Soft Shell Tortillas
Makes about 6
what you’ll need
1.5 c Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
5 tbsp Salted Butter
0.5 c Hot Water
how you’ll prepare it
Combine “dry”s.
Add butter + water.
Knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and bounces back.
Let sit for 15 min to rise.
Cut into 6 pieces- flatten/rollout.
Lightly fry on dry pan until bubbles appear- flip and repeat.
Let cool on paper towel.
ways you can consume it
In tacos, as a quesadilla, with some peanut butter on top.
Mindfulness for Beginners
What is MBSR
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a practice in being aware as moments unfold. MBSR offers an opportunity to leverage the tools we have on-hand (our consciousness) to be unhindered by both the anxieties of what has been and the concerns for what will be. In an over-stimulated society, practicing mindfulness through the easiest framework possible can feel like a breath of fresh air.
How the Body Handles Stress
When the body absorbs stimuli, our sense systems identify the threat’s potential and proceeds accordingly. When talking about stress response, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is our central driver. The hypothalamus is the systems central operation controlling temperature, hunger, and heart rate. The pituitary gland recieves signals to start production and circulation of hormones to the body and the adrenals via secretion of the stress hormones necessary to prime our bodies to react.
Our two most common stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, serve the purpose to get you up and going as well as keeping the system on alert after initial response. When that initial adrenaline pump fades away, the cortisol of the body continues to pump through the system supporting circulation, respiration, and musculoskeletal alertness.
Because we are constantly on-guard and assessing the stimulus around us, high or recurring systemic cortisol is not an uncommon experience. We are, essentially, trapped in our fight or flight response by the design of the society in which we live. So how can we return to grounding in a way that is not daunting and that is accessible?
4-Fast Tips to Ground
Take Inventory of the Present Moment
We are one set of eyes in a vast universal experience. All at once, this moment unfolds for and impacts an un-quantifiable number of other humans. Sometimes simply taking a second to take inventory moment over moment can be enough to return to the now and peel away from the concerns of what was or what will.
Observe Judgments, Emotions, & Resistance
As the seer, it is our ego’s contribution to keep us narrating, identifying, and affiliating with the concepts that come to mind. Pattern recognition is an important part of operating efficiently in the world that we exist in. While wonderful and with purpose, pattern recognition at all times is exhausting. The practice of noticing patterns can be enough to cut off intrusive thoughts and repetitive inner discourse.
Engage With Their Implications
While we dialogue internally between our observer and our narrator, having taken inventory and observed the narrator’s contributions to the present response to the present moment, we can begin to realize what is us and what is not us. More often than not, so much of what we assign to us is, in fact, not us. We are the sum of those that we interact with the most- the people, places, and things that operate around us have such a significant influence on our concept of self. Just taking the step back to see the historical pattern play out can also be enough to cut off overthinking or unproductive internal rumination.
Explore Opportunity to Step Into New Patterns
I often refer to this yogic concept of Samskaras- these wheels of suffering that we persistently ride on. Suffering (Dukkha) is inevitable, we are a logical narrator tacked on to an irrational animal form- both the horse and the rider- a match made in hell if I do say so myself.
Choices are made for us (both external and internal) when we lack the practice of awareness to find which choices we can in fact choose for ourselves, we become stuck to this treadmill of the same stimulus leading to the same outcome further ingraining our patterns and our suffering.
By this point, perhaps headway has been made, perhaps how you began is how you remain. What is worth noting is this- if you’ve taken the time to observe, to dis-associate, and to explore new oprtions- you’ve done the practice. It is a practice not a perfect because it may not be the first nor fiftieth time that yields a breakthough, but it may be that fifty-first, ya know?
Simply trying is the first step- failure, missteps, disappointments are inevitable- but sitting put and accepting the outcomes without agency will certainly yield no progress.
March in Your Body
March is the real turn-of-the-leaf away from the dark time and into the light time. Once daylight savings Springs forward, the days get longer, the earth begins to thaw, and we’re drawn outward. You may notice that you crave less of the heavy sweetness that the Winter called for; you may even notice your appetite diminish just a bit. Embrace that. Just like the cold, hard, and heavy winter gives way for the light, energetic, clearness of Spring, this time of year the body readies itself to shed an refresh.
