Meet Your Meat

Some people automatically assume that because I choose not to consume animal products, somehow I automatically think everyone should do the same. The exact opposite happens to be true. My studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, along with my own research and experimentation, have led me to develop a great appreciation for 'bio-individuality'. The term refers to each human being's body as being completely different and in need of different nutrients. Think of it... no two people are exactly alike, therefore no two diets need to be exactly alike! There are different factors, such as age, ancestry, environment, culture, etc. which make up one's individual needs.

So, perhaps some people feel better with small amounts of animal protein in their diet. If that works for you and makes you feel good, then it makes me feel good too! The only concern of mine is KNOWING where your meat comes from. The majority of meat distributed in North America has been raised on factory farms, where animals are tortured and confined to small living spaces until they are fat enough to be brutally slaughtered. Not only that, but because of the harsh living arrangements, the animals are very susceptible to various viruses and diseases and are therefore given high doses of antibiotics. Who are we to think that by eating this drugged animal, we aren't ingesting some of those antibiotics as well? The animals are also over-fed, usually corn and grain, simply so they will gain weight quicker. Alot of these animals' natural diet is grasses. Think of when you are driving along a countryside and you see cows on a pasture. In my experience, usually the cows are grazing on the grass. When the animals are kidnapped of their natural habits, it throws the entire course of nature off balance. This upsets me, and if it causes you any amount of anguish whatsoever, then I encourage you to start exploring organic, free-range animal products. Do some research on the internet, and perhaps you can even find a farm nearby your house where you can see for yourself how the animals are treated. Shouldn't you want to know where your food is coming from? In my opinion, there is way too much ignorance surrounding the meat industry, and in return, the consumers are suffering in health. It is a vicious cycle, and it is not fair. It is up to you to make choices to help yourself, as well as the environment!

Also, remember that high levels of meat intake (especially red meat) are directly correlated with an elevated risk of heart disease, which is the number one killer today in North America. Limit your meat intake to a few times per week, and substitute meat with other vegetarian sources of protein, such as beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds. For recipes using vegetarian sources of protein or other materials related to the treatment of animals for food, please e-mail me directly at shaynayoga@gmail.com

How Healthy is your Immune System?

Did you know that sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately? So, when you feel like you’re coming down with something, try to avoid sugar. Also, if you can keep sugar out of your diet for the most part, it will do wonders for your health. Also, be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect like ketchup and fruit juice.

Get Enough Rest - If your body is overly tired, it will be harder for it to fight off disease…. So, try to get a good night’s sleep!

Eat Garlic Regularly - Garlic is AMAZING! It’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. You would do yourself a favor is you ate garlic every day. The key is that it must be fresh to give you optimal health benefits. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so use it right away – either by juicing it or just swallow it with water. Just make sure you smash it first.

Don’t Let Stress Become Overwhelming - We all face some stress everyday, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off illnesses. It has been estimated that up to 90 percent of illness and disease is stress-related.

Exercise - When you exercise you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated. In a sense, exercising helps your immune system to be more efficient in weeding out and acting upon viruses and diseases. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips to get started.

Wash Your Hands - Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides a bit of extra protection. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good.

Where to Get Young Thai Coconuts

Whole Foods and select health food stores; but, if you want fresh, organic ones, go to www.genefitnutrition.com/coconuts.html

WHY EAT MOSTLY RAW OR LIVING FOODS?

In the 1920s, Dr. Edward Howell observed that enzymes present in raw foods reduced the body’s digestive burden.
Health care practitioners and others have used enzyme therapy for more than half a century. Even ancient civilizations wrapped papaya leaves, containing the enzyme papain, around wounds to support the natural healing process.
So, what are the building blocks that our bodies need to function? Enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, protein, essential fats and fiber. We get all of these from our food and they are involved in growth, repair and maintenance of the body. Here’s a little info about what they do….
Enzymes, which are proteins, convert the food we eat into chemical structures that can pass through the membranes of the cells lining the digestive tract and into the blood stream. The help transform and store energy, make active hormones, dissolve fiber and prevent clotting. They have anti-inflammatory effects. Enzymes help balance and restore the immune system and heal many diseases. Enzymes even help repair our DNA and our RNA.
We are all born with enzymes but our pool of enzymes is exhaustible. When you cook food, you destroy all of the life giving enzymes that the food came with. So, to digest and use that food, you have to tap into your own pool of enzymes instead of using the ones provided by the food. By eating raw food, you preserve and rebuilt your enzyme pool!
Well, most of us know what vitamins are and what they’re good for ~ but, did you know that when you cook food, a large percentage of the vitamins are destroyed? Also, 17 of the 30 elements known to be essential to life are metals. Mineral deficiencies cause disease in humans. When foods are cooked, many of the minerals are destroyed or altered.
Phytonutrients are what give fruits and veges their color. They protect the body and fight disease. They also fight cancer and help your heart. Phytonutrients are at the leading edge of research on nutrition. Here again, phytonutrients in freshly harvested plant foods can be destroyed or removed by cooking.
Okay, so now you’re probably saying, “What can I eat?”…. “I can’t go without cooking my food.” …. “What about my pizza?”…. don’t worry…. I don’t eat an “all raw” diet either; but, just being knowledgeable about what you put into your body is key. Just knowing about the destruction enzymes, etc., in cooked food may make you think about incorporating a little more raw food in your daily diet. Maybe you can substitute that turkey sandwich for a big, fresh salad with broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, romaine or mesclun and anything else you like to go in it. How about fresh fruit for breakfast ~ or possibly a smoothie made with fresh fruit and some spinach. The one thing you don’t want to do is stress over any of this. Just do your best one day at a time and see how you feel. You may realize you have more energy which will spur you on to eating more raw foods. Give it a try!

