Yoga master Carter Miles guides you through a soothing breathing routine to reduce stress and anxiety and restore emotional balance

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Ten minutes…that’s all it takes for this gentle breathwork to calm and restore your brain. Of course, you can repeat it as often as you like. If you find yourself off-kilter, unfocused, nervous, anxious or overwhelmed…give it a try. It’s particularly helpful before bedtime.

If you want a more ambitious breathwork routine, try Carter’s Best Self Breathwork: Daily Practice.

If you want a short, restorative yoga practice to realign your spine, relieve back pain and improve your flexibility (and mood!), try Carter’s Yogic Posture Reset.

The post Brain Reset: Gentle Breathwork to Calm Your Nervous System and Mind appeared first on BEST SELF.

This 20-minute, yoga-inspired practice is medicine for back pain and tightness, and a salve for your mental wellbeing

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This practice, while benefiting nearly everyone, will be especially helpful for you if you have sciatica or notice achiness in your joints, hips, spine, back, shoulders or neck. Sitting at a computer all day? Take a break with these postural alignments, which you can do on the floor or carpet — no mat required.

Looking for a gentle morning yoga routine to help you wake up and greet the day with an energized and open mind and body? Try Carter’s Morning Yoga & Meditation.

Want a higher-intensity yoga practice? Try Carter’s Inner Power Warrior Flow.

The post Yogic Posture Reset for Flexibility and Back Pain Relief appeared first on BEST SELF.

Join Carter Miles in this introductory breathwork practice for improved health and emotional wellbeing.

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If you haven’t experienced the power of breathwork yet, you are in for a treat. This 25-minute practice will guide you through a few simple breathing techniques which will help you get a feel for how breathwork works.

The two reasons why I practice & teach breathing… One, for a healthy body and Two, for a healthy mind.

The way that we breathe affects how well oxygen (our primary source of energy) is delivered to the cells. Enhancing or optimizing the circulation and delivery of oxygen is a vitally important part of health maintenance and of healing. It is easily possible to increase the oxygen delivery within our cells 50-100% which means much more available energy for the body to perform it’s life sustaining functions and much more available energy for us to play, learn, explore and live.

The way that we breathe also affects how our nervous system behaves (I’m calling this the mind). Keeping a light, steady and calm breath creates a similar experience in the mind. The nervous systems calm down, we shift out of Sympathetic (fight or flight) and into Parasympathetic (rest, digest & restore), which is also a necessary part of health. No organism can live long or well in Sympathetic activation, but so many of us are living with much sympathetic dominance, which leads to all sorts of stress-related issues, diseases and psychological disorders.

If you’d like to learn more about breathing, check me out (Carter Miles) at cartermilesyoga.com or on my instagram @cartermilesyoga. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga: Inner Power Warrior Flow with Carter Miles

The post Best Self Breathwork: Daily Practice appeared first on BEST SELF.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

One woman’s labor of love to archive her family’s heritage results in a gorgeous cookbook that feeds us body, mind and spirit

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When my daughter graduated from college and moved back home a few years ago, she started cooking and experimenting with Persian dishes. She asked me about traditional Persian recipes such as Ghormeh Sabzi (Herbed Stew) and Polo Gojeh (Tomato Rice). It was then that I realized that if I didn’t write down our family recipes, the important stories and our language would be forgotten in a matter of a generation or two.

That was my incentive to write a cookbook called Persian Delicacies: Jewish Foods for Special Occasions in which I highlight Iranian food and discuss some of the customs of Persian Jewish families.

I felt an obligation to document and to pass down the recipes as well as the stories of our immigration from Iran to the next generation.

I reached out to my friends and family members and asked for their signature recipes. I wanted to collect our family stories through the prism of food and preserve them for posterity. Most of the people I asked for help from were generous in sharing their time and their specialties. My sister’s mother-in-law shared five of her famous dishes that she prepares for Shabbat (Friday night) dinners. There are also recipes from my mother, my sister, my aunts and uncle and even an exotic Syrian recipe from my cousin who is married to a Syrian man.

This labor of love took six years to compile, translate and edit. At times, the project became so overwhelming that I had to set it aside for a few months before I could resume my work. I almost gave up a few times. My family played a huge role in keeping me motivated to complete the project. What started as a small family cookbook became a 250-page tome that was finally ready for publication. I even interviewed nutritionists and doctors and incorporated their advice.

I’m proud to have published a book that can be of value to the younger generation—and I invite you to share in my family’s heritage via your kitchen.

Here are three recipes from Persian Delicacies:

Avocado & Spinach Hummus

This recipe was a creative invention with the ingredients that I use almost every day. The spinach and avocados give a rich color and a smooth texture to this staple. I’ve used this recipe as a pasta sauce as well; it’s a lighter alternative to pesto. Avocados are packed with vitamins E, K, folate, carotenoids, potassium, lutein, fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids. Eating avocados can help lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw (or canned) chickpeas
• 2 cups water
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ½ of a ripe avocado
• 1 small shallot (or a clove of garlic), peeled
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 or 3 sprigs of dill (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. If you’re using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight. Drain the chickpeas and cook in 2 cups water on medium-low heat until the chickpeas are soft
2. In a blender or food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth
3. Serve in a medium bowl
4. Season to taste and garnish with a sprig of dill or spinach (optional)

Autumn Salad

This colorful salad is packed with vitamins and minerals. Sunflower seeds are rich in B-complex vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamin E. Squash is rich in manganese – a mineral that helps boost bone health. It helps the body’s ability to process fats and carbohydrates. Squash is also a great source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate and riboflavin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red leaf lettuce (or romaine lettuce or arugula)
• 1 cup baby spinach (or kale)
• 1 avocado, cored, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup cooked and sliced (or cubed) butternut squash
• 1 medium or 2 small red beets, cooked, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or pomegranate molasses)
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
• ¼ cup shelled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• To make the salad dressing combine the olive oil, pomegranate molasses (or balsamic vinegar), salt and pepper in a cup or in a Mason jar. Set aside
• Arrange the lettuce, spinach and avocado on salad plates
• Arrange the squash and the beets around the greens. Get creative with your design
• Shake the Mason jar before dressing the salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds (optional)

Vegetarian Tahchin

Tahchin is traditionally made using yogurt and chicken. This is a vegetarian version. If you prefer a non-dairy dish, you can use mayonnaise instead of yogurt. Barberries are the traditional topping for Tahchin, but you can omit them or substitute dried cherries or dried cranberries. If you are not a fan of eggplant, you can substitute mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked long grain or basmati rice
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)
• 1 Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons saffron mixture
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or clarified butter)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup Barberries (optional)

Directions:

• Prepare the saffron mixture. Set aside.
• Place the sliced eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon salt over the eggplant to get rid of the bitter flavor. Let stand for 10 minutes. Pat the eggplants dry with a paper towel.
• In a large bowl mix the rice, yogurt, eggs, saffron mixture, lemon juice, and salt until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Pour half of the rice mixture into a greased, round or rectangular baking dish or glass dish. Add the sliced eggplant and pour the rest of the rice mixture into the dish.
• Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes. Bake for up to an hour for a crispier dish. (Garnish with barberries that have been sautéed in butter or oil and 1 small shallot if desired).

*For a non-dairy variation use ¼ cup of mayonnaise instead of the yogurt.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Mum’s Everyday Dal — Red Lentils with Sizzling Spiced Oil, by Aarti Sequeira.

The post Persian Delicacies: Preserving Family Legacy (+ 3 Delicious Recipes) appeared first on BEST SELF.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

A quest for balance and healthy living inspires celebrity yoga twins to share their chakra-loving “recipes” for life

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Lions, tigers and chakras…oh my!

Balance has become a buzz word. In this world of constant hustle and bustle, gadgets and gurus—attaining this notion of “being balanced” is enough to make one dizzy. And when we are overwhelmed with not knowing how and where to start…we often don’t.

There’s a lot to sort through on the path to achieving this harmonious peace we all seek. It starts by pausing and uncomplicating things. One of the most powerful lessons that life has taught us is that most of the answers to life’s dilemmas are already right there inside each of us. Seek no further…you’ve got this! Isn’t that a relief in itself?

Our journeys may look very different from the outside, but it is the same energy flowing through each of us that guides us along the way.

The key to staying in balance is recognizing when we are out of balance. There is no golden recipe or magic wand to achieve a state of constant bliss. Life is a perpetual ebb and flow of falling in and out of harmony in different areas of our lives. To feel and to flow is to be human.

We get it—we’re both moms and entrepreneurs who run our own businesses and have houses full of teenagers (enough said). So, feeling a degree of chaos is to be expected in the busyness of life. It’s what we do with our “chaos” and how we navigate it that matters most. Learning and understanding the merit of our chakras and our “energy bodies” has helped us both understand how to recognize when we need more self-care in certain areas of our lives. In other words, it’s how we reset and recalibrate. When we are out of alignment, it is simply shining the spotlight on where our attention is needed.

The Yogic principles of the energy system can be confusing, but instead of trying to understand all the complexities of an ancient philosophy, sometimes it’s better to just learn how to feel it.

We all know what anxiety feels like; for me it might be a queasy feeling in my stomach, but for you the muscles in your lower back might tighten up. Regardless, we both need to get grounded in our root chakra. A simple walk outside barefoot or the right essential oil can bring you right back to feeling secure and trusting in the Universe again. I’m serious, it’s that simple once you begin to understand the power of connection to yourself.

The chakras are like a recipe that help categorize and integrate the ingredients for creating balance. We each have different measurements (and different needs) to make it right for us. Most of us have long been connecting to our chakras without even knowing it. The last time you got dressed up and went out dancing because you were in a rut—you were healing your sacral chakra. You probably left the dance floor invigorated. You felt more confident after a hard ab workout because your solar plexus was on fire. We all know that self-care helps us to care for those around us, and who doesn’t feel more alive after belting out their favorite song in the car or shower? When we can slow down and quiet all of the noise that surrounds us (even if just temporarily), we start to hear that little voice that is always there ready, to guide us back to feeling centered. If we stumble or feel off our game, we can get back up simply by realigning with our chakras.

It is from this quest and desire that our journey to creating “The ChinTwins”, our new show airing on The Design Network (debuting February 16^th), was born.

This series explores how we can seek balance in everything we do. Each episode highlights a chakra and illustrates how our energy centers can be balanced through mindful living by cultivating a holistic approach to our homes, style, beauty routines and cooking. 

From preparing meals for our families, to throwing a party to commune with others, and indulging in self-care to organizing your kitchen—every aspect of this series will take the viewer on a journey to reconnect with their chakras. Each week, The ChinTwins will simplify some of yoga’s more complex principles and to make it fun, accessible and easy to slow down and look inward. 

Join us as we prepare a dish inspired by visiting local artisans in Woodstock, New York, where we learn their craft and hear their stories. Each dish hosts a “Golden Ingredient” that we twist into a DIY beauty treatment. From your root chakra to your third eye chakra, we will explore them all and discover how to nourish ourselves while feeding others. The kitchen is where we gather, where we stop everything and work together to create a common comfort.

We focus on each other, share our lives and savor memories from the past and most of the time we learn something new. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we always share a little bit of our heart in our food. 

Please tune in as we gather, ground, feast and spread the love…one chakra at a time!

Root Chakra 

Join us as we connect with our roots by visiting a local market steeped in tradition, and by preparing our grandmother’s famous dumplings. If you are grounded to your foundation, you can move mountains! Allow your roots to support you and stay connected by passing on your family’s traditions in the kitchen and beyond. 

Sacral Chakra 

We have always valued the idea of balancing work and play, so when it comes time to take a break, we love to express our creativity through entertaining! Let’s explore how our passions can create our realties, and how to harness that energy! Join us, as we throw a Fiesta and visit local creatives who express themselves through their craft. 

Solar Plexus 

Discovering your inner strength is the key to a happy and successful life. Come with us today as we visit a breathtaking location that will inspire us to declutter and get organized and then heat things up in the kitchen with a healthy competition! Let’s discover how to clean out old habits and find our own power! 

Heart Chakra

Let’s get down to the heart of the matter! Before we can care for others, we need to start with loving and caring for ourselves. It’s time to scrub away the past and shower ourselves with self-care at a fabulous spa, then create a succulent dish inspired by our beauty treatment. By embracing the present moment with an open heart, we can all glow and share our inner light.

Throat Chakra

Get ready to bite into the bread of life at a local bakery and soothe your soul with their creations, then head back to our kitchen as we try out the new techniques we learned. When we get into the flow of life, we can communicate our own unique magic.

Third Eye Chakra

Roll up your sleeves and join us as we dig deep into a local garden to harvest roots and herbs for a seasonal Ayurvedic dish that will balance all of our elements. True balance is found when we listen to what our bodies need and let nature be the guide. 

TRAILER FOR THE SERIES

You may also enjoy reading A Body of Art: A Celebration of Life in Motion, by the ChinTwins

The post One Chakra at a Time: Shifting into Your Best Self with the ChinTwins  appeared first on BEST SELF.

A 60-minute Warrior-centric Yoga flow for unblocking energy, cultivating INNER power and Embodying peace.

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We grow from challenge, it’s how we become stronger. And it’s in the face of challenge, if we can stay calm, that we become more resilient, less reactive, and more empowered. This yoga series is to bring out the peaceful, powerful warrior within us.

After breathing in stillness, we’ll move quickly through the Surya series’ (Sun A’s and B’s), then slow down for our standing series and finally we’ll sit for our cool down.

** If you are new to yoga or if your body isn’t feeling so great today, try one of our more restorative practices:

Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation

Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention

Sleep Better… A Few Stretches for Bedtime

The post Best Self Yoga: Inner Power Warrior Flow appeared first on BEST SELF.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Whether we need to forgive ourselves or others, it’s important that we process our healing not just in our minds, but in our bodies.

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Whether we need to forgive ourselves or others, it’s important that we process our healing not just in our minds, but in our bodies. So much of our past trauma and lived experience is held in the physical body. In the yoga tradition it is believed that true healing comes from the combination of equal parts action and equal parts intention. Couple this physical yoga sequence with the intention of forgiveness to experience a profound release and transformation of heart.

A shift of consciousness

Guilt in its healthy expressions is a temporal emotion which allows us to experience genuine remorse. Similarly, anger toward someone whom we trusted and let us down, helps us to reflect on our boundaries, expectations, or maybe standards within a relationship. However, when either of these emotions become a permanent theme of consciousness, they begin to drain our energy and create a self-sabotaging cycle. A good practice for allowing ourselves to fully feel our emotions without getting stuck is to give ourselves a physical practice such as this sequence to process our hurt feelings while simulating a physical experience to release and move through our emotions.

All of the following poses should be practiced with full presence on the situation you are processing. All poses can be modified or adjusted to fit your abilities or comfort.

Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana)

Our emotions are held in our second chakra, the sacral chakra. Thus, whenever we are carrying heavy emotions our hips tighten. Invite the hips to release any stored guilt or anger with every exhalation. As the hips relax, notice a shift in your emotional body.

Hold for 3-5 minutes per side.

• Sit square with the edge of your mat and stack one shin on top of the other.
• Activate your feet.
• Place your hands on your top knee to add weight or hinge forward at the hips upon exhaling to fold forward.
• You can create a pillow for your forehead on your forearms.

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Our heart chakra is home to our eternal soul. Everything we have experienced in this life up until this point has shaped our heart. Every struggle, every set back, and every mistake is a perfect part of our story. As you lean into this pose, honor all of your life experiences (the good and the bad) with love, acceptance, and total grace.

Hold for 3-5 full breaths

• Separate your knees hip width apart to stand on your shins
• Bring your hands to your low back, fingers pointing down
• Roll your shoulders back and done until you feel the tips of your shoulder blades pressing your heart forward
• Inhale, press your hips forward while you arch back any amount
• Option to stay here with your hands on your low back or on an exhalation reach back for your heels one hand at a time
• You may tuck your toes under to bring your heels up higher
• When exiting the pose, bring your hands back to your low back and sit onto your heels to rest

Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Continuing to open and release the heart chakra, take wheel pose while repeating these affirmations either silently or aloud.

1. “I forgive myself and others. I let go of the past.”
2. “It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay for others to make mistakes.”
3. “I extend the same love and compassion to myself that I would give to another.”

Hold for 3-5 full breaths

• Lie down on your back, bend your knees and plant your feet hip width apart
• Bring your hands over head and place your palms down next to your ears with your fingers pointing toward your body
• On an inhale breath, press your feet and hands into the mat you lift yourself off of the mat
• Begin to straighten your arms while hugging your elbows in toward your ears
• Let your head hang freely or try to look toward your feet
• To exit the pose, slowly bend your knees and elbows to gracefully lower yourself back to the mat
• Option to modify and replace this pose with bridge pose instead.

Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)

Connect with your inner child and feelings of innocence. We are all doing the best we can with what we know and what we were given.

Hold for 1-3 minutes

• Lay on your back and bend your knees to grab the insides of your feet
• Draw your knees down to the floor outside of your rib cage
• Stack your heels over your knees and flex through your feet
• Draw your sacrum down to the mat and imagine all your vertebrae imprinting on the earth
• Option to rock side to side

Three Part Breathing

Allow yourself to be born anew, letting go fully of the past. Remind yourself that every new moment is another opportunity to start over and choose again.

Breathe for 3-5 minutes

• Lay on your back and bring your heels together to breathe butterfly wing legs. (If you feel pressure in your low back straighten your legs instead)
• Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly
• Take a deep inhale breath through your nose and intentionally fill first your low belly, then expand your ribs, and lastly fill your chest with air
• Exhale all three parts out through your mouth making an audible sigh out

If you are stuck in loop thinking from past hurts, please give yourself this gift of forgiveness.

“Thinking” about it usually doesn’t create healing. We’ve got to penetrate our subconscious mind and get deeper into the soul. Body movement, breath work, and intention are just some of the tools that can help us get out of our heads and into our body and soul.

You may also enjoy reading Sleep Better… A Few Stretches for Bedtime, by Carter Miles

The post A Yoga Practice for Forgiveness appeared first on BEST SELF.

Slow down, take some deep breaths and release the tension from your body with these stretches to sleep better tonight!

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Finally, the day is done and we make our way towards the bed, we crawl in… but no sleep comes. Sometimes the mind-body has trouble fully relaxing, the excitement (or stressors!) and memories of the day are still alive in our minds and active through our muscles.

This yoga series provides a simple and calm way to release the stored up energy of the day, slow down and prepare us for sleep (total time 20-25 minutes).

Baddha Konasana

Start in a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together with the knees falling outwards. Inhale: open your arms; exhale: give yourself a hug and fold forward. Let your skull hang heavy and breathe into your back body. Stay for 2-3 minutes.

Paravrtta Janu Sirsasana

Extend the left leg out and bring the sole of the right foot to the left inner thigh. Sit up tall, inhale: right arm up; exhale: reach your right arm outside your left thigh, calf, ankle or foot. Hold on with your hand, but relax everything else. Let your skull hang and breath into your low back. Stay for 2 minutes and then switch sides.

Upavistha Konasana

Extend your legs outwards with the toes straight up. Sit upright and inhale: lengthen your spine. Exhale: fold forward as much as you can and then relax totally. Breathe easy. Stay for 2-3 minutes.

Kapotanasana

Bring the right leg forward with the knee at 90 degrees (or a little less), the left leg is extended back. Even your weight so your hips are pointed forwards and your weight is not falling to one side. Stay upright for 1 minute, this is to open the left hip flexor. Inhale slowly then exhale: fold forward laying over your right leg; this is for the right outer hip and glute muscles. Stay here for 2 minutes and then switch sides.

Jathara Parivartanasana

Start lying on your back, bring the right knee in and inhale. Exhale: take your knee across your body and open your right arm out. Bring your left hand onto your right thigh and gaze over your right shoulder. Breathe slowly, down into your belly and allow your breath to unlock the twist. Stay for 2 minutes and then switch sides.

Halasana

Press your hands down by your hips and then swing your legs up and over head (they may touch the ground, but maybe not). Hands can be on the spine for support, lazy by the sides, or reaching back towards the feet (as the photo shows). Keep your neck long and soft, breathe into your back body. Stay here for 2-5 minutes and then roll out.

** If this is too much on your neck, bring your knees into your chest and hug around your shins instead.

Svasana

Lay flat on your mat for a few minutes or crawl right into bed and rest!

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation with Carter Miles

The post Sleep Better… A Few Stretches for Bedtime appeared first on BEST SELF.

Is yoga beneficial for sciatica? Yes! Here are the 7 best yoga poses for sciatica pain

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If you have sciatica, you know how challenging it can be to get through daily life without pain. But there is a solution that could help relieve your pain and assist your recovery. 

Yoga is well-known for benefits centering on flexibility, core strength, and mindfulness. But it’s also a great way to treat a variety of ailments, including sciatica. Yoga can help you build strength, alleviate pain, and may even help improve your quality of life.  

Below, we’ll dive into how it can help including the best poses for sciatica relief…

What Is Sciatica?

When you have pain along your sciatic nerve, this is referred to as “sciatica.” The sciatic nerve is the longest in the human body, beginning in your lower back and traveling through the backs of your legs to your feet. When you have sciatica pain, you may feel sensations akin to burning, tingling, or numbness. This pain can range from slight to severe discomfort, often making menial tasks difficult to complete.

Sciatica has a number of different causes. Anything from inflammation to irritation to pinched nerves or a herniated disc. Compression can also cause sciatic issues, as can conditions like pregnancy or obesity. Severe cases may require surgery to correct this issue, but yoga can be beneficial in milder cases.

Yoga can help relieve sciatica pain by stretching and strengthening the affected areas such as the lower back and legs. Certain poses aim to realign the back and improve posture, which helps reduce the symptoms and associated risks of sciatica.

The Best Yoga Poses for Sciatica Pain

All of the following poses for sciatica relief can be achieved with a beginner’s level of experience or modified to accommodate for less flexibility. You can also employ any modifications that feel comfortable or are safer for you. 

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose aims to strengthen and lengthen your spine as well as relax your entire body. This pose also stretches your hips, thighs, and lower back to increase flexibility and openness through these areas.

This is also a great pose to return to whenever you feel tired or overexerted. You can rest easy in this position, and the points of contact on your body will help to re-center your focus.

• Begin on your hands and knees.
• Sink backward onto your heels, keeping your arms extended above your head.
• Rest with your knees on either side of your torso and your forehead against the yoga mat. If necessary, use a pillow under your chest, forehead, or thighs for extra support.
• Allow yourself to completely relax.
• Breathe deep and hold this pose for up to five minutes.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho mukha svanasana)

This pose helps to realign your spine while also providing relief from pain and lower back tension. Beyond its advantages for sciatica, Downward-Facing Dog also promotes balance and strength for your entire body.

• Begin on your hands and knees.
• Raise your hips and push into your hands to bring yourself into an upside-down “V” position.
• Straighten your back and neck to keep your head aligned with your arms.
• Relax your shoulders and breathe deep.
• Bend your knees slightly for a greater stretch through your lower back.
• For further intensity, slowly peddle your feet (lift one heel as the other drops, and repeat on the other side).
• Hold this pose for up to one minute.

Cobbler’s Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Also known as the Bound Angle Pose or the Butterfly Hinge, the Cobbler’s Pose opens your hips and relieves the tension in your lower back.

• Begin seated on your mat.
• Place the soles of your feet together, similar to the butterfly stretch.
• Allow your knees to fall gently into an open position. For extra support, use pillows under your knees.
• Sit up straight and tall to lengthen your spine, breathing deep.
• For a more challenging position, bend at the waist and walk your hands forward on your mat until you are folded over your legs.
• Hold your folded position for about thirty seconds at a time and an upright position for up to one minute.

This pose might increase discomfort when the additional forward bend is attempted. If this is the case, avoid the bend and instead stick with the upright position as a modification.

Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

This pose helps to bring stability to your core and lower back while also strengthening your spine, thighs, and glutes. In addition to helping sciatica symptoms, it also helps with circulation and flexibility through your hips. A controlled movement will better increase your strength and decrease the risk of pulling a muscle.

• Begin lying on your stomach.
• Slowly raise your head and shoulders off the mat as high as possible while lifting your arms behind yourself.
• Lift both or one of your legs off the mat for a greater challenge, engaging your core and your glutes.
• Breathe as deeply as possible.
• Hold this pose for up to thirty seconds at a time.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Similar to the Locust Pose, the Cobra Pose strengthens and stabilizes your spine. It also promotes circulation and helps to strengthen your glutes. The key with this pose is to invoke good posture by putting your shoulders back and opening your chest. This will help to better align your spine and take any pressure off your lower back.

• Begin lying on your stomach.
• Bring your hands up to your shoulders and place them firmly on the mat.
• Lift your shoulders and chest while inhaling deeply, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Open your shoulders to keeping your chest open while descending your shoulder blades.
• Engage your abdominal muscles and thighs.
• Breathe and hold for at least thirty seconds.

For a modified Cobra Pose, keep your forearms on the mat instead of just your palms.

Reclined Pigeon Pose (Supta Kapotasana)

This version of the Pigeon Pose helps to take the strain off your lower back while stabilizing your position. Pressure is alleviated from your hips as you stretch your glutes, hips, and piriformis muscle, a muscle found in the hip that can cause sciatica by being too tight.

• Begin laying on your back. 
• With knees bent, place your feet flat on the floor.
• Lift your left leg and put your left ankle over top of your right knee to form a number “4” shape.
• If you feel a deep stretch, stop here.
• For a more intense stretch, lift your right foot off the ground.
• Bring your hands around the back of your right thigh and lace your fingers together to hold your leg as close to your chest as you like.
• Breathe and hold for up to one minute.
• Repeat for the other leg.

If this pose is too difficult even with your foot on the floor, try moving it further away from your body. This will soften the angle of your knee and put your crossed ankle at a less severe angle to the hip you are stretching.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Predominantly known as an abdominal exercise, the Bridge Pose helps to strengthen and stabilize your core. It also stretches the front of your spine and hip flexors while building musculature in your glutes and thighs.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Leave your arms at your sides with your hand’s palm down.
• Lift your hips up from the floor to make a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Keep your hips level to prevent rotation or a twisted torso.
• If required, use a pillow between your knees to keep them apart and help with alignment.
• Hold in place for up to one minute.

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation with Carter Miles

The post Yoga for Sciatica: Seven Poses to Relieve Lower Back Pain appeared first on BEST SELF.

Redefining our relationship to alcohol needn’t be about abstinence, but rather about putting self-care practices in place before the holiday hangover

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Are you contemplating drinking your way through the holidays? If you are, you certainly aren’t alone. At-home alcohol consumption skyrocketed during the pandemic, and shows no signs of slowing down soon.

If you’re feeling like this might be the solution to get through this time of year, I can relate. 

I used to drink my way through the holidays.

In addition to using alcohol to get out of my head and all of the work I thought I ‘should have’ been doing, I also used it as my coping mechanism for pent up stress, familial expectations and unresolved issues that seemed to flare up during the holiday season. 

The problem was, I often ended up feeling worse for the wear. Hungover, bloated, bad skin breakouts, and anxious from lack of sleep — were not the holiday gifts I was looking forward to, though that is what I somehow always ended up with.

Worse, I’d often get sick and spend the few days I had at home with my family stuffing feelings and symptoms by self-medicating with Dayquil and sneaking Kahlua into my coffee. How else was I supposed to fake that holiday cheer?

Over the years, I’ve refined my approach a bit.

These 6 strategies show that the path of moderation can actually bring the most benefits, including the ability to indulge a bit while staying healthy and having a better handle on stress in the process.

Set Your Intentions

Too often, we accept the holidays as an inevitable ‘all or nothing’ affair… vowing to get back on track in January with all the other resolutions. (Isn’t that what ‘Dry-nuary’ is all about?)

What if you were to navigate the holidays in a way that didn’t lead you to feel like a detox or sober month was necessary at the end of it all?

Set some time aside (the sooner the better) to set your intentions for the holidays.

How do you want to feel during the holidays? Now get more specific and think about what might be potentially triggering this year — whether it be the isolation, the on-going stress of having EVERYONE AT HOME ALL THE TIME (and now for the holidays too!?), the disappointment around lack of holiday travel or whatever it may be (this list is likely longer than Santa’s). Ha.

Ask yourself — How am I really feeling about this? Allow the thoughts, feelings and emotions to flow. Then follow up with — How would I like to be feeling instead? Finally, ask yourself the question — What do I need in order to be feeling MORE of what I want?

The thing is, alcohol isn’t really a long-term sustainable solution. It might work in the moment to numb out or provide a brief respite, but when you wake up the next day, the trigger is still there (not to mention all the undesirable side effects).

Getting clear on how you want to feel and setting your intentions based on that, then creating a plan or guideline for yourself, will help you feel more in control and less of a victim of circumstance.

Take the time to write it down. You are far more likely to follow through on your intentions if you take the time to get clear and externalize them by writing them down. There’s just something about putting pen to paper and declaring things. It makes it real.  Bonus points if you share your intentions with someone else who can support you to stay on track — go ahead and buddy up, grab an accountability partner!

Plan Your Alternatives

It’s one thing to say “I don’t want to drink as much this year” or “I’m not going to eat the whole pie or my weight in candied yams,” (my personal fave) but without alternatives in place, these intentions can fall short.

Why not use this increased time at home to try some new mocktail recipes? I recently learned how to make cordial at home (a concentrated syrup that can be added to sparkling water or tonic). I’ve been playing around with flavor combinations and my new favorite is mandarin-cardamom. There are so many holiday spices and ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry that you can use to try different infusions and blends.

Now’s the perfect time to try new recipes. A simple Google search of “healthy non-alcoholic holiday cocktails” will bring up myriad of options with seasonal ingredients such as ginger, allspice, pumpkin, apple, cranberry, peppermint — in a variety of hot and cold options. Remember, pouring it into a fancy cup and adding garnish will make it feel like more of a treat and less of a consolation.

Start Your Day The Healthy Way With Holiday Rituals

During the holidays, try to stick to your morning routine as much as possible.

I’ve noticed that I’m a lot less likely to go overboard on booze and unhealthy treats when I start my day healthfully and with intention. For me that means sticking to my morning ritual of water and lemon juice, green tea and then green juice or green smoothie. I try to start my day with a few minutes of meditation or journaling, and this can be a welcome break to get centered during family gatherings as well (if those are even happening this year).

During the holiday season, I make an extra effort to stick to my morning routine because I know it sets me up well. It eases my mind to know that I’ve started my day giving my body a boost of vitamins, minerals and alkalizing foods. Taking a few moments to myself each day to ground and center myself also helps prepare me for any potential stressors that may come flying at me — and will help me remember my alternatives to drowning my stress in alcohol.

Reduce Stress

Yeah, the holidays can be stressful, no doubt about it. This year might be serving up different kinds of stress, as we try to navigate situations and regulations that are unfamiliar and potentially isolating. We might feel as though our home is a pressure cooker that’s been simmering for too long and is about to explode.

Try to create boundaries around your time and your sacred space and routines. It’s also important to cut yourself some slack. Give yourself a break and acknowledge the effects of the accumulated stress from this year. Try to go easy on yourself as much as possible.

Take stock of your stress management techniques and start practicing self-care, now. Don’t wait for it to barrel you over.  Book a massage (if possible), take relaxing baths, listen to a guided meditation to take a mental break — in a word: chill. Create moments of stillness and calm for yourself. You deserve it (and you’ll need it).

Peace Begins With Me: An Easy Tapping Ritual

This easy ritual is a blend of a kundalini yoga practice and ‘finger tapping’ — an EFT technique. Theexercise is very simple, and you can do it anywhere (even with family around)! Repeat the mantra Peace Begins With Me as you tap your thumb on the side of your pointer, middle, ring and little fingers consecutively, in the space between the end of our finger and your first joint. Each word corresponds with a different finger.

Peace — Pointer

Begins — Middle

With — Ring

Me — Little

This meditation redirects your mind, reduces stress and supports your overall wellbeing by pressing on the different fingers. Hint: This can even be done in the middle of dinner or a difficult conversation if need be. Simply hold your hands in your lap under the table.

Sleep

We all know that any situation can become even more irritating or taxing if we are sleep deprived.

Imagine making this holiday as restorative as possible.

Try to avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evenings. If you are drinking alcohol, remember that drinking more than the recommended amount as well as drinking right before bed can actually disrupt your ability to get a good night’s sleep. (If you are curious about the recommended amount for the evening, ‘low risk guidelines’ suggest no more than 2 standard drinks for women or 3 standard drinks for men.

If possible, have your last drink at least an hour before bed, and try a cup of calming chamomile or sleepy time tea instead. Of course, powering down electronics and treating yourself to a relaxing bedtime routine will also help you unwind. Another trick is to drink a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks — it slows you down and hydrates you.

Here are some additional questions you can use for reflection as you approach this holiday season:

What are the gifts available to me this holiday season?

Without office parties, social gatherings, and family obligations — what becomes available to me?

If I had the opportunity to use this time for healing, rest and reflection — what could be possible?

What shifts do I need to make to reduce stress and decrease isolation?

We all know that this year will be different…and maybe next year will be too. Continuing to numb or distract from this reality isn’t going to make it go away. What if this holiday season could be approached as a time to establish some healthier habits without the pressure of outside influences?

It might not be our favorite thing to be changing familiar traditions, but if we can start to see the opportunity rather than the lack, we can potentially create new traditions and healthier habits that will not only benefit us, but also our families, in the long term.

You may also enjoy reading Daring to Disrupt: The Healthy Deviant’s Holiday Survival Guide, by Pilar Gerasimo

The post Cheers! Here’s to Redefining Our Relationship To Alcohol (and Ourselves) appeared first on BEST SELF.

If you need a healthy appetizer to serve instead of the usual chips and salsa or fried mozzarella sticks, these will knock your socks off…

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They also look beautiful on a platter for a big party or game night. These babies have a sweet-and-salty thing going that makes them irresistible; I even eat them for lunch sometimes. They really hit the spot!

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
35 mins

Total time
45 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 8 small sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1⁄4 cup diced red onion
• 1⁄2 jalapeño, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• to taste
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Rub each sweet potato with coconut oil and place on a sheet pan in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are fork tender.
3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the guacamole. Start by mashing the avocado. Add the tomato, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. When the sweet potatoes are done, cut each one in half and scoop out half the filling. Set the filling aside. Layer the black beans on each sweet potato half and then layer the cheese on top of the beans.
5. Place them back in the oven to melt the cheese, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. When the cheese is melted, take the skins out of the oven and top with a scoop of guacamole.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Sweet Potato Skins appeared first on BEST SELF.

This tart, sweet, crunchy, and juicy salad is such a nice departure from typical salad ingredients…

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The combo bursts with flavor and has an amazing ability to zap sugar cravings.

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Total time
20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• 1⁄4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over the salad and serve.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Grapefruit Goddess Salad appeared first on BEST SELF.

I always have a batch of these blueberry zucchini muffins ready in the freezer for a quick snack or to add to Harley’s meals…

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They take just minutes to thaw in a toaster oven, and she loves them! They are super moist, taste absolutely delicious, and are perfect for both kids and adults. The best part? They have no added sugar. I try to give Harley vegetables with every meal, and thankfully she loves them. If your kids aren’t veggie lovers yet, the zucchini in these muffins is a great way to sneak some in; they won’t even know they are there.

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
18 mins

Total time
33 mins

Serves: 12-36

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups oat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
• 1⁄3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1⁄2 cup wild frozen blueberries, thawed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Fold in the zucchini and blueberries.
5. Line mini-muffin pans or standard muffin cups with liners or grease with coconut oil.
6. Fill each opening 3⁄4 way full. Place the pans in the oven and bake until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes for mini muffins and 18 minutes for large muffins.
7. You can store extra muffins in the freezer, reheating in a toaster oven or standard oven, or place them in your fridge the day before you want to eat them so they can thaw overnight.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Harley’s Blueberry Zucchini Muffins appeared first on BEST SELF.

There could never be too much kale in my life…

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Thankfully, my daughter loves to eat it too. Like mother, like daughter. For a more substantial dish, this pasta would be great tossed with blanched green beans or broccoli florets.

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
9 mins

Total time
19 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups (packed) chopped, stemmed curly kale
• 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1⁄3 cup grated raw Parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 8 ounces lentil pasta

Instructions

1. Blend the kale, oil, nuts, cheese, lemon, garlic, salt, and zest in a food processor until the pesto is smooth.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
4. Pour at least 1⁄2 cup pesto over the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Toss with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper and serve, refrigerating any remaining pesto for up to one week.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy reading What’s Cooking? A Q&A with Vani Hari, by Kristen Noel

The post Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vani Hari, the Food Babe, puts her recipes where her activist mouth is and guides us to simple, healthy, real food options 

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Inconvenient facts are still facts. ~ Vani Hari

Vani Hari aka the ‘Food Babe’ has dedicated her career (and life) to unraveling the food industry’s playbook — to taking on the Big Food corporations and tirelessly advocating for truth and transparency… because she learned the hard way in her own life. Hers is truly a story of walking her walk and talking her talk. It is also the journey of how a young woman who was once a workaholic addicted to fast food — landed in a hospital bed. But it is also the story of healing and revealing… and no turning back. 

The truth is that we all know we can do better in the food and health department of our own lives. However, sometimes it just feels daunting to know where to begin. In her latest book, Food Babe Kitchen with more than 100 delicious, real food recipes to change our bodies and lives — she’s got us covered and outlines how we can keep it simple and not have to spend the entire day preparing it. 

Vani takes us by the hand and provides a refreshing approach to being our Best Selves in the kitchen and in life.

We asked Vani a few questions about parenting, pandemics and juggling it all during these challenging times — that we thought might inspire you to jumpstart your own relationship to food and health. Now let’s get cookin’!

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Q: Now more than ever, in this time of global pandemic, the notion of ‘food as medicine’ has never been more salient. What are you doing to keep your family fortified during this pandemic, flu season and generally, all year round? Do you have some go-to favorites?

Like just about all of us, I’ve never experienced anything like what we’re going through in the world today. My wake-up call was over a decade ago. I wasn’t taking care of my health. I worked long hours, ate whatever I wanted, and didn’t pay attention to the toxins in my environment. Eventually, I became very sick. I woke up in hospital and felt awful. I never want to feel like that again. That is when I began taking my health seriously and every aspect of my life improved.

I wholeheartedly believe that food is medicine and how well you feed your body makes an incredible impact on your immune system. 

My new book Food Babe Kitchen gathers together my favorite recipes, the things that I make for my own family every single week — and that they love — all in one place. It’s a way for you to eat healthfully, close to the earth, with the best ingredients that you choose, so when you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal you know what you are eating and you haven’t spent all day in the kitchen. One of the top recipes I make all the time is Harley’s Favorite Smoothie (a blend of kale, banana, pineapple, mango, ginger, and almond butter). This drink is full of anti-inflammatory ingredients that help to keep us healthy. We also love to make Lentil Pasta with Kale — thankfully my daughter Harley loves kale as much as I do! 

We eat lots of vegetables, fruits and real, whole foods including beans and whole grains like steel-cut oats. Thankfully, my husband loves to garden so we have this abundance of fresh produce growing right on our porch and in the backyard. This is important because these foods improve your gut health, which is crucial to a healthy immune system — about 70% of the immune system is located in the intestines. Which is why I also make sure to get in my probiotics daily. Probiotics are good bacteria that help maintain a healthy immune response. You can get your probiotics by eating fermented foods (like kimchi and sauerkraut) and taking high quality supplements.

For the last 15+ years, I’ve started my mornings with a big glass of warm lemon water. One of the key nutrients in lemons is vitamin C. This amazing vitamin fights cell damage and chronic inflammation and strengthens your immune defenses. I believe that drinking lemon water every morning, spiced up with cayenne pepper (which is another natural antibacterial ingredient), has helped to prevent me from getting colds and the flu, among other health benefits.

As a family, we love to spend time outdoors. We take long walks and bike rides on sunny days. This is great for your immune system as well! When your skin is exposed to sunlight it naturally produces vitamin D — this is why it’s called the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Keeping your vitamin D levels in a healthy range has been shown to reduce the risk of contracting the flu, colds, and other respiratory infections too… so it has hidden benefits that many people don’t think about.

I believe that a combination of these factors help my family stay healthy and of course I take all my Truvani supplements. It’s definitely a lifestyle, and not an ‘easy fix’. But once you get into the groove and find what you like, it’s really enjoyable living this way! 

Q: Life for parents right now is complex as they juggle work, homeschooling, household and meal prep. As a parent to a small child (with another on the way) and also as an extremely busy entrepreneur — how do you juggle it all? What’s your philosophy for keeping it manageable, yet setting up families for healthy eating success?

Luckily, our lifestyle has been not too impacted by the pandemic, so I am just continuing as normal. I freeze a lot of staples, things like homemade pancakes, waffles, muffins, soups and tortillas — this helps tremendously with meal prep. In Food Babe Kitchen, I share all the tips on how I do this plus how I warm up all this food without a microwave and store it without using plastic.

Q: How has being home these past months shifted your relationship to food, food systems, meal prep? Any surprises in your world? What are your non-negotiables when it comes to food?

Everyone has a horror story from a few months back when there were massive walls of empty shelves in grocery stores. But when I walked into my local store, I was shocked. I saw more fruits and vegetables than anything else left in the store. The produce section was fully stocked. 

This was a signal to me that we still live in a very sick world. We are relying on processed foods to feed our bodies. We all should be more vigilant about eating as many fruits and vegetables as we can — and avoiding processed foods (especially those with added sugar) to keep our immune systems strong.

Eating vegetables every day is non-negotiable to me. We include them at every meal! I understand fresh fruit and vegetables spoil more quickly than a box of Pizza Rolls — but if you freeze or jar your produce properly you can enjoy it for a very long time.

And you will get so much more value in terms of your health, which is priceless.

This is why the timing for Food Babe Kitchen couldn’t be better. It will show people how to ditch the unhealthy processed foods and get back into their own kitchens again. There’s no better time than the present to take great care of your body and what you put in it! 

Q: If you could wave your magic wand and eliminate one thing in our food system what would it be? And what’s the one thing you’d like to see eliminated from our pantries? What would you insert in its place?

Ooooh, this is an interesting question. There are so many chemicals used in our food system that I’d love to see eliminated because of the pain and disease that they cause. If I had to pick just one, I’d say artificial colors. These are so prevalent and thousands of children eat them daily. This makes me so sad, because parents want the best for their children, but don’t realize the health risks of these dyes. 

Artificial colors require a warning label in Europe that says they ‘May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’, and that’s why they are hardly used in those countries. Some countries, like Norway and Austria, have taken it a step further and banned artificial colors, but the U.S. still allows them with no warning. This allows companies like Kellogg’s to continue producing cereals for children like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with artificial colors in the U.S. market, while they make similar cereals overseas without them. 

Kellogg’s made a big announcement in 2015 that they’d remove the dyes in the U.S. by 2018, but they never did. And, they continue creating new cereals for children, like Baby Shark Cereal, which is made with five different artificial colors. It is unconscionable to me that they would market products with these risky ingredients to toddlers. This is what prompted me to petition Kellogg’s, asking them to replace artificial colors in all of their cereals with safer alternatives (FoodBabe.com/BabyShark). 

I truly believe if consumers knew that these colors are derived from petroleum, what they do to their bodies and how they have been shown to affect children, they would not want to eat them. 

We clearly still have so much work to do and need to keep spreading the truth.

The good news is that artificial colors are completely unnecessary. You can still make colorful food (with all the colors of the rainbow) by using real food ingredients like turmeric for yellow or spirulina for blue. 

Q: What do you think the biggest challenge people face is when it comes to healthy eating — what’s the pitfall? Is it overwhelm? Lack of knowledge? Access to healthy food?

People put their trust in food corporations and diet companies to tell them how to eat. Right after a health crisis in my early 20s, the first thing I wanted to do was lose weight and look better. At first, I believed what everyone else around me was saying and looked to everyone else for answers. They told me I needed to count calories or points, carbs, and fat grams. Although I followed their plan, I always found myself struggling to maintain my weight. Their advice left me with no energy and feeling hungry all the time.

Everything I believed for most of my life was turned upside down as I investigated and looked deeper into what I was really eating. One day it all clicked! 

My biggest lesson learned was that I cannot outsource my health or my food. 

I could not continue letting the food industry dictate for me what was healthy. I could not continue trusting ‘diet programs’, and I most definitely could not trust marketing from food companies and restaurants to help me make my food decisions. As a result, I started to learn how to cook and prepare my own food at home as much as possible.

Learning to cook wasn’t easy for me at first. There was a lot of trial and error! But countless cooking shows and cookbooks later, I’ve taught myself how to create healthy meals with real, whole food ingredients. I’ve never felt better, and I want everyone to feel this way! This is why I cannot wait for everyone to get a copy of Food Babe Kitchen and start making these changes in their own lives. 

Q: Where do you struggle and what’s your workaround?

I’ve got a sweet tooth! When I was a child I loved candy. I always found a way to have some on me, somewhere, hiding in secret cabinets or in my pockets. A lot has changed since then, and now I enjoy sweets in a healthy way — everything from Rice Krispies Treats to chocolate chip cookies can be made without artificial ingredients that come with a long list of potential health risks. Food Babe Kitchen has all my favorite dessert recipes, including the strawberry birthday cake that I made for my daughter’s 3rd birthday that is colored pink with real strawberries! This cake was a hit at her party, and guests commented that they liked it better than the bakery cupcakes I also served that day. Real food really is more delicious than anything artificial and made in a factory. 

Q: What is your wish that we takeaway with this book?

