Tag Archives: healthy lifestyle

Spring Time ~ Kapha Season

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.

You can perform an at-home cleanse or schedule a consultation with Michelle for a more comprehensive cleanse.

Enjoy this season of renewal!

With Love,

Michelle

Low Iron

Iron is found in every cell of the body. I have struggled my whole life with having low iron levels, so naturally when I became pregnant and the volume of my blood increased my hemoglobin levels have been low. Hemoglobin is the substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen all over the body. If you don¹t have enough iron, your body has to work a whole lot harder to get the energy it needs, which has left me feeling tired, weak, irritable and unable to focus. The nurse practitioner suggested I take Ferrous sulphate, which is commonly prescribed to prevent and correct iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, I chose to avoid it because ferrous sulphate is often times poorly absorbed by the body and taxes the organs of elimination – liver, kidneys, intestines – and can be very constipating. I chose to fight my extreme fatigue I have been experiencing caused by this iron deficiency, I first turn to iron-rich foods. By changing my diet, and adding iron rich foods I could see significant changes in your energy level within a couple of days.

Yellow Dock Root tincture that I made, its an herb widely used by herbalists as a general health tonic. It grows throughout North America and is used in Native American herbal formulas. You can purchase some at my online shop! Yellow Dock Root has historically been used as an iron-builder for pregnant women because it replenishes the bloods hemoglobin. It’s also a great digestive aid that alleviates heartburn by increasing the digestive enzymes in the stomach. Who doesn’t need that when they are pregnant?? No more heartburn! Always listen to your intuition before adding an herbal supplement to your diet.

Below is a list of iron rich foods that I have been trying to include in my diet along with nettle tea, dandelion root coffee and a kelp supplement called ErythroPro by Premier Research labs, it contains organic kelp, organic Irish moss, organic oat grass, organic beet root, as well as organic chlorella, Organic tomato, Organic bilberry and reishi mushroom extract. Great supplements combines with great greens and beets I make sure to add plenty of vitamin C to help with absorption and assimilation of the iron has made a huge difference in my energy levels!! My favorite vitamin C sources are grapefruit and strawberries!!!

There are some foods to avoid and that would be coffee, excess bran, alkalinizes and phosphates as they inhibit the absorption of iron.

Energy Building Juice:

4 beets

2 carrots

2 grapefruits

Juice and enjoy!!

Anemia Prevention Brew:

1/2 ounce dried Nettle leaves

1/2 ounce dried Parsley leaves

1/2 ounce dried Comfrey leaves

1/2 ounce dried Yellow Dock root

1/4 ounce dried Peppermint leaves

Measure herbs and put in half gallon mason jar …….. Pour boiling water in jar until it is totally full. Steep herbs for 8 hours.

This brew contains 3 excellent sources of iron: nettle, parsley and yellow dock root. It provides folic acid from the parsley and vitamin B12 from the Comfrey. The green eras all contain vitamin C which aids iron absorption and the Mint makes it taste good!

Drink freely up to four cups a day for up to 1 week. You can use this medicine every month as a blood builder and purifier!

Enjoy these blood builders and many blessings on your journey!

Many Blessings!

Michelle

~ A mother lovingly nourishes her child who has entered her womb, and brings them forth with care. ~

Save the Salmon Patty

Today I want to share an amazing dinner that I prepared for some wonderful people right before a juice fast! Although this actually took place a couple of years ago, I am feeling a little nostalgic this fall. Remembering this evening and how much fun it was to get everyone together to enjoy this delicious meal.

Menu:

Save the Salmon Patty Served on a bed of Fresh Greens and topped with a Spicy Mango Sauce
Root Salad Served on a bed of Spicy Sprouts
Buckwheat Onion Bread Served with Detox Pesto
Tomato Wedges
Dessert:
Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie
The cherry soup really gets peoples bowls moving right along, and everything else was so light and green, it was a really great last meal right before a juice fast!
Yumm!

Save the Salmon Patty!

  • 2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked 1-2 hours
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 cloves galic
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • carrot juice , as needed
  • Blend In:
  • 5 whole carrot pulp, (run through juicer)
  • ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup celery, minced
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ⅛ cup chives, or green onion
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons kelp powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons dulse
  • 2-3 tablespoons nama shoyu
  • Directions:
  • *Juice 5 carrots.
    *Blend first 6 ingredients until creamy and blend i the rest of the ingredients! Form into loaves or patties and serve! Or you may dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4-6 hours. (I like to dehydrate for that warm feeling)
    *Top with mango sauce.

