Winter Salad – Eating in Season

 

A beautiful salad I wish I could’ve chowed down on!

 

Another recipe from my Earl Grey School teaching series in Calgary. Keeping it simple and fun allowed the kids to have a blast putting this one together.

Ingredient by ingredient they identified in season veggies

These ingredients were a great segway into teaching about carbon footprints, our impact on the earth and what it truly means to be a locavore.

The kids love participating ~ even when it’s just emptying out a baggie into a bowl. Hands on is key & food is the way to their hearts and minds.

Another  vegan (nearly raw) recipe requiring no cooking – perfect for you to pick up and make at home with your family.

I was SO impressed by what the kids knew about the items that we discussed. One girl even knew (without using the exact terminology) that broccoli and kale belonged to the same family ~ brassicas ~ faith in some of humanity restored….look at all those hands up in the air!

 

The smart board here is showing my chart that addresses carbon footprint impacts in the food production industry.

With the use of technology we were able to forego our usual paper handouts (which I hope were making it home for parents to have a look at all the continued resources) and put up a lot of great information for the class to have a look through and comment on.

These kids will definitely be thinking more “Earth first” after going through how they themselves can help reduce carbon emissions by the choices they make as little humans – they seemed to come away feeling quite empowered. If you’re looking for the lesson plan I used to accompany this recipe – contact me!

Ingredients:

– 3 cups raw, washed broccoli florets

– 2 cups blanched yams, cubed

– 2 cups frozen or fresh peas

– 1 cup green onion diced

– 3 cups chopped kale (any variety)

– 4 tbsp lemon juice

– 2 tsp grated ginger

– 1 tsp Himalayan salt

Method: 

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, stir and serve. You can also store in the

I think this one works best if you settle it in the refrigerator for a few hours to let all the flavours combine.

Top this recipe with sesame seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds as I have omitted these due to allergies.

Great as a side dish, this recipe serves 8-10 sides.

Happy New Year – Free Love

2016 Starts tomorrow! Can you believe it? Now is the time to for us all to forgive our overindulgences and get our health show back on the road. I thought a bundle of healthy tips for nutrition and detox would be useful for you all for a healthy journey in 2016 {tomorrow}.

Check out these food and living facts for a kickstart in 2016 ~ if you need more guidance, check out my discounted services for January sign up:

• MACRO check/instruction
• Supplement list
• 2 week fat shed workout plan
• $50 toward a 12 week tune up plan

❤ All the best.

S

Water in ~ first thing

Don’t mistake being dehydrated for being hungry. Reset that hunger feeling ASAP with water! You’ll also help your body flush out toxins, provide fuel for your brain and help boost your metabolism.
Magnesium is “the man”

Stressed out from the holidays? A simple snack may do you wonders. Pumpkin seeds or almonds are packed with magnesium, the anti-stress nuts/seeds. I take magnesium supplements nightly about 30 minutes before bed to improve sleep & relaxation – give it a try!
Eat greens

Nutrients that support your liver – and I’m sure you sort of killed your liver this holiday season, didn’t you? Do your best to include dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale and arugula to your meals – try to hit the 50% mark.
Avoid diary

They taste delicious but based on the way that they are produced……you may want to think twice about that whack of cheese. Or, maybe you did your research and found something ethical – good for you!!! Even so, your body is not meant to digest dairy past your breastfeeding babe days.

Sadly, dairy is also majorly acidic and really hurts our PH levels. Your body doesn’t do well with inflammation, so try to kick it to the curb and look for alternatives like nut milks and cheeses.

Fiber up!

Why? Regulate your blood sugar and banish toxins at the same time. Need a better reason? Ok, fiber also reduces that bloated feeling as well as hunger. The best kind of fiber comes from fresh fruit, vegetables, brown rice and oats. I start my day off 1/3 cup of quick oats and ½ a banana sliced ~ quick, easy and really gets the system going.
Alkaline all the way

Balance PH & reduce inflammation. If you haven’t included these already, please do: lemons, pears, kale & parsley.

Get the binge over with and get back to your 5-7 {balanced} meals per day. You might find very quickly that you shed 2-10 lbs of bloat in just 1-2 weeks.

Becoming Little Miss Bikini – Episode 1 – Where to start?

My intention with this post was to give anyone looking for some insight into doing your first competition a really clear picture of what it could look like for you from start to finish. I hope that I can do this for you. And lets face it, I’m adding some serious pressure on myself when I go public with my plans.

I start my journey in Calgary Alberta where there really isn’t a heckuva lot to do in the City but the Foothills of the Rockies boast some of the best skiing and hiking on the planet. Luckily for me, I live in an acreage in the foothills  with my devastatingly handsome partner Jeff, our 3 dogs and my step-daughter Anastacia. We spent all winter building ourselves an amazing gym at home that has everything a person could need including an infrared sauna and hot tub for recovery!