Food Babe Kitchen is a deeply personal project and the most fun book I’ve ever written. It includes all of my go-to recipes that I make with my family at home, and even my mom’s favorite recipes that I grew up with and love so much today. If there is anything that spells out what I’m passionate about, this is it! It brings me so much joy to be able to share a glimpse of this happiness with you. My hope is to show people how to make quick, easy, REAL food meals for their families—and that they love this way of life as much as we do.

5 Healthy & Delicious Recipes

Selections from Vani Hari’s Food Babe Kitchen

Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto

Sweet Potato Skins

Grapefruit Goddess Salad

Harley’s Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

8-Minute Candy Bars

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About Vani Hari:

Named as one of the “Most Influential People on the Internet” by Time Magazine, Vani Hari is the revolutionary food activist behind foodbabe.com, co-founder of organic food brand Truvani, New York Times bestselling author of, The Food Babe Way, and Feeding You Lies. 

You may also enjoy reading Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth about the Lies We’re Fed, by Kristen Noel

The post What’s Cooking? A Q&A With Vani Hari (Plus 5 Healthy & Delicious Recipes!) appeared first on BEST SELF.

When you crave chocolate but don’t want to eat the stuff filled with artificial ingredients sold at convenience stores, try this recipe. It’s fast, fun, easy to make, and portable.

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Prep time
5 mins

Cook time
5 mins

Total time
10 mins

Serves: 12-24

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup brown rice cereal or puffed quinoa
• 3⁄4 cup almonds or peanuts chopped, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of water in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Set a heatproof bowl on top of the pot, creating a double boiler.
3. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until melted and warm to touch.
4. Take off the heat and mix in the cereal, 1⁄2 cup nuts, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Stir well to combine.
5. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan lined with parchment; smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup nuts over. Refrigerate just until firm enough to cut but not completely set, about 1 hour. Lift the chocolate from the pan using the parchment as an aid. Cut into 12 bars or 24 squares.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post 8-Minute Candy Bars appeared first on BEST SELF.

Fall Harvest, fall musings and a recipe that helps us breathe in the transitioning season upon us

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Grasping at those last rays of warm sunshine I admire the changing colors of the leaves. It is time to grab the season’s final harvest of delicious corn. The husks are still glowing and bright green. 

When shopping for corn from the market (or any fresh vegetable), you can only choose from what is presented to you.

Try your best to find those that sing with a vibrancy that reflects the fields from which they were grown and the warmth of the hands that have gathered them for you. 

One of the good things about this year has been the discovery of places that have been right under my nose all along. And with that, the enjoyment of the most delicious corn I have ever eaten; tasting as if it were grown in butter, it is enjoyed just boiled, no salt, no added vegan butter, just eaten as is. The flavor is so beautiful, I wish everyone could experience food like this. 

October is upon us and this month’s recipe can be made with fresh corn sliced off the cob or with frozen corn… also super delicious. Indulge your senses — look around, breathe it all in and witness what is growing, what is transitioning — what sparks your creative culinary Best Self! 

“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” 

— Friedrich Nietzce

Roasted Corn & Cherry Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 cups corn kernels (about 4-5 cobs fresh or defrosted frozen)
• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (seeded if you prefer less heat)
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 small red onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the corn kernels, jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper and garlic into a baking dish. Toss with the olive oil, salt, chili powder and cumin until all of the kernels are coated. 
2. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes stirring once halfway through. The corn should start to brown along the edges of the pan and become fragrant. Bake for a little more time if needed.
3. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a kitchen towel or wooden surface. Toss in the cherry tomatoes, red onion and cilantro and mix together with a spatula or large spoon while the corn is still warm. 
4. Add in the lime juice and mix again. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste.
5. Serve as a side or with corn chips.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Pistachio Sugar Cookies by Christine Moss

The post Harvest Time: A Recipe for Roasted Corn & Cherry Tomato Salsa appeared first on BEST SELF.

A recipe to remind us that we can create quality food that is inexpensive and easy, plus musings on staying healthy in all aspects of your life.

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Here in the Catskills where I live, it’s finally warming up outside and I am filled with a vacillating mixture of hope, anxiety, joy, fear — and love all at the same time. When I find myself too far at the edge of one or all of those feelings, I do my best to remember to take a moment and make sure I am nourishing myself consciously. 

Grounding myself, I ask, am I drinking water? Am I feeding myself and my family with food that will keep us strong and healthy?

…or am I scrolling through the hate-filled news, angry and mindlessly eating chips and junk while crying? Truth be told… lately, it’s a bit of it all.

My heart breaks over what is happening, and for the deep-seeded racism that has been a part of our country for centuries. I cannot remain silent. I will try to feel power within the powerlessness of it all — and to stay grounded in the ways that I know how; connecting to my  creativity, nature, art, family, my kitchen.

And one thing I can continue to do is share simple, nourishing and delicious recipes that support all of us in these uncertain times (What is ever truly certain anyway?).

I want my recipes to support more than just our bodies, but encourage the wellness of our minds as well — to be easy, versatile and accessible — to fortify and feed us in all ways. 

Lately, I’ve been inspired to reconnect with summer soups, which is why I’m sharing a favorite of mine: Summer Black Bean Soup with Cucumber Yogurt Raita. Yum.

Nothing says comfort like a pot of soup no matter the time of year. And if you make too much… bring some to share with a neighbor. If you don’t have black beans — you can use red beans or lentils. Don’t have fresh herbs and can’t get out? Use dried spices and add your favorite flavors. 

The reality is that we live in a moment, in a country, where eating plant-based, healthy, local food is sadly not the norm — it actually feels more like an act of rebellion. I don’t take for granted that I have access to farms and fresh food — that I don’t live in a food desert or have to rely upon prepackaged foods filled with chemicals.

Eating healthy food shouldn’t be a privilege and yet, it is. 

That said, I’m dedicated to sharing inexpensive ways that you can stay healthy and connected to your Best Self and your community. 

Keep yourself nourished and share that nourishment with others. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), question everything you see and read. Know what you are putting into your body (and mind) — and most importantly, please be kind to each other.

Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

• Find your local CSA using your zip code: https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/csas
• Find your local Farmers Market (most are now open with Covid-19 protocols in place) https://www.localfarmmarkets.org/

This easy-to-prepare meal takes only a few ingredients that you may already have on hand. A quick trip to your local farmers market or garden can furnish you with fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Summer Black Bean Soup with Cucumber Yogurt Raita

Note: Make the Cucumber Yogurt Raita first or the day before.

Cucumber Yogurt Raita

Ingredients:

• 1 organic cucumber
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 green scallion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• ½ cup unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt
• ½  tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the cucumber well, trim off the ends and slice in half lengthwise. Do not peel. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard them. Using a box grater, grate the cucumber halves on the largest shredding hole.
2. Place the shredded cucumber in a coffee filter lined colander, sprinkle with salt and place on top of a bowl or in the sink. Let the liquid drain from the cucumber for about 30 minutes. 
3. Gently squeeze any extra liquid out of the cucumber and place in a mixing bowl. Add in the lemon juice, green onion and black pepper. Mix together and then add in the vegan yogurt.

Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

Tips:

• If you are unable to get an organic cucumber, peel off and discard the skin before slicing in half.
• If your yogurt is very loose and watery, drain the excess liquid in the same way as the cucumber, in a coffee filter lined colander.
• Make certain your plain yogurt is unsweetened, reading the ingredients is the only way to tell for sure.
• Add in fresh herbs like mint, dill or parsley for extra flavor.
• Use as a salad dressing, or on top of some pan seared tofu.

Summer Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz. can black beans
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock (or water)
• 1 plum tomato diced
• 1 green scallion thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs, stems removed (oregano and baby basil used here)

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in a small pot. Toss in diced tomato, scallions, salt, dried thyme and smoked paprika. Stir gently and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to get lightly stewed. Add in the leaves of the fresh herbs and stir.
2. Pour in the can of beans, liquid and all. Add in the vegetable stock and stir together. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a medium-low flame. 
3. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Serve with Cucumber Yogurt Raita and Corn Chips.

Tip:

• Add in sliced radishes at the end, fresh corn cut from the cob or sliced green beans.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Marmalade and Musings: From the Kitchen to Life’s Table by Christine Moss

The post Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by the buttery flavor of pistachios, Chef Moss shares a favorite vegan sugar cookie recipe

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I love pistachios, not just the beautiful green hue they impart to dishes, but their buttery flavor is amazing. A simple sauce for over your tofu or polenta takes only a handful of pistachios, a pinch of salt and just enough water (about ¼ cup of water to 1 cup of nuts) to blend into a creamy paste in the blender. Add a spoonful of vegan sour cream or vegan butter to bring it over the edge of delicious! Use pistachios instead of walnuts or pine nuts in your favorite pesto recipe to change things up.

Native to central Asia, pistachios grow in beautiful grape-like clusters called drupes and they are a member of the cashew family. The trees have a lifespan of up to 300 years. They are lower in calories than walnuts and pecans and contain a great amount of protein and amino acids, trace minerals and vitamin B6 (as if we needed any more reasons to eat them!). 

For this recipe, use raw unsalted pistachios. They will get their toasty flavor as they bake in the cookie. 

Pistachio Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups vegan butter (sticks, not whipped)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup raw pistachios roughly chopped
• ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. With a whisk or electric mixer whip together the vegan butter and sugar until well blended and creamy. Add in the vanilla and blend thoroughly. 
3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and baking powder. 
4. Spoon the butter and sugar mixture into the flour and mix together. Add a little water at a time until it forms a uniform dough.
5. Roll the dough into 2 separate log shapes about 1 ½” in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. It can also be frozen and kept up to 4 months before use.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
7. Mix together the chopped pistachios and chocolate chips in a shallow dish.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough and slice into ½ inch thick disks. Press the cookie dough into the pistachios and chocolate chips and then place onto the cookie sheet. Repeat, leaving about 2” space between each cookie until the baking sheet is full.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a little browned around the edges and firm in the center. 

You may also enjoy Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss.

The post Recipe: Pistachio Sugar Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chef Moss muses about spring’s awakenings, the onset of mushroom foraging — and some inspiration for making healthy choices

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With the change of seasons, in this push-pull tango of warm and cold weather, it is important to keep our bodies and minds strong. When using food as medicine — the approach, the intention to heal and maintain health — is just as important as the foods you choose, where they are sourced from, and whether or not they are organic.

The decision to heal through daily life practice is no small task. Once you commit, you are confronted with a multitude of new decisions and a dizzying amount of information and opinions.

It’s important to take your time and read information from reputable sources.

Here is one more opinion. I am stubborn and change is hard. What has worked for me is to start small and choose something that is easy to be consistent with. Consistency is the key word. For example, I like to play a little game with myself. I add something nutritious (like mushrooms) to my grocery list in order to replace something I am trying to reduce and remove.

Instead of chips or ice cream, I add in a bouquet of flowers (my favorite visual and soul health food). I ask myself, do I want to spend $10 on flowers or on snack foods and treats? I head for the flowers first (many markets have fresh bouquets near their produce departments), because then I get to shop with beautiful flowers in my face. And, it deters the urge for snack foods; I don’t even walk down that aisle. Then once I am home and searching for a snack, I have to choose from the healthy foods I purchased. I have to cook some ‘real food’ because instead of a bag of chips, I have some delightful daisies. Win / win.

Another thing springtime brings is the beginning of foraging season and Morel mushroom madness. A tasty ephemeral yes, but I want to offer up another spring mushroom choice, Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms. Eating these two mushrooms regularly helps to support our immune systems and provides amino acids not found in other plant-based foods. They have even become more readily available in recent years at markets and there are endless ways to prepare them.

Indian Spiced Oysters and Shiitakes Roasted in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 pint oyster mushrooms (2 cups)
• 1 pint shiitake mushrooms (2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp powdered garlic
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Trim the ends of the oyster mushrooms and the tips of the shiitake mushroom stems. Slice thinly and place in a baking pan.
3. Sprinkle the garam masala, cumin, powdered garlic, coriander and salt over the mushrooms.
4. Add the olive oil and coconut milk to the pan. With freshly washed hands, massage the spices and coconut milk into the mushrooms evenly.
5. Bake the mushrooms for 25-30 minutes until tender and fragrant.
6. Let it cool down for a few minutes and then stir in the cilantro.
7. Serve on their own, over rice, pasta or potatoes with the coconut milk gravy.

Tips:

• Substitute other favorite mushrooms like buttons or criminis.
• Simmer stovetop on low for 20-25 minutes instead of roasting.
• Slice the stems thinner than the caps and cook them as well, they are also edible.
• Before eating, set your mushrooms outside gill side up in direct sunlight for a few hours and they will absorb and create vitamin D.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Lentil Loaf with Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Gravy, by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Indian Spiced Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms Roasted in Coconut Milk (Plus A Few Tips for Foraging For Good Health) appeared first on BEST SELF.

Connecting to our plates in a deeper way, Chef Moss shares her love of carrots, their origins and a recipe for Cumin Spiced Rainbow Carrot & Date Salad

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There is just something about carrots — sweet, crunchy, earthy when raw. Tender and even sweeter when cooked. At the cafe we are always working with carrots, peeling and shredding them on the mandolin for our salads. Slicing them for our pickles or to be stewed in our enchilada vegetable mix. 

Without thought, I regularly grab a slice or the end stump to munch on. If I am away from work for a few days, I tend not to eat carrots the way I do when I am at work (a habit I need to change) — and I arrive in the morning craving them.  

I believe it is more than a nutrient connection, but a deep rooted spiritual one…

The way in which carrots grow deep into the earth, pulling out and absorbing her energies and trace minerals…

Sometimes they will twist and turn as they grow down, avoiding rocks in the dirt — which is another reason why it’s so important to choose organic carrots. You are literally consuming the earth from where they were born. Their flavors change depending upon the time of year and where they were grown. It is amazing — you can taste the rain or lack thereof. You can taste the joyous days of sunshine or the sadness of ones grown indoors…

They not only reach down into the earth, but they also stretch upwards towards the sun, their leafy green tops converting sunshine into food. Eat the tops too, they still taste like carrots married with wild green chlorophyll. 

Can you tell? I really love carrots.

Cumin Spiced Rainbow Carrot and Date Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups purple carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 2 cups yellow carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 2 cups orange carrots washed and sliced on the bias
• 1 cup dried dates 
• 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves roughly chopped
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 TBSP thyme
• 1 tsp coriander 
• 1 tsp powdered turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBSP water

Directions:

*Note: Cook the purple carrots separately from the other two colors, they will darken the other colors if cooked together. You will want to use 2 separate baking dishes.

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix together the cumin, thyme, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper. Divide into thirds.
3. Toss the purple carrots with 1 TBSP olive oil and one third of the spice mix. Toss the orange and yellow carrots with 2 TBSP olive oil and the other two thirds of the spice mix.  
4. Place the purple carrots in one baking dish and the yellow & orange carrots in another baking dish along with 1 TBSP of water in each dish. Cover both with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Let them cool down.
5. Slice the dates into circles and toss gently with the roasted carrots and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl.
6. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

You may also enjoy eating Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post Cumin Spiced Carrot and Date Salad (And an Ode to the Beautiful Carrot) appeared first on BEST SELF.

From the kitchen of Chef Moss — a delicious and inspiring recipe to incorporate more veggies into your family’s diet (even if you have to hide them)

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I made what I like to call, ‘Hidden Veggie’ muffins over the holidays to an attempt to get more vegetables into my family’s diet. My parents more specifically. 

Getting my kids to eat and enjoy vegetables has been a challenge throughout life as a mom.

I have had to come up with countless resourceful and creative ways of incorporating vegetables into various food forms.

Smoothies, pancakes, casseroles, pasta sauces, sandwich mixes, you name it. If I could disguise a vegetable I did it!

As they grew older, though they caught on to my ways, the complex flavors had already became a part of their palate and I didn’t have to hide the veggies as much anymore. I’m even happy to report that now that they are in college, they have their own ways of staying healthy and finding balance. 

But ironically now, the tables have turned and I am trying to get more vegetables into my parents. And surprisingly, this is an even greater struggle than with my kids. They are set in their ways and who am I to tell them how to eat? They have lived this long eating the way they do, but they are my parents and I love them and I want to see them thrive, not just simply do as they always have. 

I may be beating my head against a wall (life lesson: you can only really help when help is actually wanted), but I am stubborn like they are and this past Christmas I brought them a fresh batch of muffins; my hidden veggie muffins! And to my surprise and relief, my parents really loved them in spite of the vegetable content. 

And so maybe you are already aboard the veggie train, and I don’t have to hard sell you on these hidden vegetable tricks. But maybe someone you love needs a few extra veggies in their life or their lunchbox — or maybe you just want some more. So, I’m here to help and keep the creative veggie juices flowin’!

Eat the muffins with some peanut or almond butter for added protein and fat to feel satiated for a longer time.

The following vegetables in combination create a pretty powerful snack or breakfast on the go.

Sweet potatoes are an amazing vegetable that can be incorporated into many different dishes. If you are baking or boiling some for dinner, add one more to the pot to save for later for these muffins. Sweet potatoes are great all on their own, and with a minimal amount of maple syrup they can be mashed and put into a pie crust. Add them to your mac and ‘cheese’ sauce or pancake batter. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, vitamins A and  C and trace minerals. They are one of winter’s power foods to keep you going. You can also substitute some roasted butternut squash or pumpkin too.

Zucchini is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, and can possibly help control blood sugar levels for those with type two diabetes. Shredded they can also be added to pancake mix and to fillings for stuffed peppers or mushrooms, or into your smoothie.

Carrots have lots of beta carotene, potassium and fiber, along with vitamin A and B6. When shredded on the smallest holes of your box grater, they are easily mixed into batters for cakes, fritters or un-tuna salad (crumbled tofu, vegan mayonnaise, a splash of Ume plum vinegar, finely diced onion and celery and some finely grated carrot).

Have fun experimenting and substituting with different vegetables in these muffins. That is part of the joy of cooking, seeing what works, and what doesn’t work is also a valuable lesson. Become your own alchemist in the kitchen. Starting with flavors you already know and love, add new ingredients to trusted recipes and expand your flavor palette one new veggie at a time. 

And remember, good food is medicine — but it doesn’t mean you have to spend all day in the kitchen or that you have to compromise good taste. It’s actually quite the opposite. So cheers to our veggies and our creativity in the kitchen. Your Best Self will be doing a happy, healthy dance!

Hidden Vegetable Muffins 

(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ cup rolled oats or plain granola
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 flax egg (1 TBSP ground flax meal plus 3 TBSP water mixed together, set aside)
• 1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
• 1 cup unpeeled and shredded zucchini 
• ½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup safflower oil
• ½ cup coconut milk

Topping Ingredients:

• ½ cup raw pecans
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 12 muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. Make the topping by pulsing the raw pecans in a food processor or blender until very fine and crumbly. 
3. Pour into a bowl and mix evenly with the ¼ cup of brown sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ‘flax egg’ (1 TBSP ground flax meal plus 3 TBSP water mixed together) and set aside.
6. In another mixing bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; shredded carrots, zucchini, mashed sweet potato, dried cranberries, maple syrup, safflower oil and coconut milk.
7. Add the flax egg to the wet ingredients bowl and mix together well.
8. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together only until all of the flour has been moistened. Do not over mix. The batter will be very thick and heavy. 
9. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin liners.
10. Sprinkle the pecan topping on top of each muffin, press it into the batter very lightly.
11. Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes. Check on them about halfway through and rotate the pan if necessary. Test for doneness with a toothpick. 

Serve and enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Christine Moss

The post Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chef Christine Moss shares a recipe for M’smen, a traditional flatbread from North Africa — and the first thing she tasted when she arrived in Tangier

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[Adapted (veganized) from The Spruce Eats]

Makes 16 breads

Note: When wrapped up, they can last up to five days in the refrigerator. I popped one in the toaster to reheat and it reminded me of a ‘toaster strudel’.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3-1/2 cups flour
• ½ cup semolina
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt (reduced because vegan butter is salty)
• ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water

For Folding and cooking:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup semolina
• ¼ cup softened vegan butter (I used Earth Balance soy free)
• Parchment paper cut into (32) 4” squares

Directions for dough:

1. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients: flour, semolina, sugar, salt and yeast.

2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add the warm water, using clean hands mix it together as you add it in.

3. Using your hands knead the dough for six to seven minutes. If it is sticky, add a little more flour.

4. Coat the dough with a little oil and cover with a clean dry towel. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

5. Assemble your ingredients for folding and cooking.

6. Use a little of the oil to grease your work surface and your hands. A baking sheet works well for this.

7. With greased hands, divide the dough in half. Then divide each half again and again until you have 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover again with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Directions for folding and cooking:

8. Take one ball of dough and stretch it out into a very thin circle, almost see through without any holes.

9. Place it down on the work surface, it can be stretched out this way as well. Dot the surface with the vegan butter and then sprinkle with a little semolina.

10. Fold the top edge down halfway. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge.

11. Fold the left side in towards the center and then the right side towards the center until you have a little square packet.

12. Place between two pieces of parchment paper and gently press it flat.

13. Repeat with the remaining 15 balls of dough.

14. Preheat a griddle or cast iron pan and lightly grease it with some of the oil.

15. Remove the parchment paper and fry on each side about 5-6 minutes until golden and slightly puffy.

16. Test for doneness, it should be flaky and chewy, but not undercooked.

Serve with vegan butter, maple syrup, jam or with a hearty bean soup.

You may also enjoy other vegan recipes on Chef Christine Moss’ author page.

The post Recipe: M’smen North African Flatbread appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by recent travels to southern Spain, Chef Christine Moss shares a vegan comfort-food recipe (a favorite in her restaurant) to soothe your soul

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A few tips from my kitchen to yours:

• As with all recipes, please read the directions through to the end before you begin.
• I have given the brand names of some of the ingredients in this recipe because I’ve found that their distinct flavor adds to this dish.

Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry lentils (green, brown or French, your choice)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 cup diced White Onion
• ½ cup diced Carrots
• ½ cup diced Celery
• 2 cloves Garlic smashed and diced
• ¼ cup Olive Oil + 1 TBSP
• 4 leave fresh Sage sliced thinly (or 1 TBSP dried)
• 2 TBSP Cumin
• 2 TBSP dried Thyme
• 2 (14oz.) bottles of Heinz organic Ketchup
• ¼ cup Vegetable Stock or Water
• 2 TBSP Annie’s Worcestershire Sauce (other brands may not be vegan)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Tamari 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Rinse the lentils well and pick out any stones (yes, they commonly have stones). Add them to a large pot with a generous amount of water to cover the lentils and bring to a boil. Once they have reached a boil, lower the heat to very low, add in the bay leaves and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Continue to add water as it cooks out. 
3. Drain the lentils and set aside.
4. In a large sauté pan, coat the bottom with the olive oil. Heat on medium and then add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
5. Cook the vegetables for about 5-6 minutes and then add in a pinch of salt and pepper, sage, cumin and thyme. Stir together and cook for another 4-5 minutes until tender.
6. Transfer the cooked onion, carrot, celery and spice mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Stop before it turns to mush.
7. In a large mixing bowl, place the cooked lentils with the minced cooked vegetables.
8. Add in 1 full bottle of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 2 TBSP tamari, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
9. Using a potato masher (or washed hands) begin to mash the lentils together with everything. You are looking for a slightly cohesive mixture with some of the lentils still remaining whole. 
10. Taste it, add in more tamari, cumin and/or salt and pepper as needed.
11. Prepare an 8” baking dish with oil and spoon the lentil mixture into it.
12. With the back of a large spoon, press it down into the pan and smooth out the surface.
13. Place ½ a bottle of ketchup into another mixing bowl and thin it down with a little vegetable stock or water and 1 TBSP of olive oil.
14. Spread the ketchup mixture evenly over the top of the lentil loaf.
15. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes to caramelize the edges.
16. Allow the loaf to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and a green vegetable such as kale or broccoli.

Caramelized Onion and Shiitake Gravy

Ingredients:

• 4-6 White or Spanish onions peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 leaves fresh sage thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms caps and stems trimmed at the ends, thinly sliced
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tsp. arrowroot powder
• ½ cup cold water

Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and add in the sliced onions.
2. Place on a low flame and allow it to cook slowly, do not stir or mix.
3. Let the onions cook about 15-20 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom and the onions in the top of the pan are beginning to turn translucent.
4. Pile the shiitake mushrooms and the garlic on top of the onions, do not stir yet. Cook another 6-7 minutes. Now stir, scrape up from the bottom of the pan. Add in the sage, thyme, pepper and salt.
5. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. In a small mixing bowl place the arrowroot powder and pour the cold water into it. Mix it quickly with a fork or whisk and pour into the onions. Mix well.
7. Simmer an additional 5-6 minutes until it thickens. Add more vegetable stock if needed.

Note: If you like your gravy to be darker, add in a little Annie’s Worcestershire sauce or tamari instead of the salt!

You may also enjoy eating Autumn Stew: A Recipe of Seasonal Foods, Folk Lore and Sustenance by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Lentil Loaf With Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Gravy appeared first on BEST SELF.

While losing weight can feel like a vicious cycle, the Bright Line method provides a proven, structured diet protocol for a lasting and vibrant lifestyle

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Weight loss (and keeping weight off) is not all about ‘willpower’ despite what we’ve been told. Sure, it requires attention to detail and discipline — but it also requires quality information that will inspire and keep us on track.

The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: Weight Loss Made Simple, is designed precisely with this in mind and to help readers transition to a healthy way of life — one with real staying power. Building upon the success of the ‘Bright Line’ eating protocol, I realized that it needed a companion guidebook outlining tactical strategies and more precisely, exactly what to eat and how much and when.

It explores the principles behind the success of Bright Line Boot Camps and most importantly, helps people take this from the book or the workshops to their homes — to truly incorporate transformation into their lives. It approaches weight loss from another angle. Note: there won’t be any ‘cheat’ foods, because those foods keep addiction alive in the brain, slow weight loss, and leave one vulnerable to old habits. It’s about letting go of what isn’t working.

Healthy living begins with healthy eating.

But there’s more to the story. With over 70 percent of the U.S. population classified as obese or overweight, living in a world of unhealthy food choices and misinformation — it should come as no surprise that living healthy and keeping unwanted weight off has gotten so much more complicated and challenging.

That is why the core principles of Bright Line Eating (BLE) were created to support your sustainable weight loss journey. The 4 Bright Lines: sugar, flour, meals, and quantities are the pillars for clear, unambiguous boundaries, so you don’t have to sweat a guessing game of what works and what doesn’t. This is a structured guideline — no room for moderation here. But don’t let that scare you, this is about creating lasting results and winning the weight battle once and for all.

When you cut sugar and flour (in all their forms) and make a commitment to schedule your meals and prepare them with attention to quantities — you will become empowered to conquer food addiction.

Food can get complicated because there are so many options available — which sometimes sends us on a food-FOMO-frenzy, but don’t get alarmed, there is still a big, beautiful world filled with an array of color and flavor — and one without sugar and flour. I promise!

Plus, Bright Line eating is carefully constructed so that eating behaviors are shifted out of the part of the brain where decisions are made; the prefrontal cortex — and into the part of the brain where things are automatic; the basal ganglia. Meaning, with a fraction of willpower and a few weeks of discipline, you’ll be picking up good habits and routines, and dropping pounds and self-defeating behaviors. In other words, you will be re-scripting old routines that sabotaged your previous efforts.

The holidays and the colder months are right around the corner — a time when we seek comfort foods, indulge a bit more and table our health goals. But I want to see you navigate this differently and stick to your plan. That’s why I included recipes in this cookbook that are filled with flavor and void of guilt. No holiday cookie remorse here!

More specifically, I chose these recipes for Best Self so you can find a practical way to jump into the Bright Line lifestyle.

Because being a ‘Bright Lifer’ is a true way of life that goes beyond a simple diet. It’s about vibrant living and connecting to your body and health in a way that you may never have before.

It’s about joining me on this mission to combat food addiction reasonably and even automatically, so you will look good, feel well, and work productively. Win. Win. Win.

I want this for you. I want you to step into your most vibrant self and confidently participate in reclaiming your health.

Please try one or all of these savory dishes for a first step in a simple program scientifically centered on health and sustainable weight loss. Each of these recipes are foundational to my meal plans in The Official Bright Line Eating Cookbook: practical hot bowls, cold bowls, and perfect plates — and even an entire section on salad dressings. Are you ready to set yourself free from weight loss struggle once and for all? Have a seat at this table!

Hot Bowl: Italian Spaghetti Squash

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 ounces spaghetti sauce (check that sugar is not in the first 3 ingredients)
• 6 ounces beans 1 ounce Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
2. Slice the squash in half; scoop out and discard the seeds.
3. Place the squash cut side down on the tray and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Let cool; then use a fork to scrape out the strands of squash.
5. Place 6 ounces of cooked spaghetti squash in a pot and mix with all the seasonings.
6. Add 2 ounces of spaghetti sauce and 6 ounces beans and heat through over medium heat.
7. Sprinkle with 1 ounce cheese and serve

Cold Bowl: Texas Cavier

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces frozen corn
• 16 ounces cooked black beans
• 8 ounces cooked black-eyed peas
• 2 ounces sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 10 ounces chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• Pinch each of salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces apple cider vinegar 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped leaves

Directions:

1. Place the frozen corn in a large bowl.
2. Drain the black beans and black-eyed peas, rinse thoroughly, and add to the corn.
3. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, and tomatoes with juice.
4. Stir together.
5. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper; then add the oil and vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit so the corn completely defrosts and the flavors blend.
6. Stir in the chopped cilantro within a few hours of serving.
7. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Perfect Plate: Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Olive oil spray
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 fresh salmon filets, enough to yield at least 8 ounces cooked
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Coat your skillet lightly with olive oil spray and set the heat to medium. Once the pan is warm, brown half of the garlic.
2. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Add the salmon to the skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemon quarters over the fish; then season with more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Coat a separate pan with olive oil spray. Sauté the spinach and the remaining garlic until the spinach is slightly wilted.
6. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon quarters and season with salt and pepper.
7. Weigh out 6 ounces of sautéed spinach and top with 4 ounces of salmon.
8. Serve immediately

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Weight Loss Made Simpler: A Sustainable Solution + 3 Easy Recipes appeared first on BEST SELF.

A hearty autumn stew whipped up with a side of folk lore and love — connecting us to the sustenance on our plates with a new appreciation

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Autumn is by far, my favorite time of year to eat. The warm sunlit days and chilly evenings stir a deep hunger within that is satiated by the abundance of amazing produce that is finally available. Not only is my belly happy, but all of my senses are in full joy mode. The colorful leaves are like stepping into a beautiful painting.

There is a faint hint of woodfire in the evening air. Warm, nutrient-dense foods keep our energy and spirits up. In this area of the Hudson Valley is a mountainous and forested region. The change from summer into autumn is magical. The history and lore of where we live is intertwined with the foods we are blessed to eat this time of year.

Though better known as the Iroquois, (a word used by the French) the Haudenosaunee perfected a style of growing that sustained not only the earth and the soil, but the health of the body as well.

I would like to respectfully honor their legend of the Three Sisters by sharing their story and a recipe that I hope will keep you full of warmth and joy as the days begin to get colder and the daylight shorter.

The legend of the ‘Three Sisters’ is widely spread across the Americas and this particular version is local to my region of upstate New York. A more detailed version can be found at The Three Sisters: Exploring an Iroquois Garden.

As the story goes, there were three sisters who lived in a field. The youngest, who was so little, could only crawl and was dressed in green. The second sister used to love to run off by herself in the warm sunshine and wore a bright yellow dress. The third sister, the eldest, stood straight and tall and always tried to protect her sisters. She wore a pale green shawl and had long silky, yellow hair that tossed about in the breezes. The three sisters loved each other and were always together.

One day a stranger came to the field, a young boy who made arrows. The three sisters were very curious about him. Soon after his appearance the youngest sister disappeared. The two sisters cried and mourned her absence. The stranger returned again and soon after that, the second sister disappeared too. Now the oldest was left all alone in the field. In despair, she cried every day. The young boy returned to the field and heard her cries. He felt badly and carried her back to his home where she was reunited with her two sisters.

They had been so curious about him that they followed him home. Winter was coming and they had decided to stay because it was warm and he needed their help. The littlest sister was by now more grown up and she helped keep the dinner pot full, the second sister sat on a shelf drying herself to be ready to fill the dinner pot later. The oldest sister joined them and helped by grinding meal. They were never separated again.

If you haven’t guessed yet, the little sister in green is the bean, the second sister is the squash and the oldest sister is the corn. Together, beans, squash and corn are the ‘sustainers of life’.

In the garden, the corn provides the ladder for the beans to grow upon and together they create shade for the squash to thrive. Most of the corn grown today goes to feed livestock or into industrial products. But as a food, it provides a foundation of complex carbohydrates; the beans provide protein, the squash provides vitamins and squash seeds provide healthy fat.

I believe that knowing and honoring where our food comes from adds a richer layer of flavor and nourishment that keeps us healthy — and connects us on a deeper level to appreciate what is on our plate — to understand true life sustenance.

Every child of today knows these sisters and needs them just as much as the little Indian boy did. For the little sister in green is the bean. Her sister in yellow is the squash, and the elder sister with long flowing hair of yellow and the green shawl is the corn.

~ A Mohawk legend

Cooking with dried beans

Dried beans have a beautiful texture both soft yet firm with tremendous flavor that cannot be compared to canned beans. It is well worth the extra step to cook with dried beans, plus dried beans are less expensive.

When buying dried beans, choose organic whenever possible. The difference in flavor (not to mention health benefits) is significant. Make sure to choose a package that looks fresh with mostly whole beans. Avoid dusty looking beans or packages with a lot of broken pieces. It’s best to purchase from bins in health stores.

Rinse dried beans very well to clean them of any dust and remove large particles of dirt or rocks (yes, rocks. It’s not uncommon to find them). Place in a bowl or pot and cover with a few inches of clean water. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Or, once your beans have been cleaned place them in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. The exact amount is not important. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and then turn off the heat. Let it soak for at least half an hour up to 3 or 4 hours.

Once your beans have soaked using either method, pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans. Put them into a large pot and cover with a few inches of clean water. On a medium heat bring the beans up to a simmer, but don’t let them boil (boiling causes them to break apart). At this point, add in a small piece of kombu, wakame or dulse seaweed to the beans to aid in digestion.

Important, do not add salt yet. Salt inhibits the beans from softening at this stage and it won’t matter how long you cook them they will remain hard. Believe me, I have made this mistake!! It is sad after hours of cooking to have inedible beans.

Simmer for 1 to 2 hours until tender. As the water gets low, add in more to keep the beans submerged as they cook. You can also transfer them to a slow cooker at this point with all of your other ingredients and let it do its magic overnight or while you are out at work. Sauté your vegetables with the spices before adding to the slow cooker for even better flavor.

When cooking beans, as it is getting close to being done, taste the broth for flavor rather than the beans as it takes a very long time for the beans to soak up all of the flavors and it can be easy to over-salt your dish early on.

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Red Bean and Butternut Squash Stew Served With Polenta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried red kidney beans prepared and simmered according to soaking directions above
• 4 stalks celery diced
• 2-3 small carrots washed and sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 small sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 Spanish onion diced
• 1 butternut squash peeled, cut into 1” cubes, seeds cleaned and reserved
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 TBSP dried thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 TBSP maple syrup
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1. Into a large heavy-bottomed pot sauté onions, celery and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add in carrots and sweet potatoes. Sauté another 8-10 minutes.
3. Add in butternut squash and about ½ tsp salt. Stir and reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Remove lid, stir again add in prepared beans with all of their cooking liquid, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper and a little more salt. Stir and cover. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally from the bottom so it doesn’t stick.
5. Stir again and taste the broth. Add in more salt if needed and the maple syrup.
6. Let it simmer slowly for another 20-30 minutes. The broth will thicken as it cooks.
7. Shut off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. It will taste even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

Polenta

Follow the directions on the package and add lots of vegan butter for a very creamy polenta. Or polenta can be purchased already prepared in the refrigerator section of your market. Slice into ½” slices and quickly pan fry in a little olive oil or vegan butter and serve on top of the stew.

Another option is to serve it with corn tortillas, cornbread or fresh corn on the cob.

You may enjoy these other vegan recipes from Chef Christine Moss on her Author Page.

The post Autumn Stew: A Recipe of Seasonal Foods, Folk Lore and Sustenance appeared first on BEST SELF.

Renowned yoga teachers connect their yogic philosophy to their plates, creating simplicity, ceremony and holistic health (plus 2 yummy recipes!)

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Yoga teaches us to examine and question life, to search our hearts and minds regularly, and to use our intellect for spiritual study and growth. And what better place to start than with the food we eat? The information and advertisements we regularly take in do not necessarily put the planet and spiritual wellbeing at the forefront. They don’t share the back story. They don’t connect the dots. It falls on us as individuals to look into these subjects and create change. We have all heard the old adage, “Change starts with one.” Our actions can create a ripple effect and eventually lead us to building a spiritual culture.

All of the recipes in The Yoga Plate have been designed according to the concept of ahimsa, or non-harm, which is part of the first limb of the Eight Limb Path. With ahimsa in mind, we try to cause the least harm possible to all living creatures. This is an extremely important part of yogic philosophy when it comes to eating.

After all, the way most of us cause harm throughout our lives, consciously or not — is by way of what we put in our mouths. Conversely, infusing that consciousness can bring forth radical healing.  

Another precept included in the Eight Limb Path is dhyana, which translates to ‘devotion’ or ‘meditation’. In the yogic context, meditation means much more than just sitting in silence or chanting for a set amount of time. It refers to actually living our lives in a more spiritually conscious manner. The manner in which we eat offers a great avenue for infusing more mindfulness into our daily routine.

We know how challenging it can be to cook something that nourishes the body, heals the mind, and fills the soul as well. So we have taken into consideration our busy lifestyles and the fact that many of us live in an urban landscape. When things are chaotic around us, it is refreshing to mindfully (but often quickly) make foods that will satisfy and energize.

Our evening meal should be something that we look forward to at the end of the day. We believe it should be filling, scrumptious, and nutritious. The following two recipes can cultivate the mood of reflection and relaxation to help wind down and release the day — in a way that restores one body, mind and spirit. Bon Appetit to your Best Self!

The Monk Bowl

SERVES 4

In our house we have a running joke that Victoria could live off of salad, brown rice, and lentils. We call her diet ‘monk food’ because she is so simple in her food habits and she loves to eat clean, basic meals. This recipe is one of Victoria’s all-time favorites, as it is simple and very satisfying. We play with many variations on cooking lentils in our house because we love the way lentils make our bodies feel. The Monk Bowl is super high in protein, fiber, and minerals that boost your energy and fuel your body as well as being easy to digest.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils
• 6 cups water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ Tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 1¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt

Directions:

1. Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones. Place them in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and cover. Let the lentils simmer for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. 
2. Drain the lentils in a strainer and give them a light rinse with fresh water. Set them aside. 
3. To make the marinade, place the rest of the ingredients in bowl and mix together well. 
4. Pour the marinade over the cooked lentils and stir well. Serve over brown rice.

The best sauce for the Monk Bowl is the Magic Tahini Sauce [SEE BELOW], as it’s slightly bitter, sour taste complements the hearty flavor of the lentils and rice.

Miso Ramen Bowl

SERVES 4

Ramen is the archetypal Japanese street food. And miso is the healing, nutritious soup that has been used in the East, just like chicken noodle soup has been used in the West, to cure all ills, from colds to a lowered immune system. This recipe merges the two to form a powerful, well-balanced meal that dances on the tongue and fulfills our nutritional needs. While the recipe gives specific timing directions for adding the ingredients, you don’t have to feel rushed when making this. Play around with the timing. Test the noodles as they boil; if they are slightly tender but not fully cooked, you know you have some time left and can add in the veggies.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. miso paste
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. plus 4 cups water
• 2 packs ramen noodles
• 1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup chopped firm tofu
• ¼ cup minced scallions
• ½ cup nori (seaweed) strips, cut with scissors
• Black sesame seeds (garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and add ramen noodles, stirring occasionally.
3. Two minutes before the noodles are done, add broccoli and stir.
4. One minute before the noodles are done, add the shiitake mushrooms, spinach, tofu, scallions, and seaweed strips. Stir, then turn off heat.
5. Add the miso mixture and mix well. Pour into bowls, garnish with black sesame seeds, and serve right away

Magic Tahini Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

This creamy tahini sauce is one of the staples in our house. It’s very versatile. We use it on just about anything, from fresh salads and Mediterranean dishes to rice bowls and more. There is no need to feel guilty when devouring this rich, nutrient-dense sauce. It’s loaded with lots of B vitamins, vitamins E and K, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup tahini
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
• ¼ tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

Directions:

 Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blitz for 45–60 seconds.

[Recipes adapted from THE YOGA PLATE: Bring Your Practice into the Kitchen with 108 Simple & Nourishing Vegan Recipes, by Tamal and Victoria Dodge. Sounds True, September 2019. Reprinted with permission.] 

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Off The Mat, Into The Kitchen: Bringing Mindfulness to Our Plate appeared first on BEST SELF.

A podiatrist muses about more than feet, he celebrates life and a surprising secret ingredient for happiness…movement

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Put your best foot forward…
Baby Steps…
Put one foot in front of the other…
Jump in feet first…
Put your toe in the water
One step at a time…

So many choices. What direction are your feet taking you?

Where is it you want to go? What is your biggest dream that’s still sitting inside of you? Is there a project, a great idea? Challenges getting started? Could your feet have the answer? If not, why so many foot metaphors? Hmmmm.

As a foot doctor for over 35 years, these sayings come in handy, especially for a podiatrist who admits to enjoying puns. And my patients smile and some even chuckle when I share one of the above or say it’s time to “get back on your feet.”

And yes, I too had a project I had been putting off for years (decades actually). I got moving because my patients inspire me. They inspire me to teach, to share, to do. And I do my best to inspire them too.

The project I put off for years: writing a book. It’s now done. Finished. It’s in the books. (Yes, I warned you — I love puns.)

My goal: Inspire as many as I can to keep your body in motion, your mind active, and to feel and appreciate joy.

My podiatry practice is a representation of our world. From babies to seniors. Cradle to grave as they say. I see a runner with foot pain training for the marathon, followed by a senior with a walker who has suffered the pain and indignity of too many falls.

I see a disappointed athlete with a broken foot, followed by a diabetic who fears losing theirs. Bunions straightened and painful ingrown nails removed.

I feel so fortunate to do what I do. I make people feel better. I improve the quality of a person’s life. Someone comes in with a challenge and leaves with a solution. It’s rewarding. I perform a service; this is the job I’m fortunate to do. I have been gifted an amazing profession that each day inspires me to give back to my patients.

The giveback comes in the form of education, a kind word, a compliment — hope. I start my workday with great energy and enthusiasm. At end of day I usually finish with a run. My run does not deplete more energy; it restores it. 

Movement is my reset button.

Who are my patients that inspire me the most? I get the most joy when I see a senior in their 90’s (or above) who comes in with a smile and a story. I am especially delighted with seniors who maintain an active lifestyle. They walk, they play cards, they read, they laugh, they get out, they socialize, they are happy. I ask them to share their secrets.

Trust me, I see too many who are unhappy with the life that has become theirs. They are in pain. They feel old. They are stiff. They can’t do what they used to do. They feel life has cheated them, and they always say “getting old isn’t what it is cracked up to be.” And the more familiar “don’t get old!”

What do I believe? That life is a choice. That there are options. That all are not created equal. That you can’t always get what you want. That too many people give up. That people are stuck in their beliefs. That too many have stopped learning. That emotional pain can be more destructive than physical pain.

What else do I believe? That you can change. That it’s never too late. 

That a smile is easy to put on your face. That kindness never gets old. That you get more than one chance to do it right. That your best self is still inside of you. And most importantly, life is amazing.

I listen to my patients and learn. Both from the happy and the not so happy. I am a trusted confidant. I hear the voices that say I wish I did more with my life. I hear the regrets of those who stayed in abusive relationships. I feel the sorrow of those who have lost love or have never loved. I hear loneliness. I hear the fear of moving from the only home they have known to a nursing home. I hear the struggle to stay independent. I hear the wish if only I could do things over.

Then I see those who feel joy and bring joy to others. They see the good in people. They see gifts all around them. They marvel at the life they have lived. They still want to make the world a better place.

I have found evidence of what separates the happy from the less than happy (yes, you can call them ‘the unhappy’). It can feel like a secret because we don’t all have access to the clues. The preponderance of evidence has revealed to me my most important lessons.

Happiness is about movement. Movement of your body and movement of your mind. 

The mind/body relationship cannot be separated. The more you move your body, the more your mind is free to seek joy.

Movement provides thought, creativity, and solutions. Movement returns energy and removes negativity. Movement improves both mindset and matter. And the matter we are talking about is in your brain. It responds to and grows from exercise. And this is one place where size truly does matter.

So, I want to inspire anyone I can to stay active. Especially as you age, we must remember Newton’s law of physics which states: An object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest stays at rest.

So please stay in motion. Keep your body moving, keep your mind active. This is a fact of life. You can’t defeat gravity and you can’t stop the clock. But you can be the happiest and healthiest person you can be.

Life is a continual series of choices. Choose exercise and movement, then make it so it’s not a choice. Make it your life.

So, get out and walk, pick up pickleball, find an exercise partner. Do something new. Get a step counter. Listen to podcasts. Take an exercise class. Join a meetup group. Go to a concert. Take a walk in the rain. Plan a trip. Find your passion. 

