label people who sweat more than others as somehow unhealthy or out of shape, and many of us are not comfortable around the slightest scent of body odor.  Indeed there are medical conditions out there that might be causing excessive sweat and odor, but for the majority of us, it's just our amazing bodies doing its job to cool us down!  Sweat itself is virtually odorless to us. However, the bacteria in our skin (which we ALL have!) is particularly attracted to the proteins in our sweat and rapidly multiplies in sweat's presence, and breaks down (eat, digest, expel) these proteins into, shall we say, 'aromatic' acids.  So if you need someone to blame, blame your skin bacteria's fatal attraction to your sweat!

For many of us, (ahem, me), the summer months can mean using deodorant a few times a day.  If you read either of my previous posts on chemicals in personal hygiene products, you know that commercial deodorant is a frequent offender.  It's a great idea to read labels and consider choosing a more natural brand of deodorant, and getting a bit more comfortable with your own natural odors.  I've tried a couple of more natural brands out there, starting with the deodorant crystal which works really well.  It does need to be wet though, so it can be a difficult option for when you're on the fly.  I've also used Kiss My Face's brand (Natural Active Life deodorant stick), which the Environmental Working Group rates as a 3. I like it...but I don't love it and find I have to reapply it a lot. So, I decided to make my own.  The following is the recipe I used, which one of our instructor's shared with us.  It only takes 10 minutes!  Here's what you'll need:

 2 tbsp of organic coconut oil (coconut oil has lots of wonderful antimicrobial properties)
* 3-5 tbsp of arrowroot powder** (this measurement is personal preference, I like my deodorant to be less oily, so I recommend starting with 4 and you may wish to add a bit more.  If you would prefer it to be a bit oilier, start with 3 tbsp)
* 4 tbsp of baking soda (make sure it's aluminium free!)
* 6 drops of tea tree oil (this is a must! we need its antibacterial and antifungal properties - by the way, it works great on pimples, too!)
* 6-12 drops of your favourite essential oil (this is optional! Some of the essential oils have antibacterial properties as well, such as Lavender)
* a fork for mashing
* a small glass jar or an empty deodorant container (including the little tray that sits in the bottom of the container)

**I got my arrowroot powder from The Soap Dispensary on Main Street.  Apparently you can get it in the bulk section at Whole Foods as well, but I love to support local businesses!

Fill a pot with about an inch of water and place on medium heat.  Scoop your coconut oil into a glass bowl and set the glass bowl into the pot of hot water.  Let the coconut oil melt.  Once it's melted, carefully lift the glass bowl out of the pot (it's hot!) and dump your powder in.  Add your tea tree oil (and essential oils) and make sure you mix it really well!

From here, it's your choice whether you want to scoop it into a glass jar or reuse an old deodorant container. I understand from other friends who have made this recipe and used a glass jar to store it in, they have to scrape it with their nails or a spoon but then once it's applied to your armpit it melts quickly and easily.  If you're using an old deodorant container, make sure the little tray is pushed all the way to the bottom and just pack the mixture in to the top and let it cool.  You'll know when it's ready cause it'll be really hard.

So far, it works amazingly well and I'm liking it the most out of any commercial brand I've tried!  My only complaint is that it is tending to melt in the warmer temperatures.  I have been keeping it in the fridge to help with this, but that's obviously not super convenient.  I read on another blog that beeswax is a good ingredient to substitute some of the coconut oil with during the summer months as it will keep the deodorant from melting - so I'll give this a go next time!  In the meantime, I can deal with a little inconvenience in exchange for knowing exactly what ingredients my body is absorbing : )



put your best smell forward,
xo

sco(o)by dooby doo: the benefits of kombucha

You keep hearing about this weird drink, right?  You've probably overheard conversations like "Where'd you get your mother from?" and "I have a scoby hotel right now!" You've probably also heard that fermented foods such as kefir and kimchi are excellent for your digestive health.  So, what the heck is all the fuss about, and why should we care?

