Spinach and Yoga

When I heard for the first time on the plane that you need to put your oxygen mask first before helping others I felt my insides protest. Isn’t it being there for others, especially your child or your loved one is more important?

Even now when I think about it, it is hard to imagine taking care of my oxygen mask before making sure that my kid or my love are safe. And I think most women instinctively reach to help others before their needs are met.

Are You Breaking The Major Self-Care Rules?

This happens not only in the emergency on a flight, it happens on a daily basis. For many mothers and wives it is a daily living algorithm. Every day they make sure that everyone is OK, fridge is full, everyone is fed, homework is done, and pets are taken care of.

Then if there is still time and energy left, we add in self-care, which usually ends up being not of the best quality because we are too tired. Maybe a little yoga here and there or a workout that leaves you feeling drained not energized, an occasional healthy dish but more often a store-bought cookie or chocolate, and maybe once in a while a massage. Does it sound familiar to you? If yes, I have a very special free class for you. You will be able to register below or check out the class now if you are too excited to read the whole article.

Many women think of self-care as a luxury that only people without families and with a lot of money can enjoy. For most busy folks who don’t have bundles of cash lying around self-care is an extra, not a necessity. Investing time in taking care of yourself may even feel selfish considering that you need to take care of the global and our family’s well-being.

The Truth Behind Self-Care

But let’s get clear on something. The real reason why prioritizing self-care is necessary and why it should not feel selfish at all.

This weekend I really felt the wisdom of having to put your oxygen mask first. Or you could say fill your vessel first in order to fill others. What dawned on me is that it is not selfish to take care of yourself.

It is actually better for the whole world if we take care of our own health and energy. It allows us to serve everyone around from a calmer and stronger place. If you are depleted and sick, you are not able to do what you are meant to do in the best way possible.

You must prioritize self-care until you feel strong and inspired enough to help others.

Self-care practices that nourish your body don’t have to be time-consuming to be effective. They just need to be daily, consistent, and a priority.

If after a few years of ignoring our self-care and abusing our body, you feel that your hormones are out of whack, digestion doesn’t work properly, skin is not glowing, and life feels overwhelming and stressful, it is time to change that.

On April 3rd a friend of mine Ashley Pitman, the founder of the virtual ashram Vixi, and I will be teaching a free video class on 10 self-care rituals that can help jump start that self-care routine that your body needs to be healthy and vibrant. You can register here

We will talk about 10 self-care rituals that every woman must know about and ways to fit those practices into your day. If you can’t make it to the class live, you will be able to watch the recording any time after.

I often get emails and personal questions about diets and nutrition. ‘Is vegan better than paleo, is raw a pre-requisite to healing, is meat really bad?’ The variations of these questions are endless but at the end it all comes down to one:

‘I am confused and can’t decide what is the best way to nourish my body.’

I can totally relate. I get overwhelmed by the number of contradicting health and nutrition articles, too. I used to want to go vegan every time I read inspirational stories of healing and achieving mental clarity. Low-carb protein and vegetable rich way of eating was attractive for its flat stomach (no bloating), and a quick weight loss. Superfood-rich diet seemed like a dream come true for energy and anti-aging. Ayurvedic diet with its easy-to-digest foods and healing spices had it’s pull, too. A high fruit diet seemed hard to resist in the summer even if I were to believe that carbs are feeding candida and that ancient fruit that our ancestors ate was never as sweet.

Each nutrition theory has valid points and certain health advantages. Choosing the best one is not easy. The problem with all these nutrition theories and approaches is that it’s hard to follow one without breaking the rules of others. Many of them are contradictory in all aspects.

So How Do You Choose?

Here are 2 things that I tell everyone who asks ‘what is the best diet to follow’:

• First before labeling yourself as a paleo, vegan, or anything else, eliminate all processed food. No packages. Seriously! Being vegan or paleo won’t make you healthy if you rely on pre-made, packaged, processed stuff! There is vegan, fat free, low fat, gluten free garbage! Eating real whole food is more important than following a certain strict diet.
• Second, learn to check in with your body. This is the most important skill if you want to maintain health and avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed by food choices. The benefits of this skill are innumerable!
  • You will know what and when you need. Your body’s needs change all the time so sticking to one single diet is not always optimal. When you are getting a cold your body will crave completely different food compared to what you need after a good workout.
  • You can track what foods work and what foods you might need to lay off.
  • Masters of checking in with their body will never be compulsive overeater or food addicts as they are very unlikely to cause harm to themselves. I strongly believe that the disease that we experience in our body are the result of abusive habits and patterns that we carry.

