An Autumn Smoothie

Fall is here and I’m celebrating by doing all I can to stay warm and cozy. I’ve been making wonderful soups and stews, roasting a ton of root veggies and sipping steamy mugs of tea. It’s amazing how a seasonal shift makes a world of difference in what the body wants.

Needless to say, the last thing my body feels like is an icy, fruity smoothie when I wake up to a chilly, rainy Vancouver morning. During the summer, my nutrient rich, refreshing smoothies were light and balancing, helping to cool and cleanse my body. But with the change in season, I want warming foods and spicy fall flavours while still being able to enjoy the convenience of blitzing my breakfast every now and again.

Behold, the pumpkin spice smoothie! This wonderful breakfast may still be cold in temperature, but the spices together with the creaminess of the pumpkin satisfy my cravings for rich foods and warming flavours.  Plus, it is completely delicious. I mean, come on, it tastes like pumpkin pie!

Since I have started my Natural Nutrition program I have been super interested in the nutrient profiles of the foods I eat. Here’s a rundown on some of the healthful goodness that you’re getting in this smoothie:

Pumpkin – high in Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A), which boosts  immunity, aids in eye health and acts as an antioxidant

Oat bran – a great source of soluable fibre that works to stabalize blood sugar levels and possibly reduce LDL cholesterol

Hemp seeds – a great source of plant-based protein containing all eight essential amino acids

MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil – an incredible source of easily accessible  steady energy and an amazing metabolism booster

Now that you have an idea of just how good this is for you, go make it!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Ingredients:

I cup almond milk or other dairy free milk                        1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 a frozen banana                                                              2 tbsp oat bran

2 tbsp hemp seeds                                                                1 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds

1 tbsp MCT oil or coconut oil                                               1/4 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp ground ginger                                                             A pinch each of nutmeg and cloves

1 tsp pure maple syrup OR 1-3 drops of stevia OR 1 medjool date

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz away!

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Yoga on the Beach

I’ve recently started attending  free yoga classes at Kitsilano beach on Sunday evenings. These one-hour long sessions, offered by Semperviva studio, are absolutely amazing. Taking in the gorgeous view of the glittering water and the statuesque mountains while breathing in the salty, fresh, ocean air  makes for a truly rejuvinating, energizing and inspiring experience.

At yesterday’s class, during a particularly challenging series of balancing poses, the teacher said something that in my years of practising yoga, has never occured to me. She said, “Yoga is the not a practice in self-improvement, it is a practice of self-acceptance.”

Profound. Especially because at that very moment I was thinking to myself that I really needed to improve my balance. And tone my arms. And find deeper relaxation in downward dog. And quiet my mind. I was under the impression that my practice was meant to help me improve all of these things. But I was missing the point – entirely. How could I have been practicing all these years with this mindset? 

It seems many people, myself included, are always reaching for something beyond our grasp. We want to be better than we are – prettier, skinnier, stronger or smarter. But when we are constantly striving to improve, we can’t appreciate ourselves as we are. We can’t appreciate all the beauty that is already  within us.

I awoke particularly early this morning with the intention of practicing self-acceptance during my morning yoga session. Rather than pushing myself, challenging myself, or focusing on improving my practice, I just let myself be. I recognized where my body was at and relaxed into my practice. I laughed at myself when I fell out of my half moon pose, rather than being dissapointed. Things seemed to flow as I accepted.

I carried this acceptance with me throughout my day as well. Rather than being down on myself for not doing everything I needed to get done on my day off, I just accepted that my body needed rest. I indulged myself by doing things I enjoy.

The lesson I learned is an important one – one that I am sure I will continue to revisit both on and off my mat. It just makes sense, doesn’t it? I think that the only way we can ever really accomplish any sort of self-improvement is by loving and accepting ourselves as we are. Once we have achieved that, we can truly grow.

Thoughts?

Buy Local! Calia Hair Care

As I’ve said before, my travels have taught me so many things and have really influenced the way I choose to live now that I am home.

One of the things I noticed while I was away was the appreciation for all things local. Whether it was local dairy in Ireland, locally made soap in France, or locally crafted beer in Germany, each country seemed to have such pride for what they produce. Familiarizing myself with such products was such a joy and I learned so much about each region this way.

We live in a country that imports just about everything and it is pretty easy to make purchases without paying much attention to where things come from. But where is the fun in being a mindless consumer supporting large international corporations when there is so much joy to be had in discovering what local, independent businesses have to offer?

I’ve decided to set out and find local versions of many of the products I use, from toiletries to coffee and even clothing! In doing this, I am finding some incredibly cool things that are made right here in Vancouver.

