Posts tagged #Ayurveda

Winter Yoga Guide

The calm, dark and quiet nature of the winter can seem… how do I say this?  Oppressive!  The combination of the winter season and the stress of the times can leave us feeling weighed down, stagnant, or uninspired. 

Here is the BIG Ayurveda tip to counteract this:  double down your commitment to yoga.  

An invigorating and expansive yoga practice during winter can be surprisingly supportive of your overall well-being.   Below are some specific recommendations to practice yoga during winter.

Here are the go-to yoga poses to bring vigor to your life this winter: 

  • Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)

  • Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

  • Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

  • Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Forward bends and bacbends are also recommended, as are postures that stimulate metabolism like:

  • Cobra (Bhujangasana)

  • Bow (Dhanurasana)

  • Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

  • Supine twists like Revolved Abdomen Variation (Jathara Parivartanasana Variation)

Of course you can adapt your practice on a daily basis to work with your local climate (as you know and your internal needs.  For example if you feel stressed and depleted (Vata imbalance), move at a slower and gentler pace.  Or if you feel unmotivated and lethargic (Kapha imbalance), move at a faster pace, allowing your breath to quicken and your inner heat to intensify.  I know this makes total sense but sometimes you need to read it somewhere.

However you practice, PRACTICE.   Practice with an expansive heart and hold your poses long enough to feel challenged.

In addition to your yoga practice, cultivate a  supportive winter-season diet and lifestyle.  These  may look quite different from one person to the next, but each of us has a great deal to gain from honoring and aligning ourselves with the rhythms of nature.  

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Posted on January 7, 2022 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Ayurveda, Yoga, yoga poses and tagged yoga yoga poses Yoga inspiration Ayurveda ayurveda habits.

Connect with your Nature ( or why a plant-based diet)

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Would you guess what is the most frequently asked question I get as a Yoga Health Coach?  Yep, you guessed it: WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING? Every time one has to ask that, one should be translating it as I AM DISCONNECTED FROM MY NATURE.  

Everything we consume becomes us.  All food has a sustaining force, a force that animates and activates, a life force that we yogis call Prana.  The moment we aren’t consciously connecting with the state of our Prana, we’re moving away from ease and towards dis-ease. If you want to connect with your life force and experience good health, energy, trim physique, a livable planet, compassion and deliciousness - a PLANT-BASED DIET is an excellent path for you.

While vegan and vegetarian diets are defined by what they exclude, a plant-based diet is defined by what it includes:  lots of plant foods.  What this means is that you tap into the abundance of PRANA-rich veggies, beans, peas, fruits, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds AND you eat less animal products and processed foods.  

My Yoga practice ushered me to become a vegetarian and my Ayurveda studies got me to go beyond being a consumer of vegetables and be more of a collaborator of my Prana intake.  The only way to really experience this connection with your nature is by experimenting and feeling how the Prana that you consume affects you, how it becomes you.

Maybe you need more motivation to try a plant-based diet,  here are my five reasons to eat a Plant-Based Diet.

1. It’s good for your health.

Unless you are living under a rock, research and statistics confirm what yogis have known for thousands of years: eating plants make you feel good!  But in case you need some formal convincing:

  • Dr. Dean Ornish’s research showed that eating a very low-fat, plant-based, vegetarian diet and other lifestyle changes could, in fact, reverse heart disease. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn also succeeded in reversing heart disease in patients who were seriously ill.

  • The Adventist Health Study-2 found that vegetarians had a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. While about 50 percent of Americans will develop high blood pressure by the age of 60, research shows that populations that consume a diet comprised mostly of vegetables or who are vegetarian have “virtually no increase in hypertension with age.”

  • Eating red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) is associated with increased rates of cancer and heart disease. And the American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy diet for the prevention of cancer “with an emphasis on plant foods.”

2. You will feel and look trim.

Let face it. If you are eating a lot of plant foods, which have less calories and move with more ease through your diggestive track, you are going to lose weight. If you eat plant-based foods instead of fast, fatty, processed, and sweet foods, you will cut out a ton of calories — and the best part is, you will feel satisfied and less inflamated.  

3. You are helping the environment.

According to an article by Elizabeth Weise for USA Today, it takes about 15 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of beef and about 5 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of chicken. You can see how we would use less water and other resources if we ate the grain ourselves.

