Be Compassionate With Your Body Comments 2

First Ourselves focuses on overeating/binge eating, weight loss, sugar addiction and body image and looks at the root of all of these as being a chance to learn to love who you are, not as a system to whip yourself into shape by thinking you are bad, lazy, or that you haven’t tried hard enough. Karly approaches all food related issues as a need to become more compassionate and loving with yourself and your body, to embrace self-worth, positive body image and a desire for greater health and wellness. What I love most about Karly’s programs and website is that she approaches everything with the love and gentleness of a someone who really cares about you, not just about selling her programs.

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The Impact of Not Being Present

It feels so good to be alone in this moment, breathing for the first time in weeks. The quite hum of the air conditioner, and a few quiet voices in the lobby of the Mt. Park Recreation Center are my only distraction.

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Recipe: Lavender Strawberry Lemonade Comments 2

Summertime to me is ideal for picnics, meandering strolls through the park and lemonade while I sunbathe in the backyard. Today I was wanting something cool and refreshing on this perfect July day.

Ingredients:

• 12 lemons, juiced
• 16 strawberries
• 3 cups of cold water
• 1 tbsp. fresh culinary lavender
• 1 tbsp. agave nectar (more if you like it sweet)
• 1 tsp. date sugar

Directions:

• Juice the lemons, strain out the pulp and seeds
• Puree the strawberries, lavender with 1 cup of water
• Mix all ingredients
• Serve chilled with ice cubes
• Made 3 glasses

Photo credit: Sarah McMurray

Becoming Still, Choosing Joy

I’ve shared here before about my journey with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition that I have chosen not to let define me. I’ve learned over time that regardless of having a label on my medical paperwork, I still have options for health and I choose joy on a regular basis as part of my healing process. The easy option is to wallow in the seemingly uncooperative state of my body, but I have also learned that getting stuck there is not an option for me.

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Recipe: Strawberries & Coconut Yogurt with Basil

Inspired by a trip to the farmer’s market and the lush summer berries, this recipe is the perfect sweet and refreshing snack for a hot summer day! It makes me want to spend the afternoon on a blanket by the river, sipping lemonade and jumping off a rope swing into the water….some recipes do that, transport you into a magical moment. I hope this one will do that for you as well.

Ingredients:

• 10 Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Fresh basil, chopped
• 1 6 oz. container of SO Delicious Coconut Plain yogurt
• 1/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. spice mix of white pepper, cinnamon, star anis, fennel
• a sprinkle of fresh lavender
• Livin’ Spoonful Coconut Curry crackers

Directions:

• Puree the strawberries, coconut yogurt and spice a food processor until smooth and creamy
• Spoon the mixture onto a cracker
• Top with another sliced strawberry, basil and lavender

Photo credit: Sarah McMurray

Recipe: Italian Summer Pasta

A gluten free pasta dish with classic Italian flavors!

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Emotional Health & Overall Health

Elephant Journal shared a wonderful post about how to thrive emotionally this year. We often think of thriving in terms of physical health, but the emotional health is important as well. According to this post by Tamara, some of the things that can shape a strong emotional health landscape in your life include:

•  Knowing that the five people you spend the most time with will shape who you become. I’ve seen this to be true in my life – if I choose to hang out with negative people, slowly I begin becoming more negative myself, so choosing the company we keep is important in shaping who we become as well.

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Create Your Own Health

The ongoing dilemma of what to eat for health rages on with so many different and often opposing views on what is the best food plan for health, knowing what to feed your body for optimal health is a working practice and ultimately, I believe it comes down to knowing how certain foods really make you feel. I know that if I choose to eat pasta for a week, my body will be tired, heavy, and feel foggy (let alone the impact of gluten on my gluten-sensitive body), but if I choose to eat veggies and clean foods my body will glow, feel light and healthy and I will have more energy to get through my day. It all comes down to awareness and tuning in to how foods make me feel.

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Quinoa & Celiac 1 Comment

Since going gluten-free I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa, but according to The Gluten Free Society () this may not be the best choice as it can cause symptoms similar to gluten in some people.

“Quinoa is actually not a grain.  It is a pseudocereal seed used by many as a gluten free substitute,” says Peter of The Gluten Free Society.

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Tips for Sleeping Well

Dr. Weil is one of my favorite health go-tos for information on nutrition and holistic living. Yesterday he shared an article (read the full post here) about dealing with insomnia naturally. Since this is something I’ve been facing the past week (mostly from having a cold that would wake me up coughing, but then not being able to go back to sleep), I was intrigued.

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