Yoga for Life on Rogers TV
September 10, 2010
On Tuesday we started taping season 3 of our Yoga Show on Rogers TV. The past 2 seasons were entitled Yoga for Runners; this season’s show is called Yoga for Life. Jane and Martha who are both teachers at the studio are assisting with the show this year as demonstrators. We’ve been having lots of fun and the days are indeed long and challenging with at least 4 hours of yoga and scripts to memorize, but it’s all worth it – I love it.
A big thank you to Jane and Martha. You rock!
As you know after a long day at the office you come home hungry. This week, I’ve been using the seasonal bounty of tomatoes, kale, and onions and I always have some yummy sweet potatoes on hand. The recipe below is a soup I made tonight. Yummy! It warmed my yoga bones after a long, chilly day outside. It requires one pot for easy clean up; today is also my 21st wedding anniversary, so it’s great to not spend the evening doing dishes 
The show will air on Rogers 22 in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy watching it and practicing yoga with us as much as we enjoyed filming it.
Yoga for Life Soup (all ingredients are organic)
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large bunch kale, middle stem removed and chopped finely
1 large tomato, diced
2 tbsp curry powder
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, add salt, curry powder and all the veggies, saute for 8-10 minutes. Add vegetable broth and beans and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Fabulous Flax – the beauty food
August 25, 2010
One of my dearest friends came to spend time with us at the cottage this summer, we have been friends since we were 4 years old and have kept in touch and visited each other no matter where we were living at the time (staying with her while she taught school in Aix en Provence, France was a highlight).
As soon as I saw her this year I noticed her skin was glowing and she actually looked younger – I had to know her secret. Well the answer is flax, yes flax. The super food that Elation Centre Nutrition recommends everyone eat at least 2 TBSP of each day. Stephanie told me that her Naturopathic Doctor recommended adding flax to her diet, so for the last 6 months at least she has been taking 2-4 tbsp daily of ground flax, in her smoothies, on her salad and mixed with yogourt or applesauce on her morning fruit salad. The benefits to her health include, less symptoms of PMS, reduction of perimenopause symptoms, almost total elimination of back pain due to sciatica and of course younger-looking skin!
I have been taking ground flax for years but I must admit not every day and sometimes I forget for a week or two, but since June my beautiful friend has inspired to commit again to this easy way to improve my health, and I do feel better, do I look younger? Not sure but I feel great!
More information: Scroll down for a flax-packed muffin recipe, information on The Protective Effects of Ground Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Against Cancer, as well as how to flaxseed and flax oil.
Elation Flaxseed Muffins
Flaxseed ranks right up there as one of today’s miracle foods. Here is a lightly-sweetened muffin recipe that is quick to make and packed with nutrition.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (process flax seeds in a coffee grinder)
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 medium-size banana, mashed
- 1 cup plain soy yogourt or soy/almond/rice buttermilk (1 cup ‘milk’ + 1 tbsp white or apple cidre vinegar, stir and let sit 5 minutes)
- 4-6 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2/3 cup raisins or blueberries, dried apricots or dried cranberries
Directions
- Make the buttermilk first if you are using.
- Mix all dry ingredients (except the raisins) in a large bowl.
- Combine banana, yogourt or milk and honey or maple syrup in a separate bowl. Stir liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Add raisins. Stir until thoroughly moistened but lumpy.
- Grease muffin tins or line with paper or foil cups, fill muffin tins to about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes. Do not overbake. Serve with jam.
Per serving (one muffin): 165 calories, 3 g total fat, 6 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 3 g of fiber.
Fabulous Flax: The Protective Effects of Ground Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Against Cancer by Sat Dharam Kaur ND
Flax seeds and flaxseed oil are inexpensive, readily available foods that we can eat daily to prevent various cancers. The following studies demonstrate their effectiveness, particularly in preventing or slowing the growth of breast and colon cancer.
