Posts in the ‘Ayurvedic’ Category

Some people have a green thumb.  I, on the other hand, do not. Much to my family’s disappointment, I can kill an artificial house plant just by looking at it!  I don’t particularly like to garden and I’ve never tried to plant vegetables (although I love looking at beautifully, colorful gardens – particularly if they are on my property!).  However, spring does inspire me to consider planting something…

So, for the love of the Spring Detox, I am going to give it one more college try and attempt to sprout. “What is sprouting?”  I’m glad you asked because I asked the same thing last week, and thanks to our friend and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Cate Stillman, I now know.

Sprouting is essentially growing sprouts at home from seeds. You are probably thinking of Alfalfa when you hear the word “sprouts”, but there are hundreds of different types of seeds that produce leafy sprouts, bean sprouts, micro-greens, seeds, etc. Sprouts are not only delicious they are nutritious (raw and cooked).

Sprouting doesn’t require a big garden either.  It can be done at home using a sprouting kit (or even a strainer). Thanks to Sprout People (www.sproutpeople.org), I feel more educated on the process, the supplies needed, and now know how healthy sprouting is for me.  To give you an idea, each sprout contains magnesium, calcium, potassium, folic acid, zinc, a large supply of vitamins (A, B, C, and E) and a high level of antioxidants.   Sprouts can be added to salads, wraps, soups and more!

Have you ever sprouted?  Tell us your story!

Share the Health!

Great News!  If you are a Jill’s List fan and sign up for the Spring Yogi Detox we’ve been telling you about, you will automatically be entered to win $100 gift card to Whole Foods! Use it to pay for the fruits and veggies needed for the cleanse!

To sign up and be entered in the drawing, register for the cleanse online at:  http://yogidetox.com/#4. Make sure to use the Jill’s List discount code: “happy20″ to get a $25 discount.

We will announce the winner on May 1st!

Share the Health!

Still have some questions about the Spring Detox starting on May 1st?  We did!  Cate dedicated an hour of her time to answer some of our Q’s like….

• can I still go to that bash in mid-May that’s been on the calendar for months?
• what will this be like if I’m a beginner?
• what will this be like if I’m an experienced vegan yoga teacher?
• What is a family cleanse all about?
• Do I have to do enemas? (No! – but you’ll probably get curious).
• What is a living foods Ayurveda cleanse?
• Do I have to quit coffee?

Whether you join the yogidetox or not, you will find this 55 minute Q & A session inspiring your choices and assisting you in taking the next step in your health evolution!

Click here to link to the Audio File on Cate’s site.

Share the Health.

It’s spring cleaning time!  Members of Jill’s List are cleansing…should you?  Join us for a NATIONWIDE DETOX starting May 1st (and tell your friends!!)

Here’s an extra incentive to say YES!  $25 discount for Jill’s List readers - Use the code “happy20″ when checking out at http://www.yogidetox.com/#4

Here’s the deal:

We’re all feeling a little “heavy” right now – winter pounds, winter blah, toxin build-up, etc.  As a community, we are gearing up for a living foods cleanse lead by Cate Stillman on May 1st!  Cate, an Ayurvedic Nutritional Counselor and Yoga Instructor, leads hundreds of people every year through her live, group cleanse. This spring, Jill and I will share our detoxing experiences with you (and you can share yours with us) as we detox together.  Whether you are a beginner or an expert cleanser, Cate’s Yogidetox will help rid us of everything that has built up over the winter!

So grab a friend and join us!

Not sure what to expect? Cate helped answer some of our questions about her cleanse:

Who should cleanse?

Everyone should cleanse! Way back, the cycles of nature forced homo sapiens into cleanse and rejuvenation cycles. Spring season in nature offers a low-fat, low-protein diet. This low-fat diet naturally arises in the season of scarcity – think back to the autumn harvest. Modern agriculture, shipping, and food processing has made every type of food available year round.   Toxins, including toxins from the non-nutrient calories that stock our grocery store shelves and refrigerators, are stored in our fat cells. Cleansing in spring means burning our fat stored to give our physiology the natural lightness and coolness needed to thrive in summer.

