February 22, 2012

How To Get Personalized Health Advice From the Best Health Expert In the World (FREE)

English: Holistic health, body, mind, heart, soul

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There are so many “health experts”, gurus, and celebrity trainers pitching their diet and fitness advice that we as a society should be fit and healthy by now. But for some reason we are not. I think it is partially because most of the health advice is based on personal experiences and while valid for some people doesn’t apply to others.

It brings me to a difficult but at the same time very empowering realization. Nobody can tell me what to do to be well and to stay healthy, I need to figure it out myself. And you do, too!

Learning how to listen to an internal health expert, your body, is one of the 1st steps in finding your personalized wellness strategy. Your body offers an amazing source of wisdom if you are willing to explore it. It can guide you in anything starting from what and when to eat, how and how much to exercise, and even what to do with your life and how to find true happiness. We have that knowledge, it is a matter of tapping into it.

Learning to Listen and Understand the Teacher

  • Learning how to listen to your body is important.
  • Learning the language in which your body communicates is crucial if you want to decipher it’s message.
  • What is even more important is acting based on what your internal voice tells you.

There is a difference between listening to the body and actually responding to that internal voice. It is the same difference as knowing the rules and acting according to them. For me it proved to be a lot more challenging than I expected.

One of the reasons that it was so difficult is because things that my internal teacher was whispering went against my logical beliefs. They were against what I read and what experts said. It was scary to follow the advice coming from inside not from someone with a big name and recognition. It was also difficult because it required letting go of my beliefs and changing my routine.

Welcome Change!

Often we get attached to our routine. There is something very comforting about predictability and doing things the way we are used to. Unfortunately, attachment makes us less flexible and less open to new things, even things that might be better for us than what we currently do.

As Seth Godin put it in his book ‘Linchpin‘: It is human nature to defend our worldview, to construct a narrative that protects us from uncomfortable confessions (truth).

How many times have you seen someone justify drinking coffee or alcohol because they find studies that show that it can be good? I see people who hurt themselves based on their old beliefs that something is good for them even though their body is telling otherwise. For someone it can be excessive exercise that breaks down joints and depletes muscles, for others – continuous grazing that causes bloating. In our day and age, one can find studies supporting almost anything. Contradictory studies can help you justify eating grains or refusing them, having fruits or cutting them out, drinking coffee or staying away from it, taking supplements or throwing them out, treating yourself to daily chocolates or putting a ban on cacao. Whatever you want, science got your back!

Still, most of us choose to trust some professor rather than our own body! We trust industry-sponsored questionable studies more than our body’s internal voice.

Nothing Is Written In Stone

Circumstances change, we change, our needs change. Keeping an open mind and not getting attached too much to the ideas, routines, or beliefs will allow you to see the world more clearly.

Our body changes continuously and its needs change along the way, we have to listen and adapt. There is nothing wrong with changing your beliefs as your understanding deepens. Victoria Boutenko is one of the people who was not afraid to publicly  recognize that her understanding of nutrition and health has changed over the years. After years of promoting all raw diet and blaming cooked food for cravings, Victoria noticed that her body felt better with some cooked foods present in the diet. While it caused some people to judge her, others appreciated her honesty.

Ask Your Body What it Needs

One of the easiest ways to start learning from your body is to ask for feedback. I often go through this exercise with my students and everyone seems to really enjoy it. First read through the steps and then give it a try!

  • Lay down or sit in a very comfortable supported position
  • Close your eyes
  • Take a few deep breaths and mentally say to yourself “I am relaxing, my body is fully relaxed with every exhale”.
  • Keep your breath at natural slow rhythm. Deep and slow.
  • Do a mental scan of your body and release any tension that you find.
  • Start by saying “hi” to your body. ‘Hi body! How are you doing today?”
  • Listen to what your body communicates to your in feelings, sensations, or thoughts that arise.
  • Ask your body: ‘What can I do to make you feel better today?’
  • Listen and act it on it!

One day your body might ask for a nap, another day for a run, and a green juice or chocolate. As long as you are listening to your body and don’t let your mind interfere, it will be a clear and authentic message that will bring good results if you follow!

F*ck the ‘no pain, no gain’ thingy!

One of the most powerful lessons that I learned from my body is that being fit and strong does not have to involve pain and struggle. It can be pretty easy, fun, and joyful. Surprised? I was, too!

