A Little Yoga Pose & Catch Up

So...it's been a while since I have posted...but we will pretend like it hasn't and continue on. Sound good?
Sweet.

So, I am nearing the end of my yoga teacher training program (yes, it has seriously been a while since I've posted) and I am actually beginning to create my own classes which is awesome. In fact I am hosting my first class on Saturday, January 26th.

I thought it would be fun and beneficial to post a few of my favorite yoga poses each day! Yoga poses, even when done independently, are still very good for the body and mind. Especially when done in the morning.

Enjoy!

Tree Pose (Vriksasana) 

Standing with feet together and hands on hips, shift your weight onto your right leg. Inhale and raise the left foot placing it either on the inner ankle, inner calf, or inner thigh. DO NOT place it on the knee joint (this is how knee injuries occur). Exhale and bring the hands into the hearts center (prayer pose). Find a focus point to help balance.  Your pose should look like one of these:

 Foot on inner ankle.

 Foot on inner calf.

 Foot on inner thigh.

Keep your shoulders relaxed and down the back, extend energetically through the crown of the head, lengthening your spine. Try to keep both hips pointing forward. If your leg isn't flexible enough to turn outward, simple lift the leg to a 90 degree angle.
 To work on flexibility, you can sit in butterfly (sitting with feet touching so that the legs form a diamond shape). Holding onto the feet, having the elbows as close to the knees as possible, and without rounding the back, begin to hinge at the hips forward towards your feet. Practice this pose a few times a week to improve hip flexibility.
Holding your tree pose for a few deep inhales/exhales, lower the foot SLOWLY back down, release the hands and shake out the hips. Inhale, and repeat on the other side.

If your feeling adventurous Half locus vrikasana is a great way to achieve a deeper stretch. To achieve this pose (again, only if your body will allow it), place the top of the foot on the crease where the hips meet the thigh. Make sure to flex the foot, pointing the toes, to protect the knee. 

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stabilizes the legs
• Helps those with knee pain
• Creates inner peace and balance 

Try to do a tree pose everyday! You will be amazed at how one pose can benefit the body.

So...any updates on my life you may be asking? Well, my car is a few months away from being paid off! Yippee! I do have a special announcement coming Friday...so stay tuned for that! Other than that...life is pretty normal. I am working a new job at a vitamin store. I am learning a ton. School is going good, also learning a ton. Yep...pretty boring. I am excited for my special announcement. That will spice up my life! 

One of my New Years resolutions was to deepen my yoga practice at home. I have been doing some videos, but mostly just creating a practice as I go along. It has really been helping me learn the poses better and get a feel of how I want to teach them. It is giving me more confidence, which is awesome.

If anyone is interested, I can give them some great, inexpensive yoga video recommendations. 
What are some of your favorite yoga poses? Which poses would you like help on?

Namaste friends!

Baked Salmon (with Asian spices)

Hello All!

So, tonight's dinner was so successful I wanted to share with everyone the recipe for the salmon in particular.

The Dinner Menu for Tonight:

Baked Sweet Potatoes (Organic, from Trader Joes, $3.49 for a bag with about 10)

Green Beans (Bought at the Gilbert Farmers Market)

Homemade Biscuits (All organic ingredients)

Baked Salmon with Asian Spices (Wild Alaskan Salmon purchased at Whole Foods, ~$10 for 2 fillets)

The Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1/3 C of honey

2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp minced garlic (I used dry, but for a more powerful kick fresh would work!)

1 tsp minced onions (again, I used dry)

3/4 tsp ground ginger (yum!)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (add more if you like it spicy)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

There are two ways you could prepare this. You could let this mixture act as a marinade and let it sit at least 30 minutes before cooking. Or you could spoon the mixture over the salmon and pop in the oven.

 I used it as a marinade while the sweet potatoes were baking. It sat for about 40 minutes. Then I put the salmon and marinade into a glass baking dish (never use aluminum) and baked for 20 minutes.

It is seriously delicious.