You Already Know The Answer

Digestive problems, including bloating, pain, gas, irregularity are all causes of the inability to check in and to trust the body. When that happens, we start looking for answers in the books, advice from the experts, magic herbs, and cutting edge research pills but rarely do we check in with ourselves and pose a question to our own body:

What habit brought on the discomfort? What changes should I make?

You know the answer, it is just scary to trust it 100% because since childhood we are taught that somebody knows better than us.

A true wellness coach should not be telling you what to eat, they should teach you mindfulness and body awareness. This is the most powerful tool that can help you understand what your body likes and dislikes. Body doesn’t lie. We just don’t always listen.

In the beginning working with a nutritionist can be very helpful because it will cut down your experimentation and learning time. If you seriously consider investing into working with one, try Dana James, the founder of Food Coach NYC. She is amazing and very knowledgeable.

At the end though, the fastest way to health, weight loss, and feeling at peace with food is through slowing down and learning to listen to your own body. For this you need someone who can give you the tools to listen and understand your body. You can do it yourself through experimentation, your yoga teacher might be helpful, and I am always there for you if you want some guidance.

After a mindful eating workshop and a food combining lecture that I was recently teaching, several women noticed that they got bloated after having fruit post meals. Others noticed tummy troubles from mixing dairy and fruit. I didn’t tell them that they must stop eating those combinations but I encouraged them to observe the reaction of their body in certain circumstances. I gave them the tools and they came to the conclusion themselves. Once they noticed it, there was no way to deny it. Personal experience is the strongest one. We learn from our lessons better than from others’. Wellness coach can just help guide you in what to pay attention to and how.

Today I would like to share a short ‘Check in with your body’ meditation. Do it with me in the video below. Do it daily and soon you will be able to understand and trust your body’s language.

In the comments, let me know what is your body telling you today? What can you do to make it feel better right now?

Soon I will be sharing a great opportunity for 3 people to work with me privately for the next few months. Keep your eyes open!

New article on MindBodyGreen

I have nothing against raw apples but with the onset of Fall and Vata dosha taking the reigns, soft and easy to digest fruits will have a more nourishing and soothing effect on the stomach.

Vata dosha is very light, airy, and cold by nature. So is the Fall with its cooling temperatures and chilly winds. Since we are all part of nature, we are influenced by all the seasonal changes almost as much as the trees. As the leaves dry our skin gets drier and so do the trees. Our extremities, especially our palms and feet tend to get cold and our joints crack just like dry leaves crack when we walk in the park.

Trees don’t look as bright and happy once the foliage is gone and people tend to get gloomy and depressed when the days get shorter and colder. Whether you realize it or not, you are influenced by the oncoming of Fall, too. You might feel it literally in your gut if there is a tendency to get vata indigestion with bloating, gas, and irregularity. Vata can also show up mentally and emotionally as insomnia, restlessness, indecisiveness, and fatigue are all symptoms. It doesn’t have to be all that bad though. If you stay mindful and listen to your body’s needs you can reap the wonderful benefits of Vata dosha. Creativity, lightness, heightened clarity, are all signs of a balanced vata.

So what would you rather feel like: gloomy and constipated or light and creative?

