Sweet Surrender

I've always known I wanted to be a mother. Growing up I babysat, I loved up my niece and nephew, and then eventually my friend's children as they came into this world. I assumed my time for motherhood would come naturally, with the grace and ease we imagine most women experience in finding themselves with child. So when I did find my partner and "settle down" and open myself up to be a mommy; and then it didn't happen, I was heartbroken. I know we all hear and read stories about this, and we know it's become more common for couples to wait to start a family, but actually going through this was among the hardest things I've experienced in this lifetime.

There have been times in the past where I had no problem sharing my life struggles, epiphanies, and growth through my writing. But something shifted with this situation. For some reason, this was too raw. I was too vulnerable. I was too ashamed. This one thing, that all humans no matter what color, class, race, religion should be able to do, I couldn't. I felt like a failure. Like a fraud. Like less of a woman. How could I share that with anyone outside of my closest, most-trusted circle? I knew I wasn't alone and I read other women's tales seeking glimmers of hope, paths of progress and solutions for acceptance. Sometimes these stories lead to successful pregnancies, sometimes they didn't, sometimes they adopted, sometimes they opened businesses. The key was that I knew I was not alone and yet I felt so very alone.

Praying for a solution.

As time passed,  a year turned into two years and my fear around the subject grew as I approached and then passed the 35 year-old mark (when I women becomes considered advanced maternal age-ha!) and so we visited a fertility specialist. After some tests and then some surgical procedures, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and told it was highly unlikely I would ever get pregnant on my own. And they had an answer for us: IVF. For me in that time, in a very victim mode, this felt like an incredible injustice. We couldn't afford IVF, not many can! It felt like a stab to the heart, this blessing and miracle that so many experience without much effort, I'd have to find/borrow/steal (ok maybe not that last one!) to experience. But with this being our only option other than adoption, which I quickly also discovered would come with a large invoice, about the same as a round of IVF, we decided to go through with it. And it didn't work. And I was devastated. Devastated. I was sure this was the silver bullet, the thing that would guarantee us our baby. This was a test of all of my personal and spiritual strength. I had to reevaluate everything. What would be next? Adoption? Try again? Do IVF in Mexico? During this time, our marriage was also put through many tests. What could our future look like with no children? What would we do with our lives? Were we even meant to be together? Was this a sign? Fertility challenges for a couple who knows they want a family are so incredibly intense, it is surely one of the biggest life tests/lessons a person could go through. I'm in awe every day of my husbands patience with me. He never stopped believing our child would arrive.

By this past winter, I was emotionally spent. My prayer for a solution turned into a tearful prayer for God to take away my desire to be a mom. And after much deep-diving and discussion, we decided to take a break from the "try". To raise the white flag. To surrender. As corny as this may sound, the popular radio song "If it's Meant to Be" came out about this time and spring was just around the corner. It felt right to just let it be.

March and April are the most intense months for me at work. I knew I needed to be "on" to run our annual 400-person event, making it a good distraction from our pain. Costea's family would be coming into town for a number of weeks and so we had them to prepare for, and then work with, on our long list of home projects: bathrooms to update, basement to be finished for my yoga classes, and garden to expand to bring us a little closer to our homestead dream. So you might imagine my distraction as one day I realized I was a few days late for my period. This hadn't happened before. Even with my stage 3 endometriosis diagnosis, I'd always had a very regular cycle. I assumed it was from the stress at work and change in schedule from having family staying with us.

A few more days passed and on the way home from work one day, I decided to stop at the store and pick up a pregnancy test. I had had a dream months earlier that I had taken a pregnancy test, then another, then another, that were all positive. I could feel the elation from that dream. I remember so clearly that in the dream a Christmas tree was lit in the background. I was shown two pink lines with each test and so that's the kind I looked for this time. I brought it home and found Costea working on the bathroom floor. I took the test, and it was positive. I literally fell to my knees as I showed him the result and we hugged and we cried and we were in total disbelief. Costea never had doubts, it was me that was full of fear and, as I understand it now, impatience.

A lesson in patience, trust and surrender. 

