"Food"/Food/Local Food.

We are a nation of very very sick people. This can be traced directly to what and how we eat. There are foods that are so processed they are mere shells of the foods they attempt to imitate.

I learned a while back that if you were to consume a fast food burger you are eating the beef from over 100 different (mistreated, abused, miserable, sad) cows. How odd is that? I find it absolutely repulsive.

 Most people know that fast food and healthy aren't synonymous. Even the industry that created big Ag knows this and as trends have dictated even made attempts to green-wash with nifty salads and healthier options (GMO apple slices? RBGH infused milk and dairy? Ugh, no thank you). And for those who eat fast food as a necessity I will say that it is better than supersizing or getting fries with "that". But if you opt to eat at a fast food or chain restaurant you are getting father and farther away from eating real food. If it came out of a package and you can eat it in a year, it's not real food. If it's got ingredients in it that your grandmother or mother (depending on how old you are) would not recognize, it's not real food. If it's diet/lite/now with more/less or has BHT/MSG or aspartame/splenda/HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, and food coloring- it's almost certain to have been the brain child of Monsanto, Dow or another biotech company that also makes poisons. They made nerve gas during all of the World Wars and the Vietnam conflict; but now we let them MAKE THINGS WE EAT. Sorry, but thats just fucking stupid.

But lets get to the good stuff.

One of my food gurus, and favorite author, Michael Pollan has inspired my passion for real food.
This quote of his makes me extremely happy:

“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't. ” 

Such a simple and yet complicated way to approach food.

Because how can we slow food down in a world where everything is being made faster and bigger and NOWOMGWTFBBQ?!!!!!!

Well, thankfully there is a burgeoning local food movement growing across the country. Along with it a slow foods movement as well. How many cities now have regular farmers markets? This connects people to their farmers, their local artisan butchers, bakers and yes, candle stick makers. These crafted foods and goods are made everyday by people in your local communities. Local can be vague and there are often debates as to "what s local?", but ideally you'd think in your state or within 100 to 200 miles of where you live; but it varies. Just know that local is not a bag of Tyson chicken nuggets, or a box of Wheaties.

When you purchase a fresh item, it isn't going to have the same industrial, mechanized lovelessness in the final product. There is a person on the other side of the jar of pickles who has a story. And there is a soul. When you have a product with soul it helps to ignite yours. The first time I had an apple grown 80 miles from my house, I got pretty psyched. And then when I went out east to pick them myself there many years ago, there was something of a romance ignited. Now my day dreams have me in Cutchogue Long Island at Sang Lee farms. I have a constant vision to one day own a small patch of farm land on Long Island to mirror this particular farm(seriously, if you haven't gone out on the North Fork of Long Island you are missing out! Apples and pumpkins, flowers, wine, goat cheese and a huge lavender farm!!).

But if you aren't near the North Fork of Long Island, buying local is  as simple as going to a mom and pop bakery for a cake instead of a supermarket. Or getting a bike from an independent store and not a big box chain like WalMart. When you do this- you are helping to support a family, and your local economy. You keep the big guys from running the little guys out of town. The thought of a desolate nation filled with strip malls and drive throughs is maudlin to say the least. Who really wants that? Not I. And I hope my kid doesn't ever have to endure the garbage that is inside a 'happy meal'.

One of the reasons why I am optimistic about the local foods movement, is because I have been lucky enough to watch an awesome friend of mine help it thrive in New York. His name is Martin Butts (click this link to see this dude in action. He's just the bees knees!) and he's the go to guy for local food/product producers in CNY (Central New York State). I interviewed him to get an idea of his perspective on local foods, and some insight on how others can find local products and foods.
*Marty's answers are in bold

1) Why is local important?

For me eating local is important because there's so many reasons it's important. If you're concerned about your local economy, your health, the environment, workers rights, you can make a choice that reflects that and you can see the impacts your choices are having. 2) 

2)What is the easiest way for a person to find local foods?

I tell everyone whether they're a consumer looking for locally grown, a chef trying to localize their menu, or a grocer trying to get more local stiff on their shelf the same thing. Start at the farmers market. As you get to know farmers and producers there, you'll figure out where else you can find what you're looking for. 

3)What inspired you to get involved with food in this way?

I started working in food kind of by accident. The food co-op where I started working was in my neighborhood (I had been riding my bike 10 miles each way to my previous job). While I was working there, I started to connect with my community in a way I hadn't been able to before, and I started to see the greater impacts my choices were having. 

There wasn't any one thing, it was kind of a slow release "Aha moment". I can say that Jennifer Baskerville-Burros (a local food advocate who used to live in Syracuse) and her blog "Cookin' in the Cuse" really got me digging deeper into my local food system.

4) What is your favorite local to you food?

Boy that's a tough one. I grew up spending a few months a year with a family in Buffalo, NY and chicken wings will always have a special place in my heart. I'm always proud to see "Turkey Joints" on a shelf. Right now, I'm a little obsessed with Main Street Farms out of Homer, NY. They're an aquaponics operation that runs a CSA and is trying to grow food in city centers. What they're doing is cutting edge, sustainable, and they have a focus on making food affordable for folks living in neighborhoods that have access issues.

For more information about what it is that Marty does, check out his website, http://www.iamsmallpotatoes.com/. 

There are so many facets to local foods and products and concepts. It's not a one dimensional topic as you can see from the information Marty shared. But it's great to know that there are so many opportunities for us all to connect with what it means to eat locally. We all have an impact on our communities and it is dictated by our choices in the same way that what we choose to eat has an impact on our health and well being. 

 

Yogi life

A long time ago I had to choose a class for a gym credit at Queensborough Community College. And that is how I became a yogi.

Of course at the time I thought that it was a glorified nap time, and I would just show up in sweats and curl up on my mat and that'd be that.
There was no way for me to know that the hour and 15 min I spent once a week in that sweaty annex in QCC would be life changing.

I never really had any ideas about yoga aside from thinking about yogurt every time I saw the word. No really, I did and honestly still do.
So what happened next was amazing. Actually the next two things were amazing. First amazing thing? I showed up. In those days I wasn't prioritizing my education to put it gently. In lay mans terms I was fucking shit up seven ways to Sunday. Until that day that I showed up.

To be frank, I couldn't tell you the instructors name for a million dollars. But she was old, round and flowed like a spring breeze through a meadow of flowers. Her strength that carried her through an enviable on all levels practice impressed me enough to do my best.

BOOM! I fell in love with yoga. Perhaps it was the gentle flow of my own practice, and the innate ability for my body to go from down dog to plank- and then the clumsy "hop up to the top of the mat" that makes me smile everysingletime...That was 15 years ago.

My practice is still sporadic, but over the past ALMOST HALF OF MY LIFE I have taken with me the knowledge that yoga isn't always about the asana (position). It's a spirit of love, it's Namaste (recognizing the light, divinity that resides in you, resides in your fellow Earth dwellers) incarnate. It is how you flow through life, and not just how you flow through a vinyasa that is your yoga practice.
Since having my son, getting time on the mat is precious and rare. The time away has taken a toll on my once impressive strength and balance. So when I waiver, I smile and remind myself- that it's ok. On the mat I'm in love with my soul. I'm in love with myself. By giving myself that love, I can radiate it out to others. I dedicate my practice to the lost and hurting. Almost every time. Sometimes that means me, or a friend, or sometimes it's a general contribution to the love out there.

I'm excited to carve more time out for my practice and look forward with anticipation to grow within it.

I've been lucky enough to practice in some great studios, in addition to my home practice. The last really exciting classes for me were in Queens, where one of the most lovely classes were taught by my friend Sarah. She was gracious enough to answer some questions for me and I'd like to share them here. I'm going to put her answers in bold.

1) When did you begin practicing yoga? Do you remember your first class?

I feel like I always knew about yoga somehow. 
It was always something that interested me long before I even know what it really was. But my first experience with the practice was in high school. When an older friend came back from college on a break and taught me a sun salutation and seated forward fold. I was totally drawn in. I came back to yoga in college and then stated a real regular practice in 2008 when a patient of mine recommended Vitality studio. After 3 years of regular practice there I went though teacher training and started teaching immediately after.



2) What do you think is the biggest misconception about yoga?

I have found that a common misconception about yoga is that it's a) girly or b) not challenging. Once a person takes their first class both of those misconceptions get blown out of the water! I find that many people are misinformed that way. Then there is always the misconception that yoga is only a set of physical postures. I thought that too, until teacher training. That's really when I learned about the entire philosophy that yoga is a part of.

3) What would you say to somebody who says "I'm bad at Yoga"?

I would say there is no such thing, and maybe they've just not found the right teacher or style. When you enter the yoga practice, the options are endless. So many styles, so many forms.

4) How has yoga changed/inspired you?

Self awareness, self awareness, self awareness. The practice shows you your patterns of thought, behavior and living.You naturally start to sort out the patterns that you wish to continue and those you wish to stop because of the positive or negative impact they have on your life and the world. Regular practice has made me want to make better choices for my body too, in terms of nutrition and exercise.

5) Favorite asana/sequence?

I think about this a lot actually...If I was told I could only practice 3 yoga poses for the rest of my life and nothing else, I would have to pick anjaneyasana (a.k.a. the low lunge or crescent lunge) because you can vary it so many ways to get a backbend, shoulder stretch, hip stretch and/or side body stretch. Trikonasana (a.k.a. triangle pose) I just love the pose and feel like it softens all my tension. And supta baddha konasana (a.k.a. reclined bound angle or butterfly pose) because it's the ultimate way to relax, unwind, calm down and open up all at the same time. 

I would like to thank Sarah, an amazing yogi, teacher and friend- for allowing me to share her insight with you.

And I will close this blog post with an ::::::::::::OM::::::::::::      .




Namaste :).

Hemp...Not just for Hippies anymore!

Once upon a time, in a land far far away there was a magical plant.
This plant could be used for almost anything. Food, building materials, fuel, paper, animal feed and bedding, rope, fabric, and medicine.

Oh, wait- that wasn't far far away and it wasn't once upon a time. It's here and now- and that magical plant is HEMP. Hemp has been cultivated by man for a millennia, and is able to thrive almost everywhere on the planet. Because of it's relation to marijuana (cannabis sativa/indica...) it's been given a scarlet letter and a totally undeserved terrible reputation. The medicinal properties of cannabis are far and away undersold in our modern allopathic minded society. It's an absolute shame and disgrace that the initiatives to utilize this plants healing properties are slow going or not at all. And hemp and it's psychedelic counter culture cousin are cast into the same category as heroin and cocaine. Which were all medicinal at some point in history.

But I digress; I'm going to discuss it's nutritional benefits for now.

Personally I like to put hemp seeds on and in anything I possibly can. Partially because the seeds are really crunchy and they're so nutritionally dense it'd be silly NOT to! How healthy are these seeds? Well lets just say that you get minerals like iron and calcium...a balance of omega 3-6-9, and fiber! And protein too. I think those who don't eat meat and need some great plant based protein would benefit from adding hemp seeds to oatmeal, yogurts, smoothies. Or you can just eat them. I've spilled seeds while pouring them right into my mouth like a beast. I have no shame, I'm a total eat-right-out-of-the-bag kind of girl. Whatever. Like you've never done that. My favorite use of hemp seeds are to put them in my salads and smoothies.

Oh, so those who consume hemp seeds have reported incredible benefits like lowered blood pressure, and because of those fabulous omega fatty acids all up in there- radiant glowing skin and beautiful lustrous hair. Omegas are also important for brain health so there's that also.
Not too shabby.
But wait- There's more!
Now don't quote me because it's not "FDA approved", but hemp seed have plant sterols, antioxidants and solid fiber that have been known to help you control your appetite (fiber helps you feel full longer- remember from my smoothie vs. juice entry?), which aids in weight loss.

Pretty awesome right?

You can also make (or buy) hemp milk, you can sprout hemp seeds and throw them into salads (I'm waiting for an amazon order of my raw hemp seeds to come in so I can sprout them...I'm super psyched to add these to my gargantuan salads!) or onto a sandwich, and hemp oil is great for dressings, in healing tonics and elixirs, and I've just used it in place of olive oil in some capacities.


Hemp is a very nutrient dense seed- throw it into everything and you will be happy that you did! The health benefits are solid- and contrary to what people might assume- hemp will not get you high.
But you will feel awesome.

I LOVE BEE VOMIT!

Because as you know, honey is bee vomit.

And I LOVE honey!

Why do I need to always be so crass? Because that's just how I roll. That's just how I roll.

So yes, my Winnie the Pooh-like affinity for honey.

It's amazing stuff. While it is one of the most gloriously sweet and wonderful substances I've ever had the pleasure of consuming...it has historically been used in medicine since, well, pretty much the dawn of man. There are countless ailments for which it is considered to aid in remedying. Circulation, infection (as it has anti-biotic properties), digestion, respiratory, and can nourish your skin from the outside in.

Obviously one of the most common ways we use honey is for oral consumption. I put it in everything from tea, salad dressings, to parfaits, marinades and sometimes- sometimes...I'll just eat some off a spoon. Not a lot, as the sweetness sometimes is too much to bear...but just enough to make me dizzyingly- and gloriously thankful for the tiny-fuzzy-noble honey bee.