Whatever you do… just keep moving.

So, baby steps or a toe in the water? Just make sure to put your best foot forward. Maybe your feet really do have all the answers. Where would you like them to take you?

You may also enjoy reading Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention by Carter Miles

The post Put Your Best Foot Forward (Literally): Embracing The Power of Movement appeared first on BEST SELF.

Inspired by the shaved ices sold on the city streets of her childhood, Chef Moss serves up a refreshing take on Italian-style granitas

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Summer is in full throttle and my blender is my new best friend. From smoothies and gazpachos to refreshing fruit drinks — the blender is a great tool to help you get your nutrients without heating up the kitchen. 

And what’s summer without watermelon and those amazing shaved ices sold on city street corners that flood my mind with memories? To keep cool, here is a simple yet glorious frozen treat inspired by Italian-style Granitas. Originally from Sicily, Granitas are related to sorbet and Italian ice, however, in most of Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. 

Watermelon is an amazing fruit that keeps you hydrated and is loaded with antioxidants and lycopene which gives it its red color. Go ahead, put the lime in the coconut (milk) and eat it all up!

Watermelon Coconut and Lime Granita

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1 can (15 oz.) full fat coconut milk
• 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
• 2 TBSP granulated sugar (helps with the freezing consistency)

Directions:

1. Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes.
2. Pour into a metal or glass bread loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 2 hours.
3. Remove from the freezer and mix the granita together breaking apart any frozen lumps and return to the freezer covered with plastic wrap.
4. Let it freeze solid, depending on your freezer, for another 3-4 hours or leave overnight.
5. To serve, using a strong spoon or ice cream scoop, scrape the surface multiple times to build up a nice fluffy scoopful. Serve in a pretty bowl (garnish if you like with a fruit, mint leave or flower) and enjoy.

You may also enjoy eating Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Watermelon, Coconut & Lime Granita appeared first on BEST SELF.

A gentle, relaxing and energizing yoga flow followed by body-focused meditation for a morning (or anytime) self-care ritual

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Our yoga flow today starts with simple motions to integrate our awareness, breath and bodies all together. We’ll loosen up the major joints of the body, start to activate the muscles and then work into some vinyasa (breath to movement) work.

We’ll then work into Sun Salutations, which are one of the oldest yoga sequences we know, designed to release tension through the body, energize the spine, increase circulation and coordinate the different nervous systems of the body and the opposite hemispheres of the brain. We’ll play with a little balancing work to focus the mind and open it into a more receptive, experiential state.

We’ll finish off with a short meditation. We’ll rotate our attention to different parts of the body as a means of solidifying the mind-body connection and quieting down the thoughts.

All together this flow is perfect to ground down, to energize, to awaken the mind-body connection and start the day or to reset!

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation, by Carter Miles.

The post Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention appeared first on BEST SELF.

Growing up the daughter of a florist, a chef shows us how flowers are not just for vases — they can actually be edible art

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Most recipes for candied flowers use egg whites. Here is an alternative recipe that uses simple syrup and super fine powdered sugar instead. 

To start, rub the petals gently between your fingers to help the simple syrup stick. Take your time, this is not a quick project, but there’s something delightful about painting each petal with the syrup — a chance to notice how each petal is different and unique from the other. Enjoy the process and the finished product!

Choose flowers from a garden that have not been sprayed with pesticides! Edible flowers can be found in high-end markets such as Whole Foods or Wegmans, or even online at Etsy or Amazon. And of course, don’t forget local farms and nurseries near you. You just may be so inspired by this project to start planting your own garden.

But before anything, be very clear on which flowers are safe to be consumed. Here is a list of a few that are edible and a few that are poisonous and should be avoided. 

Some Edible Flowers that Can Be Candied:

Lilac
Violas
Pansies
Roses
Apple Blossoms
Nasturtiums
Borage

Poisnous Flowers, Do Not Eat:

Azalia
Butterfly Weed
Clematis
Daffodil
Datura (Jimson Weed)
Foxglove
Iris
Morning Glory
Sweet Pea

DIRECTIONS:

Simple Syrup

1. 1 part sugar
2. 1 part water
3. Mix together in a small pot over a low flame and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool down, as the heat will change the color of the flowers.

Set Up Your Work Station With:

• A sheet of wax paper
• A small clean paintbrush used only for food
• Superfine powdered sugar (you can put powdered sugar into the blender to make it superfine)
• Flowers of choice
• Tweezers (for very tiny flowers such as lilacs)
• A damp cloth to clean your fingers (they will get sticky)
• A sieve for sprinkling the powdered sugar

1. For flowers with petals, paint the front and the back of the flower with the syrup and set down on the wax paper. Repeat with all of your flowers.
2. Using the sieve, sprinkle the powdered sugar over the surface of the flowers.
3. Set aside in a warm dry place and allow to dry. It can take anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours to dry depending upon the humidity and the size of your flowers.
4. Once the flowers have dried, peel them up off of the wax paper very slowly and carefully. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. 
5. For flowers such as lilacs and apple blossoms, use the tweezers to pick up each one and dip it into the simple syrup instead of using a paintbrush.

Et voila! Garnish a plate or the top of a cake or dessert. Your creations will sing of delight and natural beauty — and the process will have your creative juices flowing. Here’s to flower power!

You may also enjoy Rustic Berry Tarts & Flamenco: Recipe & Musings From A Chef, by Christine Moss

The post Flower Power: The Edible Art of Candied Flowers appeared first on BEST SELF.

Celery juice is all the rage. The man at the helm of this healing revolution sits down to tell us why — and why it will stand the test of time

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Q: What are the healing benefits celery juice offers?

There are specific reasons celery juice is healing millions of people around the globe. And it’s not because celery has vitamin A and K or because it contains water, making it hydrating. There is much more to it than that. Juiced celery has undiscovered healing properties that offer profound health benefits, such as its sodium cluster salts, neurotransmitter support, plant hormones, and unique vitamin C that doesn’t need to be converted by the liver to be useful for the body.

It’s these unknown properties and more that I share in Medical Medium Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide that are responsible for the countless healing stories people are sharing online, and many more that people haven’t shared publicly. 

One of the greatest secrets inside celery juice that makes it so effective at helping all kinds of chronic illnesses and symptoms is its undiscovered sodium cluster salts. These sodium cluster salts are an undiscovered subgroup of sodium that starve and fight off unwanted pathogens and bacteria — troublemakers that science and research don’t yet know are responsible for a tremendous amount of symptoms and conditions, including autoimmune diseases.

They also neutralize toxins, which are another key contributor to all kinds of illnesses. They also restore hydrochloric acid over time and help the liver to produce bile, both of which are critical not only for strong digestion, but to help kill off pathogens. These incredible sodium cluster salts are just one of the miraculous secrets celery juice holds inside.

When people say that celery juice is helping so many because it’s mostly water, and therefore very hydrating — they’re missing a critical piece of knowledge. The complicated structures of beneficial sodium (not to be confused with detrimental sodium which doesn’t help the body at all) provide the ultimate neurotransmitter chemical. 

This special healing characteristic of celery juice makes it the most powerful electrolyte beverage on the planet.

No other food, herb, or beverage can supply every activated electrolyte needed at once to form a complete neurotransmitter chemical; only celery juice can.

Celery juice contains a multitude of plant hormones not yet studied or categorized by medical research and science. One of its undiscovered plant hormones feeds and replenishes every single gland in the endocrine system, among them the pancreas, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid, and adrenals. It’s one of the reasons why celery juice is such a miracle at providing balance in the body. For anyone with an autoimmune disorder, this is especially important as endocrine challenges are present for anyone who has one. Another beneficial plant hormone in celery juice strengthens the reproductive system in women and men. This makes celery juice a very important tool for anyone who wishes to conceive. 

Another undiscovered characteristic of celery is that it contains a unique variety of vitamin C that requires no methylation in the liver for the body to be able to use it. This special pre-methylated vitamin C is very bioavailable and it can boost the immune system unlike any other vitamin C because of this, which is why it’s so healing for anyone with a chronic illness or symptom. Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables is tremendously important, but the unique form of vitamin C in celery, which is even more bioavailable and concentrated in celery juice, is a very special healing tool available to you. 

These are just a handful of the undiscovered healing benefits celery juice offers. 

Q: How should celery juice be consumed to receive its benefits?

Celery juice is most powerful when you drink it solo. While it’s great to consume other green juices or vegetable juices and add in items like spinach, kale, parsley, cilantro, or apples — drink those mixed juices at a different time than your straight celery juice. These blends function differently than what I recommend as your greatest tool for recovering your health: pure celery juice taken on an empty stomach. Also, when you drink your celery juice first thing in the morning, it will strengthen your digestion of the foods you eat for the rest of the day.

If you want to heal and improve your health quickly and efficiently, follow this routine:

• Every morning, drink roughly 16 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach. You can choose to drink 32 ounces if you wish, especially if you are suffering with challenging chronic illnesses and symptoms. Make sure it’s fresh, plain celery juice with no other ingredients. Celery juice is a medicinal, not a caloric drink — so you’ll still need breakfast afterward to power you through the morning. Simply wait at least 15 minutes (and ideally 30 minutes) after drinking your celery juice before consuming anything else.

• If you’re not a fan of the taste and 16 ounces is too much, start with a smaller amount and work your way up.

• Use organic celery whenever possible. If you’re using conventional celery, be sure to wash it especially well before juicing as per the instructions in Medical Medium Celery Juice.

• If you find the taste of straight celery juice too strong, you can juice one cucumber and/or one apple with the celery. This is a great option as you get adjusted to the flavor. As you get used to it, keep increasing the ratio of celery; the greatest benefits come when celery juice is consumed on its own.

Celery Juice Recipe

Plain, fresh celery juice is one of the most powerful healing juices available to us. This clean, green drink is the very best way to start your day. Make this juice a part of your daily routine, and soon you won’t want to go a day without it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery

Directions:

Rinse the celery and run it through a juicer. Drink immediately for best results.

Alternatively, you can chop the celery and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain well using cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or fine mesh strainer and drink immediately.

Q: What is the difference between drinking celery juice and eating celery stalks?

Eating celery stalks is helpful, but it doesn’t give you the quantity of nutrients that juiced celery does, nor does it unlock the same potency. Celery is an herb, not a vegetable. When you juice it you’re extracting a herbal tonic, not making a vegetable juice. Juicing and removing the pulp (fiber) from the celery is the only way to get the powerful healing benefits celery juice offers for healing chronic illness. Chewing on some stalks of celery will not provide you with the healing benefits that celery juice can. 

You might hear someone suggesting that eating celery stalks or having blended celery with the pulp still in the drink is just as beneficial as drinking celery juice with the pulp removed. Try not to get misled by anyone sharing this misinformation. Anyone suggesting this doesn’t understand how celery juice works. Leaving the pulp in will keep you from receiving the unique healing benefits of celery juice.

For one, you wouldn’t be able to receive the concentrated undiscovered cluster salts, that do all of the following:

• Quickly rebuild your hydrochloric acid so that your stomach can break down protein. If protein isn’t broken down properly it will cause gut rot. Strong hydrochloric acid is important to kill off pathogens entering your mouth. 

• Increase and strengthen your bile. Strong bile is important for the break down fats, and for the killing off pathogens that have made their way into your body. Eating straight celery wouldn’t allow you to get enough of celery’s cluster salts that act as antiseptics for pathogens. 

• Restore your central nervous system. Celery juice removes old toxins and poisons such as old pharmaceuticals from your liver.

Eating celery stalks or blended celery with the fiber in doesn’t offer any of these benefits or any of the hundreds of benefits I share in Medical Medium Celery Juice. These options are certainly healthy, but they aren’t a medicinal extract like celery juice is.

Q: Which health symptoms and conditions can be helped by celery juice?

Celery juice is helpful for every chronic illness and symptom. In Medical Medium Celery Juice you can find out exactly how celery juice helps heal almost 200 symptoms and conditions. Some of the health issues it helps include:

• Acid reflux
• Acne
• Alzheimer’s & dementia
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune disease
• Bloating
• Brain fog
• Cancer
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Diverticulitis
• Dry, cracked skin
• Eating disorders
• Eczema
• Edema & swelling
• Eye problems
• Fatigue
• Fibroids
• Fibromyalgia
• Gallstones
• Headaches & migraines
• Heart palpitations
• High blood pressure
• Joint pain
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• ME/ CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome)
• Methylation issues
• Mood swings
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis
• Rosacea
• SIBO (small intestine bacterial growth)
• Sinusitis
• Sleep problems
• Thyroid conditions
• Tingles & numbness
• Tinnitus
• UTIs & bladder infections
• Vertigo
• Vitiligo
• Weight problems

Q: Why has celery juice become so trendy and popular?

I began sharing about the health benefits of drinking 16 ounces of straight celery juice on an empty stomach every morning when I was a child in 1975. For decades I have recommended this healing herbal medicine to hundreds of thousands of people — both clients and other people looking for relief and answers to their mystery health problems I have helped along the way. Word has gotten out organically over the years as people personally experienced the benefits of celery juice and shared it with others. 

Since the release of my four bestselling books, Medical Medium, Life-Changing Foods, Thyroid Healing and Liver Rescue, in which I share some of the incredible healing properties of celery juice and exactly how to consume it for best results, the global celery juice movement I started has exploded. People from all over the globe are trying celery juice for themselves and noticing positive changes in their health. By their own accord, hundreds of thousands of people have been sharing their healing experiences on social media and with other people they meet simply because they know celery juice works.

Celery juice, when consumed in the right way, is a powerful and miraculous healing remedy.

People are noticing benefits such as clearer skin, improved digestion, less bloating, sustained energy, better mental clarity, weight loss, and stable moods, just to name a few. People are healing from all kinds of acute and chronic illnesses, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, eczema, psoriasis, acne, SIBO, constipation, chronic fatigue syndrome, blood sugar issues, migraines, acid reflux, high blood pressure, addictions, adrenal issues, gout, allergies, autoimmune conditions, and countless others, from drinking plain celery juice daily.

Celery juice is not a passing trend or fad. It will still be here in twenty years time because it works. It’s truly a miracle remedy. Celery juice is not backed by funding or an interest group with an agenda. The global celery juice movement I originated is and always will be a grassroots movement that has grown rapidly because it actually works. Whether you suffer from a chronic illness or symptom or simply want to do what you can to prevent future illness, celery juice is here to support you.

You may also enjoy reading Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take on the Keto Diet with a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist, by Dr. Will Cole

The post Celery Juice Curious? Q&A With Anthony William aka the Medical Medium appeared first on BEST SELF.

The Keto diet is not just for meat-eaters anymore; herewith, a (mostly) plant-based approach by a functional medicine doctor for achieving optimal wellness

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As a functional medicine practitioner, I see people on a daily basis struggling through chronic health problems. It is my job to help get them to a place of thriving health. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this is through the food you eat on a daily basis. Since food has the ability to either feed disease or fuel health, it is important to choose foods that will push you toward healing rather than exacerbating your symptoms.

Over the years I have seen and heard about every diet imaginable. But through my years of clinical and personal experience I have seen what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to using food to heal. While every person’s biochemistry is different and will respond differently to certain foods — there are a few general principles that I see as beneficial for most people: 

Plant foods are next-level disease fighters, high-carbohydrate diets are very inflammatory, and healthy fats are essential for multiple aspects of your health.

My plan, Ketotarian, was born out of combining all three of these principles together. At its core, ‘ketotarian’ is the marriage of the best of conventional ketogenic diets and the best of traditional plant-based diets without the common pitfalls that often go along with these two ways of eating. Ketogenic diets have been proven to help enhance brain function, restore energy, and stabilize blood sugar through transitioning your body from a sugar burning state to a fat burning state. Ultimately, this provides your body with a more sustainable form of fuel in the form of ketones from fat, instead of glucose from sugar which can give you a quick burst of energy but leave you crashing hard later.

Having stable blood sugar is an important part of wellness and a key element in a ketogenic diet.

You don’t have to be diagnosed with diabetes to have blood sugar problems and your blood sugar struggles may seem like ’normal’ things everyone struggles with or just a part of getting older. But just because something is common doesn’t make it normal.

These are the top 5 signs your blood sugar could be out of whack:

1. You become irritable and ‘hangry’ (hungry/angry) if you miss a meal.
2. It’s difficult for you to lose weight.
3. You find yourself needing caffeine to get through the day.
4. Your memory is not what it used to be.
5. You feel like you need a nap after eating a meal.

A ketogenic diet can fuel your body with sustainable energy in the form of healthy fats and move you away from relying on sugar to give you energy.

The problem with conventional ketogenic diets however, is that they are typically heavy in meat and dairy which doesn’t take into consideration those with sensitivities to these foods or those who would rather be more plant-based. Overloading on conventional or processed meat and dairy sources can also end up being inflammatory, which can ultimately push you further from your health goals rather than closer. Ketotarian on the other hand, takes all the high-fat benefits of a traditional keto diet, but replaces the meat and dairy with nutrient-dense plant foods.

The difference between ketotarian and other plant-based diets is the types of plant-foods that make up what you eat.

All too often I see people eating conventional vegan or vegetarian diets eating mostly grains, legumes, and soy and surprisingly few vegetables. This ‘carbotarian’ way of eating can quickly turn inflammatory and is limited in important nutrients. Ketotarian brings vegetables back into focus, which have been shown to help fight cancer, lower blood sugar, and improve detoxification.

Essentially, ketotarian is a keto diet with a plant-based twist — a low-carb, moderate protein, high-fat diet that is able to put your body into a state of ketosis through eating a variety of healthy fat-rich plant-foods. The overall principles are simple.

1. Eat real food.
2. Keep your carbs low.
3. Keep your healthy fats high.
4. If you eat a non-starchy vegetable, add some healthy fats.
5. If you eat a healthy fat, add some non-starchy vegetables.
6. Eat when you are hungry.
7. Eat until you are satiated, then stop.

But you don’t have to eat like a rabbit to go plant-based keto.

The foods that you get to eat are not only nutritious, they are delicious as well. I go into more detail in my book Ketotarian, which also has over 85 vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian recipes, but here are some examples of the foods you get to enjoy.

Healthy-Fats

• Coconuts – coconut oil, coconut milk, dried unsweetened coconut, etc.
• Avocados – whole avocados, avocado oil
• Olives – whole olives, olive oil
• Nuts – almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Eggs – for vegetarians
• Wild-caught fish – for pescatarians

Protein

Plants do have protein! These are some of my favorite high-protein plant sources.

• Hempeh (tempeh made from hemp seeds): 22 grams protein per 4 ounces hempeh
• Natto (organic non-GMO): 31 grams protein per 1 cup natto
• Tempeh (organic non-GMO): 31 grams protein per 1 cup tempeh
• Hemp protein powder: 12 grams protein per 4 tablespoons powder
• Hemp hearts/seeds: 40 grams protein per 1 cup hemp
• Nutritional yeast: 5 grams protein per 1 tablespoon yeast
• Sacha inchi seed protein powder: 24 grams protein per 4 tablespoons powder
• Spirulina: 4 grams protein per 1 tablespoon spirulina
• Almond butter: 6 grams protein per ¼ cup butter
• Almonds: 12 grams protein per ½ cup almonds
• Artichokes: 4 grams protein per ½ cup artichokes

Carbohydrates

These will come from non-starchy vegetables and low-fructose fruits.

• Dark leafy greens – kale, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.
• Berries – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

So, what exactly can you eat in a day? Here’s a typical day of plant-based keto:

Breakfast

A fat-loaded smoothie makes a great breakfast as you can pack a lot of nutrient-dense ingredients into one beverage. Fats wake your brain up and you can mix up your smoothie each day but one of my favorite combos is coconut milk, spinach, a few blueberries, chia seeds, and half an avocado.

Lunch

For those who eat eggs, a simple frittata is great because it is easy to heat up for lunch and you can add in olives and spinach and top with avocado slices.

Dinner

Tacos are quick, simple, and have a variety of options. I like to roast up some cauliflower, wrap in lettuce, and top with extra guacamole and detox-supporting cilantro.

My goal with Ketotarian was to show everyone that food can be both delicious and healing. The ketotarian approach is ultimately about removing dieting dogma and shame — and loving yourself enough to nourish yourself with good food medicines. There should be a grace and lightness to wellness and I hope that wherever you are on your health journey, Ketotarian can walk alongside you and help you achieve your next level of wellness.

You may also enjoy reading 7 Insanely Healthy Foods to Fight Inflammation by Sarah Peterson

The post Ketotarian: A Refreshing Take On The Keto Diet With a (Mostly) Plant-Based Twist appeared first on BEST SELF.

Beyond recipes, a chef shares personal stories to delight both the palate and plate — to invoke self-love and acceptance

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What do self-love, rustic berry tarts and Flamenco have in common? Me… and just quite possibly, you too. When I was mulling over the possibilities of recipes to include in this issue and decided on berry tarts, the word ‘rustic’ made me smile. It was as if that word alone gives freedom and permission to create something that looks imperfect, but can also be full of flavor and love… kind of like each of us. 

There’s a lot of pain in the world, perhaps there always was. I can’t identify the straight path to healing, probably because it’s different for each of us.

But a story I recently recalled about me and Flamenco demonstrates the path to self-love and acceptance. And there’s truly no greater gift. 

Let me just put it out there: I love Flamenco. I don’t just love Flamenco, I deeply and profoundly feel other worldly when I listen to the music and witness the dance. It transports me. In Spanish, there is a word for that, duende. The people in my life during my late 20’s did not understand my interest — and I didn’t share it with them. I didn’t have a ‘dancer’s body’ so I kept it to myself. 

For a long time, I never told anyone that I had signed up for dance lessons in a dimly lit 5-story walk up just north of Times Square. I had let my fear of what others might think or say keep a part of me hidden. When I finally worked up the courage to tell my mom, she surprised me by buying my first pair of real Flamenco dance shoes as a gift. They were authentic, imported from Spain and are similar to heeled tap shoes, but instead have multiple nails hammered into the heel and toe. 

This was the first time I really came to understand and realize that the things I like, that I am attracted to are OK, simply because I like them, and they bring no harm to others. No one else has to like them.

No one else has to understand. But you know what, I learned two more things. One: Other people really do like the same things that I like because they have created it, lived it, and kept it culturally alive for generations. Two: When you do something that you like, even if you are the only one who likes it — you show others that they need not fear what makes them unique as well. 

And you know what happened? Some of my friends eventually warmed up to my enthusiasm and came with me to a few shows. My teacher, Carlota Santana said to me:

Life is hard and bad things happen to you, but you don’t deserve those bad things. Use that in your dance… And I did. 

I wasn’t good at it. I struggled with the more complicated steps and I knew I would never be a graceful, professional dancer like the others in my class. But that never was the point. I felt real, like myself for those two hours in class without the thoughts and judgments of others, and it was just plain fun. Looking back I see that doing something I loved in spite of my fear was true self-love.

Mixed Berry Rustic Tart

Makes 9

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 8 oz (2 sticks) solid vegan butter (not the whipped)
• 3 TBSP cane sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3-4 TBSP ice water

Filling:

• 1 pint blackberries
• 1 pint Raspberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp arrowroot or flour
• zest of 1 lemon

Topping:

• 2 TBSP vegan butter melted
• Cane sugar for sprinkling on top of tarts

Directions:

1. Make the dough first. Into a food processor put the flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times to sift the ingredients together.
2. Slice the vegan butter into smaller pieces and add half to the food processor. Pulse together a few times so it is worked into the flour. Add the rest of the vegan butter and pulse it into the mixture.
3. Turn the processor on and add ice water while it is mixing 1 TBSP at a time until the dough begins to hold together into a single ball. 
4. Test the dough and if you can pinch it together and it holds it’s shape without sticking to your fingers you are done. 
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Make this filling:

1. When the dough has chilled remove it from the refrigerator and set aside.
2. Into a bowl put all of the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries with the sugar, arrowroot and lemon zest.
3. Mix together crushing a few of the berries to make a syrup with the sugar and arrowroot. Set it aside.

Roll out and fill the tarts:

1. Prep 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and a light spray of oil so the tarts don’t stick. Unwrap the dough and divide it into 9 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and set aside.
2. Sprinkle a smooth flat surface with flour and take the first ball of dough and flatten it a bit with the palm of your hand. 
3. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8″ thick and set aside. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
4. Take a circle of dough and place a generous spoonful of filling in the center. About 1/4 cup of fruit. You will need to get 9 portions of fruit to fill all of your tarts.
5. Beginning with one edge, pinch and fold the dough up around the fruit all the way around the circle until you have built your tart.
6. Use a spatula to lift the tart off of your work surface and onto your prepared sheet pan. I was able to fit 6 on one pan and 3 on the other.
7. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
8. Brush the tops of each tart with melted vegan butter. It can also be used as a glue to hold together the edges of the tarts or places where it may have cracked. Its ok if it has cracked here and there, it will bake together.
9. Bake in a 400F oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy other recipes from Chef Christine Moss on her author page.

The post Rustic Berry Tarts & Flamenco: Recipe & Musings From A Chef appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan recipe for Keto-inspired roasted lettuce wraps that are light, yet satisfying with healthy fats and nutritious vegetables.

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VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, AIP
PREP: 15 minutes
Roast: 45 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium orange or yellow beets (about 3 inches in diameter), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick wedges 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt 
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, cut into thin wedges 
• 8 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 
• 8 large Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a shallow baking pan, toss together the beet wedges, 1-1⁄2 tablespoons oil, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer in the pan. Cover the pan with foil. Roast for 30 minutes. 
2. Uncover, add the shallot wedges, and roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.
3. Add the asparagus and drizzle with the remaining 1-1⁄2 teaspoons oil. Roast, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender and starting to turn brown. 
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the avocado, juice, chives, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper. Mash to the desired consistency using a potato masher or fork. 
5. To serve, stack the lettuce leaves to make four stacks of two leaves each. Spoon the roasted vegetables on top of the lettuce stacks. Spoon the avocado mixture evenly over the vegetables. Wrap the lettuce around the vegetables and avocado mixture and serve. 

[Reprinted from Ketotarian by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2018, Will Cole]

You may also enjoy 8 Proven Health Benefits Of The Keto Diet and Ketogenic Lifestyle by Alex Reed

The post Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap appeared first on BEST SELF.

A fitness expert reveals a journey of transformation — from depression, detachment, and eating disorders — to a healthy, connected life of movement 

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I grew up as a dancer. You may think being a dancer must be fabulous (and it can be), but let me tell you — it’s a lot of pressure to feel like you always have to be skinny and perfect!

I looked at the other dancers — some of them were tall and really skinny with legs for days. I, on the other hand, was just 5’4” and starting to get curves. I thought I was supposed to look like those other girls, so I not only monitored everything I put in my mouth, I obsessed over it. What I didn’t know is that when you don’t eat, your anxiety and obsessive behavior only get worse.

My need for perfection escalated when I went off to earn a dance degree in college. It was strange to be graded on my every move. The joy was sapped right out of me, and suddenly, dancing became only about becoming a better dancer. I began to believe that whatever I did and how I did it was never enough. I believed I wasn’t enough.

As I continued through that first semester, I began to feel really ‘off’. It got harder and harder to drag myself to dance class each day. I didn’t feel like socializing, and in my down time, all I wanted to do was sleep.

Then I came across a magazine article about depression. It listed the symptoms, and I was shocked to recognize myself within them.

Really? I was depressed? How did this happen? 

Keep in mind, this was before there were hundreds of drug commercials on TV offering up a solutions for depression. It wasn’t talked about that much, so the stigma was even more widespread than it is today.

After reading that article, I still felt alone, but I was relieved to find out there was a name for what I was experiencing and perhaps even some help for it. But before I could do anything about my depression, I received news that dwarfed everything. 

My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

It further shook every foundation I had managed to build in my young life. The idea that I could possibly lose my mom before I was 20 made me feel helpless and out of control.

Even so, there was an amazing aspect to the experience. Mom had always believed in the mind-body connection, so while she had chemotherapy and a hysterectomy like her Western doctors advised, she also found a wonderful cancer wellness center where they taught meditation, Tai Chi, and nutrition.

When I was home from school, I watched my mother in awe. She wasn’t about to let her illness stop her. Every day, she put on her cute hat to cover her bald head, and went out into the world, making the most of whatever energy she had. The power of her fierce attitude taught me a lot about how to be in the world. 

My mom has always been a profound role model for me, but her courage throughout this challenge turned her into superwoman in my eyes. And I’m happy to report that all these years later, my mom is here and doing great!

Thanks to her, I became aware of how much power my mind has on my ability to heal, and I was determined to make a change for the better.

Using my mom’s example as inspiration to heal my depression, I sought help. I started seeing a therapist and attending a local yoga class.

The yoga class was taught by an old man with a long white beard. I instantly loved the spiritual aspect of yoga in which moving the body teaches devotion, intention, and connection with the divine, even if yoga was a bit of a ‘no-no’ among dancers at the time. I still loved dance, but it included a lot of pressure. Yoga was movement with an entirely new dimension that didn’t only feel good to my body, it also nurtured my soul. And my poses didn’t have to be perfect!

Then, during a visit home from school, I came across a book in my parents’ basement. It was called The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino. Now, I wasn’t planning to go into sales, but this book contained daily readings filled with lessons on success in life, not just sales. Each lesson was to be read three times a day and contained affirmations or positive phrases that immediately attracted my attention. 

And while I didn’t sell anything, I did start to feel a whole lot better just by virtue of thinking more positive thoughts. I didn’t yet know how to use my body to help me reinforce those positive thoughts and manifest what I wanted, but Mandino’s book planted an important seed in me.

It wasn’t until years later and living in New York City when I started coaching, that my clients would tell me how hard they’ve tried to follow all the advice they’ve been given about creating a life and a body they love.

They had written their affirmations, created their vision boards, chanted mantras, meditated, and on and on. Yet they continued to contend with self-doubt, perfectionism, procrastination, depression, anxiety, or all of the above. 

They still found it hard to stick up for themselves, take good care of their bodies, or allow their authentic selves to step out into the world. They struggled to figure out what they wanted, or they couldn’t seem to create it in their lives, whether it was a job, love, or financial security.

I’ve come to understand that so many of our efforts don’t create a lasting impact because they don’t include all of who we are.

The power and energy of these glorious bodies we were given aren’t used nearly enough. 

Writing down affirmations is an excellent exercise and a great place to start, as it begins to engage and change the mind. Chanting mantras is also wonderful because your physical voice is involved in the process. Meditation is powerful, because it reduces stress and improves concentration. Now imagine, if you could take the benefits of all of these practices and combine them into one full body experience! This is what happens when you take a focused, powerful mindset and put it into motion.

Over the last 10 years, I have developed my own process that combines dance, yoga, coaching, meditation, and transformation. I’ve taught over 90,000 students online and in person.

I’ve taken all those years of experience, and my best coaching techniques, and turned them into a new book, Mantras In Motion: Manifesting What You Want Through Mindful Movement, where I teach my methods of combining mind, heart and body practices to help you achieve the sweet life that you desire. 

If you’re ready to get out of your head and get more connected to your body, if you want to manifest your desires with flow and eases, I’d love to show you how. 

Movement in your body, creates movement in your life…the whole of your best self!

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Check out my new book and to get an exclusive 5 minute Movement & Mantra Workout, my FREE gift to you.

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation with Carter Miles

The post Mantras In Motion: Leveraging the Medicine of Movement appeared first on BEST SELF.

Food is more than medicine for the body. This ‘Blood Orange Marmalade’ recipe and chef’s musings touch both the soul and palette.

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Combatting the winter blues, one chef is inspired. 

February. It’s cold and damp and thoughts of summers past and future are getting me through the dreary days of winter. That and a favorite episode of Parks and Recreations, that is. And you know what…

I think it’s time to Treat Yo Self!

*I will warn you. Once you watch this video, you won’t be able to stop repeating this (and that’s precisely my plan). Ha. 

So while Tom and Donna have their own list of how they like to celebrate this day I invite you to make a list of your own and let’s celebrate ‘The best day of the year.’

Hmmm. For me:

• Delicious vegan chocolates from Lagusta’s Luscious here in the Hudson Valley? Treat yo self!
• Silky smooth cocoa butter based lotion because winter makes my skin dry? Treat yo self!
• Listening to ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis on repeat? Treat yo self!
• A relaxing pedicure and foot massage? Treat yo self!

February is the perfect month to take care of ourselves because it’s easy to feel down and ‘Kind of Blue’ — from stepping into that slush puddle that you thought was solid to waking up and returning home in the dark.

We’re like little house plants, we need sunlight, warmth and nurturing too.

So, light some candles when you get home and let the warm natural glow lighten up your world a little and languish in it. Remember, we move around at a much faster pace in the summer. Pleasure is essential and can be found in the smallest of details. 

If cooking is your joy as it is one of mine, here’s a recipe for some sunshine inspired Blood Orange Marmalade. 

The scent of orange is uplifting and warming. Hold the slices up to the light and admire their glistening beauty. The aroma will dance throughout your house from the moment you start peeling and slicing releasing those essential oils from the skin and then again while it simmers with cinnamon on the stove.

This is a 2 day process, but it is well worth it. It’s a true delight for the senses. I enjoy it on the usual things like toast and pancakes, but it can be added to many other dishes. Mix in a little toasted sesame oil and tamari to create a glaze for some tempeh or seitan and broccoli. Spoon some over roasted carrots or swirl into a warm bowl of oatmeal. 

There are many ways to enjoy the rest of winter and to “Treat Yo Self.”

RECIPE: Blood Orange Marmalade

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 10 blood oranges
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• Water for soaking orange rinds

Equipment:

• Sharp knife
• Container for soaking rinds overnight
• Container to hold orange sections separate from rinds
• 4-6 Quart pot
• Jars to store marmalade once done

Directions: Day 1

1. Wash the oranges very well under running water.
2. With a very sharp knife cut off the ends of the oranges and then slice away the rind and pith from the flesh of the oranges. 
3. Set aside the flesh and slice the rinds into very thin slivers. Place them into a large bowl or food storage container and cover with cold water. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to soak overnight. This step helps to remove some of the bitterness and softens the rind for eating.
4. Cut the flesh of the orange into small chunks and remove any seeds. Store in a separate container in the refrigerator overnight as well.

Day 2

1. Drain the orange rinds in a colander and rinse under cold running water. 
2. Place rinds, orange flesh, sugar and cinnamon sticks into a 6 quart pot. Mix together and place on the stove over a high heat until it starts to bubble. Lower the heat to a very low flame (or a low setting around 2 on an electric stove).
3. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes, checking every 7-10 minutes to stir it. Once the liquid starts to evaporate taste it to see if you would like to add more sugar. If you like it sweeter, add ¼ cup more sugar along with ¼ cup water, stir together and simmer longer until the liquid once again is almost all evaporated.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down. It will thicken as it cools.
5. Store in decorative glass jars. It will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Or if you are canning, follow the instructions on your canning set.

You may also enjoy eating White Christmas Coconut Treats by Danielle Shine

The post Marmalade and Musings: From the Kitchen to Life’s Table appeared first on BEST SELF.

What you eat profoundly effects your emotion state — enjoy this nutritious recipe designed to feed your palate, body and mind.

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They don’t say food is medicine without reason. My profound 25-year journey back to restored mental wellness began with diet and supplementation. I’ve pulled 2 recipes from my book, The Essential Diet: Eating for Mental Health, because these recipes are easy to make, versatile and are powerhouse foods.

My entire book is filled with healthy, simple recipes that will guide you to change how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally — to support overall wellness.

It starts with one small step. For me, this is where it started. 

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that voices support for the age-old idea that what we eat affects not only our bodies, but our minds as well. It is important to note that many of the nutritional building blocks required to make neurotransmitters and hormones are essential nutrients. This means that we are unable to make them ourselves, and we must acquire them from our diet. 

From a root cause perspective, taking medication may not be a permanent solution to your problems if you never fix the underlying biological terrain of your body to support the production of neurotransmitters and hormones involved in mood regulation.

It is important to understand that everything that enters your body informs your body in one way or another.

The key is to make sure that you are sending your body the right messages. The fact that food is so emotionally potent is empowering. And each of us has the ability to modify our diet to benefit our bodies and minds. 

WILD SALMON is rich in the essential amino acid, tryptophan, which gets converted to the feel good neurotransmitter in the body called serotonin. This is often low in people with anxiety and depression. Wild salmon is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for mental health due to its effects on serotonin receptors in the brain. 

KALE is packed with many nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium calcium and vitamin C) definitely rating it among the best super foods. Eating more kale is a great way to significantly increase the total nutrient content of your diet.

Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Onion Glaze

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Balsamic Onion Glaze

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Salmon

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 sprig fresh rosemary
• 6 x 4 oz wild salmon fillet portions, bones removed
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:  

Balsamic Onion Glaze:

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add onions. Sweat onions, stirring often, until all liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Add half the balsamic vinegar and simmer until absorbed. Add remaining balsamic vinegar and reduce until a glaze. Season to taste and set aside.

Salmon:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 
2. Reduce balsamic vinegar with rosemary in a small saucepot to a glaze consistency, about 8 minutes and set aside. 
3. Brush salmon fillets lightly with olive oil and season. 
4. Grill skin-side up, for 4 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees and cook 4 more minutes. 
5. Turn salmon over and cook for 8 more minutes for medium done-ness. 
6. Brush salmon with balsamic during last 5 minutes of cooking. 
7. Serve salmon with balsamic onions and steamed kale on the side.

Steamed Kale

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale (stems removed), chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Steam kale until tender, approx. 3 min. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.  Swiss chard and mustard greens can be prepared and dressed the same way.

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy eating GreenSpace Superfood Salad by Joel Kahn M.D.

The post Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Onion Glaze and Steamed Kale appeared first on BEST SELF.

There is no ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to diet and nutrition — discover the best diet for the best you.

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We have access, today, to more information about diet and disease than any population that’s ever lived. We can review the findings of tens of thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals, from any laptop or smartphone. 

Thousands of nutrition and diet books are published every year, while billions of websites tell you what to eat and what to avoid.

Unfortunately, many of them are wrong.

I’ve seen different so-called experts delivering wildly conflicting dogma — with some telling people to avoid legumes and açai berries, while others say to eat all calories in two hours of the day; to never go more than three waking hours without eating; to eat nothing blended; to eat everything blended; to go raw; to go 100% cooked; to avoid oils; or to make sure that 90% of calories are from fat. 

We’ve got different folks telling us to eat lots of meat, to go vegan, or to eat nothing but fruit before noon.

When I hear all the conflicting information, I’m reminded of the old saying: 

“A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never quite sure.”

In a sea of confusion, all too often the status quo prevails. When you don’t have a clear path forward, you’re more inclined to take the path of least resistance. In a toxic food culture, we know where that leads.

The truth is, most serious food and health researchers aren’t clueless about the basic care and feeding of humans. 

Modern medical science is quite clear about the dietary patterns that can, in the vast majority of cases, help prevent or even reverse many of the chronic ailments of our times.

The Optimal Diet for Humans (Most of the Time!)

In his study of what he terms the “Blue Zones,” National Geographic Fellow and explorer Dan Buettner identifies the five regions where people enjoy not only the longest life spans but also the most abundant health spans. 

His studies focus on Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and the islands of Okinawa, Japan.

Dan describes asking a 102-year-old Okinawan woman what it feels like to hold her great-great-great-granddaughter. She tells him that “it feels like leaping into heaven.”

Most of us fear growing old. But in the Blue Zones, many people look forward to it. 

Perhaps we all would if we had role models like Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a surgeon from Loma Linda, who still enjoyed his practice in the operating room at age 95 — conducting open-heart surgery on 20 patients every month. (Dr. Wareham retired in 2009, and lived happily until is passing at the ripe age of 104).

Remarkably, despite spanning the globe, all of the Blue Zone regions have a number of things in common. 

Residents have:

• Strong social and family ties.
• Low rates of smoking.
• A plant-rich and predominantly (though not often exclusively) vegetarian diet.
• Enjoyment of consistent and moderate physical activity.

Inspired to explore the overarching principles that lead to positive outcomes, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center founding director David Katz, MD, assembled a global coalition of experts called the True Health Initiative. 

My dad and colleague, John Robbins, and I are both members of this initiative. And we’re joined by more than 450 of the world’s leading doctors, scientists, researchers, clinicians, and health advocates. 

Our goal is to clarify and communicate an emerging consensus that there is a way of eating and living that massively promotes longevity, vitality, and overall health.

Our overarching conclusion, which is reflected in the findings from all the Blue Zones, is summarized in Michael Pollan’s famous seven words: 

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

What It Means to “Eat Food” 

By “eat food,” we mean “eat real food,” not the ultra-processed, food-like substances that make up most of the calories in the modern diet in the industrialized world. 

On this point, there’s little controversy. We find vast agreement among very nearly every scientist and research organization in the world, calling for us to eat fresh, whole foods that are grown and produced sustainably and that are minimally processed (if they are processed at all).

The good news is that real foods don’t tend to stimulate addiction. They provide more nutrition than calories. This means that when you eat them, it’s easier to feel full and deeply satisfied while eating “not too much.”

What It Means to Eat “Mostly Plants” 

And what about eating “mostly plants”? 

We now know that plant foods, and in particular fresh vegetables and fruits, are the most concentrated sources of many of the nutrients the human body needs in order to thrive. 

Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, phytochemicals, phytosterols, fiber, enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, essential fats and proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Flavonoids, with their tremendous nutritive value, are the pigments that give plants their colors — like the deep blue of blueberries, the purple in grapes, the orange in pumpkins, the green in leafy greens, and the red of tomatoes. 

In general, the darker orange the carrot, or the darker green the leaf, the more nutritious and flavorful it will be.

You may have noticed that as vegetables age, they become pale. This reflects a decline in nutrition and flavor.

Researcher Alec Baxt once ran a fascinating experiment. He tested a variety of carrots for their nutrient density. 

He distributed representative samples to volunteers and had them rate the carrots on flavor. The ones that people said tasted the most “carrot-y,” bursting with the most flavor, were also the ones that offered the highest nutrient value.

When you cook with fresh fruits and vegetables, the flavors speak with a distinct elegance and boldness. 

The taste of a midsummer heirloom tomato, perhaps lightly seasoned with sea salt, is incomparably more delicious than a beefsteak tomato that was picked green and then trucked thousands of miles. The same goes for eating an orchard-fresh apple — it has a crisp, snappy sweetness that conveys a refreshing sparkle.

The good news is that when you eat “mostly plants,” you walk on the earth with a lighter footprint, which means you help save forests, water, topsoil, animals, and our climate from suffering and destruction. All while providing your body the whole portfolio of nutrients that it needs to thrive.

What About Meat, Fish, Eggs, and Dairy? 

There is a very strong agreement among informed researchers that the vast majority of people would greatly benefit from eating more plant foods and fewer (if any) foods derived from animals.

Might some people be healthier if they include a small amount of pasture-raised or wild animal products in their diets? That is a subject of much debate — possibly because the answer isn’t the same for everyone.

But the average American gets 34% of calories from meat, dairy, and eggs, while less than 6% of calories come from vegetables and less than 3% come from fruits. Without question, that is far too few vegetables, not nearly enough fruits, and far too much meat, dairy and eggs.

And we know with certainty that industrialized animal agriculture is a nightmare for the planet, and is extraordinarily cruel to animals.

For almost all of us, and for the future of life on Earth, the optimal direction seems clear: mostly (if not entirely) plants.

The Eating Plan I Recommend

As I was researching for my new book, 31-Day Food Revolution, I developed four core principles that I call the Food Revolution Diet Plan. 

Unlike a lot of diets you hear about, these principles are flexible. They’re more about pointing in a direction than about insisting on a set destination.

I have way too much respect for biochemical individuality, and for the diversity of life experiences and contexts, to try to tell anyone exactly what they should or shouldn’t eat. 

But there are some overarching principles that are beneficial for just about everyone.

The 4 Principles of the Food Revolution Diet Plan:

1. Eat fewer processed foods — Our bodies weren’t designed for sugar, white flour, bottled oils, or chemicals.
2. Eat fewer animal products — Modern meat and dairy products — especially from factory farms — are leading drivers of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, as well as culprits in widespread environmental destruction.
3. Eat more whole plant foods — Fruits, vegetables, and other whole plant foods give you an abundance of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients your brain, lungs, heart, immune system, and cells need to thrive.
4. Source consciously — When you buy more organic, non-GMO, humane, local, and fair-trade foods, you’re taking a stand for your health and for your planet, as well as supporting farmers who do the right thing.

Let’s make one thing totally clear: I’m not asking you to sign a purity pact or to be subjected to regular inspections by the food police. If you want to pig out on pizza occasionally, or go out for ice cream now and then, I’ll still love you (and I hope that you’ll still love you, too)! 

It’s not what you do on occasion that matters most. In the long run, it’s the choices you make day in and day out, and the habits you forge and sustain, that chart the course of your destiny.

Always Remember: You’re Unique (Just Like Everyone Else)! 

Your hormones, cardiovascular system, neurology, digestion, and even your psychological and emotional state all have an effect on how you respond to food and everything else you encounter.

When we fall prey to the illusion that we have anyone (including ourselves) figured out, and when we try to make people conform to our beliefs about the right way to eat or to behave, we run the risk of ceasing to pay attention, and not listening.

When you approach your body and dietary path with open-minded curiosity, you create the conditions out of which real learning is possible. And from that learning, you can grow, over time, into some degree of wisdom.

Does a grandparent need the same food as a child? Does a sedentary office worker require the same diet as an athlete?

