Happy Pregnancy

Prenatal Super Smoothie:  Want to feel happy, & energetic during pregnancy?  This is a great way to start the day. Calm your tummy with some enzymes from ginger, pineapple, and probiotics, raise your serotonin with avocado & banana, curb headaches with electrolytes from coconut water, lift out of lethargy with iron from limes & spinach, and feel sustained by the healthy protien, calories, and essential fats you need for two.  This recipe feeds four--(plus your growing baby.)

1 1/2 Frozen Bananas

1 Whole Avacado, Pitted & Peeled

1 Handful Fresh Cilantro or Parsley

Juice of 1 Fresh Lime (include a bit of rind if you don't mind the bitter taste)

1 inch of Fresh Ginger Root, Peeled

Generous Handful of Spinach

1 Scoop Raw Sprouted Vanilla Protein Powder

11/2 Cups Coconut Water

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1-11/2 Cups Pineapple (add ice if not frozen)

1 Tbs. Fish, Flax, or Coconut Oil

High Iron Smoothie:  Here is another great smoothie during pregnancy--(or other times when women tend to be low in iron.) Recharge and cleanse your bloodstream with high iron spinach, blueberries, & beets. 

1 Cup Cranberry Juice

3/4 Cup Plain Yogurt

1/3 Frozen Banana

2 Handfuls Spinach

1/2 Cup Blueberries (add ice if fresh)

5-7 Large Strawberries with the Greens

1-2 Medium Fresh Beets, Peeled, & Sliced. (I sometimes use 4-5 small canned beets instead)

1 Scoop Raw Sprouted Vanilla Protein Powder

Secret's Out~
So you probably guessed it-- we are expecting our third child!  My garden is growing this summer, and now so is our family.  We have spent so much more time together as a family than ever before.  We just celebrated Liam's 4th birthday, and Aiden turned 7 back in May.  They are taking swimming lessons together, enjoying Aiden's Tee-Ball league, and kids yoga classes at the park  Liam loves his art projects at preschool, and playing with all the neighborhood friends.  I've performed as a singer/songwriter for many outdoor concert series this year as well.  Fireworks, the carnival, the rodeo, the water park, boating, fun centers, splash pads, cousins, swimming, fishing, and campfire dinners.  It's what summer is all about.  This morning in a yoga class I attended as a student, my attention was bought to the concept of where we put our energy, there we will reap our fruit.  I feel like I made the right decision to leave my employment and focus on my family.  Now, I can see the result of happier children, a healthy pregnancy, and a flourishing garden to feed us all. 

Dessert for Breakfast

Lemon Raspberry Yogurt Parfaits

This is a very tart dessert, so the graham crackers and whipped cream even that out nicely. Make sure to get the Grahams that contain no hydrogenated oils or corn syrups. You can feel good about the probiotics, high vitamin C, antioxidants, and the endless benefits to a fresh lemon. Sometimes, we have this for breakfast!  Just substitute the crackers with some wholesome granola, and leave out the whipped cream. 

32 oz. Plain Organic Yogurt

4 Packets of Sweet Leaf Stevia Powder

Juice and the Grated Rind of 2 Large Lemons

1 lb. Fresh Washed Raspberries

9 Sheets Organic Whole Wheat Graham Cracker

Homemade Organic Whipped Cream (optional)

Crush the Graham Crackers in a large plastic zip bag, using a rolling pin--(my kids do this part for me.)  Combine the first 3 ingredients to make the lemon yogurt.  Mix till smooth and creamy. Layer in a small glass the graham cracker crumbs, then the lemon yogurt, then the raspberries. Do this twice.  Top with some homemade whipped cream. Serves 4

