Mind Over Body

Sunshine Salad 
Combining fruits with greens has become something quite popular!  It reminds me of Mary Poppins happy refrain, "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."  Salads used to be something I ate because it was good for me, and my taste buds were often disappointed.  This delightful salad however, is light, crisp, and refreshing.  It goes well with a white fish fillet on the side. 

5 oz. Package of Mixed Baby Greens
3 oz. Sunflower Sprouts (You can grow them yourself easily, or buy them sprouted.)
3 Cups Fresh Pineapple, Chopped
1 small Jicama, Cubed
24 oz. Mandarin Oranges, Drained (Canned in juice, not syrup. Save the juice for smoothies!)
1/2 Cup Raw Macadamia Nuts, Chopped
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shaved Coconut

Honey Poppy-seed Dressing:

1/2 Cup Canola Mayo
2 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Raw Local Honey
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
1Tbs. Dijon Mustard
Blend in a Food Processor or Blender, then stir in:
1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds

You've probably noticed I'm a morning person at heart. Although there are days I begin to wonder if I really am anymore.  I've always loved the beginning of the day, when I can start anew.  Mondays are a great day for me.  It's another chance to prepare to have a great week.  This is probably why I decided I would start posting Monday mornings on the blog.  That, and it's one of the few times I have available.  I'll have to be flexible though.  It won't always be possible to stay within a planned regimen. There will always be distractions.  There will always be the outside influences of the people around us.  There will always be times when we need to put our own agenda aside to help someone else.  As I'm typing this I'm both distracted by my children, and feeling guilty that they are without a mother at the moment.

I admit, I love fortune cookies.  Every time I visit the Asian Market, there is a nice man at the counter who always gives my children a free cookie.  I usually get one too, pretending like it's because the kids want them, but really it's for myself.  It's not the cookie I'm interested in.  I know, it's superstitious, and juvenile, but I love the fortune inside.  Sometimes it just gives me something to think about.  A more appropriate name for these would probably be "advice cookies."  How often do you really get a fortune? 
There was one time in particular that it felt as if the universe was conspiring for my benefit.  What are the chances that I would open my first piece of advice to read, "Your Dreams Will Become a Reality."  Then,  the next cookie to read, "Make Your Dreams a Reality."  In that order?
What a lesson from that advice I could gain.  The things we desire don't just drop in our laps most of the time.  They usually come about by a balanced combination of perseverance, work, and flexibility.

Goal Setting

1-Dreams have deadlines.  Make your goal a reality by giving yourself an amount of time to accomplish it.

2-Write your goal down, where you can see it repeatedly.

3-Perfect one small thing at a time

4-Make it a habit by repeating the goal for 10 days in a row.

5-Make the goal a part of your lifestyle.  Something that will contribute to your very nature, your character, not something to be endured for a short duration.

6-Think of what can be eliminated to simplify your life.  Make room. Make time.

7-Expect distraction, but remain motivated to action.

8-Realize no one is perfect.  Be flexible.

9-Don't be discouraged when you fail.  Learn from your failures and move on.

10- Pray for help to accomplish the goal, discerning if the goal is truly serving you, and those around you.

 When I am teaching a yoga class, I try to have an intention outlined in my mind before we begin.  But flexibility is everything.  If I am prepared with ideas of what I would like to offer, but at the same time allow space for anything that my students might need that particular day, it always goes well.  In fact, my most favorite students are those who are flexible in their mind.  Not necessarily their bodies.  It's easy to get "all bent out of shape" by allowing yourself to think you can't.  This concept of flexibility works beautifully well off the mat, living our day to day.  Some of the most happy people I know are those who are willing to bend.  I once heard a comparison between an oak tree and a blade of grass.  In a strong wind, the oak tree branches may snap because they are so firm.  The blade of grass will bend with the wind, and therefore not break.  Wouldn't it be remarkable if we could somehow have the firm roots of an oak, but also, the flexibility of a blade of grass?  Think about that next time your in Tree Pose!