This brings me to my latest local purchase – Calia shampoo and conditioner. Made in my city, Vancouver, BC, this all natural, organic shampoo is not only good for you and good for the environment, it’s inexpensive and it does wonders for the hair.

I’ve had a hard time with my hair in the past few years. I went through a pretty unhealthy period and as a result, my hair became incredibly dry and fell out like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve got incredibly fine hair to begin with, much to my chagrin, but I’ve been using Calia for a few months now and I’ve noticed a big difference in the fullness, shine and tone of my hair. Thanks to this product and a diet abundant in healthy fats, my hair seems to be on the mend.

The stuff also smells great. Mine is scented with lavender bergamot and rose Geraniumbut calia and made from wholesome ingredients like chamomile, Echinacea, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. I love that I can read through the ingredients and actually know what they are!  

If you want to check out Calia products, visit http://www.calianatural.com/.

So go ahead, rummage through your hair care products and do a little research to see what goodies are made in your area!

Recipe: A Delicious and Digestible Bean Salad

Tangy, briny, herbaceous and bright. These delectable descriptors are a few of my favourite things about this satisfying bean salad.

The olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic give bold Mediterranean character to the otherwise mildly flavoured beans, while the herbs and lemon zest make the dish sing songs of sunshine.

If you haven’t had a chance to sprout your own navy beans as I demonstrated in my last post, just give this recipe a try with cooked navy beans that you’ve soaked overnight and cooked until tender.

I enjoy this dish on its own, with a little green salad on the side, but if you are hungry for more protein it makes a nice bed for a  piece of grilled whitefish or chicken.

Mediterranean-Inspired Sprouted Navy Bean Salad  

Yields about 2.5 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups sprouted navy beans

 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons capers

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn

extra virgin olive oil, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Cook the sprouted beans in boiling, salted water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Reserve.

2. Cook the garlic in a small pan with a bit of olive oil for a few minutes, just to remove the sharpness.

3. In a  large bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and herbs. Add the cooked beans and dress everything with enough olive oil to give it a nice glossy coat. Don’t be shy.

4. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Sprouting!

Nuts, seeds, grains and legumes are all extremely nutrient dense foods. I used to eat ’em all in abundance and thought I was doing my body a favour.  However, I began to notice that every time I ate anything from these four food groups, my digestion was less than optimal (that’s the polite way of saying it).

Even though I purchased organic nuts, seeds and grains and soaked my legumes overnight before cooking them, I always ended up with some degree of intestinal cramping and bloating.

UNTIL I discovered SPROUTING!

I’m currently reading Sally Fallon’s amazing book, Nourishing Traditions, in which she talks about proper preparation of nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. All of these foods contain varying levels of phytic acid, which disrupts nutrient absorption.  These food also contain enzyme inhibitors, which inhibit our digestive enzymes, making for difficult digestion.

Sprouting is a way to give our bodies complete access to all the incredible nutrients in them, without gastrointestinal discomfort. The process of germination also produces vitamin C and increases carotene, B vitamins and many minerals.  

So this week I gave it a go. I decided to try sprouting navy beans to see if my tummy could tolerate them.

Here’s what I used  for equipment:

1 jar – any size

1 piece of cheesecloth or mesh material

1 elastic band

1 bowl

raw, organic nuts, seeds, grains or legumes

And here’s how I did it:

1 – Place dry seeds, nuts, grains or legumes in the jar. They should come up about a third of the way. Fill the jar with water and add a bit of apple cider vinegar (about a teaspoon per litre of water). Stir and let soak overnight.

2 – In the morning, pour off the water and put cheesecloth or mesh over the opening of the jar and use the elastic to hold it in place. Fill the jar with water (through the cheesecloth) to rinse whatever you are sprouting. Pour off the water and invert the jar on an angle in a bowl so that any excess liquid can run out and air can circulate.

3 – Repeat this rinsing/inverting process 2-3 times a day (once in the morning, once when you get home from work and again before bed) until you see little tails appear. Then simply store your sprouts in the fridge until you want to eat or cook them.

My navy beans took two days to sprout, but the length of time will vary each time. Make sure you research the specifics of what you’d like to sprout so you know what to expect. For instance, pumpkin seeds rarely sprout tails, but are usually ready to eat after two days.

Not only are these sprouted beans very nutritious and easy to digest, they only take about 5-10 minutes to cook! And they are incredibly tasty – especially in my Mediterranean Sprouted Navy Bean Salad, which I will be posting very soon.

Happy Sprouting!

