Cauliflower and Kimchi “fried rice”

Now I love carbs and I am not afraid of them, but sometimes it’s good to switch it up. This “pretend” rice is so delicious and packed fill of nutrients, it’s gluten free and vegan and that won’t leave you feeling heavy. Can be served alone as a main dish or as a side.

Cauliflower contains phyochemicals and anticancer compounds which makes it and other cruciferous vegetables a great liver detoxifier, it’s great to add to your regular diet to help detoxify and eliminate harmful chemicals and hormones and to keep the liver in good health.

Kimchi is a fermented food which has natural probiotic properties, this is amazing to keep the gut flora in your body healthy and to rid the system of any harmful flora. Helps to regulate hormones, improves digestion, lowers cholesterol and boosts immune system.

I head of Cauliflower cut into small enough pieces t put in food processor, pulse into small pieces. Heat up 2tbsp of safflower oil and 2 tsp of seasame oil in a large sauté pan or wok. Add a small bunch of Chopped lacinato Kale and Cauliflower to heated oil. Stir and sauté until Kale is wilted and cauliflower begins to brown (about 3-5 mins) While that is cooking chop up two scallions (green onion) about a cup of Kimchi ( spicy or mild) and about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro. Mix these remaining ingredients into the pan along with 3 tbsp of tamari. Add any more seasoning to taste and enjoy! Prep and cook time 30 mins!

Feel Good Food

I ate vegan pizza 3 nights in a row this weekend. Don’t judge me. Not mad about, not one bit. Why? Because 1. I’ve discovered a new love for pizza, 2. Because cashew cheese, yes please, and because 3.  I’m trying to gain weight and I don’t give AF. I put what I want in my body without guilt and I enjoy it more, which in turn causes less cravings for things that maybe I shouldn’t eat so often. Ok, ok no I don’t make a habit of eating pizza 3 times a week on a regular basis, but when I do I am  going to enjoy it to the fullest and that’s exactly what I did.

So today I felt like making some feel good food. Most feel good food I can think of is Soup. So I made a Vegan Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup with Sourdough bread.  YUMMMMMMM! Even Kala had some that I mixed with her food, she licked the bowl clean, all but the Kale:/ Baby girl don’t like her greens I guess. Super easy to make.

Chop up 4 cloves of garlic put in pan with some olive oil, sautéed on low heat, put in large 6qt pot. Cut up 1 medium sweet pot and 3 Yukon golds into 1/4 inch squares, cut up 2 stalks of celery, put in pot mix up season with sea salt, pepper, oregano and coriander. Sautéed in pot for about 10 mins. Add 2-3 cans on white cannelloni beans and 4 cups of vegetable broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 10 mins or until potatoes are cooked through. Add 1 bundle of kale torn up into smallish pieces, cook till wilted. About 2 mins. Top with sun dried tomatoes and serve with soft sourdough bread to soak up the yummy goodness.

Sourdough is prob my favorite bread to eat guilt free. It has good bacteria, its easier to digest, has natural preservatives, good for blood glucose regulation, and better absorption of vitamins and minerals. So eat more bread!

Bowls all Day Everyday

Hands down Pitaya/Acai/Fruit bowls are probably one of my all time favorite things to eat. I seriously could eat them all day everyday. They are super delicious and nutritious! It is also a guilt free sweet treat for when you are having those sweet tooth cravings.

The Pitaya Cactus, otherwise known as the Dragonfruit is considered a Superfruit, originally native to Mexico, transported to Central America and Europe and cultivated in SE Asia, The US (including right here in the Sonoran Desert) Israel, Australia, Cyprus and the Canary Islands. It has the texture of a kiwi with tiny, crunchy black seeds inside, flavor is mildly sweet and nutty.

It is considered a Superfruit for its high antioxidant content, fights free radicals, protecting cells, protects against heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Great source of Iron which carries oxygen to the entire body and vital for brain and muscle function. High in fiber, which aids in digestion, helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and controls blood sugar levels, and lowers cholesterol levels. Rich in Magnesium to increase energy, helps to regulate Sodium, Potassium and Calcium levels. Also helps relax muscles, nerves and anxiety, which leads to better sleep and muscle recovery.

Pitaya Bowl
1 cup Almond milk
1 scoop Vanilla (Nutrasuma Vegan Protein)
1 pack frozen Pitaya 
1 cup frozen pineapple 
1 banana (save 1/2 for topping)
2 tablespoons of almond butter (save 1 for topping)
Toppings
Fresh Fruit
Coconut Flakes
Shaved Almonds
Almond Butter
Cacao Nibs

Is the Work ever Done?