A Time to Heal, a Time to Indulge

 

Pina Colada Frozen Dessert:

This recipe is easier if you own a ice cream machine, but it doesn't require it.  My ice cream maker holds about 4 cups of liquid ingredients, and as it freezes, of course it expands.  If you don’t have such an appliance, it may be worth it to buy one just for this recipe! This is creamy, and delicious when fresh, but if you want to save some for later, simply pour the liquid ingredients into an ice cube tray, freeze, then blend a fresh new batch in a high quality blender.  This is the best way to make this dessert without the ice cream maker.

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1 13oz. Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk (I use Thai brand)

1 8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple in Juice

1 Tbs Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Sweet Leaf Stevia

2 Ripe Mangoes, Cubed

Blend the first five ingredients together until smooth, except for the lumps of pineapple.  Include the pineapple juice from the can.  It is very important to turn the ice cream maker appliance on before adding the ingredients.  Pour into the ice cream maker, and follow your machine’s directions.  After the frozen yogurt forms, spoon into bowls and top with fresh ripe mango cubes.  Take your tongue on vacation!

To Everything There is a Season
1	To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2	a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3	a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4	a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5	a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6	a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7	a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8	a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9	What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth? ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

        There are times I have to take a step back and realize it's a time to heal.  I can't always go out and eat an ice cream shake every day in the name of having balance in my diet.  If I did that, I know what the negative consequences would be for me as an individual.  Physically, I know it lowers my immunity to have too much sugar.  So most of the time, I stay away from it.  If a person is trying to heal their body, and recover from an illness, it's not the best time to indulge.  For some, the time it takes to recover or heal from an illness takes longer.  Sometimes lasting weeks, or even months.  That's when we start looking for ways to indulge without contributing to the existing physical problem.  Frozen yogurt has been my best friend for this reason!  I confess, used to have a bowl of ice cream or sorbet almost every day.  Now it's fruit and yogurt, smoothies, and frozen desserts like this one.  What is so great about this dessert is that you have probiotics to raise immunity, fight candida, and help digestion.  You have coconut milk, which is a natural anti-microbial.  You have mangoes, being one of the highest fruit sources of fiber.  Naturally occurring Vitamin C, as well as bromelain enzymes are in the pineapple, (and this content goes up even higher if you use fresh pineapple.)  All this in a sweet treat with absolutely no refined sugar! Yum.

It's kind of like the same feeling I would get if I went to a yard sale and got some fine china for a dirt cheap price.  It just feels good to eat something you know is not costing you your health.

       On my yoga mat, there are some mornings I don't even feel like moving.  I heard someone say somewhere that an hour of yoga is more beneficial than an hour of sleep?  They were probably referring to Yoga Nidra.  I'm not the most advanced in this area, so sometimes, I have to laugh when I intended to do a yoga routine, but I wake up to find I fell asleep on my mat instead.  "Oh Well, that's probably what my body needed today."  I'll say to myself.  Call it justification if you want to.  There is a time to just stretch, meditate, relax, breathe, and focus.  There is a time to get your fire going and do amazing things you never thought your body was capable of.  It's important to key into what you might need that particular day.  Sometimes, I'll just fall asleep on my mat, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it. 

A Firm Foundation

Good Morning Granola

I discovered that with kids, life gets fast paced in the morning hours, and it’s not always possible to make a real substantial breakfast.  I love to make a double batch of this ahead of  time.  We enjoy it with plain yogurt, or almond milk.  It makes a nice crunchy sprinkle over the top of simple hot cereal as well.

3 ½ Cups Rolled Oats

½ Cup Chopped Walnuts

½ Cup Chopped Almonds

¼ Cup Oat Bran or Wheat Germ

3 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds

3 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

1 tsp Redmond Real Salt

4 Packets Sweet Leaf Stevia

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Almond Extract

¼ Cup Coconut Oil

¾ Cups Applesauce

Dried Fruit Options: (To Taste)

            -Banana Chips, and Dried Blueberries (my favorite!)

            -Raisins, and Chopped Dried Apples

            -Shaved Unsweetened Coconut, and Chopped Dried Mango, Papaya, or Pineapple

            -Cranberries, and/or Chopped Apricots

¼ Cup Ground Flax Seed, or Seed Mix ( I grind Flax, Chia, Sesame, and Hemp seed in small batches to store in the freezer.  Of course, fresh ground is always better.)