The answer is, unequivocally, no. When a dietary doctrine or one-size-fits-all approach becomes part of our identity, we deny our individuality.

How People Metabolize Food Differently 

In 2015, a comprehensive study published in the journal Cell found that people metabolize the same foods in very different ways.

To measure how food was digested, researchers recruited 800 people and measured their responses to 46,898 meals. During the study, participants were asked to log every bite, sip, exercise session, bowel movement, and sleep session on a phone app. 

Their blood sugar levels were measured every five minutes by a device attached to their bodies, and they turned in stool samples for gut bacteria analysis. They also gave blood samples, and everyone ate the same meals for breakfast.

As they analyzed a mountain of data, the researchers were struck to discover how differently the participants responded. 

Sushi caused one man’s blood sugar to spike higher than ice cream did. For another participant, eating a seemingly healthy food — tomatoes — spiked her blood sugar. Some glucose levels would spike after consuming fresh fruit but not a glass of beer. For others, the exact opposite was the case.

Some people thrive with a hearty, protein-packed breakfast, while others feel best eating more lightly, with just fruit or a smoothie in the morning. And what’s best for your body might change over time.

What’s the Best Diet for You?

The overarching principles of healthy eating are pretty clear. But every human being is different. 

In my new book, 31-Day Food Revolution, we look at what the science tells us. And I also show how you can combine scientific studies with tools to help you listen to your body’s signals and wisdom to establish the habits that are right for YOU.

Ultimately, you are the world’s best (and only) authority on your actual life experience.

There are over seven billion people on this plant, but you’re the only you.

I hope that helps you feel at least a little special, because you are.

By Ocean Robbins • Adapted from Ocean Robbins’ new book 31-Day Food Revolution 

You may also enjoy reading Surprising Benefits of Going Organic Even for the Stuff You Don’t Eat by Edie Ainsworth

The post One Diet Doesn’t Fit All: Discovering the Diet that’s Best for You appeared first on BEST SELF.

Soothing our nervous systems through yoga, meditation and the sacred pause

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Modern life moves at a frenetic pace. Though technology was intended to make our lives simpler, it seems the consensus is quite the opposite. We are constantly bombarded by text messages, emails, phone calls, and countless other forms of stimulation that can actually have a perilous cumulative effect upon our health and wellbeing. In fact, over 90% of the people walking into a doctor’s office are there due to a stress-related issue.

There is no greater enemy to our health than stress. Yoga and meditation practices provide us with a means to step away from the stress of the rat race of life.

Travis Eliot guides a gentle 30-minute yoga flow for relaxation and vibrancy

In certain parts of southern India, people are often forced to walk great distances to acquire the most basic of needs, like food and water. It’s not uncommon for villagers to travel several miles on foot with a jug of water balanced strategically on their head. Periodically along the path, stone columns are placed to provide resting spots where the jug of water can be easily slid off and supported. Once refreshed, the water bearer can continue the journey back home.

Pressing the sacred pause button in life is like removing the heavy jug from your head. But instead of a jug of water, imagine releasing the stress of work, relationships, world news and daily responsibilities.

Although there is a time and need to take care of worldly affairs, there is also a time and need to shift from doing into being, from striving into arriving, and from grinding into allowing. Without, it’s easy to become suffocated by these stressful things.

Nonstop striving and grinding activate the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. This occurrence is often associated with the ‘fight or flight’ response of the limbic brain. In this sympathetic state, the body produces the stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. If these chemicals linger in the body and become chronic, they can trigger the following imbalances (nothing good):

• Increased food cravings
• Fat gain
• Shrinking of the brain
• Immune system suppression
• Diminished sex drive
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased bone density
• Increased anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Increased depression
• Mood swings
• Decreased brain function
• Increased PMS symptoms

The parasympathetic nervous system, in contrast to the sympathetic nervous system, is responsible for growth, recovery, regeneration, repair, and relaxation. Practicing yoga and meditation are an effective way of activating this healing energy. The more rest and restoration you experience, the more dominant the parasympathetic nervous system. And as a result:

• The more you can effectively manage stress
• The better your quality of sleep will be
• The more you will be able to regulate the body’s inflammation response
• The healthier the cells will be
• The better you will feel
• The higher your brain performance will be
• The more you will slow the ageing process
• The healthier and happier you will be
• The higher your quality of life will be

Doesn’t that sound like a better idea?

Poet Martha Postlewaite suggests you “create a clearing in the dense forest of your life.” Time on your yoga mat or meditation cushion can be such a clearing. In this place you pause, become still, and ultimately access your inner most essence. This essence is sacred. It is the very source of all that you are.

When you tap into this wellspring of sacredness, you replenish and recharge on a profound level.

The sacred pause can be an hour on your yoga mat or it can be just a few stolen moments in the middle of your day. Moments of deep beauty are endlessly unfolding around us in infinite ways. The question is, are we noticing? Mindfulness teaches us to be more present — to notice a stunning sunset, or tree leaves dancing in the wind, or a young child smiling, or the sparkle in a loved one’s eyes. These moments are sacred because they transcend time and space. They remind us that we are so much more than our job title, wardrobe, bank account or nationality. They are glimpses into our shared humanity.

A nurturing 19-minute meditation created by Travis Eliot & Lauren Eckstrom

It is estimated the average adult makes approximately 35,000 choices a day. How many times have we acted or spoke in a way we deeply regretted? We are all just one poor choice away from negatively altering our lives. Implementing the sacred pause throughout our day minimizes poor decisions and self-created suffering. The sacred pause also empowers us to rise above reactivity into a mindset free to act with compassion and integrity.

We all know you can’t give to others what you don’t have to give. When you pause, you are giving back to yourself. You are filling up your energetic cup, so you have the capacity to fully show up in all the various dimensions of life. Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl, probably said it best: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

Certain times of the day call for you to be a little ‘selfish’ in order to be ‘selfless.’ So, go ahead and take time to slow down, to be still, to allow the waves of the mind to settle. These simple, but powerful moments of initiating the sacred pause will benefit you — and everyone you meet.

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Editor’s Note: Out of the ‘sacred pause’ of Travis Eliot (who began his spiritual journey at 9-years old when his mother introduced him to meditation), and following a near-death experience and the 2005 Tsunami in Thailand — a passion project emerged to teach yoga and meditation to people across the world who seek to live into their full potential.

He co-founded Inner Dimension Media with Lauren Eckstrom as a full-service media company which creates and distributes videos, books and music. Inner Dimension TV is a cinematic streaming site with a diversity of practices including power yoga, beginner’s yoga, yin yoga, restorative, gentle, meditation, functional fitness, and pranayama — that changed the game forever for the yoga CD culture. Their latest experience, California Dreaming, is the world’s first guided meditation program in virtual reality based in live natural settings. Teachers Travis and Lauren guide participants on a powerful meditative journey to some of California’s most iconic locations, including Yosemite National Park, Big Sur and Joshua Tree National Park, among others.

You may also enjoy reading Daring To Rest: The Post Trauma Healing Powers of Sleep by Karen Brody

The post The Sacred Pause: The Art of Activating Healing Energy appeared first on BEST SELF.

A yogi discovers a path to serving others in a Parisian park

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I have always had a desire to contribute to the global good. While connecting with and serving others may appear to be an elevated pursuit, it is one I feel deeply committed to, however it needs to unfold.

And yet, truth be told, I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to make it happen — how I was going to thread my interests, vision and skill sets together. Growing up, I tried a variety of sports and had aspirations to be just about everything I learned about in school: archaeologist, artist, singer, actor, writer and fashion designer to name a few. The one constant in my life however, was dance — and an underlying interest in world peace, to add to my other lofty goals. In college my studies were in the dramatic arts sprinkled with French, but my heart remained rooted in the desire to help others.

Even though I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get where I was heading, that is often how the seed of desire is planted: with tiny steps of intention, even if on wobbly legs.

Somewhere along the way to finishing my thesis on sustainable fashion (not surprisingly, sustainable fashion is connected to this overall arch of sustainable living), I discovered that I was able to help others through yoga and nutrition — two things that went hand-in-hand and had turned my world right-side up.

After moving to New York in 2010, I dedicated myself to deepening my yoga practice by becoming a teacher while also pursuing wellness consulting. I learned how to work with my body with attention to alignment, to listen to my body, and connect to what it means to live an authentic life. I became increasingly more certain that this ongoing work of infusing mindful practices into modern day life was not only my mission, but also the continual undercurrent of my vision of being in service to others, both personally and professionally.

One of my mantras this year has been: I am a global leader.

The undertaking feels massive, but also exhilarating and in complete alignment with my personal path. It is an enormous privilege and, although I do not take myself too seriously, I do not take this task lightly.

I have always been an avid traveler. After hosting several retreats in the Caribbean and Costa Rica, I knew I would somehow find a way to keep sharing this work worldwide. So, after a week of teaching and co-hosting The Provence Experience at a chateau in Aix en Provence in the south of France this past June, founder Danielle Imperato and I decided to take the Provençal joie de vivre to Paris. As they say: Paris is always a good idea.

In Provence, we buzzed around for a week creating a well-rounded experience that involved morning yoga paired with French-style breakfast spreads, local excursions, relaxation by the pool or in the garden, beautifully prepared meals by a local chef, plus evening apéro and late-night conversations. It was, in a word, parfait.

Our team had no idea that we would then go on to host wellness pop-ups for the remainder of the summer.

We did, however, have every intention of creating community around culture, cuisine and a balanced healthy lifestyle (where wellness meets wine). Of course, behind the scenes of our rejuvenating pop-ups was exhaustive planning. Yoga mats, food, décor and swag were artfully arranged in a tiny Parisian apartment. Our days were spent running up and down stairs to cabs parked half on the sidewalk with bags of gear which we whisked from one pop-up location to the next — fueled with immense gratitude from our full yet slightly delirious hearts.

We were blown away by the incredible international crew that showed up to hang out with us and be a part of this spontaneous pop-up experiment. We couldn’t have imagined the new friends we would make and the deep connections amongst our group that would occur. It was a summer of a lifetime.

The locals and expats were happy to slip easily into a new, like-minded community of people who were seeking an outdoor experience in celebration of yoga and movement classes, and something fun to do on a sweet summer day (especially as it involved rosé).

We gathered on a few weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons in iconic parks like the Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg; designated a spot for everyone to join, plop down their yoga mats and indulge in a typical picnic of baguette or viennoiseries and beurre demi sel.

Eventually, attendees began bringing their own potluck contributions as we transitioned fluidly from yoga and meditation into an open-air gathering of music, food, and sharing.

It was not uncommon to stay late into the afternoon or evening getting to know new people, playing with the local acro-yogis, rolling around the grass, and generally just enjoying each other’s company set amidst gorgeous Parisian backdrops. It was love at first pop-up.

The Provence Experience in Paris was an unforgettable season. It was also an enormous honor to teach this community — and more importantly to be taught: how to be a better teacher, how to use my words more clearly and intentionally, how to see myself in others,  how to listen and be present, and how to fully enjoy the moment (and the butter).

Bottom line: Keep doing what you love, even if the outcome is a total mystery and you have no clue how the pieces can possibly thread together. It may very well result in something much more magical than you could have ever imagined.

Enjoy this relaxing 12-minute mediation from Sasha Nelson

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Service, Purpose & Paris: From The Yoga Mat Into The World appeared first on BEST SELF.

Connecting ancient yogic wisdom with our deepest intuitive selves — and our plates

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As the seasons shift, Mother Nature cleverly provides us with the most nourishing of foods for that particular time of year. And what better thing to do with this natural bounty than embrace it cyclical nature — create, cook, bake… and of course eat?

Amidst the haze and craze of current wellness trends, it can often feel confusing and intimidating to start or maintain a healthy diet — or identify what that even means for you personally.

It’s easy to get lost within the chaos of it all. Enter: koshas in the kitchen.

Although one would probably not advise practicing asana surrounded by sharp, heavy, and breakable objects, yogic principles from the koshas can enhance our cooking experience by being mindful in the same way we pay attention to our bodies and breath on the mat.

The koshas, also referred to as sheaths, are layers of our physical, energetic, intellectual and subtle bodies that make up who we are, with our purest most joyful self at the core. Yoga International explains, “Only the densest [sheath] is made of matter as we know it; the other four are energy states invisible to the physical eye, though we can easily sense their presence inside us when we pay close attention.”

Here are a few simple kosha-inspired philosophical foods for thought to consider when venturing into the world of la cuisine:

ANAMAYA

Maya means “made of” and ana means “physical matter,” which could even be translated as “food.” It is the physical body we know and [hopefully] love. When it comes to preparing food, we must not only be aware of what our physical body is doing (i.e. focus whilst chopping vegetables with a sharp knife), but also how we are choosing to consume (i.e. wolfing down takeout food while standing up versus cooking a simple meal to be eaten calmly at the table).

This can be attributed to the act of mindfulness — what we are doing in the moment – and also what or how we choose to eat. When possible, consuming local, organic, and sustainable foods are not only more nourishing for the body, but are also better for the planet’s anamaya kosha via the elimination of toxic pesticides, fossil fuels used in transporting or packaging goods, and so on.

PRANAMAYA

Our energetic sheath is made up of our organs, all of which are working 24/7 to keep our brains and bodies functioning optimally. We probably know how icky it feels to not feel 100% intact, whether physically or mentally or both, which can often be remedied by what we consume.

When we first step into the kitchen, we have a choice of how to best nourish our bodies, and the simple act of cooking at home can be just that, especially if we eat the foods that will support the function of our energetic body.

Yoga International says, “Yoga texts explain that the sun is the ultimate source of prana, and it is said that some advanced yogis go for years without eating; instead they simply absorb the prana radiated by the sun.”

Although I would not suggest going years without eating, it does make sense that the sun gives energy to seeds in order to grow into food that gives us energy to sustain our physical bodies. So why not choose more plant-based foods — rich in the sun’s invaluable nectar — to fuel our pranamaya furnace?

MANOMAYA

Our intellectual body can often feel conflicted between the knowledge of what we intuitively know to be true for us and what we learn from the media. The health of this sheath can be nourished through the simple act of paying attention or — even deeper — the practice of meditation, which can soothe and balance this inner body.

When we practice meditation, it helps to anchor our awareness to the moment, which can soften the dis-ease we might feel when we find ourselves caught up in the complex conversation of what and how to eat.

Yoga International writes that a “harmonious environment, interesting professional challenges, and fun and supportive relationships offer an ideal diet for the mind.” As such, practicing mindful awareness in the the environment of our kitchen does not have to result in perfect meals, but it does make for a more easeful and fun experience.

Detaching ourselves from the future outcome of a dish will create a less stressful space for us to pay attention as we learn and grow, and will help us to appreciate our meals, regardless of whether or not they taste or look exactly like they do on a food blog or Pinterest board. Putting a new skill into action can be built upon every time we come back to the kitchen, so long as we are mindful as we practice, regardless of what we think we are “supposed” to know or eat.

VIJNANAMAYA

The higher, conscious mind that discerns “right” from “wrong” is what distinguishes human beings from animals. Only humans have the ability to direct their own lives, free from the promptings of instinct, and to make moral choices. The endless balance between opposites of intellect versus instinct supports both our steadfastness and spontaneity; strength and softness; motivation and playfulness; sharp intelligence and calm sensitivity.

I encourage us all to try a new recipe that might make us a little nervous, taking smooth breaths throughout the process, and commit to whatever choice we make of how to best care for our body. Nourishment one day might be ordering dinner from a favorite spot and enjoying it by candlelight at home, or getting messy in the kitchen with a random experiment.

We can explore other options like newfound seasonal vegetables we have yet to try with equal parts uncertainty and excitement, whether we follow a precise recipe or intuitively throw some ingredients into a pot. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in cooking — it is our kitchen, not Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.

ANANDAMAYA

Our most subtle body is also referred to as complete spiritual bliss. It is the final and thinnest veil standing between our ordinary awareness and our higher self. The act of unconditional love — especially surrounding food — might just feel even more difficult to embrace than the act of cooking a five-course meal. We might find ourselves in a pattern of eating fast food or making mostly boxed meals; although we are fortunate enough to have food in the first place, it might also result in a slippery slope, like a rut of judging our choices or bodies.

The more we own up to our deliberate physical and mental choices, and accept ourselves and our bodies as we are in this moment, the less stress our physical and mental bodies will endure, and the closer we might come to this state of peace.

Obviously practices like consuming more whole foods and drinking lots of water helps clear both body and mind, but the mindset around it must come from a place of love and gratitude in lieu of criticism.

The next time we find ourselves wracking our brain for a new recipe idea, feeling totally lost on what to cook next, or becoming frustrated with using the oven for cooking instead of storage — we can do our best to pay attention, breathe, choose mostly whole, nourishing plant-based foods, let go of judgments or expectations, and find a sense of contentedness exactly where we are.

Thank all the sheaths of your body for everything they have done for you up until now, ask them what your body might benefit from to feel clear, listen, and act accordingly.

Remember: the most important thing we can feed ourselves is gratitude for having food in the first place — whatever that food might be — and for all our body does for us.

Where can you insert the koshas into your kitchen?

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Koshas In the Kitchen: Mindfulness & Gratitude Meets Food appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious twist on a traditional pumpkin cheesecake

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I love sharing love through food. Try it out over the holidays and spread the health to your nearest and dearest.

Free of dairy, gluten, soy, refined-sugar

[Modified from this recipe by Amy Lyons]

Makes 2 medium cakes/tarts

Ingredients:

Spiced seeds

• 1/3 cup mix of raw pumpkin + sunflower seeds
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp turmeric, ground [optional]
• 1 pinch black pepper [if using turmeric, to activate its properties]
• 1/8 tsp cayenne [optional]

Crust

• 2/3 cup gluten-free whole grain oats [sub: raw sprouted buckwheat groats or additional unsweetened shredded coconut]
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tsp raw cacao powder
• 10-12 medjool dates, pitted and chopped [if they are not soft, soak them in warm water for 10-30 minutes + drain them well]
• 1-2 tsp coconut oil, melted [if necessary to help bind the crust]

Pumpkin coconut yogurt filling

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree [I used baked organic kaboacha squash, cooled + mashed]
• 1 cup Anita’s coconut yogurt [sub: unsweetened non-dairy or organic Greek yogurt]
• 2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked + drained to soften [nut-free sub: raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid]
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp ginger, ground
• 1 tsp cardamom, ground
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 tsp cloves, ground
• 1/8 tsp turmeric, ground [optional]
• 1 pinch black pepper [if using turmeric, to activate its healing properties]
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 tsp maca [optional]
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup [sub: raw coconut nectar or raw local honey]
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted [if not using coconut butter]
• 1 tsp lemon juice [to taste]

Directions:

To make the seeds

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and toss to coat.
2. Spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 325F for 10-20 minutes, then let dry until crispy.

To prepare the crust

1. Process flax, coconut, oats/buckwheat and sea salt in a food processor until they become fine crumbs.
2. Add dates and cacao powder and process until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers [if not holding together, add more dates or a bit of melted coconut oil].
3. Lightly coat cheesecake pans with coconut oil [or use parchment paper] then firmly press the crust into the bottom, and set aside.
4. Place crust in the fridge until firm, approximately 1 hour.

To make the pumpkin coconut yogurt filling

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a high-speed blender [or large food processor] and blend/process until smooth.
2. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top, then place in the freezer for about 4 hours or overnight, garnishing finished cake/tart with spiced seeds before cake is completely firm.
3. Serve cold so the shape holds and the flavor is fresh [store extra cake in fridge or freezer].

You may also enjoy Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by Natural Gourmet Institute

The post Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Yogurt Cheesecake appeared first on BEST SELF.

Savory vegan recipes of broccoli soup and sage biscuits, inspired by grandma’s kitchen

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Broccoli — we have history.

When I think of this lifelong favorite vegetable, I’m back in my grandmother’s kitchen standing at her side. Purchased frozen, there was always some broccoli on hand and much to the chagrin of the rest of my family, she indulged my appetite for it and served it with every meal when I visited. She would simmer it for “a good 20 minutes” (I remember because she would let me set the timer) — and then proceed to smother it with a giant scoopful of melting margarine. YUM — soft, salty, pudding-like heaven.

Though my preparation style and palette have significantly evolved — broccoli remains my favorite vegetable and it makes me smile, reminiscing about the time spent with her.

Kitchens are sacred spaces that pulsate with life, dancing between creation and memory.

Today, I prefer it lightly roasted or sautéed to maintain its crunch, with olive oil, a little salt and fresh garlic.

As the seasons change, I miss my grandma and the time we spent together in the kitchen and the subsequent lingering at the table as we slowly ate and shared stories. Food has the power to connect us in beautiful ways. When I want to evoke this feeling of warmth and comfort, I cook up some Creamy Broccoli Soup, my version of my childhood delight.

This recipe may seem like it has a lot of vegan butter at first, but that’s OK, grandma approves. It helps keep it silky smooth when blending, and besides — it’s delicious. I use a soy-free vegan butter which tends to be a bit saltier than the other kinds. So, I add salt towards the end of the preparation, after tasting it, to avoid it being over-salted.

As for the potatoes, Yukon Gold are a good choice because of their creamy texture when blended, but feel free to substitute with others like Russets or another white-fleshed potato.

This soup goes great with homemade Sage Biscuits!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Makes about 3 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch (~ 2 lbs.) fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion (~ 1 lb.)
• 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes (~ 1 ½ -2 lbs.) washed, unpeeled
• 3 stalks celery, ends trimmed
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
• 2-3 stems fresh thyme
• 1 TBSP black pepper
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 stick (4 oz. or 8 TBSP) vegan butter (soy-free)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cut and prep all of your vegetables first.
2. Wash and cut broccoli tops into 1” sized florets. With a vegetable peeler, peel the stalk and then cut into ½ “ thick cubes.
3. Peel and coarsely dice the onion.
4. Wash and cut the potatoes into ½” cubes, do not peel.
5. Coarsely dice the celery.
6. Strip the leaves of thyme from the stem and roughly chop to release the fragrance.
7. Into a 4-6 qt soup pot, melt the vegan butter with the olive oil.
8. Add in the celery, onions, and Sauté for about 5 minutes and then add the potato cubes. Stir gently to coat with the melted butter, oil and vegetables. Cover and let cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes.
9. Stir, make sure to mix up from the bottom. The potatoes will stick a little, scrape that up, cover again and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. Add the broccoli, the thyme and black pepper, stir well and cover, let it cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Stir again and then pour in the vegetable stock and water. Add the bay leaves. Raise the flame and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and let it simmer 15- 20 minutes.
12. Shut off the flame and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the 2 bay leaves and discard them.
13. If using a blender, blend in small batches until all the liquid and vegetables have been blended together.

NOTE: It is important to leave the lid of the blender open just a touch while holding it in place using a kitchen towel as you turn it on. This allows the steam to escape. Some blenders have a removable part in the top of the lid for this purpose. Otherwise, the heat may force the lid off and spray hot soup when you turn it on.

You can use an immersion blender instead, following your instruction manual. It will give you a slightly chunkier soup, so if you want it super creamy, use the conventional blender.

Taste and add salt as needed.

Sage Biscuits

Note: Take care to not overwork the dough to keep the biscuits light and fluffy. And fresh sage is better than dried for flavor. You can also add or substitute rosemary or thyme.

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups flour plus extra for working with dough
• 1 TBSP baking Powder
• ½ TSP baking Soda
• ½ TSP salt
• About 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 8 small to medium sized sage leaves left whole
• 4 TBSP vegan butter (cold) plus 1 TBSP separate for baking

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add the apple cider vinegar into the soymilk, do not stir; set it aside to curdle for about 5 minutes.
2. In a separate mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together very well until blended.
3. Cut the 4 TBSP vegan butter into small pieces and add it into the flour. Using a fork or pastry cutter mix the butter and flour together until it has a crumbly texture. It is ok for there to be a few larger lumps of butter. Gently fold in the chopped sage.
4. Using a whisk, mix together the soy milk and vinegar blend and then pour slowly into the flour mix. Fold together gently until the flour is just coated and then turn out onto a floured surface. It will be sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough over itself 4-5 times, adding small amounts of flour to keep it from sticking. (Do not roll or knead.)
5. Pat it into a 1” thick rectangle shape and then cut into 8 evenly sized rectangle shaped biscuits. Place each biscuit very close to the other onto a greased baking sheet. As they bake, you’ll want the sides to touch each other.
6. Press one sage leaf onto the top of each biscuit. Divide the remaining TBSP of butter into 8 pieces and place one piece on top of each sage leaf on each biscuit.
7. Bake in a 400F oven for 12 minutes. Turn the pan and bake for another 5-6 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

You may also enjoy Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Soup & Sage Biscuits appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan crunchy-chewy chocolate chip cookies paired with creamy walnut milk make a great treat after a winter outing!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 36-40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 TBSP vanilla extract
• 3 cups white flour
• 8 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups cane sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 sticks earth balance soy free at room temperature
• 1 bag 10 oz vegan chocolate chips (just under 2 cups)

Directions:

1. In an electric mixer with the paddle, or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, fork or masher, cream together all of the butter and both sugars.
2. Add vanilla and mix until blended.
3. In separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients, oat flour, white flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients slowly to creamed butter and sugar and mix until a uniform dough has formed. 
5. Add chocolate chips and mix in by hand with a large spoon.
6. Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll into logs 2” thick diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill dough at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 350F. Unwrap and slice chilled dough into ½” slices and place on a greased baking sheet 2” apart.
8. Bake 5 minutes, rotate baking sheet and bake another 4-5 minutes and remove from oven while they are puffed up a bit. The trick with these is that they will not look done when its time to remove them from the oven, that’s ok, it’s what you want. Let them cool on the tray and they will finish cooking that way. This makes a tender and chewy cookie. If you leave them in for too long they get very hard to bite.

TIP: Make your own oat flour by blending the measured amount of oats plus 1 teaspoon to a blender and blend on high until you have a fine flour.

Walnut Milk

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw organic walnuts
• 3 cups water plus more for soaking
• 1 TBSP maple syrup 
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Place the walnuts in a bowl and cover with water to soak at least 1 hour at room temperature. They can soak overnight up to 12 hours, the longer they soak the creamier the milk.
2. Drain the soaked walnuts and rinse very well.
3. Place walnuts into a blender with 3 cups water, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Blend on low for 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve as is or strain through some cheesecloth to make it extra smooth. It will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk appeared first on BEST SELF.

A gentle 25-minute practice to enhance flexibility, breathing and relaxation

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First we start in child’s pose. Resting the forehead onto the mat will activate the 3^rd eye center, helping to focus our attention, as well as release serotonin and melatonin into the body. We close our eyes to bring our senses within and take deep breathes to oxygenate and connect mind and body together. Then we use some easy movement to warm the body, side stretches, cat cows, simple backbends.

The flow that we repeated is known as Surya Namaskara A (or Sun Salutation A) and is the opening sequence for the Ashtanga primary series. Flowing through these asanas (postures), starting slow and then moving into vinyasa (breathe to movement) can be used to loosen up the major joints/muscles of the body, oxygenate the blood, wake up the mind-body and can even be used as a form of meditation. Sun Salutation A is a great way to wake up, energize the body when feeling tired, or use some extra energy if you have it.

We close off our sequence with a seated forward extension to lengthen the spine, a backbend to open the heart and a twist to reset the spine and reactivate our organs. Finishing, as always, with Svasana (corpse pose) which puts the body back into its parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the muscles to reform to a more natural structure and reactivating our body’s natural healing system. All in 25 minutes!

Namaste.

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation appeared first on BEST SELF.

How oral health plays a pivotal role in our overall health — the much overlooked aspect of holistic wellbeing

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Think about the last time you visited a doctor — ANY doctor. Did s/he ever once ask you if you had any dental problems?  Any dental work done recently? Or look inside your mouth for anything other than the standard “say aahhh” 2-second throat inspection? I didn’t think so.

And this is a problem.

What if the most accessible route to shifting your life towards measurably better whole-body health was lurking where you — or your doctor — never thought to look?  That could be — literally — right under your nose.

As a Best Self Magazine reader, you’re looking for information and solutions that are reliable, science-based and needle-moving, maybe a little ‘outside the box’. You also may be tired of the ‘same-old-same-old’ health advice. And, just maybe… you know too much NOT to question the standard health-care ‘script’, because it’s not congruent with what you’ve been learning.

Typical dental information you find online provides the same basic, tired (and often corporate-sponsored) message. And, no disrespect to my practicing colleagues, but your dentist might be giving you those same tired — and often ineffectual — messages: “brush, floss, see me for twice-yearly cleanings and checkups… and of course, be sure to use a fluoride toothpaste and drink fluoridated tap water… and if (or when) you have cavities, I’ll fill them.”

Sadly, that’s usually the extent of the discussion at your check-up.  Your overall body health likely gets addressed only with a cursory medical history review with your dental hygienist, and without a clear medical issue like heart-valve disease or cancer, you don’t discuss how what happens in your mouth does NOT STAY in your mouth.

Your mouth: The Great Unrecognized Connector

The concept of oral-systemic health isn’t new.  For thousands of years, it was how physicians treated — and healed — their patients…until the early 20th Century, and the advent of reductionist drug therapy, which diminished healing to giving a pill to treat a symptom without seeking an underlying cause.

The medical literature has been covering oral-systemic research for 100 years-plus.  A landmark review published in 2000 in a top-tier microbiology journal resurrected talk of the long-‘dead’ focal infection theory (proposed by pioneer dental researcher Dr. Weston A. Price, and, supposedly, discredited).

The authors cite 158 published articles supporting links between oral diseases and diabetes, low birth weight, cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, stroke), bacterial endocarditis (infection inside the heart), pneumonia, and others…and present strong evidence for key involvement of oral bacteria with inflammation and immune-system malfunction. Their bottom line: Even 18 years ago, enough reliable evidence existed that good oral health is important for maintaining good general health.  [Source]

So, not surprisingly, phrases like ‘oral-systemic health’ and ‘mouth-body health’ are grabbing more attention. The message?

The relative health or disease of your mouth can have profound physiologic effects on every other system in your body. They’re all connected. The human body is not a car, to be fixed one part at a time.

If you’re in tune with your body, this concept may seem overly simplistic. However, it’s often in direct contrast to how mainstream medicine and dentistry view body systems: separate, to be dealt with separately, without any operational sense of interconnection.

Ironically, the mouth is emerging as a major (but still underrecognized) ‘connector’ in what’s been termed the ‘systems-biology approach’ embraced by functional medicine (a term heard almost as frequently as ‘integrative’ or ‘complementary’ medicine). This functional approach focuses on evaluating the totality of all body systems for contribution(s) to the body’s health or disease. It accounts for how each system’s function affects other system(s). Most importantly, functional medicine addresses the root cause of disease happening in all systems. Visit the Institute for Functional Medicine site for additional background.

Despite these engaging messages, the myriad mouth-body connections are only now gaining traction in consumer news circles. Googling ‘oral-systemic health’ or ‘oral-systemic disease’ pulls up a variety of sources from consumer medicine sites to scholarly articles.

But: a word of caution when researching mouth-body health or any potentially controversial health topic: remain conscious and mindful of recognizing politicized science and medicine when you see them. A big piece of the health-care (or disease-care) consumer information flow prioritizes ROI (return on investment), which almost always encompasses politics, spin, and polarity. Therefore, many controversial health topics are ongoing polarized debates (with opposing viewpoints that both claim to be correct), and recognizing this — and discerning where the science stops and the politics begins — are essential. An example: as recently as 2012, online articles were appearing that painted the periodontal-cardiac connection as a myth!  In the intervening years, the evidence has spoken to demonstrable connections between mouth and heart health. Published research as of 2017 shows causality for arterial disease (atherosclerosis) by high-risk gum-disease bugs.

Chronic disease capital of the world

The mouth is a versatile window to systemic health… or disease. So, its role is disturbingly pivotal to the burden of chronic disease, in which the United States leads the planet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis — are not only common and costly, but also preventable. The two biggest killers of Americans in 2014 were heart disease and cancer, together accounting for 46% of all deaths.  [Source]  In 2016, the CDC’s oral health fact sheet (a very brief page, as you’ll see when you visit…) calls attention to the very real ‘silent epidemic of cavities’ (claiming it’s confined to certain socioeconomic groups). The CDC’s recommendation? Fluoridated water for all Americans, including the 100 million who don’t yet have it. Other sources suggest water fluoridation may be less effective than previously thought.

Doesn’t the coexistence of a ubiquitous fluoride consciousness (water, toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental offices) — AND a cavities epidemic — seem counterintuitive? The CDC doesn’t address this issue. But numerous other sites do… too many to list. Fluoride is another one of those polarized issues I alluded to above.

For gum disease, CDC numbers say 65 million Americans (almost 50% of US adults) have it. To its credit, the CDC does call attention to studies linking oral infections with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature, low-weight births, and to ‘further research’ being done to investigate these links. But that’s it. Again, we’ve known about the content of these links for the last 18 years. [Source]

Some other statistics you may find interesting… perhaps even disturbing:

1) If you have periodontal disease, you’re probably at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease than someone with a healthier mouth. An ongoing (mostly political) debate still rages regarding whether or not periodontal bacteria directly cause coronary disease… despite the mounting evidence to support it. Interestingly, despite this polarization, one 2015 study found DNA from the high-risk periodontal bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis in disease plaques in coronary and carotid arteries.

2) You may know Type-2 diabetes (T2DM) increases the likelihood of new or worsening periodontal disease. More sobering: 95% of the 30,000,000 Americans living with T2DM have periodontal disease — nearly twice the already-disturbing average of upwards of 50% of everyone in the US. [Source]

3) Perhaps the scariest emerging mouth-body link is to Alzheimer’s disease. Like most diseases, Alzheimer’s is increasingly proving to have a strong infectious and inflammatory causative component, so it shouldn’t surprise us that periodontal inflammation — and Periodontal Public Enemy No. 1, Porphyromonas gingivalis, has shown epigenetic effects on brain regions involved in Alzheimer’s disease.  [Source1]  [Source2]

4) Pregnancy and good oral health are emerging as a must-have combination, according to both the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology. A pregnant woman with periodontal disease has greatly reduced chances of delivering a healthy, full-term normal-birth-weight baby? This and other shocking statistics are illustrated in the documentary film Say Ahh: the Cavity in Healthcare Reform, produced by Next Level Practice in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine.

It features a woman unable to conceive— who’d tried everything (she thought) — who finally identified and treated her periodontal disease, conceived within a few months — and had a healthy baby! On a more disturbing note, brand-new research by Dr. Yiping Han of Columbia University (who also appears in Say Ahh) has shown another nasty oral bacterium — Fusobacterium nucleatum— to be associated with serious pregnancy problems, including stillbirths. [Source1] [Source2]

5) Autism-spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other behavioral disorders are increasingly associated with (…are symptoms of, some say) deficits in growth of the face, jaws, and tooth-supporting bones (alveolar bones). The jaws are often too small…hence, crowded teeth, narrow face, insomnia, poor sleep, snoring (parents: sound familiar?), and daytime inattention in teens with ADHD that can cause car accidents.

6) Snoring?? That’s right. You may have heard “Snoring isn’t sexy…or cute…” It’s also not healthy. Oral and face problems affect how we breathe — and sleep. Research supports the advantages of breathing ONLY through the nose, but that’s usually not what happens when we snore. What’s worse, snorers and non-snorers may stop breathing altogether for 20-30 seconds at a time — a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the airway collapses during sleep. OSA is associated with development of a number of chronic diseases. About 90 million Americans snore [source], as many as 29 million Americans have OSA, and many if not most remain undiagnosed — at staggering costs. While not all snorers have OSA, snoring is a very common sign of OSA, in an adult OR a child.

Proper health of your airway, including nasal passages and throat, is directly related to how well your face, jaws and teeth fit into the space they have. Compared with our hunter-gatherer forbears, this jaw-face space is, increasingly, far too small. Evolution and epigenetics are causing this — notably, lack of breastfeeding, our habitual consumption of soft, processed foods and environmental toxins. The resulting epigenetic influences are negatively altering how our genes (DNA) are expressed. So, over hundreds of generations, instead of nice, roomy jaws in a healthy forward position (again, like our predecessors), our jaws have shrunk, and become retruded, or pushed back. The resulting jaw-face-space deficit — and its backward force on the tongue — pinch the airway so it can’t bring in enough air. Impaired breathing, sleep, and oxygenation of every cell in your body are the combined result. Most importantly: your brain can’t detox properly if your breathing during sleep is inadequate.

You can’t find something if you’re not looking for it 

Chances are you’ve never discussed any of these mouth-body relationships with your dentist — or physician. Mainstream-medicine culture simply is not looking for them.

Disturbingly, your physician probably hasn’t studied anything mouth-related since the first semester of medical school… and your dentist, most likely, is focused only on your mouth.

The inflammation connection

Inflammation has risen higher on the consumer health-news radar recently. We’re realizing inflammation is an integral component of chronic disease, including arthritis, gut malfunction, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others. Evidence has accumulated that even atherosclerosis, the artery-disrupting process that produces coronary heart disease and stroke, is driven more directly by inflammation than by fats or cholesterol. Not surprisingly, periodontal disease is a significant inflammatory force, especially if long-standing.

The immune system causes inflammation as a protective response to an invading infection or toxic substance. It produces chemicals called cytokines (think ‘police’) that bind and neutralize these invaders and, normally, go away when the job’s done. But when the insult never stops — as with bacteria in untreated periodontal disease, or amyloid plaque formation (itself a protective measure) in Alzheimer’s, this once-protective — and now unending — immune response escalates disease — and chronic destruction. That’s how advanced periodontal disease eats away the bone supporting the teeth.

Beyond brushing and flossing

The functional oral health research community is increasingly emphasizing that mouth health is NOT just about brushing and flossing anymore.While they are important, they’re clearly not enough, and ‘one size does NOT fit all.’  Most dentists and dental hygienists can describe patients who brush and floss well, but still have periodontal disease… and vice versa. Why?

The oral microbiome (population of bacteria and other organisms — good OR bad…healthy OR not — in a living system) varies tremendously from individual to individual. Some have well-balanced oral microbiomes, (more good bacteria and fewer bad), making periodontal problems less likely. Others have greater numbers of the ‘nasties’ discussed above, creating an imbalance (dysbiosis)… and again…inflammation. And destruction.

Why so much inflammation — and why such variation? Diet and nutrition play a huge role, which is a real problem here in the US. Not only is our standard diet hugely inflammatory, but as I emphasized above, we also lead the world in the burden of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s…and yes, gum disease. Inflammation drives them all. And our diet — with its excesses in carbohydrates and processed chemicals — drives inflammation.

Sure, eating organic, fewer carbs, the right nutritional support, exercising, meditating, practicing mindfulness…all probably contribute to a better-balanced oral microbiome. But a scientific approach to health can pay dividends. The only way to know for sure what bugs lurk in your mouth is by scientific testing. Find a dentist — or, if you’re really lucky — a physician… who’ll work WITH your dentist… who does salivary DNA testing to identify specific harmful bacteria, and other useful data. For examples of such tests, visit OralDNA Labs. Some striking published trends are documenting not just the bad oral bacteria, but lifestyles that support them.

Caution:  not many dentists — and even fewer physicians — do these tests. But don’t let that stop you. Team-based collaboration is key within the functional-medicine mindset.

Who’s the team leader? You! If you’re educated and informed, you are uniquely qualified to assemble this team — and educate its members about what you really need.

So how do you find a functional (biological, integrative, holistic) dentist? Resources such as the American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD); American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH); International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM), International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), and the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) are professional societies who are taking mouth-body awareness AND medical-dental collaboration to new levels, based on science-based discussion, sharing of clinical experience, and collaboration.

These professional groups involve not only the doctors — but also patients — in their memberships, and cutting-edge health discussions. And, they’re intently focused on continuing education, to keep their clinical skills current and sharp. Please visit their sites, talk to their leaders, and check their directories for member doctors in your area. And join them!

If all this sounds like homework, you’re right. Finding a dentist, physician and other practitioners who will collaborate to help you optimize your mouth-body health won’t be easy. However valid, logical or life-affirming, the functional-medicine-and-dentistry approach is counter-cultural. Mainstream healthcare’s cultural mindset — logical or not — is immensely powerful. Culture is very good at resisting change. Remember my references to ROI and politicized medicine above.

However we embark on our quests for positive health shifts, isn’t a shift in consciousness a necessary first step? So why not start with your mouth and see what happens?

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post Is Your Mouth Making You Sick? The Metabolic Impact of Oral Health appeared first on BEST SELF.

Struggling with chronic illness and determined to restore her once vibrant health, Melissa Gibson discovers the healing power of CBD — and a path of purpose

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“Wow! You’re back to being Melissa!”

We hadn’t seen each other in almost a year, and the joy in my friend’s voice brought tears to my eyes. It had been a rough few years as far as my health was concerned, and she couldn’t have been happier to observe the difference since our last visit. I had test result numbers to prove that my life-changing thyroid condition was improving, but this statement by someone who has known me my entire adult life was true confirmation of my ‘return to me’.

My Body & Me 

Health, fitness, and wellness were central to my life from the time I was a little girl (all the while trying to keep up with my big brother), through my late forties, when I did my best to manage the aging process by staying active and eating well. At age 48, I was still able to hold my own on the beach volleyball court and compete in snowboarding races where I consistently won in my age group.

All of that changed in late December 2013, on a family snowboarding trip to Lake Placid. After a full day of riding in the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains, I woke my husband from a deep sleep, screaming that someone was knocking loudly on the door to our hotel room. It was 3 o’clock in the morning, and I was sweating with fear. As it turns out, I was the only one that could hear the noise. There was no knocking. The loud, rhythmic banging was the sound of my own heart beating in fast, powerful pumps that reverberated in my ears. This, along with an almost twenty-pound weight loss over the next two weeks, severe fatigue, stomach cramps, anxiety, tremors in my hands, and an overall sense of extreme agitation, were the symptoms of something called a Thyroid Storm.

I learned that this condition is a severe and potentially life-threatening complication of hyperthyroidism, or overactivity of the thyroid gland. In my case, this was caused by Graves’ disease, which is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones.

Aha! My immune system. My Achilles heel.

In 2003, I had contracted Lyme Disease; in 2005, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. One causes an autoimmune response, and the other is an autoimmune disorder. While Celiac Disease can be managed by eating a gluten-free diet, Lyme Disease is more insidious. Even after short-term treatment with large doses of antibiotics, Chronic Lyme Disease symptoms can linger, including joint and muscle pain, as well as fatigue and ‘brain fog’. For me, this manifested in severe pain throughout the joints in my wrists, hands and fingers, which I treated with physical therapy, massage therapy and ultimately, with pain medication that wasn’t friendly to my digestive system.

So, at age 49, despite my commitment to healthy living, I was a veritable potpourri of autoimmune diseases: Celiac, Lyme and Graves’, Oh My!!

And to add an additional level of fun, the Thyroid Storm I suffered kicked me into menopause. When your body feels overheated from a hyperactive thyroid, adding hot flashes to the mix is a true joy… said no one.

Treatment began with taking medications to inhibit my thyroid from overproducing hormones and to protect my heart. I added yoga and meditation to my life and enjoyed the benefits of keeping my inner workings in balance. Every few months, I would see the endocrinologist for an exam and to test my thyroid levels. Fortunately, the impact of the disease can be measured. My thyroid counts provided a report card on how my body was reacting to treatment. For the most part, there would be improvement from one appointment to the next. However, just when it seemed the condition was under control, my hormone levels would spike, progress was lost, and we would start the process over again.

My endocrinologist explained that the onset of my Graves’ Disease was likely caused by excessive stress. It made sense that the sharp uptick in my hormone levels was also caused by stress. This panned out when comparing the timing of certain events in my life to the reversal of my progress.

After almost two years of trying to bring about sustained remission, my doctor said it was time to consider more permanent solutions – either radiation, using radioactive iodine, or surgery (thyroidectomy) to remove my thyroid. These options are very common and are successful for the clear majority of patients.

There are still risks to these procedures, and both result in a lifetime of taking medication to replace the hormones, which can create other potential health issues. At the time, I was closed-minded about going down this road, and just tried to further reduce stress, focus on nutrition, stay active, and generally attempt to balance my life.

Note: Stress is the root of all evil. It’s considered to be the leading cause of health problems among women as we attempt juggle it ALL. As much as I tried to deal with stress factors under my control, there were some doozies outside of my control, including a very dark time with my oldest son.

My Hero

Just when I was on the verge of throwing in the thyroid towel, I was introduced to a hero that would impact every aspect of my life. It came in the form of a green, leafy, often misunderstood botanical that provides a wealth of properties to improve health and wellness. That hero is hemp.

Surprisingly, the key to my personal health came from my professional world. As a business development professional who works with entrepreneurs, grassroots organizations, and independent businesses to become strategically more socially conscious and sustainable, I first learned of hemp’s power while serving as an advisor to a nonprofit in upstate New York. Our interest in hemp as a sustainable, profitable crop was in its potential to improve the local economy of the Hudson Valley.

While my background includes a degree in Agriculture Economics from Cornell University, my career turned out to be all economics and no agriculture. The frame of reference I had for hemp was its somewhat confusing relationship to marijuana. It wasn’t until this project that I was exposed to its many applications (see image of 50,000 uses!), it’s rich history in the U.S., and its prominence around the world, including its use in many ancient civilizations. The more I learned, the more the message became clear: humans were meant to live symbiotically and synergistically with hemp.

