FOOD
Love in Food : Conscious Food Prep Matters
This is a Birthday Cake Jai Gopal made for me one year.

Food made with love tastes better and is better for you. I feel like this is the most obvious yet least acknowledged fact. We know it is true but we don’t know how it actually works, so it gets overlooked. “Love is the secret ingredient” is an anecdote we might see written in swirly letters on a new age cereal box or as a cute addition to a recipe write up. The irony is that it is so true. It is an open secret. We aren’t taught about this in a serious way and I feel like this is our loss. The intention with which food is prepared is just as important as where it comes from and what it is made of.  Let’s explore why this is.

Quantum theory states that the act of observation affects the observed. I’m thinking of that as I try to find the best way to describe the relationship between the cook and the food. Obviously the cook is transforming the food by chopping, mixing, heating etc. but food contains more than its physical components- the vitamins, minerals, protein etc. The subtle energy we call prana that is running through every living thing is also something that is ideally in our food. I say ‘ideally’ because often prana is not in food anymore. Overly processed packaged foods don’t have prana. It is the prana in food that nourishes all of our other energy bodies (11 bodies total!) . Fresh foods in general have more prana than cooked, canned and processed foods. But the energy of the cook can add prana to ANY food by the consciousness that is given to the food preparation.

A cooks energy field as a whole has a tremendous influence on the pranic energy contained in the food they prepare. A human can have an aura that reaches 9 feet in every direction. So the food that is being handled by the cook is IN THEIR AURIC FIELD.  The cook can add love to the food simply by thinking loving thoughts while preparing a dish. One can also use a mantra and chant it silently or out loud while preparing the food. Playing mantras in the kitchen also works. Practicing mindfulness by being aware of the breath and all the sensations while cooking can make the whole experience of food prep a meditation. If we enjoy the process of cooking chances are we are adding love without even realizing it! It isn’t complicated. Just the intention to add love works.

This subject makes me think about the awareness that restaurant workers bring to their jobs – and how , if you pay attention, you can taste and feel it! The fact is that many people that work in restaurants are underpaid and under-appreciated and that has a definite impact on the food they make. The vibe of a restaurant is just as important to me as the “fresh, local, organic” ingredients. I would rather eat something made with average ingredients prepared with devotion and love than something made with exceptional ingredients but prepared with anger and indifference. If you search your memory banks I am betting you can come up with an example or two of both scenarios!

So, moral of the story! Put love in the food you eat and prepare for others! Get intentional about it and see what happens. My guess is that you will enjoy it more and feel healthier after you eat it. It’s easy, free, powerful and delicious!

My next post on this subject is going to be about the power of “blessing” food before you eat it. Another simple practice that can transform food and your relationship to it.

 

FOOD
Bread Love

bread is awesome

 

I feel like defending bread for a minute , or at least looking at the cons – and PROS , of the subject. Wheat and gluten has gotten a bad rap lately and I know there is a lot of truth to the hype. Maybe I am just an addict (I LOVE BREAD!) but I do think there is some legit reasons to question this anti-bread message being broadcasted so loudly everywhere right now.

I am in the discovery stages of this subject.. I am learning as much as I can and I invite your input !

This is what I’ve found so far:

Nay:

Wheat Belly : “After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic — and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat” — and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.”

Dr Mark Hyman’s take: “This is not the wheat your great-grandmother used to bake her bread. It is FrankenWheat — a scientifically engineered food product developed in the last 50 years.”

Living with Phytic Acid : the Weston Price take on the subject. Kind of depressing.. but very solution oriented..

Yay:

Sourdough Bread and Health :  ONE OF THE BEST ARTICLES ON BREAD I’VE EVER READ. “Most of us do not know that before the 1950’s most bakeries ran 2 shifts of workers because the dough was fermented throughout the night with a long and slow natural fermentation process. The very first things corporate bakers did to increase profits was to introduce the fast loaf (3 hours from start to finish), effectively eliminating the need for this second shift of workers. This seemingly innocuous cost-cutting decision would prove to have an incredible impact on our health as have a host of commercial processes in the food and agricultural areas. ”

Top Ten Reasons to Eat Real Sourdough Bread : Really informative article listing why sourdough is good for you even if you are gluten intolerant.