Despite it's recent resurgence in the west, kombucha originated in China and has actually been around for thousands of years. Brewed from sweetened tea fermented by a colony of bacteria and yeast (known as the 'scoby', or 'mother'), it boasts many health benefits.  This is because the fermenting process builds friendly bacteria in the gut, which helps to fight off the growth of harmful yeasts and bacteria.  A healthy gut hosts over 100 trillion friendly bacteria which aid in the digestion and absorption of food and maintains a healthy immune system.  An unhealthy gut is overrun with the bad guys and is likely to present with digestive issues such as constipation or IBS, skin problems such as psoriasis or eczema, as well as joint problems.  Altered behaviour patterns and brain function are also signs of an unhealthy gut.  Plenty of factors contribute to unhealthy gut bacteria, such as: antibiotics, over the counter medications such as ibuprofen, chlorine in our tap water, alcohol, cigarettes, junk food and stress.  (to read more about this, see my previous post on brain and gut health.)

I know it seems counter-intuitive: it's been drilled into us that yeast and bacteria are bad for us.  However, yeast and bacteria are only harmful to us when they are imbalanced.  There is such a thing as 'commensal' (or friendly) yeast, an example off which is candida.  Candida is friendly in the sense that it lives in all of us in small amounts and aids with digestion; however, when it is overproduced, it can cause major problems. Consuming combative yeasts, such as nutritional yeast, is a great way to prevent an overgrowth of candida. So, given that kombucha is fermented with a bacteria and yeast colony, we want to be sure that we are consuming kombucha that has been brewed from a culture that is candida free, to ensure that we are benefiting from the combative qualities, rather than contributing to an overproduction of the less friendly yeasts and bacteria.  There are some brands that will explicitly say on their labels "candida free", so these are the brands to look for. Of course, the safest way is to brew your own. And, here's how you do it!

You'll need:

1. a litre of filtered water
2. four organic black (or green) tea bags (any black or green tea is fine to use, just be careful not to use tea that has any spices in it, as the oils will cause the kombucha to go rancid)
3. a cup of sugar (I use coconut sugar)
4. a scoby (see notes below!)
5. 1/2 a cup of kombucha from a previous batch (don't worry it's your first batch, the scoby will come in a bit of liquid and you can use that)
6. 1L mason jar for the fermenting process
7. a dishcloth and a rubber band
8. 1L airtight glass vessel to store your brewed kombucha in.

A couple of notes about the scoby.  I was lucky enough to get one from a friend. You can purchase a scoby from O5Tea on West 4th in Vancouver, an

d they're also a great resource if you have questions about brewing your kombucha.  The scoby is probably the grossest ugliest thing you'll ever lay your eyes on - it kind of looks like a giant mushroom/jellyfish.  It's the culture that makes all the magic though, so you'll get over it in no time : )

* Boil the litre of water in a large pot.  Once boiling, dissolve your cup of sugar.
* Turn the heat off, and put in your tea bags.  Brew the tea until it's cool and remove the tea bags.
* Put your scoby in your 1L mason jar adding the 1/2 cup of liquid from a previous batch, and then pour the brewed tea in.
* Cover it with a dish cloth and secure with a rubber band.  Place on counter in a cool dry place and try not to move it around.  Let it sit for 7-10 days.  You'll know it's ready by the slightly sour taste and small amount of fizz.  You'll also see that your scoby has started to grow a little mini scoby on top of it.  Congratulations, you now have your first resident of your scoby hotel!  You can either save it and use it to make subsequent batches, or spread the friendly bacteria love and give it to a friend.
* Carefully pour the liquid into your 1L airtight glass vessel, making sure you reserve a 1/2 a cup of the liquid for your next batch.  Take your scoby out and put it in a glass vessel with a bit of liquid in it as well and put it back in the fridge.  If you want to infuse your kombucha with any flavours (elderberry, ginger, rosemary), now is the time to do it.
* At this point you can either put the kombucha in the fridge and start consuming it, or keep the kombucha out of the fridge in the airtight vessel and let it sit another 7 days or so which will create more carbonation.

