These are a few of my favorite: CLEAN FOODS

Oh food, how I love thee...let me count the calories- uh, I mean ways.

I've been paying attention to whats in my food for a pretty long time now. First it was just to measure calories, and fat. 

Little did I know that would lead to checking portion sizes, and how much sodium, and nutritional value. It was a slippery slope. But I managed to find amazing foods, that are clean (you know, not filled with garbage that will make your body work harder to digest, cause inflammation or dis-ease/disease) but also really delicious. But it all started with paying attention, combined with my love of food and eating it.

Now let me say that most of the foods I eat are clean,whole and unprocessed (meaning they haven't been broken down, and put back together combined with chemicals and garbage...like an apple, or a banana). But there are some really great foods that, while they do come out of a package, are made with integrity and respect for the ingredients, the nutritional value, and the impact on the environment from which the ingredients came. 

So here is a list (and links to their websites! If you read, or watch the videos you can see examples of how loving and gentle these companies are. A total contrast to vile, evil large mega conglomerate corporations that make "food" ) of my most favorite clean foods:

1) Mary's Gone Crackers 

These crackers are Vegan, Organic, Gluten-free. Oh, and flippin' delicious. Seriously, when I was pregnant I would have days where I ate a whole box. And you know what? It didn't matter because they are super chock full of good for you, whole, mindfully procured ingredients. All of which are easy to pronounce, and can be found in nature! Impressive! Even more impressive is that there is a woman named Mary, who created these cookies, and is still a part of the company today. No selling out. It's nice to see companies like that.

2) Hilary's Eat Well

Veggie burgers are not all created equal. I've had some atrocious veggie burgers in my day. Between 3 years of vegetarianism/veganism and a few other spurts here and there- the horrible examples of faux meat, or mushy, soggy, tasteless or too salty patties I've eaten is sad. 

And then there was Hilary's Eat Well. (cue the angels singing!)

These are no ordinary veggie burgers. These are crispy, flavorful, and dare I say- delicious patties. I love to eat them plain- over some greens, or chopped up and thrown into an omelet. Make no mistake, you will enjoy eating anything this company makes. There are 5 varieties of burgers, and veggie bites. All of them satisfying and tasty. 

3) Perfect [foods] Bar

The name used to be 'The Perfect Foods Bar', and that has since changed. This is a family started, owned and operated company based out of San Diego. They make delicious nutrition bars for people who are on the go, lead an active lifestyle, or anyone who wants a nutrient dense snack. They come in a multiple flavors-  but good old peanut butter is my favorite. Lots of protein, vitamins and nutrients. Being a mom who can't take too much time for meals- these are perfect for when I want to run errands with my little one. 

4) Way Better Chips

Fiber? Check. Protein? Check. Clean, whole tasty ingredients? Check. 

Where do I even begin with these chips? Dude. I have shared these with many people...and while I was managing a health food store, I got the whole team addicted! And customers too! We at one point were ordering pallets of these! My favorite flavor is the Sweet Chili- it's sweet, it's spicy- perfectly balanced. And not to sound like a dork- but they're like healthy Doritos. But, you know, WAY BETTER! (My inner fat girl misses some of her junky vices. But believe me, it's been quite some time since I slummed it eating convenience store repast...)

5) Penta Water

If I had a million dollars, one of the very first things I would buy is the most intensely purifying water filtration systems money could buy. Yes, this is kind of lame...but if it could get my water to be as perfect and crisp, and well, awesome as Penta water is- well, then that'd be just fine with me.

Some water is just difficult to drink. I can't drink Evian. It's dry. And Fiji is not ethical. And some water comes from companies who have CEOS that are maniacal sociopaths. Like Nestle (I boycott the shit out of this vile, gross company. They make more than chocolate chips though- check the package for this logo and you'll know the make it.)

Oh, so my point is, PENTA WATER IS THE BEST WATER you can buy! 

6) Harmless Harvest Coconut Water

I can't say enough about this coconut water. There definitely are differences in taste depending on where the coconuts are grown. This particular company is mindful of how they harvest the coconuts and the indigenous people. I love when companies have a conscious. 

7) Applegate Farms

Lookit, I know that in a perfect world we would all be vegans and all living creatures served the same purpose- to love, live and love some more. But as a human being- an omnivorous  one at that, I eat meat. There were times in my life where I didn't, and I wasn't healthy despite proper balancing of supplements. I digress...Applegate farms meats and cheeses are top notch. They are minimally processed, no added nitrates or preservatives. Their dairy is no RGBH, and all their animals have just one bad day...ifyouknowwhatimean. 