Learning to Love Bikram

Not for Me~
If something is in demand, I tend to sit back and wait to see if the fad will fade.  Just because everyone else is doing something, makes it more likely that I won't.  However, I'm learning that my pride is keeping me from some pretty amazing things.  I had a preconceived notion of what Bikram Yoga was.  Much of it was true, in that I always thought it would be so boring doing the same series of poses in the same order every time.  I also thought it might be potentially dangerous and psychologically straining to be in that kind of heat for that long of a time, not too mention I had heard stories about how strict they can be.  Generally I avoid "burning" too many calories, because I hate the idea of getting any skinnier, and also avoid wearing clothing that is that skimpy most of the time.  Oh--and the part about feeling nauseated, or potentially blacking out?  No thank you.  So you can see why I was hesitant. 
When I finally did give Bikram Yoga a try, it was while I was in Las Vegas with my husband, Connor.  He even came with me!  I mostly went out of curiosity, and because I knew the studio there was genuine.  The experience was not what I'd call fun, and since yoga for me has always been playful ground, this felt completely new.  The class was very strict.  We were not allowed to talk, drink any water inside the classroom, (am I really remembering that right?) nor could we wipe off our dripping sweat with a towel, (because it was a sign we were distracted) or leave the room for any reason.  Our instructor let us know we were committed.  I watched an older man lay down on the floor because he wasn't feeling well in the class.  Our instructor kept prodding him to get up and stay with the practice.  At one point, I felt a little queasy, so I sat out for a pose.  Connor and I were doing our best to do all the poses correctly, and our teacher was very attuned to making sure we stayed with her words exactly.  We made it through the practice together, looking at the clock near the end, trying to cast out claustrophobic thoughts.  I was so impressed with Connor for taking this intense practice the whole way.  The good part was when we left the studio, and drank our coconut water, we both noticed how good we felt.  It was amazing.  We both immediately craved to come back as soon as possible.  (In the locker room, someone complimented my "going against the grain," and I explained I was a playful Ashtanga girl.  I didn't even know what I had done that was so shockingly out of bounds...This Bikram stuff is so serious!)

Converted~

So, coming back to Bikram "as soon as possible" ended up being almost a whole year later.  It still didn't appeal to me much.  Then I started to hear all the talk going around about a new studio where you could try 21 days for 21 dollars.  This studio happened to be very close to where I live, so it was both cheap, and convenient.  I had just finished using my pass for Aerial Silks, so I thought, "Why not give Bikram a try?"  I talked my sister Heather into going with me.  She was just as skeptical as I was.  This was a very different experience.  We were allowed to take quick sips of water throughout the class, and I was allowed to wipe of my face with a towel. "Yes!" I thought. Then I noticed people were excusing themselves from class, and coming back into the room.  People left the class early as well.
There was still a sense of order.  We were expected to stay with the words of the teacher, so that everyone moves exactly together.  We were encouraged not to give in to discomfort or distraction, but it was so much better to be our own agents.  Think about it--if someone is forcing you to do something, are you really learning self disipline?  No.  In this free state of suggestion instead of strict commands, it felt like I wanted to try harder to stay in the room, ignore my thirst, my sweat, my discomfort.  I found that if I took on one pose at a time, I became completely present.  It didn't matter that we did the same poses every time anymore.  I started to really enjoy the physical and mental challenge.  My normal yoga attire was quite comfortable, and the heat was so relaxing.
Feeling lightheaded, or nauseated hardly ever happens now.  Attending these classes consistently now for 3 months has brought a whole new awareness to my yoga practice.  Also, I never thought I'd say this, but getting up at 5:30 a.m. to attend a 6:00 a.m. Bikram is one of the best ways to start the day.  Never have I thought getting up that early was healthy.  Especially to exercise.  Even when I'm getting paid to teach a class that early, I always regret it later in the day.  I always feel like my rhythm is off.  It seems like I always want to go back to bed for a nap all day, my appetite gets weird, and my digestion does too.  I believe in rising with the sun, and not before it.  (Unless it's to watch the sun rise, of course.)
Bikram is different.  When I'm done with the class, I've been in a hypnotic sleep-like trance for the last hour and a half.  My mind and body actually feel rejuvenated.  The feeling of being cleansed from the inside out is invigorating.  The effect it has on serotonin production, and endocrine system balancing is noticeable.   Maybe it's because of all the poses where we activate the thyroid gland through compression, in combination with the sweating out of toxins.  All the mood lifting, the clean feeling, the energetic cell vibration--you'd think you went and got baptized!  The more I partake of this practice, the more I can't live without it.  Now I understand the popular demand. 

Sowing Seeds

It's been a while since I posted on my blog,
but with good reason. Life has been undergoing
a change this spring.  I've been working hard
to get my life back into balance.

Instead of the natural fluidity that used to be most days,
things have felt forced, driven, and sometimes impossible.

It came time to really take a look at my priorities.