It is through this exposure to hemp, that I became aware of a chemical compound called CBD (short for cannabidiol). Through its incorporation in my life, I have taken back my health.

CBD can be derived from either a hemp or a marijuana plant; however, its legality is defined based on from where it’s extracted. To clear things up a bit, hemp and marijuana are different varieties of the same species: cannabis. In simple terms, marijuana is grown for its flowers (buds), and hemp is grown for its stalks and seeds. The other significant difference between the two has to do with U.S. legislative language that identifies cannabis with less than .3% THC as ‘industrial hemp’, and cannabis with more than .3% THC as ‘marijuana’.

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD are two of over 140 chemical compounds found in cannabis. CBD is considered legal in each of the 50 states; however, it is also considered federally illegal, in that it’s derived from cannabis, which is a Schedule 1 Drug, according to the Controlled Substances Act. It’s confusing for sure.

CBD is legal to use and millions of people around the world rely on it to maintain their health. (Please refer to www.hempsupporter.com for more details regarding the current legal status of hemp, and to get involved with advocacy, if you feel called to do so. Joy Beckerman is also a valuable source of information, and a leading hemp advocate www.hempace.com)

Your Body & CBD

What does CBD have to do with wellness? First, know that CBD is non-intoxicating. You cannot ‘get high’ on CBD. It is an anti-inflammatory agent, a neuro-protectant, an anti-anxiety agent, and an antipsychotic. It has no contraindications, no side effects, and rather than potentially harming your gut lining like ibuprofen, it can actually improve the function of your digestive system.

In a nutshell, CBD works with our bodies to create homeostasis. As defined by Scientific American, “Homeostasis, from the Greek words for ‘same’ and ‘steady’, refers to any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.” Remember this term from biology class?

CBD is an agent of homeostasis, and physical homeostasis is the very definition of good health.

How CBD works to create homeostasis has everything to do with what is called the Endocannabinoid System, or the Master Modulator of all the other systems in your body. In her essential book, Vitamin Weed, neuroscientist Dr. Ross explains, “The endocannabinoid system modulates almost every physiological process of your mind and body including memory, pain, appetite, mood and reproduction. All these processes are highly influenced by your environment. But the cannabinoid system is there to fine tune cells, put on the brakes or ramp up cell activity and make sure no processes become pathologic. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the largest neurotransmitter system in your body. Cannabinoid receptors are present on almost every cell, regulating your brain, immune system, skin and every other organ in your body. The ECS helps your body deal with physical and emotional stress. Your energy, resilience to life’s obstacles, happiness and health are all dependent on a functioning Endocannabinoid system.”

Wow! It is astounding that science has only recently come to identify and understand the ECS. Its discovery is credited to Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam, who in 1964 was first able to isolate THC and CBD from the cannabis plant. This groundbreaking finding becoming the basis to discover that every mammal, bird, reptile and fish have some form of an Endocannabinoid system.

Incredibly, our body creates homeostasis by generating its own endocannabinoids (endo meaning ‘within’) that interact with the ECS. CBD and other plant-based cannabinoids called phytocannabinoids (‘from plants’), can be used to supplement our ECS and even fight diseases caused by ECS deficiency. These types of cannabinoids act in the same way as our own endocannabinoids, some by binding to the same cannabinoid receptors, and others by boosting levels of endocannabinoids. CBD is considered by many to be one of the most effective cannabinoids available in terms of restoring and maintaining health.

The main reason why CBD is often referred to as a ‘miracle’ compound is because CBD addresses systems, rather than just symptoms. It cascades through the body, creating balance and producing a therapeutic effect.

Typical pharmacologic solutions work on one symptom at a time, often creating other symptoms themselves. (Those commercials that spew endless potential adverse side effects comes to mind.) CBD helps our body to find balance. This essential nutrient can be a vital weapon against environmental toxins, stress overload, system deficiencies, mood disorders, and even addiction. We are only scratching the surface of its full potential.

I think CBD has the power to change the world.

That’s both a lofty statement — and the basis for dedicating the rest of my personal and professional life to educating others about its benefits. Imagine if the astronomical size of the collective minutes that adult women spend worrying about sleep, lacking in sleep and thinking about sleep, were reduced by even a fraction. What impact would that have on their lives and the lives of their families? Lack of sleep is one of the leading causes of chronic health conditions. Stress, anxiety, pain and inflammation all contribute to the inability to get a full night’s sleep. All these factors can be addressed by a healthy endocannabinoid system, and CBD can lead the charge.

Back to Me 

A quick review of my health conditions prior to discovering CBD:

1. Overactive thyroid (Graves’ Disease)
2. Joint pain (Lyme and Celiac Disease)
3. Brain fog (Lyme and Menopause)
4. Hot flashes (Menopause)
5. Anxiety (see 1-4)

Hopeful, optimistic, and armed with my new-found knowledge of the potential benefits of CBD, I began a daily regimen of consuming CBD, beginning in the spring of 2016. I started taking between 15mg and 45mg of CBD each day in a combination of liposomal spray in morning, topical balm as needed throughout the day, and either one or two capsules of oil at night. The results? My hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms subsided, I was better at controlling spiraling, anxious thoughts, my joint pain went away as soon as I applied my balm, and my ability to focus greatly improved.

Of course, this progress is self-reported and based on my own assessment of my health. Perhaps I was simply willing myself to feel better? A placebo effect?

I got my answers at a checkup with my endocrinologist six months later. Fully aware that I had been taking CBD (always discuss taking CBD with your doctor), he gave me the good news that my thyroid hormone counts had gone down significantly and recommended cutting my medication to a tiny fraction of the original amount. With joy and goodwill (we had been working together for years at this point), he told me the Graves’ Disease was headed into remission. As noted by my friend of many years, I was on my way back to me.

Your Turn

Once I experienced the incredible benefits of CBD for myself, I started telling everyone I knew about what I had discovered. Around the same time, CBD began trending. Claims, information, misinformation and disinformation about CBD were (and still are) rampant on the internet and in social media. There were so many questions: How do I know if I’m going to get my money’s worth? What should I look for when researching the best product for my needs? How is the CBD extracted from the plant? What delivery method should I use to take CBD? How much should I take?

The marketplace for CBD is unregulated, and as with any other nutraceutical, the landscape is fertile for snake oil salesmen. It’s certainly a Buyer Beware situation: a product can claim that it has ‘hemp extract’ or ‘hemp oil’ without specifying exactly how much CBD is present. A product can also claim it has any amount of CBD in it without having to provide proof. Consider the fact that although hemp seeds are an incredible source of essential fatty acids, hempseed oil contains zero CBD.

Just because a product contains hemp oil, it doesn’t necessarily contain CBD. Do not buy any CBD products unless the manufacturers provide third-party testing to make sure the CBD amounts are accurate and the amount of toxins and metals that could potentially be present are correctly measured. Also, make sure the product specifically states how much CBD is in each serving. Consistency is key.

Adding to the confusion is how the CBD is extracted. Some of the CBD available is extracted using butane. Yes, the same butane that is in lighters. It’s a cheap way to extract CBD, but some of it remains after the process. The best method is also the costliest and the cleanest.

Supercritical CO2 Extraction — Look for products and companies that use this method of extraction. Don’t go with the cheapest product out there. You’ll get what you pay for.

The method of CBD delivery and the amount needed can be confusing as well. CBD comes in a variety of forms, including tinctures, edibles, topicals, transdermals, liposomes, capsules, vape oils and cartridges, isolates, slow-release patches and aromatherapies. Some deliver effects immediately, some take longer, some last a few hours, others a full day. The amount of CBD varies from individual to individual and can even vary with the same individual from day to day. We each have different Endocannabinoid systems, health conditions, sensitivities, tolerances, etc. The most important thing to understand is that to be successful with CBD, you have to become engaged in the process of finding the ideal method and quantity for you.

The good news is that YOU have the power to determine what’s best for you. You can titrate up or down to find the most relief from the least amount of product. You can experiment with different delivery methods. Keep track and share the information with your health care providers to achieve your desired therapeutic effect.

You & Me

With my own CBD enlightenment, and with 25 years of helping others to develop their businesses and brands, in 2016 I created my own company: hemp&humanity. We are a quadruple bottom-line enterprise, so along with making a Profit, we focus on People, Planet and Purpose. We curate the best hemp-based products available. We also provide education about the power of hemp and CBD to improve the human condition. Our tag line is “Botanical Wealth for Optimal Health.” You can learn more at www.hempandhumanity.com

I have now personally coached hundreds of clients who have had their health conditions and lives improved through regular use of CBD. There’s the teenager who finds relief from menstrual cramps, the athlete looking to recover quicker from workouts, the 62-year-old woman managing her arthritis, the 47-year-old woman who replaced her nighttime sedative with CBD to wake up rested after a full night’s sleep, the young man who uses CBD to cope with social anxiety, the Dad who needs back pain relief to keep up with his kids, and my son — the 22-year old who uses CBD to recover from addiction to opiates.

The best part about my journey back to being me is that along the way, I have unlocked the potential of something to ease suffering for others. The old saying that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything is obvious to anyone who has ever had their health, or the health of a loved one, in jeopardy. CBD is not a panacea, but it has the potential to improve so many conditions that people struggle with daily. At a time when things seem to be spinning wildly, taking back the control and power to improve your own life is priceless. Power to the Plant! Power to the People! Power to the Planet!

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Medical Disclosure: I am not a medical professional, and nothing in this piece is meant to be regarded as medical advice. However, having immersed myself in the emerging CBD industry for several years, I am confident that I have identified some of the most credible and trustworthy sources of information, such as Green Flower Media, Dr. Philip Blair, Dr. Dustin Sulak, and Dr. Michele Ross, a neuroscientist and author of Vitamin Weed. (See Sources for a more comprehensive list).

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Hemp & CBD Resources

 
Dr. Michelle Ross, Vitamin Weed: A 4-Step Plan to prevent and reverse endocannabinoid deficiency. Greenstone Books, LA. 2018

Joy Beckerman www.hempace.com

Dr. Dustin Sulak, www.healer.com

Dr. Philip Blair, https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-w-blair-m-d-37012822/

Shira Adler, The ABCs of CBD, ValPoSa Books, S. Salem, NY 2018

The National Center for Biotechnology Information    www.pubmed.gov

The Realm of Caring www.troc.net

Women Grow www.womengrow.com

Marijuana Policy Project www.mpp.org

Word on the Tree  www.wordonthetree.com

Leafly  www.leafly.com

Dr. Junella Chin,  www.medleafrx.com

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post A Return to Health: Balancing Chronic Illness with CBD appeared first on BEST SELF.

Seaweed is not just a nutrient dense food and therapeutic treat for your skin and hair — it is an extraordinary agent of change for ocean health

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By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea…

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.

Isak Dinesen

Summer is here and the ocean is beckoning. Even if you are landlocked there are ways to bring the sea’s vitality into your life. Seaweed is not only a nutrient dense food and therapeutic treat for your skin and hair, but seaweed farming is also a newly discovered and groundbreaking way to help clean up our oceans.

This past May I had the opportunity to take two amazing workshops with Angela Willard of harmonicarts.ca where she shared her knowledge and passion of all things algae.

Seaweeds are the fastest growing plant medicine on earth with giant kelp growing at a rate of 2 feet per day.

The palatable parts of seaweed are the fronds and they have up to 20x the vitamin and mineral content of land plants. 2 teaspoons of Dulse powder is higher in potassium than a banana. If you are concerned about iodine intake, Kelp is the highest in iodine content while Nori is the lowest. But don’t skip out on all of Kelp’s benefits because you are avoiding iodine. Boil your kelp for about 30 minutes and then discard the water (you can give it to your garden plants,’ they will love it). If you do want the iodine, you can add the liquid to your soups or cooking water.

Other ways to incorporate seaweed into your life are to crumble it into your salads, add flakes to your rice and throw a piece of kombu (a kelp) into your beans when cooking to make them more digestible. And no, don’t throw away the seaweed after cooking it in your beans, it actually converts rather than absorbs the enzymes that make it difficult to digest beans. I also love to munch on packages of nori snacks, the wasabi one is my favorite.

If you like to ferment and make sauerkraut, add a bit of wakame or kombu to your jar for a briny zing.

An infusion of Kelp in water is called serum and can be used as a bath tea, hair rinse or as the liquid in your mud mask. Soak a few pieces of dried kelp in distilled water (it can expand up to 40%) in a glass jar for a day in the sunlight. Then put into your refrigerator for 1 to 5 days. The cold temperature allows the alginates to come out of the seaweed giving the serum its signature slippery feel.

Strain the fronds from the liquid before use with a cheesecloth which can then be put into the freezer as an ice pack or used as a body scrub. Just be careful to not let the seaweed go down the drain, it can clog your pipes.

Seaweed is a nourishing gift for our bodies inside and out.

Here is a recipe for a farmers’ market summer vegetable and seaweed soup:

Summer Vegetable and Seaweed Soup

(This recipe calls for dulse, which is technically an alga, but is essentially a form of seaweed and is dense with nutrients)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
• 3 small carrots scrubbed and thinly sliced, wash and set aside the carrot tops
• 1-2 garlic scapes thinly sliced or cloves of fresh garlic smashed and diced
• 2-3 red or breakfast radishes
• 2 small purple potatoes (or any firm fleshed potato you have)
• ½ bunch pencil asparagus ends trimmed and cut on the bias
• 1 Tbsp crushed dried mushrooms (I used sun dried yellow oysters, but porcini or wild mushroom mix will also work)
• 1/3 cup of dulse (about a handful), cut into tiny pieces using a clean pair of scissors

Directions:

1. Wash and prep all the vegetables except mushrooms and dulse into a soup pot and sauté in 1 TBSP olive oil
2. Stir frequently until tender and then add the crushed dried mushrooms
3. Add in the dulse (it will expand)
4. Stir around and then add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes on a medium to low flame and then remove from heat.
5. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately, top with chopped carrot greens and a dollop of vegan sour cream or yogurt.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Indian Spiced Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms Roasted in Coconut Milk (Plus A Few Tips for Foraging For Good Health) by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Dulse Seaweed Soup — the Ocean’s Super Vegetable appeared first on BEST SELF.

Understanding the connection between mobility and longevity connects us to greater wellbeing and vibrancy

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What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘physical therapy’? Is it only necessary when your doctor tells you to go? Only when you’ve just had surgery or incurred an injury? Do you think of things like ultrasounds, electrical pads that tingle and make you feel good? Or maybe you think more of exercises to strengthen your core, increase balance and improve mobility?

Whatever it is that comes to mind, the most common theme I hear amongst most people seeking either physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, or massage therapy is that they’re looking for someone to ‘fix’ them.

The problem with relying on another person to ‘fix’ you, is that you are no longer in control of whatever the problem was to begin with — and therefore it will most likely return.

When the problem, pain or injury is coming from our own body, the one body we will move through this life with, it is essential that we start to rely on ourselves to fix the problem! This is not like taking your car or computer to go get serviced or indeed, fixed. Your car and computer are ultimately replaceable. Your body…not so much.

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy myself, I am not saying we do not play integral roles in healing, pain relief and prevention. Of course, we do! But, we truly help when we become the facilitators, NOT the person who will fix you. A facilitator will be able to help identify the reasons behind the problem and then guide you toward solutions that would be most beneficial. Yet, it is then up to YOU to then choose whether you think those solutions will truly benefit you in order to implement them into your life.

Here’s the thing, if you do not understand why the exercises would be of benefit to you, or you’re not really feeling the pain anymore, why keep doing those boring therapy exercises?!

If you don’t understand the ‘why’ you’re implementing something into your life, I guarantee it will not become habit within your life.

Think about some of the habits that you currently have. I would assume brushing your teeth falls into the ‘daily habits’ category. Why? Because you know that daily maintenance on your teeth helps to prevent cavities, root canals and basically protects your smile. Not to mention, most go see a dentist at least twice a year for a checkup to make sure those teeth are still intact.

Now I want you think if there are any daily habits you implement to prevent pain, injury and possible surgery. Proper sleep, healthy eating and drinking plenty of water definitely contribute on a broader scale. But can you think of anything you’re doing daily to specifically prevent pain and injury and improve the active longevity of your body? Some people implement daily foam rolling or try to get to the gym 3-5 days per week. These are both good, but they are not very specific to your body’s needs, nor are they implemented by the majority of the population.

What if you had a toolbox that could help to prevent pain and injury, reduce doctor visits, reduce the need for medications that merely masks symptoms while creating other issues, and truly give you the tools that are individualized to your unique body?

Would you use it? But before you could answer that question, you would need to find your ‘why’. For me, I am fortunate enough to have grown up active my entire life. My parents set a great example as they have always loved taking care of their bodies and to this day, can still water ski well into their sixties. So, naturally, a love for movement, tuning into and listening to my body came easy. But, it wasn’t until I went through physical therapy school that I truly began to understand my ‘why’.

During grad school, I met a man named, Steve, who was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP is due to abnormal brain development and affects body movement and muscle coordination. Though sharp as a tack, Steve has lived his whole life in a wheelchair. At 35, he was living alone, finding his own public transportation and completely independent. To paint the picture a little more clearly, Steve also is extremely difficult to understand, as the muscles in his mouth and tongue do not work well. Watching Steve slide down his chair to the floor to put on his shoes and socks looked absolutely painful with his contracted joints and ankles going different directions. The whole task took about 20 minutes to perform. When he got too heavy to pull himself back into his wheelchair, he took up assisted swimming to lose weight. Steve literally uses every ounce of his body to accomplish tasks most of us take for granted. Unfortunately, most people hardly even use their body’s full capability, nor take care of what movement they currently have so it doesn’t go away.

I also got to see gold medalist triathletes with bilateral amputations above the knee, people with Junior Rheumatoid Arthritis and extreme limited range of motion still running and doing yoga, and people with Parkinson’s doing yoga, walking or riding the bike as much as their bodies could. Our bodies are the most amazing machines. They are truly an amazing gift and we have much to be grateful for.

No matter what the limitation, no matter what the set-back, you have the capability to move out of pain, injury and live a longer and healthier life.

I’m grateful for these incredible individuals who have helped shape and inspire my ‘why’.

Our bodies have the ability to adapt. This is the reason most of us stiffen up over time. For example, our bodies adapt to sitting in chairs and cars more and sitting cross-legged on the floor less. A recent study reported that in cultures and religions that kneel to pray often throughout the day actually have reported less cases of osteoarthritis than cultures that don’t. This is not surprising, as our joints need to move through their full range of motion to remain lubricated within the joint and maintain healthy function.

Just as our bodies can adapt into restrictions, they can also adapt out of restrictions. Do not forget, you once were able to eat your toes, as this is a developmental milestone at 5 months old, before crawling or walking. Not that we should be working to try to eat our toes again, but it is crucial to maintain the health of our joints to reduce the chance of injury, pain, and surgery. Strength exercises are great, but just as a baby does not stand or walk before they stick their toes in their mouth, it is important to improve the mobility of the body first.

The only way to improve mobility is to move into it.

Breath, foam rolling and massage are all tools to reduce stress, tap into the parasympathic nervous system (rest and relaxation), and can temporarily begin to relax mobility restrictions. Yet, we must move, and we must move daily to improve current restrictions and prevent future ones. Just like brushing your teeth, you can easily integrate mobility into your life. For example, I have two mobility exercises I can do in bed first thing in the morning, two exercises I do when I’m working at my desk, and two before and after I workout. Without carving out additional time in my day, I just integrated up to 6 mobility exercises into my day that I can begin making a habit.

To teach you how to do the same, I created The Mobility Method. The method will take you through a screening process where you begin to easily assess your own movement and find where your body is most restricted. It is then filled with tools to guide you to the mobility exercises that are needed for your individual body. I created the program as a guide. Every body is different and unique. There is no one-size-fits-all plan for a single diagnosis or injury. Moreover, there is an old saying in my world that goes, “Where you think it is, it ain’t.” This means, the location of pain does not determine the cause of the problem. For example, low back pain can be due to tightness within the hips, upper back or even big toe! The body is truly all connected and it is up to us to move into it to free us of pain and injury.

To help you get started, I have created a video with my 7 favorite mobility exercises that address restrictions from head to toe. To further guide you along, I will be providing my best educational tips and even begin to guide you toward a more efficient breathing pattern. I hope you will dive in with me, explore your body, and give back to it a little more each day!

Watch Jen’s short introduction to her philosophy and connection to mobility 

You may also enjoy reading The Genius of Flexibility by Bill Miles

The post The Mobility Method: Taking a Proactive Stand For Your Body (and Health) appeared first on BEST SELF.

An exploration into the truth about the health benefits of juicing vs. eating

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Juicing is a hot and healthy trend. Juice machines are more popular now than ever and, according to Barron’s, over 6,200 juice bars are now churning out swamp-colored elixirs across the country. Starbucks recently spent $30 million to acquire Evolution Fresh, a cold-crafted juice operation, hoping to capitalize on this healthy lifestyle trend. Some health experts claim juicing is better for you than eating whole fruits and vegetables because the body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives the digestive system a rest from working on the fiber. Actually, there’s no scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself.

Most juicing machines leave behind, or completely annihilate the pulp, which is chock-full of  vitamins, minerals and needed fiber.

For example, one orange (with pulp) contains approximately 30 MG of vitamin C, but if you make orange juice with that same orange (without the pulp) the fluid will contain only 18 MG of vitamin C.

Everyone’s heard the saying, “An apple a day helps keep the doctor away.” There’s a lot of truth to that. Apples contain a gamut of health enhancing ingredients, one of them being phytosterols which reduce inflammation, help lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and support a healthy immune system. Evidence also suggests that phytosterols activate pancreatic beta cells for improved insulin production.

One cup of apples contain 15.0 MG of phytosterols. One cup of apple juice contains zero MG of phytosterols. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with ‘anti-oxidant’ properties which fight off free radicals in the environment that lead to disease. Also, the sugar levels in fruit juice can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of hyperglycemia. Eating the same fruit will have a much less blood sugar surge because its fiber content slows the release of sugar.

The antioxidant value of food is measured by using ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units, a measurement for antioxidants developed by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institute of Health. The higher the ORAC number, the higher the antioxidants in that particular food. One example of the marked difference between juicing versus eating can be found when looking at the ORAC value of cranberries. The difference in ORAC measurement of raw cranberries is 9,090, compared to cranberry juice, which measures only 1,452.

There’s no denying it, juicing just doesn’t offer the nutritional benefits of eating raw fruits and vegetables.

A name that has become synonymous with juicing is the late great Jack Lalanne. Known as ‘The Godfather of Fitness’, and world-renowned nutritional expert, he was the creator of the ‘Juice Tiger’ and ‘The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer’.  He died  at the age of 96, still healthy and active until the very end! Jack lived long and vibrantly, and inspired millions of people to make positive health choices, to lose weight and stay in shape.

I had the honor of chatting with him at a convention I attended in Ohio. I asked Mr. Lalanne if he really preferred juicing his fruits and vegetables over eating them? He replied, “Eating fruits and vegetables is vital because they contain healthy fiber and pulp which are removed during the juicing process.” He went on to tell me he never discarded the pulp remnants after juicing but instead, used them to make homemade bread, soups, fresh sherbet and muffins.

I asked him why he didn’t show people how to do that on his Juice Tiger infomercials?” He smiled and replied, “Juice machines offer people something quick and easy. Had I recommended additional steps required after juicing, I wouldn’t have sold so many juicers.”

He’s right! People want the ‘one stop shop’ and they’d rather drink 10 oz. of juice than take the time to prepare homemade soup using the ‘good stuff’ that they throw into the garbage.

While juicing is a delicious and refreshing option, it should not be a substitute for eating. We were designed to chew our fruits and vegetables, not drink them.

What’s Next: 10 Uses for Fruit & Vegetable Pulp

The things you can do with the leftover pulp are endless and truly amazing. Seriously, this isn’t pulp fiction! Here’s my fiber rich, Top 10 favorites:

1. Use fruit pulp to make frozen ‘pulp-sicles’

Here’s one example:

Cantaloupe, Mint, and Mango

Makes about 4 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and quartered
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 mangoes, halved, seeded, and peeled.

Instructions:

1. Put your pulp and 2 ounces of reserved juice into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Spoon into popsicle molds and use wooden skewers (both available on Amazon.)
3. Freeze overnight.

*An easy trick to getting them out of the mold is to fill a glass with hot water and put the mold in for a few seconds — then the ‘pulp-sicle’ will slide right out.

2. Use in DIY skincare recipes like masks and scrubs

Here’s a body scrub recipe made from leftover juice pulp:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of leftover juice pulp (pulp of any fruits or vegetables)
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients thoroughly until smooth

*Works great as an exfoliator and aids in skin rejuvenation.

3. Add it to soups

…to thicken and increase fiber and nutrients.

4. Make a fruity tea

…by boiling fruit pulp with water, adding spices such as cinnamon or ginger, cooling, and then straining.

5. Use veggie pulp to add nutrient density

…to mac n’ cheese, pasta sauces, or layer into a lasagna.

6. Add veggie pulp to sour cream or goat cheese

…for a delicious spread or  dip.

7. Mix pulp into baked goods

…like cakes, muffins, bread or baked cookies. Celery, onion, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, apple, and berry all work great.

8. Use fruit or veggie pulp to add flavor

…texture, and moisture to pancakes.

9. Add apple pulp into your favorite oatmeal recipe

…or mix it into almond or peanut butter for a delicious fruit and nut sandwich.

10. Use it to fertilize your garden

…the mineral rich pulp will add more life to your plants, herbs, veggies and fruit garden.

You may also enjoy reading Eat Your Veggies! Hidden Veggie Muffins: Sneak More Nutrition Into Your Family’s Diet by Christine Moss

The post PULP (non)FICTION: Juicing vs. Eating — What’s More Beneficial? appeared first on BEST SELF.

Sugar gets a bum rap for good reason: It’s connected to myriad health problems. Here are 12 steps for ending sugar cravings once and for all

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Eating highly-processed foods filled with sugar sets up a vicious cycle that results in nutritional deficiencies and leads to chronic illness and obesity.

Dr. Karen Wolfe

Let me start this article with two basic facts that most people don’t know.

FACT #1: Removing sugar cravings and balancing your blood sugar is one of the best health action steps you can take!

This statement might surprise you because most people only consider blood sugar regulation in relation to diabetes. The truth is added sugars and refined sugars that are found in so many food items, have harmful effects on weight and contribute to many diseases.

FACT # 2: The food manufacturing industry has hooked us into addictive foods that have hijacked our brain chemistry, our health and our waistline.

This means we must be ever vigilant about understanding food labels and not accept that “low-fat” or “whole-grain” or “gluten-free” means “healthier.”

I am determined to awaken people to the truth about sugar and help then get off the sugar roller coaster!

Why are we worried about sugar? The best way I can describe the damaging effects of sugar is to say that high blood sugar over time and the resulting high insulin levels are a major cause of inflammation of the body… and inflammation is the root cause of most chronic illnesses.

Are all sugars bad?

The word “sugar” can be confusing. Let me define a few terms. Carbohydrates are simply long chains of sugar molecules and not all carbohydrates are the same.

The carbohydrates I am most concerned with are the ones that raise blood sugar the quickest. These carbohydrates include anything that is made with refined flour (bread, cereals, and pastas); also rice and liquid sugars such as soda and fruit juice. I call these “fast carbs” because they raise blood sugar fast and this results in the hormone insulin surging, which then creates weight gain and inflammation!

The “slow carbs” are the ones that take longer to break down and do not cause a surge in blood sugar. Examples of “slow carbs” are all the wonderful fresh vegetables in their natural state, as nature intended.

Is Sugar Really an Addiction?

So, if “fast carbs” are so bad, why don’t we just stop eating them?

For many of us, sugar cravings seem impossible to break.

For many years, studies have demonstrated that sugar triggers the brain’s pleasure and reward centers—areas in the emotional centers of the brain responsible for the release of the “feel good” neurotransmitters. These are the same brain areas stimulated by cocaine, nicotine, opiates (such as heroin and morphine), and alcohol. This addiction is associated with real physiological changes in the brain. [Not sure if you’re really addicted to sugar? There’s a helpful questionnaire in my free ebook below this article.]

So, what can we do to get off the sugar roller coaster?

A 12 Step Plan for ending sugar cravings for good:

1. Consider a 5 Day “Jumpstart”

I have my clients reset their body to help kick them into gear and curb cravings for carbohydrates. This is done with a total focus on protein and slow carbs and elimination of fruit and “white foods” for 5 days. I have seen this help jumpstart my clients into healthy eating habits and begin to make a clean break from unhealthy, high-glycemic foods. They also have the option of using a ready-to-go cleanse kit if that helps them.

2. Stop the “white” foods (except cauliflower)

By this I mean foods that are white in color and that have been processed and refined. This includes flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, and simple sugars like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

3. Always eat breakfast

Having a low glycemic breakfast will set you up for the rest of the day. Don’t skip breakfast or those creeping sugar cravings will find you later in the day!

4. Eat protein with every meal and snack

Protein has been proven to reduce appetite and hunger. If you feel full, then you are less likely to crave the quick hunger fix that sugar provides.

5. Avoid liquid sugar!

Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit drinks often contribute a huge amount of the added sugar in our diets. Here are some alternative options:

• A water bottle with a diffuser so you can add slices of fruit or cucumber to taste
• Herbal teas come in so many varieties and you can have them hot or cold
• Add lemon or lime to your water

6. Avoid Processed Foods as much as possible

If it comes in a package, it has probably been “refined” and will have an effect on your blood sugar level.

7. Ditch artificial sweeteners

These artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than table sugar and they can trick your metabolism to think you are actually having sugar!

8. Move every day

You cannot exercise away an unhealthy diet, but exercise will make your cells and muscles more sensitive to insulin, as well as, reduce the stress hormone cortisol (which can increase appetite and waistline).

9. Choose Low Glycemic Snacks

Scheduling healthy snacks to eat every 3 hours is a smart strategy for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Plan for snacks to have protein and slow carbs. [Learn about the top 10 low glycemic snacks in my ebook below.]

10. Boost Your Serotonin Naturally

The ‘happiness hormone’, is often the name given to serotonin. When serotonin levels are low, we can act impulsively and have intense cravings for alcohol or sweets or carbohydrates. There are natural ways to boost serotonin. Here is the list that I share in my ‘Sugar Busters’ program to help boost serotonin naturally. All these are great lifestyle practices that also help us in many other areas of our health. These are directly from my book Is Your Lifestyle Killing You?

1. Eat protein with every meal and snack (tryptophan is the precursor of serotonin)
2. Improve your sleep quality
3. Get sunshine every day (or full spectrum light if the sun doesn’t shine)
4. Exercise daily
5. Improve your digestive health (most of your serotonin is made in your gut)
6. Stress Less!
7. Have massages regularly
8. Cultivate deep, authentic friendships (social media does not count!)
9. Take a high quality cellular nutrition supplement (my website has more information on this)
10. Practice gratitude, prayer and/or meditation

When you have higher levels of serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets.

11. Drink Plenty of Water

You may sometimes think that your body is asking for sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and is really craving water!

12. Get Good Quality Sleep

Sleep deprivation can trigger the hunger hormone as well as the stress hormone (cortisol) that can trigger cravings!

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post Breaking Up With Sugar: 12 Steps to End Cravings For Good appeared first on BEST SELF.

Seasonal transitions are opportunities to breathe in freshness and to renew, and discover recipes that echo that lightness and spirit

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It’s time for May Day bonfires and gifting flowers to those whose spirits need lifting (including your own) — mid-spring nesting and making your surroundings pretty.

As I watch the birds and squirrels, they forage not just for food, but for decor. Functional, warm, safe and cozy; they gather bits of moss, twigs and scraps of fluff. That’s inspiration enough for me.

Opening up your heart and home, making it special for yourself, also makes it special for anyone else you wish to share your sacred personal space with.

Let’s start in the kitchen.

Turn up the music and open up your cupboards and pantry.

See what supplies need replacing, refilling and upgrading. It can be expensive to overhaul your pantry all at once. Little by little replace what you run out of with similar items, but of better quality. It will make cooking for yourself and others fun when you have a variety of fresh spices, oils and vinegars to play with.

Open up the curtains and the windows too. Light candles and string lights, day or night doesn’t matter. Bring in fresh flowers and leaves.

Put some on the table and some in your hair. Dance around a bit, hang up some art.

Next, cook something seasonal and festive, something that feeds your body, mind and spirit. They all grow hungry… nurture your best self. Nurture your nest and your nest will nurture you.

Recipe

Linguine with Asparagus and Capers in Lemon White Wine Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. box of your favorite pasta (I used linguine)
• 1 bunch thin or pencil asparagus washed, trimmed and cut into ½” pieces on the bias
• 1 small jar of capers (2-3.5oz) drained but not rinsed
• 1 stick (½ cup) of soy-free vegan butter
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 small white onion diced (about ½ cup)
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup of roughly chopped
• Italian parsley
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes (less than the suggested time on the package) and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water when draining.
2. While the pasta is cooking prep all of your vegetables, zest and juice the lemon.
3. Heat up your largest pan that can hold all of the cooked pasta on a medium flame and add the olive oil.
4. Sauteé the onions for 2-3 minutes and then add in the garlic.
5. Sauteé for another 3-4 minutes and add in the vegan butter.
6. Once that is completely melted add in the asparagus. Sauteé until bright green then taste one.
7. Next add in the wine, stir and then let it start to bubble. Lower the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
8. Next add in the capers and stir.
9. Then add pasta and reserved pasta water, gently stir to coat all of the noodles and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste and then add more salt if needed and black pepper to your liking. Shut off the heat and mix in the parsley.
10. Serve immediately with a salad and some warm bread.

Notes:

Asparagus is high in folic acid, Vitamins A, C, K, B1 and B6. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural diuretic.

You may also enjoy Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto by Vani Hari

The post Recipe: Linguine with Asparagus and Capers in Lemon White Wine Sauce appeared first on BEST SELF.

10-Minute Morning Yoga Flow + 10 Essentials for a winning self-care practice

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Making a conscious effort to support and boost your physical and mental health is something that goes hand-in-hand with genuine self-care.

The topic of self-care is an extensive one and involves an ongoing commitment if it is to become (and remain) a beneficial aspect of your life. True self-care involves addressing your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and this is something that most of us will occasionally need help with.

If you understand the benefits of self-care, but find it difficult to be consistent with your efforts, then the following ten tips are for you!

1. Be Grateful Every Day

It is incredible how helpful expressing gratitude to others can be for your own happiness. You may do this silently to yourself or actually extend this gratitude to those you are grateful to

Keeping a gratitude journal is great for this. Journaling helps to get your thoughts out of your mind and into the world, and puts energy in action. It’s also exciting because you will inevitably be creating a long list of all of the positives in your life, which you can then revisit at any time (especially when you really need it most).

2. Put Yourself First

Supporting your family and friends, emotionally or otherwise, can take many forms. While such gestures and efforts are wonderful, they can become overwhelming if you commit to too much. When this happens it can become all the more difficult to care for yourself. This in turn means you are actually less able to help others adequately. As they say, one can’t pour from an empty pitcher.

When you make the decision to put yourself first, and only take on as much as you can realistically manage, then you will be better able to practice self-care consistently.

3. Nourish Yourself

Allow yourself to eat when you feel hungry instead of sticking to a rigid schedule, and always try to eat the foods that you know are going to nourish you. By this I mean the whole foods that are full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients — the foods that provide sustainable energy and help to cleanse and protect your body.

Listen to your body and let it tell you what it needs, when it needs it! You will not only benefit physically, but emotionally too. And if your body is craving junk — ask it why. What are you craving on a deeper level that the junk food will never satisfy?

4. Set Your Boundaries

If you don’t understand your own boundaries (within your family, your relationships, the workplace), then it will be impossible and unreasonable to expect anybody else to respect them! This is an essential component of self-care, because it is concerned with knowing and respecting yourself — and ensuring that others do too.

5. Prioritize Your Sleep Cycle

When you aren’t sleeping well, your self-care is often the first thing to be neglected. Prioritizing your sleep cycle entails always putting this aspect of your routine first. This can mean saying no to certain social events if they take place late at night, or being strict with yourself about not watching another episode of that new show that’s got you hooked. Note that alcohol and sugar are notorious for interrupting sleep patterns as well.

Furthermore, having a set time that you go to bed and wake each morning can truly help to get your body into a healthy sleep pattern — that and detaching from electronics an hour before bed. Your body and mind will soon adapt to and appreciate this routine, leading to a more positive and motivated mindset each day.

6. Be Digitally Strict

When you continuously engage with your digital devices, your self-care can suffer.

As a society, we have become increasingly dependent (dare I say addicted) upon our digital devices. And, although this technology has become essential in some respects, it is also quite time consuming and can become an unwanted distraction.

Being mindful of how much of your time and attention you give to your digital devices will directly impact your wellbeing.

7. Schedule Time For Yourself

Having time alone to process your thoughts and focus solely on yourself is critical. This in itself is a bold act of self-care and can help you not only quiet the mind, but additionally hit the reset button on any negativity that you may have recently encountered.

However you spend this time is totally up to you. You could meditate, you could lie down and rest, you could drink a tea, go for a walk — do whatever it is that you feel inclined to do in order to slow things down a bit. The important thing is that you commit to having this time to yourself and that you consciously work to maintain positivity. Listen to what your body and soul are calling for.

8. Keep Moving

Staying still for too long is not only bad for your physical health, but will affect you mentally as well!

Making an effort to move your body regularly throughout the day will actually help to keep your energy levels up and encourage feelings of positivity to thrive. This makes it all the more likely that you will persist with caring for yourself.

This can take the form of regular exercise, such as going to the gym, attending an exercise class, or playing group sports. It can also be as simple as getting up to stretch and walk around at intervals throughout the day.

9. Be Kind

Being kind to yourself and also to those around you is a simple way to keep positivity at the forefront of your mind.

Allow yourself to feel your feelings. Beating yourself up for moments of negativity will only lead to further negative feelings. Like attracts like. Conversely, being kind to oneself and those around you via extending compassion — in turn elevates the energy for all.

10. Journal The Journey

The more we practice, the better the practice. Journaling can help you recognize good health habits. And don’t forget to document the wins! Write down how you felt after a great self-care victory — whether you tried something new or protected your boundaries. In the moments that you feel as though you don’t have the energy or the enthusiasm to take care of yourself, look back and recall how you felt when you did do so. Tap into that good stuff! With a journal it will be simple to revisit the amazing moments and keep yourself motivated. They don’t call it a process for nothing!

Remember the journey — celebrate the good, remind yourself of the bad and how far you’ve traveled, how strong and resilient you are when you dedicate to one thing — self-care.

Start somewhere, anywhere amongst this list. Watch new patterns and practices emerge. Witness joy and watch it trickle into the rest of your life — all the while, the things that no longer serve you fade away. You’ve got this!

You may also enjoy Taking Charge: The Key To Our Aliveness by Anodea Judith

The post Self Care Reboot: Morning Yoga + 10 Essential Self Care Practices appeared first on BEST SELF.

A nutrition-packed twist on spiralized courgettes

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I know the latest craze is all about spiralized courgettes (zucchini) and trust me, I love them, too. But I wanted to experiment with other veggies that can give you the same lovely noodle shape, taste good and still deliver that nutritional punch. So this is where the beetroot became my new courgette. But again, if you don’t have beetroot on hand, please use a courgette instead!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 good-sized beetroot (beets), peeled and spiralized
• olive or coconut oil, melted, for drizzling
• 2 clementines, peeled and segmented
• 50g (heaping 1⁄3 cup) pistachios
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 large handfuls of fresh
• Spinach sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper

For the Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• juice of 1 clementine
• juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• spiralizer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the beet noodles on one sheet and drizzle with olive or coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.
2. Spread the clementine segments and pistachios over the second sheet and drizzle with the honey. Bake for 5 minutes alongside the beet noodles.
3. Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and put to one side.
4. Once cooked, remove the baking sheets from the oven and combine the noodles, spinach, clementines and pistachios in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and enjoy your simple but super-yummy salad!

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Recipe: Beetroot Noodle Salad with Clementine and Pistachios appeared first on BEST SELF.

Spring inspirations and a delicious twist on traditional pesto

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The month of February is an in-between time. Not quite yet spring and I’m trying to be patient with the last leg of winter. Although I love winter, sweaters and warm comforting food — I am ready for fresh flavors and colorful flowers.

5 things inspiring me right now:

1. Spring flower and bulb catalogs, especially Annie’s Annuals, they are very creative and extra colorful.
2. Music. Right now I am listening to Willow Smith.
3. Chocolate. Not just for Valentine’s day. I like to add a bit of cocoa to my morning coffee.
4. Mushrooms (I am obsessed) Shiitake’s are high in B vitamins and they are a food source for vitamin D. For more info check out Fungi.com
5. Conifers. Anything pine scented: bath salts, soap, candles or essential oil.

Arugula & Sunflower Seed Pesto

This is a recipe for Arugula and Sunflower Seed Pesto. It is extremely versatile and a beautiful bright green color on dreary days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Pinch black pepper
• a few leaves fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky paste.

How to use it:

• The pesto can be spread onto toasted baguette for an appetizer or snack.
• Add a few spoonfuls to a warm bowl of polenta (Bob’s Red Mill is great, follow instructions on back of package)
• Add a little extra olive oil or 1/2 a stick of Earth Balance into the processor and then spoon over warm pasta.
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Tofutti Sour Cream for a creamy pasta sauce or sandwich spread.

*A great variation is to use spring greens such as dandelion leaves.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Kefir Guacamole by Donna Schwenk

The post Recipe: Arugula & Sunflower Seed Pesto appeared first on BEST SELF.

A nutrient-packed, soul-filling recipe from the author’s GreensSpace Cafe

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Ingredients:

• 6 oz. baby kale
• 1/2 cup sliced organic beets, red or yellow
• 1/2 cup organic edamame
• 1/2 cup cubed organic tofu squares (optional)
• 2 florets of broccolini
• 1 cup quinoa
• A few pinches of any kind of fresh sprouts
• 1 tbsp. hemp seeds
• ¼ cup walnuts

Balsamic Dressing

• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Mix vigorously in a jar then serve on the side.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap by Dr. Will Cole

The post Recipe: GreenSpace Superfood Salad appeared first on BEST SELF.

Grow your own natural probiotics to reclaim your health

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Fifteen years ago, I found the answer I was seeking to turn around my poor health — although, it felt more like the answer found me. It came from the most unlikely place and it has changed everything in my life.

I was 40-years-old with diabetes, high blood pressure, and a four-pound newborn preemie that was delivered early due to my health problems. It broke me that I had caused her to struggle because of my own health issues, and I was seeking answers mostly to help her thrive. It’s funny how as mothers, we will climb over mountains to help our children while we put our own health struggles on the back burner. And yet, I had to remind myself that the very love that propelled me forward to give her the life that she deserved healed me, too.

It all started with a book that I pulled from a shelf in a health food store. The page I turned to in this book was a recipe for a fermented food called kefir. The words jumped off the page at me and I was immediately intrigued. I picked up another book and much to my surprise it, too, opened to a page that had a recipe for this probiotic food called kefir. Right at that moment a store employee was walking by, stopped next to me and said, “That’s one of the most important books you will ever read. You should pay attention.” And then he walked away. Standing there I felt shaken up. I bought both of those books and proceeded to go find this fermented drink called kefir.

 Invisible microbes controlled my health

Three weeks later, after having kefir daily, my little daughter started to thrive and my diabetes and high blood pressure had normalized. I felt such gratitude that I spent the next fifteen years studying the marvels of bacteria and all they do to keep us healthy each day. Discovering that I was made of 100 trillion bacteria and that I could work with these invisible microbes to control my health and my family’s health changed everything for me.

Every day I would make cultured probiotic foods that were filled with good bacteria. I watched these special microbes change the food and increase the vitamins and minerals, as well as load them with probiotics. It was an amazing thing to behold. All I had to do was place food in a jar, add a probiotic culture, cover it, and then let the microbes do their thing while I went about my day.

Consuming these foods changed me…dramatically, and then it began to change my family and friends. I stopped buying probiotic supplements because the cultured foods worked better, worked faster, and were sustainable. These cultures could last forever, and my love for all things cultured grew and grew. This love arose from appreciation that they had made me (and many of those around me) well. From that came hundreds of recipes, three books, and a website filled with my gratitude for these powerful foods.

The key to having a strong immune system

The process of fermentation is an old tradition that has contributed to people of many cultures living long, healthy lives. These microbes govern many of our body’s key functions that are essential to our overall health. They are the key to having a strong immune system, balancing our hormones, digesting our food, supporting mood and brain function, making necessary vitamins that we can’t make on our own, and much more. The healthier and more diverse your microbiome becomes, the healthier you become.

Good bacteria train your immune system to distinguish among the good guys and the pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and then they train them how to respond. This prevents your immune system from overreacting to non-harmful antigens, which is what happens when your body develops allergies. Surprisingly enough, researchers are discovering that the basis of food allergies is a loss of certain strains of good bacteria. By replacing those strains, the food allergies subside and the gut is normalized. I have seen this again and again with thousands of people who have introduced these probiotic foods into their life. Food allergies subside, as do a host of other ailments.

Does all disease begin in the gut as Hippocrates, one of the earliest physicians, stated so long ago? I have seen so many people heal that it has made me a believer. Life experience is the best teacher and researchers are finding more and more evidence each day of just how important our microbiome is to living a long and healthy life.