An article in Scientific American reveals that the amount of beef the average American eats in a year creates as much greenhouse gas as driving a car from NYC to Denver!

4. You will become rich!

OK, maybe not immediatly, but you will imediatly save lots of money.  Many people think eating a Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is the cheapest way to eat. But actually eating plant-based foods can cost even less.

For example you could have lentil soup, salad, fruit, and sparkling mineral water for four people for about $10!

Beans, peas, and lentils are some of the cheapest foods you can buy.  Even buying organic fruits and veggies at premium health food stores is more economical than one may think.  Do the math.

5. You’re moving away from animal cruelty.

I know it can be devastating to think about the cruelty and unfairness that goes into acquiring all the goods we purchase at the grocery (or fashion) store. I think it is important for all of us to understand how animals are treated so that we can make a conscious choice.  If nothing else, a Plant-Based Diet is all about raising one’s consciousness.

No guilt. No shame. Here is one example as a case study: gestation crates for pigs. Once the sows are artificially inseminated, they are put in crates with just enough room for their bodies for their entire pregnancy. As the sows get larger and larger, they often develop pressure sores. They urinate and defecate through slots in the bottom of the crate.  Once the sow delivers, it is back in the gestation crate. When the animals are spent, they are taken to slaughter. They use these horrific practices to save money and produce more meat. But at what cost? Pigs are intelligent animals, and who wants to be part of this kind of suffering to save a few dollars?

I am not a vegan and I do occasionally eat animal products, but when I do eat them I go out of my way when possible to buy products from animals that have been humanely raised. Yes, I pay more for them. However, for the very small amount of animal products I do eat, it is worth it and does not break the bank.

It’s hard to argue with a plant-based diet when it benefits your health, waistline, environment, wallet, and conscience. Any movement toward more plants and less meat is a big step in the right direction. Why not skip the meat and eat some veggies today?

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Yoga, wellness, cooking and tagged plant-based diet ayurveda cleanse Ayurveda Yoga.

Sip Your Way Into Digestive Comfort with CCF Tea

“CCF” stands for cumin, coriander, and fennel; three spices commonly used in ayurvedic remedies and cooking for their medicinal benefits. They combine in CCF tea as a perfectly balanced threesome that’s appropriate for all body types (which we call tridoshic in ayurveda; good for vata, pitta, or kapha).

Despite its simplicity, CCF tea is well-revered in ayurveda.  In Ayurveda your digestive fire defines how well is your body is operating and this tea is known to troubleshoot any issue with that fire.  Each of the three spices in CCF tea re-balance the digestive fire whether it’s too high, too low, or, well, in a funk.  These are the qualities of the three spices:

Cumin: When it comes to digestion, cumin is a wonder spice. It digests toxins, helps to absorb nutrients, and increases the digestive fire and metabolism.

Coriander: Coriander cools any kind of excess heat in the body including burning sensations and anger. It also cools and strengthens the urinary tract and cleanses the body’s subtle channels.

Fennel: This licorice-like seed is one of the best spices for re-balancing the digestive fire and metabolism. It’s great for relieving acidity, bloating, abdominal pains, and gas. Fennel is calming but at the same time promotes mental alertness.

Anytime I feel a little off in my digestion, I prepared this tea and sip it through the day.  This how to prepare it.

  • In a jar mix equal amounts each of cumin, coriander, and fennel whole seeds. Do not try to substitute with the powder version- gross.  I just keep one jar with CCF seeds at home and one at the office. You can crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle to release their volatile oils or just toss them in whole.
  • Bring one cups of water to a boil and then add one tea spoon of the mixture.  Let it steep for at least 8 minutes.  (you can make a bigger batch,  pour it into a thermos, seeds and all and sip the tea throughout the day, straining as you go - this is how I was recommended to do it anyway, but I prefer one cup at a time)

Next time you need a quick natural way for digestion troubles, try this fire starter/fire quencher and let me know how it goes.  Enjoy!

 

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Ayurveda, cooking, wellness and tagged CCF tea Ayurveda digestion tea agni doshas recipe for CCF tea.

Panama Blend (traveling green smoothie)

One of my favorite things about green smoothies is that they are the easiest way to diversity your intake of nutrients for breakfast.  This is even more relevant when traveling, when your body's wisdom craves the surrounding flora.  If there is a blender available, I don't waste the opportunity to visit the local markets (and yards) and feast on the regional chlorophyll. 

