Fish Then Coffee – Here’s Why

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Today I slept until almost noon. I was up very late last night working on a new blog site. Ok, ok I was socializing on Messenger too and also researching unalome images on Google because at 51 I suddenly must have a tattoo.

Anyhow, I felt like crap this morning and instead of going for a coffee first thing, which I love to do, I made a salad and topped it with a can of sardines. Was the thought of a can of fish and lettuce really making my mouth water? Hell no, I really had to talk myself into it. I marched myself into the bathroom. Found myself in the mirror, “you got this.”

I made the salad. I took the photo for IG. I decided the salad was too big but I’d just have a few bites. Then it happened. The same thing that always happens when I make the switch from sugar/caffeine to whole foods for fuel. It is as if my brain function flips to “everything’s gonna be alright” mode.  Continue reading “Fish Then Coffee – Here’s Why”

How To Set Boundaries & Stay Grounded

HOW TO SET BOUNDARIES AND STAY GROUNDED

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Being grounded and setting personal boundaries, as you walk this Earth, sounds like something simple enough, but it is a challenge for a lot of people.

Popular headlines you will see reference this constantly.

“Avoid being drained by Energy Vampires”

“Protect Your Energetic Sovereignty”

“Are You an Emotional Sponge?”

“Protection for Empaths”

Do you feel drained by interacting with certain people? Do you allow yourself to be drawn into the drama of others? Does a stressful moment with someone have the power to ruin your day? Let’s change that. It is easier than you think.

BEING GROUNDED FEELS LIKE THIS:

  • Calmness prevails no matter the situation around you.
  • You are excited about your day and the possibilities it brings
  • Inspiration comes easily and seems divinely inspired
  • Your body is calm and not tense
  • Your breath is effortless and comes from your belly
  • You can think on your feet
  • Other people’s emotions/moods don’t stay “stuck” to you.

NOT BEING GROUNDED FEELS LIKE THIS:

  • Feeling like you are stuck in a rut
  • Your thoughts are always in the past or in the future
  • Feeling anxious
  • Depression
  • Substance abuse
  • Lack of energy
  • Being easily affected or drained by other people’s moods/energy
  • Emotional eating
  • Feeling spacey/scattered

Figuring Out Your Boundaries

Allow yourself to interact in this world without compromising your integrity.

Give yourself a little time to create your Boundaries. Write them down. Keep it positive. The universe is always listening and reacting to the language we use.

Consider things like:

“I will always allow time in the day for the things that matter the most to me”

Instead of…

“I will not get sucked into doing things that I don’t want to do.”

You can feel the difference in those two statements, right?

Defensiveness is not what you’re looking for. Using your truth like a weapon is different than feeling grounded in your own wisdom and living with grace. There is a knowing that comes with figuring out your boundaries.

On a soul level you already know…write it down!

My Wake-Up Call…

When you think you have something figured out, the universe will remind you that you are here to learn and evolve.

In 2007 I was a student of the Energy Healing Practitioners Program of Langara College here in Vancouver. We attended retreats on Golden Ears Mountain. Nestled among towering cedars, we students and faculty resided in rustic cabins dotted around a still lake. It was a soulful experience.

Most of us were women. We learned theory where Western science met Eastern tradition. We were beginning a unique healing journey, hoping to learn how to help other do the same.

Our lives were about to change more deeply than we could have imagined.

During our retreats on the mountain there was much milling about between classes. As we passed each other on the forest pathways we’d often greet each other with, “ground down sister”. This phrase just became a group mantra of sorts. Sometimes we would giggle when we said it and other times it was shouted with a loud slap of a high-five for emphasis. One of the things we were constantly reminded of, during class, was that we absolutely had to stay grounded to interact with clients.

I was proud of my power to stay grounded in stressful situations. I witnessed student treatments where people had traumatic releases on the table. A couple of times I had people comment on how calm I was. Cue the Universe…life lesson coming.