Thank you God, thank you sweet baby being for choosing us! Thank you for answering our prayers in every way, by teaching us surrender and by making our dream of being parents come true. As I write these words I am both full of joy and also painfully aware of the other women and men who find themselves in the same conundrum we lived through for just under three years. There are no words to soothe the pain of not understanding why something so wanted is not happening. All I can offer is the hope from my own experience. That miracles do happen!

And so, baby Grozav is coming in December 2018, just in time for that beautifully lit Christmas tree.

My Small, Quaint Moldovan...

Well folks, I can't beat around this one. I have written about health, food, spirit and love. And now comes a very personal post about myself and possibly the most real reason I haven't written in such a long time. I have been busy falling in...love.

a lady in love

I have written in the past about how I have a tendency to see myself through the eyes of others. This was something that Swami Sita could see in my astrological chart and that I have always known. In simple English, this means I care way too stinking much what others think about me and I form my self-image based on their feedback of me. This is SUPER dangerous. This is something that I have had to work on, strengthening my own sense of self has been a freaking struggle my entire life. And now Costea has came along. Costea is short for Constantin. His name sort of sums it up. He is consistent and constant and loving and honest. From the beginning he was incredibly honest with me and asked of the same from me.

 I had never had someone so forthright about their feelings and about their impressions of me-good and bad. It was refreshing. Those weaknesses he exposed were ones that I knew all too well of, that I had been trying to hide or cover up. My ego didn't want to admit any of them! But Costea insisted I could change, I could grow and get better and better. In fact he was sure of it and wanted to be a part of that process. And he asked that I do that same for him. This was love. Of course this didn't all happen overnight and as with all meaningful relationships it has taken a lot of work for us to get to the place we find ourselves-married!

 For the last months, I have been focused on my relationship and my work in Moldova and so that meant not much room in my mind or days for the pleasure-filled outlet of writing, which I do love so much, on this blog and other projects. Thank you for being here, for bearing with me, for being...

In my last post, I proclaimed I was back to food. I was back to believing strongly that what we put into our bodies has MAJOR effects as to what goes on in our lives. And I have proclaimed in the past that all I want to do is to help people to better understand their own body's needs-nutritionally and through movement, as well as how this connects, or is the "gateway" to their entire life-both spiritual and here on Earth! That connection is so REAL and it's something that I can't get away from. Through all of my business background, non-profit work and *secret* desires to be wealthy and not-so-secret desire to be healthy, it is food, spirit, and wellness that keep pulling me back in. And when Costea and I talk about my career, the past failures, the current struggles, and future dreams, he tells me in his honesty that it is with FOOD and SPIRIT and WELLNESS and UPLIFTING and YOGA and WRITING where he sees my power. He applauds my past attempts to make a living in these areas, understands and empathizes in my failures, and empowers me to blaze forward. Forget about money, forget about fame, forget about making an name and just GO WITH YOUR PASSION.

If I could ever give out some of the best advice I also received, it would be to find a partner who is an honest witness to your own being and who is not afraid to report back what they observe-out of love and out of the desire for growth. Because life is both light and dark, and the person who sees the dark and is not afraid to pull you out of it, is a true gift.

I have learned so much in my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer. International relations, project writing, and empowerment. These skills will not go to waste and the work and connections I make here continue to be meaningful in ways I never could have dreamed. I found my husband! I found amazing friends, and I am finding the way to see myself through my own eyes, and those of a trusted partner.

Om!

Getting Your Body Ready for Spring #1

As March is upon us, we can start to feel that stir. That familiar call from deep within that knows the days will be more light-filled, the food will be lighter (er-should be), and activity will pick up. Animals in nature know this too. I find that since we are both animal + spirit, it is wise to look to nature whenever we want to approach our physical health in a holistic way. As animals, we have evolved for thousands and thousands of years with some rather basic practices-like adapting with the seasons.

So if we look to nature, we see her provide new life in Spring. First we get sprouts growing. Sprouts are incredibly detoxifying and help us animals to cleanse our bodies of the extra fat we have put on to keep warm for the winter. We prepare to shift from the starchy vegetables, calorie-dense nuts and meats and onto lights and cleansing foods so that our bodies can be "lighter" to deal most optimally with the warmer days ahead.