Another cool thing that I learned from my internal teacher is that a six pack is not the only determinant of a fit body. A fit body is a body that wakes up full of energy, can run up the subway stairs without feeling fatigued in the quads, will dance all night without being tired the next day, hike all day, and digest food efficiently. (Yes, workouts and digestion are quite connected. Too much or too little will make your belly unhappy!)

  • You can create a beautiful, strong, fit body by moderate exercise, meditation, stretching, relaxation, visualization, and mindful clean eating.
  • If you prefer a harder and more painful way, then you can create a fit body by intense exercise, timed eating, supplements, and lots of will power to keep doing it.

The Choice Is Yours!

My body is telling me to go with the 1st one and that’s what I am working on:). In a Saturday I will tell you why I had to move from the will power and super intense workouts. Stay tuned by subscribing on the top right and please check out Spinach and Yoga page on facebook!

For now: Have you tried to listen to your body? Did you ever feel torn about following your body’s feedback when it was contradictory to what your mind was telling you to do?

Listen and you will hear!

PS: If you are new to relaxation or guided meditation and would like some help learning to listen to you body, schedule a consultation with me and I will be happy to work with you on that. You can also come by to Strala on Tue for a 7pm yoga class and we can chat before!

Nadya

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February 17, 2012

Is Your Tongue Trying to Tell You Something Important?

Palm Tongue Reading

Image Courtesy: http://www.sacredstonehealing.com/

We all have our pet peeves. Some hate when a toilet paper roll is placed the wrong way, others cringe their teeth at noisy eaters, and many of us dislike when someone is taking forever to order when there is a line (juice bar lunch line that is:)).

My biggest pet peeve is sick doctors or health promoting practitioners and counselors who are not well. It is almost impossible to have a complete clarity of mind, effective judgement, and a kind compassion for all the patients when your body is not well. I strongly believe that one of the most important requirements for a health practitioner or a wellness coach should be optimal health. In ayurveda it is mandatory and achieved partially through following dinacharya – a health-promoting daily routine.

While I am not a doctor and not an ayurvedic practitioner, as a health coach I feel a lot more comfortable working with my clients when I feel strong and healthy. There is a lot more authenticity and integrity in a client/coach relationship when a coach is glowing with health and has a ton of energy to share.

A person who is well and strong is inspirational, someone who is sick should not be advising others on how to get better. That advise is not coming from a personal experience, it does not carry authenticity in it, it is not coming from the heart.

Unfortunately most doctors working in the traditional medicine field are not well. However, they are very well off from selling all the prescription drugs!

As a wellness coach I strive to stay at the optimal point of health possible to be able to inspire, motivate, and support my clients.

Show Me Your Tongue and I Will Tell You How You Are.

How do I know that I am well and healthy? Good question!

A huge part of health is how you feel inside of your body. Is it comfortable? Light? Easy to move? Does it have a lot of energy? Do you feel like you want to inspire and help others with the surplus of your energy? If you answered yes to most questions, your body should be pretty healthy.

There are some other ways to check your health state without any pins and needles. All you need is a mirror!

Morning Tongue Analysis – an Ayurvedic Health Assessment Technique

When I was little my parents, both doctors, always asked me to show my tongue if I complained of a not feeling well. More than 10 years later, I finally started to learn what exactly they were looking for… The  tongue is a detailed health map! The same way as the face, the tongue changes colors/shades, shape, and surface texture providing a current health state update. Much like reflexology, all the organs and the entire body can be located on specific regions of the tongue. As a mirror of the body’s digestive system, the tongue can reflect what minerals and vitamins may be deficient and can reveal the health of other various organs in the body.

Trained Ayurvedic practitioners will be able to provide a complete health analysis by examining patient’s tongue. Dr Vassant Lad says that it contains a wealth of information and that every person should learn how to read the body’s messages on their own tongues.

It takes years to learn the intricacies but there are some general guidelines that anyone can use to evaluate general health level/condition: The first thing the tongue shows us is if any one dosha is out of balance. Divide the tongue into three parts; the root is Vata, the middle is Pitta, and the tip is Kapha. Excessive coating in any of these areas shows which dosha is involved.