As a semi-pro dancer with decades of athleticism under my belt I thought I would try my hand at some kind of fitness competition. After about a year of dedicated training and eventually committed weight lifting regime I decided that I would put my best foot forward and go for it. But where to start?

As luck would have it, a health and safety consultant of ours had been to competition before so I picked her brain about the situation. I knew that I definitely had my work cut out for me in trying to find a local, qualified trainer who could also help me with Vegan/Vegetarian nutrition to achieve the goals that I wanted.

What I learned: 

I needed to buy some meal prep containers. I bought these ones however, the lids aren’t as fantastic as I would like but they are sturdy and can be re-used several times and are about as cost effective and environmentally friendly as you can get in the realm of plastic.

Find a food scale. This is the best one I could research and it works well.

I needed to keep track of what I was doing currently. I used this app in the past and it’s working well for me now. You can print out your daily logs and send them to your coach when asked.

Find a trainer – this is coming in Episode 2 “Tail Chasing and Boiling Blood”…or something like that.

Find some show dates. I picked all natural and drug free competitions. I don’t like the use of steroids or other things that some folks use. That being said, you could go to those shows and just NOT do the drugs, but your chances of placing/winning would be lower.

Find some literature that I could trust and learn from. I bought this online book which is perfect for Vegans and Vegetarians alike.

Here are some links:

NPAA

INBF

IDFA

WBFF

Work my ass off (below). While I exercise daily, I by no means limit my food or alcohol so I’m basically maintaining what you see below. Not the prettiest sight however, at nearly 37 I’m alright with it. This is my “starting” image….hideous bikini, day 2 of my period, earlier in the morning than I’d like to be up.

   

Look out for my next post coming soon….this will get into HOW I found a trainer and all the BS that I had to go through to do it. Get googling, ask me questions and most of all – do your research! I’m blogging all of this so that you can skip the pain that I have gone through to get to the good stuff.

What to plant this spring? Here are some MUST haves for the budding Herbalist.

 

An old herb garden looking alive and potent.

 

When I first started learning about herbal medicine, I had NO idea about how much medicine we have at our fingertips. I also had no idea how medicinal our food could be if we ate things that weren’t necessarily found on our grocers shelves. Trying to incorporate a little bit of herbalism into your every day, or even better – into your kitchen, helps your body to stay healed and grow stronger as you age. Eventually, your body will be chock full of vitamins, minerals and virus fighting medicines without much effort at all.

Of course, not all plant types are going to be found or thrive in every environment SO take some time to get to know these easy growing fellows below. If you find them to be easy to care for, spread your wings and try growing your own at home.

It’s only February BUT looking forward to spring and looking into my seed stores gets me excited to start planting and reaping the benefits of home-grown medicine. I look forward to adding nettles to my ferments, drying herbs in my dehydrator and making skin salves to pass out to my friends and family. I certainly miss all of the classes and students I had in Vancouver, I might have time to squeeze some teaching in again this spring in Calgary.

As always, when using any type of medication, make sure that you consult with your GP and do your research before ingesting unconsciously. Your body deserves a little curious research before undertaking a new regime.

 

Aloe Vera

You can purchase this plant at nearly every home garden supply store. Even Home Depot. Because you aren’t going to be ingesting this plant I feel that you are ok to be a little less questioning of it’s origin.

Why do you want to keep Aloe Vera around? Simply, there are so many topical benefits that there isn’t a reason NOT to. Snap a sample of a well-grown leaf off and you are on your way to healing cuts, wounds, burns, eczema and inflammation.

Marsh Mallow

You can find seeds or starters for this plant at select growers. I order my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds or Vesey’s. These are pretty hardy plants – but watch out for wet feet!

There are a number of great uses for marshmallow both inside and out. You can take the root internally to help treat inflammation and UT irritations, gastritis or peptic ulcers. Topically, you can use a poultice, salve or cream to treat bruises, sprains, muscle aches, insect bites, slivers or skin inflammation.

Fun food fact: The leaves of the marshmallow plant are edible! Add to salads, boil or fry.

Pot Marigold

These hardy ladies will grown in almost any soil condition. Use a tea consisting of marigold petals to increase circulation and ease varicose viens. A poultice of marigold stems will aid in removing corns and warts.

Camomile

You probably know this as a great fruity tea! Camomile works well in aiding digestive issues and also has a soothing effect in its aroma. This helps reduce stress and induce sleep.

Echinacea

 If you’re living without it, you probably shouldn’t be. This beautiful flower has amazing antibiotic properties that relieve allergies and help prevent viral and bacterial infections. The roots, beneficial in treating sores, wounds and burns when applied as a poultice, salve or cream. She grows well in well-drained soil with a lot of sunlight.

