Nettles: That Most Spring of Things

Dr Suhas, that great luminary of Ayurvedic healing, reminds us that eating our greens can be the best medicine, but he adds that greens should always be prepared with two things: garlic and lemon.

Yes, nature’s medicine can be delicious.

Thinking of all the lemony, garlicky greens we find in Italian, French, Greek, Chinese, African and just about every “heritage” cuisine, I am reminded again of how intuitively Ayurvedic wisdom is alive in every culture that grew up from a deep relationship with the land.

One of those classic heritage dishes is this  lemony-garlicky sauté of nettles – simple, delicious, and medicinal.

Why nettles? One thing wisdom elders and grandmothers knew was that the nettles growing wild in spring are delicious, potent medicine for so many of our spring concerns. As an astringent, diuretic, anthelmintic, antihistamine, decongestant, and detoxifier, nettles help your body manage the Kapha tendency of spring, especially sinus congestion, allergies, asthma.

Nettles are so good for you that my friend, the great medicine woman Shannon Thompson, recently said, “It’s easier to list the few thing nettles don’t help.”

Where? Nettles grow abundantly in wooded areas, by river beds, and around abandoned buildings… but if you can’t find them in your neighborhood, Traditional Medicinals makes a fine nettle tea and Frontier sells the leaves and roots in bulk. (I do not have an affiliate relationship with these companies. I do appreciate their integrity and products, and I want to help you access this natural medicine as best you can.)

Be sure to wear gloves when working with nettles. Once they are cooked, they are tender and harmless, but until then, they can really sting. And sting with a lasting vengeance. If that happens, put your hands in ice water. Then wash with soap. Use tape to extract the nettle thorns (which can be invisible). Apply a thick paste of baking soda (mixed with scant water) and allow to dry before washing off. Finally, eat your cooked nettles for the antihistamine.

Sautéed Nettles with Chewy Crunchy Garlic
Serves 2

a double handful of nettles, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ghee or refined coconut oil
1/2 lemon
pink salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
optional: extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes

Melt ghee or coconut oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, swirling the pan now and then to distribute the heat. As soon as the garlic begins to getting golden, add the nettles. Cook a minute or two, stir and gently turn. Cook another minute or two and remove from heat once the leaves begin to lightly brown.

Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the nettles, then season with black pepper and pink salt to taste (it shouldn’t need much salt thanks to the lemon). As you serve the nettles, you may optionally drizzle with olive oil, or sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Another option to boost the health benefits is to stir a scant teaspoon of turmeric powder in with the sautéing garlic just before adding the nettles.

I mentioned Dr. Suhas. He and is wife, Dr. Manisha, are two of my great mentors. I offered Dr. Manisha’s book Eternal Beauty in this post, and offer you now Dr. Suhas’ new book,  The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling, co-written with another of my longtime mentors and friend Dr. David Frawley.

“The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling” is the best counseling guide available for students, teachers, and practitioners of Ayurveda, Yoga, and related healing arts. The book is an ever-cherished collection of knowledge, wisdom and a practical, clinical reference. I highly recommend the book to all who love Yoga & Ayurveda.”
~ Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician

If you would like to be entered to receive this book, please leave a comment below.

Do you suffer from spring allergies? If so, I highly recommend a daily dose of nettles – along with this great article from Banyan Botanicals on Ayurveda’s approach to allergies.

Do you have a favorite nettle recipe? Do you have memories of a grandmother harvesting greens in spring? How do you keep the traditions of nature’s medicine alive in your life, your family, our world? I would love to hear. Thank you & Namaste!

Do you have a favorite nettle recipe? Do you have memories of a grandmother harvesting greens in spring? How do you keep the traditions of nature’s medicine alive in your life, your family, our world? I would love to hear. Thank you & Namaste!

 

Detox Tabbouleh

Why do I call this Detox Tabbouleh? Unlike the traditional recipe, I don’t add bulgur or tomato, so it is free of those pesky foods that can be inflammatory. Like the traditional recipe though, I do add garlic, a really good olive oil and lots of lemon, because all three are known to help detoxify the body. Above all, this is full of greens, and greens clean.

Parsley & Cilantro are potent detoxifiers, providing necessary nutrients and daily fiber. Parsley also helps to clean your breath of garlic odor, so it is a perfect paring. And if you’ve joined me for any of my seasonal cleanses, you know my love of cilantro for its heavy metal scrubbing power.

Who is this for? Greens are good for everybody, helping Vata with necessary fiber for easier elimination, cooling inflammation and strengthening liver function to help Pitta keep cool, and providing the bitters that lighten up Kapha.

It tastes like an ancient Mesopotamian garden. I’d serve it to the poet Hafiz if he’d come over for dinner. Like his Gifts, our mother earth’s bounty is an eternal feast.

Detox Tabbouleh

1 bunch parsley
1 handful cilantro, optional
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic
3-4 fists of pine nuts
2 capfuls really fine extra virgin olive oil

Put the garlic in a food processor and mince. Add the parsley, cilantro, spring onions and process. Squeeze in the lemon juice and mix. Toss in the pine nuts, drizzle in the olive oil and give it one more quick pulse. Taste, adjust flavors, and pulse again if you like your pine nuts broken down and integrated more.

Serve alone, or with soups, salads, toast, or crackers. It is also great spooned over heartier dishes.

*Note: If you are Pitta, you can reduce the amounts of garlic and spiring onion, or eliminate altogether. 

Speaking of getting healthy for the new year, my Winter Cleanse launches this Saturday. It’s a hearty cleanse – gentle enough that you can keep up with your daily routines, but solid enough that you will feel better, and delicious enough to keep you building momentum. All for only $10 for 10 recipes, meal plans + Ayurvedic wisdom and email inspiration.

I will give away a winter cleanse to a commenter below (picked randomly, always). So tell me, how do you nourish and purify in winter?

 

Vegan Sushi

Summer is definitely here. The children are out of school, the weather is heating up, we are outdoors every day, and our little island is overrun with tourists- reminding us how lucky we are to live here in this blessed village by the sea.