Briefly describe your living foods YogiDetox cleanse. What does it involve and what is the commitment required?

My Yogidetox has multiple levels built in. Beginners will generally invest less time and duration in a cleanse than advanced cleansers. Here is the schedule:

May 1-8: Prepare for your cleanse.  This includes eliminating toxins (processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol) and begin a daily whole foods diet including juicing or smoothies.

May 9-13: Move into daily cleansing mode.  Depending on the type of cleanse you are doing (10 day, 5 day) and your body type, this phase includes juicing, living food recipes, and soups. Fewer commitments will be very helpful to give space for mind and emotional detox.  Schedule time for daily yoga (guided audio routines available for download) and meditation.

Daily food preparation will take less than an hour – and end up saving you time.

May 14-23, we’ll be integrating what we learned from the past week. Your body and mind will still be in cleanse mode. Schedule times for walking in nature, exploring wild plants, yoga class, meditation, and more time for kitchen rejuvenation!

Don’t panic if this schedule doesn’t work with your life. Many people in the May cleanse will end up cleansing in June, and simply using the May audios as a jump start. Allow the cleanse to fit your schedule and create the least amount of stress possible.

Can I customize the cleanse for my body type?

Absolutely. No two people will do the exact same thing in my Yogidetox. You will be encouraged to eat for your type, and also to check in with what you personally need daily. There are charts to help guide you (for those who prefer structure), however, the cleanse is guided with the attitude of awakening your higher intuition.

Here’s something fun to try now – FIND OUT YOUR BODY TYPE by using John’s Douillard’s (Jill’s List Advisor and Ayurvedic Practitioner) simple online quiz at LifeSpa.

What are the benefits of cleansing?

We can break down the benefits into three categories: body, mind, and spirit.

Yogidetox Body Benefits:

o   Balances our bodyweight

o   Clears joint inflammation

o   Boosts immune system

o   Improves bowel function

o   Improves skin glow

o   Increases nutrient absorption

o   Improves 5 sense organ function (think eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin all becoming more efficient)

Yogidetox Mind Benefits:

o   Ignite mental clarity

o   Release stress

o   Let go of limiting habit patterns

Yogidetox Spiritual Benefits

o   Attune to your sacred life

o   Awaken to your potential

o   Create daily routines to thrive on all levels

o   Fall in love with your life, your family, your community

o   Increase your ability to perceive love (this sounds corny, but it happens to most cleansers).

Is it safe for the whole family to participate?

The family component of the Yogidetox is new this year, after 10 years of guiding individuals through a cleanse. I’ve witnessed the pattern of one family member cleansing creating this weird family dynamic of separation. So this spring, I’m inviting the family. Everyone can participate at any level, from toddlers adding a kale leaf to their banana smoothie, to all family members drinking some green juice or green smoothie each day.

In my humble opinion, what is less safe, is for your family not to set some time aside to awaken their taste buds to food that has nutrients.

What if I’m a beginner – I’ve never cleansed or done yoga before – what can I expect?  Will I be hungry all the time?  Does the cleanse limit my overall intake of food, or only limit the types of food I eat?

If you are a beginner, congratulations on finding your way here! I’m sure it wasn’t easy and all of this seems a bit out of the comfort zone. After this cleanse, you’ll be on your way to becoming an expert on what works for you. Your intuition will be stronger than ever and will guide you to engaging with your growth edge.

As for the nuts and bolts, if you don’t have much discipline around food, you can expect your inner rebel to throw a few temper tantrums as your higher self takes charge. It may be a bit of a battlefield, so it’s crucial to remind yourself of your higher objectives, and to become clear in your sense of purpose. Our neurotic self loves to take control through food!  That said, I’m not going to limit your quantity of food. I will encourage you to pulsate hunger with satiation, and satiation with hunger. Do you know how when you’re really hungry eating is more satisfying? I’d like to awaken that deeper satisfaction, and then have you fill yourself with real plant nutrients and superfoods. These nutrients not only nutrify your cells… they also help your cells purge toxins and waste. How cool is that?