One afternoon our class was doing treatments at a Vancouver detox center. I had a gal on my table who was shaky and having a hard time staying still. Her energy field felt like it was full of broken glass. I know that sounds odd to say but I can’t think of a better way to describe it. After assessing her I went to work with the treatment. I was not grounded. I was not surrounded by tall cedars and friends. I was taking on her energy and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack. I was having flashbacks to a horrible LSD experience I’d had as a teen. I was not ok. I removed my hands from my “client”, a big no-no for treatment etiquette, and ran for the bathroom. I had absolutely no control over the situation. I felt like I was going to die, I was sure I was. I slid down the bathroom wall and landed with my head between my knees, I was sweating, freezing and shaking. The room was spinning. I knew what was happening but I was helpless to make it stop. There was no warning and it was as powerful as if someone had transported me back in time to my teenage self.

I shared this experince to illustrate how powerfully other people’s energy can impact and trigger you. AND people will trigger things in you from past experiences that you still haven’t fully processed. Life’s way of keeping us evolving I suppose

So what do we do about all of this? Ground Down Sister! Brothers too, of course of course.

There is a big difference between staying calm in a stressful situation because you have learned to detach and staying truly grounded in a sressful.

PLEASE REMEMBER THESE 3 THINGS!

  1. Your breath moves energy through your body
  2. Your intention has the power to move energy
  3. Your connection to Earth energy is essential to staying grounded.

People use different techniques for staying grounded. I’ll share mine with you; it is simple and fast.

Practice moving energy around your body with your breath – yes, you can do that, and it is simple. If you think you are doing it, then you are.

  • Breathe from your belly button pulling your energy down your legs and into your feet.
  • Imagine roots at the bottom of your feet that connect you to Earth energy.
  • Let your energy flow from your belly button, down your legs and out your feet, grounding you to Mother Earth.
  • Continue to belly breathe mindfully and continue the flow.

Done, just like that. Do you feel it? Change the language and visuals to whatever resonates with you.

Added protection for times of high stress…such as having a conversation with someone you love who is saying hurtful things.

Practice expanding and contracting your energy field. Yes, you can do this, use your imagination and your breath.

  • Visualize your energy field. It is all around your body, extending past your feet and above your head. You are suspended in it at all times.
  • Contract your field and feel it hugging and protecting you.
  • Fill your field with beautiful light.
  • Know that nothing can come into your field unless you allow it to.
  • Remember that the person you are interacting with is wounded and their negativity has nothing to do with you.
  • Allow yourself the super power of staying silent if you need to.
  • Walking away is a choice you are always able to make.

Life is good

Happy Gut Jellies ~ Gummies

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This recipe is for “Winter Jellies”. I call them this because anti-viral, gut healing, immune-boosting, antioxidant packed, protein rich, naturally sweetened treats would have been too long for a title.

Lavender jellies will help littles drift off to sleep, Peppermint jellies if you feel like hiding the flavour of chlorella or spirulina. Pineapple juice has an enzyme that will break down the gelatin but all other juices will work well. Use a frozen juice concentrate for an extra flavour blast.

 

I make these more in the winter months. They are simple and the kids love them. The look on their faces when I tell them they can have as many as they’d like is priceless.
Ingredients:
  • Apple Juice, 325 mls – Don’t be a hero and make your own. home juiced apple juice is always a little cloudy and there is no room for fiber in a Jelly. Kids go for the shiny wiggle you don’t want a hint of healthy to show on the outside, trust me. So buy the organic juice and save some time.
  • Elderberry Syrup, 25 mls – This is the star ingredient. Elderberry is one of the most effective anti-viral treatments in the world. Yes, it will kill the flu virus. Give it a Google you’ll be thrilled to see Pub Med is filled with studies showing it as an effective way to treat both influenza A and B.
  • Gelatin, 28g for Jellies/45g for Gummies – Star ingredient #2. Gelatin is spectacular for so many reasons: Full of amino acids, making for easy to digest protein. Great for soothing the gut and making little tummies feel satiated. Mommies will love gelatin’s effect on hair, skin and nails.
  • Lemon Juice, 2 Tablespoons –  A natural preservative, vitamin C and bioflavonoids, all good.
  • Honey 3 Tablespoons – Antibacterial and yummy. Look for local and unpasteurized so that you get the full benefits of all the honey goodness. If you or your little ones are battling a bad bug you can use Mauka honey which is touted as a natural antibiotic. . Please know that Manuka honey is not as tasty as other honey for kids’ sugar lovin’ taste buds.
Method:
  • Over medium heat, gently warm the apple juice, elderberry syrup and lemon juice.
  • Slowly add the 4 tablespoons of gelatin, one tablespoon at a time. Constantly blend with a whisk as you pour. The top of the mixture with get frothy, don’t worry. Mix until the gelatin granules dissolve. This won’t take long.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in the honey
  • Pour liquid into a measuring cup or any container with an easy-pour spout. Fill silicone jelly molds with mixture and put in the fridge. If you are in a hurry for your jellies you can put them in the freezer and they will be ready in about 20 minutes.
IMG_4328Enjoy! We went on a little hike the other day and brought along a container full of these jellies with some apples and cheese. We didn’t have any crabby, low sugar induced sibling rivalry spats – miraculous!

