Spring Season Routine

 

10 steps for vital immunity and energy though gentle detoxification and rejuvination. 

  Some Symptoms of Excess Toxins in the Body 

The cold and wet of winter are thawing and melting and the earth is waking up! Just as the earth is thawing an melting from her accumulations of snow and cold, so are we. Spring heps us to melt any excess accumulations like mucus and excess weight.  Spring is the most important season for detoxifying because nature is already trying to clear out the toxins. We can work with our bodies and assist in the release of accumulation which will help to prevent spring time colds and flu as well as prevent lethargy, wieght gain, respritory allergies and cloudy thinking. 

Sharp headaches, dizziness, mild tremors in the limbs, and unexplained muscle aches, especially in the calf, can also be symptoms. Your tongue may be coated, and your throat may be sore.

The skin can be less radiant, heavier, more oily. You may also find that you break out more often, are more prone to sunburn, and have dry patches on your skin.

 10 Steps to Detoxification and Rejuvination this Spring

1. Wake up Early

Wake up between 5am and 7amand utilise the new-found seasonal vitality and reduce aggravations of fatigue, lethargy, mucus and fuzzy headaches.  That first light of the morning can be the most beautiful and beneficial. Rising with the sun will help you to turn each day into a ritual.  You are free to rise slowly, eat a nutritious breakfast, meditate, exercise or take a walk in the crisp morning air. As opposed to jumping out of bed late, jamming food down your throat and rushing out the door.You will feel better, have more energy and be in a better mood for the rest of the day!

2. Hydrate

Take a cup of hot ginger and lemon water to stimulate digestion and cut through any mucus that has accumulated overnight.

3. Breathe

During pranayama practice emphasise frontal brain cleansing (kapalabhati) as it encourages exhalation with a spontaneous inhalation. It greatly encourages the clearing of mucus and lethargy. 

4. Massage

Practising skin rubbing can be very valuable at this time of year for stimulating lymphatic circulation. Tradition suggests starting massage at the feet and legs, then progressing to the arms and back and then to the chest and abdomen. This brings lymphatic fluid back to the heart for elimination via the blood where toxins and wastes are cleared by the liver and kidneys. You can do your massage with sesamie oil or dry, you can even try using a dry brush.

5. Excersize

Tis' the season of New Year Resolutions for a reason. If you were planning to take up jogging, running, swimming, hiking, or any other highly cardiovascular form of exercise, this is the best time to get to it. Our excersize should be vigorous and warming.

Yoga Practice should be done with an increased emphasis on breathing. Perform vigorous sun salutation (suryanamaskara)-up to twelve rounds-until warm and breathing is deep. Also include strong backwards and forward bends that open the chest, such as the fish (matsyasana), the wheel (cakrasana), the camel (ustrasana), and the tiger (vyagrasana) to stimulate the kidneys and lungs. Also include the locust (salabhasana), spinal twists such as rotated triangle (trikonasana) andmatsyendrasana.

6. Small, Big, Small

Eat your largest meal at midday when the sun is highest in the sky and you have been active the whole morning your digestion is at its strongest. Eating a large meal before you go to bed at night, however, is filling yourself with food at a time when your digestion is at its weakest. Springtime can make many people feel physically exhausted. Properly planning your meal sizes and timing can help with these drops in energy throughout the day.

7. Eat for Spring

Nature produces certain foods at certain seasons for a reason. In the summer we are blessed with fresh, cooling fruits and vegetables; in the fall we have apples - a fantastic detoxifying food that is great for preparing the digestion for the winter; in the winter we have nuts, grains and oils - it is the best time for any desired indulgence in foods that are heavy, high in protein or fat. And in the spring, in order to detoxify the body after the long winter, nature produces bitter greens and astringent foods such as: dandelion leaves, bok choy, grapefruits, cherries, seeds and beans. When you are doing your shopping opt for the seasonal fruits and vegetables and you will already be doing yourself a great service. Remember Spring foods are light and dry. Avoid things that are sweet or excessively saltythat are heavy and cause water stagnation in the body. Your meals should be warm, light and very easy to digest. .

8. Careful with the Dairy Products

The Ayurveda diet has a large focus on dairy as a nutritious and often medicinal food. However, in spring most dairy products are best avoided especially in the morning and evening.  This is especially important if you are the type of person who is prone to allergies or colds. Don't worry though as soon as the hot months hit you can start dishing out the ice cream again.