Inspired by Chef Joann, the all-star caterer for our Sophia Camp Benefit Fundraisers, I thought I’d try a Vegan version of sushi, and now this is one of my favorite summer lunches. It works well for picnics as it is an easy pack, and it’s been a favorite at parties. You can make it with anything, even almond butter and banana, so it’s a child pleaser too, especially if you involve them in choosing their own ingredients and rolling their own rolls.

You can do so much with this. You could julienne a cucumber, slice an avocado, grate zucchini, add vibrancy with red or yellow pepper, replace the chard with any fresh, favorite green, spoon in some hummus, stack some rice – really it is all according to your own taste, creativity and local, seasonal availability.

Vegan Sushi
makes 4 servings

4 Collard Leaves
2 Carrots
2 Chard leaves
1 small handful of Sun Sprouts
Bamboo skewers

Optional, any or all: 
2-3 Basil leaves
1 small handful Cilantro
a pinch of Dill

Aioli
2 T Vegan Mayonnaise
1 t Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic, finely minced, or 1/2 t garlic powder
1 t fresh Lemon juice
Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes
Pink Salt & fresh cracked Black Pepper

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice and red pepper flakes until it is well mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Grate the carrots. Stack chard leaves and roll them up tight. Slice the leaves widthwise into narrow pieces to create long thin strips. Slice through the length to make smaller strips. Do the same with the basil and then finely chop the Cilantro.

Lay the carrots, chard and sprouts out in tight rows lengthwise on your collard leaf. Add another tight, thin row of herbs. Fold one side of your collard in and begin to roll. Pull your vegetables in close as you roll to keep it tight. Once it is rolled, take a very sharp knife and cut them into “sushi rolls.” Gently pierce the collard with your skewer and drive it through the roll to hold it all together. The skewer then becomes your utensil for serving and dipping. Serve with the aioli, and enjoy with a refreshing rose fennel tea.

Since summer is Pitta season, raw food is generally okay at lunchtime when our digestive fires are strongest. My digestion still needs help, though, with raw food in any season, thus the mustard, lemon, garlic, and red pepper as digestive aids. Here are some suggestions to tailor this meal according to your own digestive strength ~

Vata: Lightly sauté the carrot and greens with minced ginger and a dash of Tamari to soften. Replace red pepper with a sprinkle of powdered ginger in the aioli.
Pitta: Omit the garlic and red pepper in the aioli. Try fennel powder instead, adding small amounts at first and increasing to taste.
Kapha: Use both fresh and powdered garlic and be generous with the red and black pepper. You might enjoy ginger tea with your meal, or chew on a stick of ginger soaked in lemon just prior to lunch.

I loved your comments on my last post on rice. You shared so much of your heart, and often your family history. Since it is such fun to hear from you and to give, I’ve decided to make this the summer of giveaways. This time it is a book – Chef AJ’s Unprocessed with over 100 healthy and gluten-free recipes. Just comment below and let us know what you are loving for summer meals, and we will randomly pick a name to receive it.

Thank you & Namaste!

Sophia’s Sandwich Wraps

Guest post by Emma Frattasio, with photographs by Nayana Peterhans

photo credit: Nayana Peterhans

Though we often notice the five elements (space, air, fire, earth & water)  in our surroundings, we seldom acknowledge their presence in our beings and the food we eat.  The Ayurvedic Doshas (Pitta, Kapha, Vata) that constitute us, largely reflect this notion. Certain Doshas or elements are more prevalent in us depending on the type of day;  luckily we can use food to help balance any of their manifestations. Often times the Doshas that pertain to us transcend physical and mental barriers. For example, Pitta, or fire people, tend to be  powerful by nature with corresponding muscular builds. Warm, sunny days like today can lead to imbalances in our fiery counterparts which increases the need for foods with cooling properties or high quantities of water (Kapha).

photo credit: Nayana Peterhans

Here at Sophia Camp (a feminine leadership program), as an introduction to self discovery, we have learned about the Doshas/ five elements and how they act in nature, our phenotypes and our personalities. Today, at the Point Loma Native Plant Garden, we explored the local ecosystem and noticed the recurring theme of Pitta in San Diego wildlife. We studied the different botanicals and learned how native peoples exploited the various elements in their environment to survive southern California’s desert climate.

While we detected characteristics of fire, we subsequently experienced rising temperatures within ourselves. Thankfully, we picnicked on a refreshing lunch of cabbage wraps, cucumber salad and coconut water to neutralize the augmented heat. This approach can easily be used in life: in cases of extremism we must always remember to take a deep breath and come back to our balance.

Sophia’s Summer Wraps

Ingredients:

1) Napa Cabbage
2) Carrots
3) Zucchini
4) Sprouts
5) Avocado
6) Provolone Cheese
7)  Mayo (we used Vegenaise)

Instructions:
Shred the carrots and the zucchini. Lay out the cabbage leaves. Place a piece of cheese on each leaf. Spread a dollop of mayo. Layer on a slice of avocado. Spoon the carrots and zucchini over that. Top with a pinch of sprouts. Carefully roll the leaf folding from the top to the bottom, be sure to roll tightly then close with a toothpick.

Editor’s Note: Collard Greens make a better wrap than Napa cabbage, as it shapes and holds better. Napa cabbage is best used as a sup rather than trying to make it like a burrito. 

Thank you Emma and Nayana for a great post. More than that, thank you for bringing your brilliance to our Sophia Camp this summer! We are better now because you you are in our lives. You have truly touched our hearts.  Namaste! 

Summer Cleanse + Smoothies

Summer Smoothies :: Download the PDF for your Kitchen

This is one of many beautiful, colorful, vibrant, nature loves you recipe sheets you receive as part of our upcoming Ayurvedic Summer Cleanse. From August 9-15, this 5 day Cleanse with 1 day Prep at the front and 1 day Transition at the end gives you recipes for all 7 days, plus Yoga practices, a meditation, group calls and daily motivation, plus a facebook forum to share, connect, inspire.

