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Right after I became vegan, I had an appointment with an Ayurvedic Practitioner to learn how I could optimize my digestion which had been poor most of my life. A recommendation he made that I continue to follow is to sip hot water throughout the day. Boiling water makes it tri-doshic which means it is appropriate for all constitutions. It also helps to stimulate the digestive fire or agni, making digestion of food and nutrients and more thorough and efficient. My teacher says: sipping hot water for the first month cleanses the cells in the lower half of the body, in the second month, you cleanse the cells in the upper half of the body and in the third month you cleanse the entire body.
Ayurveda recommends boiling water for 10 minutes and pouring it into a thermos to sip every 30 minutes throughout the day. Before I go to bed each night, I boil water and fill my 32oz Hydroflask, closing it tightly. In the morning, the water is hot, but drinkable (there's nothing worse than burning your mouth first thing in the morning!). I keep my flask next to me and sip on it throughout the day. Admittedly my sips can be more like glugs at times 🤷🏻♀️. I feel best when I drink 2-3 full Hydroflasks each day. I have maintained this practice for the better part of 3 years and I feel hydrated, my skin is less dry - especially in the winter, it warms and soothes me and it's inexpensive and portable. If you are traveling, bring your empty bottle to the airport and ask a cafe to fill it with hot water for you. Any kind of travel, especially flying, can be so dehydrating. It's nice to have hot water to sip to keep things flowing and keep the immune system strong. In warmer months and when my running ramps up, I keep up with the hot water, but supplement with room temperature water. I begin my day with hot water, and have room temperature water during and after my runs, then return to the hot water sip after I eat and am feeling rehydrated. Are you interested in taking a hot water challenge? Try it for 3 months and see how you feel. Let me know in the comments below.
Yep, it happens - we all get sick, even vegans, even yogis we are all human beings and whether we want to admit it or not, it happens. A few nights of poor sleep + increased stress left my immune system compromised. And here I am lying in bed headache, sneezing, eyes watering and crying because feeling awful makes me feel sad. Our inclination may be to power through with over-the-counter meds and go on about our lives, but I choose to rest and use this as an opportunity to nurture myself. Extra sleep, saying no to appointments that aren't necessary, lying down and being silent, eating well, lots of fluids. This is what I crave.  After waking up this morning to a sneezing fit and watery eyes, it was Neti Pot to the rescue. I like to Neti in the shower since I can't seem to use the thing without water running down the side of my face. I followed this with Nasaya Oil which felt so soothing. Feels so good to breathe! When I'm under the weather I crave orange juice and fruit in the morning. I like a Smoothie Bowl because I eat slower with a spoon making it more satisfying. I topped this simple bowl with some chopped nuts for texture.
I kept my hot lemon water near by and sipped it throughout the day. For a snack, I had a banana and a small handful of nuts. For dinner, I had a glass of OJ and 2 slices of toast topped with coconut oil and Everything but the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joes (love that stuff). It was just enough as I was ready for bed.
Be well, here's to health and happiness in 2019.  I love breakfast and lately have been into a savory start to my day. Today I had this Herbed Olive bread from Hewn, a local bakery (where I buy all of my bread) topped with half an avocado, kimchi, a few pumpkin seeds and pea shoots that I'm currently growing. I have a plentiful supply of pea shoots so I was quite liberal with them. A sprinkling of sea salt topped this off. It was hearty and super tasty. I enjoyed it with a cup of coffee & soy milk. After breakfast, I went on a nice long walk with my pup, Ollie. We ended up stopping for an Oatly mocha at my favorite local cafe. I was in the mood for a sweet treat. It felt so good to be out in the cool crisp air and Ollie loves walking this time of year.  We had our team meeting today and I prepared this hearty vegan chili and cornbread for us to enjoy. The chili is loaded with flavor and fiber courtesy of red lentils, pinto and chili beans. I have topped it with some nootch (aka nutritional yeast) for a cheesy flavor. The cornbread was a nice compliment, but it's a recipe that needs some work as it turned out too dry and crumbly. I also like mine a bit sweeter, even with the chili, so back to the kitchen to re-work this recipe. This chili is also so good as nachos, topped with my vegan sour cream and cheeze sauce, lettuce, tomato and jalapeños. We had a couple of squares of dark chocolate for dessert 😋.  I was still pretty full from lunch, but wanted to have a little something for dinner. I actually prefer having a larger lunch and smaller dinner which is inline with an Ayurvedic approach to eating. This is a mix of dandelion greens and spinach sautéed with garlic, crushed red pepper and topped with olive oil and sea salt. I had this over a scoop of creamy polenta. It was a satisfying way to end the evening. I stay hydrated throughout the day by sipping hot water from my hydroflask which I keep next to me wherever I am. |
AuthorI am an animal loving-Vegan runner, I practice and teach Kundalini Yoga and I love to cook and eat flavorful plant-based food. Archives
January 2020
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