My health journey started when I was a teenager, struggling with chronic health problems and searching for the answers to my own healing. My curiosity deepens when I was working with autistic children at a local elementary school, I felt like I couldn’t help them truly heal in the public education system and after many direct experiences with how food affected the children, I started to be interested in a raw vegan diet. To further deepen my journey, my parents were both diagnosed with cancer, I became interested in juice fasting and cleansing. Armed with a juicer and a passion for those quiet moments spent creating in the kitchen, I began to uncover my health truth through purposeful cleansing and eating a plant-based diet.
Alchemist at Omkara a wellness and beauty company that sells beauty care products and amazing supplements. It is a joy of mine to lead seasonal cleanses using the knowledge I have gained through Spiritual Nutrition Masters Program, Conscious Eating as well as Ayurveda. Yes, our diet and lifestyle choices are powerful medicine, and is a tool for personal transformation, global revolution as well as human evolution.
Food and cleansing has been a way for me to help empower people about taking charge of their health in a holistic way. By looking at each persons individual nutritional needs. Diet and lifestyle is an excellent tool for change. Sharing my knowledge in sattvic living and teaching individuals how to reconnect with their own inner wisdom through personalized wellness coaching, guided seasonal cleanses. Awakens the need for change in peoples lives every bite of life has the ability to raise conscious awareness can alter our physical self and spiritual self which in turn affects our relationship with every aspect of being alive. We can assist and co-create in the healing of ourselves, interpersonal relationships, family systems, society, nations, and the world. Simple conscious changes to our diet and lifestyle brings multidimensional results to our overall state of wellbeing.
Please feel free to contact me at mberrybliss@protonmail.com
I am not a teacher, but an awakener.
-Robert Frost
Spring is here and my yard is full of the amazing dandelion. Dandelion is not a weed as its health benefits are vast, they include relief from liver disorders, diabetes, urinary disorders, acne, jaundice, cancer, and anemia. It also helps in maintaining bone health, skin care, and weight loss.
It might be a weed to some people but its truly one of natures most beneficial plants!
Dandelion, which literally translates into “lion’s tooth” in French, is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and detoxifiers, which explains its common inclusion in medicines.
DANDELION LATTE
2 tbsp Dandy Blend 1 cup hot water 1/2 cup almond milk 1 tsp ghee 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon pinch ground cardamom
Combine the Dandy Blend and piping hot water into your blender pitcher. Add the remaining ingredients. Blend for 30 seconds on high until well combined and frothy. Pour into a mug and enjoy hot!
Makes one serving
Dandelion Tea
This is a super spring tonic! Its simple and my toddler loves it!
8 dandelion tops
8 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of honey
Boil blessed water and pour over freshly picked dandelions, add a teaspoon of honey and enjoy!
Up to 50 million people in America struggle with allergies every year and it’s considered one of the leading causes for chronic illness.
The immune system is a complex and dynamic system that protects us from disease by identifying harmful substances in our environment that it doesn’t recognize as safe, then triggering an allergic reaction to get rid of these foreign substances. An allergy occurs when the body’s natural defense turns on and against itself!
Allergies can cause a wide range of symptoms, from mild to life-threatening. They’re often caused by plant pollens or animal dander which we are allergic too without even knowing it because our bodies consider those substances harmful! Allergies and stress can also give people asthma, hives, itchiness, runny nose and watery eyes, when they’ve never had any before in their lives!
The practice of Ayurveda recognizes that there are many causes for allergies, one of the main reasons being the accumulation due to ama (toxic buildup from improperly digested foods). This combined together in our body with low Ojas (immunity) ~ leads to allergic reactions when it becomes too much. There can be several reasons why this happens: typically because someone has a genetic predisposition combined by unhealthy diet habits or chronic illness; sometimes mental stress will trigger an emotional trauma leading them down another path towards having more trouble breathing during seasonal changes. This is why following a seasonal diet and routine is so important, to build Ojas (immunity) and protect against seasonal and everyday allergens.
When the power of digestion (Agni) becomes weak due to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle, overtime this will cause an imbalance in our doshas. This causes ama – or undigested food particles-to accumulate within us which acts as allergies that trigger an auto immune response from tissue cells anywhere in the body, especially the respiratory system, digestive system, skin or any combination.
