Here We Go…Again!

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

“The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.”

~ Yoga Sutras, #2

Everything in yoga is based on this one sentence above. Recently I’ve become hyper aware of just how difficult this truly is…

Last time I checked in with you all about my progress with Dharma Mittra’s 500 hour program was in November. Since then my fellow trainees and I have had some very in-depth practices to follow including daily breath work, meditation, asana and meal plans. I know some of you who are closer to me think I’m crazy for going on such an extensive and long-lasting “diet”…and I must admit, sometimes I do feel a little cooky. The mind is a very powerful distraction and I’ve come to realize this more and more in the past three months. Through the use of our senses, the mind constantly pulls us away from what is pure and real, what is true an unwavering happiness, the Self (or God, Spirit, Bliss…whatever you want to call it!)

On Monday, I delved into the last chapter (last month) of my Dharma training which includes a much more restrictive diet than the first three modules of our homework. I’ve completed many cleanses in the past and I lead them seasonally, however this diet plan is more of a challenge for me mentally than anything else has been previously. The biggest obstacle for me to overcome is my mind adjusting to the idea of sticking to this plan for an entire month. I understand now just how much I’ve been preparing myself these past three months in order to cultivate a strong and disciplined mind to accomplish this final task. And so without further delay, here it is, the plan:

The plan

  • Mondays: lemon water & ginger, watermelon
  • Tuesday – Sunday: lemon water & ginger, green juice followed by a late afternoon salad, pineapple and herbal tea afer 6PM

That’s all folks. Now can you see why my mind has been staging a war against itself the past three days? There’s always an adjustment curve when following any new diet or cleanse program, and it’s typical that the first few days be the most challenging. So I am now in the final hours of Day 3 (although as you are reading this I will be on to Day 4). I can safely say that I think I’m over the hump.

I’ve posted the recipes below for the morning green juice and afternoon salad. They are quite delicious, and I can’t believe that a salad a day is enough, but it is. It feels pretty amazing to give the body only what it needs, and not to constantly give in to its every desire and craving. Mental discipline is difficult, but it is entirely possible.

Green Juice:

  • 1 bunch of celery
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 cucumber

If this doesn’t get you moving first thing in this morning, I’m not sure what will!

Salad:

  • spinach
  • cilantro
  • 1 large bell pepper, slightly steamed
  • broccoli
  • avocado if needed (heck yeah it’s needed!)
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced and olive oil for dressing

It’s time for me to bid you adieu. I’ll be checking back about my progress towards the end of the month! Peace, love and kale to each and every one of you.

Posted in Cleasning Food, Juices, Raw, Salads, Vegan, Vegitarian, Yoga | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Carrot & Kale Smoothie

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

I’m always trying to figure out ways to use the pulp that’s left over after making a juice. It feels like such a waste to dispose of all of that healthy fiber. Without a food dehydrator to use the pulp and create chips or crackers, there’s  a few alternative, interesting options like making a dips and spreads, or adding some of the pulp to your smoothies. I choose to try the smoothie route. Recently, I had made carrot juice so there was a TON of extra pulp waiting to be used in my fridge.  I pulled it out to make this absolutely delicious and filling breakfast smoothie!

By adding in carrot pulp it gave the smoothie a lot of substance and that teamed with the creamy avocado, will provide you with enough energy to last well past the lunch hour. This green smoothie is packed full of good fats, dark leafy greens and a little bit of sweetness to add to its allure. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients (serves 2): 

  • 3-5 stalks kale
  • 1 banana
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 1/2 cup carrot pulp
  • coconut water (or your favorite liquid, orange juice?)
  • optional: ice cubes

Directions:

  1. Blend. Drink throughout your morning. Love it up.

I will say that it helps to have a VitaMix (pictured below) when blending things like kale and carrot in a smoothie. This blender can make any fibrous green, veggie or fruit completely disappear, because honestly, no one likes to chew their smoothie. It’s a steep investment running you anywhere from $250 to around $600, but it’s well worth it!

Posted in Beverages, Breakfast/Brunch, Cleasning Food, Raw, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegitarian | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Double Time – Avocado Smoothie & Green Juice

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Double Time – Avocado Smoothie & Green Juice

The driving situation in LA is known to be pretty horrendous mot days. As I live in Brentwood and teach in Venice and Santa Monica, I’ve realized that staying on the West side is safe and generally traffic free during the day. Even in the “safe zone” it takes a good 30 minutes to get from Brentwood to Venice, so I normally pack up breakfast and lunch so that I don’t have to worry about coming back to my place half-way through the day to refuel.

