Do you ever feel like it is too late to change things? That change is for young and strong, and that you deserve to be stuck in a rut? We all go through dark moments when life is just not bright enough. At times like this, nothing creates more spark than an inspirational story. Here is your inspiration cure!

It is a guest post from a wonderful 60-year old woman who is changing her life. With courage, against all odds, and with a lot of inspiration! Note: I have a small favor to ask of you at the end of the post. Please, please, please do it for me and for Elizabeth!

There are probably many psychosocial reasons for why I ended up at nearly 200 pounds with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness - despite a stable marriage, an active mother, two married and happy children, one adorable grandchild and a sister who has listened to my woes for years.  I periodically investigate and analyze the reasons; but regardless of whether my analysis identifies trends or rationale, there has never been an impetus for sustainable change.

Certain age milestones, like turning 30, 40 or 50 have meant little to me. Rather, I have focused on family, work or dealing with menopausal symptoms (for which I was prescribed anti-depressants to manage the symptoms), without any regard or attention to where I am in life. Generally too wrapped up, either in fact or in my head, to think about what my life means, I have only acknowledged that life has always been a little hard to handle.

But turning 60 this year has given me pause.  Except for the weight, I am the same girl I was 40 years ago – uncertain about the future, with a timid heart and a passionate longing for a full, genuine, spiritual and meaningful life.

Many great websites, programs and books, fill my bookshelves and Favorites tab – all about integrating healthy living for meaningful change: Integrative Weight Loss at Kripalu, Dr. Douillard’s ayurvedic weight loss, Kris Carr’s Crazy, Sexy Diet, and Nadya, the “modern ayurveda girl,” to name a few.  Nothing penetrates or takes hold in an insulated life.  Yet, chronic physical problems and turning 60 have caused me to gasp for air and commit, with greedy ambition, to live my best life.

I decided to taper off medication I had been taking for over 10 years.  I had tried to do this before, but found a great website, that gave me the strength to really do it: Although just an Internet community and not a real-life support system, people were there to answer questions and provide tools to successfully wean off the medication.

When I mentioned wanting to be healthy, my husband’s rowing coach and nutritionist, Laura Hutchinson,  suggested a gentle cleanse.  This was an unbelievable jump-start and I’m now doing Arbonne’s 30 Days to Fit Challenge.  Beginning with rules is okay for me because I need structure.  Left on my own, I will expend my life energy reacting to the demands of my various roles or to life in general.  As I gently reintroduce yoga to the beginning and end of my day, I’m gaining flexibility, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well, allowing me to make different choices about how I spend my energy. Unconsciously tapping into my inner most hopes and desires, and I have experienced moments of happiness. Happiness –not tied to who I am or what I do – just a feeling of happiness. 

Fifteen pounds lighter and I already have better sleep and more energy.  For the biological behavioral change I seek, I know I must reach out for support. I’m looking to the younger crowd who inspires me with their zeal for health, fitness and technology and the wise ones who have always followed their passions no longer intimidate me.  There’s a resolution happening within me.  Hey, it’s not that bad to turn 60.

Elizabeth is an insurance professional with a masters degree in psychology, looking to expand her horizons.  She is married and has two children, a son and daughter in-law and an an awesome granddaughter. Elizabeth documents her progress at http://ekgetsfit.blogspot.com  http://elizabeth-yogaandfitness.blogspot.com/

A favor I was talking about: Are you feeling all teary-eyed and inspired by Elizabeth’s story?! I do! Please leave a comment below to support Elizabeth! Let’s show her that we believe in her strength to achieve her best health NOW!

ELIZABETH, YOU CAN DO IT!!!! YOU ARE AN AMAZING AND STRONG WOMAN! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY!

To receive FREE health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga!

Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

There are lots of health and fitness related articles out there. If our grandparents and parents had to put in effort to find health-related resources, we have to put in the effort to protect ourselves from the health-related information overload.

You would think that having so much information at hand would turn us into the healthiest nation ever but it is far from it! Quite the opposite: we are fatter than ever and suffering from chronic disease and autoimmune malfunction.

The reason behind this strange trend is that it doesn’t matter what you know. What matters is what you do, day in, day out!

The ‘more is better‘ approach that is ruling our day to day choices doesn’t always work when it comes to health and wellness information. “The more is better” things rarely works at all. We get caught up and think that more information is better, more superfoods is better, the more articles the better, the more exercise the better…

Do you notice the trends: we over-do things: we over-eat, we over-browse, we over-research, and it leads to over-weight and over-stressed society.

Interestingly, the wealth of information leads to scarcity of attention and the lack of action.