Today was pretty busy. I was feeling under the weather at first, and just lounged around the house. Then I decided it was time to be productive and went to a yoga class, then spent a few hours at SWIHA's holistic health gathering! It was soooooo fun. Then it was time to go grocery shopping. I only picked up a few items as my funds are running a little low until next pay day. On a side note, my car loan is almost down to $1,000! After next month, it will be under.

Anyways, I decided for convenience sake, I was just going to go to Trader Joes to get the few items I needed. I picked up a package of organic chicken that had two breast and 4 drums for $11! It is so cheap to just buy the packages that still have the fat and trimmings on and just trim it up yourself at home. Plus, I will use the bones to make chicken broth for soup!! I also got organic ground turkey. That was about $5 for a pound. They had Country Pumpkin Granola next to the check out stand that I couldn't simply ignore. I think it will go great with my sweet potato tomorrow morning! Yum.

Then it was back home to complete 5 loads of laundry. No, I'm not joking. That is not a mistake---5 loads. We have a ton of clothing. Next, it was time to clean the bathrooms. Sigh. This may be my least favorite thing to do ever. Cleaning the tub is a pain the butt. And I have to scrub a little harder than normal because the all natural/organic products I use aren't as potent as their chemical counter parts. So more elbow grease is required. At least I won't be breathing in toxins, so it is an even trade.

Finally, it was time to relax. We turned the AC off and opened most of the windows in the house. It smells so fresh in here now. I love fall. As the temperature cools down to the low 90's, high 80's, Arizonians become so much happier. Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING is available (although watch out for GMO's, additives, artificial ingredients, etc). I have opted to just make things at home. Like roasted pumpkin spice pumpkin seeds. Noms. I will share the recipe next time.

What are you favorite things about fall?

Exciting Changes and Updates

Hello All!

I have been so busy with school, that I haven't had much time to blog. However, I am going to be doing some GREAT posts on buying organic/pesticide free produce on a budget, some delicious recipes, and some awesome yoga poses to help ease away stress. So bare with me! I'm updating and changing not only this blog, but myself. 

Namaste my friends!

 

A Little Catching Up

Hello All! 

There is much to catch you up on. First, I am in week 3 of my yoga teacher training at SOY (which is a school of SWIHA). I love it there. Talk about being in a place of like-minded people. Everyone there just has this aura of beauty around them. There is so much information to take in and I feel more so now than ever that I am in the right place at the right time. It is awesome.

I started a homeopathy class last Wednesday! I am so intrigued by it. Homeopathy makes so much sense that I can't believe people are still putting their trust in to traditional medicine. While there are cases in which traditional medicine comes in handy (I'm thinking E.R. worthy cases, i.e. stabbing, gun shot, etc) most of our ailments in this world from asthma to cancer to even autism can be treated with homeopathic remedies. Here is a cool website with more information if you are interested. Being as this was my first class, I don't consider myself versed enough to explain it properly yet. By the end of the class, I will be qualified to treat minor, first aid sicknesses! Pretty cool.

I can't wait to start nutrition. There is a rumor going around campus that SWIHA's nutrition program is so good that they are in the process of getting it board certified. Meaning I will have some serious credentials when I finish, not just a diploma. As of now, that is just the rumor, but hopefully I will find out more when I start the program, which will be at the beginning of September. 

In related news, Joe and I started Insanity!

People, this is not joke. It is just as hard as the commercials you have seen for it. Actually harder, because watching people do it from the safety of the couch and doing it yourself is way different. 

I did about 2 weeks of Insanity a couple of months ago but stopped because---well it was hard. When Joe showed the slightest interest in starting it, I jumped on board and we started the next day. I will admit, doing an Insanity workout and then going to yoga class and doing planks, lunges, and warriors was pretty much craptastic. My whole body hurts. But, in the end, I will have an excellent body (while eating nutritious foods of course) and it will be worth it.

Side note: I'm pretty sure our dogs think they are human. But what else is new?