Quiet Time

Hi everyone! So my yoga training ended yesterday. It was very bittersweet, as I am eager to sleep later in the mornings, however I am sad to leave such a powerful group of women. The past two weeks have been quite transformative, as I've learned how to teach children's yoga through a lot of exploration into the child within! The program was so engaging and informative... it has totally changed my outlook on children and how to treat them. I also made many strong connections with others on the training. There was such a diverse group of women, yet all so individually inspiring and unique.

My roommates left this morning, as did most of the group. I am staying for some extra time. Today was a day of solitude, as nothing is open on Sundays here in Nosara (really... nothing). I had no choice but to relax and enjoy nature. Some people find it difficult to be alone, however this environment does not allow me to feel alone... the sounds of nature are so prominent and inviting. What would you do if you had an entire day to yourself in nature? Here are some pictures I took while roaming the jungle.

If you are not packing up to go to Costa Rica to get some alone time, do not fret. Sitting quietly with your eyes closed, or simply dedicating ten or twenty minutes per day to be by yourself WITHOUT electronics, is a healthy start to tapping into the energy within.

marinated kale salad

For those of you who want the benefits of a dark, leafy green, this salad is the way to go. First of all, it's amazing how the shape and presentation of food can actually have an effect on the taste. Whether it's in our heads or not, it doesn't really matter ~ if it tastes better, that's great. Well the trick with kale in a salad is that you really have to "massage" the dressing into the kale. Kale is a fairly tough and sturdy green vegetable so massaging the oil into it makes a world of difference.... almost makes it seem like it was steamed. So, anyway, today I bought "dinosaur" kale, or, another name for it is lacinato kale. I removed the tough stem, layered the leaves on top of each other, folded them in half lengthwise and, starting with the narrower end, rolled it up.... similar to a jelly roll. I posted some pictures to help you visualize. Then, using a sharp knife, cut thin slices from one end to the other -- this is known as chiffonade. It's french ~ turns out that "chiffonade" means "made of rags". So in the cooking world, chiffonade is a technique used to cut up any flat, leafy food into long and thin rag-like strips.... actually looks like ribbons. So, first I poured some olive oil into the ribbons of kale and some fresh lemon juice (you can judge the amounts for yourself) and sprinkled with sea salt. This is when you want to massage the kale. The olive oil and lemon juice act as softening agents and you'll actually feel the kale begin to soften and wilt. Next I finely diced a red pepper (how much you use depends on how big the salad is); I used one-half of the pepper. Then I sprinkled in some pine nuts and some chopped kalamata olives. I tasted just a small amount -- was going to a birthday dinner for my daughter Molly and didn't want to spoil my appetite -- but, yum, it tasted really good. I can't wait until dinner tomorrow when I plan to have it with some kombocha squash, steamed veges, quinoa and whatever else I'm in the mood for. Oh, I almost forgot.... kale is rich in calcium, lutein, iron and vitamins A, C and K. It has seven times the beta-carotene of brocooli and ten times more lutein. Kale is also rich in the much-needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of Americans who eat mostly processed food. The "icing on the kale" are the natural occurring all-important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles wich research suggests may protect against cancer. So, if you don't normally eat kale, do your body a favor and try different ways of eating it. Whether you want it in a salad like the one I mentioned or cooked with some onions, garlic and olive oil, just eat it as it's soooo good for you. Enjoy!

AMAZING Health Benefits of Coconut Water.... Great Smoothie Recipe

Coconut Water – “the fluid of life”…… literally!

Coconut water is an isotonic drink. I know…. I didn’t know what that meant either until I did a little research. According to Encarta, Isotonic means, “specially formulated to supply the body's chemical needs in situations in which minerals and fluids are used up by the body, e.g. during vigorous exercise.” It’s a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. In fact, during WWII, when IV solutions were scarce, coconut water (which was siphoned directly from the nut) was used as an IV drip for patients in hospitals.

Coconut water is very high in potassium – actually more per serving than bananas, low in calories (60 calories per serving) and very refreshing. It’s also high in Manganese which is essential for bone growth ~ 2-5 mg/day is recommended for good health….(great in the prevention of osteoporosis.

If you’ve never tried coconut water, do yourself a favor and buy a young Thai coconut – not the brown hairy types but the white hairless ones! Since these coconuts travel a long distance, you want to make sure they’re fresh. Here’s how to tell….
If you cut it open and there’s a purplish tint to the water, that means that it’s bad. It means that it’s started to decompose; also, if you see little black spots around the white shell of the coconut, that means it’s started to decompose and mold as well.
If you want a website where you can order fresh, organic, young Thai coconuts, just comment on my blog page and I’ll post it. It takes 2-3 days to get to you from CA!
Ok, so now for the best part…. A smoothie I make using coconut water….
Blender or Vita-Mix
1/2-1 cup coconut water;
Meat from one young coconut;
1 medium to large peach or mango or pineapple (anything that’s in season); most times I prefer frozen organic strawberries and blueberries (maybe 1/3 bag of each) – great antioxidants;
2 cups organic spinach (or other leafy green)
If you need it on the sweeter side, throw in 1-2 organic dates.