Overwhelming amount of information on health and wellness can lead to anxiety and lack of motivation to follow on any of the often conflicting advice. How are you supposed to choose which advice to follow if you want to increase your energy?  Someone is telling you to go raw, another expert is banning the sugar and coffee, someone else offers energy-boosting exercise, but you also read that some exercise depletes energy and that our body needs sugars and that raw foods are harder to digest… It can get pretty confusing, to say the least!

Just as eating in a rush without chewing would lead to indigestion and a bloated belly, skimming through a ton of articles without taking time to process and absorb information will lead to misunderstanding and a bloated head.

A Cure for an Overwhelmed Health-Seeking Warrior

Here are a few guidelines that might help to navigate over-abundance of health and wellness information and to start your own health transformation without over-stressing:

Remember: You already know more than you realize! Trust your inner expert!

You don't want your brain to feel like this!

• Before google, ask yourself. A good chance is that you already know the answer to your question. For example if you are wondering how to reduce bloating or increase energy. What has worked for you in the past? Close your eyes and ask the question to your body. Listen to what your body has to say. An answer to increasing energy might be very simple like: dude, put me to sleep! Or let’s go for a walk. Or I would really appreciate some stretches now. Ask yourself first! If there is no good answer, google:)
• What would you tell a friend with a similar question? Often we give amazing advice to other people. We show up as kind, considerate, and resourceful advisers when it comes to solving others’ problems. What if you step back and look at your situation from a 3rd person perspective. What would you advise a friend in your situation?
• Limit research to 2-3 articles and give yourself time to digest and assimilate information. You know that you can’t rush digestion in your belly without creating indigestion, so why would you want to rush digestion in your brain? You skim through the articles without pausing to think and to see how this information applies to your life. Let it sink in, simmer, become a part of you, and then when it is fully assimilated, you can use it to build up to desired outcomes.
• Choose just 1 thing to change at a time. Experiments are effective when you keep variables to a minimum and observe the true ’cause and effect’ in action. Don’t try to revamp your entire lifestyle in one week. Slow down and enjoy the ride. Listen to body’s feedback and allow time and space for constant evolution
• Talk it through with a friend or with a coach. Write or talk about the benefits and disadvantages of changing your habits. Find out what worked for your friends and why. Get a perspective from a human being not just internet. Brainstorm and play with new ideas.

Avoid information pollution and be picky about what you let in. Put on your information spam filter

Do you ever feel that your attention is too spread out and you are not sure where to focus your efforts in terms of creating consistent change in health and wellness? How do you manage that?

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga!

Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

All smoothies are NOT created equal. In fact, some are so loaded with sugar and fat that they’re very similar to McDonald’s milkshakes, nutritionally. Other recipes are so horribly combined that you’re likely to experience bloating.

For a quick introductory guide to belly-friendly smoothies, check out my new article on Mind Body Green. It got almost 500 likes and lots of shares! The article includes a Simple Fail Proof Smoothie Formula and a few recipes of my favorite smoothies!

Enter to Win a FREE Wellness Coaching Session with Me

A friend of mine and a great gal behind the wisdom of Vixi, the virtual ashram, recently posted an interview with me on her blog. You might remember Ashley from her amazing guest post that she wrote for Spinach and Yoga last week on Spring Detox and a Detox Smoothie. If you haven’t had a chance, yet, you can read her informational article here.

We both like to interact with our readers and we decide that it would be great to give YOU, readers,  a PRESENT:)

I know that not everyone who needs and wants a Wellness Coach can afford one. As a part of my efforts to make Wellness Coaching available, I am leading 40 Day Program to Bliss and now doing a FREE Wellness Coaching Giveaway!!!

To Enter the competition, head over to Vixi and submit a comment for this article. The comment should contain your reason as to WHY YOU WANT A WELLNESS COACHING SESSION with me.

For extra bonus points, Like Vixi, the Digital Ashram, and Spinach and Yoga facebook pages.

Tweet about it: I entered a contest at @ashleylpitman website to win a free Wellness Coaching Session with @realyoganyc

The winner will be notified on facebook and over email on May 17th at 9am EST

What are you waiting for? I want to hear from you over at Vixi’s!

If you want to learn more effective ways to boost your nutrition without spending a lot of $$$ and time, join me for the 40 Day Journey to Bliss. Your belly will thank you!

For more details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga!

Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

Have you seen an old Coffee Crisp commercial with 2 old ladies making jokes while playing cards? My boyfriend recently told me about it and even though it took me a while to get it (my Russian brain used to Russian jokes), I find it very cute and funny now:) Check it out: Old Coffee Crisp Commercial

It goes something like this:

Sprouted seeds and greens salad booster

- So how do you like you coffee?
- I like my coffee crisp.
- You like your coffee crisp?
- I like my Coffee Crisp

If it’s not funny in words, watch the commercial!

I don’t drink coffee but I like a few things to be crispy and crunchy: salads, carrots, apples, raw bread sticks, sprouted nuts and sunflower seeds…. Crisp, crisp!

If you like your salads crunchy, too, and if you are one of those people who is always in a rush and busy even in the kitchen, you will LOVE what you are about to get!

May I present to you a Crunchy Superfood Salad Booster!!!

It has so many amazing sprouted seeds, spices, and sea plants that it will turn any salad into a nutrient rich power house. It is also a great source of fiber, healthy fats, and Omega 3′s thanks to chia seeds, and chlorophyll. The best thing is that you don’t have to scout through all the kitchen shelves for spices and seasonings every time you make a salad. Basically it will save you a good 10-15 min every time you make a salad. If you make it every night, you’ll save over HOUR and a HALF of precious time a week! Just enough to squeeze in a yoga class or do a short yoga nidra pre-dinner every night! Your belly appreciates good quality relaxation just as much as the salad!

Excited for this new time-saving recipe? Let’s get cooking!

Crunchy Superfood Salad Booster

Superfood Salad Booster (just look at these amazing colors!)

You will need:

• 1 cup sprouted sunflower seeds (or 1/2 sunflower and 1/2 pumpkin seeds)
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/3 cup mixed black and white sesame seeds
• 3 tbs ground up flax seeds
• 3 tbs dulse flakes
• 2-3 tbsp chlorella powder (it has a strong smell so start small and slowly increase once you get used to it)
• 2-3 tbs spirulina powder
• 1 tbsp ground up lemon rind (optional but nice)
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp Cumin
•  2 tsp Turmeric
• Sea salt if necessary. Dulse makes it a bit salty already so I didn’t feel like I needed salt.

Mix together, cover and store in an air-tight container. Sprinkle over any salad for a special boost or gift to health-seeking friends as a DIY present! Who wouldn’t like a nutrient-dense sprouted seeds boost to their salads?!

You can also take it with you when you travel! It is an easy way to keep highly nutritious superfoods in your diet while away from a well-stocked kitchen.

It goes great on sunflower sprouts, avocado, and baked sweet potato salad:

Boosted Sunflower Sprouts Salad

Or just plain baby spinach leaves. I also tried in a green blended soup and roasted veggies. This mineral dense, nutrient rich sprouted booster is a keeper in my kitchen!

Healthy cooking doesn’t have to take a lot of time! How do you save time in the kitchen?

If you want to learn more effective ways to boost your nutrition without spending a lot of $$$ and time, join me for the 40 Day Journey to Bliss. Your belly will thank you!

For more details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga!

Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

You can still get your own throne toilet:)

Usually, only boys discuss poop with each other and make a big deal out of being constipated. Girls are not supposed to get involved into the dirty boys’ talk. Well, I will break this rule for today.

Our modesty around bowel habits is a relatively recent development. In the 1600s King Louis XIII had a toilet bowl built directly into his throne, says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, and coauthor of IBS Cookbook for Dummies (Wiley, 2009). She also notes that “because we don’t talk about bowel movements, a lot of people don’t know what’s normal and what’s not.”

According to western doctors going to the bathroom once in 3 days is considered ‘normal’. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda disagree. According to the naturopaths the Western pooping norm is abnormal. Ayurveda and TCM claim that digestion is a cornerstone of health. They say that you got to cleanse your pipes at least once a day to maintain good health.

Constipated Society

The reason that I want to talk about this hush-hush subject is because by some estimates anywhere between 30-70% of the US population is constipated. The statistic is even worse for women and elderly.

Americans spend over $725 million is spent on laxatives each year. Plus add in endless fiber supplements, herbal colon cleanses and other digestive aids and you have a booming billion industry!

If you want to check on the gravity of the situation, ask your coworkers or friends if they went to the bathroom this morning. There is a very good chance that a person sitting next to you (especially if it is a female) is literally full of shit!

If you are not making a perfectly shaped banana every morning, something is not working right. Rock hard candies and soft serve is not what supposed to come out.

If you think that your digestion is perfectly healthy because you go to the bathroom after your morning coffee or strong tea, wrong! Caffeine irritates colon and makes you go but it does not mean that your elimination process is working well! It has to happen on its own and not be dependent on caffeine.

Why Should You Care About Your Poop?