Five Reasons to make Sourdough your only Bread : “Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. However, the lactobacillus is much greater in proportion to the yeast.  In comparison with yeast-based breads, sourdough produces a distinctively tangy or sour taste, mainly because of the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli.” 

I Don’t Taste Any Difference : A great article on why we need fresh local wheat

Phytic Acid Solutions : an interesting thread full of ideas

Phytic Acid – Friend or Foe : I didn’t read the whole thing but I like this. An intelligent biblical/science/historical/baker’s viewpoint on the matter.

Sourdough 101  : All about it and how to make it – Looks easy!

 

So, YAYAYAYAYAYYYYYYYYYYYYY. Also, sourdough is clearly where it’s at. I think I’m going to only eat sourdough from now on. Also we need to actively seek out ancient wheat varieties. I think this sounds way better than just banishing bread forever, don’t you?

Also if you are in the Los Angeles area and want to taste some REAL SOURDOUGH bread check out my friend Rose’s amazing bakery Red Bread ! They just opened last year in Culver City and sell on Wednesdays at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. I highly recommend..

Signed,

Bread Lover

HEALTH
10 ways to Kill a Cold

bed

I believe a good offense is the best defense when it comes to colds and flus. The first sign that you are getting sick is a cue to bring out the bag of health tricks and get down! If you get out of denial and take the first signs seriously, then you can dramatically reduce the time that you feel bad, and maybe even avoid getting a full blown cold in the first place.

1. Hydrate

Drink good water and make yogi tea. Or drink any kind of herbal tea that you like. ..or hot water with lemon and honey .. just have something hydrating in your hands at all times. The idea here is that you body wants to get rid of whatever it is thats making you feel lousy, and the fluids are helping you to flush it out.

2. The obvious remedies: Vit C, Zinc + Echinacea

There is a reason these are the go-to natural cold remedies. The trick is that you have to actually obtain and ingest them to get results. Honestly I would take all 3 every hour when you feel something coming on. Read the instructions on the label of course but my advice is to be heavy handed and consistent! Just do itttt.

3. Clean your nose + throat!

Ok getting into the less culturally obvious but clearly the most practically obvious idea on this list. If you may be developing an issue in the nose and/or throat, then get in there and manually CLEAN that sh*t out!

For the throat:

Gargle with warm salt water. Fill a mug with warm water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and mix. Gargle until you finish the cup. Repeat at least twice a day till you feel better.

For the nose / sinus areas:

Neti Pot! The best invention ever, thanks ancient India ! This used to be a fringe activity here in the west, but thanks to Oprah (I think) you can now buy a plastic neti pot at any drug store. Just get one. Get over the weird thought of running warm salty water through your nose and do it. You will be physically removing the problems that are brewing there, which will dramatically cut back the time it takes to feel healthy again. If you do it early enough in the cold progression you can prevent getting all stuffed up and then the subsequent coughing / chest cold  phase. Do it do it do it.

4. Probiotics

Have you noticed that a cold usually starts after you get an upset stomach – maybe you ate too much – or something that didn’t agree with you? I have noticed that to be true over the years. Some times the upset stomach happens because of emotional reasons. Anger and fear can cause real physical symptoms some times. What does this have to do with probiotics? Well science is now realizing that the gut is actually a “second brain” and the health of your gut effects the health of  your mind and body. When you pump up the probiotics you are giving your body more of what it needs to process food and nutrients effectively, which then gives your brain and body the fuel it needs to get and stay healthy.

5. Slightly more exotic health powerhouses

Use according to the directions on the product. All of these are non – toxic as far as I know – meaning it is impossible to OD on them. So dose up!

Grapefruit seed extract (a freakishly super sour all purpose health wonder product!)

Elderberry Syrup (really works well to prevent getting a cough. bonus – it truly tastes great! )

Oregano Oil (super potent stuff!)

