Posts Tagged: Healthy living
Skinfood: Ayurvedic Golden Milk / Turmeric Latte Recipe
Day 18 of #SixtyDaysofSelfCare – I was inspired by this post by @urbanorganica and this one by @inspiringquietly to make some chocolate golden milk (find the recipe here), but I was all out of cocao. I decided to try Jean Godfrey June’s turmeric latte recipe from goop – another modern twist on Ayurvedic golden milk. It was delicious and I love the idea of putting it in a blender after heating it up. It’s a great way to get some turmeric and coconut oil into your diet everyday. I’ve had four in the last few days and I feel that my skin, body and energy levels are already benefiting from it.
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It’s great for the joints, brain, heart, skin & immune system, and has been proven to alleviate the symptoms of depression. It’s also known to increase flexibility of the tendons (perfect for yogis & dancers).
Tips:
* I didn’t have any fresh turmeric so I used 1 tsp of the powder.
* I ended up straining it after I blended the almond milk + ginger.
*I added a pinch of pepper to it which helps your body absorb the curcumin in turmeric by 2000%
* Be careful with the turmeric because it may stain your blender – you might want to blend the ginger + almond milk first and then add it back to the pot to stir in the rest of the ingredients.
(Find it here: http://goop.com/great-skin-inside-and-out/ there are lot’s of great skin care tips there, too.)
-Liz
+ Curious about more ayurvedic herbs for great skin? Check out this post
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Schizandra Berry for vibrant health and beauty
Hello!
Today I wanted to share one of my favorite herbs, and one of the most powerful and beneficial around: Schizandra berry.
I’ve been taking this herb for several years, and I’m excited that I finally got my hands on some of the highest quality Schizandra out there (and I want to share the wealth!)
It has been one of the top herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, promoting vibrant health and beauty. It’s said to “calm the heart and quiet the spirit” and to “prolong the years of life without aging”
It’s known as Wu Wei Zi, often translated as “five flavor fruit” – and is the only herb with all 5 flavors ( sweet, salty, bitter, sour and pungent ). It benefits, tonifies, and balances all organs and meridians in the body, and is an adaptogen (helping you deal with physical and mental stress.)
“If used for 100 days successively, Schizandra is said to purify the blood, sharpen the mind, improve memory, rejuvenate the Kidney energy (especially the sexual functions in both men and women), and cause the skin to become radiantly beautiful.” – Ron Teeguarden.
It also:
Improves eyesight (In Russia Schizandra is considered eye food, and is a registered medicine for vision difficulties. [Source]
Cleanses the liver
Improves alertness and concentration
Strengthens the respiratory system
Boosts energy at a cellular level
Helps skin retain moisture
Promotes beautiful eyes & hair
Safely detoxifies the body
Helps speed recovery after surgery
Normalizes blood sugar
Improves mood
etc..etc..etc.. (learn about more of Schizandras benefits, here. Yes – there are even more benefits!)
Where to find it, and how to prepare?
I’ve made schizandra berry tea & tinctures with berries from Mountain Rose Herbs* in the past ( Learn how to make your own tincture, here:
http://thelotusroot.com/making-herbal-tinctures/
Lately I’ve been mixing 1/4 of a teaspoon of schizandra powder in hot or cold spring water.
As I mentioned, I just got my hands on some really high quality Schizandra extract from Lucidera* (Organic, American grown in pristine soil, highly concentrated, freeze-dried to retain nutrients, etc..) As luck would have it, Nick, the owner of Lucidera sent out a coupon code yesterday as I was working on this post. I emailed him to find out if I could share it with you, and he generously offered to create an exclusive 20% off coupon code and extend it to March 20th at Midnight, EST. Sign up here to get the code!
*I have no affiliations with these companies. I just love supporting and spreading the word about businesses with sustainable practices, who are going above and beyond with the quality of their products. I love researching this stuff, and being able to share it with you. It hurts my heart when people think herbalism doesn’t work because they’ve only tried low quality herbs.
Let me know if you try schizandra, and what results you get!**
To your health!
