Super Chick Brownies

Happy Snow (Fri)day! What a treat to have the day off of teaching, and be able to catch up on some me-time.

New Roommate and I started off the day by shovelling a huge chunk of the parking lot for our apartment, as she unfortunately did not get the day off of work. Then we had to shovel some of the road... and then had to push the car... 'twas an adventure! A muscle-building one! And it was my first snow-shovelling experience, to boot!

After that chilly exerting start to the day, what else was there to do but take a hot shower, catch up on some work, watch a documentary on Netflix (Vegucated - pretty good! www.getvegucated.com) and plan some delicious baking project.

Today, coming off of PMS days and craving comforting snow-day food, brownies were on the menu. I didn't have sweet potatoes or black beans on hand, but I did have some leftover chickpeas. Hmm... chickpeas in brownies... a quick 'google' showed that this had been done, and quite scrumptiously, before!

This led to the creation of my first from-scratch vegan brownie recipe, as none of the complete recipes I found really attracted me. They pack a power punch of protein and fibre with the chickpeas (and don't worry, you can't even taste the chickpeas!!). The fresh berries add the juiciness and antioxidants that no healthy person should be without in every meal... or dessert ;)



Mia (cat) is ready to get her paws on these! ;)

SUPER CHICK BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chick peas
• 1/4-1/2 cup water
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Many blueberries (1/2 cup? 1 cup? go nuts!) *
• 7-10 large strawberries, finely diced
• 1/4 cup honey (preferably raw)
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 3/4 cup sugar or sucanat
• At least 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cacao powder (raw)
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground coffee (optional)

* I left the blueberries whole, as I love the sensation of the blueberries bursting as you bite into the chocolate, but you could blend the berries in with the chickpeas if you prefer to keep the texture smooth!

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly oil (coconut) and flour a baking pan, to prevent sticking
• Place chick peas in food processor with 1/4-1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth (I mashed mine, as I have an irrational fear of food processors)
• Melt unsweetened chocolate with coconut oil
• Combine chocolate/oil with diced strawberries, blueberries and honey, until mixture is evenly coated
• Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, cacao powder, almond milk, vanilla extract and baking powder (and optional coffee), and mix until blended (if mixture becomes too dry, add a touch more almond milk)
• Pour into baking pan and spread out evenly
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until firmer, and an inserted toothpick or fork comes out clean
• Remove from oven and cool in pan, then cut into desired size of squares

Enjoy, and stay warm and well!

N.



The Berry Crisple

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I was so excited to make vegan burgers tonight, but then decided to channel that energy into making a crumble... crisp?... crisple!..., instead, because well... I'm not sure. But after all, with the minus-gabillion temperatures of these past few days, who doesn't need a belly full of warm-berry-cinnamony-nutmegy-oatmeal-goodness :)


The nutritional impact of this recipe is fantastic - a whole ton of antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre from the fruit, and the oats and flax, should you want to add it in (why not, I say!) gets even more fibre going, plus B-vitamins, magnesium, and more. Be careful with your sweeteners... try to stick with low glycemic index sweeteners and minimise the use of white or even brown sugar. The lemon juice is a great alkaliser for all that acidic fruit and sugar.

So many delicious berries!

And therefore, with a wee bit of chopping, tossing and Downton-Abbey-watching... behold, the Berry Crisple! I am sorry to say that I do not have specific measurements for most of this one. If I ever do decide to come out with a recipe book, I'm in trouble, because I definitely subscribe to the keep-tasting/smelling-while-cooking-and-just-add-more-xyz-'til-it-hits-the-spot methodology.


Berry Crisple:

- Approx. 1 pint chopped strawberries
- Approx. 1 pint blackberries
- Approx. 1 pint blueberries
- Approx. 1/2 pint raspberries
- Fresh juice of 1/2 lemon
- Sucanat, brown sugar, honey or agave nectar to taste (I used mostly sucanat tonight)
- 4 or 5ish cups of large flake oats (not instant!)
- Approx. 1-->1.5 cups melted butter or applesauce (I used vegan Becel)
- Approx. 1--> 1.5 cups flour (I used brown rice flour - can use any kind. I have also seen recipes without flour)
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- optional: ground flax seeds, chopped walnuts or almonds


- Preheat oven to 350 C.
- Toss berries with desired amount of sugar/sucanat/etc and lemon juice in large mixing bowl.