Most of my classes start at 9AM and practice directly afterwards from 11-2ish. When practicing yoga, it’s best to have a slightly empty belly, otherwise you can feel heavy and sluggish, and even a bit uncomfortable. So, my magic combination to give me energy first thing in the morning is the avocado smoothie for breakfast before/as I teach, followed by green juice after class and before my own yoga practice. This leaves me with enough physical energy, and a semi-empty belly for my own practice.

To all of you busy little worker bees out there, consider packing your breakfast or lunch as well. I like to use old glass jars from almond butter or honey that I’ve rinsed out. They are easy to carry with you and the perfect size for a morning smoothie or some green juice!

Ingredients:

Avocado Smoothie (To be made in a blender)

  • 1 large avocado
  • 2 large handfuls of spinach
  • 10-12 raw, sprouted & peeled almonds
  • 4 strawberries, with greens
  • splash of coconut water or OJ

Green Juice (To be made in a juicer)

  • 4-5 stalks of kale, rinsed
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • fresh ginger, thumbnail sized piece
  • 2-4 stalks celery
Posted in Beverages, Breakfast/Brunch, Cleasning Food, Juices, Raw, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegitarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Strong to The Finnish, ‘Cause I Eats Me Spinach?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

It’s time for Popeye to step-aside and set down his old can of spinach, beets are in the house! Sorry to burst your bubble sailor man, but beet greens actually have a higher iron content than spinach greens do. This high iron content regenerates red blood cells helping them to supply greater quantities of fresh oxygen to the body…however beet greens do tend to be much more bitter in taste then spinach leaves. It’s for this reason that I juice my beets and their greens, adding in a bit of ginger to cut the tartness but keep all the healthy blood building benefits. I don’t want y’all to feel like I’m bashing spinach here, because I LOVE SPINACH and actually put a large handful in this juice, but more so I’m trying to highlight the amazing health benefits of beets and beet greens.

Both beet roots and beet greens are also powerful cleansers (note to all you Hiking Yogi’s cleansing with me right now!) They are high in vitamins A, B2, B6 and C and are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorous and sodium.

Lastly, If you haven’t already skipped ahead to the recipe, I want to point out that my green straw pictured above is actually GREEN! What I mean by that is, it’s compostable. If you use straws or other accoutrements when cooking/serving, try to consider our environment and the amount of waste you’re producing! Ahimsa, baby. All the time.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 medium red beet with greens
  • 4-6 carrots
  • large hunk of ginger (size of your thumbnail)
  • small bunch of spinach

Directions:

  1. Juice.
  2. Drink.
  3. Love.

For your viewing pleasure…!!

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Spicy Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice (Vegan)

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Also posted in elephant journal.

I’ve been wanting to try out cauliflower as rice now for a while, and it turned out better than expected! The cauliflower basically takes on the flavor of anything you cook it with, so one can only imagine the possibilities here. You could use this as rice inside of a burrito, with your favorite stir-fry dish, as a side on Thanksgiving…you name it!

Cauliflower is a cruciferous veggie (liver-loving) which promotes detoxification in the body and is especially wonderful to eat in the winter months. It’s also packed full of antioxidants which, if we’re being honest here, we all could use a bit more of on a daily basis!  Here is a bit more info, if you’re curious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Head Cauliflower, rinsed and cut into florets
  • 1 Lime, Juiced
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Fresh Springs of Mint
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • Hunk of fresh ginger (thumbnail sized piece)
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Honey
  • Lime Zest for Garnish

Directions: 

  1. Mix Cauliflower florets in a food processor until pieces are small and rice sized. Don’t over mix as the cauliflower can get mushy!
  2. Blend the lime juice,  coconut oil, honey, ginger and chili powder in a high-speed blender.
  3. Soak the cauliflower rice with the lime sauce for about 10 minutes while
  4. Eat it raw or heat it up in a pan with some additional coconut oil and chili powder. Top with lime zest. Yowza…this stuff is delicious!
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Scenes From MLK Weekend & Yoga Journal Conference

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

Posted in Scenes From The Weekend | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Apple Mint & Spirulina Smoothie

Posted on January 12, 2012 by

Left over mint = fun smoothie experiment. This one is sweet, filling and absolutley delish! I used spirulina which is one of the BEST super foods and is easily added to smoothies due to it’s powder like consistancey.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that’s found in warm, alkaline fresh bodies of water. The name spirulina comes from the Latin word for helix or spiral for its configuration forming swirling, microscopic strands. This stuff is said to be the ”food of the future” because of its amazing ability to create high-quality concentrated food more efficiently than any other algae. It’s 65 – 71% COMPLETE protein, with all the essential amino acids in perfect balance. Just to compare (for all you beef eaters out there), beef is only 22% protein. Cover that in A-1 sauce and eat it!

