TURMERIC “THE GOLDEN SPICE OF LIFE”

6 ways it can heal your body

I thought I would take some time to post information on spices and how beneficial they are to our health.  Our food truly can be our medicine when we cook with spices.  Cooking with them without a recipe can be a little scary but it can also be very fun and get your creative juices flowing.  This is the first spice I am going to talk about because I really love it.  I put it in soups, stir fry, scrambled eggs, salad dressings ... the list can go on.  The recipe I talk about here is so comforting in winter time and a nice alternative to hot chocolate.  I make the "Golden Milk" with a little bit of cinnamon as well.  It is so yummy and warming to the soul.  I buy my spices at Penzy's because of the great quality and they are local to WI and family owned.  My son went to school with the twin daughters of one of the owners. http://www.penzeys.com/

Please post your uses for Turmeric!!

The problem with turmeric’s active ingredient curcumin is that it has a hard time getting past the stomach and into the small intestines where it can be absorbed into the blood.

OPTIMIZING TURMERIC (CURCUMIN) ABSORPTION

Here is a convenient method of making “Golden Milk:”  Take a quarter cup of high quality, certified or organic turmeric powder mixed in a half cup of pure water and simmer for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly to form a slightly moist, thick paste.

Let it cool and put it into a glass jar.  It can keep for weeks in the refrigerator.  To consume a dose, dissolve a small portion of the turmeric paste in a bit of warm milk (can be soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk) or coconut oil.  Add some pepper to take advantage of piperine’s nutrient absorbing properties.

6 TURMERIC (CURCUMIN) BENEFITS

1.     Eases Arthritic Pain

It has been clinically proven to ease arthritic pain and promote increased flexibility in many studies.  It’s comparable to large doses of ibuprofen (800 md daily) without side-effects while actually delivering other health benefits.

2.     Prevents Cirrhosis

It slows or delays liver damage that could develop into cirrhosis.

3.     Reverses Alzheimer’s Disease

It slows and helps reverse the onset of Alzheimer’s disease as sumptoms develop.  It also helps eliminate cognitive decline normally attributed to “old age.”

4.     Aids Digestion

It aids digestion, the root of good or bad health.  It has been used successfully to ease the agony and help heal inflammatory bowel disease.

5.     Prevents Cancer

Mixed with the appropriate veggies for specific cancer types, it helps fight cancer cells and prevents them from metastasizing.  It reduces carcinogenic heterocyclic amines that are formed when meat is cooked by up to 40 percent.

6.     Powerful Antioxidant

It is a potent antioxidant that helps promote heart health, memory, and boost the immune system.  It has the potential to deliver more antioxidants then even vitamins E and C.  Amazingly, it can deliver even more antioxidant power than grape seed or pine bark extracts.  It’s strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical considered the most reactive oxidant.

Information taken from www.hungryforchange.tv

Easy healthy comfort food ...

SPICY AFRICAN STEW

Here is a great recipe from Vegetarian Times that I modified a smidge ...

6 small potatoes (I used Earthbound Organic Ruby Crescent Heirloom potatoes - got them at Good Harvest in Waukesha)

3 carrots, sliced

1 cup green beans (I used frozen since they are not in season right now)

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp fresh ginger root

6 green onions cut diagonally into 2 in lengths

1 bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in pieces

1 jalapeno pepper (if want less heat only use 1/2 jalapeno)

1 green cabbage wedge

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with salted water to cover.  Bring to boil and cook until the potatoes are almost tender.  Add the carrots and beans; boil 5 min.  Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, heat oil and cook the garlic, ginger, green onions and peppers, stirring.  Gently mix in the potatoes, carrots and beans.  Top with the cabbage for a few min, being careful not to overcook the vegetables.

Super simple and tastes wonderful on a cold winter night.  Leftovers are even better!

Enjoy!

Tips for Healthy Digestion during the Holidays

Digesting fats for the holidays...

Sour taste increases bile production from the liver.  Bile breaks up fat into little tiny bits that are easier to digest.  By flushing bile, sour taste assists the liver in detoxifying the blood.  So what are some sour foods we can add during the holidays?  How about creating a chutney with cranberries, apples and pineapple.  For an added bonus you can ferment these with the whey from straining plain yogurt.  I'm not a huge fan of cranberries but I love this combo.  I use pink lady apples and coconut sugar.  Here is a link to the recipe. 

http://realfoodlittlerock.blogspot.com/2011/12/lacto-fermented-cranberry-chutney.html

Stimulate digestion...

Ginger stimulates digestion by speeding up movement of the food from the stomach to the small intestine.

Peel and slice a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger

Add to 3 cups of boiling water

Brew for 5 minutes, strain and sip the tea slowly

Alleviate digestive distress...

Lemon activates the liver to release toxins and helps to move roughage that stays behind in the intestines.

Mix half of a juice lemon with 8 oz of warm water.  Drink upon waking on an empty stomach.

Natural digestive enzymes...

Pineapples contain the digestive enzyme bromelain, and papayas contain papain.

Create juice from these fruits in either a juicer or vita-mix.  They will help to relieve gas, upset stomach, and the occasional constipation and diarrhea.

Reduce bloating...

Caffiene free herbal teas can reduce uncomfortable bloating.  These are some of my favorites...

Peppermint - dissipates gas and relieve indigestion

Chamomile - anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic

Lemon Grass - soothes digestive system and calms the nerves

Kripalu last day...

Well I'm officially a Yoga Therapist enjoying my last day here.  I took my last meditation walk this morning.  Here are some pictures and a translation of Patanjali yoga sutra 1.51

I go again to that place perched high above the sea to look out on the vast blue life that stretches out before me, where waves of who lenses unfold to soothe and nurture the deep ocean of my soul.