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Reduce Tumor Growth Rate and Spread in Breast Cancer
In studies on mice that had been injected with breast cancer cells that were not responsive to the hormone estrogen, a diet of 10% flaxseed caused a reduction in the breast cancer tumour growth rate and a 45% reduction in total spread of the cancer to other sites (metastases) compared to mice fed a regular diet that did not include flaxseed. Lung metastases were reduced by 82% in the mice fed flaxseed and lymph node metastases was reduced even further. Flaxseed inhibited human breast cancer cell growth and spread in mice when included as 10% of their diets.1 A second study on mice found that flaxseed oil also reduces spread of breast cancer cells to distant lymph nodes.2
A 2005 study on postmenopausal women who were patients at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto revealed that if women ate one muffin a day containing 25 grams of flaxseed beginning at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis and continuing until their surgery (about a month later) there was a 31% increase in cancer cell death (apoptosis) in their tumours compared to women who ate a muffin that did not contain flaxseed. Simple inclusion of flaxseed in the diets of women with breast cancer can slow down tumor growth.3
Flaxseed Prevents Spontaneous Genetic Damage
Cancer often arises after spontaneous genetic damage, caused either by mutations or errors due to factors such as radiation, free radical damage, heavy metal toxicity, chemical exposure, barbecued meat and cooked fats. Diets higher in fruits, vegetables, grains and omega 3 oils such as flaxseed and fish oil are associated with lower rates of cancer; while diets higher in animal protein, sugar and saturated, omega 6 or hydrogenated fats lead to more cancers.
Many components in fruits, vegetables and grains have anti-cancer effects. One study looked at the number of broken chromosomes found in the blood of rats before, during and after six weeks of a diet supplemented with 20% fruits and vegetables and flaxseed. It was determined that of all the foods tested, flaxseed was the most protective in reducing chromosomal damage and did so by a whopping 30%.4From this study we can be confident in knowing that if we include fruits and vegetables as at least 20% of our diets and eat at least 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily, we can decrease our risk of cancer.
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian women and men. If we each consume 2-4 tablespoons of fresh flaxseed oil daily and decrease our consumption of omega 6 oils such as corn, safflower and sunflower oils, we can reduce our risk of colon cancer. In one study, rats were fed a diet that included either 15% corn oil or 15% flaxseed oil. The animals were then injected once weekly with a chemical known to cause colon cancer for three weeks. Thirty-five weeks later autopsies revealed that all of the rats on the corn oil diet had colon cancer tumours while only 54% of the rats on the flaxseed oil diet developed tumours, despite exposure to the same carcinogen. Among all the rats that did develop colon cancer tumours, there were over four times as many tumours in the rats that consumed the corn oil as there were in rats that ate flaxseed oil. The size of the tumours was also larger in the corn oil group.5Therefore we can decrease our likelihood of developing colon cancer by consuming unheated, refrigerated flaxseed oil daily. I recommend the Flora brand of flaxseed oil because it is stored in dark glass rather than plastic bottles.
In another study, mice were implanted with human colon cancer cells. The mice were then injected three times weekly with a cancer fighting component of flaxseed called enterolactone. The injections of enterolactone strongly inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells with no negative side effects.6
How to Use Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil
Follow the tips below to utilize these super foods:
Flaxseeds.
- Buy organic seeds whenever possible, usually found at a health food store. You can choose either the golden or brown seeds.
- Get yourself a small electric coffee grinder and grind the seeds before eating them, so you can absorb them. Eat them within 15 minutes of grinding so that the oil does not go rancid upon exposure to air. Do not buy them already ground and do not store them in the fridge for the next day – eat them freshly ground each time.
- Add the ground seeds to fruit smoothies; mix a little in apple sauce; toss them on salad; add them to a pancake mix; stir them in a bean soup just before you serve the soup; mix them in with vegetable juice; bake them in muffins. Aim to have at least 2 tablespoons daily.
Flaxseed Oil
- Buy cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil. It should always be stored in the fridge and ideally should be in a glass container. The Flora brand is a good one and readily available in health food stores.
- Look at the pressing date on the bottle and make you use it up before the expiry date. Flaxseed oil easily goes rancid upon exposure to light, heat and air and loses its benefit. You can add 2 capsules of vitamin E oil to the bottle by piercing the capsules and squirting them in with the flaxseed oil to keep it fresher for longer.
- Store the oil in the fridge or freezer, and put the cap on tightly immediately after each use.
- Never heat or cook flaxseed oil.