Click to view the ABC video with Donna Schwenk

Let microbes change you from the inside out

You are made up of more bacteria than anything else. Your bacteria outnumber the cells in your body 10:1 — so it’s important that you pay attention to this. An easy way to embrace and work with your trillions of microbes is to eat probiotic foods. Let them grow and multiply and change you from the inside out. This is an easy thing to accomplish and it’s quite delicious, too.

Never did I think that the answers to my health issues would be found in a jar loaded with billions of microbes. Out of appreciation for all they have done for me, my family, and thousands of others, I created a book that makes growing your own delicious probiotics fun and an easy adventure.

My new book, Cultured Food in a Jar, allows you to easily incorporate probiotic foods — kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables — into your life. Kefir is similar to yogurt (with much stronger and more diverse probiotics) and will help you reestablish good gut flora, reduce inflammation, and much more. Kombucha is a delicious fermented tea that is bubbly and can help you detoxify from unhealthy eating since it assists the liver in detoxification. Cultured vegetables are superfoods and can fix many kinds of stomach distress with just a spoonful. Water kefir is a fantastic replacement for soda pop. You’ll not only get a bubbly probiotic drink, but also one that isn’t loaded with sugar. I teach people how to make this a lifestyle by just adding a few things to their diet with fun and easy recipes all made in a jar.

Maybe you’ve forgotten how good your body is designed to feel. Don’t go through your life not feeling good. You don’t know what you’re missing — feeling good changes everything. Just you wait and see.

Donna’s recent book. Click image to view on Amazon.

The post Health In a Jar: Growing Your Own Probiotics appeared first on BEST SELF.

An easy savory recipe for chicken that packs an extra punch of veggies

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Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large organic, free-range chicken breasts
• 1-1/2 cups whole almonds
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Broccoli and Cauliflower rice:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F?180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice chicken breast into 1-1/2 inch strips.
2. In a separate bowl, crack eggs and whisk together. Set aside.
3. Place almonds into a food processor and pulse to create a chunky almond meal. Add in dried spices and salt and mix to pour out onto a large plate.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg then place onto a plate with almond meal and coat all sides. Place each piece on a lined tray until all pieces are coated. Bake in the oven until golden brown. Note: check at the 30 minute mark by cutting into one of the pieces to ensure it has cooked through.
5. Once your chicken pieces are in the oven baking, use this time to create the cauliflower and broccoli rice. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you create small, rice-like pieces. Place in a pan over a low-medium heat with 2 tablespoons coconut oil and toss until cooked. Spread out onto a large platter and place cooked chicken pieces on top and serve ‘as is’ or with your favorite health-supportive sauce or dip on the side.

You. may also enjoy Lentil Pasta with Kale Pesto by Vani Hari

The post Recipe: Almond Crusted Chicken With Cauliflower and Broccoli ‘Rice’ appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious guacamole fortified by probiotic kefir

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Kefir is a secret ingredient in this guacamole. Not only does it make it taste creamy and delicious but it also keeps the guacamole greener longer. In addition, the probiotics and enzymes in kefir will keep you looking younger and living longer. It’s my secret beauty weapon and key to longevity – just as it is for the many centenarians who live in the Caucasus Mountains, having drunk kefir at every meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados, halved and pitted, peeled and cubed
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of Kefir cheese
• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Celtic Sea Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the avocados in a medium bowl, and then smash and stir them with a fork, breaking them up into a chunky mass.
2. Add the kefir cheese, lime juice, and red onion. Stir to combine.
3. Top with cilantro and salt.

Makes 4 servings

You may also enjoy Recipe: Spring Veggie Lettuce Wrap by Dr. Will Cole

The post Recipe: Kefir Guacamole appeared first on BEST SELF.

This flow starts by building body heat, then moves quickly through positions, eventually softening into a state of conscious relaxation, and closing with a meditation. Video by Grant Henry.

Wherever our life path has lead us, however noisy the outer world may seem, the practice of yoga can heal us by quieting the mind and connecting our inner and outer selves

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I grew up a tree climber, barefoot in my backyard with wild hair, trying not to dirty the frocks in which my mother would dress me. I am not a sit still kind of person; I love to move and I love yoga. But yoga is more than a form of movement.

In India, there is a television personality named Baba Ramdev who hosts an hour of free yoga programming every morning. People write in to him and tell him their ailments: poor vision, insomnia, weight management. Baba Ramdev then provides solutions and cures from a yogic perspective, “Try this pranayama (breathing exercise) or this kriya (cleansing technique) and these asanas (postures).”

Yoga was presented in this way to me as I grew up — a methodology, not a fitness regime.

My parents are of Indian origin, and we treated this healing art as something of interest, but not a practice. They were busy with work and life (and children), so once in a blue moon we would treat ourselves and have yoga teachers come to our home and teach us.

These sessions were underwhelming for a 10-year-old me, full of long held postures, breath work, and sitting still. In these classes, as none of our family members were in need of specific healing, there was a greater focus on meditation. This was tough. I longed to run barefoot in the backyard, bike around the neighborhood, or get lost in a book — anything but sit quietly or try to count my breaths. Nonetheless a seed was planted: Yoga is a methodology for healing, and that these practices have properties beyond the postures, beyond the physical.

My childhood and adolescence flew past me, as many of ours probably did. My parents spent a lot of time embedding us in Indian culture and philosophy, taking us to weekend courses to learn Eastern worldviews and religion (Jainism) and planning trips to India at least once a year. I spent a lot of time trying to be a better soccer player, keep up with my classes, and fit in with my friends at school.

It wasn’t until college that yoga reappeared into my life in a significant way. I majored in mathematics, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the way that math stretches your brain, I struggled knowing that I didn’t want to pursue the career trajectory before me. Simultaneously I didn’t have the time to continue to play soccer, and my injuries were making even running inaccessible to me. My parents had retired and moved to India, so I couldn’t often go home to reassess. I felt stuck, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

This is when the yoga seed that was planted in my childhood started to sprout.

I suddenly began to wonder if these ancient healing techniques might be able to help me through my anxiety. So like every other 18-year-old at the time, I sought help from Google. I pulled up some Rodney Yee videos and perused Light on Yoga in search of the right combination of postures to help. I went down the Internet rabbit hole and for some reason became obsessed with David Swenson’s ashtanga primary series video and what he was saying about breathing and practice. So began the foundation of my vinyasa practice.

If nothing else, yoga helped me create a deeper connection to myself. It kept me from tying my identity to the things that I did. It allowed me to recognize that I didn’t want to work in the finance industry after college, so I let myself stray from the life path I had set out for myself, and with nowhere else to turn to, went to my parents’ home in India.

As it turns out, abandoning your life goals and moving to a different country can create a whole new world of anxiety. As I pondered the purpose of my life in Bangalore, I found the time to practice yoga 2-3 times a day. I would practice Mysore with a teacher and explore more on my own at home. As much as I enjoyed this time of self-reflection and growth, being unemployed wasn’t my end goal. So when new opportunities fell into my lap, I moved to Mumbai and began a 5-year career in fashion.

Like a stable partner, yoga never left me — it was the one piece of my life that stayed constant from place to place, from job to job.

While I was in India, I remember laughing when my mother told me to consider opening a studio and teaching. But as fashion wore away at me, I began to lean more on the practice, and study it more seriously. I noticed that yoga helped me to connect more deeply to a sense of self that wasn’t defined by my job or location or family. I was happier when I practiced, and the effects were so noticeable that if I were moody, my brothers would ask me if I had skipped yoga for the day.

Fast forward to 4 years ago when I followed my heart and moved to New York City.

Living in NYC without an income is incredibly motivating. I was laser focused on getting to know the yoga community and getting hired as a teacher. For the first time, I practiced with music. I learned how to assist others. I found teachers to learn from (thank you Nikki Costello, Robert Lindsey, and Lindsay Hilscher). I read everything I could get my hands on, I practiced religiously, and I studied history, philosophy, anatomy, and everything in between — and here I am today, a yoga teacher in NYC.

Any practice, or art form can change your life. If you woke up at 5am and boxed for 2 hours every morning, surely that dedication would pay in scores mentally and emotionally. The effects of discipline and the self-reflection that comes from a sustained commitment is not to be overlooked.

Yoga is an energetic practice, an experience that threads together the inner and outer selves.

 If you prescribe to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the goals of yoga and the path to yoga are meditation. There are many approaches to the practice, but at the finish line is a steadiness of mind. There are other ways to use the tools of yoga as well. Restorative yoga, pranayama, pre- and postnatal and yin yoga are valid forms of yoga with countless health and wellness benefits.

My personal practice is somewhat traditional, but it’s certainly not the only way. How can it be, when the world of yoga is evolving around us every day? Whatever worldview we as yogis prescribe to, I strongly feel that it is our responsibility to learn the history and philosophy behind the practice. Iyengar encouraged creativity, and brilliant new practitioners should and will continue to innovate the practice of yoga. I, for one, am excited to see how yoga takes on an even bigger presence in the world over the course of my lifetime.

When I started practicing yoga seriously in India, I wrote the following in my journal:

What yoga has taught me:

• Nothing is impossible, just difficult.
• Nothing challenging comes easily or overnight.Daily perseverance is the key.
• There will always be somebody better, stronger, faster, more flexible than you, maybe even without putting in as much effort. Instead of being jealous/angry/bitter, the best thing to do is to respect their abilities/talent, and work harder on your own.
• Consistency is key.
• Appreciate all the things your body can do.
• Yoga makes you challenge yourself every day.

I still feel all of these things, and more.

I haven’t reached enlightenment, but I’ve certainly experienced some major positive changes beyond the obvious physical benefits. Yoga has allowed me to relate to myself and the world around me with more space. By observing without judgement, I can notice my emotions without being my emotions, and then see others in the same way. The space allows me to choose how to act (out of love) instead of react to the world.

My mission as a teacher is to show others that a yoga practice is more than making space in your body; it is making space in your mind. One of the things that gives me great joy is cultivating a community around this sort of mindfulness.

You can catch me and my good friend Sasha Nelson curating Mindful Morning events around the city, in which we meditate, discuss, and share nourishing food with like-minded individuals. Otherwise, follow my adventures on Instagram. I’m always interested in your thoughts, so please feel free to reach out!

You may also enjoy Sleep Better… A Few Stretches for Bedtime by Carter Miles

The post Yoga: Beyond Movement appeared first on BEST SELF.

A debilitating journey as an electrosensitive individual serves as a wake-up call to the hidden dangers we are all exposed to living in a wired world

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A few decades ago, it was rare to see a gluten-free menu, a “Certified GF” symbol, or a food intolerance awareness sticker. If you had Celiac disease in the early 1980s, the food world was hazardous. It was impossible to dine out, order out, or shop for packaged products. Sure, you could have stayed home all the time; skipped those hot summer nights at Ben & Jerry’s; ditched your friends’ diner jaunts for burgers and fries; and passed on adventurous road trips due to the impracticality of toting one month’s worth of food in a cooler.

But that seems unfair, doesn’t it? To fathom that a person with a physical illness can be ostracized from the world as we all experience it. Or alternatively, that such an individual would have to consciously choose bodily harm simply to take part in life.

That describes my world today.

I have a condition called electrosensitivity (ES), sometimes referred to as electro-hypersensitivity (EHS). Technically it is an ‘environmental illness’, which means I experience debilitating neurological and immunological symptoms in the presence of man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

“What type of symptoms?” I am always asked.

The gamut includes migraines, arrhythmia, cognitive dysfunction, vertigo, nerve tingling, muscle twitching and spasms, numbness, gastrointestinal dysfunction, urological inflammation, rashes, nausea, tinnitus, and joint pain, all worsening with degree and intensity of EMF exposure.

“But what causes these symptoms?” This is always the logical follow-up question.

The extensive list of electro-toxic triggers includes:

• Radiofrequency radiation: from Wi-Fi routers, wireless enabled devices, gaming consoles, cell towers, Bluetooth devices, smart gadgets, etc.
• Low-frequency electric fields: from unshielded electrical wiring and devices.
• Magnetic fields: from power lines, home appliances, home wiring, and current running on a home’s grounding system.
• Harmonics (commonly referred to as dirty electricity): These are frequencies other than our 60 hertz cycle generated by things like solar inverters, dimmer switches, florescent lighting, electronics (computers, TVs, radio), etc.

In essence, the modern world, quite literally, makes me sick. 

This is not a subject most electrosensitive individuals talk about in mixed company, fearful of being labeled kooky, crazy, or being socially marginalized and professionally ostracized. There’s the tendency of people to insensitively label you as, “The Sensitive,” like this is some cult-classic horror flick. Do people with diabetes introduce themselves, “Hi. I’m Sharon. The Diabetic.” No, because that’s putting the disease on par with the person — and we are not our afflictions.

Nonetheless, there’s a societal stigma attached to saying “I’m electrosensitive.” People tend to conjure an oddball character hiding in an aluminum foil underground bunker; an agoraphobic conspiracy theorist, a psychologically-unstable technophobe, or at best, an eccentric shamanistic mystic.

But none of those descriptors portray me. If I were to keep silent about my health and EMF hazards, and just sit elegantly in a café, dressed nicely as I do, drinking my latte, talking to you about the latest essay I’m writing, ad campaign I’m designing, or cute guy I saw at the bookstore, you’d never know that I’ve been in physical torment and thrown out of my former life, all because of a nearby Wi-Fi router or an electrical smart meter system.

I’m far from unique in the universe. I’m just one of the few to make my story public.

It’s currently estimated that 3-5% of the world’s population is severely electrosensitive, with 30-50% moderately affected symptomatically. These numbers are predicted to rise significantly, as our world becomes more overrun with electro-smog pollution, given the evolution of smart homes, smart cities, 5G wireless and the Internet of Everything – none of which has been pre-market tested for long-term safety.

There are thousands of peer-reviewed research studies by notable scientists and epidemiologists showing harmful biological effects from radiofrequency and other artificial EMFs. These biological effects, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, and breaks in the blood brain barrier, are all precursors to chronic disease and cancer. These effects occur at the microcellular, metabolic level, regardless of whether you presently feel sick or not. Those with electrosensitivity are just the first to feel it.

Plenty of people are getting very sick from electro-pollution. Right now. Everywhere. In every state. In every country. These people are not mere statistics to me. I know this because they’ve all contacted me. From China to Mexico, from California to Australia, people with ES have reached out to me, in their own physical pain, scared, confused, displaced, dispossessed, traumatized, hopeless, helpless, lost…. and homeless. There are a lot of ES people who are homeless. Like me.

People with ES are getting evicted from their lives, losing friends, families, spouses, jobs, and homes. They are losing their livelihood, their savings, their safety, and their security. And with the global Wi-Fi rollout in both bustling cities and rural enclaves, people are losing access to hospitals and medical facilities, office buildings, restaurants and cafes, drug stores, grocery stores, and public transportation.

Of course, no one is talking about this over cocktails or at gallery exhibits because no one wants to admit that just like tobacco, asbestos, BPA, glyphosate, and PBDEs, our wireless technologies and our energy systems might be highly toxic to our complex, bioelectrical bodies. That this could be the very reason we are seeing an unprecedented rise in chronic illness, autism, ADHD, and neuro-degenerative disorders.

There’s a curious disconnect on this subject, an intense cognitive dissonance that must have been around in the heyday of Big Tobacco. I’ve witnessed thousands of parents rise up in arms on social media when they discover a popular baby-wipe brand has been recalled for mold. But few and far between pay attention to the biological hazards of radiofrequency, letting their 5-month old teethe on a transmitting cell phone which emits microwave radiation directly into their baby’s brain, unaware that this violates the device’s safety guidelines and puts their child at risk.

I do not hate technology. In fact, I love it, and I still find ways to use it — safely.

I am now 39-years old. Until a few years ago, I can remember the majority of my life happily and easily connected to technology, from my childhood Atari system through my first smart phone at thirty. As a creative director in Manhattan, my iMessages were never far from my fingertips. I was the gal who’d respond to any text in five seconds flat (if I didn’t, my friends assumed I’d been abducted). I bopped around Manhattan with my iPhone in my back pocket, rocking out to Pandora as I multi-tasked grocery shopping at Whole Foods and responding to my clients’ emails. I’d chill with my MTV friends in hipster Tribeca bars, out until 3am, music blasting from one shindig to the next. I even once summoned my home internet provider to upgrade my Wi-Fi so I could share design files in the Creative Cloud faster than the speed of light.

And then, very quickly, all of that became physically impossible to endure.

“So what happened?” That’s the question everyone astutely poses.

Let’s take it back a few years. In December 2013, an unusually powerful electromagnetic field overtook my apartment. It blew out the power port in my laptop, drained all the batteries in my remotes, and shocked everyone who dared enter my studio, myself very much included. Within 24 hours, I could not physically tolerate using my computer or my mobile phone, nor could I be around Wi-Fi. Any engagement with these technologies brought an instantaneous onset of neurological symptoms. But when I’d disconnect from my electronics, and move to a space without Wi-Fi, I immediately felt better. So, like a catalyst, this incident made my body highly sensitive to EMFs.

But that wasn’t what kicked me out of my life. For one year, I lived a non-wireless lifestyle in New York City. As long as I controlled my immediate living space, with a haven for sleep, I was still able to work and play. After an environmental home inspection from a New York building biologist, I permanently unplugged my cordless phone, disabled my Wi-Fi, directly connected to Internet via wired Ethernet, stopped placing my cell phone on my body, and worked using a wired external keyboard and mouse with my laptop.

At the same time, the wireless world was burgeoning in Manhattan. Electrosensitivity is progressive if not properly addressed, so it didn’t take long for me to develop heart palpitations for the mere ten minutes I stepped inside an Apple store. Or week-long migraine headaches from sitting in a Wi-Fied Starbucks for an hour. Or dizziness from visiting my friends in their wirelessly pulsating flats.

The truth is, I didn’t understand the extent of my condition, nor the effects of wireless radiation. And that’s because medical practitioners don’t talk about it. The media doesn’t warn about it. We’re all so tech-addicted that when this first happens, you don’t even want to believe it yourself.

In January 2015, I moved to a new apartment rental in a downtown Manhattan luxury doorman building. As a self-employed, single woman, without a lineage to Rockefeller, I had to move heaven and earth to be accepted as a tenant. But after signing away my savings, they handed me keys and a welcome packet. It was like getting accepted to the Harvard of NYC real estate. I was elated. I pictured Sunday afternoons in strapless sundresses chilling on the rooftop with my best friends. I imagined an elegant housewarming party, with editors and writers sipping champagne, overlooking my coveted view of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. I envisioned days of creative collaboration with my colleagues, while art directing photo shoots for our demanding clients.

Unbeknownst to me, my elite new residence had a wireless smart home energy management system that sent frequencies along all of the electrical wiring. This was not something I could control or disable. Nor was I informed about it upon lease signing. I didn’t ask, because I didn’t know such a thing existed.

Within 24 hours of occupying the space, I had body-wide tingling, twitching, and vertigo. By the seventh night, I was in full neuro-immune-endocrine collapse. I had sharp, icy pain inside my spine, shooting up into my brain; a migraine headache; nausea and tremors; my heart skipped beats every couple of seconds; my hands and feet were numb; I couldn’t walk in a straight line. I had an itchy red rash and painful urological spasms; my skin turned yellow; I had a wired form of insomnia; and cognitive dysfunction such that I couldn’t spell my name nor remember how to unlock the front door.

If you’ve never before heard of a ‘smart meter’, this is a fair warning lesson about what this technology can do to a person. This wireless electrical metering system created a building-wide radiofrequency electromagnetic interference mess — one that nearly killed me. After only one week in that apartment, I called my mother and said, “I need to come home. I’m very sick.”

Manhattan realty management companies are notoriously not generous to those who renege on a 100-page rental contract.

They required payment of seven months’ rent to release me from the remainder of my lease. My attorney requested I send him ‘proof’ that a person could be ‘allergic’ to wireless technology. I explained, “It’s not an allergy. It’s far more serious than that.” He said it didn’t matter. I’d never win a court case because no one would admit these technologies could cause biological harm. He suggested that the best thing I could do was walk away.

So I walked away, bankrupt and homeless. Too sick to function, I relinquished my business, my clients, my social life, and my home. I stayed on my mom’s couch for a few months, until one day, without notice, her building upgraded to a smart tech system. It’s been two years since I was physically ousted from her apartment. Since then, I’ve been wandering through transitory housing situations, unsuccessfully trying to find a safe and permanent home of my own.

Electromagnetic fields are everywhere & our bodies are electrical beings.

Earth carries its own natural electromagnetic resonance that is healing. It’s why we feel better with our bare feet in the dirt, grounding ourselves in a forest, or scrunching our toes in the sand.

But we as humans were never meant to evolve nor thrive in a soup of artificial frequencies that interrupt our bio-rhythms and disrupt our mitochondrial DNA patterns. And even though we can’t see any of this with the naked eye, some of us can now feel it. And it does not feel good.

Yet this is not as invisible as we’d like to imagine. It’s really a matter of paying attention, of reading the thousands of research papers on the biological effects of radiofrequency radiation and EMFs. It’s a matter of talking to the professionals who aren’t getting air time — the engineers, environmental medicine doctors, scientists, biochemists, physicists, public policy officials, building biologists and EMF experts. It’s a matter of starting a conversation about this.

Now everywhere I go, I see signs promoting “Free Wi-Fi” — which to me simply reads “Do Not Enter.” I see telecomm trucks installing new cell antennas on back country roads, sometimes mere feet from someone’s home. I see ubiquitous ads for smart tech gadgets, from wireless baby cribs to Bluetooth tampons. I see my best friends wearing iWatches, and I see my friends’ kids sleeping next to their cell phones.

My thoughts often shift between two worlds, remembering what was, and being present in what is. Of course, I miss the exhilaration of looking up to Manhattan skyscrapers, waking up to sunrise in Central Park, and mastering the subway maze. But those irradiated sidewalks, parks, and transit systems are no longer safe for me.

I take solace in knowing my loss and displacement serve a higher purpose, that my body can be a warning signal to others….

That these new man-made frequencies and technologies do not resonate properly with the human body. We need to step back and reconsider our relationship with our electromagnetic environment. So I started sharing my story, my knowledge, my research, and my experience, in the hope that people will start listening, and start taking precaution right now.

Practicing Safe Tech

This is not about No Tech. It’s about Safe Tech.

Here are some easy ways to reduce your EMF exposure:

1. Turn It Off When Not In Use — Wireless-enabled devices are always transmitting even when you are not surfing the internet, talking, or texting. When not in use, turn off your device, or set it to Airplane mode.
2. Protect Your Kids — Whenever you hand a child a wireless device (cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc), set Airplane mode to ON, set WiFi to OFF, and set Bluetooth to OFF. This stops the radiofrequency transmissions.
3. Protect Your Body — For adults who use a mobile phone, use speaker mode or a hands-free Air-tube headset. Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body (i.e., in your pocket, in your bra). Place devices and laptops on desks, not on laps. Fine print manufacturers’ warnings instruct us to keep our phones specific distances from our bodies, otherwise we may be exposed to radiation levels that are higher than the tested level.
4. Give Yourself a Bedtime Break — Wireless radiation and other EMF sources seriously impact our sleep. Before bedtime, power off the Wi-Fi router, power off all screen devices, and unplug all electronics in the bedroom. Charge all cell phones and tech devices outside the bedroom (charger gear generates other low-frequency fields also linked to health issues).
5. Get Wired — For your internet, home phones (landline), printer, speakers, entertainment gear, and other computer accessories, connect by cord or cable, and turn all Wi-Fi features OFF.
6. Use a Corded Landline — Swap your cordless phones for corded. Most cordless phone base stations constantly emit high levels of microwave radiation whether or not any connected handset is in use.
7. Safe Travels — Taking a road trip and your children want to watch movies on your device? Before you leave, download the movies onto the device, then turn Airplane mode ON. This allows your child to watch the movie without the radiofrequency transmissions.

For more information on EMF safety, please visit the Environmental Health Trust at EHTrust.org and EMF Analysis at EMFAnalysis.com

For interesting tips and reviews on smart home tech, visit Wired Smart.

You may also enjoy reading The Power of Off: Your Best Self In a Virtual World, by Nancy Colier

The post ElectroSensitivity: When the Modern World Hurts appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious, healthful strawberry smoothie recipe with home-made pumpkin seed milk

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Walking down the street the other day, I realized how little everyone smiles.

Whether they’re out and about walking or sitting on the subway/taking public transport, most people, quite comfortably, wear blank, very serious faces or even frowns.

This is sad to see, because what the world needs now — and forevermore — is ‘love, sweet love’ and a smile goes a LONG way to spreading it around like confetti. So why don’t we all smile more? Let’s make a pact.

I’m going to make a conscious effort to wear a smile on my face rather than a frown. After all, it has been scientifically proven that smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that other, more synthetic stimulants like sugar, chocolate and fatty foods cannot match!

In other words, our brains get happier the more we smile, so if you’re not smiling already at this wondrous news… START. RIGHT. NOW.

And don’t forget to share the love, because when we smile at others, it spreads positive energy FAST! Whether the other person you’re smiling at smiles back at you or not (in most cases, a smile automatically generates another smile, but don’t get caught up in expectations), just know you’ve done your bit to brighten the day.

Let’s keep that smile going with a delicious, vitamin-filled, super simple smoothie. It houses lots of goodness to make your insides smile, plus I’ve included strawberries in the recipe because they contain malic acid that acts as an astringent to remove discoloration and whiten your teeth — all the more reason to show off your smile!

Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Smoothie

 To make this highly nutritious beverage, you will need to make your own pumpkin seed milk first — how fantastic is that!? Not only will you end up with one of the most delicious smoothies at the end, but you will also experience just how easy it is to make your own seed milk, YUM!

 Pumpkin Seed Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (‘pepitas’), soaked overnight
• 2-4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
• OPTIONAL: 1 tablespoon organic date syrup (I use Date Lady)
• Piece of muslin, cheesecloth or 1 x nut milk bag (to strain)

Directions:

1. Soak pumpkin seeds in water overnight. Strain and rinse in the morning.
2. Place seeds in a high speed blender with 2-4 cups water (2 cups = thicker consistency, 4 cups = thinner) with cinnamon and optional date syrup.
3. Blend on high until everything combines well.
4. Strain contents through fabric or nut milk bad (squeeze out as much liquid as you can).
5. Pour milk into an air tight, lidded glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 days – shake well before serving.

Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Smoothie

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin seed milk
• 1 lb/450g ripe organic strawberries. You can also use frozen — defrosted or not. In the image above, I used frozen strawberries to achieve a thicker smoothie consistency.

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin seed milk and strawberries in a high speed blender. Blend on high until everything is combined well.
2. Serve warmed in winter (by heating in a small saucepan) or chilled glasses in summer (by placing serving glass in the freezer 30 minutes or longer to chill).
3. Smile. Keep smiling.

You may enjoy other Truly Healthy Banana Bread by Danielle Shrine

The post Recipe: Smile-inducing Strawberry Smoothie with Pumpkin Seed Milk appeared first on BEST SELF.

Chris Forte’s 7 Spiritual Fitness Steps

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What do you lean on when you-know-what hits the life fan?

Chris Forte, spiritual teacher, dad, yogi and author of The Humble Warrior, had to lean hard on his spiritual practice when his life started coming apart at the seams a few years ago with the end of his 17 year marriage and losing his 3^rd business in 8 years. Not new to adversity or the messiness of this human experience — he has in fact shared some of that journey previously in Best Self Magazine. But lucky are we that he has stayed the course through it all — because like a phoenix rising from the ashes, along with it has come purpose, perspective, passion and a deep desire to serve others.

We decided to do something a little different in this issue. Instead of a workout video focusing solely on the physical self, Chris has created a video to describe the foundation of his transformation: 7 Spiritual Fitness Steps. Spiritual fitness permeates all aspects of your being and connects all dots — the ultimate workout body, mind and soul.

~ Kristen Noel

Your life is a journey. Your pain and suffering are not a random coincidence; they will lead you to your higher purpose. Listen to your heart, because the resources for you to fulfill your purpose are inside of you. Yes, your treasure lies within you…and God is always with you.

Chris Forte

You may also enjoy Yoga: Beyond Movement by Aditi Shah

The post 7 Steps of Spiritual Fitness appeared first on BEST SELF.

Nurture your gut health with this sensational, probiotic sauerkraut recipe

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“Go with your gut”

You’re bound to give, or be given this sage advice at least once in your life and rightly so, because it truly is one of the best pieces of advice you could ever give or receive.

Why?

Because your glorious gut is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms, 39 trillion of those being bacterial cells! This, in comparison to the 30 trillion human cells we have in our bodies, indicates we’re more bacteria than human. Pretty cool (and a little sci-fi) don’t you agree?!

So how do you ‘go with your gut’ in the more literal sense to ensure your body and your gut is surviving and thriving? Simple!

Crowd out junky, highly processed fake foods with delicious, health supportive probiotic foods that are fermented for a period of time to allow for an abundance of beneficial bacteria to grow and feed your gut-garden like no other food on this earth.

Some of my favorite probiotic-rich fermented foods include:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Tempeh
• Miso
• Kimchi

But my absolute all-time-favorite gut-garden food would have to be sauerkraut, or ‘kraut’ for short. Just a little of this fermented deliciousness added to at least one of your meals every single day will fertilize your gut-garden sublimely!

At first — and especially if you have a compromised gut-garden like I did a few years ago – eating sauerkraut may cause a little gas or minor bloating, but fear not! Regular, graduated consumption (begin with a teaspoon!) will help support your gut to become stronger, healthier, and ultimately happier because it will have you pooping perfectly, which is bound to put a smile on your dial.

Now, before you tell me you can’t afford to factor in a little Sauerkraut each day, because this super stuff isn’t cheap, take a look below… because you’ll see I’ve shared an amazingly easy-to-make, super-affordable sauerkraut recipe with you — the same one I created years ago for myself to compliment the healing diet I embarked on when my health hit rock bottom.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your ingredients from your closest market and get krauting, my friend!

Until next time: stay healthy and you’re bound to stay happy!

Recipe: Sensational Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage — I used wombok Asian cabbage, but you can use any type. Organic is best
• 1 tablespoon sea salt — not table salt which has been stripped of all its healthy minerals. Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt is best
• 2 tablespoons dried dill
• Optional: Caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon
• Drinking water — filtered water is best

Directions:

1. Remove the first 2 outer leaves from the cabbage and set aside. Finely shred the rest of the cabbage — you can do this with a large chef’s knife, or simply place segments of cabbage in a food processor and pulse to shred.
2. In a large mixing bowl, with clean hands, massage cabbage and salt together. This step is the most important, so spend a good amount of time on it (about 15 minutes — pop on your favorite podcast and get comfortable!). You want the cabbage to become nice n’ juicy, it should begin to wilt and release liquid which will pool at the bottom of your bowl — this is fantastic!
3. Add dill (and/or caraway seeds) and mix to combine, then pack kraut into a large, sterilized glass jar with an air-tight lid. Pack it into the jar very tightly. Liquid should begin to pool up over the cabbage as you pack and layer it into the jar
4. Pack and layer the cabbage into the jar until you reach an inch from the top. At this point, make sure the cabbage is submersed in the salty liquid — at least 1 inch of salt water. If it isn’t, add a tiny amount of filtered water with a small pinch of salt to help submerge the cabbage. Take the reserved cabbage leaves, fold them over and pack them into the jar to help weigh down the massaged cabbage mixture. Pack the dry cabbage leaves down as much as possible so they are also submerged in water and seal the jar with the lid.
5. Leave at room temperature for at least 1 week in a cool, dark place — your pantry or a cupboard is great. Because this is a living, fermenting food, it’s likely it will release some salty water during the week, so be sure place it on absorbent towel or in a bowl to save any mess. After 1 week, unscrew the lid a little and allow the air to escape — we call this ‘burping’ your kraut, you will see bubbles rise to the top and water may release as you undo this lid. Once you’ve done this, pack cabbage down again with a clean hand and seal with the lid to continue fermenting.
6. After 2 weeks, taste your kraut! You want to taste the cabbage underneath the very top layers. It should taste sour and slightly salty with a tangy flavor. It will also have a strong aroma; this is totally normal. At this point, you can transfer it to your fridge and start enjoying it daily, but I urge you to leave it for at least another 2-3 weeks before enjoying because the longer you leave it, the more beneficial bacteria you will cultivate. Once you’re ready to eat it, transfer and store it in your fridge. Always use a clean fork each time you serve it up which will help keep the bacteria intact and safe for you and your glorious gut-garden.

You may also enjoy the article and recipes Journey To Happy and 5 Vegetarian Picnic Recipes, by Danielle Shine

The post Go With Your Gut: Sensational Sauerkraut Recipe appeared first on BEST SELF.

Carlos Leon leads a high-energy functional training class you can do anywhere, with no weights required, combining strength training, cardiovascular conditioning and flexibility. This video combines two 10-minute segments, but you can do as few or as many as you like.

Fitness and Spirituality With Carlos Leon

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Carlos Leon, the founder of the ‘Belleon Method’ and a new facility Belleon Gym NYC, is the real deal — walking the walk and talking the talk. His philosophy isn’t about trends, celebrity, flash or the workout du jour. It is about lifestyle. Since 16 years old, when he first witnessed family members dying off from things like diabetes and heart disease — he was determined to reroute that train and take a different path. One glance at his body and you will concur that he has succeeded in doing just that. And you will want what he’s having!

As a young man on a quest to figure this all out, at a time when there were only 2 vegetarian restaurants to choose from — he began connecting his own dots: body, mind and spirit.

A vegetarian for 25 years, he has dedicated his life to clean living. Now, at 50 years old, and the father to a 21-year old and a 2-year old, he sees no doctors, takes no medications, works out every day and knows that food is medicine. He has made the conscious choice to live vibrantly. And though he had to figure this all out on his own as a young man he now forges this path for his children.

Laughing, he tells us how his kids know that there is no junk at Daddy’s house: no sugar, no Doritos in sight — no fake food.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about him is his groundedness and generosity of spirit. After only spending a few minutes in his presence, it was clear that 1.) The guy knows his stuff and 2.) He’s tremendously passionate about what he preaches (and teaches) — and is excited to share the love. He knows that his body is his temple, that connecting to our bodies is the most sacred act of self-love.

His new space exudes community, connection and access to his lifetime fitness wisdom. There are no airs, pretention or fashion requirements. The only requirement he has: Your willingness to show up for yourself. He is not a believer in there being only ‘one way’, but rather a more integrated approach, one of functional fitness. His ½ hour high intensity routines (which you can sample here) are about tapping into mobility, agility, conditioning, strength training, fat burning, coordination and muscle building. Hello? Who couldn’t use a healthy dose of that?

From now on, I’m just going to refer to Carlos as the ‘Body Whisperer’.

If you don’t take care of this vessel — where are you going to live?

Carlos Leon

Enjoy this conversation about fitness and spirituality with Carlos Leon and Kristen Noel:

To learn more about the Belleon Method or to work with Carlos, click on over to Belleon.

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Functional Fitness Training With Carlos Leon | Belleon Gym NYC appeared first on BEST SELF.

Meet the Bendable Body Team and discover True Flexibility Training in the video above. Scroll down to see a video created for you to self-stretch at home or anywhere.

How bendable is your body? True Flexibility Training magically restores the mind, body and soul

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The first time Sita Hagenburg heard about flexibility training was in a seminar at a yoga center in Santa Barbara, Ca. At the time, she was a monastic at the Vedanta Temple and one of the other nuns was suffering debilitating physical problems due to multiple sclerosis.

“Everything that was said about the body, how it worked, and how it could be corrected resonated with me and I knew we could be much more proactive about her treatment,” she recalls at the Bendable Body studio in New York City. After just a few sessions in this revolutionary field and witnessing some major results, Hagenburg left Santa Barbara to pursue flexibility training – founding Bendable Body with her two partners John Kelly and Chris Renfrow.

“True Flexibility Training is unequivocally transformational,” she says. “I see it everyday. After our Flexibility Experts have finished stretching a leg or an arm on a brand new client, they are usually shocked. But the shock quickly dissipates to an unexpected joy at how good their body feels. We hear things like, ‘my shoulders are so relaxed’… ‘I feel like I am floating’… ‘The pain is gone’… “I could go for a run right now”… and for all of the yogis out there, ‘I can get deeper into my pose.’”

She goes on to explain why the body can transform.

True Flexibility Training redefines flexibility because it focuses on the fascia rather than just on the muscles and joints.

The stretch happens during a movement, rather than in a static pose. It doesn’t feel like any other form of stretching or exercise — it’s a unique experience that targets fascia – a tissue very few people know about or focus on.

“The first time I learned about fascia, I was not only intrigued, but the concept just made sense. Once you get what it is you can see how it is impacting our health on many levels,” recalls Hagenburg. “It was one of those moments where I felt like a missing puzzle piece was filled in.”

Fascia is the web-like tissue that connects all other tissue in the body — the bones, the ligaments, organs, tendons, skin, fat — everything. In its healthiest form we move freely and without pain and sickness. Over time, everyone’s fascia becomes matted and stiff. This often happens as a result of injuries, trauma, or simply because of our modern lifestyle.

We sit too long, we don’t use our body’s full range of motion, we make too many repetitive movements, etc. Our fascia responds to this by becoming stiff and unbendable.

Since fascia connects all other parts of the body and surrounds the muscles, when it becomes stiff, your muscles become weak and inflexible. It’s like you are wearing a fascia straight jacket!

Christiane Northrup, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, Goddesses Never Age, and Making Life Easy is a devout client with Bendable Body and sees a remarkable change in her own body.

“As a result of removing the dense fascia from my body, my sleep has vastly improved as well as my digestion and general overall comfort with moving my body. In fact, right hip limitation and pain that I’ve had for 30 years is now a thing of the past. I am amazed at how effective and fast this work truly is,” remarks Northrup.

Hagenburg also loves the fact that True Flexibility Training is a total body-mind-energy healing system — something she studied for 14 years as a monastic in Santa Barbara. “In the same way that acupuncture stimulates the flow of Qi through the body and increases your physiological health, so does stretching the fascia along those meridian lines,” she explains. “For example, when you stretch the anterior lateral thigh, generally referred to as the lateral quadriceps (which the stomach meridian traverses), it can improve the health of your stomach functions and also associated ailments like allergies.”

“The change that has happened in my body that I have wanted for so long, has encouraged the concept within me that there is change available in all areas of my life,” says Mary Regency Boies

To learn more about Bendable Body Private Sessions, Workshops, and Classes visit bendablebody.com. Subscribe to their email list and get “Your Weekly Bend” delivered to your inbox every week. These short and simple stretch videos are a free and easy way for you to start experiencing True Flexibility training right now.

Redefining Flexibility

True Flexibility Training focuses on the limiting factor — the fascia. We start with a muscle in its shortest position, contract it (or resist) to engage the surrounding fascia, and then lengthen it to get a deep stretch. We also make the opposite movement to immediately access and build new strength in the muscle. As you improve the flexibility of your fascia, you free muscles that were perpetually bound. Your body releases tension and relaxes, you develop new levels of strength, your alignment improves, you move easier, your energy levels soar and your yoga gets better.

Tom Myers, the leading world authority on fascia and author of Anatomy Trains has done the Bendable Body session with a Flexibility Expert and says, “the actively loaded eccentric resistance moves that constitute the majority of their work coordinate nerve, muscle and fascia in a very satisfying way.”

Learn the basic principles of True Flexibility Training and a short stretch routine to increase your metabolism and burn calories while you shred fascia:

[Editor’s note: The Bendable Body team trained under Bob Cooley, who is often credited for bringing forth the resistance flexibility training movement.]

You may also enjoy reading The Genius of Flexibility: Bob Cooley by Bill Miles

The post Bendable Body | True Flexibility Training For the Mind, Body and Soul appeared first on BEST SELF.

Adrenal fatigue is a metaphor for overwhelm, an epidemic that is largely treatable through awareness, diet and lifestyle choices

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Adrenal fatigue. Everyone’s talking about it. Alternative practitioners are diagnosing it. Yet the medical establishment dismisses it. The truth: While Adrenal Fatigue isn’t a recognized medical diagnosis, it is “code” for a much bigger, more widespread problem: pervasive, chronic, mental and physical overwhelm.

Metaphor for Overwhelm

So many of us are living our lives constantly teetering on the brink of imbalance, overwhelmed by trying to keep up with to-do lists and inboxes, struggling to stay afloat in a sea of competing financial and social demands. In our achievement-oriented culture, we may feel ashamed if we can’t “handle” the amounts of pressure we’re experiencing, since it seems like everyone else is handling it just fine, or so it appears on their Facebook pages. Living with the resulting chronic underlying sense of inadequacy drives anxiety and depression. At the end of the day, many of us cave into overriding cravings for sugar, alcohol, or distractions like TV or the Internet, because we’re so spent and it’s the easiest way we can think of to hit the pause button on the pressure that consumes us.

Chronic overwhelm is having an impact on our well-being. I see it daily in my medical practice. Medically, it’s a major cause of the chronic conditions rampant in our society — anxiety, depression, metabolic syndrome, obesity, autoimmune disease, and dementia, for example. Enter the adrenals.

The Heart of the Matter: Survival Overdrive Syndrome

You are brilliantly hardwired to cope with a formidable amount of stress, thanks to a powerful Survival Response System that originates in your brain. Here’s how this system works, in a nutshell:

1. We perceive a danger.
2. The amygdala, the area of your brain that catalogues self-preservation memories (memories that, evolutionarily, would have helped you, for example, to remember not to eat the plant that made you sick last time) gets triggered.
3. The amygdala activates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis by alerting the hypothalamus that there’s a problem.
4. The alarm message is relayed to the pituitary gland, which activates the adrenal glands to kick out adrenaline and cortisol.
5. A burst of adrenaline gets your heart rate up, constricts your blood vessels to boost your blood pressure, dilates your pupils and makes you hyper alert to your surrounding. You are primed to escape, subdue, and survive a mortal threat.
6. Cortisol simultaneously dumps sugar into your bloodstream for immediate fuel while insulin is secreted from your pancreas to clear the remaining sugar when the crisis is over; cortisol keeps your blood pressure elevated, so that if you bleed copiously from an injury while you fight or flee you won’t go into shock, and it mobilizes your immune system to withstand potential inflammation and infection.

The problem is that the amygdala is not highly discriminatory; it’s triggered by any signal your brain perceives or has ever cataloged as a threat to your survival. It’s also triggered by internal signals that result from chronic inflammation, which can be due to your diet, lack of sleep, and environmental toxins, to name a few factors. Most Americans are living with their Survival Response stuck in the on-position because we are so frequently triggered by stress, fear, and inflammation. What happens as a result is what I call Survival Overdrive Syndrome (SOS).

SOS: Too Much of a Good Thing

When you get stuck in survival overdrive, the cascade of events intended to protect you backfires. This phenomenon is called allostatic load. It’s a case of too much of a good thing and here’s what happens:

• The heightened awareness that is meant to protect you in a crisis, when prolonged, results in hypervigilance, anxiety and insomnia
• The effects of chronic cortisol on your brain’s executive function region derails willpower, focus, and memory
• Chronically increased blood sugar and insulin requirements can lead to insulin resistance (and even diabetes)
• Persistently elevated blood pressure becomes hypertension
• Cortisol causes us to crave excess sugar and carbs; in a twist of fate intended to protect us from famine and starvation, we store this excess energy in the form of fat for later use – predominantly as cholesterol and belly fat, a toxic form of fat that produces harmful inflammatory chemicals.
• Increased activation of our immune system ultimately leads to immune system dysregulation. We get sick more often (or never get sick until we crash on our first day of vacation) and increase our risk of autoimmune disease and “inflammaging” (signs of poor aging)
• Because survival mode keeps us on the lookout for danger, we become hyperaware of problems. You might find yourself irritable and overly sensitive, with a negative outlook on life, believing that nothing ever goes right for you, that you are bound for failure, or perhaps feeling overly judgmental of others. It’s not that you’re a negative person, it’s that you’re default mode is to find what’s wrong with the world – it’s called a negativity bias – and it’s part of survival mode.

Adrenal Fatigue – What We Really Mean

Adrenal fatigue expresses the emotional, physical, and mental consequences of burnout. Eventually, your brain blunts HPA signaling, dialing back adrenaline and cortisol production to protect you from the wear and tear of their impact. But adrenaline helps us to feel motivated, excited, focused; the drop leads to the opposite of these feelings and can cause depression. Cortisol keeps inflammation in check, amongst other important functions, and when our natural balance is off, we are at increased risk of immune system problems. Healthy cortisol rhythm is also responsible for morning energy and evening melatonin levels; dysregulation makes it harder to wake up refreshed in the morning and harder to get to sleep at night.

The medical response? A statin for cholesterol, a beta-blocker for blood pressure, metformin for blood sugar, and an antidepressant, antianxiety, or sleep medication for everything else. It you’re like so many Americans, you’ve already been prescribed several of these. So we all need to know about SOS because the solution is far more healthy and sustainable than what’s being handed out on prescription pads.

10 Signs that You’re in SOS

1. You’re having trouble falling asleep even when you’re tired (“tired and wired”) and even when you do sleep, you’re not rested when you wake.
2. You get irritable or angry really quickly or more often than you want to.
3. You’re craving sugar/carbs, fat, salt – or all of the above!
4. You get tired around 3-4 most afternoons, and that’s when you really want something sweet or some extra caffeine.
5. You’ve been gaining weight, perhaps noticing a spare tire growing around your middle.
6. You feel anxious or blue.
7. You’re getting sick more often than you used to.
8. Your hormones are all over the place, you’re having fertility problems, and perhaps your libido is nowhere to be found.
9. You’re memory and focus are not what you think they should be.
10. Your digestive system is a mess.