8) Trader Joe's organic Tunisian Olive Oil

It's just delicious. The flavor is unparalleled to anything I've ever had- with one exception. My dear friend and fellow blogger (http://www.theglobetrottinggamine.blogspot.com/) is married to a man who's family is from Kalamata, Greece. THAT is the best olive oil I've ever had. But it's not available to me right now.
TJ's is know for having some pretty great stuff, at a great price. I'm a fan of that sometimes. This olive oil is that sometime. It's amazing drizzled over hummus, on some veggies. I've made dressings out of it with just the tiniest bit of lemon to compliment it. And we all know that the health benefits of cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil are immense right? Right.

9) Go Raw

As a sales representative for countless products in the natural and organic food world- I have had the pleasure to sample and enjoy many incredible brands and their fantastic products.
One of them is Go Raw. Their line of raw, sprouted, organic, vegan, gluten free flax snax, bars, cookies, granolas and new coconut chips are top notch! While I was on the road I always had a bag or three of various treats in case I found myself in traffic. They have a satisfying crunch- and tons of nutritional value packed into each bite! Sprouted seeds are easier to digest, and allow your body to reap the benefits of the enzymes as they are more bioavailable.
My personal favorite right now are the lime-coconut chips, spicy flax snax since forever, and of course the sprouted pumpkin seed bar. Try them! They're so good!

10) Navitas Naturals

Holy health foods Batman! Since I was a little girl, my mom always had healthy options in the house. Never a junky snack (um, until my brother who was a skinny little thing was old enough to ask for them...) was to be found in my house. My apricots were dark brown, and we ate lots of sunflower seeds, natural fruit leathers...etc. Flash forward to my nutritional renaissance and I now revel in a good healthy snack like the ones I can make with Navitas Naturals goodies. I love their cacao nibs (the sweetened ones are INSANELY YUMMY. I've eaten them by the handful. It's a special treat I don't often indulge in because it's habit forming. I could probably eat a bag a day!), goji berries, golden berries(Inca berries), dragon fruit, and pretty much everything else. They make pre-made trail mixes with mulberries, gojis and cashews, energy chunk bars, freeze dried wheat grass which is great to add to smoothies, homemade energy and snack bars.


I'm always so happy to eat these foods. And meet my condition of being healthy and nutritious. A few years ago I made it a point to be conditional with the foods I eat. If the foods meet the condition of being nutritious in some capacity I'll eat it. Most foods are nurturing to some extent you know? But if the calories are empty, the food is highly processed, artificially colored/flavored they won't make the cut. The occasions I've had something junky, my body did not respond well.

What are your favorite clean foods?

Adaptogenic Plants

So what is an adaptogenic plant you ask?

Well, an adaptogenic plant helps restore balance to, and protect the body.
Some are quite popular and you've probably heard of them before. Some are so common that they are in things like teas, and sold at bodegas! (For those who don't know, a bodega is a corner store in NYC) They might be roots, leaves, berries or bark.

I'll list a few that are fairly common, and a few you may or may not have heard of.

- American (There is Panax and Korean varieties!) Ginseng:
You may have seen Arizona Iced Tea with Ginseng. Or those weird tinctures sold at the counter of some bodegas in NYC. I used to wonder what the hell they were- and then I saw that the majority of people buying them were older, and male. They say that it's great for, uh- virility. I did some research and it's also used for immune boosting, and respiratory conditions. Helps with jet lag and helps boost energy. The other varietals are intense and tend to make some people who might be sensitive to it, jittery.

Cordyceps Mushrooms: Oh goodness me, these are some potent fungi. They're not only incredible for circulation, but they are known to be anti tumor  and anti leukemic, with benefits for the cardiovascular system.

Rhodiola: Women will often take rhodiola for infertility, both sexes can take it to relieve depression, anxiety, and weakness.

And the next few are ones I've personally used and benefited from.

Holy Basil, a.k.a. Tulsi:
WOW! So I love holy basil. I've taken liquid capsules of holy basil during some very trying times in my life. It is known to relieve stress and elevate ones spirit and mood. There is a pretty impressive list of other uses too- regulating blood sugar, balancing hormones, heart health, lung health and immune support just to name a few. And it works! It's in the same family as mint, and the sweet basil that one would cook with. Let me reiterate, I LOVE HOLY BASIL!

