Seeing how much I love Squidoo, I decided to create another “lens” with links to some of my favorite books and Youtube clips related to healing, health, and happiness. Do you have resources that you rely on or have found really helpful? Tell me in the comments - I will absolutely check them out!
Today I am excitedly preparing for a cocktail party for all the parents in Clara’s kindergarden class (that is what they call preschool in the British system). We are having it catered, because I’m not a glutton for punishment, but I decided last minute that I wanted a little “dolce” to see people off this evening. The catered had already shopped, and having this idea of a sweet treat at the end of hors d’oeuvres, I decided to make the cake I asked him to make: Citrus-Almond Cake.
Well, I’m here to tell you, this is a solid winner. And easy, to boot. It does take time, but if you are puttering around the house, this is a perfect cake to whip up for any occasion. In fact, I was thinking this recipe would make delicious little Christmas cakes made with Mandarins, Tangerines, etc… any citrus fruit would be great. I used all lemons, and it is fabulous!
Citrus-Almond Cake
3 large oranges (or any citrus fruit to reach about a pound)
500g white sugar
6 large eggs
500g Almond meal (I know Bob’s Red Mill has a nice one)
-Boil a large pot of water, add whole citrus fruit and simmer for 1 hour.
-Strain off water and allow the fruit to cool slightly.
-As fruit cooks, food process eggs and sugar together.
-Slice fruit in half and de-seed. Throw fruit, rind and all, into food processor and process until smooth.
-Mix almond meal and fruit mixture thoroughly into eggs and sugar.
-Pour into parchment lined 24-26 cm round springform cake pan and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
I doubled the recipe and and cooked in a large, square pyrex baking dish (lined with parchment) and it came out perfectly. Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
How I wish I were going to say to you all, “I’m healed! Pain free, and I’m here to tell you my amazing secrets of healing…” Nope. Not this post. But, I haven’t posted for a while about my ongoing saga with daily pain, so I thought today would be a good day.
To be quite honest, I don’t really like to dwell on it. It just is what it is, but, I feel compelled to write about it when I have big leaps in my understanding of why I’m on this path. And over the last few weeks, this is just what has happened.
It started with me being a bit malcontent with my weight. I haven’t gone above what, for me, has been an ideal weight for years. 135, to be precise. This was my weight in high school and it is the weight I strove for, post-Clara. However, last year, when I was feeling quite a bit worse than I do now, I lost an additional ten pounds. Slowly, I gained it back over the last six to seven months, post-procedure. Which is a good thing, right? To feel like eating normally?? Yes, this IS a good thing, unless you are an emotional eater (like me) who also likes to eat VOLUME. I like to eat LOTS of food. And when I was running 35 miles a week, it didn’t matter, but now? My body isn’t so hip on pounding pavement for 35 miles a week, so I needed to find another way. And I knew it was not going to involve a diet. I have come to a point in my life where dieting just isn’t appealing. I would rather fix the cause, not the effect.
You might ask, “Well, if you are at your supposed goal weight, then what’s the problem??” There isn’t a problem, per se, but I knew that there was going to be a problem if I kept going with the current eating extravaganza!
So, seriously, I don’t even know what led me to look on Martha Beck’s website. (You know, Oprah’s favorite life coach?) I have a deep love, hate relationship with Oprah, and typically avoid her experts. But, for whatever reason, I’m looking around and I find this telecourse that I can just download and I compulsively purchase it.
This was $45.00 well spent for me, Yoginis.
This amazing coach, Brooke Castillo just SPEAKS to me. I’ve heard it a million times, “Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are satisfied”. I’ve even had periods of time where I did this- normally in conjunction with a diet or, most recently, this illness. This woman is a certified Martha Beck coach, but she also draws on Pema Chodron (one of my favorites) and then, another name that I typically avoid, Byron Katie of “The Work”fame. But, dammit all, after listening to the tele-course and just feeling like I had been given some very good news, I went to check out Byron Katie’s website and dusted off my copy of Loving What Is, which I bought about 10 years ago and it didn’t really do much for me at that time. Well, this time? It really made a lot of sense.
Maybe doing Yoga for so long, maybe having a mystery, ongoing, low-level illness has opened my mind enough to slow down and be willing to watch my thoughts. And it is fascinating stuff. In any case, I am starting to work with this, too, and feeling cleaner, emotionally, than I have in a long time. But actually, I’m veering off course here. Well, a little.
So, things are clicking together: the Brooke Castillo tele-course solidifies, and gives some form to, eating with awareness and mindfulness. I love it. It feels good, it feels right and it feels, most importantly, very healing. Because, when I’m only eating when I’m hungry, and stopping when satisfied, I am naturally eating 5-6 smaller meals a day, which is easier on the ol’ digestion. And, doing Byron Katie’s method is helping me to process the thoughts that fuel my desire to eat an entire plate of brownies if they are within the walls of my home. And I KNOW that if I’m eating in the fashion that Brooke talks about? My body is going to land wherever I should be, which may be 135 or some other weight. My body gets to decide- not my brain.