Up here, the wind carries away all words, life is softened in the sound of the surf, beliefs dissolve in the sea's embrace, and in the sun's warm caress, thoughts are erased.

This view is ever new yet always old, for it holds a drop from every sea I've ever known ; those waves that wash the world dust from my soul, leaving calm pools where freedom slowly unfolds.

I used to come here with the crowd of thoughts of all the things I'd hoped for, loved, or lost, but now, they've grown tired and gone home, leaving me to sacred silence of my soul.

Things to come and past mistakes still creep up to this rocky place, but I can let them come and go, they have their place; but now they wait, while I embrace this single sunlit day.

For I've harvested the seeds of bad and good, and eaten their sweet and bitter fruit, but now the karmic bank account is almost closed for lack of use and the owner has left alone on a pilgrimage of truth.

It may have taken me a thousand lives to reach this place, but now there's no way back, the Holy Spirit has eaten the crumbs that marked my way, and the only path ahead leads to my own true face.

Look! Down below, two whales are playing; I wonder how instinct could ever explain their joy of soaring without a care to feel the breeze, the crash into the sea, to reemerge and wave their tales in the air.

My spirit joins them in their joy, becoming one with natures glory, uniting all that's been, is and will ever be in a single moment of timeless ecstasy.

And as they play my world awakes to the horizon's infinite round embrace, joining all the points in time and space, where the seer, the seeing and the seen unite in the light of divine grace.

For here all meditation ends, and the levels of samadhi bring me back to where I began, but with nothing left to loose or win, only my soul softly singing to the wind.

Now a single drop perched in fear from a leaf high above, surrenders into life's ever flowing stream of love, to join the greater river of clear seeing, and dissolve into the ocean of pure being.

Finally, even this is erased, leaving everything perfectly in place ... The sacred earth, the endless sea, the infinite sky, this perfect day, and down below, two whales playing.

Mindfulness ....

I have been taking walks the past few days taking pictures along the way.  My artist eyes are coming back after being asleep for a few years.  I see amazing beauty and want to capture it and share it with others.  This may inspire me to paint with joy again.  The solitude I am finding in my walks here at Kripalu has helped me to practice being more mindful in my daily activities.  This is what we all strive for in yoga as well...to mindfully enter a pose, sit with it and feel it.  Feel the muscles stretch, feel your breath expand and fill your lungs, lengthening your spine and allowing the energy to flow freely to all parts of your body.  When I am mindful it brings me into the present moment so that I can fully experience it.  Here are some pictures I took on my mindful meditation walks.  I hope you enjoy!

What do you need to let go of...

I've completed module one of my yoga therapy training.  I have learned so much and can share and help everyone even more now.  My time here has also uncovered some baggage from my past that is not serving me that I need to let go of.  I am becoming the woman who owns a healing center and shares her gifts with others and this baggage can't go with me.  I was born deaf in one ear and have nerve deafness in the other.  Because of this I don't hear things, I feel left out and very different.  I've been trying to fit in my whole life, trying to be someone I'm not.  I thought I had gotten over that but it became apparent during the past two weeks that I have not.  I talked about this with my coach and mentor Kate.  We decided that I would write this out on a rock and release it in the labyrinth here at Kripalu by the Buddha statue.  So I started my walk looking for just the right rock.  On the way I found two.  On one I wrote out what I need to let go of "fitting in" and on the other I wrote an intention "I fully accept and love myself.  I am special and unique and I will bring great gifts to the world."  I placed the intention rock at Swami Kripalu meditation garden.  It is a beautiful round path in the woods.  The path is in an oval shape with rocks marking it and benches dedicated in people's memories.  I took the second rock, walked the labyrinth and left the other rock with Buddha at the larbyrinth.  On my walk I also found a part of a tree branch perfectly shaped like a boomerang.  It symbolizes to what we give out in life we get back.  I am going to paint it and date it for today and where I was.  It will be placed in my yoga studio as a reminder to always act mindfully.  I also picked these flowers on my way back from the labyrinth.  My room mate and I need some color in our room.

Hope you enjoyed the post ... Namaste!

Week one flew by...

It's the end of week one already.  This is an amazing place.  The scenery is beautiful.  Every morning I get to wake up and see a lake surrounded by mountains.  I start each day with a morning yoga routine and then it's off to silent breakfast indoors or enjoying conversation while eating outdoors.  We have people from all over in class: Australia, England, France, Canada and of course all across the US.  There are 4 teachers from WI.  After breakfast we have class lectures till 12:00pm and then or only break for the day till 2pm.  I try to sneak in another yoga class.  I learn so much from watching the teachers here.  It's almost 11:00pm so need to get some sleep.  Miss everyone ... Enjoy the picture!

Lake and Kripalu main building

Lake view outside main building at Kripalu

Getting ready to travel to Kripalu for Yoga Therapy Teacher training...

I am off to Kripalu in a few days and I wanted to bring you all along on my journey.  So, I decided what better way to do it than start a blog!   So here is my first post.  How do you pack for being gone an entire month?  Hmmm ... I only need yoga clothes so those can all be rolled and made compact.  Can you tell I'm only just starting to think about what I need to bring ... yikes.  I know it will all come together :).  I am so excited about beginning this journey because I know that it will be life changing and I am ready for it.  The more I read about this place the more amazed I am.  I think I would like to plan a retreat there every year, but bring friends and students with me.  So check out the links below and think about whether you'd like to join me next year for some R&R and personal growth.

Kripalu R&R Retreats

Discover Kripalu video