it's time

next week i'm joining sas petherick's let it go project.  because it's time.  you know?

spring clean

april.  it's the month when we all want to shed the emotional and physical heaviness of winter.  nature is telling us to start anew and we are listening.

it's the month when i can easily get discouraged that despite an organic, plant-based diet, i'm still overweight.  (i get it universe, my body will never be lithe, but seriously why is it that the more i move toward body acceptance, the fatter i get?  ugh...)

it's the month when i realize that every year i really take that whole winter-rest-and-hibernate thing a bit too seriously and i need to jumpstart my activity level.  gorgeous mountain trails are calling my name.

it's the month to spring clean our homes; the physical structures we inhabit and the flesh and blood bodies that house our spirits.  it's time to release the grime and create clean space for new experiences. it's time to reset.

the components of a good (spirit house) cleaning:

• clean day salad (pictured above and recipe below).  honestly, it is so so good.
• green juice with a tablespoon of superfood (daily)
• rainbow quinoa
• lots of filtered water
• kombucha and yogi tea skin detox tea
• coconut oil-pull daily (in addition to incredible detox benefits, this also helps keep sinuses clear)
• nightly skin brush and salt bath
• gentle yoga
• walks outside
• deep breathing
• good deep sleep

clean day salad
(based on whole foods' detox salad)

two cups organic kale leaves (de-stem and roughly chop)
three or four organic carrots (rough chop)
one bunch organic parsley leaves (some stem is okay)
zest of one lemon (always use organic citrus if you are zesting)
juice of half lemon
one-half cup sunflower seeds (or chopped pepitas)
one-half cup organic raisins
one cup organic dried blueberries, cranberries or goji berries (or mix)
one tablespoon olive oil
one teaspoon kelp granules or dulse
chia seeds

pulse greens and carrots in food processor to the size of confetti, careful not to make a pesto of it.  mix all ingredients together except for the chia seeds.  sprinkle a half teaspoon of chia seed on each serving just prior to enjoying (if you mix the chia into the salad and let it sit, it will absorb the moisture in the salad and get a bit gel-ish).

i pulverize the remainder of the parsley leaves and stems and add a spoon to the pups' food daily.  they love it.

i feel sparkly and new just writing this post.  happy cleaning!

the super simple miraculous elixir of love

i am so grateful that my yoga teacher sarah demystified the kombucha home-brewing process for me and gifted me with my very first scoby.  i've kept a continuous brew since november.  i drink at least a cup of kombucha every day.  my skin is clear, my tummy is calm and i've felt protected from the nasty colds and flus that seem to be devouring everyone else.

i've refined my process and want to share it with you here.  once you get into the swing of it, you'll have a continuous supply of kombucha that costs a small percentage of bottled brews (although i still love a bottle now and then).

to start a batch you'll need:

• a one gallon glass jar
• a kombucha mushroom (scoby)
• one cup brewed kombucha
• eight tea bags (use organic black tea, not flavored tea)
• one cup sugar
• boiling water to brew your tea
• cotton, breathable fabric (not cheesecloth) and rubber bands

instructions:
start with an empty clean glass jar.  pour boiling water over your tea bags and let them steep for 10-12 minutes.

add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.

let it cool to room temperature.

once it's cooled, add one cup previously-brewed kombucha and your scoby.  pour in filtered water to fill the jar and stir gently, avoiding hitting the scoby with your spoon.

cover the jar with cotton fabric and secure tightly with rubber bands.

place jar in a clean quiet place.  it will need peace to work its magic.

leave it for a week (you'll need to experiment with the time, brewing times differ with temperature).  if you pass by, say hello and give it some love.  it's a living thing.

after a week, you should see a scoby has formed on the top of your brew (above).  remove the fabric and slip a straw beneath the scoby to have a taste.  if it still tastes sweet, it needs more time.  if it tastes too vinegar-y, it's gone too long.  it should have a nice balance between sweet and tart...kind of like apple cider.

note:  little brown floaty cultures should also be visible.  these freaked my out at first because i thought they were mold.  mold looks like mold (green or black) and smells like mold.  healthy kombucha cultures look kind of stringy and floaty and mucas-y.  it sounds gross, but it's all good.  if you see or smell mold, throw out your brew.

when your kombucha is ready, bottle it in glass bottles or jars.  it may or may not be effervescent.

save your scoby and at least one cup of kombucha for your next batch.

once bottled, your kombucha needs to enjoy a second fermentation.

place the bottles in a quiet dry place for a few days.  the effervescence should grow.

you can also add flavors during this second fermentation.  i've experimented with ginger, hibiscus and juniper berries.  but i really prefer it unflavored.

 

after a few days of second fermentation.  your kombucha is ready to be enjoyed.  you may notice new little scobies formed and that's okay.

put your bottles in the fridge at this point.

enjoy at least one cup each day.

for some, it's an acquired taste.

you may experience detox symptoms when you start drinking it regularly.  i experienced headaches, malaise and skin breakouts for about ten days.  be sure to drink plenty of water to flush out all the gook your kombucha is removing.

be well.