In addition, Spirulina is one of the very few plant sources of vitamin B12, usually found only in animal tissues (due to contamination from feeces and soil). YUCK. I would rather not, thank you. A teaspoon of Spirulina has about 21/2 times the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin B12 and contains over twice the amount of this vitamin found in an equivalent serving of liver. Who wants to eat liver anyway?

Ingredients:

Directions: 

  1. Blend. Enjoy. immediately. 
Posted in Beverages, Breakfast/Brunch, Cleasning Food, Raw, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegitarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Awe, NUTS!

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Pistachio Mint Falafel Balls

Monday evening I had a lovely lady guest over for a girls evening which was reason enough for me to cook! I’ll admit, sometimes I tend to go slightly overboard when having house guests to cook for as most evenings I generally fend for myself. Preparing healthy and delicious meals for one is fine, but when I get to share them with others, my excitement tends to get the best of me and I turn into a vegan version of Betty Crocker.

This time around, our menu consisted of pistachio mint falafel balls over a salad of mixed greens and kale with avocado and carrots and topped with a lemon, cashew dressing. I also served a side of coconut-chili-lime cauliflower rice (that recipe is in my queue).

I’m constantly in search of food that is not only tasty, but good for you and pistachios fit the bill! They are packed full of vitamins including copper, manganese, and phosphorus. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin B6, containing 20% of the Daily Value per serving! A serving of pistachio nuts also has about 3 grams of dietary fiber, or around 12% of the Daily Value. This is twice the fiber in an ounce of walnuts, and about the same amount as in a serving of oatmeal.

Hey y’all mowing down those Fiber One bars…I’ve got a better idea!

Ingredients: 

Falafel

  • 1 Cup Pistachios (shelled, I also used roasted and salted)
  • 1/4 cup almonds (raw)
  • 2 Cups Garbanzo Beans
  • 8 – 10 Fresh Springs of Mint
  • 3/4 Cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
  • 3 Scallions
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Cumin

Lemon Cashew Dressing:

  • 1/2 Cup Cashews, soaked
  • 2 Lemons, Juiced
  • 1/4 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup Tahini
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix all the falafel ingredients in a food processor until ingredients stick together loosely (you’re looking for a rough consistency)
  3. Make around 28-20 falafel balls with your hands and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper
  4. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the balls every 5 minutes to get an even golden brown color.
  5. Blend the lemon cashew dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and smooth. Add more water to get desired consistency.
  6. Place falafel balls on top of a salad, our use large lettuce leafs to create a wrap. Top with lemon cashew dressing and your favorite fixin’s!
Posted in Appetizers, Cleasning Food, Main Course, Munchies, Salads, Sauces, Dips and Dressings, Vegan, Vegitarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Years Message from Dhamra Mittra

Posted on January 4, 2012 by

As most of you know I am currently in Training with Dharma Mittra to obtain my 500 hour Yoga Certification. Dharma sent out this New Years Message that I felt compelled to share with all of you…I hope you read it and take to heart what it says! Be Receptive…

A MESSAGE FROM DHARMA

2012: A Year of Challenge
by: Sri Dharma Mittra

All suffering and pain experienced on the material plane is for the purpose of purification – the gradual cleaning of the mind, heart and intellect so that one day, in this incarnation or one of the next, we may at last have a complete vision of Supreme Reality.

All yoga teachers and students, prepare yourselves! The year ahead will be a year of challenge. It will be a year that will provide many opportunities to really be of service to others. It will also provide us with the chance to discover how strong and faithful we truly are.

According to present and past conditions including predictions and even some direct evidence, sometime during and especially in late 2012, the Earth may pass through some severe weather conditions and maybe even some unusual phenomena. Those with lots of attachment to things and comforts may endure lots of pain and suffering, and those without good health and spiritual knowledge and who are attached to comfort surely will suffer more.

