Sitali Pranayama

To remain calm and cool, even during the hottest days of summer or the most stressful times of life, Sitali (pronounced Sit uh lee) Pranayama is a breathing practice that is well worth learning and incorporating into your life.

 Sitali (go ahead, say it aloud once -- Sit Uh Lee) is known not only as a cooling breath, but a moistening, rejuvenating, and youth enhancing breath as well.

To begin, sit comfortably on the floor or on a chair with a straight spine.   Make a U with your tongue by sticking the tongue out a bit and curling the tongue creating a cylindrical shape.  

Begin inhaling slowly through the curled and extended tongue and exhaling through the nose.  Long, slow, calm, cooling breaths -- bringing moisture to the body to restore balance.  

Continuing for at least 3 minutes, aim to take 26 long slow Sitali Breaths, even if 26 breaths takes you 11 minutes or so.

Sitali Pranayama is said to reduce fevers, enhance patience and reduce stress levels, bring relief to a sore throat, cool stomach fire and indigestion, and calm and cool an overactive or overheated spleen.

According to Ayurveda, in the Northern Hemisphere from June 1st to September 30th the Pitta Dosha dominates.   Pitta Dosha has the qualities of being fiery, overheated, easily excitable, dynamic, hard working, and tenacious.  

Spicy foods like peppers and foods with an initial acid taste like tomatoes come into season later in the summer and for those whose dominant dosha is the Pitta dosha, these foods are best eaten in moderation and then only if  well tolerated.

Should you find yourself overdoing it this summer -- getting overheated from the sun and forgetting to slow down on these high energy days, remember that you have now stashed Sitali pranayama in your imaginary toolbox and this technique will be there for you anytime, anywhere.

Oh, and if you think you look a little silly breathing in public with your tongue curled out, all the more reason to make Sitali pranayama part of your morning routine before heading out the door.   A few minutes of this calming cooling breathing practice can go a long way in helping you remain composed.  Best part of all -- it's free -- it is said to keep us young -- it soothes the liver -- and it feels fantastic!

Cheers to your breathing,

Susan "Yogi Suzi" Grimes

Increase Energy and Flexibility with an Alkaline Diet

With so much conflicting information about what to eat for maximum energy,  a pain free body, maintaining muscle mass, and enhanced mental clarity, we do always have the option of giving an alkaline diet a try.    Alkaline forming foods are mostly vegan, low in sugars, and high in minerals, and some of the cleanest and greenest foods available. 

When we begin eating foods that are highly alkaline in place of foods that are highly acidic we begin to have more energy, ease of movement, fewer runny noses, and a sense of well being that is so empowering it makes us wonder why we ever ate the highly acidic foods in the first place.

The top foods for increasing the alkalinity of the body are:

Grasses (think Wheat Grass juice, Barley, Oat, and Kamut Grass Powder)

Cucumbers  

Kale

Kelp and other Sea Vegetables

Spinach 

Parsley

Broccoli

Sprouts

Fresh juices made with some of the above foods, cucumber, kale, parsley, and spinach, can help the body go from tired and achy to vibrant and flexible very quickly.

Foods that are moderately alkaline include:

Avocado

Beets

Basil

Celery 

Chives

Cilantro

Collards

Endive

Fennel

Ginger

Green Beans

Lettuce

Mustard Greens

Okra

Onions

Radishes 

Tomatoes

Lemon

Lime

Chia Seeds

Quinoa

Instead of engaging in an intense cleanse, choosing foods listed above may be an easier way to restore balance and vitality to the body.