Tulsi is also WONDERFUL! Ha, if I were to say this to you, I'd be shouting about it joyfully. Because it's true. I often drink Tulsi (My favorite brand is Organic India) tea for the calm, but potent energy boost it gives.

Ashwaganda: Ashwaganda is a very popular herb used in Ayurveda. What is Ayurveda? Short version- It is a holistic approach to health and wellness, and the balancing of body composition determined by certain health issues and predispositions that started in India.
So I've used ashwaganda to help me balance my hormones. I think that it worked, however I will say that I was also in the process of altering my lifestyle greatly when I used it so I can't say for certain that it was the ashwaganda or not. What I can say is that it certainly didn't hurt the cause. Oh, so it can also be used for it's ability to help the used focus, relieve anxiety and stress, immune support, and ailments that occur normally with age like arthritis, inflammation and sexual issues.

Sea buck thorn: Personally I love sea buck thorn. My favorite brand is Sibu, not because I used to represent them, but because their products are not only AMAZING, but sustainably sourced, and ethically procured. They help create jobs in the regions where they harvest the berries. Really great! Plus they make a myriad of sea buck thorn products that help you nourish your body inside and out.
And here's why you'd want to use/take a sea buck thorn product. These berries are super high in vitamin c, so that will bolster you immune system, they are also high in carotene, saturated and poly saturated fats- all of which nourish your skin. Then the phytonutrients in them are VERY potent antioxidants and are known to reduce inflammation significantly.

So there you have it. A brief look into the world of adaptogens. It's nice to know that there are some natural alternatives to some ailments right in your local health food store!

"Home is wherever I'm with you..."

** Interactive blog**

Make sure to click the links as you come upon them so you can "listen" to the blog. I hope it helps you "feel" the emotions I experienced while writing. Obviously if you don't want to that's cool too.

Right now I'm listening to 'Home' by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I love how my pandora radio stations bring up such great, random songs!
I love this song so much. It's so lovely- and it embodies the sentiment that I feel about anyplace that I've made my home. And I've got many homes.

Home isn't an address, or a building. It's where your heart is. And if you're anything like me, your heart is probably in a million different places.

My parent's live over 1,000 miles from one another, and yet my home will always be where they are.
One of my absolute best friends and favorite person/former roommate lives in California. Across the continent- And yet I know whenever we are together we are both at home.

I left New York after many incarnations of my life there. Childhood, adolescence and my whole up until a year and a half ago adulthood. But with all the friends and family whom I adore and love there- It's always home. Those people are my heart. So as long as they are there, it will be my home.

Currently my sweet husband and I are looking for a new apartment (the song 'Let's Stay Together' by Al Green just came on and it makes me want to drink wine and dance all slow and fierce...but I want to finish this mini-blog, or bloglet if you will. Not like I have wine or will be dancing, I'm going to paint my nails, sit in a bubble bath and pin things on pinterest while my sweet husband watches our son). What a pain in the ass that is right? Trying to find a physical place to turn into a home is not always easy. Sometimes you sacrifice living in a nicer area for a nicer apartment, and usually it seems impossible to find anything that feels like it could be the right place. It can all seem so overwhelming ('Wonderwall' by Oasis flips on. Seriously so perfect!), but I love change. Change is part of growth, for bigger and better things. Everything changes- it's the only constant. I know we will find the right place. And as long as I have my sweet husband, and my son, I'll be home. Because they are my heart, as as I said, that's where the home is right?

Oh, and this:


Dear Universe,

A bright and sunny apartment with a washer/dryer, dishwasher and backyard space so I can garden in a safe, sweet neighborhood, Please!

Thank you in advance!

Love

Sara



OK guys! Send good apartment finding vibes please!!

Meditation

One of my favorite sounds is the hum of a singing bowl. Like the ones you can hear, HERE. The act of playing a singing bowl is a meditation. The sound brings a sense of peace and calm to me.