Chop nuts in a food processor to the desired consistency. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, oat bran or wheat germ, seeds, and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine the stevia, cinnamon, almond extract, coconut oil.  Mix this coconut paste into the oat mixture, pressing out the lumps.  Stir in the applesauce until the granola is evenly moistened.  Spread the granola onto a cookie sheet.  (I use two cookie sheets and make two different kinds of granola when I double mine.)  Bake at 275F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  After baking, add the dried fruit and ground seeds.  Mix well, and cool.  Store in airtight container. 

A Hymn I'll Remember

"In every condition--in sickness, in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land or the sea--As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be."
 ~Robert Keen, "How Firm a Foundation"

This hymn was and still is a comfort to me in times when I feel less than well.  Times when I feel my resources are running out, or far away from what feels like home.  Music is a source of healing, because it opens up our willingness to feel.  Unfortunately, we can't always be well.  We are mortal.  As much as people try to change that in this world, there is only one way out of this life.  We all go there eventually, right?  I'm not afraid of it, because to me, what comes next is home.  Pain and suffering are gifts.  It's our body's way of telling us something is out of balance.  Those signals are very useful when trying to key into what needs to be changed in our lifestyle. 

I was reminded recently during my yoga practice of a time years ago when my ballet instructor gave me some most memorable advice.  We were practicing our pirouettes across the floor.  This was something I struggled with, especially on my left side.   Apparently I wasn't the only one struggling that day.  Jacquie, our instructor, stopped the music.  She had us all get down close to the floor, and petting the ground jokingly, she said, "The floor is your friend!"  Her humor automatically made me feel lighter.  We all gave our friend a little pet.  She then said something to the effect of, "If you don't push down into the earth, you'll never go up."  I was amazed how when the music started back up, I turned effortlessly.  I felt the ground beneath me through my hard toe shoes.  I still use this foundational principle today in standing postures of yoga practice.  The only real difference is that I'm breathing deeper, and I get to do it in my bare feet.  Root yourself down, and you'll grow.  You'll balance, because you have a firm foundation. 

So what are the foundational principles of good health?  It's bringing us back to basics.  Exercise.  Eat right.  Sleep.  I would also add Loving Relationships.  Faith.  Humor.  We all know this, but knowing and doing are two different things.  Really most of the time people just create daunting goals for themselves, when it really is quite simple.  Apply one principle at a time.  Do one thing at a time.  Slow down and let yourself progress naturally.  It never comes all at once.  Your foundation might be different than someone Else's.  We all have different motives behind our goals.

Remember the original food pyramid?  Grains are at the bottom.  They are foundational.  Next comes Vegetables and Fruits.  Next comes dairy products and meats.  At the top is sugar and oils.  This is a great guide when used appropriately.  Low-carb diets came about probably because people were consuming mostly refined, bleached, processed, white flour stripped of it's nutritional value.  Grains that have been so altered, shouldn't be in the grains category at all!  I would classify them into the sugar category, since we all know, white flour is easily turned to glucose.  Whole Grains are completely different.  The fiber stabilizes blood sugar.  The grain in it's original form contains protein, which if sprouted, increases.   Whole grains are higher calorie.  This equals higher energy.  Calories get such a bad rap--I'm always looking for more energy, aren't you?  "Don't count your calories.  Make your calories count."  (I'm not sure who said that well-known quote first, so I'll just leave it at that.)  I love this granola recipe I've posted, because it's loaded full of the right kind of calories to start the day.  You can see why I'm against white fluffy pancakes most mornings now, can't you?  Here is what I use as my own modified food pyramid:

Sorry about the formatting, I'm new at this

Body and Mind

          " The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind." ~G.K. Chesterton

           Most of us know the HOW to being healthy. Eat your fruits and veggies, eat whole grains, stay away from sugar, processed foods, convenience foods with chemicals and preservatives. Take your vitamins. Exercise. Sleep at least eight hours a day at the right time of day, and drink at least 8 glasses of water, 8 oz. each. Watch your portion control. Don’t starve yourself. Stop eating fast food from particular places I won’t mention. Stay out of the sun. Wait, or was that get more out in the sun? Take regular trips to the doctor, regular vacations, regular trips to the bathroom, eat regularly on a regular schedule. Remember to socialize, to have a love life if possible. Follow a hygiene regimen. Take care of your skin, your eyes, ears, nose, throat, feet, your teeth, your insides, and your outsides. Take time to be intellectual. Exercise your brain. Play. Walk the dog. Stay out of debt, because debt causes stress, and stress is soooo bad for you. Stay away from beauty magazines because they will negatively affect your self worth. Love yourself just the way you are but not without doing all of these lists of things you must do in order to make yourself loveable. Breathe deeply. Take a deep breath now. Tell yourself you can do it all. Do you believe that? No way.