Generally dosha disturbances show up in the following ways:

Image Courtesy http://www.ayurvedic.ie/

  • Vata disturbances on the tongue – Small cracks all over the tongue; Dry, dark tongue; Film over the back of the tongue; Rough back area; Small dark pimples; and Black to brown coloration on the tongue.
  • Pitta disturbance on the tongue – Red tongue; White cold sores; Bumps or bright red patched areas in the middle of the tongue; Greenish or yellowish film on the tongue; and Film on the middle section of the tongue.
  • Kapha disturbances on the tongue – White thick coating tongue; Oily film on the tongue; Depressions or bumps on the front portion of the tongue; and Tip of the tongue whitish or coated.

Some other things to look for:

  • Teeth imprints around the contour of the tongue – malabsoprion of nutrients. Your digestive system is not very happy. To stimulate digestion in a natural healthy way, add fresh ginger tea, avoid iced drinks and start paying attention to food combining. Here is an article on Ayurvedic Food Combining.
  • Trembling tongue - a sign of anxiety or fear, possible Vata disturbance. We live in such a high stress society that anxiety can crawl over you without you even being aware of it. It might even be your permanent state and you are so used to it that can’t tell the difference. Forgot when was tge last time you woke up rested and excited to start your day? Thought so! Time to take a break from caffeine, have some chamomile tea and nourish your nervous system with warm, easy to digest light soups and bean dishes.
  • Thick grayish coating – Toxins in colon. Did you think about doing a detox but couldn’t think of a strong enough incentive. Welcome to the club! Knowing that your colon is full of material that doesn’t belong there, that spreads toxins into your blood, makes you sluggish, your skin greyish and your head foggy might be the push you were waiting for. Take a break from heavy, oily and processed foods. No need to fast if you are not ready for it but make it a vegetable or fruits day only. Choose foods that are easiest to digest. If you make is a vegetable day, go for steamed not raw, same with fruits, baked apples with cinnamon is my choice when I do one day food break. You won’t feel hungry or tired because apples provide plenty of natural sugars and fiber to keep you full and energized. Your body will feel so fresh and light the next day, you might want to make it a weekly treat. You take a break from work why not give your digestive system a break also?

Dr Lad advises to look at the tongue in the morning before brushing your teeth. He also strongly encourages the use of a tongue scrapper on a daily basis. Why walk around with a ton of toxins if you can just scrape them off?!

What does your tongue say? What does it look like?

If you see me in class next Tue at Strala, don’t be shy to stick your tongue out!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Spinach and Yoga on the top right and like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook. I finally created a facebook page and will be sharing all digestion, ayurveda, and mindfulness tips there!

Love and lightness to your bodies!

Nadya

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February 13, 2012

I Know Your Dirty Little Secret: You Abuse Your Body

It is almost Valentine’s day and good chances are that today you will be looking for a card for your loved one. Once you find a cute card with a doggy, hearts, or kittens, you will take some time to think of all the wonderful qualities that your partner has and list them on the card. Most certainly, you will say that you love him or her.

We proclaim our love to others quite often but not so much to ourselves. How many times have you said ‘I Love You’ to your own body?

You write love letters and Valentine cards to your friends, family, and everyone that you care about but have you ever written a love letter to yourself? I bet you can remember the last time when you gave a complement to another person but would have a harder time recollecting a compliment to yourself. I hope I am wrong and you love your body tremendously but considering all the body image issues skyrocketing among men and women, I might be right.

Body and Mind – A Love/Hate Relationship 

I abuse my body almost everyday. I don’t like to think about it but it is true.

My body doesn’t have a voice, it can’t tell me what to do. It can’t complain to the police or call 911. It has to quietly put up with me, find ways to recover and keep working until it BREAKS DOWN.

Before it falls apart, our body behaves like a loyal dog. You kick it and it runs up to you wagging its tail. Like a helpless puppy that got hurt by an abusive owner, your body sticks up to you anyway. It tries to find ways to adapt to living in pain. It keeps protecting you, supporting you, and serving you no matter what you do. Your body has no way to resist or protect itself from you.

You abuse your body, too. I know it for a fact. It doesn’t matter if you are a wellness expert, a committed yogi or a vegan runner. Even if you think that you live the healthiest lifestyle possible considering the circumstances, you are still self-abusive. How do I know it? Well, it is almost impossible not to engage in regular body abuse if you live in a modern society. What matters is the degree of abuse, the awareness of the fact, and what you do to reverse the trend.