After the sprouts and leafy greens we start to get berries! YUM! Berries are packed with antioxidants also assisting in cell rejuvenation and renewal.

So as we think about our approach to Spring, think about what Mother Nature offers us to eat and why. Begin to incorporate more greens, sprouts and berries. Eat less and less heavy foods. Increase movement so as to delve into our most active season as humans with vigor and strength. No colds here! Grab a box of some Detox Tea. Anything with the following herbs will work great: dandelion root, licorice root, burdock root, rhubarb root, pau d'darco and even nettles. And last but not least, drink lots and lots of water to flush toxins out of the body. Toxins are stored in our fat cells and as those cells shrink as we move into Spring with our increased activity and detoxifying diet, it is important to aide the liver and other detoxifying organs in the process. That's what these herbs do :)

Here is a quick guide to making a delicious and nutritious smoothie as an easy way to deliver the greens and berries to your body. Your body will love it!


INGREDIENTS
• ½ FROZEN BANANA, PEELED AND CHOPPED
• ½ CUP LIQUID (YOUR CHOICE:OJ, ALMOND MILK, RICE MILK, COCONUT MILK)
• 1 TBSP PROTEIN POWDER (OPTIONAL DEPENDS IF A MEAL REPLACEMENT OR NOT)
• 1 CUP GREENS (KALE, CHARD, SPINACH)
• ½ CUP FROZEN BERRIES
• OPTIONAL-FRESH BERRIES, ICE, NUT BUTTER, RAW WALNUTS, COCONUT OIL, OTHER FROZEN OR FRESH FRUITS (I LIKE MANGO SOMETIMES-YUM!)

DIRECTIONS
In a blender, combine frozen banana, apple, and liquid. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass and ENJOY!

Oops...I Did it Again

Holiday food hangover? Yeah...Well it's not too late to do a little cleaning up! I whipped up a little post-pig-out plan that will also give a sneak preview into the "51% Diet". This 3-day plan is a vegan and gluten-free version as it's meant for cleansing. I was thinking today about how COOL it is that our bodies, when given a chance, will correct themselves and get back into perfect running order. It's rather remarkable. With this plan, we'll start at dinner on day 1, and go full throttle for the following 2 days, leaving the last dinner up to you. It's really a lot of food, just rather easy foods to digest, packed full of nutrients, super easy and inexpensive. This is kind of like Step 1...beginning to lighten the load on the colon, getting things moving, and speeding up metabolism. You'll notice I have you eating 5 times/day. This keeps the metabolism going, sort of like stoking the fire, always throwing a couple logs on; not too much to put OUT the fire and not too little in which again, the fire will go out.

When I was watching "Food Matters", David Wolfe explained how he helped is cousin who was severely overweight, lose over 150Lbs on a raw foods diet. (This next part isn't so pretty but pretty cool...). Apparently, after a week or so, said cousin was losing his extra weight (mostly comprised of fats and toxins) through his colon. He was having up to -I think he said- 12 bowel movements a day! So as one who frequently worries about the health of the colon, I find this is rather promising! That his colon, which if he was that overweight was likely gunked-up, became clean enough to take on the process of pulling the 'bad guys' out of his tissue cells, into the colon and out of the body is so awesome. If you only have a few extra pounds to shed, this process should be much less dramatic but also very cool. Now because of the severity of his condition and the amount of toxins he was eliminating, he sought the help of a colon therapist who administered cleansing enemas. In this process, different liquids are placed into the colon to assist with the cleansing process. Depending on your condition could be water, coffee, green juice or oil. This will take some serious pressure of of the kidneys and liver. Something to keep in mind.

Now, on to breaking the cycle of...an extra serving of sweet potatoes, and extra slice of pie, oh and grandma's cookies!!! (Would be tres rude to turn those down-right?).