So, drink up and reap the benefits of better digestive health and a stronger immune system!  Suddenly that ugly scoby isn't looking so bad, is it?  If you've never drank komucha before, I recommend starting off with small amounts and working your way up.

never judge a drink by its scoby,
xo

follow up: I-yer-vay-duh

As promised, a follow up to my post on Ayurveda, here are some dietary recommendations for each of the doshas. I've also included a fun "how to imbalance your constitution" for each of the doshas.  This was written by one of the instructors at IHN, so I cannot take credit for it!  Please also see my kitchari recipe; this dish is excellent for balancing all of the doshas. Let me know if you have any questions or if you're interested in learning more about the doshas and/or Ayurveda in general.

Food	Vata (sweet, sour, salty)	Pitta (bitter, sweet, astringent)	Kapha (bitter, astringent, pungent)
What	Warm, moist, nourishing, grounding, rich	Cool, dry, not very spicy, not oily, some raw, some sweet	Dry, low GI foods, warm, light
How	Eat when free from anxiety, with attention, eat with others	Don’t eat when angry, irritated or rushing, cultivate gratitude for food, don’t skip meals and eat when it’s too late at night or when you’re too hungry	Be extra careful about emotional eating, are you really physically hungry?  Good to occasionally skip a meal and don’t nap after eating
When	Smaller meals, snack throughout the day	Classic schedule: Breakfast, lunch, dinner	Don’t snack, wait to eat until you are physically hungry.  Main meal at noon, light breakfast and dinner.  Exercise before eating, avoid sleeping after eating
Grains	Encouraged to eat pasta, rice, potatos, bread.  Basmati and jasmine rice (be careful with brown, wild and black), quinoa, wheat (unless celiac) grain porridges are good but soak grains overnight and cooked well with digestive spices such as ginger, cinnamon), oats, millet (but not all the time)	Can handle most grains, drying grains are particularly good i.e. millet and rye.  Pittas should have a good amount of whole grains in their diet	Millet, basmati, quinoa, rye, barley, buckwheat are all okay but are also dry and heavy.  Porridge is not a good idea but millet is okay in small quantities, soaked overnight and served with digestive spices
Veg	90-100% of veg should be cooked and seasoned with oil and spice, only 10% raw, unless juicing.  Avoid cruciferous veg, careful with artichokes and asparagus	All vegetables are good, up to 50% can be raw	All vegetables are good as long as they are cooked.  Not a lot of raw (25%)
Fruit	Avocado is excellent, other fruit is okay in medium quantities, juicing is good, apples should be cooked, avoid dried fruit unless they are stewed	Fruit is good but careful with acidic fruits i.e. lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit.  Pittas should eat lots of fruit	Eat low GI index fruits, low quantities, avoid dried fruit
Animal	Need to eat meat and fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, fresh fish.  Small amount of raw fish is okay	Fish is better for pitta.  Should not eat large amounts of meat but can eat all meats.  Be careful with pork and lamb	Medium amount of raw fish okay.  Kapha needs meat the least because kapha retains nourishment best.  Small quantities, but all types are fine.  Careful with seafood.  Eggs are good for kapha
Dairy	All dairy good, raw organic milk is best, served warm with spices.  Fermented dairy is particularly good i.e. kefir, aged cheeses	All dairy is good, but minimize fermented dairy and strong cheese	Avoid dairy.  If having dairy, most strongly fermented is best, and also light cheeses (cream cheese) in small quantities
Legumes	Mung, lentil, are best, cooked with digestive spices, tofu	All beans, but cook with digestive spices	Mung, lentil and other light beans (black beans)
Nuts and seeds (all doshas should have more seesd than nuts)	Small quantities, must be prepared i.e. sprouted or roasted, avoid raw.  Nut milks are fine, nut and seed butters are fine in small quantities	Good with nuts in terms of digestion, but need to be careful with quantity because oil tends to show up as some sort of inflamed condition in the body i.e. skin.  Raw nuts and seeds are fine for pitta	Avoid raw nuts and seeds but roasted and sprouted are okay in small quantities.  Kapha can handle more nuts than vata but must be careful due to heavy/oily nature.
Oils	Sesame, ghee, coconut, but mostly all oils are good	Small quantities.  Olive, grapeseed, coconut, almond, ghee	Olive and grapeseed in moderation, hemp and flax, almond, sunflower
Sweeteners	All in small quantities: fruit, fruit juices, molasses, jaggery maple syrup	Stay away from refined sugars, have whole sweeteners (raw honey, maple syrup, jaggery)	Minimize sugars, small amounts of raw honey, maple syrup