 Reclaim Your Life

To keep you out of SOS, your brain needs to receive safety, not danger messages, from your mind, body, and environment. The practices below are easy shifts you can make to reset your nervous system from alarm to calm. You don’t have to do them all; make sure you’re getting enough sleep, and pick one or two other practices to bring into your daily life.

Honor Natural Rhythms

Our schedules lay waste to the normal circadian rhythms that regulate cortisol. Especially important is a regular sleep cycle, with 7-8 hours of nightly, good quality rest. One of the biggest factors impacting most American’s sleep is the use of electronic devices close to bedtime. A “digital detox” (no electronics) in the hour before bed, can reset your natural cortisol and melatonin cycles. It’s a great place to start resetting your rhythm.

Clarify Your Priorities

Getting your priorities straight can help you to get out of the chronic self-perpetuated overwhelm that comes with taking on too much. Ask yourself with ruthless honesty:

• What’s most important to me in my life right now?
• What can I let go of that I really don’t have to do, don’t want to do, and that’s stressing me out?
• What do I really want to take on right now?
• What can I realistically get done without undue pressure?

When you’re clear on your priorities, say “No” to everything else. If you’re not good at saying this, say, “I’d like to think about that. I’ll get back to you in a week.” Don’t worry about missing out in favor of more balance.

Embrace Stopping as a Spiritual Practice

When you’ve hit the wall of overwhelm, stop everything. Unplug completely for 10 minutes to an hour. Take some time to be a human being — not a human doing. It takes downtime to get out of SOS.

Practice Presence

When you’re in the present you aren’t regretting the past or worrying about the future. Here are simple practices to get you present-minded:

• Sit quietly, and for 1 minute, notice all the sounds around you.
• When you shower, focus only on the sound and feel of the water on your body.
• Savor the aroma and taste of your food for 1 minute of your next meal.

If your attention wanders, bring it back. It’s that easy.

Create a Daily Ritual

It can be a cup of tea sipped in quiet place, a regular walk alone or with a friend, a five-minute meditation, or a bath night. Rhythm and peace reset your HPA Axis.

Nature Rx

Science proves what our ancestors knew — nature heals. Get outside for 30 minutes a couple times a week; the caveat is that you unplug at the same time.

Root Out Inflammation

If you also have physical health symptoms, getting to the root causes of chronic inflammation is an important part of getting out of SOS and preventing/reversing longer term health consequences. The most common root causes are food intolerances, processed foods, poor quality fats, a high sugar diet, environmental toxin exposure and overburdened endogenous detoxification systems, gut disturbances including leaky gut and microbiome disruption, certain medications, including commonly used ones like ibuprofen and Tylenol, and even hidden infections. In my book, The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution, I walk readers through a comprehensive self-assessment to root you’re your root causes and reverse SOS.

Connect More

Stanford researcher Shelly Taylor has identified what she calls the “tend and befriend” stress response. Along with adrenaline and cortisol, the body also produces a small amount of oxytocin during the stress response, which is an “antidote” to fear and anxiety. When we connect with others, whether to give or receive love and support, we increase the amount of oxytocin we produce, which not only helps us feel safe and supported, but also increases our confidence and courage. Make time to connect.

Restore Yourself After Work

Studies have shown relaxing and rebooting mentally and emotionally after a hard workday leads to healthier cortisol levels and better sleep. Make it a weekday end-of-work habit to decompress for 15 minutes with a favorite activity when you get home from work. My personal favorite is a solo dance party!

Welcome Pleasure

Pleasure is the biggest indicator to your Survival System that everything is right in your world. Laughing, dancing, exercise, sex, savoring good food, playing, getting outdoors have all been shown to reset cortisol rhythms, reduce inflammation, and bring you out of SOS and back to balance. Make pleasure an everyday practice rather than an afterthought.

Overcoming what so many are calling adrenal fatigue is a radical act of rebellion – it requires us to step outside the “status quo” that demands we sacrifice our lives at the alter of high pressure living, the never ending quest for more achievement and acquisition, and instead, look within to creating sustainable energy. Sustainability has to come not just in how we care for our world, but how we care for ourselves in our world.

In any moment, no matter how lost we feel…we need only pause, breathe, and open to the experience of aliveness within us.

Tara Brach

You may also enjoy Interview: Aviva Romm, MD | The New Health Paradigm, by Kristen Noel

The post Adrenal Fatigue: Diagnosing the Burnout Epidemic appeared first on BEST SELF.

Life struggles and resolutions give birth to a book for healthy living, combining recipes, mantras and meditations

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I’m sure by this time in the New Year you have read countless ‘self-improvement’ book reviews and blurbs searching for the next juicy way to shift out of your current realm of living. Given all these possibilities, I wanted to lift up the curtain and instead of just telling you about my recent book, I wanted to share my journey to its inception.

It all started over a year ago at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Stratton, Vermont. Although I went to the festival on a work assignment, I was overflowing with joy to be there because I was at a crossroads. When I first began my career, I wasn’t intending for it to be a career. I had begun a plant-based, healthy recipes blog back in college when I was diagnosed with a laundry list of food allergies that left me eating vegan and gluten-free. Despite the initial ‘bliss coma’ that emerged with almost immediate and welcomed relief from the intense pain I had been feeling for months — I grew increasingly more frustrated with my new dietary ‘restrictions’.

Luckily, a little birdie must have whispered in my ear one night and I was able to flip the script and see this as a fun challenge to learn to cook and bake (my favorite!) with a whole new palette of ingredients. I got busy. The blog went up in bare bones form (primarily for my sorority sister’s benefit). And there my creative passion project quietly lived for over six years. That is until I hit my knees in 2013 — and everything changed.

In the span of a week, I left my long-term boyfriend and received the news that my little brother had been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called primary schlerosing chlorangitis (PSC) and severe ulcerative colitis, a complication commonly associated with PSC. As I lay in a puddle of tears on the floor, sobbing for what felt like days, it felt like everything had fallen apart.

After desperately pleading with God, I heard the guidance to begin meditating — and that’s when a whole new chapter of my life began.

I didn’t know what I was doing, but I had YouTube and Google, great books from Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer, Buddhist meditation classes in Brooklyn, and a kundalini yoga studio I had just found. I meditated, read, practiced, and figured my way right out of it — like my life depended upon it, because in that moment, it truly felt like it did.

When I simply stopped resisting and started opening up, I began to effortlessly lean into my blog, my baking, and all the things in my life that truly lit me up. These were the very things that became my lifelines.

The blog blossomed because it was my sunshine in the rain. Without any business strategy or master plan, my readers grew, my social media started blowing up, and I even got a phone call from a network called ABC that thought I was a good fit for a cooking show with the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Marcus Samuelson and Ludo Lefebvre.

Seemingly overnight, I became a plant-based cook and healthy living ‘personality’. I felt like I was floating on cloud nine. I couldn’t have been more aligned with everything I was doing; I had never experienced anything like this before.

Fast forward a year or so. My spiritual practice had evolved exponentially and I began to share it on my blog and social media. I felt like I was ‘coming out of the closet’. I could no longer hide this tremendously important part of my life from my amazing community who trusted me.

To my surprise, it went over swimmingly! My people loved it! They wanted to know all the meditations I did, why I follow the moon cycles, hear about crystals, angels, past lives — it was amazing. I shifted away from food and leaned into my spiritual side for a while.

But a few weeks before that afternoon in Stratton, I began to feel torn between two worlds. The bottom line: I missed my cooking.

I still believed so many people needed help making peace with their bodies and learning how to properly nourish them. My whole journey expanded when I cleared up my relationship with my body. On the other side, there was no denying my spiritual calling. I loved mentoring women one-on-one and helping them evolve along their path by exploring the depths of their consciousness.

So I set an intention for the Vermont weekend: I wanted crystal clear guidance on which path I was to move forward with, or at least a definitive idea of how they could intertwine seamlessly. Well, my higher self wasted no time!

In my first kundalini class we did a meditation and I immediately flashed back to a past life where I was muddling some blackberries and basil in a small dirt hut. Outside the door, there was a line of people waiting to come to me to get their prescription. I would hand each of them a plant-based ‘elixir’ and then give them two assignments. It always varied depending on their purpose for seeing for me, but one was usually a self-care related activity like going to bathe in the river by moonlight every night or lay out in the morning sunshine, and the other one was a mantra to meditate with.

I awoke out of the meditation and my whole body was buzzing.

It wasn’t about JUST the food or JUST the meditation; it was this magical combination that truly leads to alignment and healing.

My book, Eat With Intention: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up, was born.

It would be a manual of how to start a conversation with your earth suit, make peace with it, and truly tap into it as your navigational system here on earth. It would also include a powerful trifecta: a mantra, a meditation and a recipe specifically curated for an individual intention.

Because the Universe truly conspires to put the pieces together for you as soon as you are ready, the next day I got an email from a wonderful publisher asking me if I wanted to write a cookbook. I told them I wasn’t up for writing a cookbook, per se, but I was ready to write Eat With Intention and I pitched them my entire download. They loved it and now my beautiful creative baby has been birthed and stands on shelves all over the world, providing healing magic for thousands of women.

From the book, I’ve provided three sample recipe-mantra-meditation pages for you to play with — click the links below:

Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes

Lavender Tea Cookies

Cauliflower Apple Rosemary Soup 

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up appeared first on BEST SELF.

Healthy, gluten-free pumpkin quinoa pancakes

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Life can drag you in a million different directions each day, but you can stop the treadmill of insanity whenever you take a moment, connect to your breath, and choose to do what you love — what your soul wants and what ultimately is for your highest good. Our life expands when we start choosing to do things we love with the time and energy we have.

Meditation

Kundalini Yoga Meditation for the positive mind

Sit in easy pose. Curl your ring finger and little finger into each palm with your thumbs holding them down, with your two standing fingers held together instead of spread apart as in a peace sign. Bring in your arms so that your elbows are by your sides and your hands are by your shoulders with the two standing fingers of each hand pointing straight up. Your forearms and hands should tilt forward slightly to an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical. Press your shoulders and elbows back firmly but comfortably and keep your palms facing forward. Close your eyes and focus them on your third-eye point (the space between your eye­brows). Take slow deep breaths and mentally chant “sa ta na ma” from the third-eye point outward. This is a common Kundalini mantra that describes the cycle of life: “sa” means infinity, “ta” is life, “na” is death, and “ma” is rebirth. Start by practicing for 11 minutes, gradually building up to 31 minutes. Take a deep breath in to close, hold it, and then exhale and relax.

Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (120ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
• 1 cup (112g) quinoa flour
• ½ cup (123g) pumpkin purée
• 2 tablespoons (3 ml) pumpkin pie spice (for homemade pumpkin pie spice, mix ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
• Coconut oil cooking spray, for greasing

Filling (optional)

• 8-ounce (237g) container vegan cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) date syrup
• Sprinkle of ground nutmeg and cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small cup, combine the almond milk and cream of tartar and set aside.
2. To make flax ‘egg’, mix together the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes, until thickened.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the quinoa flour, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the flax ‘egg’.
4. Spray a medium frying pan or griddle pan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the almond milk mixture to the mixing bowl and thoroughly mix. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bubbles start to form and the edges begin to crisp. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, and then transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
5. To make the filling, if using, combine all the filling ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. To serve, I love making silver dollar pancakes and stacking them with layers of the filling in between.

Mantra

“I choose to do things I love.”

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

The post Recipe: Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes appeared first on BEST SELF.

A healthy vegan soup with a rich and distinctive flavor

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Patience is a virtue that I wasn’t born with. A few years ago, I was listening to a Marianne Williamson lecture (Marianne Williamson is a best-selling spiritual author and lecturer), and she talked about leaving our lives up to the same force that turns the acorn into an oak tree. It finally hit me how powerful patience is. Whenever I feel my patience running low, I think about the acorn and remind myself that my patience allows the space for the magic to happen — I can trust that if I’ve planted the seed, nature will make the flower blossom.

Meditation

Kundalini Yoga Meditation for the Negative Mind

Sit in easy pose. Make a cup with your hands, your right hand cupped in your left hand, with both palms facing up. Close your eyes so that they are only slightly open, and look down toward your cupped hands. Place this open cup at the level of your heart center and allow your elbows to relax at your sides. Inhale deeply, taking a long, steady breath through the nose. Exhale in a focused stream through rounded lips, as if you were blowing a feather out of your hands. You will feel the breath go over your hands. Let any thought or desire that is negative or persistently distracting come into your mind as you breathe. Breathe the thought and feeling in, then exhale it out with the breath. Continue for 11 minutes, gradually building to 31 minutes. Close by inhaling completely and holding the breath out as you lock in your navel point. Concentrate on each vertebra of the spine until you can feel it all the way to the base, as if it is as stiff as a rod. Inhale powerfully, exhale com­pletely, and repeat the concentration. Repeat this final breath 3 to 5 times, then relax completely.

Apple Rosemary & Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• Olive oil cooking spray, for greasing
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 apples, thinly sliced (I prefer Pink Lady apples)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 cups (720g) unsweetened almond milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons (45g) Dijon mustard
• 4 rosemary sprigs, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7). Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Add the cauliflower, sprinkle over the garlic and onion powders, and generously season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to brown.
2. In the meantime, grease another baking sheet with cooking spray and scatter across the apples. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the apples begin to brown.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
4. Transfer the roasted cauliflower and apples (setting aside a few apple slices to garnish) to a food processor or high-speed blender, and then add the onions and garlic, 1 cup (240 ml) almond milk, and Dijon mustard. Pulse until puréed, gradually adding more almond milk to achieve your desired consistency.
5. Transfer the mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 rosemary sprigs, and simmer for 10 minutes until warm and infused with rosemary. Remove the rosemary.
6. To serve, finely chop the remaining rosemary leaves. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, and then garnish with sliced apples and chopped rosemary.

Mantra

“My patience is precious.”

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

The post Recipe: Apple Rosemary Cauliflower Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

Vegan and gluten free tea cookies with the rich, yet delicate flavor of lavender

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I have learned that the power of sitting in my feminine energy is all about “being” rather than doing. Our natural power comes from magnetizing and attracting things toward us instead of going out and getting them. When you’re ready to call something into your life, being in the space to relax and receive it is powerful. I loved the idea of a lavender tea cookie that was delicate, sweet, and calming. It’s magical in its own uniqueness just like us when we truly step back and allow ourselves to receive.

MEDITATION WITH MANTRA

Kundalini Adi Shakti Mantra

For a recording of this mantra, you can purchase a track or listen via a music streaming service by searching for “Adi Shakti.” I recommend Snatam Kaur’s version.

In kundalini yoga we use this mantra to connect with the divine feminine. If you are new to chanting mantra, you can start by simply playing a recording while you sit in easy pose, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. If you want to chant along with the recording, even better. It is powerful to hear your own voice say the mantra so chant loudly with it.

Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo Namo

Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo Namo

Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Namo Namo

Kundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo

RECIPE: LAVENDER TEA COOKIES

Yield: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (224 g) soy-free vegan butter, softened
• 1¼ cups (193 g) date sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) nondairy milk (such as soy milk or almond milk)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh lavendar
  (or 8 to 10 drops lavender essential oil)
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 -3/1 cups (261 g) quinoa flour
• ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Lavender-colored sugar, optional

Ingredients:

1. In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the nondairy milk, lavender, and vanilla extract and mix well. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges. Roll in lavender-colored sugar, if desired.

You may also enjoy reading The Birth of a Book: Recipes and Meditations For A Life That Lights You Up by Cassandra Bodzak

The post Recipe: Lavender Tea Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

 Shifting beliefs — and diet — to thrive with a chronic health condition

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Technically you could say that I was an expert at being sick. At age 14, back pain incapacitated me. At 25, a perfect storm of health issues plagued me after a trip abroad — thyroid disorder, celiac disease that was undiagnosed for many years, parasite infections, Lyme disease, and a severe gastric motility disorder of the colon.

My long and winding journey through the modern medical landscape taught me so much about health, happiness and strength; it brought me to a place where I can now help others like me, who are having a tough time dealing with chronic illness.

This calling is especially close to my heart, because I know how lonely, frustrating, and isolating it can be to feel sick all the time. What I didn’t realize then is that I wasn’t alone.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 2 people in the US have at least one chronic health condition.

This could be anything from celiac disease to rheumatoid arthritis, from MS to thyroid disorders, from Crohn’s disease to lupus. This means that 133 million people in our country are struggling with at least one chronic condition. Pretty astounding, right?

In an effort to get well, I embarked on an intense journey through doctors’ offices, medical clinics, IV labs, fancy specialists’ offices and assorted spiritual communities. It was a huge wake up call. Did every doctor, healer, specialist and guru have my best interests in mind? Some did — some didn’t, but they all handed me big bills before I left.

I hit rock bottom the day a prominent specialist informed me that, at 27 years of age, my colon wasn’t working and they weren’t sure why, but it would have to be removed because my digestion would never be normal again. His words blurred as I crumpled to the floor in despair, and tremendous sadness.

I thought, “Why is this happening?! This isn’t part of my life plan!”

I had had it. I took a big long break from all of it. Up until that point, I had always relied on other people to figure out the plan for my health. After my big long strike, I realized that it was up to me — to be my own health advocate and take matters into my own hands. I had to grow up, face the facts, and adjust my life so that my highest priority was my own well-being.

Instead of focusing on what was wrong, I got back to basics and focused on what felt right. I paid special attention to how I ate, how I slept, how I paced my life.

I completely removed inflammatory foods from my diet, and incorporated dark leafy greens and a high alkaline diet.

I realized that just because the latest health trend or exclusive specialist worked for some, it didn’t necessarily work for me. I learned how crucial it was to focus on my needs first and surround myself with a team of professionals best suited for me. I realized I had to start questioning even the most established ‘professionals’, putting the right team together, and finding out what my individual needs really were, and putting them first.

When we are diagnosed with something, we mentally, physically, and spiritually hear that diagnosis as a limitation, something permanent that we need to adjust to, a wound that will never heal, if you will. If we believe that limitation is our reality forever and ever, our spirit will break or be injured or bruised. That is where faith and belief come in.

I realized that I had to start relating to myself in a very different, kinder, softer way than I was used to, and deeply connecting with myself again.

The childhood pain took me on a detour away from peace and into fear. I had to start to speak to myself with a more loving voice: the person inside yourself is still there, exactly as she was before the whole mess of chronic illness started. She is whole. She is your essence. She is your spirit. All you have to do to get back in touch with her is believe that things can and will change. Believe that there is a better life for you than the one you have now. Believe that no matter what the diagnosis, there is a better, more positive reality waiting for you when you open the door for it.

When you commit to believing, everything shifts, and you make room for that being inside and for a better version of life. There is a place deep within each and every one of us that contains overwhelming love, serenity, and peace. When we are struggling in our physical body and worrying about a million things that could go wrong or that might happen or that “will be,” we are completely disconnected from our heart center, where love lies, and we are living in a place of constant fear. In other words, when we’re not living in the present — we’re stuck in an unknown and unpredictable future that is controlled and rooted in fear.

The opposite of fear is love. The more we can focus on the present, the more we can feel and receive love.

Shifting your mindset, opening your heart to receive the abundance of life, and deeply trusting yourself — creates the foundation from which to build your physical self back up again (and to maintain it). Once I did this, along with creating my medical all-star “A Team,” getting to the root cause of what was causing my symptoms, treating them wisely, and establishing daily personal self-care rituals, my relationship to my healthy self unfolded in a new and fortified way.

I used to live in fear that I would always be the ‘sick chick’. Now I listen to my inner guide, make everyday a chance to move for fitness and emotional well-being, eat right for nourishment and pleasure, and connect with people who feed my spirit. You can prioritize your health, educate yourself on your body’s needs, tap into the power of self-care and live life full speed ahead. You can make the choice at any moment that you are on mission to rise up above your chronic condition to become a healthier, happier, YOU.

By finding a more mindful way to view your chronic condition, you can begin to understand the concept that healing is a process and not a destination.

You can embrace the idea that your physical body is only a part of you — it doesn’t define you. You are embarking on a journey to do whatever you can possibly do to heal your body while consciously removing the thought patterns that hinder your healing. We have to have the conviction to lead our lives from a different space — a space of yes, where our reality, no matter what our diagnosis, is better tomorrow than it is today. Believe in the possible.

Watch the trailer for Amy’s new book:

You may also enjoy reading Interview: Marianne Williamson | A Return To Love And Consciousness with Kristen Noel

The post Believe In the Possible: Thriving With a Chronic Health Condition appeared first on BEST SELF.

2-Minute exercises that will uplift your spirits and your body, and you can them anywhere (seriously, anywhere!)

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Do you have roadblocks that can get in your way of exercising your body? After the birth of my second child I was diagnosed with post-natal depression. I lost what felt like my sanity and my ability to cope. I had suicidal thoughts, my self-esteem was at it’s lowest, I hated myself and I loathed my body. I had stopped making my physical body a priority and as a result my mind and soul were in a terrible way.

When I finally got the courage to go to my doctor it was her words that woke me up to the fact that I had to take action.

“You know how when you get on the plane and they tell you to put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others? That’s what you have to do.”

After that visit I came home and, knowing I only had a few minutes until my children returned, sat on the edge of my bed to think. It hit me that I had to start doing something that would move me in the direction towards being my best self. There was too much at stake not to. But what was my ‘oxygen mask’? Then, like letters being written up in the sky, through my tears I saw what I needed to do.

MOVE! I had to insert exercise back in to my life.

Straight away my head was bombarded with excuses:

I’m too overwhelmed

I’m too tired

I don’t know how to start

I won’t be able to stick to it

I’m ashamed of my body

I don’t have time

I’ve got too much to do

MOVE, I told myself again.

So the next morning after I made myself the promise to move for two minutes, I put a television show on for my kids, went and stood at my kitchen bench and, despite being the last thing I felt like doing, I began doing some of the moves I used to do on my ballet barre; raising my leg up behind me along with bending and straightening my knee like a ‘plie’. I felt this tiny bubbling of an emotion that I hadn’t felt for what seemed like so long that it took me a while to recognise what it was. It was Hope. I did 10 push-ups at the bench and the feeling of strength through my body very faintly sparked an inner strength that I thought was lost. It was only two minutes until my daughters called out that they needed something but that was all I needed.

There was born my ‘2-Minute Moves’; my do-able small step that my excuses couldn’t get in the way of.

I didn’t need to leave the house, be away from my kids or have any equipment. I didn’t need to talk myself in to doing something that seemed too big and too hard. I only needed the space of a yoga mat and best of all, I could fit it into my day.

From the small steps I was taking, I was getting physically stronger in my body, making me feel stronger in life. I felt like I had the strength to cope with things so much better. I was standing up straighter, which made me feel more confident. To be able to see muscles appearing on my body was the sign to me that I was taking care of myself and so my feeling of self-worth was coming back. I was more fit so I had more energy to go after what I wanted to happen in my life. Each time I moved my body I felt the fog clearing in my brain. I was able to gain perspective and work through my thoughts.

As a self-described ‘all or nothing’ person, it was a challenge at first to embrace this idea that something was better than nothing.

But doing nothing had led me to a rock bottom place I didn’t want to visit again, so I began living the philosophy of letting go of my exercise ‘rules’ and grabbing moments to get moving in my kitchen, around my house and while out-and-about. This change of mindset saw a return of my sanity, confidence and vitality — and exercise became a non-negotiable part of my life. Now whether things are going great or the shit has hit the fan, I know a small step that will help me live my life the way I want to.

Like others, I battle with excuses every day. I still sometimes feel guilty taking time out for me, think I can’t possibly fit it in, get down on my body image and feel like I just can’t be bothered. But when I know the ripple effect of exercise for me means I want to dance around the living room with my kids, do handstands on the beach, prepare nourishing meals for myself, be intimate with my partner, say no when something doesn’t feel right and talk to myself in a way I would talk to my best friend — then I do whatever I can to make it part of my life. Even for just 2 minutes.

You may also enjoy The Power of Movement, and the 5 Minute Workout Erin Stutland

The post MOVE! 2-Minute Exercises You Can Do Anywhere appeared first on BEST SELF.

A super simple recipe for healthy, delicious coconut treats

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Another Best Self issue, another delicious food recipe I get to share with you — how exciting indeed! Although this latest recipe is called ‘White Christmas’, I urge you to enjoy this wonderful sweet treat all year ‘round!

Filled with nourishing, real food ingredients, it’s one of many recipes I create and call ‘high-vibe food’, meaning: food filled with healthy fats, natural fructose and antioxidant-rich ingredients that naturally and safely raise your energy and spirits.

Over the years, I’ve learned that real food wins every time when it comes to supercharging energy in a safe, health-supportive way.

Consuming products like energy bars and drinks, as well as coffee and caffeine-infused foods in pursuit of adding extra ‘oomph’ to your day just doesn’t cut it when you look at the overall effects on your long term physical and mental health.

Namely, it takes time, effort and (ironically) a LOT of energy for your body to digest and disseminate these types of manufactured stimulants. Too much of these fake foods can lead to an overloading of your nervous system which ultimately compromises your magical microbiome — your ‘second brain’ that houses good bacteria in your gut. A sure sign of this overload can include uncontrollable tremors or shaking of your hands, feeling ‘wired’ and overly emotional or experiencing extremely loose stools (runny poop, aka, diarrhea).

Instead of reaching for the Berocca, I urge you to stock up on real ingredients like the ones in the recipe below… Always choose dried fruit that’s sugar, oil and sulphur-free, and opt for fresh, seasonal fruit grown locally for best flavor and quality. When consuming these delicious offerings made by mother nature, be sure to combine them with healthy, minimally processed fats like raw nuts, seeds, nut butter, virgin coconut oil and avocados which will aid your body to fully absorb the nutrients offered by the antioxidant-rich fruit. The healthy fats will also make you feel fuller for longer, slowing down digestion and releasing more of a natural high for your mind, body, and well, let’s face it… your soul!

Bon appetit!

White Christmas Coconut Treats

Ingredients:

• 5 cups coconut butter, melted
• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup dried currants
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
2. Pour into a silicon mold or a lined slice tin and pop in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
3. Removing from the mold or slice into segments and enjoy!

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months in the freezer, or 1 month in the fridge when not eating.

You may also enjoy reading Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by Natural Gourmet Institute

The post Recipe: White Christmas Coconut Treats appeared first on BEST SELF.

This yummy carrot ginger soup is healthy, hearty and easy to prepare

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14 Carrot Gold Ginger Soup

Yield: 2 quarts

Servings: 4 (2 cup) servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh turmeric, minced or ground dried powder
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 14 carrots, cut into 1” chunks (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 quart chicken broth (4 cups)
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can organic coconut milk

Method:

1. Heat ghee / coconut oil in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, turmeric and salt; saute, 8-10 minutes.
2. Mix in carrots; cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. If your pan gets too dry, add an additional tablespoon of fat to the pan.
3. Stir nutmeg, white pepper and coriander into carrots. Sauté for one minute.
4. Add chicken broth and coconut milk; simmer for 5 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender.
5. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste for seasoning. If too thick, thin to desired consistency by adding more broth.

*Variations: add yams or squash; use fennel, cardamom, or curry powder instead of ginger

You may also enjoy Cumin Spiced Carrot and Date Salad (And an Ode to the Beautiful Carrot) by Christine Moss

The post Recipe: 14 Carrot Gold Ginger Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

4 Steps to a more radiant you: Taking nourishment from the plate to your life

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Feeling tired? It’s easy to lose touch with our radiance when exhausted, stressed and while rushing around. We can all get caught up in the day-to-day busyness — the key is to prevent this from becoming the new norm.

Low energy on a regular basis will definitely affect our moods, our thoughts and ultimately our interactions. How do we take ourselves higher? How do we get off the chronic low-energy rollercoaster that is reliant upon stimulants like coffee or sugar to get us through the day?

We receive energy in many ways and from many sources. A dominant one is the food on our plate — not to mention the quality of food on that plate.

Is it organic? Does it contain chemicals, additives, has it been treated with pesticides? Are you eating lots of dark leafy greens (like kale, collard greens, bok choy) and bright orange vegetables (like carrots, butternut squash, yams) — foods chock full of minerals, nutrients and enzymes that are enlivening and replenishing while also being gently cleansing?

Are you on a low-fat diet? Fats are essential for feeling satiated. Consuming healthy fats like avocado, coconut milk, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, nut butters and grass-fed butter provide satisfaction and nourishment for the brain, muscles, nervous system and joints.

Are you eating high-quality protein (pastured chicken, eggs with beautiful orange yolks, grass-fed meats, raw milk dairy, beans, lentils, spirulina)? If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, it’s essential that you are incorporating mineral rich foods like sea vegetables such as nori, dulse, wakame, hijiki. Having a diet that has a variety of color and texture provides you nutrition and nourishment — not to mention, the deep satisfaction of the visual pleasure. There’s a reason why so many of us photograph the food on our plates and post it on social media. It’s inspiring. It’s beautiful.

We are sensual creatures and the more we can bring our senses to the table the more satisfying our food will be. We eat with all of our senses.

We also receive energy beyond the plate — with fun, pleasure, fresh air, sunshine, relaxation, moving our bodies, being in nature and connection with people you feel good with. Ask yourself, What feeds my soul — what makes me feel alive?

When we don’t make time for nourishment beyond the plate, we can feel cranky, short tempered and discontent. Reaching for sugar, skipping meals or overeating can go hand in hand with exhaustion. Did you know that you could be malnourished and overweight?
When you spend extended periods of time consuming a high carbohydrate and/or high sugar diet, you are left feeling hungry and unsatisfied while simultaneously packing on pounds and robbing your body of protein, minerals, healthy fats, and vitamins you need to thrive.
So how do you change the cycle? Taking one small action toward replenishment brings us closer to our radiance. Here are a few simple steps in the right direction:

1. Nourishment on the plate

Eat delicious nutrient rich food, especially soup. Soups are a wonderful way to fill the bowl with root vegetables, leafy greens, bright orange vegetables like squash, sea vegetables and protein from beans, fish or chicken. One pot meals will transform your world and bust the myth that you have no time to prepare healthy food. Break out your slow cooker, also known as a Crock-Pot. It’s a busy person’s best friend. Assemble your ingredients and the soup cooks overnight while you sleep or while you’re at work. Gotta love that! I love eating soup from a deep bowl I can hold with both hands and feel the warmth.

Take a few deep breaths and ask your body what it wants to eat. Be as present as you can in your food preparation.

If dining out is easier for you at a particular time, choose a restaurant with clean, delicious food. Take a few deep breaths and ask your body the same question before looking at the menu.

Notice how you feel before and after you eat your food choices.

2. Move beyond the plate

Get outside in nature. Walk, move, inhale deeply. Look at the sky, daydream amidst the clouds. Notice the trees. Take in your surroundings. Breathe the scent of the season. Allow life to give to you.

3. Move, dance & be playful

Grab a kid and get silly, or entice some friends to dance and play. Really. Play Twister! We are kids in big bodies and need to make space for our playfulness much more often. The more stressed out we are, the more we need to exhale, release, laugh and have fun. Observe how this makes you feel.

4. Take a nap

How’s your sleep? Are you tired all the time? Naps rock! Allow yourself the luxury of restoration. Even a short ‘cat nap’ will feel like a restorative hug to your physical self.

Lay your burden down and rest.

Once you’ve taken these actions, I know your glow will return. Radiance is yours for the taking. And you can make this part of your busy life in some form on a regular basis. This awareness and these practices have become as essential to me as the food on my plate. Let your moods be your barometer.

Wishing you blessings on your plate and in your vibrant and radiant-filled life.

You may also enjoy reading Rest Is The New Hustle: A Meaningful Life Is Not Measured By Productivity by Paula Rizzo

The post Radiant You | 4 Steps to Nourish Your Life appeared first on BEST SELF.

With these 4 pumpkin recipes, you can prepare the whole food in delicious and surprising ways

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Even before I became a Natural Foods Chef, I’ve always been an enthusiastic advocate for using as much of your food as possible… it helps the environment AND your bank balance so it’s a win-win!

The following 4 recipes are easily made from one whole pumpkin — Cinderella’s ride of choice to get her to the ball, BUT also the perfect fall food to get you in a warm n’ cosy mood without sacrificing your health. Speaking of, just a few health benefits that can come from eating pumpkins include:

• Improved pooping, thanks to it’s fiber content
• Better eyesight due to it’s beta-carotene which is essential for eye health
• A great big dose of protein, magnesium, potassium, and zinc hidden in its seeds.

I truly hope you enjoy each and every recipe that follows. The nachos are best eaten straight from the oven; the rest you can serve cold or re-heat, Yum!

Roasted Pumpkin Skin Nachos

(free from gluten)

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin skins
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Optional: 2 teaspoons basil, thyme, rosemary and/or cumin, for added flavor
• Optional: 250g (8oz.) grated cheese. I like to use manchego, parmesan or goat cheese

Directions:

1. Peel skins from roasted pumpkin and place on a lined baking tray.
2. Sprinkle with sea salt, spices, optional herbs and cheese.
3. Roast in an oven at 200C (400F) for about 20 minutes or until skins begin to brown and cheese begins to melt.
4. Remove and eat like nachos OR leave to cool and eat as a snack or side with main meals.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• Raw pumpkin seeds — you can include some pumpkin flesh or you can rinse them clean using a strainer.

Directions:

1. Spread seeds out on a lined baking tray and sprinkle sea salt and other flavorful spices, such as garlic, cumin and turmeric.
2. Place in a pre-heated oven 200C (400F) and roast until browned and crispy — this should only take 10-20 minutes depending upon your oven.
3. Leave to cook and store for up to 1 week in an air-tight jar in your pantry or up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Sweet Pumpkin Soup

(free from dairy/gluten/egg/processed sugar)

Makes: 2 large, or 4 small servings. Freeze any excess soup for up to 2 months.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked pumpkin
• 2 cups full fat coconut milk
• Up to 1 tablespoon of raw honey. Start with 2 teaspoons and taste — if you prefer more, simply add another teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove)

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
2. Pour into a saucepan and heat to desired temperature.
3. Serve in bowls and top with lightly toasted pumpkin seeds — a great source of protein, copper, zinc and magnesium. You can also shave some cheese over the top, or even use some fresh herbs like parsley, coriander or dill.

SOUP CONSISTENCY TIP: If you prefer a thicker soup, add more cooked pumpkin. If you prefer a thinner soup, add another ½-1 cup of coconut milk.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Makes 1 latte

Ingredients:

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 teaspoons raw honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk to combine well over a medium heat.
2. Use an immersion blender or whisk to blend ingredients together well before serving once reached desired heat.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Yogurt Cheesecake by Sasha Nelson

The post 4 Pumpkin Recipes Using the Whole Food appeared first on BEST SELF.

An intermediate yoga for focus and flow, helping you move into a good life

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Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about focus. More specifically what we focus on and how that focus affects us on a daily basis. The truth is I’m a positive person, but I haven’t always practiced living a positive life. I’ve created abusive habits like comparing myself to others, or focusing on what’s going wrong instead of right, or looking for ways why it won’t work instead of why it will.

But recently I’ve decided that if I want to have a good life, I need to put certain daily practices together that keep me on the right path.

This yoga flow is just that. It’s a daily shedding process, to let go of what’s not serving you and let in everything that is. It’s a flow I created to ignite positivity, freedom and expansiveness inside of you. It’s a flow I made to remind you everyday that you have infinite value and all you have to do is choose to tap into it.

It’s not the easiest flow, but it’s also not the hardest one, and there’s a reason for that. I wanted to create something that challenges you to trust your power but also trains you to listen to your inner guide. Sometimes you’ll want to move slower, sometimes faster, listen and respond to what you need. Find yourself in this flow and connect with the life you want as you’re living it.

Enjoy your good life.

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Focus Flow Yoga appeared first on BEST SELF.

Constraints of family, work and self-care fuels a movement for simple, healthy meals and living — Plan Simple Meals

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We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

Adele Davis

Seven years ago, I ‘had it all’: three beautiful children, a gorgeous and supportive husband, and a thriving company. It was just as I had dreamt it would be, except for one thing: me.

I was miserable. On the inside, I had tons of guilt that I had all these things yet was not happy. On the outside, I was eighty-five pounds heavier than I had ever been. I had no idea how to ‘get happy’, so I decided to tackle the weight.

I got a hot tip to check out the world of raw vegan cuisine. In one day I took out gluten, dairy, processed sugar, animal protein, caffeine and alcohol. Just to be clear, the day before I had no idea what kale was and had drunk six lattes.

The weight melted away, but more importantly I understood firsthand the power of food. It was the first month in my life that I got my period without hormone pills, did not have to take allergy medicine for runny eyes and a full nose, and was cold-free. Not only that, I had more energy than I had ever experienced with coffee.

Shortly after my journey began, I noticed my then 4-year old was seriously suffering. She had awful eczema and tummy aches that made her grumpy, sleepless, and hard to parent. We started to play with her food and after taking out dairy and gluten she began to thrive. Let me clarify, the day after we changed her diet, I got a call from preschool saying, “What happened? She is a different child!”

It did not take me too long to realize that there were three other members of our family, and I wanted them to be their healthiest too.

I became a student of cooking and parenting. I started to look at what I was doing that was sustainable for a whole family foodwise, and how I could parent in a way that inspired my kids to eat the good food.

It became obvious that sugar and gluten really changed my kids’ behavior quickly. Dairy and animal protein had more subtle effects, and though I was done with both myself, I realized that different members of my family might need little bits of each, if my goal is to create ‘an informed healthy adult’. I also saw the power of fruits and veggies, and started to play with how to get more of them into our family meals.

Plan Simple Meals is the book that came out of the first seven years of our journey.

I realized that some people don’t change the way they eat because they have not yet experienced how disserving the Standard American Diet is to their health, but many more people want to shift their food and don’t, because it just feels too hard.

I am not going to lie and say it is easy to always make good food choices for myself, much less guide my kids to do the same. But it is simple and can be doable with a plan. In my opinion, eating a clean, veggie-centered diet is literally one of the most important things we can teach our kids — not to mention one of the most important things we can do as adults to be good parents, workers, friends, lovers, citizens.

Plan Simple Meals is a guide for busy parents who want to dive into the world of ‘good’ food and bring their kids along for the ride. I envision a world where kids crave vegetables, moms feel healthy and energetic, and the whole family feels fabulous after every meal — and I hope you will join me on this journey.

You may also enjoy Your Inner Health Expert: 3 Strategies for Healthy Eating by Lysa Ingalsbe

The post Plan Simple Meals: Meals (and Health) Made Simple appeared first on BEST SELF.

A healthier take on delicious chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free and naturally sweetened

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• ¼ cup gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 4 dates
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil by placing the glass jar in hot water.
2. Blend oil, maple syrup, dates, almond butter and salt in a blender.
3. Put oats and coconut flour in a bowl and stir in blended mixture.
4. Once mixed, fold in chocolate chips.
5. Make into 1” rounds. Shape them like the cookie form you want because they stay true to shape.
6. Bake at 200° for 45 minutes (you can also dehydrate these overnight at 108°).

Strategies:

1. Make time on Sunday to make snacks for the week.
2. Always make more than one batch.
3. Bake with your kids — it can be a bonding moment that teaches them a great life skill.

You may also enjoy Recipe: Loaded Chocolate Bark by the Natural Gourmet Institute

The post Recipe: Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on BEST SELF.

A simple, healthful recipe for vegetable soup the whole family will enjoy

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Ingredients:

• 6 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large potato
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 small squash
• 2 leeks, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons miso
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence

Directions:

1. Dice veggies into similar-sized pieces.
2. Put everything except miso in pot and over with water.
3. Dissolve miso in ½ cup warm water and add to soup.
4. Cook until carrots are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Strategies:

1. Make a soup night once a week where you consistently serve a variety of veggie soups. Call is “Veggie Day” or “Soup Day.” If you have a child who protests, after a few weeks they will bear it, and after a month or two they will come to like it.
2. You can puree it at the beginning, dice veggies really small, or add rice or noodles.
3. Play! This soup is very flexible and can be made with any firm veggies in any season — beets, green beans, parsnips, broccoli stalks (make sure to peel), zucchini. Switch the herbs de Provence for cumin and paprika for a different taste.

You may also enjoy Soup’s On! Musings On Life & A Recipe For Summer Black Bean Soup With Cucumber Yogurt by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Simple Vegetable Soup appeared first on BEST SELF.

A conversation, stretching and 5 must-do exercises

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We all know that exercise is good for us, but too often we make excuses for not partaking. It may be lack of time, lack of perceived skill, or something deeper — lack of self-worth. Pilates instructor Renata Halaska, who has been teaching Pilates for years in New York’s Hudson Valley, shares a conversation with Kristen Noel, Best Self Magazine’s Editor-In-Chief. They peel back the layers of excuses and address objections, and reveal why self-care is really about showing up for yourself.

Renata shares in the videos below, a simple-but-transformative stretching routine that anyone can do anywhere, and especially after a workout.  She also shares her 5 Must-Do exercises that she performs at home or on the road without fail — and so can you.

Time to hit the floor — no more excuses!

A Conversation With Kristen Noel

Essential Stretching

5 Must-Do Exercises

You may also enjoy Minding Your Core | Pilates with Renata Halaska

The post No-Excuse Pilates | 5 Must-Do Exercises And Stretches appeared first on BEST SELF.

An effective alternative to prescription drugs, homeopathic remedies promote natural healing, without chemicals

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Why do we blanketly accept that antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and/or anti-depressant drugs are okay for our children? How did naturopathy and homeopathy practices come to be considered alternative, rather than standard ways to heal our children? Have you ever considered the notion that perhaps we have this backwards?

The following oath is taken by any physician or practitioner as they graduate from medical school, or become certified in any alternative healing modality: Prima non nocere (first do no harm). The best way to do no harm to our children is to help them feel their best by means of the simplest and most natural way possible.

Optimum health is attained when we provide the body with the tools to do what it does best — care for itself, organically.

As a schoolteacher and pediatric naturopathic physician, I see the mind-body-soul interaction on a daily basis, both in the classroom and in private one-on-one consultations. I regularly witness what is becoming a widely accepted thought — when the gut isn’t happy, nothing is. Whenever the gut is not clean and with all its microbioma cooperating nicely with one another (bacteria, enzimes, virus, fungus), a direct correlation takes place in children’s behavior. I’ve witnessed the results: Restlessness, brain fog, irritability, allergies ensue and a child may show difficulty interacting with others. A peaceful and content gut enables the brain to operate from a peaceful and happy space of whole health, creating a level playing field.

The first step in this integrative healing process is to assess the root cause of any given ailment by supporting the immune system with cleansing and balancing the body. Resist the temptation to rely on aggressive and symptom-suppressing drugs for temporal relief. Instead, first turn to nutrition, supplements, plants, essential oils, flower essences, and homeopathic medicines — a back-to-basics approach. These natural remedies can, in most cases, do a beautiful job of healing without harming the lining of the gut or pouring toxins into the blood stream.

Natural healthcare can also be yummy. How delicious and nutritious are homemade soups, juices and stews when we are feeling a little under the weather? How comforting is sipping organic cocoa with almond milk while snuggling under a soft blanket when the body needs some rest? We respond to real health care.

Usually we go ‘down’ for a reason — don’t rush the process.

If your child is not feeling well, use this time to reconnect. Read a story or watch a nice movie together. Play some soothing music and use your imagination to create an inspirational guided visualization. Or create vision boards and dream catchers. The point is to make the journey back to optimal health an enjoyable and nourishing experience — and one in accordance with the flow of the body’s natural timing.

If you wish to be particularly hands on, cultivate medicinal plants that produce healing essential oils. Medicinal plants that are especially suitable for kids because of their safety and gentleness include: calendula, echinacea, mallow, lavender, rose, chamomile, rosemary and thyme. Make teas, tinctures or simmer them in a big pot of fresh boiled water and even add it to the bathtub. They smell great and have a lovely taste — and they empower your children to understand the connections to healing themselves with nature.

Naturopathic tools can be used for common childhood ailments such as colds and flus, diarrhea, and chickenpox, as well as emotional or psychological disorders.

Studies have shown that kids diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) or CD (Conduct Disorder) can improve with homeopathic treatment to the extent that prescription drugs are no longer necessary. Such remedies have provided children on drugs such as Ritalin, with the means to gradually come off them. In doing so, their true personality, nature and temperament become restored. Their relationships to family and friends become notably improved. Most importantly, s/he can experience again his or her own inner self without the imbalance that previously required diagnosis.

The safety and effectiveness of homeopathic remedies are well proven in clinical research studies and are becoming better known among an increasingly informed and aware population. Numerous case studies can be found in Homeo-Kids by Patricia Le Roux, Rage-Free Kids by Robert Ullman, providing examples of how homeopathy helps to make a dramatic difference in the behavior of children. Those of us who work in the service of children feel humbled and blessed to make such contributions to their wellbeing. It is the light at the end of our work, study and research tunnel.

Employed properly, naturopathy and homeopathy have the potential of helping your child restore a sense of balance and wellbeing so that they can enjoy health and happiness. What more could we want for our children?

Everything has a time, place and circumstance. Western medicine may be where we turn in a time of crisis, but in the meantime, before crisis, we must honor the innate wisdom of our own bodies. This can be best achieved by connecting to our body’s ability to heal and reset. We can empower our children to go forth in their lives, fortified by the knowledge that when properly maintained, their bodies can heal themselves.

This is the face of the new medicine — a return to original healing, to natural self-care.