Working at the health food store as a wellness counselor
for over a decade has taught me more than I could ever imagine.
The friendships I have made there are most dear.  There is a
constant exchange of knowledge, opinions, thoughtfulness, and laughter.
Not to mention the access to things I need for my family, and myself to better our health.
Receiving answers to my own prayers, and at times having the opportunity to facilitate answers for others, makes it all feel like sacred ground.

I have to say this has been one of the most challenging decisions I've ever had to make, but I've decided to leave my employment.  Though it's been emotional and taxing, I am looking forward to what lies ahead!

There are promises I have made that I intend to keep---some on a deeply spiritual level.  

One thing that I can share is that I've felt inspired to grow a garden this year.  As we have been working in the yard together, we can all feel the change taking place.  Aiden took a deep breath and sighed a most happy and contented sigh as he said to me, "Mom, I think we're going to have a new life!"  I haven't told him or Liam much of what is going on, but our ties will be strengthened by this choice, and they can already sense it.

As we plant these little seedlings, I feel like I'm planting hope, and faith, and trust.  One of my favorite yoga instructors always ends her class with the words, "Let the earth support you."  She is implying that we need to detach from so much need to support ourselves. This is not to say we can just be lazy, but life slows down and feels less frantic when we simplify our needs, and trust that we will be supported.  So, here is my new sacred ground.

Heritage of Baking and Bees

Homemade Wholegrain Bread
This is an adaptation of my great grandmother's recipe for bread.  I use either freshly ground whole white wheat, or spelt flour in this recipe.  It makes a big difference not only in the nutritional value, but in the ability for the bread to rise, which makes for a lighter loaf.  No more whole wheat bricks!  I'm also a fan of multitasking, so I usually cook my homemade granola at the same time.  (Found on my blog post from June 11th, 2012.)  This keeps the oven warm, so when it's time for the bread to rise, I can place it on top of my warm oven, which speeds the rising time greatly.  Still, plan on making this when you plan to spend time at home.

Mix and Set:
1 Cup Warm Water 
3 tsp + Heaping 1/4 tsp Saf Instant Yeast

In a Stand Mixer:
4 Tbs Honey
4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
4 Tbs Butter (no added hormones)
2 Cups Hot Water

Add to Standing Mixer:
The Yeast Mixture
1 Cup Almond Milk

 Add Very Gradually: (It is key to add each cup of flour to the mixture one at a time, allowing time for each to be mixed in completely.  I live at a higher elevation, so watch the dough for that slightly sticky texture, in which the dough springs back a bit.  You may need more or less flour than I use here.)
11 Cups Freshly Ground, Whole White Wheat, or Spelt Flour

Remove from mixing stand, and cover with a towel to keep the dough from drying out.  In a warm area, let rise to top of the bowl.  Punch down, and cover again.  Let rise 1/2 way to the rim again.  Wet hands with water, and form the dough into 3 loaves, and place in  buttered baking loaf pans.  Again, cover with the towel and let rise as long as possible, so that the bread is well above the top rim of the loaf pans.  Bake at 375F for 40 minutes.  Baste the tops of the bread with butter.  Carefully remove the loaves from the pans using a knife edge the sides and slide them out onto a cooling rack.  Enjoy your hard work--or rather your patience in waiting for the dough to rise.  It wasn't so hard, was it?

The Heart of the Home~
When it's a rainy day outside, it's a good day to bake bread, filling the house with warmth, and a comforting smell of home.  When I bake this bread, I'm honoring the tradition of homemaking.  My mother was a true homemaker.  I have memories of my mom growing a garden, baking bread, canning, and home cooked meals on the table almost every night.  She sewed all of my dresses for high school dances, and designed my wedding dress too.  My mom kept a tidy home, with projects neatly tucked away in drawers or rooms.  She did the ironing, the mending, errand running, and finances all without a single complaint.  She took joy in being a woman of the house.

This bread recipe was originally written down by my Aunt Joan, my mother's sister.  The technique came from my great grandmother's hands.  Lillian, my mom, was taking care of my great grandmother, Clara Emily Lee, the summer of my mother's high school graduation.  Clara was in her 90's at the time, nearly blind, and in a wheelchair due to her aging bones.  In Clara's frail form, she demanded that my mother learn how to make homemade bread, because the store-bought stuff was no good.  She would hold Lillian's hands in hers, and teach her how the bread dough should feel.  Clara lived to be 100 years old.

