motivation, food, health, yoga

Mango Avocado Salad, Ingredients: 2 ripe Mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped 1 Large Avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped 1 lime – squeeze the juice from it 1 tangerine – squeeze the juice from it 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Cilantro Leaves 1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup cashews or pieces 1 3/4 cups purified water 1 cup maple syrup or agave syrup 2 tsp vanilla flavour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup of organic peanut butter (or blended peanuts with a tsp of coconut oil)Action: 1.Combine all ingredients (except for the peanut butter) in a blender. 2. Spoon in the peanut butter, mix it around the chocolate syrup. 3. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or popsicle molds and freeze OR pour the whole mixture into an air tight container and freeze it like regular ice cream. Studies have found that some teas may help with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; encourage weight loss; lower cholesterol; and bring about mental alertness. Tea also appears to have antimicrobial qualities. Tea is a name given to a lot of brews, but purists consider only green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea the real thing. They are all derived from the Camellia sinensisplant, a shrub native to China and India, and contain unique antioxidants called flavonoids. The most potent of these, known as ECGC, may help against free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries. All these teas also have caffeine and theanine, which affect the brain and seem to heighten mental alertness. The more processed the tea leaves, usually the less polyphenol content. Polyphenols include flavonoids. Oolong and black teas are oxidized or fermented, so they have lower concentrations of polyphenols than green tea; but their antioxidizing power is still high. Here’s what some studies have found about the potential health benefits of tea: Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels. Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke. White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas. Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims. Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol. ~AVOCADO SMOOTHIE~ 1 ripe avocado 1 banana 1 kiwi raw almond milk* raw honey or agave Blend and serve as is. I usually also add pomegranate juice. Recipe via Whole Family Fare. Her blog has really great vegan/raw/vegetarian recipes

Nourishment

A Look At The Root Chakra

Chakra is a word that means wheel in Sanskrit.  As humans, we have 7 main “wheels” of energy in our body and the 1^st wheel is at our base, which is called the root chakra (being the one that is closest to the earth).  The next seven weeks I will go through each chakra.  Each chakra is related to an element, resonates with a color and is related to specific issues.  (The colors are related to the spectrum of the rainbow.)  Our chakras are very complex, especially the root chakra.  My intention with this subject is to introduce you to the chakras and give you a basic knowledge so that if you can identify an imbalance you will be able to explore further in order to help your self bring it back into balance.

The Sanskrit name for the base chakra is Muladhara.  Our root chakra is located at the base of the trunk of our body.  This chakra involves our feet, legs, large intestine, and the tailbone section of our spine.  (Some books say the hips, lower back and genitals are related to the root chakra and some books say those parts are related to the 2^nd chakra.)  The root chakra is related to the earth element and it is mother earth that supports our ‘root’.

Svadhisthana

The second chakra’s sanskrit name is Svadhisthana.  The element in connection to the second chakra iswater. Oddly, the color that resonates with this chakra is orange.  It seems strange since water is not associated with this color.  It is located between the navel and root chakra (lowest area of the trunk of our body).

The main subjects related to this chakra are the emotions and sexuality.  So like that of water, the goal of this chakra is fluidity- keeping the energy in the body moving.  Like the tides of the sea going in and out, back and forth, so is that of our emotions.  The energy needs to keep moving and experiencing change to stay fresh, otherwise it becomes stagnate.  This leads to the definition of emotion, which is: energy in motion.

Manipura

CHARGE!  Get ready, get set, GO!  This is our third chakra!  Third chakra’s element is fire and this is our energy center that gives us our, “Get Up and GO!”  Think of the third chakra like your pilot light in your oven (a gas oven).  If the pilot light in your oven goes out, there is no cooking to be done and such is the case with this chakra.  Hence, it is good to find your fire to keep the spark, if things are to get done.

Our third chakra is located in the solar plexus region of our body.  It is found between the sternum and navel. Yellow is the color that resonates with the frequency of this chakra.  It is ruled by the planet Mars (also related to the sun).  Manipura is the Sanskrit name.

Vegetable Quinoa Curry Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups baby green beans
• 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
• 4 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped coriander
• 1 1/2 TBS coconut oil
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 large onion, cut into strips
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. ground coriander

Let’s Get Cracking:

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add quinoa cooking for 5 mins
• Add green beans and cook for a further 5 mins
• Now drain and set aside in a colander
• In a frying pan sauté garlic, ginger and onions in coconut oil push to one side and toast cumin and coriander and turmeric for a couple of minutes, stirring consistently
• Add cauliflower, cashews and carrots and stir fry for a couple of minutes then add stock and bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer and stir through coconut milk cook for 10-15 mins
• Remove from stove and stir coriander through and then fold in quinoa and green beans

View other’s successes, as inspiration and confirmation that you, too, can have whatever you want. Tell yourself, without a trace of bitterness, that everyone, including yourself, deserves to have a peaceful, pleasurable life. If there’s something about another’s life that really excites you, use that feeling to motivate you! Be thankful that the other person helped you uncover your goals, so you’re now clear about what you want.

* Every minute there are many functions being carried out simultaneously within our bodies and for all these functions to be carried out smoothly one basic requirement is necessary: The body’s acid alkaline balance (or the pH level) must be maintained for the immune system to fight diseases and for cell degeneration (aging, illness and poor health) to be prevented.

* A healthy body needs what is called a healthy pH level.  The pH level is a measure of the total acid alkaline balance in our bodies.  The acid alkaline balance should ideally be at a ration of 1 is to 4 for optimum health. Where for every one part of acid there are four alkaline parts. This can be easily maintained by eating foods in a similar acid alkaline ratio. We should make sure that about 80 % of our food intake is alkaline in nature while only 20 % of the total food intake is acidic. When we start to consume more of acidic foods our body ph tilts towards the acid side.

RANKED FOOD CHART : ALKALINE TO ACIDIC

EXTREMELY ALKALINE

Lemons, Watermelon

ALKALINE FORMING

Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes (sweet), Watercress

Asparagus, Fruit Juices, Grapes (sweet), Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears (sweet), Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices

MODERATELY ALKALINE

Apples (sweet), Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas (ripe), Currants, Dates, Figs (fresh), Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs (leafy green), Lettuce (leafy green), Nectarine, Peaches (sweet), Pears (less sweet), Peas (fresh, sweet), Pumpkin (sweet), Sea Salt (vegetable)

Apples (sour), Beans (fresh, green), Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger (fresh), Grapes (sour), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn (fresh), Turnip, Vinegar (apple cider)

SLIGHLTY ALKALINE

Almonds, Artichokes (Jerusalem), Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes (sweet), Vinegar (sweet brown rice)

Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks (soft cooked), Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Yeast (nutritional flakes)

NEUTRAL

Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Margine, Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain)

MODERATELY ACIDIC

Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Butter, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic)

EXTREMELY ACIDIC

Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)