(ok, now that i wrote all that, it does not seem "super simple" at all.  i guess it just feels easier now that i've done it for a few months.)

lunch lately

when i accepted this lovely gypsy job of mine, i was a bit concerned that all the traveling would pose a huge challenge to healthy eating.  turns out, i've had the best time discovering whole foods and vegetarian restaurants in the cities i've visited.  and my lunches have never been more nourishing.

redefining sweet

it's been about a month since i cut back on sugar, dairy, meat and wheat.  i'm crowding out these foods, replacing them with luscious greens, nut milk, juices, quinoa, fruits and veggies.  so far, so good.

on wednesday, i photographed this beautiful cupcake and then promptly, without thinking, peeled back the paper and took a bite.  the sweetness overwhelmed me.  and not in a good way.  it seems that my mouth, as the official gatekeeper of all things that nourish my body, is developing a new protocol for what is sweet.

i was not expecting this sudden of a turnaround.  and a part of me doesn't fully trust that is indeed a turnaround.  but holy whole foods, i'm going to go with it!  because i've always dreamed of being that girl who really doesn't really care for sugared up food and who can't get enough of all that feeds her in a true and healthy way.

'tis true

i.  feel.  awesome.

and totally validated by the mirror in the ladies lounge at whole foods.

good♥food

kind, clean and colorful.  that's how i want to live and eat.

i am increasingly unable to ignore the faint whisper that is reminding me to eat and live as i believe.  to eat clean and beautiful foods that make me sparkle on the inside and do not cause harm to my body or the animal kingdom.  to harmonize my mind and body in the practice of yoga on a regular basis.  over the last decade or more i have shut out this voice and lived in a way that is out of alignment with who i am. 

often i dive in to something head first once i open my heart and mind to it.  this impulsiveness results in a crash and burn and then a retreat to the same old habits.

i'm trying to move more slowly, consciously, deliberately into new and beautiful practices.  beginning with things i love and then softly stretching to allow space for more goodness.

can i tell you how much i love quinoa?  more specifically, can i tell you how much i love every single variety of my rainbow quinoa salad i've created since first trying it last summer?  quinoa nurishes me and provides such a stable foundation for vibrant add-ins. 

for this version i used rainbow quinoa, which is a mix of white, red and black quinoa.  isn't it gorgeous?  i couldn't wait to take its photo.  then i wanted to make out with it.

winter rainbow quinoa (all organic if you can)

1. cook one cup of quinoa
2. dress lightly with a splash of olive oil and the zest and juice of one lemon, orange or lime
3. finely chop a spectacular confetti of purple cabbage, carrots and unsweetened dried cranberries
4. mango! 
5. a few spoons of chia seeds
6. a few handfuls of toasted pepitas
7. cilantro

use what you love and make it beautiful.

i'm so excited about the juicing!  the green juice from last week is quickly becoming my daily go-to.  but remember the soft stretching?  this week, i allowed in some beet, which i have complained all the livelong day tastes like dirt.  i juiced one up with some carrot, cucumber and spinach.  it sure is pretty and only had the slightest tinge of dirt.  wait, let me reframe that:  it tasted of the earth.

i'm working on it.

in my twenties i was a vegetarian for over a year.  and by vegetarian, i mean i survived on bean and cheese burritos, pizza and french fries.   basically it was a lousy diet minus the meat.  there was nothing conscious or beautiful about it.  i haven't made the decision yet to go veg.  maybe there won't be a decision.  maybe it will just be an organic shift toward the kind, clean and colorful.

green day

i mentioned a few weeks ago that i would keep you updated on my progress since working with meg, my health coach.   things are so so good.   if, like me, you get stuck in your own resistance, talking and working with an objective guide may just be your ticket to radiance.  the advice and non-judgmental support is positively slaying me over here.  and by slaying, i mean opening, seeing, accepting, growing, writing and telling a new story while loving the story that came before.

one thing i struggle with is getting enough greens.  greens and other living oxygen-rich whole foods are the foundation of the physical part of this transformation.  out of all the luscious green food, i'm focusing on eating greens that i love, which are only a small part of the big green world out there.  i'm taking baby steps with spinach, arugula, romaine, avocado and cucumber.  sad but true, these are the only green foods i love to taste.   eventually i hope to open my heart just a wee bit to kale and (gasp!) broccoli. 

the simplest ways for me to get some daily green are salads or to whip up a batch of spinach pesto and eat a few spoonfuls with a cooked egg or on whole grain toast.  also i have launched my new radiant self on to the juicing bandwagon.  it's amazing how multiple handfuls of spinach leaves don't taste anything like spinach when pulverized with some grapefruit, cucumber, pear, mint and ginger.  it's liquid sunshine i tell you.  my skin, my tummy and my tastebuds are singing like a hallelujah choir lit up by brilliant sunshine streaming in through a giant kaleidoscope of a stained glass window.

i've lost weight too.  but here's the thing:  this matters to me but not that much.  i think i'm feeling vitality for the first time in my life.  this is what matters.  living a pure and energized organic life.  i'm not nearly there yet, but i can see the road ahead.  it's a beautiful shade of brilliant green.

green day juice
makes about 32 ounces
in the juicer (organic if you can):
one pear
one cucumber
one grapefruit
four or five handfuls of baby spinach
one inch ginger
one sprig mint

in like a lamb

hello march.  i have to say that this weekend i was much more enthusiastic about your arrival.  i had big plans of a month-long intensive health overhall.  i made a boatload of tabouli, spent way too much money on veggies at the market and scheduled a date with a three-day juice cleanse.  i planned to start this endeavor with a 5am bikram yoga class (i can't make the afternoon class on tuesdays and thursdays because i teach those days).

this morning, a very un-march-like me ignored the alarm and luxuriated away in my bed instead of getting my butt to yoga.  i now sit here sipping coffee, rethinking my purchase of that really expensive juicer, totally unconcerned that i'm going to be late for work, writing about my sad sad start.

hello march.  this is me.