Liz
You may also be interested in Triphala – an Ayurvedic herb for healthy skin, detoxing, and more
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**Disclaimer: Not recommended if you have epilepsy, or are pregnant or nursing. May cause gastrointestinal upset in some individuals, although it’s rare. If you have any health conditions, please do your research or check in with a qualified physician before using schizandra.
The information in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Cocao Turmeric Peanut Butter Smoothie
I had something else planned for this weeks post, but this smoothie recipe is too good not to share.
If you’ve heard about the amazing benefits of turmeric, and have been wanting to add more into your diet, this is an easy way to sneak some in.
- 1 1/2 cups Almond, Coconut or Cashew Milk
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 Tsp of Raw Cocao powder (have you heard that raw cocao is actually amazing for gut health? Anything good for the gut is great for the skin, brain, improving your mood, balancing your hormones and increasing immunity)
- 1/2 Tsp. Turmeric powder
- 3 Tsp of honey or coconut sugar (or sweeten to taste)
- 4 Tsp peanut butter*
*You can replace it with almond butter or your nut butter of choice if you prefer, or if you’re concerned about aflatoxin in peanut butter.
{I love peanut butter so I decided not to worry about it. I left it out a few times but to me the pb is what makes it.}
(if it sounds better to you, substitute coconut oil or coconut butter. The fat will help you absorb the nutrients.)
- Blend & Enjoy.
Fancy blenders are lovely but not required. $15 travel blender from target. Done.
Try it! It’s the bomb.
-Liz
p.s: Today is day 31 of the #herbalmedicineeveryday challenge on instagram, but I’m having so much fun I’m going to see how long I can keep going. I’m so happy that other people are having fun with it too. Feel free to join us. :)
Does this recipe sound good? You may also love this hot cocoa with a healthy kick ( a variation of ayurvedic golden milk)
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Grow your own food this fall
A few years ago Vincent and I installed a Windowfarm and grew some leafy greens & herbs.
I was interviewed about the Windowfarm by Jennifer Grayson for USA Today. The article wasn’t published, but with Jennifer’s permission I wanted to share it with you, to hopefully inspire you to give indoor gardening a try.
USA Today Interview : January 23, 2012
1. Where do you live? What’s your occupation?
New York City, in Washington Heights. I’m an artist and a small business owner. I screen print my artwork onto eco-friendly t-shirts, and sell them in my etsy shop, The Lotus Root (http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelotusroot).
2. Why did you decide to start using the Windowfarms system? Did you have any previous gardening experience?
My boyfriend, Vincent, and I started using the Windowfarms system because we felt it was important to become more self-sufficient and to know where at least some of our food comes from. We also wanted to save money, and to be able to grow certain organic vegetables & herbs that aren’t always available in our neighborhood.
I do have some gardening experience (I had an organic garden while living in Hawaii around 2006.) Vincent didn’t have any previous experience but now has quite the green thumb.
3. What are you growing in your Windowfarm? Can you describe your setup for me? (What kind of window/apartment you’re working with, how big a system you have, if you bought a ready-made one or built your own, etc.)
So far we’ve grown romaine and buttercrunch lettuce, chard, chives, parsley, tulsi, rosemary, lambsquarters & basil. We live in a 3 bedroom apartment and our windowfarm is installed on a standard window. We ordered our 2 column Windowfarm kit from windowfarms.org and put it together with our own water bottles.
4. How much food are you growing? How has the Windowfarm impacted your grcery shopping habits (if at all)?
So far we’ve grown enough lettuce for a few salads, and some other greens to juice. This was just a test run – now that we know how easy the process is we’re planning to plant lettuce seeds a lot more frequently. We also plan to install another system so that we can have more greens and some other vegetables. Our basil, rosemary and chives have grown really well in the Windowfarm, and we haven’t had to buy any of those herbs since we started.
I find that the biggest difference is having access to fresh organic herbs (year-round), which can be expensive and not always available in our neighborhood.
Tulsi / Holy Basil growing in the Windowfarm
5. How much time per week do you spend gardening?
We spend a few minutes a day making sure there’s enough water being circulated throughout the system (and refilling the bottles if necessary). We also spend a few minutes a day pruning, for the most part the Windowfarm does all the work.