So the recipe has evolved.  In my home, one of the changes made is that I use honey instead of sugar.   I can't say enough how much I love real raw honey.  We eat it by the tub at our house.  It might be that I grew up loving the honey my Aunt Arlene brought over when I was a child.  She would even make it in different flavors.  I remember having orange honey, lime honey, and chocolate honey as a kid.  She was carrying on the heritage of bee- keeping, which came from my Grandpa Lee, my mother's father.  He always said that the raw honey helped his asthma, and allergies.  The pollen collected from the local plants built a resistance up against allergens in the air.  Today, we use the local bee pollen as well to ward of seasonal allergies.  My mom is allergic to bee stings--maybe we would have had bees at our house also if that were not the case.  I always wonder if I am allergic, because I've never been stung.  I just let the bees be.  So far so good.  My boys know what it's like to be stung.  They also know what it's like to taste honey.  It's fascinating to them that a little bee could sting them, but then make honey so sweet.  We forgive the bees, and put a big dollop of honey on our freshly baked bread.

Roots and Kites

Tart Triple Root Salad  With a consistent crisp texture throughout, this salad is pleasantly sour, with a splash of lime.  Jicama is a root vegetable high in sweet inulin, a fiber that is also considered a prebiotic.  (Stimulating growth of good intestinal flora.) Also, Jicama root is produced on a vigorous vine growing up to 15 feet long,  it is also one of the heaviest, and largest of the root vegetables.  The flavor blends well with our more familiar radishes, and ginger root. 

3 Green Apples, Cubed
1 Small Jicama, Peeled and Cubed
4 Radishes, Sliced Thin, and Quartered
1 Tbs. Fresh Ginger Root, Peeled and Grated
1Tbs. Raw Honey
3 Tbs. Coconut OIl
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Juice of 1 Lime

How to Fly a Kite~

Honestly, I am no expert in kite flying.  It's been windy outside where we live, as it is very often.  Wind has never been my favorite kind of weather.  Actually, I find it to be a nuisance.  I have short hair partly because I hate the wind blowing my hair in my face.  The wind whisks things off a picnic blanket, and blows dust into my eyes.  Not very fond of shopping carts running into everyone in parking lots, nor am I very grateful every time I have to bring in the potted plants, and porch furniture to keep them from being carried into the neighbor's yard every time a storm comes in.  Wind robs perfectly ripe fruit from the tree and smashes it on the ground.  Oh, and the way wind finds it's way through the tiny holes of your sweater so it can chill your skin?  I could continue.  I swear it's alive.

Yesterday we bought another kite.  My boys and I were optimistic about getting it up into the air this year.  It was a perfectly windy day.  I wore a snug hat and shades, to keep annoyance at bay.  Teaching my six year old how to fly a kite when I barely understand how to do it myself was fun at first, but soon, discouragement and tears followed, and Aiden reminded me a little of Charlie Brown.  Good Grief.

"Pull it tight! Pull it tight!  You have to pull down in order for the kite to go up!"  I would say.  Aiden held the string, and ran, and ran, and ran. 

"Up Kite, Up!" he yelled.  (Words from reading the adventures of Frog and Toad.)

"Up Kite, Up! Up Kite, Up!"  We said it together.  

The kite spun in loops, which was entertaining, but then it tangled around Aiden's leg, and he proceeded to make it worse by panic.  

"Hold Still Aiden."  said Mom.

We untangled it, and tried to fly it again and again. and for one brief moment, the kite soared up.  Aiden was pulling down on the tail of the kite, and I was pulling down on the string.  Aiden always has good ideas.  

I've made reference to this same principle before--in my blog post from June 11th, 2012, "A Firm Foundation."  Root yourself down, and then you will soar.  Pull the string tight.  A yoga pose feels wobbly without this extension, but as there is opposition of the direction our limbs pull, balance happens.  We must experience some amount of resistance in order to see progress--both on and off the mat.  It helps to have a sense of humor about it though.  Usually, crisis + time= comedy.  By the time I'm 90, I'll have a lot to laugh about I guess.

Angels fly because they take themselves lightly. ~Chesterton, Gilbert K. 

Never Skip Breakfast

Baked Apple Date Oatmeal  For cold mornings, hot cereal is great, but baked oatmeal is even better.  It's a step up from the slow-cooker recipes for overnight oatmeal, with just a little more effort.  Leftovers are great too--I just warm the pan up in the oven in the morning before the kids get up.  Add a dollop of plain yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, and you are adding protein to balance with your carbohydrates. 

