5 Simple Steps to Change Your Relationship with Food

Tropical Fruit

I've been talking a lot about food lately and one of the most powerful tools we have to deal with how we eat is our mind.
We all know willpower is not an innate trait. Can we train our mind to relate to food in a different more positive way? Absolutely!
How you ask? Mindfulness. What is mindfulness you ask? It is simply becoming aware of what we are doing. In this case, eating.
Here are five simple steps that will begin to change your relationship to food:

1. Sit for a moment before you eat with your eyes closed (even if it's a snack.)
2. Open your eyes and look at the food in front of you.
3. Think about the nourishment you are about to consume. (If you don't like what you see on your plate, don't eat it.)
4. Eat slowly; chewing your food and tasting each bite. If it doesn't taste fulfilling, stop eating.
5. When you are partly through your meal, check in with yourself. Complete your meal when you are 2/3 full.

Try this exercise with each and every meal. I know time is limited. It will literally take a few moments. And yes, those moments can rock your world. Note the thoughts that occur while you go through this experience.

Some things you might consider:

• How and who prepares your food?
• Where does your food come from? 
• How are the people treated your harvest your food?
• Make sure you are in a safe place when you eat, with people you enjoy. 
• Avoid arguments, electronics (i.e. TV, phone), and negativity during meals. 
• Set up your eating experience to feel warm, safe, comfortable. 
• Prepare your food thoughtfully. I like to chant when I'm cooking. Some people enjoy music.

I can hear the distention already-"TIME", "I can't control who makes my food or where it comes from", "NO TIME." If you've stayed with me thus far, thank you.

I know you are busy. We are all busy and it seems as time passes, we are getting busier. I am of the mindset that we need to change our level of busy-ness. Some things need to be fast--like our internet connection, but some things were meant to be slow--like building relationships and eating.

The next few weeks I'll be taking a look at easy ways to slow down and build a mindfulness practice. 

You might even consider building a meditation practice if you don't already have one. I am offering a month-long program to build a meditation practice in November. Click here for details.

I would love, love, love to hear about your experiences with this eating mindfulness exercise. Please share below!

The Yogi Diet: 10 Do's and Don'ts

I am a yogi and I love food. I also have a predominantly Kapha constitution, which means that it a bit easier for me to put on weight, something I didn’t really think about until after I had children. Click here for a constitution quiz.

Some yogis choose to be vegetarian for a variety of reasons. I have been one for a very long time. My mother says that I came out that way. She actually says that I ate pasta and green beans, Guess what I still love? You got it! You don't have to be a vegetarian, though, just because you're a yogi.

Throughout my years of trying various diets (not diets to lose weight) and cleanses, I’ve noticed some things. I’ve also spent a lot of time reading about what yogi masters and teachers as well as lots of other professional say about food.

What did I learn? I feel light, my emotions are level, I sleep well and I feel energetic when I am eating organic fruits and vegetables and not much else. Other people do not have that same experience. Some feel drained, some get light-headed and some are down right miserable when they don't have animal protein.

Bottom line is that some people make better vegetarians than others. Some need animal protein more than others. Some people do well with dairy; I’m not one of them. We are different and we have different needs.

My suggestions for a healthy, healing yogic diet:

1.   Eat organic, local and humanely-treated food sources

2.   Mostly veggies and some fruits, fresh, raw or cooked

3.   Find the protein sources that suit your body type and lifestyle (beans, meat, fish, dairy, eggs)

4.   Whole grains again that work for you

5.   Lots of warm water and hot tea

6.   Very little sweeteners—honey or maple syrup if needed

7.   Spices of all sorts remembering that spices have long been used as medicine

8.   Homemade foods whenever possible, made with love, chanting and in a peaceful environment

9.   Eat the right amount for your body, 2/3 full

10.  Any food that makes you feel truly alive

The things we want to stay away from:

1.   Genetically modified foods

2.   Anything with a label with words you don’t know

3.   Processed, packaged, re-formed foods

4.   Fried foods

5.   Eating while you are doing something else, angry or rushed

6.   White flour

7.   Sugar

8.   Alcohol, tobacco and other substances

9.   Overly salted food

10. Any food that doesn’t make you feel more alive

If you’re interested in learning more about a healthy diet, join me for a group cleanse starting on September 2^nd. Click here for more information.

For another perspective, you might read, The Yogic Diet: 10Foods to Enjoy & Avoid, by Lisa Mitchell.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about food and yoga and how they work together.

Keep your gut happy with Homemade Sauerkraut

Why does this yogini care about sauerkraut? 

Well, our gut needs good bacteria to break down food during digestion. Good bacteria, lots of vitamin C and A (more than in fresh cabbage), and special enzymes that help our bodies break down food are created during the fermentation process of cabbage.

Fermentation
Many of us think of booze when we hear the word fermentation. Yet, it has been used for centuries to make bread, miso, kimchi, yogurt, pickles and certain cheeses. Fermentation is a natural process that converts sugar to alcohol, acids and/or gasses. It is used for preservation of food, making alcohol and generating large amounts of microbes.  