- Add it to smoothies; use it as a substitute for butter on toast or a baked potato; pour it on rice; add it to your soup bowl as you serve the soup; use it in salad dressing; add it to hummus; or just take it off the spoon. Aim to have at least 2 tablespoons daily.
References
1. Chen J, Stavro PM, Thompson LU. “Dietary flaxseed inhibits human breast cancer growth and metastases and downregulates expression of insulin-like growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor.” Nutr Cancer. 2002;43(2):187-92.
2. Wang L, Chen J, Thompson LU. “The inhibitory effect of flaxseed on the growth and metastasis of estrogen receptor negative human breast cancer xenografts is attributed to both its lignan and oil components.” Int J Cancer. 2005 Sep 20;116(5):793-8.
3. Thompson LU, Chen JM, Li T, et al. “Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer.” Clin cancer res. 2005 May 15;11(10):3828-35.
4. Trentin GA, Moody J, Torous DK et al. “The influence of dietary flaxseed and other grains, fruits and vegetables on the frequency of spontaneous chromosomal damage in mice.” Mutat Res. 2004 Jul 13;551(1-2):213-22.
5. Dwivedi C, natarajan K, Matthees DP. “Chemopreventive effects of dietary flaxseed oil on colon tumor development.” Nutr Cancer. 2005:51(1):52-8.
6. Danbara N, Yuri T, et al. “Enterolactone induces apoptosis and inhibits growth of Colo 201 human colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.” Anticancer res. 2005 May-Jun;25(3B):2269-76.
Frozen Chocolate Coconut Haystacks
August 11, 2010
This recipe comes from Green Goddess Renee Loux
YIELDS: 2 DOZEN
These haystacks are quick to prepare and so delicious you may want to double the recipe. They store well for up to a month in the freezer and are a great treat for well-behaved kids and adults
We made these treats for our July Yoga Teacher Training weekend and they kept us going for hours!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups dried coconut
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 4-6 tablespoons agave nectar
- 4-6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 1-1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder 1/4 cup cacao nibs, optional
PROCEDURE
- In a food processor, grind 1 cup dried coconut into a powder.
- Add almond butter, agave nectar, maple syrup, organic coconut oil, vanilla, and salt and blend until well mixed.
- Fold in remaining 2 cups of dried coconut, cocoa powder, and cacao nibs (if desired) by hand.
- Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet.
- Flatten with the palm of you hand. Continue until you’ve used all of the dough.
- Place in a sealed container with waxed paper. Place a piece of waxed paper between layers to keep them from sticking together. Freeze until firm (about 2 hours).
Exercise, Heat & Electrolytes
July 15, 2010
During exercise you lose two important electrolytes, sodium and chloride, through your sweat. Women and slower, beginner endurance exercisers are most at risk. Also at risk is anyone who has been taking mineral depleting chemicals such as antibiotics or insulin.
According to John Winterdyke and Karen Jensen authors of the Complete Athlete “By regulating the fluid balance inside and outside the cells, electrolytes are necessary for muscle contraction, relaxation and general muscle metabolism. An imbalance in the minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) which become electrolytes in the body can lead to early muscle fatigue and a corresponding drop in performance. For athletes, the muscles may feel ‘great’ but they just won’t respond to the demand you place on them.” To keep our muscles fueled many of us reach for electrolyte replacement drinks – but beware many are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients which can do more to deplete your energy than add to it.
Here are some guidelines when purchasing Electrolyte replacement drinks
- An eight-ounce serving should contain between twenty and twenty-eight grams of carbohydrates for maximum benefit
- Drinks should contain key electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, sodium, chloride, magnesium and phosphates
- Avoid drinks that contain sucrose
- Fructose and maltodextrin are easily absorbed by the digestive system
- Avoid all artificial colours, flavours etc
- Consume drinks slightly chilled if possible, this allows for better absorption
Below are 3 that meet the above criteria and have been proven effective by our coaches
- Ultima Replenisher, recommended by coach Sherry, available at Sports 4 Kanata and Bank Street
- Vega Sport Performance Optimizer, my favorite right now, available at all health food stores
- Shaklee Performance Sports Drink, all natural and great taste
One of the best ways to avoid depletion during this heat wave is to eat foods high in electrolytes such as
- Coconut water – highest source of electrolytes found in nature
- Kale – provides heavy minerals necessary to nourish the muscles and alkaline elements neutralize lactic acid build-up
- Celery – replaces sodium lost during perspiration
- Cucumber – provides excellent fluid and fibre
- Bananas – great source of potassium
I try and add all of these to my daily smoothie to keep me energized not just for training but for all my daily activities. My favorite green smoothie is posted on the website, and I pulled out one of my favorite natural nutrition guides, the Sunfood Diet by David Wolfe for a few more recipes guaranteed to keep you replenished and full of energy!