Colloidal Silver ( I started using this after several doctors recommended it. I am still trying to understand how it works. My amazing blood Dr says to take every hour when you are feeling sick and a probiotic pill every half hour. I tried this and it works)

6. Healing foods

Make a big pot of mung beans and rice  and eat a mono diet till you feel better. If you are not a vegetarian, make chicken soup from scratch and eat a lot of it. They don’t call is Jewish Penicillin for nothing. Obtain and eat whatever simple, easy to digest healthy foods you know and love. And add garlic, lots of garlic. In fact, it is a good idea to crush or finely chop a large clove and eat that inside a spoon of honey (or peanut butter). If all else fails, that raw garlic will cure what ails you I promise. Just don’t kiss or talk close to anyone for a while, unless you can get them to party on some garlic with you too.

7. Detox Bath

Run a bath and dump a few cups of Epsom Salts and/or regular salts in there. We even use kosher salt some times but sea salts are the best of course. If your water is from a municipal source ( if you get your water from a city or town vs a well ) and you don’t have a filter for the bath faucet, then dump in a cup of baking powder or some clay to neutralize the chlorine and chemicals. Add some pure essential oils if you have them – lavender, eucalyptus and rose oil are my favorites. Light a candle and soak there for at least 20 minutes. Just relax as much as possible. Your skin will release toxins through every pore. If you are going to use soap/ wash you hair, do so after while rinsing off in a shower, because your super open pores will soak up anything thats in your soap products. This is actually a good tip for any time ( and a reason to search out the simplest and most natural body products you can find!) but especially important for when you are trying to give your body a rest.

8. The truly weird : Zappers

Ok so I may get some sideways looks for this one but hear me out. When I first heard of zappers  many years ago I thought they sounded like a load of crap. I kept reading and hearing about them for years so I eventually got curious. A zapper is simple battery powered device that when worn next to the skin, allows a very low frequency of electricity to go through the body and in to the blood stream where it works to safely deactivate bacteria, viruses and parasites. Sounds kind of hokey and too good to be true, right? Well after my doctor recommended it to me I started to pay attention. Then I heard Don Croft, the inventor of the next level zapper ( called The Terminator! ), say that the 10 dollar zapper on tendollarzapper.com worked just as good as his $150 one. That got me real curious. So I purchased a 10 dollar zapper. I’ve been using it for about a month, as needed. I still have some questions but in my experience it works. Like anything though, you actually have to remember to use it! Learn more here — a little warning though – you are stepping into weird cutting edge fringe health nerd land with this one..

9. Rest

This one should probably be number one on the list but I know you don’t want to hear it, so I put it at the bottom. Seriously though. REST. Just.. do what you have to do and then stop. STOP.. get in the bed, turn on the netflix fireplace, and just veg out. It is better to rest now while you have some strength left. You can get well much quicker this way. When you keep going and run your self in to the ground even more .. thats when it can get real bad and you can really hurt yourself.  Take it from me. You end up wasting time too because it inevitably takes much longer to get your health back.  So.. you know what to do. Turn off the ringer, shut the door and get cozy.

10. Understanding the meaning

In my own path towards health, I am realizing that all illness exists to bring insight, if you want it. Where the discomfort is located in your body can give a good starting place towards figuring what this means for you. For example, I have been having throat issues for the last few weeks, off and on. I think that the real reason I am experiencing this is beyond the physical. I think it has to do with expressing myself on this here blog! Since the throat chakra is related to teaching and self expression of all kinds, it makes sense that this area would be acting up at the very time I am choosing to face my fears and just write! So hopefully that gives you an idea of what I mean. You can listen deeply and hear what your body is trying to tell you. The more you open up to this wisdom and arrange your life accordingly, the happier and healthier you can be.

.________________________________________.

If you have any other healthy cold beating tips please let us know in the comments!

To your health!

🙂

HEALTH
Cleansing : Addition before Subtraction

green fresh living foods

I’ve been “cleansing” on an off for 8 + years. I’ve had a lot of mysterious health issues that doctors don’t really know how to fix, so I’ve been on a journey to learn how to heal myself. I’ve always hoped that some day I could share what I’ve learned so it could make someone else’s journey a bit easier. Writing this blog is a big step for me in this direction. Hopefully some of what you find here will be useful.