Let’s go over some general Vata balancing guidelines: …read more

This post is for all lucky travelers who are going to celebrate holidays with the family and friends or taking off to a vacation spot. Traveling is always fun and exciting but it can also get quite stressful, especially if you are flying. Packed airports, TSA screenings, and delays can upset even a tough traveler. Besides that, Ayurveda says that any movement faster than a walking speed gets the entire system out of balance. Also traveling disrupts your daily routine and often pulls you across time zones. All this aggravates the vata dosha—the subtle energy that governs movement—and leaves you vulnerable to dehydration, insomnia, sluggish digestion, anxiety, and jet lag. As a result you might feel a little spacey, irritated, and tired upon your arrival to the  destination. To make sure this doesn’t happen and that you arrive ready to party, follow these simple Ayurvedic traveling tips:
Before you leave the house:
- Take a few ginger or cinnamon tea bags with you. Both herbs have warming and calming qualities. Herbal caffeine-free tea is a good alternative to coffee and black tea since they won’t have a dehydrating effect.
- Bring healthy snacks or a home cooked meal. You will save money and your stomach. Most airport terminals still lack freshly prepared meal options. So unless you have something with you, you will end up eating a day old dry sandwich. If you don’t have time to prepare something, take a packet of instant oatmeal. You can get hot water at any terminal.
- Bring an interesting book and ipod with calm music. That’s in case you get delayed.
- Carry a Lavender pouch if you are an especially sensitive traveler. Lavender has a calming effect on the nervous system.

At the airport and during the flight:
- Make some tea. Once you pass the security, the first thing to do it to get water for the flight. Warm tea will keep you warm form the inside out and will keep your belly happy.
- Avoid coffee and soda as they will dehydrate your body even more
- Choose light warm meals if eating at the airport or taking something for the plane. Dry sandwiches, nuts, and dried fruits require a lot more effort to digest than soups or cooked grains.

Once you arrive:
- If you are in a new time zone, Dr Vassant Lad advises to adopt the local time immediately. Reset your clock and go to bed and get up at the same time you would at home. Resist the urge to nap; it prolongs jet lag.
- Get active. Take a brisk walk outside or do some yoga. You need to get your blood flow moving after sitting on the plane and in the car. It will help open up your shoulder, hips, and increase blood circulation to the brain, which will make you more awake.
- Spend some time in the sun to reduce the jetlag. Sunlight reduces jet lag and helps adapt to the new time zone. It will make you feel more alert while providing the necessary vitamin D.
- Get grounded. Some foods are more grounding than others. Good after-travel foods are cooked apples, steamed veggies with garlic, lentils, quinoa, hot soups, fish and chicken.
Almond milk is another great choice! This nourishing drink relieves anxiety and other vata-related imbalances. Most health stores have it. If you can’t find it, try soaking 10 almond over night, peel the skins in the morning and have soaked almonds as a snack.
- Get it going. Long flights or driving often have an adverse effect on the elimination systems of our body due to dehydration and lack of movement. Triphala is an ayurvedc herb that widely available in capsules in the health stores and online. It is a mind bowel tonic, it helps prevent constipation and calms jet lag. Take 3-4 capsules on an empty stomach before going to sleep the day before traveling and the day of you arrival.

Bon Voyage!
Nadya

This simple yet very effective sequence will increase blood circulation to the entire digestive system, pancreas, large and small intestine and help stimulate elimination system.

It can be done anytime and anywhere: in the morning on an empty stomach, after eating to get rid of the heavy feeling in the stomach, while watching TV or knitting, as long as you get it done!

Nauli Kriya helps in the regeneration, and the stimulation of the abdominal viscera and the gastro-intestinal or the alimentary system. It provides a deep abdominal massage stimulating digestion. Nauli is a practice of contracting and isolating the abdominal muscles.
Nauli alliviates indigestion, sluggish digestion increasing the digestive fire. Nauli also tones abdominal muscles, nerves, intestines, reproductive, excretory and the urinary organs. It even balances the endocrine system and controls the production of the sex hormones.

It takes time and practice but it is well worth the effort! It will take your digestion efficiency to the next level!

Let me know how it rolls!

This simple yoga technique will help detoxify and cleanse your body, stimulate digestion, and get your digestive system to work at its optimum level.

Instructions: Stand and bend slightly forward from the waist. Keeping the back straight. Rest your hands on your knees, with thumbs facing inward and pointing towards each other. Make sure the arms are straight. Now, breathe in deeply. Exhale completely and hold your breath. While holding breath in this position, contract or expand out your abdominal muscles in and out. This should be done rapidly while holding the exhaled position. Do not inhale. Do this as many times as possible and then slowly inhale. This is one round. Beginners can begin with 5 rounds. This is best when practiced in the mornings on empty stomach after emptying the bowels.

