Pilates Video

So it finally posted to YouTube. Video number 1. Check it out and please share with anyone you think would be interested.

I would also love your feed back!!! 

Namaste my friends! 

Pam

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DL9-_mYrX94

Update and diet changes

Update:

So it has been awhile since I posted, mostly because Summer has started and I have had very little down time.  Mind you not because I was working so hard but because I have been off quite a bit with Marley.

We have spent time with Nana and Grampa on Cape Cod, we have been to Storyland in North Conway, we have been swimming, I tried (very briefly) SUP, and even did a headstand on the paddle board.  If the weather would cooperate we could go out again and I will get pictures.  This weekend we have plans to try surfing for the first time and I am very excited. We decided to forgo the lesson and go with some friends who are willing to teach us and we will get the lesson in possibly the next week, once we have tried it out and see how we do. (Yes both Jeff and I are going to try it).

Marley has not been in school (daycare) this summer so she has been with a family member of baby sitter each week and so far the grandparents and Marley are loving it. She gets to go swimming, go to playgrounds and eat ice cream instead of being stuck in a place that is hot and miserable. (And her last daycare was miserable, but that's a story for another day) She is on Cape Cod again right now and next week gets to hang with daddy and go to a Baseball game with daddy and Grampie while I go to work. 

Overall, I think this is the best summer I have had since leaving home.  We have really put the emphasis on spending time together and just having some old school fun!  In the process we have made some great connections with other moms and kids at the YMCA and have made some new friends.

Diet Change:

So the biggest issue for this Vegan, Gluten Free, Yogini is denial. "Oh the ingredients look fine," even if there is not gluten free labeling.  Then I end up with a terrible stomach ache, and if I eat enough, back pain.  For a long time I could not eat processed wheat, BUT for some reason King Arthur's Organic, all purpose flour was okay, if I only had one cupcake. (And really who eats only one cupcake).  

Regardless, I came to a point where cutting my tofu with a knife that cut bread and was not thoroughly washed was making me sick. So good by cupcakes. (so incredible sad). But wait you say, there all these options for Gluten Free cupcakes and baked goods clearly I could go that route.  That is true, there are many options out there, and I have even purchased some GF graham crackers and cookies for s'mores and I like them, I have never found a cupcake/cake/brownie that has really done it for me.

After a bought of illness in March of this year (my doctor says Sinus infection, I say this Nettie pot girl doesn't get those), I agreed to go on an anti-biotic. Amoxicillin he said, I groaned and agreed to take it. I have not been on an anti-biotic since 2004 and was in no hurry to do so again.  During this process I found out something really interesting, either 1. Amoxicillin has dairy or Gluten in it, 2. there is some other additive that I am allergic to or 3. I am allergic to Amoxicillin. So I can just tell you I was sick, and my entire low back seized up, I couldn't stand up straight, never mind down dog, and I taught yoga sitting on a bolster, hunched forward for about a week.  For the next 3 months I continued to feel "off".  Something was not right in my body, I was getting canker soars and cold soars and breaking out (all things that don't happen to be anymore since not eating dairy and gluten.)

For 3 months I tried to Juice detox 4 or 5 times up to 7 days and nothing was working. I would feel a little better, then do back to food and be exhausted and drained and would gain weight. I knew what was happening, I was detoxing too frequently and I had all but killed my metabolism.  I just wanted to sleep and was never motivated to do too  much.  If I didn't know me as well as I do, I would say I was depressed, but that wasn't it. It was my bodies reaction to what I was putting in it and I needed an answer, something to help reboot my body, my metabolism and my mind.

My answer:

I was sitting in my living room with Marley one morning in May surfing Facebook and came across a post from my friend Stacey. A friend I used to work out with all the time, and someone that I know is as health conscious as I am and she had posted "30 Day Update: Using the 30-day Pak Todd is down 14 lbs and 29.5"! Using the Shake & Cleanse Pak I am at the same weight, and lost 1/2" (lost in mid-section, gained in muscle)! No bathing suit stressing at the York house!" With that I thought, hmm, interesting I wonder what they are doing. I'll have to ask her. Needless to say with was another month before I asked her, she posted again, this time their 60 day results and when I asked her out of curiosity what she was doing  she said to me "I'm helping people achieve the body they have always dreamed of and helping them to feel great in the process" (or something like that) I was even more curious.

