52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 37: Au Naturel

'Tis the season to be "Fall-y" ....  Have you noticed the already slight changes in the colors around you? The temperatures and even the smell of the air?  I have and I am loving it!!!  Before you run inside to turn on the heat, and start adding comfort foods to your grocery list, how about putting on a different hat, and head to local farmers markets, or stores, you KNOW will carry seasonal items?  It will do you a lot of good, like:

• waistline, check
• vitamins + minerals, check
• flavour galore, check
• trying new items, hello...check!!!!!!
• variety, check.....and so much more!!!

Items to look for this season are as follows:
Acorn Squash
Apples
Belgian Endive
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash
Cauliflower
Celery Root
Chayote Squash
Cherimoya
Coconuts
Cranberries
Diakon Radish
Garlic
Ginger
Grapes
Guava
Huckleberries
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Mushrooms
Parsnips
Pear
Persimmons
Pineapple
Pommegranate
Pumpkin
Quince
Rutabagas
Sweet Potatoes
Swish Chard
Turnips
Winter Squash
Yams


Get a few really great ideas from this super amazing book from a raw chef Ani Phyo, who will help you get creative with your seasonals, and beyond:

Enjoy the journey and your week ahead :)

xo

Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 36: To the Power of P

This week I want to remind everyone of the power of the life forming protein. Many of us eat too little. Others tae in too much. In truth, and as a result of my experience lately, we do not really need to supplement too much. If one is in tune with their bodies they will be able to stabilize the amount their bodies need, and can metabolize, versus taking it too much that ends up only as waste.

Don't get too tangled up in the details, just use common sense and ensure that every meal you take in will contain healthy fats and a little protein. Your body's primary energy source IS carbs, the good ones, like grains fruits and veggies.  Fats are great from nuts as well, with the added protein content. Without overcooking them, get as much as you can in their natural state, fresh and raw.

I recommend Ani Phyo's book as a starter to many amazing ideas that will energize and help build your body to new levels of life:

Keep it simple and colourful, add a little protein to each meal and enjoy life and being alive.
Life, like eating, should NOT be complicated, nor unnatural.

Love,
Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss, week 35: K I N D

September it is. Life will speed up with a new beginning for many. Kids go back to school, work gets a little more serious, the weather will be a little harder on us etc.  Therefore it is likely that the energies may press us against the wall a little more.  What happens a lot when the pressures increase is that, many of us get more stressed, anxious, impatient, and end up 'taking it out' on our immediate environment.  A mean word, a miscalculated outburst of frustration and the likes, can truly damage more than it was worth letting it out for...

At the start of your day focus on kindness for a few seconds and say thank you for your ability to meet life each day, in kindness.

Stay aware and conscious, even more than you have been...  Observe yourself the minute you feel, and we always do, stress increasing and patience decreasing. When you KNOW the easiest would be to let your short temper loose on the wrong person, bite your lip, take an extra breath and proceed after a big exhale to communicate what you may, with KINDNESS.

You may think this is too small to pay big attention to. However, I would recommend not waiting until an unkind gesture is uttered, that you will wish for the rest of your life, you'd taken a big breath prior :)

In kindess...
Monika