Performance: Blend together 1 cup coconut water, 1 cup ice, 1 heaping tbsp spirulina.
Spirulina is the highest protein food on the planet. This is a superior replenishing drink for any athlete
Rejuvenator – made with a juicer
- 1 Bunch of kale
- 4-6 ribs of celery
- 1 cucumber
- 1 burdock root
- 1 lemon
- 1-2 apples
This is a lot like my green smoothie, with the addition of burdock. Juicing helps the nutrients get right into your cells. Burdock root is a blood purifier and an excellent base to help the body create hormones. Burdock contains one of the highest amounts of iron in any food. Kale provides a dense source of alkaline minerals. Cucumber and celery soften the taste and provide more minerals. The lemon should be shaved down to the white pith. Apples add sweetness. This is one of the most health-promoting juice combinations, great to consume every day
Remineralizer – made with a juicer
- 8 ribs of celery
- 12 kale leaves
Juice; it loads the body with sodium and calcium.
Cooling Summer Drinks
July 5, 2010
Personally I love summer – hot, humid, long sunny days – but summer has its own set of beauty risks. Increased heat can bring an imbalance of Pitta dosha, the mind-body operator that governs hormones, digestion and other metabolic processes in the body. It’s important to stay cool and hydrated to help prevent summer breakouts and rashes. Here are a few tips for keeping your skin looking great in summer, and two of my favourite hydrating and beauty-building beverages!
- Drink cooling water. You’ve probably heard that drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day is important for flushing out toxins, and in summer it’s even more important to keep replacing fluids that may be lost to perspiration.
- Avoid Drinks that Dry Out Your Skin.Sure, those caffeinated drinks look thirst-quenching on TV, but the fact is that caffeine actually dehydrates the body. Alcoholic drinks are even more dehydrating. Worse, both caffeine and alcohol are toxic to the liver. When the liver becomes overloaded, it can no longer do its job of screening out toxins from the nutritive fluid. That’s the point when ama (digestive toxins) and more harmful impurities, start to circulate to the tissues and organs of the body. And one of the first signs of toxins in the liver is dull, dry, lifeless skin.
Even non-caffeinated carbonated drinks disrupt the digestion and are a major cause of toxins. And ice-cold drinks are also to be avoided, as icy foods and drinks completely douse the digestive fire, again leading to toxins that detract from healthy skin. Cilantro, cucumber, and mint are great additions to water for a refreshing beverage that will cool you down. - Eat foods that hydrate your skin:
- Cooling, sweet, bitter and astringent foods(coconut, cucumber, watermelon, all the fresh fruit in season, steamed greens, multicolored salads, watercress, endives, mung beans, basmati rice) and avoid spicy and fried foods.
- Sweet fruits, such as grapes, cherries, melons, avocados, coconuts, pomegranates, mangos, and sweet, fully-ripened oranges, pineapples and plums. Reduce sour fruits such as grapefruits, olives, papayas, and unripe pineapples and plums.
Both of these recipes are from The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux.
Lemon Cucumber Spa Hydrator - made with a blender
yields 4 servings
- 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 lemon, peeled and seeded
- 1-2 tbsp raw agave nectar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups filtered water
Blend all ingredients at high speed until smooth. Pour through a fine strainer or sieve. Serve chilled
Green Lemon Ginger Beauty Tonic – made with a juicer
yields: 4 servings
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 cucumber
- 2 organic green apples
- 6 ribs celery
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1 lemon
- 1″ fresh ginger
Cut up all veggies so they will fit through your vegetable juicer. Juice the romaine, cucumber, apples, celery, parsley, lemon and ginger, alternating for easy processing. Drink as fresh as possible.