9. Cook Fresh 

I feel this must be mentioned as more and more people are turning to pre-prepared, take out and restaurant foods. Cooking all of your own meals, from scratch as it were, is an easy way to improve your health and lifestyle. Fill your shelves with wonderful digestion aiding and subtly nutritious spices: turmeric, cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon . . . Try cooking a fresh vegitable and ginger soup for the day! It is especially important in the spring to eat light, freshly prepared meals.

10. Herbs

Assist elimination from the lungs by using mild expectorants such as organic long pepper (Piper longum) every day. Long pepper or Pipali is a great rejuvenative to the lungs. A pinch of this can be mixed with honey and taken twice a day to help strengthen the lungs.

Keepin' it Real

Avoid ice, refrigerated foods eaten cold, eating too much, eating between meals and sleeping in the day, as these will offset the other good work that you are doing.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Love,

Stephanie

The Magic of Honey!

Hi!

Thought I would share some ancient secrets on the very magical effects that honey can have~ 

Hope you enjoy, and remeber...never cook (heat) your honey!

Love,

Stephanie

Types of Honey:

Eight types of honey are described in ayurveda depending on the type of bee which collects it. They are Pouttika, Bhramara, Kshoudra, Makshika, Chatra, Arghya, Oudalaka, Dala.

Pouttika - This honey is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and burning sensation in chest. It is also sedative and reduces fat.

Bhramara - This honey is collected by large bees and sticky in nature.

Kshoudra - (Honey collected by medium sized honey bees) light and cold in nature. Dissolves Kapha.

Makshika - (Honey collected by small honey bees) very light and dry natured. Usefull in VataKapha diseases and kapha diseases.

Chatra - Heavy and cold in nature useful in gout, Leucoderma (Shwitra).

Arghya - Good for eyes but causes arthritis.

Oudalaka - Useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.

Dala - Dry and reduces vomiting.

Amongst all the above "Makshika" is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties.

Therapeutic uses of Honey:

1. As it contains sugars which are quickly absorbed by our digestive system and converted into energy, this can be used as instant energizer.

2. As it is hygroscopic it speeds up healing, growth of healing tissue and dries it up.

3. Honey acts as a sedative and is very useful in bed wetting disorders.

4. Honey is very good antioxident which restores the damaged skin and gives soft, young looks.

5. Honey has antibacterial properties due to its acidic nature and enzymically produced hydrogen peroxide.

6. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

In Ashtanga Hridaya the great classic of ayurveda, the therapeutic uses of honey are explained as follows.

"Chakshushayam Chedi tritshleshmavishahidmaasrapittanut |

Mehakushtakrimicchardishwaasakaasaatisaarajit ||

Vranashodhana sandhaanaropanam vaatalam madhu ||"

a.. Honey is very good for eyes and eye sight.

b.. It quenches thirst.

c.. Dissolves kapha.

d.. Reduces effects of poison.

e.. Stops hiccups.

f.. It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea, vomiting.

g.. Cleanse the wounds.

h.. It heals wounds.

i.. Helps in quick healing of deep wounds.

j.. Initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.

k.. Honey which is newly collected from bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative.

l.. Honey which is stored and is old helps in metabolism of fat and scrapes Kapha.

Honey is called as "Yogavahi" . The substance which has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissue is called as Yogavahi. When honey is used with other herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.

Precautions to be taken before using honey:

a.. Honey should not be mixed with hot foods.
b.. Honey should not be heated.
c.. Honey should not be consumed when you are working in hot environment where you are exposed to more heat.
d.. Honey should never be mixed with rain water, hot and spicy foods, and fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy etc, ghee and mustard.
e.. Honey includes nectar of various flowers of which some may be poisonous. Poison has hot or Ushna qualities. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.

Few Home remedies with Honey

a.. Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with carrot juice and consume regularly. This helps to improve eyesight and is very helpful for those who sit before computer for long hours.

b.. In cold, cough and congested chest mix 2 teaspoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice and should be consumed frequently.

c.. A mixture of black pepper powder, honey and ginger juice in equal quantities, when consumed thrice daily help to relieve the symptoms of asthma.

d.. Regular use of one teaspoon of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoons of honey help to control blood pressure.

e.. One glass of warm water taken with two teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in early morning reduces fat and purifies blood.