As far as the yoga, I’ve received feedback from my online cleanses that the yoga audios are very clear to follow and of excellent teaching quality. You can expect to start where you are, and be encouraged to move deeply within your body in a safe yet engaging practice.

What if I cleanse every year  – how will my experience differ from the beginner’s?

I was just thinking about this question. I’m like a sponge for the cutting edge of knowledge in Ayurveda, Anusara Yoga, Evolutionary Enlightenment and Living Foods.  I’m combining the most effective tools from these domains into a course to help you integrate deeper into you, your family/community and your living ecosystem.

Your experience will differ from a beginner in a few ways:

o   You’ll desire less food

o   You’ll desire more meditation

o   You’ll do more enemas & advanced therapies

o   You’ll schedule bodywork for yourself

o   You’ll uplevel your knowledge of living foods, including: sprouting, fermenting, wild foods, permaculture and be inspired to get in the dirt.

o   You’re understanding of your constitution will be further revealed.

o   You’ll let go of deeper physical, mental and emotional patterns

o   You’ll recognize how you limit your potential in a subtle context

o   You’ll evolve your yoga practice

o   You’ll have insights to activate your potential in the world in a bigger way than ever before.

o   I promise.

What changes can I make in my diet prior to the cleanse to help me prepare for the May 1 start?

One simple tool is start eating fewer calories and more dark leafy greens at every meal. Start your day out with a fresh green drink (either juice or smoothie).

Can cleansing as a community help shift patterns and improve overall healing?

From a big historical picture of our nutrition we see a movement towards denatured food. You know the laundry list of how we denature our food from processing, additives, hormones, synthetics, genetic modification, picking before ripe, artificial preservatives, antibiotics in meat production, etc. Those are the specifics.. and it wreaks havoc on our organisms.

And if we look generally at what is happening in our communities …it gets ugly. You know the laundry list from obesity…diabetes…heart issues… cancer rates, etc. Those are specifics. As a community, we’re unwell.

Obviously, these are enormous issues.  What does it all have to do with your detox?

As we start to detox together and awaken together to exactly how healthy we can be we start to create a whole new local food economy. We start to be able to support each other’s health evolution. We start to realize that as a group of friends or as a family we make bad choices along with the good. As a micro-community we can begin to uphold the good choices and bring to light to toss out the bad choices. And our micro-community gets healthier and begins to lead others on the same path.

We know this trend is already happening worldwide. Why not join? For this reason, I’m encouraging yoga communities and families to cleanse together with me on the Yogidetox!

JOIN US!  It will be fun to detox as a group and we will be able to share experiences privately on Cate’s secure discussion boards and publically on our Facebook event page (coming soon!) To sign up, go to www.yogidetox.com/#4. At checkout, use Jill’s List exclusive code “happy20″ to get a $25 discount!  Feel free to pass this on to a friend!!

Share the Health!

Abby and Jill

Spice it Up in 2011!

By Lily Keller

For most of us, January is a time of renewal. For me this January, that could not be more true. I spent the months leading up to the holidays traveling and studying in the Middle East, mostly Damascus, Syria. I came home and was swept into the holiday excesses, spending too much, eating too much, and drinking too much.  Now I sit here, in the first weeks of January, in need of a deep breath and some serious self-renewal – in my bank account, my health, and especially my skin!

I’ve found myself thinking more and more about the ways Syrian women use the power of herbs and spices for their own self-renewal. Women in most parts of the world, Syria included, do not rely on expensive creams and serums for their skincare.  For one thing, the women do not have credit cards. It is not a culture of spending, but rather a culture of ancient traditions.  While for most people, Ayurveda does not call to mind images of the Middle East, Damascus has benefited for centuries from the same herbs and spices used in this ancient medicine.

The two cities that vie for title of “oldest continuously inhabited city in the world,” Damascus and Aleppo, are both found in Syria. The medicinal and beauty practices for thousands of years have been passed down through generations. The souqs (marketplaces) still sell many of the same spices and herbs as they have for centuries. In every stall in the spice souq, huge bins of turmeric are found, along with cardamom, cinnamon, mint, rose petals, chamomile, orange petals, cumin, saffron, green tea leaves, and about 40 other herbs and spices. Walk three feet and you will arrive at an identical stall with mounds of the same spices.