Constipation can be scary!

We are used to hearing that ‘We are what we eat” but in reality “We are what you assimilate and eliminate“. If you can’t assimilate nutrients from food and eliminate leftover materials, no matter what you eat, you can’t be healthy. A healthy digestion is a corner stone of health and happiness.

Being constipated can lead to an array of problems: bad breath, weight gain, allergies, bloating, poor nutrient assimilation, fatigue, migraine, breakouts, heart burn, lower back pain and sadly, the list goes on, then you need to clean up your act and fast before disease sets in!

Healthy efficient digestion leads to:

• Clear mind and no foggy feeling
• Glowing skin (your skin is the reflection of your digestive system)
• Good energy
• Better self-image (since there is no bloated belly to worry about)
• Great sex (sex organs and elimination organs are really close and interconnected)
• Happy positive mood (good poop makes everyone happy!)
• Better health and stronger immune system (since there are less toxins in the body
• No bad breath

How to Restore Regularity

I wrote an extensive article on restoring regularity for Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Life a few months back: How to Put Your Stomach on a Regular Schedule. It got quite a few comments and a good discussion going. If you have irregular elimination habits, check it out!

Here are some more ideas for restoring regular elimination:

• Stop fighting with your body, start cooperating: Do not ignore the urge. Sure you’re busy, but it’s important to respect your body’s rhythms and answer its calls to action. If you ignore those urges too often, or delay responding to them for too long, you can wind up desensitizing your body. As a result, it will be less likely to cooperate or respond to your cues when you finally decide it’s “a good time” to go.
• Stop constant snacking: Don’t eat until the previous meal is digested. Do a quick check in with your belly before and after eating.
• Stop eating non-food items: Packaged, processed foods that have an extremely long shelf life do not deserve to be on your plate.
• Simplify your meals: The fewer ingredients, the easier it is to digest. Avoid bad food combinations
• Stop eating dry shit!: One of the reasons you get constipated is because you are dehydrated. When your body is dehydrated, your colon is the first to suffer. A healthy colon has a very high % of moisture/liquid and in extreme situations like dehydration, your body takes liquid from colon to support other bodily organs.
• Surprising dry foods. You might be eating way more drying foods than you realize:
• Nuts
• Sandwiches
• Beans
• Chips
• Bars
• Cookies
• Fiber cereal and bars. Fiber is great but it needs liquid to move along – Hydrate your colon
• Help everything to move along
• Exercise – Being sedentary compounds constipation, while exercise increases the gut’s blood flow and improves gastrointestinal motility. Taking a short walk is often all it takes to convince your body it’s time to go. Certain yoga asanas are helpful in nudging sluggish systems into gear.
• Abdominal massage – Agnisar kriya is a great option for self-massage. Ayurvedic massage therapists or holistically trained digestive specialists can be of wonderful help.
• Breathe deeply (especially when stressed)

What It Comes Down To

The name of today’s post ‘Poop Big or Go Home‘ is catchy but does not fully reflect the idea I was trying to convey. It would be better to say ‘Poop Big and Regularly To Go Home‘.

Our body is our Home. It is a place that should feel comfortable and cozy for us to live in. When we fail to maintain our Home in a clean condition, it is impossible to be comfortable living in it. It becomes anything but cozy and welcoming!

When our body is clean and light, we feel ‘at home’ living in it. To find this amazing feeling of being ‘at home’ in your own body, you need to keep its systems functioning well! You need to take care of your body and clean the sewage system if it gets plugged up!

If you have been ignoring your digestive issues and feel like it’s about time you fix your digestion but not sure where and how to begin, sign up for the 40 Day Journey to Bliss. Your belly will thank you!

For more details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga! Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

NOTE: big thanks Gerry for a great title:)

To Your Happy Clean Belly!

There are a few blog that I read on a regular basis and a few people in the holistic wellness and ayurveda field that inspire me. Ashley is one of them. Her website is full of ayurvedically-inspired recipes, seasonal detox tips, and effective health strategies. Ashley herself is a picture of health! In today’s guest post, Ashley shares her tips on staying balanced in the Spring and shedding off Winter pounds that some of us might still be dragging along from the holidays. Read and Learn!

Spring – The Natural Detox Season

Ashley's Ayurvedic recipes

If you’re feeling an urge to detox and get rid of any heaviness and stagnation from winter, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re on the right track according to Ayurveda.

Spring is Mother Nature’s detox season. You’ll notice that bitter roots, sprouts, greens and berries come into abundance. These pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent foods help us naturally detox any excess fats and proteins out of our system.