- In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional ground flax seeds.
- Stir in melted butter until mixture is fully coated.

- Coat bottom of pan (I used a 9x13 glass baking dish) with approx half of oat mixture. Spread berry mixture over this, and top with remainder of oat mixture. Optional: sprinkle chopped nuts on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes - fruit should be bubbling, and top turning golden brown.


Enjoy warm and fresh, or cold and leftover, by itself or with icecream, whipped cream (vegan option: whipped coconut-milk based cream!).

... or enjoy it straight from the pan ;)

And the great thing about this recipe is you can use any fruit you want - peach and blackberry, apples, mango in the summer... endless options!


Stay warm and well,


N.

Juice Cleanse: Days 2 & 3

Day 2 and 3 of the great-ish juice cleanse of 2013 went pretty okay. I must confess, I veered from it a little on Saturday night at a post-holiday party (although mainly by eating Mexican caviar, which I made with delicious fresh lime juice and many fresh veggies... recipe here for you vegan party-goers! : http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco-recipes/recipe/4134/mexican-caviar/), and at a wedding-planning breakfast on Sunday morning with the BFF.

I have therefore decided that, with my various eating issues and hectic schedule, I will choose ONE day a week (probably a Wednesday, when I am not teaching) to do either a tea or juice fast, and give my digestive system a break. This will work far better, and not make me feel like eating my own hand to keep up my energy during hour 4 at the dance studio.

Some scrumptious juices were made, including a really great one by the housemate which included a juice sweet potato. Mm mm good... who knew?! The not-so-great juice of the detox was my throw-everything-together Sunday afternoon juice... cabbage, lemon, cranberries, mint, apples, cucumber... it might have been delish but for that cabbage. Interesting taste, not so interesting colour!

Evil brown cabbage juice

Lastly, I realised just how dehydrated I must be on a regular basis. My coworker and I were talking about this on the way home last night - we teach for about 5 hours straight, and mayyyybe go through 0.5 L of water the whole time as we are constantly dancing and moving and yelling and... you know... teaching. Who has time for water? Urgh! This hit home during the detox for sure, as the pee was not happening as frequently as it should have, and when it did... well, let's just say it was the opposite of light and clear and lovely. I figured it out half-way through Day 2 though, and took steps to fix. Housemate had a very different, more positive experience, as she is super-smart and drank all the water. That shall be me from the beginning next time. Lesson learned!

So, my own, individual conclusion: Juice fast is awesome for a once a week thing. It is important to focus on in-season fruits/veggies as much as possible, for bank-account-saving purposes (makes me excited for summer juicing!). Drink a gabillion litres of water... and make this happen on a daily basis, anyway. Juicing makes you feel healthy and great and awesome and clear, and making it a regular habit, along with healthy eating, stops bad cravings. Bonus!

Yours in juiced-up wellness,
N.

Juice Cleanse: Day 1

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Day 1 is underway, and all is well. Went to the supermarket at 8:30am and bought all this:

I didn't have much time today, with teaching in the afternoon/all evening, so was just able to make a big batch of green juice and of red juice.

The green was similar to the one I posted about below, except I replaced one of the green apples with a pear, and also added parsley. Mmm! (Okay, it actually tasted exactly the same as the previous one.)

The red juice was a mish-mosh of beets, carrots, Golden Delicious apples, one big orange, one tomato and ginger. 

Feelings so far: Very clean and healthy, but very hungry and craving all things bad for me. All-you-can-eat sushi. Pounds of chocolate cake. Poutine. I think that this juice detox would be great if I had three days of doing nothing, where I could just juice 5 or 6 times per day to keep fuelled. It'll be hard running on just two today, while working...

We will see what tomorrow brings! I am interested in how the cabbage will turn out...

The Creative, and potentially Chaotic, Cleanse begins!

Alright! Juice detox starts tomorrow!!!! Well, today, since it's 12:27a.m.

RAWRGH! It's going to be a hot mess of a juice thing because housemate and I are teaming up, with conflicting schedules, minimal time, and a crazy weekend ahead. But we're doing it anyway, because that's how we roll.