Most of our diets have changed dramatically over the last few decades and our digestive systems need help in maintaining the natural flora that "should" be present. Yes, you can take probiotics and I do when I am doing a cleanse (you can read more about my upcoming group cleanse) or taking medication that could compromise my gut--like antibiotics, which I avoid when I can. It is best if we can get the diversity that we need in our gut, naturally through our diet.

What happens when we don't have fermented foods in our diet?

Any diseases that are related to poor digestion, constipation, IBS, compromised immunity, yeast overgrowth, as well as illnesses some might not think as connected to digestion like skin disruptions, mood swings and irritability, food allergies, weight issues, and even autism.

What can you do?
Most of the time I eat plain yogurt -- dairy or non-dairy (when my predominantly Kapha dosha is in balance). As a kid, I didn't care for sauerkraut and had never heard of kimchi. We did eat lots of pickles and homemade yogurt. I had played around with to making homemade sauerkraut. I have a friend who makes kimchi (kind of a spicy Korean version of kraut) all the time, and people love hers. But, I haven't found a kimchi recipe that speaks to me yet. When I do, I'll share it.

I had been toying with making sauerkraut and tried various recipes; none of them had been to my satisfaction--until I found this recipe last year. Cabbage naturally has Lactobacilli on its raw leaves.

Ingredients and Supplies Needed for Homemade Kraut:

• sterile jars- I used canning jars
• large bowl, knife and cutting board
• organic cabbage (red, green or both)
• sea salt (needed to pull liquid out of cabbage)
• coffee filters 
• rubber bands 

Feel free to add in carrot, green apple, celery, caraway or celery seeds, whatever you want after you do your first batch. 

• Wash cabbage. Take off outside leaves and reserve. Chop cabbage; I like to quarter and core it and then slice it into thin strips.

•  Add about 1 Tablespoons of salt per medium head of cabbage.

•  Mix the salt into the cabbage. 

•  You will notice that liquid starts to be released (salt make the cells shrink so the water comes out).

•  Press cabbage and liquid into a sterile jar. Pack it in as much as you can. Make sure liquid covers all of the cabbage.

•  Place one of the outside leaves on top of liquid.

                                

• Cover the jar with a coffee filter and rubber band.

• Place in a cool place to ferment. 
• Check your jars each day to ensure that the cabbage  stays under the liquid, and use a clean hand to push them back down if necessary; be sure your hands are clean.
• Taste test every few days – it’s done when you think it tastes good to you! It can take anywhere from 1 to 5 weeks. Remove the filter and add the lid. 
• You can store it in the fridge for months. 
• If you see or smell any unfriendly bacterial growth, throw it out and begin again making sure that all of your equipment, hands included, is clean.
  

I'd like to thank Bonzai Aphrodite for the easy-to-use and helpful blog post on how to make sauerkraut.
I'd love to hear about your experiences, recipes or antidotes about fermented foods. I will be guiding a group online and in person through a month-long cleanse. Click here to read more and register.




 

Food, healing and yoga--Oh My!

As I continue to research yoga and diet, I find that yogis continually discuss diet, our behavior, how we take care of our bodies and minds, and so much more than just doing yoga postures. The physical is only the beginning. We cannot go much deeper if we cannot control our body.
 
So what exactly are whole foods? And, what do they have to do with healing and yoga?

Whole food: food that is processed or refined as little as possible and is free from additives and other artificial substances. Google

Healing: the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again; therapeutic. Google

Yoga: to unite, body, breathe, and spirit.

Yoga promotes healing if done in a way that supports who and what we are and remember that there are 8 limbs to yoga- 

1. yamas (which I recently discussed-ethical standards), 
2. niyamas (self-discipline), 
3. asana (postures), 
4. pranayama (breathing practices), 
5. pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), 
6. dharana (concentration-the beginning of meditation), 
7. dhyana (meditation) and 
8. samadhi (unending bliss).

You are what we eat, a blog I wrote last Spring, discusses the connection between what we eat and how we feel.  
Our body can eliminate many of the pollutants we take in, yet sometimes it needs help with this process. One of the things we can do to help with this process is to promote cleansing. We can do this through a variety of ways:

• sweating through exercise or heat
• eating until you are only 2/3 full
• eating all your food in an 8-hour period so the rest of the time the body can digest
• eating well balanced, whole, organic foods
• eating a clean, mono diet of a health-promoting and detoxing affect for a short period of time 
• practicing particular asanas (yoga postures) such as halasana (plough) and malasana (squat)
• pranayama (breathing practices), breathing deeply and consciously, bringing in more prana (life force)
• kriyas (yogic cleansing practices) such as nauli, which should be taught by a trained instructor
• drinking plenty of fresh water
• promoting regular bowels

These are just some of the things you can begin to do on your own to promote regular cleansing. 

You might also do an actual cleanse or detox or participate in a group cleanse. I will be offering an online, 27-day group cleanse. For more details check out my flyer. 