Syrians don’t rely on prescribed daily health routines, nor do they run to the doctor at every bout of the flu. In Syria, the pharmacies found in every block serve much the same as doctors do in America – you tell the pharmacist your symptoms, and he or she will give you what you need. The difference from America is every pharmacy boasts a dizzying array of herbal teas and supplements in their window. Pharmacists are likely to include an herbal tea in the bag with your prescription.  I found myself constantly looking up the various herbs pictured on the boxes of tea…herbs that were clearly well known to the Syrian clientele.

Syrian women are some of the most mysterious beings I’ve ever encountered. Once you get past the surface, however, they are also some of the most welcoming. They wear more make-up than burlesque dancers, yet not on their skin. Upon closer inspection one sees that their skin is clear, while their eyes and lips are painted over with all variety of colors. So, in the spirit of renewal for livers, skin and wallets, I’d like to share with you some of the more memorable tips I learned from the people I was lucky enough to observe and learn from in Damascus.

Fever Reducer and Anti-Nausea

I had been suffering from flu-like symptoms in early January and remembered the advice given to me by a woman I stayed with in Damascus. She swore by Cardamom as an anti-nausea tool and fever reducer.  In fact, her daughter was dealing with morning sickness while I was there, and I would often find her just breathing deeply into a bag of cardamom.  Taking her lead, I sprinkled about half a teaspoon of turmeric and 3 cardamom pods into my Theraflu, and my fever dissipated shortly thereafter.  I had finally graduated from the couch to my desk, and from Saltines to normal food.

Cardamom pods are also commonly brewed in every pot of Arabic coffee. At the end of the cup it is common practice to chew on the pods, as they are also believed to clean the teeth and gums—very useful after a cup of the uber-strong, granular Arabic coffee!

Reduce Fine Lines and Redness

Rosewater is used in many Ayurvedic preparations I’ve read about, and I was surprised to see it everywhere in Damascus. Once my Arabic was sufficient to ask the shopkeepers, I learned that women splash this on their faces or apply with cotton pads to reduce fine lines and redness. I have already adopted their practice, and place cotton pads soaked in rosewater over my eyes for about 10 minutes to cure redness. Women in Syria also frequently spritz it onto their faces to cool off and keep their skin hydrated. I heard several times the claim that rosewater was first produced by Islamic chemists during medieval times. Whether or not this is true, the use of rosewater is pervasive throughout the Muslim world, even being served at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in lieu of champagne.  It is also an ingredient that I put into my own face wash, found in the book “Absolute Beauty” by Pratima Raipur. The recipe calls for two parts almond meal, one part dry milk, and one part dried orange peel. Store in a spice jar and, to use, mix with rose water in your palm to make a paste. This is the recommended face wash for Pitta constitutions. For other skin types, the recipe can be found in the book at Amazon.

Improve digestion and relieve sore muscles

Cumin is a very important spice to the Syrians. It is used in cooking, but more so in hot beverages and topically. My friend’s father would make a paste of it and rub it onto sore muscles to relieve pain and swelling. After developing a case of the gout, he would frequently create a hot drink using cumin.  He would mix about 2 tablespoons of cumin powder, hot water, and another tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice, to produce a cleansing effect for the whole body. Women and men alike drink this as they believe it to be very healthy for the urinary tract, digestion, intestines, and cleansing for the liver.

Anti-Aging Remedies

Turmeric is one of the powerhouse spices in Ayurveda, as well as many other cultures around the world. It is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. Here are several of my favorite recipes involving turmeric:

• Anti-Aging for Hands: mix together a paste of turmeric, powdered goats milk, and rosewater and apply to hands. Leave on for 30-60 minutes then rinse. If powdered goats milk is not available, substitute heavy cream or buttermilk for the goats milk and rosewater. Turmeric is also a skin purifier and lightener, so it is especially useful to guard against the noticeable skin aging that so often happens first in our hands.
• Anti-Aging Recipe for Faces: A beauty shop owner in Damascus mixed up the following  turmeric recipe as an anti-aging remedy for my face and neck.

