Get Juicy

OMG Juice!

Get Juicy

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I can’t believe I forgot about my juicer! I was inspired recently to take it out and create a juicy new morning ritual to provide a nourishing immunity and recovery boost. If you have a juicer, use it! If you don’t, find a place that offers fresh juice, or better yet find a friend who has a juicer and offer to have a juice party – BYOveg/fruits!

Juice with Friends! (at Life Alive, Cambridge)

Raw fruit and vegetable juice is full of enzymes so that your body is able to assimilate all the vitamins and minerals without having to process the fibrous pulp. You get lots of nutrients fast with little work required by digestive processes. I find that juice is best consumed in the morning as this stuff really has an uplifting energetic effect: Seriously – better than coffee. My latest juicy favorites are listed below. Mixing and matching is always fun, and remember that the addition of greens like kale, spinach, or celery is always a bonus!

CALMING CITRUS CUCUMBER

Simple, calming, sweet, and sour.  Add ginger for extra zing factor!

• 1/2 english cucumber (any cucumber works)
• 2-3 oranges or clementines (peeled)

GINGER JOY

This an invigorating combination of sweet fruits and roots with ginger. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and aides in digestion – not to mention it’s energy boosting zest!

• 1-2 inches of ginger
• 5-7 carrots
• 2 oranges (peeled)
• 2 apples

LEMONY GREEN

Not your average lemonade, this green and zingy (thanks to the ging) juice is a nice low-sugar way to start your day.

• 1-2 inches of ginger
• 3 carrots
• 1 orange (peeled)
• 1 apple
• ½ lemon (peeled)
• 5-7 celery stalks
• 3-5 kale stalks with leaves

RED ROOTS

Beets are blood purifying, liver cleansing, candy-like sweets. Coupled with carrots and your choice of fruit, this is a sweet and deeply red tonic for the blood and soul.

• 1-2 beets
• 3 carrots
• 1 orange (peeled) OR 1 apple

IMMUNE SHOOTER

Perfect as a preventative when your immune system is compromised. This should make 1-2 ounces of potent and immune supporting liquid that you’ll want to gulp down. Feel free to chase your shot with one of these more delicious juices above. Be sure to run water through your juicer to void the garlic prior to making another round.

• 1/2 apple
• 2 cloves garlic
  
  

  Cheers!

  Wishing you vibrance, Rita

Breathe More Deeply

This summer while living at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of Western MA I was blessed to share living quarters with my fellow yogis for an entire month.  Each morning as I awoke before sunrise – rolling out of my bed and onto my mat for morning Sadhana – I was witness to many morning rituals.  From tongue scraping to nasal irrigation, all signs pointed to ayurveda, the sister science of yoga.

Though I was introduced to the idea of nasal irrigation many years ago, it was not until about one month ago that I finally caved in to try it myself.  Something about spending so much time upside down in water and the familiarity of water rushing up the wrong way made me turn my head.  One day I came face to face with a Neti Pot staring at me from across the isle at Whole Foods when I said, “why not?”

I can’t say that use of my new neti is part of my daily routine (yet or perhaps ever), but lately once or twice a week I am compelled to use it – usually when I feel stuffed, dry, or sneezy.  My sneezing stops and clogged passages open up instantly.  I have to admit, in my first try with the thing my angle was all wrong and I used too much salt… ouch, seriously!!  Sure enough I learned quickly and ever since then the process has been easy and actually enjoyable. Each time I go for it I feel like I can breathe deeper and am invigorated by the effects.

The nasal passages contain one of our body’s first line of defense against disease.  Visit www.netipot.org, a great resource for nasal irrigation demonstrations and more information on this 5,000 year old practice.

Five Reasons Why a Neti Pot Makes Sense

1. Soothes dry nasal passages
2. Gently washes away dust, pollen, and environmental irritants
3. Offsets the effects of breathing dry indoor air (especially in winter)
4. Removes excess mucus naturally
5. Helps you breathe freer when practicing yoga or meditation

Taken from: www.netipot.org

Guide to Holiday Balance

This holiday season, while sugar treats and holiday parties are full of temptation, you have the ability to treat yourself in moderation and take some extra steps at home to help create balance.  Let love be your holiday treat of choice. By nourishing yourself through the holiday season, you will give your body an immunity boost and find increased energy and extra joy in each step.  These 5 focus points offer suggestions for finding balance.

1. REST – Get your zzz’s!  While you sleep, your body takes care of the rest. 7-8 hours a night help natural healing mechanisms of the body do their magic. Winter is hibernation time anyways, right?
2. MOVE – Winter weather can make you want to slow down and curl up, but research shows that at least 30 minutes of moderate level activity daily can decrease the risk of catching seasonal flus and colds.  When your heart rate increases, the circulation of white blood cells allows for increased immune defense.  Blood circulation and lymph circulation are both important for preventing disease, cleansing the body, and reducing stress.  Be sure to move, dance, and play every day!
3. HYDRATE – Water makes up a huge amount of blood volume so hydrating is an important part of blood circulation.  Make pure water or herbal tea your beverage of choice.
4. EAT YOUR GREENS – Arugula, broccoli, and kale, oh my!  Green vegetables are amazing for immunity. They act by improving function of immune cells in the gut and skin, and are full of digestive enzymes, digestive fiber, and amino acids, not to mention being among the most nutrient dense foods!
5. GO FOR WHOLE FOODS - Here’s a hint, eat things that look like what they are – especially vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.   For example, you can eat whole grains like rice, barley, quinoa, oats rather than refined grains like pasta and breads.  Whole grains consist of the cereal germ, endosperm, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. Whole grains offer better sources of fiber and lower glycemic index related sugar spikes as well as selenium, potassium and magnesium.  By cutting down your processed food intake you will reduce your intake of unnecessary additives and increase the nutrient density of the foods you consume.  The fresher your food, the more it resembles the earth from which it was alive, the more energy you can extract from it to fuel your body.

So go ahead, enjoy your favorite holiday traditions. They will be that much better when you nourish yourself from the inside out all season long.

With Love,
Rita