Foods to round out the above, to make it all very tasty, that are mildly alkaline are:

Artichokes

Asparagus

Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower

Carrot

Leeks

Peas

Potatoes (new, fresh, baby potatoes)

Pumpkin 

Squash (both winter and summer varieties)

Zucchini

Grapefruit

Coconut

Pomegranate

Rhubarb

Buckwheat (soaked and rinsed well)

Lentils  (try sprouting them and eating raw or cooking the lentil sprouts)

Tofu

Goat and Almond Milk

Many Beans and Legumes

Most Herbs and Spices

Avocado Oil

Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

Flax Oil

Hemp Seed Oil

In reviewing the above list, you may have noticed that there are very few grains, (Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain) and that there are no animal products.   Also, no sweet fruits are considered alkaline because, even though high in potassium, the sugar content makes most fruit highly acidic once we consume that fruit.

This is not to say one should never have sweet fruit.    Some schools of thought will list fruits as being alkaline, but again, to feel our very best, many people have great success eating primarily from the foods listed at the top of this post.

If 80% of the food eaten each day comes from the above lists, the other 20% of all food eaten can come from the following lists, the lists of foods that are acidic.

Those which are the least acidic, only mildly acidic to the body are:

Black Beans

Chick Peas

Kidney Beans

Seitan  (a wheat gluten often found in meat substitutes in natural foods stores) 

Cantaloupe

Currants

Fresh Dates

Nectarines

Plums

Sweet Cherries

Watermelon

Amaranth

Millet

Oats/Oatmeal

Spelt 

Soybeans

Buckwheat Pasta

Cous Cous

Rice Protein Powders

Hemp Protein Powders

Freshwater Wild Fish

Rice and Soy Milk

Brazil Nuts

Pecan Nuts

Hazel Nuts

Sunflower Oil

Grapeseed Oil

The following list is foods that are moderately acidic, best eaten in small amounts:

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Butter

Apple

Apricot

Banana

Blackberry

Blueberry

Cranberry

Grapes

Mango

Orange

Peach

Papaya

Pineapple

Strawberry

Goat Cheese

Soy or Rice Cheese

Brown Rice

Rye Bread

Wheat

Ocean Caught Fish -- even if Wild

The following are the foods that are Highly Acidic to the body, mind, and bloodstream:

Alcohol

Coffee and Black Tea

Sweetened Fruit Juice

Cocoa

Honey

Jams and Jelly

Mustard

Rice Syrup 

Soy Sauce

Vinegar

Yeast

Dried Fruit

Beef 

Chicken 

Eggs

Farmed Fish

Pork

Shellfish

Cheese

Dairy

Artificial Sweeteners

Syrups and Sugars

Eating this way does not result in lost muscle tissue from the lack of animal foods -- if anything muscle tissue can be gained from the increased chlorophyll in the green foods and it's ability to nourish all the cells of the body.    

Weight loss, depending on the individual, may occur simply because the alkaline diet is so clean, green, and chemical free.   Fat tends to cling to toxins and once we get the toxins flushing out of the system, excess fat tends to slip away too.

The reason for eating an alkaline diet are many.   The increased flexibility means it becomes easier to exercise, enjoy yoga, and movement of any kind.    The body begins to feel more youthful.   

Keeping the sugars in our diet extremely low helps to prevent many chronic diseases, and, in the case or preexisting conditions, a low sugar highly alkaline approach often reduces symptoms.

As we get older, sugar is no longer a fun friend.  Sugar usually accelerates aging, causing many to get thick around the middle and to wrinkle prematurely.   

To age gracefully, a diet high in alkaline minerals that is hydrating due to the high water content, can keep us energized, flexible, and feeling fantastic!

Best of luck to you!

Susan "Yogi Suzi" Grimes

Reuniting the Fawn and the Doe

   Friday morning the main gate near our home was left open for five minutes.   During that time, a doe and her brand new baby, secretly entered.  
                                                                             
    Saturday morning a good deal of spinach and lettuce had been eaten and we were a bit baffled -- could a deer have hopped our high fence -- or did rabbits visit?

    Sunday morning the doe appeared along the fence line above our garage.     One of us walked towards her, the other opened the gate, and her departure was graceful.