Benefits: In yoga therapy, agni sara is recommended for most digestive problems, obesity, toning kidneys, colon, small intestines, brightening of the complexion, lower back problems, the removal of toxins, and the enhancement of the immune system and liver. It is excellent for the health of the abdominal organs and the digestive system. Works wonders on a sluggish liver and kidneys.

More digestion videos to come! Stay tuned for the seated and standing sequences of the Happy Belly Series!

New article on Mind Body Green – 3 Easy Tips for Healthy Digestion.

Let me know if these tips work for your belly!

Nadya

Probiotics, antacids, heartburn pills, smooth move teas, detox packs, etc. etc. Every time I walk into a health food store or a pharmacy, I am amazed at the number of products they sell to help you eliminate your foods.

Approximately 75 to 100 million Americans suffer from some sort of digestive troubles — and the Ayurvedics say the solution won’t come from these products but from the proper diet and food combining.

Eating the proper foods will make a big difference in your well-being – we all know that.  However, knowing your dosha, which I have been talking about on this blog and adhering to your dosha diet aren’t complete without the third step:  proper food combining.

You may be a bit confused by this idea since the various factions in the nutrition community are in sharp disagreement about how it is done.
Ayurveda has its own approach to food combining. Every food has its own taste (rasa), a heating or cooling energy (virya) and post-digestive effect (vipak). When two or three different food substances of different taste, energy and post-digestive effect are combined together agni can become overloaded resulting in production of toxins in the system – trouble starts!

The order in which we eat different classes of foods, how we combine them, and the amounts we consume will determine how well we digest and assimilate our vital nutrients. The better we digest and assimilate our foods, the less likely we are to form toxic substances, accumulate excess fat, and crave unhealthy foods.

Different classes of food require their own specific digestive enzymes – an  obvious fact to anyone who has taken high school biology.  Yet as a society we seem to have missed the vitally important implication of this fact. It is: by consuming many different types of food at a single meal we place a demand on our digestive glands to manufacture and secrete many different digestive enzymes simultaneously.

For example, eating bananas with milk can diminish digestive fire, change the intestinal flora, produce toxins and cause sinus congestion, cold, cough and allergies. Although both of these foods have a sweet taste, a cooling energy, their post digestion effect is very different – bananas are sour while milk is sweet. This causes confusion in our system and results in serious imbalances.

The principles of ayurvedic food combining come from the ancient writing of the Indian physicians around 100 A.D.  In the olden days, we used to eat only two or three different types of foods at any one meal. These days, we tend to have at least six or seven (if not more) types of food overtaxing our digestive system.

Foods that really don’t go well together, from the ayurvedic perspective include leftovers, and “dead” foods such as processed, packaged, canned and frozen foods because they are very hard for your body to digest and are lacking in chetana–living intelligence–and prana–vital life-energy–and will do more harm than good in the physiology.

If it seems confusing at first, Here’s a Quick Cheat Sheet on Ayurvedic Food Combining:

• Avoid having milk or yogurt with sour or citrus fruits. And, yes, it means that yogurt with fruit would not be considered a healthy breakfast choice by an ayurvedic practitioner! Eat separately.
• Avoid eating fruits together with potatoes or other starchy foods. Fructose (fruit sugar) and other sugars are digested quickly, whereas starch takes quite some time. In this case the sugar would not be properly digested.
• Avoid eating melons and grains together. Melons digest quickly whereas grains take more time. This combination will upset the stomach.
• Melons should be eaten alone or left alone.
• Try to eat fruits separately to get the most nutrients.
• Avoid eating cooked and raw foods together.
• Honey should never be cooked. Honey digests slowly when cooked and the molecules become a non-homogenized glue which adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle channels, producing toxins. Uncooked honey is nectar. Cooked honey is poison.
• Do not eat meat protein and milk protein together.
• Milk and milk products basically should not be eaten together. The action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach causes the milk to curdle. For this reason Ayurveda advises against taking milk with sour fruits, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, and fish.
• Cold beverages should not be consumed during or directly after a meal as it reduces agni and digestion. Small sips of warm or tepid water taken during the meal serves to aid digestion.
• While eating one should properly chew the food in order to soften it and ensure that it is thoroughly mixed with saliva.

For Your Happy Belly,

Nadya