Remember, below are suggested ways to imbalance your doshas!  

How to imbalance Vata: worry, fast, don't get enough sleep, eat on the run, keep no routine whatsoever, eat dry, frozen, leftover foods, run around a lot, never moisturize your skin, work the graveyard shift, avoid tranquil, warm, moist places, use drugs, indulge all of your feelings and thoughts.

How to imbalance Pitta: drink plenty of alcohol, eat spicy food, engage in highly competitive activities, eat lots of tomatos, chilis, raw onions, sour foods and yogurt, exercise at the hottest time of the day, wear tight, hot clothes, avoid cool, fresh, peaceful places, snack on salty foods, eat as much deep fried foods as possible.

How to imbalance Kapha: take nice long naps after meals, eat lots of fatty foods and sweets, overeat as often and as much as possible, refuse to take any risks, be a couch potato, assume someone else will do it, avoid invigorating, warm, dry areas, don't exercise, dwell on dead romances, unrequited love, old grudges, and thinks you can't leave behind, make sure you get at least one dessert every day, preferably cheesecake or ice cream.

Did any of these make you giggle?  

Awareness is key,

xo

I-yer-vay-duh

About a week and a half ago, I started the course that I largely based my decision on attending IHN for...Ayurveda.  Since then, people have been asking me what it's all about.  For the purposes of this post, I'm going to go into the fundamentals and theories behind Ayurvedic therapy, and I will follow up with a later post on diets for the different constitutions.  What's a constitution, you ask?  Patience, young grasshopper.

Ayurveda is the Sanskrit word for "knowledge of life".  It is a 5,000 year old system of natural healing grounded in the Vedic culture in India.  It follows a model of constitutions, that primarily consider the unique qualities of the individual and also integrate the mind and spirit into the healing process. Similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine (whose roots are also grounded in Ayurveda), Ayurveda contains a system of anatomy and physiology that follow an energetic and qualitative model that show us how our life energies work and how to balance them.  What's the point?  Health of body and mind.

Two of the most popular Ayurvedic therapies many of us are engaging in without even knowing it are asana (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises).  I'll save my rant commentary regarding the practise of yoga in the west for another day, but want to point out here that what most of us are practising when we attend classes here in North America is actually not yoga, in the traditional sense; in fact, it's Ayurveda.  I am not intending to make a global generalization or judgment here; and, I don't think that many can argue that the majority of the yoga that we are practising at our community studios is much different from the yoga being practised in ashrams in India. In India, yoga is practised in order to attain union with the divine.  Many of us in the west attend yoga for the purposes of maintaining a healthy body.  Anyway, potay-to, potah-to - and something to keep in mind the next time you're flowing through a vinyasa : ) Other types of Ayurvedic therapies include: diet, herbs, meditation, oil massage, and steam therapy.