I had a friend write me recently asking my advice on detoxing/ cleansing. I’m no expert but I guess I’ve posted enough on facebook about all the weird health trips I’ve been on to be perceived as someone to ask.. Anyhow. It got me thinking about the best ways to cleanse , especially in the colder months. The key thing I’ve learned over the years is this: it takes energy and nutrients for the body to do the work of letting toxins go. When you are depleted, you need to fortify your self with healing , easy to digest foods and liquids before you think about doing deeper cleansing protocols like fasts and flushes (liver/kidney etc).

You need to add before you can safely and efficiently subtract. You can really do more harm than good, and weaken your self, if you jump right into heavy detox mode (water/ juice fasting for example) before your body is ready. So what would be a healthy and nourishing way to build your health? I have a few ideas to recommend that are universally beneficial and that have helped me a lot over the years.

1. Kitcheree 

Kitcheree (aka Mung Beans and Rice)  is an Ayurvedic dish made from mung beans, rice, vegetables and spices that dates back thousands of years. It is known to be balancing and beneficial to all three doshas (all body types) . It is also delicious. There is something so comforting and nourishing about this food. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like it, and it keeps well so you can literally make a pot of it and be well fed for days. My husband makes the best I’ve ever had and he published his recipe here on his blog. Have a look at his recipe and then read my notes below if you want some more tips to make it even easier to make.

Mung beans and rice is a staple at our house. We eat at least one batch per week but some times we eat it a mono diet. This means mung beans and rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When we do this we also usually have steamed vegetables and homemade yogurt on the side. This is a super healthy and easy way to gently re-set your digestive and glandular systems. The dish is considered to be “pre digested” because its so well cooked, and the ingredients are so health giving to begin with. When you eat it, your body does not have to work very hard to assimilate the nutrients. The less energy your body needs to use to digest your food, the more energy it has to repair and detox itself. It is also my understanding that when you consistently give your body everything it needs then it can balance out your gland secretions, which then gives all your body systems a reset. Sounds great right? All I know is that I feel real good when I eat it – it truly is a nourishing situation that you can easily add to your routine.

* I would only make a few small suggestions to his recipe, that makes it even easier to prepare. You can skip making the masala mixture separately, and literally throw it all in the pot together. If you do it this way, skip adding the ghee or coconut oil till the very end. You do want to let the mung beans cook first – let them get soft and kind of “open up”- and then you can add all the vegetables and spices in the pot, raw. Also add the salt at that time, not before. Cook for a while, let the vegetables get soft, then add the rice, cook about 5 – 10 more minutes and then shut off the heat and let sit with the top on for at least 10 or so minutes. And for a super delicious finish, add the juice of one lemon to the pot before you eat it. YUM. The lemon brightens the flavors and allows you to use less salt, if you want.

2. Probiotics

Add living , cultured foods into your diet. Your gut is alive with all kinds of bacteria – good and bad. When your intestines have plenty of good bacteria then it allows your body to easily digest and use all the nutrients in the food! When your body can properly digest food, you will be balancing any deficiencies you may not even know you had. Some times you can eat plenty of iron rich food, for example, and still be very anemic, because your body simply can not break down the food into the forms it needs to access the nutrients. That’s how it’s possible to be eating all the right things but still be feeling weak and unhealthy. When you heal your gut, you truly can start healing all the organs. True cleansing and detox can happen when the body has the support it needs from all the good food you are eating.

Eating cultured probiotic foods help your body grow more of the good kind of digestive bacteria and they are also delicious. Super cheap too if you make them yourself. You can buy raw sauerkraut and lacto-fermented pickles from health food stores too, but you will find them to be pretty pricey. We’ve been making our own for a few years now and it is EASY. Before we ever tried it though it seemed really intimidating. Check this post out for more info on making your own pickles!