Also, I gave up on being 100% vegan (for the time being). I don't mean this to sound as a cheap way out, but I just don't have the time to be a proper vegan while making sure I have all my nutrients. I don't eat red meat still and I don't eat most dairy (cheese really is the only exception, but I only have that every once in a while). I will still have delicious vegan recipes on here, but I think I will post some non-vegan ones as well. Like tonight, I am making Garlic Crusted Chicken and Spaghetti Squash. YUM! With a salad on le side. Or maybe some kale chips? That just popped into my head...yeah, lets do kale chips. 

Now that you are caught up, if you have any questions, you should message me! Especially on homeopathy. People, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Don't just throw garbage into your body because you think you can't afford any other way or that is how you were taught or whatever! We only get one chance on this earth, in the this body, at this time. Make it count. Ignorance is NOT bliss.

Treat your body as a temple. Honor it, put good, loving, healthy, nutritious foods in it. Talk nice to it. I heard someone say they would never talk to anyone the way they talk to themselves. That is powerful. People don't often think about how their thoughts manifest things. Our bodies are capable of reaching homeostasis- a place of true health and balance. Allow yourself to have that. To get to that place. 

Again, message me if you have any question-or comment!

~Namaste my friends.

Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

Summer time always has me craving tart items. Citrus and summer just sound so perfect don't they?

 Today, I was about to make some more banana bread when I decided I wanted something different. Something that would help me enjoy summer (since the 112 degree heat out there won't allow me to leave the house). I wanted lemon something. After some googling and inspiration, I settled on lemons and strawberries! Muffins! YUM.

Here are details:

INGREDIENTS

3/4 C unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 C all purpose flour 

1/4 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn salt

1/3 C olive oil

1/3 C sugar  


1/2 C lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

3/4 C of crushed fresh strawberries


lemon zest




DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine almond milk, olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and strawberries. 

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. Mix well! 

Pour batter into your muffin tins! I also had this adorable little bread tin that I couldn't resist using. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (check after 20 minutes and adjust time from there). 

Enjoy! I took mine out way to early (around 20 minute mark) as they were still doughy in the center. The batter is very thick, so don't be afraid to leave them in longer.I also would recommend upping the lemon and strawberry, if your taste buds don't mind. While the flavors are definitely there, I feel like I would have been happy with a bit more of each!

Ignore the Dunkin Donut box back there...it was a moment of weakness okay?? 


-Namaste and good eating friends!!!

The Allure of Junk Food

Hello loves! After a week of bad food choices, I'm deciding that I need to confront my addiction to bad food head on and then make a promise (to all my many readers) to eat better. I've been talking a lot lately about the importance of eating a plant based, whole food diet. However, I can't honestly say I've been keeping up my end of that bargain.


Let me explain. I've always been close to eating a plant based diet, but never 100% on board. I was vegetarian for 5 years and started eating meat again about 6 months after Joe and I started dating. I had evaluated my reasons for being a vegetarian and they didn't seem as convicting any more, so I figured it would just be easier to start eating meat again. Plus, Joe is the kind of guy who enjoys a good steak, so I figured this would take the pressure off of finding a place that I could eat at (back then, not very many places had choices for vegetarians). 

I also LOVE sweets. Halloween has been my favorite holiday for a while! Ice cream and cakes, frosting and cookies, I could enjoy my days eating only these. Well, as I have been trying to change my diet and eat more holistically, it has gotten easier to choose better options, however it is over all still a challenge. Especially when Joe (at first) really had no desire to change his habits. When there is ice cream in the freezer, Oreos in the pantry, and chocolate candy bars in the fridge, suddenly an apple or cup of fruit looks seriously lame. The past week and a half, I've cooked less at home then I'd like to admit. Eating out has been a go to, and besides the calories, fat, and sugar, worries of cheap ingredients, preservatives, and chemicals have kept me up at night. Well that and my tummy rumbling for a sweet treat.