So far, our oh-so-planned-out plan is:

- Buy ALL the fruit, vegetables and ginger from the supermarket.
- Create amazing juice combinations several times a day, in advance where possible so we can take them with us for our work days.
- Absorb fantastic nutrients into body immediately. Bioavailability whaaaat.
- Feel amazing and healthy and glowy and maybe slightly dizzy.
- Repeat for a few days.

Stay tuned... ;)

Get it together

Ugh I desperately need some raw in my life. I have not been impressed with myself lately - managed to get through Christmas, including a NYC trip, with minimal damage to my 96.7% vegan-ness... yet the post-holiday eating has been horrific for the past week-and-a-half. Oh the hypocrisy of my life over the last few days!

After today's pancakes for breakfast and quesadilla with copious (but oh-so-delicious) cheesiness for dinner, this has to end. Pronto.

NB: Huge thanks to housemates for the vegan nutrient-packed lunch, though. You probably negated at least one of my meals of badness.

Current me status:
Body - bloated, heavy, sluggish, achey, dry. Skin is suspect. Eyes not clear and white. Sleep pattern sucks - too much, and not restful
Brain - cloudy, tired and certainly far less intelligent than it should be
Emotions - minefield

To think I used to eat and feel like this all the time.

The housemate and I are planning to do a juice-based detox starting on the weekend, but I am going to pre-empt it with some fantabulous eating habits. I bought red grapes tonight, which I never do, but I feel like this key action of buying something simple, delicious and slightly varying from my regular diet shall kick things off swimmingly.

Plan for tomorrow: I shall eat pre-soaked (uncooked) steel cut oats with my trademark cinnamon-sunflower seed-vanilla stevia-almond milk topping, the grapes, almond-milk-based yoghurt, lentil soup (not raw, but c'mon it's Canadian winter), and avocado. There will also be copious amounts of lemon water and chlorophyll water involved and, because tomorrow is one of my 13-hour days, my treat shall be an uplifting pomegranate-blueberry fresh juice from the mall on the way to teaching. No muffin. No soy-based latte.

Projected me status:
Awesome.

Sundays are for experiments... Avocado "Fries"

Today I attempted Avocado "Fries"! They were pretty easy, rather delicious, and definitely something I'll make again. My pictures don't seem to be uploading properly as of late, so I apologise for the lack of illustration, but google-image 'avocado fries' if you really need that visual inspiration;)

Ze recipe (for two people, or one if you're hungry):

2 medium, just-ripe avocados
2 eggs (vegan: I used almond milk - a little less 'sticky' but fine)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs/Panko/seasoning (I used a vegan Thai lemon chili crumb seasoning)
Oil (olive oil recommended; I used avocado oil and it worked)

Pre-heat oven to 450C.

- Peel and cut avocados into half-inch slices
- Coat slices well in flour
- Coat slices in egg or almond milk
- Coat slices in desired seasoning/breadcrumb mix
- Place coated slices on a wire 'cooling' rack, on top of a baking sheet
- Spray with oil
- Cook in oven for 20ish minutes, until they are crispy and golden-brown. I turned them over about half-way through.

They were delicious as is, or can be dipped in your favourite dressing or sauce!

I will definitely have to try these with a salt and pepper-based seasoning, or even some kind of crumbled vegan-cheese. Mmmmm.

Jolly Green Juice - a nutritional giant

So it has been an obnoxiously long time since my last post. What can I say, life happened.

I'm still here, though, and I return to you with green juice in all its goodness and glory and... greenness. In the spirit of the new year and all its associated health resolutions, I took some time yesterday to concoct a mixture for the housemates and I that would cleanse our blood, amp up immunity and alkalise our bodies. Ahhh detox.

Seriously, what's not to love about juicing? Once you get the right juicer (okay, mine isn't top quality, but I'm saving madly for one that is), it is a ridiculously cheap and time-effective activity. You can have fun creating your own recipes based on flavour, nutrient or ailment requirements/preferences, or even pick up a handy guide to get your started*.