I try to meditate as often as I can, which isn't as often as I would like. At a point in my life I had a sacred space. A shelf with some figures. One of Buddha, some shells I found on a beach, flowers, some beach glass and my sage. I would burn some sage, do some yoga,  light some of my favorite incense (nag champa), chant my mantra, and then sit quietly and listen to the sound of my breath. Sometimes my mind would wander, once I fell asleep. But occasionally I would find a peaceful calm place where it was just quiet and all I would hear and think about is my breath, and Om mani padme hum. It didn't always last a long time- but the times that this would happen helped me find peace with my self, and really find a love for my being. And I also realized that I am a speck of cosmic dust, here for a blip in the realm of existence. I felt connected to all, and wanted to run around hugging people and singing songs.

Now, I meditate in the car(not while it's on, that's dangerous). In the bathtub. Where ever I am and there is some quiet, and I am alone. I still connect to my breath.
Being a momma in the beginning is not always easy, nor does it readily allow for me to take the time I once did for my peaceful rituals that connected me to my soul. However I look into my son's face and see in his eyes that he is so present. So in the moment. In his laugh I find something so much more special than anything I've experienced on the yoga mat. He's a constant active meditation for me.

Meditation should be simple. It's finding time to listen to your breath. To empty your mind of all thoughts. It really can be anything you'd like though. I have meditated and sent positive thoughts and prayers out to people...it's however you want to mould your energy. The way you wake up and set your intentions, chant a mantra, it's how I like to start my meditation.

There are many mental and physical benefits to meditation. It's obviously relaxing, and can help reduce stress (which contributes to inflammation in the body, which causes dis-ease, which causes disease- you see where I'm going with this?). It can literally aid the body in protecting itself from many ailments like high-blood pressure, and in some way turn on the genes in your body that protect it from degenerative conditions like arthritis, helped balance hormones and improved immunity.

What many people don't realize is that meditation can also aid in creative processes like art, writing, music etc., as well.

A few tips to make meditation easier to incorporate into your life are:

1- Meditate early in the morning. The way you would schedule time to go to the gym, or another appointment, schedule time first thing in the AM to meditate.

2- Listen to a guided meditation. Often if you just sit down, and try to 'Ohm' your way through meditation you'll get bored, fall asleep, or lose focus. You can find a guided meditation online, on you tube, or a podcast.

3- stretch, and sit up straight. It's important to be in a comfortable position, that allows you to be mindful of your breath, be relaxed, but not hunched over.

4- Find a mantra. Many people are given mantras, some people find ones that they connect to.

My mantra is om mani padme hum(ओं मणिपद्मे हूं,). When chanted (click HERE, you won't regret it. And this is the sound of whats almost always going on in my head when it's not filled with bad TV show theme songs, recipes or horrific scenarios for the future dotted with my inner monologue saying "STOP IT!")it is said that the benefits are infinite. Om mani padme hum is the Compassion Buddha mantra and will clean your karma. The eight teachings of Buddha are within this mantra. A path to enlightenment. I even have it tattooed on my wrist! It makes me feel at peace. It allows me to use my every breath as meditation. It allowed my very being to be a walking meditation. Ha, it doesn't always work because I am human, and I have my moments. But since I've adopted this (extremely common) mantra those moments are less and less, and I always find resolution in my soul. Om mani padme hum has brought me peace from within.

I hope to increase my time spent meditating. I'm not sure if I'll be able to find the time I'd like to dedicate to it, but worrying about it defeats the purpose anyway.

I am probiotic. What about you?

Heads up: I kind of discuss poop. If you have problems reading about poop, well, exit- stage right! 

From the articles I've read throughout the years and information I've accrued, it's pretty common knowledge that it is extremely important to maintain the balance of good bacteria in and on our bodies. We are all (this is gross but true, so get over it) walking bacteria colonies. It's been said that there are 10 times more bacterial cells on/in our bodies than actual human cells. Isn't that amazing? And a little gross? Yeah, get over it. We need those amazing micro-organisms to live.

Most of the time these bacteria help us fight off bad bacteria, and keep up going on our way. But sometimes the balance is off and we get infections, or feel icky...

An important part of what our bacterial inhabitants help us with is digestion.

Now I'm not going to get into the actual breakdowns but they help break down our food as we digest it, and then prevent pathogenic infections by populating areas where that could occur in greater numbers. Having a healthy digestive tract relies heavily on proper flora (good bacteria)! When you're sick a combination of a flora imbalance and dehydration will lead to diarrhea. Or constipation. Or bad poops. Yes, all poop is gross- but a bad (extremely freakishly smelly, greasy loose and watery poop is a sign of intestinal distress. You are unbalanced, and dehydrated and probably ate something rank. If that's not the case there could be a more pressing issue like IBS or Chrons disease. VERY important to talk to a medical professional about this. Though I'll just state in my opinion the remedies for these conditions can be arduous and taxing on your body too. There are many natural and healing ways to remedy and aid in these maladies- like a good pro-biotic and aloe...). 