In our study of yoga, we learn about the Kleshas, the mental impurities, the root causes of all pain and suffering. All five are rooted in the first, Avidya or ignorance of your own True Self, but attachment or Raga, another one of the Kleshas, will cause many great problems during this period of transition and change. We can combat this as Yogis by re-dedicating ourselves to Sadhana (spiritual practice), and, the more we learn, the more we’ll have to then share with others to help them through the dark days potentially ahead. Commit every bit of knowledge you can to memory and strengthen the physical body so you can help others who are weaker. Many Yogis become flexible and strong through their dedication to the Asana or posture practice, but you mustn’t sacrifice cardiovascular fitness, since the ability to run if there is danger is of great value both to save yourself and to then help save others. Do something for at least five minutes every day to strengthen and tone the cardiovascular system, even Jumping Jacks. Pursue Self-knowledge every day with great intensity.

To fully arm yourself, spend more time in contemplation and realize what you really are today! We are all a portion of the Almighty One; immortal, omniscient and formless. It is only by this knowledge that you will truly remain unaffected by the possible external state of turmoil. Stay healthy and share as much as possible spiritual knowledge with others so that their pain can be reduced. Acting in this way is the highest type of charity. Remember, belief is not enough!

How unwise it is to sleep! (To float through life unaware of anything and without learning anything.) How foolish it is to remain unguarded and full of doubts! Constantly breaking the law and taking chances and stupid risks that will always result in disappointment, embarrassment, pain and suffering. The wise man is always awake and fully prepared. He follows the rules and guards his knowledge. Compassionate to all, he lives happily and is immune to delusion. The wise man is ever ready to face any amount of pain that may be inflicted upon him at any time.

But even the holy man’s body and mind are still subject to extremes of discomfort, since no one is immune to the forces of nature. Those who are still without Self-knowledge and who abide in a state of ignorance as regards Supreme Reality doubtless will suffer more in the year to come. Due to the present condition of everything, including the mental and spiritual, everything is moving, acting and changing perfectly according to and affected by these constantly shifting patterns, resulting in a specific new condition. Everything is controlled by the Divine Laws of Nature, and everything is connected to everything else. Whatever happens to anything in any distinct area has an effect on everything else to some degree. Einstein saw this through the lens of Physics: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In Karmic terms, perhaps this is better expressed as: “For every action, there is an equal required action.” Or, “Everything we are passing through at present is a result of our deeds from the past.” If we were able to look back at every action taken in previous lifetimes, we would come to understand with clarity everything we are now experiencing from moment to moment.

Those devoid of Self-knowledge are fully under the sway of their external environment and its given state from moment to moment. But the wise men and women, endowed with right knowledge, can control the effect these external changes have to affect the internal environment and, most crucially, the mind. Of course, no one can escape their fate entirely, but, since the enlightened one is not identified with the body and mind anymore, he or she is truly untouched by the effect of the outside world upon them.

Only a lit candle can light the unlit wick of another. Some who lose everything will feel that the world really has ended. If you have a little knowledge and a little self-control, you will be able to serve and help anyone and everyone you come into contact with both now and after everything begins to possibly shift and change.

May Brahman bestow upon you the treasure of understanding this Divine knowledge! Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.

Lots of Love,
Dharma Mittra
Remember! The goal is Self-realization!

Posted in Personal Care, Primary Foods, Yoga | Tagged | Leave a comment

Little Bites of Heaven

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

These tasty little suckers and bound to make your mouth water and your tongue do back-flips upon consumption! They take 10 minutes to make, and are an instant party pleaser…or shall I dare mention it already…an AWESOME idea for a Valentines Day treat. All you need is a blender and a very small amount of knife skills. Think you can handle it?

Ingredients:

  • Strawberries
  • Finley chopped Pecans (Or graham cracker crumbles. You could also use any other nut, candied nut, cacao nibs or even coconut shavings. Heck, go crazy and try two or three different combos!)
  • 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for around 2-5 hours
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)
  • 1/3 cup raw coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup raw honey (vegans use agave nectar)

Directions: 

  1. Rinse & core strawberries, cutting off the bottom tip of each berry so that it can stand alone on a serving platter.
  2. Make cashew cream by combining all ingredients (but for the pecans) into a high-powered blender or food processor.
  3. Fill each strawberry with cream & top with crushed pecans.
  4. Chill for 20-30 minutes before eating.

I like to make extra cashew cream for dipping. Try cutting up slices of pear or apple, it makes a healthy and tasty  little dessert whenever the urge to splurge arises ;) I’m only trying to help keep you on track with your New Years resolutions…

Posted in Appetizers, Dessert, Munchies, Raw, Vegan, Vegitarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment