I just wrote a long post about my fabulous braised chickpea and red wine stew. Unfortunately, I am much better at yoga and cooking than 'computing' and this post has been refused by the server.
However, in the interest of keeping my (yay!) one follower, I thought I'd publish a short post anyway. Today I managed to do a little yoga, even with a broken foot. Ok, there was no vinyasa, and it was all of 10 minutes, but I feel better for a little paschimottanasana, janu sirsasana, navasana, ustrasana and supported viparita dandasana. I mean, I still want to hang myself with my yoga strap. I miss my yoga, my friends, just walking down the streets of NYC, but it's better than nothing.
Oward! And cross your fingers that I can figure out this posting thing soon, those chickpeas were yummy!
Question of the day: What's your current favorite asana? Before I broke my foot, it was viparita dandasana. I never thought I'd be able to do that back flip and catch the headstand in the middle, but I did! Maybe one day I'll do it again.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sad on the Sofa
Ok, so I had a long winded post detailing the ups and downs, the pros and cons of the state of my foot and not doing yoga. But guess what, I am no Pollyanna. At least not today. There are all kinds of projects I can do on the computer. All kinds of posting of recipes (made a killer chickpea stew last night) and many magazines, books and blogs to read. But today I am just not happy about it. And that's that. My friends are all down the hill practicing yoga and I am green like my smoothie with jealousy. Yes, I'll get over it. No, not yet.
I realize this is not much of a post, and there's very little here to interact with, but I just wanted to get my voice out there, and I'm not happy enough to make it a big involved tale.
Happy Tuesday.
I realize this is not much of a post, and there's very little here to interact with, but I just wanted to get my voice out there, and I'm not happy enough to make it a big involved tale.
Happy Tuesday.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The Cleanse Nears A Conclusion
Wow, so I haven't really talked much about the cleanse lately, have I? Apparently, it took a back seat to the total upheaval of my life via broken foot!
Here's what: I hardly feel like I've been cleansing, and yet, somehow today I woke up feeling light, clean and balanced. Aha, it's actually done its work! It's funny, even with it not being perfect, (as in I had wine a couple of times this week, accidentally had soy once or twice, was sick on Monday and needed scrambled eggs after), the "slow and steady" approach seems to be working. As I've said before, I am usually an all or nothin' type. I juice, or I feast. Well, not all the time, but it's a tendency I fight. So this particular 21-day plan was actually pretty tough for me at the outset. The idea that I had a long way to go till I felt as good as I want to feel was overwhelming. But sitting here on day 20, and looking back at the three weeks, I have to say it was more wonderful than painful. I think this may actually be what I'd call balance!
Hooray! The nutritionist and I agree, this is almost a great place to just "stay". I don't actually have very far I want to go to change things, coming off the cleanse. What will stay the same, and what will change?
Well, I'd like to keep the idea of one to two smoothie/soup/juice meals a day. I have tricky digestion and these somewhat pre-digested meals are a jump start to getting my nutrition in without too much work. That said, I don't want to make it a rule. I'd rather have some flexibility to go with the flow of what I want in any given situation, and especially to be able to be social when I can get out again!
Also, I'd like to keep the big offenders to a minimum. Even though I am in no way a Celiac case, I feel better off wheat and gluten for the most part. I don't want refined sugar to be part of my daily routine. And I don't think I need to allow much dairy into my life, especially with the recent Osteoporosis research on the subject. Soy? Well, I think miso and tempeh are great, but I'll stay away from the refined stuff/fake meats/additives in processed foods, etc. And corn is highly tampered with, but if I can find good non-gmo sprouted organic products there may be some leeway.
On the other hand, I think I've already hit moderation with alcohol. The idea is not every day, and yet, it's not the devil. I was never a big drinker to begin with, didn't even drink in college to speak of, so maybe there's no need to be a teetotaler now, but resisting a few extra times when I don't really really want it will give me a little more leeway for other indulgences and just make me feel like I'm still "on the path'.
I also think I've made a little peace with desserts. I love dessert! I always want it. And recently my go-to has been super dark chocolate, just because it can be small and generally has little sugar. The organic kind is also dairy and soy free, or the ones I buy are. But still, I had begun to eat too much of it, and often I didn't even want it. One CAN overdo chocolate. But I didn't allow myself other treats, and so I was a little trapped and not satisfied.
Enter almond milk cocoa! A cup of almond milk, some dark cocoa or raw cacao powder, stevia, a pinch of salt, a touch of vanilla, and maybe just a squeeze of agave. A treat I can't begin to feel guilty about! And raw chocolate/coconut pudding! A little denser, so maybe needing more moderate portions, but still a relatively guilt-free treat. That recipe to follow in another post by the way!
What's coming back in? Eggs! I love eggs. I mean, they're easy to digest, densely nutritious, and so malleable. I guess I'll never be vegan. But I don't want or need them all the time. Once or twice a week maybe? And I buy the multicolored free range ones from our local farm in Woodstock, so I feel a little better about that. Can't wait to make a burrito in a sprouted corn tortilla with guac and salsa! That could even be dinner.
So really, maybe not that much is changing. I have flowed almost naturally from cleanse to base-line everyday eating. I like to feel clean most of the time anyway, even among going out to very "regular" restaurants. But here's what, I want the fluidity to have a coffee date with friends and try those amazing pretzel croissants they love so much. I need to be able to enjoy the red wine prunes over mascarpone at Frankie's without feeling so remorseful that I ruin it. And I need to sometimes enjoy just too much of everything, but still get up the next day and feel ok about it. Oh, and all this sitting on the sofa makes me bored, and it will be hard not to just sit around and eat without the ashtanga to sort of be a "check in" for how I'm feeling. Ok, so there are still some challenges ahead. But that's a lot of learning and growing for three weeks if you ask me!
I think tomorrow, as a celebration, I will make my chickpeas braised in red wine with sun dried tomatoes and apricots. And if I can stand on my crutches long enough I'll make chickpea socca crepes too! But for now, back to my regularly scheduled green juice. A great way to start the day.
Questions of the day:
A) Have you ever set yourself a challenge to create new habits? What were they? Did it work?
B) What's your base-line happy-place diet? Do you think mine is crazy? :)
For today, over and out.
Here's what: I hardly feel like I've been cleansing, and yet, somehow today I woke up feeling light, clean and balanced. Aha, it's actually done its work! It's funny, even with it not being perfect, (as in I had wine a couple of times this week, accidentally had soy once or twice, was sick on Monday and needed scrambled eggs after), the "slow and steady" approach seems to be working. As I've said before, I am usually an all or nothin' type. I juice, or I feast. Well, not all the time, but it's a tendency I fight. So this particular 21-day plan was actually pretty tough for me at the outset. The idea that I had a long way to go till I felt as good as I want to feel was overwhelming. But sitting here on day 20, and looking back at the three weeks, I have to say it was more wonderful than painful. I think this may actually be what I'd call balance!
Hooray! The nutritionist and I agree, this is almost a great place to just "stay". I don't actually have very far I want to go to change things, coming off the cleanse. What will stay the same, and what will change?
Well, I'd like to keep the idea of one to two smoothie/soup/juice meals a day. I have tricky digestion and these somewhat pre-digested meals are a jump start to getting my nutrition in without too much work. That said, I don't want to make it a rule. I'd rather have some flexibility to go with the flow of what I want in any given situation, and especially to be able to be social when I can get out again!
Also, I'd like to keep the big offenders to a minimum. Even though I am in no way a Celiac case, I feel better off wheat and gluten for the most part. I don't want refined sugar to be part of my daily routine. And I don't think I need to allow much dairy into my life, especially with the recent Osteoporosis research on the subject. Soy? Well, I think miso and tempeh are great, but I'll stay away from the refined stuff/fake meats/additives in processed foods, etc. And corn is highly tampered with, but if I can find good non-gmo sprouted organic products there may be some leeway.
On the other hand, I think I've already hit moderation with alcohol. The idea is not every day, and yet, it's not the devil. I was never a big drinker to begin with, didn't even drink in college to speak of, so maybe there's no need to be a teetotaler now, but resisting a few extra times when I don't really really want it will give me a little more leeway for other indulgences and just make me feel like I'm still "on the path'.
I also think I've made a little peace with desserts. I love dessert! I always want it. And recently my go-to has been super dark chocolate, just because it can be small and generally has little sugar. The organic kind is also dairy and soy free, or the ones I buy are. But still, I had begun to eat too much of it, and often I didn't even want it. One CAN overdo chocolate. But I didn't allow myself other treats, and so I was a little trapped and not satisfied.
Enter almond milk cocoa! A cup of almond milk, some dark cocoa or raw cacao powder, stevia, a pinch of salt, a touch of vanilla, and maybe just a squeeze of agave. A treat I can't begin to feel guilty about! And raw chocolate/coconut pudding! A little denser, so maybe needing more moderate portions, but still a relatively guilt-free treat. That recipe to follow in another post by the way!
What's coming back in? Eggs! I love eggs. I mean, they're easy to digest, densely nutritious, and so malleable. I guess I'll never be vegan. But I don't want or need them all the time. Once or twice a week maybe? And I buy the multicolored free range ones from our local farm in Woodstock, so I feel a little better about that. Can't wait to make a burrito in a sprouted corn tortilla with guac and salsa! That could even be dinner.
So really, maybe not that much is changing. I have flowed almost naturally from cleanse to base-line everyday eating. I like to feel clean most of the time anyway, even among going out to very "regular" restaurants. But here's what, I want the fluidity to have a coffee date with friends and try those amazing pretzel croissants they love so much. I need to be able to enjoy the red wine prunes over mascarpone at Frankie's without feeling so remorseful that I ruin it. And I need to sometimes enjoy just too much of everything, but still get up the next day and feel ok about it. Oh, and all this sitting on the sofa makes me bored, and it will be hard not to just sit around and eat without the ashtanga to sort of be a "check in" for how I'm feeling. Ok, so there are still some challenges ahead. But that's a lot of learning and growing for three weeks if you ask me!
I think tomorrow, as a celebration, I will make my chickpeas braised in red wine with sun dried tomatoes and apricots. And if I can stand on my crutches long enough I'll make chickpea socca crepes too! But for now, back to my regularly scheduled green juice. A great way to start the day.
Questions of the day:
A) Have you ever set yourself a challenge to create new habits? What were they? Did it work?
B) What's your base-line happy-place diet? Do you think mine is crazy? :)
For today, over and out.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
No Yoga, No Cooking, No Fun!
Ok, so I know there are things to be learned from this. There are projects to be done. People to talk to on the phone. Lots of blogging to be accomplished. A spiritual path to pursue, asana or no, but as I sit here on the sofa for the fourth full day in a row, I am too mad to be ready yet.
And by the way, I can still put my right leg behind my head, broken left foot or no. In fact, I'm sitting in Eka Pada Sirsasana as I type this. Is that so wrong?
And by the way, I can still put my right leg behind my head, broken left foot or no. In fact, I'm sitting in Eka Pada Sirsasana as I type this. Is that so wrong?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Bad Karma or Just Bad Luck?
I broke my foot! Really, it's incredible, one minute I was feeling great, recovered from illness and doing the best yoga in ages, all by myself, no teachers no buddies no nothing. Just me and the mat. Then I walked down the stairs and broke my foot.
NOW WHAT? Really, I teach yoga, I run around the city, I practice yoga. I am an intensely physical person. I experience the world through my physicality. So now what?
Well, more blogging I guess. And a visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon for starters.
THEN WHAT?