          Do we understand the WHY behind being healthy? To possibly improve our life span, and of course more importantly, to improve the quality of life that we live. I’m here to tell you that following all these rules, and giving yourself a headache over them will never truly improve your quality of life. Many people would say we should die young and die happy, rather than prolong the misery of trying too hard to live perfectly within the boundaries we create for ourselves. Others will tell you that living a restricted life is the only way to avoid all human suffering and age perfectly and beautifully. Now I’m here to tell you there is a balance.

    
          This sounds like common sense. That's because it is. That's just it. I know firsthand from working over a decade in the health food industry on a very people-oriented level, that people are always looking for something new, exotic, exciting, or even painstakingly difficult to change their health forever and always. People surprisingly want restrictions. My father would often tell us growing up, "Moderation in all things. Even moderation." Sometimes I have to laugh thinking of all the diets that exist today, or that used to be popular but now we know better...or at least we think we do. If we followed every whim of diet advice that confronts us today, there would be nothing left to eat! I am not a fan of following extremes. 

 

Description of my Unbalanced Life

          I learned this the hard way. I lived a very restricted lifestyle for a few years when my husband and I were newly-weds, living in Georgia. It was in an effort to save my failing health. Let's face it, you don't really get into health studies unless you have a good reason. It was during this time in my life I really started to delve into the abundance of ideas that could contribute to helping me feel better. I'm thankful to know the options that are out there. I'm thankful for what I learned during that time. The problem was, I am a most regimented person. I would pile one limitation on top of another, until I became quite paranoid at the thought of most things I consumed, or put on my body. I had reactions to everything, and felt so vulnerable all the time. Even when I felt physically well, my thoughts were constantly on the defense. 

          My poor husband tried to be patient with me. I would make the same food all the time, because it was what was safe. Most of the time, my healthy cooking lacked in the realm of flavor and enjoyment. I was still learning how to cook, and I really appreciated all the home-cooked meals my own mother used to make for me growing up. My heart longed to have and create that feeling of home in the food I made, but I was so self-absorbed in my own health agenda, I refused to bend. I was afraid to bend. Connor and I used to argue the most over pancakes. (Sometimes we still do.) He had such good memories of white fluffy pancakes, smothered with syrup and butter for breakfast. I looked at that meal like it was poison. Especially first thing in the morning, at the beginning of a new day you want to start off right. “Why can’t you just be more balanced?!!!” Connor would say. "Why can't you just have white fluffy pancakes sometimes?" He would often gently try to tell me he thought I'd be healthier if I would have some mental flexibility. He was right.
     
         Much later on in our married life, after making a gradual shift towards allowing myself to approach some of what I was afraid of, I made Connor white fluffy pancakes as a surprise one spontaneous morning. His face lit up. He felt so loved. I loved him so much. I even ate them myself, with syrup and everything. This might not seem like a big deal, but for us it was. He gave me a card with a picture of heart shaped pancakes on the front. I still keep this picture on the face of my phone, so I can be reminded of what is important to me. Putting ourselves aside for the ones we love dispels contention immediately.

          I know for some, the problem is exactly the opposite. Things get too difficult to keep track of, so they bag it all together. This is what I would call a passive extreme. The mentality of, "If I can't be consistent, than why try at all?" There are countless mental roadblocks, and addictions that keep us from living a more balanced life. All of us have thought at one time or another, "I don't have time to be balanced." Honestly, there are times this is true, but what matters most is how our decisions impact those around us.

          Ultimately, over the years I found that I cared more about my relationships, and my mental health than I did about being physically amaranthine. (Notice this is very similar to the meaning of my name.) I guess I was born with the predisposition to avoid mortal suffering. 

"The fear of suffering is much worse than suffering itself." The Alchemist