If you can’t wait, head on over to Kate’s 3 day Cleanse going on now. Then come back and join us in August.  Invite your friends, too. We have room for plenty and it’s always more fun with your loved ones.

I love this Summer Cleanse so much I want everyone to have it. In fact, I love it so much and love you so much that I am going to give it to three of you for free. Just leave a comment below letting us know what you love about summer, and we will pick a winner in a random, double-blind drawing.

Are you ready for mind-blasting freedom, clarity and vibrance? Let’s join together and heal the world!

Loving life, loving summer, loving you ~ Namaste! 

~

Congratulations to Kate, Nicole and Nathalie who will receive the Summer Cleanse as a gift!

Toasted Turmeric Tofu Salad

Summer is beautiful here: the beach, the clear but not too hot weather, the charm of a small town that, to some degree, resembles America as Betty Crocker might have lived it. It has an unspeakable draw.

This week, that draw is stronger than ever. We watch as people pour in, like waves flowing to meet the ocean. They come from every place on the globe, coming this week for one thing above all: the 4th of July.

Yesterday, I was invited to be one of the Parade’s announcers/dj’s. It’s a surprise. But it’s also something more. I’ve lived here “under the radar,” so to speak, for 11 years. So it feels like a kind of coming out party.

No more feeling like the outsider. I belong. You belong. We all belong. We belong to our communities, to our world, to nature, to life. We belong to this breath, this moment, this 4th of July and this dream of unity.

In that spirit, I’ve been going through my days, my work and all the beautiful things one gets to love and do each day, filled with inspiration for a playlist: music across the generations, music that celebrates American ingenuity, music that makes us want to get up and dance.

A few high schoolers with exceptional musical talent quickly promised to stop by and perform. Favorite locals like Root 75, Cafe 1134, Seaside Papery, and Leroy’s Kitchen & Lounge have loaded me up with prizes so we can run trivia contests. Of course, there are floats and bands, military brass and everyday heroes to announce, but there are often gaps… long gaps… between floats, so I am abuzz with ideas – and eager for more. If you have input for music, historical trivia, or engaging ways to entertain kids in a crowd (without losing the plot), I’d love to hear!

Meanwhile, in this time of such fullness, I am grateful for very simple, easy foods that provide energy and substance. This one in particular, is my go-to lately. I’ve been tossing it into salads, but you could put it with anything ~ from soup to saag, tacos and burritos to pasta. Put it in a bowl with a light dust of truffle salt or nutritional yeast, and it is a great snack all by itself.

Roasted Turmeric Tofu is inspired by Lindsay who helped me make this Creamy Mollee last winter, and who, left to her own devices, did something I’d never have done – and made something unexpected, and uncommonly divine! Tossed with this sweet/bitter salad, you get the six tastes you need in a pitta-reducing, summer-balancing, savory symphony. Perfect for parties and picnics, and for everyone looking for something hearty and healthy.

You can thank Lindsay.

Summer Salad + Roasted Turmeric Tofu

Turmeric Tofu
Tofu, firm, but not extra firm
1 /2 t Turmeric
1/4 t Himalayan Salt
1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil

Salad
1 head Butter Lettuce, medium
1 head Radicchio, small
1 stalk Fennel
1 large or 2-3 small Beets, roasted or boiled
1/2 an Avocado
1/2 c Pumpkin seeds, raw

Dressing
1 t Tahini
1/2 t Lime juice
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch dried Mint
optional: Salt, Pepper to taste

To make the Turmeric Tofu ~

Roasted
Set your oven to broil. Transfer tofu to a baking pan and pour 1 teaspoon of its liquid over it. Discard the rest. Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes. Shower the tofu with turmeric, then sprinkle with salt. Marinate the tofu for 10 minutes.

Drizzle with melted ghee or olive oil, or a bit of both, and put in the oven. Roast for ten minutes until it browns. Remove from oven, turn cubes over and roast until this side browns. You don’t need to cook the tofu. You are only trying to roast the outer layers.

Pan-fried Alternatively, put the ghee/olive oil in a sauce pan and sauté the marinated tofu on a medium high flame a few minutes each side, until both sides are browned. You might need a bit more ghee/oil, but it is tastier this way, and quicker if you can get the heat right up, without burning the tofu or the oil.

Once it is browned, transfer tofu to a paper towel covered plate to absorb the excess oil. Allow to cool. At this point you have a delicious snack or “meaty” addition to vegetables and mains.

To make the Salad ~ 

Wash, pat dry and tear the butter lettuce into bite-size pieces. Do the same with the radicchio.  Slice the fennel bulb thin, and tear its fronds into bits.  Slice the beet/s and avocado into cubes.  Layer the vegetables in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the raw pumpkin seeds.

Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together in a small jar. Cap the lid and shake well. Pour over salad, toss. Add Turmeric Tofu and enjoy!

Happy 4th!
May your holiday be safe.
May we all celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of true and enduring happiness
with the nourishing knowing that in our heart of hearts, we are one.

Namaste! 

Cannellini Hummus: A Spring Detox Staple

We are just finishing up our 21 Day Spring Clean Challenge, and I thought you, along with some of my fellow “Cleansers,” might like a simple way to stay the course. This hummus is so easy and quick to prepare, yet makes a nourishing, hearty meal, even while detoxifying. In fact, it was my family’s lunch today served up with arugula, radicchio, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes for dipping, along with gluten-free “superseed” crackers and olives. They loved it, never knowing they  were eating “Cleanse” foods. I hope you like it, too.

Cannellini Hummus

1.5 cups organic cannellini beans, cooked
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 T vegan mayonnaise (make your own)
1 t dijon mustard
1 t tahini
3 hearty shakes of aleppo pepper
pink salt to taste
1 t lemon juice, optional 

Put everything in your electric blender and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a spoonful of fresh lemon juice if you think it needs more salt. Serve with fresh vegetables.

Why change it up and make Hummus with Cannellini? What’s wrong with good old-fashioned Garbanzo?

