Hot Yoga

Hello 5 followers,



I apologize that I am so slow with updating the blog. I am continuing to be very active and my digestive system is continuing to grow stronger, I am happy to say. I got a deal on Groupon before Christmas for 10 hot yoga classes so I signed up. I have done Bikram yoga before so the experience was not too unfamiliar. I do hot yoga (alternating between power vinyasa and vinyasa) once a week and I feel fantastic after it.

Some health benefits of hot yoga include:
-releasing toxins
-boosting immune system
-weight loss
-toning muscles

For those of you that fear the heat I would really encourage you to just try it once. I probably would never have done it if I hadn't been basically tricked into my first class (my neighbor told me to try hot yoga and said they heat up the room. She of course left out just how high they heat the room up to.)

Of course you should be in pretty good physical health because the room is heated up to 80-105 degrees and I wouldn't want anyone to pass out! Here is a good link to check out before you start: http://yoga.lovetoknow.com/Hot_Yoga


For me personally, I really benefit from the heat because it does release toxins which can help my digestive system.

So if you are thinking of trying it out I suggest during the day you eat food that will digest easily and not sit in the stomach too long, and drink plenty of water. A meal of veggies and quinoa or pasta is good. I eat a regular meal about 4-5 hours before yoga and eat a piece of fruit about 1 1/2-2 hours before.

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built." Rumi

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." Jack Kornfield

"When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service that you are giving to the world." B.K.S. Iyengar

Slow Cooker: Pasta Sauce with ground Turkey

Ingredients:
1 jar Rao's Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce (or any tomato sauce with no sugar/vinegar added)
1 lb ground Turkey
1 chopped Leek
5 scallions, chopped
1 cup chopped spinach
1 1/2 tbsp oregano
6 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste


Combine ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high about 4-5 hours. Enjoy with Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta

Nacho Dip!

Yes even those with digestive problems can enjoy a delicious nacho dip. I just whipped it up so it may need some tweaking. This dip contains no cheese or beans but it still managed to turn out very tasty!

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 tomato
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded chicken, turkey, or beef (whatever you prefer)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 6 ounce container 0% Fega greek yogurt

Chop tomato and onion and mix ingredients in a bowl and heat in microwave about 2-3 minutes on high.

Enjoy with Trader Joe's Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips

Breakfast Casserole

I made a breakfast casserole for Christmas this year and I thought I would share it with you.

Ingredients
6 large organic eggs
1 small onion
1 medium sized sweet potato
4 links Bilinski spinach & garlic chicken sausage
1 1/2 cup Almond Breeze (or Silk brand) Vanilla Almond Milk
2 cups chopped spinach
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp coconut oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp thyme

In a greased casserole dish place peeled and chopped (1 inch cubes) sweet potatos. Layer on top chopped onion and season with oregano, coriander, and thyme. Chop chicken sausage and layer in the dish. In a pan sautee spinach in coconut oil and chopped garlic for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add spinach layer to casserole. In a bowl, mix eggs with almond milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mix over casserole, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 400 degrees about 30-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Leek Soup

Ok I made a delicious soup tonight, thanks to my brother who brought up "potato leek soup" during conversation about leeks and got my brain rolling. I didn't measure anything out so I am going to give you approximations.

Ingredients:
3 small to medium sweet potatos
2 leeks
1 package boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 large yellow onion
1/2 - 1 tbsp salt*
1 tbsb coriander
1 tsp dill
1 tbsp oregano
2 cups almond milk
1/2 brown rice flour
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger

*your call on how much salt you want

Saute leeks (chop up the light green part in the middle), chopped onions and garlic with olive oil in a sauce pan about 7 minutes. You want to let the flavors out but not overcook it.

Add sweet potatos (peeled, sliced, and cubed) and chicken to the pot. Then add leeks, onion and garlic. Add brown rice flour, almond milk, ginger, spices, and about a cup and a half of water and bring to a boil. Boil about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Someone told me a trick this weekend "if the potatoes are cooked, the meat is cooked." I lso like to let it simmer a few minutes in the pot before I eat it to let it thicken up a bit.

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving! Sweet Potato Casserole

What you will need:
4 Large Sweet Potatoes
4 Gala Apples
2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Nutmeg
1 Cup Almond Milk (Vanilla)
Brown Rice Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice Sweet potatoes and create bottom layer in a greased glass baking dish*. Add layer of apples then sprinkle brown rice bread crumbs over top to create a light coating. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg. Add second layer of sweet potatoes and apples, almond milk, salt and pepper to taste, brown rice bread crumbs, and cinnamon. Cover with foil and bake about 35 minutes at 375 degrees (or until sweet potatoes are soft).

*Baker's and Chef's 100% Canola oil non-stick cooking spray

Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey Stuffing!

This recipe is actually my Mother's. She made delicious Thanksgiving stuffing for me!

What you will need:
1 lb ground turkey browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch celery, diced
1 egg (or egg replacer powder/egg substitute)
Orgran yeast free, gluten free, sugar free, casein free, soy free bread mix*

Mix together in a bowl and stuff turkey then cook. Enjoy!

*Bake bread then slice and toast in the oven. After toasted slice into 1/4 inch cubes.