Spiced Milk

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5 cups of Water

4 tbsp Grated Ginger

1 tbsp Turmeric

1 cup of Coconut Cream

1 tsp Cinnamon or as much as you want

Optional: Honey is optional. I am use to not adding extra sugar to my drinks.  You can add a tsp of honey for each cup of serving.  

  1. Boil the water, ginger, and turmeric for 1/2 hour in a medium size pot for thirty minutes.
  2. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.  
  3. Add the coconut cream to a high powered blender with the boiled ingredients, cinnamon, and honey if desired.  Blend all of the ingredients until they are completely combined.
  4. Enjoy!
 

Tostones!

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Tostones with cinnamon powder.

Tostones with cinnamon powder.

I have eaten plantains before and actually couldn’t eat them very well when I first started AIP (a paleo based elimination diet called the autoimmunepaleo protocol).  As I started to heal, I now have a higher threshold for eating starches - a big part of what makes green plantains.  Adding a lot of coconut oil seems to help my body metabolize them better, so I use coconut oil to cook these delicious things.  

 

Tostones

3 unripe peeled plantains

6 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp Sea salt

wide mouth mason jar.  

 

1. Cut plantains into 1 inch chips.  

2. Place small sauce pan over medium heat.

3. Place the coconut oil in a saucepan and allow it to melt and spread evenly across the saucepan.

3. Place slices of plantains over the saucepan.

4. Cook the chips until they are golden on each side (about 4-5 minutes)

5. Remove them from the heat.  

6.  Place one chip between the bottom of the mason jar and over a cutting board.  Lightly press the fried chip under the mason jar until it slightly flattens. Repeat with the rest of the fried chips.  The chips will be thinner and wider.  

8. Place the flatten chips back onto the saucepan. 

9. When the chips are golden all over or to your preference, remove them from the saucepan and place them in a bowl covered with a paper towel. 

11. Once you are finished, dash sea salt over the chips and mix them so that all of the chips are covered with salt.

12. They are ready to be served alone or with toppings (ex. guacamoles, liver pate, or other dressings).

 

 

 

Chocolate Mousse

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Chocolate Mousse layered between tostones.  

Chocolate Mousse layered between tostones.  

I love adding fruit to this recipe. It goes well with tostones, berries, and more.  

With tostones, I feel like I am almost eating a tiramisu cake - obviously without the grains, dairy, and eggs. If you want to use less sugar, feel free to not add the honey part when eating them with tostones. Riped plantains are super sweet to me, so they may be just enough sweetness for you - especially if you do not normally eat added sugars. 

If you don't like the taste of almonds, replace the extract with more vanilla or just leave this part out.  Feel free to experiment with other extracts (ex. orange extract) too.  

Lastly, chocolate can be a powerful energy shifter.  The Aztec soldiers used it as a source of energy.  If you know you are a slow phase I metabolizer (read my other article on liver detoxification), you may want be careful with how much chocolate you eat late at night, since it can impact the quality of your sleep.   

 

Ingredients

2 riped avocados

1/2 cup of raw cacao powder

1/4 cup of creamed coconut

1/4 cup of filtered water

1/4 cup of honey

4 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of almond extract

1 tsp of vanilla extract

 

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor.  Enjoy!  

 

 

More Than A Fighter

When I woke up today and heard the sad news that we lost Muhammad Ali, a legend in sports and beyond, I felt compelled to write about his significance in my life. I admired this legend, not just because he lived his life the way he wanted to live, but the fierceness he held to his beliefs and the compassion he showed to people around the world.  Moreover, he promoted a new reality not just for himself but for others to believe in; shattering the reality of what others had of about him and inspiring people to dream bigger and do better. 

The way he lived his life and recent passing compelled me to write about how we can better connect to our goals and intentions. I am not sure how this icon developed his own goals and intentions, but as a coach and teacher, I have learned a bit about how to design them with my clients and self.  I am using my sadness to write and share a bit of my work with you, in hopes I can offer you some insight and inspiration. 

His passing coincided with my focus on goals and intentions - specifically, on how to create them, refine them, and to make them as real as possible. Without intentions and goals, I have found it is hard to speak up or lean in when life becomes difficult; to make decisions when there is a lack of time and information, and to know if the way I am living is aligned with what I want to be and do in my lifetime. 

As a yoga therapy teacher I am constantly working on how I - along with my clients - can work towards a more  intentional life and value aligned life, in order to live a fuller and richer life.  For me, I have noticed the more defined and embodied my intentions and goals are, the more ease I can identify and practice the habits that bring me closer to them or further away from them.  