It’s true, garbanzo beans do make delicious hummus. But, they can be difficult to digest. In many cases (think Vata)  they cause gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, even constipation. Any Cleanse, to be successful, should strengthen, and not confuse digestion. Mung beans, cooked in Kichari, are the ideal bean for that. In our 21 Day Cleanse, Kichari is a central component. Now that we are almost complete, though, this hummus is a nice variation on the theme.

If you want a simple cleanse you can do anytime, try making up some kichari with lightly steamed vegetables and feast on that for a day, or two, or three… You’ll find many recipes for kichari around my blog ~ here, and at the bottom of the “Basics” page here, for example.

I wish you extraordinary health and wellness so that you are able, in the most vibrant way possible, to taste all the joy, intelligence and love Mother Nature has to offer you.

Thank you for visiting this site, and for being so dedicated to life, light and love! Jai Ma!

What about you? Are you welcoming Spring with a bit of a clean-up, clean-out? What is your favorite way to invite in Spring, and enjoy the season’s energy of renewal?

 

Namaste!

 

 

 

Ginger Brew

Since returning from India, it’s all I want. In fact, I think it’s the reason none of us got sick. 16 people. No one got sick. One wore herself down, needed a day of rest, but that’s not the same as getting sick. Not India sick. Ginger Lemon Honey Tea. Mother Nature’s gold. We drank it every day. And now it is all I want. Since coming home, though, I’m replacing hot water with sparkling. I don’t know why. It’s just what I crave. It seems to help with the jet lag. It also helps with fatigue, ache-y bones, travel sickness, nausea. It is so vata-reducing this drink, it takes straight aim at any imbalances that result from irregularity, hyper mobility, or dryness – all of which describe a trip across the world. So here’s what I’m doing now. It’s a little like the Lemony Ginger Tonic I posted a few years back, but this one is easier to make, and a lot more fun to drink. First, because it is not a cold remedy, so you don’t make it when you are sick but when you are happy, alive with deep, rich memories. Second, it is so fizzy, it will make you dance. It’s elegant enough to serve as a “virgin” cocktail, while its color and sparkle make it a great wake-up spritz for breakfast or brunch. Ginger Lemon Honey Sparkle 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled 1 lemon, juiced 1-2 very generous spoons of raw honey sparkling water Optional: 2 slices of pink grapefruit, peeled, for extra detox zing Put the ginger, lemon juice (and grapefruit optionally) with a bit of water in your high speed blender, and mix on high to really macerate the ginger. Add the honey and blend some more. This time you can mix on low but mix it long enough to really integrate the textures. Fill three-quarters of a glass with sparkling water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the ginger-lemon-honey blend. Enjoy while it is still fizzy. Let me know what you think. It is also great for a Spring detox, and can be used as a cold remedy – but then you’d want to heat it up instead, with non-fizzy water. That’s how we had it in India. Every day. And – did I mention? – no one got sick.

To your best health. May you enjoy of all of Mother Nature’s true gifts.

~

Thanks to Jamie Rollins for photos 4 and 6. More photos from our adventure are here.

Thank you for reading and committing yourself to good health. Every individual is an integral part of the whole and thus makes an important contribution to our integrated wholeness.

Namaste!  

Miracles of Green

Spring is the season of green, when Mother Earth knows it’s time to internally cleanse and so offers us an abundance of purifying greens in all textures and flavors. There are mustard greens, garlic greens, savoy greens, fenugreek, chicory, sorrel, spinach, chard, kale, water cress, purslane, every kind of brassica, and opportunities to forage for wild edibles right in your own local canyons and forests where you might find medicinals such as leeks, nettles and dandelions.

Sour, pungent, astringent and bitter, in varying degrees, are the tastes of Spring. Pungent greens increase digestion and circulation, aiding the body in warming up and “melting off” the cold freeze, or stagnation, of winter. Sour also aids digestion, elimination and circulation. Astringent dries and tones. Bitter is perhaps the least popular, but most important of Spring’s tastes. Made up of the elements of air and apace, foods with the bitter taste help the body detoxify, purify, lighten up, loosen up and open up the inner channels for optimal flow. Bitter tasting herbs help you eliminate waste, fight colds, reduce allergies and lose weight.

Traditional cultures instinctively knew the benefits of Spring’s bitter-tasting bounty, cultivating wonderful, easy, nourishing, home-cooked savory pies and tartes out of a variety of these free, foraged greens. From France, Italy, Greece, and my own back yard, here are 7 delicious ways to go green this Spring ~

Photo: Gourmed.com

1. Spinach and Greens Pie (Vegan)

2. Spicy Mustard Green Pesto (Vegan)

3. Spinach, Nettles and Dandelion Tart from Provence (Vegetarian)

4. Nettle Spiral Pie (Vegan)

5. Gourmed’s Original Spanakopita (Vegetarian)

6. Sign up for my annual Spring Cleanse, an easy, at-home, three-week, guided course to nourish your body to release toxins, old material, and stagnation, to restore youthful vitality, mental clarity and luminous radiance.

Photo: Traditional Medicinals

7. Drink Dandelion Tea. You can make it yourself with the roots and shoots of the plant harvested from any organic lawn or garden. To make it easy though, you could try Traditional Medicinals‘ newly launched dandelion teas which they sent to me to try, and which they will send to one of you as a free gift. 

“Dandelion has become increasingly popular recently for its ability to support the body’s natural detoxification process,” says the company literature. “With the trend only growing, Traditional Medicinals herbalists formulated two new dandelion teas that will be hitting store shelves this spring – EveryDay Detox Dandelion and Dandelion Leaf & Root.

• EveryDay Detox Dandelion* – inspired by a classic European herbal formula, is a blend of dandelion, licorice, fennel, and peppermint help stimulate the liver while providing support to the kidneys.
• Dandelion Leaf & Root* – From roots to shoots, this enjoyably mild and sweet tea includes supports kidney function and healthy digestion.”