Shopping List/Pantry Items

1Avocado ripe and ready to nosh

1 organic tomato

1 banana

large container of organic lettuce mix

1 orange

1 grapefruit (or 2 oranges if you're on Statins for cholesterol)

Bunch organic parsley

1 container organic hummus

2 cups organic rolled oats

1/2 cup organic raisins

1/2 cup organic dates

1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/2 cup organic almond slivers

1 bag brown rice pasta

1 package tempeh

1 jar organic tomato sauce

1 bag organic corn chips

1 loaf gluten-free bread

1 jar organic peanut-butter

1 bottle organic balsamic vinaigrette (or make your own)

Your fave milk alternative (I like almond milk right now)

1 box Detox Tea

1 box Chamomile Tea

Menu*

Day 1 Dinner

• 1.5 cups uncooked brown rice pasta-boiled
• 1/2 package tempeh (first steam for 5 minutes, then lightly pan-fry with some good oil & water mixture)


• Add sauce from jar to tempeh & saute. Add pasta and freshly chopped parsley and serve.


• (Eat half and save half for lunch tomorrow)


• Cup chamomile tea 1 hour before bed
  

Day 2 Breakfast

• Upon waking drink 2 large glasses of room temperature water


• Soaked Oat Muesli (prepared night prior-1 cup oats, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chopped dates, 1/4 cup almonds, 2 T sunflower seeds, cover Xs 2 with half milk, half water in glass container, put in refrigerator overnight, ready to eat in morning! Soaked grains, nuts and seeds are much easier to digest and yummy this way!

Day 2 AM Snack

• 1 piece gluten-free toast (I like Udi's)


• 1 T organic peanut butter


• 1/2 banana sliced on top


• 2 cup detox tea
  

Day 2 Lunch

• 2 cups lettuce mix


• Top with leftover pasta and tempeh dish & fresh chopped parsely


• Sprinkle with balsamic vinaigrette
  

Day 2 PM Snack

• 1 orange (I like to slice and really relish in the sweet juiciness!)
  

Day 2 Dinner

• Guacamole-1/2 avocado smashed, 1/2 tomato chopped, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh lime juice
  
• 1/2 cup hummus


• Handful of corn chip


• Cup of chamomile tea 1 hour prior to bed

Day 3 Breakfast

• 2 large glasses water at room temperature


• Soaked Oats Meusli

Day 3 AM Snack

• Same toast, PB, 1/2 banana


• Cup of detox tea

Day 3 Lunch

• Other half of avocado & tomato diced and placed upon:


• 2 cups lettuce mix


• Balsamic dressing
  

Day 3 PM Snack

• 1 grapefruit (I also love to slice this up and enjoy the juicy sweet/tart flavor. If I can't eat a whole one I save half for the next day)

Day 3 Dinner

• You choose! Listen to what your body wants, likes and made it feel good in the past meals/snacks

*This is meant to be a guide to eating an approximately half raw, vegen diet for a quick and gentle cleanse and not what to eat every day forever...

Other "Rules"

-Drink lots and lots of water

-If you have been experiencing any constipation, gas, or indigestion, buy some Triphala at a natural grocer and take with your tea before bed.

-Take whatever you like of this cleanse and implement into your daily routine going forward

-LOVE your Self, be GRATEFUL for nourishment, and keep it SIMPLE

-Keep up with the tea regimen until they are gone

-Notice that all liquids are either hot or room temp. Drinking cold beverages further solidifies foods in your system that require HEAT to break down. Your body works hard to get them into liquid form so cooling them down with cool beverages will disturb digestion.

OM OM OM!

The V Word

Is it just me or is everyone going vegan these days? I am hearing the term tossed around like crazy. Of course it could be one of those things that once your mind is on it seems to appear everywhere- like a car you like and you suddenly start seeing them everywhere on the road. But it has got me thinking. I spent a lot of my time over the holidays pondering my own diet as well as the human diet as a whole. (In reality, I would say a good 75% of my thoughts go there anyway.) But at this time of year when there seems to be extra time for walks and an inner desire for reflection, on the year past and on the one to come, food and diet were extra predominant for me as I am sure for many of you too.