Some regular day to day things can be pretty abusive.  See how many you check off:

  • Not sleeping enough

    Photo Credit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

  • Working out when you are tired
  • Not moving your body for days or weeks at a time
  • Drinking coffee/taking stimulants when tired instead of taking a break
  • Drinking energy drinks to work out ‘harder’
  • Overeating
  • Not eating enough
  • Overexercising to the point of exhaustion because more is better
  • Eating while walking or standing
  • Not checking in to see how it feels
  • Breathing very shallow and fast
  • Drinking alcohol to the point of getting a hangover
  • Not eating vegetables
  • Treating symptoms without resolving the root cause
  • Eating non-food items made out of chemicals
  • Binging on food or alcohol
  • Eating when upset or bored
  • Not eating when hungry
  • Not going to the bathroom regularly
  • Ignoring body’s urges for the sake of being polite to others

Many of us are guilty of at least some of the above. All can be considered a crime against the body.

After abusing the body we expect it to function perfectly, to have a lot of energy, not to get sick, and perform all its physiological functions well. While we are young our bodies can do it but with age, it gets tired.

To stay well and healthy, your body needs love. As in any relationship, you and your body need to learn how to live together and enjoy life without abuse and power struggles. One of the first steps to better body-mind relationship is to proclaim your love to each other anew!

Love Letter to Your Body – 1 simple yet super powerful exercise to build a better relationship with self!

Your Body Deserves a Valentine’s Card just as much as your partner!

First, I was inspired to write a love letter to my body after reading one by the wellness warrior Jess Ainscough. Her letter was so honest, pure, and full of authentic love and care. It was not fake, it was painfully real. It made me want to cry and ask for forgiveness from my body.  And I did. And, I think, my body forgave me:). We are trying to work things out and learn to happily live together. It’s a process and it requires work but it is very rewarding!

Do you think your body deserves a love note from you? Will you write one for yourself this year? What would you say to your body?

Don’t forget to subscribe to Spinach and Yoga on the top right and like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook. I finally created a facebook page and will be sharing all digestion, ayurveda, and mindfulness tips there!

Love yourself!

Happy Valentine’s day, love birds!

Nadya

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February 10, 2012

Sexy Time the Yoga Way (Three Ways!!!)

Valentine’s is almost here and whether you like it or not but everyone is thinking about relationships and sex. It is natural, it is beautiful, and there should be more of it!

Through consistent yoga practice we become more in-tune with the body and more comfortable in it. Many daily things become more joyful when your body is relaxed and functions smoothly, and sex feels ummm… like a transformational experience. Yes, sex does get better with yoga. Not necessarily from increased flexibility (even though it may come in handy sometimes), but from being more aware of your body and being able to completely relax and surrender. Just like in meditation or Savasana, mind chatter gets in a way of good sex. Learning how to quiet your mind, makes you more present in the moments that you share with your partner.

Just imagine that you are able to stop thinking about your to-do list, about deadlines, and stress, and instead be fully present in the moment. Suddenly every touch becomes more intense, you feel every breath and whisper, you are so in-tune with your body and your partner that there is no need to think about what’s coming next, your body just naturally flows from one position to the next. You don’t worry about being perfect or looking a certain way, instead just as in yoga, you adapt things to work for your body in the present moment. You are doing it just for the sake of doing not to please someone and not because it is a part of the routine. Read more here

If you feel like your mojo needs a boost here is a great pick me up!

Mojo Maca (adapted from The Raw Divas)

  • 1 Cup cashew milk
  • 1 Cup water
  • Vanilla beans, scraped from pod, to taste
  • 2 Dates, crushed
  • 1 Large, ripe, Banana
  • 1 Tbs. sesame seeds
  • 2 Tbs. maca powder
  • A few strands of saffron

Blend until creamy smooth, and share with your soon to be very excited lover. Read more about the sexy power of cashew here

Caution: Use your new sexy powers with care and love!

Happy Sexy Time!

Nadya

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February 8, 2012

Quick Power Up Breakfast Bread (Gluten, Sugar, Fat Free)

Kamut Carrot Apple Bread!

There are days when there is barely any time to take a slow breath and definitely no time to cook a healthy breakfast. If you are familiar with a feeling and anxiety and being overwhelmed from the early waking hours and running around on coffee until late afternoon, I hope this recipe will help.

Breakfast is important, we all know that. According to ayurveda, Vatas need breakfast the most! If you are predominantly Vata (check it out) skipping breakfast will leave you feeling spacey, nervous, and worried for no reason. Vatas need grounding and nourishment. Without it we quickly wilt.

Pittas need to eat regular meals, too, but Kapha’s can easily skip breakfast and have an herbal spicy tea instead. Pittas can do well on a juice or a smoothie in the morning but Vatas, according to ayurveda need a more sustainable breakfast with grains or baked fruit.

If you are constantly in a rush making a healthy nourishing breakfast ahead of time serves as a good strategy. Looking for a light, gluten free, no added sugar, and low fat breakfast that contains some grains to ground me, I created this yummy Kamut Carrot Apple bread. You can whip it up in mins in the evening and keep it for a few days for those stressful mornings.

Kamut Carrot Apple bread 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Kamut flakes or regular oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 apple 1.5 cups of carrots
  • 2 handfuls of soaked raisins
  • 5 soaked blacks figs (chopped)
  • 2 large soaked dates (pitted and chopped)
  • 2 handfuls of sprouted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp ground flax
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 3-5 tbsp carob powder or cacao powder
  • Splash of almond milk
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla,  cardamon to taste. I like a lot!

What to do:

  • Mix it all by hand. Oil baking pan with grapeseed oil or coconut
  • Bake for 20 min at 350
  • Cool. It will keep in fridge for 3-4 days.

The bread is light, soft, and will keep you full for a while. Since all nuts and dried fruit are soaked, they are easier to digest even for a sensitive belly.

Kamut is an amazing high protein gluten free grain. If you’ve never tried it, check it out!

How do you stay healthy when life gets busy? Please share your tips and tricks!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Spinach and Yoga to get all notifications about new posts!

If you are still working on figuring out the best well-being plan for yourself, get a wellness consultation scheduled today. I would love to help you find the best strategies that work for you and your schedule!

Don’t go hungry!

Nadya

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February 4, 2012

Stuff I Love

A few days ago I created a new page on Spinach and Yoga – Stuff I Love.

There I will share my go to resources for healthy foods, favorite products, yoga, ayurveda, massage, acupuncture and everything else that helps me to create a balanced joyful life. This page will always stay a work in process so check back often for more cool finds! Hope you find it helpful in making your road to wellness a bit easier and more fun!

Here is a sneak peek of my favorite foods, ayurveda resources, and recent movies:

Food

The Best of Ayurveda on The Web

If you are looking to learn about ayurveda but feel overwhelmed by the abundance of the material online, this list of the best ayurvedic websites will come in handy.

  • Joyfulbelly - An ayurvedic website founded by John Immel, one of the brightest ayurveda personalities out there. Combining his technological skills and his ayurveda knowledge John created a wonderful go-to resource for anyone interested in the ancient science of life. His website Joyful Belly has everything from dosha tests, to dosha appropriate foods and recipes. John also offers home-made ayurvedic teas and formulas. There are regular tele-seminars and workshops that everyone can sign up for or you can opt for a more personalized skype session with John.
  • Fran’s House of Ayurveda – a masterpiece of ayurvedic cooking. A unique feature about the Fran’s website  is that she offers variations to make the dish suitable for each dosha and explains why certain ingredients are better for a specific dosha. Fran also shares some tips of dosha specific yoga poses, meditation, and personal experience with ayurveda
  • Ayurvedic Institute in NM, the home of Dr Vasant Lad
  • What’s Your Dosha 
  • Monica Bloom
  • Holistic Online This website offers great dosha tests and ayurvedic diet guidelines
  • Life Spa website on ayurveda and general health
  • Yoga Chicago – a great yoga, ayurveda, and spirituality resource
  • Robert Svoboda
  • David Frawley
  • Ayurvedic Healers

Movies

  • Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead – watch for free from Hulu
  • Beautiful Truth – A great movie about Gerson therapy for cancer. free on youtube
  • The Gerson Miracle
  • Life In A Day – Director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and producer Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) team up to offer this candid snapshot of a single day on planet Earth. Compiled from over 80,000 YouTube submissions by contributors in 192 countries, Life in a Day presents a microcosmic view of our daily experiences as a global society. From the mundane to the profound, everything has its place as we spend 90 minutes gaining greater insight into the lives of people who may be more like us than we ever suspected, despite the fact that we’re separated by incredible distances. Free youtube movie
  • Home – Internationally renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand makes his feature directorial debut with this environmentally conscious documentary produced by Luc Besson, and narrated by Glenn Close. Shot in 54 countries and 120 locations over 217 days, Home presents the many wonders of planet Earth from an entirely aerial perspective. As such, we are afforded the unique opportunity to witness our changing environment from an entirely new vantage point. In our 200,000 years on Earth, humanity has hopelessly upset Mother Nature’s delicate balance. Some experts claim that we have less than ten years to change our patterns of consumption and reverse the trend before the damage is irreversible. Produced to inspire action and encourage thoughtful debate, Home poses the prospect that unless we act quickly, we risk losing the only home we may ever have.
  • Earthlings – EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary about humanity’s absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called “non-human providers.” The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby. With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, EARTHLINGS uses hidden cameras and never before seen footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests. There are many worthy animal rights films available, but this one transcends the setting. EARTHLINGS cries to be seen. Vimeo

Your turn to share some of your favorite foods, snacks, movies, or niche websites. What helps you to stay healthy and balanced? I would love to hear from you!

Enjoy your weekend!

I am off to the slopes in Utah!

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February 1, 2012

15 Delicious Vata-Balancing Winter Desserts

In general winter has a bad reputation – flu season, cold weather, weakened immune system, dry skin, and on top of that the inevitable cold season weight gain. Sounds pretty horrible! But according to Ayurveda, winter is one of the best times to strengthen immune system and lose or maintain weight. (Isn’t it a pleasant surprise?)

Besides it is the time of the year, when according to ayurveda, you can have a delicious desert without any guilt.

Image Courtesy of http://www.myrecipes.com

Winter Medicine – Warm Dessert

This ancient discipline divides seasons according to their qualities and prescribes a certain lifestyle and diet to maintain a perfect balance of health. Jan and Feb in NYC is still cold, mostly dry and windy which according to Ayurveda are characterics of Vata. In excess, the these qualities may manifest themselves as dry or brittle skin, lips, hair, nails or bones, digestion problems, or emotional “dryness”. The “light” quality may manifest itself as being underweight, having insomnia or feeling “spacey” or insecure. Since Vata is inherently cool – cool weather, cool foods, the cool seasons can increase Vata.

Ayurveda defines ”medicine” as a substance that can decrease the excess dosha by providing the opposite qualities to it. For example, if Vata has increased due to excess activity, a quiet, calm environment can be a medicine. If it has increased due to excess dryness, wetness can be the medicine. One of the wonderfully practical aspects of Ayurveda is that anything can be used as a medicine because everything that exists has a quality. This includes but is not limited to: herbs, foods, colors, drinks, environments, smells and lifestyles.

Qualities opposite to Vata are moist, grounding, warming, smooth, oily and stabilizing. It is therefore best to seek out environments, routines, and foods that possess these opposite qualities at this time of year.  You might be already guessing what it has to do with the guiltless desserts that I mentioned in the title… Winter is the best time to enjoy warm rich desserts!!!

Winter Immune System

Bala, which literally means “strength,” is the Ayurvedic word for immune system. In Ayurveda, immunity is connected with the digestion – when it is strong and appetite is good, then immunity is strengthened. On the other hand, what weakens digestion weakens immunity. It’s that simple.

One reason that winter is a good season for building immunity is that the digestion is stronger in cold weather. Just as your home’s heating system works harder in cold weather, so your inner digestive fire stokes up when the air turns chilly. People feel hungrier, and can actually digest food better in winter, thus nourishing their bodies more. We tend to think that winter season is bad for immunity because as appetite increases, people start eating more junk food and heavy, hard to digest foods, and thus weaken their immunity. Other seasons are better for purifying, but winter is the time to build up and nourish all systems–the hair, the nails, and the skin.

Immune-Boosting Winter Desserts

Here are some basics for choosing foods, especially desserts that will help you strengthen your immunity system, improve your skin if it is dry, stabilize digestion, and maybe even shed those holiday pounds.

