Gratitude Moment: Savor Each Bite

Today let's be grateful for one of the most basic pleasures in life: food! 

We often take food for granted because it's affordable and readily available. We eat on the go, or wish we were eating something else, or neglect to give our bodies adequate nourishment.

So how can we have a gratitude moment for our food? Pay close attention to the flavor, texture, aroma, and temperature of what we eat. Chew slowly. Take the time to truly savor each bite.

 

Photo by .craig / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Instead of rushing through your breakfast or debating with someone over lunch, focus on the exquisite taste of your food. Notice the apple's sweet juice. Feel the curry's spicy kick. 

Contemplate where your meal came from. How did it grow in nature? Remember also that food comes to us through the hard work of many people: farmers who harvest it, truck drivers who transport it, and chefs who cook it.

When we eat mindfully this way, it's easy to feel grateful for our food.

Health Tip: What do I eat?

You might be on your yogic journey for a while now. You might even be integrating more of the philosophy behind yoga into your life. And one of the questions that might have come up is: What do I eat? Do I need to become vegetarian or vegan or a raw foodist to really embody a yogic lifestyle?

While the idea of a yogic way of eating sounds appealing, consider this: No one way of eating works for everyone - including all yogis. 

No philosophy or external expert can tell you how to nourish your body.

The only true authority on what nourishes you best is...you.

To truly honor your needs and evolve as a Yogi, start to distinguish between what your mind wants - what it thinks you SHOULD or SHOULDN’T be eating - and what your body wants. Let go of the diet labels and start to deeply listen to the messages your body is giving you.

Experiment with different foods and feel their effects on a body level. Notice how you feel bloated or heavy after eating certain foods while other foods make you feel satisfied and energized. Notice what times of day you feel better eating a heavy or lighter meal. 

Realize that what works for you at one stage of life does not necessarily work at other stages. Or that what works for you in summer might not work in winter. View your eating as an on-going experiment and become curious about making shifts that really make your body sing. 

In doing this, you will find that perhaps you need to eat some good quality animal products to feel more grounded. Or perhaps a mostly vegan or raw food diet actually is what really makes you feel amazing, and not only what your mind thinks you should eat.

So the best yoga diet there is, in my opinion? Treating your body as a beautiful entity and nourishing it in the best way FOR YOU, both on and off the mat. 

If you want to make changes to your diet but are not sure where to start, join a 4 session group coaching in May where you will discover delicious healthy foods as a way of crowding out less healthy options - all while listening to your body to find what works best for you. Find out more: http://www.healthwise.ch/events/

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Hiba Giacoletto
Health Coach

Health Tip: Winter-Proof Your Smoothie

You probably already know about the wonders that are smoothies. 

And perhaps you have already noticed that when you really listen to your body, it doesn’t want the same kind of smoothie in the sweltering summer heat as it does on a cold and dark winter morning. 

So here are 3 ways to winter-proof your smoothie. Read on for an awesome winter smoothie recipe. 

1.  Leverage the warming nature of spices. Here are my favorite combinations added to taste: 

- Ginger, lemon juice and lemongrass (pealed & chopped) - all fresh

• Cacao - either alone or with a dash of allspice and chile
• Cinnamon, clove and cardamon
• Saffron, vanilla and powdered ginger

A collection of warming winter spices.

2.  Add more fats and protein. According to Ayurvedic expert, Dr. John Douillard, we need more fats and protein in winter than any other season. An easy way of adding these to your smoothie includes adding: 

• Seeds (raw & unsalted) such as chia seeds, ground linseeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You can also use a seed butter like tahini (sesame paste).
• Nuts (raw & unsalted) such as cashew, almonds, walnuts, pistachio, Brazil nuts etc. You can also use a nut butter like almond butter or peanut butter. Just make sure it doesn’t have any added salt, sugar or oils.
• Healthy fats such as coconut milk or topping of grated coconut, avocado or natural, unsweetened, full-fat yoghurt (also a great protein). 

Bonus points: Soak your nuts and seeds overnight in water, then throw out the water and rinse them before adding them to your smoothie. This makes them more digestible and increases their health benefits. 

3.  Use mostly in season vegetables and fruits

• Currently in-season vegetables and fruits that are delicious in a smoothie include:
  Beets (both raw and cooked), endives (raw), spinach, Swiss chard, kale, carrots, apples, pears, kiwi as well as dried fruit like dates or figs. 
• Avoid cooling vegetables such as cucumber or celery. There is a reason they are currently not in season! Also try to avoid frozen fruit as this has a cooling effect on the body. 

How do you winter-proof your smoothie? 

Find out more about how to make a smoothie: 

http://www.healthwise.ch/perfect-green-smoothie/

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Winter smoothie (for 1)

1/2 banana

1 endive, outer leaves peeled, then chopped

a handful of spinach leaves

1 carrot

Juice of 1/2 lemon + lemon zest (make sure it is organic)

1 stalk lemon grass - remove outer leaves and bottom half

a knob of ginger (to taste) - wash but no need to peel

1-2 medjool dates for added sweetness if needed

1 tbsp chia seeds or other seed of your choice

1 tbsp nut of your choice

About 1/4 - 1/2 cup water or more - depending on how liquid you like your smoothie

Blend all the ingredients and pour in a bowl. Top with nuts, seeds, cacao nibs or coconut flakes and eat your smoothie like a pudding. You can also add more water and drink it instead. 

Enjoy!

-Hiba

Health Tip: Eat Your Way to a Happy Winter Belly!

We all know that the winter season is upon us in Geneva.  It's one of the most dreaded times of the year for a lot of people who miss the presence of the summery sun.  But there are a few things that you can do to help your body prepare for the upcoming chill.  

One of my favorite places to turn to when I feel ill or when I need support during the winter is Ayurveda.  Ayurveda is an ancient medical system of India that gives guidelines based upon your dosha (body type).  These guidelines mostly are food based because we are what we eat.  

My yummy lunch: Sprouted beans, green beans, and avocados.

I want to share two recipes with you that are my go-to recipes when I need better support from my diet or I just don't feel well.

Kitchari:

Kitchari is one of the easiest foods to make, and it is super yummy.  The star ingredient in this dish is Mung Beans which are chock full of goodness (which you can read about below).

Kitchari Recipe


Gold Milk:

Gold Milk is my cure-all.  My grandmother in Delhi would also give me turmeric in some warm milk if I had an upset tummy. She would rub turmeric paste in her hands to relieve the pain from her arthritis.  Gold milk not only stars this awesome spice, but cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and honey.  All of these combined make this milk a super yummy treat for curing tummy issues, inflammation, and removing mucus from the body. All that in a glass of milk!

**just be careful about staining your clothes with turmeric!  I have stained a few shirts by spilling this milk (clumsy) on myself.   

Gold Milk Recipe




Ayurveda Resources:

My go to website for all things Ayurveda:  Joyful Belly
  - The site has loads of recipies, quizzes, and information