I see many things in my life as synchronicities so that my sister had just happened to rent "Food Matters" on Netflix the week before I visited her in Massachusetts and had not yet watched it, it seemed like I was really ready to recieve the message of the movie. We had seen the previews of this film at IIN back in 2008 and here I am 3 years later (?!) finally watching it. Perfect timing. The main message I recieved, though there were many, was that of including more raw foods in the diet. One of the men in the movie stated that he believed the diet should be at least 51% raw. A lightbulb when on for me. That seemed doable. The going 100% raw seems scary, intimidating and limiting. So here is step one. 51% RAW.

So then we have to think about WHY. Of course we need to know why this makes sense. So here we go:

#1. Enzymes-there are naturally occuring enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables that help us with digestion and nutrient assimilation. When we cook foods past a certain temperature (117-118 degrees fahrenheit), these enzymes are denatured and cannot preform their vital function. So in essence, God/Nature/Mother provides us this awesome food with all the perfect combos of nutrients and enzymes for our bodies, and when we cook it too hot, we destroy it all. Womp, womp.

#2. Nutrients-Just like with the enzymes, the higher the temps we use, the more nutrients that seep out of the food or are denatured. ALSO-when we don't have adequate amounts of enzymes to properly digest foods, we tend to get an accumulation undigested food film along the sides of our intestines. Nice huh? Well this causes an issue for the water/moisture needed to get INTO the intestines to move things along (hello constipation) as well as the blood that needs to get through to carry the nutrients from newly-eaten food out to the cells of the body (and hello to you vitaman/mineral definciencies, inflammation and free-radical damage). 'Nuff said?

#3. Energetics/Prana-Oh the prana! This is a yogic term for 'life-force energy'. It's the stuff that makes us alive vs. dead. Think of it like the electricity running your computer. No battery/electric, no running...dead. Soooo...we want to be alive and energetic?!!? YAYA! So we should eat food that is just that? YAYA! Awesome.

Now back to veganism. Pretty much if you go raw, you may as well be vegan. Ideally I would eat a gluten-free, vegan, >51% raw diet...and someday I am sure I will. I would take all the correct vegan Omega-3, whole food vitamins, trace minerals from the earth, and B12 supplements. But I am finding this hard and expensive at the moment. So there has to be STEPS. I want to take others along this path of discovery and in the finding/creating the steps to living this way in the 'real world'. And so THIS is what I am working on. You hear me 2011?! I want to bring to the world easy steps to get to the highest vibration diet that is still FUN, YUMMY, AFFORDABLE, SUSTAINABLE and (mostly) EASY. In the meantime, I think it's great for everyone to give your body a break from animal products for a week or two at a time. This can be a very nice, slow and easy cleanse. For now I go egg-free vegetarian with limited dairy and 51% raw :)

Thinking about going vegan? Check out these resources:

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Vegan Action

My last word & current thoughts on veganism are these: when profits and animals become intertwined, then there is likely to be exploitation. If your reasons for a vegetarian or vegan diet have anything to do with ethics and karma, this is something to think long and hard about. And even if it's purely for health reasons, it would still be good to think about how our subconscious mind, knowing of the partaking in animal exploitation, effects our health.

All for now. Om tat sat. (FYI-that is Sanskrit and means "All that is the Truth" and while I don't claim what I speak is Universal Truth, it is my Truth).

To a Happy, Healthy and Simble New Year!

Can Ola Oil?

Ever wonder exactly what IS the omnipresent 'canola oil'? I have. When I was studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in 2008 the myriad of teachers had for the most part said it was no good. And us health-nut-wellness-seeking type students had all but demonized this slick processed-food fixture. But certainly we can't run around telling people to eat this and not that without giving reasons.  I mean, we find this stuff in EVERYTHING…in junk food of course (crackers, chips, cookies ect.), but also ‘health foods’ like granola, soymilk and organic salad dressings. So I did you all the favor of sleuthing around and finding out the deets on why this oil should be on your 'no thank-you' list. (You're welcome-Happy Holidays!)

What is it? I have never heard of a Canola plant.

Canola oil is hydrogenated rapeseed oil. The rapeseed plant is a member of the mustard family and rapeseed oil is a potent pesticide. It also contains high levels of euric acid which is toxic to people (and why rapeseed oil as-is could never be used for human consumption. More on this below).

So why is it called Canola oil?

