Food Inspiration: Recipes of the Day

Vegan Peanut Butter Granola via The Kind Life

Summer Vegetable Curry via 101 Cookbooks

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos
via Oh She Glows

{Food} How to Deal with Cravings

Bibi on Basil

Bibi in Burque May 16-24.
Bibi's website.

Weekend Edition #11 Luiz Antonio: Why He Doesn't Want to Eat Octopus

Weekend Edition #6 Spring Cleaning

Spring is a lovely time to shift gears, shed tired habits, and start fresh from the inside out...

The quote above is from "Yoga and Vegetarianism" by Sharon Gannon.  It is a quick and inspirational read that navigates food choices using basic yoga philosophy.  I definitely recommend it.

While most Albuquerque growers' markets won't start until late April/May, the Corrales Growers' Market is open once per month in the off season with the next chance to get some super fresh food coming up on April 7th.  In the meantime, here is a list of what's in season.


For life and space organizing check out "Organizing from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.  Much more than a quick tips guide, the book gets you to do some reflecting on what is important to you in life and moves from there.  Super helpful.

So how do you clean a yoga mat?  It all depends on the mat you have...

And while we are on the subject of mats and feet...  Foot warts happen.  Take care of them now.  Athlete's foot too.  And if you find yourself slipping on your mat a bit more than usual try this tip from Yoga Journal:

To avoid slipping around on your mat, brew two black tea bags in one pint of boiled water for 15 minutes. Add two quarts of cool water and soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes. The tannic acid in the brewed tea will change your skin's pH level and help prevent unwanted odor-causing bacteria.

Lastly, an article by Sally Kempton on the art of mindful speaking.

"You can change the world, or at least your experience of it, by becoming conscious of the words coming out of your mouth."

Spring forward!

The Ultimate Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet

 

Thanks, PETA!

Vegan Black Metal Chef

Who says being vegan is boring?

Recipe: The Liz Berry Smoothie

This is a thick, nutrient-rich smoothie inspired by one of my good friends...

Ingredients:

• Banana

• A few leaves of kale

• 1 handful of blueberries, cherries, or other berries (frozen is okay). Amounts vary (I usually measure by handfuls). 

Supplies:

• Blender (I recommend using a hand blender.  They are much easier to clean than a regular blender.)

• Cup

Directions:
Blend ingredients until smooth.  This is a thick smoothie for sure.  For a thinner smoothie, experiment with the ratios.

Nutrients:

• Bananas - potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin b6, vitamin c

• Kale - fiber, calcium, vitamin b6, magnesium, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin k, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorus

• Blueberries - dietary fiber, vitamin c, vitamin k, manganese

Going vegetarian?

Here is a sweet video by Jonathan Mann and Ivory King that addresses some common questions...

Resolution #2 Eat Healthier Right Now

Change is hard. Changing the way we eat isn't just about substituting one thing for another, portion control, and following a set of rules. If it was that simple, maintaining a healthy relationship with food wouldn't be one of the top 5 New Year's Resolutions year after year. Where we buy our food, how and where we eat our food, and the company we keep while we eat all factor into the choices we make.

Here are some articles, tips, and ideas to masticate in 2011

In 2008, Kino Macgregor (Certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher) contributed an article to the Living Mysore Journal which lists 10 healthy eating tips from interesting factoids to knowing when to cleanse. Click to view article.

Where we opt to shop impacts what we choose to eat. Here are some health food stores in and around Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Learning how to cook differently and with new foods is much easier with a good cookbook. Books on food and cookbooks at the AYB blog.

A yogic diet is very specific. Guy Donahaye (Certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher) discusses key points here and lists suggestions from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.


Tips on how to eat and feel healthier right now
Replace sugar with agave, brown rice syrup, or date syrup
Get in the habit of reading labels
Do not eat high fructose corn syrup/corn sugar
Do not eat partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
Replace butter with ghee or non-hydrogenated vegan butter
Replace cheese with tahini
Replace eggs in sweet baked goods with mashed banana (1 egg = 1 banana)
Do not eat refined grains
Only drink fresh juice
Drink water instead if soda
Have dark chocolate instead of light, keep it dairy-free
Steam veggies rather than fry
Avoid labels that say "natural flavors"
Buy fresh vegetables instead of frozen
Buy whole fruit and vegetables rather than pre-cut



Quick and Easy Veggie Bowl for One
Cook Together:
1 cup Rice or Quinoa
2 cups Water
2 inches Sweet Potato
1/2 cup Onion if desired
Handful of Kale or Broccoli
1 small Beet
1 small Carrot

Garnish:
1/2 Lemon
Splash Olive Oil
Pinch Sea Salt or Tamari
1/2 small Avocado
1 stalk Green Onion/spring onion/scallion
Sprinkle Sesame Seeds or Pepitas
1/2 sheet Nori

Add grain and water to pot, turn up the heat. Wash and chop up about half a small sweet potato and onion and add to pot with grains. When it comes to a boil, turn down, cover, and simmer until water is gone and grain is cooked. In the meantime, wash and chop some kale, toss in. Wash and shred the beet and carrot, toss in.