Ayurveda's foundation is in the law of like and unlike: everything you experience increases like parts of your being and decreases those parts unlike it, making every experience you have medically significant.  The ultimate cause of illness is potential, ripened and current karma.  Karma can be (very simply) described as the idea that our intent and actions influence our futures.  In other words, suffering comes from what has happened in the past as well as the karma we're presently creating.  Ayurveda also recognizes that we are a a manifestation of universal energy and describes three fundamental energies or "doshas" that are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body.  They are, in Sanskrit, Vata (wind), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth).  Each of us contain a unique proportion of these three doshas that shape our constitution.  There's that word again ; )

While each of us are thought to have all three doshas, most of us are dominant in one or two of the elements.  The Ayurvedic system operates under the idea that there is a balanced state of expression of each of the elements.  When an individual is imbalanced or excessive in one or any of the doshas, therapies are used in order to decrease the expressions and bring the individual back into their own unique state of balance.  If Vata is dominant and balanced, the individual tends to be lively and enthusiastic.  An imbalance in Vata may present as constipation, anxiety and irregular sleep.  If Pitta is dominant and balanced, the individual tends to be passionate, friendly, disciplined and a good leader and speaker.  An imbalance in Pitta may present as diarrhea, anger and irritability.  Finally, if Kapha is dominant and balanced, the individual tends to be stable, loving and calm.  An imbalance in Kapha may present as depression, weight gain and sinus conditions.

So now comes the fun part - which dosha are you?  The best way to determine that is to see an Ayurvedic consultant, such as our teacher, Matthew Gindin.  There are also a number of online questionnaires you can fill out, Deepak Chopra's is a popular one.

Below is a table I put together from my study notes of the physical and psychological qualities for each of the doshas:

Dosha	Physical qualities and issues	Positive psychological qualities and issues	Negative psychological qualities and issues	Other
Vata	Olive coloured skin (relative to ethnicity), hair may be wavy or thin, facial features are small/irregular, frame is tall, thin; hands and feet may be small or fine, bones are frail, prominent, teeth are fragile, dry skin and hair, digestion issues i.e. intestinal dryness (IBS, irritation, constipation, gas, bloating), irregular sleep, digestion, nervous system, chronic pain, cold hands and feet, cold body temperature	Creativity, enthusiastic, good at putting things/thoughts together, ability to see multiple points of view, broad-minded thought, intuition, mentally flexible	Moody, hypersensitive, insecurity, indecision, scatterbrained, flightiness, psychological instability, respond to stress with fear, worry and anxiety, impulsive	Little body odor, variable appetite, variable and erratic libido, sensitive to cold weather, wind, strong reaction to medications, high energy in short bursts, tend to over exert and tire easily, think outside the box, quick to learn and grasp new knowledge but also quick to forget,
Pitta	Face is medium sized, angular.  Skin is oily and has pink or reddish tone, freckles.  Hair tends to be fair, straight and medium bodied.  Eyes are sharp, piercing and bright, medium frame, tends to be naturally muscular, strong, joints are flexible and well-lubricated, Inflammatory conditions (joints, skin, intestines, some auto-immune disorders), bacterial imbalances, digestion tends to be strong, may run fast (diarrhea) “I can eat anything”, warm to hot body temperature	Passion, ambition, clarity of thought, enthusiasm, analytical thoughts, self-confident, driven, focused	Anger management problems, obsessiveness, close-minded, judgmental, irritable, aversion, workaholic, subject to temper tantrums, impatience	Body odour tends to be strong, strong appetite and libido, may sleep lightly or little.  Get irritable if a meal is messed, sunburns easily, responds to stress by getting angry and irritable, perspires a lot, uncomfortable in hot weather, good public speakers, good leaders
Kapha	Skin is fair, pale.  Hair tends to be wavy, thick.  Eyes tend to be large, almond shaped/doe-eyed.  Face is full and shapely.  Frame tends to be larger, carry more weight, bones are strong, thick.  Digestion tends to be slow, weak, tendency towards constipation, body temperature tends to be cold.  Excessive weight gain, edema, respiratory problems, sluggish digestion, diabetes, circulatory problems, cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalance	Grounded, stability, love, loyalty, compassion, consistency, forgiveness, calmness, affectionate, non judgmental	Stubborn, melancholy, needy/clingy, heavy lethargic depression, inflexible, slow when change is needed	Small appetite but constant, weak libido, sleeps heavily, easygoing, relaxed, slow-paced, stable, reliable, slow speech, low, soft voice, slower to learn but outstanding long-term memory, undemanding approach to life, excellent health and immune system, strive to maintain peace and harmony in surroundings, not easily upset, can be a point of stability for others, don’t like cold, damp weather