Lemon Balm

By far, the easiest herb I have ever unintentionally grown. The leaves give off a lovely lemony mint scent that cannot be mistaken. Crushed leaves used as a poultice help relieve pain from herpes, sores, gout and bug bites. The leaves infused with hot water can treat colds, fevers, indigestion, depression, headaches and insomnia.

I grew this herb for years in the wet wet wetness that is Vancouver BC!

Peppermint

Nearly another weed, as easy to grown and impossible to kill as Lemon Balm. peppermint is high in manganese, vitamin A and vitamin C. Leaves ground into a salve or cream help to sooth and relax muscles.

Sage

Another herb that is nearly impossible to kill is Sage. When consumed it can help to ease indigestion, flatulence, anxiety and excessive sweating.

 

Here’s to spring, and happy plantings. Stay tuned for my inevitable posts containing the trials and tribulations of trying to sustain plant life in the Rocky Mountains.

 

Sasha

 

 

 

You make me sick!

I’ll make me un-sick.

For the first time in nearly 7 years, sickness has hit my house – a doozie of a flu.

With all the changes going on in my life over the last year, I’m sure there is a great reason for the low immunity. Not that I’m ever one to admit that I’m getting sick when I am – as far as I can remember. I think the sneezing, runny nose, cough, nausea, body aches and blockheadedness point to flu – n’est pas?

Everyone who knows me knows, I just can’t stand getting sick. To combat this impending snot prison, I’ve been whipping out all my homemade cold & flu recipes back to back and in a fury. I want to share these with you in a workshop……so I’m building the first ever “Ass kicking seasonal illness session”.

What will be thrown out there? Hmmm….well for starters:

* Being able to read the signals and signs for childhood illness – those little germ jockeys bring      EVERYTHING home.
* Holistic/homemade remedies appropriate for kids
* General prevention of seasonal illness
* Tips for traveling healthfully
* Aromatherapy benefits
* Teas, inhalants, cough remedies and cooking with helping herbs

That’s just for starters.

In the meantime, cover your mouth when you cough, avoid sick people when possible and get some rest after the season of party till you drop.

See y’all soon, sniffle sniffle.

Sasha

Img from Colourbox

Summer Camp for Adults

Good morning all of you interweb savvy people. By the way, thank you very much for following me here and on Facebook and Twitter.

I realize it has been some time since I have blogged, and there are many reasons why. I thought you may like to know!

1 – It’s motorcycle season, yippee!
2 – It’s “sort of” summer here in BC
3 – Camping/Hiking season
4 – Gardening – holy schnikees, it’s been booming
5 – Joint ventures are in full swing
6 – Beach days are here
7 – Working on honing my Thai Yoga Massage skills and completing my certification

The list goes on and on.

I started to realize that I was burying myself in my business, which I love, but was becoming all consuming. It became more important to me to meet people, travel more, see my family and friends and relax. So this is what I’ve been doing!

Just last night I decided to take a long ride on my motorcycle, enjoy some Green Tea and Raw Spinach Salad, cruising the farmlands, driving by old high school haunts. The night was amazing. I urge you all to take some time out, reflect, relax and rejoice, it’s summer!

September will be a busy month as well, I am lucky enough to be able to visit Morocco and Spain for a few weeks, traveling through previously unseen countryside and adding to my bucket list of “The Wonders of the World” – my goal is to see all Natural, Man made, and some Ancient before my time here is up.

With my intention continually focused on health and wellness I leave you with a reminder to feed your body right.

CONCENTRATED KELP JUICE/SEA GREENS are a great way to boost your immunity. This is safe for babies, expectant mothers, the elderly, EVERYONE. Be sure to consult your physician if you are unsure about your tolerance levels, follow directions/dosages on all bottles etc…

Website for your info: http://www.seagreensonline.com

All Canadian Product available in BC (Thanks Dandi):

FAST FACTS:
1 – Kelp acid and potassium, calcium may reduce the body’s absorption of cholesterol and can lower blood pressure.
2 – Kelp contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber, to remove the attachment of cholesterol in the blood vessel wall, smooth tone stomach, promote the excretion of cholesterol;
3 – Hot water extracts of human KB cancer cells for in vitro significant cytotoxic effect on S180 tumor significantly inhibited, but also rich in cancer-Star _ kelp selenium with anti-cancer effect;
4 – Kelp can improve the body’s humoral immunity, and promote cellular immunity, regulating immunity, there are a lot of food, mushroom is one of them;
5 – Kelp contains large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acid EPA, can reduce blood viscosity, reduce the hardening of the arteries. Therefore, eat seaweed can prevent cardiovascular disease;
6 – Large amounts of iodine in kelp can stimulate the pituitary to enable women to reduce estrogen levels and restore normal ovarian function, endocrine disorders to correct and eliminate the risk of breast hyperplasia;
7 – Kelp is extremely rich in iodine, which is the main raw material in vivo synthesis of thyroid hormone, and hair shiny is because the body play a role in the formation of thyroid hormone;
8 – Kelp contains large amounts of dietary fiber, obesity can increase the feeling of fullness, and kelp is very low in fat, calories and small, obesity weight loss food.
9 – Kelp is rich in calcium and iodine, helps thyroid hormone synthesis. Two types of food, not only beauty, and anti-aging effect.