This is really important for obvious reasons like disease prevention and immunity boosting. But it’s even more important for subtle reasons like being able to listen to your body, following your intuition and your ability to show up fully in life.

Seasonal foods + our bodies create quite a magical combination because they need each other to thrive. Our bodies, by themselves, have an innate intelligence that enables health. BUT, when our diet and lifestyles are impeded by things like overeating, processed foods, foods out of sync with the season, stress, pharmaceutical drug toxicity, etc., the body suffers. Likewise, plant food has an innate intelligence that enables health, but when it’s put into a poorly functioning body it can’t do it’s thing either. The truth is we need to collaborate with nature in order to live into our full, vibrant capacity.

Now you might be curious about what to specifically eat during the spring, so here’s a quick rundown:

• Eat more foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Dry, Warm
• Eat less foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Cold, Oily
• Schedule a deeper cleanse to fully detox, like a juice cleanse or a plant-based cleanse

One of my favorite morning rituals this time of year is the Spring Detox Smoothie. Here’s my recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Kapha-Balancing Detox Smoothie

Ingredients

Spring Detox Smoothie

• 1⁄2 cup spicy sprouts
• 1 tbsp ginger root
• 1 cup turnip greens (or arugula or dandelion greens)
• 2 lacinato kale leaves
• 1 pear
• 1 apple
• 1/2 lemon (juice from)
• 2 pinches of cayenne
• 1 tsp raw honey (optional for extra sweetness)
• 1 1⁄2 – 4 cups filtered water

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Here’s a quick rundown of why these ingredients are excellent choices for detoxing your body during the spring:

• DARK LEAFY GREENS like kale, collards, nettles, dandelion greens and turnip greens have a bitter and astringent taste. This stimulates the action of scraping and squeezing, respectively. Used to scrape excess waste and toxins on a cellular level, greens create lightness with their high nutrient portfolio. Greens are rich in chlorophyll which oxygenates and alkalizes your blood. Greens detox your lymph, blood and fat cells.
• LEMONS + LIMES have sour taste, which gently stimulates digestion. They stimulate the release of enzymes and help convert toxins into a water-soluble form that can be easily excreted from the body. Lemons and limes also detox your liver. Funny enough, even though these fruits are acidic outside of the body, on the inside they’re extremely alkaline-forming (this is why drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning is important). 
• SPROUTS are a super potent phase of plant growth because more nutrients are packed into a smaller space. They help build muscle tissue and contribute to sustained energy levels.
• SPICES  such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon and fennel improve circulation, aid detoxification, and stimulate the digestion of toxins both in the digestive tract and on a cellular level. Spices detoxify your lymph, blood, kidneys and bowels.
• SWEET FRUITS are high in fiber, and some, like apples, are high in pectin, which serves an intestinal broom to clear out the toxins. Juicy fruits contain the purest, most absorbable form of water for our cells, giving your body energy to detox in pace with modern life.

And guys, I just want to forewarn you that this smoothie is a little intense, but for good reason. Choosing meals that help you live into a higher vibration isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it!

Do you feel better when you eat with the seasons? Do you have a favorite spring smoothie recipe that you’d like to share?

Bio: As a Wellness Educator, Cleanse Specialist + crusader for whole-body nourishment, Ashley Pitman supports thousands of people in achieving a hot body and radiant beauty with a blend of raw food education, Ayurvedic inspiration, guided detoxes + courses, and lots of loving encouragement. All the action takes place at Vixi.com, a digital ashram for wellness-inspired people looking to use food as medicine and health as a spiritual practice. Stay devoted to your radiance and well-being by joining the free weekly newsletter with health and lifestyle tips that work. Click here to join & claim your free gift.

Twitter: @ashleylpitman Facebook: Vixi’s Page

Albert Einstein said ‘Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.‘

You can’t get to a happy future if you can’t visualize what would a happy future entail for you.

If you don’t know where you want to go, how can you get there? You will feel lost if there is no direction.

To help you determine what is it that you want, think of your past life and remember the happiest moments:

• What did they involve, what were you doing, who was around, how did you look.
• Recreate it in as much detail as possible. based on those happiness elements, start creating a vision for your desired future.

Your vision should be based on your passions and values, not on someone else’s! Don’t limit yourself with society’s expectation of what happiness should be. Look within and find what makes YOU happy. In the beginning it can be tempting to write that you will be happy having a ton of money, not having to work, living in a mansion, and driving a crazy car.

