I am Jack's raging liver...

Did you ever stop to think how many toxins your body puts up with every day? If you are like me, living in a busy city, you are taking in thousands just walking down the street and breathing the city air! Then there is the food we eat. The food world is filled with all kinds of toxins; chemicals, carcinogens  heavy metals, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and additives.

Lucky for us our bodies are designed perfectly. They are naturally built to combat against and resist damage from toxins by naturally detoxing through our skin, through sweat, sneezing, and eliminating. The king-daddy of all detoxifying is our liver.

However, our body can only handle so much! Our chemically driven, antibiotic ridden world is throwing so many toxins at us from every direction it is nearly impossible to avoid over exposure unless you lived in a bubble...and that's no fun for anyone.

So what do we do? How do we protect ourselves?

Well, the best way to go about this is to follow two simple plans:
A) Eat lower on the food chain. This means to move towards a more plant-based diet. The biggest health reason for this is that you will be less likely to eat contaminated fat. Many chemicals are created for industrial use (meaning for the thriving meat and dairy industry). PCB's, flame retardants, dioxin, and DDT just to name a few, wind up in the animals that are then bought in every grocery store in the US and then end up on most American's dinner tables.

B)Help your liver by enhancing it's ability to detox efficiently

There are many foods that enhance your liver's detoxing capabilities. Make it a daily habit to add this delicious foods to your diet, and viola, you are ahead of the game!

Garlic & Onion
Cruciferous Veggies
-broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, brussel sprouts, bok choy, watercress
Whole Grains
Berries
Turmeric
Green tea
Legumes, Nuts, and Seeds
Non-GMO Soy
Organic Red Grapes

Bon Appetite and Cheers to a good Liver!

To learn more about a healthy and happier you, email lovelightandwellbeing@gmail.com for a FREE consult!!

Authentic Self, Where Art Thou?

In between clients and on one of my longer commutes I began reading an article in my Yoga Journal about mistaken identity and finding your "true self". I thought this was a wonderfully written article and it touched on so many important points that I feel inclined to share.

What's True Self?  If you were to take away the exterior elements, like looks, status, gender, job title, sexual preference, age….that would be your true self…your authentic self. But that is easier said then done. For most of us, our "training" in who we are and who we are supposed to be starts at a very early age. We learn the importance of wealth, looks, socially acceptable behavior and gender approval. These things are important to most of us, sure, but they don't define us. So what does? How do we find our true self under all the weight of what we have been brainwashed to believe is who we are?

If you peel away the exteriors, calm the buzz of voices that surround you, and look deeper within yourself for that something that is unchanging, that voice that is crystal clear to you and only you...then you have found your true self, your authentic self. If you can recognize this, if you can feed this part of you love and good energy, then no matter what you will be okay with YOU.

Reading that article and in writing this blog I recognize that I, myself have struggled with this. I believe we all do. I believe that many of us can state that they know who they are...I know I have made that statement in the past too, but I wonder how deep that really goes. If someone were to ask me who I am my initial reaction is; 33 year old, single mom to a beautiful 3 year old, vegan, personal trainer, yogi, holistic health counselor, living in NYC. Ha! That's the right answer, right? Yes, all this things make up the beautiful coat of who I am and what I have accomplished, but if you take them all away...I still exist. I am still searching for my true self, my authentic self. I have started to learn what that is for me, but I don't think I have all the answers yet, and that's okay. I am still working on calming those voices, finding the quiet where I can reach within. Yoga helps with this. 

I encourage you to take time each day to find some quiet, some calm, where you too can breathe and start to peel away the layers and look deeper into who you truly are. The True You, the Authentic You. I wish you all the best in your venture.