Consuming one spoon of honey daily help us to lead a healthy long life. 

by Dr. Krishna.R.S

D'lish Snack Recipe :)

Crispy Kale Chips Ingredients:  1 bunch kale, tough stems and center ribs removed olive oil and water mixture in a spray bottle CHOICE OF SEASONINGS: garlic and/or onion powder balsamic vinegar fresh lemon juice Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest or Mato Zest , Mrs. Dash, or no salt Spike nutritional yeast chili powder black pepper raw cashew or almond butter mixed with water
Instructions: Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  Tear kale into uniform, chip sized pieces. Spread evenly on a non-stick baking sheet. Shake olive oil and water mixture well and spray kale lightly.  Sprinkle with your choice of seasoning. Bake for 50 minutes or until crispy and dry, tossing occasionally to prevent burning.  Can be eaten as a snack or used as a topping for salads or other dishes.

Core Commitment Yoga Camp: Menus for Health

Since part of the challenge of switching to a whole foods, health-supporting diet is just plain figuring out what to eat every day, we'd like to offer a sample menu of some easy, delicious meals that will leave you feeling fantastic! Even four days on a whole foods diet can turn your world around.  We've included a few hints along the way as far as cooking ahead, and utlizing leftovers, to make planning and cooking as simple as possible.

Day One: cook a large batch of brown rice. 2 cups of dry rice (cooked in 4 cups of water) should be enough to last one person for a couple of days, to utilize in the meals below.

Day one menu:

Breakfast: green smoothie (see recipe in earlier post on this blog)

Lunch: Nori Rolls (recipe below) and small green salad

Dinner: Brown rice, stir fried vegetables, optional protein (boiled egg, beans, or tempeh are good meat-free options)

Day two menu:

Breakfast: brown rice porridge (see recipe in earlier post on this blog)

Lunch: Leftover stir-fry and rice

Dinner: Kitchari (see recipe in earlier post on this blog)

Day three: Cook rice, same as day one.

Day three menu:

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftover kitchari

Dinner: miso soup (see recipe in earlier post on this blog), fried rice with vegetables (see recipe below) , stemed greens (collards, kale, etc.)

Day four:

Breakfast: Rice porridge (see recipe in earlier post on this blog)

Lunch: Leftover fried rice with veggies, small salad

Dinner: Large salad with any desired vegetables, protein (boiled egg, beans, sunflower seeds, etc.)

Recipes:

Nori Rolls

Fried Rice with Vegetables

A Favorite Kitcharie Recipe

Kitchari Recipe
Ingredients 1 cup Basmati Rice 2 cups Mung Dal (split yellow) 7 cups (approx.) Water a bit of Salt 2 Tbs. Ghee 3 tsp. Mustard Seeds 2 tsp. Cumin Seeds or Powder 2 tsp. Turmeric Powder 2 tsp. Coriander Powder 2 tsp. Fennel Powder 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing)		Kitchari means mixture, usually of two grains. This is one kitchari recipe that is particularly nourishing and easy to digest. Options Vegetables such as zucchini,  asparagus, sweet potato For Vata or Kapha conditions:  add a pinch of ginger powder For Pitta: leave out the mustard seeds
Preparation Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water. Sauté the seeds in the ghee until they pop. Then add the other spices. Add the mung dal and salt. Sauté for 1 or 2 minutes. Add boiling water, bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the dal is about 2/3 cooked. Now prepare any vegetables that suit your constitution. Cut them into smallish pieces. Add rice and these vegetables. Stir to mix, adding extra water if required. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Aim to have minimal water remaining, leaving the lid on the pot to allow any excess to slowly be absorbed. Caution: Kitchari mono-diet can lead to constipation if taken exclusively for several days, as it is low in fiber. To ensure proper elimination, the following may prove helpful if taken once a day, away from kitchari meals: psyllium husks or seeds with water OR oat bran OR prune juice. Triphala can also be helpfull. Please play with your ingrediants and even types of beans you use- I just made some with red lentils and it was sooooo yummy!  You can even try eating your kitcharie wrapped in Nori if your a seaweed fan like me:)) Teas for each Constitution Vata Tea — equal parts ground ginger, cumin and coriander Pitta Tea — equal parts ground cumin, coriander and fennel Kapha Tea — equal parts ground ginger, cinnamon, and a pinch of clove