If this is something that would make you authentically happy, put it down, but be honest with yourself. I personally know a lot of people who have money, cars, houses, and live a very unhappy life. Most of us are looking for a feeling not the object itself. Is it a sports car that you are after or a feeling of being in the center of attention? If you listed a beautiful body in you vision, are you looking for a specific shape or a feeling of being comfortable in your own skin and being in-love with yourself?

Number 1 Mistake That Doesn’t Let You Live The Life Of Your Dreams

One of the biggest mistakes that most adults make is that they forget how to dream. They complain about the present circumstances but they don’t imagine they ideal world either. As kids, we day dream and imagine. As adults, we frown upon life’s miseries and hope that someone in power will make our life better. So the biggest mistake is NOT CREATING DREAMS.

Creative an inspiring vision is important! Just think about this amazing quote from Dream Manifesto:

Think of it as ordering from the Cosmic kitchen of the Universe. When you go into a restaurant, you don’t want to tell the waiter that you want “food”. Most of us are much more definite than that. In fact, we generally don’t hesitate to tell the waiter exactly what we want, how we want it, and when we want it.

You have the power to bring forth into your life whatever you choose consciously. Think of your vision board as placing your order. Be clear about what you want, and know that what we have ordered will be delivered.

If you are still not sure that you are ready to spend time creating a vision, consider this: even Oprah thinks that creating a vision helps to achieve success. Basically, vision serves 2 goals:

• To Inspire You to act in accordance with your values and goals. A personal vision that is based on values and beliefs that are important to you is the best motivator!
• To keep you focused on your desired future. It guides you through difficult decisions in life and work.

Why Use Pinterest to Create Vision?

There are several ways to create an inspiring vision: you can write it out on paper, you can create a collage with pictures and magazine cut outs, or you can create it using Pinterest. There are some benefits of creating a vision using Pinterest:

• It is super easy. You don’t need to go through piles of magazines to choose the images that are attractive to you. All you need to do is to search through images already uploaded to Pinterest or upload the ones from your computer.
• You can update it whenever you want. We change and our desires for the future may change as well. Also, creating a great personal vision based on values and beliefs may take some time. Many of us are not sure what is it that we TRULY want. It takes time to get to know yourself and re-introduce yourself to those things that are really important to your happiness. In the beginning a vision can look very general and not personal but overtime it will grow more personal. You have to dig deep to learn what is it that you really really want. 
• It is always there. It won’t get lost, doesn’t take up space, and always handy. Vision is effective only if you keep it current and also refer to it once in a while. Often people write out their wellness vision and feel very excited about it for a few days but then life gets busy and the vision goes in the background. To make the most of your vision and use it as a daily inspiration, you have to re-read it on a regular basis. I would say, you should do it daily to keep your vision at the forefront of your mind.
• It makes the vision more powerful. Seeing things that you want visually makes the vision more real and desirable. It is very important to create a strong emotional charge when it comes to an effective vision. Image and pictures are more like to awaken strong emotions than just words. You should feel the feeling of having those things in the present. Feel the gratitude for having those things.
• It helps you to be limitless. Let your imagination go wild on Pinterest. Explore. Let yourself be inspired with other vision boards and beautiful pictures.

How to Start:

Creating vision is a combination of deep self-exploration and imagination. It is inspiring, re-invigorating, and exciting! You are creating your own future!!!

Once you get clear on things that you would like to feel and experience in your future life, find images that reflect it online. Use Pinterest search, google search, image search, or upload from your computer.

You can create different vision boards for your career vision, for your love life vision, and for your wellness vision. Keep them detailed and specific. Find pictures that truly resonate with you and create strong emotions!

Refer and update your vision boards regularly. Check out my inspiration board on Pinterest. Here are some examples of what a Pinterest vision board may look like Health and Wellness,  Dream Life, Fit and Healthy.

While teaching the first 40 Day Journey to Bliss program, we worked a lot on figuring out personal values, beliefs, and priorities as a basis for creating a Wellness Vision that ring the bell. A good vision should have a strong inspiring and energizing effect on you!

If you are having trouble figuring out your values or creating a particular vision, come tonight, Mon 4/30 to the free Info session for the next 40 Day Journey to Bliss. You will be able to ask all the questions, talk to the past participants, and taste some yummy healthy cookies.

Info Session will take place at 101 W 24th st, 3rd floor lounge at 6-7pm. For more details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga! Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

Hugs and inspiring visions!

Nadya

Often I get asked the same question: don’t you miss the pleasure of eating a burger or a chips?

Parsnip Chips

Food is one of best sources of pleasure, why refuse it?

Well, first of all, I never had a particular attraction to burgers or chips but even if I did, I don’t think I would miss them after experiencing a body that is light, full of energy, and with no aches.