2 Cups Steel Cut Oats
1 Cup Almonds, Chopped
2 Tbs. Plain Yogurt or Kefir
1 Cup Water
6 Eggs, Beaten Lightly
1 Cup Almond Milk
3 Tbs. Real Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Golden Delicious Apples, Chopped
1/2 Cup Dates, Chopped, Soaked in Water, then Drained
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, Softened
1 Tbs Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cardamom
Dash of Sea Salt

Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with a bit of coconut oil or butter.  Combine the steel cut oats, almonds, yogurt, and water in the glass baking dish.  Allow this mixture to sit and soak.  Soak the dates whole, in a separate bowl of water.  Chop the apples and set aside.  In a larger mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.  Pour this mixture into the glass baking dish with the oat mixture, and stir well.  Fold in the chopped apples.  Drain the soaking dates, chop these up now that they are softened.  Fold in the chopped dates.  At this point, you may decide to cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge, so that preparation is easy and fresh in the morning.  When ready to prepare breakfast, bake at 375F for 40 minutes.  Serve warm, with a dollop of plain yogurt.

It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie This smoothie is very creamy.  If you like it to be a thicker consistency, use more avocado and banana.  If you like it to be a little less creamy, use a little less.  The avocado provides a sustaining source of healthy fat and protein to stabilize blood sugar at the start of the day.  Also, both avocados and bananas are known to raise serotonin levels, which makes for happier moods.
 

1 Cup Coconut water

½ cup plain yogurt

2 cups frozen mango

3 leaves of swiss chard (removing stems)

1/2-1 Frozen Banana

1/2-1 Avocado

1 teaspoon Raw Honey

Breakfast--The Most Important Meal of the Day~

Have you ever noticed how a bowl of cold cereal, especially sugary cereal can leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied?  Have you ever had your kids come asking for a snack only an hour after breakfast is over?  Have you ever felt tired, irritable, or emotional, and then realize that you haven't had breakfast or lunch yet?  

Well--you can do something about that.  It's pretty easy, as long as you put in a little more effort.

I'd be lying if I said we never ate cold cereal at our house.  That would be completely impractical.  Some mornings, we are just in a hurry, or we are lazy.  Sometimes, cereal just sounds so good--like when I'm pregnant.  Often cereal is my snack before bedtime too.  It has it's place, and I am ever grateful for it's wonderful invention!

Break-fast.  You have just slept hopefully 8 hrs. through the night without eating anything.  Now it's time to feed your body the right fuel to start your day.  It's time to break the fast, not continue starvation, right?  So, breakfast is all about stabilizing blood sugar levels.  In order to do that, you need a combination of protein and fiber.  It's not usually a good idea to load up on carbohydrates on an empty stomach.  This just starts the cycle of cravings, and blood sugar crashes.  There are three standard go-to meals to start our day at our house:

Some kind of Hot Cereal or Whole-Grain Breakfast

Some kind of Eggs

Some kind of Smoothie

Whole grains naturally contain a combination protein and fiber.  Refined carbs have been stripped of this value.  Usually if we are having hot cereal or pancakes, I try to encourage a little plain yogurt with it to level off blood sugar.  For example, we just had whole grain pancakes with plain yogurt and strawberries for dinner last night. 

Eggs are always getting a bad rap for cholesterol, but eat your egg yolks--they contain your Omega 3!   We probably eat eggs 1-2 times a week.  Omelets, fritata, scrambled, fried, poached, boiled, breakfast burritos, there are so many ways to enjoy them.  With it being St. Patrick's day recently, we had classic "Green Eggs n' Ham."  I colored scrambled eggs with a little chlorophyll--(found in the supplement department of your health food store.)  It looks disgusting, (which is why I decided not to show a picture here on the blog,) but the kids ate it up smiling and asking for more every day since.  I also splurged and gave them Lucky Charms...it was like Christmas, and I didn't have to worry about them bouncing off the walls later, because I gave them eggs to feed their little growing minds. 

As far as smoothies go, they are all the rage.  Everyone is making smoothies these days and adding veggies to the mix, making it easy to get your greens.  There are so many recipes circulating out there for smoothies, you simply have no excuse, unless you need to buy a good quality blender.  I chose to share one of our favorite green smoothies with you; also a great idea for breakfast on St. Patty's Day if you need ideas for next year.

Here's to a happier breakfast time!