So the reason this peaked me interested was not necessarily the weight loss, although I have been trying to lose the last 15 lbs since giving birth over 4 years ago, it was two things. The first was her comment about feeling great, I could use some 'feeling great' about now. The second, and more compelling for me, was that I meditate pretty much daily, and although with being exhausted my yoga asana practice was suffering, I was still meditating.  On each of these occasions when I read what Stacey was doing and she was helping people achieve these goals as well, I read these posted with in a half hour of meditating about this very topic, finding a way out of this treachery  (okay, not treachery but it sure felt like it at the time).  I decided I would at least talk to her about it. I proceeded to tell Stacey my story and she shared hers with me and decided that was it and I was going to give this a try.

So On June 30th, I started the Isagenix Dairy free (they are all Gluten free) 30 Day Cleansing and fat Burning System.  There is 22 grams of protein per serving of the shakes. The things I love the most and why I agreed to try it, the ingredients are: Pea Protein, Hemp Protein, (Probiotics), Sunflower oil, Chia seeds, blueberries, cinnamon, kale, apple, carrot, beets, alfalfa etc (these are not all the ingredients but this is what they are all like). It's the stuff I would put in my juicer or blender in the morning already, but concentrated and balanced and there was finally hope that the ruddiness would go away.

Good news, the cruddiness has gone away, and one full month later I have lost 8 lbs and 16.5". I have lost mostly body fat and most important I feel awesome. I have a ton of energy, I go from 6am-9pm (after putting Marley to bed) with no lag, or tiredness. I am doing my asana practice again and I currently have No digestive health issues. I love it so much, I havev decided to sell Isagenix products (they have vitamins etc too) as part of my yoga/health coaching business.  I promise I will post pictures soon, and if you want to learn more about the products, let me know or check out my website at www.yoginipam.isagenix.com

My Isa Shake Barista

Thanks for listening/reading and have a wonderful day.  Also I have found a fabulous GF cupcake recipe and I will post it this week.

Namaste,

Pam

Garden and Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

• I don't know about you, but I am so glad that the weather is nicer. I find that by mid March I am so done with my "winter" diet and feel like I just want to eat some lovely, fresh fruit.  Foods that are bright in color and flavor.  I usually spend most of April buying bulk quantities of not quite ripe fruit and lots of vegetables for salad.  Once May arrives the fruit is better and I am burnt-out on salad.  This tends to be the time of year that I begin searching other recipes, playing with what's in the pantry and wishing my garden would just grow already.

We began planting the Garden in the house this season and Marley did much of the planting.  The plants began to grown and are finally planted in the ground.  I feel like my 4 year old, wanting to go out everyday and see if anything has grown.  One of the best feelings is seeing the plants begin to flower and grow fruit.  

This is when I begin experimenting with new (and previous seasons) recipes and filling up my Pepper Plate account to see what I can come up with.  With my hectic schedule, I like to make things that can become grab and go for me and my family for lunches and dinners.  I am also truly a lover of Quinoa.  I feel it is the magic grain. Full of protein, gluten free and goes well with just about anything.  I often eat it hot with some kind of vegetable.  But when I came across a recipe for Quinoa Salad I began playing around and came up with this variation from a recipe submitted on thekindlife.com.

It happens to be one of Marley's favorites and in the summer I make it often. It is a quick and easy and healthy dinner.  We eat it as a main course, and as a side, it is a great salad for a summer cookout or party.  I often make it and take it to cookouts so I don't have to deal with the no meat, no dairy, no gluten and still have more than chips, salad and fruit. Sound Familiar? ;)

• 
  
• For the salad:
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups of black beans cooked, drained and rinsed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 small avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 
  
• For the dressing:
• 4 to 5 tbsp of fresh lime juice (Juice from 2 small limes)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste

Directions:

1. Cook 1 cup Quinoa according to package directions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the chopped vegetables and whisk together the dressing.
3. Allow quinoa to cool after cooking for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the beans and vegetables and toss well.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Keep fresh in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Makes about 5 cups.

Happy gardening, Enjoy the recipe and Namaste,

Pam

Spring time Smoothie

Ah the spring, it has finally arrived.  Mother's Day just passes and the nice warm breezes float through the house.  When this happens I tend to enjoy smoothies so much more.  I cleanness and how I always feel after a breakfast of fruit and protein is amazing.  They are also super quick and easy to drink on the run, as most of us don't have time to sit and eat in the morning, we are too busy, laying our clothes, making breakfasts, packing lunches packing the school and work bags and trying to get the kids to eat.  

This is one of the things I love best about Spring, I throw all the ingredients into my blender and power it on as I clean up the lunch mess and start the shower.  So the biggest transition for me was before becoming Vegan I would drink a smoothie with fruit, yogurt and milk. Hmm, well since I can't do Yogurt anymore, I started looking at alternatives.  I went through about a year or making Vega Smoothies, which are quite tasty and quick, they are kind of expensive and I really like getting a bunch of my fruit at breakfast.