The secret to giving something up is to get something better in return.

Switching  to a healthy lifestyle is a journey, it doesn’t happen overnight for most people. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to have fun without feeling deprived.

What most people don’t get is that the pleasure of eating greasy deep fried food or a sugar-loaded fatty ice cream is substituted with an amazing feeling of living in a beautiful healthy and strong body. Plus, healthy food tastes really good after your taste buds adapt back to real food after being bombarded with intense food flavorings.

If you are not sure what living in a beautiful healthy body means, let’s consider this scenario:

Imagine making love and not feeling shy or embarrassed about your protruding bloated belly.  You get to enjoy every moment instead of thinking of the more forgiving angles and ‘safe positions’. You get to be fully present with your partner, not with your guilt. You get to experience touch and love, not shame.

Good sex can be a great motivator to eat healthy, isn’t it?

Besides there are plenty of healthy alternatives to almost all sin foods. Megan, the chef behind Detoxinista, and Angela from Oh She Glows offer a ton of healthy recipes that will blow your mind, surprise your taste buds, and won’t require any special cooking skills. Go explore their websites and de-junk your junk food!

Even though I am not very disciplined at taking pictures and posting recipes of my kitchen experiments, I did post some favorites for quick healthy junk foods like chips and cookies. Check them out:

Lime and Chipotle Sweet Potato Chips
Herbed Parsnip Chips
Apricot Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Spicy Chocolate Balls

What is your favorite healthy alternative for a junk food? Please share the recipe in the comment section!

If you are not sure you have the willpower to swith to healthy foods or don’t know where to start, join May and I for our 6 week transformational wellness program – 40 Day Journey to Bliss.

The 40 Day Journey to Bliss program is limited to 15 people because we want to make sure that everyone gets plenty of attention.

We will be holding a Free Info Session on Mon, Apr 30th at 6-7pm. Vegan and Caveman treats and herbal tea will be served.

For details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga! Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

Some of you know that recently I started my journey to become a wellness consultant with Wellcoaches and recently successfully passed my exams! The idea behind getting this certification was to get necessary tools and to practice my coaching skills to help those who are looking to create a better state of wellness. These tools include vision creation, goal setting, creating strategies, and overcoming barriers on the way to holistic (whole) wellness. Since the definition of wellness is different for everyone, this program focused on providing us with tools to create customized personal programs where the client takes the reigns and guides the process.

While working on the certification, I got a clear picture of how and where I want to use my new coaching skills, combined with yoga, psychology, and my personal health and PCOS experience. Dear girls, I want to focus on your health and wellness:) Specifically, over-achievers, type A’s who tend to push through body’s signals asking for rest, who knows no time-off, who feels tired, stressed out from ‘work till you drop’ attitude but can’t ask for help. You are your worst critic. Your to-do list is endless. You are working on multiple projects at once, while taking care of your family, making time for intense workouts, hosting dinner parties, and taking self-development courses. You also find time to help your friends and co-workers, to support your siblings, and to make breakfast for your boyfriend or husband. I know exactly how you feel and I want to help you to slow down and learn how to rest and rejuvenate in a very efficient manner.

Here are a few reasons why YOU are my focus:

If that's how you feel, join me for a Wellness Reboot!

• I am one of you and I understand how you feel
• I pushed my body past its limit and learned the hard way how to let it rest and re-balance
• I know that you get tired and burnt out just like everyone else but don’t want to recognize it
• I know that our bodies also need support and compassion but it is harder for us to make ourselves a priority
• We think we can push through things but in reality there is an easier and a happier way
• There is a way to keep doing what you need and what you want but at the same time feel balanced, grounded, and inspired !

By over-achivers I don’t mean only those of use who spent 80 hours a week at the office. We all have different fields of over-achieving. Whether it is being a perfect mom and a wife, a successful worker, an obsessive ‘gymaholic’ or a straight A student, anything can lead to a burnout. It all depends on the attitude, effort, and ways we handle stress. Someone can get an anxiety attack from being late to an appointment while another woman can work at an all-male hedge fund company during an economy crisis and not blink an eye. We are all different and yoga and ayurveda have taught me to respect that.

My goal is to keep learn everything I can about women’s body and psychology, the way we work, what gives us the most rest, what balances our hormones, and what makes us happy. There are a lot of components to the puzzle that’s why I chose to focus. Since childhood I read in the books of Pushkin and Molière that it is better to master one topic than to be familiar with many subjects on the surface.

So far I learned many interesting things that I can use while working with women who need help in restoring their body and quieting the mind.