I was recently traveling through my homeland of Panama, where the local cuisine isn't rich in greens so I took it as challenge to find ingredients for what turned out to be a fabulous green smoothie.  So hoping that it will inspire you in your next "green" travelings, here is the recipe:

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • 4 cups of spinach (not a lot of local greens available in the market, but watercress and spinach grow easily in most tropical regions)
  • 1 banana (tons of fruits available, but I opted to keep it simple)
  • a handful of local spearmint + wild cilantro (these I found in my mom's backyard...wild herbs taste so WILD, you can taste the Prana or life force on these local beauties)
  • 1/2 an avocado (this is a gingo luxury! but I deserve it)
  • 1/2 tsp of minced ginger
  • 1/2 tsp of turmeric (no local turmeric roots available but I was craving some astringent flavors, local stores carry tons of spices so if fresh ingredients aren't available, improvise)
  • 1/2 tsp of sea salt (local sea salt made this a fun ingredient to add)
  • 1 Tbs of local eucalyptus honey (yummm!!!)
  • 1/2 cup of water 
  1.  Add all ingredients to a blender.  Blend!  I don't like cold smoothies but you can add either a frozen banana or ice instead of water.  Enjoy.
Posted on July 11, 2016 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Ayurveda, cooking, inspiration, wellness, travel and tagged green smoothie panama local food Ayurveda yoga wisdom wellness.

Fruits on the Bottom Chia Seed Pudding

I have been up-ing my game in my Ayurveda understanding and its applications.  Simplified, Ayurveda is a science of life and wellness.  One of the Ayurvedic wellness habits is to eat a healthy and easy to digest breakfast –though this isn’t exclusive to Ayurveda. 

My preferred breakfast is a green smoothie, but it is always good to have a few options in the week.  Recently I was re-introduced to chia puddings and realized how convenient it can be on those mornings I know I won’t have time to prepared a smoothie.

Very healthy, chia seed pudding is packed with protein, Omega-3, antioxidants and calcium.  You can get more benefits of this mighty seed by visiting this nice post by Marry Spencer via Health & Fitness Shops.  

It can be made under 5 minutes. I basically prepared it the night before so it is ready to eat or to go the next morning.

 This is my Fruit in the Bottom Chia Seed Pudding recipe:

 Ingredients - for one or two servings

·        1 cup almond milk

·        1/4 cup Chia Seeds

·        1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       1/4 cup (or less) honey or stevia syrop (I should add that I don't like the taste of stevia at all but it's sweet)

·        1/3 cup of fruits (I prefer mangoes or strawberries)

 

Instructions

1.     For Blended/Smooth Version: Place all ingredients in blender minus fruits and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.

or

1.     For Whole Chia Seed Version: Blend all ingredients except chia seeds & fruits in a blender until smooth (including any added flavors, fruits or chocolate). Whisk in chia seeds.

2.      Place fruits at the bottom of a jar or glass container, then pour chia mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to let it gel.

 

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Ayurveda, cooking, inspiration, wellness and tagged Chia Seed Pudding Chia Seed Ayurveda Recipes.

Turmeric Tea: healthy and delicious

Turmeric is an ancient root used for its healing properties for centuries. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma Longa plant. To manufacture it, the roots of the plant are boiled, dried and then ground into a powder. Traditionally used in Chinese and Indian medicine (from killing fungus to curing cancer), the powerful anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities of turmeric have made it a precious commodity for ages! 

I also happen to love it's flavor.  Bitter, warm and sweet, Turmeric evokes oranges and ginger on a Galician landscape.  I have been using it in all my cooking for some time, but this tea inspired by Ayurvedic traditions is a great evening companion of late.

 

Turmeric tea

1 cup of Almond milk

1 tablespoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon of raw honey

1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil

Pour almond milk into a saucepan and warm for 2 minutes, add coconut oil, raw honey and turmeric powder. Continue to warm for another 2 minutes.  Stir well and pour into cup or glass. 


Posted on March 2, 2016 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under cooking, Yoga, wellness, yoga mat, Ayurveda and tagged Ayurveda turmeric turmeric tea herbs.