Old Out, New In!

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.

-Jan Glidewell

Spring Cleaning

If you know me, you know that I am an organizer as well. I am invited into homes and businesses to help support people through the process of decluttering and making their goals happen. In this process I see that people like “stuff”. We tend to hold onto it year after year. We save and stock up on things that we don’t know what to do with anymore. Maybe we keep things because they hold precious memories of days gone by, or they remind us of our parents, grandparents, past loves or childhood. To part with these precious possessions seems out of the question. There is a saying that goes, “You have to get rid of the old to make way for the new.”  If you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your life, try spring-cleaning. Throw out some of that stuff, say goodbye to your past and welcome the new energy of your happy, healthy future. Try these three ideas:

1.     For good mental and physical health, we actually have two “houses” that need to be spring-cleaned: our physical homes and our physical bodies. Just as we accumulate “stuff” in the form of outgrown clothes, magazines, rusty bicycles, tools and random keepsakes, so do our bodies accumulate old food residues and toxins that need to be cleaned out.

2.     To spring clean your body, give it a break from rich and complicated foods by either cleansing or fasting for a short period of time. Cleansing means paring down your food to just simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water and perhaps whole grains. Fasting means limiting most foods and drinking lots of water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, teas and soups. Without much energy going toward digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing and fasting can sharpen your concentration, help you gain insight and promote spiritual awareness. It can also bring improved immune function and better digestion.

3.     While you’re cleaning out your body and home, don’t forget to spring-clean your heart. Throw away negative thoughts and habits you’ve been harboring that no longer serve you. A clean, open heart will allow you to receive all the good that awaits you each and every day. If your heart and mind are cluttered, there is no room for life’s gifts and surprises to enter.

  

Food Focus: Greens

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free.

Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Start with the very simple recipe below. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new green to try. Soon you’ll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.

Recipe of the Month: Shiitake and Kale

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

1 bunch kale, chopped

pinch of salt

Directions:

1.   Warm oil in pan on medium heat with minced garlic until aromas of garlic are released, about 2-3 minutes.

2.   Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry for 5 minutes.

3.   Add chopped kale, stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

4.   Add a splash of water and pinch of salt to pan, cover and let steam for 4 minutes.

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It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please share this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.

Learn more about Cultivate Wellnes by visiting http://www.cultivatewellness.org/

EVERYTHING is FOOD!

Today, I wake up refreshed thinking about last night with my close friends. These friends aren't the ones you stay surface level with, but the best of friends that you share your inner desires with each other, go to the deepness of the soul...discussing things that really matter...where will we spend eternity? What does heaven look like? Going into where we once were in life and where we are today. Praising God! Each of us were born in different parts of the US and how God knew that we'd one day be sitting at a table together and there was a purpose...a plan...our destinies being shaped by those we surround ourshelves around. WOW!

Here we are today, embracing the challenges that molded us, still learning and growing...
There was laughter, smiles exchanged, POWERFUL PRAYER into the early morning and energy high. When passion is stirred, energy rises and feeds your soul.

This brings me to thinking about our primary need of RELATIONSHIPS. I was being fed, not by food, but by the energy and love of these relationships. This moment illustrates that EVERYTHING IS FOOD...

Do you need to feed the primary food of relationships? I encourage you to make a purposeful intention to connect on a deeper level with your family and friends today!

CHEWING

I have made it a rule to give every tooth of mine a chance, and when I eat, to chew every bite thirty-two times. To this rule I owe much of my success in life.

-William Gladstone

Chewing

When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food. But these days most of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we’re putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted—working, reading, talking and watching television—and swallow our food practically whole. On average we chew each bite only eight times. It’s no wonder that many people have digestive problems.

There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food.

• Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets.
• Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
• More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
• It’s also helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
• In fact, chewing can promote increased circulation, enhanced immunity, increased energy and endurance, as well as improve skin health and stabilize weight.
• Taking time with a meal, beginning with chewing, allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control.

The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of concentration camp survivors who, when others could not, made it through with very little food by chewing their meager rations up to 300 times per bite of food. For most of us 300 chews is a daunting and unrealistic goal. However, you can experience the benefits of chewing by increasing to 30 chews per bite. Try it and see how you feel.

Try eating without the TV, computer, Blackberry, newspaper or noisy company. Instead just pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing.

This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands from others. But as you create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day—why not learn to savor and enjoy it?

Food Focus: Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a nutritional powerhouse with ancient origins. It was originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of protein for vegetarians. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, riboflavin and zinc.

While quinoa is widely considered a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant called Chenopodium or Goosefoot, related to chard and spinach. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and has a similar effect as other whole grains in helping to stabilize blood sugar.

It has a waxy protective coating called saponin which can leave a bitter taste. For best results, rinse quinoa before you cook it or even soak it for a few hours or overnight. When cooked, it has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Try it in soups, salads, as a breakfast porridge or as its own side dish.

For quinoa, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. For optimal nutrition and assimilation, it is vital to chew your grains well and with awareness. A great meditation is to find a calm place, without distractions, to sit down for your meal. Make it a habit to chew each bite 20 times or more. See how this simple practice can help your digestion and overall focus for the rest of your day.

Recipes of the Month: Quinoa Pilaf

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 1/4 cups water or stock

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

pinch of salt

Directions:

1.   Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.

2.   Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.

3.   After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.

4.   Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.

5.   Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.

RED QUINOA TABOULI (One of my favorites)

A delightful blend of hearty, protein-rich quinoa, garden-fresh vegetables and fragrant mint, just right to take along to your next potluck or picnic.

1 1/2 cups organic red quinoa

2 1/3 cups water

1 organic cucumber

3 organic Roma tomatoes

1/2 bunch organic green onion

2 tablespoons organic fresh mint

1/2 bunch organic cilantro

1/3 cup organic lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon organic black pepper

1 teaspoon organic minced or crushed garlic

1 tablespoon organic dried mint

1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

Rinse quinoa in cold water in a fine mesh colander and let drain well.

Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa, stir, and bring to a full rolling boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer; simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let the quinoa slowly finish for another 10 minutes. Let cool in the refrigerator.

Peel and dice cucumber, removing the seeds. Dice tomatoes. Thinly slice green onions. Chiffonade fresh mint and coarsely chop cilantro.

In a bowl mix together lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, dried mint and olive oil.

When the quinoa has cooled, toss with cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, mint, cilantro and dressing.

Recipe from PCC

Share with a Friend

It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please share this newsletter with friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.