Tag Archives: winter

Double Chocolate Walnut Muffins

I came across this recipe from the Minimalist Baker and thought it was a perfect treat for the winter months. I often say food is the easiest and hardest thing to change when it comes to wellness. If food doesn’t taste good why would you want to eat it? That’s why I like to share a treat at yogapuncture especially when its made with whole foods that nourish the organs of the season. 🙂 Here is my version below, the bold ingredients especially nourish the kidney/urinary bladder system of winter.
  
** It is not vegan or nut free so feel free to use the original recipe if that works better for you

What you need:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup roasted beets (if you really don’t have time for roasting, Trader Joe’s sells peeled, roasted beets all you need to do is puree yourself)
  • 1/4 cup honey (local if possible)
  • 10 dates (soak for an hour before starting to prep muffins)
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda.
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup cocoa or cacao powder
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chunks + more for topping
  • 1/3 cup walnuts + more for topping

What you do:

  1. Preheat over to 375 and line muffin tin with liners
  2. Place beets, soaked dates (I tore into pieces before putting in), coconut milk and melted coconut oil in food processor or blender. Blend until smooth
  3. Mix wet ingredients and eggs with baking soda, salt, cocoa powder in mixer. Slowly add flour 1/3 cup at a time until all ingredients are well blended.
  4. Add chocolate chunks and walnuts and stir
  5. Pour batter evenly into 12 muffin tins. Top each muffin with a couple pieces of chocolate chunks and a walnut.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a fork comes out clean

  
Enjoy!

DIY Epsom Salt Dead Sea Salt Scrub

My skin has been super dry this winter and nothing has offered relief, at least not long term. I made this yesterday and so far I am in love. Skin is feeling super smooth, I even put it in my hair for the best hair day I’ve had in awhile. Epsom salts are known to give hair volume and contribute to relaxation. Dead Sea salts are wonderful for dry skin. If you don’t have Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts you can also use sea salt course or fine grain work. Let me know what you think!

What You Need:

1 1/2 cups Epsom salt
1/2 cup Dead Sea salt
1 cup olive oil or your oil of choice
20 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend, I used a blend called gentle baby (geranium, rosewood, coriander, palmarosa, lavender, yang ylang, chamomile, lemon, jasmine and rose)
Mason jar

What You Do:

Combine ingredients until mixed well. Leave in shower or by the sink and massage into skin then rinse off. Use as needed.

Enjoy!

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What is this polar vortex all about?

The winter time according to Chinese Medicine relates to the Kidney/Urinary Bladder system and is associated with cold, fear, black, the lower back and knees and opens to the ears. The energy of the body is condensed and held deep in the body. It is a time of inner reflection and listening.

As I was driving into work today. I came across this.

It got me thinking. It’s been really cold this year. Seems like mother nature is forcing us all into a little extra hibernation. If you get really quiet and take a deep breath what do you hear? What is your body telling you? I think its telling me to lay close to a sunny window like a cat and take a nap. 🙂

Hope you are enjoying the polar vortex! 🙂 Enjoy some stillness.

Natural Remedy to Stay Hydrated and Happy When its Cold Out

I don’t know about you but this winter has already been cold and long for me. I just can’t seem to stay hydrated. Just the thought of drinking some (room temp) water makes me feel cold! I know many people have been complaining of headaches lately and I’m sure lack of hydration plays a part in this. My lips are in constant need of chapstick too.

This is a quick and easy way to stay hydrated and uplift your spirits.

Drinking too much coffee and tea can have a dehydrating effect on your system. Here’s what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been drinking mug fulls of warm to hot water with a drop of citrus fresh.

The warm water feels good inside and out and the citrus fresh has an uplifting scent if this weather has you feeling down. Citrus fresh contains lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, manderin, and spearmint. This blend tastes good and help you crave extra hydration especially if you find it harder to get water in during the winter months.

This is what the Essential Oils Desk Reference also has to say about citrus fresh.

“Stimulates the right brain to amplify creativity and well-being as well as eradicate anxiety and works well as an air purifier. University researchers in Japan found that diffusing a citrus fragrence in an office environment improve mental accuracy and concentration by 54%.”

Citrus oils are high in limonene that help to prevent damage to DNA and can also help with swelling and dampness in the body if you are retaining water.

You could also simply put fresh slices of oranges or lemons into your water. What I love about using essential oils instead is that they are super portable so you can bring them with you wherever you go, concentrated and they don’t go bad like fruit does. You can order oils here.   If you need help ordering oils just let me know!

Stomach Flu Natural Medicine Cabinet Essentials

The stomach flu has been circling around us for over a month. So far we have remained unscathed even with direct contact a few times. Here is what we have been doing to stay healthy at my house besides the usual.

When I hear of another family member or friend we’ve seen recently with a stomach bug I make sure to have 3 things on hand: Di-Gize essential oil blend, Vitamin D, and Probiotics.

Di-Gize is an amazing blend of essential oils for digestion. I recently read a story from my friend Jen who used Di-Gize and Peppermint essential oil during a trip to Ecuador to get over a nasty stomach bug. Until this story I never thought to use Di Gize internally, I had always just put it on my belly. It gives me almost immediate relief from indigestion and can also be used for heartburn, gas, bloating, and candida according to the Essential Oils Desk Reference.

What’s in Di Gize? Just about every herb/oil you would think of for tummy troubles: Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass Anise and Patchouli. It actually doesn’t taste bad to me but if the scent makes you even more queasy add an extra drop of peppermint.

If you are using it for the stomach bug you can take a drop or two in your water preventively. If the stomach bug has landed in your home you can take it to get the pukes started. Sometimes it can have an immediate effect so if you’re feeling queasy drink your di gize spiked water in the bathroom just in case (I like to do 3 drops). Keep taking it until you can hold liquids down. It can get all the yukes out of your system quick.

According to the Innate Choice brochure research indicates that daily supplementation with Vitamin D can significantly reduce the burden of both chronic and infectious diseases. Vitamin D supplementation can enhance immunity to bacterial and viral infections. Especially in the winter when we get less sun time and spend less time outdoors Vitamin D is good to have on hand for prevention. Get your levels checked to see if you are deficient. You want to make sure the Vitamin D3 you are using in mixed or taken with fat as it is a fat soluble vitamin and fat is needed for proper absorption. I like Innate Choice because its mixed with olive oil and lasts forever. Dr Scott at VanderWeit Chiropractic carries it in the office if you need some ASAP

Probiotics build up the healthy flora in your gut whereas antibiotics kill the bad guys and the good guys in your gut. WebMD says probiotics can help with diarrhea.  Life 5 is my favorite probiotic from Young Living. You can also get probiotics from fermented foods like kombucha, yogurt, apple cider vinegar etc too.

You can order both Di Gize and Life 5 here. If you need help setting up an account let me know. I would be happy to help!

Stay healthy and warm! 🙂

 

 

Feeling Tired? This Could Be Why

The last 2 days we’ve been living in the clouds, literally. The fog yesterday was pretty intense. If you are feeling sluggish this could be why.

We are transitioning into winter. This is a time of turning inward and for many animals it’s also hibernation time. We’ve talked about this already. The sunless sky and all the fog is a very damp environment. It may even feel like the dampness is in your bones. Dampness in Chinese Medicine is an obstruction or blockage that can cause you to feel weighed down, it’s also mother nature’s reminder to slow down! Cold causes energy to constrict and move slow and so as much as you can let your life reflect that.

You might be thinking, “this all sounds great, but I have stuff to do.” Here are some simple ways to prepare for winter so that you can be mindful of what your body needs and realistic of your life as well.

1. Eat warming foods and spices. The season of winter is cold and is associated with the bones and low back and the color is black. Incorporate stews, soups and chilis in to your menu and add warming spices like black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger etc. Look forward to some yummy winter recipes. 🙂

2. Because this is a season of turning in it is important to avoid stimulants like coffee. Also avoid damp causing foods like dairy, processed foods and refined sugar as this can contribute to fatigue.

3. Take some time to hibernate. If extra sleep isn’t possible try incorporating meditation or quiet time into your routine even if its just for 5 minutes. There is a saying that says meditate everyday for 20 minutes and if you are really busy meditate for an hour!

4. Switch up your exercise routine. Avoid high impact cardio exercise in the winter months to replenish your system.  Add restorative yoga, walking and weight training to your routine.

5. Surrender! It is few and far between the number of comments I hear of someone looking forward to the dark and cold or winter. Find beauty in the season, it is after all the balance to the summer and the sun is always shining behind the clouds! 😉

 

Meditation for the Winter Blues

Today’s meditation is more of a contemplation. 🙂

I was home yesterday with my little one and we already had a lot of pent-up energy despite a busy morning. It got me thinking…. everyone knows about spring cleaning but what about the other seasons? I glanced around my house and noticed a summer of fun (and housekeeping neglect) in dust bunnies and spider webs hanging out in the smallest crevices of our house. I grabbed my bottle of thieves cleaner and handed my toddler a dust rag and we got to work, mostly on our hands and knees deep cleaning the base boards, the stairs, vacuuming and dusting. We got to all those places that get missed when doing a superficial clean. We picked off all the dried, dead leaves on our houseplants and gave them a little extra TLC. I have to admit, my husband would make a much better housewife than I ever would at least in the cleaning department. I really have to be in “the mood” to clean but yesterday the inspiration hit me. It really felt like a moving meditation.

 

What was all that dust in those corners all about metaphorically? What was I hanging onto that was no longer serving me and causing stagnation?

It was time to clean up and let go.

What was so awful about winter? Why all the dread?

In Chinese Medicine acupuncture is just one branch of the whole system, feng shui is another component. Feng Shui is all about proper placement so that energy can flow smoothly in your environment. This can get complicated or it can be really simple. Do you feel good in your surroundings? If you do, awesome! If you don’t give your space a good clean and rearrange some furniture.

Another thing I noticed was that I am very resistant to even thinking about winter and how fast it is approaching, all this cold and darkness. Again, Chinese Medicine offers us a system of balance: brightness and darkness, hot and cold, yin and yang etc etc. Winter is a piece of that puzzle. It is a time to counterbalance all that bright energy and heat of summer. And, Winter is especially a time of reflection and going inward: a time to face one’s fears.

So my meditation for you today is this: when the mood strikes you grab a dust rag, your favorite music and move your body. Enjoy the untangling of your home and mind as you put everything back together again and then enjoy how good it feels to have a clean home!

Join me for a 4 week series of meditations to mindfully move through the holidays Nov 25-Dec 16 Mondays 12:00p-12:30p. You can find more info here.Â