Oh my, this city is not built for the infirm. I needed entertainment and a bottle of wine last night and the husband and I went out for dinner. We went about 6 blocks, and it nearly did me in. That's hard work, crutching around.
The good news is the wine was great! In the spirit of balanced hedonism I ordered a beautiful salad with beets and oranges, a lovely piece of fish with a light tomato sauce and garlicky spinach on the side, had a few bites of his incredible pasta but resisted ordering my own, then got a lovely wine.
Our favorite restaurant, Fragole, offers half price on all premium wine bottles on Tuesday, so we indulged in a $50 bottle without feeling bad. It was a Nebbiolo called Muntaja, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet. In any case, it started off a little tight. It had fruit, but it was sort of covered by layers of tannin and a rather acidic finish. By the time the entrees came however, it had opened up to reveal layers of dark fruit, almost dried and pruney like an Amarone, a nice bite, but more integrated tannins and a smoothish finish. Lovely with red sauce, probably would be great with grilled things like meat (though I don't eat that) and eggplant (which I love) and would have been great with the chocolate we had at home for dessert, though it didn't last that long!
What's the moral of the story? I don't really know yet. But a bottle of Nebbiolo can certainly take the edge off a catastrophic day.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled 21-day cleanse!
Question of the day: What's your favorite red wine match-up for a physical injury? :)
NOW WHAT? Really, I teach yoga, I run around the city, I practice yoga. I am an intensely physical person. I experience the world through my physicality. So now what?
Well, more blogging I guess. And a visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon for starters.
THEN WHAT?
Oh my, this city is not built for the infirm. I needed entertainment and a bottle of wine last night and the husband and I went out for dinner. We went about 6 blocks, and it nearly did me in. That's hard work, crutching around.
The good news is the wine was great! In the spirit of balanced hedonism I ordered a beautiful salad with beets and oranges, a lovely piece of fish with a light tomato sauce and garlicky spinach on the side, had a few bites of his incredible pasta but resisted ordering my own, then got a lovely wine.
Our favorite restaurant, Fragole, offers half price on all premium wine bottles on Tuesday, so we indulged in a $50 bottle without feeling bad. It was a Nebbiolo called Muntaja, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet. In any case, it started off a little tight. It had fruit, but it was sort of covered by layers of tannin and a rather acidic finish. By the time the entrees came however, it had opened up to reveal layers of dark fruit, almost dried and pruney like an Amarone, a nice bite, but more integrated tannins and a smoothish finish. Lovely with red sauce, probably would be great with grilled things like meat (though I don't eat that) and eggplant (which I love) and would have been great with the chocolate we had at home for dessert, though it didn't last that long!
What's the moral of the story? I don't really know yet. But a bottle of Nebbiolo can certainly take the edge off a catastrophic day.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled 21-day cleanse!
Question of the day: What's your favorite red wine match-up for a physical injury? :)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sick Day
Well, it's been a few days, so just in the interest of keeping up to date, I thought I'd post this almost nothing message.
I had a sick day. Something hit both the husband and me at the same time. So I have no fun news to share, no food, certainly no yoga. Ah well, sometimes the yoga in the situation is actually NOT to do yoga.
Back to the bed...
I had a sick day. Something hit both the husband and me at the same time. So I have no fun news to share, no food, certainly no yoga. Ah well, sometimes the yoga in the situation is actually NOT to do yoga.
Back to the bed...
Friday, October 1, 2010
Living Room Rainy Day Yoga
I did it I did it! That's right, I got on the mat by myself. I woke up this rainy Friday, and realized there was no way I was getting on the subway, traipsing around Union Square and getting soaked just to do Primary series. Usually this means I don't end up practicing (shock and horror!), but I've been on such a roll with my six and seven day weeks, that I just couldn't stand to break the streak. And Fridays are such a nice easy day to do alone. So I put a cup of coffee in my husband's hand, parked him on the sofa, and hopped on the mat.