Here are the ingredients and associated nutrients in my go-to green juice (for 4 people):

Asparagus (1 bunch)	Cucumber (one)	Celery (2 bunches)	Apples (3 green)	Lemons (1, peeled)
Asparagine Folic acid Potassium Phosphorus Riboflavin Vitamin C	Folic acid Potassium Silica	Coumarins Potassium Vitamin C	Carotenes Pectins Potassium Vitamin C	Bioflavonoids Limonene Potassium Vitamin C

This is definitely a winner for the circulation and immune system:

... Throw some ginger in there for the circulatory-stimulating zingiberene (<--best word ever) and gingerols.
... The wallop of vitamin C enhances our natural immunity, helps the body absorb iron and is a power antioxidant that protects against heart disease, circulatory problems and cancer.
... Check out all the potassium in there - great for nerves, controlling blood pressure and normal functioning of our body's cells
... The folic acid helps get those red blood cells going and our brain working.
... Add in all those other nutrients, plus the alkalising properties of asparagus and lemon, and you have yourself health in a mason jar.

And if you're skeptical about the taste, that is where the lemon and ginger come in. You can't even taste the asparagus, and the slightly potent celery flavour, which I actually detest, is drastically reduced.

Juicing is such an integral of health of promoting and maintaining an increased level of health. It concentrates the availability of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, and delivers them to your body in an effortless, natural way, i.e. your body can focus on repair and restoration processes instead of expending its energy resources on digestion. This is especially important after the holidays or any time periods where your health is not at its best (sickness, stress, intake of medication, suboptimal eating habits) - give your body a break, let it focus on getting you better, and enhance its work with a power-packed slew of the good stuff from juicing!


* I was fortunate enough to discover a copy of Michael Van Straten's 'Super Juice - Juicing for Health and Healing' in a second-hand store some months ago, and I absolutely love it. It is a multi-coloured, big-fonted, super-fun collection of recipes divided into juices for power, cleansing, aphrodisiac properties, mixing with alcohol for cocktail parties (yeah!) and more. As an awesome bonus, there are user-friendly indices at the back which you can reference by food name, nutrient or ailment, plus a detailed 3-day juice detox program.

Soup's up!

I recently read an article, courtesy of Food Inc.'s Take Part, on the dangers of consuming soup from a can due to high quantities of bisphenol A (BPA) present in the lining of the cans. This chemical has been linked to all sorts of conditions such as cancer, diabetes and reproductive issues (article: http://www.takepart.com/article/2011/11/23/no-canned-soup-you).

With this in mind, opt for delving into the simple art of making soups from scratch. I have always steered away from making my own soups in the past, as I thought it would be a complex process involving large pots stewing vegetables for 14.7 hours and sticking to a strict schedule of adding in the perfectly specific combination of spices and broths and sprinkles of warmth. If I'd known it was actually this easy, I'd have started a long time ago!

In keeping with my previous Autumnesque theme, and the fact that today is the U.S. Thanksgiving, here is a recipe for pumpkin sweet potato soup. Scroll down to find a RAW recipe for a similar soup below it (it's like pumpkin pie in a bowl), should that be more to your taste. Both recipes pack a huge punch of vitamins A and C, fibre, potassium, manganese and taste-explosion-goodness!:

PUMPKIN & SWEET POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced fresh, peeled pumpkin (peel and chop raw pumpkin, preferably a sugar pie pumpkin)
• 3 cups diced peeled sweet potato
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3.5 cups veggie broth (homemade or bought - watch sodium content!)
• spices can be adjusted to taste
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
• *optional for a thicker soup*
  • 1 tsp chia seeds soaked in 1/3 cup water for 30 mins
  • 1 tsp arrowroot (in place of cornstarch which I don’t recommend)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees
• Toss sweet potato and pumpkin dice in coconut oil, honey, salt & pepper
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 mins, tossing every 10
• Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in skillet with coconut oil until onions are translucent and start to caramelize
• When sweet potato and pumpkin are done, cool a bit and puree in food processor with onions and garlic
• Add broth, spices, and remaining ingredients, and continue to puree until smooth
• Taste, and if satisfied, return to a pot on the stove to heat through
• Top with roasted pumpkin seeds, raisins, and serve with crusty bread and a fresh salad.