Learn Your Breath Code

Have you read the headlines about Hilary Clinton’s love of alternate-nostril breathing? Yes, breathwork is finally a ‘thing’ at CNN.

There are so many different breathing practices and corresponding stories of greatness. Athletes, politicians, yogis, monks, martial arts masters, first responders, and deep sea divers have been in on the secret for eons.

If you can’t imagine yourself standing in line at the grocery store pressing your fingers alternately against your nostrils while you allow your eyes to roll to the back of your head then I have good news for you!

You can create an effective breath code for relaxation and focus in about 30 seconds and you can do it anywhere, anytime.

I have tried many different breathing techniques and they all made me panic. This is not the desired effect. Just the thought of having to “hold” or breathe out for a specific count made me squirm and gasp. Surely I was not getting enough air, my brain refused the concept.

The missing link for me? Tuning into my own intuition and rhythm was key.

Here is how to figure out your own personal breath code.

  • Sit comfortably and bring your attention to your normal relaxed breathing.
  • Start counting as you inhale, make note of the number. This is the first number of your code.
  • Exhale with your lips slightly pursed (like you were going to whistle but changed your mind). Count as you do this. Exhale completely. This is the second number of your code.
  • After you exhale completely you may feel a wonderful stillness. Notice it, count, see how long you can float in that stillness before the inhalation reflex initiates again. This is the third number of your breath code.

Your code might be: 4-7-3, or 5-8-4 or completely different. The code you came up with is perfect for you.

Now just doing this will be incredibly relaxing and you will remember it and want to repeat it. The more you do it the more you’ll want to do it. You can use it for falling asleep, getting back to sleep, changing mental gears from work mode to relax mode, and increasing mental focus but I think the most amazing thing you can use it for is to stop the panic mode. This is where the numbers become important. When you are in panic mode and you’re breathing like a hummingbird, remind yourself of your code and start breathing accordingly. Your body will respond quickly and you will be amazed at how you just naturally flow back to a state of calm. Honestly, once you get into the practice of using this tool it is like flicking a switch.

Let me know how it works for you.

 

 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza (Child Assistant recommended)

I am not very good at following recipes, just sayin’.

Preparing this pizza with a little chef-in-training is super fun because it is really very difficult to mess it up.

Giving kids creative freedom in the kitchen is a great way to keep them excited about cooking.

I lined up some spices on the counter and told Matthew (6 years old) to smell each one and decide which herb(s) should go in the sauce and which herb(s) should go in the crust. He chose basil and garlic for the sauce and oregano and garlic for the crust. Isn’t it interesting that he chose such classic pizza herbs? I had a few other ones there that he loves, like Chinese 5 Spice and Fenugreek, just because I wanted to see what he’d do.

So other than shaping the crust and doing the hot/steamy stuff, Matthew did everything. He was so proud! He happily ate his GF veggie pizza. I was thrilled to see cauliflower going into that little body. He is usually quiet the carnivore.

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 Head of Cauliflower
  • Soft cheese – cherve works well
  • Herbs of choice
  • Flax seeds, ground
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • Sea Salt
  • Ground Pepper
  • Parsley or green onions – something tender and green

Sauce:

  • 5 oz can tomato paste
  • water
  • Herbs of choice
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper

Toppings

  • Cheese – we used marbled goat cheese
  • Any vegetable sliced thinly

Thick/meaty toppings don’t work well with this crust. Prosciutto with capers and feta would be dreamy with a glass of Pinot Noir. Not so kid friendly though. Sigh.

Method:

Put a large pot on to boil, you only need a couple of inches of water, salted.