Wheeee! I did a sweaty and focused primary, cheated and tacked on half of second and one pose of third, then did long long finishing. Ok, I did the shortest of all savasanas. I had a coconut shake chillin' in the fridge and couldn't wait to get to it, but other than that I stayed pretty true to the program. So, maybe I am growing up a little! If I know I can get some steady instruction many days of the week, one day on my own may actually be nice. I did an hour and a half of practice with no travel time, no flooded F train and no rush hour commute. Now that doesn't suck!
And now a word on coconut smoothies. They are one of the best breakfasts ever. Smooth, creamy, rich, satisfying, and totally healthy. Interestingly, young thai coconuts are totally balanced from an Ayurvedic perspective. The water is cooling and cleansing while the meat is grounding and warming, so together they make a good meal for any dosha. Also, and now I'm just justifying the addiction perhaps, they're said to be amazingly high in potassium and electrolytes, they've got healthy medium chain fatty acids in the meat, and great protein to boot. What can beat that?
To make, shave off the spongy white part on the top of the young coconut. Whack at the thing with a heavy knife, in sort of a square around the top, then turn the knife over and whack really hard with the back of the blade till coconut shavings and water are flying everywhere. Now the top should come off. Pour the water into a blender, scoop out the meat/jelly depending on how old the coconut is. Add vanilla, stevia and sometimes pumpkin pie spice to taste. Blend and slurp!
This is what it will look like after all the work.
Seriously, it may sound like a weird thing, but it is so good I have to hide from the husband while drinking it or it might get usurped!
And speaking of which, if only I could get him moving we could get upstate and get cooking. Literally. We have to take down the garden this weekend and harvest the basil. Pesto time! And I think a blustery fall day in the mountains may call for a batch of my hearty beet borscht with horseradish macadamia cream, a vegetarian dish even my carnivorous husband enjoys. Wonder of wonders.
Question of the day: What's your favorite warming fall dish? Does your whole family love it, or do they just think you're weird?
Wheeee! I did a sweaty and focused primary, cheated and tacked on half of second and one pose of third, then did long long finishing. Ok, I did the shortest of all savasanas. I had a coconut shake chillin' in the fridge and couldn't wait to get to it, but other than that I stayed pretty true to the program. So, maybe I am growing up a little! If I know I can get some steady instruction many days of the week, one day on my own may actually be nice. I did an hour and a half of practice with no travel time, no flooded F train and no rush hour commute. Now that doesn't suck!
And now a word on coconut smoothies. They are one of the best breakfasts ever. Smooth, creamy, rich, satisfying, and totally healthy. Interestingly, young thai coconuts are totally balanced from an Ayurvedic perspective. The water is cooling and cleansing while the meat is grounding and warming, so together they make a good meal for any dosha. Also, and now I'm just justifying the addiction perhaps, they're said to be amazingly high in potassium and electrolytes, they've got healthy medium chain fatty acids in the meat, and great protein to boot. What can beat that?
To make, shave off the spongy white part on the top of the young coconut. Whack at the thing with a heavy knife, in sort of a square around the top, then turn the knife over and whack really hard with the back of the blade till coconut shavings and water are flying everywhere. Now the top should come off. Pour the water into a blender, scoop out the meat/jelly depending on how old the coconut is. Add vanilla, stevia and sometimes pumpkin pie spice to taste. Blend and slurp!
This is what it will look like after all the work.
Seriously, it may sound like a weird thing, but it is so good I have to hide from the husband while drinking it or it might get usurped!
And speaking of which, if only I could get him moving we could get upstate and get cooking. Literally. We have to take down the garden this weekend and harvest the basil. Pesto time! And I think a blustery fall day in the mountains may call for a batch of my hearty beet borscht with horseradish macadamia cream, a vegetarian dish even my carnivorous husband enjoys. Wonder of wonders.
Question of the day: What's your favorite warming fall dish? Does your whole family love it, or do they just think you're weird?
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