I love licorice, fennel and peppermint in tea, so I loved the first tea. I did not find any of the ascribed sweet in the second. “Leaf & Root” tastes pretty bitter to me. Then again, bitter is good. It’s the taste of detoxification, after all ~ and the taste that quickly cuts sugar cravings.

Rather than drink it as a tea, I brewed a strong half cup of the Dandelion Leaf & Root and added it to a sautée of spinach and kale, pictured below. With ginger, cardamom, a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg, a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice and the dandelion infusion, these greens are a potent, and deliciously, detoxifying agent. Just home from India, it’s my daily nourishment.

Want to try some dandelion tea? Please let us know in the comment section below. There is a limited supply, so we’ll pick names (blindly and randomly, of course!) by week’s end and let you know. If you comment anonymously, it’s fine. But please know we won’t be able to contact you, and won’t have your shipping address to send you your teas.

*

Meanwhile, I invite you to try Traditional Medicinals’ Plant Personality Quiz. It’s fun, remarkably accurate, and another reminder that nature is a mirror, a beautiful biosphere, and that you are an integral part of it.

*

To your pure, whole being ~ May it be alive in a most vibrant (human) vehicle this Spring, with the energy, clarity, and wakefulness needed in order to know the beauty, magnificence and star-bedazzled interconnnectedness of all that is. Namaste!

Related:

Cilantro Chelation Pesto

Spring Green & Green Smoothie

Suzie’s Farm Greens & Goat Cheese Pasta

Spring: Season of Fiery Greens and Wild Edibles

Smooth Move Tonic

Not too long ago, my Ayurvedic mentor/doctor had me add a little something to my evening routine, and it has made all the difference.

It was all about, well, a delicate subject… proper elimination. The formula he gave me came in tablets from India, which would be hard for anyone to replicate at home. Fortunately, in her Ayurvedic Fat Fighters series on Doctor Oz, another western doctor with Ayurvedic expertise, Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, touts something she calls a “Triphala Treat,” which offers similar benefits.

Dr. Kulreet’s Triphala Treat is just 1 t ground flax seed, 1 t psyllium husks, 1/2 t triphala powder.  If you stir this into almond milk warmed with cardamom, and a little honey if needed, you will have a sweet natural laxative tonic that is also rejuvenative, detoxifying, dosha-balancing, and sleep-inducing. In fact, the Charaka Samhita, one of the great treatises on Ayurveda, states, “One who fully knows how to use Triphala can rectify any imbalance.”

You can purchase Triphala powder from many healthy food stores where it is usually  sold in tablet form, which can be ground into powder. I prefer Banyan Botanicals, because their products pass the highest standards for integrity, safety, sustainability. Plus, Banyan sells Ayurvedic herbs in powder form, according to tradition.

This tonic is to be enjoyed in the evening as a “bedtime treat.” In fact, if you are already making this Deep Sleep Tonic in the evening, just add the Triphala Treat directly to your blender and keep it running for a minute or two to will gently warm your tonic, without having to heat it on the stove. It saves a lot on cleanup.

The tonic is generally tri-doshic, but Pitta seems to find it most helpful. Pitta is heat with water. Hot water rises and evaporates. The earth element pulls that heat down, and in the case of this recipe, down and out. Addressing the third stage of digestion ~ elimination, it’s a tonic that helps you wake up feeling lighter, balanced, regular, free.

I’d love to do an informal survey to find out how beneficial this is on a broad scale, so if you try it and like the results, let us know with a simple “yes” in the comment section below. If you know your dosha, add that too. Knowledge is power. Together we can make our lives, and in that the world, a healthier place for all.

Thank you!

Healing Foods: Keeping Cancer at Bay & Warrior Pose Giveaway

Did I ever tell you that my husband had cancer?

You will already know that, of course, if you follow his Sacred Practices blog, if you take Yoga with us, or if you’ve read his new book, Warrior Pose.

I didn’t know Bhava when he had the cancer. We met one year after his recovery. When we met, I fell head over heels, swoosh, in love.

Every day since, that love is affirmed, strengthened, deepened. I am grateful for a decade now of oceanic bliss, and a vibrant aliveness that grows and expands, even with another birthday just celebrated and time flowing by.

It could be said that this entire site is something of a paean to that love, exemplifying one aspect of a shared life: the foods we love, and the way we love them. Everything that shows up here was made first, lovingly, for him, and sometimes by him, or with him.

So I thought, in honor of his book, his recent birthday, his vibrant aliveness, and the healing that is in Mother Nature’s foods, I’d write a little about our food habits and what we do, as often as we can, to keep the cancer far, far away. It’s a good practice for all of us. I invite you to share it with anyone who could use the guidance and Bhava’s inspiration.

8 Healthy Food Habits to Keep Cancer Away

1. Eat Fresh

You want high energy? Eat high energy foods. Eat foods that “eat the sun,” foods that are locally grown, recently picked, farm to table, lightly cooked or raw.

Bhava and I eat something raw daily. How much depends on the season. But in every season, the food you eat should be as alive as possible. Simply put, make it fresh.

2. Eat Organic

If you have cancer, EVERYTHING YOU EAT has to be organic. No toxins. No microwave. No exceptions.

3. Eat Vegetables

If Mother Earth loves you and food is her way of showing you, vegetables are her super heroes. They have the power to save you, even from your worst habits!

Did you know, as an example, that apart from being startlingly beautiful, artichokes have three unique cancer-dissolving molecules? Try adding a handful of artichoke hearts to your meals, or enjoy this vegan spinach artichoke dip for a healthy snack.

We eat vegetables of every color, shape and size every day, and we eat them chopped, juiced, blended, raw, steamed, lightly sautéed, or baked. We are not shy when it comes to vegetables, nor should you be. Be bold. Try every kind, every which way. Let it be an adventure. Ask your local grower for tips on preparing vegetables you are not familiar with. Allow a relationship to blossom.

4. Eat Brassicas

There is a saying that “Cancer hates cabbage.” In fact, cancer hates the entire cabbage family, called the Brassicas, whose kin include broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, bok choy, brussels sprouts, mustard greens, and watercress.