A most common misconception of a yogi is that we are always, at peace, joyful, calm, cool and collected. Mmmeeeeeep! Wrong! We are all human, going through the same experiences, trying to get by one day at a time. The more we work through the practice the more layers are unveiled and the more work we discover we have to do.  But is it really about doing more work? Or is it about connecting deeper with yourself that the hidden fragments of yourself begin to reveal themselves. We begin to discover that maybe everything isn’t always warm and fuzzy.

I had an experience the other night that revealed the not so calm and collected side of me. I came home after teaching an evening class to discover my sink had been overflowing due to a clog in the city line, it was overflowing and beginning to go into the living room. I panicked, not really knowing what to do. I picked up the phone and called the emergency line. I know the maintenance guy well and he is the nicest guy ever. After he told me that they would call the plumber but didn’t know how long it would be for them to come, I lost my cool, I raised my voice and probably said some things that were unnecessary to get my point across. I lost sense of the fact that it was 11 in the evening, he had been sleeping and who knows how soon a plumber could get there. It was all about me. I became selfish and was only concerned with my own needs. Luckily the water had stopped so at this point all I could do was wait. I soaked up as much of the water as I could with every towel that I own and I decided to lay down.

As I laid in bed I started to reflect on my reaction and my behavior. I did not stop and breathe, I instantly reacted when I should have tried to calm myself before even picking up the phone. So then I started to beat myself up for my behavior and how I spoke to the maintenance guy. “You’re better than that, you know not to react so quickly, what is wrong with you? ” I fell asleep feeling pretty crappy about myself.

The next morning I woke up and decided to forgive myself. I realized that I have grown so much in the past few years and had the same thing happened several years ago my behavior would have been my reaction last night tenfold. I am doing the best I can and sometimes we are given tests to show us where we are and that we still have more to be revealed to us. But the biggest reminder is that I am perfectly imperfect just the way I am. We make mistakes, we forgive and we move on and grow from them.

Today’s pose is about surrendering to what is, bowing to yourself, forgiving yourself and honoring yourself just the way you are.

Janu Sirsasana, Head to Knee Forward Fold.

Beginning in Dandasasana  or Staff pose remove flesh from underneath sits bones, bend right knee and bring into the inner left thigh. Square torso over the extended leg, by tipping the pelvis forward begin to bring torso over the extended leg, draw the right shoulder to the left and down, keep the heart lifted, straight spine, keep the extended leg foot flexed pressing the back of the thigh into the mat, reach arms forward and then allow the body to melt and surrender to sensations. Hold for for several breathes. Repeat on the other side.

Love Letters to Myself

It’s called my jar of love. I keep it on a shelf and fill it with words of love to myself. Sometimes I just feel like I need to write something down to remind myself to be more loving to myself, sometimes something comes to me in a meditation or a dream, or maybe I heard or read something inspirational that I just want to reflect back on or remember. Every now and then I’ll draw from the jar, it never fails that what I draw is exactly what I needed to hear for the day, sometimes I will sit in meditation with what was written. It has been like a having a long time pen pal with my most loving self, the self that I need to connect to as often as I can. Every once and a while I’ll dump the whole jar out and sit and read every little message I’ve written. No two are the same and they all still hold so much truth for me. Words of gratitude, inspiration, love, wisdom, vulnerability and spirituality.

Who doesn’t like to receive a love letter? Try it out yourself, you might just find you have a new crush. On yourself😉

Thirsty Thursday

Before my grandmother passed last year, she had almost completely lost her eye sight, she had Macular Degeneration. Her eyesight became very blurry and gradually got worse over time. She use to sit on the floor late into her 80’s to get close enough to watch tv, she loved baseball, it seemed like there was always a baseball game on the tv. She would read things with an antique magnifying glass until it got so bad she couldn’t see well enough to read at all. Whenever I would visit she would recognize me by my voice but would have me come close to her so she could squeeze my face between her hands and pull it up close just so she could see my face. God I miss her.

This weeks juice is dedicated to my grandma. So yummy and refreshing.

Emma’s Juice

2 Med Tomatoes
1 Celery Stalk
1/2 a Cucumber
A Wedge of Pineapple
3 Radishes including the stems
1/2 A Beet
1/2 A Lemon
Handful of Parsley
Handful of Cilantro

Tomatoes for your eyes. Tomatoes are super high in Lycopene which has been shown to reduce the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and also heart disease by neutralizing free radicals before the cellular damage is done. One thing to keep in mind is that while raw foods generally have the most bioavailability of nutrients, lycopene is actually made more readily available by either juicing or cooking your tomatoes.