Place a colander in the sink, lined with a clean tea towel.

Chop the cauliflower into big pieces then shred it in a food processor. Kids love putting food in a processor, with close supervision of course. You can also grate it by hand but you’ll need a glass of wine for that.

Place the shredded cauliflower in pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 425° while your waiting. Button pressing, fun for kids, pun intended.

Pour steaming hot pot of cauliflower into the tea towel lined colander. Do not use your young assistant for this step. Do not use your husband for this step as he might get freaked out by the steam and drop the pot on the kitchen floor in which case you’ll be making a much smaller pizza then you’d originally planned.

Let the cauliflower sit and cool off in the sink while you put the sauce on to simmer.

Matthew informed me that he would need gloves to get the tomato paste out of the can.  I let him choose the pot we would use and I soon realized why he wanted the gloves. LOL!

After most of the tomato paste is safely in the pan it is time to add the herbs, salt and pepper. If you like other ingredients in your sauce then go for it. This is my kid-friendly version. Matthew added a pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of dried basil  and for some reason thought a heaping teaspoon of salt would be a good idea. Salt control was the only time I interveined in the sauce making.

Add water to your sauce to get the consistency you need. Matthew trotted off to the bathroom with his pan to get the water – so cute. I forgot he couldn’t reach the kitchen sink.

By now your cauliflower is no longer steaming. It will be slightly nuclear in the middle though so put on some gloves. Squeeze the towel full of cauliflower until you think your hands are going to burn off then squeeze twice more.

Put the cauliflower in a mixing bowl. Add herbs of choice and salt/pepper to taste. Add about a Tablespoon of flax seeds, more if your cauliflower is enormous. Add enough soft cheese to bind. You should be able to make a ball of the mixture. Add some olive oil if it feels too dry, or just add more cheese.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and press the mixture into the shape you want.

Bake until slightly brown then flip – 10 -20 minutes each side, depends on how thick your crust is.

Add sauce then topping(s), pop back into the over for a final crisp up of the crust, just enough to melt the cheese. Enjoy!

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Life is good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GMO 2.OH!

Our store shelves are quietly being flooded with engineered ingredients and there are no labelling requirements. Meet GMO 2.0!

Q:What do spirulina, home-brew kits, and patchouli oil all have in common?

A:They all have the possibility of containing genetically engineered ingredients!

This new “synthetic biology” has quietly been flooding the market with ingredients in food, supplements, and cosmetics for some time now.

That “all natural” product you just bought, which may even have a Non-GMO label, might very well contain ingredients produced using this new synthetic biology.¹ 

How does this happen? Is this even legal?

Reprogramming organisms to produce single compounds is real and it is happening. Imagine yeast, algae, and bacteria being reprogrammed to pump out fragrances, plastics, and food ingredients. The end product of this science is not being labelled as a GMO.2 
 
Have you become numb to the term GMO? I think sometimes we forget…
How about this statement from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine back in 2009:

 

The AAEM calls for:

  • A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labeling of GM food.
  • Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods.
  • Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients’ disease processes.
  • More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

“Multiple animal studies have shown that GM foods cause damage to various organ systems in the body. With this mounting evidence, it is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients’ and the public’s health,” said Dr. Amy Dean, PR chair and Board Member of AAEM.

“Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions,” said Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM. “The most common foods in North America which are consumed that are GMO are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil.”

The AAEM’s position paper on Genetically Modified foods can be found here: http:aaemonline.org/gmopost.html

 

I watched a video featuring Jeffery Smith from the Institute for Responsible Technology which nicely summed up the findings of the above paper:

·      Animals consuming GMO feed suffered from G.I. disorders, immune system problems, reproductive disorders, accelerated aging, organ damage, insulin or cholesterol dysfunction.3

·      When animals are switched to a non-GMO feed their health is dramatically improved within a few days.3 

·      Physicians who prescribe a non-GMO diet are seeing dramatic improvements in people suffering from similar disorders as those listed above with the greatest improvement being in the G.I. disorder category.3  

So how do YOU avoid GMO products if there isn’t a labeling requirement in your country? 

There is an App for that!

https://gmo-awareness.com/shopping-list/smart-phone-apps/

 

What about the new GMO 2.0?