Numerous scientific studies are finding that Brassicas help fight cancer due to their relatively high content of glucosinolates, which have shown anticarcinogenic properties. In our house, our daily cornucopia of vegetables will always include broccoli, cauliflower, kale or collards. We also enjoy watercress and mustard greens in the Spring.

5. Eat (Blue) Green

Power up your vegetable nutrition by treating yourself to a daily dose of algae. My favorite is spirulina, a fresh water, blue-green algae similar in makeup to the sea vegetables of Japanese cuisine: dulse, kelp, nori, kombu, arame, wakame, and chlorella.

We make a morning fresh pressed Juice or Smoothie four to five days a week, always with a heaping spoonful of spirulina, sometimes with chlorella too, or with the VitaMineralGreens blend of land and sea greens because they give us sample jars every time we go to BhaktiFest, and because it is true quality.

Detoxifying, rejuvenating, immune supporting and liver loving, blue green algaes are a must. Be sure to source well : clean, non-toxic, organically cultivated.

6. Eat Berries

The antioxidants in berries help fight cancers. Bhava has blueberries and strawberries with every breakfast, and I always toss a handful into our Smoothies. Lately, my favorite berry for a Smoothie is the Himalayan Goji. For a sweet treat, add blueberries, raspberries and Goji berries to a Fig Smoothie.

NaturalNews.com

 7.  Eat Turmeric

Oh Turmeric, how do I love thee? Let me count thy ways….

The most researched spice in the world today, turmeric is revered for its cancer-fighting, tumor-reducing potency.

I believe so fervently in turmeric that once, a few years ago, when there was a false suspicion that Bhava’s cancer had returned, a voice inside me silently shouted, “But that’s impossible. Not with all the turmeric he takes!” Turns out that voice was right.

Again, don’t be shy. Add it to everything ~ smoothies, sautés, home-made ghee, almond milk. If you are overly generous, its astringent aftertaste will overpower. But with measure, it goes with anything.

8. Eat, Don’t Eat

Occasional Fasting is good for you. It gives your digestive system a rest, promoting proper metabolism, deep tissue cleanse and proper elimination.  It’s a bit like tidying up your room weekly, or taking the garbage out. Once in a while, we just need to do it. My husband called this his Organic Chemotherapy: Regular 24-hour fasts were central to his healing.

Start by skipping dinner on Mondays. Once you feel comfortable with that, consider skipping breakfast on Tuesday. By lunchtime you will have completed a 24-hour fast. Or, simply reduce your portions. Eat less. Give your body a chance to catch up, a pause to heal.

In the vegetable family, Alliums – onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives – are also widely known for their anti-carcinogenic properties.

I like to focus on the positive. When you choose to eat as nature intended, you enjoy rich flavors, colors, aromas, textures, and an aliveness that excites. But since we are talking about cancer, a life-threatening disease, it is important not to mince words. Here is what not to eat: red meat, pork and poultry, dairy, sugar, processed foods. We know they feed cancer. Best to avoid altogether.

Forever? Maybe not. But until you are recovered, absolutely. A whole food, plant-based diet is essential if you want to reverse chronic disease.

If you need convincing, read the science… Or dive into Warrior Pose, my husband’s true story of overcoming the worst odds: a broken back, a broken spirit, and suddenly “terminal” cancer. I have three copies of this highly acclaimed book to giveaway. Just comment below and you will be added to the drawing. We draw randomly and anonymously, and will pick names from the proverbial hat on Tuesday. Please leave an email address or a way to contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be made public. We love and respect you too much for that.

Wishing you golden health, vibrant aliveness, deep love, and the
clarity to remember: You matter. Live accordingly.

Namaste ! 

~

Congratulation to Warrior Pose book winners Chris, Emma and Anne. We wish all of you could have won, but it is available at Amazon for a bit less than retail, and at libraries across the country.

Related articles

• Fight Cancer with Food (oprah.com/health)
• Is Eating red Meat Dangerous for You? (mindbodygreen.com)
• Healthy Foods That Help Defeat Cancer (healthhealing101.com)
• Beautiful Brassica’s (botany.com)
• Greens and Artichokes Stew (Saveur)

Summer’s Garden Soup

Two weeks ago I posted summer ideas for breakfast, and last week, it was a fresh summer salad for lunch. So it seems in the natural order of things to offer you now a bit of dinner inspiration for summer.

I love the intelligence of Mother Nature! Every season she offers us foods to balance her changes. In summer now, she bountifully provides cool foods to counter her hot weather: Cucumbers, Melons, Summer Squash, and herbs such as Dill, Mint, Cilantro.

Yesterday morning I went out to our little food garden and gathered up some of those fresh summer vegetables, blending them all together last night to make this exquisite little soup.

The beauty of this is that there is no cooking required. Reminiscent of the old-fashioned elegance of chilled soups such as Gazpacho and Vichyssoise, yet updated with inspiration from the thoroughly modern practice of Juicing, this dinner is easy to make, easy to serve, easy to digest. It is also: good for your liver, pitta-pacifying, emotionally balancing, peacefully purifying, and, did I say cooling? 

Summer’s Garden Soup
Serves 2

1  Cucumber
1/2 Zucchini
2-3 Tomatillos
1 handful Cherry Tomatoes
1 small Avocado
1 few leaves of whatever green you have on hand: Kale, Arugula, Sorrel, Mizuna, etc.
1 handful Cilantro
1 sprig Dill
1 leaf Mint
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 – 1/3 c. Water
Pinch of Sea or Pink Salt, to taste

Put everything in your blender and mix until the consistency is smooth. Serve in bowls, garnished with slices of cherry tomatoes and dill, and sprinkle with lime juice. Eat slowly so you can taste all the flavors. It is complex, subtle, and delicious!

Options
Vata: Drizzle Olive Oil, stir in Yogurt, and/or add chopped Almonds to your soup bowl.
Pitta: Perfect! Could add toasted sunflower seeds for a satisfying, sweet crunch.
Kapha: Add 1 clove garlic and/or a tiny piece of fresh green pepper (serrano, jalapeno) when blending.