Keeping Cool & Healthy Too
June 15, 2010
My kids love to have frozen treats in the summer. Popsicles and freezies are a huge hit. What I don’t like about them, even the ones made out of pure fruit juice, is the sugar content.
Our friend Andrea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl tweeted about a recipe for veggie popsicles. When I saw the link, it got me very excited. A frozen green smoothie? My kids and I will be trying it out this summer!
What is your favourite frozen healthy treat?
Refuel and Relax!
May 18, 2010
Today on Rogers TV Ottawa I was asked to create a post-race meal in preparation for the National Capital Race weekend May 29 and 30. The event includes a family 2km and 5km, 10km, half-marathon and marathon races; all events are sold out. Movement to Health has about 100 people training for this event and we are all looking forward to it. The meal I’ve created is easy to make, since you’ll be tired after your run and is filled with foods to help you muscles recover quickly after your race.
- Anti-inflammatory foods: ginger, pineapple, and jalpeno peppers
- Hydrating foods: cucumbers and pineapple
- Essential fatty acids: walnuts – good for your joints
- Easy to digest protein and fibre: quinoa – rebuilds muscles and keeps you full
- Good fats: avocado, olive oil, walnuts – adds healthy calories and studies show refueling after a long run with fats trains the body to burn fat on your next long run
Enjoy and good luck at the races!
Menu: Start with a big class of iced green tea, then rehydrate further with the Gazpacho and enjoy a side dish of Quinoa Salad. Put your feet up and relax!
Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho
From: Raw Food Real World
Serves 4-6, serve chilled
- 4 cups chopped peeled cucumber
- 4 cups chopped pineapple
- 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 green onion, white and 1 inch of green, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a blender, add 3 cups each of the cucumber and pineapple, the pineapple juice, green onion, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup cucumber, the handful of cilantro, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil. Pulse the blender quickly a few times – the gazpacho should remain chunky. Taste for seasoning
2. Drizzle with a bit more oil and garnish with cilantro before serving
Quinoa Salad with Shredded Carrots and Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
From: Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau
Makes 8 servings
- 3-4 medium carrots peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 up chopped walnuts
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed well
- 2 cups cold unsalted water (for the quinoa)
- 1 recipe Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
- Place the 2 cups unsalted water and the rinsed quinoa in big saucepan, and bring them to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes. Put cooked quinoa in a large bowl and cool slightly
- Add the grated carrots, walnuts and the chopped cilantro to the bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss with a big spoon. Serve warm, chilled or room temperature.
Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette
Makes ¾ cup
- Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Madras curry powder
- A few turns freshly ground pepper
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk all ingredients except olive oil together in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream, whisking as you go to form an emulsion.
Windy, Rainy but Strong and Powerful 21.1km
May 5, 2010
Windy, rainy but strong and powerful that sums up our 21.1km run in preparation for the National Capital half-marathon race May 30th.
The weather as we set out was terrible – 6 degrees and pouring rain – “oh well”, we all thought “if we can run in this we can run in anything come race day.” So off we went. We chose a route that took us through various local neighbourhoods so we could avoid the 30+ km/hour winds and a route that was familiar so we could visualize feeling strong at various kilometre markers then using this to keep us focused and energized on race day.
Everyone finished totally pooped and very happy the run was over, no chatting, no post-run coffee, we all got home as quick as we could, heading for a hot shower.
I usually have a smoothie after I run but the idea of something cold just didn’t appeal this morning – Super coach Tonja was with me this morning and we decided on OATS – yum, hot satisfying comfort food. Tonja whipped up our fortifying pot of oats made with soy milk and filled with berries, banana, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hemp and topped with maple syrup – it was delicious
Oats are an amazing power house of nutrients and anti-oxidants, making them the perfect post-run food
According to whfoods.org, oats and whole grains in general are an important dietary sources of water-soluble, fat-soluble, and insoluble and antioxidants. The long list of cereal antioxidants includes vitamin E, tocotrieonols, selenium, phenolic acids, and phytic acid. These multifunctional antioxidants come in immediate-release to slow-release forms and thus are available throughout the gastrointestinal tract over a long period after being consumed.