  • Mango Sauce:

    • 2 inch ginger
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1 small serrano pepper
    • 1 whole mango
    • ½ cup coconut milk
    • ¼ cup cilantro
    • white pepper, to taste
    • Directions:
    • *Blend ginger, garlic and pepper. Add mango, coconut milk and pulse, add cilantro ad white pepper and pulse.
      *Serve on top of “salmon” patties
    A bit about sunflower seeds…
    More than any other flower, the sunflower suggests the glory of the summer sun itself. Wild, it lines roadways and gilds whole fields with its stunning, sun-colored mandalas. Cultivated in home gardens, it towers to impressive heights of fifteen feet in or more and boasts a flower up to two feet in diameter. A showy plant indeed.
    This daisy relative, which originated in western North America, is more than just show. Both sunflower seeds and sunflower tubers (jerusalem artichoke) were important Native American foods. Sunflowers were introduced in Europe in the 1500’s and have become a staple in Russia. Until the popularization of health foods in the United States in the 1960’s, its domestic use was primarily for bird feed; hence its one common name “polly seed.” Sunflower seeds are also nicknamed “sunnies.”
    The shells may be white, brown, black, or black with stripes. The US commercial supply primarily comes from the Red River valley of Minnesota.
    Health Benefits Sunflower seeds are an energy tonic and nurturing food used to treat constipation. Sunflower seeds contain more protein than beef and 20 percent fat, most of which is unsaturated. A good source of calcium, phosphorus, and iron, as well as vitamins A, D, E, and several of the B-complex, they also contain a trace of flourine, which may explain the Russians’ claim that they are good for the teeth. Sunflower seeds are tridoshic used in moderation; in larger quantities, they primarily reduce vata.
    Superbly Delicious!
    Here are a few pictures of everyone enjoying the evening!
    Jean & Dicky, Bless their hearts.
  • Dicky is no longer with us, which makes this post that much more special to me. I feel so lucky to have known such a sweet man. Love you like crazy cakes Dicky!  Click here to watch a remembrance video about Dicky.
  • Beautiful Linda
    My mom and me
    I love you mom!
    xoxoxo
    Sweet Skip
    Live each day like its your last.

    Blissfully,
    Michelle

 

Stuffed Avocados

This is a post I wrote a long time ago for another website, I hope you enjoy it!
Stuffed avocados are fast and simple to make as well as easy to take to work to enjoy for lunch or a healthy snack!
Historically avocados had a long-standing stigma as a sexual stimulant, and were known by the Aztecs as “the fertility fruit”.
Avocados are also known as palta or aguacate in Spanish, the butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America, it is classified in the flowering plant family along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. The name “avocado” also refers to the fruit, which is technically a very large berry! (I love berries!)
About 75% of the avocado’s calories comes from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.
Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K. They have the highest fiber content of any fruit. Wow!
The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making it an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.
Nutritious and delicious!
This is a HUGE plate! There is no way I could eat all of this it was too filling!

Kind Refried “Beans” (without the musical side effects):
  • 17 whole sun-dried tomatoes, (soak and reserve water)
  • 2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked and drained
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 2 whole green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped and packed
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
In the bowl of the food processor fitted with the “S” blade, puree the drained seeds, tomatoes, and chipotle to a chunky “bean like” texture. (If you choose, save 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds to mix at the end for an even chunkier texture.) Now place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor, and continue to pulse until you reach your desired texture. It will be necessary to add a little of the reserved tomato water, and if you like it spicy use the chipotle water. Be careful not to use too much water, as you are looking for a consistency like refried beans or even ground hamburger.
Finally, taste your “beans” and adjust the flavor if necessary. When you are satisfied with the flavor, fold in the remaining sunflower seeds!
Just thinking about it makes me hungry!
Cashew Sour Cream:
  • 1 cup cashews, (soaked a couple of hours and drained)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • if desired: 2 tablespoons chives
Blend cashews, lemon juice, salt, and just enough water to blend into a smooth kream.
Put sour kream in a bowl and stir in chopped chives.
Will keep in fridge for 4 days.
Use salsa recipe of your choice, have at least three avocados on hand.
Cut avocados in half, remove seed, you may choose to score the avocados for easier scooping. Then stuff with “beans”, add sour kream and salsa. I also like to add cilantro. Yummm!
Enjoy!
xoxoxo
Michelle