       We did not know she had a brand new baby until 20 minutes later.    Out in the garden, all alone, there rested the most precious fawn, so very young, maybe less than a week old, perhaps born just a few hours before.

      The fawn, so smart, hid as motionless as possible in the tall kale plants, tall compared to this new little body.   Silky soft fur, white spots, so precious, so vulnerable, weighing only eight to ten pounds - in an instant we both felt such deep love for this little fawn!

      We walked slowly towards the fawn and in one scoop Tallison picked the fawn up and as we walked the 200 yards to the gate the fawn let out two very loud squeals.   Each time the fawn squealed, the doe, the mommy, pranced around the outside of the fence with an excited yet concerned look on her face.

     We told them both all was well, it would be OK.    When we opened the gate the doe was so relieved -- the look on her face as she saw her baby fawn running towards her.    This reunion of mommy and baby has touched us deeply and will remain in our hearts forever.

Greens and Roots to sow in April

Happy April!   This month in your garden, if you have not already done this, order your seeds!   If you have seeds on hand, then maybe you've already inventoried them and have started a few indoors or in a greenhouse.    If conditions are favorable, this is the month you might actually put some seeds in the ground so here's a list seeds that can be direct sown outdoors soon:

Lettuce
Mizuna (and other easy to grow Gourmet Greens)
Mustard
Spinach
Arugula
Radish
Basil

These top seven will give you instant satisfaction, flavor, and may increase your energy levels as well as put a little 'spring' in your step if they are added to your daily fare.

Spring energy moves upward, quickly, and thus it's good to eat lots of above ground plants as a way to harmonize the body with spring and summer.   Come Autumn, root vegetables, which coincide with the downward moving energy of the season, might be what you crave -- your body may ask for thick soups with root vegetables to feel balanced in fall.

Now (or very soon)  is the time to plant roots like:

Carrots
Turnips
Beets
Rutabagas
Parsnips

Many more little notes like this one will be coming your way as the Gardening Season blossoms!

Lovely April to you!

Suzi

79 cent Garden Tool

   You may or may not be familiar with an Ika Hoe or a Nejiri Weeder yet there is an extremely valuable garden tool that, for about 79 cents, will, quite simply, enhance the success of your garden.   A notebook or journal can become your best friend if you mark it up with details like how many weeks particular seeds need to be started indoors before planting outdoors and with other info like how many days the seeds take to germinate.

     Some plants do need an extended start in a warm spot, and warm often means indoors.   Tomatoes, for example, often require 10 weeks from sowing indoors to transplanting outdoors.   So let's say you were planning on getting those Rose de Summer Tomatoes or Large Red Cherry Tomatoes in the outdoor soil on June 1st.   This means you would plant the seeds around March 15th.  Yikes!

    Perhaps you can't get out there with your Hand Crafted Carbon Steel Blade Kana Weeder today, but you can definitely break out the pen and paper and refine your plan for an organized and productive garden.     We're here cheering you on -- and like you -- with pen and paper designing our 2012 garden.

Wish You Had Winter Squash?

This spring, you can choose to plant a few varieties of Winter Squash so that your wish will be granted.   Planted in Spring and harvested in Autumn, most Winter Squash keeps well through the winter.  

From creamy Butternut Squash Soup, toasty oven roasted Acorn Squash, to the exotic flavor of Baked Sweetmeat Squash, you can plant these Heirloom Seeds in Spring, gaze upon the broad green leaves all Summer,and eat these green, orange, and golden treasures from October to February, March, or longer!

For Butternut Squash Seeds consider:  http://sustainableseedco.com/Waltham-Butternut-Squash.html

For Heirloom Acorn Squash Seeds that were introduced in 1913:   http://sustainableseedco.com/Table-Queen-Acorn-Squash-Seed.html

Exotic Sweet Meat Squash Seeds:   http://sustainableseedco.com/Sweet-Meat-Squash.html

For delicious ways to prepare Winter Squash, this little book at $3.99 will expand your Squash Cuisine Skills:  http://sustainableseedco.com/Cooking-With-Winter-Squash-Pumpkins.html

May your pantry or root cellar and family be blessed this fall with Luscious Winter Squash!