IN ADDITION :

Take a good probiotic in pill form , as well. I have been recently learning about how there are thousands of kinds of good probiotics, but it is important to take the kinds that live in specific parts of the human body to get the best – or any – results. I’ve done a lot of research and its not too clear which brands contain the kinds that are native to the human body. The brand I am currently using is Renew Life . These are the best I’ve ever tried, giving the best results. It is important that the kind you take are in a capsule designed to resist stomach acid, because your stomach can kill all the good guys before they reach your intestines and then you wasted your money. This a big subject but for now, just know that all brands are not created equal . This is  also one product that I always buy at a health food store you trust, because how the product is handled is really important. Even if the pills are shelf stable, the good bugs will die if the bottles get too warm, and the worst part is that you would never know it!  Also, to really get results – take 50 – 100 billion CFU’s of probiotics daily. For a long time I thought that 5 Billion per pill sounded like plenty (we are talking billions after all!) , but the more I’ve been reading I am understanding that the body needs much more. Try one month of taking 10o billion CFU’s a day and see what happens. Worth every penny.

3. Super Greens

Eating plenty of green vegetables of all kinds will help everything and give you that unmistakable healthy glow. Steamed, raw, blended, sauteed and baked. Just find the kinds you like and eat as many of them as you like. Get them organic and from a farmers market if you can. The fresher the better. Eating green vegetables both fortifies you and gives the body a way to eliminate stuff it does not need. Toxins can leave better when your intestines have enough fiber, but there are many more subtle yet powerful chemical combinations that happen in your digestive system when you eat vegetables. For example, did you know your body can dump excess estrogen when you eat broccoli? I read that and was like wow! Our bodies naturally grow towards health and balance when you feed it the right stuff.

IN ADDITION:

Spirulina, Blue Green Algae, Chlorella , etc are all powerful ways to gently cleanse while also fortifying the body with nutrients. Try different kinds and find what you like. Personally I am not fond of the taste so I usually take them in pill or tablet form. Powders are usually cheaper though and you can disguise the taste ( somewhat) by adding them to other foods — like smoothies. Also – Having green superfoods as a part of your routine when you travel is especially smart because a lot of times its harder to eat a lot of green vegetables on the road.

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Well there is so much more to write on all three of these suggestions, but hopefully this is a good jump start. If you want to read more about the subject of using foods to cleanse, check out the Body Ecology Diet book, as well as Paul Pitchford’s classic tome, Healing with Whole Foods.

FOOD
I heart Hemp Hearts + Vegan Milkshakes (recipe)

cannabis sativa

A while back a friend suggested I try making milk with hemp seeds. Sounds weird right? I love milk and creamy foods and can’t drink straight cow milk due to a casein allergy, so we were talking about nut milk options. She was telling me how high in protein, iron and omega 3’s hemp is so I was curious..

So I took her advice and OMG. Best seed ever award! Light and nutty flavor! Superfood nutrition! I have been adding them to my morning shakes and they are creamy, delicious and filling. I also like using the hemp hearts instead of a protein powder because its a whole food. I will say I tried making fresh hemp milk for my morning tea which did not turn out as well.  The flavor wasn’t quite right with the tea, but I am telling you it is awesome in a shake. I did some research so I could convince you about how excellent they are and this is what I found:

Shelled hemp seeds (the “heart “of the seed) are:

– one of the best balanced sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids

–  extremely easy to digest and contain vitamins, chlorophyll, fiber, calcium and are rich in
folic acid.

– packed full of protein with 10 grams of plant-based protein per 30 gram serving size.

– they contain no phytic acid, the mineral-binding antinutrient common to most nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. This is extremely rare for a seed. It means hemp seeds require no soaking to get rid of phytate. (source: go here for more info)

So get some! They have upleveled my smoothie experience … I highly recommend! Buy on amazon for the best deals as hemp seeds can be way pricey at the health food store.

Try this recipe— one of my all time favorites:

The BEST + Super Simple (vegan!) Chocolate Banana Milkshake 

*all amounts approx

1 ripe banana (the brown spots = sweeter + more nutrition)

1-2 heaping teaspoons raw cacao powder (use can use reg unsweetened cocoa but raw is the BEST, for a million nutritional reasons)

3 Tablespoons raw hemp hearts

1 cup ( approx) high quality water ( filtered , well or spring water)

add some ice cubes if you want

blend up real good.

taste it.

if your bananas were not that ripe then you may want to add 1-4 drops liquid stevia for added sweetness

Bask in the glow of the truly healthy and delicious beverage you just created..

Enjoy!

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