 I'll pontificate about my adoration for bees now...

Did you know bees are responsible for over 75% of the produce we see in our supermarkets? They are the humble drones that flit and flutter about between blossoms pollinating our plants. It's a known saying "once the bees die, so will we". I don't doubt this for a moment. We are so interconnected (we being all the creatures on this beautiful blue marble flying through space) and rely so heavily on one another for survival. Which is why we need to do something.

And this amazing creature is up against the clock.
With the rise in use, and abuse of pesticides our black and yellow winged partners in life are having a hard time. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) which is being linked to pesticides. NO BUENO! Pesticides are not helpful to us for a multitude of reasons (that I will get into another time possibly). But really what needs to happen needs to start at a grass roots level. It's up to us- the conscientious individuals- to save the bees. In doing so we will be saving ourselves.

With huge companies like Monsanto, and Bayer using their billions of dollars to slowly cripple industries that help and heal- the many millions and billions of mindful inhabitants of this planet can each do their part to help the survival of one of the most incredible creatures.

HOW though? Well, to start- plant bee friendly plants. Some of those include the following:
Clover
Dandelions  (NOT A WEED!! STOP KILLING THEM! THEY'RE MEDICINAL!)
Marigolds
Poppies
Sunflowers
Zinnias  (Apropos of nothing, my most favorite flower...)
Clematis
Cosmos
Crocuses
Dahlias
Echinacea (a great medicinal herb to have growing too!)
English Ivy
Foxglove
Geraniums
Hollyhocks
Hyacinth

And MILKWEED! Milkweed is a great flower that bees love! If you plant anything to make your yard a haven for our friend the honey bee, this is the one.

I have some friends who are bee keepers and plan on interviewing them in the coming weeks to share some information about what it entails. Hopefully it will inspire some people to take it up as a hobby, or who knows- maybe even a profession. One day I'd love to have a space to have a few hives of my own.

* * * * *

BEE POLLEN

I'm obsessed with bee pollen. It's basically pollen, stuck together with honey. It's got tons of protein and amino acids. And for those who have holistic inclinations- it's known to remedy fertility issues, circulation (like honey), immunity, allergies and craving cessation. It's absolutely a superfood because of how amazing the health benefits are.

Some of the best ways to eat it are strait up off a spoon (it's got a funky, weird taste at first- I've still not mastered the art of eating it this way...) and mixed into a smoothie, juice (I try to pulverize it so it is more of a powder and easy to blend it in) or some yogurt.

This spring as so many of us will begin to start our gardens (more on details of my attempt to do so in another entry...) please don't shoo away our closest ally, and noblest flying friend. Remember, it is bees who are the only creature on this planet who actively make something that we desire, and serve a greater purpose than we can fathom.



“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” 
― Henry David Thoreau

Body Shots

Honest to goodness, I have no idea how many times I've made self depreciating comments about my body.

Even as a child I knew that I was not your average skinny girl.

My mother never made comments, and the few well meaning comments from one of my grandfather never held water- as he was always heavy since I can remember.
But I was no older than seven years old when I noticed that I had a belly. It was right before my parents were going to take my brother and I to have our photos taken. My mom bought me this super cute peachy parrot top and jungle shorts. It was a really great outfit. But I clear as day remember looking down at my belly as it was rounded out a bit over my shorts. I didn't realize it then, but that was a catalytic moment in my life, it was the first time that I was aware of how my belly looked in what I was wearing. No child should ever be made to feel self conscious, and about their body no less. But there I was in that moment...analyzing my cute tummy, and sucking it in. I looked in the mirror and sucked my tummy in to see what I would look like if it were flat. And in that moment my life long Achilles heel was born. Fuck.

Nothing ruins a childhood like being chubby, and having low self esteem. Thank the Lord above and all things good and holy that despite knowing I was chubby- I also knew I was abso-fucking-lutely awesome. My parents instilled in me many qualities. Thankfully a solid sense of self, sense of compassion, and sense of humor were some of them. Not only was I able to skate through childhood and adolescence with minimal to no (well, nothing memorable) bullying...I was often befriended the bullied weirdos and helped integrate them into some social groups. Not the cool kids though. Ugh- I loathed the idea of being cool or popular. That meant that you blended in. And I knew even then that is a fate worse than death to a creative soul.
But back to my being fat.

I'd make comments about myself jokingly before anyone else could so that it'd diffuse any attempts at getting me in my weak under-belly (pun intended). My defense mechanism was (and is) humor and light-heartedness.

Flash forward to now. I sit nearing my 33rd trip around the sun and after a baby, some mega weight losses and gains in that period of time- typing this blog entry in the glow of a borrowed MAC computer looking down at my still rounded belly.

To some extent we've made peace. This belly hides a pretty strong core. This belly carried life. This belly carried me through life.
And even at my skinniest I had it. My soft, round and warm fleshy belly.
No man has ever denied me because of it, well, no man that I'd have would. And if anyone were to eat me after a plane crash I'm sure I'd be tasty because we all know that fat equals flavor.

I have to work hard to lose weight, and I have to work harder to lose the noise in my head that sounds like criticism coming from myself. No more shots at my belly, or the other parts of my body.

This phase in my life isn't about me enough for me to beat myself up. I have a family to care for, a child that I feed from the body I grew him in (yeah, that's right I'm a goddamn life giving goddess bitches!). So I will make sure to nourish this body. And I will make sure to keep this body strong, and able. I will make sure to love this body because it is a curvy, swervey pretty sweet machine.

You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body. And it's where your soul lives.

(Some semblance of that quote has been attributed to C.S. Lewis but it's been refuted. So I modified it to suit my needs)

The whole point of this is to send a message of self acceptance. We all have things about ourselves we don't love- but if it's something that we can't change, it's something we will have to come to terms with.


* * * * * * *

Smoothies vs. Juicing

"Where do you stand on smoothies versus juice?"

Nobody has actually asked me this. WHY NOT?! I'm so prepared to answer this!!

Lets start with smoothies.

Smoothies can be an amazing and quick way to get nutrition; a meal on the go. They can be a simple water mixed with protein- or you can have fruits and veggies blended with your favorite milk (dairy or otherwise). They can also be glorified milkshakes. If you aren't a body builder the 900 calorie peanut butter and mega builder protein shake is not for you by the way.

Ideally a smoothie should have enough protein, fat and fiber to keep you full. I try to keep it limited to no more than 4 ingredients, plus a protein or green (or BOTH if I'm feeling it) powder for a nutrition boost.
My favorite smoothie is half a banana, kale, berries and coconut water or milk and a handful of chia seeds. However the combinations are endless. Anything that you can juice, you can put into a smoothie. The only limitations are really the power of your blender and making sure you have enough liquid. I wouldn't suggest a beet in a blender unless you have a *Vitamix* (swoon...I want one SO badly. When I see a friend with one I have major blender envy). But aside from heavier root veggies most juiceable items can be blended.

What fantastic about smoothies is you get the WHOLE fruit or vegetable. You benefit from not just the quick enzymes and phytonutrients- you also get the fiber! That added bulk is beneficial for digestion and will keep you fuller longer.

Sometimes I like to make a smoothie to replace dessert. It helps with a chocolate craving (cacao nibs anyone?), and will keep me full for a remainder of an evening. Half a banana, cacao and some almond milk and greens powder is not only a nutritional booster- but really delicious.

And then there is juicing. But then there is the amazing quantity of enzymes, vitamins and nutrients you can consume from juicing. You can feasibly consume the nutritional value in a whole beet, 5 carrots a cup of kale and four stalks of celery in one very big juice. The odds of eating that many vegetables in a sitting or even a day is not common for most people. You get a lot of bang for your buck.

And again you have an amazing number of combinations for juice. There are endless health boosting properties to consuming a large amount of vegetables via juice. In the times when I juice frequently my skin is radiant, my hair shinier, and I feel happier overall. There is a feeling of lightness that comes with drinking in nutrients that you body can readily absorb.
I try to make really unique and tasty combinations. I think it's important to vary your combinations the way you would vary your own diet- though there are components to every juice I keep the same. Three to be exact. I always like to include one or all of the following:
1) turmeric (fresh if I can, dried powder is great too)
2) fresh ginger (If you buy a lot of it, it keeps really well in the freezer and you can break off chunks as you need it)
3) a clove of raw garlic

* Fun fact: both turmeric and ginger are distantly related rhizomes. A rhizome is a plant that has it's stem and root system primarily underground.

So I like to have a combination of fruits and veggies to keep a balance and variety of nutrients. I'm a fan of apples, beets and carrots (ABC juice!), and then any green veggie, along with my buddies turmeric ginger and garlic.

Where does that leave us in this versus battle between juiced fruits and veggies and smoothies?

Sigh.


Dammit how can I choooooooose?!