Bottom line, if you want to have plenty of energy, sleep well, think clearly, maintain your body weight, and so many other possibilities, you can do a regular yoga practice and eat well. 

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

The Angry Yogi

Anger: an emotional response to being or feeling threatened. The body kicks into a flight or fight response when we feel threatened. 

If you know me, you know that I am pretty level-headed most of the time, but I do get angry. I might even yell at my kids from time to time and get frustrated when driving. I have had people say things about angry yogis as if we are not supposed to have what are perceived by our society as negative emotions-fear, anger, envy, jealousy, frustration. 

One thing is certain and that is that I have less anger when I am doing my practice regularly and when it's the right practice for me. Most importantly I meditate and keep gratitude in the fore front of my mind. I also need to take care of my human needs-food, sleep, exercise. 

Is it okay to express anger when your a yogi? Of course! As with most things, there are appropriate ways to let off steam, and anger is energy, heat energy. With time, anger, like heat, will naturally dissipate. Guilt for feeling anger does not help the situation. One thing we can do is to observe and be mindful of those situations, people and places that affect us and decide if and how we will do them in the future. 

Causes: Some of the main causes of anger are that we don't get what we want; we're afraid we'll lose something we have; patterns (samskaras); driving; relationships; it's hot outside; we didn't sleep well last night; our diet sucks; we make other poor health choices, etc.

What can you do? 

Breathe 
Meditate regularly
Count to 10
Talk to someone
Take a walk in nature
Listen to calming music
Chant
Breathe
Exercise
Take Action 
Do appropriate asana for our body type, climate and age 
Follow our routines that support a healthy lifestyle

Prevention is key--being proactive can help avoid many situations that could lead us into blowing our top. Taking care of our health is the first step. Also, doing what we need to do so stress and frustration don't overtake our lives, avoiding dangerous relationships, procrastination, and other things that trigger our anger. Following guidelines and routines for our dosha, season, and ability are also helpful.

If you have other ideas, please share them.

How Sweet it is...

Too much of anything is not good for us -- right? Well, especially when it comes to sugar. Most of you reading my blog are probably not like most Americans (other parts of the world are plagued by this dilemma as well-see Infographic below), but just in case you have some sweet tooth tendencies, as I myself do, here it goes.

According to Laura Schimdt of UCSF, School of Medicine, "The average American is consuming 22 teaspoons a day." That's about 400 calories. Many of those sugar calories are hidden in foods that we wouldn't think contain sugar like tomato sauce, yogurt, crackers, peanut butter, etc. Many of them are also disguised by other names sucrose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, just to name a few.

The American Heart Association recommends that we not have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is approximately 24 grams. My son was drinking an "all natural" pre-sweetened tea that contained 3 servings.  Each serving contained 23 grams of sugar, which meant that he was consuming 69 grams or 17 teaspoons of sugar by drinking the entire can. YIKES! I won't be buying that again.

Is sugar addictive? According to many scientists around the globe, animals' brains, including humans, will choose sugar over fat and protein given the chance. Research also tells us that we'd be better off with only water than sugar water. Something to ponder.

For more on the dangers of sugar, The One "Crazy" Thing All Nutritionists Agree Is a Good Idea, by Corrie Pikul

infographic courtesy of www.hcs.harvard.edu

 Refined sugar consumption has been linked to:

• weight gain
• tooth decay
• skin issues
• sleep disturbance
• ADD/HDD
• diabetes
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• malnutrition 
• the list goes on  

I've known for some time the pull that sugar has had on me. More recently though after completing one of my month-long cleanses, I realized that I couldn't ignore the changes that took place in my body and mind without sugar. Of course during the cleanse, I was eliminating more than just sugar. I felt more energetic, slept better, lost a little weight and a lot of bloating, and I just felt great. More importantly, I noticed the chaos sugar created in my body when I decided to take it back. I became irritable, felt bloated and got a pretty intense headache. It was easy to know the culprit because I didn't add anything other new food substance in.

Eve Schaub recently published a book, Year of No Sugar, about her family's experience. As reported by the Huffington Post, 'Year Of No Sugar': The Schaub Family Went Sugar Free For An Entire Year by Sarah Klein. Inspired by research and writings by prolific food-industry researchers like professor Robert Lustig, M.D., and journalist Michael Moss, Eve Schaub decided to try an experiment. She, along with her husband and daughters Greta and Ilsa, spent all of 2011 eating no added sugar.  Read more.

So what can we do?

• Read labels; if you don't know the words look them up or only buy things that you know what the words are.
• Drink fewer pre-sweetened drinks.
• Enjoy a small sweetened treat on special occasions.
• Consume unsweetened fresh or dried fruit for your sweet fix.
• If you give in, don't beat yourself up. 
• Make your own sweets using sweeteners closer to their natural source like maple syrup 
• Dates are one of my favorite sweet treat--you might try my date-nut balls 

Feel free to share any stories or recipes. Enjoy! We can still have an amazingly wonderful, sweet life without refined sugar.