You may also enjoy Interview: Dr. Christiane Northrup & Kate Northrup | The New Conversation with Kristen Noel

The post Child Homeopathy | Natural Healing For Our Children appeared first on BEST SELF.

This Good Mood Food is a healthy ice cream alternative — delicious and packed with nutritious fruit

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Summertime is the perfect excuse to make ‘good mood food’ that helps to cool and soothe the body from the inside out. And what better good mood food to choose than ice cream? Yum!

The problem is, most commercial ice creams on the grocery shelves have a LOT going on in their ingredients, including highly processed sugar and dairy products, artificial colorings, thickeners, flavorings and other weird ingredients your body has NO idea how to digest effectively.

If you’re not eating a balanced diet of fresh, seasonal veggies, fruits and real food ingredients, consumption of your favorite ice creams during summer could result in you feeling all kinds of bad throughout winter…

Thanks but NO thanks, right?!

So instead of reaching into the freezer at the store, grab some fresh fruit and the ingredients below and make your own ice cream! Only this deliciousness is called ‘nice’ cream because it’s nice and nourishing for your body, inside and outside.

As always, enjoy it with love in your heart and a great friend by your side (of course, that friend could be a pet or good book!).

Real Raspberry Nice-cream

Makes: 2 large or 4 small servings

Ingredients

• 3 bananas chopped, then frozen
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 Tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• Toppings suggestions: crushed nuts, fresh fruit, cacao nibs, nut butter or a sprinkling of cinnamon 

Directions

1. Ensure fruit is completely frozen before combining all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until well combined.
2. Serve immediately, or collect in an air-tight container and freeze for 10-20 minutes (depending upon your desired level of ‘frozen-ness’).
3. Store in an air-tight container in your freezer for up to 4 months.

You may also enjoy Watermelon, Coconut & Lime Granita by Chef Christine Moss

The post Raspberry ‘Nice’ Cream | A Healthy Ice Cream Alternative appeared first on BEST SELF.

A regular yin yoga practice stimulates the flow of energy throughout your body, enhancing each organ’s function

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When frustration exists, it is difficult to think or plan, much less feel inspired to make healthy choices for your body and mind. You might even notice that your digestion does not want to cooperate during these times. There may be excessive gas, bloating or irregular bowel movements. These are common symptoms of an unhappy liver and gallbladder, and poor digestion and elimination of toxins and food.

A regular yin yoga practice stimulates the flow of energy throughout your body enhancing each organ’s function, the digestive organs included. Yin yoga relieves stress and helps you become more present, less reactive and less attached to the stories/drama that concern you.

Yin is a much slower practice. Poses are typically held anywhere from three to ten minutes, sometimes even longer.

Yin yoga works on and nourishes the deeper, more hidden tissues such as ligaments, fascia, joints and bones.

In Yin we go only to the point where the most resistance is felt. We don’t rush into the deepest position straight away. We find our ‘first’ edge, then wait for our body to open up further and invite us in deeper. It is common to move into greater depth after thirty seconds to a minute, however sometimes this physical range is not available.

Again we pause and wait for another invitation. If an opening becomes available, we drop deeper with a soft, flowing breath. We ‘play’ our edges.

The essence of yin is one of yielding, surrendering and acceptance.

With every edge, we go inside and pay attention to how it feels. If we feel a significant sensation, we know the pose is working. There is no need to use force to go deeper into the pose. In fact the art of stillness in this discomfort is embracing yin. Once we have found our final edge, we commit to being still in mind, body and breath. By stillness in breath I mean having a soft, unlabored and calm breath.

Bare in mind that we have emotional edges too. Sometimes your resistance will be emotional. You may be unconsciously holding back and not ready to venture into painful memories, feelings or thoughts. Yin honors what is offered and accepts where you are at in that present moment.

I encourage you to gift yourself five to ten minutes to drop into this simple yin yoga flow that specifically nourishes the gallbladder and liver, and allow that frustration to simply melt away.

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Yin Yoga | Stimulating Energy Flow To Enhance Organ Function appeared first on BEST SELF.

10 Super foods that have anti-cancer properties to help you in reducing your risk of cancer

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Is it just me, or does it seem like more and more people are getting cancer? Last year I had three good friends diagnosed with cancer and one more last week — all between the ages of 39 and 51. One of those dear friends died of colon cancer eight months after diagnosis. It was especially heart breaking because he was an amazing person who was enormously talented (he was a research chemist) and a wonderful friend who brought so many people together. If you were his neighbor, you were his friend, soon to be invited over for dinner.

Sadly almost 40% percent of men and women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes. Many people think if they are diagnosed with cancer there is little they can do, but thankfully this is not true. Since my friend died in September, I have immersed myself in research about what we can do to help prevent cancer in our bodies by improving our diet and making lifestyle changes. I am happily surprised by how much information and scientific data is available to us in this regard.

70% of all cancers are linked to lifestyle factors — factors well within our control — like poor diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and obesity.^1,2,3

The remaining 30 % (15% which are hereditary and 15% which are related to viral risk factors, workplace exposure, or pollution) have historically been thought to be out of our control — but we are now learning that even these cancers can be affected with shifts in our belief patterns.

 There is a lot that is in our control after all — we just need to adopt the tools for change.

Many factors can contribute to the onset of cancer including lifestyle, stress, gut health, emotional wellbeing and environmental toxins, but one of the most important factors to consider is your daily diet. In short, food acts as medicine for the body, especially if enjoyed fresh and in its most natural form.

More specifically, it would be wise to look at our daily diet in terms of cancer prevention. Are you eating the Standard American Diet (otherwise know as the SAD) — a diet high in meat, dairy products, sugar, processed white flour, and processed foods known to support cancer growth? Or are you eating a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables that are also known as ‘anti-cancer foods’?

Anti-cancer foods

In the last 15 years, researchers have been studying effects of certain fruits and vegetables on cancer cells. It turns out most of us have microscopic cancer cells growing in our bodies all the time. This should not be cause for alarm, however — your immune system is usually able to detect and destroy these cancer cells before they mature. Fortunately, researchers have identified a group of especially powerful cancer-fighting foods and beverages that can help the body reduce toxin build up, repair cell damage and help to limit ‘angiogenesis’ — the process of growing new blood vessels that support tumor growth.

In one study, researchers examined 34 vegetable extracts on 8 different cancer tumor cell lines.[4] They found the most powerful anti-cancer food was garlic. Garlic stopped cancer cell growth completely in all 8 types of cancer tested — breast cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and stomach cancer. All members of the Allium family including leeks, scallions and yellow onions were also powerful inhibitors. The second most powerful group was cruciferous vegetables — Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower along with beets and leafy greens like spinach.

So what should you be eating?

• The most important thing you can do is to eat a diet rich in whole foods from the plant kingdom and low in foods from the animal kingdom.
• Eat the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of phytonutrients that have beneficial antioxidant properties depending on their color.
• Focus on anti-cancer foods.

These foods in particular have been found to have cancer-fighting properties. Eat some of these foods every day:

1. Garlic, onions, scallions, leeks (anything from the allium family)
2. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower (all the cruciferous vegetables)
3. Berries
4. Mushrooms
5. Spinach and other greens
6. Nuts and seeds
7. Beans (legumes — lentils, chick peas, kidney beans, fermented soybeans),
8. Cooked tomatoes
9. Turmeric
10. Green Tea

___________________________

In a case-controlled multi-country study, people who ate 1/2 cup of onions a day had less than half as many cancers as people who rarely consumed onions.[5]

Three servings of cruciferous vegetables per week decreases prostate cancer risk by 41 percent.[6]

Drinking 3 cups of Japanese green tea a day resulted in 57% fewer recurrences in patients with breast cancer tumors.[7]

___________________________ 

Of course, food is not the entire answer when it comes to cancer prevention. In addition to eating a nutrient-rich diet and adding anti-cancer foods into your diet each day, it’s important to take a holistic mind and body approach, factoring in activities that help to lower your stress levels like yoga and meditation. These things combined could make a big difference in how your body is able to continuously thwart the growth and maturity of new cancer cells.

Learning about how the body can fight cancer cells with the support of powerful anti-cancer foods has caused me to feel very hopeful. I invite you to say NO to the SAD and instead, say YES to feeling vibrant and energetic by choosing real, fresh, whole food. Say YES to being as healthy as possible so you are able to fight off diseases like cancer. The time to take control of your health is now.

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Attributions:

1. Béliveau R, Gingras D. Foods to Fight Cancer — Essential Foods to help prevent cancer. (New York:Random House, 2006).
2. Song Wu, et al. Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development. Nature 2016, 529:43-47.
3. Willett WC. Balancing life-style and genomics research for disease prevention. Science.2002;296(5568):695–698. doi: 10.1126/science.1071055.
4. Bolvin, et al. Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: A comparative study. Food Chemistry 112 (2009) 374–380
5. Galleon C, Peucchi C, Levi F, et al. Onion and garlic use and human cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84(5): 1027-32.
6. Cohen JH, Krystal AR, Stanford JL. Fruit and vegetable intake and prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92(1):61-68.
7. Inoue M, et al. Regular consumption of green tea and the risk of breast caner recurrence: Follow-up study from the Hospital-Based Epidemiological Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center, Japan, Cancer Letters 167, 2:(2001):175-182.

You may also enjoy Interview: Kelly Brogan, MD | A Mind Of Your Own with Kristen Noel

The post Anti-Cancer Rx | Reducing Your Risk Of Cancer With Anti-Cancer Foods appeared first on BEST SELF.

A perfect, (recipe-less) healthy frittata recipe — and cooking as therapy

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Ah, the beloved recipe… Countless books, television shows, blogs (including mine), magazine articles and apps either sell, promote or share them for others to create and enjoy food. Many believe that without a recipe, you can’t make great food.

But I (humbly) disagree.

To prove this point, I am sharing a recipe-less healthy frittata video where I show you how to bring together a basic frittata using whatever you have left over in your fridge, along with some fresh bits and pieces you can purchase at your local market. I created this video because I want you to have fun with your food without all the usual recipe rules — choose your favorite natural vegetables and get cooking!

It’s easy to get caught up in behavior patterns that are influenced by others with whom we work, live, or love. Yet, it is crucial to your soul to retain your sense of self.

I read many articles suggesting therapy, meditation and other modalities to those who need to re-connect with themselves, and I’d like to add one more: cooking.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or first-time novice, I believe you can reclaim control and reconnect with yourself in your kitchen.

This may sound a bit odd, but hear me out… Recipes are like a great boss, friend or lover – they provide all the ingredients needed, along with instructions about how to use the ingredients to reach a particular delicious, positive outcome. But what happens when you get used to following recipe after recipe with no deviation or exploration? I believe you lose something very special and unique to you: connection with your own creativity.

I realize it may seem weird I’m suggesting that my recipe-less frittata video could help you regain and reclaim a part of yourself that may be missing, but remember sometimes in life, it’s the little things that count. Like baking a cake. Let me explain: Years ago, pre-chef days, when I was struggling with a difficult person in my old media job, it took me months to realize I held the power to change my situation. This light bulb moment didn’t take place at work; it took place in my kitchen after making two attempts to create a particular type of cake for my father’s birthday. Both times I followed the recipe with military precision, only to have it fail miserably.

I felt utterly defeated. I cried. Over crappy cake. And then I became angry, because I realized it wasn’t what I did that made the cake crappy…it was what I was instructed to do via the recipe! During my third attempt, I deviated from the recipe. I made changes and added ingredients I love to use, which resulted in “…one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted” — my dad’s words, not mine.

 That experience taught me to believe in myself more, to use my own brain and creativity to reach a positive outcome rather than rely solely on someone else’s rules and instructions. Of course, during my culinary studies, I had to follow instructions to pass exams and learn how to create a variety of foods I’d never cooked with before, but throughout that process I found ways to inject my creativity and flair — I always felt in control of the outcome.

In cooking and in life I always leave room for some deviation, because that’s where the magic happens. I invite you to use my simple, tasty frittata guidelines to create nourishing food you love. Let this food fuel your empowerment in the kitchen and all other areas of your life in the pursuit of creating your best self.

>Learn more about the author at danielleshine.com.

The post Recipe: Healthy Frittata With No Recipe At All appeared first on BEST SELF.

A simple, yet delicious and zesty tomato sauce recipe to bring your meal to life

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[dairy/gluten/egg/sugar free]

Makes: 1 x 800g jar

Ingredients:

• 1 medium brown onion, diced small
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 28oz. can whole tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon organic butter (optional — this will help thicken the sauce and add more flavor)

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, spices and herbs in oil in a medium saucepan.
2. Once onion begins to brown and become caramelized, add in tomatoes and garlic and cover.
3. Let simmer for 15-20 mins before adding in optional butter, then blending with an immersion blender to emulsify and puree ingredients. Stop at when you’ve reached your desired consistency – leave some tomatoes chunky or puree until completely smooth.

TIP: serve with pasta, rice, quinoa or zoodles. This sauce pairs well with a range of savoury proteins including: vegetables, chicken tenders, meatballs, mince and lasagna. Also works well as a thin salsa dip when left quite chunky.

Store in the fridge in an airtight glass jar for up to one week. Freeze for up to one month – be sure to leave at least 2 inches between the sauce and the jar lid as water expands as it freezes.

You may also enjoy Go With Your Gut: Sensational Sauerkraut Recipe by Danielle Shine

The post Recipe: Simple Tomato Sauce appeared first on BEST SELF.

A gentle yoga to enhance physical and emotional flow

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In celebration of the changing seasons, I offer you this slow, gentle yoga practice to twist, bend and stretch your body. When we slow things down and move in a more calm, controlled manner, that’s where the magic happens…

With any change, whether be the weather or in your life, it’s important to take time to slow down and observe thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. This yoga flow is designed to help you do just that. Often, when you’re working hard to make a living and be there for the ones you love, you accidently close yourself off to your own positive expansion. It’s easy to get caught up in a project or the latest mini-drama going on around us, which is why it’s so important we come back to yoga to create more space for new thoughts and positivity to flow through.

In a physical sense, yoga is also great for stretching out tightness in our bodies that are often stored negative experiences and emotions that can show up as pain or tenderness. Use this practice to support those areas of your body and your mind. Flow with care and be gentle with your body. Don’t forget to breathe, and don’t rush to get up from the ‘savasana’ rest at the end – this is perhaps the most important yoga pose of them all.

Namaste

You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention with Carter Miles

The post Open Heart Flow Yoga appeared first on BEST SELF.

If you’re serious about supporting your health, my number one tip is to start asking where your food comes from and how it was grown

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As the weather changes, so does the quality of food, which is why it’s so important to pay close attention to where your fruits and vegetables are coming from.

With importation and exportation trades booming worldwide, it’s not enough to just ‘eat well’ anymore — if you’re serious about supporting your health, my number one tip is to start asking where your food comes from and how it was grown.

Essentially, the fewer miles your food has traveled to reach your grocery basket, the better for your health.

To truly nourish your body, keep it real and fresh — even if those grapes from Spain look mouth-wateringly good, my culinary studies have taught me their nutrients have been seriously compromised during transit.

The recipe I share with you below is made from all kinds of health-supportive ingredients, the key one being banana. Look for locally grown, non-GMO bananas for this, and be sure to purchase them a few days before making this bread — the more ripe they are, the better, richer flavor they produce.

I created this recipe after seeing so many highly processed, gluten-filled versions offered under the guise of being a ‘healthy’ alternative, purely because the of word ‘banana’ in the title.

With my recipe, you can be confident you’re eating a wonderfully nourishing, health-supportive treat you and you loved ones can enjoy for breakfast, as a nutritious snack or perhaps even as a delicious dessert.

HEALTHY BANANA BREAD

(free from gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs)
Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 300g (10 oz.) over-ripe banana fruit
• 60g (2 oz.) ripe pear
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350f (180C) and grease or line a loaf tin (L7.5″ x W3.5″ x 5″)
2. In a food processor or blender: blend banana, pear and coconut oil until smooth.
3. Add almond meal, buckwheat flour, vanilla extract, spices, salt and
   baking powder and blend again until well combined. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to completely incorporate all of the ingredients
4. Pour mix into loaf tin and place in the oven for 45 mins or until bread
   has risen, browned on top and a cake skewer placed in the middle of the
   loaf comes out completely clean.
5. Remove from oven and leave to cool in its tin for at least 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying!

Enjoy!

You may also enjoy Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies & Walnut Milk by Chef Christine Moss

The post Recipe: Truly Healthy Banana Bread appeared first on BEST SELF.

Erin Stutland’s spiritual journey lead her to discover the profound power of movement, and she’s built a career around helping others discover the same

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Ever since I was a little girl, I couldn’t sit still. I was that kid who had to make an agreement with my second-grade teacher that would allow me to stand next to my desk. I felt more focused and relaxed when given the opportunity to move or fidget a bit. Likely someone with undiagnosed ADHD, as I got older, I had accompanying symptoms such as anxiety, which often leads to depression. In my case, both were prevalent. Movement, dance specifically, became a form of meditation for me. It was there that I felt my mind to be most quiet. It was the only place I felt free from both the specter of anxiety and depression.

As I deepened my interest in spirituality as a form of self-healing, I found there was a way to marry the movement that I loved with the concepts of acceptance, confidence, and intention – concepts that are often only taught intellectually.

As I developed my program, I understood the power of getting these concepts into my muscles, bones, and cells. Movement combined with spiritual thought has a longer lasting impact than just reading about them in a book.

The best thing is that none of this has to be hard. In fact, it’s easy, and when we apply the concepts, movement actually becomes an absolute joy. We can gain a deep sense of self-awareness and increased self-esteem when we approach it properly, which has an impact on every part of our lives. After all, movement in your body creates movement in your life.

Try Erin’s fabulous 5 minute workout

Learn more at erinstutland.com

Erin’s Shrink Sessions:

A Shrink Session is sweat therapy that will tone your body and expand your mind. Combining cardio-dance, yoga, meditation, and mantras, this heart-pumping workout invites you to explore new territories where what you never believed was possible becomes so. New ideas are birthed, new trails are blazed, and you release years of self-doubt and criticism, all in a single workout. Imagine a dance party/rock concert for your life and YOU are the star!

Shrink Session Digital: Join us for online workouts, coaching, and meditations.

Shrink Session Live: Join us for classes in NYC.

Learn more at shrinksessionworkout.com

You may also enjoy Best Self Yoga Flow for Flexibility and Relaxation with Carter Miles

The post The Power of Movement, and the 5 Minute Workout appeared first on BEST SELF.

Danielle Shine left a lucrative, but unfulfilling career to become a much happier chef, and shares 5 vegetarian picnic recipes

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When editor-in-chief Kristen Noel invited me to contribute to this wonderful magazine, I was overjoyed because I’m a girl who loves to share her real-food recipes with anyone wanting to nourish their insides (and delight their tastebuds!).

I’m a natural foods chef who believes real health and happiness begins in the gut — it’s our second brain, but research continues to prove it’s second to none when it comes to influencing our thoughts and emotions. With this information comes power — the power to heal, nurture, and support ourselves using what mama nature gave us.

Years ago before I was a health-supportive chef, I was a little clueless about the whole ”health and wellbeing” thing. No one could tell from the outside; I put up quite the façade, but on the inside a storm was brewing…

I was a hard-working, highly praised media executive who maintained incredibly high standards for myself, my life, and everyone in it. I believed happiness directly correlated with the amount of money in the bank, so I worked very hard to be very happy. Food was of little importance to me; if I had to skip meals to get work done, I’d do it. When I wasn’t working, I was working out — sacrificing precious time with family and friends to spend time with strangers in the gym. When I did eat, it was usually out at restaurants or home with takeout.

In short: I was focusing on all the wrong things.

But as luck would have it, I was thrown some curve balls — BIG ones that knocked me to right to my knees. First it was the decline of my health, and next it was the cracks that began to appear in aspects of my job. That period of my life was awful, upsetting, stressful, confusing, and the best thing to have ever happened.

To cut a long story of self-discovery short, I made major changes. I devoured information about health, nutrition, meditation, and yoga… I drank in the words of Dr Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, and Eckhart Tolle. I became a yoga teacher and learned how to ”listen in.” It was so powerful, I decided to become a health coach and help others do the same.

My education led to empowerment and empowerment led to epiphanies.

I left my corporate job and moved from Australia to New York to follow my calling to become a natural foods chef. It’s here we arrive together — me with my chef’s hat on and you with your willingness to try some fun, nourishing food.

The following recipes have been created to provide choice. We make them every day — some good, some not so good. But the beautiful thing about it is each day becomes a new day filled with more choices. My hope is that my foods nourish and strengthen you to make good choices.

Bon appetit!

There’s nothing I love more than sharing my learnings with others in a bid to help people heal and support themselves.

Danielle Shine

Learn more at danielleshine.com

5 Vegetarian Happy Picnic Recipes

The Happy Picnic

Shiitake ”Bacon”

A great meat-free, crispy mushroom treat to support digestion and provide a great dose of gut-friendly nutrition.

1-2 servings

Ingredient:

• 1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, cut into ¼ inch strips
• ¼ cup cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari if you’re allergic/intolerant to gluten)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C
2. In a large bowl, combine mushroom strips, oil, and salt, and mix to combine.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread mushrooms out – no overlapping, you want the mushrooms to dry out evenly.
4. Place tray in the oven for 20-25 mins. Note: This really depends upon how big your mushrooms are – the smaller they are, the less time it will take, so check in at the 10-minute mark.
5. Once mushrooms shrink in size, darken, and become crisp, they are ready!

Gluten-free Squash Crackers

 1 baking tray’s worth

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup steamed squash flesh (kabocha, delicata or butternut work best)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (also known as nigella seeds)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C
2. In a small bowl, mix squash and oil together with a fork (you can use a food processor for this, but you’ll get a more rustic-looking cracker making these with your hands).
3. Add flour slowly, mashing everything together to combine well. If the mix is too dry, start adding water. At first, it may appear there’s not enough liquid, but be patient and keep mixing because it all starts to come together nicely. Note: If your squash flesh is very dry, you may need to add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time – you don’t want your dough too wet.
4. Once you have dough, place it between two sheets of baking paper (sprinkled with a little flour) and roll out to 1/8^th-inch thickness. Very carefully peel off the top layer of baking paper and transfer the bottom piece with rolled dough onto your baking tray. Prick with a fork all over and place in oven.
5. Crackers are ready once edges brown (This may take 10-15 mins or longer depending on oven. Keep an eye on them!). Remove and leave to cool – the cracker will crisp up further once cool. Snap, crack, and break up into small pieces and sample your handiwork! Great paired with dips or crushed and used as gluten-free breadcrumbs in other recipes.

“Pom Pom” Quinoa Salad

A delicious, colorful, low-inflammatory salad to serve with lunch or dinner

1 large salad, enough for 3-4 sides

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I use extra-virgin olive oil but you can also use organic unrefined canola oil or coconut oil)
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (you can also use currants)
• ½ cup purple cabbage, shredded
• 3-4 leaves of kale, deveined and cut into thin strips
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
• 1 fresh orange. ½ sliced into segments, ½ squeezed for juice
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing: 

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from the other ½ of your orange)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon raw honey

Directions: 

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water to wash away starch and grit. Combine with 2 cups water in a medium-size pot. Bring to a gentle boil before covering and reducing heat to a steady simmer. Leave for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, with the lid still on, let quinoa rest for 5 minutes. Drain any excess water, fluff with a fork, and set aside while you prepare other ingredients.
2. Saute cabbage and kale in oil until they begin to soften. Add broccoli and saute another 5 mins. Note: Broccoli will remain a little crunchy, so if you prefer soft broccoli, boil first then combine with cabbage and kale.
3. Pour quinoa into your serving bowl and mix in vegetables. Top with orange segments and seeds.
4. Combine dressing ingredients in a small glass jar with an airtight lid and shake to combine. Pour immediately over salad. Shake well each time before serving.

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free ”Cheese” ‘n’ Chive Dip

Makes about 2 cups worth

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews (soak overnight, rinse, and drain the next day)
• 1/2 cup filtered water (use less water if you want a thicker consistency)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (organic is best)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 6-7 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (you can also use dried)
• OPTIONAL: 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro (a great detoxifier for the body)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and blend on high until consistency is nice and smooth. TIP: This also works really well as a sauce. Simply add more water and pour over grains or vegetables.

Perfect Picnic Salsa

4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes, chopped into medium pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno (OPTIONAL: Use only if you like heat)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 limes, freshly squeezed (you can also use lemons)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• ½ -1 cup fresh basil, chopped finely (you can also use fresh cilantro or parsley)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together to combine.
2. Leave in fridge overnight for all flavors to infuse together.
3. If you want a smoother dip-like salsa, place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until you reach desired consistency.
4. Enjoy as a side or as a dip. Delicious on crackers or crusty breads.

You may also enjoy Interview: Vani Hari | The Truth About the Lies We’re Fed with Kristen Noel

The post Journey To Happy | Plus 5 Vegetarian Picnic Recipes appeared first on BEST SELF.

For children with autism spectrum disorders, bringing awareness to food choices can improve behavior patterns

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It is common for many children with autism spectrum disorders to avoid most foods and navigate toward a comfort in eating only a few of the same food choices every day. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone in facing this huge challenge.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders avoid foods due to oral, motor, and/or sensory issues. Orally, they may struggle with food placement in the mouth, chewing, and swallowing. Motor issues may keep a child from being able to move the food around, chew and swallow, and even pick up food. Sensory issues can create problems such as the taste or smell of foods causing a gag reflex, or a desire to run away from the horrible smell. Even the sight of certain foods can create this desire to get away. Just know, it is real. Neurologically, sensory issues create actual physical pain.

Some children do not have sensory issues and just exhibit food avoidance. Either way, mealtime for many parents can be downright dreadful — but it does not have to be. It is important for parents to learn how to teach a child how to overcome not wanting to try healthy foods. This is because many health issues such as attention, behavior, and mood problems, eczema, allergies, migraines, joint pain, and autoimmune disorders are now linked to poor gut floras.

Yes, the gut is connected to your brain and body.

What you eat affects how well the brain can regulate neurotransmitters and hormones necessary for many functions related to attention, behavior, and moods. Food choices even control sleep patterns.

What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?

Did you know that 70 percent of our immune system is in the gut? It is estimated 100 trillion good bacteria (microbes) live in your gut, supporting the growth of friendly, harmonious flora. This diversity of flora is extremely important to your health and is affected by two things: What you eat and your age.

Of course, we cannot control age, but we can control what we eat.

Let’s look at this further.

In your gut live innate cells called dendritic cells. Their job is to pick up antigens (think of these as the bad guys) in your gut by sensing protein patterns in the food you choose to eat. Unfriendly protein patterns get attacked by your immune system with T cells. This process creates inflammatory particles (cytokines) that damage the body by going through the walls of the gut and attacking the body, joints, skin, and brain. You may have heard this termed as “leaky gut.”

What is really going on is that your body does not recognize many of the poor foods that enter the body, so it attacks them, creating a process that allows harmful particles to enter the body instead of staying safely in the gut. Inflammation results as other areas of the body, such as the body, joints, skin, and brain, get attacked.

This is bad news for all picky eaters, especially a child with attention, behavior, and neurological problems because his/her brain already struggles with processing information. Typically, a child with ASD takes information into the brain through the senses and integrates that information differently than a typical brain. This means that the action that results from this incoming information can be inappropriate or not on target, creating neurological struggles.

How You Can Build a Healthy Gut and Brain

The good news is you can improve brain functioning with the right food choices, just as you can impair it with poor ones. This means you can create a healthy brain and body by building a healthy gut flora diversity through eating healthy, brain-boosting foods.

I have been helping families for over 20 years learn how to eat healthy. I took my creativity and knowledge to another level this past year and created a nutritional café in my office, where I offer Food Play for Kids. My goal is to help kids that do not, cannot, or will not try new healthy foods overcome their food avoidance. My Food Play for Kids program consists of one-on-one visits where we play with food. We mash and smash a variety of fruits. I allow younger kids to slingshot them, nerf blast them, and generally have fun. The older kids explore, trying new recipes as we go along.

My favorite session is vegetables, where the child gets to juice each vegetable. We actually make our own yummy fruit and veggie juices. I love the look on the parent’s face when the child drinks a green juice and truly enjoys it. All the kids love when we put carrot, apple, and green juice into water guns and go outside my office to have a safe juice war. They all love my smoothie bar session, too!

I keep it fun. I teach parents how to make fruits and veggies super cool. Most important, we fortify the gut by introducing foods that will stop the inflammatory attack that occurs in the gut and body when we eat the wrong foods.

Try these 8 natural steps I have used with my children and also recommend in my office:

1. Eat foods that are pre-biotics. Pre-biotics contain indigestible fiber that triggers the growth of good bacteria. Try asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leek, onion, bananas, oatmeal, and legumes.
2. Rebuild the gut flora with probiotic choices. Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. Try homemade fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso soup, yogurt, and even sourdough bread.
3. Avoid toxic ingredients in your food choices. Sodium bisulfite and sodium sulfite, polysorbate 60, caramel and carmine coloring, Blue #1, Blue #2, Green #3, Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are just a few examples.
4. Choose non-toxic, healthier versions of favorite foods. There are many healthy, clean versions of favorite foods. Look for certified organic and read ingredient labels. Choose foods in refrigerated aisles and avoid the boxed, canned, packaged, and processed foods. Stop eating fast food and drinking soda all together.
5. Pick foods high in omega-3 and 6 to boost and regulate brain function. Try acai, nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios), seeds (pumpkin and sesame), flax (oil, seeds or meal), hemp (seeds or meal), cold-water fish (wild salmon, trout, and herring), avocado and green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, and collards).
6. Start exploring fruits and vegetables to move toward plant-based meals. Talk about fruits and vegetables. Teach your child what each fruit and vegetable is, what they do to the body, and how easily they can change form and tastes. Tell them why a carrot is orange and how it protects our skin, teeth, nails, eyes, and more.
7. Learn how to eat, shop, and prepare clean and healthy meals. The most common problem people have today is not knowing what to eat, how to shop for healthy foods, and how to put it all together and cook great meals. Take a course or visit a nutritionist to find out how to tackle this very common roadblock.
8. If your child is a picky eater, you must first identify if a sensory issue exists and seek out an occupational therapist. Then play with food with your child, shop together, grow a small garden, juice veggies and make smoothies, and find recipes together. Get your child touching, smelling, and being in the present moment with real food.

Learn more at: drlisasulsenti.com

You may also enjoy reading Health In a Jar: Growing Your Own Probiotics by Donna Schwenk

The post The Gut-Brain Connection | Improving Your Child’s Behavior With Food appeared first on BEST SELF.

Bob Cooley, creator of the 16 Geniuses and founder of The Genius Of Flexibility, is revolutionizing optimal physiology with resistance flexibility training.

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It’s all about the fascia!

Fascia [fash-ee-uh]: a band or sheet of connective tissue fibers, primarily collagen, that forms beneath the skin to attach, stabilize, enclose, and connect muscles, ligaments and other internal organs.

I’ll be the first to admit that 6 months ago, I had never even heard the word before. That was until our ageless goddess, Dr. Christiane Northrup, ran upstairs to her bedroom to change into workout clothes following our Best Self Magazine cover shoot. You see, Dr. Northrup was literally giddy with excitement to share the work of Bob Cooley, and before I knew it she had me down on the floor stretching and contorting my limbs.

So — what does fascia have to do with it all anyway? If you have a pet, you’ll quickly realize they are already totally hip to the jive. Have you witnessed how your cat or dog will take pause and indulge in a downward dog-style stretch before doing anything else? Take note.

This is the world according to Bob Cooley, founder of Genius Flexibility, with locations in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Boston, and soon, NYC.

The fascia is the connective tissue which sheathes your muscles and organs, an otherwise unremarkable (and often overlooked) element of our anatomy. But during a session with Bob Cooley, I learned that the fascia holds far more value, and we are only at the beginning stages of unlocking its enormous potential to utterly transform our lives. Fascia may be a physical component of our being, but it is also deeply connected to all aspects of our lives — our mind, our emotions and our soul.

In general, we accept this notion that scar tissue develops as a result of some type of physical trauma; however, have you ever considered that we additionally build up emotional, psychological, and even spiritual trauma? These traumas can create scar tissue in the fascia, which accrues throughout our lives.

This scarring impairs the functioning of our internal immune and endocrine systems, which can lead to pain, incomplete healing, and even constrained thought patterns. The good news? It’s possible to breakdown and even eliminate fascial scar tissue, thus facilitating incredible, and permanent, gains in pain relief, injury recovery, athletic performance, and physiological and mental functioning — even improving upon pre-trauma levels.

I’ve experienced it firsthand. And so have the kings, princes, CEO’s, celebrities, Olympic athletes and other folk who have walked through Cooley’s doors, seeking a different solution to their physical limitations, addictions, viral afflictions, artistic blocks and more. Recently, even Oprah joined his legion of devout followers (you can read more in the January 2016 issue of Oprah Magazine and Oprah.com).

What makes Cooley an expert? Years of on-the-job training, being his own guinea pig.

When faced with the limitations of traditional therapies following a brutal accident as a young man, he was forced to find his own solutions to repairing his shattered body. He astonishingly survived after being struck on foot by a car traveling 70 mph, but was left with a decades-long quest to restore his physical, psychological and spiritual health. And while he eventually achieved a high level of fitness, his body was not fully functioning until he stumbled upon the concept of Resistance Flexibility (RF).

While I won’t pretend to properly convey the nuances of RF, the essence is this: When a muscle is being stretched under resistance, the muscle reflexively contracts and the fascia resists, re-orients itself, and scar tissue breaks down, to be later eliminated by the body’s lymphatic and vascular systems. The result is a deep, therapeutic stretching of the muscles and connected tissues, with improved flow of energy along the body’s meridians, increased flexibility, elimination of pain, and higher functioning of the brain — yes, it not only changes how you feel, but can shift how you think.

Bob will release Cooley’s Resistance Flexibility 1.0 on January 15th, 2016, wherein he explores his theories and techniques in detail. Further, he has studied the genetic origins of his findings, and has created an archetypal map of human biology, which he explains in a forthcoming book entitled The 16 Geniuses – Sixteen Personality Types 1.0 to be released March 30th, 2016.

As I enter the Boston Center, I am greeted by Cooley and a team of enthusiastic, youthful trainers. The vibe is more communal than I had envisioned — not only do the trainers methodically circulate among clients, the clients are occasionally called upon to help stretch one another. Organic, healthful foods emerge from the kitchen, Bob is wearing organic cotton, and the center itself has been eco-renovated. His building in Santa Barbara is the greenest in the city. These are the values he brings to his practice — mindfulness, self-respect, and environmental consciousness, clearly weaving them throughout the very tenets of his business.

I am treated to a few stretching sessions — by one, two, or at times three trainers at once.

When I finally stand, my body experiences a profound shift, after even a short session.

I stand taller, feel lighter — almost gravity-defying, and pesky pains that I have become so accustomed to on a daily basis, simply dissolve away. My mind feels open and alert. I see before me new possibilities on myriad levels.

Beside me lays one of Cooley’s regular clients, a world-renowned geneticist, who was thrown from an ATV and suffered a near-fatal fall down 15 feet of boulders. Three months later, completely defying the predictions of her medical community, she is slowly walking again — she attributes her recovery to the 4 years of prior RF work, which kept her body in optimal health, and the focused protocol the team has been administering since her accident.

There are no shortages of similar stories — and Cooley’s ambitions are nothing, if not audacious: He aims to create a sort of utopia where people can immerse in pure foods, unblocked thinking, and physical wholeness — and create lasting, healing impact for themselves and the world at large.

Though I have only experienced the tip of the iceberg, I can see what all the fuss is about. There is no wonder Dr. Northrup (and Oprah) are so excited about the transformative nature of this work. Bob Cooley is a man on a mission, and the vision of The Genius of Flexibility is spreading like wildfire — primarily because it works, while awakening a profoundly empowering concept: We can heal ourselves — often in spite of ourselves, and with a little help from others.

To learn more about Bob Cooley and Genius Flexibility, visit thegeniusofflexibility.com and also thebodyismedicine.com.

Watch the video below to learn more about Bob Cooley’s philosophy; at about 5 minutes, two elite trainers demonstrate some exercises you can do yourself:

You may also enjoy reading Bendable Body | True Flexibility Training for the Mind, Body and Soul, by Mara Peters

The post The Genius of Flexibility appeared first on BEST SELF.

Uncovering the connections between beliefs, personality archetypes and weight gain

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What if your beautiful trait of loving and nurturing others had you giving to the point of depletion? What if carving time out for yourself resulted in feeling painfully guilty? What if these behaviors lead to storing body fat everywhere, particularly on your upper arms and thighs?

What if your admired quality of getting things done had you doing until the point of depletion? What if your life was so full that you didn’t have space for restorative downtime or even ten minutes of daily meditation? What if these behaviors led to that belly fat making you feel depressed and irritable?

Have you ever contemplated a connection between the two — that what you consume literally and emotionally manifests itself physically?

After working with over 1,000 women, this is what I have observed:

Behind a woman’s (or any person’s) behavior lies a subconscious belief in value.

In these two examples, the belief is “I am valued if I care for you” and “I am valued if I achieve things.” But the converse is also true: “I am less valuable if I can’t care for you” and “I am less valuable if I don’t achieve things.” While these may not be intellectual truths, the subconscious believes them and can have you giving and doing until you hit rock bottom.

These scenarios represent two of my female archetypes, the Nurturer and Wonder Woman. Archetypes are models for describing certain characteristics such as your personality traits; I often incorporate them into my work as tools for uncovering the underlying belief system. Ask the Nurturer not to give, and she’ll feel like you’re asphyxiating her. Ask the Wonder Woman not to finish something (perfectly), and she’ll smugly justify why you’re not as successful as she is.

But it all comes at a cost — a cost both to emotional health and physical well-being, including how fat is stored. The connection goes like this:

Our thoughts (conscious and subconscious) alter our behaviors and our food choices. And what we eat directly impacts our hormones, which directs where body fat is stored and changes the shape of our physique.

I’ll use my client Lee, a Wonder Woman, as the first example. Lee is perturbed by her belly fat. She feels confident when it comes to her business, but she’s disappointed in her appearance. During the workday her mind is wired, and she is too busy to nourish her body appropriately. She’s been forgetting things lately, and this has scared her more than her belly fat. By the time Lee gets home from work, she’s exhausted. She can’t imagine an evening without a glass of red wine. It’s her solace, her reward, her chill tonic. Every day she promises to eat better, but she finds herself mindlessly eating her children’s leftovers and finishing her husband’s pasta. Lee can’t sleep, so she’s on the Internet searching for diets to lose that belly fat. She crawls into bed at 1:00 am with the alarm set for 6:00 am and the intent of getting to the gym but she rarely does.

Lee’s cortisol levels (cortisol is the body’s long-term stress hormone) are nonexistent. Cortisol should be elevated in the morning to help you get up and out and then gradually tapper off throughout the day so you can get to sleep at night. Lee’s levels are low in the morning, remain low throughout the day, and then in the evening, they slightly elevate, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.

Excess cortisol directs the storage of fat to the belly (some of you may know this from late-night infomercials touting belly fat-reducing supplements). When cortisol is depleted, not only do you retain belly fat from the previously high levels, but the low levels make it extremely difficult to lose fat from that area. Aargh!

Lee needs to regulate her cortisol levels by eating regularly throughout the day (skipping meals is a physical stressor) and removing foods like gluten and dairy, which can indirectly disturb her cortisol levels. But she also needs to reinterpret how she values herself, as a dramatic lifestyle shift is required to restore her adrenal function… and decrease her belly fat. Once she disassociates her worth from her professional success (because she herself is so much more valuable than her achievements), then these changes will be significantly easier to implement. I gave Lee the goal (because Wonder Women like goals) of being a complete woman instead — to be balanced in her professional and intimate life, as well as creating a healthy relationship with herself. It took her six months to do this. Not only did the belly fat disappear, but she created a much more loving and deep relationship with her husband, children, and herself.

The Nurturer has a different body shape. She stores fat everywhere, particularly on her upper arms and upper thighs.

My client Laura is a Nurturer. Laura is 47 years old and the mother of two teenage girls. She often feels unsupported even though she’s been with her husband for 25 years. She feels like she is the sole caregiver and that her daughters take advantage of her kind and generous nature. She doesn’t want to upset them so she says yes to everything. This carries over into her eating habits. She feels as though it would be offensive to say no to food being offered, so she always says yes, even though she’s been on a diet for 20 years. She’s 50 pounds overweight, tired, and has no libido. She blames it on age and believes she’s going through menopause. She eats bread and cookies to numb the frustration she feels in her relationships.

Laura’s secret eating habit is comforting herself with carb-heavy meals. These food choices lead to glucose and insulin spikes. Imbalanced insulin causes fat to be stored all over the body so that the Nurturer often feels like she’s wearing a fat suit. Insulin also makes more estrogen freely available and excess estrogen causes fat accumulation on the upper thighs. While there isn’t enough scientific research to connect a specific hormone to upper arm fat, I believe that the Nurturer stores fat there so she has arms large enough to carry the weight of her world.

To reshape her body, I asked Laura to increase her cruciferous vegetable intake, including foods such as kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, as these foods increase the clearance of estrogen and insulin from the body. I also removed starchy carbohydrates from her diet for four weeks. Within that month, she lost 10 pounds. To get rid of her upper arm fat, I asked her to balance her emotional giving and receiving equally. As much as she gives, she needs to receive. I suggested removing the phrase “No, I can do it, I don’t want to bother you” from her vocabulary and instead respond with “yes” when somebody offered her something she wanted. I asked her to practice this for six months. When she was frustrated, I suggested she pause and find some non-food activities to nourish herself, such as reading, dreaming, journaling, or connecting with friends. Laura and I delved into her childhood to identify the experiences in which she received attention for her loving, which created the imprint of love equals worth. As she released and reinterpreted this, her weight, energy, and libido all rebalanced themselves with a much happier Laura. This wasn’t a quick process, but it profoundly shifted Laura’s life, and today she is a much more peaceful and graceful woman.

Examine yourself and ask, where are you storing body fat? How are you valuing yourself? What can you do to reinterpret your worth? What can you learn from the Wonder Woman and Nurturer?

Foodcoachnyc.com

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Fuel Your Body, Fuel Your Passion through  Simple Green Smoothies

Once upon a time, I was sitting on a park bench in California. Next to me was a woman named Jadah, and we were laughing and chatting with our mamas’ group about our kids and the challenges of being new moms. Little did I know, seven years later, Jadah would have become my awesome other half on our quest to create a global, wellness-lovin’ movement called Simple Green Smoothies.

Now, three years of heart + hustle, over a million rawkstar smoothie drinkers, three programs, and one beautiful book later…here we are. I’m glowing with grateful disbelief that this is what our one tiny habit turned into. With Jadah’s marketing skills, my ninja design skills, and our mutual passion for building community, we were able to create a global movement of green smoothie rawkstars. It’s been pretty amazing! Who knew that one sip of a green smoothie could transform our bodies and our lives so much? In two years, we built a dream business in our pajamas…with our kids by our sides! It’s been pretty wild and crazy…and definitely a journey filled with faith and adventure. What it comes down to is this: if you fuel your body, you can fuel your passion.

Are Jadah and I perfect icons of health? No way! We pig out on pizza every trip we take to New York City. We still have mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner. And we’ll still skip a workout to sleep in an extra hour. Wellness is a journey, never a destination, and we’re embracing every imperfect step.

Watch the book trailer as Jen and Jadah surprise folks with their smoothies:

Get more tasty green smoothie recipes at simplegreensmoothies.com

The post Simple Green Smoothies appeared first on BEST SELF.

A delicious, incredibly simple green smoothie recipe

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Enjoy this tropical treat full of iron, potassium, and vitamin C galore. This green smoothie is likely to make your tastebuds crave seconds!

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped mango (recommend frozen)
• 1 cup chopped pineapple (recommend frozen)
• 2 bananas

Directions

1. Blend the spinach and water until smooth.
2. Add the mango, pineapple, and bananas and blend again.

Get more inspiration at simplegreensmoothies.com

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Chocolate bark with nuts, seeds, and orange chips… delicious

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Chocolate bark is a lovely edible gift for friends, neighbors, and coworkers, so go ahead and make several batches. Be sure to store your bark in a controlled environment to avoid a sticky situation.

Yield: About 10 3” pieces

Ingredients

• 1 thin-skinned orange
• ¾ cup shelled pistachios, toasted, cooled, and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, cooled, skinned, and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cardamom pod, ground finely and sifted
• 12 ounces dark tempered chocolate (65% cacao content)
• 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt

Special equipment:
Candy thermometer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 150F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thinly slice orange widthwise and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 2-3 hours until dry, but slightly sticky. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. When cool enough to handle, break orange slices into shards; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, toss together nuts, seeds, and orange zest to thoroughly combine. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler until it reaches 88-90°F and pour over nut mixture to coat completely.
6. When chocolate is semi-cool but still tacky, sprinkle surface with sea salt and orange shards.
7. Place in a cool area of your kitchen or refrigerate until bark cools completely, and break up into bite-size pieces.

Plan ahead

Orange chips can be made up to several days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

This recipe by Chef Celine Beitchman was originally published in Natural Gourmet Institute’s “Healthier Holiday Desserts” e-cookbook.

NaturalGourmetInstitute.com

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Delicious, buttery, vegan cookies

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These cookies are so buttery and flaky, your friends may not believe they are vegan. We recommend making several batches because these go fast.

Yield: 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
• ¼ cup ice water, or more if needed

Directions