I won't. Ha! I won't choose. Because there is a time and a place for both. Aside from personal preference there really isn't one that is better than the other. I think it's amazing how versatile both approaches to healthy eating are.

What are your favorite smoothie/juice combinations?

Cuckoo for Coconut Oil!

The health food/natural industry is extremely susceptible to fads. 

Very often the promise of losing weight, better skin- the Fountain of Youth!, are all waiting in a bottle of the hottest super food. I'm not sure it started with green tea, or acai...but between now and then we have a population that is starting to recognize the importance of health and wellness, even if it's because initially they think it'll be a quick fix. 

Over the past few years doctors began to realize that not all fats are created equal. Begin the re-introduction of healthy good fats! Between olive oil being used since the beginning of time, to avocados and nuts - fat is more accepted than ever. 

Fat will improve brain function, skin, hair, nails- it seems that eating fat will help keep you smart and beautiful! Look at a walnut! Walnuts are packed full of Omega 3's which help with brain function and they LOOK LIKE A BRAIN!

I've spent a great deal of time walking natural food stores- and oils are always welcome. While in sales there was never a buyer who said "no, we don't sell ____ oil well". Most recently I managed a store and we had 6+ different kinds of coconut oil, then pumpkin seed oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil. Olive oils from every corner of the globe...Fat is no longer the foe that it had once been.

And this brings me to coconut oil.

Initially coconut oil was villainized due to being one of the highest sources of saturated fat. As it turns out due to the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil, your liver is the first to process them and your body can then convert the oil into quick energy via ketosis.

Coconut oil is also anti-microbial. This is due to the content of lauric acid which becomes monolaurin in your body and monolaurin kills bad bacteria and viruses. Amazing right?

I will quickly mention before I talk about my favorite ways of using coconut oil that it also balances good/bad cholesterol and helps with weight loss (fat is more satisfying, plus its abdominal fat that tends to be lost!).

So ok, a jar of coconut oil (16oz) lasts me about a month, and I buy two at a time. One for my kitchen and one for my bathroom/bedroom to use topically. Seriously it's the best moisturizer I've used- ever! You'd initially think "oil? wont that clog pores?" The answer is a resounding NO! Your thirsty skin drinks it up after a few minutes (wait- just don't use too much!). It will help with blemishes, dry patches...and nourish you from the outside in! I also use coconut oil for deep conditioning (often with my other favorite fat, avocado!) my scalp and hair. Just rinse it off well...if you have naturally oily hair this might not be a treatment for you. 

When it comes to culinary applications the options are limitless! I use coconut the same way you'd use butter. Or any oil really. While there is sometimes a faint coconut flavor, it's subtle and pairs nicely with everything.

When buying coconut oil it's important to get organic, virgin, cold-pressed and hexane free. Hexane is a solvent used to extract oils from seeds and nuts. It's made from crude oil and is toxic. 

Do you love coconut oil too? Whats your favorite way to integrate it into your life?

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Today I wrote this blog between sipping on lemon water, and songs during my dance party with my son. His favorite song was 'Limbo Rock' by Chubby Checker!

Keep reading guys! I'm interviewing some interesting people over the next few weeks!

 

Here's the deal...

So here's the deal.

I'm a new mom, an artist, and for those who know me, slightly obsessed with food, health and wellness and all that those things entail. I've lived a natural lifestyle for almost 10 years and haven't looked back. I've been practicing yoga for almost 15 years, and while there are times that I am more focused on it than others, the mat is my home and it's where I can always find my balance- even when I can't actually balance.

There are many topics I'm extremely passionate about so some posts will be more intense than others. Some might just be photos of me doing a headstand, an art project or what I've made for dinner.

Actually there will probably be a lot of food pictures.

I'd love to have (kind, respectful) diologue in the comments section about any and all of this too, so please don't be shy!

* * * * *

Want to know a secret? I had two cupcakes (homemade sized ones not those gargantuan 'Crumbs' beast sized cupcakes!) for breakfast. They were no ordinary cupcakes though. They were these amazing, deep chocolate paleo cupcakes. Now I don't adhere to a paleo diet- but it's perfect for my endeavor of eliminating white flour from my diet. More on that another time.
The cupcakes were frosted with an amazing coconut cream ganache icing.
Now I will be the first to admit this is not the healthiest diet that I have ever consumed...but they are probably healthier than the average breakfast.
Made with all organic and whole ingredients- no white flour as mentioned- and a ton of love...these bad boys are a life saver for a girl who has a tendency to eat her feelings.

What is your favorite not-healthy breakfast?