Artichokes in your Garden

Imagine steaming a fresh artichoke that your grew from Heirloom Seed.   The Green Globe Artichoke Seeds at http://sustainableseedco.com/home.php    produce tender, succulent Artichokes from seed in approximately 85 days.  If you are feeling hungry for that unique spring flavor present in Artichokes you might consider growing some.  To go directly to the photo on Heirloom Green Globe Artichoke seeds, click here:   http://sustainableseedco.com/Green-Globe-Artichoke-Seeds.html

Artichokes are a true superfood because, like Milk Thistle, Artichokes are also a thistle and thus have liver protecting and liver regenerating effects.    Artichokes are also a wonderful digestive tonic, and mostly, even though low in calories, Garden Grown Artichokes taste sensational!

If you wish to dip the leaves in melted butter, consider adding some fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme to the butter.   Another option is to dip the leaves in Omega 3 rich Hemp Oil or Heart Healthy Olive Oil.

The Green Globe Artichoke at  is a perennial in zones 7 - 10 and is planted as an annual elsewhere.    To find your zone:  //http://sustainableseedco.com/xcms_entry.php?xcmsentryid=24

Lentil Burger Recipe Complete With Meal and Snack Ideas

“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a Lentil Burger today.”  Wimpy

Dry ingredients: 

1 ½ cups lentils

3 cups raw sunflower kernels

4 cups chia seeds or flax seeds or a mixture of Flax and Chia

1 tbsp each Cumin and Coriander

2 tsp. Fennel

½ to 1 tsp Cayenne

1 tsp citric acid or juice of one lemon

2 to 3 tsp Himalayan or Pink Mountain Salt

Start 5 days ahead by placing the lentils in two mason jars, quart size, ¾ cup each jar, and soak them for 12 hours.  Rinse and drain twice daily for 3 to 5 days until the tails are one to two inches long. 

On the morning of day 3, put 1 ½ cups of Sunflower Kernels in a quart jar, and 1 ½ cups in a second jar.

Soak the sunflowers for 8 hours and then sprout them, rinsing three times over the next 18 - 24 hours.

Place what will likely be near 14 cups of fresh sprouts in a large bowl. 

Rinse and set aside the following:

8 to 10 carrots chopped small enough to run through your food processor

6 large stalks of celery

2 onions, cut in eighths

6 peeled cloves of garlic

1 to 2 cups fresh spring water

Run all ingredients through your food processor.  You want a creamy consistency without over blending so it may be best to do small batches in the food processor, one after the other.  Be sure to add the spices at the very end of one of the processed loads as to not over blend the spices.  Also, be sure to run the celery through the food processor for as little time as necessary in order to gain desired consistency.

Place each food processor load into a large bowl and stir it all together at the end.

Taste from the mixed glob.  You may choose to add something with a little sweetness.  We added 2 tbsp. of honey and 1 tsp. whole leaf stevia powder.  You may opt for more salt, spices, spirulina, or some oil.

In a smaller grinder, turn chia seeds or flax seeds or a combination of the two into a fine powder.

Slowly add the Chia and/or Flax powder to the Lentil Burger Batter and then stir thoroughly.

Let this mixture sit for one hour while the flax and/or chia seed powder absorbs some of the moisture.

Make patty shapes, Wimpy Burgers, silver dollar size to small plate size patties and place on four or five dehydrator trays, on Teflex sheets or whatever sheets you use in your dehydrator. 

Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8 to 12 hours. 

Flip the Lentil Burgers, remove the Teflex if possible, and dehydrate another 8 to 12 hours.