After some playing around with fruits and seeds, I finally found a lovely combination.

For about a month I was been making Strawberry Banana smoothies with Hemp seeds and Coconut Water, and the whole world changed for me about 3 weeks ago when I was all out of Strawberries.  This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Watermelon
1/4 Cup frozen Blueberries
1 tbsp Hemp seeds
6-8 oz VitaCoco Coconut water
Ice

The watermelon makes the smoothie so fresh and sweet. It is amazing, I love it so much.  This is my new addiction  I do add strawberries when i have them in the house and sometimes fresh Pineapple. Play around with your favorites, but if you have never tried Watermelon in a smoothie, try it out. And if you are a Coconut water hater, try it anyway. It is a great source of Potassium and really helps you stay hydrated or re-hydrate after a sweaty workout or day in the sun.

Oh and don't worry, I still like to drink the greens, I just love this fresh taste. Yum!

                          

Strawberry Vegan Cupcakes

The much awaited Strawberry Cupcake recipe is finally being added.  I'm pretty sure I wasn't holding out, I just kept forgetting to add this recipe.  I love to share whatever I can with anyone who will listen. 

So my base recipes for the Strawberry Cupcakes is simply my vanilla cupcake recipe with a few tweaks   The Basic comes from my favorite cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and if you love to bake vegan it is worth the investment.  If you just want to try these out that is fine too.

A few basic house keeping things on vegan baking. If you are new to it, know that regular white sugar and powdered sugar are processing with animal products. They use Bone chard to bleach the sugar as it is not naturally white. So go with the raw or organic variety to stay vegan, and really isn't that just nasty??  Also buy quality flour, it can make or break your cupcakes, buy a sifter (they cost about $10) and don't be afraid to try and fail.  We ate/threw away a lot of cupcakes in this house trying to make these and many others. :)

Ingredients: 
(makes 12 cupcakes)
Cake
1 cup organic, no GMO Soy milk (they do work with other non-dairy milks)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (I use King Arthur only)
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp strawberry extract
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, chopped (on a food processor to a fine chop, but not liquid)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F adn line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Place  soy milk and vinegar in a  bowl  and whisk together. Set aside to curdle. Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl.

Sift in Flour, Corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt until no large lumps.

Add the frozen strawberries and mix by hand until blended.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake 20-22 minutes

Frosting:
Strawberry Butter cream:
1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery sticks, softened
2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 c of GOOD strawberry Jam
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp strawberry extract

OR
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened (I use Tofutti)
2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup GOOD strawberry Jam
1/2 tsp strawberry extract

Directions:
For either frosting, start with the butter or butter and cream cheese mixture, and cream together with a stand (with the flat paddle) or hand held mixer, slowly add the powdered sugar and extracts, then add in the jam. Mix until smooth and spreadable/pipeable. 

Note: if you live in a dryer climate add a splash or two of any liquid you would like, a milk, water, coconut water, if you are in a supper humid climate, or it's really hot, don't over soften the butters and it should be ok.

*** Now don't go screwing up the frosting by using some nasty ass Jelly. When I say GOOD, I mean good. I buy Fresh Market's organic Jam, you want some that taste like real strawberries and doesn't add all the crappy stuff we don't want to eat.

Something else to try Blueberry compote over the top, to fill or as a little drizzle over regular Butter cream or Cream cheese frosting for Memorial day or the 4th of July?? Hmm, something to think about, here is my compote recipe adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef.

Blueberry Compote:

2 cups frozen blueberries, divided
3 tbsp. water
2 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Pour half the blueberries (1 cup) into a medium sauce pan and set aside the remaining 1 cup. Add the water, maple syrup and cinnamon and cook over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. ]

After 10 minutes, gently smash the blueberries against the pan using a wooden or plastic spatula. Add the remaining blueberries and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes to heat through.

Add lemon juice, if desired, to taste. 

Happy Baking my Vegan friends.
Namaste

Change of season, change your diet

Some of us are stead strong in our healthy eating through the cold and snowy winters in  New England.  We get excited for all the spring races and events and there are lots.  The Spring is full of all the athletes showing off their winter training and kicking the rest of our buts at races.  Others of us are still wiping away the crumbs from our cookies and cakes, and trying to cover our eyes when we step on the scale or try to pull on those cute little capri's that are a little tight. Seriously, I'm not pleased with those little seamstress gnomes that like to hang out in the back of my closet and make my clothes a size smaller each year. 