A good poop is just great. You know when you take a good poop because in that moment nothing can bring you down! There's pep in your step. 

Fun fact: A poop that sinks shows you are getting a LOT of veggies and fruit. A poop that floats shows a lot of excess fats. 

We also need a healthy balance in our intestines because our immune system primarily resides in our intestines. Because of that it's important to maintain and nurture the good bacteria in our bodies by supplementing with a probiotic, or eating fermented foods.

I am not a huge fan of dairy being a major staple in a diet as it creates an acidic and damp environment in the human body- however there are exceptions to this. I think that eating a high quality yogurt (plain, Greek or Skyr yogurts or a kefir is great!) is a fine way to get probiotics that help populate your body with good flora. If you're a dairy teetotaler then almond and coconut yogurts are great alternatives. Then there are fermented foods like kombucha (which, over time will help bolster your immunity like whoa!) trending in the health food stratosphere despite blips of controversy regarding alcohol content, Miso (it's easier for your body to digest then straight up soy and has a solid dose of potassium too!)paste, and one of my most favorite- KIMCHI! It's the national dish of Korea, and I can eat it every day. It does make my currently breast-feeding baby gassy so I have to hold off on it, but damn I miss it. There are many other fermented foods that are easy to integrate into your diet...But if yogurt is too difficult for you then I don't know what to tell you.

And of course there are probiotic supplements. Now some will say "50 trillion strains!" or something ridiculous like that. Part of me says to be mindful that there really is no way to know how may strains you are getting. Often if you opt for a supplement pro-biotic opt for one that has a pre-biotic as well. It will help protect the integrity of the supplemental bacteria and ensure you get them in your gut where they belong.

Now if the circumstance arises and you find yourself at a doctors office, and for whatever reason you are given an Rx for an antibiotic, (if you're me you roll your eyes and ask why, and 30 other questions, specifically if you can be given the lowest dosage possible...) make sure to inform them that between doses you intend on taking a probiotic (this is when a supplemental pro-biotic is bad ass!) to maintain the integrity of your intestinal flora. Any doctor that protests needs to check themselves before they wreck themselves. The anti-biotic isn't going to differentiate between the bad bacteria causing a health problem, and the good bacteria fighting them off. This is especially important for the ladies. If you want to keep your parts in good standing make sure you keep up with probiotics.

In my opinion antibiotics are an absolute last resort. There is such a rising rate of antibiotic resistant strains of illnesses because of overuse. Contracting a strain of antibiotic resistant anything will put you through the ringer! I will opt for alternatives before going to the pharmacy any day.

Alternatives to antibiotics are oil of oregano, cinnamon, thyme, clove and many more. They can be blended with coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil and applied topically to help heal skin infections or taken internally.

Colloidal silver is an incredible immune boosting, bad bacteria butt kicking alternative to antibiotics. It's been used since 400 B.C. when Hippocrates first realized that it had anti-microbial properties! Awesome right? If integrated into a healing regiment you'll notice an absolute difference.

GARLIC!! I can not say enough about this magical food. It's antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal. I try to add it to every juice I make, and cook with it as much as I can. In my humble opinion there is no such thing as too much garlic (fun fact, if you chew raw garlic, make sure you've got fresh parsley on hand- it will help neutralize the odor it might leave behind).

Manuka Honey is a variety of honey from New Zealand. A monofloral (bees only pollinate one variety of flower, in this case blossoms from the Manuka tree...) varietal that has been known for its incredible healing properties, along with all honey- but has actually been recognized by the FDA to treat wounds! That's kind of awesome. I suggest using it preemptively when you feel that tickle in your throat right before a cold sets in. It's mega potent and a perfect way to help stave of illness.

There are many more amazing alternatives to antibiotics out there, I hope that you will look and see what suits your lifestyle and specific health needs.

(I have to say this next part)

***As I am not a medical professional please consult one before deviating from their recommendations for your health and well being. 

(But also listen to your body and instinct. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and doctors are not in charge of you. They are not God. YOU choose what's best for you)

With the perfect combination of probiotics, and alternatives to antibiotics you'll hopefully find yourself in great health!