RAW RECIPE: PUMPKINLESS PIE IN A BOWL

Ingredients:

2 cups carrot juice (fresh if possible, bottled if not)
¾ cup chopped butternut squash
¼ avocado
½-3/4 packet of stevia
Generous sprinkle of cinnamon, a small sprinkle of nutmeg, and a dash of salt

Directions:

• Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy (and a little warm, if you like to serve soup that way). Serve with fresh salad.
• If you don’t have a high speed blender or Vitamix, you could substitute steamed squash for raw and use a regular blender.

(This recipe is for 1 serving.)

Have a soup-er day ;)

N.

Super-delicious (and easy!) Thanksgiving/Fall recipe!

This is what I'm making for Thanksgiving dinner! It is also a delicious treat any time during the Fall, as in incorporates simple ingredients, seasonal vegetables that you can access locally, and the promise of satisfying the craving for scrumptious comfort foods in a healthy way:

SWEET POTATO & APPLE BAKE

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced, peeled, cooked sweet potatos (*healthy: steam them)
3 cups sliced, peeled, tart apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (*healthy: can substitute a 1/4 to 1/2 cup with maple syrup)
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter (*healthy: use organic)
Optional: walnuts, sliced almonds, or pecans

Directions:

- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 1.5 quart baking dish (*healthy: use organic butter, not oil or spray)
- Layer half of the sweet potatoes and apples
- Combine brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and pepper; sprinkle half over the apples

- Dot with half of the butter

- Repeat layers, and sprinkle a layer of walnuts, sliced almonds or pecans on top if desired

- Cover and bake at 350 degrees, for 15 minutes

- Baste with pan juices

- Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the apples are tender

Serves 8.

Per serving: 223 calories, 4.7g of fat, 3.6 g of fibre, 1.5g of protein... and a huge amount of those good ol' vitamins A, B, C, E and minerals.

Mmm... enjoy!!

N.

Thankful, always...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving weekend, I am taking a little moment to reflect on all for which I am thankful... I must say, it certainly is not hard to do as I sit here with a purring cat, sun pouring through the window, and a delicious breakfast steaming away beside me!

Being thankful is showing your appreciation, your gratitude and saying 'thank you'. More importantly, it is taking the time to do this, and being fully sincere... and noticing the kindness of people, even when what they have given you is not necessarily tangible. There are so many beautiful hearts out there, so let's take time to reflect on the gifts from our loved ones, the strangers who share their kindness, and the beauty Nature gives to us every day.

Today, I am thankful for, among many other things:

- a Mother who taught me how to love, how to give, how to strive for the best, and the best damn study techniques a girl could want;)

- a Father who passed on his strength, worldy knowledge and infallible common sense with me every day, and taught me the wisdom of Nature, health and cigar-smoking

- the career of my dreams, with the employer, coworkers, and students of my dreams... it is such a privilege to have my passion be my living

- the opportunity to be studying for the next, complementary step of my career under way

- a relationship with a wonderful man who makes me laugh, keeps me focused, and supports me even when I'm doing angler-fish impressions

- close friends, who live near (or even in my apartment!), and far... including those who I don't get to see as often, but think of dearly

- my hilarious cat... brightens my life every day in a ridiculously cute, furry way

- people in my past who have shaped my life today, whether it be teachers, past relationships/friendships, or family... and the cultures in which I have lived...

- the little blessings of every day... the colour of the leaves today, the lady who let me go ahead of her in the grocery line as I only had two items, having finally been to an apple orchard, a really good book, the cute little boy on the bus who was having deliriously-happy mitten fights with his Dad

- food (seriously, what would a thankfulness list by me even be, without the mention of food!!), and the beauty of whole, living, healthy eating... oh, and cinnamon (see previous post... or the bowl of oatmeal I am eating...)
- ability... to have choice, to dance, to sing, to learn, to help, to feel, to share, to give, to cook, to laugh, to walk, to dream, to believe, to breathe...

... what are you thankful for?

Sending love, and thanks, to all, and wishing you a fantastic weekend with your families,

N.

Mindfulness in the midst...

Around this time of year, things start to get hectic. Children and teens are buried under a deluge of homework and extracurricular activities... adults have shifted from their free-spirited summer adventures, back to the discipline of the work-place... and oh yes, the Christmas season is lurking around the corner, with its inevitable financial responsibilities and social commitments. On top of all this, the seasonal change brings an erratic energy with its windy days and crisp nights, and our immune systems are trying their darndest to keep up to shifting weather patterns and sniffle-inducing germs.