One effective way I have found to work towards my intentions and goals is to create a vision board.  I have used Pinterest, magazines, crayons, words, to pencils and much more  to create a vision board.  Paying attention to the colors, textures, location, shapes, meaning, and timing has helped me make them more real and dimensional.  When working on them, I try to be as creative as I can; allowing no limits.  After designing them, I share my work with people I trust the most. Then I slowly share them more publicly.  Each time, I get feedback and find support with likeminded folks to help support me to reach my dreams.   Feel free to try vision boarding your self. If you need more help, google 'vision boarding.' There are a ton of tips to making them.  

Another way I practice connecting to my intentions and goals is to ask myself daily, “Where is my attention?” Meaning, what am I allowing my attention to focus on at this moment.  For example, am I focused on how callous a stranger was to me or am I focused on the baby steps to reaching my goals?  If I keep my attention on the callous stranger, my irritation could grow to anger or more. If I shift my attention to working on baby steps towards my intentions and goals, I could use the energy from these feelings to move closer to them. Allowing this shift to domino effect towards a world I want to live.  

These practices (ex. vision boarding and noticing one's attention) are forms of meditation.  The results of meditating on my goals, intentions, and attention is more awareness. According to my meditation teachers and my experiences, awareness will offer me more information, freeing me to make wiser decisions.  

I believed Muhammad Ali developed his internal compass (ex. awareness) early in his life on what he wanted to be and accomplish, using his opportunities wisely to practice them.  Obviously, more than 'awareness'  is needed to achieve goals, but without it how do you know if you are living out your dreams like how Muhammad Ali lived his? 

 

The following quotes are by Muhammad Ali, which inspired me to write this article: 

What keeps me going is goals. - Muhammad Ali

It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself. - Muhammad Ali

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' - Muhammad Ali

I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want. - Muhammad Ali

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. - Muhammad Ali

Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are. - Muhammad Ali

I've made my share of mistakes along the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven't lived in vain. - Muhammad Ali

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. - Muhammad Ali

My only fault is that I don't realize how great I really am. - Muhammad Ali

I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others. - Muhammad Ali

To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich. - Muhammad Ali

 

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/muhammad_ali_3.html

 

If you have more questions, please connect me with here.  If you have more questions about my services, please feel free to email me.  

 

Chocolate Cake & Me

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This picture is of me doing Parakeet — a pilates move based on control, balance, and some strength. You don’t have to be a super athlete to do it, but it sure looks cool during times when I am experiencing a flare and could barely walk. I wanted to …

This picture is of me doing Parakeet — a pilates move based on control, balance, and some strength. You don’t have to be a super athlete to do it, but it sure looks cool during times when I am experiencing a flare and could barely walk. I wanted to share this picture because of what I wrote and to show you how I can move when I don’t have a flare. Living with an autoimmune conditions takes a lot of twist and turns. Why developing self-compassion and a support group has been so important for me as part of my healing journey.

I wrote an article on Medium yesterday and wanted to share what I wrote here.  

Being stiff sucks, but not as much as it did a couple of days ago — when I could barely walk.

Seating on my couch, I tried to retrace my steps to figure out why I was in so much pain and could barely see out of my left eye about two weeks ago. For those of you who haven’t figured out, I was experiencing a flare (when someone with an autoimmune conditions feels more of their symptoms).

“Why is this happening?” were questions asked by my friends, colleagues, doctors and even myself. This question was typically followed with another one, such as ‘“What did I do?” or “Was I stressed out about something?”’ For the latter, I would respond with a solid, ”Nope.” If anything, I was only feeling more stressed because of this damn flare! So what could have started it? What did I do that was different the past few weeks or days?

Okay, well there was something I did do differently. A couple of weeks ago, I ate a chocolate cake from a BBQ that I assumed was flourless. Apparently, it was not. The day I ate it, I started to notice something different about me, but I ignored it; thinking I was going to be just fine.

After several days, my body started showing signs of fierce retaliation with this ‘flourless’ cake. One of the first signs I knew something was up was when I started to experience a scratchy sensation in my left eye. This mild irritation slowly transformed into a bout of photophobia (when the eye becomes sensitive to light) — something was going terribly wrong.

This was definitely a case of uveitis (when part of the iris becomes inflamed). I haven’t had uveitis for at least 2.5 years— when I started the autoimmunepaleo protocol (a paleo based elimination diet and lifestyle). Before starting the diet elimination part of the autoimmunepaleo (AIP) , I took biologics (powerful anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce my symptoms of uveitis and spondylitis.

Being drug-free and uveitis-free, since going AIP, I was in heaven for 2.5 years! I forgot that I could get flares like this serious one again. I also didn’t think by eating a piece of chocolate cake that I could go back to my same old self.

Now, I was back to filling my free time with doctor appointments, going to the pharmacy for steroids, and sitting indoors with a baseball cap and shades because natural light irritated my eye. All for eating a stupid yet delicious large piece of chocolate cake. Worth it? Kind of… but I don’t think to this negative degree on my health.