(I am estimating amounts, since I only watched her make it):
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon yogurt
1 Teaspoon coconut oil (or other oil, such as almond oil)
1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder

• Cuts & Burns: gently apply a paste of turmeric to cuts or burns. I tried this when my Arabic teacher spilled scalding hot coffee all over my legs. If you have sensitive skin I would recommend mixing it into buttermilk or milk, which is what I used. They swear by this paste for cold sores as well.

Treat Headaches, Dry Eyes and Itchy Skin

Mint is a huge part of daily cuisine in Syria. Every coffee shop offers mint tea, arriving in beautiful clear mugs with blossoms of mint leaves rising from the bottom. It is believed that mint aids in digestion, reduces inflammation, and I can attest to its powerful work against headaches.

Cinnamon is another useful tool. When my burn began to heal, I was told to mix cinnamon with honey to keep it from itching too badly. My Syrian friends would also occasionally sprinkle it into their tea or yogurt after a meal to aid in digestion.

Castor oil was never something I associated with eyesight before, but Syrians attest it makes an excellent eye drop. After my eyes became increasingly dry and itchy due to the dry, dusty, polluted climate, someone finally recommended I try castor oil. While many Syrians apparently use it throughout the day, it made my vision a little cloudy. So I put one drop in each eye at night and would wake up feeling very refreshed. My resourceful beauty shop owner also recommended rubbing it around your eyelashes, swearing that it makes them grow thicker and lusher.

I’ve seen firsthand how sticking to some of the same practices that have worked for thousands of years can create healthy and beautiful people. So, in the spirit of being healthy and beautiful in the New Year (and with money to spare!), I hope some of these ideas will make you look a little closer next time you open the pantry!

The weather outside (in London at least) seems to be frightful. So
much so that the first leg of our holiday trip to Delhi by way of
Heathrow landed us for two nights in Iceland. Re-routed through
Helsinki we found ourselves with about a half-day stay in Helsinki
Airport and I am here to report that I have just experienced an hour (+)
of fabulous treatments at the Via Spa located in the airport.

A Hand Bath (goat milk, water and rose petals) soothed my very dry
“airplane hands” and an Immediate Beauty Chinese Acupressure Facial
has me smelling and feeling completely refreshed. But, the truly
amazing part was a 15 minute retreat into a dry sauna filled with
fresh evergreen branches. Forget about chestnuts roasting on an open
fire! This was a truly blissful space in which I paused and considered
how lucky we all were. Our family, all together for two weeks of
travel, seeing two places along the way that were supremely beautiful
and yet which we had not planned to see. We had already had many
laughs and conversations that we never would have, had if we had gone
straight through to Delhi. Very lucky indeed.

If you are ever held over in Helsinki, I highly recommend Via Spa.

Are Super Foods Living in Your Cabinet?

By Abby Ackerman

Did you know that there may be powerful healing foods sitting right on the shelf in your kitchen cupboards? For years, we’ve been hearing, learning and enjoying the benefits of eating more fruits, vegetables and dark leafy greens, but what about raw honey, oils and the spices on your spice rack? You may be surprised to learn that there are many foods that provide healing effects for your body – both inside AND out!

Oils such as Sesame Oil are not just for cooking anymore. Sesame oil can provide relief from headaches, earaches, sunburns, and can protect your body against the elements. Honey can rejuvenate your face and leave your skin feeling softer. And some ancient herbs like tumeric can act as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.

Dr. John Douillard is an amazing Ayurvedic practitioner whose practice and clinic – Lifespa – are in Boulder, CO. We are inspired by Dr. Douillard’s work and appreciate his help, support and advice as an Advisory Board member to Jilll’s List.

This is a great article by Dr. Douillard about the multitude of health benefits you can gain from making an herb that is likely already on your spice shelf a part of your daily nutrition routine. Tumeric seems to be emerging as a new panacea which can can help to prevent Cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other health conditions.

A quick quote from the article that we found very interesting: “The average Indian eats about 2-2.5 grams of turmeric a day and Indians on average do that everyday of their lives. Interestingly, India has among the lowest rates in the world of prostate, breast, colon and lung cancer.”