Thai Yoga Massage – New Offerings

As a firm believer in natural health, my quest for a more pure form of disease prevention and optimal health has lead me down many interesting paths.

Most recently, in an effort to bring more awareness to myself, my family and my clientele I went on a search for what would be the next best service to offer the world, after plant-based nutrition education. I dabbled in aromatherapy, guided meditation and even sound therapy with crystal bowls. After a particularly un-bendy day at Yoga I longed for a deep stretch and relaxation which didn’t rely entirely on my own strength and will. I found, Thai Yoga Massage.

While initially I didn’t care for the “energy fieldness” of it all, I came to realize that this wasn’t the overall importance of the practice. The rhythmic work out/massage seemed to balance the need for full range of motion movement and stretching for me.

The environment provided during what I call a good massage, should be relaxed, stress free and meditative without crossing over into any spiritual hot zone – making it an accessible release for anyone.

A typical session can last anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on what you and your therapist are capable of. This form of massage directly impacts your muscular, circulatory and nervous system which enhances your body’s ability to heal naturally. By incorporating gentle rocking, yoga-like stretching and pressing techniques the client is able to balance muscle groups and gain flexibility. Endorphins are released during these sessions which create increased vitality in the body as well as a flushing out of stressful chemicals and nervous energies.

History

Thai Massage is said to be more than 2,500 years old and hails from an Ayurvedic-based body science. Some note that Jivaka Kuma Bhaccha (Buddha’s doctor) is to be the founder of this particular type of physical therapy.

Trained therapists stretch a person with specific poses, some of which are easily recognizable in a standard Yoga practice. The philosophy behind the technique focuses on Sen or energy points which are pressed and massaged during the process.

Circulation improvements – Blood in targeted areas is slowed during poses and Sen manipulation and is then released, inversions and spinal twists are also used to refresh circulation. This process is noted to aid in lymphatic drainage, returning blood to the heart, and digestion.

Stress release – Yoga and massage are some of the most effective methods for treating mental health issues. When muscles are manipulated during the process, emotional and mental stressors are also released. Meditation which is usually incorporated into the process aids clients in the ability to let go of stress and negative thoughts during the process, and eventually in their day-to-day lives.

Longevity – In the process of Thai Massage the nervous system releases toxins during circulation improvement. Students of this practice boost their immunity to disease and increase overall longevity.

I am happy to announce that commencing September 2011, I will be able to offer this service to you as a NHPC certified practitioner.

TRIMMING THE FAT ON FACEBOOK IS NO MORE!

Hello Everyone,

Technical difficulties and ALL that I built in my Trimming the Fat page is gone! I will be starting up a new page “Humble Roots Wellness” to replace it.

Thank you to everyone who has been following and keep your eyes peeled.

Sasha

Water 101 – Demystifying your Drinking Water

Join me on Wednesday, October 20th for a FREE 45 minute webinar on water, filtration and your health!

Water, the liquid of life. It represents a huge portion of the makeup of your body. But what exactly should we be watching out for when it comes to water? Bottled water, spring water, filtration systems, vortexing, osmosis all of this can be confusing to say the least.

If you are interested in learning about water and it’s relation to your body this FREE seminar is for you! Demystify all of the labels and equipment we have associated with this most basic element, and get back to basics!

What’s to lose? You have access to a completely free, no strings attached, 45-minute webinar! * PLUS if you can’t make the call, register anyway and receive a FREE recording.

REGISTRATION LINK:

http://www.freebinar.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EA59D68684

MEETING LINK:

http://www.freebinar.com/WebConference/Default.aspx?ip_ek=humbleroots1&time=63245

Eating for Anxiety

Well folks, here I go. Finally into the world of the webinar. I’ve been attending but not hosting for years. On top of this I think I have tackled one of my largest hurdles, yes, I said it. My anxiety! Now that I’m more confident in my ability to prevent, treat and cope with this often times paralyzing emotion, I want to share it with you all.

Join in August 27th at 6:30pm PST for a free 30-minute talk on Anxiety and the foods & herbs we can use for prevention and treatment.

Check out my Facebook page “Trimming the Fat” for registration details.

To your health!