I just wanted to make it go away without the use of drugs. At the same time, I was also working with my feelings of shame. Leading a San Francisco autoimmunepaleo (AIP) support group, studying the impact of gluten on autoimmune conditions, and blogging about gluten-free recipes and wellness, how could I have made this type of mistake? I wanted to be a leader who knew better. But I guess I am not that perfect person. I am still learning to take care of myself and learning through my mistakes.

Fortunately, I have learned a lot since my last flare. Being a nutrition nerd and student at Bauman College for Holistic Nutrition, I figured out what I could do to calm my flare.

Once I targeted what initiated my current flare, I started an appropriate healing protocol for me. I started drinking bone broths, chewing more, drinking bitters and sour concoctions, meditating more, doing less, taking more naps, and taking both supplements and herbal antibiotics. After a week’s worth of appropriate self-care, I was back to walking and seeing normal again. During this time, I still took a steriod for my eye; respecting both western and eastern practices when used appropriately.

With flares like this one, I don’t take for granted my movement capability or get down on myself for not working harder to be part of some fitspo community on social media. As a movement instructor and healer, I simply want to walk and see. And to teach my clients and community how to move smarter, get stronger, and feel better. I lost my ego to looking like a super fit model for inspiration a long time ago. Plus, I have been there, done that. And learned that you can look fit, but not feel well too. Another topic, I can discuss in another article.

In addition, I am grateful for knowing what to do when I get my flares. I may not be perfect with every decision I make — especially if the decision has to do with ‘chocolate’ & ‘cake,’ but I can continue to work on putting myself together whenever I do fall apart.

I have shared this part of my life with you in hopes that you may find some self-compassion and light humor when you find yourself straying from your wellness rituals. Lastly, I wrote this piece to help you understand a small part of what some people with autoimmune conditions may experience.

 

Pulled Meat Of Your Dreams!

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My all-time favorite pressure cooked meat is picnic from pork or lamb.  It is also my favorite meat to use for batch cooking. I typically cook between 2 - 5 lb. of shoulder meat at a time. 

The first version of this recipe was inspired by Nom Nom Paleo, who got me into to using an instant pot for the first time.  Her slow cooker recipe didn't quite cook the meat the way I desired (I think there was a mistake in the publication I read), so I tried pressure cooking the ingredients through her pressure cooking recipe. I found her pressure cooking recipe through an instant pot support group on Facebook. Yep, Facebook was a lifesaver in this case.  Anyhow, you can add bacon like Michelle, from Nom Nom Paleo, does if bacon makes you happy.  I am working on some sensitivities to glutamate, what gives the umami flavor in bacon (why I didn't add bacon to this recipe).

Ingredients

5 lbs of shoulder - my favorite is picnic.  

5 cloves of crushed garlic

2 tsp of turmeric powder

1-2 tsp of sea salt * 

1 cup of bone broth or filtered water

Directions

  1. Slice pockets in the shoulder and place the pieces of crushed garlic in them.  
  2. Place the in a meat in a pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker)
  3. Dash the sea salt over the meat
  4. Add the bone broth.
  5. Cover the pressure cooker
  6. Cook all of the ingredients at high pressure for 90 minutes. 
  7. When the pressure cooker has cooled off, open it.  Pull out the meat pieces onto a plate, allowing it to cool off before pulling it.  
  8. Add the pulled meat back into the pressure cooker so that you can mix it with the leftover sauce.  
  9. I save the excess meat and sauce in mason jars and put them in the freezer for future use.  
  10. Enjoy!

*My favorite sea salt for this recipe is Murray's River Flake or Alaea Red Hawaiian Sea Salt. 

 

 

 

 

Where I Buy My Grass-Fed & Pastured Raised Meats In The Bay Area

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Organic Pastured Raised Pulled Lamb Shoulder 

Organic Pastured Raised Pulled Lamb Shoulder 

With the term grass-fed label now not being used as form of certification, I wanted to share with you some places I trust when I want to buy meat in the Bay Area. As always, getting  to know your farmer is best to stay current with their practices.  

Belcampo

Bi-Rite Market * +

Good Eggs +

Marina Meats*

Prather Ranch*

The Local Butcher Shop

Marin Sun Farms

True Grass Farms

Farmer's Markets  - google ones for your city and support your local farmer! Go early to have the most options.  

 

Other options that I haven't tried for myself, but maybe you may like to do:

Be part of CSA that offers meat.  One local CSA is called Soul Food Farm.  

Order a whole animal for yourself or with a group of folks.

Order online from US Wellness or 5280 Meats. 

 

*For special cuts, call in advance to make sure they have what you want.  

+Great place to buy seafood as well!