What do you like to make in the summer to chill, refresh and renew?

Wishing you a beautiful summer.
Thank you, dear friends.
Namaste!

Related articles

• Recipes for Summer (food-alovestory.com)
• Summer is for Juicing (food-alovestory.com)
• Ayurveda & Summer: Staying Cool (food-alovestory.com)
• From Papi’s Garden: Authentic Spanish Gazpacho (mayihavethatrecipe.com)

Arugula Pesto Summer Salad

Are you part of an Edible Community? Our local Edible asked me to write up a summer recipe based on Yoga & Ayurvedic principles. What an honor! I love the Edible Communities and their values: “We connect consumers with family farmers, growers, chefs, and food artisans of all kinds. We believe that every person has the right to affordable, fresh, healthful food on a daily basis and that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing.” Amen.

Here is what they got ~

In Ayurveda, the Science of Life, eating for the season is a natural, nourishing choice. With summer beginning now, it’s time to cool and refresh, purify and energize with the best of Mother Nature’s summer foods. This sumptuous Arugula Pesto salad offers the sweet, astringent and bitter tastes that balance the heat of the season. It’s a feast of nutrients, protein and fiber to nourish and delight you.

Arugula Pesto Summer Salad

2 c Arugula
1 c Basil
1 clove Garlic
13 lemon juice
2 handfuls raw Pistachios
2-3 T Olive Oil
1 pinch Salt
1 med sized Zucchini, julienned
Your Choice: Penne Pasta cooked, Sprouted Tofu sliced, Paneer or Burrata, pieced
Optional: Nyon Olives (those wrinkly black ones from Provence).

In an electric blender, mix 1 cup arugula with the basil, garlic, lemon and 1 handful of the pistachios until everything is well and finely chopped. Add salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

In a medium sized bowl, toss the zucchini with the rest of the arugula and pistachios. Add your choice of pasta, tofu, paneer or burrata, olives optionally, and a generous drizzle of Olive Oil. Stir in the Pesto and serve, or chill in the fridge for up to one day.

I invite you to connect to your Edible Community and enjoy each season with fresh, local produce and indigenous foodies.

Wishing you a beautiful, delicious summer!
Namaste ~
~ 

Vegan Artichoke Dip

At our recent Ayurvedic Nutrition & Cooking Class (“The Amazing Basics”), we whipped up this Spinach Artichoke Dip to snack on while we prepared a fabulous whole food feast.

It started like this:

Photo: Katariina Fagering, Gypsy Love Cafe

Photo: Katariina Fagering, Gypsy Love Cafe

It was an intuitive, spontaneous creation, so there wasn’t a recipe for it in the Class Handouts. Turns out, though, it was one of the highlights of the day, and requests for the recipe having been coming in, so I wanted to share it with you here.

It’s an easy recipe if you use artichokes from a jar, as we did that day. Of course, that is a real cheat, a high offense to Ayurvedic principles that insist on “fresh, fresh, fresh!” So the next time I made it with artichokes from a friend’s garden, which is amazing. To think you are eating a flower.

If you want to make this from a garden-fresh artichoke, Mark Bittman shows you how to prepare it. Once prepped, let your hearts sit for an hour in a marinade of equal parts lemon juice and raw apple cider vinegar, 1 clove garlic minced, and a dash of pink salt.

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
Click here for print version

1 c. Cashews, soaked (4 hours)
1 c. Marinated Artichoke Hearts
2-3 T Marinade
1 handful blanched Spinach
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Lemon, juiced
1 t Gluten-free Tamari
1 t Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne Powder, to Taste
Optional: 1 t Nutritional Yeast for a cheesy flavor and a bit of Vitamin B12
Options: Fresh Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Himalayan Salt, fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Cook your spinach for 1 minute, then quickly put it into a bowl of ice water.

Drain the cashews, rinse well, and mix together with the garlic, artichokes and marinade in your blender.  Squeeze the spinach dry, and add it to the mixture with the lemon and tamari. Process until it is a creamy consistency. Drizzle in the EVOO. Optionally, sprinkle in the nutritional yeast. Pulse three times for 1-2 seconds each.

Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with red pepper. Serve with carrots, broccoli, spring onion, red, or orange pepper slices, and gluten-free crackers. Your heart, your liver, your kidneys, your friends, and your family will love you ~ because food, when it is natural, fresh, seasonal, and balanced with all six tastes, is always a love story!

~
A big thank you to all our Chefs for creating a sumptuous meal that day. Your commitment to food’s loving nourishment is epic!

Related articles

• Artichoke Love (Manger)
• Back to the Basics: How to Cook an Artichoke (hungryandfit.com)
• I Heart Artichokes (markbittman.com)
• Ayurvedic Perspectives on Artichokes (ayurvedicblogspot.com)
• The Benefits of Artichokes (KeralaAyurvedaBlog.com)
• Artichokes: How to Choose (latimesfood.com)

Spring Green & Clean: Detox Protein Smoothie

In Ayurveda, Spring is the season of purification. For me, there is no better place to witness the lessons of Spring, and to learn about ourselves as dynamic and integral aspects of nature than in our own humble garden.

Perhaps the greatest joy of Spring is watching the seeds bud. Seeing those two flaps rise up out of the soil, open out to the sun, and days later reveal the head of a new unique plant is my version of a thrill.

Fenugreek is Kapha-reducing, thus beneficial for spring, especially spring allergies. Its leaves are great in Saag; the seeds are ground for spices and medicine in Ayurveda.

We have lavender everywhere. It is calming to Pitta, and blooms just in time to ease us into Pitta’s summer season.

When my niece was here she helped us clean out and plant our Spring beds, including the installation of a  drip irrigation system.

After hours of hearty toil in the garden, we came in and “irrigated” ourselves with this purifying Spring Green Smoothie.