Foods that nourish and balance the body in the cold, dry, winter season are the sweet, sour and salty tastes. Warm foods are ideal, as long as they are not deep-fried and are cooked with easy-to-digest oils such as ghee or olive oil. Avoid cold or ice-cold foods, as cold foods and drinks douse the digestive fire and decreases immunity.

Since Sweet is one of the most pacifying tastes for Vata a home-made dessert is a well justified part of a Vata balancing diet.

It Is Best To:

  • Stick to warm desserts
  • Be generous with warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cumin, cloves, turmeric, peppercorns.
  • Use sweet and ripe fruits, especially dates, figs, bananas, apricots, pears
  • Experiment with desserts made out of orange squashes, pumpkins, sweet potato, and beets
  • Add a dab of warm milk (almond or dairy), coconut oil, or ghee to counterbalance Vata’s dryness
  • Make dessert using oats, and other hearty grains
  • Add nuts and nut butters
  • For sweeteners use honey as it has warming and immune strengthening qualities. If cooking in high heat, try coconut crystals or stevia

With my passion for research and sweets, I created a short list of my favorite winter desserts in NYC and, at the bottom, you’ll find a list of  easy ayurvedic dessert recipes. Enjoy!!!

Ayurvedic Winter Dessert Recipes:

  1. Sweet Rice from Mapi Ayurveda
  2. Berry Fruit Cobbler Warm and nourishing dessert from Ashley
  3. Flourless Ginger Muffins Detoxinista Megan is a superstar when it comes to creative healthy recipes and amazing accompanying pictures
  4. Spiced Apricot Compote I love spices and apricots…
  5. Curried Stewed Fruit Want to try something unique?
  6. Spiced Poached Pears Delicious treat for a grounded and happy Vata
  7. Pumpkin Vegan Bourbon Bread Pudding Vegan and yummy
  8. Carrot Halwa Can’t say enough about carrot halwa! I love it!! Substitute for almond milk, add stevia instead of sugar, and coconut butter if excluding all dairy. Easy to adapt and still tastes amazing!

    Image Courtesy of http://www.thetastesofindia.com/

  9. Cherry Banana Coconut Butter Bread Oh She Glows is a queen of baking healthy treats!
  10. Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal A special warm treat from Chocolate Covered Katie. Will you have it for breakfast or dessert?

If you are not feeling to cooking, one of the best things about living in NYC is that someone will always cook for you:). For the lazy days, try one of these:

The Best Vata-friendly Desserts in NYC:

  1. Rice Pudding (Tiffin Wallah at 127 East 28th street or any other Indian restaurant where they serve it warm with cinnamon, rasins, and cloves for added vata pacifying boost)
  2. Quinoa pudding (Life Thyme Health Food Market at 410 Avenue of the Americas– try to warm it up, it tastes even better!)
  3. Baklava (Gulluoglu Baklava cafe at 982 2nd Ave– hazelnut milk or pistachio are my favorites but they have a huge selection of homemade Turkish treats)
  4. Pumpkin Cinnamon Cream Torte with roast pears (spelt) – (Angelica Kitchen at 300 East 12th Street)
  5. Spiced hot chocolate – (Organicoa at High Line between 15th and 16th sts)

Question to you: What are you craving the most this Winter?

Love and Warm Spicy Chocolate!

Nadya

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January 30, 2012

Ayurvedic Alternatives to Cold Medicine

Good Monday, Healthy Tribe!

Did you notice all the sick people around? Are they scaring you with their coughs and sneezing?

Living and sleeping next to my sick boyfriend this past week made me search through the vasts of online web and my modest ayurvedic library for natural immune-boosters and cold cures. I found quite a few yummy powerful “medicines”. I shared some of them on Mind Body Green in a recent article. Below is a recipe for Turmeric Ginger Lemonade that turned out pretty damn good! I might keep drinking it even though we are done with colds in our home! You can read about other cold-busting ayurvedic recipes in the article.

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Question to you: What do you do to keep your immune system strong in the Winter? Please share your tips and natural cures recipes in the comments section!

Stay healthy!

PS: If you want to learn more about ayurvedic medicine,  join the India ashram adventure this upcoming March.  All the details here.

 

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January 26, 2012

Indigestion Guru Spills Her Secrets: Part 2

A few days ago I published the first part of a very interesting interview with the creator of Colon Karma Cure program Dr Helen Thomas. If you haven’t read it, take a look! The last part of my interview with Indigestion Guru, Dr Helen Thomas, came out today on Modern Hippie Mag. We talk about why digestion is so critical to good health, how ayurvedic practitioners assess their patients, and an incredible influence that emotions have on digestion. Check out Helen’s insightful answers here.