It’s Beginning to Taste a Lot Like Summer!

Summer is nearly here and I can taste it – literally. It tastes of  sweet, succculent strawberries, cool, crisp cucumbers and  tart, tantalizing tomatoes.

This weekend marked the first of the of the summer farmers market in Vancouver – and I went to not one, but TWO. On Saturday I biked to Trout Lake and stocked up on beatuiful baby greens, crisp Ambrosia apples, and hearty purple kale. My backpack could only hold so much so I decided to head to the Kitsilano market this morning to get some gorgeous eggplant and free-range, organic eggs. The energy at both markets made my heart leap with joy. People bustled happily from stand to stand, swaying to the sounds of the live music. Summer is in the air and I could see it in the smiles on the faces of marketgoers. 

I encourage you to celebrate the season by visiting local markets in your area. If you are in Vancouver, check out the farmers market website http://www.eatlocal.org/.

Not only will you be doing your body a favour by buying nutritionally dense, locally grown food at the peak of ripeness, you will be supporting local farmers and doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint.

And let’s face it, nothing is better than the taste of summer.

 

Backpacker Flashback – The Picnic

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending some time in Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island. After a morning of popping in and out of shops and enjoying the breathtaking views of the ocean, my family and I stopped in at Hilary’s Cheese Co for a snack.

As we sat outside, breathing in the crisp ocean air and enjoying our spread of cheeses, meats, olives and bread, I was transported back to my European backpacking days.

                                                …BACKPACKER FLASHBACK…

The scent of saltwater and freshly baked fougasse danced in the air. Piece by piece I tore into the warm, chewy, cheesy bread, delighting in its unctuousness with every bite. I cut wedges of the softest goats cheese and piled it high on slices of ruby red heirloom tomatoes. Peach nectar spilled down my chin as I bit into the most glorious piece of fruit I had ever tasted.  I ate, sitting on a rocky beach in Nice, watching the water glitter in the Provençal sun, and wanting nothing more in the world than what I had in that moment.

                                                                                                    …

While travelling, meals usually consisted of fresh fruit and vegetables, cured meats and a generous chuck of cheese. We always foraged our food from farmers markets so that we were able to sample whatever goodies were local to each region we visited.

We ate the sweetest nectarines in Provence, the silkiest Iberico ham in Barcelona and the sharpest Gorgonzola in Rome.

I came to love this way of eating as it allowed us to interact with locals and experience the everyday food culture of a place. Instead of dining in restaurants we dined al fresco, taking in the sights, sounds and scents around us.

Our backpacker picnics were also incredibly easy on the wallet. We rarely more than €10 on lunch between the two of us, though everything was so fresh and delicious we felt we were eating like kings.

In celebration of Spring, hit up a local market, grab some treats that make your mouth water, and find a beautiful place outdoors to relish in the simplicity of a backpacker’s picnic.

Gourmet Backpacking

I’ve recently finished a five-part series for Eat Magazine’s website about the incredible food experiences and inspirations I had on my trip to Europe.  I encourage you to check it out! May it inspire you to explore the international cuisine your city has to offer. Get out there and find the most amazing macarons, the best bratwurst and the tastiest tapas in town!

  Here’s a link to the series finale. Below the article you will find links to each of the five parts. Enjoy!

http://www.eatmagazine.ca/gourmet-backpacking-return-to-vancouver/

The Joy of Discovery

The thing I love most about travel is its transformative power. No matter where I go or how long I’m gone, I never come back as the same person I was before I left.

Being in a new place, eating different food, sleeping in uncomfortable beds and being surrounded by new people offers a plethora of opportunities for growth. The key is, one must to be open to it.

My most significant growth experience began with a three-month trip to Europe. With my best friend at my side I set out on a journey that became so much more than I imagined it would be.

In short, my trip changed me. With nothing more than a backpack and countless new places to explore, I existed in each moment in a way that I never had before.  I lived minimally and meaningfully. I freed myself of anxiety and stress. I smiled and laughed excessively. I became more conscious about the food I ate and where it came from by visiting local markets. I expanded my knowledge of cuisine. I began to be more aware of my health and learned to listen to my body’s needs. I came to care deeply for the planet and what I could do to make it a better place.

Perhaps most importantly, my travels opened me up to the joy of discovery – a simultaneous discovery of myself and my surroundings. Although I have returned home and no longer have to carry 30 pounds of my physical belongings on my back (thank goodness!), I’ve kept the spirit of backpacking very much alive within me. 

In sharing my discoveries about travel,  food, nutritious cooking, holistic health and wellness, my hope is to spread a little bit of backpacker spirit.