Rapeseed oil is a Canadian export product; it is the CANada Oil-Low Acid, hence, Canola. So

the word itself is an acronym. (I LOVE acronyms! Of course they are much more useful for names of organizations and helpful reminders rather than euphemisms for crappy products, for example CANOLA versus Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil).

So why is it bad for my health?
1. Heart Health: Sally Fallon (of the Weston Price Foundation author of Nourishing Traditions) notes that "heart healthy" canola oil actually creates a deficiency of Vitamin E in the body, which is essential to cardiovascular health. This was also reported in Nutrition Research, 1997, Volume 17. I will explain other heart-health implications below, but the Vit. E issue coupled with the inflammation it can cause makes this stuff is REALLY bad for people with heart troubles.
2. Hidden Trans-Fat: Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of refining, bleaching and de-gumming--all of which utilize high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when heated, it must be deodorized. The deodorization process removes much of the now-rancid omega-3s when turning them into trans fatty acids. (Hydrogenation makes oils more shelf-stable). So then we are not only eating a rancid oil, but trans-fat too! Research at the University of Florida -Gainesville determined that as much as 4.6% of the fatty acids in canola are trans fats formed in the refining process.

3. The Omega-6 Issues: In the process described above, we noted that the naturally-occurring Omega-3 fatty acids go rancid. This in turn makes them Omega-6 fatty acids. There has been a lot in the news on these EFAs. Many products on the grocery store shelf are even advertising that they are high in Omega-3s. (It's the new 'low-carb'). While both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ARE essential, it is the balance of these two that create health or havoc in the body. When our levels of Omega-6 are too high we experience what is called 'Low-Level Chronic Inflammation'. This can manifest in individuals differently with the most common diseases being arthritis, chronic fatigue and obesity but ranging into heart disease, and even cancer. When the body is in a constant state of having to 'put out the fire' of inflammation, it puts the immune system into over-drive leaving other systems (like healthy-cell building, healthy digestion, energy for positive thinking and so depression/anxiety ect.) to falter. This can be remedied by upping the intake of Omega-3s. However, the high levels of the Omega-6 in the modern diet make it important to also be reducing them.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion regarding canola oil. It is hardly edible. Look for healthier oils like coconut or palm for frying and olive, sesame, or sunflower for sauteing and baking. And when buying any foods that come with an ingredient list, be sure to check for Canola! Unfortunately, most vegetables oil (corn, safflower, soybean ect) all go through this same refining process and are therefore less than desirable for human nutrition and health. Look for oils to be cold-pressed.

And one more thing: about cottonseed oil…were we meant to eat cotton?!?!

Bottom Line: Keep it simple with less processed foods! Choose healthier oils! Love your Self.

OM Tat Sat.

***Looking for some help with your diet and nutrition in the new year? Hire me!

Teens, Yoga and Desire

I teach an adult yoga class at a health club in a very affluent area. Many moms, dads and busy professionals arrive in their Beamers and Range Rovers with aspirations of getting fit. But when we think about the deeper desire that is being filled when we work our physical bodies, the true desire driving us to the health club, it's one for health/wealth. Swami Vishnudevananda says "Health is wealth". Without our physical health we really cannot enjoy much in this life. So taking care of our bodies is key.

Yesterday, I was elated when my newer class, Teen Yoga, was filled up with 18 students!!! The club has made an effort to offer teen classes so that families can take advantage of the club together. Kids can go to karate class or the babysitting area and teens can take various classes created just for them and on Wednesdays it's Yoga with yours truly. There are usually about 6-10 students, all girls. But yesterday 18 of them arrived all giggly and chatty...and 2 were boys! Word is spreading. That it feels GOOD to take care of ourselves. I know that I am dealing with a generation who is playing lots of video games and does most of their socializing via Facebook. Attention spans are short. But by the end of class they were quiet, focused, and in final relaxation->some asleep! There is no question that our souls are CRYING OUT for a break from the constant onslaught of media and pressures we face in each given day.