Once the grain is cooked, plate it. Squeeze half a lemon (or more if you really like lemon) over the food. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt or tamari. Add half of a small avocado, sliced. Add green onions, sliced. Sprinkle sesame seeds or pepitas on top. Tear up 1/2 a sheet of sushi nori and add. Mix it all up and enjoy!

Food Books

Macrobiotic









Modern Ayurveda











Classic Ayurveda




Food and Healing

Yoga, food, and fat

But, really this is about dealing with control issues, body issues, emotional issues, non attachment, and learning to still the mind.

A while back I was at my boyfriend's parents' house reading Self Magazine on the couch while he rummaged around in the attic.  There was this article about weight-loss (there always is) and they were discussing BMI, "ideal weight", and what they called "happy weight".  The ideal weight was what the women wanted to weigh (not always realistic), while the happy weight was what was possible and healthy for their frame, lifestyle, etc.  You can read the full description of the happy weight here.  With nothing else to do, I figured I'd do the math and weigh in on my happy weight.  

I knew I had gained about 10 pounds in India last year and had lost about 7 of them since being back in New York.  I was a bit surprised to find that my happy weight was a couple of pounds lighter than my pre-India weight, which I had found to be comfortable.  I wasn't "dieting" at all, but was eating very particularly.  Strict vegan, organic, local, and gluten-free.  Post-India, I am vegetarian and more relaxed about the gluten.  My philosophy has been that I'm eating to be strong, whereas pre-India, I was eating to feel light.

Curious about this new found "happy weight" I thought I'd give it a try and see what it felt like. I really thought I'd be really hungry and bony even though it was just a couple of pounds lighter. It took a couple of months of being very mindful of how, when, why, and what I ate, but I did it.  I felt really good!  I felt healthy, strong, beautiful, light, energetic, and who doesn't love compliments?  But then something happened and I stopped being mindful and started eating my way out of the fog.  I didn't put on a bunch of weight--maybe 1-3 pounds depending on the day--but I feel different.  

Again and again in the philosophy and theory discussions, the topic of food comes up.  It is such a basic element of existence, it is no wonder that one's habits around it are a critical piece of the "enlightenment" pie.  I don't want to be skinny or bony.  I don't want to fast and live in a cave.  But if I am very honest with myself, I can admit that I do have some "mindfulness" issues surrounding food and when I am not mindful, I sometimes end up eating food that has negative affects on my body and mind.  I know this is a sticky topic.  Am I a control freak?  Am I a skinny-obsessed ashtangi?  Is this an eating disorder?  Am I obsessing over nothing?  Or is this really even a healthy issue to be analyzing?  Maybe a little of all of it.  Who knows?  What I do know is that I have to take responsibility for my own happiness and no matter what I tell myself, the answer is not at the bottom of the peanut butter jar.  

Okay okay and bikini shopping is on the horizon.  Happy now?

Why I am interested in looking deeper at the way I eat and what I see as problematic:

1.  Binge eating

2.  Irregular eating schedule because of work

3.  Eating when not hungry or out of habit

4.  Emotional/stress eating

5.  Social eating

6.  Boredom eating

7.  Reward eating

Why these are unhelpful:

1.  I'm not dealing with what is really bothering me when I emotionally eat

2.  Ill-fitting clothing sucks

3.  Less confidence

4.  Feeling uncomfortable

5.  Being overweight isn't healthy. Not that I am, but I feel like even thinking you feel that way causes stress which isn't healthy

6.  When you feel like you're overweight, "you suffer"

How to turn this around:

1.  Less dairy.  Although I don't really eat much to begin with.  But do I really need to tax the cheese when I'm making a meal?

2.  Not making any exceptions for refined grains

3.  Avoiding packaged food

4.  Smaller portions

5.  Eating when hungry

6.  Avoid multi tasking while I eat.

Should I workout or something too?  I don't think so.  It isn't about losing weight as much as it is about not letting the eating monster take over sometimes.  

So the "goal" is to be more mindful.  How will I know it?  I'll feel it.  And maybe I'll lose the 1-3 pounds to get to the "happy weight".  Why not?

Helpful tools:

Happy Weight Calculator

BMI Calculator

Caloric Calculator

I threw "yoga" into the caloric calculator and it said that I burn 612.68 calories in one session.  If I ran instead, I'd burn only 548.67 calories.  Ha!  Take that runners!

Apparently I'm supposed to take in 1890.91 calories to maintain my current weight at  my current activity level.  But if I want to lose weight, I have to burn more calories or eat less calories.  I am already very active, so that isn't going to happen.  But again, do I really need the TV snack?  Or the second piece of toast?  And actually, I don't even know how many calories are in what I eat...

So how is this a yoga practice?  It is tapas.  It is being mindful.  It is actively moving toward understanding what is going on internally and how that can manifest externally.  It is about moving away from suffering and toward my true self.  Is my true self hungry?  What doesn my true self want to eat for lunch today?  Or is that my other self talking?

Currently reading:  "The Red Tent"