Ayurveda gives us the tools to live a healthy lifestyle through daily dinacharya, ritucharya (seasonal rituals), and our evening rituals, help strengthen our digestion, enhance our immune system, and clear out unwanted toxins.
Seasonal Practices to Keep You Healthy and Allergies at Bay:
Do some spring cleaning
For your body: Practice a spring cleanse
For your environment: Deep clean your house
Get rid of cosmetics with fragrances and chemicals
Get rid of chemical cleaning supplies
Wake Early
Dry Brush
Daily Nasya
Exercise first thing in the morning: Sun Salutations, a brisk walk, a short jog, jumping jacks, anything that makes you feel good and revitalized.
Meditate
Pranayama
Keep warm during these cold, damp days
Get an invigorating massage or Abhyanga
Eat light, warm and cooked food
Add some stimulating music to your playlist
Dance
Laugh and spend time with loved ones
Ideas for Eating this Season to Create Balance:
Add foods that are pungent, astringent, and bitter to your diet:
Aloe, nettle, dandelion, quinoa, barley, mung beans, fiddleheads, arugula, mustard greens, chard, spinach, asparagus, spring onions, lemon, spiced broths, green tea, local honey
Add apple cider vinegar to your foods
Consume less meat
Avoid dairy
Drink CCF (Cumin, Coriander and Fennel) Tea
Take triphala, tulsi, guduchi
Add activating spices like cayenne, ginger, turmeric, black pepper and mustard
Drink water
In conclusion, allergies are very common and can be caused by a variety of factors. Allergies can often be difficult to detect. With knowing your constitution and understanding your daily habits and lifestyle an Ayurvedic Consultation can help you to find the root cause and ultimately help alleviate symptoms!
In Ayurveda, the latter half of winter and spring are considered the Kapha season. It’s not the calendar year that defines the Kapha season, but the qualities of the atmosphere, the seasonal changes that take place in the world around us.
During this time, the weather is generally cool, damp, and muddy, with heavy fog or mist in some areas. These environmental factors influence the human system by increasing the same qualities in our minds and bodies. The damp, cold, dullness and heavy qualities manifest as accumulated toxins, clogging energetic channels and lowering our immunity. Maybe even having a foggy mind and grogginess in the morning. This time of year people are more susceptible to imbalances and this leads to seasonal allergies, colds, fatigue, and digestive sensitivities.
The good news is that there are many simple and natural ways to cleanse and take care of the system to stay balanced during this time of year. According to Ayurveda, the best way to counter the Kapha-aggravating effects of springtime is by following a Kapha-reducing diet and lifestyle.
Choose Light and Nourishing Foods
During the fall and winter, heavy foods help ground and nourish us, but during the spring these kinds of foods will overburden the system. Spring still is a cool season so we want to eat warm, light vegetables and soups, leafy greens, and warming spices like cinnamon, mustard seed, and chili.
Rise Early and Don’t Nap
Try rising at or before sunrise to beat the Kapha time of day. Sleep intrinsically possesses the Kapha Dosha, so when we sleep into the Kapha time of the morning, our Kapha levels automatically be higher from sunrise till about 10 am. This makes getting up and going more difficult – not just physically out of bed, but for all the body’s systems.
Amp Up Your Exercise
Regular exercise is key in maintaining balance during the spring season. As the weather begins to warm up it’s tempting to spend more time outside, but even if your daily routine doesn’t change you should try to get moving. A light jog, dancing, pilates, or a brisk walk are great exercises for springtime, anything that gets your heart rate pumping will help starve off the heaviness and stagnancy of the season.
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of warm liquids, water, tea, golden sun milk. By the time you feel thirsty you are already in the early stages of dehydration, sip warm water throughout the day and stay on top of your body’s hydration needs, you will perform better, sleep more soundly and your body will feel more energized.
Perform a Spring Cleanse
Ayurveda believes in the principle of cleansing not just the body but the mind and spirit as well. The transition of the season to spring signals “cleansing time” in Ayurveda. Not only is a cleanse beneficial for eliminating excess Kapha, the season’s elements actually support the cleansing process. An Ayurvedic cleanse includes a combination of dietary guidelines, herbal formulation, and supplements to enhance digestion and support toxin removal, therapeutic purgation, and rejuvenation techniques.
Michelle Berry 