There is a website for that with a very detailed search and database!

http://database.synbiowatch.org

I was just editing this post when a lovely woman (I’ll call her Genevieve) came into the store to talk to me about skin care. On this slow and rainy Sunday afternoon we felt free to indulge in a great long conversation. We stared out with skin care and moved on from there. She taught me a few things about EDTA chelation, copper peptides, and herbal liquors from the South of France. We were quick friends! A scientist with a passion for quality spirits is my kind of Sunday shopper.

As Genevieve was leaving I asked her what she thought about people who travelled to Europe to discover that their food sensitivities vanish with the local fare. This launched us into a conversation about GMOs, which I knew it would. We exchanged personal stories of friends’ who travelled to European countries only to find various ‘symptoms’ disappear only to have the troubles return upon re-entering Canada. Hmmm…

I then felt I should share my new found knowledge of GMO 2.0.

Genevieve (a scientist remember) shocked me by pointing out that maybe a fragrance that was the product of GMO 2.0 would be “cleaner” than one that was synthesized from perto-chemicals. She was literally half out the door when we had this last exchange and other customers where on the way in so I didn’t get a chance to respond…

The process of genetically modifying an organism can make changes in 2-4%of the DNA which increases carcinogens, toxins, anti-nutrients, and carcinogens.The process itself is a big part of the problem, not just the end product.³
Do you already avoid GMO ingredients? What are your thoughts on the current government regulations?

1  http://www.realfarmacy.com/new-gmo/2 http://www.realfarmacy.com/new-gmo/
3 http://responsibletechnology.org/resources/gmo-powerpoint-library/

1 Hour Dried Basil

 

I love the image of herbs drying in a sunny window but a lot of the nutritional value is lost to the rays of the sun. I think freeze drying is great but I am a person that will not remember that there is basil in the freezer. If it isn’t on the spice shelf beside the oregano it doesn’t exist.

This is super easy. Just over an hour and you’re done!

IMG_3859 Such an amazing fragrance!

 

Ingredients:

  • Basil 😉

Method:

  • Turn oven on lowest setting.
  • Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
  • Remove basil leaves from stems and place on pan(s) in a single layer.
  • Place pans in the oven for one hour.
  • Allow basil to cool.
  • Crumble and store in an airtight container.
  • Store in a cool dry place.

 

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“Anything Goes” Zucchini Bread

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This is the time of year for zucchini. Our vegetable box has been overflowing with zucchini for 3 weeks now.

I decided to make this bread first thing this morning. I started gathering ingredients and realized that I had only odds and ends of flours so I decided to wing it. Do you do this? I rarely have all the ingredients I need for a recipe so I just substitute things. It usually turns out. This was a good one!

This is a forgiving recipe…literally anything goes! 

I used sprouted spelt flour and sprouted brown rice Four but you could really use whatever you have on hand. If you’d like to make a gluten-free version then you could use half nut flour and half rice flour. 

Any milk will work in this recipe. I used Farm House milk but any nut milk, rice milk or seed milk would work.

The oil you use is really up to you. Olive oil might be a bit heavy but you could use melted coconut oil, melted butter/ghee, grapeseed oil…all good. I used avocado oil – full of healthy fats and easy to use.

If you don’t have maple syrup you could swap that for honey or (gasp)…even sugar if you must.

Two traditional baking tricks that I’ve started doing again:IMG_3872

  • Sifting dry ingredients. It really does make a difference, especially if you are taking the time to source natural baking ingredients. I find that the organic baking powers/sodas are a bit lumpy because they don’t have creepy “non-caking” ingredients. Natural sea salts and unrefined sugars can also be lumpy. So sift and worry not about getting a lump of something in your tasty bite.
  • Beating egg whites. If I am in a rush I don’t bother but if you have time to beat the egg whites for a minute or so before adding in the other wet ingredients it makes for a much fluffier loaf.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sprouted spelt flour
  • 1 cup sprouted brown rice flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup milk – your choice
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips – use nuts instead for a heartier, less sweet bread

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Grease a small loaf pan. I used a 5 x 9 inch.

Sift all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Beat the eggs whites, if you have the time (use a large bowl), then add the yolks and the remaining wet ingredients. Mix for a minute or so. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon.

Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

It will keep for a few days in an airtight container. If it lasts that long 🙂

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