Store leftover Lentil Burgers in the refrigerator and, for leftovers, eat cold, at room temperature, or warmed up in the dehydrator for 30 minutes.

****

Breakfast:  Lentil Burgers with a glass of Green Superfoods will give you lasting energy all morning.

Lunch:  Take 2 very large pieces of romaine lettuce.  Break up a lentil burger and wrap lentil burger bite sized pieces in the large lettuce leaves.  Kale, collards, and nori sheets also work well for these wraps.

Dinner:  Make a fresh tossed salad with many high water content vegetables.   Break a lentil burger into small chunks or crumbles and enjoy as a flavorful and satisfying salad.

On the Go:  Pack some celery sticks, lettuce, and/or cucumber.  In a separate container, pack one to four lentil burgers.  Be totally satisfied with this simple on the go feast.

Snack:  Eat a lentil burger all by itself.  As a snack alone, one might be enough as they really are best eaten with vegetables to insure hydration to the body.  If you have vegetables with this snack you can eat as many as feels balanced.

With Soup:  Make a blended raw soup with any of your favorite vegetables and/or superfoods.  Have one to three lentil burgers on the side.  Heat the leftover lentil burgers in the dehydrator for 5 to 30 minutes to warm them and release more flavor.

***

“You can surely pay on Tuesday for a Lentil Burger today.  Wimpy, just for you, you do not need to pay!”  Suzi                                                                                                                                                                               

Shower yourself with Love with this easy, nourishing cleanse. Full instructions here!

Cleansing:  Strategies for Success

When we choose to cleanse our bodies, and then give up due to lack of willpower, we cheat ourselves out of a sense of self empowerment. 

Kind of like cleaning a closet, once we pull half the clutter out, we must finish or else residue will be piled on the floor.

When we follow through with a cleansing plan, after a few days, we feel triumphant!

I have found, for me, when I cleanse, I need a program that is thorough without being depleting.  The program that I have had the most luck with over the last year is The Health Force Level 2 Cleanse Kit.

The Level 2 Cleanse Kit is very effective and easy to use even in the midst of a busy life.

Here is a 7 Day Cleanse Protocol:

One to three days before the cleanse, begin backing off on heavier foods.  Enjoy more blended soups, blended or tossed salads, smoothies (preferably green) and any soft foods that appeal to you.  Set some intentions as to what foods you will take a 7 day break from. By taking a look at your diet you will see which foods are the heaviest. Consider taking a break from those.  Examples include dairy, fried foods, meat, pastries, nuts, and candies.

Open the box with The Healthforce Level 2 Cleanse Kit the day before cleansing. 

The eve of the cleanse eat an early dinner, open the bottles from the kit, and  take 2 to 4 Intestinal Movement Formula Capsules with dinner.   Two hours after dinner, take 12 Intestinal Drawing Formula Capsules with at least sixteen ounces of water.

This encourages the body to have a full bowel movement the next morning. 

Bowel Movements, poop, elimination, whatever you call it, one of your goals may be to improve the quality of this vital function.

When I am eating too heavily, even on a raw food diet, chomping on too many nuts, seeds, or heavy treats, I tend to get plugged up. 

When I get plugged up I have a very difficult time moving in the morning.  My thinking becomes clouded, and, all too often, I have tricked myself into believing that caffeine will gravitate me beyond the heaviness.  

The coffee will in fact produce a bowel movement initially, however, later in the day, due to the dehydrating component of the coffee, I will end up with dry, hard, stools.

The vicious cycle continues until I get thoroughly rehydrated and, twice yearly, cleaned out.