Whole grains are also an abundant source of plant lignans, which are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, which is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease. In addition to whole grains, nuts, seeds and berries are rich sources of plant lignans, and vegetables, fruits, and beverages such as coffee, tea and wine also contain some. When blood levels of enterolactone were measured in over 800 postmenopausal women in a Danish study published in the Journal of Nutrition, women eating the most whole grains were found to have significantly higher blood levels of this protective lignan. Women who ate more cabbage and leafy vegetables also had higher enterolactone levels.
Oats gain part of their distinctive flavor from the roasting process that they undergo after being harvested and cleaned. Although oats are then hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and their germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fibre and nutrients. For minimal processing and best retention of enzymes choose your oats from the top half of the list.
- Oat groats: unflattened kernels that are good for using as a breakfast cereal or for stuffing
- Steel-cut oats: featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades that thinly slices them.
- Old-fashioned oats: have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled.
- Quick-cooking oats: processed like old-fashioned oats, except they are cut finely before rolling
- Instant oatmeal: produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product.
- Oat bran: the outer layer of the grain that resides under the hull. While oat bran is found in rolled oats and steel-cut oats, it may also be purchased as a separate product that can be added to recipes or cooked to make a hot cereal.
Tonja’s Powered-Up Oatmeal
Serves 2
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup soymilk
- 2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats (we would have used steel cut oats if we had enough on hand)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2-4 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2-4 tbsp organic raisins
- ½ banana, sliced
- ½ cup or more of blackberries and sliced strawberries
- Maple syrup to taste
Directions
- bring water and soymilk to a boil, immediately reduce heat to simmer and add oats, stir so they don’t clump, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently
- add pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, raisins and hemp, cook for 5 minutes
- add banana and berries and heat through
- top with maple syrup
- Enjoy with a cup of steaming green tea
Yoga Teacher Graduation
April 26, 2010
- Yahoo
What a great weekend for our recent group of Yoga Teachers in Training with Syvie Gouin the Director of Core-Ealtion Yoga (and soon to be co-director with me of Elation Centre). This was the last weekend of their innovative and comprehensive 8-month training, lots of laughs, tears and hugs and to celebrate I made extra-special delicious Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Icing, actually described by some as orgasmic, so look out . The original recipe is from this website The Daily Raw, with some good pictures to guide you as you create these amazingly healthy treats
Congratulations to all our new Yoga Teachers and enjoy the journey ahead.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT ICING
Cupcake Base
- 1 cup walnuts, unsoaked
- 5 Medjool dates, unsoaked, pitted
- 1/8 cup raw or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, liquid form
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Process walnut and dates in a food processor until mixture sticks together. Add sea salt, vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Roll small eight balls out of the mixture and place each one in 1 ¼-inch baking cups. Mold the sides of the baking cups around the balls and form into a cupcake shape.
Coconut Icing
- 1 cup coconut pulp
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup agave nectar
- ¼ cup coconut water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of sea salt
- Puree coconut pulp, coconut oil, agave nectar and coconut water in the blender until you achieve a smooth consistency. Add vanilla extract and sea salt.
- Frost the cupcakes with the coconut icing.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days – they won’t last that long!
Running Like The Wind
April 24, 2010
Wow we ran 16km with the half-marathon group this morning and we were flying! Our long run pace has certainly improved and the goal of my group to run the Ottawa Half-Marathon in 2 hours is within our reach. We all agreed that our speed work with coach Sherry and consistent training has totally paid off.
Here’s a link to the route we did this morning; leaving from our Studio in Westboro
At this point in the training what we eat after the long run becomes very important. Our total weekly volume of mileage is reaching it’s peak and if you don’t refuel well it’s very hard to keep your tank topped up!
One of my favourite post-run smoothies is an adaptation of the Bee Protein Smoothie from Raw Food Real World – a great raw food book. This smoothie is packed with protein and with all the essential amino acids our body needs to build and repair
Bee Protein, adapted from Raw Food Real World
Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 cups coconut water or water (you can get coconut water at Herb and Spice or Rainbow)
- 1 cup diced mango
- 1 cup frozen diced banana
- 1 tbsp hemp protein
- 1 tbsp bee pollen (can get at the Superstore, lots of protein amino acids and enzymes, gives you energy)
- 2 tbsp raw honey (unpasteurized so it retains vitamins, minerals and enzymes)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Blend until smooth and creamy