Either way the spring is the season for growth and change, and are bodies thrive when we feed it the kind of food it needs.  It is the time of year to let go of all those heavy, thick foods that provided us comfort and fuel in the winter and move to our lighter and nutritious spring diet.   

Finding food that fuel our bodies and provide for optimal health is important especially when we are pushing our bodies to do more.  Let's be honest, pushing the buttons on the clicker doesn't burn as much, or require as much fuel, so empty calories and junk may sustain you in the winter just fine.  But when you start moving, if you don't eat you won't go.  If you are starting to walk, bike or run this time of year you may notice a sluggishness that is reminiscent of Sundays on the couch in January.

That means it's time to reexamine what you are putting into your body. Going back to the healthy guidelines plate and start making some changes.  So we all know eat more fruits and veggies, avoid sweets and over processed foods.  But how do we make this interesting and not eat the same salad every day for lunch until October?

1> Eat Local. Your body does well when you eat food that are native to your area and in season.  This often means you can purchase them at  the Farmer's Markets, Farm Stands or on sale at your local natural grocery store. Not only are you helping your body, your helping grow your local economy.

2> Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). There are many CSAs around that offer fresh (and local) produce grown at the farm or a partnering farm and you get a box or a few bags each week.  One thing that some people don't like is you don't get to choose what you get.  Some places you can pick between Collards and Kale or Beets and Onions, but usually you just get what mother nature has produced in abundance.  This forces you to be creative or risk wasting your produce. 

3> Plant a garden.  If you have the space and desire give it a try. Even if you desperately lack space you can do a container garden, grow herbs on your window sills or get an Aero Garden.  Growing your own produce or herbs makes everything taste better.  I can't tell you how many times we have just decided to have Tomato sandwiches in the summer (with homemade hummus and homemade GF bread)

4> Finally, choose wisely, stay clear of white foods (except Cauliflower, that's a good one).  Sugar and flour both have little to know nutritional value yet they top our diet all winter long. Let go of it. Fill your plate with fresh vegetables, the greener the better, fruit and whole grains like quinoa.  

Worried about protein being vegetarian or vegan? Don't there is no need. Greens have a ridiculous amount of protein, as do nuts, quinoa,  and legumes.  Don't obsess over the Protein you will get enough. Focus on the color on your plate and your tummy, your brain and your waist line will thank you. Not to mention your legs and arms that do most of the work.

And don't forget to check back often for new recipes, especially as my garden starts to produce. I get all sorts of crazy when that happens. :)

Carry on, eat well and Namaste.

Kid Friendly Dessert: Avocado Chocolate Mini Torte

So what kid doesn't love dessert? But the thing I like most about this is the natural ingredients and the ease at which it's made so the kids can help.  But I have a feeling, the adults in your life will be pushing the kids out of the way to get to more.

The Vegan,  Gluten Free Avocado Chocolate Mini Tortes are sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings and lets face it making Mini tortes allows you to sample after made, and your guests or family will have no idea. This is a no bake dessert as well, does it get any better than that?

Ingredients:

No Bake Crust:

2 cups nuts (I used Almonds; Pecan, Walnuts, or Cashews would work too)

1/4 C cocoa Powder

2 Tbsp Vegan Shortening (or Coconut Oil)

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Salt

Avocado Mousse:

2-3 Avocados (about 2 cups)

1/3 Cup Almond Milk

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 TBSP Arrowroot Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

2 tsp-1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

3 squares of a 3.5oz Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar

Direction:
For the Crust
Process nuts in a food processor until chunky, add additional ingredients and process until combined.

Line 24 cupcake tins with foil lined baking cups. Using a 1 tbsp scoop, scoop mixture into pan and press with the back of a spoon until level and packed down. Place in freezer while making Mousse.

For the Mousse:
Process Avocados in avoid processor until smooth. Meanwhile heat the almost milk to a boil, then add the chocolate bar, mix with a small whisk until chocolate is creamy.

Once avocado is smooth begin adding the remaining mousse ingredients until rich, fudgey and smooth.

Using a 2 TBSP scoop, scoop the mousse into the already frozen crusts. Smooth with the backside of a spoon and freeze 1 hr.

Options for serving: leave in freezer and remove 20-30 mins before serving.  For a more pudding like consistency (thick pudding) move to fridge and serve from there.

Top with berries, whipped almond or coconut cream or just eat standing in front of the fridge when no one is looking..... You know you want to!

Enjoy and Namaste!
Pam