The Healthforce Level 2 Cleanse kit, embarked upon for 7 days, revitalizes me!

http://healthforce.com/shop?page=shop.browse&category_id=4&aff_id=342

The simple cleanse, which begins with dinner on the eve before (noted above), is outlined here:

Daily, upon rising:   Have something simple like some Vitamineral Green and Spirulina, also from Healthforce Nutritionals, with a natural Vitamin C powder like Camu Camu or Acerola berry powder.  Blend these powders with a little stevia or sweetener of choice as in honey, apple, more berry powders, or a few fresh berries.  Healthforce has a product called Truly Natural Vitamin C which is excellent!  http://healthforce.com/?aff_id=342

Ideally, this drink is one full quart.  With the morning elixir, have:

2 to 4 Healthforce Intestinal Movement Formula Capsules and

4 to 6 Healthforce Liver Rescue Capsules and, if you did not put Vitamineral Green powder in your morning elixir then have

12 Vitamineral Green capsules  

(the above three items all come with the kit, as does the item IDF, spoken of below)

One to two hours later have 12 Intestinal Drawing Formula Capsules (IDF) with water.

During this morning routine, you may enjoy stretching, yoga, a walk, or quiet time.

Many of us do chase out the door most days.  Be sure to pack your cleanse capsules, and, ideally, smoothies, teas, or broths, and plenty of water in advance.

The beauty of the Healthforce Level 2 Cleanse Kit is that it does come with the Vitamineral Green (VMG) in capsules so you can use the capsules and, hopefully, find high quality liquid meals at a smoothie or juice bar if you are on the go.  

Personally, I love VMG powder in smoothies or blended in broths, tea, and/or juice.

When ordering my cleanse kit, I always get one large 500 gram bottle of VMG and one large 500 gram bottle of Vitamineral Earth, aka, Earth.  http://healthforce.com/?aff_id=342

When I choose to be out in the world, I use the VMG capsules that come with the kit.

When I am home in the morning and evening, I use the VMG powder and Earth.

The trick to sailing through a cleanse is to stay well hydrated.  Smoothies, water, broths, herbal teas, and green juices are key.

On a very busy schedule, or if you feel cold, I suggest making a giant pot of vegetable broth, discarding the vegetables if you are a raw foodie, and, using this broth as your base.

If you enjoy a heartier soup and do not mind cooked vegetables, then you may choose to make a creamy puree out of the vegetable soup.

Alternately, herbal teas made from nettles, horsetail, or alfalfa provide much needed silica to the body.  Add VMG or Earth to the warm (not hot) teas with a dash of high quality salt or miso and a little squirt of hemp or olive oil.   Yummy, warming, easy!

Whatever you choose to consume on the cleanse, be it smoothies, broths with VMG and Earth, juices, or solid food, for best results, choose foods with a very high water content.

With three of your meals, even if you have six mini meals, please, only with three, have 2 to 4 Intestinal Movement Formula, 4 to 6 Liver Rescue, and 12 Vitamineral Green Capsules unless VMG powder is in your meal, then you may save the capsules.

One to two hours after the meal in which you had the capsules, again, this is only for three meals daily, take 12 Intestinal Drawing Formula Capsules with at least 16 oz. of water.

VMG is best added to water, juice, warm tea, or to a green or superfood smoothie.

Earth is best added to warm or hot vegetable broth or tea, with salt and/or oil added if that is what sounds good to your body.

VMG and Earth insure that we are fully nourished and mineralized and, for me, I feel a steady energy and very little to zero hunger if I have plenty of VMG and Earth.

Remember, you get to eat and drink what you like on this cleanse.   The triumphant feeling comes from sticking with whatever you chose to take a break from at the start.

If you chose to give up cookies or chocolates for 7 days, stick with that, however be kind to yourself if there are other aspects of the cleanse that you do alter along the way. 

Cleansing is a way to pamper your body, mind, and soul.  Hot baths, walking or relaxing in the sunshine, anointing your body with warm oil, getting a massage, getting plenty of rest and giving yourself enemas are good ways to express love for yourself.

Please feel free to post any comments or questions, and, cheers to a cleanse that produces feelings of exuberance to you!

Suzi

Queen of her own Palace, just as you are The Royal Highness of your Palace~~~