So, here I am, feeling great about the food I’m putting in my body and feeling emotionally clean and then, I start wondering, “Do I really need to be on Prilosec (daily) in perpetuity?” I recently read an article about how these types of drugs aren’t the greatest thing for our health long-term, and I’ve always known I wanted to get off of them, soooo, let’s try! It’s easy to go back on if need be. My suspicion is that eating smaller meals, focusing on fueling my body, will keep the need for Prilosec at bay, combined with the other stuff I’ve been incorporating into my healing, self-care program.
Speaking of self-care. I am still practicing Yoga, to some degree or another, every day - of course. However, it has changed slightly. Remember when I mentioned that I have been teaching myself Qi Gong? Well, the 100 day course ended up being way too time-intensive for this householder, and I ended up buying Qi Gong for Cleaning, a quick routine that is 10 minutes once you learn it. Every morning, I practice my 10 minute routine, and it feels wonderful. The ideas that I took away from the longer QiGong course that I incorporate into my Yoga practice are: visualizing the health of the organs and also the energy moving through the body, synchronizing the breath with movement, and visualizing during movement- which I use not only during Yoga, but when I’m walking and jogging. None of this is new to me, but my Yoga has slowed considerably and I focus a lot more on deep, abdominal breathing as I move through the postures. I will be talking more about this in later posts…
In all earnestness, I can say that without this ongoing saga of physical pain, I would have missed out. I have had so many amazing opportunities to challenge my idea of who I am, what I believe, and what I am capable of because of this illness. I am learning that I am not my pain, or my thoughts, or even my body- revolutionary! Not only that, but I’m learning how to take care of this body that supports me tirelessly, shedding the dysfunctional ways that I’ve used in the past to disappear.
The only way I can possibly sum up what I have learned to date, is that every irritation, every challenge, every single thing that we think we cannot possibly deal with for one more second- is a precious gift from life, waiting to be opened, waiting to open us to who we are meant to be, taking us down the roads we are really, honestly meant to be on. Perhaps some people are born into this state of grace, but at least for me, without my heartaches, illnesses, and challenges, I would just plod along through life, dumb and (un)happy. In time, I hope to be smart enough to not need the Universe’s “pain” calling card to become more of who I am.
A Yogini can dream, can’t she??
Once again, my friend Monica Silvestro, integrative health counselor is hosting a fabulous tele-class. This time the class is all about dealing with cravings! Who DOESN’T need this class?
Deconstructing Cravings
“I can’t keep peanut butter in the house. If I hit that jar with a spoon at the end of the day, it’s all over.”
“I have a sweet tooth. My husband is a salt addict. Which is worse?”
“A meal just isn’t over until I have something sweet for dessert.”
“I eat popcorn after dinner every night, even if I’m not hungry–I just can’t “not have it”!”
Do any of these sound familiar to you? If so, you have cravings. Everyone does! Cravings don’t mean that you are weak. Or that you lack will power.
Food cravings are simply your body trying to tell you that it needs something–but what comes to mind isn’t always what you really need.
Want to learn how to interpret your cravings to find out what it is your body’s asking for? Want to learn the healthy options that satisfy specific cravings so that you can feel better about “giving in?” Want to ask about a particular craving you have?
Join the teleclass! See below on how to register.
The Nitty Gritty:
Date: Tuesday, July 15th
Time: 8:00pm - 9:15pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Place: The comfort of your own home. This is a teleclass, so you call in from wherever you are.
Cost: $10 (summer special!)
Too bad for me it’s at 2 in the morning, otherwise, I would be on the call!
Figs. I “discovered” figs in Colorado. Yummy, black mission figs, cut in half, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with goat cheese. (Ahh, those were the days of cheese) Here in Italy, the figs are a different variety. Big, juicy, sweet, and green, they have a milder taste than the black mission variety, but they are absolutely delicious!
When they arrive in the markets, they are ready to be eaten- right this second- so what’s a girl to do when she loves to buy more than one day worth of precious figs? Well, freeze them, of course! My friend Wendyshared this little recipe with me and so, dear Yoginis, I thought I would pass on the fig-liciousness to you.
Frozen Fig Delight
1-2 figs, frozen whole
your milk of choice (I used plain rice milk), to consistency
Put figs and a bit of milk into your blender. Blend it up until creamy and smooth. Ours resembled ice cream consistency (and was a bit chunky, which I like), and it was truly delightful!
This evening I watched an amazing talk by Mark Bittman from TED- Ideas Worth Spreading, a website that offers talks from different speakers on a wide variety of topics. My friend Lilalia posted this 20 minute talk on her blog today, and I loved it so much- and believe what he says so passionately- I felt I must share it here, with my readers!
This, Yoginis, is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest ways to live our Yoga practice today. What an inspiring video, don’t you think?
Miso soup is one of those things I love to get at Japanese restaurants. I always feel so, well, nourished after eating miso. Yummy in my tummy. Over the years, I’ve purchased miso to make soup at home, but honestly, it’s mostly gone to waste.
Until now.
Enter South River Miso a traditional miso production company right in the heart of the USA. That’s right. And let me tell you, it is worth every single penny. Every one.