Key Take-Aways
Take advantage of the earlier sunrises and cooler air for immune and circadian regularity.
Increase circulation to improve blood health and lymphatic drainage after a winter of “hibernation”.
Movement is king. Dry brush, tongue scrape, irrigate your sinuses- encourage system-wide movement to increase conditions for regeneration.
Qualities of the Season
Spring is sprung at the heart of Kapha Season. It’s a biannual intersection between the dark time and light time. While the body reheats and re-energizes, it’s helpful to support the transition with easy to digest, light, simple foods. Wake with the sun and get outside. The blue light of the sunrise is a perfect way to get your systems energized in a nourishing way. Prioritize warm, light, dry, mobile, sharp, penetrating qualities and embrace bitter, stringent, and pungent tastes.
Daily/Practices
Like other animals, we too shed our winter layers in preparation for the upcoming warm season. In our case, it involves losing the insulating layers of fat beneath the skin, a natural process that differs from the modern concept of striving for a "summer body." Instead, this process aligns with the natural order, a delicate orchestra that changes seasonally to set us up for success.
Ayurvedically, this shedding can contribute to our blood and lymphatic systems experiencing congestion or sluggishness. This can lead to feelings of heaviness and lethargy. In addition, this congestion can contribute to mucous build-up, common during this time of year. Dry brushing remains a helpful practice to support the somewhat reluctant lymphatic system.
The idea of scraping, known as lekhana, can be applied in various ways throughout the season to introduce a rough and mobile quality when it's lacking. For example, tongue scraping is beneficial year-round but particularly useful now to clarify and assess the state of the digestive system through the purge.
While the body lightens up, there's an increased risk of irritants causing seasonal allergies due to changes in blood circulation. Regular Neti practice helps cleanse the sinuses, flushing out any trapped irritants and reducing immune responses.
Most importantly, spend time outdoors and stay active. Embracing our connection to nature on nice days allows us to return to its warm embrace, recalibrate our circadian rhythm, and positive impact our mental health. Engaging in activities like preparing spring gardens brings joy in witnessing new life. Our nervous systems greatly benefit from reconnecting with nature, aligning our vibes with the environment around us.
Diet Staples
March signifies the switch to bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes. Foods high in prana, or energy and life, are more easily accessible as farm stand season returns. Gone are the dark, cold months of root veggies and preserves- now is the time for fresh berries, cherries, greens, and grains!
Pungent and warming digestive herbs like ginger, black pepper, and turmeric assist the digestion, or agni, to brighten up and reinvigorate. It’s the perfect season to re-introduce all sorts of grains into the diet. Grains like barkley, buckwheat, and millet are light and mobile enough to give quick bursts of energy that will help keep the system running efficiently with the longer days.
Finally, beans and lean meats - particularly easy to digest beans and fish - nourish the system via their fiber, carb, and protein content. Because the light time encourages getting outside and getting mobile, it’s important to keep protein in a light and easily digestible form in order to ensure the body is supplied properly for regeneration.
What It All Means
The biggest takeaway is this: the sun is back, the body gets to movin in the Spring. Support your body's transition with easily digestible, light, and simple foods. As the body taps into its accumulated reserves for fuel, prioritize warm, light, dry, and mobile qualities, alongside bitter, stringent, and pungent tastes.
In daily practices, shed winter layers with dry brushing, scraping, and especially tongue scraping to assess digestive health. Combat potential seasonal allergies by incorporating regular Neti practice. Embrace outdoor activities for overall well-being, connecting with nature during this time of renewal. Circulation, metabolism, and circadian health are always primary- they are the inner clock and combustion systems that keep us regular!
5 Simple Strategies to Elevate Your Nutrition
Key Takeaways
A little planning goes a very long way.
Simplify, simplify, and then simplify some more.
Implement barriers to mitigate mindless overconsumption.
1. Menu Plan
Planning your meals in advance isn't just about healthy choices—it's also a commitment to your spending budget. Spend a little time on your big grocery trip day creating a weekly menu. This plan give focus and direction to your grocery trips trips, reducing unnecessary spending and distractions. After a few weeks, you'll have a plug-and-play resource for busy days.