I am grateful I don't crave fast food (unless Chipotle counts :)) but I do crave everything from nachos to pizza late at night. Usually it is something salty followed by something sweet. The allure of junk food is appealing to a lot of people and it makes me wonder why. When I know what I am suppose to eat for my body to function 100%, why do I still cave in to processed, salty foods? It is my belief that food has become less about giving our bodies the nutrients it needs and more about convenience. How many meals do you eat out? How many do you microwave? We have more food options than ever, and yet our bodies are starving.


This obviously has to change. Especially since I will be starting my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program in the next few weeks, and I really want to be eating a diet that allows me to bust out some yoga moves at any time. And we all know pizza just doesn't allow that.


So, while we know that it isn't as simple as swearing off bad food forever, there are many ways to help make changes that allow more nutritious foods in your diet without breaking the bank. Here are some tips I have found useful:

• UTILIZE FARMERS MARKETS. I can't stress this one enough. Most farmers markets have farmers that are organic or at the very least, pesticide free, and they are local. So you are getting the freshest produce available for a fraction of the price you would pay at the grocery store. Plus, farmers markets give local vendors a place to sell their product! Having fresh fruits and veggies are the BEST way to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs.
• DRINK WATER. Most of the time, when we are dehydrated, we feel hungry. Making sure you constantly have a water bottle on you and your sipping away (especially in this AZ heat) will help to quiet any false alarm hunger pains.

• CLEAN OUT YOUR PANTRY. Something that isn't there can't tempt you right? Now this doesn't mean you have to swear away all snack foods. I love Trader Joes brand of bbq baked potato chips (and so does Joe)! Just look for whole ingredients (I translate that to you could look at the ingredient list, and not have to google search anything) and moderation. Tortilla chips with salsa is a delicious choice. Keep dried fruits and nuts (both organic, nuts also raw) around to help when the snack bug attacks. Get rid of the "meals in a box". Anything like Hamburger Helper will not benefit your body. 
• MAKE A MEAL PLANNER. Planning out your meals, to the best of your ability, is really going to help you stick to your health goals. It will make grocery shopping simpler, prep time shorter, and your wallet happier! There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest, here is one in particular that I liked: http://heartlandpaper.typepad.com/heartland_paper/2010/08/menu-planner-on-studio-5.html 

Getting organized is a big step, but don't get overwhelmed. Taking small steps is the best way to ensure a permanent change :)

So, I am going to to commit to something and use my blog as a signature on a contract. I am going to enjoy a green smoothie in the morning. I will enjoy nutritious snacks and healthy salads with different veggies. For dinner, I will make a meal that will satisfy me wanting to have a vegan diet, and Joes need for meat (haha). Basically, I want to keep my end of the bargain. You guys have to deal with me posting links about how the way we eat effects out bodies on Facebook and Twitter, the very least I can do is not to fall off the bandwagon. Not to let junk food tempt me. To ask myself the following question before every food choice, "How will this nourish my body? How will this make me feel?".   Maybe you could join me? I also plan on buying a juicer this week (early bday present!!!) so I will be indulging in the life benefits of juicing soon!

What are your favorite tips to avoid eating junk food?  What are you fave healthy recipes?
-Namaste friends!

Happy Friday

It's Friday, Friday gotta get down on Fridayyyyyy.

....remember that song? You do now. You are welcome.

I used to think Friday's were meh, until I started getting Saturdays off. This is my first Friday to be followed by a free Saturday in a while. My Saturday isn't really free, I am going to the Gilbert Farmers Market at 7am and then meeting with some volunteers for a Mastiff rescue organization at 9 am. I'm pretty stoked.

Did you know there is a cutest dog contest happening at the end of the month at Tempe Market Place? I have to enter Juno and Jedi.

I mean, who could resist these poses:



Juno is pretty adorable.

This was taken about a month and a half ago, but all the recent pictures I have are of him lying on his back and acting like he is dead. Sometimes while he is doing that we will say "hey Jedi, play dead"...then we praise him for not moving. It's pretty amazing.

What do you think? Do they have what it takes to win?

What are your weekend plans?

I should have the post on junk food with helpful tips on fighting cravings up tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, the inspiration to write and the time have been escaping me.

~Namaste friends.