I began getting interested in miso as a part of healing my tummy- but many miso products out there actually have gluten in them. Not South River. Some do, but they are clearly labeled on the website. No matter, the varieties without gluten? To die for. Seriously. Erick begs me to make chicken marinated in the Sweet Tasting Brown Rice Miso with garlic, tamari and lemon juice.
Here is a great intro to all the great things about miso (taken directly from the South River website):
Miso offers a nutritious balance of natural carbohydrates, essential oils, minerals, vitamins, and protein of the highest quality, containing all of the essential amino acids.
Unpasteurized miso is a “living food” containing natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus, and other microorganisms which aid in the digestion of all foods, and which have been shown to ward off and destroy harmful microorganisms, thereby creating a healthy digestive system.
In traditional Japan, miso gained a special place in the minds and hearts of generations who came to rely on miso soup as an essential part of their daily life. In Physical Constitution and Food, Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director of St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, writes:
I have found that, with very few exceptions, families, which make a practice of serving miso soup daily, are almost never sick…. I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage…Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat….
-The Book of Miso, page 25.
I ordered the Miso Sampler with cookbook and a special miso made with garlic and red pepper that is seasonal and unavailable now (our jar is gone and we are all sad we can’t get more!). Each of the miso products we’ve tried has been delicious. I’ve had simple broth for breakfast (in place of coffee) and before bed, we’ve marinated chicken and tofu in it, and, yes, I’ve eaten it straight out of the jar!
Let me know if you decide to try and tell me what you think… believe me, you won’t regret adding these delicious miso products to your diet. Your body will thank you, too!
Note: I stand corrected. I went back to the South River website, and the oh-so-delicious red pepper and garlic miso is still available! Happy days!
Look, I don’t like chain restaurants. Thank god I don’t have to deal with that here in Italy. But recently, we stopped at the military installation in Naples to pick up some items on base, and resigned ourselves to eating at Applebee’s. Truly, it was horrible. I don’t eat there stateside, and it’s shocking and offensive to eat there when you can eat delicious, fresh, Italian food. It reminded me of all the things that are very, very wrong with our food production and preparation in the United States…
But I digress. Sometimes, you can’t get to a local, fresh restaurant. I know. Our little family has moved across many states and struggled to make good food choices in very remote places. It can be tough. Enter Wellternatives, an online service that provides a free healthy eating service that recommends healthy alternatives for your favorite dishes at hundreds of thousands of chain restaurants. It is designed so that anyone can use their cell phone to receive suggested ‘Wellternatives’ along with calorie and nutrition information for free. It’s quick, fun and easy to use, and works from any cell phone (in the United States)!
So starting today, anyone with Internet access or a mobile phone can get nutrition information for their favorite chain restaurant’s menu items, and even a recommendation for a healthier alternative – for free. One of the keys to making this helpful for people is that the recommendation algorithm not only considers key nutritional factors, but also takes into account taste preference profiles, portion sizes and types of food. That way people can find healthier alternatives from the same restaurant that they will find just as satisfying and delicious as what they usually eat.
Wellsphere is a health site that I have recently been asked to contribute to. I am slowly learning more about their vast mission and I am honored to be part of the team! Check it out and see what you think! And, the next time you eat out? Give Wellternatives a try!
This week is our long-overdue vacation… we are heading down to the Amalfi Coast for some time on the beach and in the nature preserve. No internet, I don’t even know if our phones will work. I will be back with you next week.
In exciting (to me, anyway) news here in Rome, asparagus has shown up in the markets full force! Young, tender shoots just begging to be eaten. We have been complying, and this delicious marker of summer days to come has been gracing our dinner plates each night for the last three nights. Concurrently, juicy, ripe, strawberries are also here- and we’ve been eating a lot of those, too!
Compliments of one of my favorite cookbooks, here is my absolute number one way to prepare asparagus. Enjoy!
Sauteed Asparagus with lemon and garlic
1 lb asparagus, *trimmed, and cut into 2 inch lengths
1-2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1-2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
*tip from my Dad on trimming asparagus: take a hold of either end of the asparagus and bend. It will break off at exactly the right point to rid the asparagus of the tough bottom!
Heat olive oil in a large skillet with garlic. Warming until garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add asparagus and saute until crunchy-tender, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and salt, cooking for a minute or so more. Enjoy immediately!
My friend Monica is a health counselor and has given me great tidbits and morsels of very practical, useful advice regarding my diet. She regularly hosts tele-classes on different topics and this one caught my eye as something some of you might be interested in. For any of you out there who struggle with feeding your family nutritiously, check out this class:
Super Nutrition for Moms!
Are you a parent struggling to eat healthy?
We’re here to help you bring more to the table.
Please join Health Counselors Monica Silvestro and Rebecca Pilot for a teleclass* while we discuss:
– Eating for energy: why do I crave sugar and caffeine?
– Super nutrition for you and your family
– How to help you make it all happen!
– Bonus: Eating to support lactation
Tuesday, April 22nd
8:15-9:30pm Eastern Standard Time
The cost is $15.
To register, email yourintuitivehealth@gmail.com
*A teleclass is a 75-minute interactive conference call on a health topic.
Changing lives, one Yogini at a time.
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