Now, more than ever, is when we need to find our little moments of zen. Of course, the question is: when, amidst this craziness, would one have time to find a warm patch of grass, fold into a sukasana pose, and get their "om" on? The reality is, that five or ten minutes may not be easy to come across at all. Most of us, myself included, rush out of bed in the morning, zip around between work and eating and errands all day, and sink gratefully back into bed at the last possible second of the evening. And even if we did find a quick stretch of time, would we really be able to quiet our busy minds enough to reap the full benefits of a meditative session?

So, let's work within our reality. A main part of meditation is becoming aware. Awareness. What does that mean? Taking notice. Of yourself. Of your surroundings.  Of your feelings. Of your body. Of your thoughts. Of your breath. It sounds so simple, but when did we become so busy that we lost the ability to notice our very own self? With this in mind, the first step is just beginning to give a little more attention to what we're up to. While driving to work, notice how you are feeling as you face the day ahead. Take a deep breath, counting to 5 as you breathe in, and to 10 as you breathe out. Maybe try a couple more. As you sip your coffee at a traffic light, notice its temperature, see the cars around you, appreciate the sun rising higher in the sky. Smile as you sing along to the radio. Greet your coworkers cheerfully, and when you ask 'how are you doing?', stop and listen to their answer. During that stressful phone call with a client, think about the words you are choosing to use, and listen to their tone of voice... it can provide many clues into what they really want to get out of the conversation.

Never be resistant to letting peace into your day. Even in the middle of the most hectic of situations, there is always one thing that is safe, constant and controllable, and that is your breath, your actions, and your reactions. Choose thoughtfulness, sincerity and awareness in all you do, and after a few days, you will find that it becomes a habit to react with less anxiety to daily stresses. Until you have the time and mental space to enjoy an uninterrupted, enlightening bout of relaxation and meditation, take mental mini-vacations and create your own calm little pockets of peace.

The Beautiful Truth

If you have the time (and hopefully you will), this video is about a 15-year-old boy who sets out to research Dr. Max Gerson's claims of a diet that can cure (or prevent) cancer, after his mother's tragic death:



Watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/wvzDHGLEUyw

It seems too simple, but Nature provides everything one would need to prevent, or cure if needed, disease. It is never wrong. That is all Dr. Gerson was trying to prove.

For the love of... cinnamon!

Many of you know about my love affair with cinnamon. I'll add it to anything, and maintain my status as its Number One Fan, forever and ever!

Cinnamon is pretty much a Superhero Spice (visual: grinning cartoon cinnamon stick, standing akimbo with 'C'-emblazoned cape billowing in the wind...), with some ridiculously awesome health benefits:

• Even a small amount of it provides a huge amount of iron, fibre, calcium and manganese (a trace element that we need to help our body use vitamins C & B1, make certain female hormones and prevent diabetes)
• It regulates blood sugar, so it definitely makes a great addition to your diet if you are pre-diabetic or have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes
• Studies have found it reduces the spread of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells
• Just half a teaspoon per day can lower LDL cholesterol (yes, that's the bad kind!), and blood pressure
• Traditionally, it has been used to treat symptoms of indigestion and other stomach issues (think of the Peptobismol ad... it works for all of the ailments in that list!)
• Taking a nice, deep whiff of cinnamon can immediately boost cognitive functioning, including memory and alertness.

So now you're ready to dig the jar out of your spice cupboard, and start cinnamon-ing your way to better health!

But wait! Word of warning: In North America, most stores and supermarkets actually sell 'cassia' as cinnamon... it's close, but it contains high levels of coumarin, a natural flavouring found in plants. When used medicinally in higher concentrations, this additive can actually cause liver damage (they say it's not permanent, but still... eek). There have been steps taken to ban the use of coumarin in medicine, but there has not yet been a huge movement to regulate the amount found in cassia, as it occurs naturally there.

As a consumer, you therefore want to be sure you are buying ceylon cinnamon, which contains barely any coumarin and is safe for consumption. It's sweeter than cassia, too! Natural food stores or markets usually stock this kind, and if you have the time, buying and grinding cinnamon sticks (you'll know they are ceylon if the roll of bark is made up of many thin layers, and not one big thick one) is the best way to get the maximum health benefits of this wonder-spice.