 

Stay warm and healthy!

Nadya

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January 24, 2012

Food Combining 101

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Recently, I wrote an article for Mind Body Green on 10 worst food combinations that can wreak havoc on your health. The response was overwhelming with over 2K liking the article on facebook. If you haven’t read it, please check it out, it’s a fun read!

Since then, I was getting quite a few emails, comments, and fb messages regarding food combinations and specifically, how strict do we need to stick to these dire rules. Some people see food combining as a potentially beneficial but a very challenging undertaking, others bluntly, disagree that traditional dishes like fruit and yogurt or tomatoes and cheese can cause any digestion difficulties.

If you are wondering whether food combing is something that you can benefit from and where to start with it, here is a quick guide.

Why food combining is important:

  • We need different enzymes to digest card, proteins, and fats
  • Some foods take a lot longer to digest than others. If you eat slow-to-digest and fast-to-digest foods together, the faster-digesting food will have to sit and wait for the slower one fermenting and petrifying.
  • Eating easy-to-digest food combinations frees up a lot of energy resources that can be used for other purposes besides digestion (healing, workouts, dancing, having fun!)

Benefits of good food combining include:

  • Improved energy levels
  • Healthy weight loss if your body needs it
  • Better skin
  • Better absorption of nutrients
  • Reduction of bloating and gas
  • More regular elimination

If you feel like your energy level is not high enough, if acne is a persistent problem, or if your stomach is bloated/constipated/gassy after meals, food combinations is one of the easiest things to experiment with since it does not forbid any food groups and there are no severe detox symptoms.

There are very few rules that are applicable to everyone. The more I study and work with my clients, the less I believe there is one thing that works for everyone, we are too unique! All diets and advice have to be individualized! Food combining is no exception. While the theory says one thing, your body might say something completely different.

Ayurveda is a little more forgiving when it comes to food combining than natural hygienists. Take a look at this traditional natural hygienist food combining rules. In Ayurveda balanced wholesome meals are given preference. An ayurvedically balanced meals include 6 tastes to provide nourishment to all bodily tissues and include whole grains, vegetables and easy to digest proteins. Natural hygienists would advise having carbs separately from proteins, and would not approve of an ayurvedic tradition to add ghee to freshly baked chapattis.

There are some food combining rules that every theory agrees on:

  • Dairy should not be combined with pretty much anything besides greens and non starchy vegetables. Baked goat cheese on veggies or salads is okay but no pizza, cream-based pasta sauces, dairy-based chowders are not recommended. When it comes to yogurt, add vanilla bean, honey but no jams or fruits.
  • Fruit should not be combined with anything because it digests a lot faster than most other things. Best to be eaten at least 20 mins before anything else. Grains with fruit, fruit and eggs, fruit and nuts, fruit after a meal are among the infamous no-no’s. The only exception is dates in milk or dried fruit boiled together with grains such as in oatmeal.
  • Have one concentrated protein per meal. This one is pretty simple: no fish and chicken, meat and shrimp, eggs and milk, cheese and beans on one plate.

The strictness level with which you choose to follow food combing rules depends on your current health, physical activity, stress level, the efficiency of your digestive system, and most of all, your goals.

Sticking to easy-to-digest food combinations is done primarily to reduce digestive un-ease and to reduce the energy consumption on digestion processes and therefore increase the energy resources of the body left to do other things besides dealing with a grumbling tummy. When you need energy to heal and recover, food combining is more important than during the times when you feel rested and healthy.

Is it okay to break rules sometimes? Yes!

If your digestion is strong, you feel healthy, and full of energy, it means your body has the resources to deal with slightly more difficult food combos. Following good food combinations is most beneficial for people with a weak digestion, Vata types, for those under severe stress, or those healing from a disease.If you are tired, sick, need more energy, it is good to use food combining.

Questions for you: What do you think? Would you use food combining when you are sick or tired and need to recover faster?

Happy Healthy Belly!

Nadya

PS: If you want to learn more about ayurvedic food combining and to experience it for yourself, join the India ashram adventure this upcoming March. All the details here.

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