2. Become an Ingredient Household
Grab-and-go snacks have a place in this world- and that place is filed under the category “by necessity”. Shelf-stable, preserved snackies are best served as the exception, not the rule. By keeping basic ingredients around the house, you'll not only avoid hidden additives but also make snacking a mindful experience. If you want to snack, you’ll have to work a bit harder for it. Experiment, have fun with food prep, and enjoy the creativity involved in crafting your own delicious, healthier snacks.
3. Shorten Your Feed Windows
Time restricted eating (or intermittent fasting) is a simple approach to system regulation. Extended feeding periods are an energy suck on the body, particularly in and around bed time. Tailor your eating window to aim between 10 and 8 hours, aligning with your circadian rhythm for optimal results. Stay hydrated during fasting periods with water or herbal teas, giving your body the rest and recovery it deserves.
4. Prioritize Protein
Protein is both a vital building block and an energy source. High protein diets increase satiety, improve cognitive functioning, and keep the energy going much longer than those lacking. From chicken and fish to tofu and legumes, try to include lean protein sources in every meal and snack. Lean into complete nutrients that include a little bit of it all (fats, proteins, carbs, fibers). Distribute protein throughout the day, aiming for about 1.2g per kg of body weight per day. Perfect your nutrition literacy by reading labels and aiming for intake that meets your needs. Gamify it, it’s a worthwhile pursuit.
5. Cook for Leftovers
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be an added task. Batch cooking not only promotes portion control but also frees you from the lure of convenience foods. By doubling the portions of a meal, you quickly meet the demands of lunch needs throughout the week. Invest in storage containers (particularly glass) for freshness, and let any decision-making fall away so you can focus on more pertinent tasks.
Kapha Kulture
Ayurvedic philosophy, often considered the sister science of yoga, embraces an intuitive and qualitative understanding of both our universe and ourselves. By delving into the elements and qualities that surround us, even at a high level, we can gain profound insights into our essence. In other words, an Ayurvedic perspective of our bodies, illness and wellness, are closely correlated to these universal essences.
As we navigate this cosmic journey, we find the universe not only within us but also as the destination where we ultimately return. The art of living, then, becomes a harmonious symphony, attuning ourselves to the unique rhythms of each moment in the vast expanse of space and time.
Think of Ayurveda as an alternative perspective on categorization through 10 pairs of qualities, or gunas; hot-cold, light-heavy, smooth-rough, etc. By contemplating the elements and the essential qualities shaping our individuality, Ayurveda breaks down these aspects into three broader categories or constitutions. In this intricate weave, the three broad categories emerge, known as doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Kapha is rooted in the Earth and Water elements, embodying the cool, damp qualities of the Spring season—the time of new beginnings. Kapha individuals tend to exhibit characteristics such as stockiness, mucous production, lethargy, and a slower pace. When similar qualities accumulate, symptoms can intensify. For instance, during Spring, pollen can exacerbate mucosal issues, leading to allergies.
A balanced Kapha constitution brings about a lush, vibrant freshness akin to the turning of a new leaf. Imbalances may manifest in diabetes, sinus problems, respiratory dampness, and edema. To restore balance, one should incorporate bitter, astringent, warm, dry, light, clear, and mobile quality foods and lifestyle choices. For instance, dry brushing (especially in the Spring) can help invigorate a Winter-stagnated circulatory system. Spring season also becomes an opportune time for activities like fasting, when approached safely and consciously.
In a nutshell, Ayurveda is a cosmic journey within and beyond. Picture it as your body's unique playlist, tuned to the universal rhythms. Through 10 pairs of qualities, Ayurveda breaks down our essence into three doshas, giving a fresh perspective on life's categories. Kapha, the cool cat rooted in Earth and Water, brings all those springy vibes. Watch out for imbalances - aggravated qualities - causing issues from allergies to dampness. But take comfort that a balanced Kapha constitution is a vibrant leaf turning over, and to keep the harmony, indulge in bitter, warm, and clear delights.
Think of it as a cosmic symphony, with Ayurveda as your guide to dancing through space and time, brushing off the winter blues, and embracing the zest of spring.