Said health club has now even delved into new territory by offering a meditation workshop! I am leading this also and last week 8 people showed up. What drives us to workshops like this is what I consider the other most noble of 'desires': happiness/peace of mind. Swamiji says, "Peace of mind is happiness". We are fooled into thinking that who we know, what we do, and how much we own is what will make us happy. But our inner guidance and truth knows better. This voice leads us to meditation classes, therapists and healers of all types. I LOVE to see the busy people taking the time to work out, sit still, and love themselves. If the workshop does well these 2 weeks (we are offering at holiday time for stress-reduction), it may become a regular class. Fingers crossed. I would love to even see a Teen Meditation class!

This all reminds me of a popular story Swami Vishnu told: that of how to attain world peace. He explained that like a cloth made of cotton, if we were to change it to one of silk, we would need to replace each and every thread, one by one. And likewise, in our world, we will only attain global peace when each and every individual finds peace within.

Om shanti. Om peace.

Ohhh Right...Goat's Milk

I have been going back on forth on my stance of dairy consumption for years. I go through periods of time where I eat it, and other times I don't. I can't really say in which periods I feel 'better'. But every time I am not eating it, there comes some point where I am craving it. SO...there must be something in there my body likes. Period. I have taken the stance that it's not something I need to eliminate so much as to be mindful of in my consumption. How much am I using? Is it an emotional or physiological craving? What is the quality? How were these animals treated at the farm? What it a real farm or a factory farm? Lots to consider!

And on the dairy subject, I had a breakthrough the other day regarding the difference between cow dairy and goat dairy products. I stopped into the amazing local raw foods spot, Oasis, for a Maca-infused (more on Maca Root in an upcoming Superfoods post) warm beverage and ended up having a great discussion with the owner who is also-you guessed-amazing. We were chatting about the dairy issue and how it's such a sticking point in various dietary theories. I was explaining how I have been studying and practicing Ayurveda (promotes milk, yogurt and ghee for certain doshas) but also combining it with some modern studies by Dr. Mercola (he says raw dairy is good) and wanting to infuse the knowledge of the raw foods movement. What she said next blew me away. She mentioned that her body likes goat's milk much better than cow's because they are more her size. A goat is more her size...and my size...and (hopefully) your size too. OHHHHHHHHHH...OK- that makes sense! Cow milk is produced to grow COWS. Goat's milk is produced to grow GOATS. And yes indeed, I am closer in size to a goat than a cow and I intend to keep it that way:)

So in the end, where I am today with my view on dairy, is that I will use (sparingly) mostly goat's milk products that are organic, grass-fed and raw (unpasteurized). How about you? What do you think about our nation's obsession with dairy? What's your relationship with it like?

Bon Appetite!

I Voted Yesterday-You Did Too!

Our personal power to make magnificent change in the world through what we choose to buy has been an interest of mine for some time now. After working in product marketing for a consumer goods company making their products in factories overseas, I have come to see the immense value in products that are made with integrity and with the health of the planet and its people in mind. We were trained to cut costs at every corner-at the expense of many. And while I am well-versed in understanding that companies need to be profitable, the amount of greed I have been exposed to (we all have) in a culture of careless consumption has pushed me to speak out about the issue. We simply cannot keep TAKING. As our nation's horrendous case of affluenza doesn't seem to be tapering off all too quickly...we all need to be talking about taking less.

This is a subject I will write about often as one post could never cover the many facets of how we can make changes in local and global economies as well as our environment, simply by how we choose to spend our money. To get a comprehensive overview of the subject and to learn about the Materials Economy -the process involved in our getting all of the 'stuff' we buy-watch The Story of Stuff. It's awesome: eloquent, short, and full of great information. Then listen to this radio interview I did a few weeks ago, focusing on the importance of where we put our cash during the holiday shopping rush.

