Yoga Therapy to the Rescue

Improve your posture with just one thought.
You don’t think it’s possible, do you? A few years ago, before I started researching holistic healing model, I would’ve agreed with you. Read more

Pumkin and Carrot Curry

What spells fall more than carrots and pumpkins?

Plus, the bright orange color stirs up the creative energy of the second chakra and balances vata – the dosha most likely to be out of balance this time of year.

Win – win – win!

Here we go:

You’ll need about 1/2 cup of vegetable stock;

2 garlic cloves, chopped;

1 fresh chili pepper, seeded and chopped; I usually pulse garlic and peppers in the food processor together – quick and easy!

4 carrots;

1 cup of cubed pumpkin;

2 tbsp of veggie oil ( I use ghee);

2 green onions, finely chopped;

3 tbsp Thai Yellow Curry Paste;

1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk;

fresh basil (Thai, if you can find it);

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds;

Heat the oil in a large heavy pan; add garlic and chili and stir – fry for 2-3 minutes. Add Thai curry paste, and stir.

Add carrots and pumpkin, stir – fry for a 1 minute longer;

Add stock, bring to boil and simmer for 5 – 6 minutes ( or longer), until carrots and pumpkin are tender.

Stir in the coconut milk, green onions and basil; simmer for additional 2 – 3 minutes.

Serve hot, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy!

References:

Curries: 40 Authentic Curry Recipes From Around the World. Bath, UK: Parragon Publishing, 2006

Sitting Pretty

Are you spending a few hours a day at your desk? The way you sit has a lot to do with how you shoulders feel by the end of the day. Achy, tired, heavy shoulders, tension headaches and stiff neck have something to tell you about sitting posture.

Read more

Healthy Fall Greens

Canada food guide suggest eating at least two servings of dark leafy greens a day – the more, the better, they say. Is that really true for everybody? For every season?

It can be with few minor adjustments.

But let me start from the top…

In general, Ayurveda prefers lightly steamed or cooked vegetables to the raw ones. The reason is quite simple – they are much easier to digest; your body can extract more nutrients from these “pre-digested” foods, and metabolize them completely. Modern science agrees – very few of us, apparently, have the enzyme to break open the tough cellulose membrane of plant cells. Of course, the beauty of Ayurveda is that there’s no hard and fast rules

- depending on your dosha type ( pitta has the strongest digestion, for example);

– season (our digestive fire is burning brighter during summer);

- time of day ( lunch is the best time);

one can add raw leafy greens to the diet without feeling dissatisfied, chilled, or getting gas and bloating. If your digestion is even a little bit compromised, though, sauteing your greens is just a better way to go.

And bonus! you might experience less colds and flues this season just by making this simple switch ( learn why at Digestive Health workshop on November 5th).

So here is Savory Swiss Chard recipe from the Chopra Center Cookbook. Don’t despair if you don’t have the chard, I’ve used anything from spring greens, to spinach, kale, Napa cabbage and even dandelion greens – as long as it is somewhat green.

You’ll need:

1 tsp of ghee or olive oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch of black pepper

1/2 cup chopped leeks or onions

1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or tamari

8 cups of greens, washed, drained and torn

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp garam masala

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the mustard seeds and pepper. Now, watch carefully – you don’t want to make mustard gas! Just as soon as the seeds start popping, add the leeks and aminos. Add the greens, stirring often to enable even cooking, and cook until they begin to look slightly limp but maintain a vibrant color. Add the balsamic vinegar and garam masala and simmer for 2 minutes before serving. Add a little more aminos if the chard tastes bitter. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Learn more about doshas:

Cost: 4.95$

Join me for Digestive Health workshop on November 19th from 6 to 8 PM:

Determine your dosha type and current state of balance;

Stoke your digestive fire with yogic breathing;

Learn to eat for your dosha and the season;

Practice conscious eating and BITS – body intelligence tips;

Feel fabulous!

Cost 55$

Wednesday Recipe: Ginger Elixir

Here is a coveted recipe from the Chopra Center cookbook – to improve your digestion and elimination, and feel fabulous in general. Ginger Elixir is especially good after Thanksgiving, when you feel like you’ve eaten a whole turkey and all the trimmings.

1 cup purified water

3/4 cup raw organic honey

Juice of 4 to 6 lemons

Juice of 3 to 4 inch piece of ginger ( or 3 to 4 tbs of ready made ginger juice)

1/4 tsp of black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until blended. Store in glass jar in refrigerator.

Take one ounce of Ginger Elixir before lunch and dinner to kindle your digestive fire.

Enjoy!

Mind, Body and Health

Illness can flip our lives upside down and in a moment everything changes… a flood of questions washes away the tattered remnants of an orderly, pre-illness life. Can I trust this diagnosis? Do I need a second opinion? What options are best? How can I trust my body again? Read more

Best Carrot – Apple muffins ever

Ok, here goes my Wednesday recipe…

I was going to post this amazing and amazingly simple recipe for roast chicken my mom and I found about 30 years ago in some odd newspaper and have used it ever since for every family gathering without fail. Read more

Say Hello to Your Perfect Morning

I have to admit, this has been a difficult decision…

Last week my heart was set on writing about Italians and their art of arugula salad. But then, during my weekend in Jasper, I was served a cantaloupe – ginger soup for lunch and that’s where the trouble started. Read more

Real Russian Borsh

With the rainbow of fresh root vegetables at the farmer’s market, now is the perfect time for this soul warming, rib-sticking, just-like-my-Grandma used to make it recipe. You can use meat broth and add stewing beef together with the vegetables; vegetarian version is just as delicious! Read more

Spread the word, Share the love

A Few years ago I spent 8 months in Kazakhstan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea . Kids were little then, and the busyness and worries of everyday life have erased much detail of that time from my memory. However, the moment I stepped off of the plane and in to the pre-dawn darkness of the desert is one I’ll never forget. Read more

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