Namaste

*If you wish to read the Yoga Journal Article mentioned above, here it is: http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/2643

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Kale

Ingredients:

2 tbsps olive oil

2 12 cups onions (chopped)

6 garlic cloves (chopped)

2 12 cups butternut squash (peeled)

2 tbsps chili powder

2 tsps ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

2 cans organic black beans (rinsed drained)

2 cups of vegetable broth

14 12 ozs diced tomatoes (juice)

3 cups kale (i like to chop into small pieces for this dish)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, turmeric, and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in kale; simmer until kale is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Arm yourself against Cancer!

Cancer...it's a dirty word. It's a word I hate to say and even more hate to hear. Unfortunately, as I get older I feel like I hear it way to often. It seems that there is not one person on this earth that hasn't been touched by cancer, whether it be their own personal battle or that of a loved one.

This month we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness. Walks and charity drives are held in order to raise money for research in hopes of finding a cure and ending cancer all together. I am very supportive of these acts of compassion towards a great cause. One of the best part of these walks and charity drives is not so much the money raised so much as the camaraderie and the strength that is put on display and recognized among the family and friends and fighters of this horrible disease. The power that these events give to those feeling helpless and desperate and in need of support is paramount. However, I believe it is equally imperative that we begin to look down at our plate for answers, cures, and prevention.

Food is medicine and it is amazing how easy it is to make sure that you are eating cancer fighting and preventive foods. To make it even easier I have provided a grocery list for you below!

Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage- All three of these contain a chemical component called indole-3-carbinol, which can combat breast cancer by converting a cancer-promoting estrogen into a more protective type. The phytochemical sulforaphane, a product of glucoraphanin, found in broccoli (especially sprouts) is believed to help prevent some types of cancer, like colon and rectal cancer.

Kale (my favorite!)-has indoles, nitrogen compounds which may help prevent the conversion of certain lesions to cancerous cells in estrogen-sensitive tissues. Kale also has phytochemicals called isothiocyanates, which are thought to suppress tumor growth and block cancer-causing substances from reaching their targets. Sweet!

Seaweed along with other sea vegetables contain beta-carotene, chlorophyll, protein, B-12, fiber, and chlorophylones- important fatty acids that may help in the fight against breast cancer. Many sea veggies also contain high concentration of the minerals calcium, iron, iodine, and magnesium.

Avocados- Often people avoid this wonderful food for fear of it's fat content...and then they go order a side of fries (d'oh!). This magical fruit is one of the best kinds of fat. It is rich in gluthathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the the body by bocking intestinal absorption of certain fats. Did you catch that? Eating avocados can prevent you from getting fat! It is believed that avocados may be useful in treating hepatitis ( a cause of liver cancer), as well as other sources of liver damage. They also contain more potassium then bananas.

Flax is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to protect against colon cancer and heart disease. They also contains lignans, which may have an antioxidant effect and block or suppress cancerous change. Wondering how to use flax? I add ground flaxseed to my smoothies, my soups, etc. Easy peasy.

Tumeric- If this is not a staple in your diet you are missing one of the best spices on the planet with some seriously powerful medicinal properties. Tumeric inhibits the production of the inflammation-related enzyme cyclo-oxgenase 2 (COX-2). Why is this important? Because levels of COX-2 are found to be abnormally high in certain inflammatory disease and cancers, especially bowel and colon cancer. This is a serious no brainer. Go buy this spice!!

So, above I have listed some of my top favorite from this long list and why they are so great. Below you will see the entire grocery list. Heal thyself and take this list to the store.

Vegetables
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Kale
Mushrooms: shiitake, maitake, reishi, Agaricus blazei Murill, and Coriolus Versicolor
Seaweed and other sea vegetables
Sweet potatoes

Fruit
Avocados
Chili peppers
Figs
Grapefruits
Grapes
Oranges and lemons
Papayas
Raspberries
Tomatoes

Seeds & Nuts
Flax
Nuts

Herbs & Spices
Garlic
Rosemary
Tapioca
Tumeric

Beverages
Red wine (hallelujah!)
Green tea and black tea

* For a free holistic health consultation please contact Ellie at lovelightandwellbeing@gmail.com