This morning I was reading an article by Dr. Mercola. In the article he is warning us of the dangers of Genetically Modified foods (GMOs) to our health. GMOs are being linked to issues with fertility and overall disease in the body. And we know it can't be doing any favors for our soil. Think about it...sterile, genetically altered soil...GMO plants...make GMO people! Who can't reproduce. Not a good thing. Dr. Mercola goes on to say that we do vote with our pocketbooks when we refuse to buy these foods. We send the strong message that it's not acceptable to alter the way nature has created and provided food for our species for millenia in such complicated and dangerous ways. At the grocery store check-out we need to vote for real food that can be grown sustainably. Here is the list of eight foods Dr. Mercola describes as the crops most genetically modified:

Soy
Corn
Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
Canola (canola oil)
Sugar from sugar beets
Hawaiian papaya
Some varieties of zucchini
Crookneck squash

I knew I hated Canola Oil! The easiest way to avoid GMO foods is to do some research and planning before you shop. Here is a link to the Dr. Mercola interview and other related articles.

Educate yourself and know that every single day you are voting. These are the votes that impact us all more than any election for political office ever could. Period.

Om tat sat.

Where is the FOOD?

I can appreciate that I may have been spoiled in the past when it came to choices for eating. I lived in Providence for a year where there were 3 Whole Foods in one small city. I had a stint as a local foods buyer in Maine where I could order whatever produce and specialty items I wanted and talk to the farmer who grew it. I spent 7 months living on an ashram where we ate 100% organic vegetarian meals. Much of our produce came from our own gardens and I participated in a lot of the cooking. I knew what was going into our meals. And most recently, I spent 3 months living in Boulder, Colorado. Now if anyone doesn't know about Boulder let me sum it up in a few choice words: healthy, organic, sunshine, smiles, athletic, yogic. I could seriously walk into every 3rd restaurant and find gluten-free beer on tap, organic salads made with goat cheese from a farm 5 miles away, and grass-fed beef burgers (if I had wanted them). And if I had a sniffle-I had over dozen herbalist apothecaries to choose from. It was a health-nuts dream come true. But it's NOT reality. For the special few who can afford to live in a town like Boulder and then also afford the price tag of those healthy menu items, reality it might be. But for most, that world it is simply out of reach.

This reality has come crashing down on me as I have returned to the area where I grew up-greater Philadelphia. Within the 30 mile radius of the densely populated suburban region where I am currently residing, there are 2 Whole Foods markets, and maybe 4-5 small 'natural' grocery stores. This may seem like a decent amount but I can tell you-it's not. I find myself needing to go between 3-4 different stores to get all of the different items I am used to be able to find in one store. Decent eggs from this store, flax oil from that one. The same box of cereal at one store might cost $3.59 and at another $5.99. When you start to notice this it's hard to justify buying the more expensive 'version', hence furthering the need to traverse between multiple shopping locations. And let me clarify that it's not just that I need to have 'organic' foods. It's that I need to have food, as opposed to 'food-like products' AKA chemicals. My body is very sensitive to artificial preservatives and additives and I notice right away when I start to eat packaged foods that the headaches creep in, my anxiety goes up, and my attention span dissipates.

I recalled the last time I was in the area going into a certain grocery store. It is a large chain and they had a nice little organic section where I could find some of the items I am used to buying. Today I waltzed in after a stop at the bank thinking I would pick up a few tasties for the weekend-some Gouda and organic apples. Maybe some spinach and pecans, some organic goat cheese (I was hungry). Imagine my shock when one of the stock boys told me that along with the recent 'renovation' of the store they got rid of the organic section!!!!!!!!!!!! He said I would have to look amongst the other inner-aisle goods (see the Food Politics site or read The Omnivores Dilemma for more on that) to find their organic counterparts. This proved tough. Over in produce 4 organic apples cost $4.99! And they were on a Styrofoam plate covered in plastic wrap!?!?! Does anyone else see how backwards this is? I was in grocery store hell. I couldn't find a darn thing to eat in an entire store dedicated to food. Or wait...is that what they are dedicated to? NO. The truth is they are dedicated to money and to providing whatever it is that fills their pockets. (Read Marion Nestle's amazing book What to Eat).

I left the store with a jar of almond butter (they didn't have organic-even if I could afford it at around $15/jar), rice cakes (no organic option), a box of Corn Chex (only gluten-free cereal I could find) and a bag of frozen sweet potato fries. Since tomorrow is Saturday I can get my produce from a farmer's market. (But what about in November?!) Some good that comes of all of this is my further burning desire to open my own natural food store and apothecary!