6. What’s the best thing about having your Windowfarm? Any challenges so far?
So far the best things about having our Windowfarm have been inspiring others to grow their own food, and having our own fresh greens and herbs for salads, cooking and for tea. We’re very happy with our Windowfarm and haven’t experienced any challenges.
7. Any tips for newbie gardeners / people who are trying to garden in small spaces?
Definitely order a window farm – it’s a lot of fun and a great learning experience.
You can always start by growing herbs in pots in your apartment or on a back porch / fire escape, but we’ve found that the plants that we’ve experimented with have grown more easily and more quickly in the window farm. There are a lot of great blogs and books available on methods such as square foot gardening and container gardening. Have fun experimenting and keep and open mind.
8. Anything else you’d like to add?
I think everyone should try to grow their own food, its empowering, a lot of fun, and will save you money in the long run.
I’m looking forward to trying out the new windowfarm system. I love the fact that the Windowfarms project is interactive and always evolving.
Learn more about Windowfarms and find the kits here: http://www.windowfarms.com
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the Windowfarm or about growing your own food: thelotusroot@gmail.com
xo
Liz
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health & beauty tip: Eat your blueberries!
Want great skin, a sharper mind + vibrant health (and to get through cold & flu season unscathed)?
If you only commit to adding one healthy food to your diet, it’s a good idea that it’s the small but mighty blueberry.
Why? These little berries are SO packed with beautifying, immune boosting + brain enhancing benefits (just to name a few) that eating just a cup a day is a total game changer.
Plus, superfoods like blueberries can be like a gateway drug – once you start with one (and begin seeing & feeling results), you’re gonna want more.
Here are some of the amazing things that blueberries can do for:
- Your brain: This beautiful berry is one of the highest foods in antioxidants, which can give your brain a boost (increasing concentration / helping to heal damaged brain cells / improving motor skills & memory). Just a cup of blueberries a day can stimulate the growth of new brain cells.
- Your skin: Blueberries are packed with vitamin C, which can hydrate the skin and increase collagen production (preventing wrinkles & increasing elasticity). Vitamin C can also help strengthen the blood vessels below the surface of your skin, which can help repair or prevent broken capilaries & spider veins. The antioxidants in blueberries neutralize free radicals that can damage skin cells, and can help protect your skin from the sun. (All things that keep your skin looking youthful). Blueberries can also help normalize oil levels. They’re anti-inflammatory, and can help reduce redness, scars & acne.
- Your hair: Proanthocyanidins in blueberries have been found to stimulate hair growth.
- Your overall health: Blueberries can strengthen the immune system, help prevent urinary tract infections and a number of diseases. They can help reduce abdominal fat and cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. They’re great for gut health and can protect against intestinal inflammation, especially when paired with probiotics (See this article for details.) Bonus: Anything that’s great for the gut is also fantastic for the immune system, brain & skin.
Tips:
1. Whenever possible, eat WILD blueberries:
- It’s said that wild (low bush) blueberries contain 48% more antioxidants than per serving than the larger, cultivated blueberries. (I think they taste better, too)
- I’ve been enjoying the wild blueberries by Wymans for the many years, (you can find them in a 5 pound bag at Costco which seems to last forever). I thought that since they were wild that they didn’t need pesticides, but I was disappointed to find out recently that Maine wild blueberries may be sprayed.
2. If you can’t get wild blueberries and are concerned about pesticides, go organic. (Number of Chemicals found on blueberries when grown conventionally: 52). Antioxidants are also found in higher quantities in organic blueberries than in conventional ones.
3. It’s best to eat your blueberries raw, since heat can damage some of their delicate antioxidants. Luckily the nutrients are preserved when frozen.
4. I enjoy blueberries in smoothies (one of my favorites is a cup of frozen blueberries + 1/2 a frozen banana + a handful of spinach + about 1-2 cups of almond milk). Blueberries and raw Kefir are also a great combination, since the berries are so beneficial when combined with probiotics.
Do you eat blueberries on a regular basis, and if so, do you have a recipe you can share? Leave a comment on my facebook page to spread the love!
Liz
Drawing from the Dirty Dozen series – © Liz Davison 2011
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