And now, back to the good stuff! Things to which you can easily add cinnamon:

• Spaghetti sauce - even shaking some over the canned kind adds a nice little oomph of flavour
• Salad dressings - especially over salads with fruit (think summer strawberries in a spinach salad mmmm)
• Cereal - my favourite way to start the day is by stirring a huge spoonful of cinnamon into a bowl of oatmeal, cooked with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries
• Marinades or rubs for meat - add it to barbeque sauce or steak rubs
• Smoothies - try an apple, banana, almond and cinnamon one
• Baking - muffins, vanilla cake, cookies, pies...
• On fruit or nuts - dip almonds and sliced apples into a bowl of honey and cinnamon for a healthy snack
• And for those of you who want a little indulgent treat, check out this super-easy recipe for homemade cinnamon cherry schnapps: http://www.grouprecipes.com/92433/homemade-cherry-cinnamon-schnapps.html. I can't wait to try this one out in the fall!

Here's to a Wednesday of wellness,

N.

"If you’re going to doubt something, doubt your own limits." ~Don Ward.

Found on http://tinybuddha.com/, a few minutes after publishing the previous post. Love it.

Just doing it

January 2011: In the name of New Year's Resolutions and being inspired, I had the idea to start this blog about wellness. So I did. And by started, I mean I set up the title, the design, the colours... fantastic! I then spent the next seven months intermittently hemming and hawing about what to write. Ah, the pressure of the first post. Should I start with a quote that would inconspicuously touch the life of my current followers (all one of them)? Or perhaps a recipe that would cleanse, energise AND nutrify you, all in one bowl of colourfully arranged vegetables? Better yet, perhaps a little personal anecdote about how hanging out in downward dog one morning suddenly brought me to self-realisation in a very Eat, Pray, Love-esque fashion (yes, the obvious connundrum here was that this certainly hasn't happened ever... yet...).

Then today I woke up and had an actual mini-moment of very logical realisation. My favourite piece of advice to give to others is 'just do it'. If you want to start eating more healthily, then just start. If you want to change your career, then figure out what you need to succeed at that idea, save your money, take your courses, and make the change. It is not that I religiously follow the teachings of primetime Nike commercials, or like to portray an attitude of flippant lack of care towards my friends by spouting off a cliched 3-word catch-phrase. I just believe that if you want to do something badly enough that you feel the need to talk about it, think about it and, sometimes, whine about it... then just get started, and do it.

Therefore, taking heed of the trickle of hypocrisy I was allowing to creep into my life, I just did it. Started it off. It may not be great, or even good, but it is here. The first post. And for some unknown reason, because this has been weighing on my shoulders for so long now, I feel like my creativity with this can now begin. All those tidbits of information I've been packing away in my wellness file, to later be doled out in an intelligent, motivating fashion through these pages, are now leaping up and down, excited to now have a chance to get out and be seen.

Before I get to those, however, I just want to go back to the idea of 'just do it'. You may say, 'but I can't! I don't have the < insert money/knowledge/time/connections reference here >!'. But this is where trust comes in. You need to trust that you actually do have the innate ability to gain access to those things - you have a brain, you have a heart, you have willpower, and yes, you have the courage. Take a little time, talk to someone you trust, weigh your options, then start. With baby steps. 'Just doing it' does not mean leaping into it, head-first, with no prior thought or consideration of consequences. Perhaps you even need to spend a month, or a year, reflecting or meditating on your decision. But, ultimately, it does mean taking action. And perhaps your plan does not go perfectly at first, but that is part of the beauty of this concept - the learning. Trust yourself, take a (well-planned) leap, and figure out what worked and what didn't. It's active self-improvement.

Some time this week, try it, even if it is for something small - tune in to your instincts and goals, and take that first step towards them. Talk to the potential romantic interest you see every day while buying your morning coffee. Open a savings account to collect funds for that Europe vacation you have always wanted to take. Spend five minutes researching your dream job, and make a list of the steps you will take to get it.

Make it happen for yourself. You deserve it.

Wishing you wellness,

N.