• Special needs of women’s body in yoga
• Meditation for women
• Positive Imagery and Visualization techniques
• Weight loss strategies for women’s body that create balance not depletion
• Hormone-balancing foods and practices (Specifically adrenal fatigue, pcos, menopause)
• Coaching strategies for creating an effective wellness plan and achieving the goals

Join Me For A Spring Wellness Reboot

I will be sharing everything I know about wellness and health during an upcoming 6 week program – 40 Day Journey to Bliss.  The goal of this program, created by two women (May and me) is to help other young women. We are like you. We share the same problems and issues in life. We can understand each other and learn from each other.

My Indian teacher said that it is a sin not to share the knowledge that you have. After successfully resolving my PCOS and digestive issues, finding so much inspiration and happiness in my life, I can’t wait to share all the instruments that helped me along the way. I truly believe that these 40 days will be transformational for you if you decide to join in.

We will TALK and SHARE.

Exchange IDEAS and BRAINSTORM.

We will work in groups and I will work with you ONE on ONE.

There will be lots of resources, worksheets, inspirational and educational articles and even a super sexy boudoir photoshoot with infamous Katerina.

You will feel RECHARGED, LIT UP, REJUVENATED and SEXY!

You will create lasting friendships and meet like-minded souls!

However, any change takes commitment and time. I can’t change you and no one else can. You can do it, though. Only you. May and I will be there to encourage, help, support, listen, brainstorm, and push when needed. Let us help you!

The 40 Day Journey to Bliss program is limited to 15 people because we want to make sure that everyone gets plenty of attention.

We will be holding a Free Info Session on Mon, Apr 30th at 6-7pm. Vegan treats and herbal tea will be served.

For details about the program, read here or email nadyaand @ gmail dot com

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga! Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!

Healthy & tasty recipes, interesting and thought-provoking articles, inspirational videos and fun workout ideas. I will share at least one of each every Saturday!

Read:

1. Do you often overplan and don’t do half of what you planned to accomplish? Leo at Zen Habits talks about why we overplan and what to do about it:

Learn to act fluidly. If your day is mostly wide open, how do you fill it? Flexibly. You don’t have plans or goals, but know how to pick your priorities fluidly, in the moment. At this moment, what is the thing you’re most excited about? What is the most important thing you can do? What can you do that will change your life the most? This is a skill that you learn by practice, but planning ahead what you should do makes no sense when the landscape is changing constantly.

Life is more like the sea, ever changing with no fixed paths or destinations, with swells and currents and waves that change everything at every moment. The ultimate skill, then, isn’t setting a destination (goal) or a path (plan), but surfing. In surfing, you take whatever waves come, learn to judge the waves as they come, learn to ride the wave as it changes, not as you planned. It’s going with the flow (literally), and changing what you do depending on how the flow changes. Life changes things, and it’s when we cling to our goals and plans that we are unhappy or stressed — when we learn to surf the wave as it comes, we can be very happy, no matter what comes.

2. The ‘Sound of Silence’. According to Himalayan Institute’s senior yoga teacher Shari Friedrichsen:

“A lot of people who study yoga think that there are good sides to themselves and bad.” But by holding space for ourselves outside of yoga-approved activities, she says, we can more readily notice, without judgment, all our everyday emotions and physical reactions—the skillful ones and not-so-skillful.

Cook:

1. Simple treat for breakfast from Dishes and Dishes: Spelt Banana Bread with No Added Sugar or Oil

2. 3 Cool creative uses for Almond Pulp from Gena at Choosing Raw from bread to hummus to a high protein dessert!

4. 11 Ways to Use Lemons for Glowing Skin. Yay for DIY cosmetics from Angela at Oh She Glows!

Watch:

1. Interview with a legendary ayurvedic doctor Vasant Lad. Inspirational and Interesting at its best!

Workout:

1. Sexy Core and Upper Body Workout from the amazing Bex at BexLife.com. This sexy mama of 4 will whip you up in shape in no time! Bex calls herself a crusader for fitness, family nutrition, and urban organic farming on the internet. If you haven’t seen her videos, check it out today!

2. Follow it up with a 25 min Butt Blaster from Bex’s friend Cassey Ho!

What did you find interesting or thought-provoking this week? Any article, videos, or workouts that the world must know about?

To receive more health tips, ayurvedically-inspired recipes and to just stay in touch subscribe to Spinach and Yoga! Please Like Spinach and Yoga on Facebook and follow health and yoga tips on twitter @realyoganyc.

If you are would like some help getting started on your health and wellness journey, take a look at how I can help you. It is easier when you are not alone!