Detox Protein Smoothie
Serves 2

1 Apple, cored and chopped
1 T VitaMineral Greens (or Spirulina/Chlorella powder)
1 c Apple cider (or unfiltered juice)
1 handful raw sunflower seeds
1 t Coconut Oil
1 t Raw Honey
dash of Turmeric, Cardamom

Blend ingredients together for a couple of minutes until the consistency is smooth. Drink at room temperature. Enjoy!

Isn’t Spring a joyful reminder of Mother’s Earth’s loving nature?

I wish you all that joy nature wants for you.

Namaste!

~

Related articles

• High Protein Vegetarian Foods (dualfit.com)
• Four Reasons to Add Chlorella to Your Diet  (naturalnews.com)
• About Spirulina (spirulinajunkie.com)
• Green Detox Smoothie (omgirlsguide.com)

A Few Healing Remedies

There was a recent discussion amongst Ayurvedic students regarding the flu shot. A number of them said that their preferred choice is not a shot, but a food: garlic. It inspired me to post a few of our own preferred Ayurvedic cold and flu formulas, some with garlic, some without, so you’d have a few of your own home remedies to choose from.

GARLIC

To be or not to be – that is the question for me when it comes to garlic. To include it or eschew it? Ayurveda likes it. Western Ayurvedis seem to love it. After all, Garlic is Kapha-reducing, immune-boosting, antiviral, antibacterial, and touted for its power to shorten the duration of a cold or flu.

But Yogis say no to garlic because it is rajasic-tamasic and, truthfully, you can notice how “sattvic” you feel when you have a complete meal balanced in all six tastes, with no garlic added. Apart from winter days when I feel one of us is getting sick, I avoid it. On the other hand, when a cold is coming on, there is nothing like garlic to snuff it.

Garlic Honey Cold Remedy

1/2 c honey
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled.

Put the cloves of garlic in a clean, glass jar and cover with the honey. Seal the lid and let sit for 3 days. Do not taste it or try it until at least 72 hours have passed. (I’m warning you. Enough said.) After three days you can eat it by the spoonful.

Since you don’t usually know when you will need it, and when the need arises you won’t want to wait three days (warning: wait!), it’s a good remedy to make up and store in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 1 year.

Check out Nouveau Raw’s version with great research from author Amie Sue ~ including the CDC’s ruling that children under the age of 1 should not be given honey.

I learned this next simplest of remedies ages ago from an Italian Nonna. More recently, in India, I was so sick I didn’t get up, barely even woke up, for over a week. I tried every remedy. Finally, I asked for a garlic clove, did this little trick, and instantly began to improve.

Garlic Sore Throat Remedy

1 unpeeled clove of garlic

Place the unpeeled clove in the back of your mouth, behind your molars, and close down on it. The juices of the garlic will trickle down your throat, killing bacteria. Keep it there for 20 minutes, or until the garlic peel is shredded. You will know when it needs to be removed.

I have to warn you again: this is anti-social behavior. Avoid taking if you must go out. Instead, try it at night before bed. And not to get personal, but if you share your bed, have your sleep mate take it, too!

GINGER

While garlic is superior once the cold has begun, ginger reigns supreme when it comes to maintaining overall wellness in body and mind. Ayurveda has long used ginger to help relieve colds, fevers, headaches, as well as arthritis, digestive disorders, intestinal gas, menstrual cramps, nausea, anxiety, asthma, depression. It is showing benefits in tests for heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, sciatica, ulcerative colitis. Best of all, ginger is sattvic, meaning light, balanced, and peace-promoting, unlike garlic’s anti-social assault.

One simple way to keep a medicinal store of ginger handy is this Lemon Ginger Remedy. It, too, will keep in the refrigerator, but I make it fresh – enough to last a few days covered and sealed on the counter, so it’s never chilled and never taken cold. Come over to our house and you will see little bowls of this, and its variations, scattered about. I am always moving it to keep it in the line of sight: furtive missions to keep the family strong.

Lemon Ginger Cold Remedy

2 inch piece of Ginger, peeled
1-2 T Raw Honey
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
Cinnamon

Chop the ginger into little match-sticks. Place in a small bowl with the raw honey. Put this bowl in a larger bowl filled with hot water and let stand a few minutes until the honey is runny. Remove the bowl and add the lemon juice and cinnamon. Give it a light stir to coat the ginger thoroughly.

Take small bites throughout the day if you are sick, or just before a meal to kindle your digestive fire.

HONEY

Honey is outrageous. An utter miracle. “It has sweetness (madhura rasa) with added astringent as end taste (Kashaya anu rasa). It is heavy (guru guna), dry (ruksha) and cold (sheeta). Its effect on doshas is as follows: It aggravates vata, scrapes kapha and normalizes pitta and rakta. It promotes healing process.” ~ Ashtanga Hridaya

It is also a natural antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant that speeds up the healing process. Last winter I posted this honey based remedy to avoid or dispel winter colds. But another popular remedy is this Honey Ginger Tea, using the same ingredients as above but with hot water to liquefy mucus and help warm the cold.

Honey Ginger Tea

2 inch piece of Ginger, peeled
1-2 T Raw Honey
Juice of half a lemon
Cinnamon

Chop the ginger into chunks and put in a pot of two cups boiling water. Boil gently for about ten minutes. Then turn off the heat, cover and allow it to steep another 10 – 15 minutes. Once it is cooled enough that it wouldn’t burn you if you put a drip on your inner forearm, ladle yourself a cup, add the lemon juice, give it a shake of cinnamon, and stir in the honey. Drink daily in winter, or if you are sick, drink regularly throughout the day.

For a spicier version of this, try our Lemony Ginger Tea.

How about you? What do you do to stay healthy and strong in flu season? Do you have any natural recipes from “Nonna” that you rely on?

~

Wishing you warmth, health and happiness!

Namaste ~

Related articles

• Ginger for the Flu (LiveStrong.com)
• Treatment for Cold and Flu (AlexAyurveda.com)
• Fight Flu with Food (Vital.com)
• Natural Healing Broth (faithfulprovisions.com)