Celery is rich in potassium and sodium which can be used as an electrolyte replacer.

Cucumber is an excellent source of Silica which is a trace mineral that helps to strengthen connective tissues.

Pineapple is well known for its high content of bromelain, which is a protein digesting enzyme. It not only helps with digestion but also reduces inflammation.

Radishes are from the cruciferous family and have anti-cancer properties. It is also aids in cleansing the liver.

Beets are great for detoxifying the liver, high in anti cancer properties. Also a good source of Manganese, potassium, phosphorus and Iron and B6.

Lemons are super high in Vit C so a super antioxidant and although they are acidic tasting they are actually super alkalizing.

Parsley is high in chlorophyll which has super high anti cancer properties. Because it it a nerve stimulant it is know to be an energizer when added to juices.

Cilantro or otherwise known as coriander has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Considered a healing spice aids in digestion.

 

 

I have Depression

A little while back I saw a post from someone, it was a young woman with her father. She was sharing the reason why she was always so positive and happy, and how the reason was because of her dad, how he was always so uplifting and always positive. This post really affected me. You become the company you surround yourself with.

I have depression, I can remember having it for most of my life. It runs in my family, on both sides. It comes and goes, sometimes only lasting a couple weeks to a month or two, then I wake up and its gone, sometimes not to return again for a year, maybe two. I never know when it is going to come crashing down on me.

Let’s talk about last year a little bit. It was a good year! I had some major highs. Graduated from my program at school, made some amazingly inspiring and supportive new friends, I went to Peru! Moved into my very own place for the first time in years. Talk about highs. I returned to my new home from Peru and shit hit the fan. Many of you that know me do not know this but for 6 straight months I was fucking depressed. I have learned to hide it well. My days consisted of waking up, going to yoga, going home and sleeeping until I had to wake up to go to a job that was not serving me in any way, go home, go back to bed, repeat. This went on for months. My friends had to drag me out of bed and I never wanted to go, I couldn’t wait to get back home to crawl back into my cave.

I am a part of a woman’s circle that meets once a month. One night in circle I had a major breakdown, completely melted in front of all of my sisters. The love and support that I received from these women, some that I’ve never even met before was overwhelming, so much that I couldn’t even handle it and had to walk, no run out. One of my best friends followed me out and found me balling my eyes out in the front yard. She held me and caressed my hair and just held space until I was able to breathe enough to share with her. A few moments later another friend came out, we talked, we laughed, and cried some more. I went home.

The next morning I woke up and something was different, the weight was gone, my depression had left me once again. Looking back I realize that I did not have a “breakdown” I had a “break through”

So why am I sharing this? Aren’t we always suppose to be positive and uplifting when we share publicly. No. I am sharing because I want people to know they are not alone. When you show your truest most raw and vulnerable self, you create space for others to see that they are not alone, we are all in this together, we are all just trying to get through this thing we call life.

I am beyond grateful for my depression, it is a part of me that I have learned to love and embrace. I know that I had to suffer in order to get where I am today. I would not have discovered my newest project without it. When we learn to embrace all parts of ourselves, the light and the dark, we realize the infinite connection that lies within us, the connection that is what we all are and that is love. So learn to take care of and nurture your darkness, because without it how where will the light crack through.

Breakfast bowl

Going from vegetarian to vegan, I will admit, giving up eggs has probably been the most challenging part. I use to eat eggs everyday and not just for breakfast, I would eat them any time of day. So I am back to experimenting with new breakfast ideas.

Breakfast bowls are super easy delicious and packed with nutrients. I tend always have a couple different veggies precooked so I can just add them to dishes throughout the week. Doing a little bit of meal prep over the weekend will save a ton of time throughout the week. Sweet potatoes are probably my number one staple that I always have cooked.

Veggie Sausage
Tofu
Sweet potatoes
Brussle Sprouts
Onions
Arugula

Super easy, I only cook with coconut oil. It is the safest oil to cook with at high heat. Heat oil in a pan add onions sautée, add a little salt and pepper, cook till lightlygolden.

In a separate pan start to cook the sausage, add tofu, I just cut pieces up and start to scramble it in with the sausage. Season, I did salt pepper and a little bit of cumin and red chili flakes.

In the veggie pan add potatoes, (already cooked) reheat till they start to get a little crisp to them or to your liking, then add Brussels (these are already cooked so mainly just need to be reheated) and lastly add arugula.

Finally mix the veggies in with the sausage and tofu and voila ready to serve.