Based on the diagnostic exercises we did in class, and the feedback I got from Matthew, it comes as no great surprise that I am pitta dominant and vata secondary. Obviously ; )

We are starting to see a resurgence of traditional alternative medicines in the west, which I am very excited about.  Gaia Gardens on West Broadway is a great herbal dispensary, and Metropolitan Relaxation Studio in East Van offers Ayurvedic oil massage.  I've been for one and it was lovely (prepare to get reaaaaaaaaaaaaally oily though!).  I've also been told that the Chai Gallery restaurant in Kits (on top of East is East) has an Ayurvedic buffet on certain nights.

Whether you believe in it or not, it's really just another way to approach illness and allows us the opportunity to involve ourselves in the healing process in a meaningful way.  Last time I checked, going for an oil massage and meditating hasn't resulted in any weird side effects.   At least, not in my opinion ; )

stay open,
xo

MOM NOM NOM

Happy Sunday and Mother's Day to all the beautiful moms out there!  I'm missing my mom extra today.  She is a wizard in the kitchen and always taught us to eat well.  I remember her spending lots of time in the kitchen on Sundays: preparing Sunday roast for me and all my siblings, or baking and preparing meals for the week.  As a single mom working multiple jobs, she was always really organized and very rarely relied on convenient and processed foods to make our meals.  This is just one of the bajillion things I am grateful to her for and I've enjoyed getting my hands dirty in the kitchen today, thinking about her.  I love and miss you, Mama!

I recently purchased a couple of cook books to inspire me to get in the kitchen, one of them being "Joyous Health" by Holistic Nutritionist, Joy McCarthy.  A friend at work tried out Joy's Chocolate Protein Squares recipe and brought them into work for me to try (thanks, Perveen!) and I decided to crank them out today cause they're absolutely delicious and a great on-the-go or post-workout snack.  I'm always looking for snacks packed with protein that don't have 25 ingredients that I can't pronounce in them, so why not make our own, right?  I adapted the recipe slightly, so here's what you'll need to make my version:

Hemp Protein Cacao Bars

3 cups of organic quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup of organic hemp protein powder
1/2 a cup of organic cacao powder
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup of roasted chopped almonds
1/4 cup of coconut sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of ginger
1 cup of organic smooth almond butter
1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
1/2 cup of organic unflavoured and unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 13x9" baking dish with coconut oil
* In a large bowl, combine all your dry ingredients, and mix well
* In a small saucepan over low heat, melt your almond butter and coconut oil and add that to your dry ingredients
* Then add your almond milk and pure vanilla.  Give it a taste: if it's not sweet enough for your liking, you could add some maple syrup.
* Pour the mixture into your baking dish and press it down evenly (it helps to have wet hands to do this!) and bake for 15 minutes.  I cut mine while hot and then put them in the fridge for 10 minutes to cool slightly, before transferring them to a greased cookie sheet.  Bake them for another 12 minutes (until edges start to look crispy)
* Let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.  You'll probably find that they'll crumble a bit during your transferring.  Joy recommends keeping the crumbles to use as a topping on yogurt which is a great idea - personally, I chose to eat what crumbled ; )

I'm storing mine in an airtight container in the freezer so they'll keep longer.

appreciating mom,
xo